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0.980187 | Are ants dangerous or should we protect them?
Humanity considers ants to be pests, and some nasty ones at that. And sure, ants are not good in the home of any person, but they can be extremely useful in nature. So we should try to keep them away from our home, however we should respect them in nature and leave them alone! The reality is that ants live in society, just like we do, and they have distinct individual tasks that they have to attend to. This alone shows that ants are more than just a simple pest, they are intelligent insects that managed to create their society. In fact, they even have their kind and queen.
On top of that, ants are very resistant. Some studies have shown that ants, as well as cockroaches, might even be able to resist nuclear attacks, all thanks to their durable exoskeleton.
Aside from that, ants are very useful for the environment. They protect nature, and they help create the compost needed by forests as well. Plus, ants are also known for being some great collector of items they found on the forest floors, and that’s why you can find quite a lot of stuff in ant nests, to begin with.
But it’s the cooperative behavior and the unique hierarchy system that intrigues most people. And that’s for a magnificent reason because ants are known to be social beings, yet despite that, no one will expect them to be so well-organized. In fact, ant societies work pretty much like a well-oiled machine, and they do have a variety of tasks for each member.
Ants are also known for helping plants pollinate, and they play an active role in keeping nature in a thriving state, just the way it is at this point. In fact, some ants help with the prevention of other pests! If you are even remotely interested in saving the forest and making sure that these ecosystems thrive on their own, you have to let ants live as they are an active part of this system. These ants are very important, and they will be able to bring you the help and success you need.
As you can see, lots of organizations study ants all the time, and it’s easy to understand why they do that. Even if they are considered as pests because they end up creating a nest very close to our homes, ants have a pivotal role in our society. We need to respect these amazing insects if we want to preserve nature and wildlife because they are actively implicated in the wellbeing of our planet. Killing ants won’t solve our problems; we need to understand why these amazing insects are useful and, with their help, we might be able to create a better future. If you want to find out more about ants, it can be a good idea to use the research links above! |
0.697317 | Should Republicans stop running for office in Monroe County?
Spoiler: The answer is an emphatic "no."
I heard some grumbling after the election that "Republicans should not run for offices they know they will lose," because it damages the other candidates who are in winnable races - specifically state legislative races in Monroe County. But despite the heavy turnout among Democrats in Monroe County, Republicans dominated the two most contested races. The Republican candidate won in District 62 by a margin of 11,483 to 6,613. The Republican candidate won in District 60 by a margin of 13,734 to 6,611 votes.
But by that logic no Republican should run for anything at all in Monroe County, outside of Republican townships like Van Buren and Richland. I simply cannot agree with that. I do not and will not accept automatic one party rule with no opposition from the Republican Party. I do not accept that Democrats should not even be challenged at the county level, or at the city level for that matter.
Did the local GOP stir up and antagonize Democrats? The reality is that Democrats were always going to be stirred up in the 2018 mid-term election because of Donald Trump and Trey Hollingsworth. Nationwide and especially in Monroe County, President Trump is driving Democratic turnout, and in Monroe County Hollingsworth is close behind. The Democrats hate Hollingsworth. They were going to hate whoever won the Republican primary in 2016, because that person would go on to defeat Shelli Yoder, but they hate Holingsworth more. That's not a slam on Hollingsworth, who has been a great representative. But the fact of the matter is their hatred of him drove turnout.
We should not attribute a national trend to local candidates. Local Republicans are losing on national and statewide races, not local races. That has been the case since 2003 and the Iraq war. Now it is due to hatred of Trump. This is what happens when we get (let's be brutally honest) the most aggressive and obnoxious candidate possible. Trump has done well on policy, but he is needlessly antagonistic and his constant trolling has hurt Republicans in swing states and swing districts.
We also lost because Democrats have spent 16 years registering thousands and thousands of voters and Republicans' new registrations have not kept pace. It is almost unbelievable now, but George W. Bush won Monroe County with approximately 19,000 votes in 2000. We have basically the same number of voters we had then, adding maybe 2000-3000. Democrats have added 15,000 to 20,000 new voters and Republican candidates - no matter how much more obviously well qualified - cannot compete with that voter registration gap.
Running solid candidates does not hurt the ticket. It helps the ticket. Remember, all but one of the Republicans running for county government in Monroe County in 2016 ran way ahead of the statewide races (President, Governor, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate and Superintendent of Public Instruction) and got thousands more votes lower on the ticket than the top of the ticket. If anything, local Republicans may have reduced the margin of loss in Monroe County for the Republicans at the top of the ticket.
Finally and most importantly, Republicans have a moral obligation to be an opposition party in Monroe County. Voters deserve a choice, and Republicans should run for office to give them that choice. An election with no opposition party is not an election at all. We have 22,000 Republican voters in Monroe County that should not be denied the opportunity to vote for a Republican candidates for local offices. We should not deny those voters a voice in local government.
I firmly believe Republicans can win countywide races and more county council district races, but we need to register more voters and the state party needs to help. The 2016 and 2018 elections were the first step in our rebuilding effort, and that effort must continue. |
0.999936 | If you’re thinking about selling your PR agency then here are ten important questions you should be asking yourself.
1. Have you made a list of reasons why you want to sell your firm?
2. Are you prepared to report to someone?
3. Do you have a realistic sense of the market value of your firm?
4. Will you be able to get alignment from your key senior managers?
5. Have you mapped out your plans for the future? For example, do you plan to retire, or stay on with the acquiring organization?
6. Is your firm in good enough financial shape to be of interest to a buyer?
7. Are you considering how your life might change if you were to sell your firm?
8. Do you have debt or liabilities that would make the sale of your firm more difficult?
9. Have you considered using professional counsel to help you make your decision?
10. Are you really serious about selling your firm? Or do you just want to go through the experience of having discussions with would-be buyers? |
0.999999 | What was the topic of the book 'The Other America'?
A) Poverty was widespread in America. B) Education was lacking in America.
C) Racism was widespread in America. D) Americans needed more highways.
Answer: A) Poverty was widespread in America.
The book "The Other America" was written by Michael Harrington. The topic of the book 'The Other America' was Poverty was widespread in America. |
0.928017 | Punishment involves deliberating harming individuals. How, then, if at all, is it to be justified? This, the first of three papers on the philosophy of punishment (see also 'Punishment: Nonconsequentialism' and 'Punishment: The Future'), examines attempts to justify the practice or institution according to its consequences. One claim is that punishment reduces crime, and hence the resulting harms. Another is that punishment functions to rehabilitate offenders. A third claim is that punishment (or some forms of punishment) can serve to make restitution to victims, and a fourth is that it can strengthen social values. The paper examines these claims, and finally considers pluralist theories which combine retributive and harm-reductive or utilitarian considerations. (Retributive theories are examined in their own right in 'Punishment: Nonconsequentialism'.).
A Theory of Justice.John Rawls - 2009 - In Steven M. Cahn (ed.), Philosophy and Rhetoric. Oxford University Press. pp. 133-135.
Practical Philosophy.Immanuel Kant - 1996 - Cambridge University Press.
The Right and the Good.W. D. Ross - 1930 - Clarendon Press.
A Retributive Argument Against Punishment.Greg Roebuck & David Wood - 2011 - Criminal Law and Philosophy 5 (1):73-86.
Good Night and Good Luck - In Search of a Neuroscience Challenge to Criminal Justice.Frej Klem Thomsen - 2018 - Utilitas 30 (1):1-31.
A Normative Theory of the Clean Hands Defense.Ori J. Herstein - 2011 - Legal Theory 17 (3):171-208.
Punishing the Innocent — Unintentionally.Alan Wertheimer - 1977 - Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 20 (1-4):45 – 65.
Unintentional Punishment.Adam Kolber - 2012 - Legal Theory 18 (1):1-29.
Compulsory Victim Restitution is Punishment: A Reply to Boonin.Michael Cholbi - 2010 - Public Reason 2 (1):85-93.
The Rise and Fall of the Mixed Theory of Punishment.Whitley Kaufman - 2008 - International Journal of Applied Philosophy 22 (1):37-57.
Punishment and Upbringing: Considerations for an Educative Justification of Punishment.Ido Weijers - 2000 - Journal of Moral Education 29 (1):61-73.
Making Sense of Retributivism.J. Angelo Corlett - 2001 - Philosophy 76 (1):77-110.
Punishment: The Future.David Wood - 2010 - Philosophy Compass 5 (6):483-491. |
0.936646 | Cruelty Free International is an animal protection and advocacy group that campaigns for the abolition of all animal experiments. They organise certification of cruelty-free products which are marked with the symbol of a leaping bunny.
It was founded in 1898 by Irish writer and suffragette, Frances Power Cobbe, as the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection. In 2012, the BUAV joined with the New England Anti-Vivisection Society to establish a new international organisation to campaign against the testing of cosmetics on animals—Cruelty Free International. This was launched by BUAV supporter Ricky Gervais. In 2015, the parent organisation merged into this new organisation, taking its name and branding for all its activities.
Frances Power Cobbe founded the BUAV in 1898.
BUAV was founded on June 14, 1898 by Frances Power Cobbe during a public meeting in Bristol, England. Known at first as the British Union, or "the Union", it campaigned at first against the use of dogs in vivisection, and came close to achieving success with the 1919 Dogs (Protection) Bill, which almost became law. Tentative discussion toward amalgamation with the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS), including during the early 1960s under the contemporary NAVS Committee Secretary, Wilfred Risdon, could not be successfully concluded. In recent years, it successfully lobbied the British government into abolishing the oral LD50 test in the 1990s. The BUAV was also closely involved in the lobbying which led to the adoption in the European Union of the 7th Amendment to the Cosmetics Directive, which effectively banned both the testing of cosmetics products and their ingredients on animals and also the sale of products in the EU which have been animal-tested anywhere in the world.
In recent years, the organisation has focused on a number of new areas, including the promotion of non-animal tested products; the European Union's REACH proposal to test tens of thousands of chemicals on millions of animals; and the use of non-human primates in experimentation. It acts as the secretariat of the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE), established in 1990, and its chief executive, Michelle Thew, acts as chief executive of the coalition.
It helps consumers to identify and purchase products that have not been tested on animals through its Humane Cosmetics and Humane Household Products Standards (HCS and HHPS). These are audited accreditation schemes for retail companies which confirm that neither their products nor their ingredients are tested on animals. These standards are also run in a number of European countries and in the United States. A list of approved companies is available and regularly updated on their website. It also runs a primate sanctuary in Thailand for 50 rescued macaques.
Undercover investigations included the exposure of the breeding and supply of monkeys from Nafovanny in Vietnam for experimentation in Europe and the US. and Covance's contract testing laboratory in Germany. It pursued a judicial review against the Home Office as a result of its findings in the Cambridge investigation. The High Court ruled in support of the Government in three of the four issues, and in favour of the BUAV on one issue, though this was later overturned on appeal with the Home Office awarded costs. Other investigations in 2007 highlighted the primate trade from Malaysia and Spain.
Brown Dog affair, a political controversy about vivisection that raged in Edwardian England from 1903 until 1910.
^ Our history, BUAV, accessed February 6, 2010.
^ The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments Archived 2010-04-10 at the Wayback Machine, accessed February 6, 2010.
^ "Consumer". Go Cruelty Free. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
^ "Report of the Animal Procedures Committee for 2007"
The archives of the BUAV (ref U DBV) are held at the Hull History Centre and details of holdings on its online catalogue. |
0.999772 | Shailesh Deshpande is a Virginia Tech grad who lost his fight to stay after working for several U.S. consulting firms.
New York (CNNMoney) - An immigration system overhaul might finally address a growing problem: America's brain drain.
Smart foreigners who study at U.S. universities - often at taxpayer expense through scholarships - face a tough fight after graduation if they want to stay in the country.
Many share the experience of Shailesh Deshpande, who lost his fight to stay after graduating from Virginia Tech. He returned home to India and is now launching a company there.
"Don't hate me when I take jobs away from U.S. shores," he said. "Blame your government for it."
There's fear U.S. immigration laws could cripple the nation's economic growth. That's why a group of senators this week suggested creating a fast track to award green cards to foreign students in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math).
The current system sets quotas that limit individual countries to no more than 7% of all green cards. That makes it harder for applicants from India or China, compared to applicants from Belgium or Iceland.
Immigrants make up a surprisingly large share of STEM students in Master's and Ph.D programs: more than 40%. The sheer number has ballooned to 205,600 students as of 2011, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement records.
Although federal officials say it's difficult to accurately track how many of them leave, companies and colleges that interact with foreign students say they are increasingly being driven out of the country.
The current system sets quotas that limit individual countries to no more than 7% of all green cards. So, the current system would keep a Pakistani who is doing a masters in Islamic studies but deport a Chinese or Indian who got a Ph.D. in engineering. Why keep so many Muslims who only increase the cost of security? Ludicrous.
You are such a smart individual! 🙂 I am amazed!! 1. A Pakistani who gets Masters in Islamic Studies will not get job in the US job Market, therefore he can not apply for Green Card through job. 2. International Students, who pays a ton to go to college here almost never studies subject like Islamic/Christian/Jewish/Hindu Studies in college, they get degrees in STEM field and that is true for stduent from any countries including Pakistanins. 3. US is not the best place to study Islamic Studies, it is the best place to study Science/Technology/Business etc. I would suggest you to have some brain transpplant to increase the volume and quality of it in your head, I assure you you will be benefitted. And please stop hating Muslims, there are good people, bad people, average people among people from Muslim countries just like like any other religion. Thanks.
My opinion on gun comtroll is that, I think people should be able to have guns, because some people go out hunting,then bring home a bird or something to eat, other people have guns for protection.
I think that if we take out the guns all together, murder and massacre will go down but like drugs, if they are made illegal it might get out of control and maybe increase. I think it really depends on who is on which side and how strongly they feel and if it's enough to take out their anger out on the public. |
0.999887 | The Who's Pete Townshend had a birthday over the weekend, so one of their brilliant tunes will get us going today . . .
A former top energy adviser to President Trump, George David Banks, will lead a new multi-million dollar campaign aimed at limiting the way large investment firms, like BlackRock, influence shareholder resolutions on hot-button issues like climate change.
The focus first will be writing studies and op-eds backing up their positions. In the longer term, they plan to push legislation and reforms at the Securities and Exchange Commission, Banks said.
Quick take: The campaign’s message is that large asset managers like BlackRock and Vanguard Group, which have traditionally been passive investors, yield too much power in the shareholder resolution process at the expense of individual investors.
Big numbers: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has repeatedly said in recent days that the emerging trade compromise with China could pave the way for $40 billion–$60 billion in annual U.S. energy exports.
Context: Nobody disagrees there's lots of room for growth in U.S. shipments to the world's largest oil crude oil importer. China also recently became the second-largest LNG importer. Overall U.S. crude and LNG exports to destinations worldwide are rising.
Yet energy exports to China, which indeed have been rising, would have to grow a lot more to match Mnuchin's claims.
ClearView Energy Partners estimates that total U.S. energy exports to China in 2017 were $6.5 billion, with crude oil accounting for by far the biggest share, followed by smaller amounts of LNG, coal and other materials.
Reuters estimates that U.S. oil-and-gas exports to China were $4.3 billion.
Tesla's Model 3 plan: The New York Times looks at the various high-end versions of the sedan — and the ongoing wait for the mass-market $35,000 version that remains unavailable.
From their piece: "Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, said it was not unusual for companies to produce higher-priced, more profitable models when they start making a new vehicle. But Tesla risks frustrating its customers if the most affordable version isn’t available soon, he said."
The big question: "Is Tesla Abandoning the Mass Market?" asks The Wall Street Journal.
Auto policy: Per Bloomberg, "Automakers urged the White House to cooperate with California officials in a coming rewrite of vehicle efficiency standards, saying 'climate change is real.'"
Two California solar things: Greentech Media has a very comprehensive explainer on the new mandate that requires solar panels for many new single-family and small multi-family buildings, starting in 2020.
And over in our Expert Voices section, Ron Dizy, the managing director of the Advanced Energy Centre at MaRS, argues that the mandate is a bad idea.
"Forcing people to install solar panels may actually exacerbate grid problems, creating negative secondary impacts without meaningfully greening the electricity system," he writes.
Just published: A new peer-reviewed analysis of hundreds of millions of dollars in climate-related funding from a number of major philanthropies from 2011–2015 shows they devoted few resources to pushing carbon capture and none to nuclear power.
Quote"The role that philanthropy plays in guiding our choices related to climate change is understudied and often overlooked."
By the numbers: Nisbet analyzed $567 million in climate and energy funding from 19 major foundations in the half-decade after cap-and-trade legislation collapsed in Congress in 2010. The top-line findings are summarized in the chart above.
"During the post cap-and-trade years, out of 2,502 grants reviewed, not a single grant was awarded for work focused on developing and promoting nuclear energy, and only $1.3 million was granted to support work on carbon capture and storage," states the paper published in the journal WIREs Climate Change.
The big picture: The paper expresses concern about the resource distribution.
"Several expert projections on decarbonizing the world and U.S. economies define an important role for nuclear energy and carbon capture and storage," it states, citing analyses by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and others.
Go deeper: Click here for the whole story in the Axios stream.
Falling costs for renewable energy and distributed resources — like efficiency and battery storage — are making investments in natural-gas-fired power plants increasingly risky, a new analysis concludes.
Why it matters: The Rocky Mountain Institute finds that $112 billion of U.S. gas plants proposed or under construction, and $32 billion worth of proposed pipelines to serve them, are at risk of becoming "stranded assets."
Ratepayers could unnecessarily face billions in "locked in" costs, warns RMI, a low-carbon energy think tank and advocacy group. And, the profitability of existing gas-fired power plants will be increasingly threatened, the report says.
The intrigue: It's a new wrinkle in the idea that falling renewables costs and climate policies will render certain fossil fuel assets uneconomical, leaving owners and investors holding the bag.
The "stranded assets" argument has typically been applied to high-cost or carbon-intensive oil assets, such as oil sands and Arctic reserves, and coal-fired power infrastructure that's already facing economic headwinds.
Yes, but: Natural gas, in contrast, has been a big winner in the evolution of U.S. power markets over the last decade amid the shale boom has brought bountiful and cheap supplies. But things could change in the not-so-distant future, RMI argues.
"[A]cross a wide range of case studies, regionally specific clean energy portfolios already outcompete proposed gas-fired generators, and/or threaten to erode their revenue within the next 10 years."
Go deeper: Forbes takes a closer look here. |
0.964321 | From a simple trellis to an ornate gazebo, an outdoor structure can refresh your space and lend your landscape year-round appeal. Here are four popular options to consider.
Trellis — This vertical garden accent is a basic panel of latticework that’s meant to support climbing plants. Mount one against the wall of a garage or shed to add interest to a bland space. Nurseries and garden centers have many ready-made options, but a trellis is also relatively simple to build on your own.
Arbor — This structure, which usually incorporates trellises, has two sides and an open, slatted roof. Arbors are often used to mark the entry of a patio or other outdoor space, or they can serve as dividers between sections of a garden. Build one that’s a bit deeper and pair it with a bench to create a tunnel-like effect that makes for an intimate seating area. Soften the overall look by training plants like roses or clematis to climb up the sides.
Pergola — More substantial than an arbor, a pergola has pillars and a semi-open top with beams. They’re often used to cover walkways or provide shelter for tables or seating. Attach one to your house to add architectural interest or build one over a patio where you can enjoy the breeze and filtered sun. Weather-resistant cedar is a common building choice for a pergola, though alternatives like vinyl or fiberglass minimize upkeep.
Gazebo — These freestanding structures are usually hexagons or octagons with a domed roof. Often located in spots that take advantage of the view, gazebos are normally open to the elements but can also be screened in to keep insects at bay. |
0.999492 | Was Dwayne Bravo of the Stars a success or a disappointment in BBL|08?
The Melbourne Stars appeared to be cruising to their first Big Bash League championship against the Melbourne Renegades at 0/93, chasing 146 for victory, needing about a run a ball in the remaining five overs to claim victory.
Then disaster struck, panic set in, and before they knew it the dream was over; they had gifted glory to their cross-town rivals, as a bumper crowd in excess of 40,000 cheered the 'Gades home at their Marvel Stadium home ground.
Despite this cruellest of finishes to a season, to go from last in BBL|07 to second in BBL|08 was quite an achievement, particularly so given that at the middle stage of the season the Stars were missing all of Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa, and Peter Handscomb to the Australian short-form set-up as well as Nepalese spin sensation Sandeep Lamichhane to the Bangladesh Premier League T20 domestic competition.
Clearly the stand-out performer this season, Marcus Stoinis was massive for the Stars, particularly with bat and occasionally with the ball. He regularly hit or cleared the boundary, smashing 47 4s and ten 6s on his way to averaging 54.89 with the bat at a Strike Rate of 133.51. In addition, he claimed 14 wickets with 59 dot balls from just 150 balls bowled, averaging a miserly 14.80 runs per wicket, albeit at a high Strike Rate of 8.28. He was Player of the Match in a third of his 12 appearances, and it was no wonder his SuperCoach average was over 35 points per game higher than his nearest teammate.
Sandeep Lamichhane was an incredible find for the Stars, and what they wouldn't have given to have had him available for the full campaign. At season conclusion he had played seven games, claiming 11 wickets at a miserly 6.97 Strike Rate and an average of 16.30, with 68 dots from 154 balls bowled. He regularly bamboozled facing batsmen with his thrilling leg-spin and looms as one of the most in-demand signatures for the BBL|09 season. Replaced by English speedster Liam Plunkett whilst he was playing in the BPL, the Stars would have loved to have had both these imports available at the same time.
Glenn Maxwell's leadership as the BBL|08 season came to a conclusion was a key part of the Stars' ride to the Final, with his batting, bowling, and field placements against first the Sydney Sixers then the Hobart Hurricanes absolutely superb. He lead the way and had exactly the sort of season that he needed to have ahead of the ODI World Cup in England later in 2019, showcasing that his experience and nous will prove invaluable to Australia no matter where he comes in in the order.
Dwayne Bravo might have finished fifth overall in the SuperCoach scoring averages for the Stars, but it's arguable that he could just as easily slide into the top 5 disappointments list. Brought in from his cross-town rivals, he really only had a couple of standout moments and too regularly failed with the bat, with his run-out against the Sixers in the final regular season game absolutely comical.
While their averages were low for their number of appearances, it's hard to place fault in Evan Gulbis' and Seb Gotch's appearances for the Stars - quite simply, they didn't get to the crease all that often with bat or ball, with Gulbis facing just 71 balls from seven innings, two of which he was not out in. Gotch appeared in one more innings, finishing with three not-outs, and 126 runs from 108 balls. Gulbis also bowled a mere three overs in his 12 games, failing to claim a wicket.
Nic Maddinson was unfortunate in that just as he made his maiden century for Victoria he suffered a broken arm, curtailing his inaugural campaign for his new home State and delaying the start to his Big Bash campaign for his new side. In the end, he suited up ten times, getting to the crease in all but one, but with a high score of 19 and a total of 109 runs made from 110 balls at an average sub-20, it was a disastrous debut for the Stars for Maddinson.
Making the Final, there's little doubt Ben Dunk enjoyed the second year of his long-term deal with the Stars more than his debut in green in BBL|07. Statistically, it wasn't much improved. He nearly doubled his average runs per innings, but going from 11.50 to 20.36 is hardly thrilling. His outstanding innings in Moe aside, it was another disappointing season for Dunk.
Switching between multiple formats - Test, ODI, and T20 - must be a tough ask for any player, and it was no surprise to see that Pete Handscomb's form was up and down. When he teed off, he struck it sweet - his Strike Rate of 130.41 from his eight appearances was great, and he was calm behind the stumps, taking three catches and executing two stumpings. Expect him to have Dual Position Player status in SuperCoach in BBL|09.
The priority signing for the Melbourne Stars must be Sandeep Lamichhane. Spinners really came to the fore in BBL|08 - there was the continued excellence of Steve O'Keefe at the Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers' Rashid Khan, his fellow Afghanis 17-year old Mujeeb Ur Rahman debuting strongly in Brisbane and 18-year old Qais Ahmad coming out of nowhere at the end of the season for the Hurricanes. The latter vies with Nepalese 18-year old Lamichhane may loom as the hottest prospect - particularly if they play an entire season - in BB|09.
The conflict between the domestic T20 league and international commitments will once again put the Stars in a bind in future seasons. They definitely want the likes of Stoinis, Maxwell, Zampa, and Handscomb as part of their squad, but the depth needs a lot of work - whereas exciting local youngsters debuted at seemingly every other outfit, the Stars were very reliant upon their experienced foursome. With the likes of Maddinson, Dunk and Bravo not exactly firing on all cylinders, they need some more emerging players - particularly with the willow - to place pressure upon underperforming experienced players. The Stars could also do with a bit of luck with injury, with Maddinson and quick Dan Worrall having delayed starts to their campaigns.
Speaking of which, the question has to be asked - was Ben Dunk's long-term contract a mistake? The Stars must've thought they had secured a reliable performer at the top of the order when they poached him from the Strikers, where in his final season of BBL|06 he struck three 50s on his way to an average of 52 with a Strike Rate of 163.96. Suffice to say, no such heroics for the Stars in his two seasons in green, and the rising 32-year old will need a big BBL|09 season to justify his opening batting position. |
0.999974 | If we were to compare the developments in UK pensions in 2010 to a football match, it might be described as a classic game of two halves – with the half time whistle being blown a little early in May for the General Election.
Unlike most football games, there was a new coalition referee for the second-half who decided that some of the goals in the first half were under review. If fans were feeling a little cheated at this point, they soon got over it as the second half began with a flurry of events, announcements, consultations, surveys, opinions, discussions, guidance, strikes and so on – I even recall someone saying at a meeting in June that they were unable to offer an opinion on the market because they had been on holiday for a week.
With so much having happened in 2010, and as we begin the countdown to Christmas and the New Year, we thought it might be useful to look back, sort the fact from the fiction and offer a post match summary of what actually happened.
Please let us know if we have missed anything out, what’s affected you most or what is likely to go down as the big story of 2010 in years to come – there’s plenty to choose from.
In the first four months of the year, under Gordon Brown’s leadership, the DWP published regulations for Automatic Enrolment and National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) and confirmed that the option to contract out of the additional State Pension into a Defined Contribution pension scheme would be abolished from 6 April 2012.
But did it all matter when, after 6 days of uncomfortable behind-the-scenes negotiations, the Labour Government was replaced by the newly formed Conservative and Lib Deb Coalition on 12th May.
With the new government came a new lineup under David Cameron: George Osborne as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Iain Duncan Smith as Secretary of State for Work & Pensions and Steve Webb as Minister for Pensions.
Some strong statements and intentions followed soon afterwards. IDS was first up with his vision for improving the quality of life by phasing out the default retirement age, ending compulsory annuitisation at age 75 and, from April 2011, the Basic State Pension was to rise by the minimum of prices, earnings or 2.5%, whichever is higher. He also committed to making automatic enrolment and increased pension saving a reality.
Pensions Indexation. From April 2011, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) will be used for the indexation of all benefits, tax credits and public service pensions.
State Pensions and Benefits. From April 2011, the basic State Pension will be uprated by the higher of earnings, prices or 2.5 per cent. CPI will be used as the measure of prices but the basic State Pension will be uprated by the equivalent of RPI in April 2011.
State Pension Age. The Government will review the date at which the State Pension Age rises to 66.
Pensions Tax Relief. The Government will restrict pensions tax relief through an approach involving reform of existing allowances, principally of a significantly reduced annual allowance in the range of £30,000 to £45,000.
Public Service Pensions. An independent commission chaired by John Hutton, formerly Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, will undertake a fundamental structural review of public service pension provision by Budget 2011.
Default Retirement Age. The Government will consult shortly on how it will quickly phase out the Default Retirement Age from April 2011.
Two days later, reviews were announced into the timing of the State Pension Age rise to 66 and how best to implement auto-enrolment.
We all caught our breath for a few months and then, in October, the Government announced that, from April 2011, the annual allowance for tax privileged pension saving will be £50,000 and from April 2012 the lifetime allowance will be £1.5million.
Soon after, the outcome of the independent review into auto-enrolment was published and, separately, the Government announced that the State Pension age would rise from 65 to 66 between December 2018 and April 2020 for both men and women.
Bill Galvin became the new chief executive of tPR from 17 May, replacing Tony Hobman, after five years in charge.
Soon after, guidance was issued on record keeping, monitoring employer support, multi-employer schemes and winding-up. Consultations were launched on transfer incentives and single equality schemes.
From June to September tPR used its powers of enforcement, handing out the first Contribution Notice to the Bonas Group Pension Scheme and a Financial Support Direction to companies connected with the Nortel Group and Lehman Brothers Group.
After four years of operating the Trustee Register, tPR changed the way it assesses the conditions for registration. From 51 firms at the start of the year, it is expected that this number will be considerably less by the year-end.
January and November saw the PPF unveil not one but two Purple books as a revamp took place and those schemes currently in the assessment period were removed.
June was the month the PPF issued new guidance to actuaries completing section 143 valuations and in October a new formula was proposed for calculating the pension protection levy from 2012/13 onwards.
Finally, as the year approached its end, the first scheme (the Paterson Printing Pension Scheme) successfully transferred through the new Assess & Pay Programme, just under 18 months after the company went insolvent.
As we write, the pound is up 4.5% in the year against the Euro and down 3.5% against the dollar, the FTSE 100 sits around the 5750 mark, up 6% on the year, and the benchmark government bond yield has hardly moved compared to a year ago. Wouldn’t it be great if these relatively moderate movements were the result of a number of small predictable steps in one direction throughout the year and we knew what was going to happen next year? If only it was that easy when we agreed our recovery plans.
No doubt many of us will end the year by looking to the future. Will 2011 be the year that EU regulation imposes further funding requirements on defined benefit schemes? How will the rpi/cpi debate play out? Will new rules allow early access to 25% of our pensions savings if we fall ill? How about an ETV mis-selling scandal? Like 2010, a lot could happen. Please let us know what your predictions and concerns might be.
But before you become too paralysed with fear about potential hyper-inflation, the break-up of the European Union, winning the Ashes or never hosting the World Cup, you may wish to consider the words of Mark Twain: “I’ve been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened”. |
0.995134 | Bill, Eric, thanks for joining us.
There has been much attention focused on the role of the state-sponsored militias in Ukraine.
What is the status of democracy and the rule of law in Ukraine on this, the twenty fifth anniversary of Ukraine declaring independence?
A word of explanation is required as to the first part of this question. At the beginning of the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine (the Donbas) and the annexation by Russia of Crimea, in early 2014, the Ukrainian army was in a catastrophic state, and volunteer formations emerged such as the Azov Battalion. These received much attention at the time. Extreme right-wing elements became prominent on both sides of the confict.
Ukraine has now reorganised and re-equipped its armed forces, has introduced five waves of conscription, and Azov and other militias have been incorporated into the regular armed forces of Ukraine.
That said, Ukraine is bedevilled by serious corruption and competition between big business interests, which undermines democracy and the rule of law. Nevertheless, Ukraine is in many respects much more democratic than Russia, there is greater freedom of expression, and serious efforts are being made to reform the legal and judicial systems, and law enforcement.
Здравствуйте Bill! And thank you for helping us understand the hottest conflict in Europe on the hottest summer day in Britain. I'd like to pick up where you leave off -- in fact, precisely with your final sentence.
Certainly the more serious media along with leading NGOs confirm much of what you say. Russia and Ukraine are both wracked with corruption. Both are plagued with some nationalist and far-right movements. Both of them lack any real democratic commitments or serious traditions of human rights. And yet, despite it all, I agree with you that at least some significant portion of Ukrainian society seems dedicated to reform and to improving the rule of law.
A central question then seems to be: How should Europe or the West respond? Perhaps at no time in recent memory has trust in joint Western or NATO leadership been so low. From your concluding sentence are we to deduce that the West should march ahead with strong support for Ukrainian democracy and for its greater integration or affiliation with Europea? Or do we need Realpolitik, sacrificing any high priority for Ukraine in order to appease Russia? Or is there some position in the middle which is not just a vague and flimsy compromise?
There are several words in your last paragraph, Eric, that need unpacking. Surely Russia and Ukraine are both part of "Europe", and, indeed, where does the "West" end or the "East" begin?
Not so long ago the Russian Empire included Poland and Finland, and for a part of the last century Russia occupied a large part of Germany. The greatest Tsar of Russia (Catherine II) was a German princess, and the last Tsars were cousins of the British royal family, who were (are) Germans.
The predecessor of Muscovy, which began its expansion, like England, in the 16th century, was Rus, in what is now Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia were ruled by the Golden Horde, the Tatars, for more than two centuries.
But to return to my first point: Ukraine is, in Andrew Wilson's words, the "unexpected nation", which did not exist before World War II. Now it has just as much a right to exist and flourish as Finland, Poland, or Georgia; or, indeed, former British possessions. Every European state has a vital interest in ensuring that both Ukraine and Russia are stable and prosperous states in which civil liberties and human rights are protected.
If by the "West" we mean the EU, then the EU's future is in some doubt as a result of the Brexit vote. Russia has always been adept in dealing not with the EU but with its member states, especially Germany. Eu sanctions for Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea remain in place, as do Russian sanctions against the EU. But the volume of trade and the pace of economic integration have not diminished substantially.
If by the "West" we mean NATO, then we should remember that NATO was the counterpart of the Warsaw Pact, and a mechanism for mutual defence against the perceived aggressive intentions of the USSR and its allies. In my view NATO lost much credibility when it undertook offensive action against Serbia, and its eastward expansion after the end of the Cold War is understandably viewed with apprehension by Russia.
Europe as a whole has had far too much experience of war in the last centuries, and there can be no military solution. The annexation of Crimea was made possible by the presence, in agreement with Ukraine, of 25,000 Russian troops in Sevastopol, and by the abject failure of Ukraine to resist. The focus now must be on the plight of the indigenous people of Crimea, the Crimean Tatars, whose representative body, the Mejlis, has been closed by Russia, and whose leaders are in exile in Ukraine. The EU Parliament recently adopted a strongly worded resolution on this question, and every way must be found to give the Crimean Tatars support.
Russia does not intend to annex eastern Ukraine, and the worst case scenario is that Donetsk and Luhansk will become "frozen conflicts", like Transnistria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
But there are powerful voices in Russia proclaiming that Ukraine has no right to exist as an independent state. In my view the proper answer is to build links with the sections of Russian society which insist that Russia's future is in stronger engagement with European institutions such as the Council of Europe and OSCE.
Russia will soon celebrate 20 years since its ratification of the European Convention on Human Rights, under its 1993 Constitution which enshrines human rights, civil liberties and the primacy of international law. Britain and Russia have rather too much in common in their attitude to the ECHR. So we in civil society have a common platform!
You raise many crucial points Bill. I'll need to focus on just a few, but do let me know if I'm overlooking important elements.
I agree entirely with the history you recount. "West" and "East" are indeed largely Cold War constructs. Those words have represented at best fluid borders (and not just in Europe). You're right to recall that whether or how we draw such lines depends much on whether we're talking land, culture, rule, and so forth. Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov seem to have struggled in drawing those boundaries as much as we do today.
On the other hand would you not agree that, however arbitrary may be their origins, current nationalisms are rendering these divisions very real? Indeed à propos contemporary nationalisms: as a staunch "Remainer" (cf. my previous discussion thread on this website), I have strongly advocated Britain's leading role in a European Union of open borders. Although I suspect you mean the observation ironically, should we be equating Britain's Euro-scpeticism, which admittedly includes confusions with and hostilities towards the ECHR, with Russia's attitudes towards human rights? Sexual minorities, to mention but one set of targets, might well decline to do so.
But back to your proposal. Of course I agree we need to build links. I've been involved in a few myself, always with enormous personal and professional satisfaction. But "let's engage more" seems like a weary old game, particularly when dissidents find themselves ever more restricted in their activities and at ever greater personal and professional risk.
These problems force us to look more closely at Russia's dominant politics. Many voices would join you in claiming that "eastward expansion after the end of the Cold War is understandably viewed with apprehension by Russia." Well, yes, "understandably" in the sense that we can easily find Russian nationalists who dislike it, and who are less bothered by critical examinations of their histories than we in -- yes, "the West"! -- are very rightly expected to be. But I guess I'm less interested in what can be "understood" (we can pretty much explain, or indeed explain away, whatever we like) and more in what can be justified.
All of the historical context is definitely important, but it is also interesting that we continue to assess Ukraine in relation to Russian standards.
And it doesn't seem to address the issue of the militias, both in terms of the implications of a state hiring militias to squash opposing factions and the danger of militias then turning on a supposedly western government. Already we see them influencing public discourse, creating terror and conflict at peaceful gatherings.
Can there be rule of law or democracy in a state that empowers radicals?
You hit the nail on the head! Both Ukraine and Russia suffer from radical nationalists, in both cases homophobic and anti-semitic. Fanatics on both sides, especially people who like weapons, are attracted to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
I have been working in Ukraine since 1992 (in Russia since 1983), and from the start it was noticeable that in Kyiv and much of Ukraine people speak Russian and Ukrainian without even thinking about which language they are speaking. My first visit was to Donetsk, and I returned there several times, most recently in 2011. Ethnicity and language were not issues. Religion is the more divisive issue in much of Ukraine. But the beautiful city of Odessa is still a great Jewish city, and on the last two occasions, in the last year, that I have travelled to Ukraine, the plane has been full of Hasidic Jews, travelling to their place of pilgrimage in the city of Uman in Ukraine.
There have been occasional anti-semitic disturbances. On 25 September 2011, a protest rally of about 100 people was held by the nationalist All-Ukrainian Union "Svoboda" to demand 'stricter legal and sanitary controls on pilgrims' and better regulation of Hasidim pilgrims in the interest of risks to local security and health! These are the notorious far-right and anti-semitic groupings which became rather prominent at the time of the "Maidan revolution" in early 2014. But I repeat that they have few supporters in Ukraine and make no headway in elections.
The "hot" nationalists mainly come from western Ukraine, from Galicia, which was never part of Ukraine until after WW II. The city of Lviv, Galicia's capital, was before the War the city of Lvov, in Poland, and its population was predominantly Jewish and Polish. Before that it was called Lemburg, in Austria-Hungary. Before that it was in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. There are now very few Jews or Poles. But some very "hot" anti-Russian nationalists. When I was there in 2000 there were serious proposals by the municipality to organise vigilantes to prevent the sale of Russian language literature or the playing of Russian popular music. This is the fertile soil from which the militias sprouted. Anti-Russian and anti-semitic populism go hand and hand with veneration for Nazi collaborators.
There is no evidence that the neo-fascists who organised the provocation referred to in your link in February this year had been hired by the state, they have not brought down the government, and Roman Stoika their leader has been on the wanted list since 2015 - see http://www.unian.info/society/1112886-zakarpattias-right-sector-leader-put-on-wanted-list.html.
The far right is active in every country in Europe including the UK. What is noticeable is that, as Anton Shekhovtsov has reported, far-right representatives from a number of Western European countries have been recruited by Russia to give credibility, as "observers", to the annexation of Crimea and separatism in Donbas. See for example http://anton-shekhovtsov.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/pro-russian-extremists-observe.html.
It's true, Bill, that nationalisms can be found all over the West, right down to Noway and Denmark, which can be called more-or-less impotent at their most extreme ends. Of course, states like those two also have the longstanding and powerful counterweights of citizen-democracy, well-managed economies, high standards of living and social welfare, along with fierce commitments to human rights and the rule of law.
Russia and Ukraine have counterweights of their own, though of a rather different vintage. The more benign moments of Russian Tsarism, then Soviet dictatorship, supplied counterweights to extreme nationalist or separatist types of movements, albeit simply aimed at maintaining order at all costs, in order to shore up absolute power. Abracadabra: Putin's "sovereign democracy" turns out to look strikingly similar.
In a nutshell, I'm not sure all observers would feel complacent about Russian or Ukrainian nationalisms. But even if we accept this idea that they bark more than they bite, I'm not sure I'd equate their nationalisms (let alone some of their horrific racism, sexism, homophobia, and perhaps more antisemitism than we're admitting here) with Western European analogues.
So I'm still wondering: What should the West do? Getting back to your proposal, there's a long history of the West using soft civil-society and cultural initiatives to counter regimes egregiously flaunting human rights -- almost always failures. I'm not saying the choice is only between war on the one hand and wishy-washiness on the other. I'm just asking: Is wishy-washy the best the West can offer? |
0.999602 | Article: More and more people email and call us asking if http://shell-ng.org/default.htm is the real Shell Nigeria website.
Short Answer: No, it isn't. UPDATE: Following our official communication with Shell, the domain http://shell-ng.org has been shut down on July 13, 2007. You can still view some snapshots below, at the Supporting Documentation information - see bottom of the page.
!!! This information is Oil Offshore Marine's Research Work and it is protected by exclusive copyright; you can of course read it but you cannot copy it without our written authorization. If you wish to take any information and use it for online websites or printed materials, all you need to do is send us an email and we'll authorize you, free of charge, to use it; we will issue a written authorization - lacking a written authorization from Oil Offshore Marine, you are simply breaking the copyright laws and you shall be liable to us for copyright infringement and any damages.
Based on our research and analysis of all available information, we had assessed that http://shell-ng.org/default.htm is a daring copy of http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=nigeria.
1. http://shell-ng.org/default.htm is a website with no REAL background whatsoever.
3. When you go to the address, your browser will indicate: "22 pop-ups blocked" and you'll also be notified the http://shell-ng.org/default.htm website is a virus-land.
4. At the shell-ng.org contact page, that is, http://shell-ng.org/shell_nigeria__contact_us.htm, the job scammers indicate fake addresses and dangerous emails. Do NOT use any of these, as they are all belonging to SCAMMERS. Go here if you want to contact Shell Nigeria. There is a BIG difference between Shell Nigeria's real contact details and those indicated by the scammers, isn't it?
7. This copied website, http://shell-ng.org, even tries to offer some "legitimate" support to a so called recruitment agency, Amigo Recruitment Agency. See here, bottom of the page: http://shell-ng.org/shell_nigeria__contact_us.htm. This action was made with an obvious purpose: to allow Amigo Recruitment Agency to pretend they are working for Shell and to direct any potential jobseekers to ... you guessed, to exactly this page http://shell-ng.org/shell_nigeria__contact_us.htm and tell them "See, we are even mentioned on Shell Nigeria webpage, thus you can trust us!"
8. Let's share a secret: the same guys that copied the Real Shell Nigeria website and put a fake site on http://shell-ng.org are THE SAME guys behind Amigo Recruitment Agency.
9. Print Screens containing the proofs can be found below.
10. Should we continue? Guess not. We've made our case. If in doubt, please refer to Oil Offshore Marine Beware Job Scams Info or contact us for free advice.
For all the above reasons, it is obviously clear that the intent of the scammers was to steal Shell's corporate identity (which they did by copying an entire website), to claim that they represent Shell, and to use Shell's name for FRAUD purposes wishing to obtain illegal gains.
Attention: The information on Shell Nigeria http://shell-ng.org [the job scammers copied the information from the real Shell Nigeria website, www.shell.com] OR coming from shellnig[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], is completely false, inaccurate, and misleading. These are all FAKES designed to fool the jobseekers.
Oil Offshore Marine has officially informed Shell and Shell Nigeria about this situation. UPDATE: Following our official communication with Shell, the domain http://shell-ng.org has been shut down on July 13, 2007. |
0.933742 | What about the chemical time bombs in our midst?
Chemical weapons are made by many nations in the world, including our own. Who has them, who gets them and how they are used is a kind of war roulette.
Another kind of bio-terrorism game is local and national, and I don't see the president lobbying the Monsanto shills in Congress to stop the use of chemical pesticides akin to 2-4D, a warfare defoliant (Agent Orange) used for some genetically modified organisms.
GMO's are time bombs in our bodies and genetic land mines in our soil. They're contaminating our seed bank, adding more poison to agriculture, impacting human and animal health every day of every year wherever they are planted and sprayed.
Has the chemical haze of bombing aggression blinded Congress and the president's view of the seeds of destruction being sown in our own killing fields at home? |
0.95128 | As in the title. Describe a voter who went for Alf Landon in 1936 but Lyndon Johnson in 1964. This shouldn't be that hard.
Many voters in Vermont and Maine and Northeast in general who were fiscally conservative but socially moderate or liberal who didn't care for Goldwater or what was going in the South at that time.
Alf Landon himself most likely.
About 1/3rd of Northern black voters?
Given just how much Northeastern and New England states swung, there had to have been some in those states. It couldn't all be attributed to voters dying/new ones coming of age/in- and out-migration.
A moderate, progressive Republican who was young in 1936. Probably a Republican from Maine, or Vermont.
Alf Landon was NOT a mossback conservative; he was a moderately progressive Republican. His legacy is reflected in his daughter, moderate Republican Nancy Landon Kassebaum, an FF if there ever was one. |
0.999987 | Why are quantum computers fast? Magic states are a special ingredient, or resource, that allows quantum computers to run faster than traditional computers.
Everyday resources are things like food, water and energy. They are resources for life and without them we could not exist. They are valuable and often scarce.
Magic is a resource for quantum computing. Without magic, a device is no better than any other piece of traditional computing equipment. More precisely, a computing device without magic could be emulated by a traditional computer at essentially the same speed (at most a polynomial overhead). To run a quantum computer, magic must be consumed like fuel, and so must be continually replenished. Harnessing magic within the laboratory is difficult and yet essential, and so many practical problems in building quantum computers can be cast in the language of quantifying and creating magic. Specifically, magic appears naturally in the design of protocols for protecting quantum computers against noise.
Magic is contained within the qubits of a quantum computer, which are said to be in a magic state. This may sound abstract but is the same language we use for energy. For instance, an electron can be in a highly excited and energetic state or in its ground state. But the concept of energy is not tied to electrons. Any material thing can hold energy. In principle, anything can be in a magic state. But magic states are a quantum state of matter, and so mainly relevant on the quantum scale of individual electrons, photons and atoms.
Other wacky quantum resources include entanglement and coherence. Other scientists have argued that the secret behind quantum computers is actually entanglement, coherence or some other resource. But thinking about magic provides a unique perspective. There are entangled states and coherent superposition states that are not magical, and using only these states will give no quantum speed-up over traditional computing. To me, this signals that thinking about magic states teaches us something that is missed when we learn about entanglement or coherence.
The bloch sphere representation of a single qubit. The six red points are called stabiliser states: the north and south poles are the and states; the four states on the equator are (upto normalisation) , , and . These stabiliser states have no magic. Mixed, or noisy, states reside on the interior of the sphere, with zero-magic states forming an eight sided shape called an octahderon. For states outside the octahderon, the amount of magic increases with the distance from the octahderon.
The advantage of this particular way of measuring magic is that it has several nice practical applications. For instance, we can write software for a traditional computer that will emulate a quantum computer with a runtime that scales with the amount of magic (as measured in this particular way). Fortunately, this quantity grows exponentially with the number of magic states. But this does tell us that a little bit of magic isn’t enough, it is needed in large quantities for there to be a quantum speed-up.
Given a qubit protected from noise in an error correcting code, we can usually only prepare stabiliser states (with zero magic) while retaining this protection. So preparing a magic state is subject to noise, but we want pure noise-free magic states to fuel a reliable quantum computation. In the first paper to use the phrase “magic state”, Bravyi and Kitaev showed how to distill two different types of single qubit magic state. The suggestive language is used because the process is analogous to the distillation of alcoholic beverages. One starts with a lot of qubits, each with a small amount of magic, and distillation produces a smaller quantity of more potent magic states. The distillation process does not create any magic but rather concentrates it.
Magic state distillation is an area where I have made a number of contributions over many years. I will list some highlights in the following subsections.
In a series of papers, I worked on the first protocols for distillation in the qudit setting of quantum computing.
The NJP paper dealt only with qutrits (three level systems). The latter two papers took advantage of quantum Reed-Muller codes and provided protocols for larger qudits (with a prime number of levels). |
0.999449 | Talk about a timely show, given our prickly political season: 1776 has been staged by Dramaworks in a stirring, “reimagined” version with top notch acting and singing talent. It is THE musical of the year in South Florida. The show was written during its own contentious times, the Vietnam conflict, and also when the musical theatre was in a lengthy transition period, the days of Rodgers & Hammerstein in the past and at the dawning of the age of Sondheim, with Hamilton lying in the future. I mention these as there is a dotted line to all.
However 1776 stands on its own as an innovative musical and although it has some long dramatic stretches between musical numbers, its inspired songs fit perfectly with “the book.” It is in the tradition of some of Broadway’s best since Rodgers & Hammerstein changed the course of musical theater. And now Dramaworks has augmented it with several innovative concepts, including a clever opening, the cast in modern dress, clutched to their smart phones and iPads, images of MSNBC and FOX news and important moments of electioneering history projected in the background, wondering whether political acrimony has always been the norm in America. Costume changes on stage bring them into the Continental Congress and so begins the journey of discovering that the here and now is not that dissimilar to the then and there.
1776 portrays our founding fathers as real people. It was conceived by Sherman Edwards who at one time taught high school history and wrote the music and lyrics. The brilliant book was written by Peter Stone who chronicles the event with dazzling drama, tenderness, and abundant comic elements. There are the blue and red states, each with axes to grind, federalism vs. state’s rights, but, debate, commitment and compromise inexorably drive the production’s calendar pages to July 4, 1776 so we all know how it ends. The show is about how we get there. Suffice it to say, one wonders whether we would have a nation at all if today’s dysfunctional congress was arguing the case.
It invites comparison to today’s musical sensation, Hamilton, which we were fortunate enough to see last year. Hamilton’s “room where it happened” is about a grand compromise - the assumption of debt by a new national bank in exchange for placing the capitol on the Potomac whereas 1776’s “room where it happened” is about another grand compromise, striking the slavery clause for unanimity on signing the Declaration of Independence: two monumental moments in American History, two outstanding musicals on the subject, both ageless in their own right.
That was Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hat tip to 1776 and its opening number “Sit Down, John,” the lyrics which immediately grab you and bring you into the show, establishing its central character, an impassioned John Adams vs. the hot and tired Continental Congress and the themes of discord that run throughout the musical to its ultimate resolution.
John Adams is compellingly played by Gary Cadwallader, the only actor in the show who has a singular role. He is on stage almost during the entire show -- a bravura performance! Most of the other actors play characters from the liberal and conservative sides of the aisle. Necessity was the mother of a creative solution of staging this play with “only” 13 actors instead of the original show’s 26 and even having some of the female cast members play male roles, seamlessly, convincingly – sort of the same way the audience of Hamilton adjusts immediately to its multicultural cast. This conceit of playing parts from both sides of the aisle also challenges the confirmation bias that tends to permeate political views.
Never shying from having to be “politically correct,” the satirical song “Cool, Cool, Considerate Men” elegantly portrays the right-wing members of Congress doing a minuet around the lyric "never to the left ... forever to the right." It was originally cut from the film version of 1776 because of pressure from Richard Nixon through the producer, Jack Warner. The song is led by the conservative leader from South Carolina, John Dickinson, delectably played by Nicholas Richberg. His other part is Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, singing the “deliciouslee,” “compellinglee” memorable “Lees of Old Virginia” with “hilaritee.” It is a show stopper and Richberg is a very talented young actor whose professional future is assured.
Allegedly Nixon also wanted to excise the song "Momma Look Sharp," a plea from a dying soldier to his mother. Again, it helps to put the musical in the context of the times: the Vietnam War. This song was not cut. It captures the heartbreak and misery of war on a very personal level and you can hear a pin drop when it is hauntingly sung by the courier played by Mallory Newbrough, yet another young rising star. She also plays the passionate wife of Thomas Jefferson singing “He Plays the Violin” with exuberance and joy, dancing with Adams and Franklin. Remarkably she also has the minor role of George Washington reciting some of his dispatches to Congress.
“Molasses to Rum” is a powerful piece about the struggle to include an antislavery clause in the Declaration of Independence which the northern states capitulated on to make the final compromise. The song incorporates auctioneer’s sounds of slave markets, and links ties to the northern states in the practice of slavery thus encapsulating the hypocrisy. It has to be one of the most devastating songs ever written about slavery, and its economics and pain. We wondered who could bring the voice and emotion to this song like the great John Cullum did in the original stage and film version, and fortunately the show has the experienced Carbonell Award recipient Shane R. Tanner to play Edward Rutledge of South Carolina who is definitely up to the task and the comparison. He also plays Dr. Josiah Bartlett representing New Hampshire.
One of my favorite songs from the show is “Is Anybody There?” -- a lament sung by John Adams (Gary Cadwallader). While his sentiments come from the Adams’ letters to his wife Abigail, the title is from the dispatches sent by the weary George Washington to the Congress without action or reply.
Although he is separated from his wife throughout the convening of the Congress in Philadelphia, she appears on stage for duets with Adams, always very dramatic and touching, their correspondence to song. Abigail Adams is wonderfully depicted by four-time Carbonell nominee Laura Hodos who has a Broadway-class voice and seems ideally paired with Cadwallader. Her duet with him “Yours, Yours, Yours,” is heartbreakingly beautiful as they conclude the song with “Till then, till then/I am as I ever was and ever was/And ever shall be/Yours, yours, yours, yours, yours.” She also plays the critical role of John Hancock, the President of the Second Continental Congress, excelling in that role as well.
Special mention goes to Allan Baker who plays the sometimes cynical and often bawdy, but always pragmatic and influential Ben Franklin as well as Clay Cartland who convincingly plays the aristocratic Tom Jefferson, pining for his wife and suffering from writer’s block until she appears. Mr. Cartland also plays Georgia’s Dr. Lyman Hall. The rest of the cast, without exception is terrific: Kevin Healey, Sandi Stock, Troy J. Stanley, Matthew Korinko, James Berkley, and Michael Collins (providing much hilarity as New York State’s Lewis Morris who repeats "New York abstains....respectfully” to all motions).
The musical numbers reminded me of Sondheim with their harmony and internal rhymes. There is a touch of Gilbert and Sullivan as well. These are not the songs one immediately remembers as so many of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s, but they get under your skin and I find myself today while writing this review thinking about them and even singing (in my mind) Martha Jefferson’s “I hear his violin/And I get that feeling within/And I sigh, oh I sigh/He draws near, very near/And it's hi-hi-hi-diddle diddle/And it's goodbye to the fiddle/My strings are unstrung/Hi-hi-hi-hi/I'm always undone.” Just brilliant lyrics set to a wonderful waltz melody.
As a fully formed musical, the set and the costumes were critical, especially with frequent costume changes and the limited space on the stage. Scenic designer Michael Amico emphasizes functionality above all because of the space and large cast. Brian O'Keefe’s costumes were equally functional, period perfect, and numerous. In one scene there are actually 31 quick-change of costumes! Lighting design is by John Hall, and video design is by Sean Lawson. Michelle Petrucci is choreographer and assistant director. Sound design by Brad Pawlak adds an additional layer of drama to the production. James Danford, Dramaworks’ always dependable stage manager, shows his expertise in keeping all these moving parts together.
The musical director Craig D. Ames, who doubles as an extraordinary keyboardist, brought out the best in this talented cast and his five piece combo sounded more like a full orchestra. 1776 is a must see, not only for its relevancy, but simply because it is one of the preeminent Tony Award-winning American musicals and “reimagined” and presented perfectly by Dramaworks. |
0.999967 | What are some of the best, growing careers in sustainability, or "green jobs" as they are often called? This job sector certainly is growing rapidly, and for those looking for some great opportunities, there are many to be had. The following are just five examples of this particular rapidly growing sector right now.
Our planet's atmosphere is one area of great interest today, as it is the Earth's shield against the unlivable and extreme conditions of space. Space, in the meantime, is also an incredibly important area of growing study, as it can help to answer questions of terrestrial and extra-terrestrial nature alike. For anyone interested in both of these areas of great horizons and importance, the career of an atmospheric and space scientist may be just the right fit. This professional essentially studies all things related to these areas and ultimately tries to find answers to planetary longevity and other concerns of the like.
Today's environmental attorney is another example of a potentially high-reward career in sustainability. Environmental attorneys represent the interests of a clean and responsibly cared for Earth. In doing this, they also represent any number of clients lobbying for these particular goals in some shape or form.
Those wanting to work in this role can find opportunities in government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, non-profit organizations, and even businesses and private citizens themselves. In addition, there are many other related careers that work alongside this particular attorney and toward the exact same goals. These include paralegals, office managers, consultants, legal researchers, and others.
Environmental engineers use engineering practices to address environmental issues faced by any number of clients and in any number of situations and locations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Environmental engineers use the principles of engineering, soil science, biology, and chemistry to develop solutions to environmental problems. They are involved in efforts to improve recycling, waste disposal, public health, and water and air pollution control." To gain entry, a bachelor's degree is the only core requirement one must have.
Lobbyists are people who professionally lobby, or try to convince lawmakers and others of important position in society to commit to certain ideas, laws, and other actions the lobbyist is pushing for. Environmental lobbyists specifically work to convince lawmakers and others of policies and the like that would benefit the environment or even parties who may actively benefit the environment themselves. This environmental career may be found under a variety of names and job descriptions across the various industries.
Finally, no list covering sustainability-based careers would be complete without mention of the sustainability officer. These special managers oversee certain aspects or even the entirety of the sustainability goal of many companies. Items of oversight might include proper disposal of company waste, recycling programs, water runoff management, eco-friendly processes and material sourcing, and more. These officers range in power held over other employees directly, but are all, nonetheless, quite important.
Sustainability is something everyone is gradually getting onboard with. As this happens, the job choices involving sustainability and eco-consciousness will continue to grow in demand. The above-mentioned growing careers in sustainability are just a handful of examples of this vast job sector at present time. |
0.999998 | Cite this article as: Soufizadeh R, Kazemian M. Goltz- Gorlin Syndrome: Report of Two Cases. Ann Clin Case Rep. 2016; 1: 1205.
Goltz-Gorlin syndrome or Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) is an infrequent multisystemic disease that is inherited in a dominant autosomal pattern, which shows a high level of penetrance and variable expressiveness. The syndrome is associated with multiple Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumors (KCOT) in 90% of cases. In addition to jaw cysts, multiple basal cell carcinomas and skeletal anomalies are common findings. KCOTs associated with this syndrome can be seen in both maxilla and mandible but there is more tendencies to posterior mandible and the recurrence rate is more than nonsyndromic cases.
In this article we describe two patients with diagnosis of Goltz-Gorlin syndrome, its typical findings and finally we discuss about the treatment method used for jaw cysts and the outcome of 1 year follow-up.
Goltz-Gorlin syndrome or Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) is an infrequent multisystemic disease that is inherited in a dominant autosomal pattern, which shows a high level of penetrance and variable expressiveness. In 1894, Jarisch and White made the first descriptions of patients with this syndrome, highlighting the presence of multiple basal cell carcinomas. Then in 1960, Robert W Goltz and Robert J Gorlin described a triad of signs of this disease including; multiple nevoid basal cell carcinomas, multiple jaw keratocysts and bifid ribs [1,2]. Pathogenesis of the syndrome is attributed to abnormalities in the long arm of chromosome 9 (q22.3-q31) and loss of, or mutations of human patched gene (PTCH1 gene) .
The syndrome is associated with multiple Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumors (KCOT) in 90% of cases. In addition to jaw cysts, multiple basal cell carcinomas and skeletal anomalies are common findings. Skeletal findings are; bifid ribs, vertebral anomalies, bossing of frontal and temporoparietal region, hypertelorism, palmar and plantar pit and fissures, Calcification of falx cerebri, ocular and centeral nervous system lesions, cleft lip and palate, mandibular prognathism and in some rare cases the ovarian fibroma . KCOTs associated with this syndrome can be seen in both maxilla and mandible but there is more tendencies to posterior mandible and the recurrence rate is more than nonsyndromic cases . In this article we describe two patients with diagnosis of Goltz-Gorlin syndrome, typical findings of it and finally we discuss about the treatment method used for jaw cysts and the outcome of 1 year follow-up.
A 15 years old boy by a chief complain of pain in dental region referred to dentist and an Orthopantomogram (OPG) asked for him. In the OPG of patient the multiple jaw lesions has been diagnosed and patient has been referred to Mashhad dental faculty. In clinical examination, the patient had a slight frontal and temporal bossing. There were no hypertelorism but he had unibrow. There was no pigmented lesion in any region of patient’s body (Figure 1).
In OPG (Figure 2), radiolucent lesions related to bilateral mandibular and right maxillary impacted third molars were observed. In the left maxilla second and third molars were impacted. In the right mandible, radiolucent lesion with well defined and cortical border and large extension from sigmoid notch to apical region of distal root of right 1st molar was observed that led to displacement of impacted third molar to the gonial angle. Also in the left side of mandible there was a well defined radiolucent lesion with cortical border in relation to impacted third molar that was 14*7mm dimensions. There was a slight tooth bud displacement in this region. And in the right side of maxilla there was a radiolucent, well defined with cortical border lesion related impacted third molar that was caused the displacement of the tooth. In the skull radiography, calcification of Falx cerebri was observed in form of radiopaque lines in the center of the skull which is a typical view of this syndrome (Figure 3).
Histopathological evaluation of jaw lesions revealed cystic wall with ulcerated areas, squamous epithelium and wavy parakratine. According to these findings, the diagnosis was Keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT).
Treatment plan for the patient was including the prophylactic removal of impacted left maxillary teeth, removal of impacted third molars with enucleation of related KCOT in the left mandibular and right maxillary region and marsupialization of the right mandibular cyst. Marsupialization was done by creating a window in the epithelium of cyst and suturing it to the surrounding periosteum and then to keep it open by an acrylic obturator with a process extended to the cyst was made. Patient followed every month and at third month, an OPG was taken that revealed calcification of surgical site in left side of mandible and decompression of cyst followed by upward movement of impacted third molar in right side of mandible (Figure 4). No new lesions seen on the provided image.
A 21 years old man with chief complains of pain and swelling of lower jaw came and an OPG was ordered. In his OPG there were multiple radiolucent lesions in both mandible and maxilla (Figure 5). In clinical examination, the patient had a slight frontal bossing but there was no hypertelorism. Also he had pigmented lesions in multiple sites of his body. He had unibrow too (Figure 6). In the panoramic and cone-beam computed tomography (Figure 7), there were radiolucent lesions in 3 sites of jaws; right ramus and retromolar of mandible, left retromolar of the mandible and distal of right maxillary 2nd molar. There were no impacted teeth and the patient had no third molars. In the right side of mandible, the radiolucent lesion was in the distal of 2nd molar and posterior extension to mandibular ramus. The lesion had a shape like clover leaves with well defined and cortical border and approximate dimensions of 30*10mm that was caused bone perforation in retromolar region. In the left side of mandible, there was a radiolucent lesion in the distal of 2nd molar with well-defined and cortical border and approximate dimension of 16*20mm. This lesion was extended posterior to the anterior of ramus. In the right maxillary, a radiolucent lesion in the distal of 2nd molar with welldefined and cortical border and approximate dimension of 28*25mm. This lesion was extended anteroposteriorly and in the anterior extension, was invaded into the maxillary sinus. Also, buccal cortex of maxilla in distal of 2nd molar was destroyed completely. PA skull radiography was obtained in which the calcification of falx cerebri was observed (Figure 8) and in the chest radiography, there was no bifid rib (Figure 9).
Surgery of jaw lesions were performed under general anesthesia. In maxilla the radiolucent lesion enucleated completely and due to involvement of surrounding bone, the 2nd molar extracted too. In mandible, the treatment plan was to marsupialization of cystic lesion in both sides, so a window in the epithelium of cystic lesions was made and kept open by using an acrylic obturator in both sides. Histopathologic diagnosis of all three regions was KCOT.
Also we did a biopsy from skin lesion of facial region and the histopathologic diagnosis of it was Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC). The patient followed up monthly and OPG taken at 3rd month after surgery showed the calcification in right maxillary region and reduce in size of mandibular lesions. The patient referred to a dermatologist for treatment of skin lesions.
No pigmented lesion in any region of patient’s body.
In OPG, radiolucent lesions related to bilateral mandibular and right maxillary impacted third molars were observed. In the left maxilla second and third molars were impacted.
The skull radiography, calcification of Falx cerebri was observed in form of radiopaque lines in the center of the skull which is a typical view of this syndrome.
OPG there were multiple radiolucent lesions in both mandible and maxilla.
From left (Left mandibular cyst, right maxillary cyst and right mandibular cyst).
PA skull radiography was obtained in which the calcification of falx cerebri was observed.
In the chest radiography, there was no bifid rib.
The Gorlin syndrome has diagnostic features such as multiple jaw KCOTs, NBCC, calcification of falx cerebri, palmar and plantar pit and fissure, bifid ribs, hypertelorism, frontal and temporal bossing and etc there were KCOT in two side of mandible in our first case and two side of mandible and right side of maxilla in the second case and also there was calcification of falx cerebri in both cases. These findings were similar to the diagnostic findings of Kavoosi and colleagues . According to Habibi and colleagues average age of diagnosis of Gorlin syndrome in Iranian population is 35/12 years . which in our cases it was lower (15 years old in case 1 and 21 years old in case 2). Multiple KCOTs is the primary diagnostic symptom of this syndrome, as in our both cases.
According to Habibi and colleagues, there were multiple KCOTs in all of 19 cases they studied according to Gonzalez et al. . These cysts are more willing to engage mandible. Which It was observed in our patients too (Figure 1 and 6). According to Habibi et al , the calcification of falx cerebri exists in 89% of Iranian population suffering from this syndrome which was observed in our both patients. Multiple Basal cell carcinoma usually appears in puberty or the second and third decades of life , in our first case there was no skin lesion but the second patient had multiple skin lesions on his face and upper limb that biopsy from facial lesions revealed BCCs. KCOT treatment depends on several factors, including age, size and location and extension of lesion, perforation of cortical bone and invasion to soft tissue [6,10]. According to this, treatments are generally classified as conservative or aggressive; Conservative treatment generally includes simple enucleation- with or without curettage, or marsupialization. Aggressive treatment generally includes peripheral ostectomy, chemical curettage with Carnoy’s solution, cryotherapy, or electrocautery and resection . Different recurrence rates have been reported with each of these methods. According to study of Kaczmaryc et al. on the choice of treatment method and recurrence rate of jaw lesions, the lowest recurrence rate was in resection and the highest rate was in enucleation (with or without adjunct therapy). Also, according to Titinchi and colleagues, recurrence rate of KCOT is reported 29/2% that in their study, the highest recurrence was associated with marsupialization . In our first patient that we did enucleation in right maxilla and left mandible and marsupialization in right side of mandible for treatment of KCOT, in 10 month follow-up period, there was no recurrence and the size of right mandibular lesion was reduced.
In 18 months follow-up period of our second patient, there was no recurrence in maxilla which was treated by enucleation. In the mandibular lesions, according to OPG radiographies taken 3,6 and 12 months after surgery,the lesions was progressing towards healing but in OPG taken at month 18, the radiolucency was a little increased. So we requested a CBCT from both side of mandible and according to it, lesion’s size was reduced but the cysts needed enucleation that was done by a second surgery.
Gorlin-Goltz syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disorder that involves multiple organ systems and if it be diagnosed as early as possible, there is the possibility of more effective treatment and prevention of some findings. So in suspected cases of this syndrome, Counseling and referral to other related specialties for a more comprehensive diagnostic evaluation is recommended.
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Kaczmarzyk T, Mojsa I, Stypulkowska J. A systematic review of the recurrence rate for keratocystic odontogenic tumour in relation to treatment modalities. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2012; 41: 756-767. |
0.979603 | Albert Einstein (March 14 1879 - April 18 1955) was a theoretical physicist, with considerable applied mathematical abilities, who is widely regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th century. He proposed the theory of relativity and also made major contributions to the development of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics and cosmology. He was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect and "for his services to Theoretical Physics".
After his general theory of relativity was formulated, Einstein became world-famous, an unusual achievement for a scientist. In his later years, his fame exceeded that of any other scientist in history, and in popular culture, Einstein has become synonymous with someone of very high intelligence or the ultimate genius. His face is also one of the most recognizable the world-over. In 1999 Einstein was named "Person of the Century" by Time Magazine.
In his honor, a unit used in photochemistry, the einstein, as well as the chemical element einsteinium were named after him.
Einstein was born in 1879 at Ulm in Württemberg, Germany, about 100 km east of Stuttgart. His parents were Hermann Einstein, a featherbed salesman who later ran an electrochemical works, and his wife, née Pauline Koch. Although from a non-observant Jewish family, Albert attended a Catholic elementary school and, at the insistence of his mother, was also given violin lessons during his youth. At five years of age, his uncle showed him a pocket compass, and he realized that something in "empty" space acted upon the needle. He built models and mechanical devices for fun, but was considered a slow learner as a child by some, possibly due to dyslexia or simply because of his shyness. (He later credited his development of the theory of relativity to this slowness, saying that by pondering space and time later than most children, he was able to apply a more developed intellect.) He began to learn mathematics at about age twelve. There is a recurring rumor that he failed math later on in his education, but this is not true; it was caused by a change in the way grades were assigned leading to confusion years later. Two of his uncles fostered his intellectual interests during his late childhood and early adolescence by suggesting and providing books on science and math.
Following the failure of his father's electrochemical business, in 1894 the Einsteins moved to Pavia, Italy (near Milan) from Munich. Albert remained in Munich to finish school. He completed a term by himself and then moved to Pavia to join his family. In 1895, Einstein took an exam for the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (Federal Swiss Polytechnic University, in Zurich), but failed the liberal arts portion of the test. He was sent by his family to Aarau, Switzerland to finish secondary school. In 1896, Einstein received his diploma from high school.
He subsequently enrolled at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule. That same year, Einstein renounced his German citizenship, becoming stateless. In 1898, Albert met Mileva Maric, a Serbian classmate (who was also a friend of Nikola Tesla), and fell in love with her. In 1900, Einstein was granted a teaching diploma by the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule. He was accepted as a Swiss citizen in 1901. During this time Einstein discussed his scientific interests with a group of close friends, including Mileva. He and Mileva had an illegitimate daughter, Liserl, born in January 1902.
Upon graduation, Einstein could not find a teaching post, due mostly to the fact that his brashness as a young man had apparently irritated most of his professors. The father of a classmate helped him obtain employment as a technical assistant examiner at the Swiss Patent Office in 1902. There, Einstein judged the worth of inventors' patent applications for devices that required a knowledge of physics to understand. He also learned how to discern the essence of applications despite sometimes poor descriptions, and was taught by the director how "to express myself correctly." He occasionally rectified their design errors while evaluating the practicality of their work.
Einstein married Mileva, on January 6 1903. Einstein's marriage to Mileva, who was a mathematician, was both a personal and intellectual partnership: Einstein referred lovingly to Mileva as "a creature who is my equal and who is as strong and independent as I am". Abram Joffe, in his biography of Einstein, argues that Einstein was assisted by Mileva. This largely contradicts Ronald W. Clark who, in his biography, claims that Einstein depended on the distance that existed in his and Mileva's marriage in order to have the solitude necessary to accomplish his work.
On May 14 1904, Einstein's son Hans Albert Einstein was born. In 1904, Einstein's position at the Swiss Patent Office was made permanent. He obtained his doctorate after submitting his thesis "On a new determination of molecular dimensions" in 1905.
That same year, he wrote four articles that provided the foundation of modern physics, without much scientific literature to refer to or many scientific colleagues to discuss the theories with. Most physicists agree that three of those papers (Brownian motion, the photoelectric effect, and special relativity) deserved Nobel prizes. Only the photoelectric effect would win. This is something of an irony, in that Einstein is far better-known for relativity, but that the photoelectric effect is all quantum, and Einstein became somewhat disenchanted with the path quantum theory would take. What makes these papers remarkable is that, in each case, Einstein boldly took an idea from theoretical physics to its logical consequences and managed to explain experimental results that had baffled scientists for decades.
He submitted these papers to the "Annalen der Physik". They are commonly referred to as the "Annus Mirabilis Papers" (from Latin: Extraordinary Year). The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics ( IUPAP ) has planned to commemorate the 100th year of the publication of Einstein's extensive work in 1905 as the 'World Year Of Physics 2005'.
The first article in 1905, named "On the Motion—Required by the Molecular Kinetic Theory of Heat—of Small Particles Suspended in a Stationary Liquid", covered his study of Brownian motion. Using the then-controversial kinetic theory of fluids it established that the phenomenon—lacking a satisfactory explanation decades after being observed—provided empirical evidence for the reality of atoms. It also lent credence to statistical mechanics, which was also controversial.
Before this paper, atoms were recognized as a useful concept, but physicists and chemists hotly debated the question of whether atoms were real things. Einstein's statistical discussion of atomic behavior gave experimentalists a way to count atoms by looking through an ordinary microscope. Wilhelm Ostwald, one of the leaders of the anti-atom school, later told Arnold Sommerfeld that he had been converted to a belief in atoms by Einstein's complete explanation of Brownian motion.
The second paper, named "On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light", proposed the idea of "light quanta" (now called photons) and showed how they could be used to explain such phenomena as the photoelectric effect. The idea of light quanta was motivated by Max Planck's earlier derivation of the law of black-body radiation by assuming that luminous energy could only be absorbed or emitted in discrete amounts, called quanta. Einstein showed that, by assuming that light actually consisted of discrete packets, he could explain the mysterious photoelectric effect.
The idea of light quanta contradicted the wave theory of light that followed naturally from James Clerk Maxwell's equations for electromagnetic behavior and, more generally, the assumption of infinite divisibility of energy in physical systems. Even after experiments showed that Einstein's equations for the photoelectric effect were accurate, his explanation was not universally accepted. However, by 1921, when he was awarded the Nobel Prize, and his work on photoelectricity was mentioned by name, most physicists thought that the equation (hf = ø + Ek) was correct and light quanta were possible.
The theory of light quanta was a strong indication of wave-particle duality, the concept that physical systems can display both wave-like and particle-like properties, and that was used as a fundamental principle by the creators of quantum mechanics. A complete picture of the photoelectric effect was only obtained after the maturity of quantum mechanics.
Einstein's third paper that year was called "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies". While developing this paper, Einstein wrote to Mileva about "our work on relative motion", and this has led some to ask whether Mileva played a part in its development. However, it is possible, and perhaps likely, that, having already mentioned this momentous work to his wife, he was simply referring to it in an endearing manner. This paper introduced the special theory of relativity, a theory of time, distance, mass and energy (which was consistent with electromagnetism, but omitted the force of gravity). Special relativity solved the puzzle that had been apparent since the Michelson-Morley experiment, which had shown that light waves could not be travelling through any medium (other known waves travelled through media - such as water or air). The speed of light was thus fixed, and not relative to the movement of the observer. This was impossible under Newtonian classical mechanics.
It had already been conjectured by George Fitzgerald in 1894 that the Michelson-Morley result could be accounted for if moving bodies were foreshortened along the direction of their motion. And some of the paper's core equations—the Lorentz transforms—had been introduced in 1903 by the Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz, giving mathematical form to Fitzgerald's conjecture. But Einstein revealed the underlying reasons for this geometrical oddity. His explanation arose from two axioms: one was Galileo's old idea that the laws of nature should be the same for all observers that move with constant speed relative to each other; and the other was that the speed of light is the same for every observer. Special relativity had several striking consequences because the absolute concepts of time and size are rejected. The theory came to be called the "special theory of relativity" to distinguish it from his later theory of general relativity, which considers all observers to be equivalent.
The theory abounds with apparent paradoxes, and appears to make little sense, landing Einstein substantial ridicule; but he managed to work out the apparent contradictions and solve the problems eventually.
Einstein considered this equation to be of paramount importance because it showed that matter and energy are simply different forms of the same substance. Nevertheless, many scientists regarded the equation (and special relativity) as fascinating but insignificant until the 1930s.
The equation is associated with nuclear weapons and is used to explain how they produce such phenomenal amounts of energy. The exact connection between the equation and nuclear weapons is less well known, however. By measuring the mass of atomic nuclei and dividing them by their atomic number, both of which are easily measured, one can calculate the binding energy which is trapped in different atomic nuclei. This allows one to figure out which nuclear reactions will release energy and how much energy they will release. A simple calculation using the mass of the uranium nuclei and the masses of the products of nuclear fission reveals that large amounts of energy are released upon fission, and this led physicists in the 1930s to begin to consider the possibility of a nuclear weapon.
According to Umberto Bartocci (University of Perugia historian of mathematics), the famous equation was first published two years prior by Olinto De Pretto, who was an industrialist from Vicenza, Italy. Though De Pretto introduced the formula, it was Einstein who connected it with the Theory of Relativity.
In 1906, Einstein was promoted to technical examiner second class. In 1908, Einstein was licensed in Berne, Switzerland, as a teacher and lecturer (known as a Privatdozent), who had no share in the university government. Einstein's second son, Eduard, was born on July 28 1910. In 1912, Einstein starts to refer to the fourth dimension as time.
Einstein divorced Mileva on February 14 1919. Einstein married his cousin Elsa Loewenthal (née Einstein: Loewenthal was the surname of her first husband, Max) on June 2 1919. Elsa was Albert's first cousin (maternally) and his second cousin (paternally). She was three years older than Albert, and had nursed him to health after he had suffered a partial nervous breakdown combined with a severe stomach ailment. There were no children from this marriage.
The fate of Albert and Mileva's first child, Liserl, is unknown: some believe she died in infancy and some believe she was given out for adoption. As for the two boys: one was institutionalized for schizophrenia and died in an asylum. The other moved to California and became a university professor, and had little interaction with his father.
In 1914, just before the start of World War I, Einstein settled in Berlin as professor at the local university and became a member of the Prussian Academy of Science. His pacifism and Jewish origins irritated German nationalists. After he became world-famous, nationalist hatred of him grew, and, for the first time, he was the subject of an organized campaign intended to discredit his theories.
From 1914 to 1933 he served as director of Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics in Berlin, and it was during this time he received his Nobel Prize and made his most groundbreaking discoveries. In 1922, Einstein and his wife Elsa boarded the S.S. Kitano Maru bound for Japan. The trip also took them to other ports including Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
In November 1915, Einstein presented a series of lectures before the Prussian Academy of Sciences in which he described his theory of general relativity. The final lecture climaxed with his introduction of an equation that replaced Newton's law of gravity. This theory considered all observers to be equivalent, not only those moving at a uniform speed. In general relativity, gravity is no longer a force (as it was in Newton's law of gravity) but is a consequence of the curvature of space-time. The theory provided the foundation for the study of cosmology and gave scientists the tools for understanding many features of the universe that were not discovered until well after Einstein's death. General relativity becomes a method of perceiving all of physics.
Einstein's relationship with quantum physics was quite remarkable. He was the first, even before Max Planck, the discoverer of the quantum, to say that quantum theory was revolutionary. His idea of light quanta was a landmark break with the classical understanding of physics. In 1909, Einstein presented his first paper to a gathering of physicists and told them that they must find some way to understand waves and particles together.
In the early 1920s, Einstein was the lead figure in a famous weekly physics colloquium at the University of Berlin. On March 30 1921, Einstein went to New York to give a lecture on his new theory of relativity. In the same year, he was finally awarded the Nobel Prize for his work.
In the mid-1920s, as the original quantum theory was replaced with a new quantum mechanics, Einstein balked at the Copenhagen interpretation of the new equations because it settled for a probabilistic, non-visualizable account of physical behavior. Einstein agreed that the theory was the best available, but he looked for an explanation that would be more "complete," i.e., deterministic. His belief that physics described the laws that govern "real things" had led to his successes with atoms, photons, and gravity. He was unwilling to abandon that faith.
Einstein's famous remark, "Quantum mechanics is certainly imposing. But an inner voice tells me it is not yet the real thing. The theory says a lot, but does not really bring us any closer to the secret of the Old One. I, at any rate, am convinced that he does not throw dice," appeared in a 1926 letter to Max Born. It was not a rejection of probabilistic theories per se. Einstein had used statistical analysis in his work on Brownian motion and photoelectricity. In papers published before the miraculous year of 1905, he had even discovered Gibbs ensembles on his own. But he did not believe that, at bottom, physical reality behaves randomly.
In 1924, Einstein received a short paper from a young Indian physicist named Satyendra Nath Bose, describing light as a gas of photons, and asking for Einstein's assistance in publication. Einstein realised that the same statistics could be applied to atoms, and published an article in German (then the lingua franca of physics) which described Bose's model and explained its implications. Bose Einstein statistics now describes any assembly of these indistinguishable particles known as bosons. Einstein also assisted Erwin Schrödinger in the development of the Quantum Boltzmann distribution, a mixed classical and quantum mechanical gas model—although he realised that this was less significant than the Bose Einstein model, and declined to have his name included on the paper.
Einstein and former student Leó Szilárd co-invented a unique type of refrigerator (usually called The Einstein Refrigerator) in 1926. On November 11 1930, patent number US1781541 was awarded to Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd. The patent covered a thermodynamic refrigeration cycle providing cooling with no moving parts, at a constant pressure, with only heat as an input. The refrigeration cycle used ammonia, butane, and water.
After Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, expression of nationalist hatred of Einstein reached new levels. He was accused by the National Socialist regime of creating "Jewish physics" in contrast with Deutsche Physik -- "Aryan physics." Nazi physicists (notably including the Nobel laureates Johannes Stark and Philip Lenard) continued the attempts to discredit his theories and to politically blacklist those German physicists who taught them (such as Werner Heisenberg). Einstein had already fled to the United States, where he was given permanent residency. He accepted a position at the newly founded Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. He became an American citizen in 1940 (though he maintained possession of his Swiss citizenship).
Einstein spent the last forty years of his life trying to unify gravity and electromagnetism, giving a new subtle understanding of quantum mechanics. He was looking for a classical unification of gravity and electromagnetism.
His work at Princeton focused on the unification of the laws of physics, which he referred to as the Unified Field Theory. Einstein undertook the quest for the unification of the fundamental forces and spent his time at Princeton investigating this. He attempted to construct a model, under the appropriate conditions, which described all forces as different manifestations of a single force. His attempt was in a way doomed to failure because the strong and weak nuclear forces were not understood independently until around 1970, 15 years after Einstein's death. Einstein's goal survives in the current drive for unification of the forces, embodied most notably by string theory.
Einstein began to form a Generalized Theory of Gravitation with the universal law of gravitation and the electromagnetic force in his first attempt to demonstrate the unification and simplification of the fundamental forces. In 1950, he described his work in a Scientific American article. Einstein was guided by the belief of a single statistical measure of variance for the entire set of physical laws and he investigated the similar properties of the electromagnetic and gravity forces, as they are infinite and obey the inverse square law.
Einstein assumed a structure of a four-dimensional space-time continuum expressed in axioms represented by five component vectors. Particles appear in his research as a limited region in space in which the field strength or the energy density are particularly high. Einstein treated subatomic particles in this research as objects embedded in the unified field, influencing it and existing as an essential constituent of the unified field but not of it. Einstein also investigated a natural generalization of symmetrical tensor fields, treating the combination of two parts of the field as being a natural procedure of the total field and not the symmetrical and antisymmetrical parts separately. He researched a way to delineate the equations to be derived from a variational principle.
Einstein became increasingly isolated in his research over a Generalized Theory of Gravitation (being characterized as a "mad scientist" in these endeavors) and was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempts at constructing a theory that would unify General Relativity and quantum mechanics.
In 1948, Einstein served on the original committee which resulted in the founding of Brandeis University. In 1952, the Israeli government proposed to Einstein that he take the post of second president. He declined the offer. On March 30 1953, Einstein released a revised unified field theory.
He died at Princeton in 1955, leaving the Generalized Theory of Gravitation unsolved. He was cremated the same day at Trenton, New Jersey on April 18 1955. His ashes were scattered at an undisclosed location. His brain was preserved in a jar by Dr. Thomas Stoltz Harvey, the pathologist who performed the autopsy on Einstein.
Einstein's religious views are generally considered deist: he believed in a "God who reveals himself in the harmony of all that exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and actions of men". Einstein wanted "to know how God created the world": After being pressed on his religious views by Martin Buber, Einstein exclaimed "What we (physicists) strive for is just to draw His lines after Him". Einstein's view on religion can be summarized by his own words, "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind" and "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."
The American FBI kept a 1,427 page file on his activities and recommended that he be barred from immigrating to the United States under the Alien Exclusion Act, alleging that Einstein "believes in, advises, advocates, or teaches a doctrine which, in a legal sense, as held by the courts in other cases, 'would allow anarchy to stalk in unmolested' and result in 'government in name only'," among other charges.
Einstein opposed tyrannical forms of government, and for this reason (and his Jewish background), he opposed the Nazi regime and fled Germany shortly after its institution. He initially favored construction of the atomic bomb, in order to ensure that Hitler did not do so first, and he even sent a letter to President Roosevelt (dated August 2 1939, before World War II broke out, and likely authored by Leó Szilárd) encouraging him to initiate a program to create a nuclear weapon. Roosevelt responded to this by setting up a committee for the investigation of using uranium as a weapon, which in a few years was superceded by the Manhattan Project.
After the war, though, Einstein lobbied for nuclear disarmament and a world government.
Albert Einstein was a supporter of Zionism, but never without reservations. He supported Jewish settlement of the ancient seat of Judaism and was active in the establishment of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, to which he bequeathed his papers. However he opposed nationalism and expressed skepticism about whether a Jewish nation-state was the best solution. He may have originally imagined Jews and Arabs living peacefully in the same land. In later life he declined an offer to become the second president of the newly-created state of Israel.
Albert Einstein with Albert Schweitzer and Bertrand Russell fought against nuclear tests and bombs. With the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs and Bertrand Russell he released the Russell-Einstein Manifesto and organized several conferences.
Albert Einstein was much respected for his kind and friendly demeanor rooted in his pacifism. He was modest about his abilities; he also had distinctive attitudes and fashions, and a sense of humour, as evidenced by the picture below. Einstein could also play the violin.
Albert Einstein has become the subject of a number of novels, films and plays including Nicolas Roeg's film, Insignificance, Fred Schepisi's film I.Q, and Alan Lightman's novel, Einstein's Dreams. Einstein was even the subject of Philip Glass's groundbreaking 1976 opera Einstein on the Beach.
He is often used as a model for depictions of scientists in works of fiction; usually these are mad scientists, since his distinctive hairstyle suggests lunacy, eccentricity or electricity and is widely copied or exaggerated.
On Einstein's 72nd birthday in 1951, an unknown UPI photographer was trying to coax him into smiling for the camera. Having done this for the photographer many times that day, Einstein stuck out his tongue instead . The image has become an icon in pop culture for its contrast of the genius scientist displaying a moment of humor. Yahoo Serious, an Australian film maker, used the photo as an inspiration for the intentionally anachronistic movie Young Einstein.
S. Morgan Friedman, "Albert Einstein Online" -- Comprehensive listing of online resources about Einstein.
Theory of relativity in 4-letter words or shorter.
Einstein, Albert, "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?". Annalen der Physik. September 27, 1905.
Einstein, Albert, "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity". Annalen der Physik, 49. 1916.
Einstein, Albert, "On the Generalized Theory of Gravitation". April, 1950. |
0.999999 | Who is the author of the book ‘Changing India’?
The Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is the author of the book “Changing India”. In the book the Congress leader narrated his journey from an economist to a politician and shared anecdotes from his life. |
0.927645 | What is the alchemy of rock? Turning basic riffs and clever lyrics into golden song. Sure the formula for success has other ingredients -- attitude, image, instrumental chops and universal timing come to mind -- but at the core, the molten, smoldering, incendiary core is two-hands manipulating six strings and a commanding voice to deliver the message. |
0.98665 | [WHEN] "bump" [DO] "it", "jump", "jump height", "equals", "8"
Even if the kode runs perfectly when you take it from the brain gallery, it actually contains a mistake. Modifying this previous kode or trying to input it yourself leads to an error.
[WHEN] "bump" [DO] "it", "jump", "8" |
0.999999 | What antivirus product do you recommend for Windows 8?
I have an Acer v5 running Windows 8 and I want to know waht Antivirus will work well on the machine. I am new to computers – just learning.
Avast is the best and lightweight antivirus you can have.
I would also suggest downloading and installing AntiToolbar: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/antitoolbar.html. This product should help reduce one of the most annoying issues that users have, which is junk or malware/spyware toolbars that install into your web browsers, change the default search engine, and behind a huge nuisance that may be difficult to remove from your computer and web browser.
Here are some very useful tips to help avoid common user related issues and problems that may be prevented: http://www.combofix.org/15-tips-for-online-safety-security.php.
Most antivirus products will work with Windows 8 (or have a version compatible with it), and Hovsep's list is a great starting point. Personally, I really like Avast, and I find AVG to be resource hungry, but all the products on the list will do the job.
Microsoft Security Essentials (which is built into Windows 8 and branded "Windows Defender") has really slipped in recent times and I wouldn't recommend it when there are plenty of excellent, free alternatives available, such as those named above.
However, I would also advise you to install a second (free) anti-malware program, such as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free (make sure to get it from Malwarebytes.org, as there are fake versions out there) or SuperAntiSpyware. Use this to scan your system monthly or when you feel your system may have been compromised and between it and your AV solution you will be well protected.
Microsoft Security Essentials/Windows Defender is okay if you are a careful user and know what to look for in order to maintain security of your system (it has not done well the past couple of years to become antivirus certified). Avast probably would be a better option, especially for a novice user. Avira, unfortunately, is not as recommended for beginners as it will throw false positives, and the nag screens to purchase a license can be quite annoying. Avira, however, is great at finding infections.
Malwarebytes AntiMalware Free is highly recommended, as well. It does not run in the background as antivirus software would, which makes it safe to keep on your computer. Just open it and run a full scan on a regular basis, like once or twice a month, more if you download files often.
If you find yourself not liking Avast, you can try out Panda Cloud Free or Bitdefender Free as they are light weight (won't slow your system down to where you can notice), work nicely in protection and prevention, and are typically user friendly. Also, unless you do online banking and shopping, free antivirus software would be sufficient, or try out Comodo Internet Security and use the Virtual Kiosk mode with on-screen keyboard to help prevent important data from being stolen when you enter your information.
If you don't mind paying for an anti-virus, in my opinion Kaspersky is best. Otherwise, a free alternative is Microsoft Security Essentials or Avast.
Hovsep gave a lot of good choices. I personally always recommend avast! free antivirus. But you'd do well with any of the other choices, like Avira. If you're on Windows 8, also make sure to update to 8.1 through the store for free!
Avast free, should be good for you, if you need firewall then turn to other listed security tool. |
0.991664 | Keep an eye on the camera shake warning.
1 Keep an eye on the camera shake warning. Don't try to handhold the camera at shutter speeds slower than 1/focal length of the camera (35-mm equivalent) unless the camera is using some sort of image stabilization.
2 To shoot at faster shutter speeds, bump up the ISO equivalent to let in more light, though you'll pay for this with a noisier image.
3 When possible, take an extra second to check your stance before shooting. Bring your elbows in close to your body and exhale slowly while shooting.
4 Don't expect the built-in flash to freeze max telephoto shots; beyond 10 to 15 feet away, most of these flashes are useless.
5 Use a tripod, or rest the camera on a steady object, like a tree, a chair, or a wall. |
0.957749 | The Great GI JOE-Transformers War took place in 1988, and resulted in the Autobots/Joe Alliance (AJA) gaining control over the Union of Decepticon and Cobra Forces' (UDCF) strongholds in the Bedroom and Backyard theaters.
For years, people argued over which was better: GI JOE or Transformers. Meanwhile divisions existed in each of these factions, between the Autobots and the Decepticons of Transformers, and the Joes and Cobra of GI Joe. Cobra had gained control of large sections of the Backyard, including the area from the Big Stump to the Flower Bed. Meanwhile, Joe forces had dug in near the Back Door, and had set up air fields by the Clothesline. Simultaneously, both forces had gained significant territory in the Bedroom, with Joe well established on the Dresser, and Cobra forces maintaining terrorist cells deep Under the Bed. At the same time, Autobots and Decepticons were building their own forces in both the Backyard and the Bedroom. The Autobots had taken the Toybox and controlled the Back Walkway, while the Decepticons had set up in the Closet and the Back Fence.
"Megatron! Let's desssstroy those pathetic Joessss and Autobotssss!!"
With those words, The Great GI Joe-Transformers war had begun. Quickly, Megatron accepted, and the UDCF came into being.
In the Bedroom, the AJA used their high-ground advantage to its fullest, sending both Skystriker and Conquest aircraft, followed by the Aerialbots. However, this move was merely warm up, the main attack followed by a ground assault by the Dinobots and Roadblock to quickly knock out the UDCF in the Closet. Their attention then turned to the deeply dug-in forces Under the Bed. The AJA did not notice that the battle for the Closet was much too easy. Megatron had moved most of his forces into the sheltered Under the Bed area to reduce the AJA's ability to strike from the air. Immediately Starscream and Skywarp launched alongside Cobra Rattlers and quickly took out the AJA's air combat ability, taking down Fireflight and three of the Skystriker aircraft, thus gaining air superiority. Ironhide and Bumblebee, along with Gung Ho and Shipwreck in Vamps, led a ground assault on the caves, and punched a hole in the UDCF's seemingly impenetrable defense. Starscream and Skywarp immediately fled to the Backyard theater, seeing that the day was lost in the Bedroom.
The worst of the fighting came from the Battle for the Backyard. Heavy losses were incurred on both sides in this terrible conflict. 4 Joe, 5 Cobra, 2 Autobot, and 4 Decepticon figures were missing and presumed lost, as well as countless broken thumbs and disjointed legs on both sides. Duke jumped in to Optimus Prime's cab, and led the AJA charge against the UDCF forces. Cobra Commander wielded Megatron and joined the fray. Decepticon forces dropped Firecrackers on to AJA, severely wounding QuickKick. Snake Eyes and Stormshadow battled atop the Big Stump, with Stormshadow eventually being pushed off the side before being caught and carried off by Starscream. At the end of the intense fighting, the AJA had won the day, forcing most UDCF troops into the prison of the Toybox. Starscream and Stormshadow returned much later to free them, but that's another story. Later photos were discovered of Shipwreck (presumed KIA) showing horrendous torture in captivity by Cobra operatives, including the infamous lighter technique resulting in loss of limb.
Clearly it was a strategic stronghold, and having a bedroom with track lighting, shag carpeting and three electrical outlets was a bonus. 2/19 Autobots land on Barbie’s Playhouse at 8:59A.M.. This comes after 10 weeks of bombing from Joe's planes and plastic missiles. The preliminary bombardment had been the heaviest up to that point in the war. A total of 7 GI Joe's, 2 micro machine tanks, 4 Star Wars figurines including a limited edition Darth Vader (who was good guy now), 6 plastic army men, 3 expensive transformers, 4 Tinkertoy ships, 3 constructs ships were available for the invasion. Bumblebee scouted out the terrain, only to be attacked by the Combaticons and a Cobra force, and taken hostage. Scarlett and Joe led the charge towards the playhouse, flanked by Prime, Hound, some Lego people, Cliffjumper, and many other GI Joe figurines. However, the UDCF were not without defenses. Dr. Biggles-Jones coordinated the seemingly impenetrable defense of the area. With Cobra snipers mounted on the roof of the playhouse and multiple foot soldiers, the area seemed hopeless to the AJA. Prime led a Autobot strike team (consisting of Tracks, Cliffjumper, Sunstreaker, and Ironhide) to do battle with Soundwave and his components, while Rodimus Prime, Blurr, Springer, Kup, Blaster, and the Dinobots faced off against the Constructicons. Ratchet and the Joe's medic provided medical support. Joe and Scarlett led soldiers into the front door of the playhouse, seizing command of the dining room and front hallway.
Before long, the fighting had reached an unprecedented level. Springer and Blurr were annihilated by Devastator, while Dr. Biggles Jones had been assassinated by Nightbeat. Fortunately, Ratchet was on hand to save the lives of Sludge and Cliffjumper. In a desperate attempt to keep a foothold on the area, the UDCF dispatched Skywarp and Thundercracker on a bombing raid, laying waste to the area.
After two hours of attack, the playhouse lay in ruin. Thousands of shards of plastic. The soldiers knew then that they had gotten carried away. Barbie was also carried away, and held hostage for the remainder of the war.
The Bathtub was a key held area by the AJA to keep Naval superiority. In a daring air strike by the Joes and Skyfire, they were able to toss multiple and some Autobots Joes onto the prime fleet. Out of the seven Joes that were tossed onto the ships, four actually landed on something dry: Beach Head, Scarlett, Dusty, and that ninja woman with the red band over her eyes. The three that landed in the water drowned and they were given a simple funeral. The four that survived went on to sabotage the aircraft staying at the ready and then blew holes in many key sections of the ship, but not without heavy resistance. Meanwhile, Seaspray attempted to head off the oncoming Tidal Wave, sacrificing his life for the AJA cause. A quick shot from an AJA sniper who was warming up for the later invasion fired a small projectile that caused one of the Joe's to topple off the ship. Eventually the charges that were placed in the bottom of the ship caused it to sink. One brave Joe equipped with state-of-the-art Action Navy Seal Diving Gear was sent on a secret mission to remove the plug from the bathtub drain, but was tragically eaten by a rubber squeaky shark. All knowledge of this incident was disavowed in the years following the war.
This was one of the most daring strikes in the war, and ultimately affected the outcome of the Battle Of The Front Hallway.
After their crushing defeat in the Bathtub, the UDCF retreated south toward the Front Hallway, stopping in the Living Room to refuel, regroup, and radio for backup. Soundwave stood guard while the others recuperated, dispatching Ravage and Laserbeak to reconnoiter the area. Meanwhile, the AJA was in hot pursuit, sending Bumblebee and a squad of Joes ahead, where they ran afoul of the Decepticon Mini-Cassettes. They returned to the Living Room and alerted their master to the incoming AJA force. They proceeded to send a smaller contingent to take up defensive positions on and along the couch, so as to cover their evacuation. Lead by Storm Shadow and Starscream, the defenders hatched a daring plan to topple the giant couch cushions onto the incoming AJA convoy, crippling them long enough for the evac transports to reach the front door.
In the days following the war, people began to realize that while GI Joe was a Real American Hero, with their alliance with the Transformers, they became more than meets the eye. The AJA and the UDCF would wage several more wars on each other, up until the rise to power of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Though it is reported Spur attic fighting is still being waged in "Geeky People's heads" where Casualties are said to Include Cobra Commander III, Ultra Jesus and three members of Kraftwerk.
This page was last edited on 23 October 2014, at 03:55. |
0.975773 | Given that it's spring time I figured that it was a good time to talk about growth. We all know that we're supposed to work hard and that hard work is supposed to produce results (at least in most cases). Recently I heard someone put that idea into one simple sentence. The person said "growth only occurs in a state of discomfort". Everyone knows that we should and need to work hard, but what does that look like? That's why this stuck out to me. Working hard should challenge and push you out of your comfort zone. It should cause a little discomfort. It's like exercise, if you don't push yourself out of your comfort zone then you'll never improve. So as spring takes off, think about your comfort level, what it would take to get out of it, and then get moving. |
0.76137 | While Polo describes and the burning of coal, he fails to mention the , , , , or. The , a subspecies of , is named after the explorer, who described it during his crossing of ancient in 1271. Though he was not the first European to reach China see , Marco Polo was the first to leave a detailed chronicle of his experience. Approximately 150 manuscript copies in various languages are known to exist, and before availability of the , discrepancies were inevitably introduced during copying and translation. On reaching the Yuan court, the Polos presented the sacred oil from Jerusalem and the papal letters to their patron. Ramusio , while our historical science claims the place of his birth island Korčula.
Commemoration Italian banknote, issued in 1982, portraying Marco Polo. They returned to Venice in 1295, 24 years later, with many riches and treasures. Harmondsworth, Middlesex; New York: Penguin Books, Penguin Classics, 1958; rpr. Scholarly analyses Seal of the Mongol ruler in a 1302 letter to , with an inscription in Chinese Omissions Skeptics have long wondered if Marco Polo wrote his book based on hearsay, with some pointing to omissions about noteworthy practices and structures of China as well as the lack of details on some places in his book. At this time, Venice was at war with the. The two-year voyage was a perilous one—of the six hundred people not including the crew in the convoy only eighteen had survived including all three Polos.
After the brothers answered the questions he tasked them with delivering a letter to the Pope, requesting 100 Christians acquainted with the grammar, rhetoric, logic, geometry, arithmetic, music and astronomy. It won two , and was nominated for six more. In 1292, Kublai's great-nephew, then ruler of , sent representatives to China in search of a potential wife, and they asked the Polos to accompany them, so they were permitted to return to Persia with the wedding party—which left that same year from in southern China on a fleet of 14. In 1269, Niccolò and Maffeo returned to their families in Venice, meeting young Marco for the first time. The lack of evidence makes the Korčula theory probably under Ramusio influence as a specific birthplace strongly disputed, and even some Croatian scholars consider it merely invented. The maps also contain a comprehensive index and inset street plans of major cities: Szczecin, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Lodz, Krakow and Warszawa Warsaw. For example, Sinologist noted that Polo's account of the voyage of the princess from China to Persia to marry the Īl-khān in 1293 has been confirmed by a passage in the 15th-century Chinese work and by the Persian historian in his work.
Three and a half years after leaving Venice, when Marco was about 21 years old, the Polos were welcomed by Kublai into his palace. He received a good education, learning mercantile subjects including foreign currency, appraising, and the handling of cargo ships; he learned little or no. Captured Venetian citizens were blinded, while many of those who managed to escape perished aboard overloaded refugee ships fleeing to other Venetian colonies in the Aegean Sea. Travellers on a budget might prefer something like the , a similar camper that costs around half as much. He spent several months of his imprisonment dictating a detailed account of his travels to a fellow inmate, , who incorporated tales of his own as well as other collected anecdotes and current affairs from China. His father later married Floradise Polo née Trevisan. Later scholars such as John W.
They had three daughters, Fantina married Marco Bragadin , Bellela married Bertuccio Querini , and Moreta. Polo armed a galley equipped with a to join the war. This genealogy, described by , is not universally accepted as there is no additional evidence to support it. The Muslim traveler , who asked about the wall when he visited China during the Yuan dynasty, could find no one who had either seen it or knew of anyone who had seen it, suggesting that while ruins of the wall constructed in the earlier periods might have existed, they were not significant or noteworthy at that time. Marco knew four languages, and the family had accumulated a great deal of knowledge and experience that was useful to Kublai. It depicts the Polos' journeys throughout Asia, giving Europeans their first comprehensive look into the inner workings of the Far East, including China, India, and Japan.
People who have £53,000 to spend don't always enjoy going to the loo outside. The Polos left the wedding party after reaching Hormuz and travelled overland to the port of Trebizond on the , the present day. In The Book of Marvels, Polo claimed that he was a close friend and advisor to Kublai Khan and that he was the governor of the city of for three years — yet no Chinese source mentions him as either a friend of the Emperor or as the governor of Yangzhou — indeed no Chinese source mentions Marco Polo at all. Latham believed that many elements of the book, such as legends of the Middle East and mentions of exotic marvels, may have been the work of Rustichello who was giving what medieval European readers expected to find in a travel book. Polo related his memoirs orally to while both were prisoners of the.
A year later, they went to and continued to. In 1851, a three-masted built in Saint John, New Brunswick also took his name; the was the first ship to sail around the world in under six months. Supporters of the book's basic accuracy countered on the points raised by skeptics such as footbinding and the Great Wall of China. Archived from on May 3, 2012. The airport in is named. The Assassin legends: myths of the Ismaʻilis 2 ed. Eventually Polo crossed the to.
Travels of Marco Polo A from Il Milione. The Polos managed to fight and escape through a nearby town, but many members of the caravan were killed or enslaved. Other Europeans who travelled to during the Yuan dynasty, such as and , said nothing about the wall either. The sinologist thought that Polo might have served as an officer of the government salt monopoly in Yangzhou, which was a position of some significance that could explain the exaggeration. Archived from on March 17, 2011.
They are fine fat beasts, and afford capital mutton. A page from Il Milione, from a manuscript believed to date between 1298—1299. His failure to note the presence of the Great Wall of China was first raised in the middle of seventeenth century, and in the middle of eighteenth century, it was suggested that he might have never reached China. Moule and is based on a Latin manuscript found in the library of the in 1932, and is 50% longer than other versions. The book soon spread throughout Europe in manuscript form, and became known as. |
0.98538 | Tweet why you're leaving Netflix. The top three most creative tweets using #GoodbyeNetflix will win a 1-year subscription to Blockbuster!
Blockbuster is one of those deader than dead brands - once the king of video rentals, back before Netflix revolutionized that field (with their mailed DVD plan) and then obliterated altogether by introducing the world to the concept of streaming video libraries that made the idea of paying $5 to rent a movie for 2 days laughably dumb (especially because you had to PHYSICALLY GO to the store). Since declaring bankruptcy in 2010, Blockbuster Video stores began closing at faster and faster rate around the world - downsizing to a few hundred stores, and more recently - about 10 still operating in the United States (most of which are in Alaska).
For one, they've got a great sense of humor about themselves and understand the sadness and desperation that permeates the Blockbuster brand in 2017 (try to look at that #GoodbyeNetflix tweet without cringing).
Unlike with Netflix, your Blockbuster accounts are 100% safe except for the time Darren was caught selling your credit card numbers.
My manager says we shouldn't talk about the Tri-State Strangler dumping bodies in our dumpster but I think people like hearing that stuff.
The sign out front says "No Loitering" but seems like you guys read it as "Stand here and vape your dicks off."
If we put Gremlins in the horror section you complain it's a comedy. If we put in comedy you say its horror. There's no winning w/ u people.
And why? Because they've made themselves a fixture of the community - their employees are funny and personable, but are also movie buffs who can talk cinema with customers and give them great recommendations; they keep a library of VHS tapes for the less tech savvy customers; and they seem like just all around good people.
One year ago today we joined Twitter to bring our brand back to life and while it's actually had the opposite effect we've still had fun. |
0.999994 | Context. The first long-term in-situ observation of the plasma environment in the vicinity of a comet, as provided by the European Rosetta spacecraft.
Aims. Here we offer characterisation of the solar wind flow near 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) and its long term evolution during low nucleus activity. We also aim to quantify and interpret the deflection and deceleration of the flow expected from ionization of neutral cometary particles within the undisturbed solar wind.
Methods. We have analysed in situ ion and magnetic field data and combined this with hybrid modeling of the interaction between the solar wind and the comet atmosphere.
Results. The solar wind deflection is increasing with decreasing heliocentric distances, and exhibits very little deceleration. This is seen both in observations and in modeled solar wind protons. According to our model, energy and momentum are transferred from the solar wind to the coma in a single region, centered on the nucleus, with a size in the order of 1000 km. This interaction affects, over larger scales, the downstream modeled solar wind flow. The energy gained by the cometary ions is a small fraction of the energy available in the solar wind.
Conclusions. The deflection of the solar wind is the strongest and clearest signature of the mass-loading for a small, low-activity comet, whereas there is little deceleration of the solar wind.
Comets show large changes in their appearance as their distance from the Sun varies. Closer to the Sun, volatile materials on the comet nucleus start to sublimate, forming a neutral cloud that becomes partially ionized by solar UV radiation and charge exchange processes. When the comet activity evolves, the complexity of its interaction with the solar wind also changes. At large distances from the Sun the solar wind directly impacts the surface of an atmosphereless nucleus in an asteroid-like interaction, while at smaller heliospheric distances the solar wind permeates a thin, partially ionized, unstructured coma. When the comet activity is even higher (or the comet is closer to the Sun), the coma is much denser and plasma boundaries form, creating a cometary magnetosphere (Szegö et al. 2000, Sect. 4.1; Koenders et al. 2015).
In situ investigations of the interaction between active comets and the solar wind started in the mid-80s with the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) visiting P/Giacobini-Zinner in 1985, and Giotto, Vega-1 and -2, Suisei and Sakigake examining P/Halley in 1986. Giotto went on to probe P/Grigg-Skjellerup in 1992. Although these missions provided valuable information about the structure of a cometary magnetosphere and its interaction with the solar wind at a given time, the fly-by nature of these missions did not enable the study of the evolution of this interaction as the heliocentric distance changes. The Rosetta spacecraft spends most of its time close to the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P), scanning the cometary environment out to a maximum of 1500 km only. However, Rosetta has stayed in the vicinity of 67P for two years giving us the unique opportunity to monitor and study in situ how the interaction evolves as the comet transforms from an almost atmosphereless object into an active nucleus (Glassmeier et al. 2007a).
The Rosetta spacecraft completed its long voyage to comet 67P in early August 2014 and recorded the first traces of cometary ions upon rendezvous. The first results from the plasma measurements made at 67P describe the early phase of the comet’s transformation. The first observations of cometary water ions and solar wind deflection were reported by Nilsson et al. (2015b), with the subsequent enhancement of comet water ion fluxes around comet 67P down to a heliocentric distance of 2 au described in Nilsson et al. (2015a). The local cold ion environment and its relation to the outgassing from the nucleus is described in Goldstein et al. (2015) and Edberg et al. (2015). First reports on the magnetic field environment showed strong wave activity in the vicinity of the comet (Richter et al. 2015).
At low activity, the solar wind is lightly mass-loaded with freshly ionized cometary particles. As these new-born ions are accelerated by the solar wind electric field, energy and momentum are transferred from the solar wind to the coma. Considering the complete system (i.e. the entire coma), the solar wind loses the energy gained by the cometary ions (often referred to as “pick up” ions, as they are picked up by the solar wind).
A simplistic view of light mass-loading: energy and momentum are transferred from the solar wind (red streamlines) to the cometary ions (blue dots) in a pick up process. Conservation of energy and momentum leads to a deceleration and deflection of the local solar wind.
The most basic expectations are illustrated in Fig. 1: the solar wind flow is deflected from the comet-sun line and slowed down, as new born cometary ions are accelerated. The gyroradius of the new born ions is much larger than the ion source, so these ions move essentially along the solar wind electric field within the ion source region. The newly created electrons on the other hand have a gyro-radius smaller than the source region, and can be expected to E × B drift. This might lead to charge separation and, in turn, to new dynamical effects (Nilsson et al. 2015a; Behar et al. 2016). Coates et al. (2015) have discussed how such a situation near a low activity comet with a small coma may be more similar to barium release experiments than to higher activity comets.
The first observations at comet 67P indeed showed solar wind deflection and water ion acceleration approximately orthogonal to the solar wind flow direction (Nilsson et al. 2015b). The plasma dynamics of solar wind deflection at 67P at low activity were further studied in Broiles et al. (2015) and Behar et al. (2016). In these two studies, it was shown how the solar wind deflection direction and the direction of the acceleration of newborn cometary ions are both correlated with the local magnetic field direction, consistent with the transfer of momentum described here-above.
Once the comet activity has increased above the very low level of the initial observations, the cometary ion flow direction has a main anti-sunward component (Nilsson et al. 2015a; Behar et al. 2016). Behar et al. (2016) discuss this in terms of a polarisation electric field developing in the coma as electrons and ions respond differently to the solar wind electric field on scales below the ion gyroradius.
We limit our study of the evolution of the interaction to the solar wind protons. This population reflects the interaction with the cometary ions experienced all along its trajectory through the coma. We expect the solar wind protons to exhibit both deflection and deceleration and we compare our expectations to the measured deflection and speed. In addition to the ion measurements, we consider the local magnetic field, which is highlighted as one of the major drivers in the solar wind-comet interaction by Broiles et al. (2015) and Behar et al. (2016).
The in situ data recorded onboard Rosetta represent a single-point probe of the whole system, with little spatial coverage over time. Energy and momentum are transferred, via the electromagnetic field, over a larger volume. In order to get a large-scale view, we use a hybrid model of the coma-solar wind interaction. This model provides a global picture of the interaction, allowing us to get an estimate of the size of the region involved in energy and momentum transfer.
Considering the simplicity of our theoretical approach, we choose to define and use a fairly simple model as well, involving only the major components in the system. Cometary water ions are added to the solar wind flow through ionization of an isotropic neutral outflow. The model thus does not have a solid obstacle for the solar wind, nor does it have gravity or momentum transfer by collisions. By proceeding in this manner, we hope to isolate and identify the main drivers of the plasma dynamics at a comet, at low activity.
We focus the study on the early period of the Rosetta mission, from the arrival at the nucleus (3.6 au) to a chosen distance of 2.2 au from the Sun. Closer to the Sun, a larger mass-loading of the solar wind results in a different dynamical regime in which, based on preliminary observations, either more radical or new effects occur. To mark this separation, we refer in this study to the phenomenon of light mass-loading, in opposition with a heavier mass-loading regime occurring later on.
Particle data used in this work were produced by the Ion Composition Analyzer, part of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium (RPC-ICA). This instrument is an ion mass-energy spectrometer aimed at studying the interaction between the solar wind and positive cometary ions at comet 67P (Nilsson et al. 2007). RPC-ICA data consist of count rates given in five dimensions, namely time, energy per charge, mass per charge, and incoming direction (two angles). Full energy scans are produced every 12 s and full angular scans are produced every 192 s. The energy spans from 10 eV up to 40 keV in 96 steps with a resolution . The instrument field of view is 360° × 90° (azimuth × elevation), with a resolution of 22.5° × 5.0°. Mass is determined through a position detection system with 32 anodes, which we will refer to as mass channels. The radial position of ions on the detector plate is a function of both mass and energy.
The magnetometer (RPC-MAG, Glassmeier et al. 2007b) measures the three components of the magnetic field vector, with a frequency of 20 vectors per second. The measurement range is ±16 384 nT with an accuracy of 31 pT. RPC-MAG is mounted on a 1.5 m long boom in order to minimise the impact of spacecraft-generated disturbance fields.
In this work, the magnetic field amplitude was averaged over 10 h of data.
In order to characterise the protons detected by the instrument, the very first step was to identify and separate them from the rest of the observed ions. On the left panel of Fig. 2, counts integrated over one day are given as function of mass channel and energy, and different species are identified on this energy-mass matrix. The strongest signal was acquired for protons, and over 90% of proton counts were detected in mass channels 26 and 27 (surrounded by dead mass channels). During the period covered by the study, protons were always separated from other species in the energy dimension, at the daily time scale. In the left panel of Fig. 2, protons (the lightest particles) form the rightmost population, at highest mass channels. At about twice the energy and shifted to the left He2 + particles are found, followed by He+ particles at about four times the proton energy and further to the left (lower mass channels). Cometary ions are found in the lower left corner, corresponding to lower energy and higher mass.
We have manually selected the proton energy, one selection per day. This selection was then used for all full angular scans (of 192 s) during each day. The selection window which identifies proton counts and rules out the rest of the counts is defined for one day in energy-mass space, as follows: only mass channels 26 and 27 were considered, and we use an energy interval manually selected. This resulted in the red rectangle window over-plotted on the left panel (Fig. 2).
One example of an energy-mass matrix (left panel) and the corresponding proton fit (right panel).
To determine the average direction of the proton flow, we computed full angular distributions (azimuth-elevation) with all counts in the selection window included. We calculated the direction of the bulk velocity in the body-Centered Solar EQuatorial (CSEQ) reference frame. The xCSEQ axis is along the sun-comet line, pointing to the Sun. We computed the solar wind deflection as the angle between − xCSEQ and the flow direction. The same method is presented with more details in Behar et al. (2016).
This resulted in one series of deflection angles per day. The time resolution is 192 s. Later on, we calculated the median of each series. In Sect. 3 we work with the time series of median deflection values, one median value per day.
On the right panel of Fig. 2, a normal distribution (solid red line) is fitted to the selected protons (solid blue line), along the energy dimension. In this example, the distribution is integrated over one day. To capture fast variations of the proton energy distribution, the fit parameters were calculated at the full angular scan time resolution (192 s). We collected the central energy value, the height and the Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM). This resulted in a time series of fit parameters, one series per day. The time resolution was 192 s. Later on, we also calculate the median of each daily series, and work in Sect. 3 with a series of median fit parameters.
To model the interaction between the comet 67P and the solar wind plasma, we used a self-consistent hybrid plasma model where we included a production of cometary ions. In the hybrid approximation, ions are treated as particles, and electrons as a massless fluid. Below we present the governing equations for the solver and the comet model. See Holmström (2010, 2013) for more information about the solver.
The trajectory of a particle, and , with charge q and mass m, is given by the solution of the equation of motion with the Lorentz force, F: (1)with E′ = E−ηJ to conserve momentum since electrons are massless (Bagdonat & Motschmann 2002), where E = E(r,t) is the electric field, B = B(r,t) is the magnetic field, and is the current density.
The electric field is not unknown, and is calculated by (2)where ρi is the ion charge density, Ji is the ion current density, pe is the electron pressure, and η is the resistivity.
The gradient of the electron pressure is calculated by imposing quasi-neutrality and a polytropic index, γe. In this study we chose an adiabatic index, corresponding to γe = 5/3.
Faraday’s law is used to advance the magnetic field in time, (3)In vacuum regions, that are defined by the number density of ions being less than a given value, n<nmin, we set 1 /ρi = 0 in Eq. (2), and Faraday’s law is reduced to solving the magnetic diffusion equation, (4)A constraint on the time step has been inferred since the field cannot diffuse more than one cell per timestep, (5)where Δt is the time step and Δx is the cell size. The time step is for moving the particles (ions). The electromagnetic fields can be updated more frequently (subcycled) since it is usually computationally cheaper to update the fields compared to moving all the particles.
The number density of water vapor, n, as a function of the distance, r, from the comet nucleus is (6)where Q is the production rate of water vapor, and u is the mean velocity of water vapor in the radial direction. However, if one accounts for losses (mainly due to photodissociation), the flux will decrease exponentially with time, t = r/u, as the molecules move outwards from the nucleus, and one gets (7)where νd is the photodestruction rate of water vapor.
The water vapor ionizes with a certain ionization rate, νi, and creates water ions, H2O+. The water ion production rate as a function of distance becomes (8)where, in the implementation, the number density of water, nH2O, is taken at the center of each grid cell for each time step, generating the prescribed amount of ions at random positions in that cell.
Note that neglecting the neutral bi-products of water once they are created will barely change the density of neutral water if the mean-free-path due to photodissociation, u/νd, is much larger than the size of the simulation domain, which is true for all cases studied in this paper. Other models used by, for example, Hansen et al. (2007), Koenders et al. (2015), have similar first order approximations that instead neglect the creation of neutral bi-products.
The coordinate system we use in the hybrid model is a body-centered coordinate system. It is centered in the middle of 67P.
The x-axis is pointing towards the Sun, with solar wind flowing in the − x direction, making it the same x coordinate as in the CSEQ reference frame, which is the only coordinate addressed in the observations. The z-axis is pointing in the direction of the ambient convective electric field, and the y-axis completes the right-handed system. We assume that the IMF has a Parker spiral configuration, that is the IMF lies in the xy-plane.
The convective electric field is given by E0 = −v0 × B0, where v0 is the undisturbed solar wind bulk velocity, and B0 is the IMF which is initially homogeneous everywhere.
The simulation domain is given by | x | < 6 × 103 km, | y | < 12 × 103 km, | z | < 18 × 103 km, with a cellsize Δx = 125 km.
We set the plasma resistivity to ηp = 1.6 × 104 Ohm m, to dampen numerical oscillations. We assume a vacuum resistivity of ηv = 2.5 × 105 Ohm m, which is used when solving the diffusion equation of Faraday’s law (Eq. (4)) for regions of a number density less than the arbitrarily chosen nmin = n0/ 16, where n0 is the ambient solar wind proton number density. To summarize: (9)The electromagnetic fields were updated 20 times for each time step, Δt = 3.5 × 10-2. The simulations were run for a total of 120 s to reach steady-state.
The water production rate of a comet changes with distance from the sun. We used Q = 1.14 × 1029·R-7.06 [s-1], where R is the distance to the sun in au (Simon Wedlund et al. 2016). The neutral expansion velocity is observed to be relatively constant around u = 0.7 km s-1 (Simon Wedlund et al. 2016), so we used that value.
Water ions are produced in the simulation according to Eq. (8). We used scaled values, 1 /R2 with heliocentric distances, for photoionization and photodestruction from Crovisier (1989), where a mean value was taken between active and quiet Sun conditions. At 1 au this gives a photoionization rate of νi = 6.5 × 10-7 s-1 and a photodestruction rate of νd = 1.78 × 10-5 s-1 (Crovisier 1989).
In the model we used typical solar wind conditions at 1 au from Cravens (2004) scaled to the heliocentric distances of 67P. The undisturbed solar wind plasma parameters at 1 au are a bulk velocity of v0 = 400 km s-1 in (neglecting aberration), a number density of protons being n0 = 5 cm-3, and a temperature of ions and electrons being constant at Ti = 0.5 × 105 K and Te = 1 × 105 K, respectively. The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) has a magnitude of 7 nT with a Parker spiral angle of χ = 45°.
To model the evolution of the solar wind interaction with the comet as the comet approaches the Sun, we chose six different heliocentric distances ranging from when Rosetta arrived at the comet at around R = 3.6 au, to R = 2.0 au. Six cases are summarized in Tables 1 and 2, that can be compared with similar cases modeled by Hansen et al. (2007).
Solar wind conditions used in the model.
Cometary parameters used in the model.
Time series for: deflection angle (first panel), speed (second panel), energy distribution width (third panel), peak centre variability (fourth panel) and magnetic field amplitude (last panel). RPC-ICA data are given by red dots – every dot is a daily median. Peak width and peak central value are given by the fit parameters. RPC-MAG magnetic field amplitude is averaged over 10 h. Blue lines are either results from the hybrid model (first and last panels) or results from the MEX solar wind speed propagation (second panel from top).
The evolution of the angle between the proton flow direction and the comet-sun line is given in Fig. 3 (top panel) for both the model and the observations. We assume the upstream solar wind is flowing radially from the Sun, and the presented proton deflection angle is then the deflection relative to this assumed initial radial flow.
Broiles et al. (2015) and Behar et al. (2016) previously reported a significant deflection of the solar wind for precise cases, and we now consider a much larger time scale. The observed deflection increases smoothly with decreasing heliocentric distances, reaching a median daily value in the range of 30 to 90°. The model displays the same trend, with a non-linear increase reaching a value of 40°.
One would expect the first observed deflection values in the time series to be very close to 0°, since the mass-loading at the time is extremely light. This is seen in the model results, but the deflection is larger in the observations. A closer look at the observed data reveals that the Sun, as seen in the instrument field of view, was just a few degrees away from the spacecraft body. This partial obstruction of the solar wind flow and the way the instrument software handles it (onboard computation) should have a significant influence on the computed deflection, until around mid-September 2014.
By comparing panels 1 and 2 of Fig. 3, one can see that the variability in deflection is anti-correlated with the measured proton velocity.
To estimate the upstream solar wind speed at 67P, we used solar wind speed measured by the Ion Mass Analyzer (IMA), which is one of the sensors in the ASPERA-3 instrument package (Barabash et al. 2006) onboard Mars Express. IMA is an ion spectrometer almost identical to RPC-ICA. We propagated the speed from Mars to 67P, with the assumption that solar wind conditions are identical along a Parker spiral, and remain unchanged over time. We calculate the delay for the Parker spiral to get from one body to the other. Thus delays can be positive as well as negative.
Over the period of the study, the propagation delay started at a high value of 12 days, meaning that what is measured at Mars at one time will be a good estimation at 67P 12 days later. This delay becomes shorter than 4 days after December, to end up at values around 0: the Parker spiral intersects both bodies simultaneously, as shown in Fig. 4. In other words, this propagated speed should be more reliable when getting closer to the end of the period.
Position of Earth (blue), Mars (red), and 67P (black) in J2000 coordinate system during 2015-02-26, with part of their orbits. The Parker spiral intersecting Mars for that day is also intersecting 67P (dotted).
The propagated solar wind speed is shown as a blue line in the second panel from the top in Fig. 3. Propagating large variations in the speed results in large time periods not being covered (gaps in the blue line): the propagation delay is a function of the solar wind speed, and two different events measured at Mars at two different times can arrive at the same time at the comet, or even in the opposite order of occurrence.
We get a very good agreement between the estimated upstream speed and the speed measured inside the coma. RPC-ICA data time coverage gets better with time during this period. Thus after January, we have better statistics, and more reliable solar wind upstream speed (as pointed out above). The average deceleration after January is about − 40 km s-1 from estimated upstream speed to the point of measurement, but no clear trend can be discerned. The uncertainty on this deceleration estimation is rather large, extremely difficult to quantify, and does not allow us to judge whether or not deceleration is systematically observed during the later period. Some features measured at Mars and propagated to the comet are in fact not observed at the comet. Even though the expected delay taken into account when propagating the observations from Mars to the comet is small during the second half of the time period, the absolute distance between the two bodies is never less than 1.7 au. We make the assumption that solar wind conditions are identical along a Parker spiral, but it is obvious that the larger the distance between the two bodies, the worse this assumption gets.
The hybrid model shows a constant deceleration over the period, with a maximum deceleration of 60 km s-1 at 2.2 au (cf. Fig. 5). This is consistent with the range estimated from the data for the deceleration.
Deceleration seen in the model between a point upstream and the nucleus. The maximum deceleration is 60 km s-1 at 2.2 au.
Number density of solar wind protons together with their bulk velocity as a vector field a), and the magnetic field magnitude b). Cuts through y = 0 for the comet at 2.35 au, case five. The ambient solar wind number density is 0.9 cm-3, and the ambient magnetic field is 2.3 nT with a Parker spiral angle of 67°. The location of the comet is marked by black cross-hairs.
It appears that with decreasing heliocentric distances, the variability of the proton speed (or energy) at the 192 s resolution increases, as seen in the 4th panel of Fig. 3. The variability is given as the difference between the 5th and 95th centiles of the proton peak central values (in energy) observed during one day. At the beginning of our period of study, this variability is about 50 to 100 eV (100 to 140 km s-1). It reaches values of several hundreds to a thousand electron-volts at the end of this period. By comparing panels 2 and 4 of Fig. 3 one can see that the variability of the proton speed in the coma correlates with the upstream proton speed.
The FWHM of the fitted proton spectra, (Fig. 3, 3rd panel) doesn’t appear to correlate with heliocentric distance, but correlates with the upstream proton velocity.
In the last panel of Fig. 3, the magnetic field amplitude increases with time and decreasing heliocentric distance, from 5 nT ± 2nT to around 20 nT. The peaks in the magnetic field amplitude correlate well with peaks in the proton speed. The model (solid blue line in the same panel) also results in a similar relative increase, from 1.5 to 6.6 nT, though the magnetic field magnitude is lower. The model shows a less dramatic increase compared to the observations.
Finally, the morphology of the interaction when the comet was at 2.35 au can be seen in the hybrid model results in Fig. 6.
The solar wind observed inside the coma, close to the nucleus, is a good tracer of the interaction between the solar wind and the coma. The spacecraft altitude did not change significantly during the investigated time period; the spacecraft spent 90% of the time below 100 km in altitude. Thus the variations we observe are to a large extent temporal, and not spatial, and the evolution of the proton flow parameters directly reflects the time evolution of the plasma environment. We expect the solar wind to be deflected and slowed down. Both the deflection and the deceleration should increase with increasing comet activity, or a decreasing heliocentric distance. Significant and increasing deflection is observed during the whole period of study, and data from the later part is consistent with deceleration, but we cannot observe a clear trend in this deceleration.
All of the aspects of the protons we have been studying over this period present detectable changes that can be correlated with either the heliocentric distance or the upstream solar wind velocity. The decreasing heliocentric distance gives the main trend in the evolution of the deflection, the magnetic field amplitude, the energy variability and, in the model, the deceleration. The variability around this main trend seems to be associated with the upstream proton velocity: the proton peak width together with the proton energy variability present the best correlation with the upstream speed, but an anti-correlation with deflection is also seen for intermediate heliocentric distances. The main peaks in the measured magnetic field amplitude are also aligned with peaks in upstream velocity.
With the resolution we get after data analysis, no physical aspect other than the heliocentric distance and the upstream solar wind speed is needed to describe the evolution of the deflection and the energy distribution of the solar wind protons.
Even though we noted that the degree of deceleration of the protons was difficult to assess from our data, we can clearly state that the protons are largely deflected, but not significantly slowed down. Thus the force applied on the observed protons must be near-orthogonal to their velocity, all along their trajectory to the instrument. The observed protons have not lost a significant amount of energy.
During the investigated time period from August 2014 to March 2015, the magnetic field amplitude | B | measured at the spacecraft increased to average values of approximately 20 nT. We therefore have an augmentation of | B | following the comet activity escalation, but also an augmentation of | B | along a proton trajectory, from upstream of the coma to the measurement point. In the undisturbed solar wind, the magnetic force qvH+ × B and the electric force qE are cancelling each other, the Lorentz force F = q(E + vH+ × B) is balanced and null.
It is of great interest to put this increase of | B | in opposition with the rather small deceleration of the solar wind. Without an opportune new configuration of the local electric field in both amplitude and direction, the Lorentz force applied on the protons is not equal to zero anymore. The solar wind protons are perturbed by this increase in | B | along their trajectory. A significant part of their motion can now be seen as gyrating rather than a true bulk drift. The fact that the magnetic field is enhanced without a corresponding deceleration of the protons indicates that the protons are no longer coupled to the magnetic field, or a significant part of their energy is now in a gyromotion, with a reduced bulk drift.
Lorentz force per charge acting on the bulk of the solar wind protons of a cut through y = 0 for the comet at 2.35 au, case 5. The solar wind proton bulk velocity is given as a vector field a). The force acting perpendicular to the solar wind bulk velocity, vH+, deflects the solar wind protons a), where a positive value is taken as counter-clockwise gyration by convention. The force parallel to the solar wind bulk velocity changes the solar wind speed b), where a positive value results in a deceleration. The ambient convective electric field is 0.85 V/km. The location of the comet nucleus is marked by black cross-hairs.
We observe a force applied on the solar wind protons in the coma, a force mainly orthogonal to their bulk velocity. This force is therefore efficient in changing their momentum, but acts less efficiently on their energy, that is, their speed. Both momentum and energy are transferred to the water ions through electromagnetic fields. Haerendel (1982) and Brenning et al. (1991) for example, in the context of barium releases, depict a momentum transfer along Alfvén waves propagating from the cloud (artificial coma).
So the previous observation raises the question about the actual shape of the regions where energy and momentum exchange takes place. In particular, these regions are not necessarily identical.
Since we only have a one-point measurement to assess the situation, we must turn to the modeled interaction to see the larger picture.
In the hybrid model, we can separate the Lorentz force, F = q(E′ + vH+ × B) into two components: the force acting parallel to the solar wind proton bulk flow, , and the force acting perpendicular to the flow, F⊥ = F−F∥. The perpendicular component acts to make the bulk of the solar wind deflect, while the parallel component acts to change the solar wind speed.
Hybrid model results for the comet located at 2.35 au, case 5, show that the Lorentz force, F, is primarily making the bulk of the solar wind protons gyrate and thus deflect towards the direction opposite of the convective electric field (− ẑ). The perpendicular force, F⊥, deflects the protons in a counter-clockwise manner in the xz plane, seen in Fig. 7a, where the bulk velocity of the solar wind protons are given as a vector field.
The parallel force, F∥, which is slowing the solar wind down, is much weaker (see Fig. 7b, where a positive value corresponds to deceleration). This is in agreement with the in-situ observations.
The regions of deflection (perpendicular force) and deceleration (parallel force) are of comparable sizes and shape, but with different strengths. It is interesting to note that the gyroradius of a pick up ion in the undisturbed solar wind is 3 × 105 km, which is much larger than the interaction region of about 103 km. The interaction region leading to deflection and deceleration of the solar wind protons corresponds to the region where the newly ionized water is accelerating along the convective electric field, E0.
As the heliocentric distance decreases from 3.6 to 2.2 au, the observed solar wind is increasingly deflected, up to 90°. The modeled interaction results in the same evolution of the deflection angle, with a lower maximum value than observed.
In contrast with this strong deflection, the observed solar wind is not significantly slowed down, with an estimated deceleration of 40 km s-1 at heliocentric distances between 2.65 and 2.2 au. The modeled deceleration is consistent with the observations.
The strong proton deflection is the most obvious signature of mass-loading at a small comet, while little deceleration is observed. This may also have important implications for other objects where the interaction region is small compared to the gyro radii of pick up ions. The interplanetary magnetic field at the orbit of Pluto is very small and the pick up ion gyro radius correspondingly large, in the order of 1 million km. If there is significant mass-loading of the solar wind due to an extended atmosphere upstream of the bow shock at Pluto, this interaction is likely similar to that of a small scale comet. The New Horizons spacecraft observed very little deceleration of the solar wind at its flyby of Pluto (Bagenal et al. 2016; McComas et al. 2016), while no clear data on solar wind deflection has been published. McComas et al. (2016) reported a clear pressure-related plasma boundary forming between the ionosphere and the solar wind at Pluto, so in this respect Pluto behaves similarly to other unmagnetised planets such as Mars and Venus.
As contrast to the single-point limitation of the measurements, the model enables us to describe the complete picture of the interaction. In the model, the region where energy is transferred and the region where momentum is transferred are close to identical. The force acting on the solar wind protons has a main component orthogonal to their bulk velocity. This confirms and completes the picture we get from the observations, in which solar wind protons are seen as almost gyrating.
The region where momentum and energy are transferred from the solar wind to the coma is centered on the nucleus, with a dimension in the order of 103 km. But this localized interaction has significant effects on the downstream solar wind flow over much larger spatial scales. The solar wind is in fact seen piling up in the (− z, − x) quadrant, a region where neither momentum nor energy are significantly transferred. This happens where the deflected solar wind intersects the nearly undisturbed solar wind.
This research was conducted using resources provided by the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing (SNIC) at the High Performance Computing Center North (HPC2N), Umeå University, Sweden.
The software used in this work was in part developed by the DOE NNSA-ASC OASCR Flash Center at the University of Chicago.
The hybrid solver is part of the openly available FLASH code and can be downloaded from http://flash.uchicago.edu/.
The simulation results are available from the corresponding author on request.
This work was supported by the Swedish National Space Board (SNSB) through grants 108/12, 112/13, 96/15 and 94/11.
We acknowledge the staff of CDDP and IC for the use of AMDA and the RPC Quicklook database (provided by a collaboration between the Centre de Données de la Physique des Plasmas (CDPP) supported by CNRS, CNES, Observatoire de Paris and Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse and Imperial College London, supported by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council). We are indebted to the whole Rosetta mission team, Science Ground Segment and Rosetta Mission Operation Control for their hard work making this mission possible. |
0.943805 | Cultural heritage tourism (or just heritage tourism or diaspora tourism) is a branch of tourism oriented towards the cultural heritage of the location where tourism is occurring.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States defines heritage tourism as "traveling to experience the places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past", and "heritage tourism can include cultural, historic and natural resources".
According to the RICARD , culture, heritage and the arts have long contributed to appeal of tourist destination. However, in recent years 'culture' has been rediscovered as an important marketing tool to attract those travellers with special interests in heritage and arts.
According to the Hollinshead, cultural heritage tourism defines as cultural heritage tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry because there is a trend toward an increase specialization among tourists. This trend is evident in the rise in the volume of tourists who seek adventure, culture, history, archaeology and interaction with local people.
Cultural heritage tourism is important for various reasons; it has a positive economic and social impact, it establishes and reinforces identity, it helps preserve the cultural heritage, with culture as an instrument it facilitates harmony and understanding among people, it supports culture and helps renew tourism (Richards, 1996). As Benjamin Porter and Noel B. Salazar have ethnographically documented, however, cultural heritage tourism can also create tensions and even conflict between the different stakeholders involved (Porter and Salazar 2005).
Decolonization and immigration form the major background of much contemporary heritage tourism. Falling travel costs have also made heritage tourism possible for more people.
Another possible form involves religious travel or pilgrimages. Many Catholics from around the world come to the Vatican and other sites such as Lourdes or Fátima. Islam commands its followers to take the hajj to Mecca, thus differentiating it somewhat from tourism in the usual sense, though the trip can also be a culturally important event for the pilgrim.
Heritage tourism can also be attributed to historical events that have been dramatised to make them more entertaining. For example, a historical tour of a town or city using a theme such as ghosts or Vikings. Heritage tourism focuses on certain historical events, rather than presenting a balanced view of that historical period. Its aim may not always be the presentation of accurate historical facts, as opposed to economically developing the site and surrounding area. As a result, heritage tourism can be seen as a blend of education, entertainment, preservation and profit.
Anthropology and Ethnology were two major disciplines interested by the life of aborigines, their customs and political structures. Although, the firsts fieldworkers were not interested in expanding the colonization of main European powers, the fact was that their notes, books and field-work notes were employed by colonial officials to understand the aboriginal mind. From that moment on, anthropology developed a strange fascination for the Other's culture. The concepts of heritage and colonization were inextricably intertwined.
Another problem with heritage tourism is the effect on indigenous peoples whose land and culture is being visited by tourists. If the indigenous people are not a part of the majority, or ruling power in the country, they may not benefit from the tourism as greatly as they should. For example, in Mexico tourism has increased because of the predicted end of the Maya Calendar. However, the indigenous Maya are not benefitting from the increased traffic through the ruins and other cultural landmarks.
Heritage tourism is supported by municipalities through promotion and tourist information in many countries and their administrative units, e.g. cities as Polish Bydgoszcz or Warsaw.
There are also many forms of presenting selected tourist topics in a harmonized way, for instance European Route of Brick Gothic and many others (Cultural Route of the Council of Europe).
^ a b "Heritage Tourism". National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
^ Richards, Greg (1996). Production and consumption of European Cultural Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research. Tillburg University Press.
^ Porter, Benjamin W. and Noel B. Salazar (2005). "Heritage tourism, conflict, and the public interest". International Journal of Heritage Studies. 11 (5): 361–370. doi:10.1080/13527250500337397.
^ Basu, P. (2007). Highland homecomings: Genealogy and heritage tourism in the Scottish diaspora. Routledge.
^ Timothy, D., & Olsen, D. (Eds.). (2006). Tourism, religion and spiritual journeys. Routledge.
^ Harris, M. (2001). The rise of anthropological theory: A history of theories of culture. AltaMira Press.
^ Restrepo, E., & Escobar, A. (2005). ‘Other Anthropologies and Anthropology Otherwise’Steps to a World Anthropologies Framework. Critique of Anthropology, 25(2), 99-129.
^ Clifford, J., Dombrowski, K., Graburn, N., LeiteGoldberg, N., Phillips, R., Watkins, J., & Clifford, J. (2004). Looking several ways: Anthropology and native heritage in Alaska. Current anthropology, 45(1), 5-30.
^ Starzmann, M. T. (2008). Cultural imperialism and heritage politics in the event of armed conflict: prospects for an ‘activist archaeology’. Archaeologies, 4(3), 368-389.
^ "Community Tourism - Number2 River Association, Sierra Leone". The Vrinda Project. YouTube. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
^ "Mayans Demand Inclusion in 'Doomsday Tourism'". Indian Country Today Media Network. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
^ "Visit Bydgoszcz". Bydgoszcz Information Centre (Bydgoskie Centrum Informacji). Retrieved 5 December 2017.
^ "WarsawTour". Warsaw Tourist Office. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
^ "Europäische Route der Backsteingotik". Europäische Route der Backsteingotik e.V. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
South-East Asian Tourism Organisation A new South-east Asian based organization looking at ways to use other initiatives to spread the benefits of tourism more widely. |
0.999983 | Google is an invaluable tool when it comes to searching the Internet. Typing a search query into this search engine produces a list of relevant websites instantly. Google is available on desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and more recently on televisions. Internet connected TVs have brought the web to the home theater, and by doing so, made the home theater space another area where you can access your favorite websites. Most web-enabled TVs lack a full web browser and typically rely upon an application package consisting of services like Netflix, Pandora, and YouTube. TVs powered by Google offer a much more robust Internet experience since the entire web is accessible.
What is Google TV? Google TV is a web enabled television that features the Google Android operating system and the Chrome web browser. The browser is fitted with the latest flash player from Adobe (v.10.1). Once the TV is connected to a broadband connection wirelessly (it features built-in Wi-Fi), it is ready to explore the Internet.
Everything you could do online from a computer can now be done from the television. Using the remote control, enter a search query or type in a web address into the browser and view the website. You can stream videos, play games, chat, view photos, and catch up on news.
The interface is user friendly, with a home screen that features your favorite channels, websites, and apps. You can create bookmarks to easily navigate to frequently visited sites and create playlists for online video content.
The main problem with Google TV is that, depending on the size of the TV, the text of most websites may not be displayed on the screen well enough to be read. If you sit really close to the TV, this may not be a problem, but for those that sit at the recommended viewing distance, it may be difficult to read website content. Another downside is that the controller may be a bit cumbersome for navigating the web, especially when compared with the ease of using a mouse and keyboard.
The main feature of Google TV is similar to the 'picture in picture' feature of most televisions. However, instead of viewing a second television channel, Google TV displays the Chrome web browser. So as you watch TV, you can browse the Internet. It is ideal for expressing your opinions on a particular TV show on a forum or viewing what others are saying on Twitter.
Google TV comes pre-loaded with several apps including the streaming video service, Netflix, and the music streaming service Pandora. NBA Game Time, CNBC, and Amazon Instant Video and Gallery are a few more apps available. Some of these services require a membership to access content.
Control Google TV with your smartphone. Use an iPhone or Android smartphone to change the channel or search the Internet. If you have Google Voice Search on the phone, use it to search the web by simply speaking and then have the results displayed on the television. Another great compatibility feature between smartphones and Google TV is Fling, which lets you transfer whatever you are watching, listening to, or playing on the smartphone to the television by pressing a button.
Google TV is currently available on a few high definition televisions manufactured by Sony. There is a 24" model (NSX-24GT1), 32" model (NSX-32GT1), 40" model (NSX-40GT1), and a 46" model (NSX-46GT1). Each one is a HDTV with 1080P resolution that comes with a qwerty keyboard controller. Models 32" and larger feature Edge LED backlighting.
Google TV is also available on Sony Blu-ray Disc players and Logitech Revue. These devices are designed for HDTV owners that don't want to upgrade, but do want to experience the Internet on their television. Both feature Google's Android OS, Chrome browser, and built-in Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet. The Blu-ray player is for those that want to play Blu-ray movies, while the Revue is just for web and channel browsing. The Blu-ray player is controlled with the same qwerty keyboard as the HDTVs. The Revue features a set top box and a wireless keyboard.
Still have questions? Looking to purchase, but just not sure what? Is Google TV worth the hype now that you are using it? Maybe you have more to add to our Google TV review. If you have something to add, we'd love to hear from you. Be sure to visit the comments section below! |
0.987134 | If you have seen the futuristic movie Minority Report, you most likely have an idea of how many factors and decisions go into crime prevention. Yes, Pre-crime is an aspect of the future but even today it is clear that many social, economic, psychological, racial, and geographical circumstances must be thoroughly considered in order to make crime prediction even partially possible and accurate. The predictive analytics made possible with Apache Hadoop can significantly benefit this area of government security.
The essence of crime prevention is to understand and narrow down thousands of “what if” cases to a manageable and plausible handful of scenarios. Crime can happen anywhere and can be categorized as anything from cyber fraud to kidnapping, which provides a lot of combinations for possible misdemeanors or felonies. With the help of big data analytics, government agencies can zone in on certain areas, demographics, and age groups to pick out specific types of crimes and move towards decreasing the one trillion dollar annual cost of crime in the United States.
Zach Friend, a crime analyst for the Santa Cruz Police Department, explained that there aren’t enough cops on the streets due to insufficient funds. Not only that, but many police departments are still technologically behind in the crime-monitoring field, so big data analytics tools could be a huge step forward for police all over the country. Evidence and information about cases could be stored much more efficiently, police action could be more proactive, and crime awareness could be much more prevalent.
The Crime and Corruption Observatory (created by the European company, FuturICT) is pushing for this kind of development and aims to predict the dynamics of criminal phenomena by running massive data mining and large-scale computer simulations. The Observatory is structured as a network that involves scientists from varying fields – “from cognitive and social science to criminology, from artificial intelligence to complexity science, from statistics to economics and psychology”.
This Observatory will be used through the framework of the developing Living Earth Simulator project – “a big data and supercomputing project that will attempt to uncover the underlying sociological and psychological laws that underpin human civilization.” The project, funded by the European Union, is an impressive advancement in technology, which will not only aid in pin pointing crime but will also effectively utilize the big data of today’s world.
PredPol has made predictive crime analytics available to police departments so that “pre-crime”, in a sense, could be put into action. Zach Friend explains, “We’re facing a situation where we have 30 percent more calls for service but 20 percent less staff than in the year 2000, and that is going to continue to be our reality. So we have to deploy our resources in a more effective way. This model does that.” PredPol allows law enforcement agencies to collect and organize data about crimes that have already happened and to use this data to predict future incidents in certain areas at a radius of 500 square foot blocks. It may not be the same as knowing the exact perpetrator, victim, and cause of the crime ahead of time as was possible in Minority Report but it is an impressive step towards perfecting crime prediction.
The Santa Cruz Police Department, which is using PredPol’s software, has already seen significant improvements in police work. SCPD began by locating areas of possible burglaries, battery, and assault and handing out maps of these areas to officers so they could patrol them. Since then, the department has seen a 19% decrease in these types of crimes.
PredPol software is able to make calculations about crimes based on previous times and locations of other incidents while cross-referencing these with criminal behavior and patterns. Here is an example of how large-scale this could get: George Mohler, a UCLA mathematician who was testing the effectiveness of PredPol, looked at 5,000 crimes which required 5,000! comparisons (i.e. 5,000 x 4,999 x 4,998…). With impressive results already materializing from calculations like these, it is exciting to think how much more accurate predictive crime analytics could become.
With Apache Hadoop, perfecting crime prevention becomes an attainable goal. CTOlabs presented some very important points in a recent white paper about big data and law enforcement, showing how Hadoop could be beneficial to smaller police departments that don’t have very much financial leeway. The LAPD for example, is very well-funded and can afford to work with companies such as IBM to develop crime predicting techniques.
Smaller or less advanced departments, however, do not have the financial advantage to use supercomputers or extensive command centers and will use less efficient techniques (such as simple spreadsheets and homegrown databases) to keep track of all of the information involved in law enforcement. “Nationwide, agencies and departments have to reduce their resources and even their manpower but are expected to continue the trend of a decreasing crime rate. To do so requires better service with fewer resources.” Open source presents an extremely effective and less expensive option – Apache Hadoop is the super hero that can save the day, one cluster at a time.
With Hadoop’s capability to store and organize data, police departments can filter through unnecessary information in order to focus on the aspects of crime that are more important. By applying advanced analytics to historical crime patterns, weather trends, traffic sensor data, and a wealth of other sources, police can place patrol cops in areas with higher crime probability instead of evenly distributing man power throughout quiet anddangerous neighborhoods. This conserves money, effort, and time. Hadoop can also help organize a number of other factors such as police back up, calls for service, or screening for biases and confounding variables. Phone calls, videos, historical records, suspect profiles, or any other important information that is necessary for law agencies to keep for a long time can be systematized and referenced whenever need be.
Increasing public safety through effective use of technology is not a panacea but it is here and is an effective tool in combating crime. Apache Hadoop serves as a foundation for this new approach and, most importantly, it is accessible to a wider range of police departments all over the country and the world. Yes, predictive policing and crime prevention still have a lot of room for development and have yet to tackle issues like specific crimes that depend on interpersonal relationships or random events. However, it is all very possible, especially with the use of Hadoop as a predictive analytics platform. Crime can be stopped. No PreCogs necessary.
The Boston Marathon bombing, subsequent manhunt and current investigation are unprecedented – not only due to the nature of the attack but because of how much information has been available to law enforcement, the public and the suspects. Unlike any previous large-scale attack, data came in at a staggering velocity within seconds of the twin explosions, yielding constant changes and misreporting, but also the timely apprehension of the suspects.
For all its evident successes, however, this “big data” event exposed many limitations in existing technologies, demonstrating the need for new capabilities and providing new collaborative opportunities for law enforcement and technology developers. This article is about the technological capabilities Boston demonstrated we need, rather than about the victims, the heroism of the Boston responders or cooperation among the agencies involved. Some of the technologies discussed below may already exist in some form, but still are not ideally suited to the needs of this kind of event.
Avid for Intel: The FBI and Boston Police Department (BPD) requested and received video and photos from witnesses to the blast and from private security cameras in the vicinity. Capabilities in this area are not ready for “prime time”. To my knowledge there is no image and video management system that can operate at scale to quickly to stitch together the various images in both space and time. The best seem to be in the entertainment industry – something akin to the Avid video editing and production suite – than the intelligence community. Each image from a smart phone carries telemetry data that can be used to orient it in space and time. Add hundreds or even thousands of those images together, taken from different vantage points and different times, and you have an amazingly detailed mosaic of the environment. Being able to ‘play it back’ to particular time stamps, say to see who put a package where, is an enormous challenge and opportunity. I suspect that Boston pulled off this feat with brute force but a technology solution to this type of image management capability seems to be in order. Similar ideas can be seen in movies, but these haven’t yet made the trip from the big screen to the real world. No matter how many video cameras a city installs, we should expect that there will be increasing amounts of consumer imagery and video available and we must develop the technology to harness it.
Complex Event Processing (CEP): It’s difficult to imagine the barrage of information flying at the Boston law enforcement team on April 15th: citizen tips, social media posts, 911 calls and forensic evidence to name a few. But I could imagine that the primary information management system was email, and that it wouldn’t take long in a rapidly evolving event such as this to be drowned in message traffic and miss key pieces of information. CEP is an idea typically found in machine automation, but automating alerts based on key events could ensure that the right message gets to the right people automatically. That might mean any small event in a key location (or a certain type of activity anywhere) generates an alert. In order for CEP to be effective for a rapidly evolving situation, it would require a very simple configuration interface and easy integration into data streams and messaging systems. In the next Boston-type event there will be no time to call a support contractor for help configuring rules; this has to be almost consumer-friendly out of the box.
Link Analysis: There is a critical need in rapidly unfolding situations to organize the information you have and tie it together in a way that allows you to tell a story or build a case. As the Boston authorities tried to figure out who the suspects were, little pieces of information came in all the time, answering critical questions like: How many suspects are there? Where do they live? Where do they work? How are they tied together? This is certainly the promise of link analysis software from vendors like Palantir, IBM/i2, Visual Analytics, Centrifuge and others. Unfortunately, without a room full of engineers from the vendor, customers don’t have the capability to use these tools rapidly enough and with the level of sophistication this type of event requires, and most agencies end up using these tools for a few simple activities and as basic drawing packages. The products, business models and capabilities destined for use in crises must evolve in order to make the kind of headway needed during a fast-moving event. Even a city the size of Boston doesn’t have the budget or the day-to-day need for the level of investment that would be required to have those capabilities using today’s solutions.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Every law enforcement and homeland security agency has GIS tools. But let’s face it: nobody can use them at the pace and level of complexity that Boston required. And that’s not Boston’s fault; it’s the tools’. Modern GIS systems are built on old software architectures to support geographers. But they need to be rebuilt for the velocity of social media data, for easy and rapid data entry, for simple analysis, and for quick information sharing and reporting. The needs of law enforcement to see the locations of detonations, devices that were discovered, suspect homes and other parts of the crime scenes and then correlate that data with reporting from social media, random tips and their own personnel was just out of reach. They had the tools and they knew how to use them, but the tools are not up to the task. Given the revolution in geo-enabled consumer apps such as Foursquare, Google Maps, Yelp and Find My iPhone, it’s disappointing that the professional tools are so lacking in capability.
Crowd Analytics: From the DARPA Challenge to the recent Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) crowd forecasting program, this has been a pretty hot topic for research. The FBI’s release of suspect photos proved that the crowd was able to identify the suspects better than facial recognition algorithms were apparently able to do against their drivers’ licenses and other publicly available photos. In addition to allowing witnesses who saw or knew the suspects to identify them, the crowd presents a massive computational reasoning capability with the entire Internet at its disposal. The crowd was able to find the suspects’ Russian-language social network VKontakte (VK), Twitter and other social media accounts faster than the government. Leveraging the crowd for search, translation, information dissemination and such bears much promise and much peril. More will be written, I’m sure, about the ill-fated reddit community attempt to analyze crime scene imagery, but make no mistake: a well-organized crowd can be a powerful tool.
Social Identity: Identity resolution and identity management capabilities are used every day by law enforcement and intelligence agencies. But these capabilities struggle with low-quality data sources. It’s one thing to find an identity match with a name, date of birth and social security number; it’s something else entirely when the name has multiple spellings and there’s no other good information. It’s particularly hard to find that person’s social media identity, perhaps the first place you’ll see their extreme views or other information that may provide additional leads or explanations of motives. And, in this case like many others, fraudulent websites are created as quickly as the event unfolds, further confusing the search for suspect identities. High quality but rapid social identity solutions are needed to understand a person’s identity when their official government identity is either unknown or insufficient. And these tools must not only be timely in order to have any value to law enforcement, they must also be accurate.
Social TTL: The concept of tagging, tracking, and locating (TTL) is well known in the intel and special operations communities. But, as we could see that one of the suspects was logging into his VK and Twitter accounts from his smart phone during the event, it exposed the need for a different kind of TTL. All of the technology capabilities to identify the user and track the location of his mobile phone exist, but were not readily available in a timely manner in Boston.
Phone Neutralization/Intercept: The explosive devices used during the marathon were apparently triggered with controllers from a radio-operated toy, but they first appeared to have been detonated by mobile calls or messages, as with many other attacks of this nature. After the suspects were identified there was concern that they possessed additional devices and that those devices could be remotely detonated using mobile phones as well. Along with the Social TTL idea, there is a need to either neutralize, intercept or exploit the mobile phones of the suspects. This would have been even more essential with more assailants or a protracted standoff. Products exist that would allow law enforcement to disable a phone from communicating on the network, track it precisely and even send it direct messages.
Digital Canvassing: Digital cameras and video were not the only sources of information available at the time of, or leading up to, the explosions. There was also a high volume of Tweets, Facebook updates, Yelp check-ins, Instagram posts and even YouTube uploads. One idea for identifying potential witnesses or suspects is to play back all of those time-stamped posts to determine who was in the vicinity, and when. Similar to deploying policemen to canvass a neighborhood, a digital canvass would allow investigators to review what was in the public social space that might yield clues.
Behavioral Markers: Every friend of the suspects interviewed by the media said that they were shocked by the attack. That their friends had been normal Americans but that something must have triggered a fundamental change. Each time there’s an event like Boston or Sandy Hook or the Gabrielle Giffords attack or the Aurora movie theater shooting, we seem surprised that these acts occurred, that we could only see the evidence after the fact. In reality, the behavioral ‘markers’ were there more often than not. But any attempt at analytical prevention or detection approaches quickly encroaches on the privacy and civil liberties of people with psychological disorders or those of a given race or chosen religion. In light of the potential to save many lives, we must have the courage to do responsible research on the behavioral markers of people who are mentally or ideologically capable of committing mass murder. We must address the root causes and find signals that we can detect in advance so that we can prevent these events from happening.
Smart Phones for Law Enforcement: Government, from the Pentagon to local police departments, have been slow to embrace smart phones. This mainly stems from a legitimate concern for protecting sensitive information, determining acceptable use, limiting the high cost of migrating to a new device – even from the uncertainty of choosing the right vendor. But it seems obvious that the Boston suspects had a real-time information advantage over those responsible for tracking them down. The smart phones the suspects carried would have allowed them to listen to the police scanners (I’m not sure they did, but I did – so they could have), tweet to their growing list of followers, monitor the news and call their mother. This “net centric warfare” provided a time and information advantage over the chain-of-command information flow to radios and outmoded Blackberry email devices. Equipping cops with smart phones, connected to some of the information sources described above, would tip the playing field back in favor of law enforcement.
Information Security: The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and others have reported recently that law enforcement’s use of social media is primarily to disseminate information rather than to monitor or engage. As former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff wrote in The Wall Street Journal recently, BPD did a fantastic job of using Twitter as an authoritative information source to quell rumors and enlist the public’s help. However, this event also showed the need to be able to control publicly available information that may be used by the adversary. I suspect BPD had forgotten or didn’t know that its police scanners with detailed operational information were being streamed over the Internet. The rapid flow of information that is easily accessed by even the simplest smart phone raises the stakes for information- and cyber-security during events like Boston.
To close, I welcome your ideas, your comments, your additions, and your opposing viewpoints. In such a dialogue lies a tremendous opportunity for refinement and innovation of the tools and products that support our public safety and intelligence agencies.
Disclaimer: These observations are made from a distance; I was not part of the Boston response nor do I have input on these technologies from anyone who was. Moreover, this is being written while the event is still unfolding and nothing has yet been published about the tools and technologies that were actually used during the event. These observations and opinions, and any errors, are my own.
Bryan Ware is the CTO of Haystax Technology, a new analytics company focused on the defense and intelligence sector. Mr. Ware was the co-Founder and chief technology strategist for Digital Sandbox until its acquisition by Haystax. His current work is focused on intelligence, law enforcement, and financial industry applications particularly in real-time analytics, social media intelligence, and mobility.
미제로 남을 뻔한 강력 사건들이 검찰과 경찰의 유전자(DNA) 정보 공유로 잇따라 해결되고 있다.
서울 광진경찰서는 2003년 4월 서울 화양동 주택가에서 20대 여성 2명을 성폭행하고 귀금속 등을 빼앗아 달아났던 송모(44)씨를 13일 붙잡았다. 10년의 공소시효 만료를 불과 66일 앞두고서였다.
경찰은 사건 직후 용의자의 DNA를 국립과학수사연구원(국과수)에 보냈지만 일치하는 자료가 없어 추적에 실패했다. 그러나 이후 마약 복용으로 복역했다 출소한 범인의 DNA 자료가 검찰에 남아 있어 이를 대조한 결과 10년 전 사건의 범인을 특정할 수 있었다.
검찰과 경찰은 미제 강력 사건의 해결을 위해 이처럼 DNA 정보 공유를 활성화하고, 조각지문 감식법 개발 등 과학수사 역량 확대에 총력을 기울이고 있지만 넘어야 할 산 또한 많다. 대표적인 게 검찰 따로, 국과수 따로인 유전자 분석자료 관리의 일원화다.
지난해 8월 20일 서울 중곡동에서 30대 주부를 성폭행하려다 실패하자 살해한 서진환(43)은 성폭행 전과자다. 사건 13일 전에도 인근 면목동에서 또 다른 성폭행 범죄를 저질렀다. 경찰은 면목동 사건을 수사하면서 피해자의 몸에서 범인의 DNA를 확보해 국과수에 분석을 의뢰했다. 그러나 국과수가 보유한 DNA 정보 데이터베이스엔 범인의 DNA 자료가 없었다. 반면 검찰은 그의 DNA 정보를 갖고 있었다. 다른 성폭행 사건으로 수감 중인 그의 DNA 자료를 검찰이 확보해뒀지만 경찰과의 정보 공유가 되지 않아 미리 범인을 잡을 기회를 놓쳤던 것이다.
성범죄는 특성상 상습적인 경우가 많다. 따라서 성폭행 사건이 일어나면 동종 범죄 전과자를 조회하는 것이 수사의 기본이다. 그런데도 성범죄자의 DNA 정보를 검찰과 경찰이 따로 관리한 탓에 애꿎은 희생자를 만든 셈이 됐다.
DNA 분석정보의 ‘따로 보관’에 따른 폐해는 더 있다.
서울 강서경찰서는 2005년 8월 부녀자를 성폭행한 혐의로 A씨(57)를 지난해 10월 구속했다. 경찰이 범행 현장에서 채취한 A씨의 DNA는 국과수에서 보관해 왔다.
A씨는 2008년 7월 절도 혐의로 검찰에 구속됐다가 2011년 7월 여주교도소에서 출소했다. 이때까지 그의 성폭행 전력은 노출되지 않았지만 출소하면서 채취한 그의 DNA 자료가 검찰에 등록되면서 7년 전 성범죄 사실이 드러났다. 그러나 A씨는 이미 출소해서 자유의 몸이 된 상태. 그를 다시 붙잡느라 1년3개월의 시일이 또 소요됐다.
2010년 7월 DNA법(DNA 신원확인정보의 이용 및 보호에 관한 법률)이 시행되면서 검찰과 경찰은 살인, 강도, 강간 등 11개의 강력 범죄를 저지른 자에 대해 DNA 자료를 채취, 보관할 수 있게 됐다. 이 법 시행 이전에는 특정 사건 관련자나 용의자의 DNA를 채집해 관리했지만 데이터베이스로 구축해 체계적으로 관리하지는 않았다. 결국 DNA법 이후 검·경이 따로 DNA 채취를 하게 됐는데, 수형자의 DNA 자료는 대검찰청에서, 범죄 현장에서 채집한 경찰 수사 DNA 자료는 국과수에서 각각 보관 중이다. 검찰 관계자는 “검·경이 각자 보유한 용의자들의 DNA 자료는 풍부하다. 최근 경찰과 검찰이 서로의 DNA 자료를 교차 검색할 수 있게 되면서 성폭력 등 장기 미제사건 해결에 기여하고 있다”고 설명했다.
하지만 국과수 측 설명은 다르다. “서진환 사건 이후 검찰과 경찰은 DNA 정보 교류를 위해 노력하고 있지만 아무래도 각자 보관·관리하다 보니 효율성이 많이 떨어지는 것은 부인할 수 없다”고 말했다.
지난 1월 박영선(민주통합당) 의원과 김희정(새누리당) 의원이 각각 DNA법 개정안을 대표발의했다. 현재의 이원화된 관리에서 파생되는 비효율을 제거하자는 뜻에서다. 박 의원은 “2010년 7월 법무부가 DNA법을 제정하면서 국과수에서 하던 DNA 신원확인 정보의 사무 관장을 검찰과 국과수로 나눴다. 그 결과 효율성이 떨어지고, 비용만 증가해 예산 낭비를 초래하고 있다”며 “관련 업무를 과학수사 연구기관인 국과수로 일원화해야 한다”고 주장했다. 아울러 “DNA 신원확인 정보가 체계적이고 통일적으로 관리되지 못해 인권 침해의 소지도 크다”고 지적했다.
김희정 의원의 개정안 내용은 좀 다르다. 김 의원은 “현재 범행 현장에서 확보한 용의자의 DNA는 경찰이 관리하고, 수형자들로부터 채취한 정보는 검찰이 보관하고 있다”면서 “이로 인해 유력한 용의자를 놓치거나 뒤늦게 검거하는 사례가 많았다. 따라서 효율적이고 신속한 범인 검거를 위해 검·경 간 DNA 정보를 연계 운용토록 개선해야 한다”고 밝혔다. 즉 검찰과 경찰이 용의자 DNA와 수형자 DNA를 따로 관리하되, 정보를 연계 운용할 수 있도록 하자는 내용이다.
국과수 사람들은 관리체계 일원화를 강조하면서도 무척 신중하고 조심스럽다. 검찰, 경찰의 눈치를 꽤 보는 기색이다. 업무 처리상 검찰의 협조가 절실하고 경찰은 예산을 지원하고 있기 때문이다. 그러나 대한민국 국과수가 자랑하는 게 있다. 무척 손이 빠르다는 점이다. 혈액이든 정액이든 증거물이 채집돼 오면 이를 분류해 DB화하는 데 전광석화 같다고 한다. 한 간부는 “업무의 신속성은 수많은 사건을 통해 단련된 덕분”이라고 했다. 분석 수준도 세계적으로 명성을 얻고 있다. 2006년 서울 반포동 서래마을 프랑스 영아 유기 사건을 명쾌하게 해결하면서 국제적 명성을 얻었지만, 이후에도 이런 전통을 이어가고 있다.
가령 얼마 전 동남아인이 연루된 살인 사건에서 DNA 자료만으로도 피의자의 국적을 정확히 맞혀 사건 해결의 결정적 역할을 했다. 혈흔만 가지고도 용의자의 연령을 추정해 내는 기술도 세계적으로 손꼽힌다. 분석방법의 다양화가 이뤄낸 쾌거다.
유전자 분석을 통해 용의자의 종족이나 피부색 등을 맞히는 것은 물론 동식물의 구체적인 개체 식별도 가능하다고 한다. 과거 분석에선 그냥 소나무 정도만 맞혔지만 최근엔 분석 기술의 발달로 어떤 유의 소나무인지, 고양이도 단순히 고양이가 아닌 어떤 형태의 고양이인지 정확히 집어낸다고 한다.
그런 국과수가 조심스러워하는 분야가 있다. 유전자를 통해 용의자의 성(姓)씨를 거의 맞힐 수 있는 능력을 보유하고 있지만 사회 분위기상 이를 공개적으로 활용하지 못하고 있는 점이 그것이다. 부계 염색체인 y유전자를 조사하면 성씨마다 독특한 패턴이 나타난다고 한다. “이는 축적된 데이터로 분석이 가능한데 에러가 거의 없다. 하지만 우리 사회에 하도 금기가 많고 편견이 심해 조심스럽다”고 국과수 한 간부는 전했다.
지문을 입력하고 저장·검색할 수 있는 지문자동식별시스템(AFIS). 10분 내에 지문으로 신원 확인이 가능하다. 국내 AFIS에는 4600만여 명의 지문 정보가 담겨 있다.
2005년 5월 어느 날 저녁 서울 공릉동 A씨(26·여)의 집 앞. 갑자기 한 남자가 귀가하던 A씨에게 달려들었다. A씨를 협박해 집 안까지 끌고 들어간 남자는 성폭행한 뒤 현금을 훔쳐 달아났다. 당시 범인이 현장에 남긴 건 손톱 크기도 안 되는 조각지문(일부만 남은 지문) 3개. A씨를 묶기 위해 콘센트에서 뽑았던 전선에 남은 지문이었다. 경찰은 범인의 신원을 밝혀내지 못했고 사건은 그렇게 미제로 남게 됐다. 그로부터 7년 뒤인 지난해 중반, 전과 8범 구모(33)씨가 용의선상에 올랐다. 성능이 향상된 지문자동식별시스템(AFIS)이 당시 밝혀내지 못했던 조각지문 3개의 주인공을 밝혀낸 것이다. 범인임이 확인된 구씨는 결국 구속됐다.
조각지문만 남겨 사건을 미궁에 빠뜨렸던 범인들이 속속 붙잡히고 있다. 지문 감식 기술이 나날이 향상되고 있기 때문이다. 경찰은 향상된 지문 감식 시스템을 바탕으로 2010년부터 지난해까지 살인 5건을 포함해 총 138건의 미제 사건을 해결했다.
지문 감식은 일제 조선총독부가 1911년 국내에 처음 도입했다. 하지만 초기엔 활용도가 그리 높지 않았다. 채취한 지문을 일일이 수작업으로 확인해야 했기 때문이다. 지문 감식 수사가 날개를 단 건 AFIS를 도입한 1990년 이후다. AFIS는 지문을 입력·저장·검색하는 시스템으로 10분 안에 범인의 신원을 확인할 수 있다. AFIS 도입 후 지문 데이터베이스를 구축하고 활용도가 높아지면서 1985년 6건에 불과했던 지문 신원 확인이 지난해에는 4200여 건으로 늘었다. 여기에 경찰청은 2007년부터 2010년까지 AFIS에 지문을 재입력해 선명도를 높이고 검색 시스템을 개선했다. 이를 통해 지문에 나타나는 특징점들을 선으로 연결한 부분의 면적, 융선(지문의 선)의 각도, 위치·방향 등을 활용해 지문 검색의 정확도를 높였다. AFIS에는 외국인, 국내 성인 등 4600만 명(일부 범죄자 중복 입력)의 지문 정보가 입력돼 있다.
지문 채취 기술도 향상됐다. 1948년 경찰부 감식과로 시작해 경찰청 내 감식계, 감식과로 이어져오던 것이 1999년 과학수사과로 확대 개편되면서 체계적으로 연구됐다. 기존에는 채취 도구가 흑연과 같은 분말과 백색 광원이 전부였다. 하지만 지금은 인체에 무해하고 흡착력이 높아 거친 표면에서도 지문을 채취할 수 있는 압축분말이 보편화됐다. 검체(지문이 묻은 물건)에 따라 다양한 파장의 빛을 활용하도록 광원도 다양화됐다. 현재는 미라처럼 건조된 시신과 물에 불은 익사자의 지문도 채취가 가능할 정도로 향상됐다.
경찰은 올해 초부터 손가락 지문뿐 아니라 손바닥 지문인 장문(掌紋)도 수사 단계에서 확보해 활용 중이다. 손금을 기준으로 손바닥 어느 부위의 지문인지 확인해 그 부분을 용의자의 지문과 비교해보는 것이다. 국제법과학감정연구소 이희일 소장은 “지문 데이터베이스가 확보돼 있기 때문에 대한민국의 지문 감식 기술은 세계 최고”라며 “DNA 분석이 비용과 시간이 많이 들기 때문에 지문 감식은 과학수사의 시작과 끝”이라고 말했다.
경찰청 장철환 감정관은 “현재는 보조적인 역할이지만 앞으로 중요성이 높아질 것”이라며 “예산·인력 보충이 필요하고 관련연구 또한 계속 돼야 할 것이다”라고 말했다.
Dr. Jennifer Bachner is Program Coordinator for the MA in Government program. Her work on predictive policing is supported by the IBM Center for the Business of Government.The rise of big data is shifting decision-making practices in all sectors of society. Journalists like David Brooks observe that “data-ism” is the “rising philosophy of the day” and businesses like McKinsey and IBM have focused their efforts on developing products and services that harness the power of big data. The big data revolution means that organizations of all types will need to collect, clean, analyze and act upon increasingly massive amounts of quantitative information to remain competitive.
Among those on the frontier of this paradigm shift are law enforcement agencies. Through what is often referred to as “predictive policing,” police departments are experiencing unprecedented success using data and analytics. Intelligence-led policing (i.e. the adoption of CompStat) emerged in the 1990s and greatly improved accountability by tracking information such as crime and arrest rates. Predictive policing builds upon this foundation. By examining patterns in past crime data, in conjunction with environmental characteristics, analysts can generate amazingly accurate forecasts about where crime is likely to occur. Officers are then deployed according to these forecasts.
The Santa Cruz Police Department, for example, partnered with social scientists at UCLA and Santa Clara University to develop software that assigns the probability of crime occurring to 150 by 150 meter cells on a map. Prior to their shifts, officers are notified of the 15 cells with the highest probabilities, and during their shifts, they can log into a web-based system to access updated, real-time probabilities. While officers are encouraged to view the maps as one of many tools in their crime prevention kits, many of those who integrate the information into their on-the-ground decision making have experienced marked declines in crime rates on their beats.
The applications of predictive policing extend well beyond mapping locations with increased likelihoods of crime (“hot spots”). The Baltimore Police Department, for example, has used predictive methods to inform its offender interdiction tactics. With a serial robber, analysts can use analytics to pinpoint the likely location of the suspect. To accomplish this, analysts first employ an iterative algorithm to calculate the center of minimum distance (CMD) between crime scenes, which is assumed to be the offender’s residence. An analysis of all possible routes from the CMD to the crime scenes and back again frequently reveals a limited number streets and times the offender uses. Police can then conduct an efficient stakeout and apprehend the suspect.
Social network analysis has proven to be another effective prediction tool. Analysts with the Richmond Police Department recently used this type of analysis to identify central (mathematically speaking) members in a homicide suspect’s social network. Police had been searching for the suspect for over a month. A few days after police notified key members in the network of their search, the suspect turned himself in. The police had successfully shut down the suspect’s social resources and, with no safe haven, he submitted himself to the authorities.
More and more police departments across the country are implementing predictive policing programs as the technology and training become more accessible. Further, the increasing computing power and data storage capacities available to police departments allow analysts to integrate more information into predictive analyses. Over the past few decades, criminologists have identified numerous characteristics associated with heightened criminal activity, including the availability of escape routes (e.g. highways and bridges), presence of adult retail establishments, weather patterns, payday schedules, times of day, days of the week and even moon phases. Through collaborative efforts, social scientists, crime analysts and police officers are discovering new ways to leverage this information and translate it into actionable recommendations that prevent crime.
We can also expect predictive policing to improve as information sharing becomes easier. Serial criminals often cross jurisdictional boundaries. This presents a problem for crime analysts, as the accuracy of predictions is positively correlated with information completeness. Recognizing this challenge, the federal government has supported the development of the Law Enforcement Information Exchange (LInX), which serves as a data warehouse for all participating police agencies. Individual agencies populate the database with their crime data, which can then be accessed by other agencies. Other information-sharing systems, such as Digital Information Gateway (DIG), is likewise making data analysis, visualization and interpretation easier and more accurate.
Law enforcement agencies are certainly not the only organizations benefiting from predictive analytics. Retail companies, intelligence agencies, financial institutions and marketing firms are just a few of the organizations using predictive methods and big data to improve their efficiency and success rates. And this trend is likely to continue. IBM estimates that “90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years.” This is a great time for undergraduate and graduate students to focus their academic careers in the field of data and analytics. |
0.99677 | This was “Officium – the final concert.” The Hilliard Ensemble took their decision around three years ago to disband as a group, and – for three of them – to retire, rather than to re-launch with a new generation of voices. They are now on the road doing a series of farewells. Their final bow will be at the Wigmore Hall on December 20th, and between now and then, their victory lap takes in Taunton, Gdansk, Châlons-en-Champagne, Florence and Cologne. This one in Cambridge was the opportunity to bask, for one very last time, in the completely unforeseen level of success – around 1.5 million album sales and 1,000 live concerts all over the world – of their collaboration with Jan Garbarek.
I n July1994, the saxophonist and the vocal ensemble gave their first UK concert together in the same location. Back then, it had taken quite an effort to get the tickets shifted, notably the special pre-release of a track from the Officium (image of album cover right – just released on vinyl) to be played on BBC Radio 4's Kaleidoscope; last night's concert had been sold out for several months in advance.
This valedictory concert included items from all three of those albums, performed as an uninterrupted sequence, and, as has always been the habit of this combination, with no set-list published. The Hilliards were also re-joined for most of the programme by one of their original core members, and a key instigator of their sound, the tenor (and one-time King's College Cambridge chorister) John Potter, who left the group in 1998 to be replaced by Steven Harrold.
The group and Garbarek have developed their particular ways of performing, which essentially give Garbarek the freedom to roam, to comment, to improvise around what they do. Their super-slow-mo version of Thomas Tallis' “O Lord in Thee is all my Trust” from Mnemosyne gave Garbarek the space, and one of many opportunities to wander off into the choir and send volleys of his unique soprano saxophone sound echoing round the chapel from far away. The sense of a distance between what the Hilliards do and what Garbarek does has been the constant in this collaboration. As the counter-tenor in the group David James admitted recently in an article: “Jan has never once looked at a single piece of the music we sing”.
The most poignant performance of the evening was of a piece dedicated to the Hilliards. It stood out as being the only one performed without Garbarek. Arvo Pärt's “Most Holy Mother of God” was written for them in 2003, and mostly consists of the same phrase repeated mantra-like, with silence between each iterated phrase. It worked superbly, and also underlined the Estonian composer's significance in the Hilliards' back-story. The Hilliards were introduced in person to both Pärt himself and to Manfred Eicher at a recording session in East London in 1985 and that surprise encounter led to the Hilliard's first recording for ECM the following year, and provided the spark for much of what was to happen subsequently.
At the end of the evening, after a 70-minute set, the group came full circle. After their first encore, the 17th-century Scottish lament "Remember Me My Dear”, the second, and the very last piece Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble performed, was the first which they had ever tried out together, back in 1994, “Parce Mihi Domine”, by Cristóbal de Morales (1500-1553).
After it, the musicians stepped back onto the small stage in front of the rood screen in King's College Chapel for the last time, and Manfred Eicher of ECM came on too, to take a final bow alongside them. Eicher had definitely earned his place on that stage, in front of the packed ante-chapel. It was his original idea to bring Garbarek and the Hilliards together, and the ECM aesthetic, vision, and commercial network that have been at the heart of this unlikely success.
But not even Eicher could have foreseen how prophetic the very last words of the Morales motet sung (in Latin) would be: “For now I shall lie in the earth; thou wilt seek me, but I shall not be.” Now that's spooky. |
0.988625 | The question of why some everyday brawls take on the aspect of ethnic conflicts in Russia is much more vital. Thus, a conflict between people of the same nationality is an everyday brawl, but a clash between people of different nationalities is an ethnic conflict. Where does this conclusion come from? Violence and cruelty cannot be justified no matter their origin. We never encountered this problem before, not even during the Chechen wars. What has changed since then?
Many events that we describe as ethnic conflicts are not actually that at all. In fact, they are domestic conflicts or everyday brawls posing as ethnic conflicts, and there is no evidence of insoluble contradictions, clash of interests or irreconcilable antagonism in them. For example, combat sambo world champion Rasul Mirzaev killed a man not in an ethnic conflict but in an ordinary brawl, and the same goes for the incident at the Yevropeisky shopping center in central Moscow. I also believe that paratrooper Ruslan Marzhanov was murdered not in an ethnic conflict but in a criminal conflict in the town of Pugachyov.
There are reasons for seeing some ordinary brawls as ethnic conflicts. The common element of all of the above mentioned incidents is that they involved people from the Caucasus, or more specifically Chechens, and worse still, Chechens were the guilty party. There have been similar incidents with people from Dagestan, my home republic, and the number of such incidents has been growing so fast that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and his Dagestani counterpart Ramazan Abdulatipov recommended that their compatriots behave properly when traveling outside their republics. Public organizations in Chechnya and Dagestan have tried to revive the code of honor of the mountain people and have urged their landsmen to comply with it. Personally, I am skeptical about these attempts as I see them as a step back into the past when people lived according to custom rather than law.
Russian society has accumulated a critical mass of negative examples involving people from the Caucasus over the past two decades, and we are now seeing the evolution of a very complex and highly negative social trend. This trend is based on behavior stereotypes and also on stereotypical interpretations of such behavior, and on major differences in understanding the same values, the same priorities, what is and is not permissible, archetypes of behavior and mentality. But I maintain that these differences are not rooted in ethnic origins, as people tend to believe, but in the level of cultural adaptation, or rather the adaptation of mountain cultures from outlying regions of the Caucasus to the dominant Russian culture.
Peoples of Russia have been communicating with each other for centuries. This unique experience is our greatest asset and the foundation of our state. The North Caucasus joined Russia much later than many other regions. Its incorporation was only completed in the second half of the 19th century, after the Caucasus War. In other words, the Russian Caucasus is the latest ethnic addition to the family of Russian peoples. Therefore, I see the current negative incidents above all as elements of a painful process of cultural adaptation of the Caucasus people.
It is a pity that this adaptation is accompanied by conflicts, but this is probably the downside of objective sociopolitical processes underway at the current stage of ethnic interaction in the Russian Federation. We could try to constrain this process, but that would only make it last longer. We need to develop adequate legal and other measures and to act clearly and resolutely, rather than letting the events take their course. When people resort to mob law, it is evidence of government inaction. The only thing that is worse than a vacuum of power is its consequences – chaos and anarchy, which signify the death of a state.
The authorities must do their utmost in this sphere, although it is not as though they've been sitting on their hands. Education and proper upbringing are the foundation for the development of culture and for actions and measures that must be taken to smooth over real ethnic differences. Investment in these spheres (including through the system of education) is the safest path possible, and it is never late to take it.
There have been positive achievements in interfaith and intrafaith dialogue, but the situation is not entirely unequivocal. Islamic radicals are fighting ethnic antagonism but they use questionable methods. While eliminating ethnic differences among Muslims, Salafis are fanning ethnic and religious animosity towards non-Muslims. This will never stop if Russian Muslims continue to look up at the Middle East instead of at their coreligionists who live in secular European and North American countries. Who said that a Muslim is necessarily a bad citizen?
The sociopolitical reality has changed in Russia. In the past, its peoples interacted with each other, though mostly with their neighbors, along the boundaries of their settlement areas, but the format of ethnic communication changed dramatically after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Ethnic communication broke out of the narrow geographic boundaries and even went beyond the limits of ethnic communities. Some experts describe the mass resettlement of people in the modern period of globalization as the Great Transmigration of Peoples. The newcomers mostly act as they will, disregarding the opinion of their elders. Moreover, they seem to think that they no longer have to respect their cultural constraints in the new conditions, and so sometimes act at their own risk. They think that they have nothing to lose.
Of course, it is typically only those who have not been fully ingrained with their own cultural and ethnic values who act in this manner. But their poor behavior and actions encourage society to believe that this is how all people from a given ethnic group behave. Moreover, these individuals’ compatriots become the hostage of their behavior, even though the principle of collective responsibility has long faded and is inapplicable in modern society. This is not North Korea, which has revived the principle of guilt by association to punish whole families.
As for creating a ministry for ethnic affairs, I’d like to point out that we tend to emulate Western legislation and Western political institutions. There are no ministries for ethnic affairs in the West. Moreover, people in Western countries are not divided into ethnic groups but are all equal citizens or nationals of their country. But Russia is not the West, and it cannot disregard ethnic differences, which have always existed and are unlikely to disappear any time soon. Most Western countries are monoethnic states with a long history of social evolution, whereas Russia has a different history and different realities.
We all know the recipes, but no single measure will resolve the problem. What we need is a complex of measures, because this is a complex problem. I will limit myself to the legal sphere, which I consider to be the most important. We must not request people to strictly comply with law, but instead ensure the fair administration of justice based on common sense for everyone. People must be equal before the law and no one should be able to evade responsibility, as now happens so often. Punishment must be inevitable but it must also be commensurate with the crime.
Prosecution alone will not resolve the problem either. We need to make many spheres, including law enforcement, more civilized. We must work to prevent crimes and offenses, conducting explanatory work in schools and universities, because respect for the law begins with details, and at an early stage. We must improve people’s legal culture because we will not build a state ruled by law otherwise. We must above all fight corruption in the institutions that embody law, that is, the law-enforcement and judicial system. The protest rallies in Manezhnaya Square and the events in Kondopoga and Pugachyov amount to public responses to unacceptable police action regarding serious crimes.
We also need to do many other things in the area of nation building. It is extremely important to show people that they have common tasks and goals and to consolidate society around nationwide ideas. After all, Russia is our only country and our only homeland, and everyone must serve it honestly, irrespective of their ethnicity and faith. This is our solemn duty, our highest honor and our greatest responsibility. |
0.985844 | When I arrived in Istanbul, I had the feeling to arrive back in western culture, as it was a stark contrast to the south east of turkey. It felt like I arrived in the 4th culture on my trip after Georgia, Turkey and the kurdish regions of Turkey in the south east.
I used the first days to let some impressions sink in, to develop and select my pictures, and write down some of the experiences I had in the last weeks. I slowly arrived back in western culture: I went rock climbing, tried hot yoga and attented lots of parties, concerts and contemporary art exhibitions. I also enjoyed to be finally back in a more vegetarian friendly environment with a good selection of vegetarian/vegan restaurants and cafés.
Istanbul is a very clean city compared to other cities in turkey. There’s still trash on some street corners, but not big piles and it doesn’t smell very bad, and the air is breathable as there's not much smog.
The public transport in Istanbul is a bit messy as I expected it for such a enormous city. The only reliable ways of transportation are the (relatively new) metro and the ferries. Every other transportation which is street based has huge delays and sometimes never reaches its destination.
There's an uncountable amount of cafés, bars, clubs and little shops in Istanbul. Most of them are in houses where every story is used for another venue. Mostly a café or store at the ground floor, some restaurants and bars in the middle floors and a club or fancy restaurant at the top floor.
Similar shops are always next to each other, so I found streets where you could only find shops selling music instruments, leds, paintings, antik chairs or supplies for a chemical lab.
After being in the east for some time before coming to Istanbul, I could feel that the peace might be only temporary.
I met lots of artists, engineers and other kind of intellectuals who openly made plans to leave turkey or already married someone from Europe or North America so they have the possibility to escape.
They are escaping because of missing freedom, because of missing women rights and also to escape the mandatory military service, which you could otherwise only escape by paying 30.000TL(~11.000€).
They see future conflicts between the advocates and opponents of Erdoğan and his political ideas. After some talking I also saw a potential conflict between the kurdish people, who work as guest workers on the fields in the west, and the jobless Syrian refugees who might do that job for even less money. Last summer you could earn about 30TL(~11€) for one day of fieldwork as a guest worker. |
0.982637 | The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The team is part of the AFC East, or American Football Conference's East Division, in the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins play their home games at Sun Life Stadium in the northern suburb of Miami Gardens, and have their headquarters in Davie, Florida. The Dolphins and the Atlanta Falcons (who also began play in 1966) are the oldest NFL franchises in the Deep South, and Miami is the oldest AFC team in that region.
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League. The Broncos began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger of 1970. The Broncos are owned by Pat Bowlen, and are coached by John Fox. The Broncos have played at Sports Authority Field at Mile High since 2001, after previously playing at Mile High Stadium from 1960–2000.
Founded in 1960, the Oakland Raiders are an American football team based in Oakland, California. For the first ten seasons of their existence, the Raiders belonged to the American Football League; they have been members of the National Football League since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger. As of 2013, the Raiders belong to the Western Division of the American Football Conference. Over the span of fifty-two seasons, the Raiders have experienced considerable success. Entering the 2013 season the Raiders sported a lifetime record of 430–363–11 (winning 54% of games played), with a playoff record of 25–18.
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team located in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The team belongs to the East Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team's home stadium is FedExField in Landover, Maryland. Its headquarters and training facility are at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Virginia, and the newly built Redskins Complex in Richmond, Virginia, respectively. The Redskins have played more than 1,000 games since 1932. The Redskins have won five NFL Championships (two pre-merger, and three Super Bowls). The franchise has captured 13 NFL divisional titles and six NFL conference championships.
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Green Bay is the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, having been organized and playing in 1919.
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the East Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team plays its home games in East Rutherford, New Jersey at MetLife Stadium, which it shares with the New York Jets in a unique arrangement. Beginning in 2013, the Giants will hold their summer training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
The New England Patriots are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team changed its name from the original Boston Patriots after relocating to Foxborough in 1971, although Foxborough is a suburb of Boston, 22 miles (35 km) away.
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in Santa Clara, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and joined the NFL in 1949 after the two leagues merged.
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The team plays its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, which finished construction in time for the 2009 season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Founded in 1933, the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC. Pittsburgh has won more Super Bowl titles (six), won more AFC Championship Games (eight) and played in (fifteen) and hosted more (eleven) conference championship games than any other AFC or NFC team. |
0.951474 | Flight distance from Brazil to the USA How far away is Brazil?
The geographic center of Brazil is approx. 6644 km away (flight route) from USA.
In the immediate vicinity of Brazil are countries such as Bolivia, Paraguay & Peru. |
0.951042 | Trains going on the track against each other collided near the Korshid station in the suburbs of Alexandria. 41 people died, 179 suffered from injuries. The reason why did the two trains went on the same track is still a subject of investigation.
Robin McLaurin Williams was an American actor and comedian. He is credited with leading San Francisco's comedy renaissance. Williams died by suicide at his home in Paradise Cay, California. In the initial report, the Marin County Sheriff's Office deputy coroner stated Williams had hanged himself.
NATO took command of ISAF, which consisted of 5,000 troops from more than 30 countries. About 90 percent of the force was contributed by NATO nations. By far the largest single contingent, 1,950 were Canadian. About 2,000 German troops were involved, and Romania had about 400 troops at the time.
Kiss is an American rock band formed by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley. Well known for its members' face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid-to-late 1970s with their elaborate live performances. Kiss was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the "Recording Industry" category.
Amoco merged with British Petroleum, forming BP Amoco. Shortly after the merger, Amoco stations began a rebranding that saw the stations change their names to the BP marque while continuing to sell Amoco-branded fuel. Eventually all traces of the Amoco brand name were eliminated and the stations adopted the BP branding permanently.
Peter Wilton Cushing was an English actor best known for his roles in the Hammer Productions horror films of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, as well as his performance as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars. In August 1994 Cushing entered himself into Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury, where he died due to prostate cancer, aged 81.
Main mission goal was launching the TDRS-E satellite. The flight also tested a new advanced heatpipe radiator for potential use on the then-future space station and conducted a variety of medical and materials science investigations. The mission was also notable for being the first one to send an e-mail from space.
Nickelodeon debuts "The Ren & Stimpy Show"
The Ren & Stimpy Show is an American animated series created by John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series follows the adventures of title characters Ren, an emotionally unstable chihuahua, and Stimpy, a good-natured, dimwitted cat. Throughout its run, the show was controversial for its sexual innuendo, dark humor, adult jokes, and violence.
Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, and others, the musical follows the story of a young female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois called "The Dreams", who become music superstars.
Christopher Hemsworth is an Australian actor. He rose to prominence playing Kim Hyde in the Australian TV series Home and Away. Hemsworth has also appeared in the science fiction action film Star Trek, the thriller adventure A Perfect Getaway, and the horror comedy The Cabin in the Woods.
Led Zeppelin had not performed live for two years since the death of Robert Plant's son during the band's 1977 North American tour, and they had not performed in the United Kingdom for four years. Led Zeppelin played their last ever concerts in the UK at Knebworth, and it was the end of an era for the Knebworth shows.
The balloon was called Double Eagle II. It was piloted by Americans Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman. The journey from Presque Isle, Maine, to Miserey near Paris took 137 hours and 6 minutes. Larry Newman originally intended to hang glide from the balloon instead of a landing, while Anderson and Abruzzo continued to fly. Unfortunately, the hang-glider had to be dropped as ballast.
The last U.S. ground combat unit in South Vietnam, the Third Battalion, Twenty-First Infantry, departed for the United States. The unit had been guarding the U.S. air base at Da Nang. This left only 43,500 advisors, airmen, and support troops left in-country.
John Lennon apologises for his "more popular than Jesus"
John Lennon apologized for his remarks that The Beatles were "more popular than Jesus". Lennon told reporters "Look, I wasn’t saying The Beatles are better than God or Jesus, I said ‘Beatles’ because it’s easy for me to talk about The Beatles. I could have said ‘TV’ or ‘Cinema’, ‘Motorcars’ or anything popular and would have got away with it’’.
Viola Davis is an American actress and producer. She was the first African American actress to be nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one, and is the only African American person to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. Born in St. Matthews, South Carolina, she began her acting career starring in minor theatre productions.
Beatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. The Beatles recorded the album at EMI Studios in London in between their touring and radio engagements. In Britain, Beatles for Sale held the number 1 spot for 11 of the 46 weeks that it spent in the top 20.
Vostok 3 lifted off from Gagarin's Start at Baikonur Cosmodrome atop a Vostok 8K72K rocket. During his first day in orbit, Nikolayev unstrapped himself from his seat and became the first spacefarer to float freely in conditions of microgravity in space.
Puskás joined Real Madrid and at the age of 31 embarked on the second phase of his career. During his first La Liga season, Puskás scored four hat-tricks, including one in his second game, against Sporting de Gijón. He scored 20 or more goals in each of his first six seasons in the Spanish league and won the Pichichi four times.
"Don't Be Cruel" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Otis Blackwell. The single was backed with "Hound Dog". Within a few weeks "Hound Dog" had risen to #2 on the Pop charts with sales of over one million. Soon after it was overtaken by "Don't Be Cruel" which took #1 on all three main charts; Pop, Country, and R'n'B.
Paul Jackson Pollock was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was well known for his unique style of drip painting. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety; he was a major artist of his generation.
Hulk Hogan is an American retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, entrepreneur, and musician. Hogan is regarded by many as the greatest professional wrestler of all time. According to IGN, he is "the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s".
Hussein bin Talal reigned as King of Jordan until his death. According to Hussein, he was a 40th-generation direct descendant of Muhammad. Hussein, a constitutional monarch, started his rule with what was termed a "liberal experiment", allowing, in 1956, the formation of the only democratically elected government in Jordan's history.
Stephen Gary Wozniak is an American inventor, electronics engineer, programmer, philanthropist, and technology entrepreneur who co-founded Apple Computer, Inc. He and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs are widely recognized as pioneers of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s.
Eric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist. He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries, and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All by Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It", "Hungry Eyes", and "Make Me Lose Control".
The first batch of 137 prisoners arrived at Alcatraz, arriving by railroad from the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas at Santa Venetia, California, before being escorted to Alcatraz, handcuffed in high-security coaches and guarded by some 60 special FBI agents, U.S. Marshals, and railway security officials.
In Major League Baseball, the 500 home run club is a group of batters who have hit 500 or more regular-season home runs in their careers. Babe Ruth became the first member of the club. Ruth ended his career with 714 home runs, a record which stood from 1935 until Hank Aaron surpassed it in 1974.
Alexander Murray Palmer Haley was an American writer and the author of the 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family. ABC adapted the book as a television miniseries of the same name and aired it in 1977 to a record-breaking audience of 130 million viewers.
With his colleague Freddie Williams he constructed the world's RAM, the Williams–Kilburn tube. They used it in the first stored-program computer, the Small-Scale Experimental Machine, at the University of Manchester. Kilburn was involved in the development of five computers of great historical significance overall.
The Constitution of the German Reich was the constitution that governed Germany during the Weimar Republic era. The constitution declared Germany to be a democratic parliamentary republic with a legislature elected under proportional representation. Universal suffrage was established, with a minimum voting age of 20.
He led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest people in history. In 1901 he sold his company for $480 million and dedicated the rest of his life to philanthropy. Carnegie especially supported local libraries, world peace, education, and scientific research. |
0.94518 | Where is the cheapest place to buy a Subaru Legacy in Lincoln, NE?
The salesman made it extremely easy to negotiate a great price on our car with very little haggling. They ended up matching a much lower price that we had found at a dealership that was over 500 miles away. About a week after we took the car home, we noticed a small cut in the passenger seat. The dealership replaced it under the warranty coverage.
I felt as though I wasn't just another customer. The sales team made a great effort to acknowledge my interests, needs, and wants. They took the time to answer all of my questions and assure they were there to help with not only anything I needed today, but also in the future. |
0.970003 | The scene has several errors: Chief Stagg was sick at home and was not directing the fire. Horses were never kept so close to fire scenes - they were disconned and brought to safer locations. The steamers shown in the fire were of the type PFD bought after the fire, in 1902 they had much smaller, outdated steam fire engines. Unlikely they raised a ladder to such am engulfed building.
The most complete treatise related to the 1902 conflagration, the largest in Paterson's (and the state of New Jersey) history please see Glen Corbett's book pictured at right. It is available at the Passaic County Historical Society.
The fire started just before midnight on February 8 in the trolley car sheds of the Jersey City, Hoboken and Paterson Railway Company, located on Broadway, at the head of Mulberry street. The immense building took up an entire city block.
The first alarm was sounded by an employee who ran to the fire box at Main Street and Broadway (Station 451) at 12:10 AM on Sunday the 9th.
From the starting point, the fire burned in a southeasterly direction, destroying the blocks on the westerly side of Main street, from a point near Broadway, to within three doors of Market street. On the easterly side of Main street the flames wiped out the two blocks from Van Houten street to the Paterson Savings Institution, at the corner of Main and Market streets.
The flames also destroyed buildings on the southerly side of Market street from Hamilton street to Clark street, and the westerly half of the block bounded by Market, Church and Ellison street.
From this point the flying embers fired the buildings east of the Erie Railroad and destroyed property on the northerly side of Park avenue and between Park avenue to the southerly side of Market street as far as Carroll street. It was the biggest conflagration in the history of the city, and takes rank with the largest in the United States. The fire burned from midnight Saturday until 1 o'clock the following day, at which time the danger of a further spread of the flames was considered over.
Not counting sheds or outbuildings, 459 buildings were destroyed, among them large business houses, banks, City Hall, five churches and the Free Public Library, with its 37,000 volumes. The insurance loss was approximated at $8,800,000, and the property loss at $6,000,000. Five hundred families lost their homes and everything they owned.
Fireman John McMullen (at right) of Engine Company 5 was injured during the collapse of Continental Hall.
The following text comes from an article by Todd Hollritt of the 1st Responder News. It reports on what was written in the Company Logbook by Captain B. Wilson. Although this report was presumed to be from an Engine Company it is very likely that it is from Truck Company 1 on Jackson Street: note Engine companies with hose wagons had more than 5 men in 1902, the only apparatus in 1902 carrying a 55 foot ladder was Truck 1 and one of the photos above show Truck 1 at the Hamilton Club, which is also mentioned in the log.
12:13 am Received a Third Alarm from Station 451. Apparatus left quarters with officer and 5 men. Fireman Norris being on sick list. Reported to Chief Mills at the car sheds (Origin of the fire) on Broadway and by him ordered to assist the department to get to work. Stretched in our chemical line to the rear of Cleveland, Stinsons and O’Neil’s stores finding that packing boxes and barrels had caught fire from sparks, while working at this fireground was ordered by Chief Gillmore to proceed at once to the First Baptist Church it having caught fire in the steeple.
Assisted Engine 7 (responded on the General Alarm) to get to work at this location, and then the Passaic Engine (Mutual Aide) came on the ground. Helped them to line in between School house and (Affiolic?) hall to rear of Guardian building. Raised a 35’ and a 30 ft ladder on the hall. We then manned a pipe from the Passaic Co. and worked on the Patrol Stable and changed the position of Engine 3 in the old City Hall. Then back to the Van Houten Street stables and changed the Passaic steamers line to the rear of the houses on Church St.
Was then ordered to the Hamilton Club raised a 55 Ft ladder. Assisted Engine 7 to the roof. But was forced back by fire. Was ordered by Chief Gillmore to go to Market Street and bring the Jersey City Engine (Mutual Aide) down to the corner of Church and Ellison Street where we assisted them to get to work on the Club house. While we were working our 55 ft ladder was broken. We worked at this fire until 9:30pm when we were ordered up by Chief Mills.
About 6:00 pm FF Kraus had to give up, his leg and foot paining him so he could not stand. And at 9 PM FF Farrel gave out having been taken with a severe chill.
Engine Company’s time 22 hours 30 mins. Truck time 22 hours 15 mins.
9:45pm To Quarters where we find we have lost one 30 Ft ladder two axes and two hooks. And find the 20 Ft extension ladder broke. Also one 3 gallon extinguisher lost.
10:00pm Fireman Farrell left quarters on sick report.
11:55pm Received an alarm by telephone from Headquarters to go to 290 Straight Street. Apparatus left quarters with officer and 3 men. On our arrival there we found our services were not required.
Firemen: Breen, Devive, Absent Norris, Kraus, Farrell all on sick report.
12:20am To Quarters Co. time 25 mins.
9:00am Captain left Quarters to report to Chief Mills the condition of the Company.
In the first report following the big fire, Chief Stagg reported that the discipline had not been up to the usual standard and that charges against members had been more frequently made. Attention was again called to the urgent need of new apparatus to replace the old stock and to the need of at least two new engines, two hose wagons, one truck and one officers wagon in reserve at all times. The engines in service would not be capable of giving a good fire stream on the new and larger buildings to be erected over the fire ruins. He noted 26 blocks were destroyed or damaged.
Engine 7 on the day of the fire or did Paterson send box keys as a memento to every town that provided mutual aide? In Corbett's book he mentions that Chief Stagg did send out letters of thanks to various mutual aide cities. I suspect when this plaque was eventually put together the three men cited were the remaining "still alive" members of the JCFD Engine 7. Just another confusing undocumented firematic collectible we likely will never have the true story of..
Note: regarding the above photo: It is labeled as "a group of city fireman circa 1900" but is actually a picture of the men and steamer (with the hose wagon in background) of Engine One at the newly rebuilt 112 Van Houten Street Firehouse. - the view is looking west on Van Houten Street towards Washington Street. Interestingly 112 van Houten Street was the only FH that was significantly damaged in the 1902 fire (again not mentioned in story). Engine company 1 had to relocate to the Prospect Street FH until the FH was rebuilt afterwards. Another error is the photo shows a big First Size Metropolitan Steamer which was obtained in 1903 a year after the great fire: prior to and during the big fire Engine 1 had a very out of date smaller (second size) 1886 Button steamer. The above photo could be anytime between 1903 and 1912 but certainly not 1900.
1940: For its Golden Jubilee the Paterson Evening News printed an exact replica issue by day after the fire (February 10, 1902). |
0.999999 | What's the difference between bipolar I and bipolar II?
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes abnormally high and in some cases, low moods. It affects a person's energy levels and their ability to function in everyday life.
A person with bipolar disorder may experience extreme changes in mood.
People with bipolar disorder experience abnormal highs or lows in mood. During a "high," also known as a manic episode, people feel intense energy or excitement.
During a "low," or depressive episode, they experience symptoms of depression, such as sadness and hopelessness.
A doctor can diagnose a person with one of the above types based on the duration and intensity of their symptoms.
Bipolar I and bipolar II are the most widespread forms of bipolar disorder. They are also the more severe of the bipolar disorders.
Bipolar I and II have similar symptoms and patterns in which symptoms occur. However, people who have bipolar II will experience less severe manic episodes than people with bipolar I. This type of mania is known as hypomania.
To receive a diagnosis of bipolar II, a person must also experience a major depressive episode , which does not apply in a diagnosis of bipolar I.
A doctor can diagnose bipolar I based on the presence of a manic episode alone. People with bipolar I disorder have at least one manic episode that persists for a week or longer or severe mania that requires hospitalization.
Those with bipolar II disorder do not generally require hospitalization during hypomanic periods. Doctors sometimes misdiagnose bipolar II as depression because the hypomanic symptoms can be very subtle.
In between these episodes of mania and depression, people who have either of these types of bipolar may experience periods of stable mood. It is also possible to have symptoms of depression and mania at the same time. This is known as bipolar with "mixed features."
The main symptoms of bipolar I and bipolar II are mania, hypomania, and depression.
During a manic episode, a person may have an increased desire to drink alcohol.
Periods of mania can interfere with a person's daily activities and their relationships with others.
Some people may be unable to achieve a calm state or to have rational thoughts during a manic episode.
In a state of hypomania, people experience symptoms similar to those in mania, except less severe.
Hypomania can still interfere with a person's quality of life, and family and friends may notice that the person is experiencing mood changes.
Doctors consider these symptoms to be a depressive episode if they persist for 2 weeks or more.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 2.8 percent of adults in the United States experience bipolar disorder in a given year. An estimated 4.4 percent of people experience bipolar at some point in their lives.
The condition affects men and women almost equally. Onset occurs at an average age of 25, but it can happen to people of any age.
A psychiatrist can assess an individual to give a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
To receive a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, individuals will need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist. They will review the person's medical history and symptoms.
This psychiatric assessment will focus on a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Some people might find it helpful to have a loved one present to provide the doctor with information about other symptoms, especially during manic periods.
The psychiatrist or psychologist may also ask a person to keep a mood diary to track their moods, sleep patterns, and other symptoms. This diary can help with a diagnosis.
The psychiatrist or psychologist will compare the person's symptoms to the criteria for bipolar disorders outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
The psychiatrist or psychologist may carry out blood tests, a physical examination, or brain imaging tests to rule out other causes of the symptoms.
What's to know about bipolar II disorder?
Learn more about bipolar II, including how the manic period differs from bipolar I.
Treatment for bipolar I disorder and bipolar II disorder typically consists of medications, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes.
As bipolar disorder is a long-term condition, treatment will be long-lasting. Some people may have a treatment team that includes a psychologist, therapist, and psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Doctors usually prescribe mood stabilizers, such as lithium, for bipolar disorder. They may also prescribe antipsychotic drugs for manic episodes and antidepressants for depression.
As antidepressant medications may "trigger" manic episodes in some people, doctors might recommend a combination of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs to reduce depression while stabilizing mood.
For people who have anxiety or sleep problems, anti-anxiety medications, such as benzodiazepines, may help. However, this strategy may come with a risk of dependence to benzodiazepines.
People can begin taking medications right away, even if they are not currently experiencing a manic or depressive episode.
It is vital to continue taking medications even during periods of stable mood to avoid relapse.
Psychotherapy is an essential part of treatment for bipolar I and II disorders. Therapy may take place on a one-to-one basis, as part of a group, or in a family setting.
Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT), which focuses on establishing a structured routine to help people cope with symptoms.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to challenge negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones.
Family-focused therapy, to enhance communication with family members and to foster family support.
Some people also find it helpful to keep a daily mood diary. Keeping a journal can allow people to see patterns in their thoughts, moods, and behaviors.
A mood diary also helps identify triggers for manic or depressive episodes. This may help a person take appropriate action before a slight mood change worsens.
Although bipolar I and II are long-term conditions, most people can manage their symptoms with medications, therapy, and lifestyle changes.
Maintaining regular contact with mental health professionals and seeking support from friends and family can make it easier to cope with challenging symptoms.
Anyone who thinks they may be experiencing symptoms of bipolar I or II should speak to a doctor for a proper diagnosis.
Leonard, Jayne. "What's the difference between bipolar I and bipolar II?." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 17 Aug. 2018. Web. |
0.948143 | The officer took my license and gave me a 30-day permit. Does that mean I have a suspended license?
"I blew below the legal limit" |
0.970334 | Dispositional attribution is the tendency to overlook the situations that people are in, and judge their behavior based on what we assume is their personality. Whereas, situational attribution is the tendency to analyze a person's actions according to the situation that they are in.
The human tendency to go along with the group, however wrong the cumulative popular belief of the group is, is one of the primary examples of "Social Psychology".
We are always trying to understand people and make sense of their behavior, this is called the attribution theory of social psychology. There are two basic ways in which we interpret behavior- in simple words, we either blame the person or we blame the situation.
Dispositional attribution is the assumption that an individual's behavior is influenced by his internal characteristics. Whereas situation attribution, is analyzing a person's action with regards to the situation that he or she is in. Let's take a more detailed look at these attributions.
"Attribution theory deals with how the social perceiver uses information to arrive at causal explanations for events. It examines what information is gathered and how it is combined to form a causal judgment" (Fiske, & Taylor, 1991).
Attributions play an important role in social psychology. Whenever people are interacting with each other or engaging in any group activity, they tend to make quick judgments about each other. They judge the motive behind a person's actions and attribute it to dispositional or situational causes.
Dispositional attribution is the assumption that a person's behavior reflects his internal dispositions like his personality, beliefs, attitude etc. Situational attribution is the assumption that a person's behavior is influenced by an external influence from the environment or culture. There are many complex factors involved, when people make a judgment.
They attribute the behavior of people around them, keeping in mind the race, gender, ethnicity etc., of a person. The quality of observation depends on many factors; for example we are better able to empathize with a friend or someone we like as compared to a stranger. Also, when we do not like someone due to any reason, we tend to attribute their behavior to a negative quality in them.
Study has shown that the age of the observer also affects the quality of observation; children below 8 years of age generally do not make dispositional attributions. Let's see some examples of these attributions, to understand the concept better.
Your classmate submits an assignment late.
Dispositional Attribution: You are quick to say that he is lazy and irresponsible and never finishes his work on time.
Situational Attribution: You assume that there must have been some genuine issue because of which he could not submit it on time, like some family problem.
X enters the room carrying a pile of books and falls flat on his face.
Dispositional Attribution: He tripped because he is clumsy.
Situational Attribution: The floor must have been wet.
You are standing in a line to buy tickets for a movie, when someone pushes you and goes ahead.
Dispositional Attribution: He is thoughtless, rude and uncivilized.
Situational Attribution: He was pushed by someone else; he did not intend to cut the line.
Fundamental attribution error or correspondence bias as it is called, is the tendency to overvalue dispositional factors and downplay situational factors when understanding others' behavior. In simple words, we always defend ourselves by blaming the situation but are quick to pick on others' shortcomings.
Example: "She can't get a job because she's not good enough" or "She's not fit to be a teacher, she can barely manage to discipline the students", these statements demonstrate dispositional attribution. However, when asked to explain their own behavior, people will always blame the situation: "I haven't been able to get a job because of recession"; "I had an issue teaching those students, as they were too disruptive."
People tend to take into account the circumstances only when explaining their own behavior. Committing a fundamental attribution error, i.e. relying heavily on dispositional factors weakens the judgment about a person's actions.
People have a tendency to attribute their own success to dispositional factors and their failure to situational factors.
Example: Matt wins the poetry writing competition in his school, but fails to get it published in a leading magazine. He attributes his success to his talent and his failure to his bad luck. It may be, that the poem was not good enough for the magazine. But, due to the self-serving bias, he fails to view the situation objectively.
It is believed that this is because people want to maintain the opinion or self-image that they have of themselves. In the long run, the lack of objectivity in estimating one's worth doesn't help in improving one's performance.
The focus of attention or spotlight effect bias is the tendency of people to overestimate the extent to which others are paying attention to their behavior and appearance.
Example: When a person drops a fork in a restaurant, he gets very embarrassed because he believes everyone has seen it, when in reality hardly anyone would have even realized.
The focus of attention bias changes the way people interpret the worth of their own behavior. They give undue importance to themselves and the assumption that others also give them that much importance may not be always true.
People make different attributions depending on whether they are the actor or observer in a situation. This is because in the two positions people have different perspectives.
Example: When a person gets low marks, it's because the questions asked were never taught in class. Whereas when others get bad marks it's because they are inattentive.
As an actor, situational factors are focused on, whereas, as an observer dispositional factors are highlighted. People succumb to this bias less when the people involved are family and friends.
It is believed that cultural values affect the way people make attributions; this can be particularly seen in the attributions made between people from individualist and collectivist cultures.
Example: People from collectivist cultures such as seen in Asia, Africa and Latin America believe in the importance of interdependence and define themselves in terms of their membership in a group. People from individualist cultures emphasize on independence and it is believed that they are more likely to make the fundamental attribution error.
It has been seen that people from collectivist culture are more likely to make situational attributions in comparison to individualists. This is because they are used to living and adjusting in large groups and have a better ability to empathize with people.
There are many behavior modification techniques that are used to change attributions. What a person attributes his success or failure to, affects his approach in the future. People who attribute their success or failure to effort are more likely to work hard than people who attribute it to ability.
Attributions also influence the observer's feeling about events that have occurred in the past, expectations with regards to future events, conceptions of himself, attitude towards other people and reaction to an action. Obviously, this has a major effect on interpersonal relations.
However, we may also note that some have criticized this theory as it does not address the historical and social aspects that influence a particular attribution.
Now that you know about the various attributions, the next time you judge someone's behavior figure out whether you are being reasonable or not. More importantly, try to view your behavior as objectively as you can and work at it. |
0.999993 | I am a parent and need to reset my password.
I am a parent and need to reset my child's password.
If you are a student, please ask your parent to reset your password following the above instructions. |
0.984443 | Myth # 1 – Gangs and gang members have been well defined and documented.
According to the Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report on behalf of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the gang numbers were between 24-30,000 gangs and approximately 760,000 gang members in America (http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov ).
In 2008 The National Gang Center estimated approximately 774,000 gang members and 27,900 gangs to have been active in the United States in 2008. The number of gangs increased by 28 percent, and the number of gang members increased by 6 percent from 2002 to 2008.
According to the 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment (NGTA), U.S. Totals: 20,000 gangs = 1 million members.
Based on law enforcement responses to the NYGS, it was estimated that in 2010, there were 29,400 gangs and 756,000 gang members throughout 3,500 jurisdictions in the United States.
In the 2011 NGTA it was gangs were estimated at 33,000 totaling 1.4 million gang members.
There seems to be a lot of discrepancies within these numbers and because there is no accepted written definition of what a gang is the question becomes: How can law enforcement be expected to count gangs and gang members accurately? Recognizing this problem, the National Youth Gang Center, which conducts annual, national surveys for OJJDP, has had to change its definition over the years of which groups law enforcement should count as gangs.
Consequently, estimates based on the first definition were inaccurate. For example, one set of data puts the percentage of whites that are gang members at 11%, another at14%, while another puts it at 40%. Which number is correct?
According to data from the survey using the second definition above, the number of jurisdictions with gangs was overestimated by 12%, and the number of gangs in those jurisdictions was overestimated by 26% (Klein). Moreover, these and other current definitions used to define gangs continue to make it nearly impossible to get an accurate count of gangs and gang members.
“The myth of the growing gang menace has been fueled by sensational media coverage and miss-use of law enforcement gang statistics, which gang experts consider unreliable for the purpose of tracking local crime trends.” (www.justicepolicy.org).
Thus, when it comes to the “numbers” law enforcement is doing the best they can with what they have to work with in assessing the national gang issues. However, what it comes down to is each local community will still need to use their own criteria for defining what a gang is, conduct their own assessment of the numbers, and decide where and how to invest their limited resources in prevention and intervention strategies. |
0.977826 | Dear CA, my sing like Elvis neighbour likes to hold unplug concert on his balcony at night when I want to sleep. What can I do about it?
In your situation, it is advisable that you inform your neighbour not to sing out loud during late night because such action has interfered with your right to have quiet enjoyment of your property. You may go to the police if the trouble persists. If it is a strata property, you may seek the assistance of the management. |
0.999996 | The Silky Oaks Lodge and Healing Waters Spa Hotel is the ultimate luxury Daintree eco lodge in an unrivalled riverside location on the beautiful Mossman River just downstream from the Mossman Gorge. The preferred airport for the hotel is The preferred airport for the hotel is Cairns International.The local attractions include Cape Tribulation, Hartley's Creek Crocodile Farm, and the Great Barrier Reef cruise.The hotel offers services and amenities like banquet facilities, conference facilities, gift shop, internet access-high speed, laundry services, lobby, parking facilities, restaurant, spa/ wellness centre, tennis court, bar/lounge, currency exchange services, faxing facilities, gym/fitness facilities, laundry facilities, library, reception, safe deposit box, swimming pool-outdoor, tour desk. Non smoking rooms are available at the hotel.Each guest room is equipped with air conditioning, bathrobe, CD player, colour TV, hairdryer, iron/ironing board, mini bar, and telephone. |
0.933794 | The brain, like the rest of our muscles, requires regular exercise to keep it strong and healthy. Unlike our bodies, it can be difficult to know what the most effective ways to train our brain are. For this reason, some people choose to ignore brain exercises, putting them at risk of developing diseases like dementia as they age. In this article, we’ll provide some exercises you can do to keep your brain as fit as your body.
The most effective ways of training your brain are by doing problem-solving exercises like crosswords and sudoku. This will force your brain to examine problems from multiple angles. They also improve your ability to look at a problem logically. They may also be able to improve the speed at which you can think and communicate your ideas. Studies also suggest that crosswords might be able to help improve memory as we age. Some patients with dementia had an increase in their mental functioning after starting to solve crossword puzzles regularly.
Another essential way to exercise your brain is to read often. This will not only increase your knowledge base, but it will also expose you to a variety of new phrases, expanding your vocabulary. Additionally, when reading you will be presented with a wide range of new ideas to consider. By considering the possibility of these ideas, you will improve your ability to visualize scenarios.
You should also to try to experience new things. For example, taking a cooking class can be a great way of meeting new people and trying new flavors. Cooking also involves using several sections of the brain as you smell, taste and touch the ingredients. You could also try to learn a foreign language. Learning helps us keep our minds engaged. Furthermore, studies show that having a large vocabulary places you at lower risk of mental decline. Finally, learning a new sport might be a great way to train both your body and your mind. Sports help us refine our hand-eye coordination skills. In addition, you will have to learn a new set of rules and strategies.
Finally, there are a few exercises that you can do to improve your memorization skills. For example, you can travel to a new area and drive around. Then you can try to draw a map from memory. Make the map as detailed as possible, try to remember the streets you drove down, what the streets were called and how long they were. Another memory task is to create a list. Then, after a few hours have elapsed, try to remember the items on the list.
The brain is a complex muscle, like all the other muscles it requires regular workouts to make sure it becomes as strong as possible. As we’ve discussed, there are multiple ways of doing this. By performing these exercises, you will be strengthening your mind, which is essential to protect you from diseases such as dementia as you grow older. So, use these techniques to give your brain a workout today.
Adding an all-natural supplement and vitamin blend to your diet is also a great way to keep your brain healthy. A supplement such as AgelessBRILLIANCE supports mental clarity, focus, and cognitive health while using all-natural ingredients. |
0.941054 | After the Jins captured the Northern Song capital of Kaifeng, they went on to conquer the rest of northern China, while the Song Chinese court fled south and founded the Southern Song dynasty.
Although weakened and pushed south beyond the Huai River, the Southern Song found new ways to bolster its strong economy and defend itself against the Jin dynasty, especially through the creation of the first standing navy of China.
The Jin-Song Wars engendered an era of technological, cultural, and demographic changes in China, including the introduction of gunpowder into weaponry.
Though the Song dynasty was able to hold back the Jin from their southern territory, a new foe came to power over the steppe, deserts, and plains north of the Jin dynasty—the Mongols led by Genghis Khan.
The Mongols were at one time allied with the Song, but this alliance was broken when the Song recaptured the former imperial capitals of Kaifeng, Luoyang, and Chang’an at the collapse of the Jin dynasty.
The Mongols continued to war with the Song, eventually founding the Yuan dynasty under Kublai Khan, thus ending the Song dynasty.
The fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire and founder of the Yuan dynasty in China as a conquest dynasty in 1271; he ruled as the first Yuan emperor until his death in 1294.
An East-Central Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia.
The founder and Great Khan (emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death.
After capturing Kaifeng, the Jurchens went on to conquer the rest of northern China, while the Song Chinese court fled south. They took up temporary residence at Nanjing, where a surviving prince was named Emperor Gaozong of Song in 1127. Jin forces halted at the Yangtze River, but staged continual raids south of the river until a later boundary was fixed at the Huai River further north. With the border fixed at the Huai, the Song government promoted an immigration policy of repopulating and resettling territories north of the Yangtze River, since vast tracts of vacant land between the Yangtze and the Huai were open for landless peasants found in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Fujian provinces of the south.
Though weakened and pushed south beyond the Huai River, the Southern Song found new ways to bolster its strong economy and defend itself against the Jin dynasty. It had able military officers such as Yue Fei and Han Shizhong. The government sponsored massive shipbuilding, harbor-improvement projects, and the construction of beacons and seaport warehouses to support maritime trade abroad, including at the major international seaports, such as Quanzhou, Guangzhou, and Xiamen, that were sustaining China’s commerce. To protect and support the multitude of ships sailing for maritime interests into the waters of the East China Sea and Yellow Sea (to Korea and Japan), Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea, it was necessary to establish an official standing navy. The Song dynasty therefore established China’s first permanent navy in 1132, with a headquarters at Dinghai.
With a permanent navy, the Song were prepared to face the naval forces of the Jin on the Yangtze River in 1161, in the Battle of Tangdao and the Battle of Caishi. During these battles the Song navy employed swift paddle-wheel driven naval vessels armed with trebuchet catapults aboard the decks that launched gunpowder bombs. Although the Jin forces commanded by Wanyan Liang (the Prince of Hailing) boasted 70,000 men on 600 warships, and the Song forces only 3,000 men on 120 warships, the Song forces were victorious in both battles due to the destructive power of the bombs and the rapid assaults by paddle-wheel ships. The strength of the navy was heavily emphasized after that. A century after the navy was founded it had grown in size to 52,000 fighting marines.
Southern Song era ship. A Song era junk ship, 13th century; Chinese ships of the Song period featured hulls with watertight compartments.
The Jin-Song Wars engendered an era of technological, cultural, and demographic changes in China. Battles between the Song and Jin brought about the introduction of various gunpowder weapons. The siege of De’an in 1132 was the first recorded appearance of the fire lance, an early ancestor of firearms. There were also reports of battles fought with primitive gunpowder bombs like the incendiary huopao or the exploding tiehuopao, flammable arrows, and other related weapons.
The Song government confiscated portions of land owned by the gentry in order to raise revenue for military and naval projects, an act which caused dissension and loss of loyalty amongst leading members of Song society, but did not stop the Song’s defensive preparations. Financial matters were made worse by the fact that many wealthy, land-owning families—some of which had members working as officials for the government—used their social connections with those in office to obtain tax-exempt status.
Southern Song in 1142. The extent of the land holdings of the Southern Song dynasty, significantly reduced from Northern Song’s holdings by the Jin dynasty.
Although the Song dynasty was able to hold back the Jin, a new foe came to power over the steppe, deserts, and plains north of the Jin dynasty. The Mongols, led by Genghis Khan (r. 1206–1227), initially invaded the Jin dynasty in 1205 and 1209, engaging in large raids across its borders, and in 1211 an enormous Mongol army was assembled to invade the Jin. The Jin dynasty was forced to submit and pay tribute to the Mongols as vassals; when the Jin suddenly moved their capital city from Beijing to Kaifeng, the Mongols saw this as a revolt. Under the leadership of Ögedei Khan (r.1229–1241), Mongol forces conquered both the Jin dynasty and Western Xia dynasty. The Mongols also invaded Korea, the Abbasid Caliphate of the Middle East, and Kievan Rus’.
The Mongols were at one time allied with the Song, but this alliance was broken when the Song recaptured the former imperial capitals of Kaifeng, Luoyang, and Chang’an at the collapse of the Jin dynasty. The Mongol leader Möngke Khan led a campaign against the Song in 1259, but died on August 11 during the Battle of Diaoyu Fortress in Chongqing. Möngke’s death and the ensuing succession crisis prompted Hulagu Khan to pull the bulk of the Mongol forces out of the Middle East, where they were poised to fight the Egyptian Mamluks (who defeated the remaining Mongols at Ain Jalut). Although Hulagu was allied with Kublai Khan, his forces were unable to help in the assault against the Song due to Hulagu’s war with the Golden Horde.
Kublai continued the assault against the Song, gaining a temporary foothold on the southern banks of the Yangtze. Kublai made preparations to take Ezhou, but a pending civil war with his brother Ariq Böke—a rival claimant to the Mongol Khaganate—forced Kublai to move back north with the bulk of his forces. In Kublai’s absence, the Song forces were ordered by Chancellor Jia Sidao to make an opportune assault, and succeeded in pushing the Mongol forces back to the northern banks of the Yangtze. There were minor border skirmishes until 1265, when Kublai won a significant battle in Sichuan. From 1268 to 1273, Kublai blockaded the Yangtze River with his navy and besieged Xiangyang, the last obstacle in his way to invading the rich Yangtze River basin.
Kublai Khan officially declared the creation of the Yuan dynasty in 1271. In 1275, a Song force of 130,000 troops under Chancellor Jia Sidao was defeated by Kublai’s newly appointed commander-in-chief, General Bayan. By 1276, most of the Song territory had been captured by Yuan forces. In the Battle of Yamen on the Pearl River Delta in 1279, the Yuan army, led by General Zhang Hongfan, finally crushed the Song resistance. The last remaining ruler, the 8-year-old emperor Emperor Huaizong of Song, committed suicide, as did Prime Minister Lu Xiufu and 800 members of the royal clan. On Kublai’s orders carried out by his commander Bayan, the rest of the former imperial family of Song were unharmed; the deposed Emperor Gong was demoted, given the title “Duke of Ying,” but was eventually exiled to Tibet, where he took up a monastic life. The former emperor would eventually be forced to commit suicide under the orders of Kublai’s great-great grandson Gegeen Khan, who feared that Emperor Gong would stage a coup to restore his reign. Other members of the Song imperial family continued to live in the Yuan dynasty, including Zhao Mengfu and Zhao Yong. |
0.985535 | The history of Ohio is composed of many thousands of years of human activity. What is now Ohio were probably Paleo-Indian peoples, who lived in the area as early as 13,000 BC. They were eventually supplanted by Native Americans known as the Archaic peoples. The Archaic period is generally subdivided into the Early, Middle and Late Archaic. Early Archaic peoples in Ohio are generally reckoned to be mobile hunters-and-gatherers. Middle Archaic people are less well known, because relatively few sites have been found, and those that are found are generally deeply buried in river valleys and thus inaccessible. The Late Archaic period featured the development of focal subsistence economies and regionalization of Archaic cultures. Regional cultures in Ohio include the Maple Creek Culture(Excavations) of southwestern Ohio, the Glacial Kame Culture culture of western Ohio (especially northwestern Ohio), and the Red Ochre and Old Copper cultures, across much of northern Ohio. Flint Ridge, located in present-day Licking County, provided flint, an extremely important raw material and trade good. Objects made from Flint Ridge flint have been found as far east as the Atlantic coast, as far west as Kansas City, and as far south as Louisiana.
Late Archaic cultures were in turn supplanted by Native Americans of the Adena culture about 800 BC. The Adenas were mound builders who built thousands of burial mounds in Ohio, many of which remain. Following the Adena culture was the Hopewell culture (c. 100 to c. 400 A.D.), and later the Fort Ancient culture. The Serpent Mound in Adams County, the largest effigy in the United States and one of Ohio's best-known landmarks, was traditionally considered an Adena mound, but may have been the work of Fort Ancient people.
When the first Europeans began to arrive in North America, Native Americans participated in the fur trade. When the Iroquois confederation depleted the beaver and other game in the New York region, they launched a war known as the Beaver Wars, destroying or scattering those Indians living in Tennessee. The Eries along the shore of Lake Erie were virtually eliminated by the Iroquois in the 1650s during the Beaver Wars. Thereafter, the Ohio lands were claimed by the Iroquois as hunting grounds. Ohio was largely uninhabited for several decades.
However, population pressure from expanding European colonies on the Atlantic coast compelled several groups of American Indians to relocate to the Ohio Country by the 1730s. From the east, Delawares and Shawnees arrived, and Wyandots and Ottawas from the north. Miamis lived in what is now western Ohio. Mingos were those Iroquois who migrated west into the Ohio lands.
During the 18th century, the French set up a system of trading posts to control the fur trade in the region. Christopher Gist was one of the first English-speaking explorers to travel through and write about the Ohio Country. When British traders such as George Croghan started to do business in the Ohio Country, the French and their northern Indian allies drove them out, beginning with a raid on Miami Indian town of Pickawillany (modern Piqua) in 1752. The French began the military occupation of the Ohio valley in 1753, and an attempt by the Virginian George Washington to drive them out in 1754 led to a war known in the United States as the French and Indian War. As a result of the Treaty of Paris, the French ceded control of Ohio and the old Northwest to Great Britain.
British military occupation in the region had previously contributed to the outbreak of Pontiac's Rebellion in 1763. Ohio Indians participated in that war, until an armed expedition in Ohio led by Colonel Henry Bouquet brought about a truce. Another military expedition into the Ohio Country in 1774 brought Lord Dunmore's War to a conclusion.
During the American Revolutionary War, Native Americans in the Ohio Country were divided over which side to support. For example, the Shawnee leader Blue Jacket and the Delaware leader Buckongahelas sided with the British, while Cornstalk (Shawnee) and White Eyes (Delaware) sought to remain friendly with the United States. American frontiersmen often did not differentiate between friendly and hostile Indians, however: Cornstalk was killed by American militiamen, and White Eyes may have been. Perhaps the most tragic incident of the war — the Gnadenhutten massacre of 1782 — took place in Ohio.
With the American victory in the Revolutionary War, the British ceded claims to Ohio and the territory in the West to the Mississippi River to the United States.
After the Northwest Ordinance, settlement of Ohio began with the founding of Marietta by the Ohio Company of Associates, which had been formed by a group of American Revolutionary War veterans. The Miami Company (also referred to as the "Symmes Purchase") in the southwestern section and the Connecticut Land Company in the Connecticut Western Reserve in present-day Northeast Ohio.
American settlement of the Northwest Territory was resisted by Native Americans in the Northwest Indian War. The natives were eventually conquered by General Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794 and much of present-day Ohio was ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Greenville the next year.
The United States created the Northwest Territory in 1787 under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The territory was not allowed to legalize slavery (although once it achieved statehood it was allowed to do so, and did not.) The states of the Midwest would be known as free states, in contradistinction to those states south of the Ohio River known as slave states, and later, as Northeastern states abolished slavery in the coming two generations, the free states would be known as Northern States. The Northwest Territory originally included areas that had previously been known as Ohio Country and Illinois Country. As Ohio prepared for statehood, Indiana Territory was carved out, reducing the Northwest Territory to approximately the size of present-day Ohio plus the eastern half of Michigan's lower peninsula.
As Ohio's population numbered 45,000 in December 1801, Congress determined that the population was growing rapidly and Ohio could begin the path to statehood with the assumption that it would exceed 60,000 residents by the time it would become a state. In 1802, Congress passed the Enabling Act of 1802 that outlined the process for Ohio to seek statehood. The residents convened a constitutional convention which copied provisions from other states, and rejected slavery.
On February 19 1803, President Jefferson signed an act of Congress that approved Ohio's boundaries and constitution. However, Congress did not pass a resolution formally admitting Ohio as the 17th state. The current custom of Congress declaring an official date of statehood did not begin until 1812, with Louisiana's admission as the 18th state. Although no formal resolution of admission was required, when the oversight was discovered in 1953, Ohio congressman George H. Bender introduced a bill in Congress to admit Ohio to the Union retroactive to March 1 1803. At a special session at the old state capital in Chillicothe, the Ohio state legislature approved a new petition for statehood that was delivered to Washington, D.C. on horseback. On August 7 1953 (the year of Ohio's 150th anniversary), President Eisenhower signed an act that officially declared March 1 1803 the date of Ohio's admittance into the Union.
Ohio was on the front lines of the War of 1812, s the frontiermen angrily charged that British agents in Canada had provided weapons (especially rifles and gunpowder) to hostile Indian tribes. Simultaneously Tecumseh's War was the conflict in the Old Northwest between the U.S. and an Indian confederacy led by the Shawnee chief Tecumseh, who became an official ally of the British in 1812. William Henry Harrison's victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, coupled with the defeat and death of Tecumseh in 1813 broke the power of the Indians. After 1815 the British no longer traded with the Indians of Ohio nor provided them military supplies.
In 1835, Ohio contested with Michigan over the Toledo Strip. Congress gave the land, which included the city of Toledo, to Ohio. In exchange, Michigan was given more of the Upper Peninsula.
Ohio's central position and its population gave it an important place during the Civil War, and the Ohio River was a vital artery for troop and supply movements, as were Ohio's railroads. Ohio provided a large number of senior commanders to the United States Army during the war, and five Buckeye soldiers would later become President of the United States.
Throughout much of the 18th and 19th century heavy indrustry was rapidly introduced. It was introduced in particular to combat for the appalling unemployment in the 19th century, by 1856 unemployment had reaced 3.45 million. However, with the rapidly advaning industrial techniques these jobs became more appealing and as a result unemployment steadily declined.
In 1912 a Constitutional Convention was held with Charles B. Galbreath as Secretary. The result reeflected the concerns of the Progressive Era. It introduced the initiative and the referendum, allowed the General Assembly to put questions on the ballot for the people to ratify laws and constitutional amendments originating in the Legislature as well. Under the Jeffersonian principle that laws should be reviewed once a generation, the constituation provided for a recurring question to appear on Ohio's general election ballots every 20 years. The question asks whether a new convention is required. Although the question has appeared in 1932, 1952, 1972, and 1992, it has never been approved. Instead, constitutional amendments have been proposed by petition and the legislature hundreds of times and adopted in a majority of cases.
Beverley W. Bond Jr.; The Foundations of Ohio. Volume: 1. 1941. detailed history to 1802.
Hurt, R. Douglas. The Ohio Frontier: Crucible of the Old Northwest, 1720-1830. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-253-33210-9 (hardcover); ISBN 0-253-21212-X (1998 paperback).
O'Donnell, James H. Ohio's First Peoples. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8214-1525-5 (paperback), ISBN 0-8214-1524-7 (hardcover).
Ratcliffe, Donald J. The Politics of Long Division: The Birth of the Second Party System in Ohio, 1818-1828. Ohio State U. Press, 2000. 455 pp.
This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at History of Ohio. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |
0.999998 | How to keep you brain sharp?
Having a sharp mind means the quickness of a person to interpret, understand, analyse or pick up an idea effectively. Brain functions start to decline in your mid 20s, although you may notice it decades later. Just like other parts of your body, the brain also becomes more powerful by exercising it. One's mental capacity and thinking power can be improved by doing some brain exercises. Brain exercises can sharpen one's mind and strengthen neural connections in the brain.
Keep in mind that brain sharpening is not possible in one day, it needs daily brain exercise and within a few days you will notice the change.
Additionally, it's also imperative that one eats healthy, gets ample amount of sleep and exercises daily. |
0.999861 | Blues music, blues and history came before Jazz? Which came first Grits or chitlins? Hamhocks or collard greens? Waffles or French toast? You dig where I'm going with this conversation?
Like ragtime, the blues was an important influence on the development of jazz. A highly expressive, predominantly vocal tradition, blues songs expressed the stories and emotions of African-Americans at the beginning of the 20th century.
The blues were not only a type of music, but a state of mind and way of life for many African-Americans during this time.
A blues songs usually includes words which form a three-line stanza. The first line is sung twice, the third rhymes with the first two (aab form). The melody is performed over a 12-bar chord progression consisting of three chords built on the 1st, 4th, and 5th notes of the major scale.
These three chords are referred to by the Roman numerals I, IV, and V. The distinct sound of the blues melody is in large part due to the use of notes outside the major scale, called "blue notes."
You still diggin' the flavor with me cats? Sounds like I'm waxing poetic about the "Jazz", huh?
Usually blues vocalists accompanied themselves on the guitar or sang with instrumental accompaniment of guitar, piano, harmonica, or sometimes homemade instruments. Blues performed on the trumpet or saxophone, for example, often imitate the vocal effects of blues singers by bending pitches, rasping, and recreating the growl of the voice.
Important blues musicians of the early twentieth century include Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and W.C. Handy.
These three great BLUES singers and musicians inspired great JAZZ musicians like: Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Duke Ellington! |
0.924245 | I miss going to a yoga studio. It was part of my weekly routine before I had children. I enjoyed the sense of community as we practiced together, and I truly appreciated the feedback from various yoga instructors. But life changes, and instead of pushing against the fact that my life is different now (in many positive ways by becoming a mother of two little girls), I have embraced a yoga practice at home. There are several challenges in maintaining a home practice. One is finding the best space and time to do yoga. Another is accountability and motivation. After much reflection, I have found three ways to refresh a home yoga practice.
Find a small space at home that is quiet, peaceful, and offers privacy. It may even double as a meditation space. You can keep your yoga mat, block, strap, bolster, an eye mask for Shavasana, and any other useful materials. You may also want an altar to display items that invigorate all five senses, such as candles, flowers, an inspirational book, a photo of loved ones, beads, and a cup of tea or coffee to enjoy after your home yoga session. You can display new items when the seasons change. The possibilities are endless for your personalized sanctuary.
If you feel that your home yoga practice is going stale, or if you become bored with the same routine, change it up by finding a new yoga teacher or a new video series online. There are so many knowledgeable yoga instructors on YouTube, for example. Although online instruction can never truly replace the personalized feedback of a yoga studio teacher, you can continue to learn and thrive by changing up the videos you watch.
If, like me, you miss the feeling of community that a yoga studio offers, invite a friend or two to practice with you. It may become a weekly or monthly tradition, depending on your schedules. Practicing with others can invigorate your yoga experience and more importantly it’s fun!
Think of your yoga practice as a way of taking care of yourself. You don’t have to spend a lot of money or time to maintain a healthy yoga practice. Make your well-being a priority in your life and watch as your home yoga practice flourishes! |
0.999983 | The following summary of ancient Andean history is taken from: William Sullivan, The Secret of the Incas: Myth, Astronomy, and the War Against Time.
Sullivan compares mythical language the world over with the Andean myths and has found an astounding degree of correspondence. Myths, on one level, represent the people's scientific understandings about the movements of the heavenly bodies and their influences on humans, in an age when there was no method of writing. The myths are metaphors that preserve this knowledge so it can be passed down to one's descendants! Using a special shareware software for the computer, called Skyglobe, Sullivan could roll the Andean skies back to any date in the time periods covered by these myths. (Skyglobe is shareware for pcs or Macs running simulated pc.
The ancient Andeans ordered their lives according to what they saw transpiring in the cosmos - as above, so below. Just as other ancient cultures, they seemed to be well aware that events in the heavens are reflected here upon the earth. For over 800 years, from about 200 B.C. to around 650 A.D., the Andean peoples lived in peace, each group or ayllu occupying a particular region, called by archaeologists a vertical archipelago--ranging from the higher slopes straight down into the valley and in some cases to the borders of the Amazon jungle.
The Andeans saw the topography of their beloved mountains as a reflection of the Milky Way's heavenly topography. The shaman/priests became excellent astrologer-astronomers. All over Peru in temples you can see boulders that were selected because one of their surfaces seemed to echo or mirror (in silhouette) the local mountain formations, or they were carved to resemble the topography. Also there are flat-topped boulders (usually black) with carved shallow basins in them--probably for star-gazing, seeing the reflections of the stars in the shallow water poured into these basins.
Before the year 200 B.C., the Andean tribes lived a nomadic or in some cases semi-nomadic lifestyle. Around 200 B.C. the June and December solstice suns started rising and setting in the Milky Way. This 'firing up' of the heavens caused a corresponding ('enlightenment') change in the Andeans' perspective and way of life. Their myths say that the great God Wiraqocha appeared to them and showed them a better way to live. Wiraqocha's cosmic representative was the planet Saturn.
The myths say that before the advent of the primary Andean god, Wiraqocha, the world was dark--there was no light--a metaphor explaining why the nomadic peoples hadn't ever noticed anything special about the lights in the night skies before. A people whose camps changed location nightly due to their wanderings can't really notice certain aspects about the stars in the night sky such as the Milky Way's position at different times of the year and the apparent movement in relation to the horizon of the sun's risings and settings throughout the year. But once people settled in one place, then they could and did notice such things.
The god Wiraqocha is said to have persuaded the people from the Lake Titicaca region in southern Peru/Bolivia (from which he is said to have emerged) all the way north into Ecuador to change their semi-nomadic, matrilineal way of life into an agricultural life with descent reckoned from both male and female lines. (Matrilineal means that although a woman owned the property, her oldest brother controlled her and her children. Not an equitable situation!) For the first time, men and women were considered as equals, although they had traditional differences in their life roles.
Each ayllu (related group living in a vertical archipelago arrangement) traced its lineage to a particular star and region in the Milky Way! Wiraqocha was said to have created these star ancestors and then sent them under the earth to emerge at particular places in the Andes region. So where each star emerged was where its descendents lived in their ayllus. And the people learned the Law of Reciprocity, or ayni, which meant to them that you helped your neighbors, shared and traded, rather than warred upon them. These fixed stars that were their ancestors did not move about and war with each other, therefore, the people should stay put and share!
This pleasant way of life was doomed, however. The people multiplied too fruitfully, putting great strain on the land's resources. Around 600-650 A.D. the shaman/priests became alarmed--they predicted a 'great flood' would upset their way of life! They foresaw it in the behavior of the Milky Way and the solstice suns! And according to the myths from this time period, the god Wiraqocha had to leave the earth and return to the heavens while the gate was still open--while the solstice suns still rose and set in the Milky Way!
For the first time a differentiation of classes of people arose. At first it was warriors and peasants. The Johnny-come-lately warrior class invented their ancestry also in the cosmos, to legitimize their rights to exist as a separate class by claiming their descent from the god Mars! Since Mars wandered in the heavens, the warriors claimed they had the right to wander and to settle wherever they wanted to. They also claimed that in return for their services of defending the peasants, the peasants owed them land and food. A new twist in the Law of Reciprocity!
After a period of shiftings of power as groups warred with each other, an elite class arose who controlled the warriors and peasants by exacting a labor tax or tribute. For another period of a little more than 800 years, this unsettling state of warfare kept the people from experiencing any modicum of peace and settled lives.
Again a change in the stars--and this is when the Inkas rose to power and established a peaceful empire over this whole Andean area of Wiraqocha's influence, claiming Wiraqocha as their ancestor, thus giving them the 'divine right' to take over. But this empire of peace and unprecedented prosperity lasted only about 100 years - one century - until the Spaniards showed up!
How could a mere handful of 250 Spaniards have so easily conquered such a powerful empire of millions of people? Well, it seems that again the shaman/priests foresaw this next pachakuti in the stars! It was inevitable, they felt! The prophecy had been made and there was nothing anyone could do about it!
Even though the Inkas felt there was nothing they could do, they did try to stop time! They used all sorts of rituals and sacrifices to try to stop the linear flow of time. But nothing worked. And then along came the horrible disease of smallpox.
Historians have credited Pizarro's men with having brought smallpox to Peru. But there seems to be some evidence that the smallpox filtered down from the northern parts of South America where it had already made itself felt. It appeared in the Andes before Pizarro arrived in Cuzco.
Huayna Capac, the last Inka, had just sealed his northern borders and was enjoying some R&R in Quito, when he received the news that strangers were approaching. So he went into seclusion and fasting, hoping for a vision that would give him some information about how to deal with these strangers. He had a vision of three dwarfs who told him they came to call him. To him this meant he would die soon. His son and chosen heir then died of the smallpox and Huayna Capac contracted the disease and died. Thus with no proclaimed heir, two other of his sons each declared himself the Inka and civil war broke out over their rival claims.
The shaman-priests of Huarochir� invented one last myth. It doesn't seem to make much sense when we read it today. It tells of the god Wiroqocha visiting with Huayna Capac and of sending several priest-shamans to fetch one of Wiraqocha's sisters from the world's lower foundation. Various shamans volunteered, a condor shaman, a falcon shaman and a swift shaman. These shamans traveled in the forms of these birds. The swift shaman brought back the sister. Then Wiraqocha drew a line across the world and told Huayna Capac to stand in one part with Wiraqocha's sister, while Wiraqocha would remain in the other part and they would never see each other again. Huayna Capac opened a box that the god had given him and the world lit up with lightning. The Inka said he would never return from the place where Wiraqocha had told him to stand. So the Inka told one of his men to go forth in his stead to Cuzco and proclaim to the strangers that he was Huayna Capac. Then after the Inka died, men adopted the habits of scrambling for political power, claiming, "Me first!" And this is the way that the Spaniards found them.
Sullivan says of this myth, "Part of the charm of this tale lies in its adherence to the irrepressibly buoyant style of all the Huarochir� myths. Free from the claustrophobic intimation of doom that permeated Inca thought, its power comes from the fact that, more clearly than any other story that has come down to the present, it permits an unobstructed view of the thought processes of the 'classical' school of native Andean mythography."
Using the Skyglobe software, Sullivan played out this myth in astrological terminology. The myth described a conjunction of Saturn (Wiraqocha) and Jupiter (Huayna Capac). Venus (the sister) entered soon after and then Mars (the planetary ruler of war). This series of celestial events must have occurred near the date of the last Inka's demise. Another condition was that the Western Scorpio's tail would have to lie in a particular position (invisible to the shamans, who called this the world's lower foundation).
Sullivan's question was, "Is there any way to 'read' the astronomy of the myth...., other than ....if its characters are understood as planets..." The meaning must be very precise: "first Saturn and Jupiter, then a flash of Venus, then the meeting of the three, then their disappearance, then the reign of Mars." He also had to account for movements of three stars that would represent the three shamans, the condor, the falcon and the swift.
Indeed, on Febuary 1, 1524, such events were observed in the Andean skies. Huayna Capac died the next year, 1525. But a few authorities feel he died in 1527. Sullivan feels that this final myth was created after the Inka's death, but is based upon the shamans' observances of the celestial events of Februray 1 of the previous year.
Of course, there is much more to Sullivan's explanations and of his comparisons of mythologies the world over with astronomical events. This makes for fascinating reading, if one is interested in the connections between astronomy, astrology and mythology.
� Education: B.A. from Harvard College; doctorate from the Center of American Indian Studies, University of St. Andrews.
� His work is the subject of the documentary 'The War against Time' produced for European television.
� One of the world's experts on Inka astronomy and sacred geography.
Potatoes need proper amounts of rainfall at the proper times in their growing cycles. And in the Andean regions, rainfall is seasonal, usually starting in October, but every few years the onset of the rains is delayed by up to several weeks. So how have the Andean potato farmers been able to produce successful crops year after year in spite of the varying rains?
For hundreds of years, the farmers have observed the cluster of stars known as the Pleiades, which become visible in the southern hemisphere skies in June. The farmers say that if the Pleiades shine brightly in June, this means that they can start planting their potatoes in October, as there will be adequate rainfall during the critical months of December through February. However, if the Pleiades look dim, then this means that the rains will be several weeks late, so planting is delayed until November.
Three university researchers, Benjamin Orlove, John Chiang and Mark Cane, from UC/Davis and Columbia University, have just discovered the scientific basis for the farmers' predictions! They examined rainfall records and June sightings of the Pleiades from 1962 to 1988. During normal years, the Pleiades looked bright in June, the spuds got planted in October and the rains fell as they should during December through February.
But every two to seven years along comes the phenomenon known as "El Ni�o." This is when the waters of certain areas of the Pacific Ocean warm up more so than usual. This weather-creating 'machine' then changes the normal weather patterns in many parts of the globe. In the Andes during an "El Ni�o" year, the rains are delayed by several weeks. And accompanying an "El Ni�o" pattern are thin cirrus clouds appearing very high in the skies over the Andes--in June! These cirrus clouds cause the Pleiades to appear dim to the naked eye.
So for hundreds, or perhaps even thousands, of years, the Andean farmers have used this very reliable sighting of the Pleiades in June to accurately predict when to plant their potatoes!
To read about the three other indigenous Andean tuber crops and their possible value to people the world over, click here. |
0.953562 | The very earliest digital synthesis experiments were made with computers, as part of academic research into sound generation. In 1973, the Japanese company Yamaha licensed the algorithms for frequency modulation synthesis (FM synthesis) from John Chowning, who had experimented with it at Stanford University since 1971. Yamaha's engineers began adapting Chowning's algorithm for use in a commercial digital synthesizer, adding improvements such as the "key scaling" method to avoid the introduction of distortion that normally occurred in analog systems during frequency modulation, though it would take several years before Yamaha were to release their FM digital synthesizers. In the 1970s, Yamaha were granted a number of patents, under the company's former name "Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha", evolving Chowning's early work on FM synthesis technology. Yamaha built the first prototype digital synthesizer in 1974.
Released in 1979, the Casio VL-1 was the first commercial digital synthesizer, selling for $69.95. Yamaha eventually commercialized their FM synthesis technology and released the first FM digital synthesizer in 1980, the Yamaha GS-1, but at an expensive retail price of $16,000.
Early commercial digital synthesizers used simple hard-wired digital circuitry to implement techniques such as additive synthesis and FM synthesis. Other techniques, such as wavetable synthesis and physical modeling, only became possible with the advent of high-speed microprocessor and digital signal processing technology. Two other early commercial digital synthesizers were the Fairlight CMI, introduced in 1979, and the New England Digital Synclavier II, introduced in 1980. The Fairlight CMI was a sampling synthesizer, while the Synclavier originally used FM synthesis technology licensed from Yamaha, before adding sampling synthesis later in the 1980s. The Fairlight CMI and the Synclavier were both expensive systems, retailing for more than $20,000 in the early 1980s. The cost of digital synthesizers began falling rapidly in the early 1980s. E-mu Systems introduced the Emulator sampling synthesizer in 1982 at a retail price of $7,900. Although not as flexible or powerful as either the Fairlight CMI or the Synclavier, its lower cost and portability made it popular.
Introduced in 1983, the Yamaha DX7 was the breakthrough digital synthesizer to have a major impact, both innovative and affordable, and thus spelling the decline of analog synthesizers. It used FM synthesis and, although it was incapable of the sampling synthesis of the Fairlight CMI, its price was around $2,000, putting it within range of a much larger number of musicians. The DX-7 was also known for its "key scaling" method to avoid distortion and for its recognizabley bright tonality that was partly due to its high sampling rate of 57 kHz. It became indispensable to many music artists of the 1980s, and would become one of the best-selling synthesizers of all time.
In 1987, Roland released its own influential synthesizer of the time, the D-50. This popular synth broke new ground in affordably combining short samples and digital oscillators, as well as the innovation of built-in digital effects (reverb., chorus, equalizer). Roland called this Linear Arithmetic (LA) synthesis. This instrument is responsible for some of the very recognisable preset synthesizer sounds of the late 1980s, such as the Pizzagogo sound used on Enya's "Orinoco Flow."
The main difference is that a digital synthesizer uses digital processors and analog synthesizers use analog circuitry. A digital synthesizer is in essence a computer with (often) a piano-keyboard and an LCD as an interface. An analog synthesizer is made up of sound-generating circuitry and modulators. Because computer technology is rapidly advancing, it is often possible to offer more features in a digital synthesizer than in an analog synthesizer at a given price. However, both technologies have their own merit. Some forms of synthesis, such as, for instance, sampling and additive synthesis are not feasible in analog synthesizers, while on the other hand, many musicians prefer the character of analog synthesizers over their digital equivalent.
^ a b "[Chapter 2] FM Tone Generators and the Dawn of Home Music Production". Yamaha Synth 40th Anniversary - History. Yamaha Corporation. 2014.
^ a b Holmes, Thom (2008). "Early Computer Music". Electronic and experimental music: technology, music, and culture (3rd ed.). Taylor & Francis. p. 257. ISBN 0-415-95781-8. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
^ Holmes, Thom (2008). "Early Computer Music". Electronic and experimental music: technology, music, and culture (3rd ed.). Taylor & Francis. pp. 257–258. ISBN 0-415-95781-8. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
^ a b Mark Vail. The Synthesizer: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Programming, Playing, and Recording the Ultimate Electronic Music Instrument. Oxford University Press. p. 277.
^ Alex Igoudin. Impact of MIDI on electroacoustic art music, Issue 102. Stanford University. p. 26.
^ "1978 New England Digital Synclavier". Mix. Penton Media. September 1, 2006.
^ Le Heron, Richard B.; Harrington, James W. (2005). New Economic Spaces: New Economic Geographies. Ashgate Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 0-7546-4450-2.
^ Holmes, Thom (2008). "Early Computer Music". Electronic and experimental music: technology, music, and culture (3rd ed.). Taylor & Francis. pp. 257–259. ISBN 0-415-95781-8. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
^ "Three Yamaha products that reshaped the industry mark 20th anniversary". Music Trades. February 2004. pp. 70–74. Archived from the original on 2008-10-19.
^ "Synth FX". Sound On Sound. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
^ Roland D-50 Owner's Manual (Basic) (PDF). Roland Corporation. c. 1987. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF manual) on 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2014-09-01. ... D-50 has four distinct sections: / 1. A Digital Synthesizer / 2. A Digital Equalizer / 3. A Digital Chorus section / and 4. A Digital Reverberation section.
^ "The Korg M1". Sound On Sound. Archived from the original on 2013-10-20. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
^ "Electronic Instruments". Encyclopædia Britannica.
^ "Digital Synthesis". UCSC Electronic Music Studios.
This page was last edited on 27 January 2019, at 00:40 (UTC). |
0.988835 | Women in leadership: glass ceiling or glass mirror ?
At work, as in the home, women consistently allow themselves to be driven by belief structures ingrained into their psyche from the ages of five to eight years old. I have yet to meet, or indeed work, with anyone whose behaviour patterns conform to anything else.
Consequently and almost inevitably therefore, women reach a point in their lives where the pinnacle of their beliefs coincide with the pinnacle of their drivers, causing a massive clash of uncertainty and self-doubt.
This is not to say that their male counterparts do not experience similar emotions. They do. However for the most part, their natural bravado and alpha male behavioural traits enable them to con their way through.
So why is it that women allow themselves to become so strung out by this and could this be a reason for the self doubt which restricts their unquestioned and natural leadership qualities in the workplace ?
If the rules say that women have to compete on the same stage as the stereotypical alpha male in order to be seen to be successful, then change the rules. Just because it isn't done, doesn't mean that it can't be.
Success or failure as the criteria to determine an individual's worth is so often the product of delivery. Those who can usually do; whilst those who can't inevitably won't. Conventional business metrics so often require proof of delivery as proof of success, and consequently, women are always asked to prove that they are good enough to earn the right to be; wherever be might be.
This is where so many of their childhood belief structures choose to kick-in. Having reached a point of relative achievement, women encourage themselves to challenge the very fabric of those beliefs which took them there in the first place. They are inclined to reference some point in their childhood where they were encouraged to believe that they must always show how much better they are than anyone else in order to prove their worth for the future.
And yet the most skilled leadership is so often a dichotomy of personality traits to which women have spent their whole lives training for, namely endurance and sensitivity. Women have nothing to prove to their male counterparts on either front and still they allow themselves to get drawn back to the conventions of proof.
Proving that women are good enough has always been the ceiling through which women glimpse the medusa of success - only to be turned to stone through self-doubt. Changing that glass ceiling into a mirror of reflection allows them not only to continue to believe in their own leadership qualities but also reflect the medusan image of fear in on itself and shatter once and for all any illusions harboured from their childhood that they may never be good enough to succeed. |
0.99977 | Hace unas semanas tuvimos el placer de realizar una estupenda sesión de fotografía boudoir y femenina en un entorno con encanto: el Hotel Arabeluj de Granada. La protagonista fue Raquel, llegada desde Málaga el mismo día de la sesión para realizar su reportaje. Por la mañana realizamos nuestro ritual: el café para conocernos (que habitualmente nos tomamos unos días antes, pero como Raquel no vive en Granada, nos pusimos al día sobre a marcha) y a continuación la visita a dos de nuestros establecimientos colaboradores, Anay Lencería y Corsets Granada para la prueba de la lencería y corsets que luciría más tarde nuestra guapa protagonista.
Nos encanta esta parte de la sesión de fotografía aunque no pertenezca realmente a ella, pero es una forma de que ya entréis en situación, de que os visualicéis con esas prendas y elijáis las más cómodas y con las que os sentís más favorecidas, de ahí su importancia.
La sesión de fotografía boudoir y femenina de Raquel se llevó a cabo por la tarde, como mencionábamos antes, en la suite del Hotel Arabeluj, un hotel pequeño, con encanto, situado en el Barranco del Abogado y con unas vistas espectaculares y en el que además es una delicia cenar o tomar un aperitivo en sus terrazas. Desde aquí agradecemos todas las facilidades que nos proporcionó el personal del hotel, especialmente Araceli, a la que enviamos un fuerte abrazo.
¿Por qué un hotel? Siempre que nos es posible, intentamos buscar localizaciones diferentes y especiales. Ya hemos realizado reportajes en el Hotel Laurel de La Reina, el Café Bar Baraka, en la tienda La Montaña Invertida, en el Restaurante Al Andalus Expreso … es un plus que intentamos conseguir en cada sesión porque os veis en un decorado diferente, lo cual os ayuda a veros en otro papel muy diferente al habitual.
Os dejamos con una selección de la sesión de fotografía de Raquel, elegidas por ella. Nosotros nos quedamos con las palabras que nos dedicó al despedirse: muchas gracias, me he sentido muy, muy cómoda, una experiencia totalmente recomendable. :).
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0.981509 | I'm currently working on a plugin for a CMS which should allow content editors to write inline style tags.
I'm looking for advice / links on how inline styles could be abused.
Do Microsoft behaviours work for inline styles?
I know that the best solution to make this work would be to validate/sanitize the CSS against a whitelist - but this requires implementing a CSS parser and producing/maintaining a whitelist of properties. Would a blacklist of properties / patterns be feasible? (I'm aware of the relative merits of whitelisting/blacklisting - but it's somewhat skewed here in that there should only be a finite number of attack vectors).
Just to clarify, since the content editors should to some extent be trusted, mitigation of attacks might be a more pragmatic solution than prevention.
Also, just found a specific example in CVE-2011-0232, although I'm more interested in cases where there is not an intrinsic vulnerability in an implementation, but rather a design flaw.
Basically, every downloadable resource (image, font, ...) can take the visitors network capacity and can be used to run CSRF attacks, spy on visitors or run DDOS attacks on smaller websites.
There might be some ways CSS can be used to crash the browser, take a lot of memory or spin the CPU at 99% for some time. CSS 3 will support many weird things that you want to disallow, including 3d stuff and transitions.
The layout of the website can be altered freely. This includes fun things like exchanging the positions of the search and the password input. It might not be possible using inline styles, just be aware of it.
A pattern blacklist is a very bad idea. There is a high number of ways to encode CSS, browsers do it all differently. CSS parsers often follow the principle "garbage in - CSS out". Moreover, it should be noted that CSS parsers generally don't stop on errors, but try to continue parsing the text.
In a short test, I could find a whole bunch of valid background-color definitions: \62ackground-color:, \062ackground-color:, \000062ackground-color:, \62 ackground-color:, bac\k\g\r\o\u\nd-c\o\l\or:.
Write your own parser. Don't make it full-blown or standard compliant, keep it simple and have a whitelist of properties. There are way more properties that you don't want then that you want. Throw any garbage away.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged antimalware css or ask your own question.
How dangerous is it to use CSS styles from an untrusted source? |
0.996677 | Although no one has yet asked the question, could Tesla CEO Elon Musk have been pushed by competition to announce a firm deacadline for self-driving capability in its electric car lineup?
Until now, Musk has managed to keep Tesla's self-driving vehicle plans vague. He did announce earlier this year that the electric carmaker would have self-driving or semi-autonomous-driving capability in its vehicles. However, Musk managed to keep the public in the dark regarding a firm date on the delivery of semi-autonomous-driving capability to its models.
That was before Nissan announced that it would have semi-autonomous-driving capability in three model years and GM's announcement that it was planning to have semi-autonomous-driving capability in the Cadillac CTS for the 2017 model year.
Though no one is saying so, it seems rather coincidental that Musk's announcement comes on the heels of GM's announcement of semi-autonomous-capability and after Nissan's firm deadline, as well.
Musk told the Nikkei Asian Review that Tesla would have semi-autopilot-technology in its products within three years. He predicted the full "autopilot" – Musk's term for self-drive – would be in five to six years.
Also, as noted by MSN Autos, where reports of Review interview appeared, Tesla's planning has called for the launch of its lowest-priced model, the Model 3 sedan at the same time as its "autopilot" technology is launched. MSN Autos speculated that the Model 3 will probably be offered with self-driving capability at its launch.
The Model 3 is set to be Tesla's lowest-price vehicle. With a $35,000 pricetag, the Model 3 is aimed at the mainstream sedan market. It will also travel 200 mpc (miles per charge).
Until this report, it has been speculated that Tesla will build its self-drive system itself. Musk, however, dispelled that notion when he told the Asian Review that Tesla will handle the programming piece while it sources the sensors and sub-components from many sources.
Musk also told the Nikkei Asian Review that he expects all Tesla models will ultimately have self-drive capability. |
0.966141 | The town of Boylston was first settled by John Wart in 1812. Wart and others had come to the area from the Cherry Valley area located to the south. On February 7, 1828, the town of Boylston was separated from the town of Orwell. By this time, many prosperous farms had been cleared from the virgin forest. The settlements of East Boylston , Boylston Center, and Smartville developed around small mills and streams. The town never hosted a major industry or rail link, but for two centuries, it exported timber and dairy products. A notable cottage industry in maple syrup has spanned generations in some families, and the product is viewed by many as the tastiest in the nation.
The town of Boylston was first settled by John Wart in 1812. Wart and others had come to the area from the Cherry Valley area located to the south.On February 7, 1828, the town of Boylston was separated from the town of Orwell. By this time, many prosperous farms had been cleared from the virgin forest. The settlements of East Boylston , Boylston Center, and Smartville developed around small mills and streams. The town never hosted a major industry or rail link, but for two centuries, it exported timber and dairy products. A notable cottage industry in maple syrup has spanned generations in some families, and the product is viewed by many as the tastiest in the nation. |
0.999974 | The British Empire if Charles Babbage's mechanical computers had been successful.
This is an interesting novel, written by two authors, William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, principally known for their work in the cyberpunk genre. The Difference Engine however is an alternate history story based on steampunk ideas.
The basic premise of the novel is that Charles Babbage's general purpose mechanical computer (which in reality was called the "Analytic Engine" - the real-life Difference Engine was a mechanical calculator) was not only successfully created, but widely adopted. Thus Victorian England, experiences something akin to the late 20th century's information technology revolution. Furthermore, Britain is ruled by the "Industrial Radical Party", which places a great emphasis on industry, science and technology, leading to an even more powerful British Empire than experienced in our timeline.
The plot, such as it is, basically concerns the hunt for some extremely powerful punched cards (used to program Babbage's computers). While it would be incorrect to say that there isn't a story - there clearly is - the real joy of the novel comes more from the wealth of detail and the well-realized alternate world, than the plot.
I am sure that William Gibson's and Bruce Sterling's many fans will snap up the book regardless of anything that I might say. That said, my own personal view, is that while I enjoyed reading the novel (and would recommend it to others), I didn't enjoy quite as much as some other steampunk novels that I have read - the reason is, for me, the plot was not interesting enough, even though the background of the world was beautifully portrayed. |
0.999495 | Assist me with information on obesity in women. Whatever you can tell me will be great!
Recent studies show that even women at a healthy weight who undertake little exercise or physical activity tend to put on more weight as they age. On the other hand, women of similar weight who are engaged in moderate exercise and physical activity avoid gaining more pounds with age. Overweight women do not seem to benefit from this prevention of weight gain associated with moderate exercise and physical activity. Obesity in women is common in America where, according to the National Women’s Health Information Center, 50% of women between the ages 20 and 74 are overweight.
Overweight women tend to pay a higher price in terms of health risks and lower quality of life than men who are obese, though both genders are prone to heart diseases, strokes, diabetes, and increased blood pressure. Among post-menopausal women, obesity is one of the largest risk factors for developing breast cancer.
Overweight women and pregnancy-related complications such as gestational diabetes and high blood pressures are closely linked. In hospitals and clinics, the number of Caesarean deliveries performed is double for overweight women when compared to those performed for normal weight women. A pregnancy diet for overweight women should focus on healthy food with the vital nutrients needed for the development of the fetus, cutting down on unnecessary fats and empty calories from sugary snacks.
A thickening of the waistline after menopause in a woman is a sure indicator that she is piling up visceral fat around the vital organs in her abdomen. Regular and vigorous exercise can help reduce this fat, and consuming a diet free of saturated fats is the best way to keep it off. Overweight women who engage in high intensity exercise most days of the week can reduce visceral fat. Exercise for obese women will help them shed pounds provided they reduce the calories consumed each day by at least 500.
Overweight women statistics show the prevalence of obesity is more among African-American women and Hispanic women than among Asian or Caucasian women. Arthritis problems in women and obesity are closely related as obese women run a four times higher risk of developing arthritis. Gallbladder stones are more likely to be found in overweight women. In fact, being female, fat, forty, and fertile are factors identified as the 4 Fs of gallstone candidates.
Weight loss diets can help women shed those extra pounds, but many find it difficult to maintain their optimal weight. Workouts for overweight women should include weight training to build muscle tone, so that they can boost the body’ s metabolic rate and burn more fats. Swimming is an activity that even obese women with arthritis and overweight pregnant women can pursue. One way overweight women can disguise the weight is by wearing the right clothes. Wearing clothes that are well-tailored and give you a good fit can take the pounds off you. Avoid loose clothes as they will just make you look shapeless and fatter. Black does make a person look thinner, but if you want to experiment with colors go in for a monochromatic color look that matches your skin tone and see the difference.
A women who had excess body weight than the ideal body weight according to her height then she is considered overweight. This weight can be due to muscle mass, bones weight, water and more common body fat. There are different ways to evaluate in which category a women's weight lies, these include BMI or body mass index and fat percentage calculators. A overweight women can be at a health risk for different problems like diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, menstrual problems, pregnancy problems, joint problems such as arthritis, breathing problems, and psychological problems like depression. Common cause for gaining excess weight in women or any other person is energy imbalance that is when energy intake exceeds and energy expenditure is decreased. This happens when a women binges or indulges herself in wrong eating habits and leading a very sedentary life without any exercises. In this world where women are expected to be thin like supermodels an overweight woman is definitely not pleasing. Moreover the excess weight besides ruining physical appearance is also not considered healthy. So to avoid any such situation and have a high self esteem it is important to be of healthy weight (not as thing as the models but fall in the desired weight category). |
0.974243 | Inspiration: Do the people who complain about spending time with their family, always resent their family gatherings??
That's a creative take on a family gathering. Good job. |
0.998414 | Triathlon training includes physical action but weight watchers success has helped a multitude of triathlon competitors in achieving the perfect balance of weight to muscle mass. Successful triathlon competitors gain a real advantage when all cylinders are firing at optimum performance! Learn how a weight watchers diet can bring out the best in triathlon participants.
The diet for a triathlete in training has some specific nutritional requirements in order to be ready to compete at the highest performing levels. Athletes have noticed quick recovery, greater muscle mass, and less upper respiratory tract infections when utilizing proper nutrition. What are the nutrients a triathlete needs and what do they do?
Fiber - This nutrient helps keep bowels regular and helps reduce blood cholesterol. However, you should reduce your fiber intake just prior to competition to prevent gut problems.
Protein - The growth and repair of all body tissues, including muscle and bone, require protein as well as hormone and enzyme production depending on protein for optimal immune function. Good sources of protein are beef and fish.
Fat - Most of the energy for daily activity comes from fat, which is the most concentrated and largest source readily available to the human body. It is required for normal growth and healthy skin, production of certain hormones, structural component of body cells, and supply of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Water - This component is necessary to prevent dehydration and is stored in the body in limited amounts.
Vitamin B Complex -Carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism all require vitamin B complex. Additionally, B12 and folate are required for red blood cell production.
Vitamin C - Enhances absorption and acts as an antioxidant. Antioxidants eliminate free radicals, preventing cell damage, increase energy production, and are necessary for the synthesis of collagen for the formation of connective tissue and bone.
Vitamin E - Because athletes have a greater oxygen uptake, they have higher levels of free radicals creating cell damage. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps eliminate free radicals, which help prevent cell damage.
Iron - The formation of hemoglobin and myoglobin, the oxygen-carrying components of red blood cells and muscle cells is directly affected by the presence of iron.
Calcium - Calcium is required to build and maintain strong bones and teeth, and is essential for muscle function, blood clotting and nerve transmission.
Zinc - Zinc is an essential component for the normal growth, reproduction, immune system function, and energy production in muscle cells.
One celebrity advocate of weight watchers success who also competes in triathlons is Tonya Jones. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Phi Delta Kappa International, American Council on Exercise (A.C.E.), American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), National Strength & Conditioning Association (NCSA), National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM), Mid Maryland Triathlon Club, USA Triathlon and a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers. |
0.998313 | The history of the European oil and gas industry reflects local and global political events, economic constraints, and the personal endeavours of individual petroleum geoscientists, as much as it does the development of technologies and the underlying geology of the region. Europe and Europeans played a disproportionately large role in the development of the modern global oil and gas industry. From at least the Iron Age until the 1850s, the use of oil in Europe was limited, and the oil was obtained almost exclusively from surface seeps and mine workings. The use of oil increased in the 1860s with the introduction of new technologies in both production and refining. Shale oil was distilled on a commercial scale in various parts of Europe in the late eighteenth century and throughout the nineteenth century but, in the second half of the nineteenth century, the mineral oils and gas produced primarily from shale and coal could no longer satisfy demand, and oil produced directly from conventional oil fields began to dominate the European market. The first commercial oil wells in Europe were manually dug in Poland in 1853, Romania in 1857, Germany in 1859 and Italy in 1860, before the gradual introduction of mechanical cable drilling rigs started in the early 1860s. In the late nineteenth century, the northern part of the Carpathian Mountains in what is now Poland and Ukraine was one of the most prolific hydrocarbon provinces in the world. The Bóbrka Field in the Carpathian foothills of Poland, discovered in 1853, is still producing and is now the oldest industrial oil field in the world.
The 1914–18 and 1939–45 world wars were both major drivers in exploration for and exploitation of Europe's oil resources and in the development of technologies to produce synthetic fuels from the liquefaction of bituminous coal and the combination of carbon monoxide and hydrogen as the Allied and Axis governments struggled to maintain adequate supplies of fuel for their war efforts. In Britain, the first ‘accidental’ discovery of gas was made in 1875 in the Weald Basin, but it was not until 1919 that Britain's first oil field was discovered at Hardstoft, in Derbyshire, as a result of a government-funded exploration drilling campaign, triggered by the need to find indigenous supplies of oil during World War I. The period of reconstruction after World War II was also critical for the European oil and gas industry with further successful exploration for oil and gas in the East Midlands of England resulting in Britain's first ‘oil boom’, and the discovery and development of deep gas fields in the Po Valley in northern Italy fuelling the Italian economy for the next 50 years.
Drilling technologies developed during Britain's first oil boom, together with the extrapolation of the onshore geology of the East Midlands oil fields and of the Dutch gas fields, led to the discovery of the huge oil and gas resources beneath the North Sea in the 1960s and 1970s, which enabled Britain, Norway, Denmark and The Netherlands to be largely self-sufficient in oil and gas from the late 1970s until production began to decline rapidly in the early 2000s. Today, oil and gas production in most European countries is at an historical low. Exploration for new sources of oil and gas in Europe continues, although increasingly hampered by the maturity of many of the conventional oil and gas plays, but European companies and European citizens continue to play a major role in the global oil and gas industry.
The establishment of petroleum as a tradable commodity, as well as a natural resource, triggered a paradigm shift in the history of civilization, introducing a new set of values, opportunities and forces, shaping the course of social endeavours as diverse as science, technology, energy production and consumption, and leading to associated improvements in living standards throughout the world. Our 160 year-old hydrocarbon-based civilization is founded on this paradigm and, despite many criticisms and shortcomings, hydrocarbons will continue to be a key component of our lives for decades to come (Sertorio 2002; Smil 2017).
Europe is highly dependent on oil and gas as its primary sources of energy and as a basic feedstock for the chemical and manufacturing industries. Natural gas is widely used to generate electricity and for heating, while petroleum products derived from oil (petrol, diesel and kerosene) are essential fuels for transportation. Oil and gas are also used for domestic heating, and as the raw material for producing millions of items ranging from fertilizers, plastics, detergents, preservatives, life-saving medicines, clothing and cosmetics, through to appliances including computers, insulation, inks and toners, paints, glues, solvents and antiseptics to golf balls, CDs, bin bags, nail polish, and chewing gum.
The beginning of the mass consumption of oil was the result of a transnational and cumulative process of trial and error that lasted for centuries. The inception of the modern oil industry gained momentum in the first half of the nineteenth century as a result of the definition of some ‘hydro-carbon’ compounds obtained by heating oil given by the British scientist Michael Faraday in 1825, the introduction of fractional distillation to refine oil by the American Chemist Benjamin Silliman Jr and the systematic application of mechanized drilling by means of the cable tool system operated by steam power in NW Pennsylvania. After centuries of stagnation, discontinuous production and low consumption, the use of oil increased in the 1860s with the introduction of new technologies in both production and refining. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the mineral oils and gas produced primarily from shale and coal could no longer satisfy demand, and the oil produced directly from conventional oil fields in Eastern Europe, Russia, the USA and, eventually, the Middle East fairly rapidly began to dominate the global fuel market (Jevons 1865; Gerali 2012; Gerali & Gregory 2017a). Oil has been the world's most important source of energy since the mid-1950s, largely because of its high energy content, transportability and relative abundance.
Several European countries, among them France, Germany and Italy, have an important oil heritage, rich in invention and technology, despite the fact that they never achieved globally significant levels of conventional oil production. This lack of conventional oil resources influenced both their attempts to develop alternative sources of energy – France worked on oil shales, Germany on coal hydrogenation, and Italy had diversified strategies involving lignite and hydroelectric – and, in the second half of the twentieth century, the success of their citizens as ‘oil finders’ in the oil fields of the world (Yanarella & Green 1987; Bardini 1998; Pozzi 2009; Beltran & Carré 2016).
Britain, Norway, Denmark and The Netherlands were largely self-sufficient in oil and gas from the late 1970s and early 1980s, following the discovery of oil and gas under the North Sea (Fig. 1) in the 1960s and the subsequent rapid build-up in offshore production, until offshore production started to decline rapidly in the early 2000s. There is, however, a much longer and much less well-known history of oil and gas exploration and production in Europe. In fact, natural seepages of oil and outcrops of oil-bearing shale across Europe have been exploited since the Iron Age, and shale oil was distilled on a commercial scale in various parts of Europe in the late eighteenth century and throughout the nineteenth century (Forbes-Leslie 1917; Strachan 1920; Gallois 2012).
Physical features of Europe. Published in 1906 by W. & A. K. Johnston Limited, Edinburgh and London. Available from the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
According to the BP Statistical Review of Energy 2017, the world's proved oil reserves (excluding self-sourced shale plays) are 1.71 Tbbl (trillion barrels), of which Europe (except Russia) contains a ‘mere’ 11.6 Bbbl (billion barrels). The five European countries with appreciable oil reserves today are, in decreasing order of reserves at end-2015, Norway (8.0 Bbbl), the UK (2.5 Bbbl), Romania (0.6 Bbbl), Italy (0.6 Bbbl) and Denmark (0.5 Bbbl). Out of the world's total oil production of 92 MMBOPD (million barrels of oil per day) in 2016, these five European countries produced just 3.3 MMBOPD or 3.5% of global production.
The Western and Central European countries with the largest total proved gas reserves at the end of 2016 were Norway (1.8 Tcf (trillion cubic ft)), The Netherlands (0.7 Tcf), Ukraine (0.6 Tcf) and the UK (0.2 Tcf), while Turkmenistan (17.5 Tcf), Azerbaijan (1.7 Tcf) and Kazakhstan (1.0 Tcf) hosted the largest reserves of the countries belonging to the Former Soviet Union (FSU), outside the current Russian Federation. The largest European and FSU gas producers in 2016 were Norway (116.6 Bcm (billion m3)), Turkmenistan (66.8 Bcm), Uzbekistan (62.8 Bcm), the UK (41.0 Bcm) and The Netherlands (40.2 Bcm), but Europe and the FSU (excluding Russia) as a whole today accounts for only 11% of global gas production (British Petroleum 2017). Despite these figures, there is a long history of exploration, production and consumption of oil and gas in many parts of Europe, as well as of oil- and gas-related science and technology, much of which had a profound influence on the oil and gas industry worldwide. In the history of the oil and gas industry in many European countries, there are important episodes and players that influenced the course of events; some of these are already well documented, while others have gone unnoticed or even forgotten. Nevertheless, each episode is important because, beyond the well-known stories of successes and failures, there are various elements that enable us to gain new insights into the process of the development of the oil and gas industry in Europe.
This Special Publication brings together a series of important papers dealing with different aspects of the history of the oil and gas industry in the UK, Norway, France, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Romania (Fig. 2), and examines the role of some of the key technologies and of the petroleum geoscientists who influenced the development of the European oil and gas industry between the sixteenth century and the present day.
General map of Europe showing the areas covered by the papers in this volume.
A bibliography of selected published papers and books, primary and secondary sources, dealing with the history of the European oil and gas industry is provided at the end of this volume. It is not comprehensive, and is intended only as a source of further reading. There is also a comprehensive gazetteer of the main oil and gas industry museums in Europe at the end of the volume. These can be an invaluable source of additional information for those who wish to develop a deeper knowledge of the development of the oil and gas industry in specific parts of Europe.
The manual gathering of petroleum from surface seeps, rock crevices or shallow shafts was recorded in the chronicles of Europe during the late Medieval Age, but had been occurring since the classical age with oil obtained from such surface seeps being used by Greeks and Romans for several purposes. Although petroleum was used in Europe for many centuries, it was only during the sixteenth century that alchemists, natural philosophers and, later, chemists gradually developed scientific knowledge about the nature and potential uses of oil (Huguenet & Frojo 1856; Novelli & Sella 2009). In 1556, the German mining technologist Georges Agricola published De Re Metallica, in which he documented the use of heated petroleum. Forty years later, in 1601, Andreas Libavius, a German alchemist, published in the third volume of his Singolarium, the most detailed account on every known occurrence of light and heavy oil in Europe at that time. In 1625, Johan Volck published a 30 page pamphlet, Description of the Hanau earth balsam, petroleum and soft agate stone, in which he detailed the advantages of refined oils. Many other contemporary scholars in Europe documented methods of refining petroleum, but these scientific advances had little impact on the socio-economic development of Europe at the time.
The methods used to produce petroleum in Europe remained almost unchanged between the sixteenth and the first half of the nineteenth century. Basically, it was a craft activity, carried out without specific mining tools that yielded limited quantities of petroleum. Unlike coal, copper and iron, petroleum was not produced by a skilled labour force. Until the mid-nineteenth century, oil exploration was a premature concept; oil was not sought out, but simply found in the ground. Before oil products came into general commercial use during the last half of the nineteenth century, the exploitation of petroleum resources in Britain was restricted to a few surface oil seeps, such as those found in Shropshire, near Formby in Lancashire, in the coal mines of Nottinghamshire and along the south coast of England. For example, oil was distilled from oil-impregnated Carboniferous sandstone quarried at Row Brook in Shropshire during the seventeenth century (Plot 1684; Ele 1697). The use of ‘seepage oil’ in Britain increased considerably when it was found that oil-soaked peat dug at Formby in Lancashire (Bunce 2018) made good fire-lighters, and the heavy tars from the seeps were excellent for caulking boats and for medicinal purposes on livestock. The waxy green oil that seeped steadily into some of the Nottinghamshire coal mines was even used to grease the axles of colliery wagons, but the production from these ‘surface’ sources was always, necessarily, extremely limited. Seeps of natural gas, both at the surface and in mines, have also been recorded in Great Britain for centuries. One particularly early example, near Wigan in Lancashire (Selley 2012), was recorded by Camden in his book ‘Britannia or a Chorographical Description of Great Britain and Ireland’ published in 1586 and is often referred to colloquially as ‘Camden's cooker’ (Camden 1586).
One of the earliest attempts to produce indigenous oil in Britain occurred on the banks of the River Severn in Shropshire. In January 1694, British Crown Patent No. 405 was granted to Martin Eele, Thomas Hancock and William Portlock of the British Pitch Works in Bentham, Shropshire who had found a ‘way to extract and make great quantityes of pitch, tarr and oyle out of a sort of stone’ (Torrens 1994; Moody 2007). In 1716, another patent was taken out in Britain by one Talbot Edwards who claimed that, since the expiry of the 1694 patent, he had found a new and better way to extract these materials ‘by fluxing with fire only … the roch or roofe stone’ extracted from the local Shropshire coal mines. The market for the products was rather limited at the time and the oil was soon promoted as a medicine for ‘the Cure of Rheumatic and Scorbutic Affections’. A third patent was issued in 1742, this one to Michael Betton, glazier of Wellington and his brother Thomas, shoemaker from Shrewsbury, again citing the medicinal use of the oil (Torrens 1994). The manufacture of this ‘British Oil’ later continued under the famous Darby family, the descendants of Abraham Darby who first introduced coke smelting at Coalbrookedale on the River Severn in 1709, thereby triggering the Industrial Revolution.
Elsewhere in Europe, a Russian-born Swiss doctor and Greek teacher called Eyrini d'Eyrinis (also spelt as Eirini d'Eirinis) discovered asphaltum at Val-de-Travers near Neuchàtel in Switzerland in 1710. He was the author of a landmark volume on the bitumen of the area, in which he presented all the possible uses of natural and refined bitumen. He established a bitumen mine called ‘de la Presta’ that operated until 1986. In France, the light and valuable oil called naphtha was collected in the region of Alsace, near the village of Pechelbronn (which means Pitch Spring). The locals had scooped up the oil from the water spring since the fifteenth century and exploitation of the local tar sands started in 1627. Then, in 1745, the mining of oil sands began in Merkwiller-Pechelbronn under the direction of Louis Pierre Ancillon de la Sablonnière, by special appointment of King Louis XV. In the 1810s, some wells were drilled to guide the location of the mine galleries. One of these wells penetrated a layer of sand containing oil at a depth of 77 m. However, the first important oil discovery was only achieved 135 years after the beginning of the oil mining in the area, when some wells dug mechanically in 1880 yielded oil in commercial quantities: 2860 wells had been drilled by 1916 and these produced 720 000 t (tons) of oil (Heritier 1994). The oil fields of Pechelbronn were active until 1970 and were the birthplace of present-day companies such as Antar and Schlumberger.
In 1786, a canal tunnel was driven into the side of the Severn Gorge, near Ironbridge in Shropshire, England, by a Quaker ironmaster, William Reynolds, to bring out coal from the local pits (Fig. 3). The tunnel struck a spring of natural bitumen in Carboniferous sandstones about 300 yards from the entrance and seeps along the length of the tunnel yielded as much as 450 gallons of bitumen a day (Trinder 1981). Some was sold as medicine for the treatment of rheumatic and skin complaints, and some was processed for burning in lamps or converted into varnish. The rest was boiled in large cauldrons at the mouth of the tunnel to produce pitch that was used as a preservative for timber, for treating ropes and for caulking ships decks (Morton 2014).
The Coalport Tar Tunnel, Ironbridge, Shropshire. (a) The Tar Tunnel with a drainage pipe on the left and wells cut into the tunnel walls. (b) Bitumen oozing out of the brick-lined walls. (c) A pool of bitumen in one of the wells (http://geotopoi.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/coalport-tar-tunnel/).
Numerous oil and gas seeps were recorded in the Weald Basin of southern England during the nineteenth century, and gas was encountered during the sinking of a water well at Hawkhurst in Sussex in 1836. The gas was ignited by a lantern, causing an explosion that killed the two labourers who were sinking the well (Evans 2009; Wigley 2015).
In the territories of present-day Germany, petroleum production in the eighteenth century was mainly concentrated in the vicinity of Hannover, Brunswick, Wietz and Celle (Rinehart 1930). In France, thick and sticky asphalt was mined in the vicinity of Gabian, near the city of Clermont-Ferrand, in the region of Auvergne. The town of Gabian was also renowned for La Font de l'Oly (the oil spring), which produced light naphtha. Oil was recovered from La Font from 1608 onwards and the average production was 36 quintals per year. There was another seep, associated with a mineral water spring and a volcanic intrusion, at Le Puy de La Poix (the pitch mount) in the Limagne Basin. Gummy bitumen was collected in the region of Guyana (Schmitz 1938; Heritier 1994; Smith 2006). In Italy, the largest oil provinces were located in the territories of the duchies of Parma and Piacenza, and Modena and Reggio Emilia – stretching from NW to SE along the Northern Apennines (Fig. 1; Fairman 1868; Bonariva 1869; Cazzini 2018; Gerali et al. 2018).
Further scientific studies at this time paved the way to a better understanding of oil as a mineral and as a source of energy. In France, in the Dictionnaire de Chymie (1769), Pierre Joseph Macquer (1718–84) provided new evidence for the organic origin of oil. George Balthazar Sage (1740–1824) set out a classification of the different types of bitumen with reference to their density in Eléments de Minéralogie Docimastique (1772) while, in 1784, the Irish mineralogist Richard Kirwan (1733–1812) proposed a category of substances called ‘inflammables’ in his treatise Elements of Mineralogy. In 1796, Kirwan also published a study on the composition of coal and bitumen in the essay Of the Composition and Proportion of Carbon in Bitumen and Mineral Coal, in which he supported the idea of the major commercial utilization of petroleum.
In the Austro-Hungarian dominions, petroleum was produced along the northern slope of the Carpathian chain (Fig. 1), in the vicinity of the village of Boryslaw, in the region of Galicia – today in Ukraine. In Romania, the core production of oil was concentrated near the city of Ploieşti, in the foreland basin of the Southern Carpathian chain, in the principality of Wallachia. The earliest written accounts of natural occurrences of hydrocarbons in the Carpathians date back to the sixteenth century, but in the eighteenth century and the early nineteenth century accounts of the practical uses of oil, based on its occurrence in the Carpathians, were published by Rzączyński, Kluk, Hacquest and Staszic. Stanislaw Staszic, a Polish priest, philosopher, statesman, geologist, scholar, poet and writer, produced a geological map of the region, dated 1806, showing the numerous oil seeps and different rock types containing hydrocarbons (Krzywiec 2018) – probably the first map to specifically document surface hydrocarbon occurrences in Europe.
In the SE part of what is today Moldova, ozokerite, or earth wax (a kind of natural paraffin), had been mined for centuries (Pearton 1971), and ‘mineral resin’ was collected on the banks of some rivers. In Tsarist Russia, oil production was a burgeoning activity in the Trans-Caucasian area straddling Europe and Asia corresponding to today's Azerbaijan. The economy of the port city of Baku, on the Caspian Sea, was largely based on oil production and trading (Henry 1905).
In 1816–17, the Swiss naturalist Nicholas Theodore de Saussure made a comparative analysis of the composition and properties of petroleum samples collected in several European countries (Saussure 1816, 1817). Other scientists had previously carried out similar work, but Saussure's work has the merit of delivering a comprehensive study that went further than the mere annotation of physical characteristics of the different petroleum samples. Instead, his work highlighted the chemical properties and commercial applications of petroleum depending on its quality.
During the late eighteenth century and the nineteenth century, Scottish chemists were foremost in the development of British coal-gas, coal-tar and shale-oil industries. William Murdoch (1754–1839) and Archibold Cochrane (1749–1831), ninth Earl of Dundonald, carried out pioneering work on the destructive distillation of coal and shale oil. Archibald Cochrane developed, and in 1871 patented, a method ‘for extracting tar, pitch, essential oils and cinders from pitcoal, whereby the coals are made to ignite without flaming’ (Conacher 1938b) and in 1782 he lit Culross Abbey with gas from produced from tar. Cochrane was a brilliant chemist, but a poor businessman. He foolishly failed to repay massive loans made to his wife and died in poverty in Paris in 1831 (Tomory 2012).
Dr James ‘Paraffin’ Young, the founder of the Scottish oil industry, was much more astute. He rose from a humble background to become a noted and very successful chemist and entrepreneur. Young was born in Glasgow and trained as a chemist (Conacher 1938a). He was the manager of an alkali works in Manchester when, late in 1847, he was approached by James Oakes, the owner of the ‘New Deeps’ coal mine at Riddings in Derbyshire, to help him find a use for the thick, black crude oil that was seeping into his colliery workings from a small ‘petroleum spring’ (Fowler 1940; Lea 2018). In the autumn of 1848, Oakes and Young signed a partnership agreement and set up the first plant to produce paraffin oil for lamps. Oakes provided the crude oil from the mine and the plant to refine it, while Young was responsible for the manufacture and sale of the products (Beaton 1959). The crude oil production from the mine was only about 300 gallons a day and by 1850 the supply of oil had run out. Young returned to Scotland in 1851 having patented methods to extract paraffin from bituminous coal and oil shale, treating the extract and purifying the solid paraffin wax. He built a large plant to process the Carboniferous oil shales of West Calder, establishing an industry that was to dominate the West Lothian region of Scotland for much of the next century, and his patented technology was eventually adopted by many early commercial oil refineries worldwide (Carruthers et al. 1927; Conacher 1928; Dean 2018). Over the next 100 years, an estimated 75 MMbbl (million barrels) of oil and 500 Bcf (billion cubic ft) of gas were produced from Scottish shales.
In the early nineteenth century, small artisanal refineries with low, and variable, yields were scattered across Europe. Romania in the 1840s was the only European country with documented and consistent commercial-scale refining activity. Romania has a long oil industry history (the use of bitumen in the country dates back to the fifth century AD), and it has the best-preserved official records of oil production, refining and trade in Europe. These confirm the importance of the oil business both for the country and for European oil industry heritage (Tulucan et al. 2018). In 1840, a refinery with the capacity of 300 t per year was active in Lucăceşti, Bacău (at that time still included in the principality of Moldavia) to produce lamp fuel and greases; in 1856, a 2710 t per year plant was operating in Rafov, in the area of Prahova, and between 1857 and 1862 four more refineries opened in the area of Bacău, with a capacity ranging from 873 to 2446 t per year (Pizanty 1947; Forbes 1958).
During the second half of the nineteenth century, oil and gas produced primarily from shale and coal could not satisfy the increasing demand in the European fuel market, and new technologies for oil production (and, later, gas production) developed rapidly (Jevons 1865; Gerali 2012). In 1853, the Polish chemist Ignacy Lukasiewicz discovered how to make kerosene from crude oil. On the night of 31 July 1853, Lukasiewicz was called to his local hospital in the then Polish town of Lvov (now in Ukraine) to provide light from one of his new kerosene lamps for an emergency surgical operation. The hospital authorities were clearly impressed with his invention because they ordered several of his lamps and 500 kg of kerosene. Soon after, Lukasiewicz travelled to Vienna, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to register his distillation process in the Vienna patent office with his co-worker, J. Zeh, on the 31 December 1853. After Lukasiewicz adapted Gesner's distillation method in 1852 to refine kerosene from more readily available ‘rock oil’ seeps, Lukasiewicz and his business partners, Titus Trzecieski and Mikolaj Klobassa, established the first rock oil mine in Bobrka, near Krosno in Central European Galicia (Poland/Ukraine) in 1853. This led to the rapid growth of the oil industry in the Carpathians, with many shallow wells (30–50 m) dug manually on oil shows associated with the major anticlines in the region. Then, in 1856, Lukasiewicz set up the world's first crude oil refinery at Ulaszowice in Poland.
The world's first commercial oil wells were dug in Bibi-Heybat (Bibi-Eibat) near Baku in Azerbaijan in 1846, in Poland in 1853 and in Romania in 1857 (still 2 years before the drilling of the seminal ‘Drake well’ in NW Pennsylvania). In the late nineteenth century, the northern part of the Carpathian Mountains between Limanowa (Poland) and Kosów (Ukraine) was one of the most prolific hydrocarbon provinces in the world (Krzywiec 2018) (Fig. 4). The Bóbrka Field in the Carpathian foothills of Poland, discovered in 1853, is still producing and is now the oldest industrial oil field in the world (Koszarski & Bally 1994).
Postcard showing an early oil field in the Northern Carpathians (from Krzywiec 2018).
Romania was the first country in the world to have its crude oil output officially recorded in international statistics with an amount of 275 tonnes recorded for 1857. Oil production in Romania had started in the middle of the nineteenth century, mainly from primitive hand-dug and wood-lined wells. An oil refinery was already in operation in Ploieşti in Romania in 1856 and one year later its product illuminated the capital city, Bucharest, with 1000 oil lamps placed along the main streets (Schleder et al. 2016) – the first use of refined oil for street lighting anywhere in the world. The first oil discovery in NW Europe was made when the Wietze oil field near Hannover in Germany was discovered in 1859 (Fig. 5), followed soon after by a discovery near Ozzano in the Parma region of northern Italy in 1860 (Cazzini 2018).
The first commercially productive oil well drilled in the Wietze Field, Hannover, Germany. Drilled by the Hannovarian government in 1859, the well yielded a small amount of oil at a depth of about 100 m. Until the 1930s, it was occasionally pumped by hand. From Rinehart (1930).
From the 1860s onwards, the Majella oil district of Abruzzo in Italy played a key role in the development of the Italian oil industry through the first detailed analysis of the associated petroleum systems and the introduction of mechanized drilling (Gerali & Lipparini 2018). In 1863, Merzoeff built the first modern refinery in the town of Sourachany, close to the mature oil fields of Baku in Azerbaijan, at a time when they supplied about 90% of the oil used in Europe. Only a year later, the area of Baku had 23 fully equipped refineries (Forbes 1959). At about the same time, in Spain there was early exploitation of oil from bituminous shales, asphalt impregnations or tar sands by subsurface mining and distilling, but with limited economic success (Navarro Comet 2018). Also in 1861, the sailing ship Elizabeth Watts carried a cargo of 1329 bbl of oil for lamps from Philadelphia to London – the first recorded shipping of Pennsylvanian oil to be sold in Europe.
Exploration for oil started again in the Gabian area in France in the early 1860, and numerous shallow wells were drilled around the old oil spring. In 1884, a well drilled 300 m from the old oil spring hit an oil reservoir at a depth of 68 m but, with the exception of two other dry wells, no further exploration work was undertaken in the area until 1923 (Heritier 1994).
Four of the first 10 giant oil fields to be discovered in the world were found in the late 1880s in what was then the Russian Empire, three of them (Balakhany, Surakhany and Bibi-Heybat) within 25 km of Baku in Azerbaijan (Halbouty 2003; Sorenson 2014) (Fig. 6). The Balakhany Field on the Apsheron Peninsula in Azerbaijan was the largest producing oil field in the world in the 1870s and had 375 producing wells in 1883. It was succeeded as the world's largest producing field by the Bibi-Heybat Field on the south side of the Apsheron Peninsula in the mid-1880s, although this had certainly been in production since 1803 (Sorenson 2014).
A Baku ‘spouter’. The derrick is almost buried in sand ejected from the well (from Beeby-Thompson 1904).
The first deep well to encounter gas in Britain was drilled on the crest of the Battle Anticline at Netherfield in West Sussex by the Subwealden Exploration Company in 1875. The first well was abandoned at a depth of 1018 ft for mechanical reasons, but a second well was drilled nearby and reached a total depth of 1905 ft. While measuring the bottom-hole temperature of the well, a ‘naked light was injudiciously lowered down the hole’ (Selley 2011) which resulted in an explosion (Willet 1875). There was another accidental discovery of natural gas in 1895 when a 228 ft deep ‘artesian bore-tube’ was sunk in the stable yard of the New Heathfield Hotel at Heathfield in East Sussex (Dawson 1898). The first commercial discovery of gas in Britain occurred in August 1896, when gas was again encountered, accidentally, close to Heathfield Railway Station by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway while searching for an underground supply of water for its locomotives (Dawson 1898). The Heathfield discovery set off a widespread search for gas in commercial quantities during the years to 1910. Six more wells were drilled at Heathfield, and by 1903 some 70–80 houses and the railway station in Heathfield were lit by gas. The station continued to be lit by gas until 1930.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, most domestic gas was produced by the destructive distillation of bituminous coal (so-called ‘town gas’). The gas was driven off by heating the coal in air-tight chambers, storing it in ‘gasometers’, and distributing it through a network of pipes to houses and other buildings where it was used for lighting and, much later, for cooking and heating. Gas manufacturing also produced a range of by-products which later became important feedstock for the chemical industry. Manufactured gas allowed the development of what was the first integrated utility network, and its success in Britain led to its rapid spread across Europe (Thomas 2018).
In February 1899, Paul Dvorkovitz (1857–1929), a Russian petrochemist in the service of Britain’s Petroleum Storage Tanks and Transportation Co. Ltd, published the first issue of The Petroleum Industrial Technical Review in London, with the support of British oil entrepreneurs. This was the first European technical journal devoted entirely to the oil industry and soon had a worldwide distribution. Similar editorial initiatives were also active in the USA, but were focused mostly on business and the national industry. Dvorkovitz’s journal introduced a new way to communicate the latest oil insights to industry practitioners. It led the market in oil information until the early 1910s and affirmed itself as the ‘voice’ of the European oil industry. Dvorkovitz and his firms were also the major promoters of the first four International Petroleum Congresses held in Paris (1900), Liège (1905), Bucharest (1907) and Lvov (1910). Prior to this, oil was discussed as a ‘branch’ discipline in general geology, engineering and chemistry conferences. Dvorkovitz’s Congress was the first international forum for global oil industry representatives organized in Europe.
By 1906, there were more than 7000 people working in the oil industry in the Prahova District of Romania (Fig. 7), the first area in the country to power oil rigs with electric engines fed by the local hydroelectric plant. Oil production exceeded 1 Mt (million tons) per year (Schleder et al. 2016).
‘Gusher’ in the Campina Field, Prahova District, Romania (from Suciu & Luzzati 1923).
Oil production in Austrian Galicia (an area stretching from present-day Poland to present-day Ukraine) peaked in 1910 at 2 Mt of crude oil (Krzywiec 2018), making this the third most prolific oil province in the world after Russia and the USA (Krzywiec 2016). Exploration drilling in Spain started in 1900, but the wells were usually simply located in the vicinity of surface oil seeps and impregnations with little or no geological input (Navarro Comet & Puche Riart 2018).
Among the many individuals who contributed to the development of the oil and gas industry in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Sir Thomas Boverton Redwood (1846–1919) stands out as, perhaps, the greatest petroleum engineer and scientist of his generation (Sorkhabi 2018). Redwood, together with his many collaborators and co-authors, contributed, either directly or indirectly, to petroleum exploration and production in many parts of the world where Britain had colonial and commercial interests, and played a leading role in the development of petroleum technology and its application to Britain's oil operations around the world from the 1880s to the 1910s. He established one of the first and most successful petroleum consulting companies, trained generations of petroleum geologists and engineers, served as a technical advisor on many government committees and to many oil companies, and played a key role in securing Britain's oil supply during World War I.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Britain was importing nearly all of its oil from America and Iran. The Scottish oil-shale industry was making a modest, but important, contribution to meeting the domestic oil demand but, by 1918, Britain was importing over 100 000 BOPD (Hallett et al. 1985). Oil imports had increased by over 250% since 1913, in large part due to the increase in consumption required by the Allied Forces during World War I (Giffard 1923), but only about one-seventh of the oil imported in 1918 came from countries within the British Empire.
Access to oil was a major strategic factor in World War I (1914–18). The German invasion of Russia during World War I had as one of its objectives the capture of the Baku oil fields so that these could provide much-needed oil supplies for the German military. By the start of World War I, approximately 1335 km of pipeline had been laid in Romania to transport oil, and Germany's invasion of Romania in 1916 was driven by the desire to have access to the country's rich oil fields. The Romanians, following a request from Britain, destroyed more than 1500 wells to prevent them falling into German hands and, as a result, Romanian production dropped from 1 783 947 t in 1914 to 518 460 t in 1917 during the German occupation (Tulucan et al. 2018). However, after the conclusion of the war, the damaged fields were quickly recovered and in 1918 the production had already recovered to 1 222 582 t. From 1857 to 1918, Romania produced 21 376 295 t of oil (Suciu & Luzzati 1923). The Gbely oil field in Galicia also played an important role in supplying oil to the German military during World War I (Benadová 2016), which was much more accessible because of the alliance between Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Britain's first oil discovery at Hardstoft in Derbyshire in 1919 (Giffard 1923; Brentnall 1995) was made during a government-funded exploration programme to find indigenous oil supplies as a direct result of difficulties encountered in obtaining supplies from overseas during World War I (Craig et al. 2013; Corfield 2018). The exploration programme actually began shortly after World War I, but it was prompted by the concerns of the British government about the German submarine threat to imported supplies of essential petroleum products. Between 1918 and 1922, 11 wells were drilled (nine in England and two in Scotland), two of which proved commercial volumes of oil (Lees & Cox 1937; Brentnall 1995). The first well was drilled on a prominent faulted surface anticline at Hardstoft, near Bolsover in Derbyshire (Fig. 8), and produced some 29 000 bbl of oil before it was finally abandoned in 1945 (Craig et al. 2013). The second discovery, at D'Arcy in Lothian, 10 miles SE of Edinburgh, produced only 50 bbl of waxy oil before it was abandoned. Two wells were drilled in Staffordshire – one on the western side and the other on the eastern side of the Staffordshire Coalfield – and the other seven English wells were drilled in a roughly north–south line along the east side of the Pennines in Derbyshire, but all these except the Hardstoft well were dry (Corfield 2018).
The Hardstoft No. 1 well, Tibshelf, Derbyshire (© Devonshire Mss., Chatsworth, Tibshelf/Hardstoft Oilwell papers).
Oil was struck at Hardstoft on 27 May 1919 and production commenced in June 1919. Powers to enter onto land for the purpose of drilling for oil (but not ownership of any oil found) were provided under the Defence of the Realm Act of January 1918 and the government used these powers to take the land necessary for the nine well sites. These powers lapsed on the cessation of hostilities at the end of World War I (Hallett et al. 1985), with rather embarrassing consequences for the government.
Although modern rotary drilling techniques were first introduced in Texas in the early 1890s, most wells in Europe were still drilled using the older, slower and potentially more dangerous ‘cable tool’ method until the 1930s. Cable tool drilling did not allow the pressure in the well to be controlled, and the first indication that a high-pressure productive reservoir had been penetrated was usually the appearance of oil and gas jetting through the rig floor, which often then ignited causing dramatic oil field fires. One such spectacular ‘blowout’ occurred on 27 May 1929 at Moreni in Romania (Fig. 9) when the Romano American well No. 160 blew-out after encountering high-pressure gas (Spencer & Furcata 2016). The entire 662 m drill string was ejected from the well and sparks produced by the friction ignited the gas escaping from the well. The derrick was thrown 300 m by the explosion. Numerous attempts to extinguish the fire and cap the well, including drilling a tunnel 60 m below the casing head, were ultimately unsuccessful. The light from the burning well was visible from Bucharest, 70 km away and the blowout became internationally famous as the ‘Torch of Moreni’ (Spencer & Furcuta 2018). The fire finally went out naturally in November 1932, after burning for 2 years and 4 months, by which time the blowout and the subsequent attempts to extinguish the fire, including by the pioneer of oil-well firefighting, Myron Kinley (Spencer & Furcuta 2018), had resulted in the death of 14 workers and the injury of more than 100 others.
View of a hilly oil field in Sarata, Romania, 1899 (source: Petroleum Industrial and Technical Review, vol. 1, 30 March 1899).
After World War I, interest in exploring for oil in Britain declined when an Act of Parliament (the Petroleum Production Bill) in 1918 conferred on landowners the rights of ownership of any minerals found on their land. This discouraged oil companies from exploration. Cheap supplies of foreign crude oil also reduced the incentives to search for oil in Britain. Oil was produced at Hardstoft at an average rate of 6 BOPD until December 1927 (Craig et al. 2013). The well was prone to waxing and silting, and never flowed freely. Production increased to 14.6 BOPD during a pumping test carried out by the government in 1921, but the pumping was not continued because the government did not own the oil it produced. Several of the other wells drilled during this campaign on other structures encountered gas (Veatch 1923) but, ultimately, not in commercial quantities (Corfield 2018). On 23 March 1923, the Hardstoft well was taken over by the Duke of Devonshire, who owned the mineral rights and the land on which it was drilled. Eventually, the Petroleum Prospecting Act of 1934 gave the Crown the rights of ownership of any future discoveries of naturally occurring oil or gas and made it possible for companies to acquire exploration licences in the UK for the first time. With the new legislation, interest in exploration was renewed. The Petroleum Prospecting Act was not retrospective; the Duke of Devonshire retained ownership of the oil discovered at Hardstoft and he remains the only individual in the UK today who owns the rights to the oil under his land.
Initially, applications for licences to carry out exploration were concentrated mainly over parts of southern England, particularly Sussex and Hampshire. The first deep oil exploration well to be drilled in Britain, Portsdown No. 1, was spudded by D'Arcy Exploration Co. Ltd (the exploration subsidiary of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Ltd) in January 1936 on a site on a hill overlooking Portsmouth Harbour on the south coast (Fig. 10), but it found only a small quantity of oil. Several other wells were drilled in Hampshire, Berkshire, Dorset and Sussex in the following years (including wells at Henfield in Sussex, which encountered a small amount of gas, and at Kingsclere near Newbury in Berkshire), and a little oil was found, but all the wells were abandoned due to the poor quality of the reservoir (Lees & Cox 1937). In 1937, the D'Arcy Exploration Co. Ltd (later to become BP) found gas at Eskdale in North Yorkshire (Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Ltd 1947; Haarhoff et al. 2018).
Portsdown No. 1 Well. Source: BP.
In 1937, the Anglo-American Oil Company (a subsidiary of Standard Oil) made an unsuccessful attempt to find oil at Hellingley in Sussex (Anon 1937). The search for oil then moved to the Midlands and the north of England, and particularly to southern Scotland, where, during 1937, D'Arcy made significant gas discoveries (with minor amounts of oil) in the northern culmination of the D'Arcy–Cousland Anticline at Dalkeith, SE of Edinburgh and at Cousland (Longhurst 1959). The gas was piped to the local gasworks during World War II and BP developed the field in the late 1950s. Also in 1937, Anglo-American re-drilled the southern culmination of the D'Arcy–Cousland Anticline, close to the original 1922 D'Arcy discovery well. This led to the later development of the Midlothian oil field (Underhill et al. 2008). Steel Brothers & Co. Ltd, whose association with the oil industry was primarily as the managing agents in London to the Attock Oil Company operating in India, completed an exploration well at Edale in Derbyshire in 1938 and, when this was unsuccessful, they carried out a general investigation of areas in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire and Lancashire. Further wells drilled in the East Midlands, at Gun Hill, north Staffordshire and at Alport in the Peak District also gave disappointing results (Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Ltd 1947), but a small oil accumulation was discovered at Formby in Lancashire, at a depth of only 18 ft, in 1939 (Bunce 2018). Shortly after the Formby discovery, the D'Arcy Exploration Co. made much more significant discoveries in the Carboniferous succession at Eakring (in 1939), Kelham Hills (in 1941), Dukes Wood (in 1941) and Caunton (in 1943) in Nottinghamshire, and at Nocton (1943) in Lincolnshire (Lees & Taitt 1946) (Fig. 7). In 1940–41, Gulf Exploration (Great Britain) drilled a deep exploration well at Penhurst in Kent and then a second well in the Cleveland Hills of Yorkshire, with unsuccessful results in both cases.
During World War II, oil facilities were a major strategic asset and were extensively bombed. German U-boats again threatened British oil supplies from Persia and this led to the rapid, and top secret, development of domestic oil fields at Eakring and Duke's Wood in the East Midlands of England. Given the critical need for an indigenous supply of oil during World War II, the D'Arcy Exploration Company decided that, in the national interest, it would suspend further speculative exploration drilling in order to focus on developing the two fields in Nottinghamshire. The development of the fields under wartime conditions was hampered by the lack of available labour because the majority of skilled and able-bodied men had been ‘called-up’ and by the lack of steel, which was required for munitions and shipbuilding. Delays were also incurred because of the restricted lighting conditions permitted during black-out hours and, in the early stages, by periodic air-raid warnings during which drilling had to be suspended. The development of the Duke's Wood Field was further hampered by the shortage of labour and of road-building equipment need to construct access roads in the hilly and wooded area. The various drilling rigs operated by D'Arcy Exploration were moved to Eakring to begin development work, but these heavy-duty rigs proved unsuitable (Southwell 1945). Although improvements were made, by August 1942 the situation was critical – Britain had just 2 months’ stock of oil remaining and supplies from overseas were being repeatedly disrupted by German U-boats. Britain turned to its American ally, importing, in great secrecy, American rigs and American drilling crews to drill up the Eakring and Duke's Wood fields. The new American Unitized rigs with jacknife portable derricks were designed to give maximum mobility (Day 1946). What 44 American roughnecks were doing in the middle of Sherwood Forest was kept a secret – apparently, by the simple expedient of spreading a rumour that they were making a Western film starring John Wayne! The new rigs and their American drilling crews greatly reduced the time taken to drill the wells and to move the rigs between drilling locations. The average time taken to rig-up, drill and complete a production well was reduced to 7 days (Southwell 1945) and, with experience and changes in drilling practices, it became possible to drill 800 ft with a single drill bit, thereby reducing the average number of drill bits (which were in short supply) required to drill a production well from 13 to six. By the end of the war, the crews had drilled 380 wells of varying depths (amounting to 735 000 ft of drilling) resulting in 250 successful production wells, which together had produced more than 2.25 MMbbl of oil. When refined, this oil was particularly suited to power the Rolls Royce Merlin engine used in most of the Royal Air Force's high-performance fighters and bombers like the Supermarine Spitfire and the Avro 683 Lancaster. This provided Britain with a distinct advantage when compared with the low octane content of the synthetic aviation fuels produced in Germany by the synthesis of coal through the Fischer–Tropsch process. Before World War II, the German oil industry consisted of a weak upstream sector, mostly run by small- to medium-sized companies with limited financial resources, and a strong and competitive downstream sector. Because of the relatively small number of wells and the outdated technology (wooden rigs and manual gathering of the oil), the Wietze fields, in the Hannover district which is the richest oil area of Germany, produced only 11 773 567 t of crude between 1873 and 1929; while, in contrast, in the 1930s Germany had 27 efficient refineries that refined and re-sold foreign oil. It was this lack of domestic oil resources and the pressing war needs that motivated Germany to turn to the production of very expensive synthetic fuels to sustain their war effort (Rinehart 1930; Dewey 1946).
As the war progressed, supplies of oil to the ‘Axis’ troops also became increasingly vulnerable as the Allies mounted numerous attacks on German, Italian and Japanese oil resources. In 1943, some 35% of all ‘Axis’ oil supplies came from the Ploieşti oil fields in Romania, seized by the Germans in late 1940. Attacks on the oil refineries at Ploieşti culminated in the infamous ‘Operation Tidal Wave’, launched on 1 August 1943, during which 54 out of the 117 B-24 Liberator bombers that flew the low-altitude mission from Benghazi in Libya were shot down with the loss of 532 men (Al-Ani 2015). Several more raids on the Ploieşti oil fields in 1944 were more successful, resulting in substantial damage (Fig. 11) and making the refineries inoperable by August 1944, thereby substantially weakening the German war effort. At the end of the war, Romania was occupied by Russia, and the Russian influence on the Romanian oil industry remained for decades, even lasting until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 (Tulucan et al. 2018).
5 April 1944, B-24 Liberators in formation, bombing the Ploieşti oil installations in Romania.
Near the end of the war in 1944, during the ‘Italian Civil War’, the Caviaga gas field was discovered in the province of Piacenza, near Milan in the Po Valley area of northern Italy (Fig. 1), following a seismic survey that started in 1940 with American personnel and machinery, but was stopped temporarily in 1941 when the USA entered the war. Italian technicians replaced the Americans on the seismic crew and the survey was completed (Cazzini 2018). Caviaga was one of the largest gas fields in Europe at the time, second only to the Deleni Field in Romania, and it played a key role in the rejuvenation of the Italian industrial economy after the war.
Although the majority of European countries are not major producers of oil and gas, many have produced world-class petroleum geologists, explorers and engineers. Cesare Porro (1865–1940) was the first modern oil geologist in Italy. In contrast to his senior colleagues Giovanni Capellini (1833–1922), Antonio Stoppani (1824–91) and Dante Pantanelli (1844–1913), who focused on oil exploration for just a small part of their careers, Porro worked consistently in the oil sector from 1898 to 1931. He started his career with Royal Dutch Shell in Sumatra and eastern Europe. A few years later, he was hired by Deutsche Bank to work in what was then called Mesopotamia. In 1905, he documented the oil potential of the Mosul region for the first time. Hired by a Dutch private consulting firm in 1906, he was sent to explore areas of Wyoming and Oklahoma. In the early 1920s, he returned to Italy to work on oil exploration in the peninsula and then became a member of the Technical Committee of the newly-formed AGIP. He left in 1931, but was asked again in 1937 to explore the territories of Libya. Porro refused and the task was then offered to Ardito Desio (1897–2001), who between 1938 and 1939 discovered oil for the very first time in the oil formations in the province of Fezzan (Desio 1941; Candela 2014; Gerali & Lipparini 2018).
Three German geologists, Alfred Benz (1897–1964), August Moos (1893–1944) and Karl Krejci-Graf (1898–1986), made particularly important contributions to petroleum geology and exploration in the 1930s and 1940s (Kölbl-Ebert 2018). Bentz and Krejci-Graf offered their expertise to Hitler's regime, whereas Moos, because of his Jewish background, was murdered. Their biographies shed new light on how German petroleum geologists lived and worked during the span of two world wars in the first half of the twentieth century.
Switzerland has also produced many excellent petroleum geologists, including Carl Schmidt (1862–1923), Josef Erb (1874–1934), Hans Hirschi (1876–1965) and Arnold Heim (1882–1965) (Gisler 2014, 2018; Gisler & Trümpy 2016). Schmidt and Erb worked for Royal Dutch Shell, mainly in SE Asia, while Hirschi and Heim were both students of Albert Heim (1849–1937), Arnold Heim's father, at Zurich. For a while, Hirschi also mentored Arnold Heim. Arnold Heim, who could not succeed to his father's position at Zurich because of a conflict of interest, led an almost ‘nomadic’ life, working in various parts of the world. His only permanent position came in 1949 (at the age of 70) when he put together a group of Swiss geologists to work in Iran. Among these were Jovan Stöcklin (1921–2008) and Heinrich Huber (1917–92) who later led the mapping work at the Geological Survey of Iran and the National Iranian Oil Company, respectively, until the 1970s.
Another well-known Swiss geologist during the pre- and post-war period was Augustus Gansser (1910–2012). He worked for Royal Dutch Shell in South America during World War II, was another student of Arnold Heim at Zurich and later was a colleague of Albert Heim while working in the Himalaya in the 1930s and Iran in the 1950s (Sorkhabi 2012). The Swiss petroleum geologists working for Shell in South America during World War II, including Gansser and the two brothers Daniel Trümpy (1893–1971) and Eduard Trümpy (1903–66), remained in the region because of the war and undertook extensive geological mapping. Josef Theodor Erb (1874–1934) was the Chief geologist for Royal Dutch Shell, where he introduced rules and suggestions to standardize the writing of petroleum geological reports (Wannier 2018). Erb's ‘Uniformity in Geological Reports’ was written as an internal Shell report in 1917 and it eventually formed the basis of the ‘Shell Standard Legend’.
Another pioneering European petroleum geologist during and after World War II was Simon Papp (1886–1970), who is regarded as the Father of petroleum exploration in his country, Hungary. Papp was an internationally renowned petroleum geologist, who contributed enormously to oil and gas exploration in Hungary. In 1948, soon after the end of World War II, the communist regime in Hungary imprisoned Papp; nevertheless, needing his expertise, the regime arranged for him to continue his geological work from his prison cell (Tari & Bérczi 2018).
The Eakring Field in the East Midlands was the first of 25 onshore discoveries made in Britain over the next 30 years (Falcon & Kent 1960) (Figs 12 & 13), a period that defined what was, effectively, Britain's first ‘oil boom’. After World War II, both D'Arcy Exploration Co. Ltd and Anglo-American Oil Co. Ltd resumed their oil exploration efforts in Britain, but production declined to 5500 bbl per year by 1948. The search for other oil fields continued and, in 1953, BP found oil at Plungar in the Vale of Belvoir in Leicestershire – the first post-war oil field discovered in Britain. Following this, new fields were found in Nottinghamshire at Egmanton in 1955, Bothamsall in 1958 and South Leverton in 1960 (Fig. 11). The search in Lincolnshire also proved fruitful, and four discoveries were made between 1958 and 1962.
Oil and gas fields in northern and eastern England (modified from Gluyas & Bowman 1997; Craig et al. 2013).
General map of areas of Britain explored to the end of 1957 (from Falcon & Kent 1960).
In 1952, the Gas Council (GC) joined forces with BP in the search for natural gas and for structures suitable for the storage of peak-load gas. In 1958, gas from a discovery at Calow in Derbyshire was fed to the Chesterfield gas works, and a similar link was made from the Eskdale gas field to the Whitby gas works in 1960.
Elsewhere in Europe, the widespread use of seismic data from the 1950s onwards triggered an intense period of exploration. The first significant oil discoveries in Italy were the Ragusa heavy oil field, discovered in 1954 and the Gela Field, discovered in 1956, both in Sicily (Cazzini 2018). By the mid-1950s, the first offshore seismic survey had started in the Adriatic Sea (Fig. 1) and, in 1959, the drilling of the Gela 21 well, the first offshore well in Europe, boosted further exploration possibilities in Italy. In Spain, despite systematic exploration in 1940, it took more than 20 years to find a commercial hydrocarbon discovery. The Castillo gas discovery in the onshore Basque–Cantabrian Basin in Spain was later complemented in 1964 by the oil discovery at Ayoluengo (Burgos) in the southern part of the same basin, which today, more than 50 years later and after intense drilling activity during the 1960s, still remains as the only commercial oil field discovered onshore Spain, with production varying between 100 and 150 BOPD and a total cumulative production of 17 MMbbl of oil (Navarro Comet 2018).
Some exploration activity continued onshore in Britain during the late 1950s and the early 1960s (Fig. 13). BP made significant commercial oil discoveries at Kimmeridge in 1959 and subsequently at Wareham in 1964. However, in 1964, the British government ended the preferential tax treatment for producers of indigenous light oils in order to meet an obligation entered into under the European Free Trade Agreement. This had a devastating effect on the economic viability of Britain's onshore oil fields. BP's oil production from the East Midlands fell by a third and development work on several significant discoveries ceased. In 1965, Home Oil drilled Lockton 2a in the North Yorkshire Moors which tested gas at very impressive rates. Subsequent wells, Lockton Nos 3, 4 and 5, all proved dry, but Lockton was still the most important onshore gas discovery of the decade in Britain. It came on stream commercially in 1971. Gas was later also discovered in the same horizon at Ralph Cross, west of Eskdale, and at Malton to the SW of Lockton (Haarhoff et al. 2018).
In the late 1950s and the early 1960s, gas was discovered onshore at Trumfleet in Yorkshire and at Ironville in Nottinghamshire. The former was found to contain some oil during subsequent appraisal drilling in 1965. Esso made a further gas discovery at Bletchingley in Surrey in 1966, but the field was not developed commercially due to its low calorific value. All of these discoveries were small, and interest in exploring further for oil and gas onshore waned. There followed a period of inactivity while attention switched to the North Sea.
In 1958, a United Nations treaty divided the North Sea into economic zones by country and from this point onwards exploration gradually moved from onshore to offshore. The first discovery in the North Sea, the Ekofisk Field, was made in the Norwegian sector in 1969 (Jakobsson 2018), while the first discovery in the UK sector, the Forties Field, was made the following year. Oil was first produced from the UK North Sea from the Argyll Field in June 1975 (Gluyas et al. 2018).
With the increased focus on the North Sea, interest in onshore exploration declined rapidly during the early 1970s and might have faded entirely but for the events of 1973–74, when the oil supply crisis led to a sharp rise in oil prices, thereby improving the economics of exploration and development onshore in Britain. It was against this political and economic background that, in 1973, the Gas Council discovered Wytch Farm; Britain's largest, and eventually Europe's largest, onshore field, with estimated initial reserves of 500 MMbbl of oil (Morton 2014). In 1998, when it was at peak production, the Wytch Farm Field produced 110 000 BOPD.
However, it was the steep rise in prices in 1979–80 following the Iranian revolution when the price of oil again rose that really rejuvenated exploration for oil and gas in Europe, and elsewhere in the world. In 1980, 10 exploration/appraisal wells were drilled onshore in Britain, compared to five during the previous 3 years. In 1981, a gas discovery was made at Hatfield Moor in Yorkshire, and Carless Capel made an oil discovery in the Weald Basin at Humbly Grove near Basingstoke. Hatfield Moor came on stream in December 1985 with the gas transported to the nearby Belton Brickworks, and Carless Capel made two further oil discoveries at Herriard and Horndean during 1982–83. The success at Hatfield Moor was followed by another discovery at Godley Bridge in Surrey during 1983. Also in the early 1980s, another oil field was discovered near the village of Scothern in Lincolnshire and this eventually led to the development of Britain's second largest onshore oil field, at Welton. In addition to the discoveries at Horndean and Herriard, other oil discoveries were made at Farleys Wood in the East Midlands, and at Hemswell and Nettleham No. 2 in Lincolnshire. The onshore exploration success continued in 1984, with further discoveries at Cropwell Butler, Broughton and Stainton. In addition, an oil discovery was made at Larkwhistle Farm in Hampshire, a find that confirmed the attractions of the Wessex Basin as an oil-bearing area, and adding to existing discoveries in the area at Kimmeridge, Arne, Wareham and Wytch Farm, and also at Stockbridge, Hampshire and Palmers Wood in Surrey. Taylor Woodrow made another gas discovery at Kirby Misperton in North Yorkshire in 1985 (Haarhoff et al. 2018).
Further onshore exploration success came in 1985, with discoveries at Whisby in the East Midlands, and of heavy oil in the Carboniferous at Milton of Balgonie in the Midland Valley of Scotland. There was also an encouraging start to 1986 with finds at Rempstone, Kirklington and Kinoulton in the East Midlands. BP's Eakring Field in Nottinghamshire, discovered in 1939, produced more than 7 MMbbl, before it was abandoned in 1986 (Fig. 14).
The Eakring No. 1 well, Nottinghamshire in June 1964, when it was still producing.
In October 1987, a group headed by RTZ was awarded the very first new-style Development Licence to develop the Crosby Warren Field on the north side of the Humber estuary.
With the discovery and subsequent development of North Sea oil, Britain became self-sufficient in oil from the early 1980s and a net exporter of oil in 1981. Exports peaked in 1985 and production peaked in 1999. With declining North Sea production, the UK became a net importer of oil in 2004. As a result of the discovery and subsequent development of vast gas reserves offshore, mainly in the North Sea and in Liverpool Bay (Bunce 2018), the UK became a net exporter of gas in 1997, but, as these reserves declined, the UK became a net importer of gas in 2004. Overall, domestic gas production in the UK (onshore and offshore combined) began to decline in 2000 and by the early years of the second decade of the twenty-first century it was declining at a rate of about 6% per year, resulting in the UK importing 45% of the gas needed to meet domestic demand via pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG). In contrast, exploration in Norway continued to spread from the early discoveries in the Norwegian North Sea to the Norwegian Sea (Jakobsson 2018), where exploration started in 1980, and the Norwegian Barents Sea (Jakobsson 2018), where the first exploration licences were also awarded in 1980, with continuing success.
The development of the retail petrol industry in the UK followed a similar pattern of expansion followed by progressive contraction as oil exploration and production (Ritson et al. 2018). In 1939, there were approximately 37 000 service stations in the UK, a figure which grew to just over 41 000 in mid-1965, before the industry began a downwards trend, with about 26 500 stations in 1980, under 17 000 in 1995 and 8600 to the end of 2014. Sales of petrol in the UK peaked in 2007 and diesel sales peaked in 2011 (Energy Institute 2015).
This decline of UK gas production and the consequent implications for Britain's national energy security focused attention on the possibility of developing domestic unconventional gas resources, primarily shale gas and coal-bed methane (Dean 2018), despite the significant impediments to developing such resources in a highly populated country. The decline in UK oil production throughout the early years of the twenty-first century as the fields in the North Sea became increasingly mature also led to renewed interest in the possibility of redeveloping some of the early fields, such as the Argyll Field (then re-named the Ardmore Field), in an attempt to produce additional previously untapped reserves (Gluyas et al. 2018).
The successful exploitation of tight oil and tight gas resources in the USA, coupled with concerns about future energy security, also led to an increased focus on the potential for such ‘unconventional’ oil and gas resources in many European countries in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Poland, in particular, took a leading role in the evaluation of its potential shale-gas resources and, from 2007 onwards, the Polish government started to assign shale-gas exploration licences to both national and foreign companies in the hope of reducing Poland's dependence on Russian gas. Unfortunately, due to a combination of less than favourable geological, legislative and macroeconomic conditions, this early phase of shale-gas exploration in Poland was less successful than initially hoped (Cantoni 2018).
Exploration for new sources of oil and gas in Europe continues, but is increasingly hampered by the maturity of many of the conventional oil and gas plays in onshore areas such as in Britain, France and Italy that already have a long history of exploitation since the mid-1800s, the increasing maturity of some offshore areas, notably the UK sector of the North Sea, that have been explored extensively since the early 1960s, and increasing public opposition to the perceived environmental impact of the oil and gas industry in general, and of the technologies required to produce new tight oil and tight gas resources in particular.
The quest for oil and gas has generated geological insights and driven technological innovation since the beginning of the modern oil industry in the mid-nineteenth century. Oil and gas are natural resources, but their exploration and production are only partly controlled by the geology. Exploration is ignited by the demand for these resources, and is regulated by careful evaluations of the costs and likely revenues that will be generated. The rigorous application of petroleum geoscience reduces the risk inherent in oil and gas exploration and production, and so provides investors with improved financial returns.
Europe and Europeans played a disproportionately large role in the development of the modern global oil and gas industry. From at least the Iron Age until the 1850s, the use of oil in Europe was limited, and the oil was obtained almost exclusively from surface seeps and mine workings. The use of oil increased in the 1860s with the introduction of new technologies in both production and refining, but, in the second half of the nineteenth century, the mineral oils and gas then produced primarily from shale and coal could no longer satisfy demand, and oil produced directly from conventional oil fields began to dominate the European market.
The papers in this volume clearly show how the history of the European oil and gas industry has been controlled as much by political and economic conditions as it has by geology, and the historical insights they provide have important implications for current petroleum resource evaluations. In 1902, the State Geologist of Western Australia, Andrew Gibb Maitland, received a letter from a man interested in entering the oil business who wrote: ‘Sir, may I ask if you would kindly tell me something of the geology of petroleum and the best means of prospecting for it?’. Maitland answered that the knowledge on the topic was so vast that a library would not have enough space to contain it (Gerali & Gregory 2017b). Today, the same question would illicit an answer, not in terms of library shelves and stacks, but in terms of thousands of terabytes of petroleum geoscience data, and in the knowledge and expertise of thousands of petroleum geoscientists.
The discovery of the huge oil and gas resources beneath the North Sea in the 1960s and 1970s enabled Britain, Norway, Denmark and The Netherlands to be largely self-sufficient in oil and gas from the late 1970s until production began to decline rapidly in the early 2000s. Oil and gas production in most European countries is now at an historical low, but exploration for new sources of both conventional and unconventional oil and gas in Europe continues, although increasingly hampered by the maturity of many of the conventional oil and gas plays. Despite the decline in domestic oil and gas production in Europe – or, perhaps, because of it – European companies and European citizens continue to play a major role in the oil and gas industry worldwide.
Jonathan Craig thanks the management of Eni Upstream & Technical Services in Milan for permission to publish this paper and Massimo Pedini of the Eni Graphics Department for drafting some of the figures.
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0.999998 | Bill Text - ACA-4 Local government transportation projects: special taxes: voter approval.
A resolution to propose to the people of the State of California an amendment to the Constitution of the State, by amending Section 4 of Article XIII A thereof, and by amending Section 2 of Article XIII C thereof, relating to taxation.
ACA 4, as amended, Frazier. Local government transportation projects: special taxes: voter approval.
The California Constitution prohibits the Legislature from imposing taxes for local purposes, but allows the Legislature to authorize local governments to impose them. The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose local sales and use taxes in conformity with the Sales and Use Tax Law, and existing law authorizes local governments to impose transactions and use taxes in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law, which generally conforms to the Sales and Use Tax Law.
This measure would provide that the imposition, extension, or increase of a sales and use tax imposed pursuant to the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law or a transactions and use tax imposed in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law by a local government county, city, city and county, or special district for the purpose of providing funding for local transportation projects, as defined, requires the approval of 55% of its voters voting on the proposition. The measure would also make conforming and technical, nonsubstantive changes. This measure would also provide that it would become effective immediately upon approval by the voters and would apply to any local measure imposing, extending, or increasing a sales and use tax or transactions and use tax for local transportation projects submitted at the same election.
(2) (A) The imposition, extension, or increase of a sales and use tax imposed pursuant to the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law, or its successor, or a transactions and use tax imposed in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law, or its successor, by a local government county, city, city and county, or special district for the purpose of providing funding for local transportation projects under its jurisdiction, as may otherwise be authorized by law, requires the approval of 55 percent of the voters voting on the proposition. A sales and use tax or transactions and use tax for the purpose of providing funding for local transportation projects is not deemed to have been increased if it is imposed at a rate not higher than the maximum rate previously approved in the manner required by law.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, “local transportation project” means the planning, design, development, financing, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, acquisition, lease, operation, or maintenance of local streets, roads, and highways, state highways and freeways, and public transit systems.
(3) This subdivision, and the amendments made to Section 4 of Article XIII A by the act adding this subdivision, shall become effective immediately upon approval by the voters and shall apply to any local measure imposing, extending, or increasing a sales and use tax imposed pursuant to the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law or a transactions and use tax imposed in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law for the funding of local transportation projects that is submitted at the same election. |
0.937865 | The following formula counts the number of rows that match certain criteria. Is there a formula that will find the row that matches those same criteria when there is exactly one such row?
I'd also like to be able to replace references to A2 in the formula with a regular expression string, which I can do in the formula above because COUNTIFS, COUNTIF and SUMIF all accept regular expressions.
I have two spreadsheets (one sheet in each) both with data relating to the same list of people. The data relating to each person can be used to find which person matches which between the two spreadsheets. Only of the spreadsheets has an ID for each person. I need to add the each person's ID to the spreadsheet that doesn't have them.
3) Adds a column to Sheet1 ("ID") with a formula that shows the ID from Sheet2 when the "Match Count" value is 1. In Sheet1 there are one or more rows for each person, grouped together. Sheet1 has an "Amounts" field which has a numeric value in each row.
Sheet2 has one row for each person, and has the columns "Number of Amounts", which corresponds to the number of rows for the corresponding person in Sheet1, and "Total Amount" which corresponds to the sum of the "Amounts" values for the same person in Sheet1. For the purposes of matching people between the two sheets "Total Amount" can be up to 0.5 more or less than the sum of the corresponding "Amount" values in Sheet1. There can be different people with the identical names but they will have different "Amounts".
A is "Name" in both sheets Sheet2: B = "ID", C = "Number of Amounts", D = "Total Amount"
Remove the first character and all spaces and add characters - formula calc? |
0.992886 | The idea of a congress of British North American Colonies was first broached in 1754 at the start of the French and Indian war, which started as the North American front of the Seven Years War between Great Britain and France. It met in Albany, New York from June 18 to July 11, 1754, and was attended by representatives from seven colonies. Among the delegates was Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia, who proposed that the colonies join together in a confederation. While this idea was rejected by the Albany congress, it would be revived 113 years later among the remaining colonies of British North America to create Canada.
To present a united front in their opposition to the Stamp act, delegates of the Provinces of British North America met in the Stamp Act Congress, which convened in New York City from 7 through October 25, 1765. It issued a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, which it sent to the British Parliament in London. While Parliament repealed the Stamp Act, the First Rockingham ministry rejected any presumption of authority by the American congress.
Benjamin Franklin had put forth the idea of such a meeting the year before, but he was unable to convince the colonies of its necessity until the 1773 British blockade at the port of Boston in response to the Boston Tea Party. All of the colonies sent delegates except the newest and most southerly one, the Province of Georgia – which needed the British Army's protection in order to contend with attacks from several Native American tribes. Most of the delegates were not yet ready to break away from Great Britain, but they wanted the King and Parliament to act in what they considered a fairer manner.
The Second Continental Congress convened on May 10, 1775, at Philadelphia's State House, passing the resolution for independence the following year on July 2, 1776, and publicly asserting the decision two days later with the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson of Virginia drafted the declaration, and John Adams was a leader in the debates in favor of its adoption. John Hancock of Massachusetts was the president during those debates. To govern during the American Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress continued, meeting at various locations, until it became the Congress of the Confederation when the Articles of Confederation were ratified on March 1, 1781.
The newly founded country of the United States next had to create a new government to replace the British Parliament that it was in rebellion against. After much debate, the Americans adopted the Articles of Confederation, a declaration that established a national government made up of a one-house legislature known as the Congress of the Confederation. It met from 1781 to 1789. The Confederation Congress helped guide the United States through the final stages of the Revolutionary War, but during peacetime, the Continental Congress steeply declined in importance.
After years of frustration, an agreement was reached in 1786 at the Annapolis Convention to call another convention in May 1787 in Philadelphia with the mission of writing and proposing a number of amendments to the Articles of Confederation to improve the form of government. The report was sent to the Confederation Congress and the State. The result was the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, which was authorized by all the States thus fulfilling the unanimous requirement of the Articles of Confederation to allow changes to the Articles.
As the ambassador to France, Benjamin Franklin not only secured the "bridge loan" for the national budget, but he also persuaded France to send an army of about 6,000 soldiers across the Atlantic Ocean to America—and also to dispatch a large squadron of French warships under Comte de Grasse to the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina. These French warships were decisive at the Battle of Yorktown along the coast of Virginia by preventing Lord Cornwallis's British troops from receiving supplies, reinforcements, or evacuation via the James River and Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Robert Morris, the Minister of Finance, persuaded Congress to charter the Bank of North America on December 31, 1781. Although a private bank, the Federal Government acquired partial ownership with money lent by France. The Bank of North America played a major role in financing the war against Great Britain. The combined armies of George Washington and Nathanael Greene, with the help of the French Army and Navy, defeated the British in the Battle of Yorktown during October 1781. Lord Cornwallis was forced to sue for peace and to surrender his entire army to General Washington. During 1783, the Americans secured the official recognition of the independence of the United States from the United Kingdom via negotiations with British diplomats in Paris, France. These negotiations culminated with the signing of the Treaty of Paris of 1783, and this treaty was soon ratified by the British Parliament.
There is a long running debate on how effective the Congress was as an organization. The first critic may have been General George Washington. In an address to his officers, at Newburgh, New York, on March 15, 1783, responding to complaints that Congress had not funded their pay and pensions, he stated that he believed that Congress would do the army "complete justice" and eventually pay the soldiers. "But, like all other large Bodies, where there is a variety of different Interests to reconcile, their deliberations are slow."
An organizational culture analysis of the Continental Congress by Neil Olsen, looking for the values, norms, and underlying assumptions that drive an organization's decisions, noted that "the leaderless Continental Congress outperformed not only the modern congress run by powerful partisan hierarchies, but modern government and corporate entities, for all their coercive power and vaunted skills as 'leaders'." Looking at their mission as defined by state resolutions and petitions entered into the Congressional Journal on its first day, it found that on the common issues of the relief of Boston, securing Colonial rights, eventually restoring harmonious relations with Great Britain, and repealing taxes, they overachieved their mission goals, defeated the largest army and navy in the world, and created two new types of republic. Olsen suggests that the Congress, if slow, when judged by its many achievements – not the least being recognizing its flaws, then replacing and terminating itself – was a success.
August 23: In his Proclamation of Rebellion (officially titled "A Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition"), King George III declares elements of the American colonies in "open and avowed rebellion" and orders officials of the British Empire "to use their utmost endeavours to withstand and suppress such rebellion"
June 21: The Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 forces congress to flee Philadelphia.
February 21: Congress calls a constitutional convention "for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation and reporting to Congress and the several legislatures such alterations and provisions therein and when agreed to in Congress and confirmed by the States render the Federal Constitution adequate to the exigencies of Government and the preservation of the Union"
July 8: A committee is formed to examine all ratifications received and to develop a plan for putting the new Constitution into operation.
^ a b Maier, Pauline (2010). Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787–1788. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 376–377. ISBN 978-0-684-86854-7.
^ Maier, Pauline (2010). Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787–1788. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 429. ISBN 978-0-684-86854-7.
Henderson, H. James (1974). Party Politics in the Continental Congress. New York: McGraw–Hill. ISBN 0-07-028143-2.
Rakove, Jack N. (1979). The Beginnings of National Politics: An Interpretive History of the Continental Congress. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0-8018-2864-3.
The 99 Percent Declaration or 99% Declaration is a not-for-profit organization based in Kentucky that originated from a working group of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement in Zuccotti Park, New York City, in October 2011. The organization published a document calling for a "National General Assembly" to be held beginning the week of July 4, 2012 in Philadelphia, which was rejected by the general assemblies of OWS and Occupy Philadelphia. The Declaration includes demands for an immediate ban on all monetary and gift contributions to all politicians, implementation of a public financing system for political campaigns, and the enactment of an amendment to the United States Constitution overturning the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. FEC decision.
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 original states of the United States of America that served as its first constitution. It was approved, after much debate (between July 1776 and November 1777), by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and sent to the states for ratification. The Articles of Confederation came into force on March 1, 1781, after being ratified by all 13 states. A guiding principle of the Articles was to preserve the independence and sovereignty of the states. The weak central government established by the Articles received only those powers which the former colonies had recognized as belonging to king and parliament.The Articles formed a war-time confederation of states, with an extremely limited central government. While unratified, the document was used by the Congress to conduct business, direct the American Revolutionary War, conduct diplomacy with foreign nations, and deal with territorial issues and Native American relations. The adoption of the Articles made few perceptible changes in the federal government, because it did little more than legalize what the Continental Congress had been doing. That body was renamed the Congress of the Confederation; but Americans continued to call it the Continental Congress, since its organization remained the same.As the Confederation Congress attempted to govern the continually growing American states, delegates discovered that the limitations placed upon the central government rendered it ineffective at doing so. As the government's weaknesses became apparent, especially after Shays' Rebellion, some prominent political thinkers in the fledgling US began asking for changes to the Articles. Their hope was to create a stronger national government. Initially, some states met to deal with their trade and economic problems. However, as more states became interested in meeting to change the Articles, a meeting was set in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. This became the Constitutional Convention. It was quickly agreed that changes would not work, and instead the entire Articles needed to be replaced. On March 4, 1789, the government under the Articles was replaced with the federal government under the Constitution. The new Constitution provided for a much stronger federal government by establishing a chief executive (the President), courts, and taxing powers.
The Continental Association, often known simply as the "Association", was a system created by the First Continental Congress in 1774 for implementing a trade boycott with Great Britain. Congress hoped that by imposing economic sanctions, they would pressure Great Britain into redressing the grievances of the colonies, in particular repealing the Intolerable Acts passed by the British Parliament. The Association aimed to alter Britain's policies towards the colonies without severing allegiance.
The Declaration concluded with an outline of Congress's plans: to enter into a boycott of British trade (the Continental Association) until their grievances were redressed, to publish addresses to the people of Great Britain and British America, and to send a petition to the King.
John Collins (June 8, 1717 – March 4, 1795), was the third Governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island from 1786 to 1790. He was the last Independent to serve as Governor of Rhode Island until Lincoln Chafee (2011–2015).
John Dickinson (November 2 Jul./November 13Greg., 1732 – February 14, 1808), a Founding Father of the United States, was a solicitor and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware known as the "Penman of the Revolution" for his twelve Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, published individually in 1767 and 1768. As a member of the First Continental Congress, where he was a signee to the Continental Association, Dickinson drafted most of the 1774 Petition to the King, and then, as a member of the Second Continental Congress, wrote the 1775 Olive Branch Petition. When these two attempts to negotiate with King George III of Great Britain failed, Dickinson reworked Thomas Jefferson's language and wrote the final draft of the 1775 Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms. When Congress then decided to seek independence from Great Britain, Dickinson served on the committee that wrote the Model Treaty, and then wrote the first draft of the 1776–1777 Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.
Dickinson later served as President of the 1786 Annapolis Convention, which called for the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Dickinson attended the Convention as a delegate from Delaware.
He also wrote "The Liberty Song" in 1768, was a militia officer during the American Revolution, President of Delaware, President of Pennsylvania, and was among the wealthiest men in the British American colonies. Upon Dickinson's death, President Thomas Jefferson recognized him as being "Among the first of the advocates for the rights of his country when assailed by Great Britain whose 'name will be consecrated in history as one of the great worthies of the revolution.'"Together with his wife, Mary Norris Dickinson, he is the namesake of Dickinson College (originally John and Mary's College), as well as of the Dickinson School of Law of Pennsylvania State University and the University of Delaware's Dickinson Complex. John Dickinson High School was opened/dedicated in 1959 as part of the public schools in northern Delaware.
John Walton (1738–1783) was a Georgia delegate to the Continental Congress. Though born in Virginia, Walton later became a planter near Augusta, Georgia. He was elected as a delegate from St. Paul Parish to the Provincial Congress at Savannah in 1775, and then elected to the Continental Congress in 1778. He signed the Articles of Confederation on behalf of Georgia on July 24, 1778. He held the office of surveyor of Richmond County for several years before his death in New Savannah, Georgia in 1783. His brother was George Walton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence for Georgia and one of the first governors of Georgia.
Samuel Huntington (July 16, 1731 [O.S. July 5, 1731] – January 5, 1796) was a jurist, statesman, and Patriot in the American Revolution from Connecticut. As a delegate to the Continental Congress, he signed the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. He also served as President of the Continental Congress from 1779 to 1781, President of the United States in Congress Assembled in 1781, chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court from 1784 to 1785, and the 18th Governor of Connecticut from 1786 until his death.
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting in the spring of 1775 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met in Philadelphia between September 5, 1774, and October 26, 1774. The Second Congress managed the Colonial war effort and moved incrementally towards independence. It eventually adopted the Lee Resolution which established the new country on July 2, 1776, and it agreed to the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The Congress acted as the de facto national government of the United States by raising armies, directing strategy, appointing diplomats, and making formal treaties such as the Olive Branch Petition.The Second Continental Congress came together on May 11, 1775, effectively reconvening the First Continental Congress. Many of the 56 delegates who attended the first meeting were in attendance at the second, and the delegates appointed the same president (Peyton Randolph) and secretary (Charles Thomson). Notable new arrivals included Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and John Hancock of Massachusetts. Within two weeks, Randolph was summoned back to Virginia to preside over the House of Burgesses; he was replaced in the Virginia delegation by Thomas Jefferson, who arrived several weeks later. Henry Middleton was elected as president to replace Randolph, but he declined. Hancock was elected president on May 24.Delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies were present when the Second Continental Congress convened. Georgia had not participated in the First Continental Congress and did not initially send delegates to the Second. On May 13, 1775, Lyman Hall was admitted as a delegate from the Parish of St. John's in the Colony of Georgia, not as a delegate from the colony itself. On July 4, 1775, revolutionary Georgians held a Provincial Congress to decide how to respond to the American Revolution, and that congress decided on July 8 to send delegates to the Continental Congress. They arrived on September 13. |
0.719649 | what version of jdk you use?
compile: [javac] /home/wchouser3/Downloads/libbluray-git/src/libbluray/src/libbluray/bdj/build.xml:24: warning: 'includeantruntime' was not set, defaulting to build.sysclasspath=last; set to false for repeatable builds [javac] Compiling 33 source files to /home/wchouser3/Downloads/libbluray-git/src/libbluray/src/libbluray/bdj/build [javac] warning: [options] bootstrap class path not set in conjunction with -source 1.5 [javac] error: Source option 1.5 is no longer supported. Use 1.6 or later. [javac] error: Target option 1.5 is no longer supported. Use 1.6 or later.
BUILD FAILED /home/wchouser3/Downloads/libbluray-git/src/libbluray/src/libbluray/bdj/build.xml:24: Compile failed; see the compiler error output for details.
I had to create a symlink from /etc/profil.d/jdk.sh to /etc/profil.d/jdk6.sh. So maybe it should also look for jdk6.sh?
Thanks, it worked. I'll try a Bluray later, but install was fine.
Is the problem the ./etc/profile.d/jdk.sh ? Should not that be /etc/profile.d/jdk.sh ? |
0.996237 | I thought as I start the NgValidationFor project I'd journal my progress. I'm writing this with someone particular in mind: me. Specifically, me in 2 years who will no doubt wonder why I made some of the choices I did. Everyone else, move along now - nothing to see. Unless the inner workings of someone else's mind are interesting to you... In which case: welcome!
I've got a project on GitHub and I'm starting to think about implementations. One thing that bit me on jVUN was being tied to a specific version of ASP.Net MVC. For each major release of ASP.Net MVC I needed separate builds / NuGet packages and the like. A pain. Particularly when it came to bug fixes for prior versions - the breaking changes with each version of MVC meant far more work was required when it came to shipping fixes for MVC 4 / MVC 3.
So with that in mind I'm going to try and limit my dependencies. I'm not saying I will never depend upon ASP.Net MVC - I may if I think it becomes useful to give the users a nicer API or if there's another compelling reason. But to start with I'm just going to focus on the translation of data annotations to Angular validation directive attributes.
To that end I'm going to begin with just a class library and an associated test project. I'm going to try and minimise the dependencies that NgValidationFor has. At least initially I may even see if I can sensibly avoid depending on System.Web (mindful of the upcoming ASP.Net 5 changes). Let's see.
NgValidationFor.Core - the core part of the project which converts data annotations into AngularJS 1.x validation directive attributes.
NgValidationFor.Documentation - this is an ASP.Net MVC project which will become a documentation site for NgValidationFor. It also doubles as a way for me to try out NgValidationFor.
Yes it works, but I'm not going to pretend it's pretty. I don't like having to wrap the usage of NgValidationFor with Html.Raw(...). I'm having to do that because GetAttributes returns a string. This string is then HTML encoded by MVC. To avoid my quotation marks turning into " I need to actually be exposing an IHtmlString. So I'm going to need to depend upon System.Web. That's not so bad - at least I'm not tied to a specific MVC version.
I'm not too keen on the implementation I've come up with for NgValidationFor either. It's a single static method at the minute which does everything. It breaks the Single Responsibility Priniciple and the Open/Closed Principle. I need to take a look at that - I want people to be able to extend this and I need to think about a good and simple way to achieve that.
Finally, usage. Model.GetAttributes(x => Model.RequiredField) feels wrong to me. I think I'm happy with having this used as an extension method but it needs to be clearer what's happening. Perhaps Model.NgValidationFor(x => Model.RequiredField) would be better. I need to try a few things out and come up with a nicer way to use NgValidationFor. |
0.992278 | You will be given a Free reference e-book to read which has 766 pages And the test will be based on that e-book.
Implementation Test CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional) Secure Intrusion Detection and SAFE Implementation certification refers to a new certification which is on the professional level capable of providing adequate support for Cisco security products and services that aggressively belong to the network security fields. Successful passers of its related certification test can be expected to be competent when it comes to using this line-up of highly efficient and impressive security products and correctly integrating vital security features for a software program including intrusion detection systems, virtual private networks (VPNs) and firewalls into the leading networking hardware being offered in the industry.
If you are contemplating of taking and passing the CCSP Secure Intrusion Detection and SAFE Implementation test, then note that there are certain topics that you need to master. For the secure intrusion detection field for example, you will need to increase the level of your understanding about the steps to undertake in order to effectively design Cisco IDS protection solution, basics of Cisco IDS sensor installation and configuration, signatures tuning and customization as a means of allowing these to optimally work in certain environments, doing device management for all blocking devices that are supported, executing maintenance operations and monitoring and managing protection for various small and medium-sized networks. The SAFE implementation, on the other hand, requires complete understanding about the fundamentals of security, Cisco security portfolio, SAFE design for small and medium networks and the implementation of SAFE remote-user network.
If you have plans of mastering all the topics normally included in the actual CCSP Secure Intrusion Detection and SAFE Implementation test which would certify your competence, strong background and expertise in this specific field, then the free CCSP Secure Intrusion Detection and SAFE Implementation practice course offered by a well-recognized online certification company named Brainmeasures is highly recommended for you. You will never encounter regrets deciding to enrol in this free practice course since the free study guide provided upon enrolling is extensive and comprehensive enough that it clearly walks you through all the things that you need to know to raise your awareness in this specific field. You will also find this course’s practice test impressive since it is effective in providing you with a clearer overview about how the certification test really takes place and how you can pass it.
How to gain access to initial management?
How to effectively configure traffic capture with the help of SPAN, RSPAN and IDSM?
How to effectively configure and verify blocking and logging?
The free CCSP secure intrusion detection and SAFE implementation practice course provided by Brainmeasures aims to really ease the burden linked to taking and passing the CCSP Secure Intrusion Detection and SAFE implementation test. This free practice course is mainly intended for all those who have plans of becoming security professionals for network, software and programs including network security consultants, network security administrators and network security analysts.
Your CCSP Secure Intrusion Detection and SAFE Implementation certification is also your ticket towards earning a higher salary. You can work as a security intrusion detection engineer upon receiving your certificate and earn an average yearly salary of $84,000. Working as a security engineer analyst is also financially rewarding because it enables you to enjoy around $74,000 to $104,000 yearly. |
0.927884 | During the 13 La Niña cycles listed below, 7 years had snowfall below the average and 6 years had snow fall above the average, indicating that a La Niña cycle in the Niigata region historically brings a higher likelihood of slightly-blow-average snowfall. While the average may slightly favor an below-average dump, the chart suggests that La Niña in this region is historically a gamble with huge rewards when its on (see 2011), and big disappointments when its not (see 2006).
The data point to the effects of La Niña in the Myoko/Niigata region to be big. Unfortunately for us, history doesn't give us any strong indicator of which way that big influence is going to go. This year looks like a gamble, but if it wins it looks like it'll win really big. For years with big wins (high snowfall), see 1985, 2000, and 2011 on the chart below. For years with big losses (low snowfall) see 1965, 1972 and 2006.
The blue line in the chart below denotes how much snow fall was recorded by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) for the time span of 1953 to 2014 (years located on the X-axis). The intersecting orange bars indicate La Niña years recorded by JMA for Japan.
How does the Myoko region compare to other regions in Japan?
The chart above shows historical snow fall data for the city of Niigata, 2 hours from the main Myoko Plateau. The elevation of Niigata is basically sea level, compared to Akakura Kanko ski area in Myoko which is located at 700m. While the difference in elevation is big, Niigata and Myoko can be generally compared as they're both on the west coast and among the first areas to get hit by the snow storms which predominantly come off the Sea of Japan.
The first thing you should note about this chart is that the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) doesn't have a weather station closer to Myoko than Niigata (from what this investigator could figure out). While Niigata is relatively close, it does get significantly less snow than the higher elevation plateau that Myoko is located on. However, given that they're in the same region and prone to the same general weather influences on the West coast of Japan the data for Niigata should reflect the overall conditions of Myoko, Madarao, Akakura Kanko, and Akakura Onsen, among the other resorts in that region. |
0.999998 | Asmat S, Shaukat F, Asmat R, Bakhat HFSG, Asmat TM. Clinical efficacy comparison of Saccharomyces boulardii and lactic acid as probiotics in acute pediatric diarrhea. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2018;28(3):214-217.
To compare the effectiveness of oral rehydration and antibiotic treatment plus the addition of either Saccharomyces boulardii or lactic acid–producing probiotics for treating acute pediatric diarrhea.
Children (N=200) ages 6 months to 5 years admitted to the hospital for acute diarrhea (3 or more loose, watery stools per day) of less than 14 days in duration were enrolled in the study. Children already treated with probiotics or antibiotics, or suffering from immunodeficiency, malnutrition, or severe dehydration were excluded from participation in the study.
Participants were randomized into 2 groups: Group A (n=100; 61 were age 6 months-3 years and 39 were age 4-5; 48 boys and 52 girls) received Saccharomyces boulardii, while Group B (n=100; 62 were age 6 months-3 years and 38 were age 4-5; 57 boys and 43 girls) received lactic acid–producing probiotics.
Group A received an oral dose of Saccharomyces boulardii, 150 mg (for ages 6 months-1 year) or 250 mg (for ages 2-5 years), divided into 2 doses, and delivered in 20 mL of water, twice daily for 5 days.
Group B received an oral dose of lactic acid–producing probiotics, 150 mg (for ages 6 months-1 year) or 250 mg (for ages 2-5 years), divided into 2 doses, and delivered in 20 mL of water, twice daily for 5 days.
All participants were treated with intravenous ceftriaxone antibiotics and oral rehydration.
Baseline complete blood count, urinalysis, and physical examination were performed. Data on the frequency and consistency of stools per day was collected throughout the study.
Resolution of acute diarrhea (fewer than 3 loose, watery stools per day).
There was a statistically significant difference in treatment effect between Groups A and B. In Group A, 45 participants were treated effectively with Saccharomyces boulardii; in Group B, 26 participants were treated effectively with lactic acid–producing probiotics (P=0.004). In other words, 45% of participants who were taking Saccharomyces boulardii (Group A) had resolution of acute diarrhea, compared to only 26% of those taking lactic acid–producing probiotics (Group B).
Stratification by duration of treatment demonstrated that within 1 to 7 days of beginning treatment, 21 participants in Group A and 15 participants in Group B had resolution of acute diarrhea (P=0.34), which was not statistically significant. However, within 7 to 13 days of beginning treatment, 24 participants in Group A and 11 participants in Group B had resolution of acute diarrhea, which was statistically significant (P=0.001).
Going forward, clinical practice can be further guided by research focusing on which strains, and at what doses, will be most clinically effective.
Many of the studies to date have been placebo-controlled trials rather than head-to-head comparisons of different probiotics. We can now presume probiotics are more effective than placebo for resolving pediatric diarrhea. Going forward, clinical practice can be further guided by research focusing on which strains, and at what doses, will be most clinically effective.
In the present study by Asmat et al, Saccharomyces boulardii was effective in more patients than lactic acid–producing probiotics for the treatment of acute pediatric diarrhea, with 45% having resolution of diarrhea compared to 26%, respectively. The present study corroborates the findings of a 2010 study by Eren et al, which compared Saccharomyces boulardii to yogurt containing Lactobacillus bulgaricus and S thermophiles as adjunct treatment of acute pediatric diarrhea. By day 3 of the study, 48.5% of participants treated with Saccharomyces boulardii had resolution of diarrhea compared to 25.5% of those treated with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and S thermophiles.4 Both studies support the idea that Saccharomyces boulardii should be considered the first choice probiotic for adjunct treatment of acute diarrhea.
In the present study, the finding that response to treatment between the 2 groups was comparable for the first 7 days (21% vs 15%) was intriguing. It was not significantly different until days 7 to 13, when an additional 24% of participants in Group A had resolution of diarrhea vs only 11% in Group B. This implies that treatment with probiotics, and specifically Saccharomyces boulardii, should be considered for at least 2 weeks from the onset of acute diarrheal symptoms to achieve the potential therapeutic benefit.
Although not examined in this study, it would be interesting to see if participants in either group who did not respond after 2 weeks of treatment with oral rehydration, antibiotics, and probiotics (which would include 55% of the Saccharomyces boulardii-treated Group A and 74% of Group B) would have responded to longer treatment, higher doses, or a more diverse blend of probiotic strains.
Given the public health implications of diarrheal illness, especially in resource-limited countries, and the millions of children dying annually, the positive results from studies of probiotic therapy should prompt further investigation to demonstrate the effectiveness of Saccharomyces boulardii and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and other promising strains. Moreover, combining strains with known benefit for acute diarrhea may increase effectiveness and provide a more foolproof way of obtaining the highest response rate to treatment.
The present study had a few areas of concern which warrant caution in the interpretation of the results. The methodology did not specify the exact probiotic products used in the study, who supplied them, how they were stored, if they were tested for viability, or the number of colony forming units contained in each dose. In addition, the only description we have for the product used for Group B participants is “lactic acid–producing probiotics,” rather than any particular strain(s) of bacteria.
Another area of concern was Table II, where results for age-based stratification were presented. The numbers for efficacy in Group B in Table II did not correctly add up to the efficacy data presented in Table I, and therefore could not be interpreted as accurate; consequently, these numbers were not included in the Key Findings section of this review. The error was likely a simple mistake, but because it was not discovered in any stage of development, peer review, or publication, it raises concerns about the overall quality of the study.
Lastly, the trial design, which compared 2 adjunct probiotic interventions, might have been improved by the addition of a placebo control arm and a probiotic combination arm.
Despite its flaws, the paper still deserves consideration, given the ever-growing body of evidence that supports a broad range of therapeutic applications for probiotics. Probiotics, at best, may provide symptom benefit with very low risk of side effects, which is always something worthy of pursuit.
Zach Kadro, ND, is a naturopathic doctor and second-year resident at the Goshen Center for Cancer Care, where he is completing the nation’s only 2-year hospital-based residency program in naturopathic oncology. Kadro earned his Bachelor of General Studies degree from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) prior to completing his Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree at Bastyr University (Kenmore, WA). In addition to seeing patients at the cancer center, Kadro is also involved in developing a clinical trial to examine the effect of standard of care plus naturopathic care vs standard of care alone on the incidence and severity of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Harris JB, Pietroni M. Approach to the child with acute diarrhea in resource-limited countries. UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/approach-to-the-child-with-acute-diarrhea-in-resource-limited-countries. Updated September 24, 2018. Accessed January 4, 2019.
Feizizadeh S, Salehi-Abargouei A, Akbari V. Efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii for acute diarrhea. Pediatrics. 2014;134(1):176-191.
Ahmadi E, Alizadeh-Navaei R, Rezai MS. Efficacy of probiotic use in acute rotavirus diarrhea in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Caspian J Intern Med. 2015;6(4):187-195.
Eren M, Dinleyici EC, Vandenplas Y. Clinical efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii and yogurt fluid in acute non-bloody diarrhea in children: a randomized, controlled, open label study. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2010;82(3):488-491. |
0.951814 | If the second biggest state in the country (Alaska is bigger than Texas) was only comprised of football fields, how many would that be? There are over 1,200 football stadiums by the count of texasbob.com so there's no question whether we like our football, but a simple math project can tell us how many football fields it would take to fill up the entire state of Texas.
According to multiple sources including Algebra.com, the average size of a football field including end zones is 360 feet (120 yards) by 160 feet (53 1/3 yards). One square mile = 27,878,400 square feet, which means 484 football fields takes a square mile of space.
You still there? Don't lose me just yet, there's only a little more math left!
The lone star state is 268,597 square miles. So... if 484 football fields take up one square mile, then the entire state could hold 130,000,948 regulation size football fields.
To put that into perspective, the next biggest state - California, 163,695 sq miles - could have up to 79,228,380 football fields. That's roughly 60% of what Texas could hold.
On another note: while I was researching, I found the 10 largest counties (by square miles) in Texas, courtesy of txdirectory.com. |
0.999991 | Our House taps former Top Chef showrunner to lead development in L.A.
Toronto’s Our House Media (OHM) is continuing to expand its U.S. operations with the hire of Hillary Olsen as VP, development at its L.A. office. In the newly created position, Olsen will oversee OHM’s U.S. development team and report to OHM USA president, Matt Hanna, who was tapped to lead the newly launched office in …..
Now in its fourth year, Toronto-based Our House Media (OHM) is looking to combine a growing roster of international partners, an expanding slate and the backing of its new parent company Kew Media to make further inroads with linear and digital players in U.S. and U.K. markets. The unscripted producer, led by CEO Simon Lloyd (pictured right) …..
Airport: Below Zero, a thrilling new documentary series from Our House Media, in association with Corus Entertainment, reveals the intricate and intense balancing act required to keep operations running smoothly at Edmonton International Airport, Canada’s most northerly major airport. Shot entirely at the ‘Gateway to the North’, this 10 x 60 series follows airport and …..
Corus Entertainment has announced a raft of new content deals, including sales of its popular lifestyle series Masters of Flip and Buying the View. Discovery Channel has picked up the first two seasons of Flip and the first season of Buying the View for TLC in Poland and DLife in the Middle East and North Africa. …..
Our House Media is taking home cooks from the frying pan into the fire with its upcoming series, So You Think You Can Be a Chef. The 14 x 30-minute series, currently in the final stages of casting, begins production in September for a projected 2017 debut on Makeful, a Canadian lifestyle specialty channel and …..
Paranormal Survivor prodco Our House Media (OHM) is expanding to the U.S. with a Brooklyn-based office. The outpost officially opens its doors today (May 31), and will initially serve as a development office. The company has appointed Cat Hoskin (pictured, right) to serve as U.S. director of development, charged with creating formats and content for …..
Playback’s yearly Indie List has arrived and didn’t miss noting the blossoming success of Our House Media. This is a section from their article: Our House Media made a bold entrance to the list this year too. Led by former Cineflix execs Simon Lloyd and Joe Houlihan, the company arrived at #23 with a loaded …..
Blue Ant Media’s T+E channel and Discovery Communications-owned net Destination America will have a Paranormal Survivor spin-off haunting their schedules in the coming weeks. The new series, Haunted Case Files, will shift focus from the survivors of spooky encounters to the ghost hunters and mediums who frequently encounter paranormal entities, and will recount their most …..
Corus Entertainment Inc., a leading integrated media and content company, announced today that it will be adding a new unscripted lifestyle series to its growing library of Women and Family content: the emotionally charged docu-series My Baby’s Having a Baby, which follows moms as their teenage daughters face motherhood. My Baby’s Having a Baby (10 x …..
Former Alliance Atlantis exec Peter Sussman has joined Our House Media’s board of directors as the non-executive chairperson, the company announced Wednesday. As chair of the board, Sussman will help steer the strategic growth of the company as it progresses from a small- to medium-sized business, said Our House Media CEO Simon Lloyd. Sussman is ….. |
0.999997 | Is it legal to smoke in public?
Since it is still in its infancy, the law has a serious gray area for “public” smoking. It is safe to say that you cannot smoke in public and you should refrain from toking up in areas where it would be considered bothersome to others. |
0.999998 | Summary Sentence: This week's topic is "Transitioning - Choosing the career you'll love and weaving your way in to the company culture"
Full Summary: Join us as Caressa Foreman, Senior Project Manager at Target Corporation speaks about her personal experiences in engineering. This week's topic is "Transitioning - Choosing the career you'll love and weaving your way in to the company culture"
Women in Engineering (WIE) and the Women's Resource Center (WRC) are excited to host this Coffee Talk Series for undergraduate and graduate women majoring in STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). The series will be held in the Clough Commons Lounge (Room 205 next to the Starbucks).
This week's guest speakers is Caressa Foreman, Senior Project Manager at Target Corporation. For more information on Ms. Foreman, please click here.
This week's topic is "Transitioning - Choosing the career you'll love and weaving your way in to the company culture"
Each week, coffee, tea and dessert will be provided so please plan to stop by for a few moments or the entire hour. We hope to see you for coffee talk!
To learn more about the Coffee Talk Series, please click here. |
0.983751 | Danaus plexippus ranges from North and South America and the Caribbean to Australia, New Zealand, the oceanic islands of the Pacific, Mauritius, the Canary Islands of the Atlantic, and, most recently, Western Europe.
D. plexippus is a predominantly open country, frost intolerant species whose range of breeding habitats is greatly dependent upon the presence of asclepiad flora (milkweeds). The monarch requires dense tree cover for overwintering, and the majority of the present sites in California are associated with Eucalyptus trees, specifically the blue gum, Eucalyptus globulus. These trees were introduced from Australia and have filled the role of native species that have been been reduced by logging.
Both male and female monarchs are bright orange with black borders and black veins. The veins on the female are thicker than those of the male. Male monarchs also have a swollen pouch on both of their hind wings.
Monarchs are poisonous to vertebrates. Their poison comes from the milkweed they feed on.
Monarchs also use their appearance to ward off predators. Orange is considered a warning color, which will warn predators that monarchs are poisonous, and not to attack them. From a distance, monarchs can blend into their surroundings. Sometimes, their spots will appear to be the eyes of a larger animal, and will ward off predators.
Small caterpillars hatch from eggs laid by female Monarchs. They grow, shedding their skin to get bigger. Eventually each caterpillar stops growing and forms a case around itself called a chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis it changes its body its body in a process called metamorphosis. When it is done it emerges as an adult butterfly.
The mating period occurs in the spring, just prior to migration from the overwintering sites. The courtship of D. plexippus is fairly simple and less dependent on chemical pheromones in comparison with other species in its genus. Courtship is composed of two distinct stages, the aerial phase and the ground phase. During the aerial phase, the male pursues, nudges, and eventually takes down the female. Copulation occurs during the ground phase and involves the transfer of a spermatophore from the male to female. Along with sperm, the spermatophore is thought to provide the female with energy resources that aid her in carrying out reproduction and remigration.
Once they reach their breeding grounds, the females lay their eggs on milkweed host plants. The egg and larval period is temperature dependent and lasts about 2 weeks. At the end of this period, the larva enter a period of pupation, and after 9 to 15 days an adult butterfly emerges.
Monarch butterflies mate in the spring before they migrate.
Like birds, D. plexippus follows a pattern of seasonal migration. There are two distinct populations in the North America, those that breed in the East and those that breed in the West. Each autumn millions of these butterflies leave their breeding grounds and fly to overwintering sites. The Eastern population overwinters in the volcanic mountains of eastern Michoacan in central Mexico. The Western breeders spend their winters along the California coast. Similar migratory behavior has been observed in Costa Rican and Australian populations.
The larva feed on a wide range of milkweeds of the genus Asclepias. From these plants they acquire and store cardiac glycosides, secondary plant compounds that protect them from predation. The adults of the species forage for flower nectar.
Many species of milkweed occurring in parts of the United States and Mexico are known to be poisonous to cattle ,and D. plexippus is considered beneficial because it helps reduce the abundance of these plants. Overwintering sites are of interest to tourists.
The annual monarch migration is considered a "threatened phenomena" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Steps have been taken by both the United States and Mexican governments along with numerous private individuals and organizations to protect the overwintering sites of these butterflies.
Ethan Kane (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
Boppre, Michael."The American Monarch: Courtship and Chemical Communication of a Peculiar Danaine Butterfly". pp. 29, 34 in Malcolm and Zalucki (eds.) Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Cockrell, Barbara J., Stephen B. Malcolm, and Lincoln P. Brower. "Time, Temperature, and Latitudinal Constraints on the Annual Recolonization of Eastern North America By the Monarch Butterfly". pp. 234 in Malcolm and Zalucki (eds.) Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Feltwell, John. 1993. The Encyclopedia of Insects. Prentice Hall, New York. Pgs. 111, 143.
Lane, John. "Overwintering Monarch Butterflies in California: Past and Present". pp. 337 in Malcolm and Zalucki (eds.) Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Lynch, Steven P. and Ronald A. Martin. "Milkweed Host Plant Utilization and Cadenolide Sequestration by Monarch Butterflies in Louisiana and Texas". pp. 107-108 in Malcolm and Zalucki (eds.) Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Malcolm, Stephen B. and Myron P. Zalucki. 1993. Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Preface, pp. 397-398.
Malcolm, Stephen B. "Conservation of Monarch Butterfly Migration in North America: An Endangered Phenomenon". pp. 358 in Malcolm and Zalucki (eds.) Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Schmidt-Koeing, Klaus. "Orientation of Autumn Migration in the Monarch Butterfly". pp. 282 in Malcolm and Zalucki (eds.) Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Snook, Laura C. "Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly Reserves in Mexico: Focus on the Forest". pp. 364 in Malcolm and Zalucki (eds.) Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Urquhart, Fred A. 1960. The Monarch Butterfly. University of Toronto Press, Toronto. Pg. 35.
Urquhart, Fred A. 1987. The Monarch Butterfly: International Traveler. Nelson-Hall, Chicago. Pgs. XIX, 173-177.
Vane-Wright, Richard I. "The Columbus Hypothesis: An Explanation for the Dramatic 19th Century Range Expansion of the Monarch Butterfly". pp. 183 in Malcolm and Zalucki (eds.) Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Van Hook, T. "Non-Random Mating in Monarch Butterflies Overwintering in Mexico". pp. 49 in Malcolm and Zalucki (eds.) Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Wells, Harrington, Patrick H. Wells, and Steffen H. Rogers. "Is Multiple Mating an Adaptive Feature of Monarch Butterfly Winter Aggregation". pp. 61 in Malcolm and Zalucki (eds.) Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. |
0.996058 | Abla Alaoui Soce, Bria Long, George Alvarez; Animate shape features influence high-level animate categorization. Journal of Vision 2015;15(12):1159. doi: 10.1167/15.12.1159.
The distinction between animate and inanimate entities is fundamental at both the cognitive and neural levels (e.g. Mahon and Caramazza, 2009; Konkle & Caramazza, 2013). Previous work suggests that animate versus inanimate entities have consistent perceptual differences that can be extracted at early stages of perceptual processing (Long et al., in prep). Do these visual features feed-forward to activate high-level, conceptual representations? In Experiment 1, we developed a flanker interference task in which recognizable images of animals and objects influenced reaction time on a word categorization task. In Experiment 2, we used the same paradigm with textures that were unrecognizable at the basic-category level, but which preserved statistical features of the original images (by coercing white noise to match the low and mid-level statistics of animal and object images, Freeman & Simoncelli, 2011). On each trial, participants categorized a written word (e.g., ‘FERRET’) as either an ‘animal’ or an ‘object’. Words were presented concurrently with a distractor image that was either congruent (e.g., a picture of a panda) or incongruent (e.g., a picture of a tractor) with the broad category of the word. With recognizable images (Experiment 1), participants were faster at categorizing the words as animal or object when the distractor image belonged to the same (versus the different) category (Congruent=735.33ms, Incongruent=762.14ms, F(1,15)=41.539, p< 0.001). With texture images (Experiment 2), participants were again significantly faster at categorizing words when the textures were from images that originally belonged to the same broad category (Congruent=728.76ms, Incongruent=744.12ms, F(1,15)=22.010, p< 0.001). The textures were unrecognizable at the basic level (average identifiability=3.5%), but with unlimited viewing time they could be classified as animate versus inanimate (d prime=1.01). These results suggest that animate versus inanimate entities differ in perceptual features, and that these features feed-forward to automatically activate the conceptual representations of animate and inanimate entities. |
0.999997 | Article under review: Slot KB, Berge E, Sandercock P, Lewis SC, Dorman P, Dennis M; Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project; Lothian Stroke Register; International Stroke Trial (UK). Causes of death by level of dependency at 6 months after ischemic stroke in 3 large cohorts. Stroke 2009;40(5):1585-9.
Background: Although functional status 6 months after a stroke impacts on long-term survival (Slot et al 2008), there is little information on how a person's degree of disability impacts on causes of death after a stroke.
Purpose: To assess the impact of functional status 6 months after an ischemic stroke on the cause of death.
Methods: The authors used data from 3 large cohorts of patients with ischemic stroke from the United Kingdom: the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project, the Lothian Stroke Register, and patients from the United Kingdom enrolled in the First International Stroke Trial. Ischemic stroke was diagnosed using a combination of clinical criteria and brain imaging to exclude intracerebral hemorrhages and conditions mimicking stroke. Level of dependency was determined with a modified Rankin scale score or "2 simple questions." Patients were considered functionally dependent if their modified Rankin scale score was at least 3 (ie, at least moderate disability, requiring some help but able to walk unassisted) or if they reported needing help performing daily activities within the previous 2-week period. Patients who survived at least 6 months were flagged at the National Health Service Office for National Statistics, and upon the death of a patient in these cohorts a copy of the death certificate was forwarded to the investigators. The authors categorized causes of death into 2 groups: "stroke-related" causes of death and "other" causes of death.
Results: During the study period in the 3 cohorts, 5961 of 7710 patients (78%) with ischemic stroke survived for at least 6 months. The primary cause of death in patients who were categorized as having died from stroke-related causes was (not surprisingly) most often stroke (67%), with pneumonia (12%), and cardiac causes (9%) being the other diagnoses with significant numbers of cases. Compared to independent patients, functionally dependent patients were statistically significantly more likely to die of stroke (relative risk 1.7) or pneumonia (relative risk 1.7) but, somewhat paradoxically, were less likely to die of pulmonary embolism (relative risk 0.5) and were also less likely to die of cancer (relative risk 0.6). [Although there was a statistically significantly lower risk of pulmonary embolism in dependent patients, this curious result was based on only a small number of cases attributed to pulmonary embolism (n=11), and it is not clear whether there was a bias in the classification of such cases]. Stroke-related causes of death were considered present in half (49%) of the functionally dependent patients, but in less than one third (29%) of the functionally independent patients; compared to independent patients, functionally dependent patients had a relative risk of 1.7 of dying from a stroke-related cause. Multivariate regression analyses confirmed that dependent patients were significantly more likely to die of stroke-related causes than independent patients.
Conclusions and commentary: Patients who are functionally dependent 6 months after an ischemic stroke are more likely to die of "stroke-related" causes than are those who are functionally independent 6 months after an ischemic stroke.
The authors relied on death certificates to assess the causes of death. In the absence of guidelines, neurologists vary considerably in how they classify causes of death in patients who die after a stroke, but with precise rules the interrater agreement in causes of death improved significantly (Halkes et al 2006). Apparently, because of these issues, the authors utilized a simplified 2-category classification scheme: "stroke-related" causes of death and "other" causes of death. Still, there is likely to be even more variation in the reporting of causes of death in the regular medical care setting where multiple individuals including neurologists, internists, family practitioners, surgeons, and coroners are responsible for completion of death certificates on such patients. It is also not clear whether there may be a systematic bias toward recording stroke-related causes of death more often for patients who were functionally dependent after a stroke than for those who were functionally independent because the stroke-induced dependency is a constant reminder of the prior stroke event.
Finally, the authors did not give values for the survival times of the patients who were dependent and independent at 6 months, nor did they consider survival time in their statistical analyses. It seems likely that the cause of death is less likely to be indicated as "stroke-related" on a death certificate or elsewhere the longer the patient survives from the onset of the stroke. Because the dependent and independent patients are known to have different survival times, the difference measured in stroke-related causes of death as a function of dependency at 6 months may in fact be a crude surrogate for relative survival time. |
0.957255 | Article about how Italian politics, of both left and right, came to influence 'ultras' groups in football teams across the country and how it affected the development of these supporters' groups to the present day.
"Here in Italy the situation is becoming very hard. I am fed up with hearing insults from our rivals every Sunday and, as time goes by, the situation worsens"
Facing the problem of racism in Italian stadiums means going over the history of curve support (the "ultra" support based on the terraces), to understand both the dynamics that enabled racism and right-wing extremism to spread and the intervention strategies necessary to combat it.
The Italian term "ultra" is commonly translated by the English term "hooligan" and this is a platitude that many Italian journalists, together with many foreign observers, like.
However, if we check the meaning of the two terms we will soon realize that they do not correspond. The term "hooligan" comes from the name of a gang which was active in the late 1800's in England, famous because of its aggressiveness. This term connotes these supporters directly as thugs, while the term "ultra" is more all-embracing and it will be kept throughout this report. It comes directly from the world of politics (the supporters of the French kings, the post '68 left-wing groups), and denotes political extremism. This difference is the necessary starting point for our study of the history of "ultra" support in Italy.
English football hooliganism contributed to the formation of groups of young people expressing support in new and more aggressive ways than in the European context. Yet, in the different national situations, this phenomenon has interacted with some local cultural, social and political elements. These elements determined a different form of development for the ultras compared to the English model.
In particular, in Italy the "ultra" phenomenon demonstrated such a degree of autonomy compared to the original English hooligan, that, during the 1980s, it has become its own example for other European countries (in particular Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Greece, the Ex-Yugoslavia Republics, Southern France and some of the Baltic States).
In Italy the birth of "ultra" groups took place in an anomalous political context that we should outline roughly.
Italy shows a special feature which reached its highest peak between the end of the Second World War and the end of the 1970's. Political conflict involved all social fields; public life. Sports and cultural events were seen as an expression of support or otherwise for a clerical-conservative vision of the world (that in some particular cases could be considered almost pro-fascism) and a vision linked to the Communist left.
This opposition was also evident in football, to such an extent that it is possible to outline differences in the teams on the basis of the social status of their supporters and of the geographical areas where the different political ideas were more or less strong. In Milan "Milan" represented the team of the working class (the railway workers in particular), therefore it was considered left-wing, whereas "Inter ' was the team of the middle class of Milan and its suburbs and was considered closer to conservative ideas. Also the political tendency of a region used to have an automatic influence on the most important teams, therefore in Communist Emilia the "Bologna" team inevitably had left-wing supporters. While the "Verona" team was the emblem of conservative Veneto.
This rule applied even to the first supporters groups organized by the team managers in the early 1960s in order to let them deal with the sale of the tickets and the organization of support and away matches. Therefore several "Inter" supporters clubs organized by Servello, representative of the Italian Social Movement [Italian far-right organisation - libcom ed.] and in charge of the team management, were closer to conservative ideas to such an extent that the first "ultra" group of Inter, the "Boys", was born from the splitting up of a group of young supporters belonging to Italian Social Movement. Some "Torino" supporters clubs did not conceal their left-wing sympathies, sometimes exhibiting banners bearing political slogans and often starting fights when coming across fascist meetings. In 1964 the 'Fedelissimi Club" supporting the Torino team attacked a fascist rally in Bergamo.
In a strongly politicized context, the advent of the young rebels of the l960s and the consequent birth of the "ultra" groups are not only an expression of social and cultural behavior, but they are also heavily influenced by the political situation.
In England, the street subcultures connected to rock music contributed to the birth and development of the rule system which is the basis of organized hooliganism (the strong tie to the territory, very tight access rules, defense against intruders, aggressive behavior and so on). These rules then spread to other European countries through different channels. In Italy, some of these young juvenile styles gained importance and strength precisely during the years of the students' protest (1968-1969) and of the great factory workers' fights and were strongly influenced by them. In Italy the protest movement was not linked exclusively to students, but included large numbers of young blue-collar workers. On the basis of the movement experience, a lot of young people met in groups, sometimes also in small parties, organized according to Leninist ideas. These groups occupied the Italian squares and streets. Facing opposition from the police and by organized right-wing groups. These groups controlled exactly the meeting places where the street subcultures were flourishing. Therefore, the new streets styles and the political reasons started to mix among these groups. It also happened that on the sidelines of these groups, the new young subcultures imported from England combined the rebelliousness typical of the young and the antiestablishment ideas. This was the case for "ultra" groups. The first of these groups was called "La Fossa dei Leoni" (i.e. The Lions' Den) and was formed in 1968 in Milan. Subsequently, the Inter Boys and the Red and Blue Commandos of Bologna were born, together with other groups which borrowed their names directly from the political language (starting from "ultras" in 1971 by Sampdoria supporters and going on to Tupamaros, Fedayn but also Folgore and Vigilantes, etc...).
All these groups were clearly fascinated by the English hooligan model, and when English and Italian supporters met for a match, they had the chance of making comparisons: The first Italian Ultras began to identify themselves with a certain kind of clothes and a specific area of the stadium which consequently became off-limits for the other supporters. They also supported their team with endless choruses during the whole match and behaved violently towards the rival supporters. However, Italian "ultra" members could look up to another social model, namely the small political extremist groups, occupying the streets and the squares and representing a well visible model of militancy, clannishness and toughness.
It is clear that the "ultra" groups tended to conform to the style of these political groups, adopting also their organizational and structural characteristics, together with some counter-cultural features. The influence can be seen in terms of spontaneous adherence of some "ultras" to extreme left-wing groups, although the latter never carried out systematic recruitment campaigns in the stadiums. The case of the "ultra" groups formed by extreme right groups was different. This happened at the following teams: Inter, Lazio and Verona. In these cases it seems that the Italian Social Movement, banned from the streets and squares, tried to take advantage of the antisocial rebelliousness in young football supporters, who gathered in the stadium curves, to influence their behavior. Thus in Milan, key members of the Italian Social Movement were the founders of the Boys Inter and in Rome there was a very high number of extreme right-wing militants among the Lazio "ultras"
It was a combination between a football culture which was less dependent on the working class supporters linking up with the political groups that determined the peculiar feature of the "ultra" movement. It was not exclusively based on a working class community (as the hooligans in England were), but represented different social classes. The "ultra" movement was made up both by "people having experimented with mass violence in the political field" (not only working class but also lower middle class and middle class people, not only left-wing but also right-wing) and by "people having experimented with violence in the fulfillment of everyday needs" (local gangs).
Let's now examine more in detail some specific features differentiating the Italian groups from the European ones in this period. We will see that the mixture between football support and political activity was absorbed by the "ultra" groups, and was evident in their behavior patterns and in their organizational structures.
Although the "ultra" groups were prone to violence (just like their English cousins) and they were friends or rivals of other teams following the traditional alliances or rivalries between the various teams, the political tendency of a team soon influenced these alliances or rivalries. For example: the Bologna leftist "ultra" group became hostile to the Verona rightist "ultra" group, while becoming twinned to the Milan "ultra" group who shared their left-wing tendency. Moreover, "ultra" members directly adopted the same clothes of political street groups: green parkas, camouflage combat jackets bearing team badges, blue jeans and balaclava caps or neckerchief on the face, all of which made the "ultra" look like an urban guerilla. Furthermore, in Italian stadiums supporters started to play tin-plate drums borrowed from trade union demonstrations, using them to accompany choruses. The slogans that football supporters endlessly chanted were also borrowed from politics. Banners and enormous flags typical of political demonstrations and marches started to appear in stadiums as well.
The "ultra" group was also much more open towards the outside world than the hooligan groups; because of the counterculture tendency, the "ultra" group accepted a fairly remarkable number of women (absent in European groups) and carried out direct membership activities, like in political recruitment, aimed at increasing the number of members (beside self-financing activities). All these characteristics highlight a substantial organizational difference between these groups in Italy as compared to the English model. While English and other European curve (terrace) supporters mainly performed spontaneous activities (such as choruses, choreographies using scarves and all those acts that were carried out on the day of the game), Italian supporters felt that the collateral activities borrowed from politics and aimed at socializing and increasing curve support participation were a real priority. These activities entailed an organization that went beyond the Sunday match and involved midweek meetings where supporters worked at the creation and staging of spectacular flag waving, aimed at involving all the other curve supporters and at the production of various material to self-finance the group.
In order to have an overall picture, some other features need to be underlined. The "ultra" members were similar to the first English hooligans in that they felt themselves deeply tied to the colors of their team and were strongly connected to the popular support culture. Therefore, they occupied the cheap seats, watched the match without ever sitting down, constantly drew inspiration from tradition. Thus, they revitalized the Naples custom to use petards, smoke bombs, and firecrackers when the teams entered the stadium, which became a spectacular element among their choreographies. They also brought back the tradition of staging the rivals' funeral, marching as in a funeral procession and following a coffin covered by the rival team flag.
The retrieval of some popular support traditions, together with the other characteristics of the "ultra" support represented a strong attraction potential and a powerful identification instrument for the youngest supporters and made it easier to achieve an aim which was constantly pursued by these groups and which has also been borrowed from the political sphere, namely the continuous attempt to control, in an hegemonic way, the whole curve.
These are the features that characterized the "ultra" movement which was born in the 1970s. As time went by, the development of this movement was constant and went hand in hand with a considerable increase in the clashes between rival supporters.
However, it was only in 1975 and more precisely on 21st December 1975, that the "ultra" phenomenon demonstrated its deep roots among the main body of team support, to such an extent that the Italian Soccer Federation decided to call for a "friendship day" against the violent commandos, in the wake of violent clashes that had taken place during the 74/75 National League Championship.
We are therefore approaching the period that can be defined as the second phase of the "ultra" movement and that goes from 1977 to 1983. During this period in the other European countries it is possible to notice an increase in violence due to the increasingly military style organization of the hooligan groups. Different factors contributed to this development, among them a greater need to plan clashes due to increased safety measures and tighter control by police, and last but not least, the growth of youth subcultures in the second half of the 1970s. Above all, the skinhead style became predominant in North European stadiums and, because of an increasing tendency towards xenophobia and racism [within the skinhead movement], this style made the most violent hooligan groups turn to more extreme right-wing positions. This at a time when right-wing groups were looking to influence and manipulate hooligan groups inside English and German stadiums as well.
In Italy the dynamics were partially different from those that developed in other European countries. It is true that the "ultra" groups traditionally controlled by the right strengthened their position, however, the social scene and radical thinking was still completely controlled by the left. The groups that were strongly controlled by left wing leadership were not threatened by any kind of penetration from extreme right-wing groups. Even the advent of the skinhead style did not take off for some years and was confined to certain areas. Yet, even in Italy, violence increased but this can be put down to the decline of the political movements of the 70's, which had grown through people's anger and feelings of isolation and led to a fierce and violent explosion in 1977 culminating in bitter clashes with the police, right-wing groups and also between leftist movements themselves. Thus, as it happened in the squares during demonstrations, the stadiums saw an increase in the use of illegitimate weapons, knives, iron bars and rocket launchers.
The names of the new groups were still influenced by the political situation of those years: many groups defined themselves as "Brigades". referring to the terrorist groups active in that period and several symbols belonging to left-wing terrorism appeared (for example the five-pointed star of the Red Brigades) and to right-wing terrorism (the two-edged ax which was the emblem of "Ordine Nuovo", i.e. New Order). It became more and more common for the ultra groups to stage clashes outside the stadiums, in order to avoid police control. The increase in violence was highlighted by the death of a Lazio supporter in 1979 before the beginning of the Roma-Lazio derby. That very day other violent clashes occurred causing several injuries in Ascoli, Milan and Brescia. However, in this period, the large ultra groups had practically gained complete control of the whole curve.
Although the bellicose character was stronger and the level of the clashes was higher, the behavioral pattern activating violence followed the rule of "violence as an instrument" borrowed from politics. Before gaining entry to the elite or core elements of the group, through the larger peripheral support of the group, the inexperienced members had to pass a series of tests and to demonstrate their reliability not only from a military point of view, but also in terms of organization and general behavior. The exertion of violence occurred only during matches between teams whose supporters were historically hostile to each other and with large "ultra" groups. Therefore, recourse to violence was somehow controlled. If someone demonstrated themselves unable to move effectively, ignored the senior members, thereby endangering the safety of the group, he was left out and sent away. In the same period, the "ultra" membership increased, and these movements strengthened their organizational structures. These years saw the birth of the "Directorates", modeled on the lines of extreme left wing political parties. The function of the Directorates was to coordinate the ever increasing activities carried out by the "ultra" groups. At this stage, these activities corresponded to those typical of any organized club and were particularly devoted to organizing away matches and managing a certain number of tickets.
"...'The leaders are eight including me... each one of us has their own tasks. Women mainly deal with the financial aspects and they are almost totally responsible for assembling of flags and drums. We deal more with relationships with the Team Management... There are specific tasks: organizing away matches, asking for prices, timetables and renting of buses, dealing with materials, for example mending flags and so on, buying stationery, stickers or T-shirts organizing support and being responsible for confetti and torches, going to the Team Management for the tickets and keeping in touch with the Team and also keeping relationships with other clubs. ....Concerning the funds, once we used to take general collections not just amongst ourselves and to sell our materials: T-shirts, stickers and scarves bearing ''ultra" on them. But then the Torino Team Management decided that this was not very elegant, told us to document our expenses and then refunded us."
Between 1983-1989, the "ultra" movement reached even the stadiums of provincial towns and the teams playing in the lower Divisions, involving young people coming from all social classes. Conditions of social deprivation were not necessarily a prerequisite for ultra participation: on the contrary, in these groups there were people with good jobs and often with a high school level (degree, diploma) and also boys coming from well-to-do families, married men with a stable life. Often it was precisely in the small rich provincial towns that the toughest and most radical groups could be found, for example Ascoli, Cesena, Verona and Udine. In these towns the interaction between the "ultra" culture, logic and the traditional rivalries between towns and regions emerged clearly and in its most original way. During this period the "ultra" world became largely dominated by local and parochial pride, an element granting a strong identity. Before it had always been possible to connect the use of violence against intruders (such as rival supporters or the police) to the defense of the "ultra" territory (the curve, the town and the team colors), yet it was also connected to an atmosphere, a political tension that could supply a surplus of identity, cohesion and aggregation, based not only on the friend-foe logic. On the other hand, in the 1980's, with the decline of political movements, the situation was no longer the same. Thus, in these years, the main trend inside the "ultra" movements was the following: more importance attached to the regional or local identity and parochialism, to regional and local rivalries and historical hostilities, and detecting the "ultra" groups to be considered enemies. Their logic of the end as a freed space is replaced by that of the end as a small mother country. Therefore clannishness, toughness cult and paramilitary organization, together with the morbid link to the small mother country, all of which is very close to extreme right values, opened the way for an easy advent of racist and xenophobic behavioral patterns inside the stadiums.
At the same time, the traditional large groups are faced with a crisis period. They had to face the strengthening of safety measures inside the stadiums. Controls on groups following away matches increased as well, together with control on places to be reached by "ultra" movements. Moreover, the first generation change took place among the "ultra" hierarchies. Some charismatic leaders, active also in the political world, left the curve, often because of the numerous repressive measures against them because of events occurring both in the stadiums and in politics. Some other members left the groups or lost their influence there because of drug addiction problems. In the meantime, the curves saw the birth of other groups, made up by very young boys (from 14 to 16 years), often disliked by the official groups. These new groups, however, succeeded in occupying their own area in the curve behind their banner. Their very names highlighted their different inspiration as compared to the groups which had formed during the 70's: in this period the new groups chose names such as "Wild Kaos". "The Sconvolts" (rough translation: "Upset People"), "Verona Alcohol", "Nuclei Sconvolti" (rough translation: "Upset Nuclei"). These groups were mainly interested in chances to fight and belonged to the excess and freak-out culture. Their model was not the metropolitan street guerrillerio, but Alex, the young super-thug in "Clockwork Orange", whose effigy started to appear in various curves, replacing the ''Che Guevara" portrait. The new groups were the result of a period in which civil society was dominated by hedonism, exhibitionism, disaffection for political and social commitment.
The stylistic paradigm adopted by many new "ultra" members, often chauvinist, violent and intolerant, is that of the "paninaro" (similar in style to the casual). All these groups were formed between 1983 and 1985 and proved to be more skillful in escaping police clampdowns. They could easily baffle controls by changing their appearances and identities. They did not care about the existing alliances, breaking them or creating crises because of their uncontrolled behavior and they regularly used knives. Having these characteristics, a lot of these groups attacked the principle of "violence monopoly", that is to say, up to that moment, violence had been resorted to only in specific cases and according to precise rules, whereas these new groups' philosophy was pure violence, forceful action for its own sake, to be carried out always and anyway. Therefore, they became an alternative attraction for anyone giving priority to military actions inside the "ultra" group. However, while in other European countries the increasing trend towards specialization of the toughest and most aggressive groups led them to a degree of separation from the other supporters, in Italy this did not happen.
Cut down the hours of work! |
0.998812 | Islamic schools of thought (madhabs).
On the Islamic schools of Law.
The Encyclopaedia of Islam translates it as a "way of thinking, persuasion".
I would say it is "a method", a method of interpretation of religious material in the three major areas: belief, religious practice and law.
Syria, Jordan, and Palestine have Hanafi laws since the Ottoman sultan Selin the Grim (1512-1520) imposed Hanafi judicial system on all its subjects, but because he did not insist on any changes in the matters of worship, they mostly retain Shafi'i rites.
In the early Islamic times the governors would appoint qadis to judge the subjects of their newly acquired territories. They tried to base their decisions on the Qur'an and act according to what they knew to be the Muslim practice (sunna), but when none of these sources were available, they had to judge themselves, whatever seemed right to them personally. This usually included considerations of what was customary in the area. Judgement based on own opinion (ra'y) became common practice of the early jurists, and a system of logic to support the decisions was being formed.
The Hanafi school was formed in Kufa, and it preserves many of the older Mesopotamian traditions. It based its rulings largely on ra'y - results of logic deduction of its scholars.
The Maliki school comes from Medina, and it reflects its origin in its decisions too. This school ruled heavily in favour of the practice (sunna) of the local community of Medina, because at the time it was formed, the word sunna did not yet mean "practice of the Prophet".
These two schools, especially the Hanafi, were countered by the movement of the Traditionists (ahl al-hadith), who opposed themselves to the exponents of ra'y (ahl/ashab al-ra'y). The traditionists relied only on the Hadith they were collecting at that time.
Imam Ash-Shafi'i (d. 204/820 in Egypt) was the first one to systematise Islamic Law. Originally, he studied both in Iraq and in Medina, but disagreed with the methodology of those older schools, in favour of the Traditionists, but did not fully accept their ideas either.
In his tractate, the "Risala", balancing the two trends, he laid down the sources of Law, Usul al-Fikh,.
Ra'y - reasoning. Primarily kiyas (resoning by analogy), but also istihsan.
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (d. 241/855), founder of the latest of the four madhabs had followed Shafi'i method with ever greater emphasis on the ahadith, avoiding reasoning as far as possible, but not completely denying it. The infamous Wahhabis too belong to the Hanbali madhab.
"Notwithstanding their divergent doctrinal roots, the orthodox schools of law share a common legal theory which asserted itself in the 3d/9th century, and which accepted Shafi'is (and the Traidtionists') principle of the overriding authority of the traditions from the Prophet as the only evidence of sunna but subordinated its practical application to the consensus of the scholars." Encyclopaedia of Islam, article "Fikh"
At present, there has grown a strong movement (which has, probably, affected many of us) against following the schools. The anti-madhabists' agenda is return to following of the sahaba, relying mainly of the evidence of the ahadith, which every individual can read for himself. It appears to resemble another outbreak of the Traditionists, even if merely in some features.
One of the anti-Madhabists' arguments against the madhabs is that they were formed before the most authentic hadith collections, like Bukhari and Muslim were gathered, and that the traditions used by Abu Hanifa and Malik as a basis are not always satisfactorily authentic. However, a madhab is essentially about a method. The scholars of the madhabs living after its founder sometimes significantly altered his rulings. They have adjusted its rulings as new information became available. One example of change from the founder's opinion that I know of is the age of puberty in the Hanafi madhab. In all madhabs adulthood is attained between the ages of 9 and 15 for girls, and 12 to 15 for boys. Abu Hanifa's personal opinion that the upper limit is 17 for girls and 18 for boys is not taken into account.
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It had all began in the Umayyad times, when the Qadis were sent to the newly acquired parts of the Muslim Empire. Very often they had to make their own decisions in cases when they were not aware of any Quranic reference to the situation, and knew no precedent like that presented to the Prophet. This exercising of own reason became called ra'y.
"This recognition of ra'y as an approved source of law found expression in the instructions attributed to the Prophet and the early Caliphs, which they gave to the officials sent to administer justice in the conquered provinces, and in their alleged approval of the principles of their decisions which the judges whom they had sent out submitted to them.
Developed in the first few decades of the 2nd /8th century. We know about the schools in Kufa (Iraq), Medina and Syria.
The idea of the "living tradition of the school" - the average opinion of their representatives, and not the individual doctrines of the most prominent scholars - was dominant in that century.
By a literary convention which found particular favour in Iraq, scholars used to put their own doctrines under the aegis of their masters. In this way, the main contents of the Kitab al-Athar of Abu Yusuf and of the Kitab al-Athar of Shaybani represent themselves as having been derived from Abu Hanifa, "from" Hammad b. Abi Sulayman (d.120/736), "from" Ibrahim al-Naka'i. Further backwards this body of doctrine was attributed to Ibn Mas'ud, a companion of the Prophet who had come to live in Kufa, and thus directly connected to the beginning of Islam there.
The Medinese claimed their teachings to derive from the "seven lawyers of Medina" (fukaha al-madina al-sab'a: Sa'id b. al-Musayyib. 'Urwa b. al-Zubair, Abu Bakr b. 'Abd ar-Rahman, 'Ubayd Allah b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Utba, Kharija b. Zaid b. Thabit, Sulaiman b. Yasar, and as-Kasim b. Muhammad b. Abi Bakr). Their original authority was 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar.
An important step was taken in Iraq early in the second century A.H., that of transferring the term "sunna of the Prophet" into the legal context, and identifying it with the sunna, the ideal practice of the local community and the doctrine of its scholars.
"This term expressed the axiom that the practice of the Muslims continued the practice of the Prophet, but did not yet imply the existence of positive information in the form of "traditions" (hadith) that the Prophet by his words or acts had approved that practice."
"It was not long before there arose movements of opposition to the opinions held by the majorities in the ancient schools." While in Kufa this opposition had little effect, in Medina it reflected the activity of the Traditionists.
The movement of the Traditionists (ahl al-hadith) is the most important single event in the history of Islamic jurisprudence in the second century of the hijra; it opposed to the "living tradition" of the ancient schools, which was to a great extent based on ra'y, the authority of individual traditions (hadith) from the Prophet which its adherents put into circulation in the ever increasing numbers. According to the traditionists, fikh had to be based exclusively in the traditions from the Prophet. Traditionists existed in all great centres of Islam where they formed groups in opposition to, but nevertheless in contact with, the local schools of law, and the polemics between them and the ancient schools occupied most of the second century. But the ancient schools had no real defence against the rising tide of traditions; they had to express their own doctrines in traditions which allegedly went back to the Prophet and to take increasing notice of the traditions produced by their opponents, and finally the outlines and many details of Islamic jurisprudence were cast into the form of traditions from the Prophet. The Traditionists of the 3d/9th century attacked the 'Iraquians and the school of Abu Hanifa with particular venom, and castigated their use of the formula ara'ayta - "what do you think of..., supposing..." as typical of the casuistry of the ashab al-ra'y. Abu Hanifa d.150/767 Abu Yusuf d.182/798 Shaybani d.189/805 Sufuan al-Thawri of Kufa, d.161/778, known to us through at-Tabari d.310/923. Syrian Awza'i d.157/774 represents an archaic type of doctrine, which takes us very near to the beginnings of Islamic jurisprudence. The school of Medina - Malik b. Anas d.179/795, his disciple Ibn as-Kasim d.191/806. Shafi'i d. 204/820, belonged originally to the school of Medina, but he accepted the thesis of the Traditionists on the overriding authority of the traditions from the Prophet, identifying thier contents eith the sunna, defended it in vigorous polemics with the followers of the ancient schools, and composed in his Risala the first treatise on the method of legal reasoning, becoming thereby the founder of the science of usul al-fikh. Shafi'i was not a mere Traditionist; on the contrary, he deplored their faulty reasoning, and himself accompanied his reliance on traditions from the Prophet by systematic legal thought ('akl, ma'kul) of exceptionally high quality, excluding ra'y and istihsan and insisting on strict kiyas. It happened, however, that some of disciples, and in particular, Ahmad b. Hanbal d.241/855, emphasised the traditionist element in his doctrine and derived their legal teaching exclusively from traditions, avoiding human reasoning as far as possible. This avoidance of drawing conclusions was erected into a principle by Dawud b.j Khalaf d.270/884, called as-Zahiri because he relied exclusively in the literal meaning (zahir ) of Qur'an and hadith and rejected not only ra'y and istihsan but reasoning by as well.
By the middle of the 3d/9th century the ancient schools of law had rransrormed themselves into "personal" schools, which perpetuated not the living tradition of a city but the doctrine of master and of his disciples.
4.)and the ancient school of Syria into that of Awza'i.
5.)Although Shafi'i had disclaimed any intention of founding a school, his disciples, being neither mere Traditionists nor members of another school, became his personal followers, and the doctrinal movement started by him has always been known as the Shafi'i school.
6.)The school of legal thought originated by Ahmad b. Hanbal, too, became known as the school of the Hanbalis; this school never absorbed its parent movement, that of the Traditionists, as completely as the Hanafi and Maliki schools absorbed theirs.
7.)The followers of Dawud b. Khalaf al-Zahiri formed the only school of law whose name, Zahiriyya, is derived from a principle of legal theory.
Those and some other later schools of law (such as a short-lived one founded by Tabari) are called MADHAHIB(pl. of MADHAB, "way of thinking, persuasion").
Since about 700/1300 four of them only have survived in orthodox Islam, the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools; they are regarded and regard one another, as alternative and equally valid interpretations of the religious laws of Islam.
Notwithstanding their divergent doctrinal roots, the orthodox schools of law share a common legal theory which asserted itself in the 3d/9th century, and which accepted Shafi'is (and the Traidtionists') principle of the overriding authority of the traditions from the Prophet as the only evidence of sunna but subordinated its practical application to the consensus of the scholars.
The theory of the usul al-fikh is therefore of little direct impotrance for the positive doctrines of the schools of law.
From the middle of the 3d/9th century, too the idea began to gain ground that only the great scholars of the past had the right to independent reasoning in law (ijtihad), and in the 4th/10th century a consensus gradually established itself in orthodox Islam to the effect that all future activity would have to be confined to the explanation, application. and, at the most, interpretation of the doctrine as it had been laid down once and for all ( TAQLID).
THIS IMPLIED THE OBLIGATION TO JOIN ONE OF THE EXISTING SCHOOLS.
Even under the rule of taqlid, Islamic jurisprudence did not lack manifestations of original thought in which the several schools competed with and influenced one another.
New sets of facts, too, constantly arose in life, and they had to be decided by the specialists with the traditional tools of legal science; such a decision is called fatwa, and the scholar who hives a fatwa is called mufti. Once recognised by the common opinion of the scholars, the decisions of the muftis became part of the doctrine of each school. The activity of the muftis is essentially of the same kind, though carried out against a different background, as that of the first specialists in religious law.
differ from those of the Sunnis on the question of the leadership of the community and consequential questions of usul, but on other questions they do not differ from those of the orthodox schools of law more widely than these last differ from one another.
Article in praise of the Hanafi madhab.
Some material on the Maliki madhab.
and the modern amounts of diya (the "blood-money").
Association of Islamic Charitable Projects: A voice of moderate Muslims.
MSN Islam forum A link to my favorite cyber-community.
Mas'ud Ahmed Khan's Home Page: Material of high academic standards.
Converts to Islam page: Rather strict, but a good intro.
I found results of the votes in this site absolutely fascinating.
A link to the Muslims of Brisbane, Australia: Do check other links on that site.
Click here to experience the atmosphere of a Muslim family.
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This Islamic Ring site is owned by SuzyAshraf. |
0.997793 | Greater than more efficient than equals?
in our company we manage multiple client databases oracle .
The record with 999999999999999999 is the "last version record".
It happens that we have to identify the last version, so we look for the NEND = 999999999999999999.
1. Re: Greater than more efficient than equals?
Compare the query plans of the two queries, that may explain what's going on.
2. Re: Greater than more efficient than equals?
3. Re: Greater than more efficient than equals?
And you create artificially "skewed" data.
Maybe you should rather use a NULL value instead of 9999999999... Dummy values can be really bad... Search the Web, I've seen an interesting and amusing article of Tom Kyte about this usage.
" SELECT ... FROM ... WHERE nend = 9999999999 "
" SELECT ... FROM ... WHERE nend IS NULL "
In this case, depending of the cardinalities involved (what percentage of the table are these "last values" rows?), it might be a good idea to create a functional index on, for example: NVL( nend, 'L' ) (L for Last_value). If other queries look for some given "nend" and if you build an index on NEND anyway, you might add a dummy value in the index: CREATE INDEX ... ( nend, 'x' ) so even the NULL entries will be indexed.
4. Re: Greater than more efficient than equals?
The optimiser came up with a different cardinality estimate, which led to a different plan, which happened to be better.
5. Re: Greater than more efficient than equals?
Because a full table scan is used for one case and an index is used for the other.
Why? Why don't you just move that 'old' data to a history table?
Ok - but if you moved the 'old' data to a history table you wouldn't need to do ANY of that.
We have NO IDEA how many '999..' rows you have compared to other rows.
For some use cases you could just create a functional index that ONLY indexes the '999...' values and converts other values to NULL so they don't get indexed.
Then the index will only have values for the '999...'.
Whether Oracle will actually use that index, and when, depends on the info you provide for those 5 pieces I mentioned.
6. Re: Greater than more efficient than equals?
I agree, inline versioning is horrible and destroys query efficiency as well as referential integrity. It seems to be used on every project I work on these days. I really think Oracle is missing a trick here in not supporting it transparently (and I don't just mean the AS OF PERIOD syntactic sugar in 12c).
Possibly subpartitioning on the range-end column and enabling row movement might be worth the overhead, as queries that just want the latest row would have much less work to do.
7. Re: Greater than more efficient than equals?
It looks like you've found a defect in the way Oracle generates a height-balanced histogram for a numeric column.
I think your histogram has got 1e19 as its high value rather than 999,999,999,999,999,999 so the query on equality calculates that 999,999,999,999,999,999 is a very ordinary value with a tiny number of rows, while the greater than query sees that a large percentage of your data is a very large. This results in a change in execution plan.
If you used 999,999,999,999,999 as the highest value the difference would disappear - and both plans would take the same path (the current "> 999999999999999998" one).
If I get time I'll write up some demo code on my blog.
8. Re: Greater than more efficient than equals?
9. Re: Greater than more efficient than equals?
I've read your article (very clear) and sent the link to our dba, I'll send updates. |
0.999999 | Main MessageThe main message of the song is that we should be helping one another and working together, trying our best to undo all the wrongs we have done upon this world, instead of continuing the actions that will further damage the world.
The main underlying message found in both songs is that the world is a wonderful place, and that we should be doing our best to save and preserve its beauty, benefiting every single living thing on this planet.
Main MessageThe main message of the song is that we should always try to look at everything in a positive light, and that there is truly something wonderful about the world, everyone, and everything living on it.
Historical ContextThe song was written in the early 90s, a time that signified the end of the cold war, a long lasting war that brought lots of pain and death upon the world. Many environmental issues also began to surface.
Historical ContextThe song was released in 1967, a year important to African Americans such as Louis Armstrong due to them being given a right to vote just 2 years ago. Overall life had gotten much better for African Americans over the years.
While these two songs may have beenwritten in two different times by two differentpeople, they both share a similar message,one of preserving the Earth and everyone on it. |
0.999492 | Mickey Boodaei has been a leading entrepreneur in the security space for years. He co-founded Imperva, which went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011, and he co-founded Trusteer, which was sold to IBM for $1 billion in 2013. Soon after the latter acquisition, he founded Transmit Security.
Interestingly, Boodaei did so without seeking venture capital. He indicated that by putting his own money (and that of co-founder Rakesh Loonkar) into the start-up, it felt more like when he founded his first firms, but in this case, there was no one else to answer to.
Transmit Security provides, "a cross-channel identity platform that is designed to simplify, accelerate, and reduce the cost of identity-related projects," as Boodaei explains. He also notes that "security and customer experience are the two most important goals of any organization today. We bundle these together and address them as a single challenge." In this interview, he explains his personal journey as a CEO, the importance of a strong co-founder, and his opinions on the evolving threat landscape.
Peter High: You are the Chief Executive Officer of Transmit Security. Can you provide an overview of the company?
Mickey Boodaei: We founded [the company] four and a half years ago with the goal of building a cross-channel identity platform that is designed to simplify, accelerate, and reduce the cost of identity-related projects. These include projects such as authentication, authorization, fraud prevention, account opening, among others. Our R&D Center is in Tel Aviv, Israel, and the rest of our technical teams are physically close to our customers in the US and Europe.
As a company, we focus on large enterprises with millions of end-user customers. Most of our customers to date have been banks, insurance companies, telcos, and retailers. We have two global financial customers with over 20 million users each, and about 20 customers with more than five million users each. Our customers typically use our platform to consolidate and accelerate multiple initiatives in the identity space. For example; multi-factor authentication in biometrics, behavioral analytics, and advanced fraud detection, attributes-based access control, new data protection regulations, using the mobile device as an authenticator for call centers, branch and web, authorization and authentication around open API's, and more.
The platform significantly shortens time-to-market for our customers. It allows you to manage more technologies more easily and significantly reduce integration and maintenance costs of identity-related projects. It is an extremely advanced orchestration technology that abstracts the entire identity ecosystem from your applications, and therefore, significantly simplifies one of the most complex IT problems there is. The more complex your environment is and the more complex your applications are, the more value you would see from our platform.
High: Yours is an organization that is experiencing extraordinary growth, and you have been able to do so without venture funding. Could you talk about the way in which you have grown, as well as the advantages of having done so without taking on venture funding in your early stages?
Boodaei: Our goal was to build a big company that is focused on what we enjoy doing around cybersecurity, which is working with large enterprises. We wanted absolutely zero external pressure as to the direction of the company or the speed in which we are growing. Therefore, my co-founder Rakesh Loonkar and I decided to invest our own money in the company.
We have been relatively successful in the past, so we could afford the risk of losing many millions if we failed. Today, Transmit is a profitable company, so the investment paid off. Not taking money from venture capitalists is not something everyone can do, so we consider ourselves lucky to be able to fund ourselves. Personally, I find it uncomfortable taking someone else's money when I can do this with my own.
I also believe that it made us more focused and got us to work harder. If you look at first-time entrepreneurs, they are eager to secure their future. For us, by using a considerable amount of our own fortune, we created a strong motivation for ourselves to succeed that is not dissimilar from first-time entrepreneurs. This is the idea behind the self-funding concept of our company.
High: As you gave the overview of Transmit Security and the wide array of areas in which you play, a CIO or technologist reading this might start thinking about the solution aspect of what you do. Naturally, there are people and process steps necessary to fulfill all that you described. Could you talk about the balance between people practices and processes that need to be instituted as complements to the solutions one implements?
Boodaei: We believe that identity protection is the most important aspect of security today. Look at all the biggest data breaches and cyber-attacks over the past five years, and they are all strongly related to identity protection. Each attack starts with spoof identities, stolen credentials, the abuse of permissions, and access to identifiable information.
If you think about it, identity-related information is how attackers breach your systems, and identity-related information is what most attackers are after once they breach your systems. Two decades ago, the focus for security was network security and protecting the perimeter. Over the last decade, the focus is more around endpoint desktop. With all the recent changes in the amount of information services, mobility, and cloud, the focus now is around identity. Identity is a hard challenge to solve because it spans across multiple services, channels, and systems. Identity protection is also the focus of many recent regulations across the world.
On the other end, identity is the biggest source of pain for end users and customers when it comes to customer experience. Identity is at the heart of the way you onboard customers, the way you authenticate customers, and the way you authorize sensitive customer activities. The customer experience is one of the key elements for success in today's environment. Security and customer experience are the two most important goals of any organization today. We bundle these together and address them as a single challenge. For organizations, it is more around bringing together people that used to do things in silos. It is about bringing together security people, fraud prevention, customer experience, identifying people to work on a common goal. It is important to focus on identity and have a cross-channel strategy that brings security and the customer experience together.
High: I am curious about how you see Transmit Security operating in the broader ecosystem of solutions. One of the challenges for CIOs, CISOs, and others who manage the broader security footprint is thinking about how to ensure that they have a portfolio of solutions that will comprehensively safeguard the enterprise. How do you think about operating in that broader ecosystem?
Boodaei: Both security and identity are highly fragmented markets. There are many identity solutions and components which enterprises use together. They use directories with customer information, databases with entitlements, web services, traditional authenticators, such as passwords, knowledge-based questions, one-time passwords, to name a few. Then we have new authentication technologies such as face, voice, fingerprint, and behavioral. We have device ID technologies, device security technologies, and many more.
All of these are part of the bigger identity and security space. All these technologies need to be used across different applications in customer journeys. This is where Transmit could help because it is the platform that brings everything together. It is the orchestration and abstraction platform that allows you as an organization to build and reuse complex journeys in a fast and efficient way. It allows companies to manage these different technologies across the organization.
High: As a serial entrepreneur, I am curious how an idea occurs to you. What was the kernel or idea that Transmit Security was born out of, and when did it occur to you?
Boodaei: When Trusteer was acquired by IBM in 2013, my co-founder Rakesh and I knew that we were too young to retire. We love the excitement and loved the space. We also did not want to be part of IBM, and this was pre-negotiated with IBM. IBM is a different type of organization than a startup and requires different skill sets. Doing another startup was the obvious direction for both of us.
We also wanted to stay in the broader cyber security space because we believe in expertise and experience. At the same time, we wanted to do something that was different from Trusteer. If you look at cybersecurity over the years, traditionally, there are three main submarkets to security: network security, endpoint security, and identity. Both Rakesh and I did network security in the past. I was the founder of Imperva, which is a web application and database security company, and Rakesh was the founder of OneSecure, which is today the Juniper Intrusion Prevention System. We both did endpoint security at Trusteer, which is an anti-malware solution for financial organizations.
Naturally, identity was our next challenge. Also, in our opinion, proving a person’s identity while keeping IT user experiences is one of the biggest challenges in security today. Our 20 plus years of experience in the market allowed us to skip the research phase since we knew what was missing for large enterprises to move faster and secure their customer identities. This is based on our experience at the companies we founded and with the companies we have worked with.
We started to talk to various enterprises to figure out the most pressing use cases that a platform like Transmit could solve for them. The use cases we identified determined a roadmap and go to market strategy. The core of Transmit’s platform is the same as we envisioned when we started to discuss the concept four and half years ago. It is all about being able to bring everyone together onto a single platform that consolidates fraud, security, customer experience, and identity management and allows customers to consolidate and accelerate these projects.
High: You have mentioned Rakesh Loonkar, who has been your co-founder several times and has deep experience in the security space. You are based in Israel while he is based in the United States, and yet you have developed a strong bond that has carried you through multiple entrepreneurial ventures. How have you been able to collaborate effectively despite the distance?
Boodaei: The secret is that you must be close to your customers, especially when you sell to large enterprises like we do. This is more important than being physically close to your co-founder. Rakesh is in the US and physically close to our customers there. I am closer to our customers in Europe, so that works well. For something like this to work, you need good chemistry.
Rakesh and I have different skill sets, so we complement each other. I trust him completely, and I believe he trusts me as well. That is a key part of being able to work together over distance. We talk daily, and we meet a few times a month. It is also important to build the tools across your organization to collaborate, share information, and work more efficiently. We have teams in Israel and all over the world. Being able to have open, fast communication between everyone is important.
High: You operate in a fast-evolving space. How do you stay current? As you look to the future, how do you ensure you are cognizant of changes in the general landscape relevant to your customers and your products? Likewise, how do you see your own product evolving over the next several years?
Boodaei: We are lucky because the way our product works allows us to work very closely with our customers. If you look at the big financial institutions or retailers, identity is something that goes across the entire organization with multiple initiatives. With each one of these, we are working closely with our customers. At any given time, we have a good understanding of what they are trying to do in the identity space. They constantly share their vision and leadership with us.
Our customers are proactive when it comes to working with us. They share their vision on what they want the customer journey to look like in the future and what they are trying to do. By consolidating all that feedback from our customers, processing it, and keeping track of all the new initiatives and new technologies and inventions in the market, we try to bring all that together into a single roadmap. That is what is going to keep us up to date in the future.
One of the smartest things we did is to invest a lot of energy at the beginning in building a platform that is flexible, scalable, and allows us to build a lot of capabilities and models extremely quickly on top of it. Our ability to take feedback from our customers, digest it, and implement and adopt new technologies that become available in the market is important, not just for us, but also for our customers. That is the main reason why we are being chosen in so many projects, because we allow our customers to keep innovating using a single platform and technology.
High: In addition to running Transmit Security, you also are an active startup investor. What sort of criteria do you use to determine how best to invest, and, how do you divide your time between actively managing your enterprise versus advising and staying involved in the broader community of startups?
Boodaei: I use an extremely simple criterion. It is based on my personal interest. When I see a technology that is interesting, this is usually the trigger for me to invest. Having said that, today, I am investing less than I used to. I simply do not have the time because Transmit takes about 150 percent of my time.
Before I invested in early-stage startups, specifically in cybersecurity, which was demanding. That is the main reason why I stopped. When I was active, I invested in about a dozen companies, all of which were in the cybersecurity space. I learned a lot by working with these smart entrepreneurs and by looking at the way they think and the way that they tried different market approaches. That was a good experience for me. |
0.999818 | If you are looking for comparisons to the above wine, think in terms of polar opposites. Based on previous experience, I know this wine will be a total knock out in a few years, but if you are looking for something to drink today, forget it. You can get a glimpse of what this wine will be by popping a cork, decanting the wine, and drinking it after 24 hours of airing.
It starts out amazingly structured and ungiving but becomes a fascinating, subtle yet powerful syrah upon airing up. There is an appealing blueberry aroma that jumps out of the glass, much like the 1996. The mouth is juicy and delicious, until you reach the wall of ultra fine textured tannins that tell you that the wine needs five years in the bottle before you should bother to drink it. There is precious little topsoil at Stolpman, and my theory is that the shale soil imbues the wine with a minerality, tannin, and delicacy of fruit that wines from soils that are alluvial based never have. |
0.999999 | Factors to Consider in Choosing a Web Hosting Company.
The accessibility of a website through online platforms usually vary with the web hosting solutions availed to the particular site, which plays a very crucial role in helping online marketing to be promoted with continuous generation of leads with time. Need for excellent web hosting services has instigated the best web hosting professionals to combine their exceptional expertise with expansive experience to ensure that they offer exclusive web hosting services that entail to help in easier access of business websites. To learn more about Web Hosting, visit here. For that reason, anyone who may be willing to boost personal business online coverage is advised to read through the latest reviews in order to spot the best web hosting companies with top review options.
Quality free domains coupled with excellent domain transfer solutions, to a level of allowing the clients to make use of their own domain names, which often play a key role in enhancing web page accessibility, since the web browsing speed is considerably boosted. Unbelievably, web hosting companies ensure that they provide a premium SSL certificate at no extra charges, which can easily assure the finest encrypted internet connections, so as to maintain a secure internet coverage that will protect the clients' data from being hacked or accessed by unauthorized persons. Therefore, clients can rest assured of receiving brilliant web hosting solutions that may involve; cloud hosting, reseller hosting, Word-press hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated hosting, making it easier to identify the most appropriate choice.
Mobile apps are as well embraced in web hosting to enable clients to closely monitor their websites for security purposes and as well regularly the load time at their web pages, depending on the detected traffic, making it easier to attract many online visitors. In addition, excellent web hosting services are usually promoted by a fully devoted support team that is always willing to reply any query that is raised via an email, phone call or live chat, to an extent of assuring twenty-four hour services, for the emergency cases to be attended promptly. Read more about Web Hosting from https://www.dreamhost.com/wordpress. Quality web hosting solutions are offered by fully qualified experts with a wide track of records coupled with long-term experience so as to satisfy the clients with matchless web hosting services that can conveniently satisfy the clients fully.
The premium web hosting solutions can be accessed through the superior website where custom features are revealed to enable clients to identify the best web hosting packages, be able to book appointments with web hosting experts and receive regular updates from any place. In a nutshell, the best web hosting services are availed at competitive prices and attractive discounts, helping many persons to afford with no much hassle, building a mutual trust. Learn more from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tips-to-choose-your-web-h_b_10609382.html. |
0.993298 | How healthy is the United States? This question has dominated the minds of many health experts and researchers for several years. Given the diversity and vastness of the United States, it is not easy to determine the health status of the population. A number of parameters and health measures have to be evaluated before estimating the health status of any society. Based on available date from the above variables, I would say that the health ranking of the United States is a B. although, some states are highly ranked in some health determinants than others, overall, the entire United states health status is ranked at a B. The following analysis of health determinants as recommended to by the United Nation will justify my position.
To begin with, the rate of per capita public health funding is slightly above average in most status. Most states in America spend a huge junk of their resources on funding health programs. Barr, (2008), asserts that some states like Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut have committed vast resources to public health issues. On the other hand, some states are still lucking behind in this field. For instance, the rate of public funding in Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma is below average. These states still experience low rate of the uninsured population, low rate of high school graduation and unavailability of primary care physicians.
Further analysis reveal that even in states with superior scores in most health determinants, this states are still grappling with issues of low rate of immunization coverage, and high rate of occupational fatalities. In summary, an evaluation of the combined health determinants in the Unites States ranks the country at a B. These include the rate of high school graduation, rate of usage of early prenatal care and the rate of access to health care. According to Shi, & Stevens, (2011), most states have enacted policies and legislation to bolster the health status of their citizens, but further action is needed to enable the country attain the United Nations health recommendations. |
0.999816 | What can the Chinese government do to keep the wealth gap from widening?
China could rebalance its economy away from wasteful investment, which mainly benefits elites in construction and related industries, toward consumption and services, which provides more opportunities for middle-class workers.
China could also invest more in education so that everyday citizens could participate in more high-value-added labor as a way to earn a larger slice of national income. China could also enforce its laws against corruption, bribery and cronyism more rigorously and clamp down on tax avoidance and capital flight.
What is driving China's growing wealth gap?
Most of the income inequality in China can be explained by corruption and elitism. In the 1980s and 1990s, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, China reformed its system of state-owned enterprises (SOES). Some of these SOES were closed, some were privatized, and some remained SOES, but were designated as national champions in their respective industries and allowed to thrive free of normal competition.
In each case, stock in the privatized companies or senior management roles in the new national champions was given to loyal Communist Party cadres and to so-called "princelings" who were the sons and daughters of leading officials or survivors of the Long March days of Mao Zedong in the 1930s. During the export and investment led boom that followed, these enterprises made enormous profits which went principally to the owners and senior managers and not to the workers.
This boom has continued beyond the bounds of normal expansion through China's over-investment in infrastructure, much of which is wasted. In effect, China is misallocating national wealth in favor of the SOES and private companies favored by government, which enriches a few at the expense of the nation as a whole.
How unequal has the current Chinese economic system become in comparison to capitalist systems in countries such as the United States?
Income inequality is a global problem. It has always existed in traditional oligarchical systems such as those in South America. It was less prevalent in North America and Europe and former Commonwealth nations that had a strong rule of law and offered good economic opportunities to those people who did not necessarily start out from a privileged position.
It was also not much of a problem in Communist nations such as Russia and China because there was relatively little wealth to begin with. Elites may have lived better but they were constrained by the relative poverty of their countries. Since the new age of globalization began in 1989, China and Russia have become much richer, which increases the opportunities for cronyism and theft by elites.
The situation in the US is exacerbated by bank and auto bailouts, other forms of government favoritism, and an opaque and complex tax system. The causes of income inequality in China, Russia and the US are different but the result is the same. China has greater income inequality than the US, but both countries are approaching the point where income inequality is so extreme that it threatens to cause social disorder.
The ruling Communist Party aims to preserve social stability to avoid any challenge to its grasp on power. How big of a concern is this widening wealth gap to China's Communist Party?
Income inequality should be deeply disturbing to the Communist Party leadership because it has historically been a source of social instability in China. The demonstrations and massacre in Tiananmen Square in 1989 were in part attributable to increasing inflation, which is a form of income inequality because it is most damaging to those with fewer investment options to hedge against inflation.
However, the Chinese elites are themselves the main beneficiaries of income inequality in the short run. Capital flight from China is accelerating, which is a sign that at least some elites have adopted a "take the money and run" attitude and no longer care about continued Communist Party dominance provided they can extract enormous wealth from the country before the social disorder become more pronounced. The widening wealth gap is troubling, but it is not clear whether there is much political will to stop it.
Listening to mainstream market commentary on television and reading the financial press leaves one with the impression that the economic recovery is gaining strength and that stock market indices, at or near all-time highs, will go higher still.
The litany of market happy talk is impressive. The unemployment rate has dropped to 6.1%, down about 4 percentage points from its peak, and is expected to go lower in the months ahead. The economy created about 230,000 jobs per month in the first half of 2014, which brings the increase in jobs to nine million since the economic recovery began in mid-2009. Interest rates remain low, which supports high asset valuations in stocks and housing. Inflation is tame and expectations about future inflation are well anchored. To hear the stock market bulls tell the story, all is right with the world.
But all is not right. In fact, the fundamentals of the U.S. economy are in awful condition and are getting worse. Almost everything about the happy talk story is superficial, and falls apart under scrutiny. There is an alternative narrative of bad news that is seldom discussed on mainstream business channels but is well known to analysts. When these adverse trends are taken into account one conclusion in inescapable. The stock market and economic fundamentals are on a collision course. One or the other will have to swerve. Either the economy will have to improve rapidly and unexpectedly and reverse its fundamental weakness, or inflated stock values are heading for a precipitous fall. The evidence suggests that the latter is more likely.
The first weak link in the happy talk chain is the nature of job creation. For example, it was reported than 288,000 jobs were created in June. But full-time jobs declined by 523,000 while part time jobs increased by about 800,000. The widely reported increase in net jobs masked a disastrous loss of full-time jobs offset by a huge increase in part-time jobs. The part-time jobs offer fewer hours, lower pay and few benefits. They may be better than no job at all, but they are not the kind of jobs that will support discretionary consumer spending on which the economy relies for growth.
This trend in part-time jobs is not new. There are 7.5 million people working part-time on an involuntary basis compared to about 4.4 million doing so in 2007. This rise in part-time jobs is expected to continue because it is driven in part by Obamacare, which does not require coverage for part-time workers. Employers are aware of this and simply cut full-time jobs and replace them with part-timers to reduce insurance costs.
Nor is there any comfort in the declining unemployment rate. Much of the decline is attributable not to job creation but rather to the decline in the number of people looking for work. Once people stop looking for a job, they are no longer technically “unemployed” and the unemployment rate drops even though no job has been found. As columnist Mort Zuckerman said, “You might as well say that the unemployment rate would be zero if everyone stopped looking for work.” Only 62.8% of Americans participate in the work force today — the lowest level since 1978.
The news gets worse. Not only is labor force participation low, and full-time employment collapsing, but the productivity of those working is now in decline. This decline in productivity is another drag on growth. The reason for it is even more disturbing. Productivity is declining because capital expenditure has slowed. Businesses are keeping up with demand by employing part-time workers instead of investing in the plant and equipment needed to make full-time workers more productive.
Not surprisingly, this triple-whammy of declining full-time jobs, declining productivity and slowing capital investment means that real wages are stagnant. If workers can’t make more, they can’t spend more without borrowing. Borrowing is more difficult because home equity has not recovered from the 2007 housing crash and lending standards are the most stringent in years. Companies won’t invest in equipment if consumers can’t spend.
The result is a death spiral of lower consumption, lower investment, declining productivity, stagnant wages, and underemployment all feeding on each other and making the overall economy weaker. This is the real reason for the shocking 2.9 percent decline in first quarter GDP. It was not the result of “cold weather,” which by the way happens every winter.
There are other signs of ill health in labor markets. In a dynamic labor market, net job gains reflect large numbers of new jobs and lost jobs as employees confidently quit their jobs in the expectation of finding new ones. But evidence reported by Goldman Sachs and James Pethokoukis of the American Enterprise Institute shows that job turnover has declined sharply as employees are extremely reluctant to quit their jobs in an uncertain environment. This tends to lock-out the unemployed who lose job entry opportunities and to weaken wage growth as employees lose leverage to demand raises.
Labor force participation is unlikely to rise significantly partly because of generous benefits that provide an adequate lifestyle for those out of the labor force. The U.S. has over 50 million on food stamps, 11 million on disability, and millions more on extended unemployment benefits. Prospective loss of these benefits creates a high hurdle to motivate a return to the workforce.
The news from abroad is no better. China is slowing precipitously and may be on the brink of a credit collapse. European growth is near zero and even the mighty German economy, the locomotive of Europe, is slowing partly because of weaker demand from Ukraine, Russia and China.
So, the conundrum is complete. Stock indices march to all-time highs while economic fundamentals fall apart. The two will be reconciled either with a spectacular turnaround in growth or a spectacular collapse in stock prices. The problem is that a turnaround in growth can only come from structural reform, not money printing. Structural reform is the job of the White House and Congress, not the Federal Reserve. Since the White House and Congress are barely speaking, no help should be expected from that direction. Therefore a stock market collapse is almost inevitable and is probably coming soon.
Jim Rickards appears on the very popular, Alex Jones, Infowars radio show. He tells Alex to watch what they do. Not what they say.
Jim Rickards, Senior Managing Director at Tangent Capital, discusses whether Argentina's second default on its sovereign debt will have a contagion effect on global financial markets.
Jim Rickards talks with Paul Buitink about the crisis and his presentation for 20 September in Rotterdam.
"The world is witnessing a climactic battle between deflation and inflation," Jim Rickards writes in his excellent new book The Death of Money.
"It is just a matter of time" before this battle comes to a head.
At some point, the U.S. economy will experience "an earthquake in the form of either a deeper depression [from deflation] or higher inflation, as one force rapidly and unexpected overwhelms the other."
For the most part, the government creates this one... by "printing" trillions of dollars.
For starters, we "have no living memory of it." The last episode of persistent deflation was in the Great Depression. Rickards calls deflation "the Federal Reserve's worst nightmare." For one, deflation "increases the value of government debt, making it harder to repay."
Because of fear of deflation, the Fed can't stop its money printing. If it did stop, "deflation would quickly dominate the economy, with disastrous consequences for the national debt, government revenue, and the banking system."
Which will win – inflation or deflation?
Rickards explains that "the most likely path of Federal Reserve policy in the years ahead is the continuation of massive money printing to fend off deflation." The Fed assumes it can later deal with inflation that it might create.
I agree with him. Governments have proven for centuries that – while they might be pretty bad at most things – one thing they're pretty good at is creating inflation through printing money.
The easy conclusion is that inflation will win... but many times, the easy conclusion isn't necessarily the right one.
In his book, Rickards builds a strong case for how deflation could win as well.
Whether inflation or deflation wins this battle, Rickards makes a strong case for a higher gold price.
The global debt markets have mushroomed to an estimated $100 trillion dollars! According to the latest statistics. |
0.998012 | Do you know which psychiatric disorder carries the highest mortality rate? It might surprise you- Eating Disorders. I know we often think about depression and anxiety, even substance abuse disorders, as taking many lives; meanwhile, many people are losing their fight with complications from starvation, purging, binging, and other issues associated with eating disorders.
Studies have shown that 1 in 7 women and 1 in 10 men can be diagnosed with an eating disorder at some point in their life. This year, National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is February 26- March 4 and the theme is “Let’s Get Real.” It’s time we learned about eating disorders, how to recognize them, and how to get help. Let’s take a look at each type of eating disorder.
Anorexia Nervosa tends to be the eating disorder that often gets the most awareness. It’s characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. This includes fear of gaining weight of being “fat” and negative self-perception of body weight or shape. Some of the warning signs include: weight loss, fear of gaining weight, denial of low weight, low self-esteem, rituals around food, withdrawal from friends or activities, dry skin, nails, or hair, fainting, excessive exercise, and abuse of laxatives, diet pills, or diuretics. There are many health consequences of anorexia, including but not limited to: amenorrhea, irregular or low heartbeat, muscle loss, kidney failure, disorientation, bone density loss, and death.
Bulimia Nervosa is often recognized due to binging and purging behaviors, that is, eating in excess then ridding the body of the food. The criteria includes binging and purging at least once a week, driven by dissatisfaction with weight or body shape. Some of the warning signs are secretive eating, frequent trips to the bathroom, weight fluctuations, abuse of laxatives, diet pills, or diuretics, swollen cheeks or neck, sores on the back of knuckles, stained teeth, low self-esteem, heartburn, and preoccupation with food. The medical side effects are often more related to electrolyte imbalances, edema, vitamins & mineral deficiencies, kidney problems, ruptured of the esophagus, tooth decay, and death.
Binge Eating Disorder is typically overlooked in our society despite being the most common eating disorder in the United States. BED comprises of eating more food than what is “normal” within a given amount of time and feeling a lack of control over eating. Often this leads to much distress and embarrassment or disgust. It is not associated with any compensatory behaviors associated with Bulimia or Anorexia. Some of the warning signs include: eating large amounts when not hungry, feeling painfully full, eating alone, and hiding amount of food eaten. The key health related issue is obesity, along with type II Diabetes, increased blood pressure, sleep apnea, kidney problems, heart disease, and gastrointestinal problems.
There is also another category for eating disorders identified as OSFED, or, Feeding or Eating disorders Not Elsewhere Classified. This can compose of those who might have some symptoms listed above, though not as severe. This diagnosis can be just as severe medically and psychologically as the previous diagnoses.
There are also other eating disorders, including Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, Pica, Rumination Disorder, and Orthorexia. These often are associated with other mental health diagnoses since they don’t typically include the negative self-evaluation of Anorexia, Bulimia, or Binge Eating.
One of the most important things to know about eating disorders is that they are rarely a single diagnosis. Often an individual will also have another issue, such as depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder. While it appears these disorders are about food and weight, many in the throes of an Eating Disorder will identify that food and weight are the scapegoat for their feelings and emotions. Eating Disorders have recently been identified and recognized as an addictive disorder- as their behavioral patterns become increasingly difficult to control or cease. Because of all these factors, and all the potential medical complications, treatment is essential.
It is important to know that recovery is possible. While the road may be rocky and scary, there is hope for a much healthier life, without the constant mental torture that eating disorders bring. A previous theme for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week was “Everybody knows Somebody.” Let’s work together to break the stigma associated with Eating Disorders and get help to those who might be suffering silently. For more information, please check out https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedawareness, or call our office to schedule an appointment or screening.
If you or someone you know is dealing with an eating disorder or possible eating disorder, please know help is available. Sherri Armitage at Building Blocks Family Counseling specializes in the treatment of eating disorders. Learn more about Sherri and the services she provides on our About Us Page. Schedule your appointment with her today. |
0.991578 | After a long time alone in the territories of the saltwater crocodile: What is the conclusion of such an experience?
Having lived face to face with the saltwater crocodile in its natural habitat and having been able to view it in so many different situations of its everyday life, only one conclusion is possible: Despite the very powerful appearance, this is definitely no monster.
Actually, there isn’t even a greedy predator continuously on the search for prey. What is to be found, is an understandable creature that sometimes seems to enjoy itself by playing in the waves when the water is warm, and that without any doubt, spends much of its time curiously watching what is happening in its surroundings without the intention to hunt or express aggression. Very likely much of what would be felt as threat to humans is caused by the crocodile’s curiosity.
Watching saltwater crocodiles in the free nature and being confronted with them one to one is connected with a very deep fascination, and once the fear has calmed due to finally understanding the animals rules, this captivation can reach degrees which are hard to describe with words.
Certainly this mighty predator can create a danger for us individually when living in or visiting its natural habitat and any accident that has left somebody badly injured or killed is a real tragedy.
But without any doubt those rules - which abiding by will allow us to stay save in the territory of the crocodile - do exist and it is the neglect of these principles that can lead to fatal consequences. This could be compared to our road rules for traffic in the cities.
restrain, that most other animals don’t even take notice what has just passed by. It is not chasing after anything, does not know any kind of torture, and does not even need to hunt all the time due to its efficiency.
Finally, when it kills, there is always a clear reason and for any prey, the end would come almost fast as a flash. So, in the very end of the trip in the world of the big crocodile, after arriving back into mankind’s modern civilisation, things are sticking out: It’s humans who are causing cruelties that are absolutely unprecedented in the history of life on this planet.
If there are any monsters on earth, then they can only be we humans ourselves. Keeping the planets other life forms in narrow cages for their entire life to get cheap meat or eggs, carelessly destroying the habitats of other living creatures, is our behaviour alone.
Maybe we should accept the strongest predator as a teacher, who can make us understand many important things. For example, that disturbing other life forms as little as possible is a precondition for a durable existence at the top of the food chain.
Or that there are hidden rules in nature, connected with limitations, and that not being willing to find and accept them is bonded with high danger of disappearing from this planet very fast and suddenly. |
0.98193 | To freeze this recipe, make sure you choose fresh filo pastry and freeze the unbaked pie in the cake tin covered with plastic freezer wrap and heavy-duty foil. Thaw it, uncovered, in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight, then bake it as described left.
1. To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat.
2. Add the spring onion and cook until soft. Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted. If using frozen spinach, cook until heated through.
3. Drain the spinach mixture in a colander and press out as much moisture as possible. Leave to cool, then tip onto a clean cloth, gather up the sides and squeeze the excess moisture out of the spinach. Chop coarsely.
4. In a bowl, combine the spinach mixture with the cottage cheese, feta, dill, parsley and rice, mixing very thoroughly. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, bearing in mind the saltiness of the feta.
6. Unwrap the filo pastry and cover the pastry with a barely damp cloth to prevent it drying out and becoming brittle. Combine the olive oil and melted butter.
7. Brush the butter mixture all over a 20cm springform cake tin. Place one layer of filo on the bottom, brush with the butter mixture, top with another layer at a slightly different angle, brush with the butter mixture, and so on, forming 7 layers. Spoon all of the spinach filling on top of the layered filo, spreading out evenly.
8. Fold over any excess filo across the top of the filling and continue layering, forming 5 more layers. Brush the top with butter and then, using a very sharp knife, score the pastry and filling, before baking, into 8 pieces. Scatter black sesame seeds over the top for decoration, if using.
9. Bake the spinach pie for 30 minutes, then remove the springform ring and cook for a further 15 minutes, until sizzling, deep golden and crisp right through each of the filo layers.
10. Cut again along the original slits before serving. Serve hot or cold. |
0.934799 | Should I capitalize the 'i' in Internet and use a hyphen in e-mail?
Should I capitalize "Internet" and hyphenate "e-mail"?
The Internet is a proper noun. In the English language, almost all proper nouns begin with a capital letter. Therefore, when referring to the Internet, a global interconnected network of computers, always capitalize the first letter. It should be noted that the word internetwork refers in general to a network of computers; it does not require capitalization.
Note: Depending on the style guide you or your organization follow this rule may be different. For example, in the Microsoft Manual of Style "Internet" is capitalized. However, in the Associated Press Stylebook "internet" is lowercase.
Short for "electronic mail," the spelling of e-mail is widely accepted as both "e-mail" and "email." However, according to Merriam-Webster and other authorities, the correct spelling is "e-mail" because it is the compound noun of the words "electronic" and "mail." Other style guides like the Microsoft Manual of Style use "email" with no hyphen.
Computer Hope also chooses to use "e-mail" to help prevent confusion with other compound nouns and other words with the "e-" prefix.
See the hyphen, Internet, and e-mail definitions for further information and related links. |
0.997641 | I hear a lot of us follow a certain quote that goes a little something like: "We must love ourselves first, before somebody could ever love us back", and I find that to be very intimidating, and frankly, untrue. That saying makes you feel as if you are on a time crunch, and if you don't hurry up and start loving yourself soon, no one is ever going to give us the time of day to love us how we so badly want to be loved. Nothing is more scary than struggling with self image issues, depression, anxiety, eating disorders and then trying to find one singular thing we actually enjoy about ourselves, let alone worrying about how other people perceive us in the first place.
So why do I find this quote to be such a bother? Because I've learned how to love myself by somebody else loving me before I could, and I want you to know that you don't have to wait for you to love yourself first, because it's way too damn hard when we are already deeply struggling.
I've been in the same nourishing relationship for six years now, and I remember how hard it was for me to love him back in the first few months of us dating, when I didn't love myself. I was afraid of someone loving me when I felt so lost. I struggled, and let's be frank, I still struggle sometimes with deeply rooted body issues, depression, anxiety and my realtionship with food.
I'm not telling you to go get a boyfriend or girlfriend so they can help you fix your problems, and it's 100% possible to learn how to love yourself without someone else, but I want to let you know that it's absolutely okay, to not be okay, to ask for the help, and to allow your heart to be vulnerable to a family member, a friend, and maybe even a significant other. You will find someone who so badly wants to invest in you and they will treasure your transparency- and maybe that person is also yourself, you just need time. We are not on the same clock.
I've considered myself to be independent ever since I was a little girl, but my independence got in the way of me being able to be vulnerable with somebody who only wanted to embrace me. Independence and self love are not synonyms, but I find it to be a strength, a safe space, a support system and an interconnection. Without my independence, I wouldn't have been able to eventually break apart some layers and allow him to wrap onto my heart. You see, when we lack a sense of independence, we lack defensive layers. You might not feel like you're an independent person, but I promise you're more independent than you think, especially if you have always carried a guard over your soul. If you don't think you're independent enough, okay, there's always ways that can be strengthened, but remember that those who struggle with self worth, have already learned how to lean on their own chains.
Being an independent person is one of the single most important qualities to have as you take on this fast paced world. We have to remember that even though we are struggling right now, we have one body, and one chance at this current lifetime, and if we can have our independence, we have all the chances in the world to succeed- and some examples of success should be our health, internal peace and contentment. We are all on different paths in our life, and more often than not, we have to be alone with ourselves for a while to just understand where we really stand, we have to have reluctance, but you absolutely don't have to love yourself way before someone else can.
"They continued to love me when I expressed to them about my quirky things, my dark self reflections and my horrible habits, and in response to everything that was told, they said to me: I love you as certain dark things need to be loved in secret, and even though you see this differently, I'm here to hold you until you want to let me go."
Ever since I was young I struggled with depression, anxiety, body image issues and my overwhelming relationship with food, as mentioned earlier. To be honest, I still have my days, and that's completely normal in the healing process.
You're also probably waiting for me to tell you some magical words that Caleb spoke to me that just instantly allowed me to learn how to love myself, but none of that is evident. The truth is that Caleb has always been my rock, my spine. He's always been there, and sometimes in the shadows because he understands my limits and when I just need to be alone. He's always told me that everything I hate about myself, is what he loves, and it doesn't matter what I think I look like, or maybe I eventually will turn out to be with age, he's going to be there and the rest is up to me. He gives me hard truths. He tells me that I need to do whatever it is that will make me happy, and that's the simplest, and easiest response I didn't know I ever needed.
So just do what I need to do to be happy? That's it? Well, yeah.
With slow time, I have been able to focus. While I'm only speaking for myself, I needed him to tell me that, and I needed to come to terms with myself RIGHT NOW. Because back then, that "RIGHT NOW", was the darkest place I've ever been in, and I knew that with him holding up all of my bones, I was able to reach some light and this is where I stand today. If I was going to give you cheesy life changing advice that you might be longing for, it's to only look at life as the glass half full, and never empty.
It's up to us how we choose to react and become. What I have come to realize is that when we don’t try so hard to fix everything, those things seem to fix themselves, and when we don't try so hard to fix everything by ourselves, those things tend to be fixed by the aid of others. |
0.994328 | Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Duterte administration's controversial war against illegal drugs is back, and police assure it will be "less bloody."
Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa announced on Monday the return of the government's anti-drug campaign Oplan Tokhang, now relaunched as "Oplan Tokhang 2: Project Double Barrel Reloaded."
"Ang aim namin dito is bloodless campaign kung pupwede, but this is war, so siguro mangyari nito is less bloody," said Dela Rosa in a press briefing, flanked by police officers including Police Senior Superintendent Graciano Mijares, head of the PNP's Drug Enforcement Group, which will focus on nabbing high-value targets.
"Basta walang lalaban, walang dadanak na dugo. [As long as they don't resist arrest, it will be bloodless] We are not here to claim lives, we are here to save lives," he said.
"Tokhang" is a composite of two Visayan words, "toktok," which means to knock, and "hangyo," or to plead. Teams led by police and local officials go from house to house in an area, knocking on doors of suspects and pleading with them to end their drug use or turn themselves in.
Dela Rosa emphasized the reforms in the conduct of Oplan Tokhang 2.
A new standard operating procedure (SOP) will be the inclusion of a representative of the church in the police's anti-drug operations in an area.
"Preferably [magiging SOP na may kasamang pari]. Hindi naman talaga mandatory na kapag walang pari na sasama na hindi na sila makapagtokhang," Dela Rosa said.
"Coordinate with the local church para merong representative. A parish priest para lalabas na mas credible itong kampanya... Kung hindi available 'yung parish priest, puwede yung pastor ng protestante sumama or yung imam ng Muslim community ay sumama. Kahit sino, basta involved sa church," he added.
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Archbishop Socrates Villegas said on Monday that they had yet to receive a written request or offer for the church to participate in Oplan Tokhang 2.
But CBCP public affairs executive secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano said he saw "no need for priests to join Oplan Tokhang."
"De la Rosa already claimed that there are enough safeguards to prevent abuses. Whatever strategy there is, for as long as there's no killing and it is devoid of any corrupt and unjust practice, the church supports," Secillano said.
Dela Rosa also said that screening of police officers who will participate in Oplan Tokhang 2 will be more stringent to avoid the inclusion of rogue police officers.
"Problema natin noon sa 'Tokhang Part 1,' kung sinu-sino na lang ang nagcoconduct ng Tokhang. Ginagamit sa extortion. Strikto na ang policy natin sa Tokhang. Bahala na mabagal, basta sigurado," he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte suspended the PNP's seven-month drug war on January 30 following the alleged involvement of rogue police in the kidnapping and killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo under the guise of Oplan Tokhang.
However, Dela Rosa said the drug war was reimposed because the government saw the 20-percent increase in drug activities as an urgent matter that had to be resolved right away.
The PNP Chief added Duterte gave the resumption's go signal last week, but he asked for an extension to better prepare for it.
"Nakita ng presidente na tumaas na naman ang drug activities. Kailangan bumalik talaga kami," Dela Rosa said.
During the first wave of the anti-drug campaign, 2,538 drug suspects were killed and 52,521 people were arrested during legitimate police operations. More than 4,000 deaths were recorded due to alleged vigilante-style killings.
Dela Rosa noted that another major reform of the anti-drug operations is the rehabilitation of drug surenderees.
A big criticism of the earlier war against drugs was that there were not enough opportunities for rehabilitation.
Oplan Tokhang 2 includes a program known as "There Is Life After Tokhang," a community-based effort that will be offered to the drug dependents.
Drug users who need more intervention will be referred to the Department of Health's drug rehabilitation center in Nueva Ecija.
"This is aimed at saving the users and jailing the pushers kung kinakailangan [if needed]," he said.
CNN Philippines correspondent Rex Remitio contributed to this report. |
0.863904 | (CNN) - After 8 hours of deliberations Thursday, a St. Louis jury awarded $4.69 billion to 22 women who sued pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson alleging their ovarian cancer was caused by using its powder as a part of their daily feminine hygiene routine.
The jury award includes $550 million in compensatory damages and $4.14 billion in punitive damages. It's the largest verdict against the company that has sold Baby Powder and Shower to Shower brand talcum powder for decades.
A jury ruled in Johnson & Johnson's favor in one lawsuit in California last November. In October, a judge reversed two verdicts in favor of the company. A Missouri appeals court tossed out a $55 million verdict in June citing jurisdictional issues.
In 2006, the International Agency for Research in Cancer, which falls under the World Health Organization, decided to classify the use of talc in the genital area as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." In the US, government agencies and medical associations that track what causes cancer believe the topic needs more research to know for sure.
The US National Toxicology Program, part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, keeps a congressionally mandated list of "agents, substances, mixtures, and exposure circumstances that are known or reasonably anticipated to cause cancer in humans." Talc is not among the 248 listed; however, in 2010, when it was up for consideration to be included in the list, the agency explained that it has not fully reviewed talc as a possible carcinogen.
A separate but related set of lawsuits suggest Johnson & Johnson's powder is contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos, a well-known cancer-causing agent, is often mined near talc. A New Jersey couple was awarded $117 million after after the husband claimed the J&J powder he inhaled gave him mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure.
"For over 40 years, Johnson & Johnson has covered up the evidence of asbestos in their products," Mark Lanier, lead trial counsel for the women and their families, said in a statement. "We hope this verdict will get the attention of the J&J board and that it will lead them to better inform the medical community and the public about the connection between asbestos, talc, and ovarian cancer."
Doctors have noticed that talc particles have been in cancer tumors for decades, but it's been unclear how the contamination happened and if it led to the cancer. The women in this case claim to have all used talc based powder for decades to keep their bodies smelling fresh and clean, particularly in their genital area.
In a statement following the ruling, Johnson & Johnson said it is confident its "products do not contain asbestos and do not cause ovarian cancer,"
"Every verdict against Johnson & Johnson in this court that has gone through the appeals process has been reversed and the multiple errors present in this trial were worse than those in the prior trials which have been reversed." |
0.998868 | For the eponymous railcar, see Ferdinand Magellan (railcar).
Ferdinand Magellan (/məˈɡɛlən/ or /məˈdʒɛlən/; Portuguese: Fernão de Magalhães, IPA: [fɨɾˈnɐ̃w dɨ mɐɣɐˈʎɐ̃jʃ]; Spanish: Fernando de Magallanes, IPA: [feɾˈnando ðe maɣaˈʎanes]; c. 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer who organised the Spanish expedition to the East Indies from 1519 to 1522, resulting in the first circumnavigation of the Earth, completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano.
Magellan had already reached the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia on previous voyages traveling east (from 1505 to 1511–1512). By visiting this area again but now travelling west, Magellan achieved a nearly complete personal circumnavigation of the globe for the first time in history.
The Magellanic penguin is named after him, as he was the first European to note it. Magellan's navigational skills have also been acknowledged in the naming of objects associated with the stars, including the Magellanic Clouds, now known to be two nearby dwarf galaxies; the twin lunar craters of Magelhaens and Magelhaens A; and the Martian crater of Magelhaens.
Magellan was born in northern Portugal in around 1480, either at Vila Nova de Gaia, near Porto, in Douro Litoral Province, or at Sabrosa, near Vila Real, in Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Province. He was the son of Rodrigo de Magalhães, Alcaide-Mor of Aveiro (1433–1500, son of Pedro Afonso de Magalhães and wife Quinta de Sousa) and wife Alda de Mesquita and brother of Leonor or Genebra de Magalhães, wife with issue of João Fernandes Barbosa.
In March 1505 at the age of 25, Magellan enlisted in the fleet of 22 ships sent to host D. Francisco de Almeida as the first viceroy of Portuguese India. Although his name does not appear in the chronicles, it is known that he remained there eight years, in Goa, Cochin and Quilon. He participated in several battles, including the battle of Cannanore in 1506, where he was wounded. In 1509 he fought in the battle of Diu. He later sailed under Diogo Lopes de Sequeira in the first Portuguese embassy to Malacca, with Francisco Serrão, his friend and possibly cousin. In September, after arriving at Malacca, the expedition fell victim to a conspiracy ending in retreat. Magellan had a crucial role, warning Sequeira and saving Francisco Serrão, who had landed.
In 1511, under the new governor Afonso de Albuquerque, Magellan and Serrão participated in the conquest of Malacca. After the conquest their ways parted: Magellan was promoted, with a rich plunder and, in the company of a Malay he had indentured and baptized, Enrique of Malacca, he returned to Portugal in 1512. Serrão departed in the first expedition sent to find the "Spice Islands" in the Moluccas, where he remained. He married a woman from Amboina and became a military advisor to the Sultan of Ternate, Bayan Sirrullah. His letters to Magellan would prove decisive, giving information about the spice-producing territories.
After taking a leave without permission, Magellan fell out of favour. Serving in Morocco, he was wounded, resulting in a permanent limp. He was accused of trading illegally with the Moors. The accusations were proved false, but he received no further offers of employment after 15 May 1514. Later on in 1515, he got an employment offer as a crew member on a Portuguese ship, but rejected this. In 1517 after a quarrel with King Manuel I, who denied his persistent demands to lead an expedition to reach the spice islands from the east (i.e., while sailing westwards, seeking to avoid the need to sail around the tip of Africa), he left for Spain. In Seville he befriended his countryman Diogo Barbosa and soon married the daughter of Diogo's second wife, María Caldera Beatriz Barbosa. They had two children: Rodrigo de Magalhães and Carlos de Magalhães, both of whom died at a young age. His wife died in Seville around 1521.
Meanwhile, Magellan devoted himself to studying the most recent charts, investigating, in partnership with cosmographer Rui Faleiro, a gateway from the Atlantic to the South Pacific and the possibility of the Moluccas being Spanish according to the demarcation of the Treaty of Tordesillas.
Christopher Columbus's voyages to the West (1492–1503) had the goal of reaching the Indies and to establish direct commercial relations between Spain and the Asian kingdoms. The Spanish soon realized that the lands of the Americas were not a part of Asia, but a new continent. The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas reserved for Portugal the eastern routes that went around Africa, and Vasco da Gama and the Portuguese arrived in India in 1498.
Castile (Spain) urgently needed to find a new commercial route to Asia. After the Junta de Toro conference of 1505, the Spanish Crown commissioned expeditions to discover a route to the west. Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa reached the Pacific Ocean in 1513 after crossing the Isthmus of Panama, and Juan Díaz de Solís died in Río de la Plata in 1516 while exploring South America in the service of Spain.
Monopoly of the discovered route for a period of ten years.
Their appointment as governors of the lands and islands found, with 5% of the resulting net gains.
A fifth of the gains of the travel.
The right to levy one thousand ducats on upcoming trips, paying only 5% on the remainder.
Granting of an island for each one, apart from the six richest, from which they would receive a fifteenth.
The expedition was funded largely by the Spanish Crown, which provided ships carrying supplies for two years of travel. Expert cartographer Jorge Reinel and Diogo Ribeiro, a Portuguese who had started working for Charles V in 1518 as a cartographer at the Casa de Contratación, took part in the development of the maps to be used in the travel. Several problems arose during the preparation of the trip, including lack of money, the king of Portugal trying to stop them, Magellan and other Portuguese incurring suspicion from the Spanish, and the difficult nature of Faleiro. Finally, thanks to the tenacity of Magellan, the expedition was ready. Through the bishop Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca they obtained the participation of merchant Christopher de Haro, who provided a quarter of the funds and goods to barter.
Victoria, the sole ship of Magellan's fleet to complete the circumnavigation. Detail from a map by Ortelius, 1590.
Victoria (85 tons, crew 43), named after the church of Santa Maria de la Victoria de Triana, where Magellan took an oath of allegiance to Charles V; commanded by Luis Mendoza.
On 10 August 1519, the five ships under Magellan's command left Seville and descended the Guadalquivir River to reach the Atlantic Ocean at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, at the mouth of the river. There they remained more than five weeks. Finally they set sail on 20 September 1519 and left Spain.
On 13 December anchored near present-day Rio de Janeiro. Although in 1500, Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed the eastern most shores of Brazil for Portugal, Portugal did not maintain a permanent settlement there to protect its brazilwood monopoly (the French were able to help themselves to the timber without interference.) Magellan's armada arrived without Portuguese notice. There the crew was resupplied, but bad conditions caused them to delay. Afterwards, they continued to sail south along South America's east coast, looking for the strait that Magellan believed would lead to the Spice Islands. The fleet reached Río de la Plata in early February, 1520.
For overwintering, Magellan established a temporary settlement called Puerto San Julian on March 30, 1520. On Easter (April 1 and 2), a mutiny broke out involving three of the five ship captains. Magellan took quick and decisive action. Luis de Mendoza, the captain of Victoria, was killed by a party sent by Magellan, and the ship was recovered. After Concepción's anchor cable had been secretly cut by his forces, the ship drifted towards the well-armed Trinidad, and Concepcion's captain de Quesada and his inner circle surrendered. Juan de Cartagena, the head of the mutineers on the San Antonio, subsequently gave up. Antonio Pigafetta reported that Gaspar Quesada, the captain of Concepción, and other mutineers were executed, while Juan de Cartagena, the captain of San Antonio, and a priest named Padre Sanchez de la Reina were marooned on the coast. Most of the men, including Juan Sebastián Elcano, were needed and forgiven. Reportedly those killed were drawn and quartered and impaled on the coast; years later, their bones were found by Sir Francis Drake.
The Strait of Magellan cuts through the southern tip of South America connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
At 52°S latitude on 21 October 1520, the fleet reached Cape Virgenes and concluded they had found the passage, because the waters were brine and deep inland. Four ships began an arduous trip through the 373-mile (600 km) long passage that Magellan called the Estrecho (Canal) de Todos los Santos, ("All Saints' Channel"), because the fleet travelled through it on 1 November or All Saints' Day. The strait is now named the Strait of Magellan. He first assigned Concepcion and San Antonio to explore the strait, but the latter, commanded by Gómez, deserted and headed back to Spain on 20 November. On 28 November, the three remaining ships entered the South Pacific. Magellan named the waters the Mar Pacifico (Pacific Ocean) because of its apparent stillness. Magellan and his crew were the first Europeans to reach Tierra del Fuego just east of the Pacific side of the strait.
Monument in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu in the Philippines.
On 16 March Magellan reached the island of Homonhon in the Philippines, with 150 crew left. Members of his expedition became the first Europeans to reach the Philippine archipelago.
Magellan relied on Enrique, his Malay servant and interpreter, to communicate with the native tribes. He had been indentured by Magellan in 1511 after the colonization of Malacca, and had accompanied him through later adventures. They traded gifts with Rajah Siaiu of Mazaua who guided them to Cebu on 7 April.
Rajah Humabon of Cebu was friendly towards Magellan and the Spaniards; both he and his queen Hara Amihan were baptized as Christians and were given the image of the Holy Child (later known as Santo Niño de Cebu) which along with a cross (Magellan's Cross) symbolizes the Christianization of the Philippines. Afterward, Rajah Humabon and his ally Datu Zula convinced Magellan to kill their enemy, Datu Lapu-Lapu, on Mactan. Magellan wanted to convert Lapu-Lapu to Christianity, as he had Humabon, but Lapu-Lapu rejected that. On the morning of 27 April 1521, Magellan sailed to Mactan with a small force. During the resulting battle against Lapu-Lapu's troops, Magellan was struck by a bamboo spear, and later surrounded and finished off with other weapons.
"Nothing of Magellan's body survived, that afternoon the grieving rajah-king, hoping to recover his remains, offered Mactan's victorious chief a handsome ransom of copper and iron for them but Datu Lapulapu refused. He intended to keep the body as a war trophy. Since his wife and child died in Seville before any member of the expedition could return to Spain, it seemed that every evidence of Ferdinand Magellan's existence had vanished from the earth."
The Magellan–Elcano voyage. Victoria, one of the original five ships, circumnavigated the globe, finishing 16 months after Magellan's death.
Victoria set sail via the Indian Ocean route home on 21 December, commanded by Juan Sebastián Elcano. By 6 May 1522 the Victoria rounded the Cape of Good Hope, with only rice for rations. Twenty crewmen died of starvation before Elcano put into Cape Verde, a Portuguese holding, where he abandoned 13 more crew on 9 July in fear of losing his cargo of 26 tons of spices (cloves and cinnamon).[citation needed] On 6 September 1522, Elcano and the remaining crew of Magellan's voyage arrived in Spain aboard the Victoria, almost exactly three years after the fleet of five ships had departed. Magellan had not intended to circumnavigate the world, but rather had intended only to find a secure route through which the Spanish ships could navigate to the Spice Islands. After Magellan's death, Elcano decided to push westward, thereby completing the first known voyage around the entire Earth.
Maximilianus Transylvanus interviewed some of the surviving members of the expedition when they presented themselves to the Spanish court at Valladolid in the autumn of 1522. He wrote the first account of the voyage, which was published in 1523. Pigafetta's account was not published until 1525, and was not published in its entirety until 1800. This was the Italian transcription by Carlo Amoretti of what is now called the "Ambrosiana codex." The expedition eked out a small profit, but the crew was not paid full wages.
Four crewmen of the original 55 on Trinidad finally returned to Spain in 1522; 51 had died in war or from disease. In total, approximately 232 sailors of assorted nationalities died on the expedition around the world with Magellan.
Monument of Ferdinand Magellan in Punta Arenas in Chile. The statue looks towards the Strait of Magellan.
Magellan's expedition was the first to circumnavigate the globe and the first to navigate the strait in South America connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Magellan's name for the Pacific was adopted by other Europeans.
The Order of Magellan was established in 1902 to honour those who complete a circumnavigation and make other contributions to humanity.
Two of the closest galaxies, the Magellanic Clouds in the southern celestial hemisphere, were named for Magellan sometime after 1800. The Magellan probe, which mapped the planet Venus from 1990 to 1994, was named after Magellan. The Ferdinand Magellan train rail car (also known as U.S. Car. No. 1) is a former Pullman Company observation car that was re-built by the U.S. Government for presidential use from 1943 until 1958.
Three craters, two located on the Moon and one on Mars, have been named after Magellan using the spelling "Magelhaens". The names were adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1935 (Magelhaens on the Moon), 1976 (Magelhaens on Mars), and 2006 (Magelhaens A on the Moon). The asteroid 4055 Magellan, discovered in 1985, and the Magellan probe to Venus (1989–1994) were also named after him.
The five hundredth anniversary of Magellan's expedition and circumnavigation will be commemorated in a series of events organised by the municipal council of Sanlucar de Barrameda in Spain, and supported by philanthropic organisations.
Portrayed by Oscar Keesee in the 1955 Filipino film, Lapu-Lapu.
Portrayed by Dante Rivero in the 2002 Filipino film, Lapu-Lapu.
Portrayed by Dingdong Dantes in the 2011 Philippine TV series, Amaya.
^ "Magellan" entry in Collins English Dictionary.
^ "Magellan" entry in Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
^ a b From the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, maintained by the USGS, in cooperation with IAU: Magelhaens on Moon, Magelhaens A on Moon, and Magelhaens on Mars. Accessed 2012-08-27.
^ "Fernão de Magalhães, 1478". Geneall.net.
^ "Beatriz Barbosa, 1495". Geneall.net.
^ "Unique Facts about Oceania: Ferdinand Magellan". www.sheppardsoftware.com. Retrieved 2017-02-17.
^ Nancy Smiler Levinson (2001), Magellan and the First Voyage Around the World, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, p. 39, ISBN 978-0-395-98773-5, retrieved 31 July 2010, Personnel records are imprecise. The most accepted total number is 270.
^ Laurence Bergreen (2003). Over the Edge of the World. Harper Pereenial, 2004. pp. 96–98. ISBN 978-0-06-621173-2.
^ Laurence Bergreen (2003). Over the Edge of the World. Harper Pereenial 2003. pp. 134–150. ISBN 978-0-06-621173-2.
^ a b "The Death of Magellan, 1521". Eyewitnesstohistory.com. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
^ Manchester, William (1993). A World Lit Only by Fire. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-54556-3.
^ Stefoff 1990, p. 127.
^ Documents related to the questioning performed by the Spanish authorities after the 18 survivors of the voyage returned to Seville in 1522 report that de Judicibus was born in Savona, Italy.
^ Presentado el logotipo del V Centenario de la primera circunnavegación de la tierra Archived 25 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Sanlúcar de Barrameda.tv. 15 November 2010. Accessed: 3 April 2015.
Castro, Xavier de; Hamon, Jocelynn; Thomaz, Luis Filipe de Castro (2007). Le voyage de Magellan (1519–1522). La relation d'Antonio Pigafetta & autres témoignages. Paris: Chandeigne, coll. « Magellane ». ISBN 978-2-915540-32-1.
Cliffe, Edward (1885). Hakluyt, Richard, ed. "The voyage of M. John Winter into the South sea by the Streight of Magellan, in consort with M. Francis Drake, begun in the yeere 1577". The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation. Edinburgh: E. & G. Goldsmid.
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Noronha, Dom José Manoel de (1921). Imprensa da Universidade, ed. Algumas Observações sobre a Naturalidade e a Família de Fernão de Magalhães (in Portuguese). Coimbra: Biblioteca Genealogica de Lisboa. Archived from the original on 7 March 2010.
Suárez, Thomas (1999). Early mapping of Southeast Asia. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-962-593-470-9.
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Schurz, William L. (May 1922), "The Spanish Lake", Hispanic American Historical Review, 5 (2): 181–194, doi:10.2307/2506024, JSTOR 2506024. |
0.959262 | What is the difference between an elder and a deacon? If you could sum up the job description of an elder or pastor in a few words, what would it be? Similarly, if you could sum up the job description of a deacon in a few words, what would it be? The best I have ever found is this. An elder is in charge of spiritual oversight of the church while a deacon is in charge of physical oversight.
All people have all sorts of needs. But all needs boil down into one of two categories - spiritual and physical. And God has organized His church to meet both sets of needs. The elders have been placed in their positions to meet the spiritual needs, and the deacons are chosen to meet the physical needs. We see this all over in the Bible, but this distinction is first set up during the early stages of the church. The first place we see these two ministry functions clearly outlined is in Acts 6. A physical need arises in the church, and the apostles realize that although meeting this need would be a good thing for them to do, it would distract them from their God-given priorities.
But rather than just ignore the need, they choose some people from the church to meet that need. In this way, the need is met, and the apostles are able to focus on their purpose in the church. This need is introduced in Acts 6:1 and centers around the issue of a type of discrimination that was going on in the early church.
1Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
There are two groups of people in verse 1. The Hebrew Jews and the Hellenistic Jews. Both are Jews. The Hebrew Jews are those who tried to remain as obedient to the laws and traditions of Judaism as they could during the dispersion. They still spoke Hebrew. They dressed in their traditional clothing and were obviously very different from all of the other surrounding people. The Hellenistic Jews, on the other hand, had adopted the language, customs and culture of the Greek civilization. They probably no longer spoke Hebrew, but spoke Greek. They didn't dress in traditional Jewish clothes, but wore the kind of clothing the average Roman citizen wore. It was very difficult to tell the Hellenistic Jew apart from anyone else on the street. And naturally, the Hebraic Jews began to look down on the Hellenistic Jews as "second-class" Jews. The Hebraic Jews thought that the Hellenistic Jews had sold out and compromised. They lived and looked too much like the world.
We see this sort of thing happen all the time in churches across America today. In some churches in the Midwest, people will think you are second-class Christian if you don't wear a suit to church. Of course, if you go out to the West Coast, people will think you're too stuck on outward appearances if you do wear a suit to church. There are other ways we try to discriminate between Christians who are really devoted and those who are not. For example, I tend to think that people who come to a Wednesday night prayer meeting and Bible study are the committed ones, while everyone else are "second class." But this is an outward actions that does not necessarily reveal an inward motive. We cannot judge people as "spiritually immature" simply because they don�t come to Wednesday night Bible study. We could also list things like tattoos, what kind of car a person drives, what music they listen to, what they drink with their meal, what they wear to church, how they behave in church, how much money they give to the church and so on. While some of these may be good indicators of spirituality, none of them are able to reveal a person's heart motives to us, which God alone sees. So we must be careful not to judge or discriminate against them.
This is what the Hebraic Jews were doing. Somehow, they were the ones who gained more control in the early church, and in the daily distribution of food among the widows, the Hellenistic Jews were being ignored and overlooked. The Hebraic Jews must have thought that the Hellenistic widows did not deserve to be cared for because they were compromising with the world. They were carnal Christians. And so the Hellenistic widows were going hungry. They had a need which nobody was meeting.
Now, this is just one example of a physical need in the church. There are numerous other physical needs that must not be overlooked in the church. There are always numerous people in the church who have needs. There are the sick or poor or hungry. People who have need of work, or food or clothing. People who have mental, emotional, financial or psychological needs. And it is the responsibility of the church to meet as many of these needs as possible. But here in Acts 6, we are told exactly who has a need and what it is.
They were women who could not work. They were widows who might have had children they were taking care of, or who were too old to remarry or work. They were without food. They were hungry and had no means of getting food. This need is not somebody who could work, but just doesn't want to. This need is not somebody who is making poor financial decisions with the money they do have. This is a real need. These widows are without money and without recourse. They have not way of getting money or getting food. And Biblically, the church is supposed to take care of widows in this situation.
James 1:27 tell us to visit orphans and widows in their distress. "Visit" doesn't just to go by and spend some time chatting with them. The word is episkeptomai. It means to care for, to be concerned about, to be there for them in their time of need, to supply for their needs. It even carries with it the idea of actively looking for them. It doesn't mean waiting for them to come to us and ask that we meet their needs. It means looking around the church and seeking out those who are genuinely in need. This is the way the word is used right here in Acts 6:3 also. It is translated there as "seek out from among you."
Stephen uses it later in his sermon in Acts 7:23. Moses grew up in the royal courts of Egypt, but when he was 40 years old, he decided to go and see how his brethren among the Israelites were doing. Acts 7:23 says, "Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit (episkeptomai) his brethren, the children of Israel." Moses actively sought out his brethren to see if there was any way he could help them. You know what happens. He tries to help them in his flesh by killing an Egyptian, which forces him to flee to Midian where he hid for 40 years before returning in the power of God.
But the point is that we are to seek out and care for those in the church who have genuine needs. We don't wait for them to come to us. Sometimes, as here in Acts 6, those with needs seek out help for themselves, but for the most part, we should be on the look out for them, and then doing something to meet their needs. So this is what the church is supposed to do for those who are in need. And specifically here in Acts 6, and James 1:27, the widows. Now the Bible contains very clear and careful instructions on how to care for widows.
1 Timothy 5:3-16 contains the Biblical teaching on the care of widows. This passage provides a clear, step-by-step process for determining which widows to care for and how their needs should be met. Verse 3 shows first of all that there are two classes of widows. There are widows and widows indeed. There are widows and those who are really widows. You say, "What's the difference?" Well, the following verses reveal that a widow is anyone who has lost her husband to death, divorce or departure. But a widow indeed is more than just a widow. A widow indeed is a woman who not only has lost her husband, but is completely without help from family members. She has no one in the world who will meet her needs. You see the husband's role was to protect and provide for her. If he dies, then it is the role of her father, her brothers or brothers-in-law, her uncles and her children, if they are grown, to take care of her. But if there is nobody to meet her needs, then she is a widow indeed. She has nobody to provide for her or protect her.
So Paul gives instructs for both in verses 4-16. First, for those who are widows. He says that they should be cared for by their extended family. In verse 4, he calls upon children and grandchildren to take care of her. He says in verse 16 that any of her Christian family members should take care of her. He says in verse 8 that if a family does not take care of its widows, they are worse than unbelievers. He says in verse 14 that younger widows should get re-married if at all possible. But what about those who do not have any family members who support them? What about those who are widows indeed? He says in verse 5 that they should rely on God in prayer and supplication. And then in verse 9, she should be put on the widow's list. Under certain conditions, the church provides for these widows and cares for them (5:9-16). They in turn, kind of become "staff widows" are expected to serve in the church and meet the needs of other people in church, and help teach, train and support the younger women (Titus 2:3-5).
Apparently, it is these widows indeed who are being neglected in Acts 6. It is not all of the widows, but only the Hellenistic widows. They do come to the apostles and ask for help. And the apostles correctly discern that something must be done to meet this need, but that they themselves cannot meet it and still focus on what God has called them to do. In fact, very likely, they realize that this situation has arisen, because they have not been giving enough time to the teaching of the Word. However, they can't do both. They cannot meet this real need and still perform their God-given priorities. They cannot care for the widows and accomplish their purpose in the church. So in verses 2-4, they discern that they need some help. They set their pastoral priorities and lay out some principles for choosing deacons.
2Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
They gather the church together and say, "Look, here's a need that must be met. But our purpose is not to serve in this way. God has ordained us to meet people's spiritual needs with the Word of God. If we neglected the Word, in order to serve tables, certainly, people would be fed physically, but then they would starve spiritually. "But we do recognize that this need is important, and so select some men to meet this physical need. Meanwhile, we will continue to focus all our energy on meeting the spiritual needs. We will do this through two things - prayer and preaching the Word."
It is not that they disliked caring for the needy, nor does it imply that they thought they were too important for such work. To the contrary, they knew that such work was vitally important. But they knew that caring for the sick and poor was not their first priority. Their first priority was not meeting the physical needs, but meeting the spiritual needs of people. So they tell the church to select men to meet the physical needs. Notice in verse 3 that there are three stated requirements for deacons.
First, they had to be men of good reputation. Or men of honest report. This means both inside and outside the church, they are to be well liked. They must be men who are honest and reliable. It is not a popularity contest, but these men are well known and well liked in the community. Second, they are full of the Holy Spirit. These men are spiritually mature. The working of the Holy Spirit is evident in their lives. They reveal the fruit of the spirit and a knowledge of the Word. They are under the control of the Spirit. Finally, they are also full of�wisdom. They are wise and understanding. They are men of discernment. They are able to correctly judge the actions and motives of people to whom they are giving care. Handling the funds of the church requires great wisdom and prayerful discernment.
So from these three qualifications, we see that they are not spiritual slackers. Sometimes, deacons in churches are chosen simply by whoever is willing to serve, or whoever has money to give. But these men were spiritual giants in the church. These were men of faith and integrity and power. They were intimate with the Word and filled with the Holy Spirit. They were wise and discerning. No deacon should ever feel that they are second class leaders in the church. Being a deacon is a high privilege and is meeting a great need that pastors and elders cannot meet.
Now, there are other qualifications besides these three. 1 Timothy 3:8-13 lists several more. They are to be men of dignity, not double-tongued, not addicted to wine, not greedy, and must live out in life what he believes. His wife has certain qualifications also, and he must be devoted to her and be a good father to his children. We could go into great detail on all of these. One author who has is a man named Alexander Strauch in his book, The New Testament Deacon.
1 Timothy 3 also lists the qualifications for elders. There are many similarities between the two offices, but the main difference is in the function. Deacons are to meet the physical needs of the members of the church; the elders are to be those who meet the spiritual needs of the church, primarily through the teaching of the Word. This is what we see the apostles say in verse 4.
4but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
The two things every pastor, every elder should focus on is prayer and preaching. If these things are not getting done, it is his responsibility and the responsibility of the church to cut things out of his schedule, and take away certain responsibilities until these things become his number one priority and purpose and function in the church. It has become popular today to think of the pastor and the elders as the ones who go about serving people and visiting people in the hospital and in their homes and helping them do the fix-it projects at home and spending time with them on the golf course and in the fishing boat. Now, these things are all fine and dandy for a pastor, or an elder, to do, IF the people in the church are being fed spiritually.
We all know we need food in order to live. That is why we expend so much energy to provide food for ourselves. Yet, most people don't know they also need the Word of God in order to live. In the Old Testament, Moses told Israel, "'�[God] let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know�that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord'" (Deuteronomy 8:3). Our Lord also said, "'Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you'" (John 6:27).
I am convinced that the main reason the American church is so spiritually weak today is that the majority of pastor's have neglected the systematic teaching of the Word. The Christians who attend churches where the Word is not taught are suffering from severe spiritual malnutrition. And somebody who is malnourished has no strength, no power. They get sick easy. They are easily defeated by any enemy that comes along. All they do is lie around half asleep. A church that is well fed spiritually will be a healthy, powerful, vibrant, growing church. This is why it is so important for the pastors and elders of every church to focus primarily on prayer and preaching.
The contemporary church�has erroneously taken the responsibility of nurturing care for the people of God from under the leadership of the deacons and has reassigned it to the pastor�.Pastors must be caring people, but�the saints should do the work of the ministry.
Pastors who prefer to spend time caring for people's physical needs may be depriving the deacons of assuming their God-given function. If they feel led to focus on such needs instead of teaching the Word, perhaps they unapologetically should step out of their role as pastor-teachers and live out their goals as helpers, people of deep compassion for physical needs. This would open up pastoral slots for others to preach and teach the Word. Christians need the teaching of God's Word at all costs. This must not be neglected.
Churches who prefer having a pastor spend most of his time doing visitation and counseling should consider finding a person specifically for these tasks.
Prayer and preaching the Word are the primary functions and responsibilities of the spiritual leaders of the church. Meeting the physical needs of the church are the priorities of the deacons and church body at large. Toward this end, the early church chose seven men who were responsible to meet these needs. We read about them in verses 5-7.
5And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
You know what is interesting about these seven names? They are all Greek names. This implies that all of them were Hellenistic Jews except for the seventh. Luke tells us that Nicolas was a proselyte from Antioch. This means he was a Gentile convert to Judaism who then became a Christian. So none of the seven were of the Hebraic Jews. This doesn't mean that the Hebraic Jews couldn�t be deacons. They could. But the apostles were so intent on making sure that the minority, those who were often overlooked and ignored, were taken care of, they picked seven men from among the minority to make sure the work got done. If we want to reach out to someone, it is often best to pick mature Christians from among that group to do the work. Now certainly, because these men were Godly men, they took care of the Hebraic Jews also, but they did so fairly and with justice.
In the chapters to come, we read more about Stephen and Philip. Great men of God devoted to His service. Stephen becomes the first Christian martyr and was a powerful Bible teacher. Philip was an evangelist carrying the Gospel to an unreached and often hated people group - the Samaritans. He had four daughters who became prophetesses and were influential in the life of Paul.
We don�t know anything much from the Bible about the other five, but literature outside the Bible does give us some hints. Prochorus supposedly became the assistant and secretary to the apostle John. After John died, Prochorus became one of the elders of a large church in Nidomeda before being martyred.
We don't know anything about Nicanor, Timon or Parmenas, but some believe that Nicolas became a false teacher who started the Nicolaitian heresy mentioned in Revelation 2:6, 15. We cannot be sure that Nicolas of Acts 6 is the one who started the Nicolaitian heresy, but there is some speculation that he was.
I see from these seven numerous paths a deacon can take. First of all, like Stephen, Philip, and Prochorus, they can go on to great service and ministry and fame within God's church. Like Stephen, they may end up dying for the truth of Christianity. Others, like Stephen, may spread the Gospel far and wide, and raise up wonderful Christian families to carry on the work. Or, like Prochorus, they may change roles from being in charge of the physical oversight to being in charge of the spiritual oversight of the church.
Then there are those deacons like Nicanor, Timon and Parmenas, who continue to serve God behind the scenes in relative obscurity. They are happy to quietly and faithfully serve God. Their service is rarely recognized, but that is how they like it. They almost never get their name in the bulletin, and especially not in the newspaper. They just love to help people whenever, wherever and however they can. Of course, they will not be overlooked in heaven, for God sees what is done in secret and will reward them. I am certain that there were hundreds, if not thousands of Christians in the early church who greatly benefited from the service of these men. 1 Timothy 3:13 says that those deacons who serve well obtain for themselves a high standing in the church and great boldness when they stand before Christ. Some deacons change roles and functions and gain public recognition. Some continue to anonymously serve God behind the scenes. Those are two highly commendable categories of deacons.
But then some, possibly like Nicolas, end up in false doctrine and teaching heresy. I have known deacons like this - who want more power and fame and notoriety for themselves than God has seen fit to give them, and so they try to get it for themselves, and end up leading many people astray. It is a very sad thing and can lead to disaster.
But whatever happens eventually to these seven, all of them initially have a part in what we read in verse 7. Because they began to serve and minister and meet people's physical needs, the apostles were able to devote more time to prayer and preaching, and look what happens in verse 7.
7Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Verse 7 is the secret to church growth. The Biblical method for growing a church numerically, spiritually and in ministry expansion is simply to feed the flock. Healthy sheep reproduce naturally. Sick and malnourished sheep curl up and die, or wander away looking for grass elsewhere. But when we provide rich, thick, nutritious, lush grass for them to eat their fill of, they will eat and reproduce. It's inevitable. As the apostles are freed to focus on teaching, we see that three things happen naturally.
The Word of God spread. People went everywhere talking about the Bible and what they had learned under the apostle's teaching. People take what they learn and spread it around. It comes out at work. It comes out in the neighborhood. It shows itself in changes of behavior and work ethics and family priorities. When the Word of God is taught, the Word of God spreads.
Second, the number of disciples multiplied greatly. Many people were not only coming to faith in Christ, but were also continuing down the path of discipleship. They were living their lives for Christ and were making a difference in the world through the way they lived.
Finally, a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith also. This means that many of the priests were becoming disciples. Though many of them were formerly very antagonistic to Jesus Christ and the fledgling Christian church, they were now seeing that Christ truly did fulfil the Old Testament laws and prophecies and so they were becoming Christians and living in obedience to the truths of Christ.
When God's Word is preached and God's people are cared for, God does great things in and through His church. And the key to it all was the deacons. They let needy people know that they were cared for. They let the apostles focus on their purpose of prayer and preaching.
Deacons are extremely important in the church for enabling it to function as it should. They meet the physical needs of people so the elders and pastors can meet the spiritual needs. They are ministers of service while the elders and pastors are ministers of speaking. One is not better than the other. Both are necessary for the healthy function and growth of the body.
The greatest deacon of all is Jesus Christ, who came to be a serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). Deacons follow in His footsteps by being strong without being harsh, gentle without being weak, caring without being sentimental, and forgiving without being spineless. The Deacon is the pastor's, the congregation's and the community's best friend because he is Christ to them all. |
0.965564 | Served with Essex County Constabulary from Jun 17, 1913 and died on Jul 12, 1918.
Joshua George Hyde and Sarah Cooper were raised in the village of Wilstead (Wilshamstead), Bedfordshire where they courted and then married on November 24, 1876. At some stage during their married life they also lived at Littleworth. They had at least two sons: Frank, the eldest and Alfred, who was born in 1894.
Frank became a police officer with Essex Constabulary and then on June 17, 1913, Alfred followed his brother's chosen career and became Constable 431 of the same force. Alfred patrolled the streets of Chelmsford, Westcliff-On-Sea and Brentwood where he met and became engaged to Ada Yeomans.
On November 17, 1915, Alfred volunteered for military service and enlisted with the Royal Flying Corps as Private 1st Class 20933.
When introduced in 1912 it was originally intended that the Royal Flying Corps would become a joint service institution that would provide aerial support to both the Army and the Royal Navy. With the outbreak of war in 1914 this did not occur as the Admiralty and the War Office looked after their own interest.
As the war progressed the respective air units of the Navy and the Army moved apart, each developing in the light of the specific needs of the service it supported.
Not surprisingly, the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), supporting the Army, expanded faster than the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) both in terms of manpower and aircraft. Recruits to the RFC and the RNAS wore uniforms based on the services they supported.
In April 1918, following a review undertaken by General Jan Christian Smuts, the South African representative on the Imperial War Cabinet, it was decided to amalgamate the air branches of the Army and the Navy and to form a unified force providing aerial services to each. The unified force was named the Royal Air Force and at that stage Alfred became a member of the Royal Air Force..
Prior to the formation of the RFC the Royal Engineers had been researching aerial techniques for about thirty years with the first balloon experiments being carried out at Woolwich in 1878. Twelve months later five balloons had been built and trials had commenced. The first recorded military use of a balloon section of the Royal Engineers was in 1885 at Suakin near the Red Sea. The balloons were used for enemy spotting and were normally tethered at the end of a cable attached to a winch. Observation balloons enabled local commanders to detect the enemy who were otherwise concealed from the ground.
By the turn of the century, during the Boer War, balloon techniques had advanced considerably, and four balloon sections were in operation in different sectors of the campaign - Ladysmith, Fourteen Streams and Potgieter's drift.
Germany had also developed air balloons and by 1915 had more than 80 balloons on several battlefronts. British and German balloons were deployed as part of the East African campaign.
The campaigns involved Europeans, Indians, Arabs and Africans from a dozens of tribes - more than ten countries were involved.
Private Alfred Hyde spent eighteen months with 16 Balloon Base in German East Africa although it is not known whether he was an observer or a mechanic. During this time, like many other servicemen, he contracted malaria and was returned to the UK to be treated at the Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth where he died on July 12, 1918. He was just twenty-four years old and the cause of death was recorded as pneumonia after scarlet fever.
Alfred is buried in the north part of All Saints Churchyard, Wilstead, Bedfordshire. Among his mourners was his brother Frank, who at the time was a Detective Sergeant in the Essex Constabulary at Romford.
He is also remembered on the memorial erected in the grounds of All Saints Church.
'In remembrance of the love of Wilshamstead men who came not home from the war 1914 - 1919.'.
In darkening storm or sunshine fair. |
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