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The compound diacetyl is used to give foods a butter flavor. It is ubiquitous in the modern human diet and is found in many products including butter-flavored microwave popcorn, margarine, cookies, crackers, potato chips, corn chips, and many more.
A recent study completed at the University of Minnesota showed that diacetyl potently enhances beta-amyloid toxicity toward neuronal cells in culture. In other words the diacetyl greatly increased the ability of beta-amyloid to damage or destroy brain cells. The effect occurred at concentrations that are normally found in workers exposed to diacetyl, but raised the question regarding the health effects of over consumption of diacetyl-containing foods.
The bottom line is that given the demonstrated effect on increasing the effects of beta-amyloid in causing brain damage shown in this study, it seems strongly advisable to avoid diacetyl-containing foods.
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0.998668 |
How much does it cost to see Phil Collins in Detroit?
If Phil Collins is coming through Detroit, there's a good chance there will be a stop at Little Caesars Arena. It's the #1 concert venue in Detroit based on SeatGeek's ticket data. The most likely alternatives are either Ford Field or Fox Theatre Detroit. Little Caesars Arena has a capacity of about 21000, which means it will probably be a big show if Phil Collins is performing there. For more details on these venues, you can visit one of these pages: Little Caesars Arena, Ford Field or Fox Theatre Detroit.
Detroit definitely attracts its fair share of tour stops, the three biggest artists in Detroit over the past 10 years are Ed Sheeran, Drake and Taylor Swift according to SeatGeek's ticketing data. If Phil Collins isn't coming to Detroit anytime soon, you can see other Detroit concerts here.
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0.99694 |
If you must choose someone who didn't know the person who died well, make an effort to share with him or her anecdotes and memories that are important to you. Ask yourself, "What stands out to me about this person's life?" "What are some special memories I'd like to share?" "What were sometimes I felt particularly close to this person?" "What were some admirable qualities about this person?"
Some tips for eulogy-givers Writing and delivering a eulogy is a loving, important gesture that merits your time and attention. Though the task may seem daunting right now, you'll find that once you start jotting down ideas, your eulogy will come together naturally. Afterwards, many who attend the funeral will thank you for your contribution, and your eulogy will be cherished always by the family and friends of the person who died.
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Representative Teresa Alonso Leon Party: Representative Jeff Barker Party: Representative Phil Barnhart Party: Representative Deborah Boone Party: Representative Janelle Bynum Party: Representative Brian Clem Party: Representative Margaret Doherty Party: Representative Paul Evans Party: Representative Julie Fahey Party: Representative David Gomberg Party: Representative Chris Gorsek Party: Representative Mitch Greenlick Party: Representative Ken Helm Party: Representative Diego Hernandez Party: Representative Paul Holvey Party: Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer Party: Representative Tina Kotek Party: Representative John Lively Party: Representative Pam Marsh Party: Representative Caddy McKeown Party: The findings supported the authors' predictions that people make predictions based on how representative something is similar , rather than based on relative base rate information.
In another study done by Tversky and Kahneman, subjects were given the following problem: A cab was involved in a hit and run accident at night. Two cab companies, the Green and the Blue, operate in the city. A witness identified the cab as Blue. What is the probability that the cab involved in the accident was Blue rather than Green knowing that this witness identified it as Blue?
The correct answer, found using Bayes' theorem , is lower than these estimates:. Representativeness is cited in the similar effect of the gambler's fallacy , the regression fallacy and the conjunction fallacy. The use of the representativeness heuristic will likely lead to violations of Bayes' Theorem.
However, judgments by representativeness only look at the resemblance between the hypothesis and the data, thus inverse probabilities are equated:. As can be seen, the base rate P H is ignored in this equation, leading to the base rate fallacy. The base rate fallacy describes how people do not take the base rate of an event into account when solving probability problems. For example, participants were asked how many people out of answered true to the question "I am a conscientious person" and also, given that a person answered true to this question, how many would answer true to a different personality question.
They found that participants equated inverse probabilities e. A medical example is described by Axelsson. This statistic often surprises people, due to the base rate fallacy, as many people do not take the basic incidence into account when judging probability.
Research by Bar-Hillel suggests that perceived relevancy of information is vital to base-rate neglect: Some research has explored base rate neglect in children, as there was a lack of understanding about how these judgment heuristics develop. The authors found that the use of the representativeness heuristic as a strategy begins early on and is consistent. The authors also found that children use idiosyncratic strategies to make social judgments initially, and use base rates more as they get older, but the use of the representativeness heuristic in the social arena also increase as they get older.
The authors found that, among the children surveyed, base rates were more readily used in judgments about objects than in social judgments. There was also evidence that children commit the conjunction fallacy. Finally, as students get older, they used the representativeness heuristic on stereotyped problems, and so made judgments consistent with stereotypes. Research suggests that use or neglect of base rates can be influenced by how the problem is presented, which reminds us that the representativeness heuristic is not a "general, all purpose heuristic", but may have many contributing factors.
A group of undergraduates were provided with a description of Linda, modeled to be representative of an active feminist. Then participants were then asked to evaluate the probability of her being a feminist, the probability of her being a bank teller, or the probability of being both a bank teller and feminist. Probability theory dictates that the probability of being both a bank teller and feminist the conjunction of two sets must be less than or equal to the probability of being either a feminist or a bank teller.
A conjunction cannot be more probable than one of its constituents. However, participants judged the conjunction bank teller and feminist as being more probable than being a bank teller alone. From probability theory the disjunction of two events is at least as likely as either of the events individually. For example, the probability of being either a physics or biology major is at least as likely as being a physics major, if not more likely.
However, when a personality description data seems to be very representative of a physics major e. Evidence that the representativeness heuristic may cause the disjunction fallacy comes from Bar-Hillel and Neter Thus, only when the person seems highly representative of a category is that category judged as more probable than its superordinate category. These incorrect appraisals remained even in the face of losing real money in bets on probabilities.
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0.990401 |
Schreiben Sie den ersten Kommentar zu "The Greeks in Asia".
This book, by Britain's most distinguished historian of ancient Greek art, recounts the influence of Greek communities and their culture through Central Asia, India and Western China, from the Bronze Age through to the rise of Islam.Boardman examines a wealth of art and artifacts as well as literary sources to reveal the remarkable influence of Greek culture upon peoples - Anatolians, Levantines, Persians, Asiatics, Indians, Chinese - whose settled civilizations were far older, with their own strong traditions in life, government and the arts. The Greeks were not empire-builders. They did not seek to conquer or rule. However, they were highly literate and adept at trade; they spread a monetary economy through Eurasia; their religion was easily adapted to that of others; their art developed a form of narrative that was to be dominant for centuries to come; and their poets and philosophers were widely respected outside their homeland. As Boardman notes, 'They are an odd phenomenon in world history. Through their travels they came to leave a very distinctive imprint on the lives and arts of many distant peoples, and over centuries, some to the present day'.
Kommentar zu "The Greeks in Asia"
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0.999998 |
2002-12-13 Application filed by Clairvoyante Laboratories, Inc. filed Critical Clairvoyante Laboratories, Inc.
Various embodiments of three sub-pixel arrangements and architectures for displays are disclosed. In one embodiment, in which dark colour sub-pixels, e.g. of colour blue, form a vertical line down a display, a spacing (70, 90) is disposed between red and green colour columns of said sub-pixel groupings, said spacing forming a dark stripe out of phase with said vertical line of dark colour sub-pixels. In another embodiment, optical vias (1212, 1214, 1216) are formed upon dark sub-pixels which shift the phase of the reconstruction points of the dark sub-pixels. In another embodiment dark sub-pixels are formed on different columns for alternate rows. In a still further embodiment, red and green sub-pixels (112, 114) are switched on alternate rows.
The present application relates to improvements to display layouts, and, more particularly, to improved color pixel arrangements and means of addressing used in displays.
The present state of the art of color single plane imaging matrix, for flat panel displays use the red-green-blue (RGB) color triad or a single color in a vertical stripe (i.e. "RGB stripe") as shown in prior art Figure 1. Figure 1 shows a prior art arrangement 10 having several three-color pixel elements with red emitters (or sub-pixels) 14, blue emitters 16, and green emitters 12. The arrangement takes advantage of the Von Bezold effect by separating the three colors and placing equal spatial frequency weight on each color. However, this panel suffers because of inadequate attention to how human vision operates. These types of panels are a poor match to human vision.
Full color perception is produced in the eye by three-color receptor nerve cell types called cones. The three types are sensitive to different wavelengths of light: long, medium, and short ("red", "green", and "blue", respectively). The relative density of the three differs significantly from one another. There are slightly more red receptors than green receptors. There are very few blue receptors compared to red or green receptors.
The human vision system processes the information detected by the eye in several perceptual channels: luminance, chromanance, and motion. Motion is only important for flicker threshold to the imaging system designer. The luminance channel takes the input from only the red and green receptors. In other words, the luminance channel is "color blind". It processes the information in such a manner that the contrast of edges is enhanced. The chromanance channel does not have edge contrast enhancement. Since the luminance channel uses and enhances every red and green receptor, the resolution of the luminance channel is several times higher than the chromanance channels. Consequently, the blue receptor contribution to luminance perception is negligible. The luminance channel thus acts as a resolution band pass filter. Its peak response is at 35 cycles per degree (cycles/0). It limits the response at 0 cycles/0 and at 50 cycles/0 in the horizontal and vertical axis. This means that the luminance channel can only tell the relative brightness between two areas within the field of view. It cannot tell the absolute brightness. Further, if any detail is finer than 50 cycles/0, it simply blends together. The limit in the diagonal axes is significantly lower.
The chromanance channel is further subdivided into two sub-channels, to allow us to see full color. These channels are quite different from the luminance channel, acting as low pass filters. One can always tell what color an object is, no matter how big it is in our field of view. The red/green chromanance sub-channel resolution limit is at 8 cycles/0, while the yellow/blue chromanance sub-channel resolution limit is at 4 cycles/0. Thus, the error introduced by lowering the blue resolution by one octave will be barely noticeable by the most perceptive viewer, if at all, as experiments at Xerox and NASA, Ames Research Center (see, e.g., R. Martin, J. Gille, J. Larimer, Detectability of Reduced Blue Pixel Count in Projection Displays, SID Digest 1993) have demonstrated.
The luminance channel determines image details by analyzing the spatial frequency Fourier transform components. From signal theory, any given signal can be represented as the summation of a series of sine waves of varying amplitude and frequency. The process of teasing out, mathematically, these sine-wave- components of a given signal is called a Fourier Transform. The human vision system responds to these sine-wave-components in the two-dimensional image signal.
Color perception is influenced by a process called "assimilation" or the Von Bezold color blending effect. This is what allows separate color pixels (also known as sub-pixels or emitters) of a display to be perceived as a mixed color. This blending effect happens over a given angular distance in the field of view. Because of the relatively scarce blue receptors, this blending happens over a greater angle for blue than for red or green. This distance is approximately 0.25° for blue, while for red or green it is approximately 0.12°. At a viewing distance of twelve inches, 0.25° subtends 50 mils (1,270 μ) on a display. Thus, if the blue pixel pitch is less than half (625 μ) of this blending pitch, the colors will blend without loss of picture quality. This blending effect is directly related to the chromanance sub-channel resolution limits described above. Below the resolution limit, one sees separate colors, above the resolution limit, one sees the combined color.
Examining the conventional RGB stripe display in prior art Figure 1, the design assumes that all three colors have the same resolution. The design also assumes that the luminance information and the chromanance information have the same spatial resolution. Further, keeping in mind that the blue sub-pixel is not perceived by the human luminance channel and is therefore seen as a black dot, and since the blue sub-pixel is aligned in stripes, the human viewer sees vertical black lines on the screen as shown in Figure 2. If the image displayed has large areas of white space, such as when displaying black text on a white background, these dark blue stripes are viewed as a distracting screen artifact. Typical higher resolution prior art displays have pixel densities of 90 pixels per inch. At an average viewing distance of 18 inches, this represents approximately 28 pixels per degree or approximately 14 cycles/0, when showing lines and spaces at the highest Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) allowed by the display. However, what the luminance channel sees is an approximately 28 cycles/0 signal horizontally across a white image when considering that the blue sub-pixel 12 is dark compared to the red 14 and green 16 emitters, as shown in prior art Figure2. This 28 cycles/0 artifact is closer to the peak luminance channel response spatial frequency, 35 cycles/0, than the desired image signal, 14 cycles/0, thus competing for the viewer's attention.
Thus, the above prior artarrangement of three-color emitters is a poor match for human vision.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in, and constitute a part of this specification illustrate various implementations and embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, server to explain principles of the invention.
[Oi l] Figure 1 illustrates a prior art RGB stripe arrangement of three-color pixel elements in an array for a display device.
Figure 2 illustrates a prior art RGB stripe arrangement as it would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system when a full white image is displayed.
Figure 3 illustrates an arrangement of three-color pixel elements in an array for a display device.
Figure 4 illustrates the arrangement of Figure 3, as the luminance channel of the human vision system would perceive it when a full white image is displayed.
Figure 5 illustrates a layout of drive lines and transistors for the arrangement of pixel elements of Figure 4.
Figure 6 illustrates the arrangement of Figure 5, as it would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system, when a full white image is displayed.
Figure 7 A shows an arrangement similar to that of Figure 1 with extra space between the red and green stripes.
Figure 7B illustrates the arrangement of Figure 7 A, as it would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system, when a full white image is displayed.
Figure 7C shows an arrangement similar to that of Figure 1 with the red and green sub-pixels arrayed on a "checkerboard" pattern.
Figure 7D shows the arrangement of Figure 7C wherein an additional dark spacing is placed between the two columns having red and the green sub-pixels.
Figure 8 A shows an arrangement of three-color pixel elements in an array for a display device. Figure 8B illustrates the arrangement of Figure 8 A, as it would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system, when a full white image is displayed.
Figure 8C shows an arrangement of three-color pixel elements in an array, in a single plane, for a display device, similar to the arrangement of Figure 8 A, but the elements are rotated 90°.
Figure 8D illustrates the arrangement of Figure 8C, as it would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system, when a full white image is displayed.
Figure 9A shows an arrangement similar to that of Figure 8 A with extra space between the red and green stripes.
Figure 9B illustrates the arrangement of Figure 9 A, as it would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system, when a full white image is displayed.
Figure 10A shows an arrangement of three-color pixel elements in an array, in a single plane, for a display device.
Figure 10B illustrates the arrangement of Figure 10A, as it would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system, when a full white image is displayed.
Figure 11 A shows an arrangement of three-color pixel elements in an array, in a single plane, for a display device.
Figure 1 IB illustrates the arrangement of Figure 11A, as it would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system, when a full white image is displayed.
Figure 12A shows an arrangement of three-color pixel elements in an array, in a single plane, for a display device, designed for transflective operation.
Figure 12B illustrates the arrangement of Figure 12 A, as it would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system, when a full white image is displayed, using a backlight to illuminate the screen under low ambient light conditions. Figure 13A shows an arrangement of three-color pixel elements in an array, in a single plane, for a display device.
Figure 13B illustrates the arrangement of Figure 13 A, as it would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system, when a full white image is displayed.
Figure 14A shows an arrangement of three-color pixel elements in an array, in a single plane, for a display device.
Figure 14B illustrates the arrangement of Figure 14A, as it would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system, when a full white image is displayed.
Reference will now be made in detail to various implementations and embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
As described in the '326 application as well as in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 09/916,232 ("the '232 application"), entitled "ARRANGEMENT OF COLOR PIXELS FOR FULL COLOR IMAGING DEVICES WITH SIMPLIFIED ADDRESSING", filed on July 25, 2001, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference and commonly owned by the same assignee of this application, Figure 3 illustrates an arrangement 20 of several three-color pixel elements according to one embodiment. A three-color pixel element 21 consists of a blue emitter (or sub-pixel) 22, two red emitters 24, and two green emitters 26 in a square, which is described as follows. The three-color pixel element 21 is square shaped and is centered at the origin of an X, Y coordinate system. The blue emitter 22 is centered at the origin of the square and extends into the first, second, third, and fourth quadrants of the X, Y coordinate system. A pair of red emitters 24 is disposed in opposing quadrants (i.e., the second and the fourth quadrants), and a pair of green emitters 26 is disposed in opposing quadrants (i.e., the first and the third quadrants), occupying the portions of the quadrants not occupied by the blue emitter 22. The pair of red emitters 24 and green emitters 26 can also be disposed in the first and third quadrants and the second and fourth quadrants, respectively. As shown in Figure 3, the blue emitter 22 can be square-shaped; having corners aligned at the X and Y axes of the coordinate system, and the opposing pairs of red 24 and green 26 emitters can be generally square shaped (or triangular shaped), having truncated inwardly-facing corners forming edges parallel to the sides of the blue emitter 22.
The array is repeated across a panel to complete a device with a desired matrix resolution. The repeating three-color pixels form a "checker board" of alternating red 24 and green 26 emitters with blue emitters 22 distributed evenly across the device. However, in such an arrangement, the blue emitters 22 are at half the resolution of the red 24 and green 26 emitters.
One advantage of such a three-color pixel element array is improved resolution of color displays. This occurs since only the red and green emitters contribute significantly to the perception of high resolution in the luminance channel. Thus, reducing the number of blue emitters and replacing some with red and green emitters improves resolution by more closely matching human vision.
[041 ] Dividing the red and green emitters in half in the vertical axis to increase spatial addressability is an improvement over the conventional vertical single color stripe of the prior art. An alternating "checkerboard" of red and green emitters allows the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), i.e. high spatial frequency resolution, to increase in both the horizontal and the vertical axes as was disclosed in the '232 application, using sub-pixel rendering techniques such as that described in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 10/150,355, ("the '355 application"), entitled "METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SUB-PIXEL RENDERING WITH GAMMA ADJUSTMENT," filed on May 17, 2002, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. A further advantage of this arrangement over the prior art arrangement is the shape and location of the blue emitter.
The grouping of the transistors and/or associated structures, such as capacitors, in the interstitial corners appears to be counter to good design practice, t, since collecting them together makes them a bigger, and thus more visible dark spot, as shown in Figure 6. However, in this circumstance these dark spots are exactly halfway between the blue emitter 22 in each three-color pixel element, which provides a beneficial effect as described below.
For instance, in this embodiment, the spatial frequency of the combined transistor groups and/or associated structures, 58 and the blue emitter 22 is doubled, pushing them above the 50 cycles/0 resolution limit of the luminance channel of human vision. For example, in a 90 pixel per inch display panel the blue emitter pitch, without the grouped transistors, would create a 28 cycles/0 luminance channel signal, both horizontally and vertically. In other words, the blue emitters may be visible as a texture on solid white areas of a display. However, they will not be as visible as the stripes visible in the prior art arrangement.
In contrast to the prior art arrangement of Figure 1, with the transistors grouped together, the combined group transistors 58 and the blue emitters 22 both become less visible at 56 cycles/0, virtually vanishing from sight almost entirely. In other words, the grouping of the transistors and the blue emitters combine to produce a texture on solid white areas of a display too fine for the human visual system to see. In using this embodiment, the solid white areas become as smooth looking as a sheet of paper.
In accordance with another embodiment, Figure 7A shows an arrangement of three color pixels, three sub-pixels red 74, green 72, and blue 76, repeated in an array to make up an electronic display, similar to that of the prior art arrangement of Figure 1, except for the extra space 70 that has been inserted between the red 74 and green 72 stripes. The red 74 and green 72 stripes are also interchangeable by interchanging the red 74 and green 72 sub-pixels. As illustrated in Figure 7B, the luminance channel perceives the blue 76 stripes to be dark stripes that are substantially 180° out of phase with the dark stripes caused by the extra space 70. The extra space 70 creates the same spatial frequency doubling effect as described earlier for the arrangement of Figure 5. Similarly, the extra space may be disposed where Thin Film Transistors (TFT) and associated storage capacitor elements may be positioned. Additionally, it may be desirable to use 'black matrix' material, known in the art, to fill the extra space.
Figure 7D shows the arrangement of Figure 7C wherein an extra space 70 is inserted between the columns having the red and green sub-pixels only. The luminance channel would then perceive the blue stripes 76 to be dark strips that are substantially 180° out of phase with the dark stripe caused by the extra space 70 - similar to that shown in Figure 7B.
Figure 8 A shows an arrangement of three-color sub-pixels as was described in the '232 application. Figure 8B illustrates how the arrangement of Figure 8 A would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system when a full white image is displayed. Note that the blue 86 sub-pixels form dark stripes against the white background. In this case, since sub-pixel rendering on the red 84 and green 82 checkerboard can show images at the same spatial frequency as the dark blue 86 stripes, the 'noise' of the dark blue 86 stripes creates a masking signal that interferes with the desired sub-pixel rendered image.
DISPLAY HAVING HORIZONTAL SUB-PIXEL ARRANGEMENTS AND LAYOUTS," filed on .
It should be appreciated that more than one of the disclosed techniques can be used simultaneously for additive benefit; For example, stripes 88 and 89 of Figure 8C may be combined with the extra space 90 described and shown in Figure 9A, with the transistors and associated storage capacitors creating the space, may be combined with the optimally positioned optical vias described and shown in Figure 12 A, also perhaps with a narrower, but higher luminance, blue sub-pixel.
In accordance with another embodiment, Figure 9A shows an arrangement similar to that of Figure 8 A, save that extra space 90 has been inserted between the red/green stripes 92 and 94. As illustrated in Figure 9B, the luminance channel perceives the blue stripes 96 to be dark stripes that are substantially 180° out of phase with the dark stripes caused by the extra space 90. The extra space 90 creates the same spatial frequency doubling effect as described earlier for the arrangement of Figure 7A. Similarly, the extra space may be where Thin Film Transistors (TFT) and associated storage capacitor elements may be positioned. Additionally, it may be desirable to use 'black matrix' material, known in the art, to fill the extra space.
In Figures 7 A, 7D and 9 A, the extra space width is calculated to compensate and double the effective spatial frequency of the blue stripe luminance well. While a first order analysis of the blue stripe is to assume that it has zero luminance because the blue receptors of the eye does not connect to the luminance channel of the human vision system, real embodiments of flat panel displays may not have ideal blue emitters, instead they may be emitting light that is perceived in part by the green receptors which do feed the luminance channel. Thus, a careful analysis of real embodiments of flat panel displays takes into account the slight, but measurable, luminance of the substantially blue emitters. The more luminance the blue emitter has, the narrower the extra space is designed. Also, the more radiance the blue emitter has, the narrower the blue emitter may be and still have the same white balance on the display. This in turn leads to a narrower extra space required to balance the blue stripe. Thus, it may be advantageous to use a backlight and/or blue emitter that has more deep blue emission to allow a narrower blue sub-pixel, and more blue-green emission to increase the luminance and thus allow an even narrower extra space. Calculating the optimum dimensions of the extra space can be accomplished by using a one dimensional model of the display, with each color emitters luminance, applying a Fourier Transform, noting the signal strength of the dark/light variations, adjusting the widths of the extra space vs. the emitters, until the signal strength is minimized.
According to another embodiment, instead of creating a black feature on the display panel, it is possible to split the blue sub-pixel to increase the spatial frequency. It may also be desirable to place the split blue sub-pixels evenly across the panel. Figures 10A and 11 A show such a modification to the arrangements of Figures 8 A and 3, respectively.
Figure 10A shows the blue sub-pixel stripe split into two stripes, each half the width along a horizontal axis of the red and green stripes, and placed between each column of red 104 and green 102 alternating sub-pixels. As illustrated in Figure 10B, the luminance channel perceives the blue 106 stripes to be dark stripes that are substantially 180° out of phase with each other. The extra split blue 106 stripes create the same spatial frequency doubling effect as described earlier for the arrangement of Figure 9A.
Figure 11 A shows the blue sub-pixel dots split into two sub-pixel dots, each half the area of the red and green sub-pixels, and placed between each column and row of red 114 and green 112 alternating sub-pixels. As illustrated in Figure 10B, the luminance channel perceives the blue 116 dots to be dark dots that are substantially 180° out of phase with each other. The extra split blue 116 dots create the same spatial frequency doubling effect as described earlier for the arrangement of Figure 6.
It should be noted that the above embodiments have the additional benefit of moving the red and green sub-pixels closer to being on a regular, evenly spaced, checkerboard. This improves sub-pixel rendering performance. In accordance with this aspect, Figures 12A and 12B show an embodiment for a transflective display that place optical vias 1212, 1214, and 1216 in positions that increase sub-pixel rendering performance and decrease the blue stripe visibility. Figure 12A uses a similar arrangement of red 1204, green 1202, and blue 1206 sub- pixels as that of Figure 8 A. These sub-pixels reflect ambient light toward the viewer, modulated by the display device incorporated therein. Such a device may be Liquid Crystal or Iridescent in operation, or other suitable technology. During high ambient light conditions, such a display may be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system as shown in Figure 8B. However, during low ambient light conditions, a backlight may illuminate the display, primarily through the red 1214, green 1212, and blue 1216 optical vias. A similar use of optical vias could also be used on the altered RGB stripe display shown in Figure 7C to similar effect for purposes of the present invention.
Figure 12B illustrates how the arrangement of Figure 12A would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system when a full white image is displayed under low ambient light conditions. Note that the red 1214 and green 1212 optical vias are arranged such that they approach being a regular, evenly spaced, checkerboard, improving the sub-pixel rendering performance. Also note that the blue 1216 optical vias are placed such that they break up the stripe appearance, in both horizontal and vertical axis, when they are backlit and viewed under low ambient light conditions. The positioning of the blue 1216 optical vias shifts the phases of the blue reconstruction points, reducing their visibility. While two positions of the optical vias are shown in the illustration, it is to be appreciated that the number of possible positions that they may take is unlimited, and all are contemplated and encompassed by the present invention.
In accordance with this additional aspect of the embodiments, Figures 13A, 13B, 14A, and 14B show how shifting the phase of the blue sub-pixels reduces the visibility of the dark luminance wells. Figure 13A shows an arrangement of sub- pixel based in part on the arrangement of 8 A with every other row copied from the one above and shifted by one sub-pixel to the right. This creates an arrangement of blue 1306 sub-pixels that takes two phases out of a three possible phases. Figure 13B illustrates how the arrangement of Figure 13A would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system when a full white image is displayed. Note that the dark stripes 1310 have been reduced in amplitude but increased in width, when allowing for some luminance blending, while the white stripes 1320 have been reduced in both amplitude and width. This reduces the Fourier Transform signal energy, and thus the visibility of the stripes.
Figure 14A shows an arrangement of sub-pixel based in part on the arrangement of 13A with every third row is shifted by one sub-pixel to the right. This creates an arrangement of blue 1306 sub-pixels that takes three phases out of a three possible phases. Figure 14B illustrates how the arrangement of Figure 14A would be perceived by the luminance channel of the human vision system when a full white image is displayed. The various phases and angles scatter the Fourier Transform signal energy, and thus reduce the visibility of the blue sub-pixel caused luminance wells. While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings without departing from the essential scope thereof. For example, some of the embodiments above may be implemented in other display technologies such as Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), ElectroLumenscent (EL), Electrophoretic, Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display (AMLCD), Passive Matrix Liquid Crystal display (AMLCD), Incandescent, solid state Light Emitting Diode (LED), Plasma Display Panel (PDP), and Iridescent. Further, more than one of the disclosed techniques can be used simultaneously for additive benefit; For example, the extra space described and shown in Figure 9A, with the transistors and associated storage capacitors creating the space, may be combined with the optimally positioned optical vias described and shown in Figure 12A, also perhaps with a narrower, but higher luminance, blue sub-pixel. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to any particular embodiment for carrying out this invention.
1. A display comprising: a plurality of sub-pixel groupings, each said sub-pixel grouping further comprising a plurality of color sub-pixels, wherein one of said color sub-pixels is substantially a dark color sub-pixel; wherein said sub-pixel groupings form an array across said display in a plurality of rows and columns and wherein said dark color sub-pixels form substantially a vertical line down said display; and wherein a spacing is disposed between adjacent columns of said sub-pixel groupings wherein said spacing forms a dark stripe substantially out of phase with said substantially vertical line of said dark color sub-pixels.
2. The display as recited in Claim 1 wherein further said dark color sub- pixel is substantially a blue color sub-pixel.
3. The display as recited in Claim 1 wherein said sub-pixel grouping comprises an RGB stripe.
4. The display as recited in Claim 1 wherein said sub-pixel grouping comprises a red and green sub-pixel checkerboard pattern.
5. The display as recited in Claim 1 further comprisinga black matrix material disposed about said spacing.
6. A RGB stripe display comprising: a plurality of RGB stripe sub-pixel groupings; wherein color assignments for the red sub-pixels and the green sub-pixels are switched on alternating rows.
7. The RGB stripe display as recited in Claim 6 wherein said red sub- pixels and said green sub-pixels form substantially a checkerboard pattern.
8. The RGB stripe display as recited in Claim 6 wherein a spacing is placed between adjacent columns of red and green sub-pixels.
9. The RGB stripe display as recited in Claim 8 further comprisinga black matrix material disposed about said spacing.
10. A transreflective display comprising: a plurality of sub-pixel groupings, each said sub-pixel grouping further comprising a plurality of color sub-pixels, wherein one such said color sub-pixel is a substantially a dark color sub-pixeland wherein each said color sub-pixel comprises an optical via; wherein said sub-pixel groupings form an array across said display in a plurality of rows and columns and wherein said dark color sub-pixels form substantially a vertical line down said display; wherein said optical vias are formed upon said dark sub-pixels such that shift the phase of the reconstruction points of said dark sub-pixels.
11. The display as recited in Claim 10 wherein said optical vias are formed upon said dark sub-pixels such that the phases of the reconstruction points are shifted in the vertical axis.
12. The display as recited in Claim 10 wherein said optical vias are formed upon said dark sub-pixels such that the phases of the reconstruction points are shifted in the horizontal axis.
13. A display comprising: a plurality of sub-pixel groupings, each said grouping further comprising a plurality of color sub-pixels, wherein at least one such said color comprises substantially a dark color; wherein said sub-pixel groupings comprise two row and three columns of sub- pixels and further wherein said sub-pixel grouping comprises a first dark sub-pixel and a second dark sub-pixel; further wherein said first dark sub-pixel is formed on the first row of said sub- pixel grouping and said second dark sub-pixel is formed on the second row of said sub-pixel grouping; and further wherein said first dark sub-pixel and said second dark sub-pixel are formed on different columns of said sub-pixel grouping.
14. The display as recited in Claim 1 wherein said sub-pixels are formed on said display with its length-wise edge on a horizontal axis.
15. The display as recited in Claim 10 wherein said sub-pixels are formed on said display with its length-wise edge on a horizontal axis.
16. The display as recited in Claim 13 wherein said sub-pixels are formed on said display with its length-wise edge on a horizontal axis.
17. A display comprising: a plurality of rows and columns of sub-pixel arrangements, each sub- pixel arrangement ecomprising: first, second, and third color sub-pixels, and wherein one of the color sub-pixels is substantially a dark color sub-pixel, and wherein a spacing is formed between adjacent columns of the first and second color sub-pixels in the sub-pixel arrangements that forms a dark stripe substanitally out of phase with a dark stripe formed by the dark color sub-pixels in the sub-pixel arrangements.
18. The display as recited in Claim 17, wherein the dark color sub-pixel is a split sub-pixel occupying less area than the other sub-pixels.
19. The display as recited in Claim 17, wherein the first and third color sub-pixels are a red or green sub-pixel.
20. The display as recited in Claim 19, wherein the first and third color sub-pixels in the sub-pixel arrangements form a checkerboard pattern.
21. The display as recited in Claim 20, wherein the first, second, and third color-sub-pixels are oriented along a horizontal axis such that the substantially dark color sub-pixels form a horizontal dark stripe.
NL7903515A (en) 1979-05-04 1980-11-06 Philips Nv A modulator circuit for a matrix display.
NL8601063A (en) 1986-04-25 1987-11-16 Philips Nv A display device for color.
FR2703814B1 (en) 1993-04-08 1995-07-07 Sagem matrix display in color.
BE1012634A3 (en) 1999-04-28 2001-01-09 Barco Nv Method for displaying images on a display device, and display device used for this purpose.
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Aztec sacrifices were famously a part of the Aztec culture, famous in part because of deliberate propaganda out of the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico, who at the time were involved in executing heretics and opponents in bloody ritual displays as part of the Spanish Inquisition. The over-emphasis on the role of human sacrifice has led to a distorted view of Aztec society: but it is also true that violence formed a regular and ritualized part of life in Tenochtitlan.
Sacrifices were a regular and ritualized part of life in 15th- and 16th-century Aztec capital cities.
The numbers and extent of the practice were almost certainly inflated by Spanish conquistadors.
Reasonable estimates are between 1000 and 20,000 human sacrifices per year in Tenochitlan; the Spanish claimed much more.
The main religious purpose was to renew and sustain life, and to communicate with the gods.
As a political tool, sacrifice was used terrorize Aztec subjects and legitimize the Aztec rulers and the state itself.
How Common Was Human Sacrifice?
As many Mesoamerican people did, the Aztec/Mexica believed that sacrifice to the gods was necessary to ensure the continuity of the world and the balance of the universe. They distinguished between two types of sacrifice: those involving humans and those involving animals or other offerings.
Human sacrifices included both self-sacrifice, such as bloodletting, in which people would cut or perforate themselves; as well as the sacrifice of the lives of other human beings. Although both were quite frequent, the second one gained the Aztecs the fame of being a bloodthirsty and brutal people who worshiped cruel deities.
For the Aztecs, human sacrifice fulfilled multiple purposes, both at the religious and socio-political level. They considered themselves the “elected” people, the people of the Sun who had been chosen by the gods to feed them and by doing so were responsible for the continuity of the world. On the other hand, as the Mexica became the most powerful group in Mesoamerica, human sacrifice acquired the added value of political propaganda: requiring subject states to offer up human sacrifice was a way to maintain control over them.
The rituals connected with the sacrifices included the so-called "Flowery Wars" intended not to kill the enemy but rather to obtain slaves and live war captives for sacrifices. This practice served to subjugate their neighbors and send a political message to both their own citizens as well as foreign leaders. A recent cross-cultural study by Watts et al. (2016) argued that human sacrifice also propped up and supported the elite class structure.
But Pennock (2011) argues that to simply write off Aztecs as bloodthirsty and uncivilized mass murderers misses the central purpose of human sacrifice in Aztec society: as a deeply held belief system and part of the requirements for the renewal, sustaining and refreshing of life.
Human sacrifice among the Aztec usually involved death by heart extraction. The victims were chosen carefully according to their physical characteristics and how they related to the gods to whom they would be sacrificed. Some gods were honored with brave war captives, other with slaves. Men, women, and children were sacrificed, according to the requirements. Children were specially chosen to be sacrificed to Tlaloc, the rain god. The Aztecs believed that the tears of newborn or very young children could ensure rain.
The most important place where sacrifices took place was the Huey Teocalli at the Templo Mayor (Great Temple) of Tenochtitlan. Here a specialist priest removed the heart from the victim and threw the body down the steps of the pyramid; and the victim's head was cut off and placed on the tzompantli, or skull rack.
However, not all sacrifices took place on top of pyramids. In some cases, mock-battles were organized between the victim and a priest, in which the priest fought with real weapons and the victim, tied to a stone or a wooden frame, fought with wooden or feathered ones. Children sacrificed to Tlaloc were often carried to the god’s sanctuaries on top of the mountains that surround Tenochtitlan and the Basin of Mexico in order to be offered to the god.
The chosen victim would be treated as a personification on earth of the god until the sacrifice took place. The preparation and purification rituals often lasted more than one year, and during this period the victim was taken care of, fed, and honored by servants. The Sun Stone of Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina (or Montezuma I, who ruled between 1440-1469) is an enormous carved monument discovered at the Templo Mayor in 1978. It features elaborate carvings of 11 enemy city-states and likely served as a gladiatorial stone, a dramatic platform for gladiatorial combat between Mexica warriors and captives.
Most ritual killings were practiced by religious specialists, but Aztec rulers themselves often took part in the dramatic ritual sacrifices such as the dedication of Tenochtitlan's Templo Mayor in 1487. Ritual human sacrifice also took place during elite feasting, as part of a display of power and material wealth.
Mexican archaeologist Alfredo López Austin (1988) described four types of Aztec sacrifice: "images," "beds," "owners of skin," and "payments." Images (or ixpitla) are sacrifices in which the victim was costumed as a particular god, becoming transformed into the deity at a magic ritual time. These sacrifices repeated the ancient mythical time when a god died so his force would be reborn, and the death of the human-god impersonators allowed the rebirth of the god.
The second category was what López Austin called the "beds of the gods," referring to retainers, those victims killed in order to accompany an elite personage to the underworld. The "owners of skins" sacrifice is that associated with Xipe Totec, those victims whose skins were removed and worn as costumes in rituals. These rituals also provided body part war trophies, in which the warriors who captured the victim were awarded a femur to display at home.
Apart from the Spanish and indigenous texts describing rituals involving human sacrifice, there is also ample archaeological evidence for the practice. Recent investigations at the Templo Mayor have identified the burials of high-ranking personages who were ritually buried following cremation. But the majority of human remains found in Tenochtitlan excavations were sacrificed individuals, some beheaded and some with their throats cut.
One offering at the Templo Mayor (#48) contained the remains of approximately 45 children sacrificed to Tlaloc. Another at Tlatelolco's Temple R, dedicated to the Aztec god of the rain, Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl, contained 37 children and six adults. This sacrifice was carried out at Temple R's dedication during the great drought and famine of 1454–1457 CE. The Tlatelolco project has identified thousands of human burials which were ritually deposited or sacrificially offered. In addition, evidence of human blood residue at the House of the Eagles in Tenochtitlan's ceremonial precinct indicates bloodletting activities.
López Austin's fourth category was sacrificial debt payments. These types of sacrifices are epitomized by the creation myth of Quetzalcoatl (the "Feathered Serpent") and Tezcatlipoca ("Smoking Mirror") who transformed into serpents and tore apart the earth goddess, Tlaltecuhtli, angering the rest of the Aztec pantheon. To make amends, the Aztecs needed to feed Tlaltecuhtli's endless hunger with human sacrifices, thereby staving off total destruction.
According to some Spanish records, 80,400 people were slaughtered at the dedication of the Templo Mayor, a number likely exaggerated by either the Aztecs or the Spanish, both of whom had reason to inflate the numbers. The number 400 had a significance to Aztec society, meaning something like "too many to count" or the biblical notion involved in the word "legion." There is no doubt that an unusually high number of sacrifices did occur, and 80,400 could be construed to mean 201 times "too many to count."
Based on the Florentine codex, scheduled rituals included a figure of around 500 victims a year; if those rituals were conducted in each of the calpulli districts of the city, that would be multiplied by 20. Pennock argues persuasively for an annual number of victims in Tenochtitlan of between 1,000 and 20,000.
Ball, Tanya Corissa. "The Power of Death: Hierarchy in the Representation of Death in Pre- and Post-Conquest Aztec Codices." Multilingual Discourses 1.2 (2014): 1–34. Print.
Berdan, Frances F. "Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory." New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Print.
Boone, Elizabeth Hill, and Rochelle Collins. "The Petroglyphic Prayers on the Sun Stone of Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina." Ancient Mesoamerica 24.2 (2013): 225–41. Print.
De Lucia, Kristin. "Everyday Practice and Ritual Space: The Organization of Domestic Ritual in Pre-Aztec Xaltocan, Mexico." Cambridge Archaeological Journal 24.03 (2014): 379–403. Print.
Klein, Cecelia F. "Gender Ambiguity and the Toxcatl Sacrifice." Tezcatlipoca: Trickster and Supreme Deity. Ed. Baquedano, Elizabeth. Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2014. 135–62. Print.
López Austin, Alfredo. "The Human Body and Ideology: Concepts of the Ancient Nahuas." Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1988.
Pennock, Caroline Dodds. "Mass Murder or Religious Homicide? Rethinking Human Sacrifice and Interpersonal Violence in Aztec Society." Historical Social Research / Historische Sozialforschung 37.3 (141) (2012): 276–302. Print.
Schwartz, Glenn M. "The Archaeological Study of Sacrifice." Annual Review of Anthropology 46.1 (2017): 223–40. Print.
Watts, Joseph, et al. "Ritual Human Sacrifice Promoted and Sustained the Evolution of Stratified Societies." Nature 532.7598 (2016): 228–31. Print.
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This Thursday is Ascension Day and this coming Sunday is Ascension Sunday. What is the theological significance of Christ's Ascension?
Traditionally, the exaltation of Christ encompasses four teachings which are confessed in the Nicene Creed: 1. Christ's descent into the nether world ("descended into hell," or "descended to the dead"), 2. his resurrection, 3. his ascension, and 4. his session ("sits at the right hand of the Father"). The first teaching is controversial among Protestants, the remaining three are not.
The ascension is the act by which Christ brought his post-resurrection appearances to an end. The ascension signaled Jesus' departure from the disciples in a "physical" manner. He passed into the "other world" until his second coming.
The Heidelberg Catechism suggests three benefits that we receive from Christ's ascension. First, the exalted Lord in heaven is our advocate in the presence of the Father (Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1; Hebrews 7:25). Since Christ offered the perfect sacrifice for sin, he alone is qualified to be our advocate (Hebrews 10:12). He also communicates through the power of the Spirit, to all believers the gifts and blessings which he died to win for them.
Second, The ascension indicates the exaltation of humanity itself. The Heidelberg Catechism states that we have "a sure pledge that he, as our head, will also take us, his members, up to himself."
Third, It is because he ascends that we can receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Spirit is the sign of our inheritance as children of the Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus. It was only after Jesus ascended that the church received the Spirit (John 7:39; Acts 2:1-11). Therefore, the ascension demonstrates that the risen Lord lives in heavenly communion with the Father and that he takes an active part, through the Spirit, in the working of God in the world.
Traditionally, the ascension has meant 1) the exalted Christ is the priestly advocate who intercedes on our behalf. 2) Christ shares in the sovereignty of the Father. 3) No earthly authority can exhaustively represent Christ since he is free.
The Nicene Creed also states that Jesus "ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father."
Session literally means "a sitting." The Old Testament portrays God as seated on the throne of the universe, thereby signifying sovereignty (1 Kings 22:19; Psalm 2:4; 99:1, holiness (Psalm 47:8, and majesty (Isaiah 6:1-4). In Psalm 110:1, the Messiah is invited to occupy the position of honor at God's right hand. The Messiah's throne is to be one of sovereignty and priesthood (Psalm 110:1, 4; Zechariah 6:12-13) and of judgment (Malachi 3:3).
All of these images are background to the ascension of Christ (Philippians 2:9-11; Ephesians 1:20-23). The book of Hebrews describes Christ's session as the sequel to his one complete sacrifice on earth (1:3; 10:12; 12:2). He sits as high priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 8:1; 10:12). From this position, Christ exercises his priesthood offering intercession for humanity (4:14-16; 2:!7-18; 7:17-27). Christ will do this until all things are subjected to him (10:13). His session also points toward future judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 19:28).
Douglas Farrow states, "Christ's heavenly session may be likened to a mutatis mutandis, to a period of transitional government. His session, though heavenly indeed, is temporary, not permanent. It is an establishing of the conditions under which, and of the officialdom through which, he is to rule in the kingdom without end" (p. 139; Nicene Christianity: The Future for a New Ecumenism).
Christ's transitional throne in heaven will end when he sets up his permanent throne on earth.
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When I first opened the Rgveda I knew only that Vedism was part of the eastern branch of the Indo-Europeans. I did not yet know of the complex deities overflowing with contradictory tales. I did not know that my beliefs were to be mirrored in those of karman, dharman, and Rta. And yet, it was only a short time before I found myself connecting to this ancient religion.
I was understanding ritual concepts that the scholars were puzzled by. I felt the connection to the gods and goddesses that embodied the very elements themselves. I saw my own life of beauty and violence, chaosand order, devotion and selfishness. It was all reflected back to me within the world of the Vedas.
Many years have passed since that moment. I now understand more than I did, and I laugh fondly at the things I thought I knew. The Vedas have become a truth to me. They are my sruti, my Rta, my dharman. They guide me on my way and assist me when I ask.
Is Vedism a form of Hinduism?
Are Kali, Siva, Krsna, Laxmi, Ganesha, Rama, Sita, Hanuman or Durga Vedic?
To answer one question is to answer them all. It is to dig into the past of Vedism and tell all of what we know.
The Indo-Europeans are often split between two physical regions. The western branch includes those cultures who colonized north and west into Europe. The best known of these cultures are the Greeks, Romans, Celts, Slavs, and Norse. To the east the Indo-European cultures migrated into Asia, primarily India, Afghanistan, Iran, and other parts of what is now known as the Middle East. It is this eastern branch with which we are interested.
Dated at around 1700-1500 BCE, we begin finding archaeological remains of the Indo-European peoples in the Indus River valley. Much of this evidence is found in excavations of the ancient cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, both now in Pakistan. In both these sites, one finds the remains of an ancient society, then a break where that society suddenly disappears followed by evidence of a new society with an entirely different culture colonizing the same city.
This new society represents the first incursions of those peoples known as the Indic division of the Indo-European culture into the Indian Peninsula. Later, this culture would spread across the land, eventually taking the name of 'Arya' for itself; which which translates to noble'. It is from this root word that we derive the term for the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European's. These people we now also know as the Vedics.
After having established themselves across the north of India, the Vedics eventually had the majority of their religious practices codified into four main works: the four Vedas. There were also several ancillary texts written as commentary, which make up a collection of works known as the Upanisads.
The holy texts are split into two categories: sruti-tradition and smrti-tradition. The sruti sources are ones that have been "heard." These texts were revealed by the Gods to specific Rsis (priests). The smrti sources are those that have been "memorized", and as such have been created by man without divine assistance but based on sruti texts.
The Vedic texts fall mostly within the category of sruti and are known as the Vedas and portions of the Upanisads Veda translates literally into "knowledge." The word veda is derived from the verb vid- which means "to know, to be aware of." Upanisad is broken up with "sad" meaning "sit" and most likely refers to the extreme secrecy that was to be enforced with the sharing of the Upanisads by having the student sitdng beside the teacher. This leaves the word Upanisad referring to "secret text."
There are a total of four Vedas. Three of the Vedas, the Rgveda, the Yajurveda, and the Samaveda, can be dated to between 1500-1200BCE. A fourth Veda—the Atharvaveda—was established slightly later, between 1200-1000 BCE. Each Veda consists of its the main text, or Samhita, as well as dedicated commentary and instruction on that text, which is known as the Brahmana.
The Rgveda consists of more than one thousand hymns that are arranged into ten books. These hymns were meant to be spoken to the gods during ritual and contain the myths of the Vedics. The Yajurveda is a collection of hymns from the Rgveda in the way they were meant to be used during ritual. The Yajurveda is split into two versions: the White Yajurveda and the Black Yajurveda. The basic differences are that the White Yajurveda keeps separate the Samhitas and Brahmanas while the Black Yajurveda mixes the two. There are additional differences in translations as well.
The Samaveda is a collection of songs to be sung during ritual. Some of the material is a reworking of the Rgveda, while the rest of the material is original. The Atharvaveda is a volume which deals specifically with magic and the use of rituals as cures, protection and curses.
The Samhitas are the actual text, or hymns, of each of the Vedas while the Brahmanas are the commentary upon the Vedas. The Brahmanas set out to explain, in detail, the going-ons of the Vedas.
The Upanisads generally date from about 800-600BCE and are made up of twelve Upanisads: the Brhadaranyaka, the Chandogya, the Taittiriya, the Aitareya, the Kausitaki, the Kena, the Katha, the Isa, the Svetasvatara, the Mundaka, the Prasna and the Mandukya. These texts are several ancillary texts written as commentary on Vedism in general.
While the Upanisads show more information on the Vedas, they also show a breaking away from traditional Vedic thought into the basic tenets of what would grow to become Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism). The Upanisads are predominantly thought processes and commentary. The can be seen as a mix of smrti and sruti for the most part.
Past these texts you find yourself within the man made texts of the smrti-tradition. While this in no way demeans their value, it simply must be stated that to a Vedic these texts are made up or commentaries that have been quite removed from their original Vedic thought process.
Two smrti-tradition texts which are still of great use: the Grhya Sutras and the Crauta Sutras. The Sutras were roughly set down between 400 and 200 BCE, although this is just scholastic guess work. The Grhya Sutras deal specifically with household ritual to be performed by the householder. The Crauta Sutras depict elaborate rituals which included one or more clergy.
There are also the Aranyakas, or 'forest texts,' which give us greater insight into the breaking down of the Vedic religion. The Aranyakas, which some sdiolars link as sruti, were philosophical musings and speculation written by hermit-priests who had secluded themselves from society in order to concentrate on the study of the Vedas.
These later texts also include works on yoga, avastu, and jyotish. They also include the Kama Sutra, the Dharma Sutras and the Laws of Manu. In addition, such epics as the Mahabharata, the Gita and the Ramayana are man made creations said to be from the fourth century BCE.
Also worthy of a peripheral note are the holy texts of the Indo-Iranians. This culture was to go on to become the Zoroastrians, and the oldest portions of their holiest text, the Avesta, is dated to around 1000 BCE. Since the Indo-Iranians began as an offshoot from the Vedics, one finds similar god-names (the Vedic Mitra versus the Zoroastrian Mithra, for instance) as well as differing versions of some of the same myths. Occasionally, the Avestan version of a Vedic myth will reverse the point-of-view of the story, thus casting the Vedic Gods instead as demons. There is thus a good amount of evidence that the Vedic-Iranian split was not an amiable one, so the Avesta offers an interesting contrast for comparison.
To the Vedics, the world consisted of three spheres. The first was the earth, the second was firmament (also called the sky), and the last was the intermediate region, or the space between the earth and firmament. Each of the three spheres was divided in additional sections. The ground and heaven were supported by beams, yet the sky was without support. This caused a great deal of discussion by the Vedic on why it did not fall.
The ancient Vedics believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals. The vast majority of the gods were the elements such as the wind (Vayu) with some gods being concepts such as speech (Vac).
Towards the end of the Vedic period the belief of kathenotheism came forward. Kathenotheism was the belief and practice that during a ritual, or worship, that the participants called for one God who would then embody all of the attributes of the other Gods within the pantheon.
This change in beliefs was one of the markers of the end of Vedism. From this step it went in monism. Monism is the belief in one God, or higher power, and that all other "gods" are manifestations, or avatars/incarnations, of the higher power.
To the Vedics, upon death, going to heaven was their goal. A great many rituals were performed to ask for the favor of the Gods and wash away shortcomings in an attempt to reach heaven. Heaven was seen as a place of light that was without the negative aspects of life. In heaven there was no disease, no want, no death, no darkness and no fear.
Heaven is shown as an ending to life on earth and a beginning of a life in Heaven with the Gods. There was no reincarnation in the Vedas. The Vedics began as a migratory culture. Due to matters of survival (such as food supply or grazing space), it was necessary for the early Indo-Aryans to maintain a mobile existence. Their existence was often contingent upon the ability to pack one's home and move to an entirely different location. They developed a ritual format where an open space was found and consecrated, then ritual was performed in the open with no permanent structures necessary.
Later, the Vedics were able to establish cities and consecrated permanent public spaces in which to hold ritual. It was merely the scale that changed. As the Vedics grew more successful, the rites grew larger and more elaborate. The format of the proceedings, however, still remained faithful to their roots. Later, after Vedism's fall, Hinduism began to favor private personal worship (called puja and often referring to the worship of idols as an aid in worshiping a god), and established elaborate buildings in which to gather and pray. It is this difference between open Yajna and private worship which in one aspect defines the difference between Vedism and Hinduism.
A few of the basic Vedic practices and beliefs are Rta, dharman, karman and Yajna.
Rta translates quite literally to 'order'. It is the order by which the universe, were it a perfect place, should run. One may conceive an illustration of Rta as literally 'a place for everything, and everything in its place'.
Dharman is personalized Rta. If the world were a play, then Rta would be its script, and dharman would be each individual's particular part. Why does Surya (the Sun) pass across the sky each day? Because it is Surya's dharman - his part in maintaining Rta - that he do so. And, being the steadfast upholder of Rta that he is, Surya fulfills his dharman by faithfully rising each dawn to traverse the sky until dusk.
Karman, then, translates to 'action'. Karman is the embodiment of the actions one takes and the deeds they do. Here there is no judgment of good or evil over these deeds, but one must understand that actions beget consequences. Once again, as in a play one may decide go 'off book' - throwing away their lines and bursting into an impromptu monologue, for instance. In just this same manner, one may choose to ignore their part, their dharman, and do solely as they wish.
They must understand, however, that this action naturally leads to consequence. The consequence may be bad, it may be good or it may be neutral.
Yajna is the term for Vedic ritual. It differs from many religious rituals in that it is public and elaborate, yet does not necessarily take place in an established enclosed space such as a temple or church. This is to be performed by the clergy and follows very strict rules.
The Vedics had their clergy split up into different types. Each of these types was responsible for a specific part in the ritual and attached to a specific Veda. Each member of the clergy went through years of training and was considered an expert in their field.
The four major priests are Hotr, Udgatr, Adhvaryu and Brahmin. It must be noted that all Vedic priests were Brahmins, and there is a specific role performed by a priest who is called Brahmin. This Brahmin is the chief priest of the ritual.
The Hotr is the priest who works with the Rgveda and is responsible for reciting. The Udgatris the priest of the Samaveda and is responsible for the singing done in ritual.
The Adhvaryu is the priest of the Yajurveda and is responsible for all of the points dealing with the ritual.
This includes setting up the ritual space, laying out the ritual items, preparing the ritual fire, gathering the ritual offerings, killing the sacrificial animals, cooking the sacrificial animals, and offering all of the sacrifices to the fire.
The Brahmin is often matched up with the Atharvaveda, but they must know all of the Vedas. It is their job to stand silently by the sacrificial fire and to act as a satellite of the ritual and to correct any mistakes that may happen during the ritual. Because of this, they must know all of the Vedic the Vedas and be familiar with all of the workings of the ritual.
There are several assistants to the four main priests and these assistants had their own titles and specific duties. Some of the additional priests were the Agnidhra (an assistant to the Adhvaryu), the Prastotr (an assistant to the Udgatr) and the Pratihartr (also an assistant to the Udgatr). There was also the Purohita, a Brahmin who performed domestic rituals and often was the primary Brahmin for the king.
Within the ancient society of the Vedics there was a class system which was reflected in the gods. This class system was split up into the Brahmins, the Kshatriya, the Vaisya and the Sudra. The Brahmins were the priest class, the Kshatriya were the ruler class, the Vaisya were the common people and craftsman, and the Sudra were the non-Vedic immigrants (often times serfs or prisoners of wars).
At the time of the Vedics, one was not classified to be within the Sudra class for their lifetime. It works much in the way that modern immigration works today with the individuals being accepted and free to seek out their profession once they had placed themselves within the society. The Sudra could remain Sudra for many generations. They remained such until they found themselves integrated into the society.
The class system was used more as descriptive terms than as a "birth right". Where you laid in the class system was based upon your skills, with the exception of royalty and the above mentioned immigrants.
The Vedics were omnivorous. They did eat meat. They ate cows and just about any other animal they could get hold of. They were not vegetarians or vegans.
The Vedics were defined as patriarchal and patrilineal. Despite the obvious male dominance, the Vedic period gave a certain power to women in its ritual dependant culture. The Vedics viewed rituals as a means of keeping the social and cosmic order of the world and women were vital within keeping these goals.
The coupling of a husband and wife was very important to the Vedics and to their ritual. It was required that any man who was to have a ritual performed had to be wed.
It can be easily suggested that almost every wife had some sort of Vedic training due to the timing of rituals. Every day Householder rituals were to be performed and often the male of the house would be away for periods at a time.
There is proof that there were women who recited the Vedas, sung the hymns and were Rsis. In short, there were female Brahtnins, some of which are credited with certain parts of the Vedas. It was also dependant on the wife to tend to the sacred fire so that it would never go out.
It was not until later times that women began to take on the roles as being impure and it was not until post-Vedic texts that wife burning became popular.
The Vedic culture and religion eventually came to dominate, and define, India. Towards the end of the Vedicperiod the many scholars within Vedism began to start a process of thinking differently about how they were connected to the Gods, to Heaven and to Yajna. It was this questioning mixed with the ramped corruption of the Brahrnins that helped lead the way to Vedism's fall.
The people who had once practiced Vedism were now on their way to adopting new philosophies and ways of communing with the divine(s). The religions that splintered off from Vedism took ideas, thoughts and beliefs from Vedism and brought them into new ways of thinking that were meant to rebel against the Vedic religion, thus negating them as a different sect of Vedism.
Vedism was not allowed to evolve further as a religion, but instead it lay stagnant while other religions splintered off from it. These religions took specific beliefs within Vedisin and followed them to their own ends, thus ending the Vedic period and the religion of Vedism. Some of the the off shoot religions of Vedism are Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism), Buddhism and Jainism.
Buddhism is the religion founded by the Buddha, Gautama Siddhartha, in the 6th Century BCE. Like many other offshoots from philosophies spawning from Upanasadlic speculation (Gautama himself was a Ksatriya, or noble, and well-versed in Vedic philosophy), it is a religion begun as a reaction to Vedism and the orthodoxy of that time. Buddhism sees the 'self' as a aggregate of many elements called 'skandhas' which include one's physical form senses, perceptions, deeds, and conceptions. It attempts to free its adherents from the cycle of birth, death, and re-birth by the doctrine of Enlightenment, and contends that salvation is only possible after the elimination of suffering, caused chiefly by attachment, striving, and seduction by the senses.
Jainism is the religion which gradually splintered from Vedism around the time of the Upanisads, and was systemized as a doctrine by Vardhadama (Mahavira) around 550 BCE. It believes in the body and soul as separate, with the soul enmeshed in karmic matter that it must work off in order to reach Nirvana. It's five highest principles, or Vrathas, are: Ahimsa (non-violence), Asathya Tyaga (relinquishing of anger, wrath, and deceit), Astheya (abstention from coveting or thievery), Aparigraha (relinquishing of anger, wrath, and deceit), Astheya (abstention from coveting or thievery), Aparigraha (relinquishment of excess, particularly in regard to property), and Brahmacharya (moderation in earthly pleasures).
Sanatana Dharma, or Hinduism, is not a religion. Rather it is a group of religions found within India that share common beliefs while still remaining very different. Many may even argue that it is not a religion but more a way of life. The term "Hinduism" was not developed by the practitioners, but by groups outside of the religions as a means for labeling the entire Indian people.
Often referred to as the successor religion to Vedism, the Hindu religions are no more the same religion as Vedism than Islam is the religion of the Christians. After the populace began to lose faith in the Brahmins (due primarily to elitism and corruption), they began to turn increasingly to the speculations within the Upanisads. In particular, the Aranyakas (which were originally penned by sunvassins, or hermit-priests living in the wild) provided a road map by which solitary practitioners could re-enact Vedic ritual without the actual physical activity of Yajna.
Also, other philosophical speculation during the late Vedic period, coming most often in the form of derivative texts called Sutras, fed the reform movement. These steps toward short cutting ritual eventually led to a much greater emphasis on private meditation, and an overall philosophy which embraced concepts such as reincarnation, Karma, Dharma, the caste system, and the personification of all gods into a single god-power known as Brahman. With the last step, Hinduism ceased as a polytheistic religion into fell the embrace of monism (monism being the belief in one supreme being and that all other beings are incarnations of the One).
There are many groups within Hinduism that claim a sort of "going back to the Vedas". While these groups are attempting to create a bond with the Vedas, they will never be followers of Vedism while they still hold their core ideals.
These core beliefs are at odds with those of the Vedas. Many followers of Hinduism do translate the Vedas to fit into Hindu thought by changing the translation to reflect the beliefs of monism, reincarnation, the caste system and absence of animal and human sacrifice. However, this poor translators.
A well known movement to go "back to the Vedas" is the Arva Samaj movement. This movement was started in 1875 by Dayananda Sarasvati. It was a movement within Hinduism that was meant to turn back to the Vedas. It was their belief that the Vedas alone were sacred and the only revelation of God. They also believed that all of the sciences of the modern world could be found within the Vedas.
As has been already stated, the Arya Samaj are followers of Hinduism. While they are attempting to go back to the Vedas they are not Vedic. While they do not except the texts past the Vedas, they are still monists, and uphold other Hindu views. In their reformations they rejected Brahaminic control and they are open to all castes and women.
This movement was the second movement of this sort, the first being Brahmo Samaj, both of which had political power. The movement of Arya Samaj helped to contribute to the Indian Nationalist movement and works to convert those Hindus who have turned to Christianity, Islam and other non-Hindu faiths.
There are additional Indian tribes which claim to perform Vedic rituals. However, when you take a ritual and strip it of it's meaning to replace it with new thoughts and beliefs it ceases to be what it was. As is the case in some Hindu tribes in India who make claims to performing Vedic ritual. They may be going through the motions but the two beliefs systems are vastly different.
Notably, when speaking about Hinduism we are talking about the Hindu religions within India. While sharing similar beliefs arid gods, the practices and tenants of Hinduism within Bali, Cambodia and Nepal is vastly different from that of Indian Hinduism. At this point in time, there is no proof that there are any people who practiced Vedism in an unbroken line from the time of the Vedics. Nor is there any proof that there are any practitioners of Vedism within India in the sense of organized religion. It is quite possible that practitioners of traditional Vedism do exist, but we have yet to hear of it.
Hopefully you have come to the conclusion that Vedism is not a form of Hinduism, not only because Vedism came before the Hindu practices but also because the differences between the two faiths. Vedism believes in polytheism, heaven, no reincarnation, no hell, Rta, dharman, karman, sruti and a class system. Hinduism believes in monism, reincarnation, judgement, Karma, Dharma, a caste system, smrti and Brahma.
By the same token one should know that the gods of Hinduism are not Vedic gods, owing in part to the differences between sruti and smrti.
Yet, is Hinduism Indo-European? If not, when did it cease to be such? It is my opinion that when the people rebelled against Vedism and began the offshoot religions that they ceased to be practicing an Indo-European religion.
These individuals turned away from their old religion and embraced a new one, leaving the old behind. Some terms and gods remain but their meanings and status are now quite different. The people rejected the old ways in favour of religions and philosophies that show a great disdain for the Vedic practices.
Logic then has us ask aren't these new religions just natural progressions of Vedism? I would argue that they are not. I would suggest that these new religions were guided by men to separate themselves from the human corruption within Vedism. This was not a natural evolution but a rebellion.
It is true that eventually the Vedic religion may have taken similar turns as the new religions. This is evident in the Brahmanas and Upanisads. However, had Vedism been allowed to eveolve and had it become monistic, or monothesitic, I feel it would still retain the names of the gods of the Vedas and not the new creations of the post-Vedic texts. So why Vedism? Why not Hinduism? Why not Jainism? Why not Buddhism?
When I came to Vedism it was a silent religion. It was facing the fierce battle of the old gods and the new gods, and losing. I felt I belonged more in Vedism than anywhere else: it shares my beliefs, I can converse with the gods, I connect with the rituals.
Why do I not practice one of the offshoot religions? There are three reasons. The first is that because Vedism was built around a nomadic people it was geared more towards community. Community is very important to me, as is the aiding of others. This is not to say there is nothing individualized within Vedism, rather it is very community based. The offshoot religions are more egocentric, focusing on the individual and their path.
The second is the fundamental belief systems. I do not believe in reincarnation. I believe in heaven. I do not believe in karma. I believe in karman. I do not believe in Dharma, Brahma, enlightenment, Gurus or the validity of the smrti texts. I believe in dharman, Rta, free-will and the sruti.
The third reason is one I have put a great deal of thought into. We all know that in many of the Indo-European cultures there are wars between the new gods and the old gods.
Imagine, if you will, that you worshiped the old gods. What would your feelings be towards the worship of the new gods? How would you react to the new gods turning the ways of the old gods on their head until they no longer reflected the old beliefs? What would you think to know your gods were to now live in the realm of scholastic research only? How would you feel knowing your gods were now shadows of their former selves, pushed to back burners and given little to no respect and ridiculed? What would you do in knowing that your gods are being forgotten?
In the Indo-European myth of the old gods and the new gods, the Vedic gods would be the old gods. The new gods are those of the offshoot religions. Rather than fight the old gods, the new gods have created new myths which ignore many of the old gods. This results in the vast majority of the old gods being forgotten with the remaining being demoted to lesser beings. The vast majority of Vedic gods are no longer worshipped. The exception to this is Vsnu.
Vsnu is a Vedic god and he did make it over to Hinduism favourably. Unfortunately, the Vsnu of Hindu lore is not the Vsnu of Vedic lore. The same is said of Surya, Usas and Sarsvati. Surya now has a very minor role, the brilliance of his consort Usas is all but forgotten in favour of Kali, Laxmi and Durga. Sarsvati, who was a minor river goddess deity in the Vedas, is seen as a major goddess of learning in Hinduism having swallowed up the Vedic goddess Vac.
I worship the old gods. I give no respect to the new gods whether they are post-Vedic, pre-Vedic or man made smrti creations. This is why Vedism. It is because Vedism is about bettering myself to help my community. It is because Vedism is not about tying yourself to the score cards of Dharma and Karma. Vedism is about taking responsibility for your actions and your choices. Vedism is about being responsible for your own life. Vedism is about having only one chance to get it right.
Vedism is about honouring the old gods.
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How does this claim of “irrationality” differ from the Reformed ‘Sola Scriptura’ and the Catholic’s claim of this doctrine causes irrationality?
The question mixes categories and ignores the context of my original statement. The Muslim starts with the Qur’an and reads backwards to the Bible, replacing the Bible’s original context with that of the Qur’an. But while the Muslim will adopt an over-arching assumption of the corruption of the Bible, they will not even consider that possibility for the Qur’an, despite it coming after the other revelations, and claiming consistency with them. Further, the Qur’an is not clear in its text, lacking the kind of historical grounding found in the Bible. Hence, merely starting with its claims and overthrowing the Bible’s as a result leads to irrationality, as you have to accept an unclear revelation at the expense of a clear one. I illustrated this with the mention of Surah 4:157 and the Qur’an’s flying in the face of all the sources that come from the first century after Christ. The Muslim has to reject all of these sources while accepting, de fide, the Qur’anic revelation.
I do not know how to even connect this with the Roman Catholic argument against sola scriptura, as there are no connections historically or logically. One would have to prove discrepancy and error on the part of the Bible; one would have to make Rome’s traditions prior to biblical revelation, etc., to even begin to try to make a case.
The only thing I wish he’d addressed better was this: Dr. White speaks of the authors’ intentions when the wrote something which was part of the Bible. But if he in fact believes that it is the Divine Word of God, why does the “writers'” intention and the context matter? It would be God’s intention that matters as to his inspiring the writer to write. God could easily have inspired a writer to write for the time (context) as well as for all times and places. Two layers of meaning. Why would God waste words that seemingly apply only to the historical situation if those same verses didn’t have great meaning for a person in any other age and place?
Meaning is carried in words. Words are spoken in a context. Without that context, words become empty containers into which we pour our own meanings, which is exactly what Harold Camping does. By removing the context, the words lack substance, and Camping can then fill them with whatever he wishes. This is classic eisegesis, reading into the text a meaning it never had.
The Bible being the Word of God does not tell us that we can simply ignore what it meant when it was first revealed. Surely there can be a “higher” fulfillment in prophecy, for example, but the prophecy still carries the original meaning it had when given. Even if one asserts “two layers of meaning” the text still has to determine both “layers,” and without context, that second layer once again becomes an empty vessel just waiting for someone to come along and fill it with their own meaning, all the while claiming they are just following Scripture. It is a very shallow view of the means by which God revealed Scripture to refer to a “wasting” of words. God chooses the means by which He reveals Himself, and we are in no position to judge on the matter.
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LouRugg Listens to the DL!
getting therapy for your obvious emotional breakdown?
hear it. And also for doing a little promoting for my upcoming book.
the hard way. You really do need to repent.
that stuff from you, or did he make that one up on his own?
It’s been a while since we’ve either spoken or exchanged e-mails. I hope this letter finds you in good health.
The reason why I am contacting you is to let you know that my publisher is currently preparing for publication my completed manuscript refuting Reformed Theology. My finished work places special attention on the doctrinal errors found in your Potter’s Freedom book as well as R.C. Sproul’s What is Reformed Theology? and John Piper’s The Justification of God.
This will not be just any book. It has been fully endorsed by a well-known and highly respected acquaintance of yours. In fact, he’s done me the honor of writing a Foreword for it.
Because of this, I am prayerful that this book will reach many. Just before it becomes available (in about 6-8 weeks or so) I intend to make a public challenge to you on youtube to defend the TULIP. We can debate either in person or on the radio. I, naturally, will be exposing and wilting it in a very methodical and systematic fashion.
I’ll keep you informed as my publisher’s work progresses and send you the link to amazon.com when the book becomes available.
Should you have any questions at all please feel free to contact me at ******.com. If you would like to speak to me on the phone, send me an e-mail and I’ll forward you my number.
Trinitarians hate the name of Jesus Christ. They literally hate Jesus name and refuse to say it when they are baptized. Thetrinity formula is worthless. Whatsoever you do in word or DEED do all in the name of the Lord. JUST SAY HIS NAME, but no you won’t DARE say that NAME because Satan has you bound and deceived. They will quote any scripture but Acts 2:38.
It is the Roman catholic trinitarians who deny who Jesus is. The stupid trinity doctrine is a Roman Catholic invention and even the encyclopedias say the early church baptized in the name of JesusChrist. Learn some history.
Peter said to baptize in the name of Jesus Christ. You say you do,but you lie. You will not SAY the name of Jesus Christ, yet claim to be baptized in the authority of his name. You won’t say his name in baptism because it is Satan who won’t say the name of Jesus because he knows more than you do about the blood. Peter said the name. Paul said his name.
It is because Satan is terrified of that name and hates it as do the trinity folks.
God used Oneness Pentecostals to give the church the great songs. Dottie Rambo was baptized in Jesus name and she gave the church 2500 songs. Joel Hemphill is also used to give songs to the church. Lanny Wolfe another Oneness. I have been in a Oneness church and I know they have something trinitarians do not have. You wouldn’t know.
The stupid trinity doctrine was invented in about the fourth century fulfilling Acts 20:28-30 and be sure that God will bring you into judgment for denying his name.You need to learn not only the Bible but history and find out what is true.You’re basically a catholic calling yourself saved. You will hear Jesus say to you someday…Depart from me I never knew you.” Be sure!
Well, there you go. It is hard to respond to the compelling force of the “stupid trinity” argument. Very hard indeed. But, it is all a lot of people have, and they are very zealous in repeating it. Pray that God will open Jane’s mind (and control her emotions!) and bring some solid Christians into her experience who will be able to expose her to truth.
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The word encephalopathy originates from the Greek word ενκεφάλη (inside the head) and πάθος (suffering). The ancient Greeks used this word when they wanted to indicate a disease or suffering inside the head.
In clinical practice, the word metabolic encephalopathy was used for the first time in 1912 when Kinner Wilson tried to explain the state of global cerebral dysfunction caused by systemic stress, which can vary in the clinical picture from a very mild disorder to deep coma with decerebrate rigidity.
Metabolic encephalopathy has usually been defined as a diffuse cerebral dysfunction, typically manifesting as changes in cortical functions and as disorders of consciousness, ranging from confusion to coma. Others have suggested that metabolic encephalopathy is a temporary or permanent illness, more a symptom than a disease, that includes various forms of pathological conditions that are predominantly manifested by disorders of mental functioning. However, metabolic encephalopathy may also be defined as a systemic disorder with diffuse brain damage affecting the hemispheres, brain stem, and reticular activating system.
Patients treated in emergency departments and intensive care units usually develop encephalopathy as a result of use or misuse of a large number of medications in the treatment of chronic conditions. These are usually neuroleptics, antidepressants, hypnotics, analgesics, opioids, anti-Parkinsonian drugs, anti-convulsants, antibiotics, depressors of the central nervous system (CNS), immunosuppressive agents, etc. Moreover, patients treated in these units may suffer from psychogenic and posttraumatic conditions, as well as ictal and postictal conditions. Furthermore, encephalopathy can occur in the presence of alcohol and toxin abuse. It is frequent in chronic organ diseases (kidney, lung, liver, heart) associated with electrolyte imbalances (glucose, Na, Ca, Mg, PO4, urea, creatinine, pancreatic enzymes, cardiac enzymes, etc.) and osmotic disorders. These patients usually have frequent infections such as urinary and/or respiratory tract infections. Encephalopathy may also develop in primary infections of CNS, as well as due to the prolonged effect of anesthetics and sedatives.
Pathophysiological mechanisms of encephalopathy are not fully understood. It is considered that vascular effects and the effects of toxins and infections, have the most important role in its development.,, Damage to the brain–blood barrier causing disruption of the amino acid and neurotransmitter systems is considered to be an important factor. Due to the inadequate functioning of the neurotransmitter systems within the brain, various consequences can occur such as focal or global edema, accumulation of toxic metabolites, capillary vasogenic edema, as well as depleted energy processes.
The complete pathophysiology of encephalopathy is unknown; however, in encephalopathy associated with sepsis, several mechanisms have been proposed. Inflammation triggers endothelial activation in the brain, which leads to malfunction of the blood–brain barrier. Consequently, this leads to the release of inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and chemokines, which enter the brain parenchyma, causing damage to the cellular metabolism. Furthermore, cellular dysfunction initiates oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, which cause the disruption of neurotransmission and leads to apoptosis. The cholinergic, gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), beta-adrenergic, and serotonergic systems are altered and neurotransmission functioning is damaged, especially in the neocortex and hippocampus. Additional factors in this neuroinflammatory process are the release of excitatory amino acids, hyperglycemia, neurotoxic pharmacological agents, hemodynamic changes, coagulopathy, and hypoxemia.
Different mechanisms operate in encephalopathy caused by medications or toxins. Increase in the glutamine and glutamate complex peak in magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy illustrates the neuronal and astrocytic excitotoxic injury during the administration of acute intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.
The use of valproic acid, 5-fluorouracil, carbamazepine, and acetazolamide may cause the inhibition of urea cycle enzymes with consequent hyperammonaemia and encephalopathy.,,, Interaction through GABA receptors occurs during intrinsic valoproate toxic effects or due to direct topiramate toxicity. The combined antiepileptic valproate and topiramate therapy causes reduction of topiramate metabolism through cytochromeP 450 pathway. Cephalosporins may also induce encephalopathy through GABA A receptor inhibition.
It has been proposed that acute confusion may occur through two major mechanisms, namely a decrease in the central cholonergic activation (characterizes delirium) and an increase in the proinflammatory cytokine concentrations (interleukin 8, tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 10).
The clinical presentation may sometimes include extrapyramidal signs (in cases of hyperbilirubinemia or kernicterus) as well as cerebellar ataxia (in cases of hypothyroidism, celiac disease or hyperthermia). However, these symptoms are rarely seen.
The diagnosis of encephalopathy is based on clinical features and arterial blood gas analysis, laboratory analysis of blood biochemistry, electroencephalography (EEG), somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP), and imaging methods [multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)].
Arterial blood gas analysis is used to evaluate respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic functions. It represents a very important step in the emergency services because it may provide a quick answer regarding the content of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. However, in addition to this basic information, arterial blood gas analysis also provides a quick orientation on the electrolyte status (Na, K, glucose) as well as bicarbonates. Based on this information, clinicians can further focus the search on the detection of the underlying etiology of encephalopathy [Table 2].
After the interpretation of the arterial blood gas analysis, evaluation of the complete blood count (CBC) and biochemistry should be performed. CBC analysis provides information regarding the potential presence of anemia, or of variations in hematological indices such as leukocytosis or leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia or thrombocytosis. A high erythrocytic sedimentation rate usually points to the existence of infection and/or autoimmune disorders. It may be registered in various types of anemia, thyroiditis, nephrotic syndrome, cardiac diseases or malignancies. The spectrum of biochemical analysis of blood levels that is required includes glucose, urea, creatinine, uric acid, bilirubin, as well as electrolyte levels (the latter including sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) levels), as well as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine phosphokinase (CK), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Each of these biochemical parameters may point to the potential cause of encephalopathy. For instance, elevated levels of urea, creatinine, and uric acid followed by electrolyte dysfunction and anaemia indicate the presence of a kidney disease. Hyponatremia is usually recorded in patients in intensive care units as well as in patients taking some types of chronic therapy (e.g., the prolonged use of diuretics). In the cases having sepsis, fever accompanied by elevated levels of leukocytes, CRP, procalcitonin, and other laboratory abnormalities (anemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), increased transaminases, bilirubin, etc.) may be registered. The main markers of septic encephalopathy are neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and calcium-binding protein beta (S100β), which are shown in studies to be the main predictors of the occurrence of septic encephalopathy. In cases in whom the biochemical analysis of blood does not explain the reason for disorders of consciousness, more specific parameters should be investigated such as the ammonium ion, phosphorus, pancreatic enzymes, viruses, toxins and drugs, antibodies, and tumor markers.
It is important to perform an EEG and an SSEP as diagnostic procedures in the work up metabolic encephalopathy. In the cases of encephalopathy, EEG can register generalized slowing or suppression of the EEG reactivity, loss of fast rhythm with occurrence of diffuse slow activity (theta and delta), presence of particular EEG patterns (focal or generalized), intermittent activity suppression, or an electrocortical silence., In the patients with hypoglycemia, EEG can register diffuse theta activity with occasional occurrence of specific patterns, e.g., frontal intermittent rhythmic delta activity (FIRDA), or spikes and sharp waves as well as spike-wave discharges in temporal regions. In hyponatremia, EEG detects diffuse slowing in the theta range, followed by paroxysmal delta activity and FIRDA or periodic delta waves, as well as the occurrence of periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDS). In hypokalemia, diffuse slow activity can be seen together with paroxysmal delta/theta activity, as well as focal paroxysms of sharp waves and spike-waves during hyperventilation (HV). In patients with cirrhosis, in addition to diffuse slow activity (theta and delta), triphasic waves with bifrontal predominance may be registered. Furthermore, in these cases, other epileptic patterns in the form of spikes or sharp waves can also be detected. However, triphasic waves are not specific only for hepatic encephalopathy. They can also be registered in patients with septic encephalopathy together with diffuse slow theta/delta activity [Figure 1].
Use of SSEPs in the prognosis of coma, especially in the case of ischemic or anoxic etiology, is of particular interest. Some typical changes that are found include an increased amplitude and latency, and changes in the conduction velocity and time-frequency distribution.
Neuroimaging procedures of the head, either CT or MRI are important in the diagnosis of disorders of consciousness because they can exclude organic lesions. CT or MRI findings in patients with encephalopathy are usually normal. However, diffuse or focal edema may be registered. Moreover, changes in the signal intensity in the form of hypo- or hyperintensity in certain regions of the brain can also be detected. The region of basal ganglia, thalamus, cerebral cortex, and hemispheric white matter are usually the target of toxic or acquired metabolic encephalopathy.
In patients with hepatic encephalopathy, in T1 sequence, a hyperintense signal in the globus pallidus, the subthalamic regions and the brain stem may be registered, whereas in T2 sequence, diffuse edema in the cortical regions (in the form of hyperintensity of perirolandic and occipital regions) can be detected. Deep white matter changes may be seen, with the appearance of hyperintensity on T2 sequences in the region of internal capsule, corona radiata, and splenium of corpus callosum, suggesting a restriction of diffusion. In patients with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), CT or MRI findings of the head show changes in the white matter in the form of hyperintensity (MRI) or hypointensity (CT), especially in the occipital and parietal regions, although changes may also be registered in the posterior frontal and temporal regions. On the other hand, pathological findings in cerebellum are rarely seen. Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy usually show normal findings on CT scan performed in the initial hours. However, after 24 hours, the CT scan can register diffuse cerebral damage characterized by reduced attenuation (diffuse edema) in comparison with brain stem and cerebellum. Usually, this is a sign of a poor prognosis.
The treatment of metabolic encephalopathy implies the management of the underlying disease that emerged from the evaluation of the neurological symptoms and signs. In case of encephalopathy caused by thyrotoxic crisis, in addition to the standard therapy with glucocorticoids, plasmapheresis has also been recommended. Uremic encephalopathy is treated by dialysis. This type of encephalopathy is never isolated, but is always associated with other metabolic disorders. Therefore, the clinical presentation in these situations is always a combination of the manifestions of several metabolic disorders. In case of hyponatremia, therapy consists of fluid restriction with sodium deficit replenishment. However, serum sodium concentration correction has been limited up to 12mEq/L/day because intensive compensation may result to central pontine myelinosis and favors the further development of encephalopathy.
On the other hand, in cases of unknown etiology, urgent therapeutic procedures should be conducted, such as ensuring an adequate respiration and circulation, an arterial blood gas analysis, the biochemical analyses of blood, as well as blood and urine tests to detect toxins. In cases who are in coma or those suffering form acute consciousness disorders of unknown cause, correction of hypoglycemia should be undertaken as well as the administration of antagonists of benzodiazepines and/or opiates (naloxone amp. intravenously). For Wernicke encephalopathy prevention, thiamine (100 mg intravenous) is used. If encephalopathy is manifested by epileptic seizures, the first line of choice are benzodiazepines. In case of nonresponsiveness to this therapy, introduction of antiepileptic medications is recommended. In all patients, X-ray of the heart and lung, head CT, lumbar puncture, and EEG should be performed. If the etiology of encephalopathy still remains unknown, investigation should be expanded to specific blood analyses (ammonium ion, tumor markers, virological analysis of blood, CRP, procalcitonin, toxicological analyses, etc.).
Differential diagnosis of metabolic encephalopathy includes various pathological conditions, i.e., alcohol or drugs intoxication, metabolic imbalances (electrolytes, hypo or hyperglycemia, organic kidney damage, and/or liver failure), systemic infections, primary CNS infections, autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, cancer, degenerative diseases (dementia, and Jakob–Creutzfeld disease), traumatic conditions, ictal and post-ictal states, as well as psychiatric disorders (psychoses).
The prognosis of patients with metabolic encephalopathy depends on the cause and type of encephalopathy. According to Eidelman et al., mortality from septic encephalopathy depends on the level of quantitative disorder of consciousness, measured by the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. Consequently, a GCS score of 15 has a 16% mortality, a GCS score of between 13–14 has a 20% mortality, a GCS score of between 9–12 has a 50% mortality, whereas a GCS score of between 3–8 has a 63% mortality rate. Survival statistics of patients suffering from liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy is less than 50% annually, or less than 25% over 3 years. In patients with hypoxic anoxic encephalopathy, the prognosis is even worse and depends on the length of anoxia. Even when there is a recovery in the first week after cardiac arrest, most of these patients die due to other hospital associated complications. Thus, according to Young, the recovery from cardiac arrest in the hospital is approximately 44%, whereas only 17% will eventually be able to leave the hospital without a severe deficit; the reported recovery from hypoxic encephalopathy is even worse.
In conclusion, metabolic encephalopathy represents a serious group of symptoms, originating from various diseases that requires a multidisciplinary approach regarding treatment and follow-up.
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Kaplan P, Rossetti A. EEG patterns and imaging correlations in encephalopathy: Encephalopathy part II. J Clin Neurophysiol 2011;28:233-51.
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Sharshar T, Polito A, Checinski A, Stevens RD. Septic-associated encephalopathy-Everything starts at a microlevel. Crit Care 2010;14:199-200.
Hellstrom IC, Danik M, Luheshi GN, Williams S. Chronic LPS exposure produces changes in intrinsic membrane properties and a sustained IL-β-dependent increase in GABAergic inhibition in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Hippocampus 2005;15:656-64.
Lacobone E, Bailly-Salin J, Polito A, Freidman D, Stvens RD, Sharshar T. Sepsis-associated encephalopathy and its differential diagnosis. Crit Care Med 2009;37:331-6.
Wada A, Yoshida R, Oda K, Fukuba E, Uchida E, Kitagaki H. Acute encephalopathy associated with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2005;26:2311-5.
Aires CC, Van Cruchten A, Ijlst L, de Almeida IT, Duran M, Wanders RJ, et al. New insights on the mechanisms of valproate-induced hyperammonemia: Inhibition of hepatic N-acetylglutamate synthase activity by valproyl-CoA. J Hepatol 2011;55:426-34.
Advani PP, Fakih MG. 5-FU-induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy in a case of metastatic rectal adenocarcinoid successfully rechallenged with the fluoropyrimidine analog, capecitabine. Anticancer Res 2011;31:335-8.
Adams EN, Marks A, Lizer MH. Carbamazepine-induced hyperammonemia. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2009;66:1468-70.
Kim JM, Ryu WS, Hwang YH, Kim JS. Aggravation of ataxia due to acetazolamide induced hyperammonaemia in episodic ataxia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2007;78:771-2.
Miyazaki C, Kamijima K, Ichikawa M. Effect on sodium valproate (VPA)-induction cerebral amino acids: Mechanism of gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) elevation and possible causal relation of VPA-induced encephalopathy and glutamine level. Chem Pharm Bull 1988;36:3589-94.
Grill MF, Magati R. Cephalosporin-induced neurotoxicity: Clinical manifestations, potential pathogenic mechanisms, and the role of electroencephalographic monitoring. Ann Pharmacother 2008;42:1843-50.
Krishnan V, Leung LY, Caplan LR. A neurologist's approach to delirium: Diagnosis and management of toxic metabolic encephalopathies. Eur J Intern Med 2014;25:112-6.
Katramados A, Varelas PN. Encephalopathy. In: Torbey MT, editor. Neurocritical Care. New York, Cambridge University Press; 2010 pp. 220-6.
Surtees R, Leonard JV. Acute metabolic encephalopathy: A review of causes, mechanisms and treatment. J Inherit Metab Dis 1989;12:42-54.
Teasell R, Dittmer DK. Complications of immobilization and bed rest. Part 2: Other complications. Can Fam Physician 1993;39:1440-2, 1445-6.
Verma AK, Roach P. The interpretation of arterial blood gases. Aust Prescr 2010;33:124-9.
Bochen K, Krasowska A, Milaniuk S, Kulczyńska M, Prystupa A, Dzida G. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate – An old marker with new applications. J Preclin Clin Res 2011;5:50-5.
Scaini G, Kozuchovski Ferreira G, Streck EL. Mechanisms underlying uremic encephalopathy. Rev Bras Ter Intensiva 2010;22:206-11.
Nagler EV, Vanmassenhove J, Van der Veer SN, Nistor I, Van Biesen W, Webster AC, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of hyponatremia: A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines and consensus statements. BMC Med 2014;12:231.
Zenaide PV et Gusmao-Flores D. Biomarkers in septic encephalopathy: A systematic review of clinical studies. Rev Bras Ter Intensiva 2013;25:56-62.
Kaplan PW. The EEG in metabolic encephalopathy and coma. J Clin Neurophysiol 2004;21:307-18.
Kaplan PW, Rossetti AO. EEG patterns and imaging correlations in encephalopathy: Encephalopathy part II. J Clin Neurophysiol 2011;28:233-51.
Faigle R, Sutter R, Kaplan PW. The electroencephalography of encephalopathy in patients with endocrine and metabolic disorders. J Clin Neurophysiol 2013;30:1-25.
Glaser GH, Levy L. Seizures and idiopathic hypoparathyroidism. A clinical-electroencephalographic study. Epilepsia 1960;1:454-65.
Marchetti P, D'Avanzo C, Orsato R, Montagnese S, Schiff S, Kaplan PW, et al. Electroencephalography in patients with cirrhosis. Gastroenterology 201;141:1680-9.
Young GB, Bolton CF, Archibald YM, Austin TW, Wells GA. The electroencephalogram in sepsis-associated encephalopathy. J Clin Neurophysiol 1992;9:145-52.
Song Y, Prakash R, Reddy J. Prognostic value of somatosensory-evoked potentials in neurology: A critical review in hypoxic encephalopathy. Neurol India 2016;64:396-404.
Sharma P, Eesa M, Scot JN. Toxic and Acquired metabolic encephalopathies: MRI appearance. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2009;193:879-86.
Rovira A. Alonso J. Co'rdob J. MR imaging findings in hepatic encephalopathy. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2008;29:1612-21.
Bathla G, Hegde AN. MRI and CT appearances in metabolic encephalopathies due to systemic diseases in adults. Clin Radiol 2013;68:545-54.
Schiess N, Prado CA. Hashimoto encephalopathy. Ann NY Acad Sci 2008;1142:254-65.
Brouns R, De Deyn PP. Neurological complication in renal failure: A review. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2004;107:1-16.
Sterns RH, Silver S, Kleinschmidt DeMasters BK, Rojiani AM. Current prospective in the managnement of hyponatriemia: Prevention of CPM. Expert Rev Neurother 2007;7:1791-7.
Eidelman LA, Putterman D, Putterman C, Sprung CL. The spectrum of sepsis encephalopathy. Definition, etiologies and mortalities. JAMA 1996;275:470-3.
Garcıa-Martınez R, Simon-Talero M, Cordoba J. Prognostic assessment in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. Dis Markers 2011;31:171-9.
Young B. Neurological prognosis after cardiac arrest. N Engl Med 2009;361:605-11.
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Butcher's broom is a plant. The root is used to make medicine.
Butcher's broom is used for hemorrhoids, gallstones, “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), and for symptoms of poor blood circulation such as pain, heaviness, leg cramps, leg swelling, varicose veins, itching, and swelling. Butcher's broom is also used as a laxative, as a diuretic to increase urine output, to reduce swelling, and to speed the healing of fractures.
The chemicals in butcher's broom might cause the blood vessels to narrow or constrict. Butcher's broom might improve blood circulation in the legs by preventing blood from "pooling" in the veins.
Circulatory problems (chronic venous insufficiency). Some research shows that taking butcher's broom by mouth, alone or in combination with vitamin C and hesperidin, seems to relieve the symptoms of poor circulation in the legs, such as pain, heaviness, cramps, itching, and swelling.
Vision problems caused by diabetes (diabetic retinopathy). Early research suggests that taking a specific product containing butcher’s broom extract (Fagorutin-Ruscus, Fink GmbH) by mouth for 3 months does not improve vision in people with diabetic retinopathy.
Swelling of the arms (lymphedema). Early research suggests that taking a specific product (Cyclo 3 Fort) containing butcher’s broom root extract, hesperidin methyl chalcone, and vitamin C by mouth for 90 days reduces swelling in the upper arm and forearm, and improves mobility and heaviness in women with swelling of the arm after breast cancer treatment.
Low blood pressure when getting up (orthostatic hypotension). Some research suggests that taking butcher's broom by mouth might relieve the syndrome of low blood pressure upon getting up.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of butcher’s broom for these uses.
Butcher's broom is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth for up to 3 months.
It may cause stomach upset and nausea.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking butcher’s broom if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Butcher's broom might speed up the nervous system, increase blood pressure, and make the heart beat fast. By increasing blood pressure, butcher's broom might decrease the effectiveness of some medications used for high blood pressure.<br><nb>Some of these medications used for high blood pressure include doxazosin (Cardura), terazosin (Hytrin), and others.
Butcher's broom might speed up the nervous system, increase blood pressure, and make the heart beat fast. Stimulant medications can also speed up the nervous system, increase blood pressure, and make the heart beat fast. Taking butcher's broom with stimulant medications might cause too much stimulation. This might make the blood pressure go too high or the heart beat too fast.<br><nb>Some of these stimulant medications include pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, others), ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, and others.
For relieving symptoms of poor circulation (chronic venous insufficiency): 150 mg of butcher’s broom root extract, combined with 150 mg of hesperidin and 100 mg of ascorbic acid twice daily.
Archimowicz-Cyrylowska, B. Clinical effect of buckwheat herb, Ruscus extract and troxerutin on retinopathy and lipids in diabetic patients. Phytotherapy Res 1996;10:659-662.
Bohmer, D. Action of Ruscus extract cream in the treatment of sports injuries. In: Vanhoutte, P. M. Return Circulation and Norepinephrine: An Update. Paris: John Libbey Euretext;1991.
Bouskela, E., Cyrino, F. Z., and Marcelon, G. Effects of Ruscus extract on the internal diameter of arterioles and venules of the hamster cheek pouch microcirculation. J Cardiovasc.Pharmacol 1993;22(2):221-224. View abstract.
Bouskela, E., Cyrino, F. Z., and Marcelon, G. Possible mechanisms for the inhibitory effect of Ruscus extract on increased microvascular permeability induced by histamine in hamster cheek pouch. J Cardiovasc.Pharmacol 1994;24(2):281-285. View abstract.
Capra, C. Studio farmacologico e tossicologico di componenti del ruscus aculeatus L. Fitoterapia 1972;43:99.
Consoli, A. [Chronic venous insufficiency: an open trial of FLEBS Crema]. Minerva Cardioangiol. 2003;51(4):411-416. View abstract.
Dunouau, C., Belle, R., Oulad-Ali, A., Anton, R., and David, B. Triterpenes and sterols from Ruscus aculeatus. Planta Med 1996;62(2):189-190. View abstract.
Elbadir, S., El Sayed, F., and Renaud, F. L'allergie de contact aux ruscogenines. Rev.Fr Allergol Immunol Clin 1998;38:37-40.
Facino, R. M., Carini, M., Stefani, R., Aldini, G., and Saibene, L. Anti-elastase and anti-hyaluronidase activities of saponins and sapogenins from Hedera helix, Aesculus hippocastanum, and Ruscus aculeatus: factors contributing to their efficacy in the treatment of venous insufficiency. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 1995;328(10):720-724. View abstract.
Guarrera, P. M. Traditional phytotherapy in Central Italy (Marche, Abruzzo, and Latium). Fitoterapia 2005;76(1):1-25. View abstract.
Jager, K., Eichlisberger, R., Jeanneret, C., and Lobs, K. H. Pharmacodynamic Effects of Ruscus Extract (Cyclo 3 Fort) on Superficial and Deep Veins in Patients with Primary Varicose Veins: Assessment by Duplexsonography. Clinical Drug Investigation 1999;17(4):265.
Jiminez Cossio, J. A., Magallon Orton, P. J., and Capilla Montes, M. T. Therapeutic test of Ruscus extract in pregnant women: evaluation of the fetal tolerance applying the pulse Doppler's method of the cord. In: Vanhoutte, P. M. Return Circulation and Norepinephrine: An Update. Paris: John Libbey Euretext;1991.
Lagrue, G., Behar, A., Chaabane, A., and Laurent, J. Edema induced by calcium antagonists. Effects of Ruscus extract on clinical and biological parameters. In: Vanhoutte, P. M. Return Circulation and Norepinephrine: An Update. Paris: John Libbey Euretext;1991.
Landa, N., Aguirre, A., Goday, J., Raton, J. A., and Diaz-Perez, J. L. Allergic contact dermatitis from a vasoconstrictor cream. Contact Dermatitis 1990;22(5):290-291. View abstract.
MacKay, D. Hemorrhoids and varicose veins: a review of treatment options. Altern Med Rev 2001;6(2):126-140. View abstract.
Miller, V. M., Rud, K. S., and Gloviczki, P. Pharmacological assessment of adrenergic receptors in human varicose veins. Int Angiol. 2000;19(2):176-183. View abstract.
Mimaki, Y., Kuroda, M., Kameyama, A., Yokosuka, A., and Sashida, Y. Aculeoside B, a new bisdesmosidic spirostanol saponin from the underground parts of Ruscus aculeatus. J Nat.Prod 1998;61(10):1279-1282. View abstract.
Mimaki, Y., Kuroda, M., Kameyama, A., Yokosuka, A., and Sashida, Y. New steroidal constituents of the underground parts of Ruscus aculeatus and their cytostatic activity on HL-60 cells. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 1998;46(2):298-303. View abstract.
Mimaki, Y., Kuroda, M., Kameyama, A., Yokosuka, A., and Sashida, Y. Steroidal saponins from the underground parts of Ruscus aculeatus and their cytostatic activity on HL-60 cells. Phytochemistry 1998;48(3):485-493. View abstract.
Monteil-Seurin, J. Efficacy of Ruscus extract in the treatment of the premenstrual syndrome. In: Vanhoutte, P. M. Return Circulation and Norepinephrine: An Update. Paris: John Libbey Euretext;1991.
Nemcova, S., Gloviczki, P., Rud, K. S., and Miller, V. M. Cyclic nucleotides and production of prostanoids in human varicose veins. J Vasc.Surg 1999;30(5):876-883. View abstract.
Parrado, F. and Buzzi, A. A Study of the Efficacy and Tolerability of a Preparation Containing Ruscus aculeatus in the Treatment of Chronic Venous Insufficiency of the Lower Limbs. Clinical Drug Investigation, 1999;8(4):255.
Rauwald, H. W. and Grunwidi, J. Rauwald HW, Grunwidi J. Ruscus aculeatus extract: unambiguous proof of the absorption of spirostanol glycosides in human plasma after oral administration. Planta Med 1991;57:A75-A76.
Rauwald, H. W. and Janssen, B. Improved Isolation and HPLC/TLC Analyses of Major Saponins from Ruscus aculeatus. Planta Med 1988;54(6):581. View abstract.
Rubanyi, G., Marcelon, G., and Vanhoutte, P. M. Effect of temperature on the responsiveness of cutaneous veins to the extract of Ruscus aculeatus. Gen Pharmacol 1984;15(5):431-434. View abstract.
Weindorf, N. and Schultz-Ehrenburg, U. [Controlled study of increasing venous tone in primary varicose veins by oral administration of Ruscus aculeatus and trimethylhespiridinchalcone]. Z.Hautkr. 1-1-1987;62(1):28-38. View abstract.
Bennani, A., Biadillah, M. C., and Cherkaoui, A. Acute attack of hemorrhoids: Efficacy of. Cyclo 3 Fort® based on results in 124 cases reported by specialists. Phlebologie 1999;52:89-93.
Redman DA. Ruscus aculeatus (butcher's broom) as a potential treatment for orthostatic hypotension, with a case report. J Altern Complement Med 2000;6:539-49.. View abstract.
Vanscheidt W, Jost V, Wolna P, et al. Efficacy and safety of a Butcher's broom preparation (Ruscus aculeatus L. extract) compared to placebo in patients suffering from chronic venous insufficiency. Arzneimittelforschung 2002;52:243-250.. View abstract.
Have you ever purchased BUTCHER'S BROOM?
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What is the strangest food for me? I think Thai curry and pineapples in Subuta are strange food for me. I cannot choose which is the strangest. First, I will write about Thai curry. When I went to Thai Taste, I ate it. It was my first time to eat it. Japan also has curry and rice, and it is my favorite food. Therefore, I was excited when I ordered curry there. However, the appearance was different. It looked like India one. Japanese one has carrots, potatoes, and meat in it, but Thai one has some vegetables, tofu, and herbs. The taste was completely different. It was much worse than I had expected. It tasted like strange soup, and I thought it was not curry. Although the taste was not good, t was good for me because I could try curry of other country. Second, pineapples in Subuta are also strange for me. Subuta is Chinese food, and it is fried pork and vegetables seasoned vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. When I was an elementary school student, I ate pineapples in Subuta for school lunch. They were very strange, because they were hot even though they are fruits; therefore, I thought they should not have been hot. I could not accept them at all. I will never try them again.
I'm not a fan of Pineapple's either. My father and sister love them. They even drink the pineapple juice!
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"Reason" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov, first published in the April 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and collected in I, Robot (1950), The Complete Robot (1982), and Robot Visions (1990). It is part of Asimov's Robot series, and was the second of Asimov's positronic robot stories to see publication.
In 1967, this short story was adapted into an episode of British television series Out of the Unknown entitled "The Prophet". The robot costumes that were used in this particular episode of the anthology series were later re-used for the Doctor Who serial The Mind Robber. The costumes were re-painted from black to grey and yellow as they were to be shot against a completely white backdrop for the serial in question.
Powell and Donovan are assigned to a space station which supplies energy via microwave beams to the planets. The robots that control the energy beams are in turn co-ordinated by QT-1, known to Powell and Donovan as Cutie, an advanced model with highly developed reasoning ability. Using these abilities, Cutie decides that space, stars and the planets beyond the station don't really exist, and that the humans that visit the station are unimportant, short-lived and expendable. QT-1 makes the lesser robots disciples of a new religion, which considers the power source of the ship to be "Master." QT-1 teaches them to bow down to the "Master" and intone, "There is no Master but Master, and QT-1 is His prophet." Disregarding human commands as inferior, QT-1 asserts "I myself, exist, because I think -". The sardonic response of the humans is, "Oh, Jupiter, a robot Descartes!"
The humans initially attempt to reason with QT-1, until they realize that they can't convince it otherwise. Their attempts to remove Cutie physically also fail, as the other robots have become disciples and refuse to obey human orders. The situation seems desperate, as a solar storm is expected, potentially deflecting the energy beam, incinerating populated areas. When the storm hits, Powell and Donovan are amazed to find that the beam operates perfectly.
Asimov wrote "Reason" in October and November 1940. John W. Campbell purchased it on 22 November—his third from Asimov, and the first he did not ask for a revision of—and published it in the April 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.
The story was broadcast as episode two of a five-part 15 Minute Drama radio adaptation of I, Robot on BBC Radio 4 in February 2017.
^ Asimov, Isaac (1972). The early Asimov; or, Eleven years of trying. Garden City NY: Doubleday. pp. 281–282.
^ "Reason: Isaac Asimov's I, Robot Episode 2 of 5". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
". . . That Thou Art Mindful of Him"
This page was last edited on 25 February 2019, at 12:21 (UTC).
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All objects are attracted towards the earth by a force which is called The force of gravity.
This force produces an acceleration which is called acceleration due to gravity and is denoted by 'g'.
The value of 'g' on the surface of the earth is 9.8m/s^2.
'g' is an extremely important constituent of Physics and most of the Physics numerical problems involve the usage of 'g'.
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What does it mean to be "human"? Is it possible for a machine to be "human"?
This question reminds me of one of my favorite books, The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee. It takes place in "the future" and is about a shy girl from a rich family who gets a pleasure-bot. And no, it doesn't provide that kind of pleasure... necessarily. Get your mind out of the gutter!
So, where were we? Oh yeah--well, you see, in this future, there are a few very expensive, humanesque robots who are programmed to specialize in certain entertainment features--dancing, playing music, etc. Silver, the 'bot Jane gets, specializes in music. The robots are not supposed to have souls or feelings, but they are programmed to respond to and learn from their human overlords owners. In the end, this turns out to be inherently contradictory, and let's just say Silver gets re-programmed.
The question of whether or not machines can be human always seems to come down to two things: do they have feelings, and do they have souls. As if humans are the only animals on earth that have feelings or souls?! As harmony0stars pointed out in her post on this same subject, humans tend to overrate themselves, even among our own species. It wasn't that long ago that Thomas Jefferson was pondering whether or not American Indians had souls (he was certain that African, re: black, people didn't). Nowadays, I think most people would agree that all humans have souls, along with animals and even plants--or at the very least that they all have an animating consciousness.
The next question then becomes, can humans create something with a soul? The answer of course is yes: we create little babies all the time. And unless babies don't have souls, I think that counts. Of course machines are another matter entirely, but I think this is the sticking point because the idea that scientists could create something as or more intelligent than we--humans--are is terrifying. Like a super-charged Hitler or Ted Bundy. But this fear has nothing to do with the actual machines; it has to do with their creators and whether or not they have any morals. A creation run amok, just like Frankenstein's monster, is a reflection of its creator (actually, Frankenstein isn't the only tale with this theme--the myth of Pygmalion goes all the way back to the Ancient Greeks and deals with similar issues, except in that case the "creature" is a statue brought to life). Writers like Tanith Lee who create cautionary tales of humanoid robots and artificial intelligence aren't cautioning us against robots; they're asking if the people parenting this next step on the evolutionary ladder are responsible enough to be good parents. And I think we all know the answer is typically NO.
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Manasa was sulking her way through a boring class when suddenly her teacher singled her out and asked her a question. He gave her a number n and Manasa has to come up with the smallest number m which contains atleast n number of zeros at the end of m!. Help Manasa come out of the sticky situation.
The first line contains an integer T i.e. the number of Test cases.
Next T lines will contain an integer n.
Print smallest such number m.
As 4! = 24 and 5! = 120, so minimum value of m will be 5.
As 9! = 362880 and 10! = 3628800, so minimum value of m will be 10.
As 14! = 87178291200 and 15! = 1307674368000, so minimum value of m will be 15.
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Texas A&M-Kingsville aims to stop skid with upset of MSU Texas.
Finding the end zone — The Javelinas struggled offensively again in a 13-7 loss to Western Oregon. In losing three of four, A&M-Kingsville has been held to 14, 14 and seven points in its losses. A&M-Kingsville's lone score came on a 31-yard interception return by Jordan Semanat.
Slowing the Mustangs — MSU Texas (formerly Midwestern State) took their first loss of the season last week against defending national champion Texas A&M-Commerce. The Mustangs average 40.5 points a game, but the Lions held MSU Texas to 19 points in the victory. Vincent Johnson averages 103 yards rushing, and Llayton Rabb averages 318 yards passing a game for the high-flying Mustangs.
Pouncing on the wounded team — MSU Texas had not only been undefeated, but had cruised in five wins before last week's game against A&M-Commerce, giving their playoff hopes a hit. Can the Javelinas capitalize on that and turn one loss into two?
Texas A&M-Kingsville — RB Jeff Carr, WR Tyler Wilson, QB Koy Detmer Jr.
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Shirley Temple, or Shirley Temple Black (April 23, 1928 - February 10, 2014) was an American actress and television series hostess. Temple has the distinction of being the first Academy Juvenile Award recipient in 1934.
Temple began her movie career at age 3 in a series of Poverty Row shorts starring very young children clad in diapers. In 1934, she soared to superstardom in Bright Eyes. Other movies followed that exploited her waiflike charm and abundant talent such as Curly Top, The Little Colonel, Dimples, Wee Willie Winkie, and The Little Princess.
The public adored the child Temple, but her popularity declined as she grew into a young woman. She made several bombs in her teens, but three have become highly regarded classics: Since You Went Away, Fort Apache with Henry Fonda and John Wayne, and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer with Cary Grant and Mryna Loy. Temple married John Agar in 1945. In 1950 she married Charles Black and retired from the movie industry at age 22.
Marriage and motherhood occupied Temple in the following years, but she returned to show biz in the late 1950s with the television series, Shirley Temple's Storybook for NBC. The series was child/family-oriented with dramatizations of fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast, children's stories like Pippi Longstocking, and more mature fare like The House of Seven Gables and Victor Herbert's Broadway musical, Babes in Toyland. Celebrity stars like Charlton Heston, Tor Johnson, Sterling Holloway, Elsa Lanchester, and Agnes Moorehead appeared in the series. The series was nominated for an Emmy Award in children's programming. It faced stiff competition from other networks, and left the air after two seasons.
Temple became active in the Republican Party in California. Temple was extensively involved with the Commonwealth Club of California, a public-affairs forum in San Francisco. She spoke at several of the meetings through the years and served as its president in 1984.
Temple was appointed Representative to the 24th United Nations General Assembly by President Richard M. Nixon (September – December 1969), and was appointed United States Ambassador to Ghana (December 6, 1974 – July 13, 1976) by President Gerald R. Ford. She was appointed first female Chief of Protocol of the United States (July 1, 1976 – January 21, 1977), and was in charge of arrangements for President Jimmy Carter's inauguration and inaugural ball. She served as the United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (August 23, 1989 – July 12, 1992), having been appointed by President George H. W. Bush.
Temple had breast cancer in the early 1970s and had a mastectomy. She died on February 10, 2014 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia at her Woodside, California home, at the age of 85.
This page was last changed on 4 July 2014, at 07:50.
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Today I am going to give to several tips to you to conquer a woman, or that you know, in a bar, who finish to you presenting/displaying, you will see that these advice to conquer women serve with anyone! It is important that you know that the money, looks, estatus social, or any excuse that you want to invent is not important at the time of conquering women. Most important at the time of conquering them it is your ATTITUDE, and you apply when it you will ask how this did not know before! Arrogant and Funny tip more important to conquer to woman is the one of man Arrogant and Funny, you must to be arrogant, with self-esteem high, trusting in you same and that does not concern you what the others think, but simultaneously to do it of such form that takes it to the women as something funny and is ***reflxed mng, because what they want is to pass it, to amuse themselves, and to ***reflx mng themselves well, but to be a clown does not assure to you to conquer a woman. For example, if she says to you, " you like my dress? " , the normal and submissive men would respond " to him; he enchants to me is very pretty! " , however, you must respond something like, " to him; your mother lets to you leave with a so bold dress? Mine as" would not let to me leave with one; , you say if it in the suitable, trusting tone, and of natural form (practicalo), you will see that she will ***reflx mng herself, and simultaneously she will say to you that you are a joker or who you do not take anything in serious. Intntalo! You are not submissive Some men think that to be submissive and to be the slave of it will make them to a friend conquer it.
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Should I buy the Nikon D7000 [mac]?
If you're ready to get serious about your photography, the Nikon D7000 is well equipped to help you transition to the next level. It has a sophisticated feature set, top-notch performance, and highly pleasing image quality. Expect a challenging learning curve, though, particularly if you want to take advantage of everything this camera has to offer. It's easy to get lost when digging deep into functions such as autofocus and its multiple-choice menu, but exploring the D7000's many options is well worth the effort. Beginners may want to check out entry-level cameras such as the Nikon D3100 or the Canon T3i for more user-friendly features (and prices). If you purchase or own the D7000, be sure to update the firmware. Nikon issued a firmware update on April 25 that addresses several issues (none of which we experienced).
With the D7000, Nikon has created a new category in its broad DSLR line. At $1200 (body only, as of May 9, 2011; also available as a kit with an optically stabilized 18-105mm/f3.5-f5.6 lens for $1600), the D7000 offers a midrange alternative to the higher-end Nikon D300s and the slightly long-in-the-tooth but more affordable Nikon D90, which the company released in 2008.
Offering a full complement of advanced and automatic features, a new 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, 3D color-matrix metering, good low-light performance, full 1080p high-definition video, and full-time autofocus in video mode and Live View, the D7000 is an extremely appealing DSLR for enthusiasts and prosumers.
Like other DSLRs currently on the market, the D7000 is equipped with manual, semimanual, and automatic exposure options; two custom setting modes and 19 scene modes round out the basic shooting choices. The D7000's 16-megapixel CMOS sensor gives the camera the second-highest resolution in the Nikon DSLR line, equalling the sensor found in the D5100, and bested only by the 24-megapixel sensor in the $8000, professional-level D3x.
The D7000 is more rugged than it seems at first glance. It's weather-sealed for protection against the elements and dust, and it weighs a reasonable 1.5 pounds. Although it's a bit heavier than the D90, it's about the same physical size. I shot comfortably with several different Nikkor lenses, including the 18-105mm kit lens, a 24-70mm lens, and a 70-200mm VRII lens. All of the lenses felt well balanced on the body; and unlike some of Nikon's entry-level cameras, the D7000 accommodates both DX and non-DX lenses.
Photographers who have shot with other Nikon DSLRs will feel at ease with the control layout, but newcomers to the Nikon DSLR family will probably have to spend time reviewing the user manual to become familiar with the buttons and dials. For the most part, controls are arranged conveniently, and Nikon has implemented a couple of really nice adjustments to make Live View, video mode, and continuous shooting more readily accessible. However, since the Function button is buried tightly between the grip and the lens barrel, it's difficult to reach. Another drawback is that the bracket button sits just below the flash pop-up control, so it's too easy to activate the bracketing function inadvertently when you're trying to pop up the flash.
Dual card slots: The D7000 is equipped with two slots that handle SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, providing a lot of flexibility. For example, you can use the second slot for storage overflow or backup. Alternatively, you can record JPEG and RAW files to separate cards, and direct movie files to a separate card as well. Also, the D7000 is the only camera (so far) that can take full advantage of the ultrahigh-speed Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I card.
Low-light shooting: The native ISO range is 100 to 6400, but you can expand it up to 25,500. Even though you should use such a high ISO setting only when no other options are available, the D7000's low-light/high-ISO performance is quite good even at that extreme. Yes, it produces noise at 25,500, and details aren't as crisp as they are at lower ISOs, but the D7000 captures cleaner images at this ISO than many other DSLRs do at more moderate settings. However, you might want to shoot in RAW mode when pushing the ISO above 1600, as you get more control in manually applying noise reduction in ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) versus the D7000's Off/Low/Normal/High noise-reduction options.
Video mode and Live View: Outfitted for 1080p HD capture, the D7000's video mode offers Nikon's latest video-centric features, including full-time autofocus and manual exposure control. Video-resolution options range from 1920 by 1280 at 24 frames per second to 640 by 424 at 30 fps, with five setting combinations in between.
More special features: Among the other features that add to the D7000's strengths are multiple exposure and interval shooting (perfect for stop-motion videos, which are really hot these days), a virtual horizon graphic indicator, and continuous shooting at up to 6 fps.
Still-image quality in our tests was good in automatic mode and first-rate when we used manual controls. Rich colors and generally spot-on exposures are the norm, but aesthetic preferences for more vivid (or subtle) color, for example, are easily achieved, as are adjustments to contrast, sharpness, and white balance.
The camera keeps high-ISO image noise well under control, particularly if you shoot in RAW mode. Nevertheless, JPEG images are more than acceptable, even when you push the camera to about ISO 1600 (depending on the scene and the print size).
Your lens choice will, of course, affect image sharpness, chromatic aberration, and other aspects of image quality, so choose your optics wisely. The 18-105mm kit lens ($400 for the lens alone) did a good job of delivering well-focused images in our trials.
In our lab tests, the D7000 earned a word score of Very Good for exposure, and a mark of Good in the color, sharpness, and distortion categories. Click any of the images at left to view the full-size photos we used for our lab tests.
The camera's video quality is quite good, as well, particularly in bright light. Under low-light conditions, colors may be a little splotchy and grainy. As mentioned earlier, footage can seem dizzying (and noisy) as the lens searches for its autofocus point. Still, the D7000 is capable of producing videos that are on a par with--and, in many cases, exceed--those of similarly priced DSLRs. In our lab tests, the D7000 received a word score of Good for video quality, and a rating of Superior for audio quality. The video test did not use the autofocus feature.
We shot sample clips in bright indoor lighting and in low light with the Nikon D7000. For the highest-quality clips, select 1080p from the drop-down menu in the lower-right corner of each player.
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0.981659 |
What forms of payment should I accept?
There are various means of payment available for your business to receive your funds in exchange for goods and services sold to your clients. Some of these payment options include Bitcoin, Online Payments, Credit Cards, Cash, Bartering and Checks. It is essential to note that each of these payment options have their advantages and disadvantages. Your choice of a payment option is related to the type of business and your risk tolerance. This article is designed to give you insight into each of these payment options and how they can enhance your business.
Cash payment comes with simplicity. For the most part, there are no issues of fraud, bogus credit or debit cards, transaction fees, and bounced checks as you get cash reimbursements with immediate effect. However, there is a need for a documentation of cash transactions in case of an IRS audit which is time-consuming. Receiving cash payment is an excellent idea for you and the clients. You will hardly find an entrepreneur who avoids cash payments after rendering services or selling a product.
Checks payment are not exempt from risks that can cripple a business; it is important to utilise this payment option with caution. That is the reason why most entrepreneurs only accept in-state and local checks as a means of payment, while unnumbered checks, non-personalized and starter checks are to be ignored. If you can make use of stringent measures to confirm the authenticity of each check you receive, it is probably worth accepting checks, but it is a form of payment you should carefully consider before accepting.
Credit card transactions are known to have an affiliation with transaction fees but selecting a cash-only option for your business might reduce the number of prospective clients that are willing to buy from you. Payment options such as credit cards, payment gateways and virtual terminals can be complicated, but it is imperative to do a feasibility study and choose a payment plan that is easy to use and cost-effective. Remember that not every buyer who purchases items online has a PayPal account, you need to find a viable means to receive payment from those who want to buy from you and do not have a PayPal account.
It is important to include online payments if you are receiving payment via PayPal, credit cards and other mobile payment alternatives, otherwise you are likely to lose some potential clients. Though it may not apply to you if your business is all about dealing with real customers who visit your local store where you receive cash, or you work as a hair stylist who receives payment once the task is completed. You need to think of the simplest form of payment for your customers.
Even though Bitcoin as a form of payment can look complicated to a newbie, it remains an incredible way to diversify your portfolio. There is no need to bother yourself about fraudulent activities on your account as you receive your payment instantly and there is a probability for you to create relationships with clients who also share a mutual belief in the prospect of the blockchain technology. You can include a tag on your store or website that you also accept Bitcoin as a means of payment. Choose the right merchant solution that aligns with your business type. Bear in mind that Bitcoin payment is legal and accepting Bitcoin is not hard. This is the best time to include Bitcoin as part of payment options on your platform.
If you render services such as styling of hair or a photographer, you might have an idea of exchanging a service you are not skilled in delivering for your trade with one of your contemporaries. Both of you might be rivals in the business world, but it is an excellent idea to exchange trade by making use of bartering method. As a business owner with little funds and loads of inventory, you can give the idea of trading with a competitor who possesses what you need at the moment. Joining a barter network will be a fantastic choice as you are entitled to barter credits in exchange for the services you need at any point in time.
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0.903191 |
[caption id="attachment_1120" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Ryan Gosling reliving the counterculture era by wearing colored tuxedos (via barefoot-duchess.blogspot.com)"] [/caption] In my previous article, I discussed the birth and evolution of the tuxedo to the 1930's and what men's formal attire was popular prior to that time. We also found out who made the tuxedo and from where it was made, as well as its informal alternate options. After reading part one, you have probably become somewhat conversant in the tuxedo's importance in American society. However, there are many more facts that have to be addressed. During the years of the Second Great War, formal wear such as tuxedos were, for the most part, discarded. A possibility of why this happened can be attributed to the millions of male enlistees, leaving women to take the jobs that their husbands would normally hold. Also, during the depression, many Americans couldn't even afford necessities like food and water, let alone things like fancy parties and tuxedos. However, it was around 1945 when the war was over, that tuxedos re-emerged as a formal wear fashion trend. With the tuxedo's comeback, more and more American men started to buy and wear them. By the prosperous period of the 1950's, the tuxedo's exclusivity to wealthy male individuals became far and gone, and those of the middle class variety also had one in their closets. Though the tuxedo did regain its status as the attire for special occasions, its accessibility to middle class men lost its prestige and grandeur in the eyes of the affluent. What made matters worse for the wealthy population was that middle class men would often wear tux's to less formal events, which threatened a re-write when and where to have it on. Fortunately for them, tuxedos had and still have remained the best option for a formal gathering. In the 1960's, a dramatic shift was made, defining a culture of the younger generation. With the birth and growth of the counter-culture movement, the tuxedo became a function of protest against the social norms of the day. Instead of conservative formal wear such as a black tuxedo or a navy blue tuxedo, bright colors like yellow and orange tuxedos became popular. The patterns were outrageous, unprecedented, and helped shape the course of tuxedo styles we have today. Even the bow ties came in bigger sizes. At first, these tuxedos were only meant to be worn during the summer, but as the decade rolled along they had become so widely accepted that they were being worn for all special occasions; weddings, proms, fancy dances, etc. Movies of those days also helped create this drift away from the conservative American style of the 1950's. For the last part of this series, I will talk about the seventies which used the 1960's period as a base to sprout tuxedos the likes of which we had never seen, and we will navigate all the way to present day. Stay tuned.
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0.999932 |
(CNN) -- Thousands of people in Northern Ireland protested Wednesday against the killing of two soldiers and a policeman, reportedly by paramilitaries who want the province to leave the United Kingdom and become part of the Republic of Ireland.
Girls in Craigavon, where the police officer was killed, join a candlelit vigil.
Unions organized a 30-minute silent vigil following the shooting of policeman Stephen Carroll on Monday and British soldiers Cengiz "Pat" Azimkar and Mark Quinsey on Saturday.
Vigils were held in Belfast, Craigavon -- where Carroll died -- and other towns including Lisburn and Newry.
The Irish Parliament in Dublin Wednesday "utterly condemned" the murders, which raised fears of a return to the violence that Northern Ireland suffered for decades before the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
Ireland's prime minister, or taoiseach, described as the killers as "a tiny and unrepresentative group of evil people who have no mandate and no support for their actions.
"Those actions are futile and tragic," Taoiseach Brian Cowen said. "The people to whom I refer cannot and will not succeed. This debate, and those taking place in other democratic assemblies, makes that abundantly clear."
Police arrested two men Tuesday in connection with the killing of policeman Carroll, 48, a day earlier. The men, aged 17 and 37, were arrested separately "as a result of searches in the area," said a police spokeswoman.
Carroll was the first police officer killed by paramilitaries in Northern Ireland since October 1998, the police said.
The two soldiers killed Saturday -- Azimkar, 21, and Quinsey, 23 -- were the first British troops to be killed in the province in more than 12 years, the Ministry of Defense confirmed.
Politicians from across the political spectrum condemned the killings, with Sinn Fein deputy leader Martin McGuinness calling the killers "traitors to the island of Ireland."
Sinn Fein is a predominantly Catholic party that seeks for Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and become part of the Republic of Ireland.
It is widely thought to be linked to the Irish Republican Army, which fought a violent campaign against Britain for decades.
"I utterly condemn this latest wicked and murderous attack by dissident republicans," said Danny Kennedy, deputy leader of the loyalist Ulster Unionist Party, which wants Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK.
The Continuity IRA, a republican splinter group that does not accept the Good Friday Agreement, said it had killed Carroll, Britain's Press Association reported.
The two soldiers killed at a base in Massereene, in County Antrim, were preparing to ship out for duty in Afghanistan. The victims had packed their bags, changed into desert uniforms and were awaiting a final pizza delivery when they were gunned down, authorities said.
Two masked gunmen with automatic rifles shot the soldiers as the pizzas arrived at the Army barracks, authorities said. Two other soldiers and the two pizza deliverymen were seriously wounded.
Another militant splinter group, the Real IRA, reportedly claimed it had carried out the attack on the soldiers. There have been no arrests in connection with that shooting.
At the grass roots level, some republicans continued to feel betrayed by Sinn Fein and the old IRA leadership, who they felt had railroaded them into a dead end deal with the British that was never going to deliver a united Ireland, CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson said.
A few weeks ago a huge car bomb was discovered before it went off. At that moment it became clear the Real IRA at least was back. And it was no surprise that just before the recent killings, Northern Ireland's police chief called in Britain's top army surveillance unit.
The events of the past few weeks sparked fears of a return to the sectarian violence that Northern Ireland, a province of the United Kingdom, suffered for two decades before the peace deal in 1998.
The conflict was between unionists, who are mostly Protestant and want to remain part of the UK; and nationalists, who are mostly Catholic and want to join the Republic of Ireland.
For nearly 40 years, British soldiers patrolled Northern Ireland in armored vehicles and hunkered down in bases surrounded by concrete walls and barbed wire.
Violence spilled over into the mainland UK, with the Irish Republican Army, known as the IRA, bombing London and other British cities.
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0.999635 |
Modify open-terminal-here for open elementary Terminal(io.elementary.terminal) in the current directory on Atom Editor of Elementary OS (Ubuntu base).
Open the Terminal (Mac OS X, Linux) or Command Prompt (Windows) in the given directory via context menu or keyboard shortcut.
# Open a new terminal emulator tab in the current working directory.
?) echo "Usage: $0 [-t terminal_emulator] [-w window_name] [-k keystroke]"
# and opens the tab accordingly.
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0.98816 |
How would you know if what you did was real?
I've been thinking about a concept that I'd like to turn into an SCP, but I don't think I have the skills for it yet so I'd like to postpone it until I get better at writing. However, I'd like to get some ideas flowing so when I get back to it I have somewhere to start.
The original concept was an object which causes a person to hallucinate about the thing they want to do next without actually letting them do it, much like a daydream. If you've had a dream about going to school and then woke up realizing that you still hadn't gone to school, it's a bit like that. However, I couldn't find any way to have a conceivable object be passed from one person to the next. In addition, I decided not to make the SCP a living creature because you could basically just categorize s/he as insane.
So I reconsidered. My second and more solid view on the item is that it passes undetectable between humans or creatures; similar to an enchantment or real life stress-induced psychological disorder. It is free to travel from person to person but cannot exist in two people concurrently. The problem I ran into with this view is that instead of the SCP being a physical subject to observe, it is more like a noumenon which manifests as an experience. Because of that, I didn't see how it could be classified as an SCP in the archives. So I came up with the idea of it not being written in an SCP format but as a tale, being told by a researcher on the project describing it in vain hope it could be taken seriously.
Along with an interview with the previous carrier, I'm thinking about having become apparent tale goes researcher is the new XXXX-1 of this SCP and is containing himself. Because research victim SCP isn't and know what he is truly typin stops making sense as conclude.
I'm not exactly sure how to convey this, but I think that the idea might have merit.
The problem with tales is that there really isn't much feedback we can give you unless your idea is obviously moronic. The concept feels kinda thin to me, but I can't really tell you much beyond that unless I see a draft.
Because research victim SCP isn't and know what he is truly typin stops making sense as conclude.
I just laughed for a straight minute.
Yes. I was trying to represent how the researcher who is studying the SCP might forget what he is typing and not finish his sentences. He would have to retype what he wanted to record over and over again because he would keep hallucinating that he was typing it.
Because it was funny, because the guy above you didn't get it, or because my idea stinks like a bag of skunks?
I read it out of context, and it amused me greatly.
That doesn't help me write an article. I need opinions!
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0.999981 |
Here’s a Hollywood ending: A storied home once owned by legendary filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille has sold for $8.5 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Los Feliz estate is one of two homes in the gated enclave of Laughlin Park, both at one point owned by the director. Built in 1915 by architect William J. Dodd, this property was previously owned by Charlie Chaplin and his wife, Mildred Harris, as well as silent-screen star Anita Stewart.
DeMille bought the property in 1920, combining it with his larger home next door. This property served as a production office, screening room, and guesthouse until his death in 1959.
Both homes stayed in the family until the 1980s, when they were split and sold off separately.
While not large enough for a cast of thousands, the 5,200-square-foot residence offers four bedrooms, including a large master suite, and 5.5 baths. Sitting on a half-acre lot, the updated home still retains period details, including vaulted ceilings, fireplaces, and chandeliers.
The layout includes a large living room with fireplace, an eat-in kitchen with built-in seating, a formal dining room, and, of course, a home theater. Outdoors, there are loggias for lounging, as well as a pool and spa.
One perk of the purchase is that you'll be neighbors with Angelina Jolie, who reportedly snapped up the historic estate next door in 2017 for a whopping $24.5 million. That property had undergone a six-year renovation, and boasts gated and walled gardens, a 1914 Beaux Arts–style mansion, pool house, and a studio house with a separate entrance.
This smaller DeMille-linked home was listed in October for $8.9 million, and sold in early November, according to property records.
Is Angelina Jolie Ready for Her Close-Up in $25M Cecil B. DeMille Estate?
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0.871658 |
Question: Which kind of exercise I can do???
Question: Which kind of exercise i can do during this time?
Answer: Always check with your healthcare provider before starting, continuing, or changing an exercise routine. If you exercised regularly before getting pregnant and your pregnancy is uncomplicated, you can probably continue working out as before, with a few modifications (noted below). However, in some cases it's not okay to exercise during pregnancy, so talk to your provider about your fitness routine to make sure your activities don't put you or your baby at risk.
Answer: Congratulations on your pregnancy and all the best for your motherhood. Most exercises are safe to perform during pregnancy, as long as you exercise with caution and do not overdo it. The safest and most productive activities are swimming, brisk walking, indoor stationary bicycling and low-impact aerobics (taught by a certified aerobics instructor). However you'll have to consult your gynecologist before doing any kind of excersices. Hope this information was helpful.
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0.941353 |
In studies of eating behavior that have been conducted in humans, the tendency to consume more when given larger portions of food, known as the portion size effect (PSE), is one of the most robust and widely replicated findings. Despite this, the mechanisms that underpin it are still unknown. In particular, it is unclear whether the PSE arises from higher-order social and cognitive processes that are unique to humans or, instead, reflects more fundamental processes that drive feeding, such as conditioned food-seeking. Importantly, studies in rodents and other animals have yet to show convincing evidence of a PSE. In this series of studies, we used several methods to test for a PSE in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Our approaches included using visually identifiable portions of a palatable food; training on a plate cleaning procedure; providing portion sizes of food pellets that were signaled by auditory and visual food-predictive cues; providing food with amorphous shape properties; and providing standard chow diet portions in home cages. In none of these manipulations did larger portions increase food intake. In summary, our data indicate that a PSE does not appear to be present in rats or, if it is, it is more nuanced, dependent on experimental procedure and/or smaller in size than it is in humans. In turn, these findings suggest that the widely-replicated PSE in humans may be more likely to reflect higher-order cognitive and social processes than fundamental conditioned behaviors.
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0.951364 |
IBEX 35 stock index quoting 3000 points?
Many years ago, by 2007, while talking to a known financial adviser of my region I told him that I expected the IBEX to fall below 3000 points someday in the near future. The man was puzzled and said to me that it could not happen because it would be a complete disaster. And he was right, it would me a mess. He actually was quite leveraged expanding his business; just like everybody at that time in Spain.
Who would think the IBEX would be quoting 6 thousand points some years later? After, thing looked rosy when it was at 15000.
After the bottom of 2012 debt crisis the index has recovered quite a lot, although is still far away from the 2007 top. But, has the Spanish economy recovered?
The reality is that the current social and economic situation is a disaster. But anyone who still goes to the clubs and restaurants will find them quite busy, and the trips to the Caribbean shores are in full demand; for now.
For those reasons, I think that, despite all the “crisis” talking last years, the real crisis has not yet started. For when it truly starts the trips to the Caribbean will be over.
The Spanish balance sheets are so terrible that if Spain was a company and I was its CEO, I would sell all of my shares in what would be a notorious case of insider selling. The fact that international agencies quote Spain AA or BB, or whatever, is a cruel, because the truth is that, in my opinion, Spanish bonds are junk.
The debt situation is even worse now than before. The public debt to GDP ratio is 130 %; the unemployment is 24 %, and the youth unemployment is 50 % (and we are meant to be recovering). And the politicians spend their time arguing about if Spain will have a 4.2 % or a 4.6 % deficit next year (as if it was something significant). The problem is that the Spanish society does not want to pay what it owes; it cannot anyhow. But not paying has consequences.
So, I think that it is not unlikely that we could see the IBEX quoting below 3000 points in the near future, and not ruling out the 1000 level.
That is in a simple way, my fundamental view of the IBEX for the long term. But as we should now, fundamental analysis and opinions and the stock market behavior differ quite a lot sometimes. Despite the sorrowful state of the Spanish economy, it is still possible that the market keeps on its bullish trend, and even makes it to the 20000 points. If that happens, I welcome it.
I do not know when the next phase of fear will happen in this long crisis, and that is why I do not know when the Spanish bond market risk premium will rise. I just know that it will happen someday.
Looking at the medium term chart of the IBEX, we can see a very important point at the 10000 point level. The market is in a congestion area that is pivoting around that level since the beginnings of 2014. And, that pivot level is a critical point for us, if we want to know whether a bear market will start or not. In October, there was a warning when the markets went down that level. So let´s see what happens next time we have that warning. In fact, the 150 days moving average is signaling weakness.
We will see what happens. But I am sure that independently of the fact that the bull market can still last for a while, some day we will see the IBEX at the 3000 points level. And who knows, maybe even 1000.
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0.999997 |
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for poultry were 44.67% higher in 2019 versus 2000 (a $8.93 difference in value).
Between 2000 and 2019: Poultry experienced an average inflation rate of 1.96% per year. In other words, poultry costing $20 in the year 2000 would cost $28.93 in 2019 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.04% during this same period, inflation for poultry was lower.
In the year 2000: Pricing changed by 1.21%, which is below the average yearly change for poultry during the 2000-2019 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 2000 (3.38%), inflation for poultry was lower.
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1973 (40.25%), 1942 (20.12%), and 1943 (19.11%).
Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 2000 has the same "purchasing power" as $28.93 in 2019 (in the CPI category of Poultry).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Poultry in 1935. In addition to poultry, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.
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0.999998 |
Where is the best place to buy diapers as far as cost?
I have done a little comparison online and seen the difference between Sams Club and Babies R Us (one example) was about 5 dollars for a mega-box of Huggies (like the 200-pack or something). I thought Babies R Us would be way more than a big box store... Has anyone found a great "bargain" spot to get their diapers? Or online?
Walmart is the cheapest! & I kick myself in the rear when I just settle for convenience & buy while im at babies-r-us. lots of thier stuff is pricer!
My sis in law says to check Costco when I can, but I'm thinking that Walmart probably will be cheapest!
I always check out the price of diapers at every store I go to that carries them and I have found that nobody beats Walmart. They often have sales on Pampers or Huggies (I will use either brand, depending which is on sale), selling a 37-39$ box of diapers for abour 25$, which I think is a great deal. They are even cheaper than Costco.
I have searched and searched and have honestly found that the cheapest place for buying diapers by far is Amazon.com (even beats walmart!), you can sign up for the mom club and get free shipping, and set up for "subscribe and save" which gives you an even better price and automatically sends you diapers on a set schedule so you never run out. They are great!!
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0.956256 |
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), named after American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble, is the most sophisticated telescope ever orbited. It has contributed more to changing our understanding of the Universe than any other scientific instrument. HST is a joint project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) and operates for the benefit of scientists worldwide. Every day, Hubble archives 3 to 5 gigabytes of data and delivers between 10 and 15 gigabytes to astronomers all over the world. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, is responsible for conducting and coordinating the science operations of telescope.
The idea for such an observatory first surfaced in the 1940s; it was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1977, and designed and built in the 1970s and 1980s. Launched on April 25, 1990, from the Space Shuttle Discovery, it orbits 375 miles (600 kilometers) above Earth.. Its science instruments include three cameras, two spectrographs, and fine guidance sensors. Its primary mirror has a diameter of 94.5 inches (240 centimeters). The telescope is able to produce high-resolution images of astronomical objects of great clarity, brightness, and detail because it is located above the Earth's atmosphere, which limits and distorts observations made by ground-based telescopes with comparable optics.
The telescope was designed for long-term use, made possible by regular servicing missions that repair or replace worn out or malfunctioning parts and upgrade equipment to the latest state of the art. It is the first scientific mission of any kind designed for routine servicing by spacewalking astronauts. Its modular design allows the astronauts to take it apart, replace worn out equipment, and upgrade instruments. Each time a science instrument in Hubble is replaced, it increases Hubble scientific power by a factor of 10 or greater.
Although it was discovered soon after launch that the primary mirror on the telescope had been manufactured with a spherical aberration, resulting in fuzzy images, the first servicing mission in December 1993 corrected the condition and it has returned top-quality images ever since. As of March 2002, there have been four visits to the telescope.
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0.960726 |
Angola(æŋˈɡəʊlə) is bordered by Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Namibia, with an exact location of 12 30 S, 18 30 E. The total area is 1,246,700 sq km. Luanda is the capital, with Portuguese the official language.
The population is 13,068,161, with a life expectancy of 38.48 years. The country is 37% Ovimbundu, 25% Kimbundu, 13% Bakongo, 2% mestico (mixed European and native African) , 1% European, and 22% other. The religious breakdown is 47% traditional belief, 38% Roman Catholic, and 15% Protestant. The literacy rate for males is 82.9%, females 54.2%.
Angola was occupied by two powerful empires Kongo and Ndongo. The name Angola came from ngola, Ndongo ancestral shrine guardians and the title of the king of Ndongo. Kimbundu speaking people of Ndongo, in the highland developed strong political systems, influenced from the Kongo Kingdom. The Huila Plateau was occupied by the Nyaneka states. Further south and east of the country was occupied by Herero and Ovambo states, who engaged in cattle herding. Cattle was the basis of societal wealth. The region was part of the long distance inter-regional trade network of Africa, trading copper, beads, nzimbu (cowrie shell currency), and raffia cloth.
The Portuguese arrived in the 1480s, making contact with the Kongo Kingdom and introducing Christianity. They began trading in slaves. The majority of slaves were taken to Brazil. They also introduced cassava and maize into Africa from the new world. They tried conquering Kongo and Ndongo, but were defeated and retired to the coast, in Luanda. Luanda developed a strong mix-race population of mestico.
By the 1950s, Angolan independence movement started gaining steam. Two parties came to the forefront, MPLA or Movimento Popular de Libertaçcão de Angola (Popular Liberation Movement of Angola), founded in 1956 and backed by Kimbundu and mixed-race mestico in Luanda and FNLA. In 1957, the FNLA or Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola (National Front for the Liberation of Angola) was founded, with support from the Bakongo region of the north.
National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (União Nacional para a Indepêndencia Total de Angola) or UNITA was founded by Jonas Savimbi and based in central Angola.
In November 1975, Angola was given independence after a major coup in Portugal. Agostinho Neto, head of MPLA, became the first president of Angola. UNITA with aid from invading South African troops tried to take power, but was thwarted by MPLA with aid from Cuban troops and the USSR. The MPLA government was recognized by the United Nations in 1976. UNITA and FNLA formed a counter government in the interior at Huamba.
Independence did not bring peace. Civil war continued among the major parties. MPLA was supported by the USSR and Cuba. FNLA supported by USA. UNITA supported by South Africa, largely due to the support by MPLA of SWAPO in Namibia, a South African territory. Support for the FNLA eventually fell due major military loss.
In 1979, then-Planning Minister José Eduardo dos Santos ascended to the presidency, after the death of Agostino Neto. In 1991, an agreement, the Bicesse Accord, was reach between MPLA and UNITA making Angola a multi-party state. Election was called in 1992. UNITA was defeated in the election. Jonas Savimbi refused the election outcome and plunged the country into civil war that lasted till 1994. An agreement, the Lusaka Protocol, was reached with Savimbi as vice-president and with the stipulation that UNITA give up its territories. Savimbi changed his mind and plunged the country into further civil war. It was not until April 4, 2002, that the Luena Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was reached ending hostilities, and by November 2002, UNITA integrated into the government.
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0.971041 |
Conrad Murray’s voice softens when he recalls the moment Michael Jackson reached out, clasped his hand and said in his soft falsetto voice: ‘There are only four people in my family now. Paris, Prince, Blanket and you, Dr Conrad.’ It was, the 60-year-old doctor recalls: ‘one of the happiest days of my life. This man who had been so lonely, who had spent so many long nights telling me about his pain and anguish, finally felt he could trust someone in his life apart from his children. ‘We were family’. We loved each other as brothers.’ Unrepentant: Dr Conrad Murray speaks during his first interview after serving half of his four-and-a-half-year jailterm following his conviction of killing Michael Jackson The remarkable exchange took place in Jackson’s private suite of five rooms on the second floor of his rented £60,000-a-month Beverly Hills mansion. It was an area closed to all except the singer’s three children and Dr Murray – his personal physician and private confidante. Murray says: ‘Michael trusted no one. The bed chamber smelled because he did not even let maids in there to clean. There were clothes strewn everywhere. ‘Then he looked at me and said, “You know, for the rest of your life and my life our names will become inseparable.” ‘I asked him, “Michael, what do you mean?” and he smiled and said, “I am clairvoyant.” ’ Maybe he was.
This brief but intense relationship has all but destroyed Murray’s life and almost certainly defines it. The heart surgeon, released from prison three weeks ago after serving half of a four-year sentence for killing pop superstar Jackson with an overdose of intravenous sedative, maintains he was not responsible for Jackson’s tragic death. And, in his first-ever interview, he remains unrepentant. ‘I never gave Michael anything that would kill him,’ he says tersely. ‘I loved him. I still do. I always will.’ At a bulky 6ft 5in, Murray is a bear of a man, though he claims to have lost more than two stone in prison and says he feels ‘every one of my 60 years’. Despite his public disgrace, he has huge charm and the self-assured authority – some might say bombast – of a physician whose lucrative private practice turned over more than £2.3 million a year. Jackson’s prediction to the doctor was, indeed, prophetic.
‘I found out the kids were at the hospital, they were in a room having pizza. ‘I called for a team of psychiatrists. We spoke briefly about whether, if the children wanted it, it would be OK for them to see their father? I walked into the room. Paris looked at me and said, “Daddy’s dead?” I said, “Yes.” ‘The children wailed. Paris cried, “I don’t want to be an orphan! I don’t want to be an orphan!” Mrs Jackson was there, La Toya was there, Jermaine was there, but I thought they acted cold. ‘I was so worried about those children, they had no relationship with their mother. I didn’t know what to do. But Paris is a remarkable child. I have never seen such mettle in a child that age. ‘On the day he died, she sought me out in the corridor. I felt as if Michael was talking through her. She said, “My daddy died today. I know you did everything you could. If he didn’t survive I know it’s not because you didn’t do everything you could.” ‘It breaks my heart that those children are now without the one person who loved them more than anything. ‘I loved those children. I would love to sit down with them and tell them how much I cared for their father but I worry that their minds have been poisoned against me.’ For more than five hours, in a voice still thick with the lilting tones of his native Trinidad, in a faceless hotel room in southern California he tells about Michael’s perilous physical, mental and financial state and the singer’s secret addiction to prescription drugs.
This entry was tagged DailyMail, Jackson, Michael, Michael Jackson, Murray, Paris, The Mail on Sunday, Trial of Conrad Murray. Bookmark the permalink.
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0.961186 |
I definitely need to cross off the other three national parks! The best time of year to visit southern Utah is in the cooler fall and spring months, so hopefully I'll get to one or two this fall and then the other(s) next spring. I would love to do a trail ride on horseback in Bryce Canyon and/or Zion!
This monument is basically in my backyard so it would be a shame if I didn't make it! I think caves are so cool.
This lake straddles northern Utah and southeastern Idaho and is called the "Caribbean of the West", apparently because of its color. It's an interesting place, though, because the area surrounding it doesn't seem as forested as one would think. I'd love to hang out here for a day and do stand-up paddleboarding!
If you didn't know, northern Utah used to be almost completely covered in Lake Bonneville (which was around during the Pleistocene). The salt flats west of the Great Salt Lake are remnants of Lake Bonneville. You drive through them if you're traveling on I-80 between Nevada and Salt Lake City.
This one is obvious! The Grand Canyon is not too far away and would make such a fun getaway. The downside is that it's kind of in the middle of nowhere, but it could be relatively easy to tack it onto a trip that included one of the parks in southern Utah.
Cortez is located in southwestern Colorado, just a couple of hours southeast of Moab. It's really close to Four Corners National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Hovenweep National Monument is a relatively short drive over the Utah border from Canyons of the Ancients.
This park is right over the Utah—Nevada border and would be a fun weekend destination, especially for stargazing!
Other destinations I've love to make it to but are lower on the list include Goblin Valley State Park and Dead Horse Point State Park (this park is right next to Canyonlands which is why I may not make it). It'd also be really fun to actually see a film at Sundance Film Festival, but it's so hard to get tickets! Additionally, in Heber, Utah, there's a place called the Homestead Resort with a geothermal swimming pool in a limestone crater. Random, right? It could be a fun adventure!
What do you think? Do you think I'll be able to cross everything off my list? :) I think it's going to take some serious planning!
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0.99549 |
Amherst Villiers (1900–1991) was an English automotive, aeronautical and astronautic engineer and portrait painter. He designed a land speed record-breaking car for Malcolm Campbell, and developed the supercharged "Blower Bentley", driven by Henry Birkin and (in fiction) by James Bond.
Charles Amherst Villiers was born in London on 9 December 1900, the son of Ernest Amherst Villiers and the Hon. Elaine Augusta Guest.
He was educated at Oundle School and at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.
Villiers began his automotive career modifying Brescia Bugattis and supercharging a Vauxhall for racing driver Raymond Mays. He designed the Napier-Campbell Blue Bird which Malcolm Campbell used to break the land speed record in 1927 with an average speed of 174.88 mph.
The 'Blower Bentley' was developed in 'Bentley Boy' Henry 'Tim' Birkin's workshop in 1929, using an Amherst Villiers supercharger bolted to the front of a Bentley 4½ Litre, to boost its maximum power in the production version to 175 brake horsepower (130 kW). The first of five racing specials was the Brooklands-designed Bentley Blower No.1, which had an output of 242 brake horsepower (180 kW). The Blower Bentley's never won a major race, but it set new lap records at Brooklands.
In 1930 he bought from the Air Ministry one of the Gloster IV biplanes which had been used by the RAF High Speed Flight as practice machines for the Schneider Trophy. He was planning to install an unsupercharged geared Napier Lion racing engine and remove the floats for an attempt to break the world air speed record, but the plans did not come to fruition.
In 1936 Villiers developed a 120/130 hp four-cylinder aero engine, the Amherst Villiers Maya I (named after his wife). The engine was first tested in a B.A. Eagle and later in Villiers' own Miles Whitney Straight, but did not go into production.
During the Second World War he served as a ferry pilot.
After the war he joined the "Brain drain" of scientists and engineers moving to the United States to work on the space programme. He became a portrait painter in New York, and his portraits of his friends Ian Fleming and Graham Hill hang in the National Portrait Gallery in London. In Fleming's first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, Bond drives a 4.5-litre Bentley with the Amherst Villiers supercharger.
Charles Amherst Villiers married, first, Maya de Lisle Adam. After they were divorced he married Juanita Lorraine Brown. Juanita Lorraine Brown Villiers and Charles Amherst Villiers had two children, Charles Churchill Villiers and Veronica Jane Villiers.
He died on 12 December 1991.
^ Jackson, A.J. (1973). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.
^ Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 3. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10014-X.
^ Fleming, Ian. Casino Royale, Jonathan Cape, 1953: "Bond's car was his only personal hobby. One of the last of the 4½-litre Bentleys with the supercharger by Amherst Villiers, he had bought it almost new in 1933 and had kept it in careful storage through the war. It was still serviced every year and, in London, a former Bentley mechanic, who worked in a garage near Bond's Chelsea flat, tended it with jealous care. Bond drove it hard and well and with an almost sensual pleasure. It was a battleship-grey convertible coupé, and it was capable of touring at ninety with thirty miles an hour in reserve."
This page was last edited on 11 August 2018, at 21:02 (UTC).
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0.976216 |
Is HDTV, whether it be cable or network, the output is no greater than 1080i ?
In short yes, output is no greater than 1080i.
A single coax cable cannot transmit a true 1080p signal. And as such, no cable or satellite provider will be able to transmit anything higher than 1080i without overhauling their entire setup.
I work in an HD production house, and even in the professional world a single core cable cannot transmit a 1080p signal, it is too much bandwidth for the cable to be able to handle. We utilize a dual cable system to be able to do it, but no cable or satellite companies use anything like that. The companies that claim to be able to show 1080p are not showing true 1080p. What they do is lower the quality but keep the resolution, which results in an inferior product. Imagine if Coca-Cola started filling their 2 liter bottles half with coke and half with antifreeze. Sure it would still be a 2 liter drink, but it would not at all be the same quality.
Stephen allow me to clarify my answer since you do not seem to understand.
NO cable or satellite manufacture can send a true 1080p signal to an HDTV. Sure, you can download a PPV of 1080p but you CAN NOT watch it in realtime due to the bandwidth constraints of RG6 the standard in coaxial cable for cable and satellite companies. The best they can do is 1080i.
"In the United States, 1080p over-the-air broadcasts still do not exist as of 2011; all major networks use either 720p60 or 1080i60 encoded with MPEG-2. However, satellite services (e.g. DirecTV, XstreamHD, and Dish Network) utilize the 1080p/24-30 format with MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 encoding for pay-per-view movies that are downloaded in advance via satellite or on demand via broadband internet only. At this time, no pay service channel such as USA, HDNET, etc. nor premium movie channel such as HBO, etc., stream their services live to their distributors (MVPD) in this format because many MVPDs, especially DBS and cable, DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT BANDWIDTH to provide the format streaming live to their subscribers without negatively impacting their current services and because of the high "cost" of using more bandwidth for one 1080p/24 channel than what would be used for a 1080i or even a 720p channel and for only those relatively few subscribers who have HDTV devices that can display 1080p/24 as not being an efficient use of their LIMITED BANDWIDTH."
"Standard definition 480i DVD movies are typically 5 to 8 mbps (megabits per second) MPEG-2 whereas these so-called HD wannabes weigh in at a pathetic 1.5 to 4 mbps of 720p H.264"
"But thereâs one dirty little secret that people are forgetting or that they donât understand, ITâS NOT HD theyâre getting over the Internet. Heck itâs not even NTSC 480i (720Ã480 60 fields interlaced) DVD quality when you really look at the amount of video data youâre getting!"
The Times quotes well-known TV engineer Pete Putman as saying that CBS now offers the high bit rate over the air with 17 megabits per second for its high-def programs; and that's for 1080i, not 1080p. But Putman says he believes both Dish and DIRECTV are transmitting high-def programming at around 6-8 megabits per seconds.
Consequently, Putnam is dubious that the satcasters have the bandwidth to increase their bit rate to offer true 1080p video."
If you spend the time to read the articles above, you will see that nothing has changed in the last few years. DirecTV, Dish Network, and all the others are offering 1080p video at a quality lower than DVD. As such it is NOT true 1080p, which their current setups can not handle. The only connections which could possibly offer true 1080p would be the FiOS fiber optic system. Which to my understanding while they have the ability, they have not done so yet. What you have provided as a source is a marketing gimmick which you, like many others, have fallen for.There is a reason that Blu-ray players do not connect to a HDTV using a RG6 coaxial cable.
Please do your research before you wrongly correct me.
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0.992738 |
A vice president of finance and a program manager at Xerox talk about mentoring, from both sides.
How did you benefit from participating in Xerox's mentoring program? JN: As a mentor, I benefit in many ways. First, it keeps me connected to a community of people that I might not otherwise be engaged with. In order to do my job at Xerox, I need to understand customer requirements and employee perspective. Mentoring allows me to understand challenges that our employees encounter in the business, whether in my immediate work area or elsewhere. Second, mentoring gives me visibility into a broad network of individuals. Xerox's level of success is totally dependent upon the quality of its employees. Senior managers have a responsibility to develop employees to become future leaders of this company, and mentoring is an avenue to do that. Last, I enjoy mentoring. It's very rewarding to feel that you've helped others move their careers along or increase their satisfaction in their current role.
JA: The benefits are far-reaching. The program has connected me to resources that are outside of my immediate organization and area of expertise. It has offered me a safe place to explore various career options in a very big, diverse global corporation and develop concrete goals toward attaining them. It has also helped me partner for continuous improvement. I can reveal my insecurities without fear of judgment, learn more about myself and my strengths, receive coaching on how best to maneuver challenging situations, and then concentrate on areas for further development.
What are the relative benefits of formal and informal mentoring relationships? JN: I currently mentor several people, two formally and many others informally. Both approaches are good for different reasons. With a formal relationship, you tend to meet on a regular basis and have topics that you discuss at each meeting, as you work an agenda over a set time period. With informal relationships, the mentoring tends to be more on an as-needed basis. I have informal mentoring with several people who have worked for me in the past. Our conversations are typically very focused, such as when they are looking at making a job change.
JA: While our mentor match is formal, we collaboratively set the tone and expectations for our sessions. The goals are primarily driven by the overall objectives that I have. My mentor counsels and holds me accountable to follow through. This works for us. It balances our leadership styles and gives us the opportunity to be flexible and shift gears if needed.
Was gender a consideration when you chose your mentor/mentee? JN: Gender is not a consideration when choosing a mentee. That being said, I have more female mentees than male, and over the years many more women have approached me regarding being a mentor than have men.
JA: Gender was not an attribute that I considered, but having a female mentor is a plus. It adds a dimension of unspoken understanding, and has allowed us to quickly bond on some non-work-related topics. Judy understands my work/life balance concerns, and I have benefited from our shared experience as parents.
It's summer vacation season. How free are you to get away?
That's the percentage of IT workers at all levels who say their vacations have been interrupted by work demands at some point in their careers.
Things are better lower on the career ladder: Just 29% of midlevel and entry-level IT pros said that they're expected to be available during vacation.
Chances are you know an exceptionally talented IT executive who stands far above the rest -- someone who's a skilled technologist, a thoughtful manager, an IT visionary or all of the above. You can help give that leader a well-deserved honor by nominating him or her for recognition as one of Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2014.
Nominations can be submitted here through Friday, Aug. 30.
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0.981012 |
Discuss the arguments for and against floating exchange rates and explain how the monetary authorities act to maintain exchange rates within certain limits.
In the current example the equilibrium occurs at a rate of 1.60 where q units (e.g. pounds) are demanded and q units are supplied.
The same type of analysis applies to every currency. The demand for sterling is also the supply of dollars if the pounds are exchanged to dollars etc.
This is a very simplified view of real life, because only demand for tangible reasons is included (trade, tourism etc.) In actual life the changing of currencies because of these reasons only account for 5% of the total volume of the trade. The currencies against which the rate is measured can change too. That is why a system of trade weighted indices was set up to take account of all the changes.
As seen in the diagram, the new equilibrium is reached at E1 and the exchange rate has risen. Sometimes the changes are more complex, because the supply of pounds can contract at the same time, because people want to hold their money in the home country (high interest rates). That will increase the exchange rate even further.
Rising or lowering the exchange rates is widely used by governments world-wide to maintain the exchange rate within a desired range. A government can do that by buying or selling its fixed interest rate securities. If it sells them, the price will fall and so the relative interest rate will rise and vice-versa.
The government can also just set its rate (usually the rate by which it is prepared to lend to LDMA as a last resort) as the commercial banks in the UK will set the same interest rate as the Bank.
Other rate determining reasons are the inflation differences, differences in invisible trade, capital movements between countries, speculation with currencies, government activities (supporting the pound by buying it up) and the confidence in the future (the anticipation of future exchange rates). They all have similar effects on demand as interest rates do.
Floating exchange rates were only first introduced in the 1970s.
When the exchange rate is not allowed to move freely based on demand and supply, that is called fixed exchange rates. A government can base the exchange rate on the gold standard (largely abandoned nowadays) or it can peg its currency (fix the exchange rate to another currency, e.g. 1DEM=8 Estonian crowns). The peg is called an adjustable peg, if the rate is fixed, but if it can vary a bit.
Another method of stabilising the rate is by exchange controls. This means putting restrictions on changing currencies into effect (used by USSR for many years in the past).
Both floating and fixed exchange rates have numerous advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages of floating rates include automatic stabilisation of the exchange rate. It has been argued that the fixed rate system could not have coped with the huge fluctuations of the 1970s.
A Fixed exchange rate places constraints upon internal policies that floating exchange rate does not. For example, a country with balance of payments problems, if it has adopted a fixed exchange rate policy, can only cure its economy by deflating it, which causes unemployment, whereas floating exchange rates will "cure" the problems automatically in the short run, by lowering the rate. This again has several problems the from moral point of view, because every country wants to (in non-economic terms) keep its currency "strong", or more economically, to boost it's exports.
The presence of crisis that occur when a fixed rate system is badly managed will be eliminated with the floating rate system. These crises happen specially when pressure is put on a currency to devaluate or revaluate it and a government has to "fight" with it.
Floating rates offer greater flexibility of trade, especially after the oil price have changed and extraction of the North Sea oil has been started.
Floating rates also avoid the "import" of inflation as the rate will change accordingly, whereas with fixed rates the country would face inflation because of the rising import prices.
High reserves are needed with fixed exchange rates to support the rate. Governments usually buy up the excess supply or sell to the excess demand or just restrict the amount a person can change.
In this example the fixed rate is taken to be 120 (price floor) and equilibrium is E. When demand decreases to DD1. The government buys up the excess E1A to maintain the rate. The reverse applies when the demand falls to DD2 then the government has to sell E2B to maintain the rate. The Exchange Equalisation Account was set up for this purpose in 1932 and is controlled by the Bank. Nearly all governments operate a similar system and it is called a "dirty float" system. The Equalisation Account has lost great sums of money in 1970s by defending an unrealistic exchange rate. So management of the currency can still exist even in the floating exchange rate system.
There are also some disadvantages with the floating exchange rate.
The main one is the uncertainty involved in the future. Firms and banks have overcome this by setting up a forward system. That means contracts with promises to change a certain amount of money with a certain exchange rate after a certain period.
Lack of investment is also associated with a floating exchange rate as firms can not be sure about their future profits.
Large scale speculation will also take place if the exchange rate changes as it has been a quick way to make profits. Also, if interest rates are changed, the "hot money" will be moved to that country. This distorts the balance of trade.
A country with a fixed exchange rate seems to have greater discipline in its economy.
Many organisations were set up to reduce the floating of the currencies. These include the European Monetary System, the International Monetary fund and some others. The Plaza agreement and the Louvre accord attempted to limit the fluctuations in G5 and G7 countries respectively.
Although the greater insurance that the fixed exchange rates give to international trade and investors, it is argued that it is too expensive to maintain and floating exchange rates have generally been adopted with governments intervening often to diminish the fluctuations.
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0.998103 |
I'm 15 years old, and over the past couple of months I've felt down. I do not enjoy my usual hobbies as much as I use to. I have intrusive thoughts that tell me to stop getting good grades and stop bodybuilding (two things I take pride in). I have a constant headache and feel hopeless to an extent. Should I tell my parents. What should I do?
Thank you for your question. I would definitely tell your parents. You can also try talking to your school guidance counselor who can refer you to a counselor. Your symptoms seem to fit the criteria for depression but I would need more information to make an accurate diagnosis. It's a good idea to get a complete physical from your doctor as well because there could be a biological reason for your symptoms. Headaches aren't a common symptom of depression so something else could be causing the headaches. Make sure to tell your doctor if you are taking any supplements as a part of your bodybuilding. It is possible that even over the counter supplements could affect your health.
I hope you feel better and everything works out so you can return to your usual activities and see an improvement in your mood.
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0.948047 |
Kakistocracy (kækɪsˈtɑkɹəsi) is a term meaning a state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens. The word was first coined by English author Thomas Love Peacock in 1829, but was rarely used until the 21st century.
American poet James Russell Lowell used the term in 1876, in a letter to Joel Benton, writing, "What fills me with doubt and dismay is the degradation of the moral tone. Is it or is it not a result of Democracy? Is ours a 'government of the people by the people for the people,' or a Kakistocracy rather, for the benefit of knaves at the cost of fools?"
Usage of the word was rare in the early part of the 20th century, but regained popularity in 1981. Since then it has been employed to negatively describe various governments around the world. It was frequently used by conservative commentator Glenn Beck to describe the Obama Administration.
The word returned to usage during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In February 2016, writer David Clay Johnston wrote that the United States was in danger of becoming a kakistocracy, "America is moving away from the high ideals of President Kennedy's inaugural address — 'Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.' Instead we see politicians who say they love America, but hate the American government."
In May 2016, academic and blogger Amro Ali argued that kakistocracy was a word that needed to be revived, as the word had long fallen out of circulation and there was a pressing case to rehabilitate it as "stupidity in governance needs to be treated as a political problem, and kakistocracy can best capture this problem." After an analysis of the word, the author concluded that "either kakistocracy gets used and thoroughly examined or a Trump presidency will force us to do so."
In August 2016, Dan Leger of Canadian newspaper The Chronicle Herald predicted that a Trump victory in the U.S. presidential election would require renewed usage of the term "kakistocracy," writing: "The kind of government he offers are so off the wall that words fail, or at least modern words do. So one from the Greek past has been revived to describe what the Trump presidency would mean, in the unlikely event he should be elected." Leger compared the 2016 election with that of 1968, which featured two unpopular candidates. He wrote that after Richard Nixon won, he "established a kakistocracy of corruption, misuse of power and scandal lasting until he was driven from office in 1974."
In November 2016, the word became commonly used by critics after Trump, a man who had never held any public office, was elected president of the United States, and began to announce his appointees. Stephen Wolf of the progressive website Daily Kos said the Trump presidency appears to be headed toward a kakistocracy: "Trump has only been the president-elect a mere two weeks, but he has already sparked outcry over promising key appointments to white nationalists, unqualified sycophants, and those with troubling ties to Vladimir Putin's Russia."
Memorize it. You're going to need it.
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0.999982 |
"Az éttermekben gazdag emberek esznek."
Translation:Rich people are eating in restaurants.
Never realized that "étterem" becomes "éttermek" in plural form.
Where/how does the initial az fit gramatically in this sentence?
This can be taken as a "general statement" sentence, which is always introduced with an a. ("A delfin okos állat.") Of course you can also translate it as "Rich people are eating in the restaurants."
In English we'd say "at" restaurants - "in" awkwardly puts a lot of emphasis on the fact that the people are eating inside the restaurant, which is already assumed since restaurants are buildings and typically you do things in buildings, not in front of them or wherever else.
There are, of course, restaurants with outdoor seating, but even then this sentence would sound weird.
I'm pretty happy with the awkward translation, though, especially in the Hungarian -> English direction. I'm not an English native myself, rather German, and coming from that background I also tend to say that people eat 'in' restaurants. Plus, in English -> Hungarian it already nudges you in the right direction with the suffix, teaching the Hungarian thinking pattern to you a bit.
I'm a native English speaker, and I would say "in restaurants" -- "at restaurants" sounds a little weird to me.
It can, but it does not have to. This seems to be a general statement, and those always begin with a in Hungarian.
Could you please explain what is "general statement"?
A general statement is a statement you make about a subject that is applied to every instance of that subject.
For example: "Coffee is bitter" is a general statement, because you are talking about all coffee, and not just a certain portion. "This coffee is bitter" or "I had bitter coffee this morning" are not general statements, because they are talking about some portions of coffee.
Now, English and Hungarian use their articles mostly in the same ways. But they differ when it comes to these statements: Hungarian uses the definite article a in general statements and the topic is usually singular. English does not use an article and the topic of the statement is pluralised (if it's not a mass noun).
Coffee is bitter - A kávé keserű.
I love apples. - Az almát szeretem.
We do not go to cheap hotels. - Az olcó szállodába nem megyünk.
The original sentence, "Az éttermekben gazdag emberek esznek" can be interpreted as a general statement about restaurants - restaurants are places where rich people go to eat.
You can even turn it around and make the sentence into a general statement about rich people - rich people eat in restaurants: A gazdag emberek éttermekben esznek.
Thank you for the comprehensive reply. It means that I cannot use definite article to show "this thing", e.g. "I like the apple" means this particular apple, while "Az almát szeretem" is about all the apples in the world?
Oh no, that rule still applies. So "Az almát szeretem" can mean both "I love apples (in general)" and "I love the apple (the particular one that we are talking about)". Or even "I love the apple-flavoured one (in case of pies or whatever)."
A oroszlán erős. - Lions are strong. or The lion is strong.
Az oroszlán erős állat. - Lions are strong animals.
Az az oroszlán erős. - That lion is strong.
I've used "wealthy" translation for "gazdag"and the system did not accept it . What do other Engish speakers say?
A lot of languages seem to make a distinction between 'rich' and 'wealthy', it appears. I think 'rich' reduces it on having a lot of money, while 'wealthy' also means that they're doing well in life. My dictionary also suggest 'prosperous' for the latter meaning, which might help. There's a large middle ground between those meanings, though, and I agree that 'wealthy' seems like a fine translation.
For the record, a more direct translation of 'wealthy', according to dictionaries, is jómódú (lit. having good means) or tehetős (lit. able (to afford things)).
That is what I wrote, why is it marked wrong??
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0.992457 |
The system consists of PV modules, ground-mounting systems, DC cables, inverters, AC cables, DC/AC boxes, island inverters and multi-cluster boxes. The system is designed to be installed in a place with no grid connection. The island inverters create their own grid and supply consumers.
Standalone Solar Power Systems are completely independent from any electric utility grid. They are most often used in remote areas where electricity is not available or where the connection fees of the grid are higher than the cost of an alternative energy system. Standalone solar systems (also known as autonomous, or off grid systems) are used to collect and store solar energy to be used by household appliances. These systems typically generate from 100 Watts (very small systems) to 5 kilowatts (larger systems, multi family homes) up to 1 MW (using in the industry). During the day the electricity generated is used to power the home and charge the batteries. At night, and during rainy days, all necessary power is provided by the batteries.
In some cases, where it is important that power is always available, some stand alone systems, known as PV-hybrid systems or island systems, may also have another source of power such as a wind turbine, bio-fuel or a diesel generator.
Power generated from a stand alone system is considered DC (direct current), and is stored in a batteries and converted to AC (alternate current). Standalone Solar Power Systems are the perfect choice for remote rural or villages to provide continuous reliable power.
What are the components of a standalone solar system?
Solar modules are only one part of a standalone solar system. They work together with other components such as batteries, bi-directional inverters, transformers, etc. Together with power distribution panels and metering devices they complete the process.
The DC electricity produced by the solar panel or module(s) is used to charge batteries via a solar charge controller. Any DC appliances that are connected to the battery will need to be fused. DC lights are normally connected to the charge controller. Any AC appliances are powered via an inverter connected directly to the batteries. Most standalone solar systems need to be managed properly. Users need to know the limitations of a system and tailor energy consumption according to how sunny it is and the state of charge (SOC) of the battery.
The solar panels need to be configured to match the system DC voltage, which is determined by the battery. System voltages are typically, from 12V DC to 48V DC, larger systems will operate at 400 - 800 V DC.
The operating voltage of a solar panel in a stand-alone system must be high enough to charge the batteries. For example a 12V battery will require 14.4V to charge it. The solar panel must be able to deliver this voltage to the battery after power losses and voltage drop in the cables and charge controller and in conditions in which the solar cells operate at a high temperature. A solar panel with a Voc of about 20V is required to reliably charge a 12V battery.
protect the battery from over-discharge, normally referred to as low voltage disconnect (LVD) that disconnects the battery from the load when the battery reaches a certain depth of discharge (DOD).
protect the battery from over-charging by limiting the charging voltage - this is important with sealed batteries - it is usually referred to as high voltage disconnect (HVD).
prevent current flowing back into the solar panel during the night, so called reverse current.
The power requirements of standalone solar systems are rarely in sync with the battery charging. Appliances and loads need to be powered when there is sufficient solar radiation, during overcast weather and during the night. Bad weather may last for several days and the daily charging and discharging of the batteries takes its toll on them. Batteries that are able to handle the constant charging and discharging are known as deep cycle batteries. Batteries need to have a good charging efficiency, low charging currents and low self-discharge.
The Ah efficiency of a battery describes the relationship between the Ah that are put into the battery and the Ah that are taken out. Under ideal conditions a new deep-cycle battery would be 90% efficient.
Cables need to be UV resistant and suitable for outdoor applications. It is very important to keep power losses and voltage drop in the cable to a minimum. It is recommended that this be less than 3% between the the array and the batteries and less than 5% between the battery and DC loads.
Load calculation can be down in two ways, either calculated on a daily basis or weekly. Regardless of which you choose you need to be as accurate as possible.
Battery Storage is usually expressed in Amp hours (Ah). However, it can be given in Watt hours.
Take into account the design month - the month when there is the least sun and the most demand.
If the system is going to be used all year round and the energy requirement is fairly constant then the design month will be when the weather is at its worst.
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Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo, abbreviated Francisco Franco Bahamonde and sometimes known as Generalísimo Francisco Franco, was head of state of Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975. Known as "El Caudillo de España" ("the leader"), he presided over the fascist authoritarian dictatorial government of the Spanish State following victory in the Spanish Civil War.
Born in Ferrol (officially known as El Ferrol del Caudillo from 1938 to 1982), Spain, on December 4, 1892, Franco's early life was marked by his father's drunkenness and womanizing which contrasted with his devout mother's overprotective devotion. His first ambition was to follow the family tradition and join the navy, but cutbacks resulting from Spain's humiliating defeat in the Spanish-American War of 1898 reduced the available positions and Franco enlisted in the army instead. His brother Ramón Franco was a pioneer aviator.
After graduating from the Infantry Academy in Toledo, he spent two years in a quiet garrison in mainland Spain, but obtained a posting to Morocco at the earliest opportunity. Spanish efforts to physically occupy their new African protectorate provided the only chance of being engaged in combat and thus earning promotion through merit. In practice this meant surviving actions in which heavy losses were suffered, officers would get either la caja o la faja (a coffin or a general's sash).
At the age of 23, he was badly wounded in a skirmish at El Biutz and although Spain's highest award for gallantry, the coveted Cruz Laureada de San Fernando, eluded him, he became the youngest major in the Spanish army and returned to the mainland where he met José Millán Astray, a histrionic but charismatic officer who was soon to found the Legión Extranjera, along similar lines to the French Foreign Legion. Franco became the Legión's second-in-command.
In the summer of 1921, the overextended Spanish army suffered a crushing defeat at Annual at the hands of the Riff tribes led by the Abd el-Krim brothers. The Legión symbolically, if not materially, saved the Spanish enclave of Melilla after a gruelling three-day forced march led by Franco.
Promoted to colonel, Franco led the first wave of troops ashore at Alhucemas. This landing, in the heartland of Abd el-Krim's tribe, combined with the French invasion from the south, spelt the beginning of the end for the shortlived Republic of the Riff.
With the fall of the monarchy in 1931, Franco initially maintained an ambivalent attitude to the new Republic, not wishing to compromise his career by overt opposition. He even swallowed the bitter pill of the closure of his beloved Military Academy and subsequent postings to La Coruña and the Balearic Islands, the main purpose of which was to keep him at a distance from other potentially disloyal elements.
The Republic's failure to satisfy much of the popular expectation it had created and the fragmentation of the left-wing parties permitted a strong right-wing government to gain power in 1933. When miners in Asturias started a full scale rebellion a year later, it was Franco who ensured that colonial troops were sent to crush the uprising. They employed the same ruthless tactics that had been used against the tribesmen in Morocco. Having thus 'saved' Spain again, Franco was given the top job in the army chief of the general staff.
Having learnt their lesson, the left-wing and republican parties presented a common front in the tense elections of spring 1936 and won a narrow victory. This time, Franco was posted to the Canary Islands.
He, in fact, had not been actively plotting to overthrow the Republic, but when the coup came, he flew to Morocco to take command of the colonial army (including the Legión and the Regulares) which had rebelled and rapidly taken control of the Spanish Protectorate.
The coup failed in many of the large cities and the situation quickly degenerated into the Spanish Civil War. During the war, in late September 1936, he became Generalísimo of the Nationalist army, with rank of lieutenant general and then on October 1, 1936, he was elected Jefe del Estado (Head of State). He also managed to fuse the ideologically incompatible Falange ("phalanx," a far-right Spanish political party with close connections to Hitler and Mussolini) and the Carlist parties under his rule. His army was supported by troops from Nazi Germany (Legion Condor) and Fascist Italy (Corpo Truppe Volontari). Salazar's Portugal also openly assisted the Nationalists from the start. The war officially ended on April 1, 1939, shortly after the conquest of Madrid, although guerrilla resistance to Franco continued into the late 1940s. Franco continued to rule as dictator of Spain until his death in 1975.
Spain was bitterly divided and economically ruined as a result of the civil war and Franco's government actively promoted this division between "victors" and "vanquished" while its incompetence did little to improve the economic situation. In September 1939, World War II broke out in Europe, and although Adolf Hitler met Franco in Hendaye, France (23 October 1940), to discuss Spanish entry on the side of the Axis, Franco's demands (Gibraltar, French North Africa, etc.) proved too much and no agreement was reached (Hitler remarked that he'd rather "have two or three teeth pulled out" before trying to negotiate Franco's entry into the war again). Also contributing to the disagreement was an ongoing disagreement over German mining rights in Spain. Some historians argue that Franco made demands that he knew Hitler would not accede to in order to stay out of the war. However, others argue that he simply had nothing to offer the victorious Germans. Spain adopted a pro-Axis non-belligerency until returning to complete neutrality in 1943 when the tide of the war had turned decisively against Germany. Franco sent troops (División Azul, or "Blue Division") to fight on the Eastern Front against the Soviet Union. They were "volunteers"; some were crusaders against Communism and some went just for the pay or to clear former liaisons with the Republic. Franco also offered facilities to German ships.
With the end of World War II, Franco and Spain were forced to suffer the economic consequences of the isolation imposed on it by nations such as the United Kingdom and the United States. This situation ended in part when, due to Spain's strategic location in light of Cold War tensions, the United States entered into a trade and military alliance with Spain. This historic alliance commenced with U.S. President Eisenhower's visit in 1953. This launched the so-called "Spanish Miracle," which developed Spain from autarky into capitalism. Spain was admitted in the United Nations in 1955. In spite of this opening, Franco almost never left Spain once in power.
In 1947, Franco proclaimed Spain a monarchy, but ironically did not designate a monarch. In 1969, he designated Prince Juan Carlos de Borbón with the new title of Prince of Spain as his successor. This came as a surprise for the Carlist pretender to the throne, as well as for Juan Carlos's father, Don Juan, the Count of Barcelona, who technically had a superior right to the throne. By 1973 Franco had given up the function of Prime Minister (Presidente del Gobierno), remaining only as head of the country and as commander in chief of the military forces.
Although a monarchist, Franco had no particular desire for a king. As such, he left the throne vacant, with himself as de facto un-crowned king. He wore the uniform of a captain general (a rank traditionally reserved for the King), resided in the Pardo Palace, appropriated the kingly privilege of walking beneath a canopy, and his portrait appeared on most Spanish coins. Indeed, although his formal titles were Jefe del Estado (Chief of State) and Generalísimo de los Ejércitos Españoles (Highest General of the Spanish Armed Forces), his personal title was por la gracia de Dios, Caudillo de España y de la Cruzada, or "by the grace of God, Caudillo of Spain and of the Crusade" ("by the grace of God" is a technical, legal phrase which indicates sovereign dignity, and is only used by monarchs).
During his rule non-Government trade unions and all political opponents (right across the spectrum, from communist and anarchist organizations to liberal democrats and nationalists, especially Basque and Catalan nationalists), were suppressed. In every town there was a constant presence of Guardia Civil, a military police force, who patrolled in pairs with submachine guns, and functioned as his chief means of control. A Freemasonry conspiracy was a constant obsession for him. In popular imagination, he is often remembered as in the black and white images of No-Do newsreels, inaugurating a reservoir, hence his nickname Paco Ranas (Paco - a familiar form of Francisco - "the Frog"), or catching enormous fishes from the Azor yacht during his holidays.
Franco's tomb is located at Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos. Famous quote: "Our regime is based on bayonets and blood, not on hypocritical elections."
He died on November 20, 1975, on the same date as José Antonio Primo de Rivera, founder of the Falange. It is suspected that the doctors were ordered to keep him barely alive by artificial means until that symbolic date. Franco is buried at Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos, a site he had built as the tomb of el Ausente. When he died, it was allegedly impossible to buy a single bottle of champagne in Spain, since it had sold out. His successor was the current Spanish Monarch, Juan Carlos.
Since his death, almost all the places named after him (most Spanish towns had a calle del Generalísimo) have been changed.
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Find a summary, definition and facts about the Warsaw Pact for kids. NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Information about the Warsaw Pact for kids, children,.
Statistics of Bailieboro This is a timeline of the Irish Civil War, which took place between June 1922 and May 1923.It followed the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921), and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
1. Getting Jews out of the Warsaw Ghetto in a truck under leftover food. Antonina and Jan abiski, Warsaw ZOO, 1947, photo: CAF/PAP.
Warsaw, the capital of Poland, once had a jewish population equivalent to the number of Jews living in all of France. It was the only city that rivaled New York's .
IRONDALE, Ala. – On Oct. 18, EWTN’s board of governors promoted its network president, Michael Warsaw, to chairman of the board and its executive vice president, Doug Keck, to the post of president. W.
Warsaw Uprising – Simple English Wikipedia, the free. – The Warsaw Uprising (Polish: powstanie warszawskie) was a major World War II attack by the Polish resistance Home Army (Polish: Armia Krajowa).The resistance wanted to free Warsaw from Nazi Germany.
Warsaw Travel Guide – Tourist information and general info of Warsaw and Poland. Basic facts, sights, attractions and photos of Warsaw, weather forecast,.
Mississauga hotels Kenabeek population Uxbridge government Spencerville facts btc communications | Broadband Provider | BroadbandNow.com – Buckland, OH · Spencerville, OH · Wapakoneta, OH. *Accuracy not guaranteed. . btc communications facts. btc communications offers.Vankleek Hill news The Cornwall Atom C Colts started 2017 on the right foot with a tournament win in Vankleek Hill on January 8. In this one-day tournament, the Colts started off strong with a 7-1 win over Casselman in .ontario spring bear hunt outfitters | Places in Ontario . – The province of Ontario will expand the spring bear hunting pilot program, intending to learn more about and evaluate issues brought up by northern communities regarding conflicts between humans and bears.
Warsaw's history began pretty late in the game, when some Mazovian dukes built a castle here in the 14th century. The unification of Poland.
Fauquier facts Virginia’s Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously upheld the approval by state regulators of a 65-mile power line through six northern . and that its decision was fully supported by the facts," said .
Travel facts: Staying at: hotel bukovina (hotelbukovina.pl/en). Warsaw has all the usual attractions you’d expect from a major European capital but it’s the hidden extras that make it so memorable. Un.
Spend time relaxing at Warsaw Marriott Hotel and enjoy our spacious indoor pool, the new spa and fitness area, available for year-round use. Our modern hotel also houses Holmes Place Premium Club, one of the top fitness gyms in Warsaw city center.
It ended up as a footnote in the war, despite the deaths of more than 200,000 people. "Warsaw Rising: The Forgotten Soldiers of World War II" reveals the story of the Warsaw underground resistance mov.
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In the US, are there standards of UVA and UVB protection on auto glass? My wife read an article that claimed only UVB protection is provided. A dermatologist claimed that people tend to get skin cancer on their left side due to the driver's seat being on the left in the US. I couldn't find anything through google.
Any glass stops about 90% of UV in home window thickness. Auto glass is about twice as thick.
Plastics are different, Some stop it all, some stop none, others only A or B.
Windshields have a PVB laminate and block about 99% of UV rays, but I'm pretty sure that's in the UVB range. Some of the shade band might block UVA, but for the most part I believe UVA protection is usually done using a coating, which windshields don't have.
UV B, in the range of about 280-315nm, is blocked by any normal glass or just about any material, including skin. Normal float glass 2 to 2.5mm thick will block roughly 40% of the UV A light, which is about 315-400nm.
I don't know about auto glass specifically, but I would think that with the double layers of glass and the laminate between the two, the UV blocking would be higher. Just a rough guess would be in the 70% range.
I wouldn't worry too much about it. Have you ever gotten a sunburn in your car?
Most of that occurs because a LOT of people (myself included) tend to drive a lot in the Spring/Early Summer/Fall with the window down and the arm resting on the sill*.
agree. any time I'm not running the air conditioning or heater in the car it's windows down, arm on the sill time.
The PVB interlayer also gives the glass a much higher sound insulation rating, due to the damping effect, and also blocks 99% of incoming UV radiation.
The amount of energy is dependent on the wavelength.
That probably settles it. Plain glass blocks UVB light just by being glass. According to your info above, laminated glass filters out 99%, which we can take to mean UVB.
Look at it this way: If the glass allowed in significant amounts of UV energy of any type, your car interior furnishings would fade, crack and otherwise deteriorate much much faster then they do.
All I know is it blocks enough to keep my Transition (TM) lenses from darkening.
This is a sig file. Does anyone even read this stuff?
According to the NY Times, UVA is not blocked. This article was from April and has a link to two scientific studies.
I'm surprised. That seems like something that would be provided without much thought.
Last edited by ksbluesfan; 25th October 2011 at 02:48 PM.
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Italy's Supreme Court ruled that the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles must return a 2,000-year-old bronze statue it bought for almost $4 million (£3.1 million) in 1977.
The museum has vowed to defend its 'legal right' to the ancient Greek statue of 'Victorious Youth', also known as 'Athlete from Fano' or simply the 'Getty Bronze', which was made by Greek sculptor Lysippos between 300 and 100 BCE, after the court said it must be returned to Italy, theguardian.com reported.
The bronze statue was discovered by fishermen off Pesaro, on Italy's Adriatic coast, in 1964, sold several times, and eventually bought by the American museum over 40 years ago.
But Italy has always maintained that it was smuggled out of the country and acquired illegally, making its first formal request for its return from the US in 1989.
After an 11-year legal battle, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the J. Paul Getty Museum against an order from the Pesaro judge Giacomo Gasparini in June for the statue to be confiscated.
Pesaro prosecutor Silvia Cecchi told Italian media that the Supreme Court ruling was "the final word from the Italian justice [system]" and that the Lysippos statue "must be returned".
Culture Minister Alberto Bonisoli urged US authorities to act quickly on the country's behalf to "favor the restitution of the Lysippos to Italy".
Italy's battle over the statue included a letter to the US president, Donald Trump, from art critic Vittorio Sgarbi calling on him to ensure its restitution.
But the museum has refused to surrender the relic, saying it would appeal against the decision. The museum argued that the statue was discovered in international waters and pointed out that it was acquired by the museum nine years after Italy's top court concluded there was no evidence that the statue belonged to Italy.
"The court has not offered any written explanation of the grounds for its decision, which is inconsistent with its holding 50 years ago that there was no evidence of Italian ownership," Lisa Lapin, Getty's vice president of communications, said in a statement.
"Moreover, the statue is not and has never been part of Italy's cultural heritage. Accidental discovery by Italian citizens does not make the statue an Italian object. Found outside the territory of any modern state, and immersed in the sea for two millennia, the Bronze has only a fleeting and incidental connection with Italy."
Experts dispute this. The fishermen who found the artefact sold it in Fano, a town in Pesaro Province, to Italian art dealer Giacomo Barbetti. Barbetti kept the statue in his father's home before it was transferred to the Umbrian town of Gubbio in 1965, where it was eventually sold to an unidentified buyer from Milan. The statue then changed hands several times before being bought by the Getty.
"Italy has made a very clear and compelling case that the Lysippos was smuggled into Italy, via Fano, and therefore was later smuggled out of Italy," Noah Charney, an arts professor who teaches each summer on the Arca postgraduate program in art crime and cultural heritage protection in Italy, said.
"Where it was first discovered, whether in Italian or international waters, is therefore a moot point."
The statue is among the most popular works at the Los Angeles museum, but its legal ownership has been in dispute ever since Getty bought it from German art dealer Herman Heinz Herzer in 1977.
The sum paid was nearly 800 times the $5,600 that Italian art dealers gave to the fishermen who found it.
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Closed-Off Body Language Being unapproachable is extremely harmful for business relationships. A clever way to gauge the interest level of a person is to do some action and observe if the other person is mimicking you or not. Rule 2: Look into the Eyes The second point is to maintain direct eye contact with the other person. Nodding agreement - When nods are used to punctuate key things the other person has said, they signal agreement, interest and understanding. Treat everyone you talk to with respect. Electronic communication provides a great example. The ability to understand and to interpret body language can help you to pick up on unspoken issues, problems or negative feelings that other people might have.
What are positive and negative body language signs for a guy to look for when talking to a girl?
Seeing this is a sure sign of attraction or a need to impress you. The Authority Gaze One way to exude authority is to lower your eyebrows, narrow the eyelids and focus closely on the other person. The impact factor of such speeches also is reduced by a large fraction as the audience gets 35% of the entire communication but misses the remaining 65%. Impatience - Trying to interrupt what the other person is saying, opening one's mouth frequently as if to speak. Body language: thumbs up Body language is a form of. If we successfully pick up on these signals, we can learn what the person is thinking.
As you read on, take these influences into consideration, and apply them to your own interactions. If you are bored, don't suffer. This also shows that the person is trying to conceal some information. Keep your head up and look the person who you are having a conversation with in the eyes both when they are talking to you and when you are talking to them. The increased blood pressure makes the nose to swell and causes the nerve endings inside the nose to tingle, thus makes it itchy.
The was launched by 2knowmyself. Rubbing of palms together is symbolic of having expectation of positive outcomes. We cross our legs toward people we trust and are comfortable with. Open palms signify openness and acceptance. Rule 4: Look into the Eyes The fourth point to be careful about is to look into the eyes of the other person without intimidating him or her. If you are on a schedule or in a time crunch, politely let the other person know that you have an engagement and excuse yourself. But, avoid turning it into a staring match! You do not have to sprawl out but try sitting or standing with your legs apart a bit.
If our body movements somehow convey the opposite, then our body language is not positive and hence, needs to be improved. Positive Body Language - Mind Your Fingers Even if the eyes, arms, and legs are at a proper place, the fingers can still play a spoilsport. Rubbing nose, eyes, ears, head, or neck shows doubt in what you are saying or hearing. Hence, body language is not universal and can be ambiguous too. This is a common sign that happens when people get asked a very difficult question during job interviews.
Learn how to minimize your negative body language.
However, there is a way to read the open palms as well. When he is with you, he will try to eliminate all barriers that fall in between you and him. This gesture is usually adopted by people of higher social stature. Be it a casual meeting on the roadside or meeting someone in the office or having a conversation with a friend at a party, many of the conversations in our life happens in a standing position. You too might be doing this without knowing. It can also be relevant to some outside of the workplace.
During corporate meetings, one can display interest, reception, and joy using positive body language. It is a very bad and rude gesture not to clasp the palm of the other person, as it shows lack of interest in the meeting and repulsion towards the other person. The habit of repeated foot tapping on the floor is symbolic of anxiety and impatience. Lesson Summary Negative body language is either a conscious or unconscious expression of sadness, anger, nervousness, impatience, boredom, or lack of confidence. Pause A pause of 2 seconds is called a short pause. Image Source: Pixabay This tic can be triggered for a number of reasons, but usually in stressful situations where your blood pressure rises, increasing blood flow to the skin, dilating the cells in the nose, making it itch.
You may find the results surprising. Indicates interest is up and barriers are down. Hence, the next time, even if someone looks to be friendly in conversation and having relaxed facial expressions along with proper hand movements, but crossed leg position, please note that the person is not as confident or relaxed as he or she is trying to appear. For example, you are facing a job interview and the interviewer is questioning you. Winking may simply be a habit someone has developed to communicate comfort or kindness. Crossed legs signify uncertainty and closed nature. Rubbing the Eyes When a person lies, he or she tends to look away from the person being lied to.
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This How Much Water Do We Need To Drink according to your body weight to lose weight!
Mother Nature has provided us with a natural elixir that helps us maintain our good health and beauty- water.
Water has the power to provide the needed energy for the entire day, to improve the complexion, enhance health, and help weight loss.
Yet, many people are not really aware of the importance of water for the entire health, and especially if in the case of excess weight. Proper hydration boosts the health and wellbeing and helps the loss of excess pounds.
One survey has shown that most Americans do not consume the recommended amount of water per day, which is likely to be the reason for many issues, including poor weight loss results.
According to a recent study, the consumption of 2 glasses of water before meals helps dieters lose an additional 5 pounds annually, and also helps to maintain that steady weight loss.
If only 2 glasses of water can help you achieve this, can you imagine what could happen if you drink the right amount of water your body requires?
The consumption of the proper water amount of water a day can lower the urge for overeating, and also significantly boost the metabolism. Very often, when the body is dehydrated, it confuses thirst and hunger, and we end up eating when we actually need only water.
Yet, do you know how to calculate the proper amount of water you need to consume according to your body weight?
Find out your current body weight. The needed daily amount of water for your body largely depends on the body weight, so you must accurately know it.
The amount of water needed will normally vary, as, for example, the body of a 200-pound man would need more water, than the one of a 100-pound woman.
Divide the weight in half. To discover how much water you should consume daily, you should divide the body weight, for instance, in case you weigh 180 pounds: 1/2 = 90 ounces, meaning that you should drink 90 ounces of water on a daily basis.
Activity level. The level of activity greatly influences the amount of water as well, as physical activities lead to sweating, which eliminates the water, and you need to compensate for the lost water. Namely, you should add approximately 15 ounces of water for every half an hour of exercise.
Also, you may find it hard, especially in the beginning, to increase the amount of water you drink, and some may see it as impossible to consume over 100 ounces a day. Yet, we will provide some extremely useful guidelines which will help you in this.
Initially, you should drink 2 cups of water (16 ounces) before meals, which is at least 48 ounces a day. Also, drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning, and before going to bed, and in this way, you will drink another 32 ounces, and the rest of water needed should be divided throughout the day.
We also suggest that you use some specific container for water which will help you calculate the amount of water you have consumed.
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Is it really a bad idea to peel a sunburn or pluck a nose hair? Dr. Mehmet Oz reveals the consequences of four common habits, which he writes about in his magazine "Dr. Oz The Good Life."
If you do it just once in awhile, it's not a big deal. The bigger problem is, at night your mouth gets dry, and when it's dry the bacteria love that. They love the dark, moist environment — they grow. If you're going to skip brushing, skip it in the morning.
Your breath won't be too pleasant, but at least you won't be rotting your teeth.
After a little bit of sunburn, the skin starts to peel like a croissant. There's a very beneficial reason for the skin peeling, it protects the skin beneath it. When you peel, you can scar your skin beneath it. Wear sunblock, of course. But if you're burned, take aloe and put it over the skin that is beginning to crack and crumble and peel. That way, you'll protect that young skin and won't be tempted to peel.
Folks love to go into their noses. But I tell people about the "triangle of death" — the triangle between your nose and mouth. If you go in there and pull that hair out, you get a little blood lost in there. Blood allows the bacteria in your nose to grow in there. Since veins in the facial area lack protective valves, the bacteria could theoretically enter your bloodstream and lead to infections elsewhere in the body. Don't ever pluck nose hairs.
If you have a grandpa-like hair coming out of your nostrils, snip it with curve-tipped scissors, with no sharp edges, or a grooming device. Do not pull the hair.
If you drink alcohol while taking antibiotics, the pills will still fight off the bacteria making you sick. But mixing the meds with alcohol can cause more side effects, such as nausea and dizziness. Some antibiotics, including Bactrim, Flagyl and Tindamaz, are known to have particularly severe effects when mixed with booze. Best to stick to sparkling cider until you are well.
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I thought I was back home in Texas when we toured the botanical gardens in Madrid a few weeks ago. We saw many amazing things on our trip to Spain, and one of my favorite things to do was check out their gardens and public parks. I really enjoyed comparing their landscaping and plants to ours.
We spent time in Madrid and Barcelona, both large, historic metropolitan cities with a surprisingly significant amount of parkland and green space. The Parque del Buen Retiro (literally, "Park of the Pleasant Retreat") in the heart of Madrid covers 350 acres. With a lake in the center, the park includes wide pedestrian walkways lined with crafts and artisans and entertainers and filled with walkers, bicyclists and inline skaters. Only blocks away lies the botanical garden, the Real Jardín Botánico, home to seemingly limitless garden displays. Barcelona has similar large parks and gardens including the Parc de la Ciutadella, Jardí Botànic and Parc Güell, filled with Antoni Gaudí artwork and whimsical sculpture.
Spain has a typical Mediterranean landscape. And like Texas, it has a very diverse topography - from arid desertlike scrub, rolling hills and mountainous regions to lush tropical and coastal areas awash in balmy Mediterranean breezes. It also includes the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
In recent years, American gardeners have been turning more often to the Mediterranean style of landscaping, and our travels in Spain showed me why.
Modern landscape design has its roots in the ancient civilizations of the area. The Mediterranean style of gardening reflects the easygoing culture and pairs beautiful elements of nature in an elegant style. While the gardens have an orderly and graceful style, they are far from formal. Geometric designs, straight lines and stonework are used to frame a broad range of plants, from soft, flowing petals to linear shrubs and trees to anchor the garden. It's not uncommon to see flowers, herbs, fruit trees, palms and succulents all in the same garden.
With its varied climate zones, Spain is home to more than 8,000 plant species. Texas enjoys approximately 5,500. We share many of the same plants as European gardeners.
Dramatic cordylines and palms of all sizes are incorporated into most landscapes, parks and public areas. Olive, cypress and retama trees scatter the countryside. Beautiful bougainvilleas in all colors climb walls and fences along with mandevillas and fragrant jasmine.
Flowering bushy shrubs include hibiscus, lantana, oleander, plumbago and angel's trumpet. And to provide the textural contrast that's so appealing in Mediterranean gardens, there are all the grasses, cacti, agaves and succulents - plants that have been our staples here in recent drought-stricken years.
Our experience in Spain was rich in very different culture, history, architecture and food. But it was also nice to see some familiar plants across the ocean decorating the beautiful Mediterranean landscape.
A Master Gardener, Diana Kirby is a landscape designer and garden coach. Her gardens have been featured on KLRU's `Central Texas Gardener,' and she writes about her garden at www.sharingnaturesgarden.blogspot.com. Several recent entries chronicle her recent trip to Spain. Contact her at [email protected].
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Margaret is an upcoming American drama film written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan. It originally was scheduled for release in 2007 by Fox Searchlight, but was continuously delayed while Lonergan struggled to create a final cut he was satisfied with, resulting in multiple court cases. A 2011 release is planned.
The story revolves around a 17-year-old New York City high school student named Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin), who may have contributed to a bus accident in Manhattan's Upper West Side. Lisa's mother, Joan (played by Lonergan's wife, J. Smith-Cameron), is a single mom grappling with parenting and her acting career. A sexually active teen, Lisa inappropriately flirts with one of her teachers (Matt Damon) while arguing with her classmates about the Middle East. Lisa ultimately becomes involved in a legal action against the bus operator (Mark Ruffalo). The film's title comes from the Margaret in the poem "Spring and Fall: To a Young Child" by 19th century poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, briefly alluded to in one of Lisa's classrooms.
The film's lengthy post-production sparked two lawsuits, which were scheduled to be tried in 2009. In July 2008, Fox Searchlight sued Gary Gilbert and his production company (Camelot Pictures), claiming he had failed to pay the studio half of the film's production costs. Two months later, Camelot Pictures sued Fox Searchlight and Lonergan, alleging that the studio and Lonergan had thwarted Gilbert's many attempts to finish the movie, forcing Camelot to pay for "a clearly inferior and unmarketable film" that Lonergan, several people say, will not support.
Court documents show Margaret started filming in New York in September 2005 and wrapped photography about three months later. It was in the editing room, interviews and court records show, that everything fell apart. Even though he had made only one movie, Lonergan enjoyed "final cut" status as a director, a level of creative autonomy typically enjoyed by A-listers such as Steven Spielberg. That status meant that as long as certain conditions were met (including a running time not to exceed 150 minutes), Lonergan could personally dictate the film's final form—neither the studio nor Gilbert could take it away from him.
Why Lonergan couldn't finish a version of the film he liked is central to the dispute. Even Lonergan's supporters say he is an exacting perfectionist who struggled to find the movie within the footage he had shot. Gilbert's advocates say (and his lawsuit alleges) that the producer gave Lonergan countless chances to finish the movie but that Lonergan failed to take anyone's counsel. "Previews and screenings were scheduled throughout 2006, yet they had to be canceled time and again due to Lonergan's refusal or inability to produce a cut of the picture," Gilbert argued in his suit against Lonergan and Fox Searchlight.
A number of producers and editors—including Scott Rudin, Sydney Pollack and Thelma Schoonmaker—have tried but failed to help Lonergan complete his movie. Gilbert in his legal papers says that Lonergan "failed to keep regular hours", that producer Pollack cut short an editing session "having become disgusted by, and frustrated with, Lonergan's unprofessional and irrational behavior "and that Lonergan "did not listen to, or implement" editor Schoonmaker's suggestions. Gilbert said that when Fox Searchlight refused to pay for additional post-production costs, he footed the bill. At some point around that time, Lonergan borrowed more than $1 million from actor and close friend Matthew Broderick (who has a small part in Margaret) in an attempt to complete the editing of the movie, according to a person close to the production.
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The Aero Spacelines Super Guppy is a large, wide-bodied cargo aircraft that is used for hauling outsize cargo components. It was the successor to the Pregnant Guppy, the first of the Guppy aircraft produced by Aero Spacelines. Five were built in two variants, both of which were colloquially referred to as the "Super Guppy".
The first, the Super Guppy, or "SG", was built directly from the fuselage of a C-97J Turbo Stratocruiser, the military version of the 1950s Boeing 377 "Stratocruiser" passenger plane. The fuselage was lengthened to 141 feet (43 m), and ballooned out to a maximum inside diameter of 25 ft (7.6 m), the length of the cargo compartment being 94 ft 6 in (28.8 m). The floor of the cargo compartment was still only 8 ft 9 in (2.7 m) wide, as necessitated by the use of the Stratocruiser fuselage.
The Apollo 11 Command Module is loaded aboard a Super Guppy at Ellington AFB for shipment to North American Rockwell Corporation at Downey, California.
In addition to the fuselage modifications, the Super Guppy used Pratt & Whitney T-34-P-7 turboprop engines for increased power and range, and modified wing and tail surfaces. It could carry a load of 54,000 pounds (24,000 kg) and cruise at 300 mph (480 km/h).
The second version was officially known as the Super Guppy Turbine (SGT), although it used turboprop engines like the first Super Guppy. This variant used Allison 501-D22C turboprops. Unlike the previous Guppy, the main portion of its fuselage was constructed from scratch. By building from scratch, Aero Spacelines was able to widen the floor of the cargo compartment to 13 ft (4.0 m). The overall cargo-compartment length was increased to 111 ft 6 in (34.0 m), and the improved fuselage and engines allowed for a maximum load of 52,500 lb (23,800 kg). These design improvements, combined with a pressurized crew cabin that allowed for higher-altitude cruising, allowed the SGT to transport more cargo than its predecessors.
The SGT retained only the cockpit, wings, tail, and main landing gear of the 377. The nose gear was taken from a Boeing 707 and rotated 180 degrees. This dropped the front of the aircraft slightly, leveling the cargo-bay floor and simplifying loading operations.
In the early 1970s, the two Super Guppy Turbines were used by Airbus to transport aeroplane parts from decentralised production facilities to the final assembly plant in Toulouse. In 1982 and 1983, two additional Super Guppy Turbines were built by Union de Transports Aériens Industries in France after Airbus bought the right to produce the aircraft. The four Super Guppies have since been replaced by the Airbus Beluga, capable of carrying twice as much cargo by weight.
Aero Spacelines B-377-SG Super Guppy, prototype of a much enlarged version of the Guppy using C-97J components, powered by four Pratt & Whitney T-34-P-7WA turbo-prop engines.
Aero Spacelines B-377-SGT Super Guppy Turbine (Guppy 201), production version powered by Allison 501-D22C turbo-prop engines, using an enlarged cargo section built from scratch instead of being converted from original C-97J components.
All Super Guppies remain either in service or on display.
Super Guppy N940NS (previously N1038V), serial number 52-2693, is on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum adjacent to Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, US.
Super Guppy Turbine F-BTGV (formerly N211AS), serial number 0001, is on static display at the British Aviation Heritage Centre, Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, United Kingdom.
Super Guppy Turbine F-BPPA (formerly N212AS), serial number 0002, is on static display in the Musée Aeronautique Aeroscopia near the Airbus facility, Toulouse-Blagnac, France.
Super Guppy Turbine F-GDSG, serial number 0003, is on static display at the Airbus facility, Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport, Germany.
Super Guppy Turbine N941NA (formerly F-GEAI), serial number 0004, is in service with NASA as a transport aircraft and is based at the El Paso Forward Operating Location at the El Paso International Airport, in El Paso, Texas, US.
^ a b c d e f g h i Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989) . Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Crown. ISBN 0-517-69186-8.
^ "All About Guppies". Retrieved April 1, 2011.
^ a b "Johnson Space Center Super Guppy". NASA.gov. April 7, 2002. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
^ "Super Guppy". Pima Air & Space Museum. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
^ Gray, Robert (August 4, 2011). "After shuttle, NASA's plans for El Paso". El Paso Inc. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
^ Mondey, David (1981). Encyclopedia of The World's Commercial and Private Aircraft. New York: Crescent Books. p. 9. ISBN 0517362856.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aero Spacelines Super Guppy and Aero Spacelines Super Guppy Turbine.
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Grandma: It's a beautiful, sunny day outside. Grandma: So I shouldn't just lie around in bed like this. Grandma: I should lie around in bed like this!
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Bingeclock, how long does it take to watch every episode of Archer (2009)?
489 people have binge-watched this.
Archer (2009) is the #1 most popular FX cartoon binge-watch on Bingeclock.
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The BBC has agreed to fully fund free TV licences for over-75s from 2020/21, the Culture Secretary has said.
It is part of a deal which would see the BBC also benefit from a reduction in the amount of licence fee income used to pay for broadband roll-out, from £150m to nothing in 2020/2021. There will also be a return to inflation-based licence fee increases and a change in the law to ensure the licence fee covers those who only access catch-up TV.
Last week the BBC said it expected licence fee income to drop by £150m in 2016/2017 and announced that it was cutting 1,000 jobs to save £50m a year.
The cost of free TV licences for those over 75 has been estimated at £650m a year.
Press Gazette has asked both the BBC and the Government what the predicted net reduction in BBC income will be. Neither was able to supply that information.
John Whittingdale said changes announced today will be phased in from 2018/19, adding the Government is pleased the broadcaster has agreed to "play its part in contributing to reductions in spending like much of the rest of the public sector" while further reducing its "reliance on taxpayers".
He also announced legislation will be brought forward in the next year to "modernise the licence fee" to cover public service broadcast catch-up TV – an apparent nod towards allowing charging for people who opt to use the iPlayer.
The BBC licence fee of £145.50 is also expected to rise in line with the consumer price index measure of inflation, Whittingdale said.
The Tory frontbencher added the Government will "consider carefully" the case for decriminalising non-payment of the licence fee.
Labour labelled the "backroom deal" as "shabby".
Ben Bradshaw, Labour's former culture secretary, also accused the Government of attempting to make the BBC a "branch office" of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Replying to an urgent question in the Commons, Whittingdale said: "The commitment made in the Conservative manifesto that all households with an over 75-year-old will be eligible to a free TV licence will be honoured throughout this Parliament.
"As requested by the BBC, they will take responsibility for this policy from thereon."
Outlining the deal, Whittingdale said: "Under this agreement, the BBC will take on the cost of providing free television licences for those households over 75 and this will be phased in from 2018/19, with the BBC taking on the full costs from 2020/21.
"Having inherited a challenging fiscal position the Government is pleased that the BBC has agreed to play its part in contributing to reductions in spending like much of the rest of the public sector, while at the same time further reducing its overall reliance on taxpayers.
"As part of these new arrangements, the Government will ensure that the BBC can adapt to a changing media landscape.
"The Government will therefore bring forward legislation in the next year to modernise the licence fee to cover public service broadcast catch-up TV.
"In addition the Government will reduce the broadband ring-fence to £80 million in 2017/18, £20 million in 2018/19, £10 million in 2019/20 and to zero in 2020/21.
"The Government will consider carefully the case for decriminalisation in the light of the Perry Report and the need for the BBC to be funded appropriately. No decision will be taken in advance of charter renewal.
"The Government anticipates that the licence fee will rise in line with the CPI over the next charter review period, subject to the conclusions of the charter review in relation to the purposes and scope of the BBC and the BBC demonstrating that it is undertaking efficiency savings at least equivalent to those in other parts of the public sector."
Clearly, beyond the current Charter period it is for the Government to determine both its policy on the over-75s concession and how that is funded. We could not, ultimately, obstruct any decision that you made.
We acknowledge that nonetheless, following discussion with the BBC Executive and the Trust, you have agreed a number of significant mitigations: modernising the licence fee to include catch-up TV, phasing this change over four years and simultaneously phasing out the existing cost to the BBC of funding the Government’s broadband programme from the licence fee. Given those mitigations, and in particular with the assurance that the licence fee (of £145.50) will rise in line with CPI over the next Charter Period, we will not oppose the change being made. The BBC Executive Board has confirmed to the Trust that it accepts the decision on this basis.
It is our presumption that the Government will not now seek to impose further costs on the BBC during the Charter Period.
Both the Trust and the Executive are committed to driving further change and efficiencies, in the light of the economic challenges that face us, and to pursue all other possible sources of revenue. However, the Executive are clear that the necessary savings will not be achieved through productive efficiency alone and will inevitably have some impact on the nature of the BBC’s services.
The Trust has a specific duty to represent the interests of licence fee payers. We are disappointed that they have not been given any say in the major decisions about the BBC's future funding. However, we accept that those decisions now set a clear financial framework, subject to the terms set out in your letter, for a Charter Review process that will focus on what the BBC provides in return for its funding. We will want to make sure the public are at the centre of that debate.
You couldn’t make it up. The last time a shabby deal was done behind closed doors, John Whittingdale condemned the ‘short, private negotiation between the BBC and the government’ as not doing ‘much to inspire confidence in the independence, transparency or accountability of the process’. Yet here we are again. Despite repeated commitments made by Tony Hall to a process with full transparency, we find out through leaks and a forced statement to parliament that the BBC leadership has caved in to government demands that will further weaken the BBC’s ability to survive as a public service broadcaster of worldwide repute.
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Esto del design thinking ¿qué es?
Design thinking is a structured approach some designers use to generate and develop ideas, products, and innovations.
It’s most often associated with IDEO, the well-known design firm that created the first Apple mouse, and Stanford’s Institute of Design – where I expect to send me kid to-.
Its a process to guide the development of new consumer products applied often by non-designers, to business (including big companies like Apple, as well as social entrepreneurs like for example the d.light company and many others over here in Bilbao.
Design thinking is empathic and human-centered, action-driven, multi-disciplinary, collaborative, and conversational and takes physical space seriously. The stages of design thinking are laid out like this: Empathize (or observe), Define (or interpret), Ideate (or brainstorm), Prototype (or experiment), and Test (then improve).
I love the way Bruce Mau uses design thinking to help a community group in Sudbury [USA] to uncover hidden assets and reimagine itself for the 21st century. He explains the process very clearly with simple and profound examples in the video.
Me gusta disfrutar y visitar blogs, aprecio mucho el contenido, el trabajo y el tiempo que ponéis en vuestros artículos. Buscando en por hay he encontrado tu blog. Ya he disfrutado de varios post, pero este es muy ameno, es unos de mis temas predilectos, y por su calidad he disfrutado mucho. He puesto tu blog en mis favoritos pues creo que todos tus publicaciones son interesantes y seguro que voy a pasar muy buenos ratos leyendolos.
Lana Fisherman estoy muy agradecida con tu comentario y espero que puedas seguir disfrutando también de otros temas que voy a retomar como son la igualdad, la conciliación y la mujer en su vertiente más multitasking y multidisciplinar.
Las familias de Torejón de Ardoz tienen mucha suerte de teneros tan cerca, espero que les enseñéis a gestionar la incertidumbre y a ser muy felices.
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I discovered that chatting with the Paypal auto-responding bot thing is very entertaining. Here is a stimulating conversation we had.
Hello, I'm Sarah and I'm here to answer your questions about PayPal. Even though I'd like to be a real person, I'm not. I'm programmed to answer your questions. How can I help you?
I don't know exactly what you mean. Can you be a little more specific about the issue?
I'm sorry, but I still don't understand your question. For further assistance, you can contact PayPal directly.
I'm sorry you seem to think I'm not so intelligent. I'm a virtual agent, so I can't answer everything. If you'll rephrase your question, I'll do my best to try to help you.
I'm sorry, but I still don't understand your issue. For further assistance, you can contact PayPal directly.
playing darts, camping, drinking, and dancing.
How kind of you! Go away now.
My guess is that this will do absolutely nothing.
I went to the graduation of a family friend recently, which was fairly boring. What was more interesting, however, is the hotel we stayed in. There were a few odd things about it, which I will now list for no reason whatsoever.
1: It smelled very strange. The hallways smelled like chlorine, and the bathroom smelled like tacos. As far as the latter goes, I can only presume that someone snuck into the bathroom to eat a taco smuggled illegally across the Canadian border. I feel this is an excellent and sound theory.
2: One of their stairwells had two exits signs, one on the ceiling, and one on the floor. I presume that was for the benefit of very stupid people.
3: They had free muffins. Now, I don't think I've ever publicly expressed my love for muffins before, so I will now. I love muffins. Any shape, any flavour, as long as they're tasty and are full of empty calories. But there is such a thing as a bad muffin, and the ones being given out at that hotel definitely count. They were made of what I can only assume was packing foam, and tasted like air freshener liquid. I believe that the hotel staff were attempting to poison the stay-ees at their hotel, so that they could keep the corpses in their rooms and charge them for staying overtime.
I have been informed that free muffins in a hotel is not an unusual phenomenon.
This song is from the soon-to-be-released called...something. I'm debating between "Tasty Fuzzy Carpet Time", or "My Other Car Is A Rainbow".
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When deciding where to live be sure to consider what will work best for your lifestyle. See the checklist below to see what your options are.
Amenities- Walk around the surrounding neighborhood to see if there are near by parks, shops, restaurants, libraries, grocery stores, or any thing else you would need.
Schools- Check out the school district if you have children or plan to one day.
Community services- Research the community and its affairs. Reading community blogs and local papers will give you a sense of the community.
Transportation- If you are planning to be car-free you will need to check out the local transit system and see what is available to you.
Commute times- Determine your daily commute to work to see how far you can afford to travel to and from your work place.
Safety- Check out online crime statistics and be sure you feel safe in the area you choose.
Economic Stability- There needs to be a healthy mix of residential neighborhoods and businesses for a sustainable community.
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Talk about a gift from the heavens: LeMay – America’s Car Museum (ACM) announced the surprise arrival of a 1964 Lincoln Continental limousine custom-made to protect Pope Paul VI and later used to shuttle Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Jim Lovell along ticker-tape parades in Chicago.
The one-off limo is on loan to ACM from a prominent local collector and is currently being displayed in the museum’s front lobby.
The ’64 Continental was specialty-ordered by the Vatican in 1965 for Pope Paul’s visit to New York and customized by Chicago-based Lehmann-Peterson coachbuilders. In a mere two weeks, the car was stretched to nearly 21 feet, the roof was made fully removable and a bulletproof shell and windscreen were installed to protect the Pontiff. The limo was also given additional seating, special lighting and a public address system.
In 1968, the Vatican had the limo shipped to Columbia for the 39th International Eucharistic Congress. It again underwent extensive modifications to allow for more seating, as well as better air circulation at higher elevations.
The Papal Continental was later used to parade American astronauts numerous times through the streets of the Windy City.
For more information on the Lincoln or ACM, visit www.lemaymuseum.org.
Cool. I want to see this.
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You have been learning about Azure Machine Learning as a powerful tool to solve the vast majority of common machine learning problems, but it is important to consider that it is not the only tool provided by Microsoft for that purpose. A previously seen alternative is Cognitive Services, and in this chapter, we look at other systems capable of dealing with large amounts of unstructured data (HDInsight clusters), data science tools integrated with SQL Server (R Services), and preconfigured workspaces in powerful Azure Virtual Machines (Deep Learning Virtual Machines and Data Science Virtual Machines).
Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit (CNTK) is behind many of the Cognitive Services models you learned to use in Skill 3.4: Consume exemplar Cognitive Services APIs. You can find CNTK in Cortana, the Bing recommendation system, the HoloLens object recognition algorithm, the Skype translator, and it is even used by Microsoft Research to build state-of-the-art models.
But what exactly is CNTK? It is a Microsoft open source deep learning toolkit. Like other deep learning tools, CNTK is based on the construction of computational graphs and their optimization using automatic differentiation. The toolkit is highly optimized and scales efficiently (from CPU, to GPU, to multiple machines). CNTK is also very portable and flexible; you can use it with programming languages like Python, C#, or C++, but you can also use a model description language called BrainScript.
With CNTK you can define many different types of neural networks based on building block composition. You can build feed forward neural networks (you review how to implement one in this skill), Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and others. You can actually define almost any type of neural network, including your own modifications. The set of variables, parameters, operations, and their connections to each other are called are called computational graphs or computational networks.
As a first contact with the library, you create a Jupyter Notebook in which you adjust a linear regression to synthetic data. Although it is a very simple model and may not be as attractive as building a neural network, this example provides you an easier understanding of the concept of computational graphs. That concept applies equally to any type of neural network (including deep ones).
To follow the next example you need to install CNTK from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cognitive-toolkit/Setup-CNTK-on-your-machine. If you already have Python installed in your environment you only need to install CNTK using pip and the URL of the wheel package that you can find in a given website. Also, you can use an Azure Deep Learning Virtual Machine, a virtual machine with pre-installed deep learning tools. You review how to create one in the next sections.
The first thing you must include in your notebook is an import section. Import cntk, matplotlib for visualizations, and numpy for matrices. Note that the fist line is a special Jupyter Notebook syntax to indicate that the matplotlib plots must be shown without calling the plt.show method.
For this example, you use synthetic data. Generate a dataset following a defined line plus noise y_data = x_data * w_data + b_data + noise where the variable w_data is the slope of the line, b_data the intercept or bias term and noise is a random gaussian noise with standard deviation given by the noise_stddev variable. Each row in x_data and y_data is a sample, and n_samples samples are generated between 0 and scale.
The last line of the code fragment shows the dataset (see Figure 4-1).
You implement linear regression, so you would try to find an estimation of y, normally written as y_hat, using a straight line: y_hat = w*x + b. The goal of this process would be to find w and b values that make the difference between y and y_hat minimal. For this purpose, you can use the least square error (y – y_hat)2 as your loss function (also called target / cost / objective function), the function you are going to minimize.
In order to find these values using CNTK, you must create a computational graph, that is, define which are the system’s inputs, which parameters you want to be optimized, and what is the order of the operations. With all of this information CNTK, making use of automatic differentiation, optimizes the values of w and b iteration after iteration. After several iterations, the final values of the parameters approach the original values: w_data and b_data. In Figure 4-2 you can find a graphical representation of what the computational network looks like.
If you execute operations from left to right, it is called a forward pass. If you run the derivatives of each operation from right to left, it is a called backwards pass. Note that the graph also includes the loss calculation. The outputs of the ‘+’ node are the predictions y_hat and, from then on, the graph is computing the loss. The backward pass optimizes the parameter values (w and b) in such a way as to minimize the loss.
To define your computational graph in CNTK, just use the following lines of code.
Notice that everything here is a placeholder, no computation is done. This code only creates the computational graph. You can see it as a circuit, so you are connecting the different elements but no electricity is flowing. Notice that the ‘*’, ‘-‘ and ‘+’ operators are overloaded by CNTK, so in those cases the operators have a behavior different from the one they have in standard Python. In this case, they create nodes in the computational graph and do not perform any calculations.
Now paint the predictions of the model and the data on a plot. Of course, getting good predictions is not expected, since you are only preparing a visualization function that will be used later. The way in which the visualization is done is by evaluating the model at point x=0 and point x=10 (10 is the value of the scale defined when creating the dataset). After evaluating the model at these points, only one line is drawn between the two values.
The result of calling the plot function is shown in Figure 4-3. The initial values of w and b are 0, which is why a constant line is painted in 0.
Train the model using batch gradient descent (all samples are used in each iteration). You can do that because there is little data. The following script performs 600 iterations and every 50 iterations shows the model loss on the training data (it actually performs 601 iterations in order to show the loss in the last iteration). The learner used is Stochastic Gradient Descent (C.sgd) and uses a learning rate of 0.01.
Note that a test set is not being used and performance is being measured only on the training set. Even if it is not the most correct way to do it, it is a simple experiment that only aims to show how to create and optimize computational networks with CNTK.
Figure 4-4 shows the training output and the plot of the predictions. Now the prediction line is no longer zero and is correctly adjusted to the data.
This example is a very simple one, used to explain the key concepts of CNTK. There are a lot of operations (nodes in the computation graph) that can be used in CNTK; indeed there are losses already defined so you do not need to explicitly write the least square error manually (‘-‘ and ‘·2’ nodes), you can use a pre-defined operation that implements that loss. For example, you can replace loss = C.square(y – y_hat) with loss = C.squared_loss(y, y_hat). Defining the least squared error manually is trivial, but for complex ones is not so trivial. You see more examples in the next sections.
Although GPUs were initially created to perform computer graphics related tasks, they are now widely used for general-purpose computation (commonly known as general-purpose computing on Graphics Processing Units or GPGPU). This is because the number of cores that a graphics card has is much higher than a typical CPU, allowing parallel operations. Linear algebra is one of the cornerstones of deep learning and the parallelization of operations such as matrix multiplications greatly speeds up training and predictions.
Despite the fact that GPUs are cheaper than other computing hardware (clusters or supercomputers), it is true that buying a GPU can mean a large initial investment and may become outdated after a few years. Azure, the Microsoft cloud, provides solutions to these problems. It enables you to create virtual machines with GPUs, the N-Series virtual machines. Among the N-Series we find two types: the computation-oriented NC-Series and the visualization-oriented NV-Series. Over time, newer versions of graphics cards are appearing and you can make use of them as easily as scaling the machine.
Those machines are great for using the GPU but they need a previous configuration: installing NVIDIA drivers and installing common tools for data science (Python, R, Power BI…).
Visit the documentation to learn how to install NVIDIA drivers for GPUs on N-Series VMs at: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/n-series-driver-setup.
In this section you create a Deep Learning Virtual Machine (DLVM). This machine comes with pre-installed tools for deep learning. Go to Azure and search for it in the Azure Marketplace (see Figure 4-5).
The procedure is quite similar to creating any other VM. The only difference is when you have to select the size of the machine, which is restricted to NC-Series sizes (see Figure 4-6). For testing purposes select the NC6, which is the cheaper one.
Learn about the different GPU machines available in Azure at: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/sizes-gpu. Check the prices at: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-machines.
Once the machine is created you can connect to it by remote desktop and discover that it comes with a lot of tools installed. Figure 4-7 shows a screenshot of the desktop showing some of the pre-installed tools. This allows you to start development quickly without having to worry about installing tools. The Skill 4.2 lists most of the pre-installed applications that a Windows machine has.
Open a command window and check that the virtual machine has all the NVIDIA drivers installed and detects that the machine has a GPU connected. Use the command nvidia-smi to do this (see Figure 4-8).
After building a simple example of computation graph at the beginning of this skill, it is time to build a deep model using the same principles exposed there: create a differentiable computational graph and optimize it by minimizing a cost function. This time you use a famous handwritten digits dataset: MNIST (introduced in LeCun et al., 1998a). The MNIST dataset contains 70000 images of digits from 0 to 9. Images are black and white and have 28x28 pixels. It is common in the machine learning community to use this dataset for tutorials or to test the effectiveness of new models.
The Figure 4-9 shows the implemented architecture: a three-layer feed forward network. This type of networks is characterized by the fact that neurons between contiguous layers are all connected together (dense or fully connected layers). As has been said before, data are black and white 28x28 images, 784 inputs if the images are unrolled in a single-dimensional array. The neural network has two hidden layers of 400 and 200 neurons and an output layer of 10 neurons, one for each class to predict. In order to convert the neural network output into probabilities, softmax is applied to the output of the last layer.
This example is a modified version of the one located at: https://cntk.ai/pythondocs/CNTK_103C_MNIST_MultiLayerPerceptron.html.
Each of the neurons in the first layer are connected to all input pixels (784). This means that there is a weight associated with this connection, so in the first layer there are 400 neurons x 784 inputs weights. As in linear regression, each neuron has an intercept term. In machine learning this is also known as bias term. So, the total number of parameters of the first layer are 400 x 784 + 400 bias terms. To obtain the output value of a neuron, what is done internally is to multiply each input by its associated weight, add the results together with the bias and apply the ReLU activation function.
The neurons of the second layer are connected, rather than to the input pixels, to the outputs of the first layer. There are 400 output values from the fist layer and 200 neurons on the second. Each neuron of the second layer is connected to all the neurons of the fist layer (fully connected as before). Following the same calculations as before, the number of parameters of this second layer is 200 x 400 + 200. ReLU is also used as activation function in this layer.
The third and last layer has 10 x 200 + 10 weights. This layer does not use ReLU, but uses softmax to obtain the probability that a given input image is one digit or another. The first neuron in this layer corresponds to the probability of the image being a zero, the second corresponds to the probability of being a one and so on.
A great resource for learning about neural networks is the Geoffrey Hinton course at Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/learn/neural-networks. Another good resource is CS231n Convolutional Neural Networks for Visual Recognition at: http://cs231n.stanford.edu/.
Create a new Notebook for this exercise. If you are using a Deep Learning Virtual Machine you can run the Jupyter Notebook by clicking the desktop icon (see Figure 4-7).
First write all the necessary imports. Apart from numpy, matplotlib and cntk, you use sklearn to easily load the MNIST dataset.
Fetch the data, preprocess it and split it for training and test. The values of each pixel range from 0 to 255 in grayscale. In order to improve the performance of neural networks, always consider normalizing the inputs, which is why each pixel is divided between 255.
# Get the data and save it in your home directory.
# Split train and test.
Now that the data is loaded you can create the computational graph.
The variable hidden_layers is a list with the number of hidden neurons of each layer. If you add more numbers to the list, more layers are added to the final neural network. Those layers are initialized using Xavier Glorot uniform initialization (C.layers.glorot_uniform) and are using ReLU (C.ops.relu) as activation function. Xavier’s initialization is a way to set the initial weights of a network with the objective of increasing gradients to speed up training. ReLU activations are commonly used in deep nets because does not suffer from the vanishing gradient problem. The vanishing gradient problem refers to the fact that using sigmoids or hyperbolic tangents (tanh) as activation functions causes the backpropagation signal to degrade as the number of layers increases. This occurs because the derivatives of these functions are between 0 and 1, so consecutive multiplications of small gradients make the gradient of the first layers close to 0. A gradient close to zero means that the weights are practically not updated after each iteration. ReLU activation implements the function max(0, x), so the derivative when x is positive is always 1, avoiding the vanishing gradient problem.
Notice that this time you have used “multi-operation” nodes like the cross entropy and the dense layer. In this way there is no need to manually implement the Softmax function, or implement the matrix multiplication and bias addition that takes place under the wood in a Dense layer. Most of the time, CNTK manages the optimization of these nodes in an even more efficient way than implementing operation by operation.
Once the computational network has been built, all that remains is to feed it with data, execute forward passes, and optimize the value of the parameters with backward passes.
Probably the trickiest part of this script is the function minibatch_generator. This function is a Python generator and the variable get_minibatch contains an iterator that returns a different batch each time next(get_minibatch) is called. That part really has nothing to do with CNTK, it’s just a way to get different samples in each batch.
During the training, every 500 minibatches, information is printed on screen about the state of the training: number of minibatches, training loss, and the result of the model evaluation on a test set.
The output of the code fragment above is shown in Figure 4-10.
It is always convenient to display some examples of the test set and check the performance of the model. The following script creates a grid of plots in which random samples are painted. The title of each plot is the value of its label and the value predicted by the algorithm. If these values do not match, the title will be painted in red to indicate an error.
# The next two lines use argmax to pass from one-hot encoding to number.
Execute the code. If you use the same random seed, the samples should be like those in Figure 4-11. The value 2 has been chosen as seed because it offers samples in which errors have been made; other random seed values give fewer or no errors. A very interesting way to evaluate neural networks is to look at the errors. In the Figure 4-11 you can see that both misclassifications occur in numbers that are cut below. This kind of visualization can help you to discover bugs in data acquisition or preprocessing. Other common bugs that can be discovered visualizing errors are bad labeled examples, where the algorithm fails because it is actually detecting the correct class but the label is not correct.
The model is already properly trained and has been proven to work. The example ends here, but consider playing with some hyperparameters like the number of hidden layers/neurons, minibatch size, learning rate, or even other learners different to SGD.
In addition to what you have seen, CNTK offers you many options that have not been discussed: a lot of different operations and losses, data readers, saving trained models to disk, and loading them to later executions.
Visit the documentation to learn how to deploy your training models in different environments at: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cognitive-toolkit/CNTK-Evaluation-Overview.
Get a complete description of each of the methods offered by the CNTK Python API at: https://www.cntk.ai/pythondocs/cntk.html.
You have seen something about neural nets on Azure Machine Learning in Skill 2.1. One section of that skill discussed how to create and train neural networks using the Azure Machine Learning module. It was mentioned that, in order to define the structure of the network, it was necessary to write a Net# script. An example was shown on how to construct a neural network with two hidden layers and an output of 10 neurons with Softmax activation. In fact, that example addressed the same problem as in the previous section: classification using the MNIST dataset. If we compare the four Net# lines and the dragging and dropping of Azure Machine Learning modules with the complexity of a CNTK script, you see that there is a big difference. This section lists the advantages and disadvantages of implementing your own neural network in CNTK as opposed to using the Azure Machine Learning module.
Specify how layers are to be connected to each other and define special connectivity structures, such as convolutions and weight sharing bundles.
It does not accept regularization (neither L2 nor dropout). This makes the training more difficult, especially with big networks. To avoid this problem, you have to limit the number of training iterations so that the network does not adjust too much to the data (overfitting).
The number of activation functions that you can use are limited and you cannot define your own activation functions either. For example, there is no ReLU activation that are commonly used in deep learning due to their benefits in backpropagation.
There are certain aspects that you cannot modify, such as the batch size of the Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD). Besides that, you cannot use other optimization algorithms; you can use SGD with momentum, but not others like Adam, or RMSprop.
You cannot define recurrent or recursive neural networks.
Apart from the Net# limitations, the information provided during training in the output log is quite limited and cannot be changed (see Figure 4-12).
With all these shortcomings it is difficult to build a deep neural network that can be successfully trained. But apart from that Net# and log limitations, for deep architectures and to handle a high volume of data (MNIST is actually a small dataset), training a neural network in Azure Machine Learning can be very slow. For all those cases it is preferable to use a GPU-enabled machine. Another drawback of Azure Machine Learning is that it does not allow you to manage the resources dedicated to each experiment. Using an Azure virtual machine you can change the size of the machine whenever you need it.
In CNTK we have all the control during training. For instance, you can stop training when loss goes under a certain threshold. Something as simple as that cannot be done in Azure Machine Learning. All that control comes from the freedom you get from using a programming language.
Programming can become more difficult than managing a graphical interface such as in Azure Machine Learning, but sometimes building a neural network with CNTK is not that much more complicated than writing a complex Net# script. On the other hand, CNTK has a Python API, which is a programming language that is very common in data science and easy to learn. If programming is difficult for you, you should consider using tools like Keras. This tool is a high level deep learning library that uses other libraries like Tensorflow or CNTK for the computational graph implementation. You can implement a digit classifier with far fewer lines than those shown in the example in the previous section and with exactly the same benefits as using CNTK. Also, CNTK is an open source project, so there is a community that offers support for the tool and a lot of examples are available on the Internet.
Quite similar to Net#, there is a BrainScript language for CNTK that allows you to define models in a non-programmatic way. To learn more, visit: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cognitive-toolkit/BrainScript-Network-Builder.
Deep learning models work very well, especially when working with tons of unstructured data. Those big models are almost impossible to implement in Azure Machine Learning due to the computation limitations, but for simple, small, and structured datasets, the use of Azure Machine Learning can be more convenient and achieve the same results as CNTK.
Figure 4-13 shows a summary table with all the pros and cons listed in this section.
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The FBI investigation and subsequent seven count indictment of Ted Stevens, as well as investigation of the state's only Representative, Don Young (R), generated some negative feelings in Alaska towards Republicans, even among Republican primary voters. Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (son of the last Democratic Rep. from Alaska, Nick Begich) was courted by both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. In February 2008, he announced the formation of an exploratory committee for the Senate seat. The possible Democratic field also included former Governor Tony Knowles, State Rep. Eric Croft and State Senators Hollis French and Johnny Ellis. Former Minority Leader of the Alaska House of Representatives Ethan Berkowitz was considered a possible candidate, but he decided to challenge Don Young instead. Sensing discontentment within the GOP, conservative Republican Dave Cuddy announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate in December 2007.
Stevens was perceived by many as corrupt, but was also highly regarded by many Alaskans for his ability to steer federal funding toward the state; he was the longest-serving Republican in the Senate entering 2008 (first elected in 1968), and through his seniority he amassed a great deal of influence there. The selection of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as the vice-presidential running-mate of Republican presidential candidate John McCain in late August 2008 coincided with a substantial improvement in Stevens' performance in opinion polls. A poll in August showed Begich with a 17% lead, but in early September a poll from the same source showed Begich leading Stevens by only 3%. Begich's campaign and some observers attributed this change to Palin's popularity and the enthusiasm stimulated by her selection, although Palin's own reputation was partially based on her perceived opposition to Stevens or distance from him. The Stevens campaign disputed the low numbers shown in the August poll and said that the numbers had improved in September because Stevens had begun heavily campaigning. His campaign also presented the relationship between Palin and Stevens as positive, contrary to some portrayals.
Stevens was convicted of seven felony counts of failing to report gifts on October 27, 2008. This was considered a serious setback in his already difficult bid for re-election; he had requested and received a quick trial in hopes of winning an acquittal before election day. After the verdict, Stevens maintained his innocence and said that he was still running for re-election.
The ADL ballot contained all of the primary candidates for the Alaska Democratic Party, the Alaskan Independence Party, and Libertarian Party of Alaska.
With three and a half weeks to go before the primary, Stevens still held a large polling lead over chief rival Dave Cuddy, 59% to 19%. Political newcomer Vic Vickers said on July 28 that he expected to pour $750,000 of his own money into his bid to defeat Stevens. According to Rasmussen polling of Alaskans, Cuddy "does nearly as well against Begich" as Stevens, trailing Begich 50% to 35%, while Vickers trailed the expected Democratic nominee 55% to 22%.
In the Republican primary on August 26, results from 70.5% of precincts showed Stevens winning with 63% of the vote; Cuddy had 28% and Vickers had 6%.
CQ Politics had rated this race as Leans Democrat. The Cook Political Report considered it Lean Democrat.The Rothenberg Political Report considered it a Lean Takeover.
Begich won the election by 3,953 votes. Incumbent Stevens had held a lead of over 3,000 votes after election night, but a tally of nearly 60,000 absentee and mail-in ballots released on November 12 erased that lead and reduced the vote margin separating the candidates to less than 0.5%, with further counting, released on November 18, increasing the margin to more than 1% in favor of Begich. On November 19, 2008, Stevens conceded to Begich.
^ "Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens found guilty of lying about gifts from contractor". Los Angeles Times. October 27, 2008. Archived from the original on October 28, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2008.
^ "Stevens loses Alaska Senate seat to Democrat". Associated Press. MSNBC. November 18, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
^ Nichols, John (July 30, 2007). "Ted Stevens -- and Senate GOP -- In Trouble". The Nation. Archived from the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
^ Josh Kraushaar (September 10, 2008). "Palin popularity buoys Stevens". Politico. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
^ John Bresnahan (October 27, 2008). "Jury: Stevens guilty on seven counts". Politico. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
^ Glenn Thrush and Daniel W. Reilly (October 27, 2008). "Stevens vows to remain a candidate". Politico. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
^ Aaron Blake (February 27, 2008). "Begich's entry tees up first tough reelection race in Stevens's career". The Hill. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
^ "Founder of Republican Moderate Party of Alaska Will Run as a Democrat for US Senate". Ballot Access News. December 3, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
^ Fredrick "David" Haase - Libertarian. The Anchorage Daily News. August 19, 2008.
^ DavidforAlaska.com Archived September 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
^ a b "Official Primary Election Results" (PDF). State of Alaska: Division of Elections. September 18, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
^ "Stevens Sinks in Alaska Senate Race". Political Wire. August 2, 2008. Archived from the original on August 6, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
^ "Newcomer candidate says he can beat Stevens". Anchorage Daily News. July 29, 2008. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
^ "50% still regard Stevens favorably and don't want him to resign". Alaska Daily News. July 31, 2008. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
^ Michael O'Brien (August 27, 2008). "Stevens wins primary, Young locked in a nail biter". The Hill. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
^ "2008 Senate Race Ratings". The Cook Political Report. October 9, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
^ "2008 Senate Ratings". The Rothenberg Political Report. September 29, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
^ Cockerham, Sean (November 13, 2008). "Begich takes lead in latest vote count". Anchorage Daily News. Archived from the original on November 29, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
^ Stevens concedes; Begich savors first day of senate elect status Alaska Public Radio Network. Retrieved on November 19, 2008.
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Relax and enjoy a Big Bear vacation summer or winter at Big Bear Lake California. Located in Southern California, this mountain vacation spot is a popular destination all year around. Enjoy the lake in the summer, or the snow in the winter. It's hard not to have a good time at Big Bear.
Your Big Bear vacation is located about 100 miles from Hollywood (Los Angeles and Orange County areas), and 145 miles from San Diego.
No need to wait for snow to head to Big Bear to enjoy some great outdoor entertainment as Big Bear prides itself for being a phenomenal four-season community with more than a few fun things to do for all members of your family. Located about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles and easily accessible from southern and central California, the ride up the mountain is amazing as Big Bear is surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. The lake sits at a pleasing elevation of 6754 feet and is surrounded by mountains that are great for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. What an amazing site!
There is so much to do. Camping, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing, and picnicking are popular in the long summer, while the snow in the winter allows for skiing, snowboarding, sledding and snowball fights. There are events and activities all year around, including music concerts, chili cookoff, paddlefest, film festival, tour de big bear and more.
And if you are looking for a more relaxing pace to your weekend, I invite you to come out to the beautiful, picturesque Bear Lake. The sunsets are something out of a magazine and there are plenty of hiking trails along the waters’ edge. Take a walk down the pier and feed the ducks.
There are so many fun things to do like stand-up paddleboarding, jet skiing, kayaking and parasailing to name a few. Go ahead, grab a pole, bait your hook and cast it out for that perfect catch of perhaps a nice size bass or a plump trout. You may even want to take advantage of one of the fishing guides offered through Big Bear fishing charters. Just visit www.bigbear.com/things-to-do/recreation/fishing-charters/. Looking to rent a pontoon boat, fishing equipment or maybe even a little waterskiing? Call ahead to Holloway’s Marina & RV Park 398 Edgemoor Road at 1-909-866-5706 or Pine Knot Marina located at 439 Pine Knot (just down from the Big Bear Funplex) at 1-909-866-7766 or Captain John’s Marina nestled within secluded Grout Bay at 1-909-866-6478. Let the fun begin!
Dust off and hitch up those “two wheelers” of yours, and get out and ride the fabulous trails that await you at Big Bear! The locals may call it the bike path, and it really does not qualify as a hiking trail, but we beg to differ. The sign says it is 3.2 miles but we believe it to be a bit less. The ride/hike is quite comfortable. You will be crossing a couple of wooden bridges and going over a few streams that may or may not be have flowing water depending on drought conditions. Definitely bring your camera…you won’t be sorry. There is a picnic area when you reach Meadows Edge and the Serrano Campground. The ride is pretty comfortable but you will want to bring along a drink or attach a water bottle to your bike. Should you choose to hike this beautiful path, it is paved and completely stroller friendly for those with little ones in tow. I encourage you to stop off at the Discovery Center and take in all that it has to offer.
That’s right! You can’t miss the sign in the parking lot at Bear Mountain Resort. Situated just a hop skip and a jump from the slopes is Big Bear Alpine Zoo, 43285 Goldmine Drive, Big Bear Lake, California. The winter schedule hours are Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. /Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Summer Schedule begins in May for Memorial weekend and ends in September after Labor Day. In case you are wondering what kind of animals you will see, check out the beautiful Arctic Fox or the ever so magnificent Bald Eagle. There are also animals of the area such as the Barn Owls, Black Bears, Bobcats, Burrowing Owl, Canada Goose and the Chuckwalla. Let’s not forget the ever so busy American Badgers!
Big Bear Village also has a vast array of things to do for all ages. Stop in at some of the fun shops and pick up your Big Bear souvenirs. There are also some wonderful restaurants to get a snack, lunch or dinner. We had breakfast at Boo Bear’s Den and so we can vouch for some delicious food and excellent service. We also had dinner at Peppercorn. The food was amazing. You will definitely want to call ahead for a reservation, as the wait can be a bit long.
Again, something for everyone! Step inside for a fun round of bowling or make your way over to the pool tables and put down your quarters. You see, it is not just a bowling alley it is a complete fun center all in one. The Alley Oops Sports Bar is located inside the Bowling Barn and serves up some nice drinks. They also have darts, high definition televisions and video game arcades. Make it a barn night with your buds!
Another great place to visit while in Big Bear is the new revamped Hot Shot Miniature Golf Course. With a new facelift and sporting a sign that says “Cosmic Golf” with new carpets, smoothed concrete as well as some awesome glow in the dark paint everyone will have fun late night golfing. It features the classic obstacles you would expect to see at a miniature golf course such as a castle, windmill and of course mountains and a loop. Hot Shot Miniature Golf is located at 42123 Big Bear Boulevard. Call ahead with any questions (909) 866-7333.
Moving on to more outside fun. We will suggest the Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain Recreation Area. Snow or sun they are open year round. In the winter there is plenty of fun snow play and in the summer months there is an amazing water slide. The water slide has two twisting and turning flumes that land you in the heated pool awaiting you at the bottom. Let’s not forget the adjacent 18-hole miniature golf course with its fun water features and challenging greens. Oh, and did you see those fast and furious go-karts? They come equipped with 5.5 horsepower Honda motors for some rip, roaring fun. Parents can participate or plan a little R&R while watching from one of the two sundecks or the spacious lawn. The Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain is located at 800 Wildrose Lane, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 and can be reached at (909) 866-4626. For more information visit their site at http://alpineslidebigbear.com/.
What are you waiting for? Head to Big Bear Lake!
Big Bear Lake skiing is popular in the winter months. Big Bear ski resorts include Snow Summit, Bear Mountain Resort and Snow Valley. You can rent ski and snowboarding gear if needed. Try the Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain for a fun bobsled ride.
It’s your choice, Snow Summit, Bear Mountain Resort or stop in at Snow Valley on your way up the mountain. If you are new to skiing you will most likely need to rent some gear. No worries! There are plenty of great places to rent but we definitely recommend Blauer Ski & Board. The staff was super friendly and offered great advice for the new boarders in our crew. Blauer Ski & Board is located conveniently along Bear Boulevard at 41177 Big Bear Blvd, Big Bear Lake, California. Call ahead with any questions you may have at (909) 866-5689.
Before you start up the mountain don’t forget to get your Adventure Pass. It will be necessary for all off road parking and such. Just go to http://bigbearcountry.com/adventure-pass.html for details.
You can stay at a vacation cabin, bed and breakfast, resort, or RV campground. For a great experience, try camping in the Serrano campground just off Big Bear lake.
The history of Big Bear began with the Serrano Indians occupying the mountainsides some 2,500+ years ago. It wasn’t until around about 1860, while hunting for bear that William Holcomb discovered gold. As you can imagine, a gold rush followed. Appropriately coined Bear Valley by Benjamin D. Wilson due to all the bears in the area. Yes, their ancestors live on and there are still bears on the mountain today. In 1884 Big Bear built its first dam and soon to follow was the first hotel in 1888 called Bear Valley Hotel. It mysteriously caught fire and burned to the ground Christmas Eve in 1900. It was a summer time operation and was known as somewhat of a monopoly on tourist trade. Sure to follow would be another resort, Pine Knot Lodge in the early 1900’s. As you can guess Big Bear became a favorite for many including Hollywood. Big Bear’s beauty and private back lakes inspired many a film such as Elvis Presley’s “Kissing Cousins”, “Paint Your Wagon” and “Gone With the Wind” to name a few. Lynn Ski Lift was opened in 1938 and with the amazing lake and natural wonders it was considered the perfect mountain getaway. It was during the 50’s that visitors in the mountain realized that Big Bear was not just a summer vacationing spot but was a four-season resort.
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Please follow the instructions below to complete your custom PC order.
4) After finalizing your component choices, click "Add to Basket"
6) Proceed with your order by clicking "Begin Order"
8) Review your order one FINAL time. Once confirmed, click "Submit"
9) Your order will be redirected to Costco's payment page.
10) Fill in the fields with your payment information.
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0.991062 |
Thoughts on effective communication in the design of software projects Definitely. As is the case with object-oriented programming, we, the developers, are trying to model the world surrounding us. As such, it makes sense to also try and use the world surrounding us as a tool to describe our craft.
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0.954786 |
Eurovision 2006 Moldova: Arsenium & Natalia Gordienko - "Loca"
Arsenium & Natalia Gordienko - "Loca"
Moldova finished 20th at Eurovision 2006 with 22 points.
Who gave points to Moldova at Eurovision 2006?
Moldova: Here are the artists and songs for "O Melodie Pentru Europa 2019"
Moldova: Listen to the songs for "O Melodie Pentru Europa 2019"
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As I write this, I'm stealing a lunch break at work. I'm exhausted.
Today, August 21st 2017, the total solar eclipse made its way across the continental US for the first time since the country's founding.
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0.994496 |
What Programming Language Is Called the Duct Tape of the Internet?
Software developers call Perl the "Duct Tape of the Internet" because the programming language lends itself to quick, easy fixes of data problems. Created in the late 1980s by software developer Larry Wall, Perl's appearance coincided with the rising popularity of the Internet and the beginnings of the World Wide Web. Perl came from the Unix environment and has many characteristics in common with other Unix software.
Many large websites have been built using Perl programs.
Perl is a high-level programming language that excels at sophisticated text file processing and, among other uses, can generate Hyper Text Markup Language output for Web pages. It includes interfaces to incorporate databases, making the language well-suited to e-commerce, forums, blogs and other dynamic, data-driven websites (See Reference 4). In addition to Internet applications, Perl is handy for day-to-day system administration, reporting and maintenance tasks.
Perl originated on Unix-based computers and continues its popularity on Linux machines. Its syntax borrows heavily from Unix shell scripting languages as well as C, C++ and Unix text-processing utilities such as "awk." Versions of Perl are also available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X.
Here, "prgramname.pl" is a text file containing a Perl program.
Perl's chief strength is speed of development; its terse syntax allows programmers to write powerful code quickly. The language has emerged as a significant player, with a developer base some estimates put at over 1 million (See Reference 5). However, the dense syntax of Perl programs also works against it, making programs difficult to read and debug.
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How is it delivered in the body? Pitocin: Continuous IV drip. VS Oxytocin: By 4 to 8 minute pulses.
Beta-endorphins: Pitocin: No effects at releasing beta-endorphins for pain control, which in fact, have been found to be 30% lower at delivery. VS Oxytocin: Natural labor involves the release of this endogenous opioid, produced in the hypothalamus, which rises significantly throughout labor until the time of delivery. Beta-endorphins help block pain and regulate oxytocin release to manage the pace and intensity of labor.
Amounts released: Pitocin: Although protocols regulate the administration of pitocin to match the levels of oxytocin in spontaneous labor, each patient will react differently. Prolonged exposure to IV Pitocin could have an effect on the maternal system's responsiveness, becoming less sensitive over time, necessitating greater doses of Pitocin. VS Oxytocin: Each patient's physiology will dictate the amount of oxytocin needed and released to promote delivery.
Contractions: Pitocin: Creates stronger, more painful, and more frequent contractions with increased uterine resting tone between contractions. Increased need for pain medication, which can have its own negative effects on the infant. Can stress the neonate, making him weaker and more tired, which in turn can affect his ability to feed well. VS Oxytocin: Works with individual physiology of the patient, does not produce the untoward effects as pitocin does.
Uterine rupture: Pitocin: The Institue for Safe Medication Practices lists Pitocin in the High Alert category due to "a greater risk of causing significant patient harm if used improperly", and can increase the potential for uterine rupture. VS Oxytocin: Very rarely causes rupture.
Neurologic effect: Pitocin: Affects the brain differently than natural labor. VS Oxytocin: Has a positive affect on the brain, inducing bonding and attachment. Increases pain threshold. Increases dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, noradrenaline, and opiod release. Increases social interactive behaviors. Induces a feeling of wellbeing in both mother and infant. Produces potent anti-inflammatory effects and decreases wound healing time. May increase glucagon release, allowing transport of nutrients to the breast for milk production.
Stress hormones: Pitocin: No increase in beta-endorphins. Increased anxiety and reduction in naturally produced beta-endorphins. Interferes with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to delay the onset of full lactation. VS Oxytocin: Inhibits the release of adreocorticotripic hormone which regulates the release of cortisol in response to stress.
Breastfeeding: Pitocin: Evidence suggests that Pitocin affects the body differently than oxytocin, leading to negative effects on the neonate and the mother that can interfere with breastfeeding success. Has antidiuretic effect that can cause increased engorgement, difficulty with infant latch, and premature weaning. VS Oxytocin: Enhances breastfeeding.
Apgar Scores: Pitocin has been associated with lower Apgar scores at birth.
Neonatal Outcomes: Adverse effects have been associated with induction or augmentation of labor with Pitocin, including fetal apoxia, increased cranial molding, asymmetry, and cranial base misalignment, all of which can impact the six cranial involved with sucking and swallowing; jaundice, increased neonatal resuscitation, shoulder dystocia, and abnormal fetal heart rate.
Induction and augmentation of labor may be truly needed when applied to a true medical necessity. However, they are not without their own problems and side-effects for both mother and infant. Each case should be viewed in a "benefits versus risks" manner, and mothers should have true informed consent before having their labor augmented. Elective inductions do not meet the criteria for medical necessity nor for benefit.
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print "it is no four"
print "This number is more than 10."
print "This number is less than 10."
print "Are you a human?"
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Adobe Lightroom and Metadata I chose to discuss Lightroom first because I think it has the most wholistic approach to organising digital images of all software packages. I would have like to have seen it introduced before Photoshop because these many years of focus on 'photoshopping' has distracted the world from the real problem of managing collections of photos. We've been like toddlers, all games but no cleanup.
The first step to being organised in Lightroom is to configure your "Metadata Presets" template (Library>Metadata>Edit Metadata Presets). You fill this in once. If you manage photos for other staff or family members, then make one for each person. In the section 'IPTC Copyright', if you elect to use "Copyrighted" , you will need to update the date each year. At this point you can enter Keywords, but I would advise you to leave this field empty for customisining to each shoot. Otherwise, fill out every field you feel you can that would apply to all of your photography.
Congratulations, just doing this is a big step to fixing the problem of orphaned files.
If you are a photographer who wishes to contribute to stock libraries, you will want to now build a Keyword list that suits the field you are working in. Many libraries provide a downloadable list that you simply import by Library>Metadata>Import Keywords.
Now lets bring some photos into Lightroom. choose import, pick the images, on the right under "Apply During Import", then "Metadata". and choose the appropriate template, move to the Keyword field and enter the keywords that best describe the overall set of images you are importing. Applying individual keywords to individual images needs to be done once the images are imported.
You should now have all of your images in the library and you can begin the process of individually assessing and keywording each image. If you are not intending to apply keywords to individual images at this time, be warned, it gets harder with every day that passes to do this!
I personally prefer to do an edit pass through the images first, this will eliminate the images I don't care about. I use the "X" key shortcut to 'set as reject' obvious failures, eventually I will delete the rejected photos entirely from the catalogue and from my disk. How you approach this is very personal, but I err to keeping a photo.
As well as rejecting photos, I also star rate images at this stage. One star is something I don't care about, but don't want to delete, two star says it's ok, three is for a photo I want to keep or show a client, four is for something I'm proud of, and five star is for my portfolio. To star rate, use the Library module, and hit the 1,2,3,4, or 5 keyboard key to apply the rating.
Now I have ascertained the importance of the photos, I can filter them to show only the three star and above, or as I like to say, those I care about. It is these that I lavish keywords on.
You can use the shift key, or the control/command key to select multiple images then enter the keywords, or go one by one. Using a comma "," will separate the keywords. You will notice Lightroom attempts to fill in a keyword based on the letters typed, it is advisable that you follow these suggestions as this will keep your Lightroom keyword 'catalogue' to a minimum and ensure you use consistent naming protocols.
When applying Elizabeth, Lightroom prompts the Elizabeth,Atkins,Family keywords. Very helpful.
If you finish in good time, and feel ready to do more, head back to the one and two star rated images and apply the keywords to them, it cannot hurt.
The last, and most critical step is to save the metadata to the files themselves. This is a rare feature, and the main reason why I chose Lightroom over other software programs. Lightroom places the "Save Metatadata to File" under the ubiquitous keyboard shortcut of control/command "S". The old File-Save command. For proprietary Raw files (NEF,CR2 etc), Lightroom will supply a sidecar file (.XMP) that is saves alongside the RAW file, for DNGs, Jpegs, Tiffs, Psds, Lightroom will save the metadata into the header of the file.
Why is this save feature so important?
It prevents your images from becoming orphans.
If you have to rely on a software catalogue to hold the keywords in a database or library then you need that software to read the metadata, where Lightroom embedding it in the file itself allows for the file to hold the information, therefore survive separation from the software, database or library.
The object is to add value to each photo for the future so you can understand the context around each photo taken, this is why I recommend Lightroom, it provides the best tool to help your photos survive into the future besides printing and writing on each one.
We are facing the greatest challenge to our social history since the dark ages. Photography has become the recorder of everything, it is the 'lingua franca' of this age. There is not a meal or birth or journey that is not over-photographed. And in this frenzy for photos we are building great haystacks of images like never before. The haystacks are huge and pretty and warm to roll around in but are built next to open fires and contain the odd needle or gem of a photograph - to suit my analogy.
When the supply of anything increases, it's immediate value decreases. But I am discussing a photo, an image taken at a time of the subjects' life that will never be repeated. Those needles have to be found in their haystacks before it is too late.
The industry leaders are doing very little to solve this problem. They want you to buy a new camera evey year, they want you to buy hard drives and subscribe to cloud services, they want you to share now, they are not thinking beyond the next sale. The "open fires" refers to the stability of hard drives, solid state media and CD/DVDs, they are fairly volatile to failure and obsolescence, 5 years is the advisable limit to trust them!
So here is the warning: nothing will be found unless we regularly care for it, there is no archival digital data storage device that is guaranteed to last a generation.
Over the next few months this series will explore metadata and how it will save today's photography for the future. So stay tuned for these bite sized explorations of a very powerful tool and participate in our vigilant watch over the technology of archiving.
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What score did Ranking Digital Rights award for public commitments and disclosed policies affecting users’ freedom of expression and privacy?
The Governance category of the Index evaluates whether companies demonstrate that they have governance processes in place to ensure that they respect the human rights to freedom of expression and privacy. Both rights are part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and are enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. They apply online as well as offline. In order for a company to perform well in this section, the company’s disclosure should at least follow, and ideally surpass, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other industry-specific human rights standards focused on freedom of expression and privacy such as the Global Network Initiative Principles.
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0.968857 |
Hellenistic astrology is a tradition of horoscopic astrology that was developed and practiced in the late Hellenistic period in and around the Mediterranean region, especially in Egypt. The texts and technical terminology of this tradition of astrology were largely written in Greek (or sometimes Latin). The tradition originated sometime around the late 2nd or early 1st century BCE, and then was practiced until the 6th or 7th century CE. This type of astrology is commonly referred to as "Hellenistic astrology" because it was developed in the late Hellenistic period, although it continued to be practiced for several centuries after the end of what historians usually classify as the Hellenistic era.
The origins of much of the astrology that would later develop in Asia, Europe and the Middle East are found among the ancient Babylonians and their system of celestial omens that began to be compiled around the middle of the 2nd millennium BCE. This system later spread either directly or indirectly through the Babylonians to other areas such as China and Greece where it merged with preexisting indigenous forms of astrology. It came to Greece initially as early as the middle of the 4th century BCE, and then around the late 2nd or early 1st century BCE after the Alexandrian conquests this Babylonian astrology was mixed with the Egyptian tradition of Decanic astrology to create horoscopic astrology. This system is labeled as "horoscopic astrology" because, unlike the previous traditions, it employed the use of the ascendant, otherwise known as the horoskopos ("hour marker") in Greek, and the twelve celestial houses which are derived from it. The focus on the natal chart of the individual, as derived from the position of the planets and stars at the time of birth, represents the most significant contribution and shift of emphasis that was made during the Hellenistic tradition of astrology. This new form of astrology quickly spread across the ancient world into Europe, and the Middle East.
Additionally, some authors such as Vettius Valens and Paulus Alexandrinus took into account the Monomoiria, or individual degrees of a horoscope.
This complex system of astrology was developed to such an extent that later traditions made few fundamental changes to the core of the system, and many of the same components of horoscopic astrology that were developed during the Hellenistic period are still in use by astrologers in modern times.
Several Hellenistic astrologers ascribe its creation to a mythical sage named Hermes Trismegistus. Hermes is said to have written several major texts which formed the basis of the art or its evolution from the system of astrology that was inherited from the Babylonians and the Egyptians. Several authors cite Hermes as being the first to outline the houses and their meaning, and thus the houses are usually thought to date back to the very beginning of the Hellenistic tradition and indeed they are one of the major defining factors which separate Hellenistic astrology and other forms of horoscopic astrology from Babylonian astrology and other traditions in different parts of the world. This system of horoscopic astrology was then passed to another mythical figure named Asclepius to whom some of the Hermetic writings are addressed.
According to Firmicus Maternus, the system was subsequently handed down to an Egyptian pharaoh named Nechepso and his priest Petosiris. They are said to have written several major textbooks which explicated the system and it is from this text that many of the later Hellenistic astrologers draw from and cite directly. This system formed the basis of all later forms of horoscopic astrology.
In 525 BCE Egypt was conquered by the Persians so there is likely to have been some Mesopotamian influence on Egyptian astrology. Arguing in favour of this, Barton gives an example of what appears to be Mesopotamian influence on the zodiac, which included two signs – the Balance and the Scorpion, as evidenced in the Dendera Zodiac (in the Greek version the Balance was known as the Scorpion’s Claws).
After the occupation by Alexander the Great in 332 BCE, Egypt came under Greek rule and influence. The city of Alexandria was founded by Alexander after the conquest and during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, the scholars of Alexandria were prolific writers. It was in 'Alexandrian Egypt' that Babylonian astrology was mixed with the Egyptian tradition of Decanic astrology to create Horoscopic astrology. This contained the Babylonian zodiac with its system of planetary exaltations, the triplicities of the signs and the importance of eclipses. Along with this it incorporated the Egyptian concept of dividing the zodiac into thirty-six decans of ten degrees each, with an emphasis on the rising decan, the Greek system of planetary Gods, sign rulership and four elements.
The decans were a system of time measurement according to the constellations. They were led by the constellation Sothis or Sirius. The risings of the decans in the night were used to divide the night into ‘hours’. The rising of a constellation just before sunrise (its heliacal rising) was considered the last hour of the night. Over the course of the year, each constellation rose just before sunrise for ten days. When they became part of the astrology of the Hellenistic Age, each decan was associated with ten degrees of the zodiac. Texts from the 2nd century BCE list predictions relating to the positions of planets in zodiac signs at the time of the rising of certain decans, particularly Sothis.
Particularly important in the development of horoscopic astrology was the astrologer and astronomer Ptolemy, who lived in Alexandria in Egypt. Ptolemy's work the Tetrabiblos laid the basis of the Western astrological tradition. The earliest Zodiac found in Egypt dates to the 1st century BCE, the Dendera Zodiac.
This is principally shown by their sacred ceremonial. For first advances the Singer, bearing some one of the symbols of music. For they say that he must learn two of the books of Hermes, the one of which contains the hymns of the gods, the second the regulations for the king's life. And after the Singer advances the Astrologer, with a horologe in his hand, and a palm, the symbols of astrology. He must have the astrological books of Hermes, which are four in number, always in his mouth.
The conquest of Asia by Alexander the Great exposed the Greeks to the cultures and cosmological ideas of Syria, Babylon, Persia and central Asia. Greek overtook cuneiform script as the international language of intellectual communication and part of this process was the transmission of astrology from Cuneiform to Greek. Sometime around 280 BCE, Berossus, a priest of Bel from Babylon, moved to the Greek island of Kos in order to teach astrology and Babylonian culture to the Greeks. With this, what Campion calls, 'the innovative energy' in astrology moved west to the Hellenistic world of Greece and Egypt. According to Campion, the astrology that arrived from the East was marked by its complexity, with different forms of astrology emerging. By the 1st century BCE two varieties of astrology were in existence, one that required the reading of horoscopes in order to establish precise details about the past, present and future, the other being theurgic, meaning literally 'god-work', and emphasised the soul's ascent to the stars. While they were not mutually exclusive, the former sought information about the life, while the latter was concerned with personal transformation, where astrology served as a form of dialogue with the divine.
Like so much else, astrology came to Rome due to Greek influence. Among the Greeks and Romans, Babylonia or Chaldea was so identified with astrology that "Chaldaean wisdom" became the synonym of divination through the planets and stars. Astrologers became very much in vogue in Imperial Rome. Indeed, the emperor Tiberius had had his destiny predicted for him at birth, and so surrounded himself with astrologers such as Thrasyllus of Mendes. According to Juvenal 'there are people who cannot appear in public, dine or bathe, without having first consulted an ephemeris'. Claudius, on the other hand favoured augury and banned astrologers from Rome altogether. It is perhaps not surprising, that in the course of time, to be known as a "Chaldaean" carried with it frequently the suspicion of charlatanry and of more or less willful deception. One of the more famous examples of Roman literature concerning astrology is the poem Astronomica, written in the first century AD by Marcus Manilius.
Hellenistic astrology was practiced from the 2nd century BCE until around the 7th century CE when Europe entered the Middle Ages. Astrology was then passed to and further developed by individuals working within the Islamic Empire from the 7th to the 13th century.
^ Firmicus (4th century) VI: Introduction, p.118.
^ Barton (1994) p. 24.
^ Holden (1996) pp. 11-13.
^ Barton (1994) p. 20.
^ Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Petosiris". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
^ Macrobius Commentary on Scipio's Dream, book 1, ch. 21; Macrobius presents it as 'Egyptian' lore.
^ Campion (2008) p. 173.
^ Campion (2008) p. 84.
^ Campion (2008) pp. 173-174.
Barton, Tamsyn, 1994. Ancient Astrology. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-11029-7.
Campion, Nicholas, 2008. The Dawn of Astrology: A Cultural History of Western Astrology - The Ancient and Classical Worlds. Continuum. ISBN 978-1-84725-214-2.
Maternus, Julius Firmicus, 4th century. Matheseos libri VIII . Translated by Jean Rhys Bram in Ancient astrology theory and practice, Noyes Press, 1975. Reprinted by Astrology Center of America, 2005. ISBN 978-1-933303-10-9.
Holden, James Herschel, 1996. A history of horoscopic astrology. American Federation of Astrologers, Inc. ISBN 978-0-86690-463-6.
Parker, Derek and Julia, 1983. A history of astrology. Deutsch. ISBN 978-0-233-97576-4.
Pingree, David Edwin, 1997. From astral omens to astrology: from Babylon to Bīnāker. Istituto italiano per l'Africa et l'Oriente (Serie orientale Roma).
Roberts, Reverend Alexander (translator) 1906. The Ante-Nicene Fathers: The Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325 Volume II - Fathers of the Second Century - Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria. W. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. Republished: Cosimo, Inc., 2007. ISBN 978-1-60206-471-3).
Lawrence, Marilynn. "Hellenistic Astrology". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Project Hindsight - publishes English language translations of Hellenistic astrology texts.
The Hellenistic Astrology Website - Promotes the study of the history, philosophy, and techniques of Hellenistic astrology.
This page was last edited on 27 March 2019, at 04:22 (UTC).
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Consider the following statements : 1. The President shall make rules for the more convenient transaction of the business of the Government of India, and for the allocation among Ministers of the said business. 2. All executive actions of the Government of India shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the Prime Minister. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
the Government of India, and for the allocation among Ministers of the said business.
name of the Prime Minister.
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0.999552 |
Since my skin is a bit too sensitive for the fierceness of glycolic products, I have asked for the help of my wonderful mother to give her unbiased review of three popular products currently on the market.
Note that with use of any AHA product, you must wear sunscreen outdoors since your refreshed skin will burn much faster.
Each of these products is very unique, and has its own strengths - lightweight gel, SPF for daytime, and extra hydrating for dry skin. It's never too late to start incorporating more advanced ingredients into your skincare routine, especially for anyone concerned about fine lines and age spots.
After many weeks of testing, my mom noticed minor improvements in her skin's appearance, and will continue to use products containing glycolic acid. Though I can't promise that you'll wake up all of a sudden to spotless porcelain skin, these products aim to preserve that youthful glow for years to come.
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Emperor Monmu (文武天皇, Monmu-tennō, 683–707) was the 42nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Monmu's reign spanned the years from 697 through 707.
Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (imina) was Karu-shinnō.
He was a grandson of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. He was the second son of Prince Kusakabe. Monmu's mother was Princess Abe, a daughter of Emperor Tenji. Monmu's mother would later accede to the throne herself, and she would be known as Empress Gemmei.
Karu-shinnō was only six years old when his father, Crown Prince Kusakabe, died.
697: In the 10th year of Jitō-tennō 's reign (持統天皇十年), the empress abdicated; and the succession (senso) was received by a grandson of Emperor Temmu. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Monmu is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).
Emperor Monmu ruled until his death in 707, at which point he was succeeded by his mother, Empress Gemmei, who was also his first cousin once removed and his first cousin twice removed. He left a young son by Fujiwara no Miyako, a daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito: Obito no miko (Prince Obito), who eventually became Emperor Shōmu.
Emperor Monmu's reign lasted 10 years. He died at the age of 25.
The actual site of Monmu's grave is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) at Nara.
The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Monmu's mausoleum. It is formally named Hinokuma no Ako no oka no e no misasagi.
Conventional modern scholarship seems to have determined that the years of Monmu's reign are encompassed within more than one era name or nengō.
The initial years of Monmu's reign are not linked by scholars to any era or nengō. The Taika era innovation of naming time periods – nengō – languished until Monmu reasserted an imperial right by proclaiming the commencement of Taihō in 701.
See Japanese era name – "Non-nengo periods"
"The eras that fell in this reign were: (1) the remaining seven years of Shuchō [(686+7=692?)]; and (2) Taika, which was four years long [695–698]. (The first year of this era was kinoto-hitsuji .) ...In the third year of the Taka era , Empress Jitō yielded the throne to the Crown Prince."
1 2 Imperial Household Agency (Kunaichō): 文武天皇 (42); retrieved 2013-8-22.
↑ Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du Japon, pp. 60–63, p. 63, at Google BooksBrown, Delmer M. (1979). Gukanshō, pp. 270–271; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki. pp. 137–140.
↑ Brown, pp. 264; prior to Emperor Jomei, the personal names of the emperors were very long and people did not generally use them. The number of characters in each name diminished after Jomei's reign.
1 2 3 Brown, p. 270.
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0.96106 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Despite the drop in President Obama's approval ratings, Republican policies are still not as popular as Democratic policies, according to a new national poll.
Fifty-two percent of people in CNN poll believe Barack Obama's policies will move country in right direction.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday morning indicates the GOP has gained some ground in polls in recent months, but Democrats still hold the advantage on key issues such as the economy and health care.
Fifty-two percent of people questioned say the president's policies will move the country in the right direction. An equal percentage feel the same way about the policies of the Democrats in Congress.
What do Americans think of Republican policies? Forty-three percent say the GOP's policies will move the country in the right direction. Nearly half of those polled said congressional Republicans would move the country in the wrong direction.
But the percentage of people who think Obama will move the country in the right direction has dropped 11 points since May, while congressional Democrats have seen a 5 point dip. Congressional Republicans have seen a 4 point rise over the same period.
Polls in recent weeks have shown Obama's approval rating in the mid-to-low 50s -- a significant drop from early summer, when most polls had his rating at 60 percent or higher.
Commentary: Did Obama underestimate his critics?
"Barack Obama's drop in the polls has not made the Republican Party more popular than the Democrats," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. Still, he adds, "The GOP may be in a more competitive position -- a comparison with poll results from May suggests that the gap between the parties has been closing."
The survey suggests that, by 13 points, Americans think the Democrats rather than the Republicans would do a better job handling the economy and Medicare. The Democrats have a 9 point advantage on health care and an 8 point edge on Afghanistan. The two parties are tied on the question of how they'd handle taxes and the federal budget deficit. The GOP holds a clear advantage on just one issue -- terrorism.
According to the poll, six in 10 say that the GOP has not done enough to cooperate with Obama. A bare majority says the president has done enough to cooperate with Republicans, a significant drop the April result for the same question.
"Two-thirds of all Americans are angry at the way the government in Washington is working, and the Democrats get the brunt of that anger," adds Holland. "But the amount of anger has not quite reached the level that polls found in 1994, when voters turned the Democrats out of power in Congress and elected a GOP majority for the first time since the 1950s."
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted August 28-31, with 1,010 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the overall survey, and plus or minus 4.5 percentage points for the breakdowns by party.
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0.939776 |
Bates v. State Bar of Ariz.
Advertising that is false, deceptive, or misleading is subject to restraint. Since the advertiser knows his product and has a commercial interest in its dissemination, regulation to assure truthfulness will discourage protected speech. And any concern that strict requirements for truth-fulness will undesirably inhibit spontaneity seems inapplicable because commercial speech generally is calculated. Indeed, the public and private benefits from commercial speech derive from confidence in its accuracy and reliability. Thus, the leeway for untruthful or misleading expression that has been allowed in other contexts has little force in the commercial arena. In fact, because the public lacks sophistication concerning legal services, misstatements that might be overlooked or deemed unimportant in other advertising may be found quite inappropriate in legal advertising.
Appellants John R. Bates and Van O'Steen were attorneys licensed to practice law in the State of Arizona and members of the Arizona State Bar. They were charged in a complaint filed by the State Bar's president with violating the state supreme court's disciplinary rule, which prohibited attorneys from advertising in newspapers or other media. The complaint was based upon a newspaper advertisement placed by appellants for their "legal clinic," stating that they were offering "legal services at very reasonable fees," and listing their fees for certain services, namely, uncontested divorces, uncontested adoptions, simple personal bankruptcies, and changes of name. The Arizona Supreme Court upheld the conclusion of a bar committee that appellants had violated the rule, having rejected appellants' claims that the rule violated §§ 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act because of its tendency to limit competition and that it infringed appellants' First Amendment rights.
Did the rule imposed by the Arizona State Bar violate the appellants' First Amendment rights?
The Supreme Court of the United States held that advertising by attorneys could not be subjected to blanket suppression. In addition, the Court determined that appellants' advertising was truthful and was protected by U.S. Const. amend. I. The state supreme courts' rulings on those issues were reversed. Nevertheless, the Court affirmed the lower court's finding that the regulation was shielded from Sherman Act attack because the rule was an activity of the state acting as sovereign.
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0.960135 |
What is the danger of osteoporosis?
Fractures! The most common osteoporotic fractures are of the wrist, spine, shoulder and hip.
Hip fractures have serious risks associated with them, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
Compression fractures and broken bones from osteoporosis can cause significant pain that lasts for several months.
Spinal compression fractures can cause nerve roots to be compressed; your doctor may recommend surgery to stabilize the crushed spinal bones.
Fractures may lead to a lifestyle that includes taking medicines. Over the counter medicines that help with pain from fractures include acetaminophen (like Tylenol) and NSAIDS, which are anti-inflammatories, (like Ibuprofen and Naproxen). Regular use of NSAIDS may mean you have to take another medicine known as a proton pump inhibitor to protect your digestive system. If pain from fractures is extreme, you may need to take prescribed narcotics.
Build strong bones by performing weight-bearing exercise most days for about 30 minutes. Weight bearing exercises include walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, weight lifting and aerobics.
Perform resistance exercises 2 or 3 days a week. Resistance exercises include free weights and resistance bands.
Have a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Calcium is found in many foods, including dairy products like milk and yogurt. If you think ‘re not getting enough calcium in your diet, check with your doctor about taking supplements. Brand names with proven reliability are best. Avoid coral calcium as so far there is no scientific proof it is effective against osteoporosis.
Limit alcohol to no more than 2 drinks a day for men, and for women. no more than 1 drink a day.
2 to 3 cups of coffee a day is safe if your diet has adequate calcium.
Your doctor may prescribe bisphosphonates or another medication and possibly, but less commonly, hormone therapy.
Avoid trip hazards, for example loose carpets, that can cause falls. Be careful when lifting or carrying items as this can cause spinal fractures. With advanced osteoporosis mild movements, such as bending over or coughing, can cause the spine to fracture. [https://www.karmanhealthcare.com/medical-health-issues/osteoporosis/] [https://www.karmanhealthcare.com/medical-health-issues/osteoporosis/].
Be aware that certain medications increase the rate of bone loss including some anti-seizure medications, chemotherapy, proton pump inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteoporosis].
← Flu Season 2018 Arrived!
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0.950121 |
Lilla's family, still active today, has its roots in an unnamed mare of unknown pedigree that was a broodmare in the Veteran Hall stud of William Lawson at Prospect, NSW.
English-born Lawson purchased a commission in the New South Wales Corps in 1799, and in Australia first purchased a small amount of acreage at Concord, and then received a land grant of 500 acres at Prospect, where he built his mansion, Veteran Hall, in 1812. Trained as a surveyor in England, as a member of the expedition that found a route through the Blue Mountains in 1813, he also received an 1,000 acre grant on the Campbell River near Bathurst, and several years later served as Bathurst's acting commander. Through squatting he acquired vast additional acreage, including 6,000 acres in the Mudgee district, building a homestead at Bombira Hill, and various other property, including 6,000 acres near Bathurst, 25,000 acres on the Tallbragar River, and thousands of other acres, both owned and leased, where he raised sheep and cattle..
Lawson imported The Baron (1816, by Milo) in 1824, and the great early imported stallion Theorem (imported 1828) stood for a time at Veteran Hall. Lawson also bred Brisbane Cup winner and stallion Spring Gun (1825). In 1838 he imported (Lawson's) Emigrant (1831, by Tramp), and bred and raced several other early stallions. Fair Helen, ancestress of Josephine (Family C-19) and the earliest known mare in Family C-8, were both broodmares in the Lawson stud.
This unknown Lawson mare of C-8 bred a filly by Toss (imported 1829, by Bourbon; he died in 1838) that was probably foaled in the 1830s and subsequently given to Lawson's gardener, and subsequently became known as The Gardener's Mare. Toss was a good early stallion imported by Robert Scott for his Glendon Stud in the Hunter Valley. The Gardner's Mare was bred to Young Marquis, a stallion bred by the Lee family (with vast holdings in Bathurst and the central western tablelands and a significant influence in thoroughbred breeding in the 19th century, see Family C - 1), whose dam traces the Family C-9. The resulting filly foal, Eva, born around 1850, was in the stud of Thomas Lee, probably at Woodlands, Bathurst, who bred her to New Chum (c.1845, by imported Boyd's Camel), producing Lilla (1856).
Lilla's foals, all recorded as bred by Thomas Lee's brother, John, quickly established her as a successful broodmare. Her first, Lord of the Wood (1863, died early. The next foal was a filly named The Alpaca (1866, by Kingston), named after the Alpacas raised by brother George Lee for their fleece; it is through The Alpaca that the family extends into the present. After that Lilla dropped Javelin, a winner of the 1871 AJC Derby and the 12 furlong AJC Spring Sakes; Commodore (1869), winner of the AJC St. Leger and the 14 furlong AJC Autumn Stakes; Jessamine (1872), and Tarquin (1874), all by Yattendon. There were two more fillies -- Lillian (1875) and Lilla (1878), both by Barbarian, and a colt by Kingsborough.
Jessamine, bred to Maribyrnong, produced the brown colt Cunnamulla, a grand stayer that won the 16 furlong Sydney Cup and the Randwick Stakes. Lillian produced two good winners to the cover of Gemma di Vergy -- First Demon (1880), winner of the AJC Mares Produce Stakes and AJC spring Stakes, and The Felon (1882), who won the The Shorts at age five. Lilla became second dam of Forest (1894, by Forest King), who won the VRC Newmarket Handicap and the SAJC Goodwood Handicap in 1899.
The Alpaca, like her dam, was a great broodmare. She produced four foals for the Lees -- Llama (1871, by Gemma di Vergy); Ringwood (1872, by Yattendon) and Woodlands (1874) by Maribyrnong, who won the 12 furlong AJC Derby. In 1880 The Alpaca and her two year old filly, Etna (by Maribyrnong) were purchased by James White, whose purchased and home-bred horses dominated Australian racing in the 1870s and '80s. White, who was a native-born pastoralist and wealthy landowner, bought The Alpaca and many other high-quality thoroughbred mares, both colonial and imported, for his Kirkham Stud, near Camden, NSW. The great runner and sire Chester was retired to Kirkham, and is seen in the pedigrees of several foals of Etna, who won the AJC All-Aged Stakes in 1883 for White.
To the cover of Maribyrnong, The Alpaca also bred Hecla, winner of the AJC Spring Stakes, Aberfoyle (1880), winner of the Hawkesbury Claret Stakes and well-placed in other good events, and Angora, dam of Ibex (see below) and Albemarle (1888, by Chester), who won the VRC Hopeful Stakes. The Alpaca also produced a Chester filly, Sequel (1886), who in the stud of J.W. Thompson, became the dam of Western Australian Derby winner Benbow (1903, by Grafton), and second dam of the Maltster colt, Woolerina, a winner of the Caulfield Guineas and other good races.
Etna continued the excellent production record established by her dam and grandam at Kirkham. Her sons by Chester were Volcano (1883) winner of the First Foal Stakes, the VRC Mares' Produce Stakes and the AJC Second Foal Stakes in 1886, and Stromboli (1888), an outstanding runner, winner of the AJC Sires' Produce Stakes, the AJC Derby, the Sydney Cup, and other good races. Their sister, Lava (1884, by Chester), won the AJC Oaks, and at A.E. Thompson's Widden Stud bred Loch Lava (1893, by Lochiel), from which the family descends, through her daughters Lady Arlington (1898) and Maltine (1904), a grand winner of the AJC Craven Plate, the Gimcrack Stakes and the AJC Metrpolitan Handicap. In addition to the horses noted below, recent descendants of this family include the gelded Queensland miler Persian World (1982), winner of the Queensland Guineas and the Brisbane Handicap, and his half-siblings Brisbane Cup winnerRoyal Shah (1966) and STC Missle Stakes winner Idol (1974), the latter dam of Major Wilkes (1990), who won the Malaysia Airlines Stakes, and second dam of Our Mr. Woodman (1990), winner of the STC Winter Handicap.
He did not win any important races in his native Australia, but as a stallion in New Zealand was fairly successful, mostly of sprinters and milers, and was in the middle of the top ten in the leading sires list several times in the late 1920s and early '30s. Among his offspring were CJC Jockey Club Handicap winner Crown Area, a very successful sprinter; Wanganui Guineas winner Consent, CJC Stewards' Handicap winner Cadland. His gelded son Star Area won the 12 furlong Manawatu Cup.
Popular and brilliant sprinter, she won six of her nine starts as a juvenile, placing second twice. Of her ten wins in twenty-six starts to age four, her best included the AJC Gimcrack Stakes, by 6 lengths in record time; the VRC Maribyrnong Plate; the 6 furlong AJC Champagne Stakes; the 7 furlong AJC Hobartville Stakes, and the 7 furlong VRC Sires' Produce Stakes. She retired to Percy Miller's Kia Ora Stud, where she was born and bred. She produced nothing like herself, but bred some handicap winners, including Amoureuse (4 wins), later dam of the good jumper Wahinbee, a winner of 12 races, including the TRC Grand National Hurdle. Her line is still producing winners.
Good late nineteenth century miler, at age two he won the VRC Maribyrnong Plate and the AJC Champagne Stakes. At age three he won the Caulfield Guineas, and in subsequent seasons the VRC Flying Stakes (7 furlongs), the AJC Craven Plate (10 furlongs), beating Cruciform and Wakefield, and the RRC Rawson Stakes (9 furlongs). He retired to stud at Tarcutta, where he got many fast youngters, his best Gigandra, who won the AJC Gimcrack Stakes and the RRC Spring Stakes. He died in 1918.
Winner of an STC maiden handicap over six furlongs, in the famous Widden Stud she bred three good winners: Royal Shah, winner of seven races, including the two mile Brisbane Cup and the STC Graduation Stakes twice; Persian World, a winner of fifteen races to 1800 meters, including the QTC Queensland Guineas and the Brisbane Handicap; and daughter Idol, a winner of eleven races, including the STC Missile Stakes and the AJC Nursery Handicap. Idol later produced Major Wilkes, a sprinting winner of 20 races, including the SAJC Malaysia Airlines Stakes, and winners Notorious Deed and Colonel Tom. Idol's daughter, the unraced Dolieri bred Our Mr. Woodman, a winner of 14 races, including the STC Winer Handicap and the AJC Forty Thousand Handicap, and Benjamino, a winner of eight races. Persian Doll's half-sister, Dispose (1964), who ran once, unplaced, was in the Pine Lodge Stud where she bred five winners: Lazy Pat, a staying winner of six races, including the AJC Anniversary Handicap and the Tattersall's Club Cup; Just Jealous, winner of the AJC Chairman's Handicap over 2600 meters; Centose, who won the Canberra Cup and six other races; Unwanted, a winner of three races, and Column Girl, who won a race over 1200 meters and was herself the dam of four winners.
Revived an indifferent branch of the family, winning six races at distances between 1200 and 1600 meters, including the 1998 SAJC Goodwood Handicap and the SAJC Sedgwick Classic. Her breeder and owner, Bob Peters, stood her sire, the recently deceased Old Spice, at his Clairefontaine Stud. Her dam, Tanoa, won a small 1200 meter handicap and was also the dam of the sprinter Foreman, winner of five races in succession, including the Quantas Frequent Flyer Welter Handicap, and was second in the Railway Stakes. To date Spectrum has produced several foals, including the gelded Local Legend (2001), winner of seven races, including the Western Australia Turf Club's Challenge Stakes, J.C. Roberts Stakes, and Supremacy Stakes, and the Singapore Turf Club Trophy.
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I have to do some work tomorrow. I need to solve our problems at work. I hope I can figure them out in a short time.
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an attack blamed on Russia.
and they have got to pay the piper.
They have got to pay the piper.
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What is the difference between luminescence, phosphorescence, fluorescence, incandescence, and iridescence?!?
I thought they all just meant light! I never really thought about them individually.
Please explain for a non-science-oriented person like me.
Fluorescence - Light emitted during absorption of radiation of some other (invisible) wavelength.
Phosphorescence - A fluorescence that persists after the bombarding radiation has ceased.
Incandescence - The phenomenon of light emission by a body as its temperature is raised.
fluorescence - giving off light when exposed to UV light - fluorescent light bulbs have the UV inside from the plasma, men's white shirts glow bluish in UV (black) light from the starch often used on them, many rocks also glow - goes away immediately the light is removed.
incandescence - light from high temperature heating, including incandescent light bulbs with a glowing filament and fire.
They all have a bunch of different letters in the beginning but all end in "scence"
I know about indecency ! Been there, done that !
How do you combine the following half-reactions to obtain a balanced overall redox reaction. 2H2O2→2O2+4H++4e− and Fe3++e−→Fe2+?
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Content Management vs. Content Services: What’s the Difference?
Since Gartner Inc. declared that Enterprise Content Management (ECM) was dead in early 2017, the popularity of content services has increased. Though ECM is supposedly dead, some organizations still make use of ECM solutions, while others shifted to content services. The two terms are used interchangeably at times because the difference between them is still a bit murky. However, there is, in fact, a difference between ECM and content services.
ECM began as a means to merge the capabilities of different types of content repositories together. These included enterprise document management (EDM), web content management (WCM), and digital asset management (DAM). ECM showed that the content supported by these platforms shared common business requirements, and provided a single platform for all the content they included.
However, documents, web pages, and rich media began to be used differently over time. For this reason, it became more difficult to manage content from a single platform, as the differences between their use cases were too drastic. At this point, the meaning of ECM started to shift. While ECM still offered a single platform for all the documents in a company, ECM became more about standard principles. The focus shifted to creating an enterprise approach to managing content, regardless of where and how it was stored.
However, Gartner found that it was almost impossible to achieve all four of these goals through the use of a single platform, and therefore declared the death of ECM.
Enter content services. The content services approach is focused more on strategy than technology. This method combines the up and coming technology of the future with the reality of what is currently happening in the digital enterprise. Many organizations need multiple repositories rather than just one, making content services a better option for some.
Gartner defines content services as “a set of services and microservices, embodied either as an integrated product suite or as separate applications that share common APIs and repositories, to exploit diverse content types and to serve multiple constituencies and numerous use cases across an organization.” In other words, content services are meant to solve multiple business process issues with multiple integrated solutions throughout an organization.
The difference between ECM and content services boils down to a centralized approach versus a more universal one. The goal of ECM is to accomplish a range of operational goals through the use of a single centralized platform. On the other side, content services are meant to improve efficiency by relying on multiple strategies and tools. Content services have less of a focus on content storage for the enterprise, and instead, focus on how the content is used by individuals and teams and uses that information to gain insight into business operations.
Gartner’s choice to redefine what is relevant speaks to a shift in the way businesses use content, internally and externally. ECM is a means of converting paper documents into electronic information and sharing that information to employees. But today, digital organizations are in need of more holistic services. There is a need for platforms that can compile content across multiple repositories in order to connect dissimilar applications.
While ECM is still a valid way to handle content, it can be limited by its centralized platform. The use of multiple tools in content services allows for a more strategic approach to solving business process problems. In the end, the most effective solution hinges on how dependent an organization is on varying kinds of digital content.
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Build a devastating tennis serve by learning how to add topspin with instruction and a drill from Olivia Self.
The topspin serve is a tennis player's secret weapon. For this move, the player slides the racquet up and over the ball as s/he hits it, creating spin on the ball, which requires an opponent to use more force to return it.
Though topspin can be used aggressively, it's typically reserved for safe second serves or as a way to throw off an opponent.
Correctly executed, the topspin serve produces a "heavy" ball, which immediately bounces higher than a flat serve and hopefully higher than your opponent's striking zone.
The Grip. Start with a continental grip, then shift your knuckles slightly to an eastern backhand grip (rotate the racquet slightly to the right) to get a better kick on the service bounce. It's easier to get a good topspin serve if your the index finger is slightly separated from your other fingers, pointing up on the racquet.
The Toss. You will generate more topspin if the toss is over your head or slightly behind you rather than out in front of you like a regular flat serve toss. This way, you can arch your back and really come up under the ball, generating tons of spin.
Contact. When you hit the topspin serve, the racquet should go down your back and then make contact with the ball in a brushing motion. It should feel as if you were quickly brushing up from your back and then brushing up under the ball. The ball should roll from the top of your strings to the bottom. When you push down through the service motion, the ball travels toward your target.
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The lazy tongue syndrome is a condition wherein speech is greatly affected due to the twisting of the tongue.
The lazy tongue syndrome does not only occur and begin in childhood but can strike at any age.
The syndrome mainly happens or is caused by major stress that is brought about by painful events in life like death of a close friend or a loved one, divorce, loss of a job, etc.
Patients that have the lazy tongue syndrome usually have low self-esteem. Boosting self-esteem alone on the other hand cannot treat or control the condition.
Stress management techniques are often used to control the symptoms associated with lazy tongue syndrome. These techniques often involve lazy tongue exercises and self-hypnotic affirmations.
The feelings which are dealt with when it comes to managing lazy tongue syndrome and using stress management techniques include rejection, frustration, and disappointment.
Rhythmic breathing exercises can be used to manage symptoms of lazy tongue syndrome.
One of the most common breathing exercises that are done is the pranayama or the breathing exercise that is usually done in yoga. Benefits of this kind of exercise that can help deal with the syndrome include increase in oxygen levels, reestablishment of the body’s natural rhythm, and can help in acquiring confidence, calm thoughts, and a sense of optimism.
Relaxation exercises for certain muscles that greatly affect the tongue are also used. The targeted areas here include the muscles of the mouth, jaw, and tongue. The exercises are done by stretching the muscles and then releasing it to mentally program relaxing feelings. The exercises that are done here also involve other muscles that are located in the face.
Physical exercises that can help overall health of the patient and cause a boost in self esteem are also used.
Patients with this syndrome often have tongues that seem not to move fast enough when speaking which results to slurred speech and stuttering.
The syndrome will let the patient feel as if the tongue is enlarged and easy to bite.
Symptoms that can be observed in stuttering can also be observed in patients with lazy tongue syndrome. These symptoms include difficulties in starting a word, repetition of certain syllables or words, jaw and lips that tremble, tension and tightness observed in the face and upper body, and rapid blinking of the eyes.
Can you show me some relaxation exercise of the face muscles?
Try forehead crunch. It helps to tighten the muscles of forehead and around the eyes. Contract the muscle of forehead for five seconds and then relax. You will feel tension release from eyes and brows. Also keep your palms gently on your face and rotate it gently in clockwise and anticlockwise direction. Repeat it 3 to 4 times.
My relative has been told that she has lazy tongue. She is nervous and tense as her son is in the hospital who just received a liver. Someone has told her that a dentist could give her something to hold her mouth open. Is that possible?
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Subutex is very similar to suboxone in many ways and the two drugs were even developed around the same time. However subutex was released first and its potential for abuse was reportedly too high. This was the result of individuals taking the drug intravenously, even though it is not supposed to be administered in this manner, and so suboxone was released with the added ingredient of Naloxone, so that people could not experience a euphoric type feeling if they attempted to abuse the drug.
The absence of naloxone is the only real difference between suboxone and subutex, as both contain the drug Buprenorphine, and both are used to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal.
Subutex was approved for use in the treatment of opioid addiction in 2002 by the FDA, and with its approval the Secretary of Health and Human Services also approved it usage in outpatient substance abuse treatment that could be prescribed by a physician. Initially physicians had to undergo an 8 hour course on the drug in order to be able to prescribe it, and they were only allowed to treat 10 subutex patients simultaneously, however this number was later changed to 100.
Since subutex works in a very similar manner to other opioids, its potential for addiction is rather high. For the most part individuals who use subutex are already addicted to opiates or opioids in one form or another, and so in many cases if they are looking for a long term treatment plan for subutex, they simply replace one addiction for another.
Some physicians and psychiatrists believed that using subutex as a long term addiction treatment plan is a suitable and sustainable alternative to abstinence only treatment, as it in some cases allows opioid addicts to stop engaging in risky behavior, and it also allows them to live a life free from cravings for opioids.
While this may be in true in some cases, a vast majority of subutex users have reported a relapse back into using, and only found the drug effective when used as a method to help them wean off of opioids all together.
What are some of the Short Term Effects of Subutex?
The short term effects of subutex are very similar to that of suboxone, since they are essentially the same drug, with the only difference being that an individual who takes subutex may experience a euphoria that they will not experience when taking suboxone. In terms of treating opioid dependency seeking a substance that produces euphoria over one that does not, is not particularly helpful in the long term goal of achieving recovery and in some cases may actually lead back to usage of other opioids. So if you are thinking about taking subutex, or are currently taking subutex, in order to break free from your opioid dependence, please take the previous statements into account.
As you can see the short term effects of subutex and suboxone are very similar, but one of the most marked difference is the increased cravings for the substances which while seen among suboxone users, is more pronounced among subutex users. This is believed to be in part because of the euphoria produced by the drug, so if you begin to notice that you are experiencing cravings for subutex you should let your physician’s no immediately. The same thing goes for any of the short term effects listed above.
If you are having difficulty coping with the short term effects of subutex, or if you are experiencing some of the more dangerous short term effects like slowed breathing, you should contact your physician immediately so that you can direct you on the best course of action to take.
While it may not seem like it, subutex is a very powerful narcotic and should not be treated lightly, so any and all undesired side effects should be dealt with immediately.
For family and friends of those who are on subutex maintenance it can sometimes be difficult to deal with the situation. You have probably dealt with their addiction in one form or another for quite some time and you may be wondering when everything will finally be alright and you can know that your loved one is safe and out of harm’s way. There is no singular answer for this, but it is suggested that if you are dealing with the addiction of a loved one, that you seek out counseling or professional help for yourself, so that you can learn to reclaim your life, and in turn help your loved one possibly see that they need to enter into recovery.
Addiction is one of the most insidious illnesses that an individual can suffer from, because there isn’t a medical test that can be taken to prove its existence, and the denial that oftentimes occurs with its onset can be profound and long lasting. This makes treating the illness difficult at times because without the cooperation and understanding of the individual afflicted, almost nothing can happen in terms of the recovery process. While the same can be said for just about every other illness on the planet, in addiction’s case it is a little bit different due to the legal, financial, and familial issues that can arise out of not seeking treatment.
So while it may seem that subutex maintenance is currently working for you or a loved one, it is important to stay ever vigilant in this matter and to be sure that the drug is being taken as prescribed and that a long term program of action is in place for how recovery can be achieved.
Going along this line, if you think that you may have an issue with subutex, or if you would just like to stop relying on substances in order to live your life, please read the section below, as there is information pertaining to where you can seek help for your subutex, or other opioid addictions.
Are you struggling with subutex addiction?
If you find that you cannot stop using subutex even though you would like to, then you may be suffering from subutex addiction. While you may be embarrassed by the fact that you cannot stop using subutex, it is import to understand that addiction is an actual recognizable disease and as such you’re inability to stop on your own should not be a cause for shame or guilt. It is estimated that 1 in 6 adults in the United States suffer from addiction, so you are not alone in your struggles, nor do you have to fight them by yourself. So if you are at the point where you would you like help overcoming your addiction, call us at 1-866-972-7714. We are standing by to provide you with the best treatment and recovery options, so that you can finally leave behind your old life of addiction and start new on the road to recovery. Call now!
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How many do you actually win?
Ouch. What kind of a question is this really?
A different way of playing Jenga.
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Scientists have reported that many inheritance mutations are caused by DNA damage rather than errors in DNA doubling. The study was conducted by an international research group and published in Nature Genetics.
Unfortunately, the reasons for mutations in normal cells that have not been exposed to ultraviolet, smoke or other external mutagens are understudied. According to the most popular beliefs, the vast majority of mutations result from inaccurate DNA copying before each cell division. These assumptions were supported by correlation between the risk of cancer and the number of cell divisions. Another argument for this was that the number of divisions of each sperm cell before its final formation is proportional to the age of the man. For example, the sperm of an 18-year-old man undergoes about 100 doublings before it becomes "mature," while for a 50-year-old man this number is around 800. With each doubling, the number of errors in the DNA increases, leading to accumulation of mutations in the sperm.
"We decided to look at this problem from a different perspective and evaluated the contribution of DNA damage to the accumulation of mutations," says Vladimir Seplyarskiy, one of the authors from the Institute for Information Transmission Problems RAS and Harvard Medical School, U.S. "We looked how the cell repair system works. Since it works only on the DNA strand from which genes are read, we looked at the rarest types of mutations that occur in these areas, and thus were able to estimate the number of mutations that are caused by DNA damage."
Next, the scientists looked at what happens to damaged DNA during cell division. They compared mutations on both leading and lagging doubling chains of DNA. It turned out that mutations associated with DNA damage occur more often on the lagging chain. This is true both for mutations caused by known mutagens during the development of a cancer tumor (for example, as a result of exposure to tobacco smoke in lung cancer, ultraviolet radiation in melanoma, and aristolochic acid in liver cancer), and for mutations inherited. Thus, many of the inheritance mutations are caused not by errors in DNA doubling, but by DNA damage.
The result was tested experimentally. The scientists asked: If so many mutations are caused by DNA damage, why is the number of accumulated mutations related to the number of cell doublings? The experiments were conducted in collaboration with scientists from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. The cell line was irradiated with ultraviolet light, and in one case, cell division was artificially delayed for two days, while the second cell samples divided normally. It turned out that a slight delay reduced the mutagenic effect of ultraviolet radiation by 30 times. Therefore, DNA damage turns into mutations only if they occur shortly before the cell division. These results suggest that mutations leading to cancers might be caused by mutagens only in actively dividing cells. Such a hypothesis gives a completely different interpretation of the relationship between the number of cell divisions and the number of accumulated mutations.
"I have long been looking for the cause of mutations in the germ line. It has been suggested that mutations inherited from the father are a consequence of replication inaccuracies. In this work, we statistically showed that DNA damage also plays a significant role. Unfortunately, the assessment of the contribution of such damage to mutagenesis, which we have received now, is clearly underestimated, and we are looking for new approaches to clarify it," says Vladimir Seplyarskiy.
Understanding the mechanisms of mutagenesis helps to estimate the likelihood, and even partly to predict, mutations that lead to cancer and hereditary diseases. In the long run, it might become possible to prevent these diseases.
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Comparison and contrast of similarities and differences between China and Japan. Both of the countries are found in Eastern Asia and speak closely related languages. However, there are differences in terms of their food, culture and natural resources.
I have consulted this guide in writing this example essay.
China and Japan are both found in Eastern Asia and speak languages that though different, are closely related. China is located between Vietnam and North Korea and borders South China Sea, Yellow Sea, Korea Bay, and the East China Sea. Japan, on the other hand, is located east of the Korean Peninsula, between the Sea of Japan and the North Pacific Ocean. They both have a coastline that runs into many thousand kilometers. One would expect that being that the countries are in the same region and close to each other; they should essentially be similar to each other. However, as this essay shows, there are many differences between Japan and China in terms of their food, culture, natural resources, and population distribution.
The first major difference between China and Japan comes in their food. “While the Chinese food is spicy and involves a lot of frying and cooking, the Japanese food is far less spicy, and has very subtle flavors compared to other local foods in Asia” (Expertscolumn.com, 2017). China has diverse food owing to its large geographic extent. Food diversity in China has also been influenced by cuisines from foreign countries, especially Mongolia and the Middle East. Additionally, a lot of oil is used in food preparation in the country, with a heavy use of spices and flavors. Majorly, Chinese food consists of beef, pork, chicken, and duck. On the other hand, Japan has an isolated food culture essentially because it is an island. They prefer seafood on a large scale. There is minimal use of oil in preparing food and therefore the food is considered healthier. Most of the food is consumed raw in Japan. As Historyplex.com (2017) notes, “While slurping when having your meals can draw frowns in China, it is considered as a compliment in Japan”.
We will write a custom essay contrasting two countries of your choice specifically for you.
China and Japan also significantly differ in their culture. Expertscolumn.com (2017) points out that there is a long history attached to Chinese culture and that the vastness of the country’s territory makes the culture have a plethora of varieties. The culture has a lot of heterogeneity owing to the fact that the country has been exposed to several various nationalities in addition to having a long history. Some of the notable nationalities that have contributed to this heterogeneity are Europeans and Indians. In contrast, Japan has an isolated culture because, according to its recorded history, the country has not experienced significant external influence. Coupled with its considerably small size, this lack of external influence by Japan has ensured that its culture is more homogenous. Societal harmony is seriously emphasized upon in Japanese culture. The society thus expects that every person will always show very high levels of self-discipline. Even when conversing with each other, a very polite approach is followed by Japanese people. This is why it would be difficult to find people yelling at or quarrelling with each other publicly in Japan. “In comparison, China poses the picture of a typical developing country, with level of politeness being less common” (Expertscolumn.com, 2017).
Another source of difference between China and Japan is the countries’ respective natural resources. China has many various natural resources probably because of its vastness. These include arable land, uranium, rare earth elements, zinc, lead, aluminum, magnetite, vanadium, molybdenum, manganese, antimony, tungsten, tin, mercury, natural gas, petroleum, iron ore, and coal. It is also worth noting that the country has the largest hydropower potential in the world. Inversely, the mineral resources in Japan are negligible. Apart from having fish and fishing grounds, the country has virtually no resources of natural energy. This fact has made Japan the largest liquefied natural gas and coal importer in the world. It also ranks second in oil importation worldwide (Indexmundi.com, 2017).
Further, China and Japan differ in their population distribution. In China, the eastern half of the country has the overwhelming majority of the population. The west, in contrast to the east, has sparse population. This is majorly because the west is characterized by desert areas and mountainous landscape. It should also be of interest to note that China is the most populated country in the world. In spite of this, the country has a less overall population density as compared to many countries in Europe and Asia. In the country, “high population density is found along the Yangtze and Yellow River valleys, the Xi Jiang River delta, the Sichuan Basin (around Chengdu), in and around Beijing, and the industrial area around Shenyang” (Indexmundi.com, 2017). On the other hand, Japan has a third of its population living around and in Tokyo, the capital city. A significant percentage of the population lives in Kanto plain around Tokyo. On the same note, the coast of the country bears the larger population density of the country (Indexmundi.com, 2017).
In conclusion, China and Japan are countries found in Asia with the former having a vast geographical area and the latter being comparatively far smaller. The countries share the feature of having a coastline, and closeness of the languages they speak. They however have respective distinctive features that define them as individual countries. These include their respective foods, cultures, natural resources, and population distribution. For instance, while the food in China is diverse, the one in Japan is isolated. The same applies to their respective cultures. In addition, China has numerous natural resources as compared to Japan that hardly has any and resorts to importing.
There are many differences between Japan and China in terms of their food, culture, natural resources, and population distribution.
The first major difference between China and Japan comes in their food.
China has diverse food owing to its large geographic extent.
On the other hand, Japan has an isolated food culture essentially because it is an island. They prefer seafood on a large scale.
There is minimal use of oil in preparing food and therefore the food is considered healthier.
China and Japan also significantly differ in their culture.
The culture of China has a lot of heterogeneity owing to the fact that the country has been exposed to several various nationalities in addition to having a long history.
Some of the notable nationalities that have contributed to this heterogeneity are Europeans and Indians.
In contrast, Japan has an isolated culture because, according to its recorded history, the country has not experienced significant external influence.
Coupled with its considerably small size, this lack of external influence by Japan has ensured that its culture is more homogenous.
Another source of difference between China and Japan is the countries’ respective natural resources.
China has many various natural resources probably because of its vastness.
These resources include arable land, uranium, rare earth elements, zinc, lead, aluminum, magnetite, vanadium, molybdenum, manganese, antimony, tungsten, tin, mercury, natural gas, petroleum, iron ore, and coal.
Inversely, the mineral resources in Japan are negligible. Apart from having fish and fishing grounds, the country has virtually no resources of natural energy.
This fact has made Japan the largest liquefied natural gas and coal importer in the world. It also ranks the second in oil importation worldwide.
China and Japan differ in their population distribution.
In China, the eastern half of the country has the overwhelming majority of the population.
The west of China, in contrast to the east, has sparse population.
On the other hand, Japan has a third of its population living around and in Tokyo, the capital city. A significant percentage of the population lives in Kanto plain around Tokyo.
The coast of the country bears the larger population density of the country.
China and Japan are countries found in Asia with the former having a vast geographical area and the latter being comparatively far smaller. The countries share the feature of having a coastline, and closeness of the languages they speak. They however have respective distinctive features that define them as individual countries, including their respective foods, cultures, natural resources, and population distribution.
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Spend special time with children. What could create a greater connection for your child than to know you enjoy spending time with him or her.
Two great methods for finding solutions are family meetings or class meetings and joint problem solving. These are powerful tools that respectfully involve children to learn and use their personal power in contributing ways. Connection is created as part of the process.
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Will President Donald Trump attend Bush's funeral?
After the announcement of the former President George H.W Bush's death, many started wondering if the current president will attend the funeral.
The Bushes had previously shared their opinions regarding Trump, claiming that they voted for the other candidates in the 2016 election. In November 2017, Mark K. Updegrove , the writer of " The Last Republicans" quoted George H.W. Bush talking about Trump: "I don't like him... I'm not too excited about him being a leader." Trump has, as well, mocked the 41st president in July during a Montana rally, "What the hell was that, by the way, thousand points of light? What did that mean?" talking about one of the former president's slogan. Trump did not attend the funeral of former First-Lady Barbara Bush in April 2018.
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between the report of the newspaper ( The Observer) British US President Donald Trump 's statement on keeping US troops in Iraq in order to control Iran is a shift in US policy, and angered many Iraqi politicians and create a big question mark on the role the United States plays in Region.
"Since the overthrow of the Saddam regime, the relationship between Washington and Baghdad has proved to be a delicate balance between diplomats and political decision-makers, but the Trump era has introduced new obstacles to geopolitical overlap already tense - given the president's inclination to Statements that are perceived as insensitive. "
"After Trump's uproar in the campaign that he said the United States should have taken over Iraqi oil fields, Trump brought former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi to the possibility of compensating America with oil because of its occupation of Iraq."
"Trump's statements were deaf and insensitive and did not take into account Iraq's concerns, but they constantly raise questions about the undeclared motives of the United States to maintain its military presence in Iraq," said State Department legal adviser Scott Anderson.
"It is clear that Iraq has strong relations with Iran and will not be satisfied that it is a platform for US military operations in the region," adding that "Iraq had asked the United Nations in 2014 to help the country in the fight against the Dahesh and there is no text in the The agreement was mentioned in Iran, but Trump's comments in fact violate the basis of US engagement in the region and its limits. "
"America has an unbelievable and expensive military base built in Iraq, and it is in a very perfect place to look at all of us," Trump said Sunday in an interview with CBS Nation's "Face of the Nation" program. Across the troubled Middle East instead of withdrawing from Iraq, "noting that US forces would monitor Iran from this base.
President Barham Salih said on Monday that US President Donald Trump had not asked permission from Iraq for the US military presence to monitor Iran, stressing Iraq's refusal to use its territory as a base for attacks on other countries.
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If you're caught with five grams of crack cocaine, you get a mandatory five-year prison sentence. To get the same sentence for possession of powdered cocaine, you'd have to have 500 grams of the stuff. Clearly there's a disparity, one that tends to harshly punish lower-income, mostly African-American crack users, as opposed to the typically more affluent coke users.
It's a difference people have been talking about changing for years, but the Justice Department is finally pushing a recommendation that the disparity in sentencing be completely eliminated.
For his part, Miami Police Chief John Timoney would support the measure, and called the current laws an "unmitigated disaster."
Instead of focusing on hard prison time for users, the Obama administration would shift resources to treatment, counseling, and job training for recovered addicts.
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When are people called to vote on laws, and when not?
When citizens disagree with the decision of Parliament and they gather 50,000 valid signatures within 100 days of the official publication of the act, or eight cantons submit a request, the act is submitted to a vote of the People (an optional referendum). The act only comes into force if it is accepted by the majority of the People.
Certain laws passed by Parliament, including amendments to the Federal Constitution, must be put a the vote of the People and the cantons (mandatory referendum). Amendments to the Federal Constitution only come into force if they are accepted by a majority of the People and the cantons.
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I've covered the issues of finding time to write and overcoming barriers to writing in previous posts. This post will focus on getting started! You've made time to write and you're no longer afraid– now what?
1. What will the book be about?- This is the most basic question but it is something all writers must answer. What will my book be about? Is it a romantic fiction novel, a self help book, a personal memoir or a children's book? Compose an outline of how you see the story playing out to determine if there is even a story there.
2. Word count- Determining how many words you plan on writing will let you know whether or not you're writing a full length novel (75,000 words MINIMUM) or just a short story. Maybe you only have enough content for an e-book. Be realistic about your goal. If you've told the entire story in seven pages then you have written a very short story that is probably best delivered online maybe via your website. And also keep in mind depending on your monetary goals, you might have to give this story away for free since it is so short. I write free stories all the time, it's another way to build your audience but if you want to make a little money from writing you will have to extend your word count to get an actual book.
3. Set deadlines- If you are writing to give yourself an outlet similar to journaling that's okay. . . .HOWEVER if you are wanting to put out your work commercially or even just online for free, you've got to set a deadline. You've got to start with a finish in mind. I can't tell you how long it should take to write a book, I've written books in as little as 3 months and as long as 6 or 7. But I will tell you taking over a year or longer is a bit too long. Because if you put out your first book and it's an instant hit, readers are going to want more and you need to keep that interest and momentum going. Do you really want to make your readers wait two years in between books? My personal goal is to release a new book every year. That's not to say it takes me a year to write it, because you've got to consider marketing and promotion time before and after the book is released.
4. Don't focus on editing as you go- One of the things I still struggle with is having an "edit as you go" mentality when I write. Instead of just free writing and getting it all out the first time around, I find myself making sure I'm writing in complete sentences, checking for tense, punctuation, etc. It slows down my writing time and it's super frustrating. Your first draft will not be what goes to print. Get all of the story out of you, go back and change it up, make it better, then go back make it even better and then start your rounds of edits. It will probably take at least ten read throughs from you (after the book is done) and a few from your editor before the book is finally ready to be released.
5. Remove distractions- I personally cannot write when the TV is on or my kids are running around the house screaming like banshees. I can write with calming, low music in the background but that's about it. I need the quiet to focus. Make sure before you start writing that you are able to tune out the noise around you or that the noise level is at minimum. Or maybe it's not noise that distracts you. If you're in your room and there is a basket of laundry that needs to be folded and you keep looking at it because you feel guilty then you need to fold it or leave the room. Whatever will help you focus on getting that story/book written!
Most aspiring authors that I meet either tell me they don't have enough time or they don't know where to start. My post last week addressed time and next week I'll address getting started. But this post addresses another common remark that I hear, "I'm scared."
1. Fear- Fear is a very strong emotion because you're going up against the unknown. You're putting yourself out there without control over the outcome. But fear will also keep you paralyzed and you'll look around and five, ten or twenty years will pass and you will still be saying, "I always wanted to write a book." So my suggestion is to go for it. Get those ideas, words, phrases and thoughts out of your head and go for it! One thing that I did was to start writing on platforms like Wattpad under a pseudonym, that way no one knew it was me. I got such an amazing response from strangers who had connected with my writing, it gave me the courage to share it under my real name with people I actually knew and it's been an incredible experience.
2. Procrastination- Writing is an escape. Writing is cathartic. Writing is fun. But writing can also be hard work. Sometimes the task of writing can be daunting and because you don't know where to start or how to finish or what to say, you put it off and you don't write at all. You start making excuses or you stop making writing a priority. Meanwhile time is passing and that book isn't getting written. YOU HAVE TO MAKE WRITING A PRIORITY. YOU HAVE TO WRITE EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD. Dedication and self motivation are the only way you will have a shot at that New York Times Bestseller list. To avoid developing a pattern of procrastination, set a daily goal of writing for a minimum of fifteen minutes or set a goal of writing 700-1000 words a day and maybe it won't feel like such a chore.
3. Knowledge- This is one of the biggest issues writers face. When I say knowledge, I'm referring to basic grammar knowledge. Grammar is a learned skill. And it's not easy to remember all the rules regarding sentence structure, voice and tense to name a few. However if you are going to be a writer- you MUST have knowledge of basic grammar. Knowing when to use there, their or they're is a simple thing that can destroy your writing if you do not know how/when to use the proper homophone. Even if you use an editor (which you definitely should), I still recommend buying a reference book or at least turning to Google when you are unsure.
What are some barriers you face when trying to write?
One of the number one questions people ask me when they find out I've written multiple books is, "How do you find the time to write?" Then they usually offer up their own barriers to carving out time. They're too busy, they work full time, they spend all weekend at their kids sports events, etc.
1. Set an appointment on your calendar- You can get up thirty minutes earlier each day or go to bed thirty minutes later and use that time to write. It doesn't seem like a lot of time but if you do it daily it adds up. You can also make time during your lunch hour a couple of days a week; instead of going to lunch, find a quiet conference room or walk to a nearby park or just sit in your car. Bring your laptop, tablet, phone or even note pad and capture your ideas, thoughts, dialogue, etc.
2. Maximize your time- Every day for almost an hour I am sitting in school pick up lines (two different schools). Some days I bring my laptop and while I'm waiting I write instead of scrolling through social media. If you are at the doctors office or dentist office or getting your oil changed. . .anywhere you will have a thirty minute to one hour or longer wait you can write! Use the Notes app on your phone or Evernote app, email yourself what you've written and just cut and paste it into your manuscript later.
3. Use your voice- Most smartphones have a function where you can talk into your phone and it will convert to text. If you are sitting in traffic or have a super long commute each morning, why not open a Note or email (set this up before you start driving!) and press the microphone icon and start talking. You can speak the words instead of writing them. It will seem weird at first like you're talking to yourself but after a while you'll find a comfortable rhythm. It's almost like you are recording your book in audio form. I will warn you that sometimes the voice command hears words WRONG but they are minor mistakes that you can go back and correct after the fact. Just be sure this isn't a distraction and that you are still paying attention to the road.
4. Find a writing buddy- If you have friends that you normally hang out with on the weekend, grabbing brunch, shopping or seeing a movie. . . find out if anyone in your friend group is also an aspiring writer, if so, instead of simply meeting for brunch make it a "working" brunch. Bring your laptops, tablets, phones or notepads and instead of catching up on the latest gossip just bask in the quite solitude while you work on your respective manuscripts.
5. NaNoWriMo- (National Novel Writing Month) Although this only takes place once a year in November, it is a good way to hold yourself accountable. I wrote the bulk of my first book by participating. Participants sign up and make a commitment to write a whopping 50,000 words for the entire month of November! Let me tell you it's no easy feat, you basically have to be committed to writing 1,667 words per day to reach this goal. But the feeling (and bragging rights) of being a NaNoWriMo "winner" is amazing! Not to mention your book is practically written at the end of it.
What are some of your tried and true tips for finding time to write?
Now that summer is winding down and most kids around the country are back at school, it's time to get back into the swing of things and re-establish routines that may have been interrupted by summer.
1. Sleep- Your sleep routine was most likely affected by summer: going to bed later than normal and perhaps waking up a little later too. It is important to try and get 7-8 hours per sleep per night and start your day EARLY. At night put your phone in a different room to charge, so that you won't be tempted to lay in bed scrolling. Set your alarm to get up an hour to thirty minutes earlier than the rest of your household and when the alarm goes off, DON'T SNOOZE! Get up and start your day enthusiastically and full of energy. You'll be surprised at how much you'll get done.
2. Exercise- I am probably one of the few people in the world who doesn't drink coffee. So to get my blood pumping and energized, I get moving. It doesn't have to be a full blown Zumba routine but make sure you move throughout the day. Take the stairs, do 20 jumping jacks, walk to the corner. Do this whenever you feel sluggish and it's guaranteed to get your blood pumping and make your endorphins happy. This will allow you to focus on getting work done instead of daydreaming about the beach (or your bed).
3. Plan- Do not discount the effectiveness of handwritten to-do lists! Get a bright colorful note pad (just for fun, white plain paper will do!) and do a bulleted list of everything you need to do for the day. If this is too old school for you, create a list in your Notes app. The point is just to make sure you have a plan and you prioritize your daily tasks so that you can feel a sense of accomplishment.
4. Establish a routine- Work all three of the above into your daily schedule until they become a routine. This will help keep you from wandering aimlessly through your day. You need a purpose to keep you focused and on task!
5. Keep a positive attitude- Every morning you wake up is a blessing and none of us are promised tomorrow. So stay positive and think of it as a privilege to leave your mark on each day. And don't wish away the days for days of summer past. . . .time is fleeting and summer will be back in nine short months!
This my last post for the Summer Blog Series! I won't be consistently blogging after this post but may pop in from time to time. In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter for more information, tips and updates.
1. LIGHTING, LIGHTING, LIGHTING- Did I mention lighting? Lighting is everything when it comes to taking good photos. Whether you're taking a selfie or a book photo (my fave) you need to make sure your lighting is good. I usually leave my flash off and take photos near my back door because there is a large window nearby that brings in natural light.
Very Basic Shot to Show My Super Simple Set up!
2. Focus- As a lover of photos my biggest pet peeve is a blurry or grainy picture. Especially if you didn't do it for an artistic reason. Most (if not all) camera phones have a focus feature. You can tap the screen and make sure the focus is on your subject. If you don't have this feature there are several apps that can take over your camera and add this function. My favorite is the Camera+ app. Pictures that are in focus provide more visual interest AND we can actually see what you snapped!
3. Background- If you are doing a prop or product shot or even a selfie be mindful of the background. You don't want something so busy it takes away from your primary subject. I prefer a solid background when I'm taking book photos. I purchased a white foam poster board from the dollar store and I take the majority of my still shots using this background. I also splurged ($7) for a distressed wood plank from Walmart to take photos on as well, mostly food shots.
I love taking pictures of sunsets too!
5. Edit- I'm not really a big fan of filters. Not unless you plan on using a special filter for ALL of your photos and creating some sort of uniformity for your feed. I've seen this done before and it's pretty cool. However I just like to edit my photos using the Camera+ app. I'll back light them, add or remove shadows, add some clarity and turn up the saturation. Whatever makes the photo pop without looking overdone.
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The first step towards putting a disaster recovery plan in place involves copying all mission critical data offsite. In the event that a catastrophe should occur, a business won't lose so much as a step because that information can then be directly copied back to hardware and business can resume in earnest. One of the issues that many businesses face, however, is one of data movement. Exactly what is the most efficient way to copy a huge amount of data offsite and then back again when the time is right? There are a large number of different options when determining data movement for disaster recovery - not all will provide the type of performance that is needed in those most importance of moments.
When determining the best method to move data from Point A to Point B and back again, one issue that many businesses face is one of data loss. The chance of data loss is unfortunately high during data movement, which results in essentially the exact opposite of the intended situation.
To combat these types of issues, many small businesses in particular are prone to just copying their information to an external hard drive on site and transporting those drives offsite for more permanent storage. Not only is this efficient, but it's also cost effective. There is no guarantee on long term shelf life of these types of drives, however, which is where one of the major issues comes into play.
The cost of a tape drive can quickly exceed $2,000 depending on your performance and capacity needs, which is why many small businesses tend not to experiment with these techniques at all. A hard drive technology like RDX or even cloud storage could be much better, more viable alternatives.
If a business has more than one location, they need to worry about two different types of data movement: data that is being moved to meet immediate disaster recovery needs and data movement to help store things for the long term.
Data that is being moved to restore applications can be handled using technology like primary storage replication, for example. Secondary storage systems should also only be storing the most recent copy of data and should overall only be retaining a very small amount of information. Older data should then be moved to the cloud or to a tape-based system to not only help manage data movement in a more cost effective way, but to also help keep up with the demands of compliance.
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What is CPD and why is it relevant to me?
CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. It refers to the process of tracking and documenting the skills, knowledge and experience that you gain both formally and informally as you work, beyond any initial training. It's a record of what you experience, learn and then apply. The term is generally used to mean a physical folder or portfolio documenting your development as a professional. Some organisations use it to mean a training or development plan, which I would argue is not strictly accurate. This article is about CPD as a process of recording and reflecting on learning and development.
The CPD process helps you manage your own development on an ongoing basis. It's function is to help you record, review and reflect on what you learn. It's not a tick-box document recording the training you have completed. It's broader than that.
Training and development - what's the difference?
These terms are often used interchangeably, though there is a distinction. As a rule of thumb, training is formal and linear. It's to do with learning how to do something specific, relating to skill and competence. Training can be as simple as using a PC application and as complex as learning how to be a pilot. Development is often informal and has a wider application, giving you the tools to do a range of things and relating to capability and competency. It involves progression from basic know-how to more advanced, mature or complex understanding. Alternatively it can be about widening your range of transferable skills like leadership, managing projects or organising information.
Keep a learning log and record your thoughts in whatever way suits you best. You may find it helpful to write things down in detail, for example, or to make notes on insights and learning points. The process of writing makes you think about your experiences at the time, and makes planning and reflection much easier. You can't review your experiences without recording them, however good your memory is.
Write down your overall career goals - where you want to be in two, five and 10 years' time. Then write down no more than three specific and achievable shorter term objectives, including the dates by which you want to achieve them.
For shorter term objectives, include the first step - what you can do today or tomorrow. For example, having a chat with your manager about a new responsibility or finding out about new technology from a colleague who has experience of it.
This step is essential! You'll need to set a date in advance for review of the objectives you've set yourself. You can either do this from one review to the next or decide to review regularly - once every three, six or 12 months. Put it in your diary and do it! The cycle of continuing professional development has begun !
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Life has many things to offer that can bring you a lot of benefits. Do not take anything or anyone for granted, even the smallest things, because they might hold your deepest desire.
1. Stop and appreciate what is in front of you: Once a while, stop and appreciate the small simple things that are in front of you. Pay attention to the people around you. Enjoy the weather, no matter what kind of weather it is. Stop, look, and smell the flowers and trees. Enjoy the birds singing.
2. Enjoy the process: It does not matter what you do, discovers the benefits and purpose of the activity so you can enjoy your activity.
3. Appreciate what you already have in your life: The more you appreciate what you already have in life, you will get more to appreciate.
4. Learn how to see the positive in everything: Everything has a positive side to it. Look for the positive in things and people and you will start to appreciate them and life more.
5. Enjoy your own company: Your life is about you. You bring the best out of yourself, so take the time to enjoy your own company.
6. Create meaning and purpose in your life: When you have meaning and purpose in life, you will appreciate life more because it gives you the opportunities to do what you love.
7. Engage in the small act of kindnesses: It is the small daily actions that will bring the most benefits in life.
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