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The purpose of the paper is to analyze some key requirements of Rawls’ ideal of public reason under the light of a twofold neutrality, that is, as political pluralism and as epistemic inter-subjectivism.
Rawls claims that his notion of justice is free-standing, and, in general, he defends an understanding of the political discourse as something separable from epistemic and metaphysical discourses. My goal will be to analyze if by separating his theory from these discourses he manages not to step into them implicitly, even if he never mentions their questions explicitly. To do this, I will start by refining the distinction between political neutrality and epistemic neutrality (section 2), that lay at the core, respectively, of the liberal state and political philosophy. My central claims thus will be (1) that although these two neutralities overlap, they do not fully correspond to each other, due to the burdens of reason. One is related to the plurality of citizens in a framed political sphere, the other is related to cognitive stand-points. Secondly (2) that Rawls way of dealing with political neutrality is dependent on his view on epistemic value, a view that we find implicitly stated in his use of intersubjectivity.
Once I have defined this distinction, I am going to reconstruct the the 5 requirements for public reason as they appear in Rawls’ The Idea of Public Reason Revisited, but in order to weight their importance in the entire theory, I will also draw from some of his other works, especially, Political Liberalism, as well as to his Reply to Habermas, and, marginally, to some critiques around their debate, McCarthy’s and Lafont’s. The first two requirements, what I will refer to as the ‘who’ and the ‘what to’ of public reason will serve as an opening for the application of the distinction of neutralities on the idea of public reason (section 3); but the main critique will be focussed on the role that reasonableness, reciprocity and legitimacy play in trying to secure the freestanding position of the political conceptions of justice that lay behind his claims (section 4).
My three main claims in this respect will be that (1) although these requirements respect the necessary political neutrality under the conditions specified by Rawls’s idea of public reason, (2) the conditions themselves do trespass into an epistemic debate without providing a sufficient account of its neutral position. A deeper claim underlining the whole critique is that (3) any account of the political based on the idea of the consensus of reasons, when settling the limits for this consensus, necessarily ends up affirming one form or another of epistemic legitimacy that does not respect the initial implicit claim for neutrality and free-standingness.
John Rawls’s political philosophy is ‘impressively self-contained,’ as Habermas puts it, and its concepts are profoundly interdependent. The reason for these two qualities, I think, is the non-metaphysical aim that pervades Rawls’ political theory. Rawls delimits the notion of the political in a precise anti-metaphysical fashion, making explicit its adherence to the sphere of practical reason, as opposed both to epistemological and metaphysical uses of it. Although he denies any adherence to the Kantian idea of transcendental reason, he inserts himself into a broad Kantian tradition by endorsing possible distinctions between uses and legitimacies of reason, but, in his case, through a limited application of a form of political constructivism in matters of what traditionally has been understood as matters of practical reason, but without endorsing Kant’s moral constructivism.
This idea of neutrality is related to the modern debate over the legitimacy of reason that he updates politically and thus to the non-metaphysical stand-point as well. It is the lack of full epistemic and metaphysical value concerning human affairs what demands for a particular use of reason. Political reason must be able to bridge the distance that we find between the rational assent of a theoretical problem and the urgency of praxis that all political communities must deal with. In other words: if the modern project of ‘objective reason‘ (or ‘rational intuitionism’, as Rawls refers to it) had succeeded to the extent of definitive truths, even in moral issues, this problem would not exist. But nevertheless it does. This is the reason why plurality is regarded not only as a fact of human nature qua social, or a natural offspring from a liberal democracy, but it is also a necessary outcome of the weakness of reason. Conversely, plurality and disagreement serve as proof of the limits of reason and, at the same time, of the relevance of perspectives in cognitive stand-points. We are not heading towards an radical skepticism here, nor towards a form of sophistic moral relativism; but the idea of neutrality, as seen in most neoKantian theories of the liberal state, such as Rawls’, is meant to guarantee a fundamental openness not only due to moral standards –such as the ones that can underline the right to liberty of consciousness or to free speech– but also due to (the lack of) epistemic legitimacy. The idea of neutrality becomes a negative idea, its main focus is restraining reason from trusting its powers completely. The embodiment of this neutrality, politically, is public reason.
These two facts taken together –the presence of pluralism and of the limits of reason– open the door for a new kind of legitimacy, namely, intersubjective legitimacy. This can be applied both to science and politics, but in different manners. I have argued elsewhere that from the pragmatist, Piercean view on science some lessons can be learned for social praxis, especially when it develops the idea of a community of inquirers. Behind all forms of falsification there is an account of fallibility, and behind all forms of social cooperation –in science and elsewhere–, there is an account of beneficial opposition and overlapping of perspectives. For half a century now, many social and political theorists have tried and built up different approaches to this topic: theories of communication, inter-subjective cognitive processes, or social action. All of them point to the contradiction that informs the idea of democracy: there is strength to be found in the sum of weaknesses.
Key concepts in Rawls’ theory of the liberal state, such as reciprocity, overlapping consensus, or reasonability deal with this same contradiction. These concepts are meant to address the problem of the limits of perspectives, and the limit of plurality. This is where science and politics diverge. A limit in scientific discourse can not be the same as a limit in political (or moral) discourse, in the same manner as a political law is not the same as a scientific law. The tension between positivism and naturalism, when translated into ius positivism and ius naturalism, opens a new set of problems, not like a genus to species, but, rather, like genus to genus. Questions on what, why, where, when and how things are fundamentally differ from the one on how things should be. Not all claims on nature are scientific, whereas all claims on the social fabric, even if they are scientific, are political to some extent.
Although the border between science and pseudoscience is far from settled, within science, among other standards, results and means work as facts; whereas in political and moral discourses results work as telos and means as ideology. This is the reason why neutrality in the eyes of science (or philosophy, for that matter) is different from political neutrality. It is the fact/value distinction. A neutral point between facts and interpretations is eased because although natural laws must exist –in one way or another–, scientific laws are secondary to them. A neutral point between goals and ideologies, values ultimately, is burdened because political laws –especially in a democracy, and even more specifically in a liberal democracy– must exist (even their absence is a form of law, as Hobbes showed). This is what I earlier called ‘the urgency of praxis’.
In setting the limits of plurality, even if procedural, there must always be an assessment concerning the value of intersubjectivity. They are mutually dependent. However, the neutral position is different in each case. The first is political, the second, at least, epistemical, if not metaphysical. The first needs to be settled to some extent, it is necessary, the second is an open question fundamentally, on necessity. The key to any liberal conception of the state is to be able to settle the former, without settling the latter. That is, a form of political neutrality must be present without, at the same time, settling the question on necessity. There is doubt that this can be done, but many proposals for a theory of the liberal state, like Rawls’, assume that this is possible. Therefore, a common accusation for some of them is that they fail in doing so.
Rawls’ contribution to the solving of this problem is central to the debate on it. Rawls’ idea of public reason is meant to offer material and procedural value to the claims on political organization, that is, ultimately, coercion, without imposing itself into what he calls ‘background culture.’ Politically, public reason works in opposition to what he calls ‘comprehensive views.’ If a comprehensive view were to take the place of public reason, then neutrality would be broken. However, to close the circle, the most problematic trait of a ruling comprehensive view is not so much that plurality would not be possible –as such, a comprehensive view could be comprehensively pluralistic–, but rather that the fundamental proviso of intersubjectivity, openness, would be trespassed. Therefore, one of the most fundamental requirements of public reason is not to be a comprehensive view. Rawls builds his idea of public reason against this challenge, and he does so, as I said earlier, by using the avoidance strategy of a self-contained theory. In order to see if it works we must then go into detail under the light of these two ideas of neutrality, and the necessities for each one of them.
3. Rawls’ public reason I: who and to what.
Apparently, these two conditions are consistent with the requirement of a neutral state concerning plurality. The subject and the predicate, state and basic justice, must restrain from imposing themselves on plural visions. There is no doubt that the historical reference for this delimitation on agents of public law — creators, interpreters, and executioners of it–, and for the fact that they apply only to certain actions allowed or prohibited to public institutions (in the broadest sense), is the period of religious wars in Europe. The overwhelming power of the state, as configured before the appearance of the modern version of limited government, established a competition for dominance of the public action. When the doctrine of the separation of church and state became effective, it had to address both problems: the problem of the presence of religious justification for public legitimacy, and the question of public legitimacy in itself. The former, is related to a negation of interference in public affairs by certain foundations for thought and action, namely, comprehensive views, the latter, implies a negation of the discretionality of the state in general. If the separation of the church and state is imperfect or difficult to achieve, or at least, progressively implemented, the limitation of the discretionally of the state ensures that even if a faction holding an active comprehensive view were to interfere in government, there is only so much harm it could do. Hopefully, moreover, the weakening of the possible interventions of the state can be an incentive for churches and individuals with comprehensive views to take their quarrel for cultural hegemony elsewhere.
However, these two limits point to two different neutralities. The limitation affecting the ‘who’ and ‘where’ of public reasoning is directed towards differentiating the sphere of the public from all other spheres, be them purely private or somehow in between public and private, like public opinion. As such, it only demands of certain people to behave in a certain way. Admittedly, this could be required from a comprehensive point of view. For example, it could be argued that a church, the Catholic Church to be specific, might ask their clergy to discuss moral matters from the pulpit making use exclusively of theological reasoning. In this case, plurality would be relative to a common standard, namely, theological argumentation and its sources; but intersubjective neutrality would be trespassed, precisely because this standard works as if it were an objective stand-point –embodied, ultimately, by an explicit God’s-eye view–.
Similarly, in public reason, the fact that there’s a limit that separates public officials and the general population, in itself it only assures that plurality is not formally restricted, but it does not guarantee that there will not be an objective standard that will impose itself when this general population tries to translate its plurality into public action. It bans certain reasons to be used as coercive reasons, but it has yet to establish which reasons may count as legitimately coercive. The key, then, is if it is limited enough. The second limitation, that is, the topics in which this public reason is allowed to have a coercive impact, is meant to address this, and points to the other kind of neutrality, i.e., inter-subjective neutrality.
The problem with this second limitation is that, in the end, it must affirm something. By delimiting not the content of public reason but the content to which this public reason can and must be applied, Rawls is highlighting which aspects of a communal existence ensure the possibility of living according to one’s own cognitive stance. Necessarily, this implies a restriction in an individual-to-individual or group-to-group basis, as much as unrestricted conditions for affirming one’s view and living according to it. This a very delicate moment because it demands a standard that must be, at the same time, external to any comprehensive view and internal to intersubjective legitimacy. This tension is seen clearly in the use of the words ‘essential’ and ‘justice‘ in Rawls‘ account.
To some extent, his use of them is question begging. If government officials must follow public reason in deciding on constitutional essentials and matters of basic justice, and what counts as essential or as justice were to be defined formally by what these government officials decide it is, then we would be facing a banal vicious circle. Therefore, there must be content somewhere, in order to inform public reason in such a way that essentials for social life and matters of political justice are delimited. Furthermore, there is not enough with limiting the presence of comprehensive views in deciding this, but there must also be an affirmation of content, and to this extent, external to the debate, that can work as if it were a standard for the essentiality of social life and justice within it. This is the reason why Rawls needs an account of justice and essence that neither negates nor affirms the possibility of old and new subjective perspectives as well as a system of limitations that protects this very diversity. In a nutshell, ideas of justice and political essentials that do not confront comprehensives views, provided they comply with some requirements. It goes both ends, the ideas of justice and political essentials are a limit both to themselves and to comprehensive views. This is why, to see if it holds, all goes down to the requirements.
Besides the ‘who’ and the ‘to what’ the other three aspects of public reason that Rawls establishes are intended to solve this riddle. The first one is content: “its content as given by a family of reasonable political conceptions.’ They key word of this aspect is ‘reasonable’, otherwise the aspect would again lapse into a vicious circle. The second one is transparent objectivization: ‘the application of these conceptions in discussions of coercive norms (are) to be enacted in the form of legitimate law for a democratic people.’ The key of this aspect is legitimate, otherwise it would be a truism. The third, critical self-consciousness: ‘citizens’ checking that the principles derived from their conception of justice satisfy the criterion of reciprocity.’ Here the spotlight is on ‘reciprocity,’ otherwise the work of citizens would be solipsistic.
As I have been saying from the beginning, these three concepts, reasonability, legitimacy, and reciprocity are intimately interdependent. There is no legitimacy without reasonability, there is no reasonability without reciprocity and vice-versa, and there is no real reciprocity without legitimate procedures. Likewise, the aspects they point to are consistent with the problems that a comprehensive view shows: content, objective standards and self-consciousness. A religion, or a moral view, has a content derived from a standard claimed to be objective that can lead to an impermeable self-consciousness. What Rawls wants to find by interconnecting reasonability, legitimacy, and reciprocity is a content derived from a standard that does not claim to be objective in the traditional, modern way; that is, not like rational intuitionism. Rather it should bear a sort of objectivity that is just neutral, so as to produce a permeable self-consciousness. In Political Liberalism, when describing his idea of political constructivism, Rawls dedicates a few pages to clarify his understanding of objectivity. The six essentials for objectivity that he states are all meant to deny the ‘objective eye’ of the moderns, by affirming common grounds: frame, aim, distinctive point of views, the burden of reason, and agreement among reasonable agents.
So, again, the aspects of reasonableness, reciprocity and legitimacy appear to inform the validity of an ‘as if’ for objective reason for politics, which finds the strength in the claim for an unepistemical neutrality. Let us briefly see then how these three concepts interact.
Since reasonableness, reciprocity and legitimacy are inter-connected, each of them has meanings that overlap with those of the others. To unfold this, in this section I will start with a longer reconstruction of Rawls’ reasonableness, the content of which I am going to stretch until it touches the other two requirements, the content of which will only need to show consistency with the problems appeared in reasonableness, and thus, a much shorter analysis.
Acting from and following the idea of public reason, according to Rawls, means explaining “to other citizens their reason for supporting fundamental political positions in terms of the political conception of justice they regard as the most reasonable.’ It is clear that public reason does not demand, to those who are to exercise it, a justification for truth. A political conception is, strictly speaking, the place for the content of justice to affirm itself. But of all political conceptions, that is, of all possible contents, the ones that count for the constitutional essentials and matters of basic justice are only those that can claim to be reasonable. Reasonableness, then, works as a substitute for truth in the sense that its presence excludes the possibility of asserting views based on truthfulness.
In this substitution, the word ‘reasonable’ points to the idea of process both in its grammatical structure and in the faculty it highlights. The suffix ‘able’ signals a potentiality not an actuality. As such, it could mean able to think, or understand, but then it would only refer to its active voice: one who is reasonable, thus, judges according to some logical laws. Rawls, however, uses this term also in its passive form: something is reasonable if it is able to be thought, digested through reason alone. The coincidence of these two voices brings a meaning that implies idealization. Reasonability is a feature of a conception, responsible for an expectation regarding the reasonability of other citizens (especially if they hold a different comprehensive view). This expectation is an idealization of reason, projected onto others.
The first usage of the word is passive, a quality of the conception; the last one is active, a quality of a subject, the one in the middle corresponds to the act of idealizing, and links the conception with the subject.
Now, the requirement for a neutrality among plurals is met because the account of reason incorporates in principle the existence of the Other. Grammatically, the potentiality applied to reason is the acknowledgment of the weakness of rationality in its actuality. And therefore, is meant to moderate the act of idealization. This is further stressed by the use of the word ‘sincerely’, –an essential for political objectivity to appear– which implies willingness as a value, in order to compensate for the lack of accuracy in the projection that reason imposes on other subjects’ reason.
But, beyond grammar, the faculty highlighted by the use of ‘reasonable’, namely, reason, is what keeps the problem unsolved. Reasoning and rationalizing are meant to be different, in this account. The implication is that there does not exist a rational political conception that is, at the same time, fully reasonable, unless it accepts as a standard the impossibility of a standard. In this account, reason is a mediating faculty that impedes a full assertion of truth. This view is paradoxically a uncomprehensive comprehensive view. It holds that the only way not to be wrong is assuming that everybody could be wrong in their particular way. This particularity, including interests, is what Rawls wants to extract in his Theory of Justice’s original position.
This is where constructivism comes into play to assert freedom and equality as preconditions for deliberation, as we will see further on. Being reasonable, then, means using reason and a sincere will to project an idea of the Other as free and equally reasonable in asserting that their reasons and beliefs might not have anything to do with the truth. An unreasonable political conception then would be any conception that is unable to project this notion of reason onto Others. This would exclude also this view: there is no political conception that one can reasonably expect others to reasonably endorse if they are free and equal. The limit of the intersubjective neutrality appears to be the idealization of citizens as free and equal, including, both in freedom and equality, freedom of consciousness and equality of imperfection in reaching truth.
The content of public reason as expressed in reasonableness, then, is a correction not only of truth, but also of rationality. As such, it proposes a notion of the person as a cognitive stand-point, in which the plurality of views is respected through the emphasis on the potentiality of reason as opposed to the actualization of rationality, but also, in which subjectivity is conditioned by the frame of freedom and equality. Subjectivity is deprived of its particularity through idealization — and by means of the original position–, and then the question is again whether this use of reasonability unwarrantedly trespasses intersubjective neutrality. The risk, here, is that this imposed idealization, this content, could lead to an impermeable self-consciousness. If it did there would be little difference between this idealization and a comprehensive view.
The ‘aspect’ of reciprocity, extremely connected with the rational expectation, is meant to avoid the solipsism of this idealization. Although the formulation of the criterion of reciprocity resembles remarkably the formulation of reasonableness, there is an important difference: reciprocity partially actualizes the reason that was potentially present in reasonability. Reciprocity affirms the possibility of inter-subjectivity, or, in other words, it permits the idea of a reasonable overlapping consensus to emerge. It assumes that inter-subjective communication is possible. Appealing only to political values, as Rawls claims he does, assumes that there are political values that do not pervade the subject, when the simple possibility of imagining a kind of value that, in a free-standing position, can reach out to different comprehensive views, already presupposes a subject able to assert such values in general, and be understood only by them, while keeping in mind the burdens of reason.
Clearly, therefore, Rawls thinks that the notion of citizen provides enough grounding for the overcoming of the disputes about the notion of person, without forcing any comprehensive view to change its own notion of person. The fact that he adds that these comprehensive views will not be forced to change their views on the person only if they are reasonable permits the reversal of the argument: a reasonable comprehensive view is that view that holds an idea of person in line with the idea of citizen that Rawls’ political liberalism promotes. The requirement of reciprocity, then, is not universal, because it finds its limit in the idea of citizen. It guarantees plurality among citizens, not among persons. And this is why Rawls claims his idea of public reason not to be metaphysical, or not concerned with ‘causal necessity’. Politically it is neutral; epistemologically, it is not.
Reciprocity, then, actualizes the inter-subjective value, not among subjects-persons, but among subject-citizens. A citizen is one who has already accepted the basic premisses of the whole system –obtained through the original position and the constructivist frame-dependent objectivity–, that is, someone who has accepted inter-subjective value as such, epistemically, as expressed in the ultimate content of the idea of justice, which corresponds to the premisses of freedom and equality of citizens.
The tension between these two qualities of the political subject, both theoretically and historically, is the reason, I think, for the insistence on the nature of autonomy that Habermas shows in his critique of Rawls. A part from the distinctions that both Habermas and Rawls introduce in different accounts of autonomy, distinctions that parallel the debate over their mutual dependency on Kant’s view of it, the notion of political autonomy can be seen formally, and then, be applied to notions of freedom and right, and can also be seen materially, and be applied to notions of capability and goods. In the extremes, libertarianism and communitarianism isolate these two views respectively. The debate itself is of no relevance here, it suffices to say that the problem of autonomy, in Kant as in today, depends very much on the disagreement about transcendence (and communication in and out) of the person. Precisely because the premiss of this debate is that the solution to the problem of violence –both public coercion and state-of-nature like violence– depends on the possibility of advancing reasons, the value of inter-subjective agreement must be stated to some extent. It is a question that must be answered explicitly to be fully honest and transparent because it is always answered implicitly, if one is to take serious the burdens of judgement. Habermas calls this, ‘weak transcendental necessity.’ Or this is why McCarthy can charge both of them of assuming a disputable use of reason as original source: “we need only glance at contemporary debates concerning “the nature, scope, and limit of reason” among modernists and postmodernists, neoKantians and neo Hobbesians, neoHumeans and neoAristotelians, neoHegelians and neopragmatists, and so forth.” Or why Lafont narrows the requirement of reciprocity to the answering of ‘objections’. The demand for reciprocity as a feature of reasonability, and viceversa, is what steps into this debate.
The built-in imperfection on all ‘human political procedures’, coherent with the burdens of reason, is only compensated with the substantive idea of justice, from where legitimacy obtains its force. The fact that a ‘legitimate procedure is one that all may reasonably accept as free and equal when collective decisions must be made and agreement is normally laking,” implies that the content of freedom and equality is what compensates for the imperfections of all ‘human political procedures’.
To sum up, we end up with an idealization of the person through the idea of citizenship, from which citizens idealize the Other as reasonable, in order to settle constitutional essentials and matters of basic justice, according to the qualities of persons as citizens, that is, as free and equal individuals, both in form and in matter. This is necessary because human political actions are imperfect, due to both the burdens of reason and the fact that we are not fully free and equal. So, what is lacking in terms of epistemic or metaphysic content –an account of freedom and equality–, is posed politically as a precondition. Rawls’ liberal constructivism poses the requirement of freedom and equality to citizens to address the fact that they are not given as free and equal. These facts are what the veil of ignorance is meant to cover, so as to let the frame outcrop.
Although the point of the interaction between these requirements is “to secure for normative statements -and for the theory of justice as a whole- a form of rational obligatoriness founded on justified intersubjective recognition, but without according them an epistemic meaning,” throughout this section I have tried to show that all of them point to a basic epistemic frame that contains value, specifically, that the act of reasonably expecting reasonableness is actualized by an assumption of possible reciprocity. This reciprocity is, at its turn, based on intersubjective value that warrants a form of legitimacy beyond the procedural limit towards a substantive conception of justice, a conception that ideally poses freedom and equality among citizens due to the impossibility of asserting them as facts of epistemic reason.
In this paper I have tried to show that the self-imposed requirement for a free-standing political conception of justice and the political in general that Rawls wants to meet involves and understanding of neutrality in a twofold way. The one which Rawls refers to explicitly is political neutrality, connected to the fact of ideological pluralism. The second points to epistemic values (at the very least), and must take into account the fact of subjective cognitive stances under the light of the limits of reason.
As of the first, I wanted to show that in a well constructed system, neutrality understood as the affirmation of contingent, relative pluralism is not enough to secure free-standingness. Even a comprehensive doctrine could achieve that, under some conditions. In this respect, Rawls’ ideal of public reason shows the maximum possible affirmation of plurality within the limits of the system. His political neutrality is dense, it occupies all the space available, and secures all possible doctrines within.
On the necessity for the second kind of neutrality, although it is specifically denied by Rawls, I wanted to show that it is implicitly embedded into the fabric of both the goals of his idea of public reason –i.e. reasonable overlapping consensus and reflective equilibrium– and the means to achieve them –i.e. political constructivism and the requirements of public reason. To this extent, I claim, Rawls’ system is not neutral. The value of inter-subjectivism is assessed epistemically (a) through an assumption of effective communication and of a capacity for acceptable idealization of rational expectations –that is, an assumption of faculties–; and (b) through the posing of a rational ideal of citizens as free an equal to compensate for the impossibility of affirming them as facts, due to an understanding of the burdens of reason. This a very weak epistemic ground, but it surely enters into the epistemic debate.
A deeper claim that I wanted to test with this immanent critic is whether there is a general impossibility of not entering into the epistemic or metaphysical debates if one wants to set the limits of plurality in the political sphere. Given plurality and epistemic post-metaphysical principles on the limits of reason and humanity in general, it seems that the only way is to set up some form of ground with, at least, epistemic meaning and rules. At this point, the question on whether this ground is a comprehensive view, I think, is secondary: a battle for words.
Personally, I find myself comfortable with Rawls’ epistemic presuppositions. And I find them reasonable. His effort accomplishes a remarkable purification of the limits of the State and strengthens the possibility for political consensus and peace. And I believe that his is probably one of the most open political conceptions in responding to the challenge of plurality in the form of a democratic State. But I do not see that he proves his conception to be free-standing, and to that extent, objective or neutral. | 2019-04-24T15:04:24Z | https://jordigraupera.cat/2013/an-immanent-critique-of-rawls-idea-of-public-reason-under-the-light-of-a-twofold-neutrality/ |
Now that It Works, What Do You Have?
Republicans and Democrats. Toothpaste and orange juice. Linux and Windows. Some things just don’t mix, right? Every IT shop I’ve ever been involved with has been divided into two camps: the Windows team and the Linux team. They don’t really compete with each other, but they sure don't collaborate either. In fact, some places even go so far as to put a yellow line on the floor just to make absolutely sure that there's no inappropriate fraternization between the two groups.
I'm a Windows guy, and I've certainly poked fun at my Linux-oriented colleagues, but we all have the same goal of providing high-quality and cost-effective IT services to the organization. One way we can do that is by sharing core software infrastructure like Active Directory. Just about all IT organizations have settled on Active Directory to provide authentication services to their Windows desktops and servers. Instead of maintaining a separate authentication infrastructure for the Linux environment (along with a separate set of user names and passwords), wouldn't it be better if the Linux computers used Active Directory as well? I think it would, and I'll show you how to do it in this article.
Windows has shipped with an integrated network authentication and single sign-on system for quite some time now. Before Windows 2000, Windows NT domain controllers (DCs) provided authentication services to Windows clients using the NT LAN Manager (NTLM) protocol. Although NTLM was not as secure as was originally thought, it was very helpful because it neatly solved the problem of needing to maintain duplicate user accounts across multiple servers on the network.
Starting with Windows 2000, Microsoft moved from NTLM to Active Directory and its integrated Kerberos authentication services. Kerberos was considerably more secure than NTLM, and it scaled better, too. And Kerberos was an industry standard already used by Linux and UNIX systems, which opened the door to integrating those platforms with Windows.
Originally, Linux (and the GNU tools and libraries that run on it) was not built with a single authentication mechanism in mind. As a result of this, Linux application developers generally took to creating their own authentication scheme. They managed to accomplish this by either looking up names and password hashes in /etc/passwd (the traditional text file containing Linux user credentials) or providing an entirely different (and separate) mechanism.
The resulting plethora of authentication mechanisms was unmanageable. In 1995, Sun proposed a mechanism called Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM). PAM provided a common set of authentication APIs that all application developers could use, along with an administrator-configured back end that allowed for multiple "pluggable" authentication schemes. By using the PAM APIs for authentication and the Name Server Switch (NSS) APIs for looking up user information, Linux application developers could write less code, and Linux administrators could have a single place to configure and manage the authentication process.
Most Linux distributions come with several PAM authentication modules, including modules that support authentication to an LDAP directory and authentication using Kerberos. You can use these modules to authenticate to Active Directory, but there are some significant limitations, as I will discuss later in this article.
Samba is an open-source project that aims to provide integration between Windows and Linux environments. Samba contains components that give Linux machines access to Windows file and print services as well as provide Linux-based services that emulate Windows NT 4.0 DCs. Using the Samba client components, Linux machines can take advantage of Windows authentication services provided by Windows NT and Active Directory DCs.
The particular part of Samba that is most interesting to us for this project is called Winbind. Winbind is a daemon (service in Windows parlance) that runs on Samba clients and acts as a proxy for communication between PAM and NSS running on the Linux machine and Active Directory running on a DC. In particular, Winbind uses Kerberos to authenticate with Active Directory and LDAP to retrieve user and group information. Winbind also provides additional services such as the ability to locate DCs using an algorithm similar to the DCLOCATOR in Active Directory and the ability to reset Active Directory passwords by communicating with a DC using RPC.
Winbind solves a few problems that simply using Kerberos with PAM doesn't. In particular, instead of hard-coding a DC to authenticate to the way the PAM Kerberos module does, Winbind selects a DC by searching DNS locator records similar to the way the Microsoft DC LOCATOR module does.
Given the availability of LDAP, Kerberos, and Winbind on Linux machines, there are three different implementation strategies we can employ to allow our Linux machine to use Active Directory for authentication.
Using LDAP Authentication The easiest but least satisfactory way to use Active Directory for authentication is to configure PAM to use LDAP authentication, as shown in Figure 1. Although Active Directory is an LDAPv3 service, Windows clients use Kerberos (with fallback to NTLM), not LDAP, for authentication purposes.
LDAP authentication (called LDAP binding) passes the user name and password in clear text over the network. This is insecure and unacceptable for most purposes.
The only way to mitigate this risk of passing credentials in the clear is to encrypt the client-Active Directory communication channel using something such as SSL. While this is certainly doable, it imposes the additional burden of managing the SSL certificates on both the DC and the Linux machine. Furthermore, using the PAM LDAP module does not support changing reset or expired passwords.
Using LDAP and Kerberos Another strategy for leveraging Active Directory for Linux authentication is to configure PAM to use Kerberos authentication and NSS to use LDAP to look up user and group information, as shown in Figure 2. This scheme has the advantage of being relatively more secure, and it leverages the "in-the-box" capabilities of Linux. But it doesn't take advantage of the DNS Service Location (SRV) records that Active Directory DCs publish, so you are forced to pick a specific set of DCs to authenticate to. It also doesn't provide a very intuitive way of managing expiring Active Directory passwords or, until recently, for proper group membership lookups.
Using Winbind The third way to use Active Directory for Linux authentication is to configure PAM and NSS to make calls to the Winbind daemon. Winbind will translate the different PAM and NSS requests into the corresponding Active Directory calls, using either LDAP, Kerberos, or RPC, depending on which is most appropriate. Figure 3 shows this strategy.
Because of the enhanced integration with Active Directory, I chose to use Winbind on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (RHEL5) for my Linux-to-Active Directory integration project. RHEL5 is the current version of the commercial Red Hat Linux distribution, and it is fairly popular in enterprise datacenters.
Locate and download the appropriate Samba and other dependent components.
Configure Linux, specifically PAM and NSS.
The next few sections in this article describe these steps in more detail.
One of the biggest differences between Linux and Windows is that Linux consists of a small operating system kernel and a huge collection of separately downloadable and installable components. This makes it possible to create very specific Linux configurations optimized for certain tasks, but it can also make configuration and management of a server extremely complicated. Different distributions handle this in different ways. Red Hat (and its non-commercial cousin Fedora) use the Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) to install and manage these components.
Linux components for Red Hat come in two forms. RPM files contain binary files that have been pre-compiled and built for a specific combination of component version, Linux distribution, and CPU architecture. So you could download and install, for instance, the 1.3.8-5 version of the Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS) built for Fedora version 10 running on an Intel x86 architecture CPU. Given that there are a dozen different CPU architectures, more than 100 Linux distributions, and thousands of packages and versions, you can see that there are an incredible number of binary RPMs from which to choose.
Source RPM files, on the other hand, contain the actual source code for a given package. The expectation is that you will download and install the sources, configure the build options, and compile and link the binaries yourself. The idea of building your own operating system components is daunting for a Windows guy used to installing whatever Microsoft provides on the Windows installation CD, but the package manager makes the process fairly painless and surprisingly reliable. The Samba group releases updates and security patches at a furious rate; in July and August 2008 alone, there were four releases of Samba 3.2, with a total of more than 100 bug and security fixes. For this project, I downloaded the sources for the latest stable version of Samba, version 3.0.31.
Why did I download the Samba sources instead of a pre-compiled set of binaries? That was certainly what I attempted to do first. What I discovered after many hours with a debugger was that the binaries I downloaded were not built with the correct options to support Active Directory authentication. In particular, the code that supports Linux ID mapping in Active Directory was turned off in the default builds; hence I had to rebuild Samba with the appropriate build options. I'll talk more about ID mapping later in this article.
Even though Linux is natively a small kernel, the Red Hat Enterprise distribution comes with many packages preinstalled. Normally this makes life much easier because you start out with a complete working operating system, but the packages that are preinstalled sometimes conflict with software you wish to install later.
I did not include Samba when I installed Red Hat (normally Samba is installed by default) because I wanted to use a more current version. However, the newer version of Samba requires new versions of several other libraries and utilities that were already installed. These sorts of dependency problems are quite annoying, but they are easily solved using the RPM.
There are many Web sites that host binary RPM packages. The one I used (for no other reason that it was the first one I found) is called PBONE, located at rpm.pbone.net. It has a convenient way of searching for packages and had all the binaries that I needed for my CPU architecture (i386) and operating system distribution (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5/Fedora 7&8).
I had to download and update the packages listed in Figure 4 to build and install the latest 3.0 version of Samba (there is an even later 3.2 version tree that I have not tried). Note that these packages target the Fedora Core (fc) distribution. Red Hat is based on the same sources Fedora uses and is completely interoperable with it. Packages built for Fedora Core 7 and later will run on RHEL5 with no modification. Place the downloaded RPM files in the /usr/src/redhat/RPMS directory.
The first step in building Samba is to download the proper source RPM. I downloaded the source RPM for Samba 3.0.31 from the PBONE site. Next, place the downloaded source RPM file in /usr/src/redhat/SRPMS; this is the standard directory for source RPMs during the build process.
Open a terminal session (command-line window in Windows parlance) and move to the SRPMS folder. Once that is done, install the source package using the command, as shown in Figure 5.
If you see the error warning "user mockbuild does not exist—using root," don't worry. This error indicates that the Mock build utilities aren't installed. The build process will work without them.
Next, move to the /usr/src/redhat/SPECS directory and edit the file SAMBA.SPEC, which contains the Samba build options. Search for the line that starts with "CFLAGS=", and make sure the option "--with-shared-modules=idmap_ad,idmap_rid" is present. This option ensures that the build process will include the code that translates Linux UIDs (unique identifiers) properly to Active Directory. Figure 6 shows this option.
Next, you may have to update some of the libraries on your machine to properly build and install Samba; it depends on what versions of the libraries you happen to have installed. In my case, I had to install the packages listed in Figure 4 using the rpm --install command; in some cases I had to use the --force option to get past some of the dependency problems.
To build Samba, move to the /usr/src/redhat directory and run the command rpmbuild –bb SPECS/samba.spec, as shown in Figure 7. The process will leave a new samba-3.0.31-0.i386 RPM file in the /usr/src/redhat/RPMS directory. We will install this RPM file later in the project.
In order to authenticate with Active Directory, your Linux machine must be able to communicate with a DC. You have to configure three networking settings in order for this to happen.
First, it's important to make sure that the network interface for your Linux machine is configured properly, either by using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) or by assigning it an appropriate IP address and netmask using the ifconfig command. Under RHEL5, you configure the network by selecting Network from the System | Administration menu, as shown in Figure 8.
Next, ensure that the DNS resolver for the Linux machine is set to use the same DNS name server that your DCs use; in the majority of cases, this is a DC in the domain to which you want to join the Linux machine, assuming you are using Active Directory-integrated DNS. You configure the DNS resolver on the DNS tab of the same Network configuration utility you used to configure the network, as shown in Figure 9.
Finally, once you have completed those steps, you must set the host name of the Linux computer to reflect its name in the domain. Even though you can set the host name using the Network configuration app, this doesn't seem to always work properly.
Instead, edit the /etc/hosts file directly, and add an entry below the localhost.localdomain entry that has the form <ip address> <FQDN> <host name>. (An example would be "10.7.5.2 rhel5.linuxauth.local linuxauth".) I should note that failure to do this will result in the creation of an incorrect computer object in the directory after you join the Linux computer to the domain.
The Kerberos protocol is dependent on the authenticating systems having clocks that are synchronized within a relatively small value. By default, Active Directory allows a maximum time skew of five minutes. To ensure that your Linux systems and your DCs' system clocks stay within this value, you should configure your Linux systems to use the Network Time Protocol (NTP) service of a DC.
Next, on the Linux server, run the Date & Time utility from the System | Administration menu, and then click on the Network Time Protocol tab. Check the Enable Network Time Protocol box, and then add the IP address of the DC you want to use as a network time source. Note that this should typically be the DC in the domain that holds the primary domain controller (PDC) emulator Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO) role. Figure 10 is an example of how to set the Linux network time source.
PAM and NSS provide the glue between a Linux application, such as the desktop, and Winbind. Like many Linux services, you configure PAM and NSS through text files. We'll look at configuring PAM first.
PAM provides four authentication-related facilities to apps that use it. The authentication facility lets an application determine who is using it. The account facility provides account management functions that aren't specifically related to authentication, such as login time restriction. The password facility provides mechanisms for soliciting and managing passwords. The session facility performs user-related setup and tear-down tasks for the application, such as logging or creating files in a user-specific directory.
PAM under Red Hat stores its configuration files in the /etc/pam.d directory, which will contain a text file for each application that uses PAM for authentication. For instance, the file /etc/pam.d/gdm contains the PAM configuration information for the Gnome Desktop Manager (GDM), the default windowing environment for Red Hat. Each PAM configuration file contains multiple lines, with each line defining some aspect of the PAM authentication process. Figure 11 shows the contents of the PAM configuration file for GDM.
Each entry in a PAM configuration file has the form <management group> <control> <module> <parameters>, where <management group> corresponds to the facility the configuration entry pertains to: auth, account, password, or session. The control keywords, which are described in Figure 12, tell PAM how to process the configuration entry. The third column of the file contains the name of a PAM shared library in the /lib/security directory. Shared libraries contain dynamically loadable executable code, similar to DLLs in Windows. Additional terms after the module name are parameters that PAM passes to the shared library.
Required If the module succeeds, PAM continues evaluating the remaining entries for the management group, and the results will be determined by the results of the remaining modules. If the module fails, PAM continues evaluation but will return failure to the calling application.
Requisite If the module succeeds, PAM continues evaluating the management group entries. If the module fails, PAM returns to the calling application with no further processing.
Sufficient If the module succeeds, PAM will return success to the calling application. If the module fails, PAM continues evaluation, but the results will be determined by subsequent modules.
Optional PAM ignores the results of the module unless it is the only module specified for the management group.
Include PAM includes the contents of the referenced PAM configuration file and processes the entries it contains.
You can see that each management group has several entries. PAM processes the entries in order by calling the named module. The module then returns either success or failure, and PAM proceeds according to the control keyword.
You'll notice that the PAM configuration file for GDM includes system-auth in all of its management groups. This is how PAM establishes default authentication behavior for GDM. By modifying system-auth, you can modify the authentication behavior for all of the applications that include the system-auth file in their PAM configurations. The default system-auth file is shown in Figure 13.
The Name Service Switch (NSS) module hides the specifics of system data storage from the application developer, in much the same way that PAM hides the details of authentication. NSS lets the administrator specify the way system databases are stored. In particular, the administrator can specify how user name and password information is stored. Because we want applications to look up user information in Active Directory using Winbind, we have to modify the NSS configuration file to show that.
Red Hat includes a little graphical applet for configuring PAM and NSS called system-config-authentication. It takes care of most (but not all) of the changes you need to make to the system-auth and nss.conf files.
Run the system-config-authentication application and you will see a dialog like the one shown in Figure 14. Check the Winbind option on both the User Information tab (which configures the nss.conf file) and the Authentication tab (which modifies system-auth file).
Click the Configure Winbind button and you will see the dialog in Figure 15. Enter the name of the domain you want users to authenticate to in the Winbind Domain field, and select "ads" as the security model. Enter the DNS domain name of the Active Directory domain in the Winbind ADS Realm field. In the Winbind Domain Controllers field, enter either the name of a DC you want this Linux system to authenticate with or an asterisk, indicating that Winbind should select a DC by querying DNS SRV records.
Select the appropriate default command shell your Active Directory users should have; in this case, I selected the Bourne-again Shell, or BASH. Don't try the "Join Domain" button at this point. You will join the machine to the domain later on.
There is one additional change to make to the /etc/pam.d/system-auth file after you have modified it to support Winbind. When a Linux user logs in, the system requires that the user have a home directory. The home directory contains many user-specific preferences and configuration items, much like the Windows registry. The problem is that because you are creating your users in Active Directory, Linux will not automatically create the user's home directory. Luckily, you can configure PAM to do this as part of its session configuration.
Open the /etc/pam.d/system-auth file, then scroll down toward the bottom and insert a line before the last line in the session section that reads "session optional map_mkhomedir.so skel=/etc/skel umask=0644" (see Figure 16). This line configures PAM to create a home directory for a user if one doesn't exist. It will use the directory /etc/skel as a "skeleton" or template, and it will assign the permissions mask 0644 (read and write for owner, read for the primary group, and read for everyone else) to the new folder.
To install the Samba binaries you just created, change to the /usr/src/redhat/RPMS directory. All of the RPM files created by the rpmbuild command will appear in this directory. Remember that Samba includes binaries that allow a Linux client to access a Windows (or Samba) file share, as well as code that allows a Linux system to act as a Windows file server, a Windows printer server, and a Windows NT 4.0-style DC.
Once you've installed the Samba client binaries, you must modify the default Samba configuration to make sure Winbind handles authentication properly with Active Directory. All of the Samba configuration information (both client and server) can be found in the smb.conf text file, which by default is in the /etc/samba directory. Smb.conf can contain an enormous number of configuration options, and a complete discussion of its contents is beyond the scope of this article. The samba.org Web site and the Linux man pages discuss smb.conf in some detail.
The first step is to configure Winbind to use Active Directory for authentication. You must set the security model in smb.conf to "ads". The system-config-authentication utility should have set this for you already, but it's always good to check. Edit the smb.conf file and search for the section labeled Domain Member Options. Find the line that starts with "security" and make sure it reads "security = ads". The next configuration step determines how Winbind will map Windows security principals such as users and groups to Linux identifiers, and that requires a little more explanation.
There's one big problem I haven't mentioned yet with authenticating Linux users with Active Directory, and that is the problem of UIDs for users and groups. Internally, neither Linux nor Windows refer to users by user name; instead they use a unique internal identifier. Windows uses the Security Identifier, or SID, which is a variable-length structure that uniquely identifies each user within a Windows domain. The SID also contains a unique domain identifier so that Windows can distinguish between users in different domains.
Linux has a much simpler scheme. Each user on a Linux machine has a UID that is simply a 32-bit integer. But the scope of the UID is limited to the machine itself. There is no guarantee that the user with UID 436 on one Linux machine is the same as the user with UID 436 on another Linux machine. Consequently, a user will have to login to each machine he needs to access, clearly not a desirable situation.
Linux network administrators usually address this problem by providing network authentication using either Network Information System (NIS) or a shared LDAP directory. The network authentication system provides the UID for the user, and all the Linux machines that use that authentication system will share the same user and group identifiers. In this situation, I will use Active Directory to provide the unique user and group identifiers.
There are two strategies I can use in order to address this problem. The first (and also most obvious) strategy is to create a UID for each user and group and store that identifier with the respective object in Active Directory. This way, when Winbind authenticates a user, it can look up the UID for the user and provide it to Linux as the user's internal identifier. Winbind refers to this scheme as Active Directory ID mapping, or idmap_ad. Figure 17 shows the process of Active Directory ID mapping.
The only downside to Active Directory ID mapping is that we have to provide a mechanism to ensure that every user and group has an identifier, and that these identifiers are all unique in the forest. See the sidebar, "Configuring Active Directory for Active Directory ID Mapping," for more information.
Happily, there is another ID mapping strategy that has a lot less administrative overhead. Recall that the Windows SID uniquely identifies the user within a domain as well as the domain itself. The portion of the SID that uniquely identifies the user within the domain is called the Relative Identifier, or RID, and is in fact a 32-bit integer. So, Winbind can simply extract the RID from the SID when the user logs in and then use the RID as the unique internal UID. Winbind refers to this strategy as RID mapping, or idmap_rid. Figure 18 illustrates how RID mapping actually works.
RID mapping has the benefit of zero administrative overhead, but you can't use it in a multi-domain environment because of the likelihood of users in different domains having the same RID value. But if you have a single Active Directory domain, RID mapping is the way to go.
To configure the Winbind ID mapping strategy, edit the /etc/samba/smb.conf file again and add the line "idmap backend = ad" to use the Active Directory mapping strategy, or "idmap backend = rid" if you want to use the RID mapping strategy. Make sure that there are no other lines specifying the mapping strategy in the file.
There are a couple of other configuration options we need to add to the smb.conf file for Winbind. Even though we set up PAM to make the home directory for each user when they log in, we need to tell Winbind what the name of that home directory is. We do this by adding the line "template homedir = /home/%U" to smb.conf (see Figure 19). This tells Winbind that the home directory for each user that authenticates using Active Directory will be /home/<user name>. Be sure to create the /home directory beforehand.
Now that the network, PAM, NSS, and Samba Winbind are all configured properly, it's time to join the Linux machine to the domain. You do this using the Samba NET command. At a shell prompt, run "net ads join –U <administrator name>". Replace <administrator name> with the name of an account that has sufficient privileges to join a machine to the domain.
The net command will prompt you for the user's password. If everything works properly, the net command will join your machine to the domain. You can use Active Directory Users and Computers to locate the newly created computer account.
You can test the state of the join using the Winbind test tool called wbinfo. Running wbinfo –t will test the trust relationship between the machine and the domain. Running wbinfo –u lists all the users in the domain, and wbinfo –g lists all the groups.
If you successfully join the Linux machine to the domain, the next step is to try to log in using an Active Directory user account and password. Log off the Linux machine, and log in using an Active Directory user name. If everything works properly, you should be able to log in.
This information applies only if you're using Active Directory ID mapping. If you've decided to use RID mapping, feel free to skip this sidebar.
Before you can start logging in to your Red Hat server using an Active Directory account, you have to make some changes to Active Directory itself. First, the Active Directory schema has to accommodate the attributes that Winbind uses to store user information. If you are running Windows Server 2003 R2, the schema is ready to go. If you have an earlier version of the Active Directory schema, you will have to extend it using the Microsoft Services for UNIX (SFU) package.
You can find more on Services for UNIX on TechNet. SFU also includes an additional property page for the Active Directory Users and Computers Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that lets you manage the user ID and group ID information that Linux requires.
Linux requires a UID for every user that authenticates. Because you want to manage user information in Active Directory, every user account that will log in to a Linux machine must have a unique uidNumber attribute. The specific value you use for a uidNumber isn't important, but it must be unique across all the users that might log in to the Linux machine.
Every Linux user must also have a default group identifier, so each Active Directory user that will log in to a Linux machine requires a value for the gidNumber attribute as well. This value doesn't have to be unique among users, but it must uniquely identify the group.
Every group in Active Directory should have a unique value for its gidNumber attribute. Strictly speaking, it's OK for groups to not have a value for the gidNumber attribute, but Winbind expects, when it authenticates a user, that every group to which that user is a member will have a unique gidNumber value. It's probably easiest just to make sure that every group has a unique gidNumber value.
Winbind expects that every user it looks up in Active Directory is a member of the Domain Users group, so it also expects that the Domain Users group has a value for its gidNumber attribute.
Setting up a Linux machine to authenticate with Active Directory using Winbind is not a trivial project. There are lots of pieces to configure and lots of things that can go wrong. The fact that every version of Linux and every version of Samba is a little different doesn't help matters. But there are a handful of places you can look to help determine what's going on.
First, there is the Linux system log file, which is maintained in /var/log/messages. Samba will place messages within this file for significant events such as missing files or bad configuration. In addition to the system log file, there are also the log files for Samba and Winbind. You can find these in /var/log/samba, and they will provide you with some additional information.
You can increase the detail (and the volume) of the log messages emitted by Winbind by modifying its startup script to set the debug level. Edit the /etc/init.d/winbind shell script, and add "-d 5" to the winbindd command. This will increase the debug level to 5 (allowable values are from 1 to 10), which will cause winbind to generate more detailed error messages.
If Winbind is getting as far as communicating with a DC, you can run a network packet capture utility such as Netmon 3.1. This lets you analyze exactly what Winbind is trying to do. And you can also inspect the Windows security log on the DC, which will show authentication attempts.
If you've managed to get everything to work, you now have the ability to log into your Linux system using credentials that you maintain in Active Directory. This is a huge improvement over managing identities locally on the Linux machine or using an insecure system such as NIS. It lets you centralize your user management on one identity store: Active Directory.
But there are a several things that are missing to make this solution truly useful. First, getting technical support is a bit of a hit-or-miss operation. Most Linux organizations are somewhat in the dark when it comes to Active Directory, and the support you can get from the Linux community depends entirely on who happens to read your post and how they feel that day.
There are also no migration or deployment tools with Samba. If you have existing Linux accounts with their associated user IDs and permissions, you will have to manually ensure that they maintain their UIDs when you migrate them to Active Directory.
Finally, one of the most important Active Directory apps, Group Policy, isn't yet available with Samba, although it is in the works. Even though you can join a Linux system to Active Directory with Samba, you can't manage it using Group Policy.
Authenticating Linux machines with Active Directory is clearly A Good Thing, but rolling your own solution using Samba Winbind is tedious if not downright painful. You would think some innovative software vendors would step up with an easier-to-use solution, and you would be right.
There are four commercial software vendors that have developed easy-to-install-and-use versions of what I've demonstrated in this article. They provide the code and migration tools for nearly every popular version of Linux, UNIX, and Apple Macintoshes, as well as support for managing Linux machines using Group Policy.
Does it make sense to build your own authentication system using Samba and Winbind when there are commercial options available? If spending money on integration software isn't in the budget, then going the open-source route with Samba has the advantage of being free. You also get all the source code, which can be a compelling benefit. But migrating existing Linux machines and their existing UIDs is a very thorny problem.
On the other hand, if you want to save installation and implementation time, you have existing Linux machines you need to migrate, or you would rather have someone to call for an authoritative answer to your question, then checking out one of the commercial solutions makes sense. And if you need Group Policy management, then the commercial alternative is your only choice.
But whichever way you go, integrating Linux authentication with Active Directory reduces the effort you spend managing multiple user accounts, improves system security, and provides you with a single identity store to manage and audit. And those are all pretty compelling reasons to give it a try.
Gil Kirkpatrick has designed or developed dozens of successful commercial software products in his 30-year career, and he is the founder of the Directory Experts Conference (now called The Experts Conference). Gil is the author of Active Directory Programming and is a frequent contributor to Windows IT Pro and TechNet Magazine. In his current role as Expert-in-Residence at NetPro (now part of Quest Software), Gil consults on various security, identity, and marketing projects and speaks at technology seminars and conferences around the world. | 2019-04-18T12:52:04Z | https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/technet-magazine/dd228986(v%3Dmsdn.10) |
Katrina is travelling to Antarctica with her partner Tom Wilhelm. An experienced open water swimmer, she will take part in the marathon event. The couple met at a swim / run relay in California which raised over $1 million for charity. Tom ran 228 miles solo on the occasion. See http://www.examiner.com/article/bay-area-runners-and-swimmers-raise-over-1-million-for- semper-fi-fund.
Michael is Chairman and Founder of Baer Capital Partners, an alternative asset manager with an India focus. He has over 20 years of international experience in investment banking, trading, and private banking. Michael started running only three years ago and quickly decided to take on the challenge of marathon length events. The Dubai marathon was the first, followed by Zurich, Berlin and Mumbai. He subsequently decided to run on every continent, a challenge he is undertaking with his fellow YPOers (Young Presidents Organization). This adventure has so far taken him to Auckland, London, Tokyo, Kenya and now to the Antarctic. It will be followed by Los Angeles, Rio and New York next year. Other than running, Michael is an ardent skier and enjoys touring in the mountains of Austria during the winter months.
David is 57-year-old medical doctor who has completed 26 marathons to date. A middle of the pack runner he has "learned to enjoy the scenery more with each new marathon". In addition to his private practice as a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, David teaches 2nd year med students at the University of South Florida Morsani School of Medicine. He has played in a few bands (accordion/piano and singing) for the past number of years.
Malek is an experienced ultramarathon runner and will run both the marathon and 100km in Antarctica. He ran his first marathon in Paris in 1999 and has subsequently taken part in gruelling ultramarathon events such as the Trans 333km in the Rajasthan Desert, la diagonals des Focus and La Transgaule (1,150km). See www.facebook.com/MalekBoukerchi.
Yvonne is running her 13th marathon in Antarctica and more significantly, her 7th continent. It will make her the third and youngest Singaporean to join the Seven Continents Marathon Club. Crossing the finishing line of the Antarctic Ice Marathon on 20 November 2013 would be the realization of a dream she set out to achieve in 2008 and a tribute to her late grandmother who was a strong woman and helped to raise Yvonne. Through running and pushing her limits, Yvonne is also striving to increase awareness of the needs of the elderly and raise funds for the elderly who are assisted by the Tsao Foundation in Singapore. This is driven by her strong belief that we have a lot to learn from our elderly and that older people deserve to have a good quality of life. More information on Yvonne's bid as well as her fund-raising for the elderly can be found on http://www.yvonne7marathons7continents.com.
Mark has participated in nearly twenty marathons since 2009 and the Antarctic Ice Marathon will mark his fulfilment to join the 7 Continents Marathon Club. Included among those marathons were Athens (Greece), Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Pacasmayo (Peru), Singapore, and New South Wales Australia. To combine running with travel and adventure, such as climbing Kilimanjaro and hiking along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, makes for great memories and Mark is looking forward to more adventure-type events and attempting ultramarathons.
Angel is running “Seven Marathons on Seven Continents” with fellow members of Young Presidents Organisation (YPO).
Aydin is hoping to join the 7 Continents Marathon Club next year. His is joined in the Antarctic by his son Gafar, both running their sixth continent.
Gafar is hoping to join the 7 Continents Marathon Club next year. His is joined in the Antarctic by his father Aydin, both running their sixth continent.
Beibei is running the half marathon in Antarctica. The continent has always been a dream destination for her and she is looking forward having a chance to feel what it might have been like for the explorers in the past.
Tomio is running the half marathon event in Antarctica.
Felicity is running her 3rd marathon, on her 3rd continent in Antarctica. She prefers off road / trail running, and can usually be found either running on the West Country Moors or the coastal paths around Devon and Cornwall. Felicity is using this marathon to raise money for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) - http://choices.rspca.org.uk/Platforms/RSPCAChoices/Fundraisers/Display.aspx? Title=antarctic-ice-marathon.
Takanori operates a business in Japan and has run many events including the Marathon des Sables 2012, Ironman Western Australia 2010, the Honolulu Triathlon 2009 and the Honolulu Marathon 2004-2009. Takanori will compete in both the marathon and an experimental winter triathlon.
Alexandra is a world traveller, adventurer, and runner who will be competing in the Ice Marathon. It will be her fourth marathon -- she ran the Athens Classic in Greece in 2009, the Marine Corps in Washington, D.C. in 2011, and the Cape Cod in Massachusetts in 2012. Although she still has a few races to run before she can join the Seven Continents Marathon Club, this trip will check off her bucket list goal of visiting all seven continents before she turns 30.
Mårten is a 39-year-young accountant full of Finnish “sisu”, aiming to fin(n)ish a marathon on every continent. He began running marathons in New York 8 years ago, and now only the white continent remains. He has also completed the Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia marathon from Asia to Europe. Marathons around the world enable him to keep training hard, to meet more great people, to visit interesting places, and to increase his collection of nearly 4,000 different key rings. Mårten prefers big and extraordinary marathons. The high altitude Swiss Alpine marathon and the Big Five Marathon in South Africa have been his most amazing and toughest runs so far. Although ice and snow is very familiar - he also enjoys cross-country skiing - his 22nd marathon will most certainly be the ultimate race for him.
Jun is the General Director of the Behavioral Science Management Institute and has published up to 35 books on business management and education. He started his life as a runner in 2009, finishing a full-length marathon in Hokkaido, Japan. Among his accomplishments, he has completed an Ironman race on Rota Island and a 100km marathon race in Hokkaido. He also completed the Marathon des Sables in the Sahara Desert in April 2012. He will take part in the marathon and winter triathlon in Antarctica. You can click here to get more information about Jun's books: http://www.will-pm.jp/about/books.php.
Lauren is a 29-year-old sports teacher from Perth, Western Australia competing in the 42km Antarctic Ice Marathon. She is part of the charity group Telethon Adventurers, who are raising money to combat childhood cancer. Lauren has competed in 15 ironman triathlons, five of these being the World Championships in Hawaii. She haas also completed five marathons in her native city of Perth.
Pieter is part of the Telethon Adventurers team, raising money to fight childhood cancer.
Retief grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and is currently living in Perth, Australia since January 2008. He has run a few Ironman 70.3 triathlons and short adventure races. However, the Antarctic Ice Marathon will be Retief's first marathon. Always up for a challenge, he could not let my brother, Pieter Joubert, do the event without him. Retief is part of a group of six from Perth running for charity, The Telethon Adventurers. The Adventurers raise funds to help find the cause of, and ultimately a cure for childhood cancer.
Kazuhiro does not regard Running, Biking and Skiing as races, but a means of travelling where he wants to go. He likes to travel on his own feet at his own pace, and has completed the following events in the past few years: 2013/Sep 100km Yatsugatake Ultra Trail Running; 2013/Jun 100km Shimanami- Kaido Ultra Marathon; 2013/Mar 72km Challenge Fuji Five Lakes Marathon; 2013/Feb 100km Izu-Oshima Ultra Running; 2012/Apr 250km Sultan Marathon Des Sables; 2012/Feb 42.195km Okinawa Marathon; 2012/Jan 42.195km Kita Marathon ; 2011/Sep 100km Kyo-Tango Ultra Marathon; 2010/Dec 42.195km Honolulu Marathon; 2009/Dec 42.195km Honolulu Marathon; 2009/Sep 160km Honolulu Century Ride. Kazuhiro will run both the marathon and winter triathlon in Antarctica.
Maciej is a journalist and presenter of Sport Editorial for Polish TV (TVP). He hopes to complete 7 marathons on 7 continents in 2013 with the Antarctic Ice Marathon being his final leg. Maciej started his adventure with running nearly 10 years ago. In 2003, after only 6 months of training, he covered the ancient marathon distance from Marathon to Athens. Later he took part in the Warsaw Marathon, New York Marathon and Paris Marathon, among other. In 2013, the year of his 40th birthday, he aspired to complete 7 marathons on 7 continents. He started this challenge in April in London (3:49:46). In June he took part in The Big Five Marathon in RPA (4:39:46) and in July in Rio de Janeiro (4:09:31). Next was the Hokkaido Marathon in Sapporo (4:39:30) and the Sydney Marathon in September (3:59:22). Maciej’s Marathon Project is a part of social action “Biegajmy Razem” (Let’s Run Together) realised by PKO Bank Polski (the biggest bank in Poland). The aim of this action is to encourage Poles to run. More details on www.koronamaratonow.pl.
Sergio was born on the island of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. An amateur triathlete, he has participated in various events with his biggest one being the Ironman Brazil 2012. His favourite running distance is the half marathon, but he hopes to be the first athlete from his state to complete the Antarctic Ice Marathon. Sergio is dedicating his participation to all the men and women of his state and especially his sons Guilherme (17) and Gabriel (11).
Masao describes himself as a" 61-years-old lazy recreational runner" who lives in Boulder Colorado. He has run the Tokyo marathon 3 times in a row. A Sushi chef, he is the author of 15 non fiction books.
Audrey is running both the marathon & 100k. In preparation, she has run several ultras in Scotland in the past year, including the 53 mile Highland Fling on the West Highland Way. Audrey is raising funds for Alzheimer Scotland, see http://www.justgiving.com/Audrey-McIntosh1 and http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/intrepid-audreys-ice- marathon- 142416n.22681161.
Alistair is part of the Telethon Adventurers team, raising money to fight childhood cancer.
Shinichi has completed multiple half marathons, six full marathons, 60k, 72k marathons and the Marathon des Sables (230km). He has an orthodontic office in Tokyo. Shinichi will take part in both the Antarctic Ice Marathon and the Antarctic Triathlon.
Fiona won the 2013 UVU North Pole Marathon and holds a marathon PB of 2:38 hrs. She has had top 25 places in both the London and Berlin Marathons as well as top 10 finishes in Amsterdam, Moscow, Florence and Nottingham. She also has several marathon victories to her name, four of them in course records. Fiona uses running as the opportunity to raise funds for an animal sanctuary she owns and has almost single- handedly operated in Essex for the past 16 years. Her sanctuary cares for over 400 previously neglected and /or abused animals, many having been rescued from the food chain.
Yoshifumi is a 29-year-old Japanese cyclist who has traveled around the world, from -30 to 50 deg, from mid summer in Australia's deserts to mid winter in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Cycling to the South Pole is his final goal and he is using the Antarctic Ice Marathon trip to test ride his bike in Antarctica. He hopes to cycle 100km per day.
Daniel is formal top downhill skier. He is and now an experienced Ironman athlete with numerous finishes and a personal best of 9:24. He intends to take part in both the marathon and 100k.
Jan has been a triathlete for many years, mainly on the Olympic and Short distance, so predominantly running distances between 10km-15km. The Antarctic Ice Marathon will be his first full Marathon and certainly his biggest sporting adventure so far.
Matthew is originally from Bristol in the UK, but moved to Perth in 2005 where he is a tax partner at KPMG. Matthew is responsible for the Telethon Adventurers participation in the Ice Marathon, raising funds to combat childhood cancer. He has been predominantly a rugby player and still plays now despite turning 40. Although he ran the London Marathon in 1998 as a 'one off' marathon, vowing to never run one again, he got back into running after moving to Perth. His main aims for the event main are to enjoy the run and make sure his friend Gareth Spencer gets to the end. Matthew is married with three kids - twin boys aged 13 and a 6 year old girl.
Andy is a sports presenter and correspondent working for Al Jazeera English. He has a wide range of experience as a sports reporter, and has previously worked with Independent Television News (ITN), Sky News, ITV and Five News. He is a regular presenter on the Al Jazeera English Sportsworld programme and has reported on sporting events from across the globe. Andy will participate in the Antarctic Ice Marathon as part of a documentary for Al Jazeera English.
Jurgen is 49-year old area-manager from Bavaria, Germany who is hoping to accomplish a long-strived for goal of running a marathon on all 7 continents. Since running his first marathon in his home town Forchheim in 2002, with the goal of simply trying to finish, he has completed marathon on six continents. Among his favourite sports experiences to date were running marathons in New York, Tokyo and Sydney.
Jagjit has run over 100 official marathons and will now be adding a marathon in Antarctica to his list, qualifying him for the 7 Continents Marathon Club. See http://www.marathonsingh.com/ for more details.
Adjoa is a recent graduate of the University of Oxford and currently a medical student at Columbia University (MD/PhD Program). She started running marathons to challenge herself and provide balance during her studies. She loves running and encourages others to join in on the fun, whether it's family members running shorter distances or teams of coworkers taking part in charity runs. This race completes her quest of running a marathon on all seven continents.
Gareth is 42 year Welshman who emigrated to Perth, Australia in late 2006. His friend, Matthew Popham, persuaded him to run the Antarctic Ice Marathon for a local charity called the Telethon Adventurers. Along with four "real athletes" he hopes to raise $100,000 to help fight the war against childhood cancer. Gareth has never run a marathon before but has been training hard over the past year, losing weight and getting fit for the challenge. He feels truly excited, anxious and honoured to be able to take part in such an extreme event that it turns heads every time he mentions it!
Martin hopes to run 7 marathons on 7 continents, along with his wife Sarah. The Antarctic will be the couple's fifth continent with only Australia and South America remaining.
Sarah won the first ever marathon in Sierra Leone. Accompanied by her husband, she ultimately hopes to run 7 marathons on 7 continents. The Antarctic will be the couple's fifth continent with only Australia and South America remaining.
Shokei has completed the Honolulu Triathlon 2008, Ironman West Australia 2010 and the Marathon des Sables 2012. He believes adversity and setbacks are a part of life and learning to overcome adversity makes us who we are. He welcomes new challenges - both in his personal life and professional life - and he could not resist the Antarctic Ice Marathon and Antarctic Triathlon.
Guilherme began racing shortly after adolescence, and after the death of his sister in a traffic accident in 1991 he has run to honour her. Among his events have been the International Marathon Blumenal SC - 1994, Marathon São Paulo - SP 2010, Half Marathon Rio de Janeiro 2012, Marathon Buenos Aires - Argentina 2012, and the Marathon Foz do Iguaçu - PR 2013. He will be thinking of his sister again in the Antarctic Ice Marathon.
Kazue is running her debut half marathon in Antarctica. It will represent a big event in her life. Kazue started to run two years ago and would like to challenge her my physical and spiritual strength on the white continent.
Alex intends to join the 7 Continents Marathon Club and North Pole Marathon Grand Slam Club. Prior to this year, he ran marathons ranging from New York to Mount Everest. In 2013, however, he upped the adventure, completing the North Pole Marathon, the “Big 5 Marathon” in South Africa, the Inca Trail Marathon in Peru and now the Antarctic Ice Marathon in Antarctica. An enthusiastic scuba diver and ice hockey player, he works as an International Digital Media Specialist for the international food company Dr. Oetker, with responsibility for 39 countries. Alex has also summited Kilimanjaro.
Petr is a professional triathlete who also holds a 2:31 marathon PB. See www.facebook.com/PetrVabrousek for more information and updates on him.
Charlotte (26) will be running the Ice Marathon with her father Patrick (55 going on 25) 10 days after which they’ll be running the Chile marathon to become the third ever father daughter pair to complete the seven continents. To date she’s completed 7 marathons around the world over 8 years and when she’s finished these last two she plans on taking up watching Jerry Springer and eating a lot of junk food…she may also burn her running shoes. She’s raising money for the World Wildlife Fund with her page live at https://www.justgiving.com/charlotte-waller and when she’s not running marathons she’s working on her online marketing business, SEO Gemini.
Patrick is heading back to run the Ice Marathon for the second time at the ripe (rotting?) old age of 55 but this time with his 26 year old daughter Charlotte. A few days after the Antarctic Ice Marathon they head to Vina Del Mar in Chile to run the last leg of their father-daughter 7 marathons on 7 continents challenge. They have previously run marathons together in Berlin, Chicago, Sydney, Nagano (Japan) and Marrakech. Patrick isn't too sure but he thinks they may be one of only 3 or so father-daughter marathon teams in world to have run 7 on 7. Patrick completed the marathon North Pole Marathon Grand Slam in 2009.
Mikio has run the Honolulu Marathon ten times (2004-2013), IRONMAN Western Australia 2010, the Saroma 100km ultra marathon 2011 and Marathon Des Sables 2012. He is the CEO of Vitamin i Factory, Ltd, which has the RIPSTIK, "ride a bike in 30min" bikes and other equipment that they hope will lead kids to exercise more. Mikio will compete in both the Antarctic Ice Marathon and the experimental Antarctic Triathlon.
Tom is travelling to Antarctica with his partner Tom Kat. An experienced open water swimmer, she will take part in the marathon event. The couple met at a swim / run relay in California which raised over $1 million for charity. Tom ran 228 miles solo on the occasion. See http://www.examiner.com/article/bay- area-runners-and-swimmers-raise-over-1-million-for- semper-fi-fund. He will run both the marathon and 100k in Antarctica.
Although never having run more than 12 km previously, Colin heard a 2011 Ice Marathon competitor being interviewed on local radio and decided this could be the best way to achieve his lifelong dream of visiting The Frozen Continent. The next day he started training! That was January 2012 and after convincing himself he could go the distance by completing the 2012 Rottnest Marathon (a small island off the coast of Perth, Western Australia) in 3:51:44 he entered the Ice Marathon. It was 36C that day in Perth and he's hoping for slightly cooler conditions in Antarctica. Having been overwhelmed by the generosity of his friends last time round, Colin will be raising money for three local Perth charities: Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation; Breast Cancer Care WA; and The Scott Kirkbride Melanoma Research Centre. | 2019-04-25T21:53:42Z | http://antarcticicemarathon.com/site/58 |
This installment of our blog on Manuscript Studies identifies a fragmentary 13th-century leaf on vellum with monastic rules in Latin. Now reduced to a single column of its original double columns of text, the fragment carries parts of the Statutes of the Cistercian Order, in a mid-–13th-century version — or, rather, extension — of those Statutes. That extended version appears in full in a few other extant manuscripts. Mildred Budny describes the fragment and its testimony.
Now in a private collection, a fragment of a leaf in Latin on parchment or vellum survives from a text originally laid out in double columns of 23 lines. Of those columns, only the inner column (a or b) survives on each side (of former columns a–b). That is: there remain column a on the recto and column b on the verso.
The remnant carries parts of the text of Chapter XIV, De Conversis (“On the Lay-Brethren”), the penultimate chapter of a mid-13th-century version or extension of the Statutes of the Cistercian Order of monks and nuns— a religious order which continues to have an active life worldwide. To judge by the 19th- and 20th-century editions of those 13th-century Statutes (see below), there survive apparently a few manuscript witnesses, from France and elsewhere, to which can be added the manuscript from which “our” fragment derives.
It is a shame that its manuscript was dismembered and dispersed — and without suitable documentation.
We recognize that sellers may have reasons, for whatever reasons, for wishing to keep their sources and their own locations anonymous. It could nevertheless be useful to relate some elements which might have nothing to do with such tell-tale give-aways, but which could allow our wider knowledge to have some authentic clues from the intermediary. Such clues could guide assessments of the materials by ruling out some speculations that might not have any relevance, should we know such.
About the issue of irresponsible fragmentation and distribution of manuscripts (of whatever date, medieval included), we have strong views. Some posts for this Blog on Manuscript Studies state them. Examples include The ‘Foundling Hospital’ for Manuscript Fragments and Lost and Foundlings.
The spread of the Cistercian Order was impressive.
The expansion of the Cistercian Order by the end of the 13th century. Map by Chabacano via Creative Commons.
The Cistercian way of life emphasized solitude and isolation. Work, too, along with a strong measure of self-sufficiency. Guided by an ideal of individual poverty as well as a readiness to pursue collective endeavor, including manual labor, Cistercian monks held no personal property, while they worked the land and other resources. The plan worked, too.
As grants of lands extended the domains, with endowments sufficient to support the communities, the movement grew, and with it the requited need for Rules. Benedict, presumably, would have approved.
Rules to govern the internal affairs of each monastery might be one thing. Living larger, the Cistercian Order as a whole was regulated by statutes produced at Cîteaux in Burgundy, the mother-house of the Order.
And the Statutes Kept On Coming, Revisions and Updates Included.
Cîteaux Abbey within its landscape. Photograph by Arneau 25 via Creative Commons.
Stephen Harding presents a model of his church to the Virgin Mary. Dijon, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 130, folio 4r. Saint-Vaast d’Arras, circa 1125. Photograph via Wikipedia Commons.
The Order traces its origins to the foundation in 1098 of the monastery or abbey of Cîteaux, south of Dijon in Burgundy, France. Seeking more closely to follow the Rule of Saint Benedict — constructed, or at any rate, effectively promulgated, by Saint Benedict of Nursia (circa 480–550), or by someone else, whose identity remains unknown — a group of monks set out from Molesme Abbey also in Burgundy; choose a wooded, swampy, and scarcely populated area; founded their new abbey on the Feast Day of that Saint Benedict (21 March); and submitted to its first abbot, Robert of Molesme (1028–1111). Among these founders was the widely-traveled, many-faceted, multilingual Englishman Stephen Harding (died 1134). Such beginnings demonstrate the broad, yet focused, horizons of the movement as it launched its journey across time.
The rest is History. Writ large, even.
Admiring the momentum of this accumulated movement across regions and generations, and many of its monuments in stone and other media, let us pause to focus upon the bit of a leaf from a version of its Statutes. The fragment has a place for its testimony in the course of history. Here is its moment, or, perhaps, the first of such moments which it may attain.
Studies of the Cistercian Order, its origins, context, history, impact, and continuing vitality are many. They appear in various languages, in various degrees of detail, both in print and online. A few references, online and in print, might set the stage for exploration.
Mette Birkedal Brunn, ed., The Cambridge Companion to the Cistercian Order (2013).
The earliest Statutes of the Cistercians have received monumental scholarly attention. Among the many sources and discussions published, disseminated, and reviewed, a selection of works here might provide directions toward the massive bibliography, along with some complex guidance to the manuscripts which transmit those early Statutes.
Narrative and Legislative Texts from Early Citeaux: Latin Text in Dual Edition with English Translation and Notes.
Cistercian Lay Brothers: Twelfth-Century Usages with Related Texts.
Twelfth-Century Statutes from the Cistercian General Chapter: Latin Text with English Notes and Commentary.
They belong to the series Studia et Documenta, Volumes 9, 10, 12: Citeaux: Comentari Cisterciensis (1999, 2000, and 2002).
J.B. Augerger, Histoire des textes primitifs. Les plus anciens textes cisterciens (1986).
Bernard Lucet, Les codifications cisterciennes de 1237 et de 1257.
Sources d’histoire médiévale publiées par l’Institut de recherche et d’histoire des textes (1977), for which there is a convenient review.
Studies of the somewhat Later Statutes appear to be few and far between. Where they do emerge, they can be hard to find, and they can require paid access in one form or another (not available or readily available to all of us). Moreover, even when they do emerge in publication, they might not “talk to each other”or take account of one another — to the detriment of progress in shaping or refining knowledge of the evidence. As witness the information-lag between the studies conducted respectively in England and France, and in English and French, in the late 19th- and early 20th centuries, as lucidly described by Lucet (1977), pages 54–56.
An English translation of the early Statutes or Constitution of the Cistercian Order, also known as the C(h)arta C(h)aritatis (“The Bond of Love” or “The Charter of Charity”), appears online.
Pontigny Abbey, Choir. Photograph by Cicero, 2003, via Creative Commons.
The text of the Carta Caritatas, probably assembled in 1114 when Cîteaux founded its second daughter house at Pontigny, regulates relations between Cistercian houses, according to the mutual love that should bind them together; apparently no manuscript of this version survives. A somewhat later version, known as the Carta caritatis prior (“The Earlier Charter of Charity”), approved in 1119 and composed by Stephen Harding, third Abbot of Cîteaux (died 1135), functions as the Constitution of the Order. Then came the Carta caritatis posterior (“The Later Charter of Charity”), composed between 1165 and 1173; it remains the basis of the Constitution of the Cistercians today.
Further codifications of the rules of the Order followed in stages, for example in 1237 and 1257, arising from the annual modifications, from 1220 onward, by the General Chapter. The Statutes of 1257 preceded the bull Parvus fons of 1265 by Pope Clement IV (pope from 1265 until his death in 1268). That intervention more-or-less settled the internal quarrels between the rival Abbots of Cîteaux and Clairveau over the authority to make appointments to the diffinitiorium, which functioned as a steering committee of the General Council of the Order.
Complicated, huh? To be expected, probably, with the rapid spread of the Order into different regions and time-periods.
a Libellus statutorum Cisterciensis ordinis (known as “The Book of Old Definitions”) copied after 1316–1317 (with the Posterior version) from the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Loos in Flanders.
Bernard Lucet’s edition of 1977 of the “Codification de 1257” of the Cistercian Statutes draws upon 8 medieval manuscripts. They are described on his pages 41–73, provided with distinguishing sigla, listed on page 204, and printed on pages 205–357, in tandem with the earlier Libellus of 1237 (drawn from 6 manuscripts).
“MS Fd” = Frauenfeld, Kantonsbibliothek Thurgau, MS Y 38a (not yet online).
“MS H” = London, British Library, Harley MS 3898.
“MS L”= Laon, Bibliothèque Municipale, MS 333.
“MS Pa” = Pavia, Biblioteca Universitaria di Pavia, Fondo Aldini MS 470.
Fontenay Abbey Church, West Façade. Photography by Myrabella (2014) via Wikimedia Commons.
Because Lucet’s publication did not become accessible to me, despite repeated efforts, until an advanced stage in my research on the New Fragment, it was necessary and possible to progress on the basis of Fowler’s edition, flawed as it is in certain respects. However, we progress as we can. Progress can be good — provided, of course, that it constitutes progress.
To put it another way. A fragmentary 13th-century leaf, now in a private collection, with monastic rules in Latin, carries parts of the Statutes of the Cistercian Order, in a 13th-century version as edited by Joseph Thomas Fowler in stages in the Yorkshire Archaeological and Topographical Journal, volumes IX–XI (1885–1890).
Fowler’s apparently rarely consulted edition is admittedly based upon one manuscript now in the British Library: Additional MS 11,294 (not yet available online). It came from the library of the Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153), and located in what is now the Département of the Côte-d’Or in France.
As found on folios 25–36 of the manuscript witness. The complicated contents of the manuscript are listed by Lucet (1977), pages 50–54.
The text on “our” leaf corresponds with parts of the penultimate Distinctio (“Section”) of the Statutes of 1256–57, that is, Distinctio 14 out of 15 Distinctiones.
Purchased some years ago from the dealer Boyd Mackus, the fragmentary leaf is now in a private collection. The pencil item number ‘M[?] 3720’ at the bottom of the recto presumably represents the seller’s reference mark.
The leaf measures circa 142 mm × 61 mm, from crease to the more-or-less vertical cut edge. The text block of the surviving column measures circa 115 mm × 50 mm.
On each side, the leaf retains almost all of a single column of 23 narrow lines of text, parts of its upper and lower margins, and most of the inner margin. The edge of that margin extends to the ragged parts of the former stitching line, with bits of the inner margin of its former conjoint leaf or stub.
That the leaf formerly carried double columns of text (columns ‘a’ and ‘b’) is manifested by the portions of running titles standing in the upper margin. The surviving columns represent column a on the recto and column b on the verso, with the loss of 2 full columns of text between them.
The remnant carries separate parts of the text of Distinctio or Section XIV (represented as [XII]II in its fragmentary running title), Chapter V, ‘De Conversis’. That is, the portions occur within the penultimate Distinctio of these Statutes.
In Fowler’s edition, this Chapter spans pages 502–510 in his ‘Part VI’ (Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, Volume X); the portions represented on the leaf appear on his pages 505–506.
Column ra contains most of Chapter V.
It begins with faciant ordines suas and extends to ab idus septembri usque . . .
All of Chapter VI is missing.
Column vb contains the text from the last bit of Chapter VII through most of Chapter IX.
It extends from quando et monachi, near the end of Chapter VII, to se sicut monachi, near the end of Chapter IX.
Noting in bold the missing phrases which directly precede and follow these portions, so as to signal the words by which the verso and recto respectively immediately preceding and following this leaf would have participated in the flow of the text (provided that the manuscript represented it similarly to the cited witness of Fowler’s edition), or the words which continued the flow on the missing columns of text on the leaf itself (column b on the recto and column a on the verso), it is possible to report the span of text represented upon the fragment. By these signs might the formerly adjacent portions of the manuscript and the leaf itself be readily identified, were they to survive.
Stranger things have happened. Such identifications guide reconstructions of the original sequence of dispersed leaves in various manuscripts, including some considered in our blog. For example, Otto Ege Manuscript 41 and Otto Ege Manuscript 61.
The citations here represent the presentation in the edition, rather than the spellings, capitalization, punctuation, abbreviations, or other variant approaches in “our” fragment.
quando et Monachi; ita quod, audita prima issam exeant ad labores.
VIII. Nullus in grangiis vel in Abbatiis diebus Dominicis et festis quibus Conversi non laborant, in vecturis nisi pro victualibus deferendis, vel Ecclesiis construendis faciat laborare, nisi necessitas aliter exigerit.
IX. Quibuscumque diebus duæ Missæ canuntur, præcipuisque jejuniis, vel quando præsens defunctus fuerit Monachus, vel Novicius aut Conversus, et in sollempni commemoracione omnium fidelium, missarum intersint celebrationibus, nisi obedientia aliud præcipiat. In Ecclesia vero, in erectionibus et inclinationibus et cæteris observantiis, habeant se sicut monachi.
The running titles (now fragmentary) and the Section numbers (viii, ix) are written in red pigment. The Sections begin with inset and built-up 2-line initials (N for Nullus and Q for Quibuscumque) rendered alternately in blue and red pigment. The slender and mostly vertical tail of the Q descends in the intercolumn for 4 more lines. The roman numerals in both the running titles and the section numbers are sometimes flanked by dots, sometimes not.
Lesser initials, written in Capitals in the same brown ink as the text, are highlighted with a wash, lines, or filler in red pigment. As an aid to legibility, they enhance the openings of the sections which run together within the lines, increasing the coverage of text-per-column. Only the Chapters merit openings on new lines (vb4 and 12), with inset, enlarged, and fully colored initials.
The bright red pigment is apparently vegetal in origin. It remains bright, rather than darkening or fading, as metallic red pigments tend to do over time and through exposure.
Lucet’s edition of the 1257 Codification records the titles similarly on pages 340–340, with a few differences. This edition provides them with Arabic Numbers instead (5–9), and selects 2 readings different from Fowler’s choice. It has Conversi instead of Conversis at the end of Number VI/6, and relegates the phrase quomodo fiant of Fowler’s Number VII [or 7] to the textual apparatus at the foot of the page, where that reading or variant is reported as being attested in most witnesses: MSS F [=Fowler’s], Fd [Frauenfeld], H [Harley], L [Laon] , Pa [Pavia], S [Stams].
The point of these distinctions regarding the Distinctiones is that the New Fragment, even without having Distinction Titles, by means of its Section Numbering VIII and IX, aligns its record of the updated Cistercian Statutes with the 1257 Codification, not the earlier one of 1220, with which its text — according to Lucet’s edition of both these Codifications in tandem — also substantially agrees.
A useful distinction, don’t you agree, for the purposes of assessing the probable date of the fragment? And so, apparently it must have for its origin a terminus post quem (“boundary later than”) of 1257, when that version of the Codification was settled into place.
We thank the owner of the leaf for permission to research and reproduce it.
Do you know of other leaves from the same manuscript? Please let us know.
Next Stop: More Resources, of Course. Amazing what can happen when scholars and students meet the original sources. Expertise to the Rescue. Maybe that should be our new hashtag. Watch for it: #ExpertiseToTheRescue. It could start, or promote, a trend.
Check out the Contents List for our blog: Manuscript Studies.
Would you like to contribute as a Guest Blogger? Suggestions? Please leave a Comment here or Contact Us. | 2019-04-25T11:43:20Z | http://manuscriptevidence.org/wpme/another-witness-to-cistercian-statutes-of-1257/ |
Well, the heatwave has (apparently) passed us but it’s still pretty warm out there, and some pretty hot golf scoring…finally the run of the fairway is paying dividends!
Grumpies had a good turnout despite the heat (mad dogs and Englishmen?!), 22 game players battled it out, the winner was Ro Griffiths on +7, from Mariana McDermott on +6, and the old veteran Ray Lind at 90 years young on +4. Twos went to Ro Griffiths, and Roger Smeaten.
Thursday club saw the thermometer hitting 34°c and many players were thankful their shots took them into the trees keeping them, off the straight and narrow..and oh so hot fairways!! The winners were Mariana McDermott & Bob Schofield 46, 3rdBill Jago 45, 4thKris Chamberlain & Arthur Warren 44. Two’s: Kris Chamberlain, Sandra Petersen, Trucker Trev, Pete Price, Malcolm Wood, Dayle Scrimshaw & Captain Andy; nearest the pin: Captain Andy….fortunately for Andy’s group, tap beer was unavailable as there were penalty jugs aplenty in his foursome!
Ladies interclub has begun with the Silvers going to Masterton and the Bronze team to Kapiti. Amazingly, as we in Martinborough were basking in hot sunshine, the golfers over the hill were all decked out in their wet weather gear! After the first round the Silvers are in 3rd place and the Bronzes are top of their division. On 11thFebruary the Silvers head to Otaki and the Bronzes play at home against Masterton. Debbie hosted 20 women for the “She Loves Golf” event. It was good to see them having a bit of fun while learning a few rudiments of golf from Joel. Hopefully some of them will be inspired to take up the sport. Thanks for all of your efforts Debbie.
Wednesday 13 February is ladies opening day. 18 and 9 hole players will join together to play 13 holes of Las Vegas Ambrose where the roll of the dice decides whose tee shot will be used!
Club opening day was held on Sunday, with random drawn partnerships playing holes 1-6 ambrose, 7-12 4BBB and 13-18 foursomes. The winners were Captain Andy & Ann Hume 63, 2ndLizzy Thomson & Malcolm Henderson 56, 3rdSally Fairbrother & Bindy McLeod 55, 4thTora & Lizzy Goodall 54.
Good luck to all the guys heading out to Riversdale this weekend – make sure you pack plenty of Panadol in case of any more hole-in-1’s!!
Make the most of the good weather and good golfing everyone!
Happy new year!! It’s hard to believe we are already through the first month of the year!! Summer has finally set in and we are in the midst of a beautiful heatwave …sorry farmers…thumbs up vintners and sun worshippers!
The course is looking supreme and is playing better than ever. Those of us lucky enough to play in this year’s Spark Pro-Am tournament were exceptionally grateful to the hard work of an army of volunteers that had a major clean up on their hands after the gale force winds that ripped through on the Wednesday. I understand that the chainsaws and leaf blowers were in action by sunrise! The day was a huge success and most enjoyable, with a fine banquet of food served after prizegiving!
The previous Thursday was another big turnout – 58 golfers! 1stBill Gordon & Sheldon McNamara 43, 3rdJu Allen & Dean Schaef 42, 5thScotty the butcher 41. Twos: Joel Macklin (2), Sheldon, Richard Thompson, John Thomson and Dean Schaef, nearest the pin: Guy Walmsley.
Grumpies results 1st Bill Jago, 41 2ndTed Peacock, 40 3rdNick Allen & Mariana 39. Twos: JD Smith, Rick Hargreaves and Kris Chamberlain.
Men’s Interclub results – Div won 10-5 against Titahi Bay away and Div 11 won 9.5 to 5.5 against Boulcotts Farm – keep up the good work guys!
Club opening day is this Sunday (3rdFebruary), format is 6 x AMBROSE, 6 x 4BBB, 6 x FOURSOMES. Registration at 10am, random draw at 10.30. BBQ and music from the Morison’s – please RSVP to Sue in the office for catering purposes.
On a final note, congratulations to Tora who achieved one of his lifetime dreams of hitting a six at the basin earlier in the month in the cricket match between Wairarapa and Wellington…I won’t mention his morning score…quack!!
As we move into the last week before Christmas, we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy some summer weather…finally!! There has been enough rain to keep the greenkeeper (and the farmers) happy and the course is looking better than ever.
Grumpies played last week and man of the moment Terry Blacktop won the day with 44, 2ndRick Hargreaves and Doug Fergusson 42, 4thMalcolm Bridge 41.
Thursday club had a good turn out and the winner on an incredible 53 was Jimmy McKinnel!! Incidentally ‘Cool Change Jimmy’ has sponsored Thursday Club and other tournaments over the past year and I would like to thank him for his generous supply of vouchers. In second place Matt ‘Tub’ Thomas, Gumboot Petersen, Rob McCreary and Sheldon MacNamara 41. Twos: C.C Jimmy, Tim Loe, Sandy Bidwill, Joel Macklin, Sheldon McNamara, Guy Walmsley and Roger Simmons; nearest the pin: Roger Simmons.
Sunday began overcast but soon burnt off to reveal a superb day for the men’s shootout. On the 1stBob Tosswill got into the trees, and was always behind the ball game. 2ndJohn Errington lost out on a chip out. 3rdRick Hargreaves had a few problems up the fairway. 4thTrevor Petersen got the (gum) boot and was beaten in a chip out with 7 others. 5thDean Schaef could not get his chip rolling down bull hill. 6thAndrew Lawler had already survived 3 other chip outs, but the 4th was too much. 7thMark Lucock had an ambitious shot near the drain which did not come off. 8thBob Schofield had been playing well, but probably the night before was too much! 9thWayne Hunter probably had too much at the lunch break, and lost in a chip out. 10thMalcolm Bridge was travelling well but could not survive his 2nd chip out. 11thJohn Warner tried too hard with his chip out from the bunker and failed. 12thShane Hartnell had been playing consistently, but seemed to go to sleep on this hole. 13thDayle Scrimshaw failed in his only chip out. 14thTora Boyne got into the drain, then went zigzagging, and was always behind. 15thBill Jones the veteran, had lasted well, but was getting tired and missed out on the chip out. 16thDerek Stephens missed out in his only chip out with 2 others. 17thGuy Walmsley had managed to go further than ever before, but could not survive a chip out with the other 2. 18thThen there were 2 left, Chris Ranish and Pete Griffiths. Both had net 4, so again to another chip out, made difficult by having to chip from way above the hole in the rough. Pete first did very well, and Chris could not quite make it. So the overall winner was Pete Griffiths. Pete’s uncle Whitney was his caddy and ably assisted his win by keeping him on the straight and narrow!! Thanks go to Sandra for organising AND cooking the sausages and roast beef, Kris on the tractor and Terry for his hole by hole accounts!!
This is my last column for the year so Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all the readers – enjoy the festive season with family and friends, take care and good golfing everyone!!
With less than two weeks until Christmas is upon us, and despite having to mow the lawns at home twice a week it’s good news for our greenkeeper Tim who has had the most wonderful conditions to manicure our course! It’s looking great out there and many of us are looking forward to getting in some play during the Christmas break.
The Grumpies results last week: John Thomson on 42 from Malcolm Bridge on 41 with Rob McCreery on 39, the same evening they had their Christmas closing dinner.During the past 6 months, the best par round was by Guy Walmsley and Kris Chamberlain, the worst par round was not named but the score was -9. the best stableford was Guy Walmsley. The winner of the order of merit was (oh no not again), Guy Walmsley with Doug Fergusson very close behind. As far as (ladies tees) jugs go, some of the Grumpies instead of buying a jug are buying a pint. 28 were recorded, and 6 of those were on 1 day, whereas the norm is around 50/70…. Terry Blacktop does a fabulous job wrangling the Grumpies; and was recognised for all his hard work he has done for the club over the (last thirty something) years by being awarded life membership at the recent AGM. Ray Lind was also awarded life membership for his lifetime dedication to the club, congratulations gentlemen – both very well deserved!
Thursday club hosted ‘Smiddy’s Day’ last week and despite a weather bomb going off halfway through a decent number attended. Dayle Scrimshaw won the trophy (his wife Marie won it last year!) with 43, 2ndChris Ranish 42, 3rdSheldon McNamara 40, 4thEd Elworthy 38. Twos: Whitney Griffiths, Ro Griffiths, Doug Clark, Stu Taplin, Sandra Petersen, Liam Annis, Chris Ranish, John Warner, Sheldon McNamara, Ed Elworthy & Craig Andrews. Longest drives: Sandra Petersen, Rob Lopez & Dayle Scrimshaw. Nearest the pins: Doug Clark, Malcolm Bridge, Chris Ranish & John Warner.
The ‘Master-borough’ challenge was held on Saturday; Men’s 0-18: 1stGuy Walmsley 42, 2ndBrian Russo & Jeff Ogg 41, 4thRodney Orr 40. Men’s 18+ 1stJohn Taylor 43, 2ndBrett Gould 41, 3rdBill Jones, Gumboot Petersen and Dayle 40. Ladies 1stHonor Clark and Raewyn Sutton 37, 3rdFiona Webby and Cathy Taylor. Longest drives: Kerry Mountcastle, Pip Smith and Dayle S. Nearest the pins: Fiona Webby, Karen Shaw, Andy Pottinger & Dean Gray. Martinborough snuck past Masterton on the challenge….33.33 average compared with 33.74!! Thanks to sponsors Jennian Homes and the usual suspects for making it a successful event!
That almost wraps it up for this year, just a few friendly days left, enjoy the festive season – good golfing everyone!!
As we edge into summer this weekend and tire of yet another ten-day forecast of rainclouds and inclement weather, we’re hanging out to use our umbrellas to shade us from sun rather than raindrops!!
On Tuesday some of the Grumpies must have thought that it would be as wet as it had been on Monday, however, the afternoon turned out nice. Numbers were only 15 with the winner Guy Walmsley on +4 from Terry Blacktop on +3, with Randall Warner and Griff Page on +2.
Nine amphibious golfers waded round the course on Thursday. Tim Loe and Richard Thompson took the spoils with 38, 3rdArthur Warren, James Blundell and Boyd Kenna 37. Nearest the pin Boyd Kenna – no two’s. Clearly the farmer’s rain-dance paid off!
The ladies and 9-holers have wound up for the year so no more results from them.
Saturday’s competition was shootout-medal-putting. 1stJulie Warner (65), 2ndJu Allen (66), 3rdAndrew Lawler (68). Ju also won the putting with 32 putts AND got the only two of the day.
On Sunday Martinborough hosted Royal Wellington at the home to contest the Bidwill Cup. This golf match between Martinborough and Royal Wellington has been played every year for about 60 years. Last year we played at Heretaunga and lost the cup pretty decisively. This year on our home course we managed to win (by a narrow margin – but who’s counting?!).
Member’s closing day and prize-giving is on this Sunday and then the Open – closing day is the following Saturday 8thDecember. The Men’s shootout final has been rescheduled to 16thDecember.
Take care out there in the elements, enjoy watching the grass grow and listening to the water tanks filling!! Good golfing everyone!
Ro Griffiths (Martinborough GC) accepting the Bidwill Leckie Cup from Tom Leckie (Royal Wellington GC).
As we creep another week closer to summer and sneak another close rugby game the evenings are getting warmer and the golf should be getting longer. The course is drying out and the greens are improving after the coring.
Grumpies results this week:- 1stDoug Fergusson on 44 from Griff Page on 41, and Tom Bunny and Andy Morison on 39.
Thursday club had a good turn out, the two Trevor’s (Hawkins & Gumboot) won with 42 points, 3rdCraig Andrews (41), 4thGriff Page and Sandra Petersen 40.
Saturday competition:- 1stMalcolm Wood 41, 2ndBill Jones 38.
Sunday’s tournament was nett and the Two Trevor’s dominated again, Gumboot (Mr Petersen) 62 edged out Mr Hawkins on 63, 3rdJulie Warner 65, 4thRick Hargreaves 67.
This week sees John Warner take on Chris Ranish in the Men’s senior club champs, and Darren O’Dwyer take on Craig Andrews for the Junior’s – good luck to everyone.
Coming up….Thursday 6thDecember ‘Smiddy’s Day’, Saturday 8thDecember Christmas tournament and ‘Master-borough’ challenge.
Have a great weekend and enjoy Toast for those that are going – hopefully the sun will shine and the wind won’t blow!! Good golfing everyone!
We certainly have experienced some interesting spring weather over the last week with freezing rain one day and hot sun the next!!
Last week the 9 holers held the 9 Hole Open Day Stableford with 72 in the field, participation from 11 Clubs. Weather was perfect and a fun day was had by all. Mens Division : 1st: Julian Howard 23 Pauatahanui, 2nd: Vallis Peet 16 C/b Feilding, 3rd: Colin Payne 16 Waikanae. Ladies Division 1: 1st: Sherryl Howie 21 Martinborough, 2nd: Heather Haswell 20 Feilding, 3rd: Fiona Burrows 20 Pauatahanui. Ladies Division 2: 1st: Jaquee Reid 23 & Winner of the Barb Smith Open Day Trophy –Martinborough, 2nd: Allison Russell 22 Martinborough, 3rd: Jodine Bunn 21 Paraparaumu Beach.
The grumpies decided against venturing out in the nasty weather so no results from them!
The ladies shootout final was held last Wednesday. It was a close competition with several chip outs along the way to determine who would be next to drop out. In fact, even the decider for first and second places came down to a chip out. In the end Angela Busby had a great chip which landed about 30 cm from the hole, but Sylvia Beavis’s was even better and she took top prize.
Thursday was a miserable day but 29 golfers braved the fairways, 1stNick Morison (46), 2ndCraig Andrews and Andrew Sim (41), 4thBrian Russo (40). Nearest the pin – George Kirk, Twos: Craig Andrews took the entire pot!
The weekend was a mixed bag of weather but we saw 17 couples entered for the 36 hole mixed foursomes (only 3 couples entered for the 72 hole, so this was shelved). Gross:- 1stNuki Gordon & Sereana Phillips, 2ndNigel & Ailsa Malneek, 3rdNick & Ju Allen. Nett:- 1stTrevor & Sandra Petersen (who also won the Sunday stableford challenge with a brilliant 48 points AND put the winnings on the bar – Cheers Gumboot!) 2ndRick Hargreaves & Elaine Howe, 3rdDayle Scrimshaw & Emily Laughan. Stableford:- 1stRo & Lyle Griffiths, 2ndDerek & Kareen Stephens, 3rdRaymond Matthews & Nicky Warren. Thanks to sponsors Pain & Kershaw and Sandra for organising the event so well.
Finally, we sadly report the death of Ivan Taplin, an absolute stalwart of the Martinborough Golf Club who did huge amounts of work making the club what it is today. He will be sadly missed and are thoughts are with his family; there will be many happy golfing and euchre memories from all who knew him.
Well golfers, another great week of weather and a full round up to report for all groups!
Grumpies start us off with Peter Price and Terry Blacktop winning with 43, 3rdGriff Page 41 and 4thNick Allen 40.
The 9 holers went to Eketahuna last week for a fun day, a great day was had by all, Katrina Burgess came in with the best score of the day, and was extra special as it was her Birthday.
Last week the club held two Murray Halberg competitions. The ladies winner on Sunday was Marie Scrimshaw and on Wednesday the winner was Marion McKenzie (on a countback from Sylvia Beavis).
Thursday club’s winner was Julie Warner on a whopping 47! 2ndMalcolm Bridge 43, 3rdTrevor Hawkins and Sandy Bidwill 42. Nearest the pin – Ed Elworthy, twos: Greg Dalton, Malcolm Bridge, Sandra Petersen, Chris Ranish & Nick Allen. The annual ‘Smiddy’s Day Tournament’ has been booked in for 6thDecember, more details closer to the time.
Sunday’s competition was nett and the winner was Darren O’Dwyer 66, 2ndKaren Stephens 67, 3rdMalcolm Bridge and Marie Scrimshaw 68, 5thRo Griffiths, John Taylor, Trevor Hawkins, Bill Jones, George Kirk & Trevor Petersen 69.
The course is looking fantastic, special thanks to Trevor, Dayle and their army of volunteers. The final piece of exciting news isthe appointment of a new Head Greenkeeper. Tim Bargh will commence with the club on 5thNovember. Tim is born and bred in South Wairarapa and is currently 2nd in command at Miramar Golf Club.
Enjoy the week and hopefully no lawyers will be required after the 72 holes mixed foursomes – good golfing everyone! | 2019-04-19T04:39:06Z | http://martinboroughgolfclub.co.nz/category/club-news/page/2/ |
Many apps and services that you install on Windows Server run in the security context of a user account, known as a service account. In Skill 2.1 from Exam Ref 70-742 Identity with Windows Server 2016, learn how account policies enable you to control fundamental security features and how these features help secure your network—and the apps and services that run within it.
After you have deployed and configured your domain controllers, you must configure service accounts, account policies, and other security settings. You also must be prepared to maintain the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) server role to ensure availability of this critical identity service. This maintenance might involve performing backup and recovery procedures, and maintaining the AD DS database.
If you are deploying AD DS in a large enterprise organization, you must also configure more advanced aspects of AD DS, including how to establish and configure a multi-forest AD DS infrastructure. For organizations with multiple locations, you also need to know how to create subnets and sites, and to configure and manage both intrasite and intersite AD DS replication.
Many apps and services that you install on Windows Server run in the security context of a user account, known as a service account. Like all user accounts, it is important that these service accounts are not compromised. Windows Server 2016 provides Managed Service Accounts (MSAs) and Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSAs) to help you more easily manage service accounts.
Account policies enable you to control fundamental security features, such as password complexity, length, expiration, and lockout. You can use these features to help secure your network, and the apps and services that run within it.
In earlier versions of Windows Server, it was common to create standard user accounts for the purposes of running apps or services. For example, you might create a user account called Email and configure the email program you installed to run in the context of the Email user account.
Account password management The password for these standard user accounts must be periodically changed to help maintain security of your apps and services. Failure to change the account password results in failure of your apps or service.
Service Principal Names Service Principal Names (SPNs) are unique identifiers for a specific service instance and are used to associate a service instance with a service account. If you use a standard user account with SPNs, it could result in additional administrative effort and cause possible authentication issues that might result in app failure.
One possible workaround is to use the local system (NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM), the local service (NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE), or the network service (NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE) accounts to configure your app. However, these three accounts might not provide sufficient security, nor have sufficient privilege for many situations.
MSAs are stored in the Managed Service Accounts container in your AD DS domain. To view these accounts, in Active Directory Users and Computers, enable the Advanced Features view.
When you create a gMSA, you must define the collection of computers that can retrieve password information from AD DS. This can be a list of computer objects, or an AD DS group that contains the desired computer objects.
Although the EffectiveImmediately parameter instructs AD DS to make the required change immediately, in fact, the key does not become effective for a further 10 hours. This is to allow AD DS to replicate the change throughout your forest.
Use the PrincipalsAllowedToRetrieveManagedPassword parameter to define which computers, or groups, can access the gMSA password properties.
On the target server(s), in Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Services.
Locate the appropriate service, double-click it, and then on the Log On tab, shown in Figure 2-1, click This Account, and then type the name of your account. For example, type ADATUM\LON-IIS-GMSA.
Clear the Password, and Confirm Password check boxes, and click OK.
SPNs are similar in concept to Domain Name System (DNS) alias records (CNAMEs), but rather than being a pointer for a computer record in a DNS zone, SPNs point to domain accounts. SPNs are used by Kerberos, the authentication protocol in Windows Server 2016 AD DS domain controllers. They associate a service with a service logon account, enabling a client computer app to request that the service authenticate an account, even if the client app does not know the account name. Before Kerberos can use SPNs, services must register their SPNs in AD DS.
Service class Identifies the class of a service. For example, www for a web server. There are several well-known service classes.
Host The computer name on which the service runs. Usually this is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), such as LON-SVR2.Adatum.com.
Port Optionally used to identify the port number used by a service. Enables you to differentiate between multiple instances of the same services installed on a specific computer. For example, a secure website uses TCP port 443.
Service name An optional element that is based on the DNS name of the domain, or of a service locator (SRV) or Mail Exchanger (MX) record within the domain. This element identifies services that are domain-wide.
Generally, there is little management of SPNs required. But occasionally, you might be required to force registration. You can use the Setspn.exe command-line tool to register SPNs.
Using gMSAs significantly reduces the likelihood of you having to manually reconfigure SPNs.
For example, to register an SPN for IIS on LON-SVR2 in the Adatum.com domain using the LON-IIS-GMSA group MSA, use the following command, as shown in Figure 2-2.
To review further details about manually registering SPNs, refer to the Microsoft MSDN website at https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/ms191153.aspx.
In some situations, app or services might make connections to remote apps or services installed on other server computers. In essence, these connections are being made on behalf of client computers connecting to the originating app or service.
Typically, this scenario occurs when a front-end service communicates with a back-end service on behalf of users on client computers using the back-end app. To support this scenario, it is necessary to use authentication delegation; this is the process where the authenticating authority (in Windows Server 2016, this is a domain controller) allows a service to act on behalf of another service. The problem is that in earlier versions of Windows Server, there is no way to prevent the delegation from extending to a third, or even fourth service. Kerberos constrained delegation in Windows Server 2016 prevents this.
To review further details about Kerberos Constrained Delegation (KCD), refer to the Microsoft TechNet website at https://technet.microsoft.com/library/cc995228.aspx#Anchor_0.
You cannot create, delete, or manage the passwords for virtual accounts. They exist automatically and are a representation of the local computer account when used to access apps or resources.
In Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Services.
Locate the appropriate service, double-click it, and then on the Log On tab, shown in Figure 2-3, click This Account, and then type the name of your account. For example, type NT SERVICE\LON-SVR2$.
Clear the Password and Confirm Password check boxes, and click OK.
Account policies enable you to configure password-related settings, including the password policy, account lockout settings, and Kerberos policy settings. These settings are accessible through the Default Domain Policy in the Group Policy Management Editor.
In Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Group Policy Management.
In Group Policy Management, expand your forest, expand the Domains folder, and expand the domain you want to configure.
Click the Group Policy Objects folder, and then, in the Details pane, as shown in Figure 2-4, right-click the Default Domain Policy, and then click Edit.
In the Group Policy Management Editor, under the Default Domain Policy node, expand Computer Configuration, expand Policies, expand Windows Settings, expand Security Settings, and then click Account Policies, as shown in Figure 2-5.
Enforce Password History Prevents users from reusing passwords. The default value is 24.
Maximum Password Age Ensures that users change their passwords within the defined period. Default is 42 days.
Minimum Password Age Prevents users from changing their passwords until this period has expired. Helps prevent users from cycling through a range of passwords back to their favorite password by changing their password 24 times very rapidly. The default is one day.
Minimum Password Length Ensures passwords are not too short. Longer passwords are more difficult to guess, especially if complex passwords are also enforced. Default is seven characters.
Store Passwords Using Reversible Encryption Provides support for older apps that require knowledge of a user’s password. In many cases, storing passwords using reversible encryption is the same as storing clear text passwords and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. This is disabled by default.
You can enable individual user accounts to store passwords using reversible encryption if necessary.
For computers in a workgroup, you can configure a local account policy. To configure local password policies, on the target computer, in Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Local Security Policy. Expand Account Policies, and, as shown in Figure 2-7, click Password Policy. You can also configure a local account lockout policy.
Settings that you configure in the Local Security Policy are overridden by settings configured in the Domain Security Policy for server computers that are part of an AD DS domain.
Account Lockout Duration Defines the lockout duration in minutes. After an account is locked, when this period has expired, the account is automatically unlocked. An administrator can unlock the account manually at any time. To always use manual unlocking, configure the lockout duration to 0. By default, this setting is not enabled.
Account Lockout Threshold Determines how many incorrect sign in attempts a user can make before their account is locked. By default, a value of 0 is assigned; this effectively disables account lockout.
Reset Account Lockout Counter After Determines how many minutes must pass before the account lockout threshold is reset. Used in conjunction with the account lockout threshold value, you can effectively configure a system sensitivity to incorrect passwords. For example, configuring a value of 5 in conjunction with an account lockout threshold of 2 means that any two incorrect passwords in a five-minute period locks the account. Changing this value to 30 makes the system more sensitive because the account is locked out after two incorrect sign in attempts in a 30-minute period. By default, this setting is not enabled.
To manually unlock an account, open the user account properties in Active Directory Users and Computers. On the Account tab, shown in Figure 2-9, select the Unlock Account check box, and then click OK.
Kerberos provides the authentication architecture for Windows Server 2016. When users sign in, they receive a Kerberos ticket granting ticket from a domain controller. When a user attempts to connect to a server, they receive a service ticket. The Kerberos policy settings enable you to control aspects of ticket handling and renewal.
Enforce User Logon Restrictions Forces domain controllers to perform additional validation on a user’s rights policy, helping to add security. The default is Enabled.
Maximum Lifetime For Service Ticket Defines the maximum age of a user’s service ticket. Must be at least 10 minutes and not greater than the maximum lifetime of a user ticket. The default is 600 minutes.
Maximum Lifetime For User Ticket Determines the maximum age of a user’s ticket granting ticket. The default is 10 hours.
Maximum Lifetime For User Ticket Renewal Determines for how long a user can renew their ticket granting ticket. The default is 7 days.
Maximum Tolerance For Computer Clock Synchronization Determines the sensitivity to a disparity between the client computer’s time and that of the domain controller. The default is five minutes.
The domain controller that holds the primary domain controller (PDC) emulator operation master role is the time source for the domain.
You can only configure Account Policies for your domain; you cannot configure a separate policy for organizational units (OUs) within your domain. In early versions of Windows Server, the need to configure a different account policy for business groups or geographical locations often meant having to configure multiple domains within the AD DS forest.
However, in Windows Server 2016 you can implement multiple account policies by using Password Settings Objects (PSOs). Using PSOs you can implement and configure account policies that impact users and groups rather than just containers, which means you have more targeted administrative control.
PSOs were introduced in Windows Server 2008.
In addition to PSOs, Windows Server 2016 creates a container called Password Settings Container; this stores the PSOs that you create and apply in your domain.
You can only apply PSOs to users, InetOrgPerson objects, and global security groups. If you want to apply a PSO to an OU, create a shadow group and apply the PSO to that group. A shadow group is a global security group that you manually create and add all users in an OU to the membership list of the shadow group.
Create a Secure Admins global security group.
Add the required user accounts to the group.
Create a PSO and link it to the Secure Admins group.
If there are no PSOs linked to a user, Windows Server AD DS applies the Default Domain Policy Account Policy settings.
If you link a PSO directly to a user object, that PSO takes precedence over any PSOs linked to groups of which the user is a member.
If you link PSOs to groups, AD DS compares the PSOs for all global security groups of which the user object is a member.
If you link multiple PSOs directly to a user object or group object, the PSO that has the lowest precedence value is applied. The msDS-PasswordSettingsPrecedence PSO attribute holds the precedence value.
Although the settings in a PSO are identical to the password policies that you apply in the Default Domain Policy, you do not use the Group Policy Management Editor to configure or apply them. Instead, you use Windows PowerShell or the Active Directory Administrative Center console.
Your AD DS domain functional level must be at least Windows Server 2008 to support PSOs.
New-ADFineGrainedPasswordPolicy Creates the PSO and assigns the properties that you define by using cmdlet parameters, shown in Table 2-1.
Defines the name of your PSO.
Determines whether complex passwords are enforced.
Defines the minimum length of passwords.
Determines the maximum number of days before users must change their passwords.
Determines the minimum amount of time that must elapse before users can change their passwords.
Specifies the number of password changes that must occur before passwords can be reused.
Defines whether reversible encryption is allowed.
Specifies the number of incorrect password sign in attempts before an account is locked.
Determines how many minutes must pass before the account lockout threshold is reset.
Specifies for how long the account is locked before being unlocked automatically.
Determines how multiple PSOs linked to the same object apply.
Determines to which users or global security groups the PSO should apply.
Specifies whether the PSO must be protected against inadvertent deletion.
Add-FineGrainedPasswordPolicySubject Links the PSO to the user or group that you define by using the cmdlet parameters.
Add-ADFineGrainedPasswordPolicySubject Admins -Subjects "Secure Admins"
In Active Directory Administrative Center, click Manage, click Add Navigation Nodes, in the Add Navigation Node dialog box, select the appropriate target domain, click the >> button, and then click OK, as shown in Figure 2-12.
In the navigation pane, expand your domain, click the System container, and then click Password Settings Container, as shown in Figure 2-13. Press Enter.
In the Create Password Settings: dialog box, configure the required settings for the new PSO, as shown in Figure 2-14.
Under the Directly Applies To heading, click Add, and in the Select Users Or Groups dialog box, type the name of the appropriate user or group, as shown in Figure 2-15, and then click OK.
In Active Directory Users and Computers, locate and right-click the appropriate OU, and then click Delegate Control.
In the Delegation Of Control Wizard, on the Welcome page, click Next.
On the Users Or Groups page, click Add, and locate the user or group to which you want to delegate password settings management. Click OK, and then click Next.
On the Tasks To Delegate page, shown in Figure 2-16, in the Delegate The Following Common Tasks list, select the Reset User Passwords And Force Password Change At Next Logon check box, and then click Next. Click Finish when prompted.
Delegation of administrative functions is covered in detail in Chapter 1: Install and configure Active Directory Domain Services, Skill 1.3: Create and manage Active Directory groups and OUs, in the Delegate management of Active Directory with groups and OUs section. | 2019-04-24T16:44:11Z | https://www.microsoftpressstore.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2783639 |
Acute kidney injury (AKI), which is a major complication after cardiovascular surgery, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Diuretic agents are frequently used to improve urine output and to facilitate fluid management in these patients. Mannitol, an osmotic diuretic, is used in the perioperative setting in the belief that it exerts reno-protective properties. In a recent study on uncomplicated postcardiac-surgery patients with normal renal function, mannitol increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), possibly by a deswelling effect on tubular cells. Furthermore, experimental studies have previously shown that renal ischemia causes an endothelial cell injury and dysfunction followed by endothelial cell edema. We studied the effects of mannitol on renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal oxygen consumption (RVO2), and extraction (RO2Ex) in early, ischemic AKI after cardiac surgery.
Eleven patients with AKI were studied during propofol sedation and mechanical ventilation 2 to 6 days after complicated cardiac surgery. All patients had severe heart failure treated with one (100%) or two (73%) inotropic agents and intraaortic balloon pump (36%). Systemic hemodynamics were measured with a pulmonary artery catheter. RBF and renal filtration fraction (FF) were measured by the renal vein thermo-dilution technique and by renal extraction of chromium-51-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (51Cr-EDTA), respectively. GFR was calculated as the product of FF and renal plasma flow RBF × (1-hematocrit). RVO2 and RO2Ex were calculated from arterial and renal vein blood samples according to standard formulae. After control measurements, a bolus dose of mannitol, 225 mg/kg, was given, followed by an infusion at a rate of 75 mg/kg/h for two 30-minute periods.
Mannitol did not affect cardiac index or cardiac filling pressures. Mannitol increased urine flow by 61% (P < 0.001). This was accompanied by a 12% increase in RBF (P < 0.05) and a 13% decrease in renal vascular resistance (P < 0.05). Mannitol increased the RBF/cardiac output (CO) relation (P = 0.040). Mannitol caused no significant changes in RO2Ext or renal FF.
Mannitol treatment of postoperative AKI induces a renal vasodilation and redistributes systemic blood flow to the kidneys. Mannitol does not affect filtration fraction or renal oxygenation, suggestive of balanced increases in perfusion/filtration and oxygen demand/supply.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) complicates 15% to 30% of cardiac surgeries and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality [1–4]. Even minor changes in serum creatinine are associated with increased inpatient mortality [5, 6]. Impaired renal oxygen delivery, caused by intraoperative hypotension and hemodilution-induced anemia and postoperative low cardiac output, is considered to be the cause of postoperative AKI in this group of patients [4, 7]. The renal medulla is at the border of hypoxia under normal conditions, due to the concentration mechanism, and therefore particularly sensitive to ischemia [8, 9].
It was recently shown that renal oxygenation (renal oxygen supply/demand relation) is severely impaired in patients with early AKI after complicated cardiac surgery , in turn, caused by a 50% increase in renal vascular resistance, compared with uncomplicated postcardiac-surgery patients. From experimental studies, it has been suggested that renal vasoconstriction in AKI is caused by afferent arteriolar vasoconstriction mediated by the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism, vasoconstrictors (catecholamines, angiotensin II, endothelin), and outer medullary congestion. Furthermore, it has been ascribed to ischemic endothelial cell injury, causing an imbalance in the production of endothelin and endothelial nitric oxide, or to angiotensin II-induced activation of reactive oxygen species that inactivates NO [11–13]. Finally, it has been suggested that outer medullary hypoxia may cause endothelial ischemic injury and cell swelling, contributing to congestion and impaired perfusion of this region . It would therefore be logical that interventions that alleviate this afferent arteriolar vasoconstriction would be beneficial, as they could potentially increase RBF and GFR.
Oliguria is a poor prognostic indicator in patients with AKI [15, 16], and diuretic agents are frequently used to improve urine output and to facilitate fluid management in these patients. Mannitol, an osmotic diuretic, has been used in the belief that it exerts renoprotective properties in patients undergoing surgery. However, results from studies in which mannitol has been evaluated in the perioperative setting, for prevention or treatment of AKI, are divergent. Although mannitol has failed to show a prophylactic effect in patients undergoing abdominal aortic or cardiac surgery [17, 18], mannitol has been shown to reduce the incidence of postoperative AKI in the setting of renal transplantation, along with volume expansion [19, 20]. Furthermore, mannitol treatment has been shown to increase the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients after severe trauma or surgery . In addition, our group recently showed that mannitol increases GFR in postoperative cardiac surgery patients , possibly by a deswelling effect on tubular cells.
To evaluate in more detail the potential beneficial effects of mannitol for treatment of AKI in the perioperative setting, our aim was to evaluate the effects of mannitol on GFR, renal blood flow (RBF), renal oxygen consumption (RVO2), and the renal oxygen supply/demand relation in patients with early, ischemic AKI after complicated cardiac surgery. To this end, we used the retrograde renal vein thermodilution technique and renal extraction of 51chromium-ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid (51Cr-EDTA) for rapid bedside estimation of RBF and GFR without the need for urine collection . In the present study, we tested the null hypothesis that mannitol, in clinically used doses, affects neither RBF nor GFR in patients with AKI after cardiac surgery.
The study protocol was approved by the Human Ethics Committee of the University of Gothenburg. Informed consent was obtained from the patient's next of kin before enrolment in the study. Between September 2007 and October 2011, 13 patients who developed AKI after complicated heart surgery were included in the study according to these inclusion criteria: (a) cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass; (b) normal preoperative renal function (serum creatinine ≤105 µM); and (c) development of AKI, stage 1 or 2, according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria, defined as a 50% to 200% postoperative increase in serum creatinine from baseline . The following exclusion criteria were used: (a) heart transplantation, thoracoabdominal aortic surgery, (c) aortic dissection, (d) use of nephrotoxic drugs such as radiocontrast agents, aminoglycoside antibiotics, or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) analgesics.
In the intensive care unit (ICU), the patients were sedated with propofol (50.1 ± 3.3 μg/kg/min), treated with morphine or fentanyl, and mechanically ventilated to normocapnia. The hemodynamic and renal management of the patients was at the discretion of the attending intensive care physician. The treatment protocol included inotropic support with milrinone and/or norepinephrine to maintain cardiac index ≥2.1 L/min/m2, whole-body oxygen extraction ≤40%, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) at 70 to 80 mm Hg, with or without an intraaortic balloon pump. A continuous infusion of furosemide (5 to 40 mg/h) was used, if needed, to promote diuresis. Because all patients were sedated, neurologic status was not included in the sequential organ-failure assessment score (SOFA score) .
Arterial blood pressure was measured with a radial or femoral arterial catheter. Systemic hemodynamics were measured with a pulmonary artery thermodilution catheter (Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Irvine, CA, USA). Measurements of thermodilution cardiac output were performed in triplicate and indexed to body surface area to derive the cardiac index (CI). The mean coefficient of variation for measurement of CI was 1.6%. The pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PCWP) was measured intermittently. Systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRI), and left ventricular stroke volume index (SVI) were calculated according to standard formulae. Sodium was measured potentiometrically with a sodium electrode (ABL800 Flex; Radiometer, Bronshoj, Denmark). The sensitivity limits of the sodium electrode are 90% to 105%.
An 8-Fr catheter (Webster Laboratories, Baldwin Park, CA, USA) was introduced into the left renal vein via the right femoral vein, under fluoroscopic guidance. The catheter was placed in the central portion of the renal vein, and its position was verified with venography, by using ultra-low doses of iohexol, 5 to 15 mg I/kg (Omnipaque 300 mg I/ml; GE Healthcare, Stockholm, Sweden) . The technique for measurement of RBF with retrograde thermodilution has previously been described in detail [22, 23, 26, 27]. The total RBF was assumed to be twice the blood flow to the left kidney. After blood and urine blanks were taken, an intravenous priming dose of 51Cr-EDTA (0. 6 MBq/m2 body surface area) was given, followed by an infusion at a constant rate, individualized to body weight and serum creatinine. Serum 51Cr-EDTA activities from arterial and renal vein blood were measured with a well counter (Wizard 300, 1480 Automatic Gamma Counter; Perkin Elmer LAS, Turku, Finland). Urine was collected in 30-minute periods to measure urine flow and sodium excretion. An indwelling Foley catheter drained the urine from the bladder. The levels of 51Cr-EDTA were obtained from arterial and renal vein blood at the end of each urine-collection period.
The patients were included in the study from 2 to 6 days after the cardiac surgery. After an equilibration period of at least 60 minutes, two 30-minute urine-collection control periods were started, followed by the administration of mannitol, 150 mg/ml (Mannitol; Baxter Viaflo, Baxter Medical AB, Kista, Sweden). The patients received a bolus dose of mannitol, 225 mg/kg, followed by a continuous infusion of mannitol at a rate of 75 mg/kg/h for two 30-minute urine collection periods. Thermodilution measurements of RBF, hemodynamic variables, as well as blood and urine samples, were obtained at the end of each urine-collection period. During the experimental procedure, the blood pressure was kept constant, and an isotonic crystalloid solution was continuously infused to substitute for fluid losses due to the diuretic response.
Based on our previous study , we calculated that 10 patients had to be included to detect a mannitol-induced change in GFR of 20%, at a power of 80% and at a significance level of 0.05, with a standard deviation of 12.2 ml (paired design). Data on renal and hemodynamic variables from the two control periods (C1, C2), as well as the two mannitol-treatment periods (M1, M2) were pooled. The renal and hemodynamic effects of mannitol, compared with control, were assessed with a paired t test. A probability level (P value) of less than 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. The data are presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (mean ± SEM).
Thirteen patients were included in the study. Two patients were excluded from the study because of unsuccessful placement of the renal vein catheter. In total, 11 patients were thus evaluated. Baseline characteristics of the patients are presented in Table 1. Serum creatinine had increased by 52% to 158% at the day of study. The patients had a mean SOFA score of 9 (range, 7 to 12). All patients were treated with norepinephrine infusion. Eight (73%) patients were treated with milrinone, 10 (91%) patients had furosemide infusion, and four (36%) patients needed an IABP (Table 2). Two (18%) patients required continuous renal-replacement therapy, and five (45%) patients died during their ICU stay.
Data are presented as mean ± SEM. ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; BSA, body surface area; CABG, coronary artery bypass surgery; CPB, cardiopulmonary bypass; ICU, intensive care unit; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; nonelective, surgery performed within 24 hours after referral; Preop, preoperative.
IABP, intraaortic balloon pump; Preop, preoperative; SOFA, sequential organ-failure assessment. *Mean and SEM among treated.
Data obtained during the two control periods, C1 and C2, did not differ in any of the measured variables.
Mannitol induced a significant increase in SVI (4%) and significantly decreased Hct (2%) (Table 3). Mannitol caused no significant changes in MAP, MPAP, CI, HR, SVRI, or PVRI and had no effects on filling pressures (CVP, PCWP) . The body temperature did not change during the experimental procedure.
Data are presented as mean ± SEM. C1, first control period before mannitol infusion; C2, second control period before mannitol infusion; CI, cardiac index; CVP, central venous pressure; Hct, hematocrit; HR, heart rate; M1, first period with mannitol infusion (150 mg/ml, infusion rate of 0.5 ml/kg/h); M2, second period with mannitol infusion (150 mg/ml; infusion rate of 0.5 ml/kg/h); MAP, mean arterial pressure; MPAP, mean pulmonary artery pressure; PCWP, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure; PVRI, pulmonary vascular resistance index; SVI, stroke volume index; SVRI, systemic vascular resistance index.
Mannitol induced a significant increase in RBF (12%) and significantly decreased RVR (-13%) (Table 4 and Figure 1). Mannitol increased the RBF/CO relation (P = 0.040). Mannitol also caused significant increases in urine output (61%) and FENa (58%). Although mannitol tended to increase GFR (16%, P = 0.16), sodium filtration (18%, P = 0.14), tubular sodium reabsorption (14%, P = 0.28), and RVO2 (10%, P = 0.14), none of these changes reached statistical significance. Mannitol affected neither FF nor RO2Ext.
Data are presented as mean ± SEM. C1, first control period before mannitol infusion; C2, second control period before mannitol infusion; FENa, fractional excretion of sodium; FF, filtration fraction; GFNa, sodium filtration; GFR, glomerular filtration rate; M1, first period with mannitol infusion (150 mg/ml, infusion rate of 0.5 ml/kg/h); M2, second period with mannitol infusion (150 mg/ml, infusion rate of 0.5 ml/kg/h); RBF, renal blood flow; RO2Ex, renal oxygen extraction; RVR, renal vascular resistance; RVO2, renal oxygen consumption; TRNa, sodium reabsorption.
Effects of mannitol (M1, M2) on renal vascular resistance (RVR), renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and renal filtration fraction (FF). *P < 0.05.
The main findings of the present study on cardiac surgery patients with postoperative early AKI were that mannitol induced a renal vasodilatation and increased RBF with no changes in filtration fraction or the renal oxygen supply/demand relation, as assessed by the lack of effect on RO2Ex.
To our knowledge, no previous studies exist on the effects of mannitol on renal perfusion, filtration, and oxygenation in patients with AKI. In most animal studies, it has been shown that mannitol increases RBF by renal vasodilation during both normotensive [29–31] and hypotensive conditions [32–34]. Data on the effects of mannitol on RBF in humans, however, are scarce. With the xenon133 washout technique, Castaneda-Zuniga et al. studied the effects of mannitol (20%) infusion on RBF in humans and demonstrated only a minimal increase in RBF. With the same methods as in the present study, Kurnik et al. studied the effect of mannitol (15%) on RBF in patients with moderate chronic renal failure and found that mannitol did not affect RBF. Those results are supported by a study, recently published by our group, demonstrating no effect of mannitol on RBF, in postoperative uncomplicated cardiac surgery patients with normal renal function .
What are the mechanisms behind the mannitol-induced decrease in RVR in early clinical, ischemic AKI, as demonstrated in the present study? It has been suggested that the mannitol-induced renal vasodilatory response to experimental renal ischemia is mediated directly by increased synthesis of prostacyclin, or indirectly by augmenting plasma levels of ANP because of the plasma volume expansion [34, 37]. In the present study, plasma volume expansion with mannitol was not large enough to cause increased cardiac filling pressures at the time of RBF measurements. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that mannitol bolus plus infusion induced a transient increase in cardiac filling pressures and distention, causing a release of natriuretic peptides. In our previous study in postoperative uncomplicated cardiac patients with normal renal function, by using an identical protocol, we found that mannitol did not affect RBF , suggesting that mannitol-induced plasma volume expansion and the consequent cardiac release of renal vasodilatory cardiac peptides is not the main mechanism behind the renal vasodilation, as demonstrated in the present study.
Experimental studies have shown that renal ischemia causes endothelial cell injury and dysfunction followed by endothelial cell edema . Flores et al. showed in an animal study that ischemia-induced endothelial cell swelling can be reversed and prevented by mannitol. They suggested that the failure of blood flow to return to the kidney after transient ischemia, the so-called "no reflow" phenomenon, was due to swollen endothelial cells, and that the no-reflow could be corrected by mannitol. Based on those experimental studies, one could therefore speculate that mannitol might exert its beneficial effect on renal perfusion in patients with AKI by a deswelling effect on injured endothelial cells.
Treatment of patients with AKI with mannitol did not affect the renal oxygen supply/demand relation, as assessed by no changes in renal oxygen extraction. Thus, the mannitol-induced increase in RBF was matched by a proportional increase in RVO2. It is well known that tubular sodium reabsorption is a major determinant of RVO2 in humans , and it was shown previously that a close association exists between the GFR, tubular sodium reabsorption, and RVO2 in humans [22, 27, 46], and any agent that increases the GFR has the potential to increase the RVO2 [22, 27, 46]. If mannitol affected only RBF in the present study, with no increase in GFR or RVO2, one would have expected a decrease in renal oxygen extraction, as was seen with low-dose dopamine, which increased RBF with no effects on the GFR or the RVO2 .
This study has several limitations. One major limitation is that we did not include a time-control group. One could, therefore, argue that changes in the measured renal or hemodynamic variables were not entirely caused by mannitol itself, but also, to some extent, by spontaneous fluctuations or time-dependent effects on these variables. Conversely, data on renal and systemic hemodynamics, as well as on renal function and oxygen metabolism, obtained during the two control periods, did not differ significantly. We, therefore, believe that the effects of mannitol on the measured renal variables in the present study are caused by mannitol and not by spontaneous fluctuations or time-dependent changes of these variables. Another limitation of this study is the relatively small sample size, as discussed earlier. A much larger population of patients must be studied to evaluate whether mannitol may improve renal outcome in AKI.
The obvious advantages with the continuous renal vein thermodilution technique are that repeated and rapid estimations of RBF can be performed at the bedside at short intervals. The thermodilution technique is validated against the gold-standard technique, which is the urinary clearance of PAH, corrected for by renal extraction-fraction of PAH . It is neither dependent on a steady state, nor affected by extrarenal elimination or by changes in renal extraction. The thermodilution technique can, hence, be used in intensive care patients to detect dynamic changes in RBF.
In the present study of patients with postoperative AKI caused by severe heart failure, requiring inotropic and mechanical support, we showed that treatment with the osmotic diuretic, mannitol, induces a renal vasodilation and increases RBF with maintained filtration fraction and renal oxygenation.
This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Medical Research Council, Medical Faculty of Gothenburg (LUA), and Gothenburg Medical Society.
All authors participated in the study design. GB collected and prepared the data and performed the statistical analysis. GB and BR performed the renal vein catheterizations and the experimental procedures. All authors participated in writing the paper, and all approved the final manuscript. | 2019-04-26T04:33:52Z | https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/cc11480 |
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Could a New Type of Toothbrush Eventually Reduce the Need for Dental Implants in Leeds?
Scientists have produced a new type of toothbrush using a 3-D printer, and it’s been claimed that it is capable of thoroughly brushing your teeth in less than 6 seconds. It utilises the same type of technology used to fit braces, and each toothbrush is individually created to exactly fit your mouth. The appliance looks almost like a mouthguard and contains lots of interdental bristles that are angled to reach along your gum line.
You then have to use special techniques to bite and grind against the appliance for approximately 6 seconds. The makers claim this is sufficient to clean your teeth, and that’s it is equal to 3 minutes of brushing time with a manual toothbrush. They also claim that it will help ensure the whole mouth is cleaned, as many people to miss certain areas of their mouth when brushing. It even has little slots for floss threading as it’s been claimed you can floss your teeth and clean your tongue all at the same time as brushing your teeth. This brush does rely on users following very specific techniques and movements. Like all the alternative methods of tooth cleaning, if these are not followed then this brush is likely to be no more effective than something a lot cheaper.
Not surprisingly some experts are sceptical and point out that more research is needed, and that good technique is everything. This brush is not cheap either as it costs approximately £250 for a toothbrush that is supposed to last a year. The manufacturers do point out that subsequent brushes will be much cheaper, but it’s still a huge outlay when you consider a good manual brush can be purchased for just a few pounds.
Dr David Brown and all the dentists at Leeds City Dentalcare take preventative dental care very seriously, and we always encourage patients to ask questions about how they can improve their daily brushing and flossing techniques. If you’d prefer not to spend so much on a toothbrush then we can show you how to brush properly to get the most out of your manual or electric toothbrush. We know lots of people also hate flossing, but there are lots of things that can be done to make this task easier and more effective, just ask your dentist in Leeds for a practical demonstration. We can’t show you techniques that will clean your teeth thoroughly in just a few seconds, but we can show you how to make sure you clean all the surfaces of your teeth in just a couple of minutes.
It is important that you take the time to brush your teeth and floss each day, as otherwise you are at risk of developing gum disease. This common condition is often responsible for tooth loss, and is one of the main reasons why dental implants in Leeds are so popular. We’d prefer to help you retain your natural teeth for as long as possible, and preferably for your whole lifetime.
This entry was posted in Preventive Dentistry on 17th July 2014 by Dr. David S Brown.
Have you always wanted straighter teeth, but somehow never quite got around to it, or perhaps you hate the thought of wearing braces for months or even years. It is a common predicament, but modern orthodontics is Leeds could have the solution, and treatment could be easier, faster, and more affordable than you thought.
Some orthodontic systems are designed to treat a very comprehensive range of orthodontic problems, and while this might be perfect for anyone who has quite a few problems with their bite, it could be overkill for others. If your teeth are generally okay, and you do not have any trouble brushing and flossing them, then you might just want your front teeth moving into more cosmetically pleasing positions. In this case you may be able to use an orthodontic appliance that only works on your front teeth.
For instance, the Inman Aligner is designed to move front teeth that are overcrowded, or which protrude, and it can achieve this in as little as six weeks, or just a few months. It is a removable aligner that is relatively discreet to wear. It uses two opposable bows that are controlled by springs and which use very gentle forces to constantly move the teeth into the correct position. You need to wear the appliance for between 16 and 18 hours a day, and it is only suitable for moving the front teeth. It’s less expensive than alternative solutions such as fixed or clear braces, but some people might be bothered by the wires being more visible. However it’s well worth bearing in mind that this type of brace is worn for a very short period of time. The length of treatment can range from six weeks up to 16 weeks.
If you think your orthodontic problems may be more complicated than you might need to consider a different system. These are all things that Dr David Brown or another of our dentists at Leeds City Dentalcare can discuss with you. For example if you find it hard to floss your teeth, or if you struggle to brush all the surfaces of your teeth due to them being crooked or out of alignment then you might need more comprehensive treatment. In this case your orthodontic dentist in Leeds may suggest a different system such as Invisalign or possibly Fastbraces.
Invisalign is extremely well known and is virtually invisible as the aligners are made out of clear plastic. These braces are fully removable but still need to be worn for most of the time. Fastbraces is a fixed brace system that concentrates on moving the tooth root and the tooth at the same time, making treatment much quicker.
We do see a lot of adults who wish to straighten their teeth. Most choose to do so because they hate their crooked teeth and feel self-conscious about smiling and talking with others. What many people don’t realise is that having nice straight teeth makes keeping them clean much easier. Nowadays braces are easy to wear and easy to keep clean, so why not give us a call to discover exactly how orthodontics in Leeds could help you.
This entry was posted in Orthodontics on 7th July 2014 by Dr. David S Brown.
Are you considering having a smile makeover in the next few months, perhaps for a special event? If so it might be worthy booking a consultation with Dr David Brown or another of our dentist in Leeds to find out exactly what will be involved. You’ll get the chance to discuss your smile requirements with your dentist and can find out exactly what is realistically possible as well as how much treatment will cost. Your dentist will also provide you with a written treatment plan that gives you a breakdown of all the costs involved. This could allow you to spread treatment over a longer period of time so you can save up a bit if necessary. It’s also quite easy to underestimate the amount of time required to complete a comprehensive smile makeover.
If you intend to have quite a bit of work done on your smile then it’s worth bearing in mind that even the planning process can take quite a bit of time as it’s important to make sure this first step is absolutely right. Some treatments, such as dental implants take several months to complete, and the process might be even longer if you require bone grafts prior to implant surgery. Having a bone graft is a straightforward procedure, and it’s something that can sometimes be done at the same time as implant surgery, but otherwise it might be necessary to complete it as a separate procedure prior to having your dental implants inserted. It’s something that is necessary if you have lost a substantial amount of bone from your jaw, for instance if you lost your teeth quite some time ago.
Having a dental implant allows your cosmetic dentist in Leeds to optimally place the implant in a position where it will function properly and will provide great aesthetic results. A conventional dental implant takes between three and six months to place, and having a bone graft could add several months to the process. Sometimes it may be possible to place implants that can be loaded with a crown, bridge or denture more quickly, but even so the first restorations are likely to be temporary while the implant sites settle down at this allows the implant post to integrate fully with your jawbone.
Other treatments such as dental veneers, crowns and bridges can be completed much more quickly with just a few visits to Leeds City Dentalcare spread over a few weeks. Popular treatments such as teeth whitening are also very quick, especially as you can complete the process at home. If you require dentures then you may need to visit our surgery quite a few times in order to have specific impressions and measurements taken of your face. These are all extremely important to make sure your new denture restores the correct dimensions to your facial features, so it provides the very best cosmetic dentistry in Leeds.
Making sure you allow time for all your cosmetic dental treatments to be completed helps to make sure the process is far less stressful. It also helps to ensure that we have plenty of time to perfect your smile prior to your big event. It gives you time to get used to your new smile and in addition allows plenty of time for all your restorations to settle down.
This entry was posted in Cosmetic Dentistry on 3rd July 2014 by Dr. David S Brown.
If the onset of autumn has left you feeling down in the dumps, especially after such a great summer, then you may be looking for ways to lift your spirits. One thing that might help is asking your cosmetic dentist in Leeds about ways of improving your smile, and it could be cheaper than you imagine.
There are lots of things that can be done that are particularly expensive, and some will also help to improve your oral health. For instance if you haven’t visited Leeds City Dentalcare for a while then why not book a checkup and professional cleaning? This should be part of your preventative dental care regime, and having your teeth professionally cleaned will almost certainly leave them looking a little whiter than before. It’s an easy way to put a sparkle back in your smile. This is because the process does remove some of the surface stains from your teeth, and it’s also good to get a clean bill of health from Dr David Brown or another of our dentists in Leeds.
During your check-up your dentist in Leeds will also assess the state of any fillings as these do need renewing every few years. This is an excellent preventative dental care treatment, but it can also help to boost your smile. Tooth coloured composite resin fillings become stained and discoloured after a few years, so having them renewed is an easy and affordable way to help improve your smile. If you still have any amalgam fillings in your mouth then you may wish to replace them with more modern composite resin fillings. Amalgam fillings used to be placed as standard in the back teeth as they are very strong and durable, but they’re not exactly pretty. If you’re still dissatisfied with the colour of your teeth then there are various ways we can help.
It is a nice time of year to whiten your teeth, and Leeds City Dentalcare can provide you with custom-made whitening trays that you can use at home. These gently help to lift the stains from your teeth, restoring them to a more pleasing colour. The great thing about having your teeth professionally whitened is that you can be sure you’re doing it safely and that it is not harming your teeth and gums in any way. You’ll also achieve the very best results.
Teeth whitening is great, but bleaching can’t remove internal stains from the teeth. In this case your dentist in Leeds may advise whitening your teeth in another way, and one of the easiest ways to do so is to simply have the tooth veneered. This is also an excellent choice if you’re unhappy with the shape of some of your teeth, or perhaps they have some minor chips or cracks that need repairing. Dental veneers can be placed in just two or three visits, and even having one or two can make a considerable difference to your smile, especially if you have your teeth whitened beforehand.
There are lots of things in cosmetic dentistry in Leeds can do to help improve your smile so if you’re interested then it’s worth booking a consultation to see exactly what can be done.
This entry was posted in Cosmetic Dentistry on 30th June 2014 by Dr. David S Brown.
Is Fluoridated Water a Good Thing?
Adding fluoride to the public water supplies is something of a contentious issue. Its addition to drinking water in the US has been hailed by many as being hugely successful in improving oral health. While this is something that has been done quite routinely in many parts of the United States for the past sixty years, it is quite a different story in England. Here some ninety percent of the population does not have access to fluoridated drinking water. In spite of this, most toothpaste contains fluoride, and your dentist in Leeds will always provide you with additional fluoride treatments if they think it is necessary.
A recent survey found that nearly 80% of the population would support the addition of fluoride to public water supplies, and the possible addition of fluoride is seen by Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, as being a positive thing. It is true that whenever it is added to drinking water the levels are very carefully monitored to ensure it is completely safe. But why is fluoride so good for dental health?
Fluoride is a mineral that is found naturally in certain foods, and in some water. It is useful in helping to protect teeth against decay, as it helps to harden the tooth enamel. Tooth enamel is the hard outer layer of tooth that helps to protect the much softer layers of tooth that lie directly beneath it. Every day your tooth enamel is subjected to acidic attack, and this is something that softens the enamel and which leaches out some of the essential minerals in the enamel, including calcium and phosphate. The process is called de-mineralisation, and it happens every time you eat or drink something that contains high amounts of sugar, carbohydrates, or which is naturally acidic such as citrus fruits. As the tooth enamel softens, it becomes more prone towards developing cavities and lesions.
Fluoride helps to re-harden tooth enamel, speeding up a process called re-mineralisation. This is where the mouth begins to become less acidic as saliva helps to dilute the acids, and is also where some of the minerals leached out of the enamel are re-deposited, helping to harden the enamel.
If Dr David Brown, or another Leeds dentist, thinks you may be more at risk of tooth decay then they may recommend additional fluoride. This is something that can be applied to the teeth as a varnish, or through using trays that are left in the mouth for five minutes or so. They may also recommend the use of fluoride mouthwash, in addition to using fluoridated toothpaste. People who may be at increased risk of tooth decay include those with dry mouth, as well as people on certain medications such as drugs for high blood pressure, anxiety or depressions. People who have received radiation treatment for head and neck cancers are more prone to tooth decay.
Even though fluoride is a good thing, exposure to excess fluoride while the adult teeth are still developing, can lead to a condition called fluorosis. This creates white or brown stains on the teeth that can sometimes look unsightly, and which may require the attention of a cosmetic dentistry in Leeds. Overexposure to fluoride tends to occur if you lived in an area with naturally fluoridated water as a child and is caused by the fluoride being ingested rather than applied topically.
This entry was posted in Cosmetic Dentistry on 26th June 2014 by Dr. David S Brown.
A recent report has found that more than a quarter of children under the age of five have tooth decay, and most of these have cavities in an average of between three and four teeth. These figures come even though oral health care has improved over the last few years. The study was carried out by Public Health England, and surveyed 133,000 children. Even though these figures sound shocking, overall the levels of tooth decay have declined, and the proportion of children with untreated decay has fallen.
If you have young children then you are encouraged to bring them to visit a dentist in Leeds, so we can check to see that their teeth are developing normally and that they do not have any issues with dental decay. Some parents do underestimate the importance of milk or baby teeth, and think that because they are replaced in just a few years there is no real need to take care of them. This could not be further from the truth, as these milk teeth are every bit as important, and deserve just as much care as adult teeth. In addition it is much better to get children into the habit of looking after their teeth as soon as possible, rather than neglecting oral health until their adult teeth have erupted.
We know it can sometimes be a bit of a battle to clean young children’s teeth, but is so important to persevere. You do need to clean your children’s teeth for them until they are aged six or seven, and even then it is worth making sure they are supervised and that they clean their teeth thoroughly.
There are various things you can do to help make the task more interesting so it eventually becomes a habit that is deeply ingrained. For example make sure you buy them child oriented dental products, such as themed toothbrushes and toothpaste that is especially made for children. Electric or battery toothbrushes make tooth cleaning more fun, and have the added advantage of having timers that enable your child to time themselves as those two minutes are easy to overestimate. If they use a manual toothbrush then invest in a timer that can be kept in the bathroom; you can even get fun shaped timers, for example in the shape of a tooth, to help encourage them to use it. Flossing is another important part of the routine, and once again make sure you buy floss they are able to easily use, and which doesn’t feel uncomfortable or too thick.
Of course, regular dental visits with Dr David Brown or another dentist in Leeds are essential. Leeds City Dentalcare is used to treating younger patients, and will do everything possible to put your child at their ease as we want to encourage them to visit a dentist regularly right throughout their life. You’ll also find we can give you lots of useful information and help on caring for your child’s teeth, keeping their smile healthy right into adulthood.
This entry was posted in Preventive Dentistry on 23rd June 2014 by Dr. David S Brown.
Do you think you might be interested in having dental implants in Leeds? They are a terrific invention, and have been safely used for decades. Technology surrounding dental implants is improving all the time, and now researchers have discovered that diamonds could be useful in helping to promote bone growth.
These aren’t the sparkly ones, so there is no need to worry that your teeth will have an extra gleam. Instead they are minute nanodiamonds that are produced as a by-product of mining and refining conventional diamonds. These diamonds are just four to five nanometres across, and are completely round, just like a very small tennis ball. So far, researchers have found that nanodiamonds could be useful in helping to treat osteonecrosis, a condition that can destroy bone.
Osteonecrosis is a condition that can occur as a side effect of chemotherapy, and bone loss in the jaw can make it difficult for sufferers to eat and speak, and can lead to dental implants in Leeds becoming loose. There are ways in which surgeons can try to repair the damage caused, but these are often costly and quite invasive as they involve small sponges being inserted to deliver bone growth proteins. Nanodiamonds could be used to deliver these proteins in a way that is less invasive, such as through the use of an oral rinse, or by an injection.
Nanotechnology is very exciting, but obviously it may be a while before nanodiamonds are being routinely used to improve bone growth and to help dental implants that are in danger of failing. In the meantime Dr David Brown or other dentist at Leeds City Dentalcare can provide you with a full assessment to see whether or not dental implants would work well for you. Although dental implants are an excellent way of replacing lost teeth, they are not the quickest method, and it is important to be patient during treatment.
Most people will be suitable for dental implants, provided they are in good general health and do not have any unresolved dental problems, but your dentist in Leeds will discuss your medical history with you to make sure this is the right course of treatment. If you smoke, be prepared to quit as smoking hinders healing, and could increase the chances of implant failure.
If implants aren’t ideal, then there are other ways of replacing lost teeth that can still produce good results, and which can be completed more quickly than dental implants. Conventional dental implants take approximately three to six months to complete, whereas another treatment such as a dental bridge can be completed in just a few weeks. Bridges can provide very nice looking results, but you will need to have the teeth adjacent to the gap ground down as these must be crowned to support the replacement bridge tooth, something that is called a pontic. These are all things you need to weigh up when deciding whether or not to have a dental implant in Leeds.
This entry was posted in Dental Implants on 19th June 2014 by Dr. David S Brown.
Cosmetic Dentistry in Leeds Can Make Your Teeth Look Great, but What Things Could Harm Your Smile?
Sports Drinks. If you like to work out then you may be in the habit of having a sports drink to top up on vital fluids, but although these drinks are increasingly popular, they’re not very good for your teeth. It’s been found that many are quite acidic, and could wear away your tooth enamel. In addition these drinks can contain high amounts of sugar that are the ideal food for bacteria that will produce acid as a by-product, increasing the chance of tooth decay.
Citrus Fruits. Citrus fruits are well known for containing high levels of vitamins C, something that’s generally considered healthy. However they also contain citric acid which can erode your tooth enamel, increasing the risk of cavities. If you enjoy a nice juicy orange than it’s worth rinsing your mouth with water afterwards or chewing sugar-free gum that contains xylitol, as this ingredient can help to inhibit bacteria that cause cavities.
Teeth Grinding. Teeth grinding or bruxism can do a tremendous amount of damage to your smile, and is something that often occurs at night making it difficult to detect. Teeth grinding can wear down the teeth and can also affect the gums. This is something that Dr David Brown or our dentist in Leeds can help you with through prescribing a custom-made mouthguard to wear at night.
Wine. Many of us like to enjoy a glass of wine, but regular consumption could damage your tooth enamel as wine can be quite acidic. This applies to both white and red wine, and both can increase the rate of tooth staining.
Dry Mouth or Xerostomia. This is a condition caused by insufficient saliva, and it’s another thing that can be very harmful for your teeth and gums. Saliva helps to keep your mouth clean and hygienic, washing away excess bacteria and helping to neutralise acids. If you do have dry mouth then there are several things you can do, including making sure you drink plenty of water, chewing sugar-free gum to stimulate the production of saliva, or using an artificial saliva substitute.
Overusing Teeth Whitening Products. If you choose to have your teeth whitened at Leeds City Dentalcare then we will give you plenty of advice on how often you can touch up the results. It’s important to follow this advice closely, as over bleaching your teeth could increase tooth sensitivity, and after a certain point they probably went to anything to help bleach your teeth.
Poor Diet. Your diet does affect your teeth, so if you’re watching what you eat make sure you’re getting plenty of vitamins and minerals necessary to keep your smile healthy. Your diet should contain adequate amounts of vitamins C, protein, calcium, B vitamins and folic acid.
Taking care of your smile will help you get the most out of your cosmetic dentistry in Leeds, and will help ensure the results last as long as possible.
This entry was posted in Cosmetic Dentistry on 16th June 2014 by Dr. David S Brown. | 2019-04-22T12:03:19Z | http://www.leedscitydentalcare.co.uk/blog/author/leedscitydentalcare/ |
The September 11th assassination of US Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans has added a new urgency to the repatriation of the remains of Richard Somers and the men of the U.S.S. Intrepid from Tripoli.
Unlike other seemingly spontaneous protests at American embassies around the world, in response to the release of a movie insulting to Islamsts, the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi appears to have been planned in advance and carried out by hundreds of heavily armed militants.
Shortly after the February 17th Revolution in Libya began, Chris Stevens was sent to Benghazi to evaluate the revolutionaries, determine who they were, what they were fighting for and why. His reports played a major role in the change in US policy of backing foreign dictators who support American economic, anti-Communist and counter-terrorist policies. The American support for the revolutionaries, along with the imposition of a NATO enforced no-fly zone over Libya, contributed greatly to the success of the revolution over the four decades long rule of Dictator Mommar Gadhafi.
Stevens was respected and trusted by the many diverse elements of Libyan society, and was appointed ambassador in March, 2012. On Memorial Day, Stevens led the American delegation in a ceremony at the graves of the men of the USS Intrepid at Old Protestant Cemetery in Tripoli.
Richard Somers commanded the captured pirate ship rechristened USS Intrepid on one of the first special operation raids in US Naval history on the night of September 4, 1804, intending to destroy the anchored enemy fleet in Tripoli harbor. The ship exploded before it could reach its destination and the bodies of the men were recovered on the shore and buried nearby.
The Somers’ family, beginning with his sister Sarah, has always sought the return of the remains of Richard from Tripoli, and they have been joined by the family of Lt. Henry Wadsworth, Somers’ second in command and uncle of Longfellow the famed New England poet. With the backing of the citizens of Somers Point, and the endorsement of the New Jersey State Legislature, the House of Representatives and Veterans groups like the American Legion, VFW and Am Vets, an amendment to repatriate the remains was attached to the 2012 Defense Authorization Act. But that amendment was withdrawn by Sen. John McCain at the request of the Navy. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R. NJ 2nd), a strong supporter of repatriation, and whose district includes Somers Point, reinserted an order to have the military study the feasibility of repatriation, a report that is due in October.
Regardless of what that study concludes, those seeking repatriation have stepped up their efforts and consider this an emergency situation.
“If we don’t get them out now, while we can, who knows what will happen to them? If the Islamic extremists get to them first, we will never get them back,” said Walt Gregory, who is helping to raise money to build a monument to Somers that they hope, will also be a gravestone if his remains are returned.
Of the many diverse groups in Libya, the radical Islamics known as Salafists are orthodox Muslims who believe in a strict interpretation of the Koran, and are often at violent odds with other Islamic sects, especially the Sufis, who sing, dance and revere their honored Sufi saints. Shortly after the ouster of Gadhafi, some Sal fists intimidated a Libyan Jew who was trying to restore an ancient and abandoned Tripoli Synagogue. They also attacked some Sufi mosques, excavated the graves and made off with the remains of some Sufi saints that had been buried in the floor of the mosque for over a hundred years.
More recently some Salafists bulldozed a Sufi mosque in Tripoli, completely pulverizing it, without any objections from the ruling interim government, who consider it a religious affair.
These same Salafists Moslems are leading the protests against American embassies and businesses in the Middle East and Asia, and it is believed by intelligence analysts that these protests were used as a cover for the attack on the US consulates in Benghazi and Tripoli by Al Qada and Taliban forces. These Taliban, who practice a strict form of Salafist Islam, were responsible for the destruction of two centuries old Budda statutes in Afghanistan, because they insulted their Islamic sensibilities, and desecrated the graves of British soldiers who died during World War II and are buried in Libya.
These same radical Islamists would certainly attack, desecrate and remove the remains of the American naval heroes buried in Tripoli if they knew where they were, as the graves are clearly marked as Americans from the USS Intrepid.
Hastings also said she fears the cemetery in which the American remains lie could suffer the same type of desecration as the Commonwealth Cemetery near Tobruk, Libya. A mob destroyed numerous graves of soldiers who died in battle in World War II and ripped up Australian, British and New Zealand flags when it attacked the cemetery earlier this year.
The part of the 2012 Defense Authorization Act that refers to the repatriation of Somers and the men of the Intrepid refers to “the proposal to exhume, identify, and relocate the remains of the American sailors.” It concerns the “Evaluation of Issues Affecting Disposition of remains of American Sailors Killed in the Explosion of the Ketch USS INTREPID in Tripoli Harbor on September 4, 1804,” and requires a report to be conducted by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy and issued by October.
Donations for the Somers Monument can be made to the Somers Point Historical Society and sent to P.O. Box 517, Somers Point, N.J. 08244 or at their web site: .
Since they died for the same principles – freedom, liberty and justice, the names of Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods should be added to the Tripoli Monument at Annapolis, America’s first war memorial dedicated to the US Navy officers who died during the first war against the Barbary Pirates.
Stevens - the American hero of the Libyan Revolution, was a Peace Corp veteran and a dedicated diplomat who was sent into Benghazi to size up the revolutionary forces.
Arriving in the hold of a cargo ship, he met with all of the rebels, and breaking with the long held policy of backing dictators who support US economic, anti-communist and counter-terrorist policies, Stevens came down squarely on the side of the revolutionaries. He helped begin the political process that led to the US-NATO intervention, the establishment of the no-fly zone and saving the city of Benghazi from total destruction, as Gadhafi had done to other Libyan cities.
While most critics, mainly on the liberal left, decried the support of the rebels as an extension of the American war program as exercised in Iraq and Afghanistan, Stevens saw it in its proper historical context – the fight for liberty and freedom that went back over 200 years.
With the success of the revolution, Stevens was named the new US Ambassador to Libya, and was recognized as a true friend of the new Libya. One of the first public events Stevens did as ambassador was a Memorial Day 2012 ceremony at the graves of the American sailors from the USS Intrepid.
The USS Intrepid, a captured pirate ship, was used in a number of daring commando raids, that preceded the establishment of such special operations units like the Army Rangers and Navy SEALS. One mission on the Intrepid sank the captured frigate USS Philadelpha in Tripoli harbor. Then the Intrepid was converted into a fireship and sailed into Tripoli harbor at night with the intention of destroying the anchored pirate fleet. Instead the ship blew up prematurely and killed all thirteen men, including the commander, Lt. Richard Somers. Their remains were recovered and buried just off the beach near the old castle fort at Martyr’s Square, the epicenter of the Libyan revolution.
The only real martyrs buried at Tripoli’s Martyr’s Square are US Navy heroes killed fighting tyranny over two hundred years ago.
Although these men were killed in action during the battle immortalized in the US Marine hymn, “to the shores of Tripoli,” Stevens felt a personal affiliation with them, and in a sense, helped complete their mission.
The situation in 1804 was not that much different than it is today, as pirates were marauding American merchant ships off Africa and enslaving and ransoming their passengers and crew. When tribute payments stopped, Yousef Karamanli, the chief pirate and tyrant of Tripoli, declared war against the United States by chopping down the flag pole outside home of the US counsel.
With the slogan of “Millions for defense but not once cent for tribute,” Americans decided to build a navy and fight the pirate, rather than pay the tributes and ransoms. Commodore Edward Preble led the American fleet in a blockade of Tripoli harbor, while William Eaton, the US Counsel to Egypt, convinced Hamid Karamanli, the deposed brother of the tyrant, to reclaim his kingdom. With Sergeant Presley O’Bannon and a squad of eight US Marines, a few hundred Greek Christians mercenaries and a cavalry of Bedouin tribesmen, the motley army marched across the desert and captured the eastern port city of Derna, much like Lawrence of Arabia captured Akaba.
After repelling a loyalist counterattack, Eaton, Hamid Karamanli, O’Bannon and their makeshift army, similar in their diversity to the 2012 revolutionaries, prepared to march on Tripoli. But before they did, another US diplomat, Tobias Lear accepted a peace treaty with Yousef Karamanli, paying him $60,000 ransom for the 300 US Navy prisoners from the captured frigate USS Philadelphia.
Paying the ransom was not only against the declared US policy, it also left Yousef Karamanli in power. When they learned of the treaty, Eaton, Karamanli, O’Bannon and the marines had to sneak out of Derna at night by boat and abandoned their army, much like the Cubans were abandoned at the Bay of Pigs. But in appreciation for fighting with him, Hamid Karamanli gave Sgt. Presley O’Bannon his Mamaluke sword, which was adopted as the official dress sword of the U.S. Marines.
Over a hundred and fifty years later, in 1949, present at an official ceremony at the graves of the men of the USS Intrepid, was Youself Karamanli, the mayor of Tripoli, namesake and direct descendent of the tyrant who was the first to declare war against the United States.
From 1949 until Gadhafi seized power in 1969 the Tripoli graves of the men of the Intrepid were maintained by the Officer’s Wives Club of Wheelus Air Force. It wasn’t until Gadhafi renounced terrorism, paid off the victims of the Lockerbie bombing and turned over his weapons of mass destruction that US diplomats returned to Tripoli. And one of the first things they did was to conduct a ceremony at the graves of the Intrepid sailors and convince the Gadhafi government to restore the historic Old Protestant Cemetery.
In the meantime, the family of the Intrepid’s commander Lt. Richard Somers of Somers Point, New Jersey petitioned the US Navy to repatriate the remains of Somers and his men, an effort that was joined by the family of the Intrepid’s second in command, Lt. Henry Wadsworth, uncle of Longfellow. Their efforts led to the inclusion of an article in the 2012 Defense Appropriation Act requiring the military conduct a feasibility study of repatriation of the remains of these men, a study that is due soon.
Shortly after the restoration of the cemetery, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta visited Tripoli and stopped by the Intrepid graves to pay his respects to the American heroes buried there.
Then after the Arab Spring revolutions began in Tunisa and forced the outster of a number of dictators, the Gadhafi government arrested a Benghazi lawyer who represented over one thousand families of political prisoners Gadhafi had executed in one day. On February 17, 2010, less than one hundred, mostly women protested the arrest of their lawyer in Benghazi, a protest that, while it led to the release of the attorney, was joined by others, and the Libyan revolution was on.
While the US government officially supported Tunisia’s Ali, Mubarak of Egypt and Gadhafi, as they had agreed to support US economic and counter-terrorism policies, Chris Stevens was sent in to evaluate the rebels and find out who they were and what they represented. His reports greatly influenced US policy makers, especially Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,and the decision was made to forgo support for Gadhafi and back the rebels instead. It was a decision made at the same time Gadhafi’s military forces were about to level Benghazi, as they had other rebellious towns and cities.
This change in US policy, from support of friendly dictators to backing the democratic revolution to overthrow them, is a major change in American policy, and one that should be upheld in other countries controlled by dictators.
Stevens didn’t give his life for NATO, the UN or the Arab League, he died for the freedom, liberty and justice for the Libyan people – the same reasons that Richard Somers and the men of the Intrepid died, fighting the tyranny of Yousef Karamanli.
In recognition of the fact that Americans fight today for the same reasons that they fought for two hundred years ago, freedom – liberty – justice and democracy - the names of Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods should be added to the names of those American heroes that are inscribed on the Tripoli monument, and the remains of the Naval heroes who are still buried in Tripoli should be repatriated home and buried in a safe and secure location where radical Islamic terrorist can’t desecrate their graves.
First let me thank you for your service to our country during the Libyan revolution, and congratulate you on your well deserved appointment as Ambassador.
I also wish you well in the even more difficult task of guiding American interests and policy while a new society and government are established.
My interests in Libya began while researching and writing this book – “300 Years at the Point – A History of Somers Point, New Jersey” – which includes a chapter on Master Commandant Richard Somers, USN, who gave his life in the service of his country while leading the Intrepid expedition into Tripoli harbor. He is currently buried on the Shores of Tripoli, possibly among the remains at the historic Old Protestant Cemetery.
The Somers family, led by his sister Sarah and continuing into the present generation, has always sought the return of his remains, a request that has been joined by many of the citizens of Somers Point and the State of New Jersey, as well as the family of Somers’ second officer, Lt. Henry Wadsworth, uncle of Longfellow.
As you know, the 2012 Defense Authorization act requires the military to undertake a study to determine the feasibility of repatriating the remains of these men, when all we ask is that they be treated like any other American killed in action on foreign soil, and if they can be identified, to submit to the will of the family as to where they should be buried.
Whatever is the outcome of this matter, I would like you to consider visiting Somers Point, N. J. sometime. As you will see if you peruse my book, Somers Point, is a small, historic American port town with direct and continuing ties to Tripoli, whose native son is buried there, and so could be an appropriate place for you to give a report on the revolution and the current situation in Libya.
SOMERS POINT – If this town had a favorite son, it would be Capt. Richard Somers, who is honored here in a ceremony each year.
Richard Somers Day will be observed 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9 on the grounds of Somers Point City Hall, 1 W. New Jersey Ave. In case of rain, the event will be moved to Council Chambers inside City Hall.
Somers is remembered for his bravery in battling the Barbary pirates. While captaining the U.S.S. Intrepid, Somers died alongside 12 crew members when their explosive-laden ship prematurely detonated in Tripoli Harbor, Libya on Sept. 3, 1804.
The men were buried in mass and unkempt graves in Tripoli and the return of their bodies has been a controversial topic to this day.
Despite his tragic end, the tale of Somers begins here at Somers Mansion which overlooks the Great Egg Harbor, which by many accounts is the body of water where Somers first learned to sail.
Since Somers’ death 208 years ago he has been memorialized throughout the nation.
Last July, officials here met with those from Somers, N.Y. located in Westchester County and named for Somers in 1808.
Currently, the Somers Point Historical Society is undergoing a campaign to create a monument in the park adjacent to the Atlantic County Historical Society on Shore Road.
Its most prominent feature, according to historical society president Sally Hastings, is a bronze bust of Somers, a duplicate of one currently on display in Somers, N.Y.
Hastings said Wednesday the society is 45 percent toward its goal of $35,000 for the monument.
She said in recent history, Bill Kelly’s book, “300 Years at the Point,” and groups like Liberty and Prosperity have put Somers back in the spotlight.
Hastings said it was Somers’ courage that appeals to her.
Hastings is also the director of the Intrepid Project which has sought to re-patriot the remains of Somers and his crew.
In January, U.S. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R-2nd) lauded an amendment he sponsored to the National Defense Authorization Act which instructs officials from the Navy and the Department of Defense to conduct a feasibility study into returning Somers’ and his fellow Navy commandos.
Hastings said he expects those results early next month.
“He’s not forgotten. It’s amazing more than 200 years later he is still remembered. He’s been greatly honored in our country for hundreds of years and there’s still a lot of Somers descendents that live in this area,” Hastings said.
She noted that seven ships in this country’s naval history have been named U.S.S. Somers and another four named U.S.S. Intrepid.
To aid the monument fundraising effort, there will be a wristband day 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 at Playland's Castaway Cove, 10th Street and the Boardwalk in Ocean City. Wristbands are $10 for unlimited rides.
There will also be a Somers Point Historical Society booth at Good Old Days on Saturday.
The program is co-sponsored by the City of Somers Point, the Somers Point Historical Society, and Liberty and Prosperity.
Tours of Somers Mansion and the Somers Point Historical Museum are available preceding and following the program. Call the Somers Point Historical Society (609) 927-2900. | 2019-04-22T22:41:03Z | http://remembertheintrepid.blogspot.com/2012/09/ |
Imagination is a wonderful thing – except when you are three years old in a dark room and you can hear something scraping against the window. If the sun was shining, even a toddler would work out that it was just a branch moving in the wind but, after dark, and especially after a couple of hours of peppery television, it’s not surprising if monsters and bogey men are more likely explanations.
Of course, fear of the dark is irrational and silly, but I have too many silly irrational fears of my own to go mocking anyone else’s phobias. Many kids suffer from it, but there are a few things you can do to lay their fears, and the children themselves, to rest.
For thousands of years, color has been thought to have power over our emotions. Artists, interior decorators, fashion designers, and advertising agencies utilize the meaning of different colors to influence human behavior and attract customers. By considering the lessons of these experts, how can we as parents use the science of color to guide our children’s mood? Does the color we paint their rooms really affect how happy they feel or how soundly they sleep?
Several ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Chinese, used color for healing purposes as far back as 2,000 years ago. This type of therapy is called chromotherapy, light therapy, or colorology, and is still used today as a holistic or alternative treatment.
It is believed that color therapy uses the visible spectrum of light and color to change a person’s mood and their physical and mental health. Each color is part of a specific frequency and vibration that can affect certain energy, or chakras, in our body.
Practitioners also believe that certain colors entering the body can activate hormones causing chemical reactions that ultimately influence emotion and help the body heal. Red, for example, is used to stimulate the body and mind and to increase circulation. Orange heals the lungs and increases energy levels. Blue treats pain, while indigo cures skin problems. Finally, green relaxes patients who are emotionally unbalanced and yellow invigorates those suffering from depression.
Psychologists have found that color can influence how we feel and can even cause physiological changes in our body. Keep in mind, however, that there are different interpretations of color’s impact on emotions depending on culture and circumstance.
Research shows that certain colors can increase blood pressure, metabolism, and adrenaline. Other studies have found that certain colors can improve sleep habits, boost memory, and enhance academic performance. One study discovered that seeing the color red before taking a test can hurt performance. Students who were shown a red number before taking the test scored more than 20 percent lower than those shown a green or black number.
Just as color influences our mood, it can also be used to describe how we feel. A study reported in the journal BMC Medical Research indicated that people with depression or anxiety were more likely to associate their mood with the color gray, while happier people preferred yellow.
Researchers at the University of California determined that young children chose bright colors to represent positive feelings and dark colors for negative feelings. They were even able to identify how specific colors made the children feel: red is for mad, blue is for sad, yellow is for happy, and green is for glad. Color can therefore be a very helpful tool in accessing children’s emotions instead of relying on them to tell us how they feel.
Institutions like the American Red Cross, St. Jude’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Scholastic incorporate this ability to connect feelings to colors as a way to better understand the emotions of young children. So if our children tell us they feel gray or blue, are seeing red, or feel green with envy, we will know what they are talking about can guide them through their emotions.
Over time, studies have shown how different colors impact us in unique ways. Warm colors, such as red, yellow, and orange, stimulate emotions ranging from comfort and warmth to hostility and anger. Typically, warm colors make us feel happy and cozy. Bold shades of warm colors also help stimulate our mind and energize our body.
I found “The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog” a fascinating read and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in child psychology or who works with traumatised children… or even if you just have a general interest in how our minds (and the developing minds of children in particular) respond to trauma. The full title of this book is “The Boy Who was raised as a Dog and Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist’s Notebook, What Traumatized Children can Teach us about Loss, Love and Healing” and the authors are Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D, and Maia Szalavitz.
One of the things I liked about this book was that, despite saying that traumatic events can “leave indelible marks on the mind [and the]…impact of PTSD [Post Traumatic Shock Disorder] is actually far greater on children than it is on adults” [p.2], the overall tone is positive and hopeful, both for children who have been affected by PTSD as a consequence of severe abuse and/ or neglect or due to witnessing horrific events, as well as for adults affected by PTSD. Bruce D. Perry, a child psychiatrist and Senior Fellow of the ChildTrauma Academy (USA and Canada) is the “voice” of this book, which he wrote together with Maia Szalavitz, an award winning journalist who specialises in science and health. Perry compassionately and respectfully acknowledges the immense importance of “The Forever Years” (childhood) and the importance of investing in and creating a serious strategy of therapy for children affected by trauma.
Source: “The Boy who was raised as a Dog,” appendix, figure 2, p. 248.
The younger a child is when a traumatic event occurs, Perry says, the greater the affect on the lower and most central regions of the brain. This, he explains, is “developmental trauma” (as opposed to inherent anxiety or stress disorders caused in utero or by genetics). Trauma in early childhood causes “altered receptors” or heightened sensitivity to “threat”: an over-exaggerated “fight or flight” reaction, based on triggers which the person may not even be consciously aware of themselves and which, in others who have not undergone similar trauma, would probably not cause such a reaction. A clear indicator, Perry realised, was that children with this “heightened sensitivity” had, even when calm and resting, an accelerated heart rate at a level significantly above that of their non-traumatised peers of the same age and gender.
The responses of traumatised children, Perry explains, can be to create more “chaos”, as this has been their “norm” in the past and brain pathways of accepting chaos as normality have been set up. Adults who undertake social work or foster care, for example, should be aware of this. “The responses of traumatised children are often misinterpreted. …new situations are inherently stressful… attempting to take control of what they believe is the inevitable return to chaos, they appear to “provoke” it in order to make things feel more comfortable and predictable. …we tend to prefer the “certainty of misery to the misery of uncertainty.” This response to trauma can often cause serious problems for children when it is misunderstood by their caregivers.” [p.55].
This is where the amazing capacity of our human brains to “heal” and create “new pathways”, even years after traumatic events which have occurred during early childhood (during the first, early stages of brain development) comes into play.
“…we tend to care for our children [and, interestingly, for ourselves as adults] the way we were cared for ourselves during our own childhoods, [so] a good “brain” history of a child begins with a history of the caregiver’s childhood and early experience.” [p.83]. Our “Forever Years”, then, are also effected by the “Forever Years” of those caring for us when we are young. The diagnosis “failure to thrive” in a child ” (discussed on p.88) can stem from a parent or parents not having thrived themselves during their own childhood years. In extreme cases, even when other, basic needs (such as for food, shelter and clothing) are met, if a carer is emotionally “distant” a child may fail to gain weight or be delayed in other ways (such as speech or other developmental milestones). This is purely a “nurture” (or lack of nurture) issue, and nothing to do with anything innate in the child. Perry talks about how until recently, doctors were “...unaware of the damage that neglect alone can do to the brain. They assumed that something so clearly visible on scans had to be evidence of a genetic defect or intrauterine insult, such as exposure to toxins or disease; they couldn’t imagine that early environment alone could have such profound physical effects.” [p. 129].
“Fortunately the positive cycle is every bit as cascading and self-amplifying as the vicious cycle,” Perry says, [p.121] and while emotional scars may always be present, the intervention of a loving, understanding environment can reprogram reactions and triggers. This is enormously positive when considering the effect on future social interactions (including romantic relationships) for traumatised children as they grow into adulthood and becomes parents themselves. The more relationships are positively retained and jobs and parenting situations are handled in constructive ways, the stronger and more confident the “traumatised child now adult” will become, which in turn further aids healing of old, emotional scars.
Perry doesn’t just put this forward as a vague hypothesis, however. Throughout “The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog” he gives concrete examples through case studies of real patients he has worked with (obviously, these children’s names have been changed to protect their privacy). Each is an example of a child suffering from severe trauma, including the “boy who was raised as a dog,” who gives the book its title. Through his work, Perry says, he and his colleagues “…only gradually came to understand how the sequential development of a child’s brain is affected by trauma and neglect. It only gradually dawned on us that this understanding could help us find possible treatments. These insights led us to develop what we call the neurosequential approach to theraputic services for maltreated and traumatised children.“ [p.125].
I love the “neurosequential” approach Perry and his colleagues take, along with the immense positive ramifications it has for the children they are working with. The nuerosequential approach works on the basis of assessing which areas in a patient’s brain have sustained damage or neglect from past experiences, and then addressing these one by one. “We would use enrichment experiences and targeted therapies to help the affected brain areas in the order in which they were affected by neglect and trauma (hence the name neurosequential). If we could document improved functioning following the first set of interventions, we would begin the second set appropriate for the next brain region and developmental stage until, hopefully,… [the patient] would get to the point where his biological age and his developmental age would match.” [p.139].
Just as our brains develop sequentially, then, neurosequential therapy is aimed at addressing “loss” in development (caused by abuse, neglect or trauma) in a sequential manner. Perry uses the example of a boy called Connor (not his real name), now aged fourteen, who had suffered from severe neglect as a baby. “In Connor’s case, It was clear that his problems had started in early infancy, when the lower and most central regions of the brain are actively developing. These systems respond to rhythm and touch: the brainstem’s regulatory centres control heartbeat, the rise and fall of neurochemicals and hormones in the cycle of day and night, the beat of one’s walk and other patterns which must maintain a rhythmic order to function properly.” [pp.139-140]. For Connor, “treatment” began with massage therapy, as early neglect had left him with an aversion to touch which was affecting his ability to even make eye contact with others, and hence affecting his social relationships.
Perry goes on to describe the “levels” or “layers” of neurosequential therapy, each of which respond to and attempt to address a deficit caused by trauma earlier on.
Touch is, of course, our earliest form of validation and security from our carers. This is the reason for the importance placed on giving newborn babies “skin to skin” contact and the psychological benefits of this can be seen throughout life. (See previous articles on this blog about the importance of positive touch in early childhood and throughout life, by following the links below).
Many of us parents take our preschoolers to “Music and Movement” groups thinking that that’s just “what you do” and that it gives us a chance to socialise with other parents and connect with and focus on our children in a child-centred environment. All of this is true and the benefits of music to our babies and children has been well documented. (Again, there is a link to follow below if you would like to read an article about the benefits of music to our kids).
After reading “The Boy Who was raised as a Dog”, I came to realise that, beyond being merely “beneficial”, music and movement are essential in brain development, affecting crucial areas such as language acquisition and breathing and heart rate regulation. Music and humanity have been linked since the dawn of time, with every culture having songs and rhymes for children passed down from generation to generation. They are part of the fabric of who we are.
Perry describes how “play therapy” is used in treating traumatised children and in particular talks about Sandy (not her real name), a three year old girl who witnessed her mother being raped and stabbed to death, before having her own throat slit and being left for dead. Sandy was alone with her mother’s body in their apartment for eleven hours before being discovered, taken to hospital and having the wounds on her neck treated. [p.33]. Perry discovered that Sandy had a need to role play the scene which had traumatised her again and again. This involved Perry himself lying on the ground, in the role of Sandy’s mother, while Sandy attempted to “wake” him and “feed” him, which she had done with her mother during the eleven hours after the brutal attack on them both. [p.52]. “While she did this [role play] , I had to do exactly what she wanted: don’t talk, don’t move, don’t interfere, don’t stop. She needed to have total control while she performed this reenactment. And that control, I began to recognize, would be critical to helping her heal.” Over the course of many months, Sandy began to alter this re-enactment and, on her own, changed it to a scene where Perry would read her a story book, thus reverting to a positive memory of times with her mother before the attack. This is not to say that Sandy wasn’t scarred by her extremely traumatic experience. But “play therapy” in this way enabled her to process what had happened and move towards healing. Perry says that, with ongoing therapy and encouragement, Sandy went on to lead a satisfying and productive life, despite her horrific early experience.
Perry says the next step in neurosequential therapy is being able to aptly interact with peers. This is a big step, as adults make allowances and try to protect or help a child who they see as having “issues”, but successful peer interaction (and acceptance of and by peers) is necessary to be able to function throughout the rest of life, with implications for all future relationships. Perry discusses the case of Peter (not his real name) a seven year old boy who was adopted at age three from an orphanage in Russia. Due to early lack of stimulation and neglect during his time at the orphanage (where intentions were good, but there were simply not enough adults to go around, meaning that Peter and the other three year olds there were fed and changed, but spent all day in cots), Peter, who was an intelligent boy, showed behaviour which was young for his age and, inspite of loving and patient behaviour from his adoptive parents at home, this caused him to be rejected and marginalised by his peers… which in turn led Peter to having angry, bewildered outburts (which only served to further ostracise him from his classmates).
“The behavior of his classmates was predictable. What was happening was a small version of what happens all across the planet in various forms every day. Human beings fear what they don’t understand. The unknown scares us. When we meet people who look or act in unfamiliar, strange ways, our initial response is to keep them at arms length. At times we make ourselves feel superior, smarter or more competent by dehumanizing or degrading those who are different. The roots of so many of our species’ ugliest behaviors– racism, ageism, misogyny, anti-Semitism, to name just a few– are the basic brain-mediated response to perceived threat. We tend to fear what we do not understand, and fear can so easily twist into hate or even violence because it can suppress the rational parts of our brain.” [p.225].
The biggest predator of humans is humans and we have, therefore, a built in fear of other people who seem “different”. Perry says, “...Peter was intellectually advanced, but socially clueless. I realised that if he was going to catch up, he was going to need the help of his peers.” [p.226].
What followed was an amazing (and yet simple) exercise in understanding. Our fear reaction so often kicks in, but the empathy reaction can take longer to activate (in children or adults), but, it has been shown, empathy once activated is stronger than the fear reaction. To get Peter’s peers “on side” in his healing, Perry (with the permission of Peter, his parents and the school) came along to his class and spoke about the brain… at a level at which seven year old children could understand.
“I talked about how they were exercising their “ABC” muscles [of the brain] in school and about the importance of repetition. I described how they had many other similar kinds of “muscles” in the brain that also needed certain kinds of attention to grow big and strong. I talked about how the brain develops and what makes everyone’s brain work, emphasizing how the brain changes.” [p.228].
Perry then went on to explain how Peter had had a different and more difficult start in life than the other children in his class.
An orphanage in Eastern Europe. Source: National Geographic.
“When he was a little boy, he spent every minute of every day for the first three years of his life in one crib. … Peter was born in another country where they did not know very much about the brain. … Peter never had a chance to walk around, to play with friends, to get a hug from any loving grown-ups. His brain didn’t get very much stimulation. … his new parents came… [then] Peter’s amazing brain started to learn so many things. Even though he had never heard English, he learned English in just a couple of years. … every day in school, Peter learns things from all of you. He watches how you do things, he learns from playing with each of you and he learns from just being your friend. So thank you for helping Peter. And thanks for letting me come and talk about the brain.” [pp.228-229].
Perry says that, in the weeks that followed, the children’s “natural goodness” came to the surface and they “included him, protected him and, ultimately, provided therapeutic experiences that helped Peter catch up…. adults have much more influence over the process [of helping children understand those who are different] than they may believe. When children understand why someone behaves oddly, they give him or her more slack…” [p.229].
“The Boy Who was raised as a Dog” has many more examples of the amazing capacity of the human brain to recover from early neglect or trauma, including the story which gives the book its title. Perry also worked with the children from the WACO Texas cult and talks about his experiences with them in this book. While Perry’s patients are extreme examples of trauma or abuse, he says an estimated 40% of children will experience some level of trauma before they reach adulthood [p. 233] and that some of our current practices of therapy and childcare are actually causing more harm than healing [p.235]. He advocates for an “infant and child literate society” [p.239] and a nurturing of empathy– which is why we at “The Forever Years” love this book, which fits in so well with our own ethos, of viewing the world “through the eyes of a child”, an ethos which Perry certainly puts into action when treating children who have suffered from trauma or neglect.
As parents, there is a constant temptation to shield our children from bad news. But sometimes, and in particular with acts of terrorism, bad news is unavoidable – it’s in on television, it’s on social media, and it’s on our minds.
Like most people, I’ve been carefully following the news from Paris. My family has close ties to France, and my children’s ears perked up when news of the attacks came on the radio.
For guidance on how to talk to my children about the attacks in Paris, I rang Gemma Allen, a senior bereavement counsellor at Winston’s Wish, Britain’s leading charity for bereaved children, who offers the following tips for talking to children about terrorist attacks.
• Language matters: For children of all ages, the most important thing is to reassure them that they are safe. Don’t get into the political context with primary-aged children. That may come up in conversation with older children, but the importance at any age is offering the reassurance that they are safe.
For pre-school children, use concrete language: don’t say “This person went to sleep” or “We’ve lost that person” – because that could instil fear or anxiety in that child about going to sleep. And what does lost mean? They’re lost at the shops? Be accurate and mindful of the impact of your language.
• Age-appropriate conversations: For pre-school, think about how much exposure they’ve had. Maybe they’ve overheard the news, so the conversation could be quite brief: acknowledge what has happened, and say that lots of people have died as a result of a really bad incident. You can say that we don’t know why this has happened.
As the parent or teacher or carer, the most important part is to offer reassurance: this is very unusual, there are lots of safety checks in place to protect us. Use age-appropriate language, and be aware of what your child understands: do they really know what “died” means? It’s usually not until the age of 5 or 6 that children understand that death is permanent.
With primary school, the majority will understand what “dead” means. So it may be that you can add details – you may be able to sit down and watch the 6 o’clock news together.
• Social media awareness: Secondary school aged children will have come across news about the Paris attacks already on social media. Remind them that some of the things they have read there may be incorrect. Have a conversation with your child about what they think has happened. Talk about the images they’ve seen – these can be more powerful than words. If they see an image, and haven’t had a conversation with someone they trust, they will build up these images something that is so big that it’s unmanageable for them; you don’t want a child to start fantasising that someone is going to come after them.
• Promote peace: As I explained to my children, who are primary and pre-school age, the facts of what had happened, I tried to shift their focus towards the coming together of the people of Paris, and the work people around the world to keep everyone safe.
• Shield them: From certain politicians’ dangerous reactions – for example, by sayings that terrorists were carrying out “an organised attempt to destroy Western civilisation,” Jeb Bush granted these men more power than they have. This hysteria is exactly what the people carrying out these acts want. And it is exactly this sort of hysteria that we, as parents, need to protect our children from.
Part 2 of “ReMoved”, the short film about one girl, Zoe, and her journey as a foster child, is now here… see below. Part 1 was previously on “The Forever Years”. Sensitively portrayed, a “must see” for all intending foster parents. Realistically shown “through the eyes of a child”. | 2019-04-18T10:26:52Z | https://theforeveryears.wordpress.com/category/anxiety-in-kids/ |
To the Science Leadership Academy @ Beeber inaugural class – the Class of 2017 – congratulations!
I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to me to be standing in front of you today. What you all have done – what you all have accomplished these past four years – will stand as a tribute to your willingness to build, to take risks, to go on a journey together – for years and years to come. Every student who follows you through the halls of your school will feel the impact of all you have done and all you have built. On behalf of all of them – I thank you. What you have accomplished is profound.
And you did not do this alone. You did this with a dedicated, passionate and caring group of educators who walked this walk with you, so please, take a moment and applaud for the incredible principal, teachers and staff of the Science Leadership Academy @ Beeber who have walked this walk with you.
And still – there were more. There were the people who stood with you, stood behind you. Cheered for you. Urged you on. Pushed you. And probably wanted to clobber you at various points of time. And many of them are here with you today. So please, graduates, take a moment to applaud and thank your families, your parents, your friends who have helped to get you to this moment of celebration today.
And now – what I want to talk to you about this afternoon is what all this means for the rest of your life. You are founders. You are builders. You are makers. And that matters. We live in a world and in a time where far too many people would rather tear down than build up. It’s easier. You know – you lived – the fact that there’s nothing perfect. You know better how whatever we build together has flaws. And so, know that those who would settle for tearing down, rather than building up, would miss the whole point.
What we build may not be perfect – but it can be beautiful.
And that’s what you did. You built something beautiful. Take a moment now… think of the experience you had together. Think about the incredible artifacts of your learning that have you created. Think of the meaning you have made in the classes and halls of the building.
What you did was beautiful.
And not just the outcomes – the process matters too – a lot, actually. It’s called “the beautiful struggle” for a reason. The hours you spent on benchmark projects – the moments of frustration – the mistakes you — and we — made along the way. All of that matters. All of that is part of the beautiful thing you created. Because the struggle informs both the thing we create and the people we become.
After all – If it were easy, everyone would do it.
And so, for the rest of your life, you know something that many others do not.
You can do it. You can build. You can make. You can create.
Whatever the challenge you face next, you know what you have already done. Whenever you are faced with the moment where the odds seem insurmountable – think of that moment back in September of 2013 when you walked into a school that had never existed before and remember that you did this. And know that you can thrive.
But it’s not just about overcoming the odds on a personal level. Your charge – your mission – as you leave high school is much greater than that. You are builders – makers. And builders make the world a better place through what they create – even when it is hard. Even when it seems impossible. Even when you aren’t even sure where to start.
Think about it – what would have happened if Mr. Johnson had never taken the leap of faith that we could start a new school? There was every reason to not do it. The School District of Philadelphia isn’t exactly the easiest place to start schools, after all. But he was willing to take a risk. He was willing to sign up for what has been an incredible – and incredibly hard – four years. And know that for all of the confidence he has had in all of you — and all of the confidence he has had in all that you have built together — that there were incredibly hard moments where we both have had to wonder if we could make it all work. But makers make, and builders build. And so Mr. Johnson has always pushed forward and pushed through and worked with all of you to create something special that will matter for generations of students to come.
You’re not done building. You’re not done making. You’re not done creating. You are just getting started.
Take the values and skills and care that you have learned over the past four years and build those values into everything you do next.
Build things that make others wonder and question and seek. To do that is to honor the spirit of inquiry that we live every at the SLAs.
Write the stories that make people see the world through new eyes.
Build the structures that challenge the way we interact with the world.
Create the communities where people understand what it means to truly care for one another.
In short – create the things that help us to heal, to grow, to learn. Do this in whatever communities you inhabit next. Do this because the world can’t wait for someone else to do it. Do it because you know you can. Do this because you know on a personal level how powerful it is to create something new that is a force for good in the world.
Do it because that’s what it means to pay it forward.
Do it because we need you to.
That’s what it means to be a founder. A builder. A maker.
And know that it won’t be easy. Know that there will be those who will try to tear you down. Know that there will be those who will tell you it can’t be done. Know that there will be those who will tell you it’s not worth the effort.
And, then, think of your school. Think of today. Think of all you have already built. And know that they are all wrong.
And then create it anyway. Because you can.
I stand here tonight and I look at you all, and I know that you are more than capable to meet the challenges ahead. You have all already accomplished so much, and you have only begun to scratch the surface of what you can do. And with that, I want to thank you all for building a school – for creating something that did not exist before you came – for making something that matters. And with that, congratulations to the inaugural class of the Science Leadership Academy @ Beeber – the class of 2017. I know I speak for all of your teachers, for all of your families, and for Mr. Johnson when I say, we all cannot wait to see what you do next. Congratulations!
Ladies and gentlemen, parents and friends, teachers and honored guests, what a wonderful evening in an incredible place to celebrate the achievements of an outstanding group of young women and men, the Science Leadership Academy Class of 2016.
Thank you to our partner, The Franklin Institute, led by Chair of the Board of Trustees, Don Morel and CEO Larry Dubinsky and to our school’s liaison, Dr. Frederic Bertley. To be partnered with a cultural institution such as this one is to share a belief in the true spirit of inquiry and its continued value in our lives.
And graduates, before we celebrate all that you have done, let us also honor the work of all of those who have helped you reach this moment in time. So please, let us have a round of applause for the parents and friends and teachers and loved ones who have helped you reach this milestone in your life – and let me shout-out specifically Mr. Bey, Ms. Jonas, Mr. Latimer, Ms. Pahomov, Ms. Manuel, Ms. Martin and Mr. Kamal, the advisors who have taken care of you throughout your journey through SLA.
And parents, thank you for sharing your children with us. It has been our distinct honor and pleasure – more than we can possibly say.
On a personal note, there are a lot of people who wonder why I do two jobs – why I don’t do the district work full-time. Simply – the answer is you. The chance to be at SLA and watch you all grow – you and your younger schoolmates – is a great joy of my life, and I thank you for it.
I think it is well-known how outstanding you all are academically. The Class of 2016 represents some of the highest achievement Science Leadership Academy has ever seen in college admission – with students of to attend schools all over this country including many of the most highly competitive colleges in the nation. Perhaps more importantly, what struck all of us at SLA is how cohesive and close you came to be as a class — and how much you deeply believed in the idea of service to school and community. You all represent the best ideal of what we hope for in our graduates – fully realized citizens, ready for whatever is next, ready to make the world a better place as you have made our school a better place.
This week, we watched the underclassmen and rising seniors immerse themselves in Challenge Week projects for the first time, and I couldn’t help but think of how the cycle of school is ongoing, that those students will soon sit where you sit now, that they have learned so much from the example you all have set and I thought about the iterative process of learning that never ends and how much you have grown through that process.
It is always my hope that the four years you spend with us help you become more thoughtful, wise, passionate and kind – full of thought, with the wisdom to apply thoughts in powerful ways, with the passion to power through the times when people tell you it cannot be done, and kind… because the world needs more kindness. And let me say now, that you all embody those values powerfully and beautifully.
And as much as tonight is a signpost for you to begin what you will once you leave us, it is also a night for us to engage in that fifth SLA core value – reflection. So let us take some time to look back over the past four years, the work you have done, and the role that we have all played in each other’s lives.
Let us step back and think about all that you have done.
You have been Student Assistant Teachers in over fifty 9th, 10th and 11th grade classes, helping students in class, in our halls, on Facebook and anywhere you were needed – guaranteeing that our younger students know what it means to go to SLA.
You have spent over 20,000 hours at your Individualized Learning Programs, working at hospitals, and schools and businesses and universities all over our city.
You sent out over 900 college applications, across 250 schools, receiving over 400 acceptances and over one million dollars in scholarships.
You have set a new standard for the students of Philadelphia in debate, winning city championships, and representing our school and our city at the national championships – not once, but twice.
You have taken Rough Cut Productions further than we could have imagined, creating hours of original work, documenting 100s of hours of SLA functions, winning national recognition for your short films and creating the Rough Cut Film Festival – a week-long event that is going on this week, culminating with Monday night’s award ceremony — and I look forward to seeing many of you there.
You spent hours working on an incredible robotics team that went up against teams with more resources and a longer history, and you went further than many of those teams thought you could go.
You wrote and performed your ideas onto the world with the incredible slam poetry you created on our award-winning PYPM team.
You rebuilt Kamalot, and by that I mean Room 304, transforming that space in your image, and I am wondering… are we ever going to find a place for all that wood in the hall?
You wrote hundreds of articles for SLAMedia.org — setting a standard for on-line student journalism for high schools all over the world.
You have furthered the partnership with The Franklin Institute, working on Project SPACE, teaching 9th grade mini-classes, and meeting with Franklin Award winning scientists who are engaged in some of the most powerful work in the world.
You have played — and won — on the fields and courts of Philadelphia, never letting the lack of a gym or a home field stand in the way of your desire and ability to compete, always wearing SLA’s colors with pride and representing us with dignity even in the face of adversity.
You have spoken truth to power – rallying in the streets in support of your teachers, speaking passionately to SRC members about why this school is so important to you and standing up for the causes you believe in over and over again.
And last week, you presented the culminating work of your time at Science Leadership Academy – your capstones. The projects were as varied as you all are. You built solar charging stations, you coached youth sports teams, you taught classes, you created original pieces of art work that will live in our school long after your days here are done, you built gorgeous pieces of furniture, you made movies, you illustrated Siddhartha — which no one had ever thought to do before… ever — you engaged in political action campaigns, you created digital scale models of the solar system, you wrote a word processor, you taught us about the broader world and the people who live in it. In short, you led, you created, you learned.
You took our core values – inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation and reflection – and applied them to your own ideas, your own passions, and in doing so, created incredible artifacts of your learning. You stood in front of your community and said, “This is the scholar – the artist – the activist – the maker – the person I have become. This is what I can do.” And in doing so, you reminded all of us of what young people can do when given the freedom and the support to dream big.
But that should come as no surprise, because it seemed like no matter where the bar was set, you all always exceeded it.
And you have done all this at a time where public education in this city remains under attack. You created all of this at a time when our state politicians see fit to turn education into a political football, not passing a state budget for months after their deadline because they would not agree to fund education equitably across our state. You did this despite funding levels in our city that are nowhere near what is spent on the children who live on the other side of City Line Avenue. And to my eyes, your accomplishments over the past four years are proof to any politician of why public education is so vital, so important. You have proven over and over again what the kids of Philadelphia can do when given the resources they need and when they are supported by teachers who care for them.
And while tonight is a night for celebration and reflection, it is also a night to look forward. You have completed one chapter of your life tonight, but it is our hope that the lessons you have learned with us propel you into whatever comes next. You are our hope now. For the parents and families and teachers gathered with you today, you represent our best chance, our best ideals, our most hopeful promise that the world tomorrow can be better than it is today.
You must remember that inquiry means asking the hard questions, not just of yourself, but of others. And you must remember that the true spirit of inquiry means never settling for the easy or trite answers, but rather seeking out those small “t” truths that will lead to new ideas and new solutions.
You must have the humility to understand that we all stand on the shoulders of giants, and your humility must lead you to research what others before you have discovered, so that you do not repeat the mistakes of the past. We need you to, after all, make new and more interesting mistakes than the ones we have made. You must keep in mind the path you have traveled, the pitfalls as well as the successes, because it is that humility, that notion that our shared humanity – our moments of frailty – that will keep us grounded in the world, in the notion that each and all of us have value.
You must remember that we are better together than we are apart and seek out collaboration. You must understand that the complexity of the challenges we face are more powerfully understand when viewed through the lens of many, not the lens of one. You have walked for four years in a community that values — and at times struggles with — the diversity of voices that make up the rich tapestry of our school and our city. We all are better for listening to each other and informing each other’s voice. That idea — of collaboration — of diversity — of coming together — is at the heart of how we will all make the world a better place.
You must continue to make your voice heard. And no, I can’t imagine that will be a problem for you all, but when you make your voice heard, remember that presentation is a two-way street. Continue to speak for the purpose of educating your listeners. Keep working to make your voices inclusive, so that others can pick up your cause, your idea, your voice, and echo and amplify it for many more. Ideas do not live in isolation. And I know that all of you will have the courage of your conviction, and the passion and voice to speak your truths to those who must hear them.
No matter busy you get, no matter how important the work you are doing is, you must remember to take the time for reflection. For it is when we reflect on our actions, on the world around us, that we can process and learn from what we have done. Never be in such a rush to do, to create, to lead, that you lose sight of the importance of listening, of stillness, of the wise counsel of others, so that you can always be thoughtful about what you have done and what you have left to do.
And, of course, make sure you remember that unspoken sixth core value – care. So many of you have spoken about how SLA is a family – granted, often a dysfunctional one – but a family nonetheless. That is because we all — adults and students alike — took the time to care for one another. It is the heart of this school, the heart of our shared values, that we must be kind. We must care. We must understand that we are better together than we are apart.
And through that ideal, all of us here have benefitted from being in a caring environment where questions like, “What do you think?,” “How do you feel?” and “What do you need?” are not admissions of weakness, but rather of strength. So know this… To listen deeply to others, to thoughtfully construct answers, and to create solutions that empower many – that is the heart of what we have tried to teach you over these four years, and as I look upon you now, I am reminded of dozens of instances where you all have taken that challenge and succeeded gloriously – beyond anything we had a right to expect from you.
And that matters, because we need you now. Much as we urged you not to simply view high school as preparation for real life, nor can you view the next stage of your life that way either. If being part of a community like ours mattered to you these last four years, then you know what you must do next. You must carry these values forward into all you do next.
The work you do, the challenges you embark upon, the causes you champion once you leave our halls matter. It won’t always be easy. There are still too many people in our world who believe that it cannot be done. There are too many people who seek not the best in people, but the worst. But you all know better. You all know what is possible – what can be done when people come to the world with wisdom and care. Simply, you are our best hope for the future. In our classes, in our hallways and on many Facebook and Twitter chats, we have discussed the challenges our world faces. The world cannot wait for you to take them on.
Because, not to put too fine a point on it, the world needs you. We were reminded of that this week, with the tragedy in Orlando where 49 people were killed because of who they chose to love. We are reminded that when we read about the base nature of the political debate in this nation. We are reminded of that every time we have to continue to fight for the civil rights of all people, working to ensure that a person’s race, gender, religion, economic status or sexual orientation is not used by others as a barrier to equity, fairness or joy.
It is undeniable – we face challenges in our schools, in our city, in our country, in our world, that will require the best from those who have the passion to create change and the skills to do it. You do not have the luxury of hoping that other people will say what must be said, do what is needed, work to make the world a better place. That is not the world we have left you. You must be smarter than we have been, more compassionate than we have been able to be, and braver than we can imagine.
But as I look upon you now, I see a group of young people more than able to rise to the challenge. You have accomplished so much in your four years with us, and it is only a beginning. On behalf of the entire SLA faculty, we are so proud of all you have done, and we cannot wait to see what you do now that you have left our halls. Congratulations to the Class of 2016. Long may you shine. | 2019-04-20T17:18:37Z | http://practicaltheory.org/blog/category/sla/page/2/ |
Chris Lord was my first gyro CFI, and a friend.
I'm respectfully trying to do right by him. Most people here seem to understand that.
Jtnock, I agree. There are many scenic places I'd like to land my RAF, but can't.
I think Sport Copter's upcoming M2 will be the only 2-place "off-road" gyro.
Shock-absorbed wishbone suspension, 1.25" steel axle, trailed/free-castering nosewheel, and big 6.00x6 tires all around.
I think gyro's are somewhat limited in terms of terrain more by the punishment the rotor assembly and blades might take on take off and landing roll/taxiing, rather than their undercarriage and suspension. Level dirt roads etc are fine, but some of the back country terrain that appropriate FW's can fly into would be very punishing, possibly unsafe in an aircraft with an unpowered rotor.
Have you looked into the Magni M24? It still uses the old style steel rods for control and seems bullet proof. I built one with the 915 and the power with two 180+ pound people is incredible. Mine is currently being shipped from Italy, but if I remember right from the post construction test flights, we were climbing at close to 1,000 ft/min with two people. Almost 2,000 ft/min with one person. 5 bladed Duc prop. Photo shows Flash blades. Ended up with Flash 2 blades after side by side testing with another M24 with 915.
Getting back on topic, I have talked a lot to one of Chris's good friends and fellow DPE. He is convinced that he had to have had a control failure to crash into a mobile home with so many good landing options close by, and with the audio from the Mayday call. It sounds like he was trying to use the engine and limited weight shift to control pitch attitude. My father just had his annual on his Cavalon, and to the best of my knowledge, they did not take the control cables apart to inspect them. How does anyone know if there is a problem inside those cables? Like everyone here, I'm deeply saddened and concerned about Chris's accident and death. I donated money to his family, but I know that will not accomplish much.
I think a big consideration here is the apparent history relating to this aircraft with a previous accident and repair; my understanding is that it was a relatively low time aircraft and with a history of 'issues'. I'm not aware that there have been any issues with the push-pull cables in other Cavalons or Calidus aircraft. It stands to reason that some type of issue or damage relating to the previous accident(s) and not appropriately resolved is the most likely cause. Rather this than a blanket judgement of push pull cables and Calidus or Cavalon aircraft. One issue that plagued Autogyro particularly early on in the US, were the deficiencies in their builder assist programs. My hangar mate, (an experienced helicopter pilot) with a newly built Calidus (#2 or #3 in the country) was ready to sell it because he felt it was unsafe to fly until the build problems were rectified by another builder assistant who fixed the problems that his initial builder assistant had created. He now has over 200 trouble free hours and she flies beautifully. Autogyro USA have fixed a lot of these problems with the builder assists, though I am not convinced that all the problems have been resolved. I myself had a control loss issue due to failure to torque a bolt during the initial build. I was extremely lucky to land safely without damage or injury, and not suffer complete loss of control as Chris did. I think the Calidus and Cavalons particularly are more complex to build than the MTO, but even with the MTO, I am aware of several very poor and often dangerous, initial builds, rectified by another person who not only knew what they were doing but were simply better craftsmen with better attention to detail. Many owners of the new gyros from Europe are not your traditional builders (myself included) so they have to trust in the knowledge and skills of their builder assistant. I really don't think that this accident is an indictment of the aircraft design. I think it is highly likely that Autogyro people were involved in the accident investigation in Sebring, so hopefully their input will also be helpful, if they are forthcoming.
My advice to anyone who is not an experienced builder with any of the new gyros, choose your builder assist carefully, and even if they are approved dealers appointed for your area, call other owners who built with them to ask their opinions. These aircraft are well proven designs, that if built properly should fly perfectly right out of the gate with only relatively minor adjustments. If an owner describes any ongoing issues beyond the initial flight testing period, be very suspect of the build, not the aircraft design. This is even more critical if the aircraft has any accident history. Preferably, build at the factory or a proper factory appointed location if you have the slightest doubt.
I think gyro's are somewhat limited in terms of terrain more by the punishment the rotor assembly and blades might take on take off and landing roll/taxiing, rather than their undercarriage and suspension.
You've a point there, loftus, but I think such limitation is greatly reduced if the gyro's prerotator can achieve 100+% flight rrpm.
Then, with the Rotax 915iS, the M2's takeoff roll should be under 50 feet with a little bit of wind on the nose.
I think with its suspension during such a short roll that it'll take some rough terrain.
It stands to reason that some type of issue or damage relating to the previous accident(s) and not appropriately resolved is the most likely cause.
I agree with you that M198LT's mechanical issues were probably specific to that gyro (and its build quality) vs. the design as a whole.
I liked that you urge a quality build assist. GIGO applies to aircraft.
My main issue with push/pull cables is that they cannot be internally inspected during pre-flight.
If N198LT had a rollover, and IF the cables were compromised but not replaced, then perhaps they failed on that day.
There are people (including CFIs, as I understand it) who had flown that Cavalon.
They have an opinion about its build quality and flight characteristics. It would be helpful if they spoke up.
Also, its repair history seems rather muddled. Some say it had been rolled over, but another person allegedly in the know says that it hadn't.
That should be resolved, as it's an important point of post-crash analysis.
The oddest thing to me about N198LT is its hours discrepancy.
16.6 hours on 4 October 2018 for its annual condition inspection.
Yet 40TT weeks earlier on 15 August in its Barnstormers ad.
The same 40TT was claimed on 4 September in Trade-A-Plane.
It is not hard to imagine the date of the completion of phase one slipping particularly if the owner hired it done.
The condition inspection may have had to be done in order to be airworthy to fly phase one.
What possible relevance to the accident could a slightly misleading ad have?
Chris flew N198LT for two hours that morning and probably would have noticed if it didn't fly well or had excessive rotor shake.
It seems unlikely to me that Chris would take a friend flying on a 63 mile cross country at near VNE in a gyroplane that didn't fly well.
To me, the “possible relevance” is the apparent confusion over whether this was a damaged gyro that was rebuilt (and possibly incorrectly) or a new one with a possible design/manufacturing flaw. Seems very relevant.
A catastrophic failure of a control cable would not likely have given any indication during the preceding two flight hours.
In what way does the ad address the confusion you feel Ed?
As I interpret Kolibri's gossip many knew N198LT flew like a pig and had excess rotor vibration.
Apparently the A&P mechanic didn't notice it when he signed off N198LT as airworthy after performing a condition inspection.
It seems likely Chris would have noticed poor flying qualities and excess rotor vibration in his morning flight.
It seems unlikely to me that Chris would take a friend flying in a gyroplane that had poor flying qualities and excess rotor vibration.
I am not inclined to assume the worst about the gyroplane or the people involved with it.
A very small problem or mistake can kill people in any aircraft.
I don't know enough to have an opinion about the cause of the accident and I am not looking for someone to blame.
I would like to know what happened to my friend and how to keep it from happening to me.
I have not had much success with gossip or accusations when it comes to determining a probably cause of any accident.
I suspect more will be revealed.
We may never know for certain what happened.
Without resorting to any rumors I think we can say a few things about the accident and come to one or two conclusions.
The accident occurred due to failure of aircraft components resulting in loss of the ability to control the aircraft, and NOT related to pilot error.
As the aircraft was a relatively new aircraft with low hours, it is extremely unlikely that the loss of control was due to a defect of a well proven aircraft design, or normal and usual possible failure of a component so early in it's life cycle. It seems we are left with some defect in the initial build or any repairs to the aircraft that resulted in premature failure of one or more components. I think this is all we can speculate at this time. As Vance says we may never know, and as Kolibri says we should keep in mind the potential issue with these push pull cables due to difficulty of inspection and pay more attention to these if one owns of these aircraft.
One of the many reasons for phase one for experimental amateur built aircraft is people are not perfect; particular amateurs and when they build something there may be errors.
Historically there are a disproportionate number of accidents in phase one.
The aircraft is not suddenly safe after forty hours of flight testing.
Historically aircraft are more likely to have a mechanical failure after recent work.
It only takes one error to bring an aircraft down and I have made errors myself that could have brought an aircraft down.
I have also missed flight critical problems on a preflight.
There is a reason we are required by the FAA to warn passengers of the experimental nature of the aircraft. Most passengers are not knowledgeable enough to make an informed risk assessment. In this case the passenger was.
New parts aren't perfect; I feel to rule them out because they are new may be a mistake.
I have found enough build or maintenance errors inspecting aircraft to make me very cautious and inspect aircraft very carefully before I fly.
My caution is not limited to experimental amateur built aircraft.
More than once at a fly-in I had hoped to fly a particular model gyroplane only to find that in my opinion the example there was not airworthy on that day. That only suggests I am not comfortable with the aircraft. It does not suggest it will crash because of what in my opinion I identify as not airworthy.
Any rotor control system has multiple points of potential failure.
In my opinion repeating unsubstantiated rumors and pretending they point to a probable cause is of no benefit to anyone but a personal injury attorney because the jury may not be sophisticated enough to discount the innuendo.
If it was a control system failure Chris did his best to find it before it became a problem and did his best to manage the problem once it occurred.
I am not convinced it was a control system failure.
I feel I do not have enough reliable information to speculate about what the probable cause was.
There is a reason it is referred to as the probable cause even after extensive investigation.
I am confident that everyone involved did their best to avoid this accident.
Because of the damage to the aircraft I suspect we will never know exactly what happened or why.
I will be pleased to “give it a rest” when people stop gossiping and looking for someone to demonize about this accident.
The use of push-pull cables (Morse Teleflex and the like) in primary controls is somewhat controversial. They are in use in tens of thousands of outboard-motor steering units. They turn up in the primary controls of FW ultralights such as the Quicksilver series. (In the latter application, they've been troublesome in cold climates if the cables are routed with a low point in the middle; moisture can get into the housing, trickle down to the low point and ice up.) Some Little Wing gyros have them. IIR, some of those used two cables per axis for redundancy.
I'm on the fence about them myself. Overall, these units are very nicely made and priced accordingly. As others have already said, their internals are not inspectable, including the all-important transition from wire to solid end stud. The end fittings themselves don't have an aircraft-quality look to them; to me, they look more like hardware-store-grade bolts and nuts. If trusting my life to them in a high-vibration application, I'd want to know the alloy, temper and manufacturing method used to create them. I would be very suspicious of stainless steel in such a fatigue-prone environment; stainless is not great for that application (as we sailboaters know).
If this aircraft had a rough-running rotor at some point in its history, as seems to be the case, fatigue in the control cables is a possibility.
But we've lost several prominent gyro pilots in the past to failures of control-system components other than push-pull cables. In some cases, the designs weren't great. In others, the installation or maintenance wasn't great.
Whatever the cause of this accident, we should design and build our control systems to be brutal. Good old 4130 steel (not stainless and not aluminum) is an ideal material. Pushrods with 3-piece aircraft rod end bearings of 3/8" shank are simple, inspectable and reliable as long as the rod ends don't jam at angles that are achieved in use. The more bellcranks, "scissors," and other intermediate doohickeys, the more failure points you've voluntarily created. In "tub" gyros with pods, the possibility of small objects (cameras, etc.) getting into the control mechanism must be considered at the design stage. The Dominator control system is one of the better ones I've seen and used on a gyro.
Vance, you'll probably be surprised to learn that I agree with that.
To be clear, I doubt that he would fly a passenger in a gyro he knew or suspected to be seriously flawed.
The implication being that Chris seemed to believe that he'd solved the vibration problem, and was satisfied after his two hour flight earlier that day.
Not "my" gossip. I've heard it from three different sources, and Christine Toevs mentioned it twice on FB.
Also, I had listened to the Mayday call before you even knew that there was one.
I.e., you may want to give me the benefit of the doubt that I've got some inside tracks on this.
You probably know many Florida CFIs, so why don't you ask them yourself about N198LT?
Well, that's a stretch. Folks, including myself, are speculating aloud in order to hash out possibilities.
This is a mysterious crash, and the more gyro pilot eyes on the investigation, the better.
Well, not only are you generally alone on that, if it wasn't a control system failure that caused a nosedive from 150' AGL . . . you've only pilot error left.
But since you've not questioned his skill, this rather boxes you into a corner, doesn't it?
As the aircraft was a relatively new aircraft with low hours, it is extremely unlikely that the loss of control was due to a defect of a well proven aircraft design, or normal and usual possible failure of a component so early in it's life cycle. It seems we are left with some defect in the initial build or any repairs to the aircraft that resulted in premature failure of one or more components.
that well-built machines would fail under 50 hours.
Whatever the cause of this accident, we should design and build our control systems to be brutal. Good old 4130 steel (not stainless and not aluminum) is an ideal material. Pushrods with 3-piece aircraft rod end bearings of 3/8" shank are simple, inspectable and reliable as long as the rod ends don't jam at angles that are achieved in use. The more bellcranks, "scissors," and other intermediate doohickeys, the more failure points you've voluntarily created.
The purpose of these accident threads, I would hope, is to try to learn as much as we can about the accident to hopefully prevent future accidents. Particularly when the definitive cause is unknown and may never be known, I think it is OK and valuable to speculate in a logical and respectful fashion, without ulterior motives. Even if it turns out that no definitive cause is ever ascertained, the exercise can only make all of us more thoughtful and thorough in our approach to building and maintaining our aircraft. We can also, after considered discussion, come to some pretty logical conclusions. The main one here being that pilot error is almost certainly not the cause, and failure of some aspect of the flight control mechanism was the most likely cause. Getting to the bottom of it of course is the ultimate goal, but learning, even if speculative, is not wasted discussing this. We owe it to Chris, ourselves, and our passengers. | 2019-04-25T06:12:24Z | https://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/rotorcraft/piloting-technique-accident-discussions/1139915-chris-lord-october-31-2018/page2 |
The writers of this article make no claims of being authorities in the fields of genetics or immunology, but being non-experts may at times carry an advantage in that, viewing more from a distance, one may sometimes perceive things that escape those more closely involved in the details and complexities of a field or fields. This may be true for the interactions of vaccines with the human immunology and genetics, about which science truly knows very little.
This article does review the work of three pioneer researchers in this field, John Martin, PhD, MD, Howard B Urnovitz, PhD, and Dr. MG Montinari, work which shows fairly convincing evidence that genetic changes are being found in some patients in whom vaccine reactions appear to be causally involved. There are no claims that this evidence constitutes proof of genetic change from vaccines. What we do hope to establish from the work of these researchers is that it is both possible and plausible that subtle, widespread genetic changes may be taking place as a result of current childhood vaccine programs, possibly already affecting large portions of our children.
The burden of proof for vaccine reactions should not rest on parents, as it does now in our medical-legal system. The burden of proof for the safety of vaccines; that is, that the vaccines are NOT causing adverse genetic changes, should rest on the manufacturers, federal and state government health agencies, and the schools who are now mandating the vaccines. Until this matter is settled, does anyone at any level truly have the right to force vaccines in ever growing numbers on a generation of children?
Although the technical intricacies of the human immune system are extremely complex, the principles of their operations are the essence of simplicity and might be compared to the fortifications of a Medieval castle. Using this analogy, first there might be outlying outposts with sentinels, then a moat, then the main castle wall, and finally the inner defenses surrounding the castle itself, in which reside a royal family. The latter of course represents the human genetic system, which the human immune system is designed to protect at all costs.
The sentinels would be represented by a subdivision of lymphocytes (a form of white blood cell), which are called “memory cells” because of their having memory for former exposures to foreign invaders, and which will begin an explosion of cloning on re-exposure to the same invader. The main castle wall would be represented by the mucous membranes of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract, and the inner defenses by the antibody-producing plasma cells (another form of white blood cell) located in the bone marrow.
For countless millennia in human evolution, the cellular immunity of the mucous membranes of the human system have been the primary route of entry of disease-causing microorganisms into the human body, and therefore through evolution, the mucous membranes have evolved into the major defense system of the body. In health these membranes are coated with an “antiseptic paint” consisting of untold billions and trillions of molecules of secretory immunoglobulin A antibodies, whose role is to recognize every single molecule passing into or through these tracts, sorting out the nutrients in the case of the intestinal tract, and intercepting all foreign and alien substances, including incompletely digested foods. It would take several very large computers to equal the intelligence of this system when it is working as it should. It is all that is standing between a very thin (and dumb) gut membrane and a host of toxic substances which would otherwise pass through the membrane into the blood stream. In addition to this antiseptic paint, the primary agent of defense of the mucous membranes against infectious micro-organisms is a cellular immunity, the primary agents of which are phagocytic (gobbling up) macrophages and cytotoxic T lymphocytes.
The inner defenses are represented by plasma cells in the bone marrow with their antibody production, which normally serve as a secondary defense for the body, coming into action as an accessory of the mucosal (cellular) immunity, or as a primary defense when cellular immunity has failed. This immunity is referred to as humoral immunity. Plasma cells can produce (1) Macroglobulins, which appear first with an acute infection, being more primitive, serve somewhat like a nonspecific natural antibiotic; (2) Immunoglobulin G antibodies, which are highly specific for a given foreign invader and appear somewhat later after onset of an infection after the process of cloning is set in motion; and (3) IgE antibodies, which are allergy producing.
There is a school of thought that the so-called minor childhood illnesses of former times, including measles, mumps, chicken pox, and rubella, which entered the body through the mucous membranes, served a necessary and positive purpose in challenging and strengthening the immune system of these membranes. Vaccines in contrast are injected directly into the body, consequently bypassing the mucous membranes, leaving the mucosal immunity relatively weak and stunted.
Barbara McClintock, the 1983 Nobel laureate “Corn Lady,” was the first to discover genetic mobility in the so-called jumping genes in the 1930s. For over 50 years she pursued solitary research with corn, uncovering some of nature’s inner most secrets about life.
McClintock studied maize, a form of Indian corn, where distribution of red kernels and yellow kernels is genetically determined. What she perceived was that some of the genes were moving from one place to another on the cell’s chromosomes (the floating threads on which genes are lined like beads on a string). Then she saw patterns in the movements, with sharply differing results in the colored kernels, and realized that some genes, once moved into position, switched other genes on or off. It followed that, while most genes were workers, others were controllers or managers of genes.
There is no question about the results. They found a high percentage of RNA-DNA (ribonucleic-deoxyribonucleic) hybridization between bacterial DNA extracted from bacteria of the same species as that used in the experiment and titrated RNA extracted from auricles which has been dipped in the bacterial suspension. (DNA, the characteristic nucleic acid of the nucleus in all cells, is the fundamental substance which carries the genetic code within the cells of the body).
“Since we know that no bacteria got into the frog auricles, we can only conclude that the bacterial DNA must have been exuded from the bacteria and absorbed by the animal cells,” says Stroun.
As another possible complication of viral infections (presumably also viral vaccines) similarities have been found between certain viral proteins and proteins related to myelin sheaths of the brain and nervous system.(7) As a result of this protein mimicry between viral proteins and homologous areas of the nervous system, immunological cross reactions may take place resulting in post-infectious or post-vaccinal encephalitis, myelitis, or neuritis. These viruses include measles, Epstein-Barr, influenza A and B, and others that cause upper respiratory infections.
• Severe and/or prolonged stress raises both endogenous adrenalin and serum cortisol levels. It has long been known that cortisone medications tend to depress the immune system. Endogenous elevations of cortisone can do the same.
• As reviewed in standard pediatric textbooks, newborn babies and infants, having little immunity of their own, are largely dependent on antibodies received from their mother for about 6 months following birth, as indicated by their small lymph nodes, few plasma cells in their bone marrow, and very low rates of immunoglobulin synthesis. Normally about 6 years are required before various immune parameters are well established. At least theoretically, because of the immaturity of the immune system in infancy and early childhood, the child’s genetics during these early ages would be more vulnerable to injury.
• Although final proof is as yet lacking, there is much indirect evidence that vaccines may be skewing the human immune system away from cellular immune system, which is normally dominant in health, towards the weaker humoral system, which is associated with allergies and autoimmunity as well as increased vulnerability to viral and fungal infections. This conclusion can hardly be escaped because most if not all childhood vaccines in current use are injected directly into the body and are directed at stimulating antibody production in the bone marrow. Bypassing the mucous membranes of the body as they do, the cellular immune system remains weak and relatively stunted due to lack of stimulation. As previously noted, once the humoral system attains dominance, as demonstrated in the following study, this dominance tends to be self-perpetuating.
Each of the two systems has identifying markers called cytokines (peptides which act as messengers), and this is how they are identified. A study by Sudhir Gupta of 20 autistic children, a condition thought by growing numbers of parents and physicians to be largely vaccine-related, showed consistent elevations of humoral cytokines and lowering of cellular cytokines.(12) Consequently, if vaccines are skewing infants’ immune systems by inducing a humoral-dominant system at a highly vulnerable time of life, they could be creating double-jeopardy from the standpoint of genetic mutations.
By way of explanation, the stealth virus, which, according to the work of Dr. Martin had its origins from a CMV contaminant of the oral polio vaccine, had become extremely fragile and unstable, possibly as a result of numerous serial passages through a variety of hosts in the commercial development of the vaccine. Being more unstable, it would theoretically be more prone to exchange nuclear material with its various hosts, in the end becoming somewhat like a genetic Rubik's cube with a polyglot of nuclear material. This polyglot mixture remains unidentifiable to the immune system of the infected human host.
Martin has reported on finding the stealth virus of Simian-CMV-origin in chronic fatigue (15) and in an autistic child.(18) The findings of chromosomal changes by Urnovitz in studies of veterans suffering from Persian Gulf War Syndrome (20) reported the findings of “many enteroviral-similar segments” in the abnormal chromosomes. It was also pointed out by Urnovitz that virtually all of the Gulf War veterans received the oral polio vaccine, the implication being that the polio vaccine with its CMV contaminant could have been a source of the enteroviral segments. (Polio is an enteric virus).
Considering the possible consequences of these early findings of Dr. Martin, one wonders if there are plans for further investigation of these disturbing findings, or must this be left to future generations?
I Our bodies have a “genetic memory” of foreign substances it encounters, including vaccines.
II There is a limit on how much foreign material our bodies can handle before genetic damage occurs and/or progresses into a chronic illness.
III Each person has their own unique genetic blueprint which responds to foreign substances differently.
Although Urnovitz did not elaborate further on the subject of “genetic memory,” his reference to it can be interpreted as an inference that the genetic blueprints we inherit from our parents are influenced and potentially changed in adaptation to environmental exposures during our lifetimes.
Perhaps Urnovitz and colleagues are best known for the work they have published on the Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), where they found evidence of genetic alterations in Chromosome 22q11.2, a known genetic “hot spot” for mutations, which appear to have a role in the pathogenesis of GWS.(20) Even more striking is that when they sequenced their findings, many enteroviral-similar segments were found suggesting that this may have played a role in causing the changes in 22q11.2. As previously stated, most Gulf War veterans received the oral poliovirus vaccine, an enterovirus, presumably along with its Simian CMV contaminant.
Also, in the introductory paragraph to the report, the authors included a list of chemicals to which the veterans had been exposed in the Gulf War, including low-level chemical warfare agents; investigational drugs (including pyridostigmine bromide), organophosphate, carbamate, and other pesticides and insect repellants; and toxic combustion products from oil well fires and diesel exhaust products. Although not specifically stated, the inclusion of this list clearly implies the authors’ opinion that toxic chemical exposures may also have played a causal role in the Gulf War Syndrome and its accompanying genetic changes.
To expand on this further, some of the genetic sequences were found to come from other, unidentified non-human sources. This raises the question of whether or not there was a connection between the work of Urnovitz and John Martin, (14-18) with genetic residues from the oral polio vaccines, the oral polio virus in turn having been cultured in monkey kidney tissues, and thus contributing to non-human segments described in the Urnovitz report.
The work of Urnovitz (9, 20-22) places a serious light on the implications of vaccines in bringing about genetic alterations. Our parents provide our genetic blueprints at birth, but this raw genetic material now appears to be malleable to environmental influences, including toxic chemicals and vaccines. Based on the foregoing information it is both possible and plausible that genetic translocations are taking place as a result of vaccines. Surely this is a credible cause for concern.
By way of explanation, the HLA system is one which aids an individual’s immune system to differentiate that which is “self” from that which is “non-self.” Although the mechanisms are complex, it is a system which, during embryonic life, learns to recognize healthy or normal cells of the body as “self” so that these cells will remain unmolested by the search and destroy mechanisms of the immune system, leaving the latter free to protect the body from foreign invaders.
Of special concern is that the HLA system also carries an increased proneness to polymorphism (mutation), the mutations in turn possibly resulting in an impairment of self-recognition. This process may be the fundamental cause, or one of the primary causes of underlying autoimmune disorders in which the immune system attacks the cells within the body. The HLA system plays an integral part of this process.(24) When the alleles of the HLA system are mutated, as sometimes seen in viral infections, viral vaccines, or environmental illness from toxic chemicals, the body’s immunogenetic memory is altered. The presentation of an antigen to the immune system is important, and interference with this presentation may cause the body to mistake normal tissue, such as brain and nerve myelin, and thus attack its own tissues (autoimmunity).
Montinari found that certain alleles of HLA (A3 & DR7) were more frequent in patients with post vaccine-induced illness. This indicates an immunogenetic basis for such illnesses. What caused much concern was that Montinari implicated vaccine preservatives such as thimerosal as causing genetic mutations by modifying the amino acids in presenting antigen proteins, (25-29) which may be responsible for confusing the body into autoimmune reactions.
Knowing that such hybridization occurs in laboratory processes and can be repeated, one must wonder if vaccines, which are contaminated and made with various human, animal, and non-human cells/DNA, can have the same effect in the human body.
Returning now to the subject of genetic contamination, and to the work of Anker and Stroun as well as to the human-rat cell fusion, we know that many vaccines use “immortal cell lines” which are actually cancerous types of cells with no limit on how many times they can divide. The most commonly known type of tissue used is of the human diploid variety extracted from aborted fetal tissue. It is possible that these cells could actually hybridize with our own. In fact, it is likely in light of what we know about human-rodent somatic cells.
Certain vaccines called “recombinant,” “sub-unit,” and “naked DNA” use methods of genetic engineering in their production. These techniques pose major concerns because of the unknown interaction of the vaccine and human proteins/DNA. The FDA actually acknowledges this concern where mutations take place through the activation of oncogenes or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes allowing cancers to thrive. Moreover they concede that free nucleic acids are easily taken up and integrated into a cell’s genome, thus potentially resulting in genetic mutations. (35,36) A detailed and technical report which details the many cancerous and genetic consequences of vaccine contamination notes that each vaccine dose is allowed 100,000,000 alllowable pieces of DNA, not including the DNA in the viral and viral-contaminated portions. We believe that any allowable piece of DNA is a risk.
In a larger sense, the question about possible effects of vaccines in causing adverse genetic changes might be considered as the “black hole” of scientific knowledge. Even if it is taking place, do we have the technology to identify it, and if not, do we have the time to await the slow processes of science to prove such a relationship? Studies from Africa, England, Sweden, and New Zealand have consistently shown a greater incidence of allergic problems such as asthma and eczema, along with increasing patterns of sickness, among fully vaccinated children as compared to those with limited or no vaccines. (39-42) It seems inconceivable to us that health could be one thing and genetics another, or that these patterns of deteriorating health would not be accompanied by corresponding genetic changes.
In our view there is one fundamental issue with which we are confronted, and that is for parents to gain the right of free choice to accept or reject vaccines for their children based on informed consent. Wherever one looks in the natural world one finds systems of checks and balances. It is the fundamental system on which the US Constitution was framed and intended to function. The same principle should apply with childhood vaccines. Only by this can things be set right.
1. Robinson DS, Predominant TH2-like bronchoalveolar T-lymphocyte population in atopic asthma, New Engl J Med, Jan 30, 1992; 326: 298-304.
2. Holt PG, Sly PD, Allergic respiratory disease: strategic targets for primary prevention during childhood, Thorax, 1997; 52:1-4.
3. Immunobiology; The Immune System in Health and Disease, Charles Janeway, Paul Travers, Mark Walport. Donald Capra, Fourth Edition, Garland Publishing, New York, 1999:394-395.
4. Stroun M, Anker P, Transcription of spontaneously released bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid in frog auricles, J Bacteriology, April, 1973; Vol 114: 114-120.
5. Anker P, Stroun M, Bacterial ribonucleic acid in the frog brain after a bacterial peritoneal infection, Science, Nov. 10, 1972; 178:621-623.
6. Kumar S, Miller LK, Effects of serial passage of Autographa Californica Nuclear polyhedrosis virus in cell culture, Virus Research, 1987; 7:335-349.
7. Jahnke U, Fischer EH, Alvord EC, Sequence homology between certain viral proteins related to encephalomyelitis and neuritis, Science, July 19, 1985; 29:242-284.
8. Shoenfeld Y, Aron-Maor A, Vaccination and autoimmunity-‘vaccinosis’: a dangerous liaison?, J Autoimmun, Feb 2000, 14(1):1-10.
9. Urnovitz HB, Tuite JJ, Higashida JM et al, RNAs in the sera of Persian Gulf War Veterans Have Segments Homologous to Chromosome 22q11.2, Clinical and Laboratory Diagnostic Immunology, May, 1999; 6(3):330-335.
10. Vrijheid M, Dolk H, Armstrong L et al, Chromosomal congenital anomalies and residence near hazardous waste landfill sites, Lancet, January 26, 2002; 359:320-322.
11. Folic Acid, the Vital Nutrient that Fights Birth Defects, Cancer, and Heart Disease, Sidney M Baker, M.D., Keats Publishing, Inc., New Canaan, Connecticut, 1995.
12. Gupta S et al, Th1 and Th2-like cytokines in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in autism, J Neuroimmunol, 1998; 85:106-109.
13. This story is related in the book, Emerging Viruses, AIDS and Ebola, by Leonard G Horowitz, D.M.D., M.A., M.P.H., Tetrahedron, Inc., Rockport, MA, 1997, pp 488-493.
14. Martin WJ, Ahmed KN, Zeng LC et al, African green monkey origin of the atypical cytopathic ‘stealth virus’ isolated from a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome, Clinical and Diagnostic Virology, 1995; 4:93-103.
15. Martin WJ, Anderson D, Stealth virus epidemic in the Mohave Valley, Pathobiology, 1997; 65:51-56.
16. Martin WJ, Genetic instability and fragmentation of a stealth viral genome, Pathobiology, 1996; 64:9-17.
17. Martin WJ, Consultation on detection of simian cytomegaloviruses in human tissue, (Presentation July 1, 1996 sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), held in the Solar Building, Rockville, MD).
J Autism Developmental Disorders, 1995; 25(2):258.
20. Urnovitz HB, Tuite JJ, Higashida JM, Murphy WH, RNAs in the sera of Persian Gulf War veterans have segments homologous to chromosome 22q11.2, Clin Diagn Lab Immunol, May, 1999; 6(3):330-335.
22. Urnovitz HB, Murphy WH, Human endogenous retroviruses: nature, occurrence, and clinical implications in human disease, Clin Microbiol Rev, 1996; 9:72-99.
23. Montinari MG, Favoino B, Roberto A, Diagnostic role of immunogenetics in post-vaccine diseases of the CNS: preliminary results, Medit J Surg Med, 1996; 4(2):69-72.
24. Laurentaci G, Favoino B, Immunogenetica e malattie HLA associate, Oedalo Lilostampa Bari, 1999.
25. Migliore L, Nieri M, Evaluation of twelve potential aneuploidogenic chemicals by the in vitro human lymphocyte micronucleus assay, Toxic in Vitro, 1991; 5(4):325-336.
26. Shrana I et al, Mitosis and numerical chromosome aberration analyses in human lymphocytes: 10 known or suspected spindle poisons: Mutation Research, 1993; 287:57-70.
27. Miller BM, Adler ID, Aneuploid induction in mouse spermatocytes mutogenesis, Mutogenesis, 1992; 7(1):69-76.
28. Gudi R et al, Assessment of the in vivo aneuploidy/micronucleus assay in mouse bone marrow cells with 16 chemicals, Env Mol Mutagen, 1992; 20:106-116.
29. Ilse-Dore A, Synopsis of the in vivo results obtained with the 10 known or suspected aneugens tested in the CEC collaborative study, Mutation Research, 1993; 287:131-137.
30. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 16th Edition, WB Saunders C., 2000, page 315.
32. Levings RL, Wessman SJ, bovine diarrhea virus contamination of nutrient serum, cell cultures, and viral vaccines, Dev Biol Stand, 1991; 75:177-181.
35. Ho M et al, Slipping through the regulatory net: ‘Naked’ and ‘free’ nucleic acids. TWN Biotechnology and Biosafety Series, No. 5, 2001.
38. Lederberg J, Letter-to-the-Editor, Science, Oct. 20, 1967:313.
39. Shaneen SO et al, Measles and atopy in Guinea-Bissau, Lancet, June 19, 1996; 347:1792-1796.
40. Odent, MR, Pertussis vaccine and asthma; is there a link? JAMA, 1994; 271:229-231.
41. Alm JS et al, Atopy in children of families with anthroposophic lifestyle, Lancet, May 1, 1999; 353:1485-1488.
42. Kemp T et al, Is infant immunization a risk factor for childhood asthma or allergy?, Epidemiology, Nov., 1997; 8(6):678-680. | 2019-04-23T22:34:06Z | http://whale.to/a/yurko.html |
We cannot do this alone and we need your help.
Please tell BCTS: To drop this Blk 87126 and set it aside as an Old Growth Management Area (OGMA) as the majority of the cedars found here meet the Monumental Trees classification – a Ministry of Forests definition.
This is home to some of the oldest trees in Canada.
This forest is a ‘time capsule’ of natural and cultural features including at least 33 Culturally Modified trees.
Logging these forests will destroy one of the best bear habitats on the Coast.
Make a difference and state your opposition to the Clack Creek Gallery Forest Auction. Email the BCTS forester in charge today!
I’m a resident of the lower Sunshine Coast and support the expansion of the Mt. Elphinstone Provincial Park from 140ha to 2,000ha, to secure biodiversity and recreational values for our region.
I’m firmly opposed to Blk A93884 being put up for auction, especially as it is currently under consideration for protection by the Province. This area is locally known as the Clack Creek Gallery Forest for good reason, as it’s a beautiful natural forest exhibiting a host of mature and old-growth features with a wonderful hiking trail throughout. It’s an opportunity to achieve connectivity between existing park parcels #2 and #3, which must be the goal of the province in correcting this poorly designed park configuration. The forest also contains the largest and highest density of snow bramble (blue-listed Rubus Nivalis) in the province. In addition, it retains a rare, mature western red cedar – sword fern plant community, that the Forest Practices Board recently recommended be moved up to red-listed status, which demands a protocol for protection. Moreover, protection of this forest respects the community of Roberts Creeks OCP and the SCRD’s bylaw 641. The expanded Mt Elphinstone Park is the lower Coasts last and only opportunity to salvage a significant low elevation natural forested area, as so little else remains here. We need this expanded park to protect local biodiversity and for the many community values that more tree farms cannot fulfill. We need it as a place to teach our children what a real forest is so they can learn about and appreciate nature. Please reassure me that Blk A93884 will be removed from BCTS’ 5 year plan.
Update at 3-22-2018 The Day Road Forest is Again Threatened.
ELF will work with local residents to come up with creative measures and solutions to see ‘The Day Rd Forest’ protected.
Write to the Minister of Environment and Forests and request that BCTS Blk A87125 be removed as a proposed Mt.Elphinstone Park expansion should be considered and acted upon. We’re asking BCTS to move this cutblock outside the park expansion area to meet timber volumes. Above the Dakota-Sechelt FSR are hundreds of hectares of tree farms where ‘harvesting’ can take place. Logging older forests (Age Class 6-8) across the Elphinstone slopes must stop. Leading conservation-biologist, Wayne McCrory completed a ‘Conservation Review’ of the area, and concluded: “The very high biodiversity values support my recommendation that the Elphinstone study area be fully protected as a core benchmark area.” Thus, the existing park (140ha) should be expanded to 2,000ha to capture all remaining intact forest between the 3 ‘island’ parks to secure the bio-diversity of this rare (blue-listed), low-elevation zone.
At August 11, 2015: BC Timber Sales (BCTS) has started to reopen the Dakota Creek Forest Service Rd. to gain access to the Dakota Bowl Bear Sanctuary.
At August 11, 2014: BCTS has restated its plans to again put this forest and another on the Lower Elphinstone Slopes up for sale in a combined timber sale license – A87126 (formerly A79517) . They however, at this date, have not yet activated this timber sale license.
You can still send a message stating your strong support for protection of this area – a suggested message is shown below. Thank you for your support.
To read the latest news on this site please check the campaign section.
1) McCrory Wildlife Services’ Black Bear Den Survey concludes that this area shows a high density of den sites.
2) The surrounding area has been heavily logged leading to loss of old growth structures bears depend on.
3) The A87126 blocks are hard to reach areas requiring steep road construction and resulting in severe erosion potential.
4) The reactivation of the Dakota Creek FSR is really a subsidy to the private contractor to get at the timber.
5) Black bear dens require legislative protection to respect this large iconic carnivore.
I am writing you today to call for the protection of ‘The Dakota Bowl Bear Sanctuary’- BCTS (BC Timber Sales) License A87126 (formerly A79517) – Cutblocks (DK042, DK043 and DK044).
I am calling on you and your ministers and associated forest planners to please provide this area protection as B.C.’s first Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) for black bears! and/ or provide Old Growth Management Area (OGMA) status to protect its wildlife features and the largest remaining, high-value old growth forest left at this elevation on the lower Sunshine Coast.
As at August 2015 we understand there is the intent to again put this area up for sale in a Timber Sale Licence (TSL).
In addition to this being a watershed area (the Dakota Creek Watershed) that the Sunshine Coast Regional District supports the protection of – I believe this Crown land needs protection for the following reasons.
On the slopes rising above Dakota Creek (lower Sunshine Coast) a population of black bears (Ursus americanus) has found a sanctuary – safe from human disturbance. However, BC Timbers Sales (BCTS) is looking at logging 69Ha (170 acres) of this forest, where dozens of potential bear den sites would be destroyed. Loss of this habitat would displace these bears and drive them into human-conflict. This has been documented by McCrory Wildlife Services’ Black Bear Den Survey which concludes that this area shows a high density of den sites.
Stands of large, old-growth cedars provide bears with interior cavities with a hard outer shell keeping them dry, warm and secure during hibernation. Deep snow pack at this elevation secures den entrances protecting cubs from predators.
Therefore, I support protection of ‘The Dakota Bowl Bear Sanctuary’ and say “No to Logging of Bear Den Sites” and “Yes to a Protected Sanctuary” on these public forest lands.
It is hard to believe that logging these rare yellow cedar forests is even being considered in this day and age. Dakota Bowl Bear Sanctuary is on traditional Squamish 1st Nation territory. The Sunshine Coast Regional District opposes logging in The Dakota Bowl Community Watershed.
In addition to the above – Another expert who studied the presence of First Nations culturally modified trees in the area has confirmed the strong probability of their existence and at least six trees that had been bark-stripped in the past. This makes the area more valuable for protection by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
I, my family and friends agree with Elphinstone Logging Focus in calling on BCTS’ senior Forest Planners to please provide this area Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) or Old Growth Management Area (OGMA) status to protect its wildlife features and the largest remaining, high-value old growth forest left at this elevation on the lower Sunshine Coast.
Please bring this request forward to your Ministers involved in Forestry and Land Use Planning. Thank you.
Please heed my and many others`wishes.
1) The current 139ha park divided into 3 separate ‘islands’ is poor park planning.
2) In 2014, shishalh (Sechelt) Nation announced that they want to protect the Elphinstone area within their territory from further industrial development.
3) The Sunshine Coast needs to diversify its economy from resource extraction to other forms of sustainable business, such as tourism.
4) The lower Elphinstone slopes contain several rare plant & mushroom species adding to its rich bio-diversity.
5) A recent scientific conservation review by McCrory Wildlife Services supports the expansion of the existing park to 2,000Ha to fully protect this blue-listed forest ecosystem.
Please bring this request forward to your Ministers involved in Parks, Forestry and Land Use Planning.
Dear Mr. Sihota, I’m requesting that you as President of IT accept the vision of protecting the amazing & wonderful The Day Rd. Forest (DL2624), Roberts Creek, Sunshine Coast. When IT acquired the land there existed a 1997 ‘understanding-in- principle’ with the local community to protect the integrity of this forest by providing a mix of mature forests alongside several small cut patches.
[email protected] (media contact for Forests, Lands, Natural Resources)|Doug Konkin, Deputy Minister – Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations – [email protected] ||.
Additionally, You Can Send an Email as a ‘Letter to the Editor’ To One of Our Local Newspapers – shown below.
Copy and Paste any of the suggested messages for the campaigns above – revise the message as you see fit and send the email.
Vancouver Sun – To alert us to a news story, e-mail us at: [email protected], or call 604-605-2445, toll-free at 1-866-368-5888 or Fax: 604-605-2320, The Vancouver Sun newspaper: Text only, please; no attachments.
whose letters are being considered for publication will be contacted.
THANK YOU TO ALL THAT SUPPORTED US IN THE EFFORTS TO PROTECT THIS ANCIENT FOREST. A FORMAL PRESS RELEASE WILL FOLLOW SHORTLY – STAY TUNED – MORE NEWS TO COME.
I am calling on you and your ministers and associated forest planners to please provide this area Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) or Old Growth Management Area (OGMA) status to protect its wildlife features and the largest remaining, high-value old growth forest left at this elevation on the lower Sunshine Coast.
Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) has conducted an expedition into the headwaters of Roberts Creek (Sunshine Coast) and located a proposed BC Timber Sales Cutblock A84612 (DK045). There are 2 headwater tributaries in this area that make up the main channel of Roberts Creek which eventually flows into the Salish Sea. One of the tributaries that ELF followed runs off the back side of Mt. Elphinstone. The surveyed cutblock and logging road is across steep terrain and encompasses an Age Class 9 (old growth) forest.
From studying maps ELF found out that the cutblock is located between 2 Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHA). The BCTS logging would split this WHA in half. This WHA was established to protect the Marbled Murrelet seabird which nests only in old- growth forests. Outside of this proposed cutblock and the WHA, the majority of the surrounding Age Classes on the high slopes of Mt. Elphinstone are rated at Age Class 2 – between 20-40 years old. This is the closest old growth yellow cedar to Highway 101 and thus holds awesome tourism potential due to its high ecological values. One of the highest populations of Pacific Yew is found at site, with clusters of 4-5 Yews growing at the bases of the giant Yellow Cedars.
BCTS has now scheduled this block for sale in mid August 2012 – I believe this Crown land needs protection.
There are two parcels in the A84612 block on Dakota Ridge which were granted OGMA status by BCTS several months ago after ELF brought their possible destruction to the attention of the community. ELF and the Sunshine Coast community are calling this cut block DK045 ‘The Roberts Creek Headwaters Ancient Forest’ given that the water source for Roberts Creek begins here and that trees in this forest range from 250-1000+ years old. I believe it would be a travesty if this forest is logged and logging it also poses a high risk to downstream fisheries and water users on the lower reaches of Roberts Creek. A community trail has been established so that community can come and enjoy and see this amazing forest. It is hard to believe that logging these rare yellow cedar forests is even being considered in this day and age. Roberts Creek residents will be shocked to learn that the headwaters of their namesake creek could be wiped out with unknown long term consequences to the local water supply, fish spawning and environment.
I, my family and friends agree with Elphinstone Logging Focus in calling on BCTS’ senior Forest Planners to place this parcel into an OGMA, thus ensuring a connection between the two Wildlife Habitat Areas, ensuring that a heritage-ancient forest remains intact, and the protection of the headwaters to Roberts Creek is guaranteed for generations to come.
To register your concerns. Refer to BCTS Cutblock A79517.
The “Save the Wilson Creek Forest” campaign – at December 2012 this campaign was lost and the forest logged. However, you can still read all about the forest here, watch the movie AND still express your outrage at its loss. Tell Sechelt Mayor John Henderson and Council and SCCF President Glen Bonderud and Board of Directors you want this ongoing destruction, this logging of our community forests, Stopped Now! Their Full Names and Contact Information are listed here.
At December 21, 2012 Logging Has All But Destroyed This Forest, However You Can still Communicate Your Outrage.
WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW to Stop this destruction of ‘our’ community forest.
I am writing you today to make you aware of the Wilson Creek Forest and to add my name to those that strongly believe that this forest deserves full protection and that logging should be stopped NOW.
1) LOGGING THIS FOREST WILL DESTROY ITS RECREATIONAL USES AND TOURISM POTENTIAL – Many of us live here or visit because we love the outdoors and the forests, let’s not compromise our quality of life by allowing our only significant low elevation forested area left on the lower Coast to be lost cutblock by cutblock. Wilson Cr. Forest and the proposed park expansion area it is part of are already heavily used by the community for year-round hiking, biking, horseback riding, nature observation and more, but once logged it will retain little of interest or beauty for us to enjoy. Preserving this area has huge tourism potential as well. A 2002 study commissioned by the province titled “Commercial and Public Recreation for the Sunshine Coast Forest District”, acknowledged the Coasts forest industry had declined at the same time tourism had grown and was “strongly linked to back country experiences, fish, wildlife and other resource values.” Tourism demand for high quality outdoor recreational experiences is expected to continue to grow as population in the lower mainland increases and as worldwide demand grows. We can benefit from that trend.
2) THE WILSON CREEK WATERSHED IS ALREADY OVERLOGGED – As the most heavily logged watershed on the lower Coast, the Wilson Cr. watershed only retains around 15% of the original mature and old growth forest. Everything else has been logged and is either in a clearcut state or has been converted to immature tree farms never to be a natural forest again. . The recent CNI clearcut, largest on the Coast, cuts through the middle of the watershed. How much more do we have to lose? Despite a SCCF sponsored hydrology report that expresses few concerns with continued logging, questions remain as to the accuracy of the report, given there is no hard data on the creek’s fluctuating water levels that many believe have been badly impacted by logging. The data used to determine water levels was collected from Roberts Cr. and applied to Wilson Cr. even though the Wilson Cr. watershed has a higher level of forest cover loss, so the conclusions are speculative.
3) LOGGING IT WILL BRING LITTLE ECONOMIC RETURN TO THE COMMUNITY – The District of Sechelt only receives a low $15,000 – $20,000 annual dividend from Sunshine Coast Community Forest logging operations, only a handful of short term direct jobs will be generated, the actual logging would be over within a week, and typically only a small percentage of the logs stay on the Coast to be used by local manufacturers. Its long term value as fish and animal habitat, for recreation, tourism, water management, and carbon sequestering has not been duly considered.
4) WILSON CR. FOREST IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROPOSED MT. ELPHINSTONE PROV. PARK EXPANSION – This 1500 Ha park expansion is badly needed. The current Mt. Elphinstone Prov. Park is only 149 ha and we currently have no sizable parks on the lower Coast below 600m. The Sunshine Coast Forest District has only 3% of its land designated Class A Provincial Park, while the rest of the province maintains an average of 13% – we’re getting short changed. With what looks to be a coming change in Provincial government, the Mt. Elphinstone Prov. Park expansion comes closer to becoming a reality, thus all proposed logging within the boundaries needs to be deferred.
5) LOGGING WILL RISK ADDITIONAL STREAM BANK FAILURES – The Wilson Creek watercourse, from its headwaters to the ocean, has only a few sections not disturbed by logging or other development. In the proposed Cutblock EW002, a large bank failure and landslide was reported to SCCF by ELF in 2012 that clouds an already cloudy issue. In question is the role past intense logging has had on documented stream bank failures in the mid and lower watershed. The EW002 falling boundary is just uphill from this bank failure and if logging proceeds the roots that hold the soil in place will decay and the slope could become unstable. All logging on this cutblocks steep slopes must be stopped to protect the integrity of Wilson Cr. This will put the brakes on further erosion of fine sediments that cover up and suffocate downstream salmon spawning grounds.
6) BIODIVERSITY SUFFERS AS WE LOSE OUR REMNANT LOW ELEVATION FORESTS – There are flora and fauna that reside in the Wilson Creek Forest that will not once it’s logged and converted to a tree farm. The diversity of life that currently exists will be greatly impoverished. A recent provincial government report states that “The Coastal Douglas–fir ecosystems are threatened province wide”, and that only 6% is protected in BC. With its dozens of mature and old growth Douglas-firs, protection of the Wilson Cr. Forest would help safeguard this disappearing ecosystem. The Wilson Creek watershed is considered high value fish habitat but the number of salmon returning has declined greatly from historic levels and logging impacts are likely part of the problem.
7) Heavily logged out Wilson Creek watershed (86% logged) requires all intact forests recover from the past hydrological damage.
8 Serves as an important connector between 2 existing Old Growth Management Areas (OGMA). Logging is poor land use planning as it removes important connectivity.
9) The Wilson Creek Forest: Maturing, old Growth Coastal douglas fir forests are an At Risk and threatened ecosystem province wide.
i) – In the SCCF Press Release of May 31, 2011, signed by Glen Bonderud of SCCF, it states “After careful deliberations of all submissions made to Sechelt Community Projects Inc. (SCPI) regarding plans for logging in cut block EW002, SCPI is deferring cutting this block in order to study various proposals and suggestions made regarding this area”. (SCPI is the business operating name for SCCF).
These 3 quotes suggest that more time should be devoted to considering all proposals made in regards to this prized forest, including setting it aside for recreational, tourism, and forest eco-system values. In addition, a longer period of time is required for the watershed’s forest to recover.
I urge the DOS and the SCCF to protect the Wilson Creek Forest and preserve our quality of life here on the Sunshine Coast. Please register my opinion.
To email a specific person at the District of Sechelt please see our Online Contact List.
Feedback and Service Requests can now be submitted online using our new Online Feedback Form.
I am very concerned about proposed logging by BC Timber Sales (BCTS) in the TrailFest-Wagon Forest. The area is surveyed as BC Timber Sales as (TSL:A87124). This forest is important as it is a key northern boundary forest in the proposed Mt. Elphinstone Prov. Park expansion area. The section contains many key mountain bike and historic skid road trails, including the popular Caroline’s Connector. If the logging proceeds it will join up with the massive CNI 160 Ha (400 acre) clear-cut on its northern boundary.
As I understand you (Norm Kempe) are the BCTS Forest Planner in charge of this area and so I strongly request to you that there be no more logging of intact forest lands in the park expansion boundaries.
I request that you direct your staff to cancel TSL: A87124 which will increase the bio-diversity of the Mt. Elphinstone map area – one of the most fragmented landscape areas in the entire province due to over-logging.
Thank you and please register my opinion.
Failure: Unfortunately the ‘Help Protect the TrailFest-Wagon Forest’ Campaign was lost and the forest has been clearcut logged and ‘wiped out’. However, all is not lost nor were all of our efforts in vain – the messages to the government and to BCTS and the MOF are starting to be heard. Feel free to still voice your outrage to those individuals listed in the email section.
I am very concerned about proposed logging of some of the last remaining Old-Growth Forests found on Dakota Ridge and the Mt. Elphinstone slopes, Sunshine Coast, BC. The area is surveyed as BC Timber Sales TSL A84612 (44 ha/102 acres).
This ecosystem has evolved since the last ice age with no signs of fire disturbance thus it’s one of the oldest connections we have to natural history. This gallery forest of towering yellow cedars, mountain hemlock, and balsam is also a productive site for wildcrafting and shows a high degree of bio-diversity. Many of the yellow cedar trees have evidence of historic First Nations use. Carbon storage is another important environmental service provided by this forest. The Sunshine Coast Regional District has recently stated they are against further exploitation of old growth forests.
When the government of the day listens to citizens’ concerns about losing more old-growth, then future generations will appreciate the wisdom that it took to save them.
I have looked at the website www.loggingfocus.org and have read the detailed description of the area and seen the wonderful pictures of the Ancient Trees some of which are in excess of 1000 years old. For the many reasons described here and on the website. THIS AREA NEEDS TO BE SAVED AND PROTECTED NOW FOR ALL AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
I request that you direct staff to cancel TSL: A84612 which will increase the bio-diversity of the Mt. Elphinstone map area – one of the most fragmented landscape areas in the entire province due to over-logging.
Success: Two of the three cutblocks within the TSL (timber sale licence) have been granted OGMA (Old Growth mangement Status) and have been saved for perpetuity. THANK YOU to all who participated in these efforts. Unfortunately, there is still ‘the Roberts Creek Headwaters Old Growth Ancient Forest’ (cutblock DK045) within this TSL that has not been saved YET…please look for upcoming information on this campaign.
I understand that logging has begun on Island Timberlands’ property in the Gough Creek area (above Roberts Creek, BC). Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) has noted, with concern, that minimum buffer zones along the east and west Gough channels. It’s important to create larger than normal buffers (up to 2 trees in lengths) to ensure continued, stable conditions for the Coastal Tailed Frog (blue-listed on the Endangered Species List). Additional solar inputs caused by clear-cut openings in the frog’s ravine habitat will lead to increased water and ravine temperatures. There are no current studies looking at mortality rates of frogs due to temperature fluctuations. As good corporate citizens, we ask that you be respectful of the cautionaryprinciple when operating in unknown scientific territory. ELF will be monitoring for larger buffers and will conduct a series of before-and-after temperature studies of their own. Additionally I understand that on a recent group hike through the area 11 frogs were seen. I have to wonder whether a comprehensive management strategy for the sensitive frog habitat can be put into place and have any positive results if logging is already pushing through.
I would suggest Island Timberlands is damaging the Coastal Tailed Frog habitat. Please provide comments back that there will be wider buffers in this zone guaranteeing long-term, stable conditions for this significant population of frogs in our area and give us some sort of guarantee that a comprehensive management strategy for the sensitive frog habitat can be put into place.
Failure: Unfortunately the ‘Protect the Gough Creek Frog WHA ‘ Campaign was lost and the forest has been clearcut logged and ‘wiped out’. Though the messages to the government, to BCTS, the MOF, the Press and the company Island timberlands resulted in Island Timberlands bringing onsite a frog biologist to supposedly mitigate damage to the surrounding frog habitat this was not what occured.
In 2004 it was documented in a report ‘Assessment of Red-Legged Frog and Coastal Tailed Frog Conservation Values on Mt. Elphinstone’ by Ascaphus Consulting (August 2004) that ideal amphibian habitat are the wedge shape pieces of land where 2 creeks meet: “Forked or dendritic watercourses provide more linear breeding habitat and promote exchange among individuals between tributaries. Such meta-dynamics are critical for the long-term survival of sedimentary species like tailed frogs, because of greater gene flow leads to greater population fitness”.
In a Press Release dated June 10, 2012, ISLAND TIMBERLANDS LOGS SENSITIVE ELPHINSTONE AMPHIBIAN HABITAT (See the News section), Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) documents the results of a completed site survey of the area logged and document that there has been damage to the sensitive amphibian habitat. “IslandTimberlands took out an area of forest that the writers of the report suggested be protected as a Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA), and then proceeded to cut above the east branch of Gough Creek leading to blow-down of the very thin buffer designed for this block.” Ross Muirhead of ELF states. “The blow-down we’ve documented opens up the previously shaded conditions along the creek to full sunlight exposure which increases water and soil temperatures. Frogs have low tolerances to changes in their habitat conditions. The effects of IT’s irresponsible planning will very likely see frog populations decrease. It’s a real shame the way IT hacked away at these forests which impacts long-term survival of Elphinstone’s amphibian populations”.
Feel free to still voice your concern to those individuals listed in the email section. | 2019-04-23T14:23:39Z | http://www.loggingfocus.org/get-involved/take-action-2/ |
We’ve been over the potential deficit of defensive linemen the Hawkeyes face in 2019.
Let’s slide "potential" in there, because it’s March and 1) that’s a long way from football and 2) maybe Iowa finds another defensive lineman in the “yard sale” portion of college football recruiting. You know, that time after the December and February signing days when graduate transfers, transfer portal hopefuls, first-year junior college players and whomever else is out there suddenly finds offers.
It’s an unconventional path right now, but there are players out there. Players like Zach VanValkenburg.
The 6-foot-4, 266-pound defensive end caught the Hawkeyes’ attention. He graduated from Division II Hillsdale (Mich.) College in three years and will transfer to Iowa with two years of eligibility remaining.
That might take care of defensive end for 2019. Defensive tackle could probably use a few more bodies. Are there any in the 2019 recruiting class?
The Hawkeyes signed five defensive linemen in the 2019 class, with Pensacola, Fla., defensive end Taajhir McCall singing on Feb. 6. Ends Chris Reames and Jake Karchinski and maybe end or maybe tackle Jalen Hunt signed in December.
Because this is about defense, let’s slide punter Michael Sleep-Dalton here. He’s also a graduate transfer, coming in from Arizona State where he averaged 43.8 yards a punt last season.
Ferentz is already on record saying the D-line probably won’t be able to support the eight-man rotation it had going the last three years.
The odds of landing another D-linemen during yard-sale season aren’t great. Everyone is looking and the pool has been picked through.
“There’s a distinct possibility something could materialize in the next four months,” Ferentz said. “It might look different in May. We’ll just keep an open ear.
Let’s get to know the new D-linemen.
Chris Reames is 6-7 and 220 pounds and with long, blond hair, he does kind of look like Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence.
Reames' mission in college football will be sacking the Trevor Lawrences the Hawkeyes face. At 6-7, 220, it will take some development.
The immediate comparison everyone (including me) makes with Reames is Anthony Nelson. Nelson had 23.0 sacks in three seasons for the Hawkeyes before announcing after this season that he’s leaving a year early for the NFL. Before he was NFL Anthony Nelson (he made the right decision, he’d done enough here), Nelson was a 6-6, 210-pounder from Waukee.
What launched Nelson’s career almost immediately was the 35 to 40 pounds he put on during his redshirt year. Yes, it was Miami (Ohio), but the first time Nelson stepped on the field for Iowa he had 2.5 sacks and a strip sack.
Now, everyone is different and there are no guarantees, but a fun part of this game is figuring out what the Hawkeyes might have. It’s hard to argue with the Nelson comparison for Reames. And, who knows, maybe Reames eventually will be compared to Matt Nelson, a 6-8, 295-pound defensive tackle.
Either way, because of recency effect and the fact that he was a pretty great player for the Hawkeyes, 6-7 D-end recruits who walk into the Hansen for the next few years will be compared to Anthony Nelson.
Depth chart in 2019?: No. 6-7 is 6-7, but 220-pound defensive ends will get picked up and carried downfield by OTs. Reames will have fun next year on scout team looking across the line at tackles Tristan Wirfs and Alaric Jackson.
Here we are. I do wonder how much Jeff Nelson, Anthony’s dad, helped him get to where he is. Not only with the accidental and essential genetics, but Jeff Nelson played D-line at Iowa (early ’90s) and some of that had to distill with Anthony Nelson. Anyway, the tall, rangy DEs who can play the strong technique Iowa demands against the run are great to have around for Iowa.
ESPN rankings: 147th-ranked DE, 123rd-ranked in the region and No. 8 in Iowa.
My take: Reames is aggressive and disciplined. Love his awareness. Head is up and seems to have a knack for contain. He stacks up OLs and leaves his outside arm free. That is how it’s coached. Nice speed, too. Reames isn’t a gawky 6-7. His feet and speed helped him make plays from the weakside in a few shots of his Hudl highlight tape. He has the frame that also could transition to OT, but Iowa has a few of those in this class and needs D-linemen.
The ride is just starting for Jalen Hunt. Right now, it looks like Hunt will jump in line at defensive line, but it might not be as simple as that.
He played some running back and linebacker at Belleville (Mich.) High School. You do see the 6-3 1/2, 260-pounder take some snaps. He might’ve only been around 240, but, yes, he had a 96-yard TD run as a sophomore.
Those days are over. Hunt is now listed as a defensive lineman. He could end up at end, but he also could put on weight and add power and play defensive tackle.
This is probably a good problem for all involved. The running back thing shows, more than anything, the type of athleticism Hunt has.
Belleville assistant coach Thomas Desafernandes told HawkeyeReport.com: “He’s a big kid, he’s quiet and athletic as heck. For his size, he can run a 4.6 (40-yard dash). He’d fit in perfectly with what Iowa does at the running back position, so don’t be surprised, but they really love him playing defense because of his athleticism.
Most interesting thing from hawkeyesports.com bio: Earned academic all-state with a 4.0 prep GPA.
Depth chart in 2019?: Probably not. We are talking about a player who’s ticketed for the D-line and who weighed 245-ish last season. That’s going to take some time.
Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison: Did you know that Jonathan Babineaux, who played 12 seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, started his Iowa career as a fullback? Guys usually work their way down to fullback. The early Ferentz teams had a fullback named Jeremy Allen who did more than lead iso plays. In 2001, Allen had nearly 600 yards from scrimmage and eight TDs. So, maybe Iowa was going for that when it recruited Babineaux, a two-star recruit out of Port Arthur, Texas. What Iowa got was an all-Big Ten defensive tackle. The bodies are kind of the same. So, let’s start here.
Iowa recruiting director Tyler Barnes: “He’s a very well put together kid. He’s a very quiet kid. He is as tough as you’ll see. He plays running back, too, which is funny. He’s a guy coach Bell and coach Parker have known about for a long time now. We actually had Jalen, if memory serves me correctly, during his sophomore year. That was the first time he was here. From the get-go, he liked what he saw here, in terms of what our program was about and how we operated. He’s going to go to work and not talk about it a whole lot. He’s going to let his work on the field speak for what he does. You really like that about the kid. We’ve got him slotted at the D-end spot right now. We’ll see where his body takes him. He’s a good-looking body right now. He’s probably about 6-3, 265. He’s extremely explosive coming off the ball."
Running back bodies: "He’s a big guy with some pretty good feet. You shouldn’t be able to move like that, not at 265 pounds."
ESPN rankings: 95th-ranked defensive end, 71st-ranked in the region and 18th in the state of Michigan.
My take: It’ll be defensive line and, as Barnes said, the explosion gets your attention. Size? Let’s see where that lands. Maybe after a redshirt year, it’s 6-3, 285 with the good feet and explosion of a running back. You would be interested in that.
First off, could Hunt be Iowa’s first D-lineman with a single-digit number? I love those guys. You know they’ll never need them, but if they’re athletic enough, let the fellas look good with the one number. It makes them look faster. OK, OK, kidding.
The first two minutes of Hunt’s Hudl video is short-yardage TDs. The first highlight might’ve been the 96-yarder. At two minutes, there’s a highlight of Hunt’s kickoff. The “big guy” stuff is there, too. Hunt keeps a good angle on his back and keeps his feet moving. He also plays with field sense. Any deception, his head is up and he’s reading the play. Hunt is in the middle and pushing the pile.
He’s very much a defensive linemen.
Through nothing Jake Karchinski said or did, he might be your favorite 2019 recruit.
The intense dislike of Iowa State might come honestly here.
Karchinski, a 6-5, 245-pound defensive line prospect from DePere, Wis., committed to the Hawkeyes in May. About a week before that, former Iowa State senior offensive analyst Jim Hofher forgot how Twitter worked.
Hofher let loose a tweet that criticized the Iowa recruit after Karchinski announced on Twitter that he had received a scholarship offer from the Hawkeyes.
The message was obviously supposed to be private. It wasn’t. It wasn’t a big deal and likely will be forgotten about. Hofher is in the AAF. Karchinski is a Hawkeye. If this comes up again, it’ll be because Karchinski hits the starting lineup and does something. So, it’s kind of a win-win. It’ll serve as motivation and now Iowa has a motivated D-line recruit.
Most interesting thing from hawkeyesports.com bio: Finalist for Tim Krumrie Award as a senior (yeah, yeah, Badgers, but Google Tim Krumrie and then tell me you’re upset).
Depth chart in 2019?: Probably not. If you’re thinking Drew Ott or Aaron Kampman, they took time, too.
Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison: Louis Trinca-Pasat. The big difference is LTP came in as more of an “athletic” type. The idea always was defensive line, but tight end and fullback weren’t out of the discussion. LTP hit and made defensive tackle his home. Karchinski is starting with a slightly bigger body and was named defensive lineman of the year in his conference or state (that is unclear from the bio). Karchinski has potential to play both D-line positions.
ESPN rankings: 149th-ranked guard, 125th-ranked in the region and 5th in the state of Wisconsin.
My take: This kid probably wears a “Defense wins championships” T-shirt. Teams couldn’t do anything against his side of the field. Excellent vision. Feet and hands work together. Quicker first step than you’d think. Seems to genuinely want to ruin your fun play. Power will take some time. But really, Karchinski is a big body and has excellent lateral movement. He’s 6-5, 245, but moves like a good linebacker.
Last season, Zach VanValkenburg played against Ohio Dominican, Lake Erie and Alderson Broaddus. We’re talking about football. Really, we are.
VanValkenburg comes to the Hawkeyes from Hillsdale College, a Division II school in Michigan. Yeah, I don’t know, either. Maybe with transfer rules potentially loosening ... Nah, forget that. Iowa offered a running back who was going into his sophomore year (Mekhi Sargent) in junior college last summer. This winter, the Hawkeyes saw something in VanValkenburg who saw enough in himself to graduate from Hillsdale and transfer to Iowa City.
There’s risk/reward. Before VanValkenburg even gets here, the Hawkeyes need him. The depth at defensive end went into the transfer portal or the NFL during this offseason. Iowa needs VanValkenburg.
The 6-4, 266-pounder will be on scholarship and has two years to play two. He finished 2018 with 70 tackles, 14.5 TFL and 8.5 sacks, earning defensive lineman of the year honors in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
At Iowa, VanValkenburg will be a defensive linemen, end or tackle.
“They see me primarily as a defensive end, but I am ready to play whatever position and fill whatever role that helps the team most,” VanValkenburg said.
That attitude gets VanValkenburg, an international politics major, in the door. Let’s see where it goes.
Most interesting thing from hawkeyesports.com bio: VanValkenburg didn’t get one of these, but I already mentioned international politics.
Noteworthy offers: As a starting DII defensive lineman, Rivals didn’t have a profile for VanValkenburg. This just kind of happened. 1) When does the scouting end? 2) If this works, you know there are going to be a million of these.
Depth chart in 2019?: Yes. Once VanValkenberg gets the taste for the speed and the power of the game, he’ll be fighting for a rotational role. And that is totally there for him, teed up.
Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison: Dominic Alvis. Run-stopping potential as a DE. Let’s wait on pass rush. Iowa needs its DEs to play strong against the run. Setting an edge is a thing the whole defense needs. Alvis was a sneaky-good pass rusher. I think VanValkenburg has a shot at being at least that.
My take: VanValkenburg plays like success is his oxygen. He owned Hillsdale opponents. He celebrated like he needed to sack the QB. This is where “high motor” gets dropped in. He has that. That makes me think maybe he could play inside. I love the way he flattens to the line of scrimmage against the run and pursues with a purpose.
If he hits, VanValkenburg could be like former Wisconsin edge player Vince Biegel. Big on the edge, relentless and consistent pass rush. Can he disengage from Big Ten OTs? He’ll find that out when spring practice starts in March.
You have to be ready for everything all of the time in college football recruiting.
Taajhir McCall went nearly all of recruiting without hearing from a Power Five school. Army and Navy were his top offers and that seemed to be where he was headed.
Then, during the last week of January, Iowa called and offered. The clock was running. This was just a week before signing day. Two weeks after Army’s coaching staff visited McCall, Iowa offered. The Pensacola, Fla., native committed and here he comes.
A life-changing decision made in right around two weeks.
“This is the biggest decision of my life as of right now,” McCall told HawkeyeReport.com. “I had to make sure I was comfortable where I’m going to be for the next 4-5 years and also where it will take me for the next 40 years.
“Iowa found me,” he continued. “It wasn’t an initial option, but after weighing them all, I think Iowa is the best fit. I’m glad they came around in the end.
“It’s a place where I feel comfortable playing football as well as receiving the education I need to be successful,” said McCall.
Most interesting thing from hawkeyesports.com bio: The February signees didn’t get bios. Iowa will have to work on that. Seems like a loose end.
Depth chart in 2019?: Probably not. McCall could come in and blow everyone away and need to play, but more likely, it will take some time for him to fill out his 6-4 frame. The important part is the 6-4 frame. Let’s see where it takes McCall.
Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison: Kenny Iwebema. Let’s go to the part where Iwebema wasn’t an NFL player and was a high school recruit coming out of Arlington, Texas, in 2003. He was 6-4, 223 pounds. He had more quality offers, Iowa, Michigan State and Kansas State, but there’s more similar here than dissimilar.
My take: McCall’s Hudl video shows a player thriving on natural ability. His hands are quick and he made that work for him. You’d like to see quicker disengagement. That’s something that can still happen after the high-level technical coaching happens with the Hawkeyes. McCall flies off the ball. He doesn’t look like he was asked to read and diagnose, but more just be himself on the edge and make stuff happen. This is all about getting McCall’s frame and athleticism into Iowa’s system. Intriguing prospect given the measurables.
At the end of October, things were going really good for Colten Rastetter. He was Iowa’s second-most improved element, behind the pass blocking by the O-line.
In 2017, he averaged 37.8 yards per punt. Iowa finished 13th in the Big Ten with a 38.6 average in ‘17. The was the lowest since 2013 (37.8).
Then, the first half of last season was a smash hit. Rastetter averaged 43.6 per punt through the end of October. That would’ve been No. 2 in the Big Ten at the time, but Rastetter didn’t have enough punts to make it into the league’s official stats.
And then in November things changed. Teams didn’t allow Rastetter’s rugby punts (in some cases) to land and roll.
In four November games, Rastetter averaged 35.9 yards per punt, and Iowa was in the market for a graduate-transfer punter.
And so now here’s Michael Sleep-Dalton.
You have to like and maybe love Sleep-Dalton’s chance in this. First, you don’t scholarship a graduate transfer to come in and watch. Second, at Arizona State last season, Sleep-Dalton averaged 43.8 yards per punt (59 punts), that was good enough for fourth in the Pac-12. Also last year, Sleep-Dalton had 10 punts of 50-plus yards. Rastetter had four.
This is the business of competition.
Most interesting thing from hawkeyesports.com bio: No bio.
Depth chart in 2019?: Yes. Sleep-Dalton is a “one year to play one.” He’s on campus and in competition. If he doesn’t win the job, it’s an upset and Iowa will have two punters on scholarship in 2019.
Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison: Going to hold off on this one. The punts will either be effective (I’m using the word “effective” because the definition of a good punt has changed from “Reggie Roby” to directional and hang time and all of those things that make a punt effective and don’t include the obvious word “far”) or they won’t be.
My take: The job is there for the taking, and I think Sleep-Dalton takes it. There’s some pressure. It’s only one year, but that’s punting, isn’t it? You don’t get two chances. Sleep-Dalton has made it this far. He understands the stakes and he probably knows why he’s here. | 2019-04-20T22:56:27Z | https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-football/iowa-football-freshmen-recruits-2019-class-defensive-line-profiles-analysis-michael-sleep-dalton-20190320 |
The kitchen. Yep, it’s the room that holds the refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and assorted smaller appliances. But it’s also the center around which the house revolves – a gathering place, communication center, and a warm and cozy room to receive nourishment. As such it must be spotless, sparkling and spacious. Potential homebuyers want to feel they can eat off the floor or the tops of appliances even though they would never do it.
While massive kitchen remodeling isn’t a good idea when you’re preparing to put your home on the market, replacing old, inefficient appliances may be a good idea. Not only does this make the kitchen seem updated without a lot of work, but also “new appliances” looks good on the listing.
Make sure your garbage disposal is in good working order. If it doesn’t work properly, have it fixed or replaced. You don’t have one? Have one installed. Many a cook has said that the garbage disposal is the one appliance they must absolutely have in their kitchen!
Check your sink, pipes and faucets for leaks. Replace chipped porcelain or a rusty stainless steel sink. If faucets leak, replace them with an inexpensive set with a simple design. If your faucets are in good condition, this is a good time to replace the washers to keep them from wearing out while your house is on the market.
For heavy duty plumbing issues, call a professional plumber.
Sellers need to “lighten up” when preparing their kitchens for the onslaught of potential buyers. At the very least, clean the walls until they sparkle by scrubbing them with detergent and a sponge. However, spending some extra money on a light shade of paint will make the room look fresh and clean. Paint the walls and trim. If your cabinets are dark and out of style, paint them, too. Go with neutral colours like beige or white because they make the room look bigger and brighter.
Keep rooms bright with natural sunlight and light fixtures. Keep windows clean and curtains open. Install lights over counters, food preparation areas and the stove. This is a convenient time to reset the stove clock, too. Replace light bulbs in existing fixtures and increase wattage if necessary. Allow maximum light to shine by cleaning anything the light shines through – domes, shades, chandeliers, etc.
Adding new accents instead of making major changes will save time and money. New handles on cabinets and drawers will complete their updated look. Ditch dark window treatments and replace them with an inexpensive, airy-looking valance in a pale colour. If flooring is damaged and must be replaced, opt for a simple pattern no-wax floor or neutral tile. The idea is to get the most mileage out of fewer dollars.
When the basics are completed, invest in good cleaning supplies and scrub every inch of that kitchen like it’s never been scrubbed in the house’s history. Remove magnets and everything else from the refrigerator door. In fact, clean out the inside as well. Use a sponge and antibacterial cleaner to scrub dirt, grease and food particles from the surfaces. Unless you have a self-cleaning oven, use oven cleaner to make the oven spotless inside, including the door.
Use antibacterial cleaner to clean the stovetop and any other spot you can reach. Clear off all counters in order to clean and disinfect them. Replace only the items you use every day and limit them to three.
Remember to clean small appliances before returning them to the counter or cupboard. Everything else should be packed away and stored.
If your kitchen also serves as “command central” for the family, be sure to take care of this area as well. Clean the phone with antibacterial cleaner and a paper towel. Remove outdated notes from the bulletin board or remove the entire board and store it in a closet. Sort through items in the mail organizer and throw out as much as possible and file everything else. If you can do without the organizer for awhile, clean out the letters and store it with the bulletin board. If there’s an alternate space to locate your command central, then do so. This will make the kitchen area look more organized and functional.
As long as your house is open to prospective buyers, be extra careful to keep the kitchen free of dirt and clutter. Wash and put away dishes, pots and pans after each meal.
Never, ever leave dirty dishes in the sink for others to see. Clean and store small appliances, such as food choppers, immediately after each use. Be sure to wipe down the counters and sink following each meal.
Sweep the floor daily and wipe up any spilled food as soon as it hits the tile. Give the floor a good mopping at least once a week or whenever it looks less than spotless. Keep the towel and dish cloth clean and hanging on rails. If the kitchen is put back into top shape after each use then it will eliminate frantic, last-minute efforts to clean leftover messes.
Just before prospective buyers arrive to look at the house, double-check the details. Have you turned on all the lights? Are the towels clean and hanging on a rail? Do you need to give the faucets a quick wipe? Does the garbage need to be taken outside? Everything is ready? Light a gingerbread-smelling candle, put on some soft music and wait for the doorbell to ring.
Find The Best Hiding Places Buyers Will Never Look!
What do you do when your Realtor calls and wants to show your home in say, half an hour? Jump for joy first, since someone wants to look at YOUR home, right? Then, panic. As you hang up the phone, you notice that your teenagers have been at it again…your house is CLEAN, it’s just not TIDY. Now, what do you do?
Since we all know that the first impression is important, especially if you want to sell your home in the next decade, we have a few tips that will help you quickly hide away “stuff.” But first, you have to know where the buyers are going to look, and ensure that these places are constantly tidy.
Places that buyers will look include the oven, any closets, kitchen drawers, laundry room, and the kitchen pantry. Think about it; these places give them an indication, essentially, of how much storage space there is. If they’re overflowing, the buyers will think there just isn’t enough room to store their own things, since obviously you don’t have the space.
Don’t defeat your efforts by stashing clutter in these places at the last minute, no matter how tempting it may be!
Enough of that! What you want to know is, at the last minute, where CAN you hide things?
Under the bed. It’s spacious, easy to get to, and no one in their right mind would get down on their hands and knees to look there during their first visit. In addition, kids are probably used to stashing things there anyway, and can help you.
In the washer and dryer. Who hasn’t seen the commercial where a little kid has stashed a pet in there? We don’t recommend putting your pets in there, but clothes and shoes and “stuff” can easily fit. Although buyers like to look in the laundry to see the size and neatness, they won’t be looking to see if you actually have things in there. Our caution is to let everyone in the family know that it’s a hiding place, and to never start the machines without checking the contents first.
In the refrigerator. This is risky; you know your kids are going to be in and out of the fridge – and how embarrassing would it be to have a shoe fall out? On the other hand, if you’ve just walked in from the grocery, you can certainly stash the entire grocery bag in there, until you’re ready to unpack it and put things away neatly.
Behind the couch. That is, if the couch is against the wall. We all know that things get trapped there anyway, so it could be a quick opportunity to drop a toy or wayward socks for a quick fix.
In the trunk of your car. Your garage or carport needs to be tidy. If it isn’t garbage day, yet you have bags lying around, drop them in. Skateboards and roller blades are a hazard anyway, so drop them in, too. Nobody has a right to check in your vehicle – take advantage of that fact!
Let me leave you with this quick story. My aunt, being a naturally organized person, has clothes closets organized by colour and like items, linen closets with towels and sheets stacked by size and color, and jars in her kitchen pantry with labels facing the front like a grocery store shelf.
This may seem extreme, but when she showed the house for sale, one buyer actually told her that he’d buy her home for the state of her closets alone! He believed that if she paid that much attention to a closet, that she must have taken that kind of care with the rest of her home.
Before you consider buying another home, you need to find out how much homes are selling for in today’s market, so you can make your plans based on the most up-to-date information available.
Now you can do that for free over the phone in just a couple of minutes.
Just call me a call at 647.448.6106 or email me at [email protected] with some basic information about the kind of house you’re looking for and areas you’d like to know about.
When we get the information, we’ll prepare a report for you that shows the most current market activity in any area you choose (including all the homes that are currently on the market – even if it’s out of town).
You’ve found your dream home, so you’ll make an acceptable offer and live happily ever after...unless another buyer beats you to the punch!
In a competitive marketplace, this can not only happen, but can potentially have a far greater impact than any negotiating gambit the seller would hurl your way. Yet, more buyers erroneously fear the seller more than they do other competing buyers!
That’s why it’s important to make sure your offer strategy includes a strong stance against other potential buyers and their offers. There are several factors that make buyer competition a threat in today’s real estate market.
First, in a competitive market with relatively few quality properties available, “dream home” category houses will become hot properties – often as soon as the for sale is planted in the yard.
Most buyers want to purchase a home that requires very little fix-up. They comment, “I want to bring in my toothbrush and immediately set up housekeeping.” And to obtain these turnkey benefits, buyers are willing to pay a premium.
That can translate into not only a full-price offer, but one that exceeds the seller’s listed price.
In an active market, timing is everything.
In the good old days, you might have the luxury of viewing a home several times – even dragging your relatives to see it... before you actually made an offer.
“He/she who hesitates is lost” aptly explains buyers who dally to make a buying decision today. And don’t forget that being pre-approved for a loan has leveled the playing field for a majority of buyers. If they’re all equally qualified financially, the best offer (as interpreted by the seller) gets the property.
So, what can you do to arm yourself to the teeth with added value to capture a seller and counteract offers from other buyers?
First, make sure you’re financially pre-approved by a Lender for the loan you’ll need and be prepared to document this fact to a seller if requested.
Be honest with the seller about your interest in purchasing the property. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t negotiate a fair purchase; but it also doesn’t mean that you’ll act nonchalant and noncommittal either. Sellers often choose one buyer’s offer over another based on the level of personal interest and commitment the buyer appears to have to the seller’s home.
Lastly, make sure you fully communicate the desired outcome to the real estate consultant you’re working with. The consultant will then evaluate the best tack to take in terms of price, purchase terms, and negotiating tactics to help you realize that goal.
The next time you’re inclined to wonder what evil trick the seller might be up to, better look behind you first...to see if other buyers are trying to pull the rug out from under your dream home!
We’ve all heard the horror stories about movers who didn’t deliver (literally) what they’d promised, or the priceless vase from Great Aunt Edna that got broken in a move. Here are seven things to help you find the best mover that you can.
Identify only licensed, insured, and bonded moving companies.
Think about what you’re moving. What is it worth to you to know that it will get to your new home safe and sound? Licensed, insured, and bonded companies take the extra step to ensure that your things get to your new home, because they’re held responsible if they don’t.
Ask for estimates from two to three companies.
Shop and compare prices. Invite a mover’s representative to inspect the contents of your home.
They should be able to tell you how long the move will take, what it’ll cost, and the size of the truck you’ll need. Long-distance moves can cost anywhere between $3,000 and $10,000. This is a large investment, so treat it like you would any other – and shop around.
Be sure of what you’re buying. Typically, movers charge by weight and mileage. If you can get a flat rate, you’ll probably be better off. Get definite dates (in writing) of when the contents of your home will be picked up AND delivered.
Declare the value of the contents of your home with the mover before you move. Otherwise, your furnishings will be valued at $1.25 per pound as a lump sum. This means that a truckload containing the contents of your home that weight 3,000 pounds is only worth $3,750. Heaven forbid that it should happen – but could you replace the things you need for that amount? This is why declaring the value and adding extra protection are so important in ensuring your sanity during your move.
Stay with them as they inspect, pack, fill out the inventory, and weigh the contents of your home. The weight is particularly important because this is used to figure the final cost in most long-distance moves.
Creditworthiness is your history of borrowing and repaying against things like loans, credit cards, rent, and whether you’ve ever filed for bankruptcy. Find out what credit bureau the Lender uses, then call or go online for a copy of your credit report. This is to make sure that there are no errors or surprises that you’ll have to explain to the Lender. If there are mistakes, it can take a few months to resolve, so it’s good to have a compelling explanation ready when the Lender sees it! The best way to demonstrate that you are “creditworthy” is to pay your bills in full and on time, particularly for the year or two before you want to get a loan.
Lenders want to know that you have a history of sufficient and consistent income – so that you’ll be able to repay the loan. So, when you submit your paperwork to a Lender, make sure to take a letter verifying your employment (how long and what your salary is), your last couple of paychecks, and your last couple of T4 forms.
So, when you’re calling around looking for the best rates, make sure and ask what the APR is on each loan you’re being told about!
When you get a mortgage, there are three important terms for you to remember.
I’ve combined these three terms here because they’re related, and you’ll understand them better if I explain them together.
Interest Rate: “Interest Rates” are the price that Lenders charge for the use of their money. So, when interest rates are high, it’s because Lenders are charging you more to use their money right now.
Again, it’s a trade-off between now and later. Lenders are only going to give you so much money to use over the next 15 to 30 years (the life of your mortgage). They work backwards from that figure using interest rates.
If you have a higher interest rate, you have less money to spend now. If you have a lower interest rate, you have more money to spend now.
When you hear the word “points,” what do you think of? Maybe points in a football game? Maybe a test score?
Well, some smart person in the mortgage industry started using the word “points” to mean 1% of your entire loan amount, that you get to pay up front, as a fee for certain things.
So let’s say your mortgage is for $200,000. One “point” would mean $2,000.
Now I’ll tell you about the third term and how it relates to the first two.
APR: “APR” stands for “Annual Percentage Rate.” That sounds friendly, too, doesn’t it?
The APR is what you get when you add the interest rate, the points, and all of the other fees together and then calculate what the loan will cost you each year, based on all of the fees added together.
Have you ever been driving through a neighbourhood and all of the sudden a Pepto Bismal pink house shocks you out of a daydream? Did you notice anything other than the colour – the lush green lawn or the squeaky clean entry way, perhaps? Of course not. You were probably too busy gawking at the colour.
Colour is a powerful thing. Red is stimulating, which is why you don’t see too many school rooms painted this colour. Dark blue is relaxing. Yellow reminds us of sunlight, so it has a tendency to evoke cheerful feelings. Green encourages peacefulness and stability. Colours can remind us of certain people, specific places or times in our lives – some good, some bad. When preparing your home to put it up for sale, one thing you don’t want to do is evoke the wrong feelings. It’s best to play it safe and opt for neutral, reflective colours like white or ivory for the interior. White, light grey and tan work well for the exterior.
Use of colour is a great way to create optical illusions that are effective in downplaying a home’s shortcomings. For instance, using lighter colours will make a small space seem larger. Conversely, if you wish a room to look smaller, then paint it a warmer colour. If a room is long and narrow, paint the walls at either end a dark, warm colour like deep brown or green. This will draw the ends to the center of the room, giving it more of a square look. To lower a ceiling that’s too high, paint it a darker colour – coffee tones, greys, or dark green. Just make sure the room is light enough to handle the darker colours.
To make a low ceiling appear higher, paint the walls a darker colour than the ceiling. Busy walls with areas chopped up by radiators, doors, vents and windows make a room look smaller. Paint the room in a flat tone, including the radiator, doors, vents and casement, and these negative features will blend into the room. Colour allows one to make the best of a home’s not-so-great features.
Many experts favor paint over wallpaper, but there are times when wallpaper may be the best choice. Use wallpaper if it covers a cosmetic problem or if it adds to the home’s historic charm. Exercise caution and self restraint, though, and stay away from large or loud patterns, strong colours and unusual designs. Vertical stripes make a room seem taller and hallways shorter.
Horizontal stripes make a room look wider and hallways longer. Regardless of the design flaw being camouflaged, it’s best to keep wallpaper as nondescript as possible.
Generally, the rule is to keep walls, ceilings and floors neutral and add colours with accent items. Temporary splashes of colour can be added with all types of fabrics – area rugs, table cloths, napkins, sofa cushions, window curtains, bed spreads and quilts.
Kitchens can be spiced up with canisters, dish towels, framed prints, curtains, window blinds, wallpaper boarders and green plants. Just be sure to keep the plants watered. Give pizzazz to bathrooms with matching towel sets, bath mats, shower curtains, toilet seats, decorative hand soaps, silk flowers, curtains, blinds and wall hangings. In bedrooms, throw in colour through comforters or quilts, sheets, window treatments, area rugs, and plants or flowers. Just keep in mind that these items are to enhance the look of the house; they’re not to add clutter or make a statement. You want the house to speak for itself.
Purchase a new door mat to give the front door area a fresh look.
Have at least three quotes done on costly repairs so you can select the most economical company for the job.
All repair work can be negotiated. Don’t be afraid to ask for a better deal.
To create a spacious feeling in the house, turn on lights in every room.
Use the proper type of paint for each surface you need to cover. Kitchen and bathrooms require paint that can withstand heat and moisture. Consult a professional at a paint store for advice.
Create an information booklet containing property tax statements; records of maintenance, service work, warranty work and improvements made to the house; utility bills; and warranties for the roof, pool, spa, electrical systems and major appliances.
Immediately before showing the house, make the home inviting by cleaning windows, opening the drapes, turning on lights and playing soft music.
Keep under-the-bed storage containers handy for last minute clean up. Fill them with clutter and shove them out of sight.
Light a couple of lightly scented candles to give a feeling of warmth and add a nice aroma.
Have an ultimate scenario of where you’re trying to be. What will life be like when you get there? How will it be better than where you are now? Dwell on that picture and write it out, fill up at least a page about how it feels in the new place. This is imperative.
Having the goal in front of you at all times energizes you to achieve it, in spite of setbacks and frustrations. Emotions will run high and you need an anchor. You must focus on that future goal when anxiety threatens to get the better of you.
In your monetary calculations, overestimate by a thousand dollars. In this market, anything can happen between contract acceptance and closing. It could be the inspections reveal areas of concern that the seller is unwilling to fix or the repair costs are higher than the amount limited in the contract.
Or the interest rate changes which affects the necessary down payment and closing costs you’ll need to come up with. As your real estate team, we’ll strive to tie up loose ends as quickly as possible, but remember there is no perfect world. Most buyers feel a bit overwhelmed when taking on a new mortgage and the responsibilities of a new home.
We’ve seen many buyers get angry when it seems like the cost just keeps going up. Anger is caused when reality doesn’t match up with the expectations you had in your mind. If you anticipate this happening in advance, you won’t get angry. In fact, it’ll probably go better than you expected.
There’s just so much to do, it’s easy to panic. You wonder if it will ever work out. In fact, when we bought our house, we couldn’t eat for a day, we felt so sick to our stomachs! You think you’re taking a big chance, but the truth is you’re giving yourself a big chance.
Even though you can’t see every step of the way, as you move towards your goals, the way opens up. We know that you haven’t moved in a long time and it’s a major upheaval in your life. But we’ve been there many times before, and we’ll be looking out for you. Trust that we know the way to get you there.
One thing you’ll probably feel during this transition time is being out of control. It feels like everyone else has taken over your life. The seller, your Lender, the appraiser, the inspectors, all have the power to say yes or no to your moving plans.
We’ll try our best to let you know ahead of time what your expenses will be, and what the unknowns are. We’ll tie down the loose ends as soon as possible. We’ll try to get your loan approved within a reasonable time frame. We’ll educate you as best we can and let you in “behind the scenes” so you won’t ever feel stupid or out of control.
Whenever you’re ready to start looking at homes, you may want to take advantage of our FREE HomeFinder Service, where our computers will search and match your exact wants and needs with ALL the new homes that come on the market each day.
Our HomeFinder Service is perfect for when you’re starting to look at homes, and you want to find out about NEW listings as soon as they come on the market.
If you’d like more information on our free HomeFinder Service, just call me at 647.339.7721 or email me at [email protected] and I’ll help you any way I can.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re getting ready to put your home on the real estate market. After all, a plethora of books have been devoted to the subject, and each one has a to-do list that could intimidate even the most organized of sellers. Take heart, though, because many experts agree on five relatively inexpensive repairs or renovations that won't blow your budget to bits or cause your stress level to skyrocket. They will, however, enable you to sell your home more quickly and get top dollar for it. Take a deep breath, relax, and know that these suggestions will make your experience a bit easier.
Before you pick up the first paint brush, carpet swatch, or bag of mulch, reach for the scrub brush and cleaning solution – or hire a cleaning service.The first order of business is to give your house an in-depth cleaning. This means scrubbing ceilings, floors and everything in between them, inside and out. A trip to your local discount store can yield adequate cleaning solutions, scrub brushes, sponges, mops and anything else you need to make your home sparkle. And once it’s sparkling, you’re all set to work your way down this list!
Many experts rate painting the house inside and out right up there with cleaning on the importance scale. Usually the cost of the paint is lower than the value a paint job adds to the house.
This even holds true if you opt to hire a professional to do it, which may be a good idea since it would get done more quickly and with less mess. Either way, opt for light, neutral colours such as white or beige and paint every room the same colour.
These colours appeal to more people, enhance the light in the rooms, make space seem larger, and give continuity to the house. Use a flat finish on walls and a washable high gloss finish in a complimentary colour for the doors and woodwork. Don’t forget to paint the ceilings, which get dirty and appear darker over time. A painted room will still look dreary if the ceiling is neglected. After deep cleaning your house, painting is the next step in preparing your home for the scrutiny of potential buyers.
Think your carpet looks okay and needn’t be replaced? Think again. Most experts agree that carpet should be replaced if it’s over a year old. Take out worn, dated or outlandish-coloured carpet and replace it with a tight weave in a neutral colour like white or beige. Lighter colours will make the room appear larger. Carpet needn’t be expensive to improve the look of the house, be attractive to a buyer, and pay for itself with a higher selling price.
Putting some time and effort into landscaping your property goes a long way towards improving the home’s curb appeal (the first impression a prospective buyer has when he pulls up to the house.) With landscaping there’s a direct trade-off between time and money. You get more for your money when you have the time to plant grass seed instead of sod or purchase smaller plants and let them grow into maturity. Sod costs more but is instantly green. Seeds cost less but take more time. An inexpensive way to add colour to the yard is to clear out dead foliage or grass and replace it with flowering plants. Make sure you add some fresh topsoil and mulch around the flower beds. Don’t forget to prune shrubs so they stay healthy, and mulch around them to stave off weeds. After putting effort into improving the landscaping, remember to maintain it with regular watering, fertilizer and edging.
While we’re talking about curb appeal, it’s time to mention the importance of your driveway. It is, after all, what the buyers will see when they first arrive! While a good driveway isn’t likely to evoke exclamations of joy, a bad driveway creates an initial bad impression that will have to be reversed. It’s better to repair the driveway. Buyers will see oil and rust stains, broken pieces and cracks, so it’s best to clean and repair as much as possible.
Commercial cleaners and bleach work well on cement driveways and are readily available at discount or home improvement stores. Areas that are cracked can be cut away and repoured without replacing the entire driveway. If your driveway is asphalt, putting down a new coat of tar or resealing the black top gives it a clean look. Brick driveways should be carefully examined for loose and broken bricks; replace any that are broken, make sure all the bricks are in alignment, and spray weed killer between them.
The front door is the entrance into what could be the prospective buyers’ new home so it needs to be clean, in good repair and inviting in appearance. Often, a new hardwood door – which can run between $1,000 to over $2,000 – can upgrade the entire appearance of the entryway, giving it a stately look. However, if nothing else, give the door a good scrubbing and a couple coats of paint.
Fix squeaky or sticky hinges, make sure door knobs work well, double check the doorbell and replace light bulbs. It doesn’t hurt to put out a new welcome mat and add a potted plant for colour – you want to beckon visitors to come inside your sparkling clean home!
There are some simple things you can and should be doing right now to make sure you’ll get the highest price in the least amount of time.
If you’re going to be selling your house in the next 6 to 12 months, a free “Room-by-Room Review” is the perfect first step and will give you a head start on which projects or fix-ups will give you the best return on your investment.
The review shows you the most important things you can do now to prepare for your move.
Just give me a call at 647.448.6106 or email me at [email protected] and we can arrange a time to get together.
Fix or replace damaged flooring, such as torn linoleum, scratched hardwood floors or cracked tiles. If you can't afford to replace damaged or worn floors, consider offering the buyer an allowance for renovation. Polyurethane or varnishing the wood floors will make them look like new.
Fix any drains, faucets or plumbing fixtures that aren't operating.
Fixes can range from replacing a faucet washer to buying a new toilet, reglazing the bathtub may be another option instead of buying a new one.
Fill and paint any cracks or holes in the walls (You may need to repaint entire walls to mask such repairs).
Replace burned out bulbs and broken electrical sockets.
Most agents will want you to turn on all the lights before a showing.
Replace or fix broken stairs.
Fix any creaks as well.
Replace old locks and doorknob.
Make it easy for a buyer to walk in or look at rooms or closets.
Fix any doors that don't open easily, including the garage door.
If your garage door opener doesn't work, repair or replace it.
1. Replace cracked windows and torn screens.
Don't let your house be shown with the equivalent of a black eye.
2. Fix cracks in the driveway and entry walkway, and clean up stains.
If the driveway requires major repair, it may be preferable to offer the buyer an allowance for the work.
Replace broken gutters or missing downspouts.
A good drainage, it's "key" to passing a home inspection.
5. Replace or fix broken stairs or steps.
It's a matter of both safety and aesthetics. Plus the possibility of a lawsuit is always important to keep in mind.
Reseal the deck and repair broken boards.
A new coat of sealer can spruce up a fading deck.
Replace shingles and tack down loose flashing. If the roof is old, you may want to replace it and adjust your sales price accordingly.
For more information about selling your home, please do not hesitate to contact us.
The 6 Secrets to SOLD in 60 Days(or less)!
In the current economic environment, bad news is everywhere. If you listen long enough, you just might believe it. Have you heard that homes aren’t selling? Have you heard that no matter what, there are no buyers out there? Both of these statements are categorically FALSE. Homes sell every single day, and some surprisingly fast. Below is a list of the 6 secrets that most home sellers don’t know about selling their home (and if they do know, then they aren’t implementing).
CONDITION, CONDITION, CONDITION! I mean it. No, I REALLY mean it. You must be willing to invest some time and money into getting your home in perfect showing condition. Take down the 1970’s flowered wallpaper. Install new neutral carpet. Get your trophies off the wall and put away. Clean out your closets. Clean out your cabinets. The goal is to make the potential homebuyers see THEMSELVES in the home and not you. It is worth a financial investment in hiring a professional home stager to come in to consult on the condition of your home. When you hire The Property Savvy Team of Century 21 Millennium Inc. to consult on the sale of your home, we will reimburse you for the cost of our home stager once your home is sold and closed. Additionally, we offer a 100% Free Service called a Room by Room Review. Give us a call and we can come out to help you.
ACCESS, ACCESS, ACCESS! Again, I am serious about this. If there are any hurdles to giving a buyer access to see your home, they may not be interested in buying it. Qualified buyers should be able to see your home from 9am to 8pm seven days a week with at most a one hour notice. If you have animals, they should take a vacation at a friends’ or family member’s home. (It’ll only be for 60 days, right?) You should NOT be home. A huge mistake home sellers make is trying to “Sell” their home to the potential buyers. Buying a home is an emotional and personal thing. Leave it up to your listing broker to inform the buyers and their agent of the features that make your home stand out. When you hire The Property Savvy Team of Century 21 Millennium Inc. to consult on the sale of your home, we take extra precautions to make sure that only qualified buyers and their agents have access to your home. Additionally, we create professional material to be displayed inside your home that highlights the features that can help the buyers make the decision to make your home their home.
EXPOSURE, EXPOSURE, EXPOSURE! This is not just about the 3 P’s that most agents do when they list your home… “Put it in the MLS, Plop a sign in the ground, and Pray that it sells.” Your home must be exposed to every single person that it might appeal to. This means a focused, intensive, leave-no-stone-unturned strategy to expose your home to the homebuyers out there. This multi-tiered strategy must include signage, email marketing, direct mail, the MLS, brokerage tours, massive web presence, social media, video, flyers, networking, toll free recordings, and numerous additional strategies. When you hire The Property Savvy Team of Century 21 Millennium Inc. to consult on the sale of your home, you will enjoy a comprehensive exposure package that is second to none in the industry; a package that allows us to sell over 5 times as many homes as the average REALTOR® in the area.
COMMUNICATION & FLEXIBILITY! When all of the buyers and/or their agents have come through your home, they all have opinions. It is important to find out what their opinion is and if it is important to sell your home. For example, if two or three possible buyers feel that the carpet is old or is dirty, perhaps you need to be flexible enough to either change it or clean it. So there are two steps here, first you must know what the buyer’s and their opinions are and second, you must be willing to react. When you hire The Property Savvy Team of Century 21 Millennium Inc. to consult on the sale of your home, you can feel confident that we work hard to get feedback from every buyer who comes through the home. We email the buyer’s agent for FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS with questions about their opinion on your home. If we receive the feedback, you will know instantaneously via email what their opinion is (and if there is something you can do about it).
MASTER THE MARKET DATA How many homes are you competing against? How long are homes taking to sell? How much are homes selling for and what percentage of list price are they getting? What is the current economic environment both nationally and in your local market? How many months supply of inventory are there? These are all very important questions that need answers because you don’t sell your home in a bubble. There are so many different factors that affect your home and you need to understand all of them. For example, if a massive employer in your market suddenly goes out of business, many of your neighbors are out of work and may need to move to find new employment or they may begin to struggle to make their monthly payments if they can’t find a new local job in short order. In either scenario, the collapse of the local employer affects the salability of your home. When you hire The Property Savvy Team of Century 21 Millennium Inc. to consult on the sale of your home, you can expect a report that provides all of this information to you in a clear and concise format. Additionally, we are going to help you decipher this information and figure out how this translates into a strategy to get your home SOLD in 60 days or less.
Figure out how many similar homes sell a month on average.
Figure out exactly how many homes you would be competing against.
Figure out what the condition of the competition is.
Be priced within the number of homes that sell a month.
House #1 priced at $329,000 in excellent shape.
House #2 priced at $335,000 not in good shape.
House #3 priced at $339,000 but on a main road.
House #4 priced at $339,000 in excellent shape.
House #5 priced at $345,000 in good shape.
House #6 priced at $349,000 in excellent shape.
Where do you price your home? The answer is at $339,000 but absolutely under $345,000. Why? Because 3 homes are going to sell in the next 30 days approximately. House #1 is going to sell due to price and condition. House #2 and #3 are not going to sell because they have issues with either location or condition. House #4 is going to sell. Now, you need to be next in line because 3 homes are going to sell this month. By being priced at $339,000 but no higher then $345,000, you’ll sell.
When you hire The Property Savvy Team of Century 21 Millennium Inc. to consult on the sale of your home, you can expect this analysis of pricing and your competition. This is information that most sellers and their agents NEVER even think about and we’ve got it for you! Additionally, we will go further into the pricing strategy to maximize every possible dollar that you deserve!
THE PROPERTY SAVVY TEAM OF CENTURY 21 MILLENNIUM INC.
BONUS: By requesting a Free Report, you will automatically be signed up to receive our monthly “Home Seller Newsletter” it is bursting with information about staging your home and simple tips and tricks to make your home show in its best light when it is time to sell.
DID YOU KNOW the LONGER your home is on the market the less it will sell for?
You deserve to be SOLD in 60 days or less, do you not?
Are you wondering how the GTA real estate market is doing? Below you will find helpful information from the Toronto Real Estate Board.
February 4, 2015 -- Toronto Real Estate Board President Paul Etherington announced a strong start to 2015, with robust year-over-year sales and average price growth in January. Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 4,355 home sales through the TorontoMLS system during the first month of the year. This result represented a 6.1 per cent increase over January 2014. During the same period, new listings were up by 9.5 per cent.
"The January results represented good news on multiple fronts. First, strong sales growth suggests home buyers continue to see housing as a quality long-term investment, despite the recent period of economic uncertainty. Second, the fact that new listings grew at a faster pace than sales suggests that it has become easier for some people to find a home that meets their needs," said Mr. Etherington.
The average selling price for January 2015 home sales was up by 4.9 per cent year-overyear to $552,575. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite benchmark was up by 7.5 percent compared to January 2014.
"Home price growth is forecast to continue in 2015. Lower borrowing costs will largely mitigate price growth this year, which means affordability will remain in check. The strongest rates of price growth will be experienced for low-rise home types, including singles, semis and town houses. However, robust end-user demand for condo apartments will result in above-inflation price growth in the high-rise segment as well," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Director of Market Analysis. | 2019-04-25T10:42:20Z | http://www.propertysavvy.ca/Blog |
Nowadays, a lot of hotels, both midrange and high-end ones, tend to make use of online booking systems to allow their customers to order a room way before they even set foot inside the hotel. This is yet another instance where using modern technology has made our life easier: in fact, hotels now encourage their clients to rely more on online reservation systems, with some hotels forcibly making it the only way to reserve one of their rooms. There are valid reasons behind this course of action, almost all of them being associated with the way in which online reservation systems provide advantages over booking rooms in a conventional manner.
Online reservations are now mostly automated processes, which means that they eliminate a lot of human errors that may have occurred if the hotel stuck out with a conventional method of room reservation. Ultimately, this improves the customer experience, as it prevents delays and various other inconveniences caused by incorrect room assignments.
With an automated process in place, hotels can save money by reducing the number of staff required to be present at the reception counter. This, in turn, can also be enjoyed by the customer: you will see that online reservations often allow you to book the same room for a much lower amount of money.
With online reservation systems, both hotel staff and employees can enjoy several significant advantages that should not be undermined. For example, clients can get to go on a virtual tour of the room and even the hotel itself, thereby allowing them to inspect the room before booking it to see whether it truly fits with their requirements. Hotel staff can also use this to their advantage in order to arrange a room in the same exact way that their customer requests from them.
Hotels seldom post about their online reservation system without at least including some sort of perk or additional benefit to their customers who make use of this service. Common giveaways include vouchers or free passes for luxurious Vientiane bars and clubs, heavily discounted meals or even cheaper air tickets.
Finally, let’s just say that online reservation systems make the process of booking a hotel room so easy that you can do it all from the comfort of your own home. It would really be a waste if you were to not make use of such straightforward methods for booking a hotel room, seeing as there is no guarantee that the hotel you have chosen may become full once you finally arrive at your destination several hours or days later.
Everyone likes to go on holiday and breakaway from their daily routine even for a few days. An overseas holiday is usually a dream for most of the people. There are many reasons why many of us do not get a chance to go on holidays as often as we want. The main reason for this is that overseas holidays tend to be more expensive compared to other holidays. Purchasing airline tickets seems to be a nightmare. However, there are many things you can do in order to make sure that you purchase affordable tickets. Following are some of the things you can do to purchase cheap air tickets.
One of the most effective ways to purchase a ticket is to purchase tickets online. You will be able to find various online search engines where you can purchase tickets with various prices which allows you to compare and pick the cheapest option available. These websites also offer various bundle packages which allows you to book hotels in your preferred destination. For instance, if you want to book north Male Atoll resorts, you will be able to do so while booking your air tickets. This is a great way to make sure that you are able to find the perfect accommodation to fit your budget. Purchasing online is one of the most effective ways to ensure that you get the cheapest offer as it provides you the ability to compare and pick the price that fits your budget. Therefore, when you are on the look-out for flight tickets, make sure that you go online.
Another way you can buy a cheap air ticket is by grabbing seasonal promotions. Some airlines put out amazing offers where they provide extremely low prices for various destinations. If you are able to save up and by making use of these promotions, you will be able to enjoy an experience in the best spa in Maldives or any other destination of your choice. Therefore, if you have a plan to travel overseas, keep an eye on airline promotions.
Most people book their air tickets early because it is common knowledge that the closer you get to your travel date, the more expensive the air ticket prices will be. In order to book ahead, you need to make sure that you make proper travel plans way ahead of time. Therefore, you need to make sure that you plan ahead to ensure that you get the prices that the airlines has to offer.
Therefore, the above are some of the ways you can purchase cheap airline tickets.
You might be quite fond of helping people out in terms volunteering services locally. But when it comes to opportunities out of the country, the situation is completely different. This difference puts us a situation where we have many things to consider before confirming your admission to such a thing.
Here are 3 of them for you to choose the most suitable job!
If you signed up to teach molecular biology, you have to teach molecular biology. Otherwise the whole process is going to be useless. Having a good understanding about what you have to deliver is very important. For an example, in a typical elephant Thailand volunteer program, there is a very specific procedure that you have to follow. After all, it’s taking care of elephants. Sometimes your skill set just might not be enough to facilitate the requirements. Accepting the responsibility being unfit for the job can be problematic. But if you had a good idea on what to do exactly, you will be at least be able to fix it beforehand.
Are you benefitted in any way?
Volunteering is all about giving. Being benefited in terms of experience is the only thing that you can and should expect. If you’re a medical student, the success of your career depends on the experience that you attain. When you have chosen a great medical internship abroad undergraduates are allowed to learn more than just the subject matter. Especially in a country like Thailand where there is a rich diversity in several aspects, spending time while being at the service of innocent will be such a noble act. There are several areas in the country that are very short of medical services and staff that you can be helpful at.
The extent of your internet based research isn’t enough, you probably need to listen to a few who has undergone the same job before to get the most realistic picture. This will help you to be prepared than the most, and serve well because of that. It could be on how to adapt the climate or so, being aware of the experience of the ex-volunteers is essential. That is the proper way to do your research when preparing.
Although your ultimate motive is to help those who need help, you need to make sure that you are well aware of number of things before making decisions. That way you can be less frustrated and serve those are helpless in the best way.
Make sure that you are always open to doing new things. When you are open to doing something new you will make your life more exciting. If you do the same things over and over again your life will become predictable and boring. A lot of people hate change so trying something new can be more difficult for some people. People who hate change should try and change their feelings towards it because this can stop them from experiencing a lot of wonderful things in their life. When you try out something new it can change your life forever.
When you do something new you can make wonderful memories for yourself. You may make memories that will last a life time. If you want to make wonderful memories by doing something new you should try out travelling if you have never done this before. When you travel you will experience a lot of different things. If you are looking for beach hostel to stay in while you are travelling you should look for ones which are clean. This will make you enjoy your experiences even more.
If you decide to stay at a hostel Bangkok near BTS you should make sure that they clean the rooms for you. This way you know that they make cleaning a priority. This means that you will also be able to concentrate on your travelling more.
You should definitely try out new things if you do the same things over and over again in life and you still have not found something you are passionate about. When you try out something new you may fall in love with the new things that you do. You may find an interest in your new activities and you may feel very happy when you are doing this activity.
Finding something that you are passionate about can be very hard but it is also a very important thing to do. When you find your passion make sure that you don’t let go for it. Make sure that you pursue your passion because if you pursue your passion you will wake up every day with a smile on your face. A lot of people find it hard to figure out what their passion is but even more people find it hard to pursue their passion once they find out what they are passionate about. When people do something they are passionate about they tend to push themselves which helps them become better at what they do.
Be kind, compassionate and loyal to one another but don’t ever subsume your personal identity as an individual for the sake of the relationship. After all, that’s what attracted you to each other in the first place, right? Most people follow a set routine when they go to a foreign country. They check their guidebooks and begin sightseeing, they do all the touristy things that they are expected to, they take a lot of pictures and selfies, they try some of the local food and they will purchase gifts and souvenirs for the good folk waiting back home.
If you can afford to do so, you can experience the best of what the country has to offer you: hotels near Erawan Shrine Bangkok. Avoid the ones that belong to international chains and instead check into the local luxury establishments. When resorts are not trying to conform to international uniformity standards, they can be mad creative and culturally expressive. Each country has their own unique brand of hospitality so if you are nervous about trying new things for the first time (such as the local food for instance), the sanitized versions that most establishments offer will be a great way to ease into it. You can always come back to the country for a different experience another time.
This is a portmanteau of volunteer and tourism and is a great way to get to know small communities instead of only seeing a bigger picture usually mandated by a tourism department. There are plenty of onsen Bangkok http://www.grandecentrepointhotels.com/grande-centre-point-hotel-sukhumvit55/ and other groups running community development programmes for which they need muscle and brain. Many young people join these programmes, especially over the summer, in order to travel the world and make a meaningful impact at the same time. However, be careful about the programmes you join and research them thoroughly before you do so. Apart from the physical risks you run, voluntourism can actually hurt some of the people involved in the programme. For instance, child advocate groups are now trying to stop voluntourism because it causes too much emotional trauma for the children to bond with and then say good bye to the volunteers.
Drink plenty of water – you already know how important it is to keep your body hydrated. Apart from making you look good, it also helps you body be more active. This means your tasks will be performed easier, and you’ll feel less tired and irritable once you’re done. Sipping on water when your mind is confused or spiraling towards anger can also help you deal with it.
Teach yourself to cook – yes, we are very serious. Teaching yourself to cook can definitely change your life, as it helps you be healthier. It’s also very relaxing and a great family bonding activity. Teaching yourself to cook also gives you a sense of independency; as it counts as a survival skill.
Do something that scares you – it can be anything at all. Something small; something that’ll mean something to you. Try an adventure sport with a friend: enroll for a diving course or try zip lining. Who knows, you may get over your fear and even come to find it worth pursuing!
Reach out to distanced relatives – may be your fears have nothing to do with scuba diving or jumping off plains. Maybe it’s facing the family that you’ve lost contact with for years. Reconnecting with open water course old friends and relatives can make a change in your life; opening you up for possibilities.
Start your retirement fund – even if you’re in your early 20s. knowing that you’re slowly but steadily saving up for a more comfortable retirement will provide you with a sense of security. It will also motivate you to work harder, and also give you’re the strength to take risks. You can do other things to “save” for your retirement as well; like exercising and strengthening you body or making memories to strengthen your mental health.
Teach yourself that it’s important to live for today as well – while it’s important that you think and plan for the future, it’s also very important that you live for today. Tell yourself it’s ok to buy that shoe, or eat that cake; and you definitely deserve taking a day off occasionally to pamper yourself…!
When traveling to a different country, trying out the various types of food and getting into the local cuisine can make a holiday really special. Those who are more adventurous when it comes to trying new foods will especially enjoy what new destinations have to offer. Tasting local delicacies and traditional, authentic food will give tourists the chance to try the kinds of food they might not get back at home -which can create an interesting experience.
Getting online is one of the best way to find out about new or popular places to dine at. If you know people who have previously traveled to the destination you are visiting, do get their recommendations on what places to try out – and what places you might want to avoid. You can also check out menus of an eating outlet before a visit, so that you can get a better idea of the prices and what type of food they serve. Click here for restaurants in Pattaya.
If you are wondering where to stay, you can a try a local home stay experience as well for a few days and then stay at a hotel of your choice later on. Experiencing the local cuisine is something that culinary enthusiasts cannot miss out on, and in some countries home-cooked meals are a big part of the culture as well. Some hotels might also have authentic dining experiences for guests so that they can have a cultural experience.
When trying out hotels in Pattaya Beach Road, try to order something that you would normally never have – or read up about the different kinds of dishes that must be tried before making your trip. While you don’t need to force yourself into trying unusual dishes, stepping out of your comfort zone just a bit will give you a memorable experience before you leave to go back home. You can try signing up for a food tour after doing some online research – there are several interesting food tours available around the world that are great for food enthusiasts.
Another great step can include signing up for a cooking class to make some popular traditional dishes – which is ideal for food enthusiasts or travelers who want to try something new. Tourists can learn to make traditional foods or snacks by applying for short cooking workshops or programs that might be available in the country that they are visiting. It is an engaging experience where you can learn some new things about food and culture.
You must strive to stay for at least half of the day. Make sure that you do get the best benefit out of the overall experience as much as possible. This will help you make gain the most out of the experience. You must make sure that you do savor the moment. There are some which will also have great food items and beverages for you to sip on. Do look at the quality of the hotels in luang prabang with swimming pool before you do sign up for a treatment.
You must strive to book as many reservations as possible with your friends. This will help you obtain larger discounts at more affordable prices https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spa. Do sign up for manicure and pedicure with your loves ones if possible. Make sure that you do read the several instructions on the cancellation policies before you do decide to book a place. Some places might charge as twice as much for certain cancellations.
You must strive to reserve a spa package as early as possible. This way you can enjoy the overall value much better. Do ask the therapists any questions you might have. Do look to book appointments with several of your travel buddies. If you prefer you can even sign up for a couple’s therapy which will help you and your loved ones enjoy a massage. Make sure that you do book a best spa in the area as much as possible.
You must look to book your holiday with a reputable agent in the area. You must make sure that the agent is one of a kind. He or She must be geared towards your needs. You can even look for an agent in the area that you do like. Remember that the process of looking for a reputable agent can take time and energy. You will have to be well geared for the process ahead.
Purchasing real estate of any kind is a massive decision and an investment that requires a large amount of consideration. While there are a number of things that you will need to look at as a potential buyer, such as the return that you will be able to get out of the investment in the long run, you will want to be sure that the house that you are planning to purchase will not only suit you and your family’s needs. You will also want to make sure that you make the right decision when it comes to the kind of housing you are looking to purchase. Although houses with a garden space used to show the highest preference among potential buyers, the sales of apartments and condos have shown a rise in the current trend in real estate. If you are one of those individuals who are looking forward to purchasing a house and you aren’t sure why choosing a condo is a god idea, here are some benefits of choosing this option.
Most apartment and condominium developments are set up in a convenient location that can be easily reached. In addition to this feature, you will not have any problem when it comes to finding a place to park your vehicle. You will find that there is pre-assigned parking spots for each home owner. The location in which most new developments that have condo for sale Bangkok are sue to be close to parks, bus stops train stations and in addition to this, they have a host of other amenities.
When compared with the overall price of a condo for rent in Bangkok know more at http://www.theagent.co.th/, there is a higher chance that you will and up paying less for an investment that will give you a higher return when compared with a house. Taking both options into perspective, once you purchase a house, there is a good chance that you will need to do a bit of renovations in the house once you have made the purchase. However, in the case of a condo, the maintenance is handles by the management. There is a regular fee involved but all maintenance on repairs, gardening and even the security is covered in the fee.
As mentioned above all the repairs in and around the condo is handled through the team that handles maintenance at the building. This will save you a lot of money in the long run. And so, choosing an apartment in the condominium may not be the worst choice in a time such as this.
Travel can be fun if you have a good experience throughout the whole journey. Sure, travel is actually going to see different places that are new to you in different parts of your own country or in other countries. However, this whole journey is actually a collection of the travelling parts as well as the parts where you stay in different places while you are travelling as it is impossible to stay on the road all the time. When it comes to finding accommodation you can find it in different ways such as in hotels or in a hostel in Bangkok. However, that does not mean every place you find is going to be good. The problem is without finding a good place to stay too your whole travel experience could just not feel enjoyable to you. Therefore, keep in mind what makes a place qualify as great Bangkok hostel private room.
Travelling is not an easy task. Even if you are not hiking the whole way, even if you are travelling by vehicles going from place to place at the end of the day will make your body very tired. Since especially when you are in a foreign country where there can be no people you know you do not have the option of falling ill. That is why you should have a place to stay that allows you to rest properly. That means the place you choose to stay should have some comforts such as a comfortable bed, a bathroom and possibly some entertainment providing things such as a TV.
Once you have spent the whole day among people going from place to place you will need to come back to a place that offers you the freedom to be on your own for a while. When you have found a Bangkok hostel private room you will definitely get this freedom that you are looking for. This freedom will allow you to easily decide what your next move should be.
You will also need to stay at a place that will let you go to sleep without worrying about your protection. A well reputable place for its security can provide you with that protection factor which is quite important when you are in a foreign land alone. When this part of your travel is completed you will be able to say you had a nice time travelling. Without this accommodation part of the journey being completed in the way mentioned above you will not have a time to enjoy your travelling.
How To Plan Out Your Office Outing With The Professionals?
Your office function is just round the corner. This is a day that all of you look forward to because there are many interesting activities that take place on this day. But as usual you have being given the responsibility to plan out the day’s events and the location for the big day. So you start checking out the options that are available to you. You also have to keep in mind the menu because some of your colleagues are vegetarian. You get online to check out a suitable place as this is the easiest and most reliable advertising medium these days.
The options you come across are unlimited and you take a while to decide what the best place is. You consult your boss and he too is happy with your choice. Now all you have to do is make the booking and make sure that everything is in order before the big day. You get to the place a couple of hours early to check out the hotel conference rooms and their facilities. You check out the chairs and tables and find that the chairs are very comfortable. The area is also sufficient to hold 30 staff and you are happy with the arrangement.
The staff helps you in organising the area for the presentations that will take place and also ensure that the mike is in working order. Your flower arrangements are arranged neatly at the head table at the hotel conference rooms in time for your office staff to arrive. Your boss is very impressed when he sees the arrangement and is even more thrilled when he sees the leisure activities that you have planned out together with the staff for the rest of the day. Your office colleagues arrive and are welcomed by the staff prior to the commencing of the seminar and presentation with best buffet in Bangkok.
Much to your relief the morning session ends with no unexpected disasters. Your boss is very happy that everything went as planned. All of you are now treated to a scrumptious meal complete with soup and dessert for lunch. Now comes the interesting event the water sports and the games that most of you always look forward to during this time. Your boss is the first to get started and leads the way for the others to follow. While your staff is having an enjoyable day, as part of their special treatment for their customers the staff has organised a special tea complete with cakes and pastries for the afternoon. | 2019-04-23T06:17:43Z | http://righttravelmorocco.com/author/admin/ |
Who do you want as your skydiving training partner?
I would really love to skydive one day, and I would also love to tell my kids and grandkids about what it was like to go skydiving. My point is, I want to jump out of an airplane and live to talk about it. Therein lies my fear: choosing the right person to train me.
The first time anyone skydives they are paired up with a skilled partner. That partner passed some type of certification program, and that person is still alive, so they must know what they are doing. In fact, every trainer there has the same credentials: they all passed their certification test, and they are all still alive. But I want to know more about the person I am going to trust my life with. Surely they can tell me more about their actual knowledge and skill level.
Pretend that I have two possible training partners standing in front of me. One earned an A in skydiving school, and the other earned a B. It would make sense to pick the one who got a higher grade, because an A inherently implies that the person learned more than the one who earned a B. So that’s who I should go with, right? Not necessarily. An overall score of an A is good, but it doesn’t tell me what areas of skydiving they are good at and the ones that need work. I want more information before I choose my training partner.
Let’s say there were 10 topics covered in skydiving school. I know there is much more to learn than 10 things, but this is just an example so go with it.
Jim is the first trainer, and he scored 100% in every area except for “ground landings” in which he got a 40%. He is excellent at everything EXCEPT landing on the ground. His overall average is still 94%. Solid A, right?
Felix is the second trainer, and he scored 90% in every area except “water landings” and “flip and barrel rolls” where he scored a 60% in each. His overall average is 84%, which is still a B.
So who should I pick? This is my first time skydiving, and we are going to land on the ground. Felix is much better than Jim at ground landings. In fact, I have no faith that Jim can help me land without breaking at least three bones. Felix is not good at landing in the water or doing barrel rolls, but we aren’t going to do that on my first day. I don’t need those skills from him. In this case, I am going to avoid Jim, the A student, and go with Felix, the B student, because of their specific competencies.
The owner of the skydiving place might want to know his employees competencies as well. I’m sure he them to be excellent in all areas. He’s not going to make them re-learn all 10 topics. Instead, the owner will give Jim extra training only in ground landings, and he will have Felix work on water landings and barrel rolls. In fact, Jim and Felix can probably help each other. Students are often willing to help each other, especially if the can identify where they need help.
Like Jim and Felix, all students could benefit from the extra feedback of knowing where their strengths and weaknesses lie. One single letter grade for each class does not tell them where to put their time and effort if they want to improve. One single letter grade on a test does not provide the information needed to go back and review the specific areas that they should go back and review. Traditional grading – one score for every assignment and test averaged together for a single letter grade – does little to inform a student on where to practice, where to reassess, where they need to improve to become proficient in all areas of the subject. With standards-based grading, a student can take one test yet receive feedback in multiple areas of learning. As these learning standards are measured and progress is tracked throughout the year, the student receives continuous feedback as to where strengths and weakness lie. That student has the opportunity to practice learning targets throughout the year and also helps the student to spend more time on the standards where he or she is not proficient while still maintaining understanding of the other standards.
Mark Welchert, tandem parachute instructor, and Derek McMullen, 19, of Old Monroe, Mo., land safely after jumping from 12,000 ft. in Hannibal, Mo.
When students understand their own strengths and weaknesses they can help each other with their learning, just like Jim can help Felix with water landings and Felix can help Jim with ground landings. Metacognition – knowing what we know and what we don’t – helps the individual to help him or herself, and it also allows him or her to help others. It allows every student to become independent and proficient with his or her learning.
The more feedback we can provide our students, the more they can help themselves become competent in all areas of their learning. Even A students can improve, but without specific feedback, often based on learning standards, they do not know where to spend their time and energy. A standards-based learning approach not only informs the student of their overall learning, but it also helps their teachers, parents, or even classmates provide support as well.
If you are an active skydiver, please do not be offended by my lack of knowledge regarding what it takes to become certified. My knowledge is in the use of standards to inform learners, not how to jump head first out of an airplane. I respect your expertise, and hopefully you respect mine. Thanks.
Your gradebook says a lot about the way you teach. After all, it is the measuring stick to which your students will compare themselves for an entire year. Gradebooks should provide much more than a single letter grade, and this article will look at two ways that could improve your gradebook which in turn could improve your instruction.
What if your gradebook could show you which activities a student was likely to complete or likely to avoid? Knowing what your students spend most of their time doing could help you design better activities in class – activities that students actually want to spend time and energy to complete. Below is an example of how a gradebook could look if you could tag all of your assignments by TYPE. By looking at the data, you can figure out that this student really likes to keep a journal but dislikes creating posters and flashcards. Giving students choices in how they complete their work keeps them more engaged in their learning. Often they are more willing to spend more time completing tasks because they are enjoying them.
If the student is willing to take practice tests over and over which leads to improved performance, then it makes sense to try to create a larger bank of questions for your students to practice with. If other students really enjoy (and learn from) discussing topics online with their peers, then it makes sense to create more discussion boards whenever they are appropriate for the topic.
Okay, maybe you aren’t really in a “give the students a choice” kind of mood at the moment. You know what your students need to complete, and they are willing to do it. Excellent! Here’s a different question for you. What if your gradebook could show each student’s progress towards mastering each of the learning standards within your course? Instead of just seeing an A or B, what if your gradebook could show you where your students are really excelling and where they are falling behind? That’s called a Standards-Based Gradebook (SBG). This photo below is modified to look like one example of data in a Standards-Based Gradebook. The numbers to the right show a student’s progress towards mastering each of the standards, with 100 being the highest they can achieve. The standards listed come from the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts <http://www.corestandards.org/wp-content/uploads/ELA_Standards.pdf>.
When data is aligned to multiple standards instead of a single letter grade it explains the progress a student is making towards mastering the reading and language skills of a course. In the example above, the student shows a high level of skill in determining the key ideas of what he or she reads, but a very low level of skill in trying to integrate the ideas of multiple authors into one coherent theme. This standards-based data provides much more detail as to how the student is performing in class which helps the teacher to inform and modify his or her teaching, and it provides the student (and the parents) with information as to which skills are advanced and which need additional work.
The more data we, as teachers, can gather regarding student performance, the more informed we can become in our instructional practices. Providing a variety of data related to the TYPES of academic activities students complete and/ or the level of mastery students demonstrate towards the learning standards will only help teachers to teach better which in turn will help students to learn more. Video games are effective in providing data and feedback which teachers could adapt to fit their classrooms and their gradebooks to help make learning more meaningful and engaging.
A Standards-Based Gradebook, or SBG, is one where a student earns a score for each learning standard based on his accomplishments throughout the grading period. This is different from a traditional grading system where students earn one composite score at the end of each quarter – an A or B, for example. With an SBG, the student instead earns multiple scores – one for each measured learning standard. In a class with nine learning standards, a student might earn five scores of Excellent, three scores of Proficient, and one score of Adequate in the different measures of the class. Instead of getting one composite score (a B for example), he instead earns nine different scores which tells him what he has mastered and what he needs to improve upon. There is a much higher level of detail and feedback within an SBG.
Some teachers want what they see as the best of both worlds: a typical gradebook with percentages that leads to a letter grade which is then combined with a more sophisticated view of whether or not students are meeting each learning standard. Can this be done easily? Absolutely. It is called a Standards-Aligned Gradebook.
What does a Standards-Aligned Gradebook look like?
A Standards-Aligned Gradebook is set up in a typical fashion: there are categories like tests and quizzes, homework, labs, and projects. Each category has a weight (tests 40%, homework 40%, and projects 20%). There is a grading scale such as A 90-100%, B 80-89%, C 70-79%, etc. Your gradebook does not change in any way.
However, every single assignment is tagged with one or more learning standards. As students complete their work and earn points towards an A or a B in class, they are also earning a score in each of the learning standards.
There are really just three steps to take when creating a Standards-Aligned Gradebook. A fourth step is needed if you were going to create a Standards-Based Gradebook instead, and I’ll briefly explain the one big difference later in this article.
The learning standards are paramount to your (and your students’) success. The standards define not only WHAT you want your students to learn but also the LEVEL OF MASTERY you want them to achieve. If you cannot clearly explain to your students what you expect them to learn then you cannot possibly grade them properly. There are national learning standards such as the Next Generation Science Standards and the National Educational Technology Standards which have already been written, vetted, and accepted by others. Your state or your school district might possibly have their own sets of standards, too, and those could be acceptable as well. I strongly recommend against creating your own standards, though, for the simple reason that a widely-used, accepted set of national standards are easier to explain and justify than standards you created yourself.
Once your standards have been chosen you will need them uploaded into your gradebook. With Schoology you can import your own standards for your own classroom or you can ask a tech person to upload the standards so that every teacher in the district can use them.
Create Question Banks in Schoology to hold every question you use on a test or quiz, and then align each question with a standard.
Every single time that question is used in class, the student’s score towards meeting the standard will be recorded. The same question might be used when they first learn about the topic, used a second time during a review quiz, and then used a third time during a summative assessment. Each time the student answers that question the progress towards meeting the learning standard will be calculated.
Tagging every question is time-consuming, but it is a necessary step for a Standards-Aligned Gradebook. A huge time-saver when creating these tagged question banks is the ability to share your question banks with other teachers. Your entire grade level can pitch in by writing questions or tagging each question with a standard.
Schoology Question Bank with multiple assessment questions. Each question is aligned to a standard.
A quick and easy way to get hundreds or even thousands of questions tied directly to your curriculum is to contact your textbook providers and ask them for the latest ExamView question bank. Many textbooks offer about 100 questions per chapter that are aligned directly with your textbook. These questions can be imported into Schoology in a matter of minutes. All you have to do is tag them with your learning standards.
Similar to tagging each assessment question with a standard, you will also tag each assignment, activity, and discussion board with a standard. Anything that is graded needs to be tagged. This is a much simpler and less time-consuming process than tagging your assessment questions. Each assignment is likely tied to just one or two standards, whereas a ten question assessment has to be tagged to ten standards (one per question).
A Standards-Aligned Gradebook still uses a typical grading scale (0-100%) and typical grading categories (homework, quizzes, and so on) with the end result of getting a single letter grade. A Standards-Based Gradebook relies on proving proficiency in multiple standards, with the end result of earning a level of mastery in multiple areas. If you were going to create a Standards-Based Gradebook then there would be a fourth step: choose an appropriate grading scale that can measure mastery. Marzano created a four-point scale for measuring mastery which is shown in the photo below. In an SBG using Marzano’s scale, every assignment is worth between 0 and 4 points based on their level of mastery (Excellent, Proficient, Adequate, Limited, Incomplete). Four point grading rubrics are also typically used in an SBG. That has been an oversimplified explanation and I apologize for that, but to learn more about Standards-Based Grading you will need to read one of my other articles.
Evaluating each standard separately provides each student with more feedback on their learning compared to a single letter grade. Measuring growth within each standard also provides the teacher with feedback regarding his or her own instruction. A Standards-Aligned Gradebook provides easy visual evidence as to what the students have learned and what they have not. Students can easily see where they need more help, and teachers easily see what they should re-teach at a later time.
The examples in this blog were created by Michael Schaffer, a high school Principles of Engineering teacher at Fremd High School who uses Schoology for his gradebook and learning platform. It took him approximately 3 to 4 weeks (right in the middle of the second grading quarter) to switch to this new gradebook. I want to stress that any teacher at any grade level can set up a standards-aligned gradebook. It just so happens that Mr. Schaffer is a motivated applied technology teacher who was the first person who volunteered to make the transition. I am hoping he will present at a teachers’ conference in the near future so you can hear the full story in his own words.
Keith Sorensen has been a public school educator for 18 years. He is a technology coordinator who provides staff development to his faculty on a large variety of technology-related topics. Follow him on Twitter @keithosorensen to learn more about using technology in the classroom. | 2019-04-20T02:44:34Z | http://twoblackbirds.com/?tag=standards-based-grading |
1.1 Bigg Boss 12 Winner Dipika Kakar: ‘बिग बॉस 12’ के ग्रैंड फिनाले में बाजी दीपिका कक्कड़ के हाथ रही है. दीपिका कक्कड़ शो की विजेता रही हैं और श्रीसंत दूसरे नंबर पर रहे हैं.
Bigg Boss 12 Winner Dipika Kakar: ‘बिग बॉस 12’ के ग्रैंड फिनाले में बाजी दीपिका कक्कड़ के हाथ रही है. दीपिका कक्कड़ शो की विजेता रही हैं और श्रीसंत दूसरे नंबर पर रहे हैं.
Bigg Boss 12 Winner Dipika Kakar: ‘बिग बॉस 12 (Bigg Boss 12)’ को विजेता मिल गया है. श्रीसंत (Sreesanth) और दीपिका कक्कड़ (Deepika Kakar) के बीच फाइनल मुकाबला था. लेकिन दीपिका कक्कड़ ने श्रीसंत को शिकस्त दे दी है और ‘बिग बॉस 12’ जीत लिया है. सलमान खान ने इसकी आधिकारिक घोषणा कर दी. बता दें कि सोशल मीडिया पर पहले ही दीपिका को विजेता बता दिया था.
India have chosen 5 finalists and today we will see who is the winner.
In house, Salman dances and says this house is a circus, let me make you meet entertainers of here. Salman dances and welcomes Sree. Sree hugs him. They dance to le le maza le re, Salman says he is a storm Sree. Sreesanth dances with him to main karun toh sala character dheela hai. Then Dipika joins and they dance to oh partner.
Salman dances with Deepak to Pandey de sitty.
Salman comes to Romil and wakes up Romil, Romil dances with him. Next Salman dances with KV and makes a joke on his clothing, they dance to Jumme ki Raat.
All contestants join Salman and dances with him.
Salman says we have got more than 1 crore votes and we will know soon who is going to get the trophy. Salman says we have a twist that we will reveal later. Salman welcomes all ex inmates. He asks Somi who will win? She says Deepak. Megha says I think Sree will win. Salman asks Urvashi if she thinks Deepak will win? She says he deserves it but chances are less. Salman says to Neha that whom you think will win? She says Deepak or Sree. Salman says lets see what is happening in house.
In house, BB says to inmates that you guys are the finalists, many inmates came and left but this is your night and last night here so lets have a toast. All five inmates pour champagne and drink it. BB congratulate them. BB says lets see what your family is feeling. Clip shows Deepak’s parents recall how he got selected and they couldnt believe it. Romil’s father says that I have only one son and I miss her. Shoaib’s mother says we were happy for her, we miss her so much, Dipika is only one for us in world, she loves us so much, she is more than Shoaib for me. KV’s father that I asked him to not leave his upbringing behind. Sree’s wife that Sree has come out as a champion. Romil’s father says that he said to not stop him, he is a challenger, I didnt know about this confidence before. Shoaib’s wife that she is not fake, we know that, she is very nice. Deepak’s father that our house broke in flood, we didnt get support but now ministers are calling me and supporting Deepak, it all happened because of Deepak. Bhuvneshwari says that Sree that dont feel bad about parents, they are proud of you. They all wish luck to their family members. All inmates are emotional seeing that. Romil says my dad spoke for first time.
Salman connects call to house. Salman says to Romil that father always praise you behind back, it happened with me too. Romil says to his father that seeing you here was my dream. His father says that you showed our upbringing him, you are a diamond. Romil cries. Sree talks to his wife, he says you are looking beautiful. Sree sees his daughter, Sree says my love. KV sees Teejay and says I love you. She says you are doing great, people are praising you. KV cries looking at his mom. Deepak sees his parents, his mother says I am so happy, I wish you luck to win the trophy. Salman says to Dipika that no one came for you, Shoaib is busy in shoot, he is Bangkok. All laugh. Salman asks Sree that we kept a man in house who counted who many times you wanted to leave house? you know you said it 299 times, Sree says no, I will take trophy now. Salman says to Dipika that when you cried first time? She says I was talking to Neha. Salman says you cried on 4th day of season, all laugh. Salman asks Deepak when he started liking Somi? He says parents are here, all laugh. Somi says he didnt get chance. Deepak says she is a good friend. Salman shows them trophy. Salman says to Deepak that he has many fans, he shows Urvashi and Megha. Megha says I am waiting for you to come out. She wishes them luck. Salman ends call.
On stage, Salman says Romil have been confident since start, he says his home town has celebrations there. Clip shows his family saying that he made them proud, all Haryana people are excited for him. His fans say we are voting for him. All people chant for Romil. Salman connects call to Karnal, they all are excited for Romil. His friend says that he is getting many votes, we are all waiting for him to win. Salman connects call to house and says to Romil that is happening in your home town? Salman connects his call to his home town. Romil thanks them for making him reach there. His friend says we missed him but wish that he wins the show.
Salman says to inmates that soon one will be out of race, he ends call.
Salman says that we had many fights in house, we will see that today in musical way.
In performance. Sreesanth, KV and Romil wear lion masks and say lines that they are ready for battle. They start dancing with energy. Sree does robotic dance on khali bali. KV and Romil dances too. All clap for them.
On stage, Salman says she never leaves us, she is here today and that is Bharti Singh.
Bharti enters house. KV says come here baby. Bharti dances to ankh maare, inmates dance with her. Bharti says enough enough. She says you all are looking good. Bharti congratulate them for being top five. Bharti says to KV that you look like heroine with old movie’s villain, all laugh. She jokes that Deepak looks like mithai. Bharti says lets see what fans want you to do after show. Sree’s fan says that they want him to do a show. Bharti says this is like daily show here. Dipika’s fan says that she would become chef for Sree if not an actor. Dipika says I have a dream to open a restaurant. KV’s fan says that he should be an actor after show. Bharti says dont show the truth, he is a big actor, he is in top five. One fan says that he should become a plumber. Bharti says its for Deepak, his face is like a tap. Deepak frowns. KV’s fan says that KV can be a fashion designer because of his weird clothes. Bharti says you should become designer as your designer is not nice. All laugh. Deepak’s fan says he should be an actor. Bharti jokes with them. Bharti says if Deepak does a movie with a heroine, she would not take money, would just take shower. Romil’s fan says he should become a gyani baba. Bharti jokes about Sree’s body that he made in anger. She makes fun of Dipika crying. Bharti wishes them luck and leaves.
On stage, Salman says its good she left house otherwise inmates would have sold her. Salman says soon one would be eliminated. Salman says twist is that there is an offer of prize money but they have to leave trophy for that.
Salman connects call to house. Kv gives him a flying kiss, Salman looks away, KV says its brother’s love. Salman says one is eliminating now. Salman says Deepak come out, Deepak hugs everyone and takes Sree’s bracelet. Salman asks Deepak to bring Romil to gate, Deepak does. Salman asks them to go to KV and bring him to gate. Salman says KV is Eliminated. KV hugs Sree. KV says love you, he leaves show.
KV comes on stage and wave to everyone. Salman says I look under dressed infront of him. KV says I was shocked but I think that my fans thought I should leave at this stage. Salman asks whom you think can win? KV says its Deepak.
Salman says we went to Bihar, see what is happening there. They are all excited for him. His family is emotional for him to make them proud. His relative says that he have struggled so much and we are happy that he is here. Salman connects call to Bihar, they are excited to talk to him. Deepak connects call with them, he sees fireworks, his sister asks him to sing. He sings ek hazaron mein hamari behna hai.
Salman says now is the time for Deepak’s love. Performance shows Deepak singing with Somi. He sings oh re Piya re. He romantically dances with her.. but it shows that its all Deepak’s dream. They funnily dance together then, all clap.
On stage, Bharti comes there and hugs Salman. She jokes about her husband. She says we can have a baby together, you said to Simba team that you are marrying, marry me. Salman dances wit Bharti, she tries to copy him but he is shocked to see her dance funnily.
On stage, Bharti says my husband is nice but he is scared of anything, my team members in Khatron ke Khiladi are nice, Rohit is a coward. Salman says he is here. Bharti runs away.
In house, Rohit brings inmates to activity area. Rohit Shetty says to inmates that one will be eliminated from you four and I am here to do that, I will do it in my style. He ties them with bob wire and says I will cut wire of two inmates, those will remain in race. He cuts Sree’s wire so he is safe. Deepak says I want to go ahead. Dipika says I want it to be me. Rohit cuts Dipika’s wire, she is safe. Rohit says Deepak and Romil are in danger. Rohit gives them cutters and says there will be a blast on one chair and that will be out of race. They cut wires and Romil’s chair have a blast. ROMIL is ELIMINATED. Romil wishes them luck and leaves with Rohit.
Romil comes on stage. Romil says my dad is your fan, can you gift the bracelet you sent us give to my father? Salman makes his father wear it. Salman asks whom he think we will win? Romil says I want Deepak to win but I think Sree will win.
Salman says now is the time for performance of Khatron Ke Khiladi hosts. Aditya, Riddhima, Jasmin dances with inmates on halla dhuwai hai.
On stage, Rohit makes Riddhima sit on danger chair. They talk about stunts in show. Bharti says Jasmin was excited to see lizard. Salman gives her shock, she screams. Then Aditya sits on chair. Bharti says I listen to his music on mute, all laugh. Salman gives him shock. Bharti asks him to sing, he sings Ram ji chal dekho. Salman keeps giving him shock, all laugh. Bharti says when he saw snake, he started singing jaye jaye jawani phir na aai. They promote their show. Salman says its time for Bharti to sit on chair, they all cheer. Bharti sits, Salman gives her shocks, she screams and says dont do it. Rohit says you have to laugh without us telling any joke. Bharti laughs and cries at same time. Jasmin hugs her. They leave.
On stage, Salman promotes another show. Its actors perform a dance number. Salman promotes their show.
On stage, Salman says we have top three in house. Salman connects call to Debang who is in Delhi. Debang says all are excited here. Most are Sreesanth supporter. One fan says he is genuine, he made relations and followed the, he always with Dipika. Another fan says his attitude is not nice, his aggression was seen. Sree’s fan says he made relations with people and followed it, he didnt change teams for gain. Another fan says that he made India win world cup. Deepak’s fan says he gives 100%. Debang says Sree did leave tasks. Salman says it was his strategy even when he said he wants to leave. One fan says that Deepak showed his bihari attitude, he can win the show. Fans argue over who showed nicer attitude. Debang says all are excited about winner, all watch BB. Shoaib has joined show too. Salman says all are confused that who will win BB. Salman asks who is for Sree’s win? Fans cheer. Debang says Salman have been a great anchor this season too, we are waiting when you announce winner. We are watching live here, he ends call.
Salman says its time for last Sultani fight.
Salman comes to sultani rin, he promotes Color’s show.
Salman says now is the time to find out who is top 2, we will reveal twist to top 3. Salman connects call to activity area. He welcomes top 3 finalists. Salman says you three are closer to winning show. Salman says one will win and get 50 lacs rupees but only one will be winner and other two will leave empty handed. Salman says you have a chance to win some amount. Salman says there is an amount in briefcase, on my count, whoever wins buzzer first will get that case and will also be out of race, so it means whoever chooses money will lose trophy, this briefcase has amount more than any exit money offered before on show. Salman says amount is 20 lacs, you have to think practically if you want to get this money or want to remain in race. After your decision, I will tell who is out of this race. Salman says get ready.. you have to decide when I count to 3.. he says 1..2..3. All look on, Deepak presses buzzer, All clap. Sree hugs him. Deepak touches his feet and cries. Dipika consoles him. Salman says DEEPAK IS LEAVING. Deepak touches Dipika’s feet, she stops him. Dipika and Sree wishes him good luck for life. He leaves.
Deepak comes on stage, he goes to his family, his father says I am proud to be your father. Salman says you got 40% of prize money. Deepak says I didnt want to take the money but I have to do sister’s marriage so this money will help, I had confidence to win but I didnt want to take risk, my family needs this money. His father says I dont know about decision but you are standing with him so this is the biggest win. Deepak says I am your huge fan. Five ex-inmates say that he did right. Urvashi says if he didnt take money then he might have won the game. Deepak says I just thought my house problems. Salman says genuinely telling you that you got less votes than Dipika and Sree so your decision was right and took 40% from Sree or Dipika’s amount. Salman wishes him luck for future.
Salman says now brother and sister are competing each other. Dipika and Sree’s performance start. Dipika enacts how she used to console Sree in washroom and he used to get angry. They dance on Yeh larki hai dewani. They dance around each other like siblings. Then they dance on tu jo mila. They perform energetically.
Salman says now they are going to leave the house which they have been in for 3 months.
In house, Dipika and Sree hold hands. BB says we have two finalists who made a pair in house, many pairs came in house but nobody could stay but the pair which was made in this house is here in last, you had to take a lot of tests but you both stood by each other and see that in the last moment of this show, you both are standing with each other. Bigg Boss says Sree you asked us a lot to open the doors but it didnt happen because your journey was not complete, you will leave with head held high today, today we are telling that this door is open so come out and see people are waiting to welcome you. BB says we will know soon who is the winner but as you wanted, trophy will go in family. Sree thanks everyone. Bigg Boss says for one last time Bigg Boss wants you both to close the lights of house and come out. Sree and Dipika hold hands and close house doors. Fireworks start, Sree says love you. Dipika says we love you, they both chat Sreepika.. They leave dark house behind and go out.
On stage, Salman says its time that one will be winner and one will lose. Salman welcomes top 2 finalists of BB 12 on stage. Dipika and Sree enters hand in hand. Salman says Shoaib just came here, Shoaib and Bhuvneshwari are sitting together. Salman asks whom do you want to win? Sree says Dipika, Dipika says myself. Bhuvneshwari says Sree, Shoaib says I wanted to see her in finals and it got fulfilled, now decision is on God. Sree asks Romil to have a look at trophy, Dipika laughs. Romil says you are lucky. Salman says Deepak took 40% of prize money, Deepak says they know about my situation. Dipika and Sree say love to him. Salman says now is the time to announce winner. He holds their hands and joke with them by raising hands. All laugh. Salman says winner of Bigg Boss season 12 is Dipika Kakkar, Dipika cant believe it. She thanks everyone. Dipika gives her trophy and takes selfie with them. Sree hugs her, she falls down and cant believe it. She raises trophy and says its a beautiful experience, she thanks Salman. All inmates come to congratulate her. Urvashi and Megha hugs her. Shoaib claps for her. Salman signs off from show. | 2019-04-23T23:00:36Z | http://www.biggboss12voting.in/bigg-boss-winner/ |
Potential for physiological self-incompatibility in Heliconia bihai as a mechanism to promote outcrossing was studied in St. Lucia. Our results do suggest that H. bihai is self-compatible. However, plants vary in their degree of compatibility from full to partial self-compatibility. We found only traces of physiological incompatibility but conclusive determination of its mechanism would require further testing. In contrast to Central American Heliconia species, we found that more pollen tubes are able to grow inside H. bihai styles following artificial pollinations. Additional studies would be needed to test if other populations of H. bihai share this phenomenon.
Dwarf forest in Puerto Rico's Luquillo Mountains varies according to substrate and topography with very short, dense forest growing on exposed, rocky sites. High elevation level sites suffered considerable damage during past hurricanes whereas the trees on certain lower slopes were protected by ridges or spurs. Post-disturbance recovery of dwarf forest on two types of sample plots near East Peak was slow. Nearly 37 years after a 1968 airplane crash, Cyathea bryophila (R. Tryon) Proctor and Eugenia borinquensis Britton accounted for 71% of the 25.3 t ha-1 total aboveground dry weight biomass (hereafter biomass) on 780 m2 of the crash site. This is only 30% of the 80 t ha-1 average biomass of the surrounding dwarf forest prior to Hurricane Hugo of 1989. Also, six 250 m2 permanent plots (stratified by topography with sites on ridges, slopes, and ravines) showed delayed post-hurricane mortality, declining in mean stem numbers from 2,956 stems ha-1 in 1990 to 2,268 stems ha-1 in 2005. Average plot biomass decreased from 72.8 t ha-1 in 1990 to 61.6 t ha-1 in 2000, increasing slightly to 62.9 t ha-1 in 2005. Recovery on all sites was characterized by an immediate invasion of grass cover along with an influx of ferns, followed by dicotyledonous seedlings and saplings, and finally small trees. More than one-half of the arborescent species growing in dwarf forest are endemic to Puerto Rico where they play a prominent role in post disturbance recovery; moreover, 85% of the trees do not exceed 15 m in height anywhere in the Luquillo Mountains.
Abortion and predispersal seed predation in the American Proteaceae Roupala montana Aubl.
Two populations of Roupala montana Aubl. growing in a shrubland and in a forest were studied to assess the relative contribution of abortion and predispersal seed predation to the final seed set. Predispersal reproductive losses were similar to those observed in Australian and African Proteaceae. In both populations a final seed set of less than 2% was determined. Although R. montana produced conflorescences with numerous flowers (≥100), a high proportion of confructescences had few fruits (≤10) or were even barren due to flower-fruit abortion (97% in the shrubland and 96% in the forest), which represents the main constraint to seed production. Seed abortion and seed predation were of a lower magnitude than flower-fruit abortion. In the shrubland the only seed predator was a weevil, while in the forest at least two seed predators and hymenopterous parasitoids were found. Fruits with a single formed seed (the other one aborted) suffered less predation than fruits with two formed seeds.
Satellite image-based mapping of tropical forests is vital to conservation planning. Standard methods for automated image classification, however, limit classification detail in complex tropical landscapes. In this study, we test an approach to Landsat image interpretation on four islands of the Lesser Antilles, including Grenada and St. Kitts, Nevis and St. Eustatius, testing a more detailed classification than earlier work in the latter three islands. Secondly, we estimate the extents of land cover and protected forest by formation for five islands and ask how land cover has changed over the second half of the 20th century. The image interpretation approach combines image mosaics and ancillary geographic data, classifying the resulting set of raster data with decision tree software. Cloud-free image mosaics for one or two seasons were created by applying regression tree normalization to scene dates that could fill cloudy areas in a base scene. Such mosaics are also known as cloud-filled, cloud-minimized or cloud-cleared imagery, mosaics, or composites. The approach accurately distinguished several classes that more standard methods would confuse; the seamless mosaics aided reference data collection; and the multiseason imagery allowed us to separate drought deciduous forests and woodlands from semi-deciduous ones. Cultivated land areas declined 60 to 100 percent from about 1945 to 2000 on several islands. Meanwhile, forest cover has increased 50 to 950%. This trend will likely continue where sugar cane cultivation has dominated. Like the island of Puerto Rico, most higher-elevation forest formations are protected in formal or informal reserves. Also similarly, lowland forests, which are drier forest types on these islands, are not well represented in reserves. Former cultivated lands in lowland areas could provide lands for new reserves of drier forest types. The land-use history of these islands may provide insight for planners in countries currently considering lowland forest clearing for agriculture.
The presence of feral goats can have detrimental effects to insular ecosystems where native plants have evolved in the absence of these animals. Goat diet information is valuable in determining which species may be most susceptible to the action of these herbivores. This information can then be used in the development of management plans for local species or justify the eradication or more intensive control of the goats. We present data on the diet of feral goats from Mona Island, a dry forest reserve located between the islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. Diet information was collected from 87 goat rumens collected by local hunters during January–April, 2003. The goats ate at least 86 plant species, 12 of which are currently under some protection status either by the Puerto Rico or the US Federal Governments. Harrisia portoriscensis (Cactaceae), P caulerpoides (Portulaccaceae), P monensis (Orchidaceae) and Z. taylori (Rhamnaceae), are critical species that were very frequent in goat diets and thus may need special conservation attention.
Records of 54 species of coprophilous fungi obtained by incubating, in damp chambers, 21 samples of dung from mammalian herbivores from Puerto Rico, St John (USVI), Guadeloupe (France), Dominica and St Lucia are presented. Many are apparently new records for the region, and the distribution and occurrence of unusual or interesting species is discussed.
The exinct macaw Ara autochthones, previously known only from a single bone from an archaeological site on St. Croix, Virgin Islands, is here identified from several associated bones from an archaeological site in south-central Puerto Rico. The species belongs to a distinctive intermediate size-class and was larger than the Cuban Macaw Ara tricolor. It is assumed to have been endemic to the West Indies, but prehistoric interisland transport of parrots by humans makes interpreting the natural distribution of the species impossible in the absence of fossils. Historical reports of macaws elsewhere in the West Indies are rendered dubious for the same reason.
In Florida, the reef-building polychaete Phragmatopoma lapidosa is important in enhancing local biodiversity via the shelter it provides for various fish and invertebrate species. While the range of P. lapidosa extends south to Brazil, it is rare to find well-established populations in the Caribbean islands. In this study, we examined an intertidal worm reef recently discovered in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The worm species was positively identified as P. lapidosa (also known as P. caudata). Analyses of measured worm lengths and mound photographs revealed multiple size cohorts that likely included recent recruits, and mature adults. An examination of the organisms living within small worm clumps collected from the reef, revealed a number of invertebrates including various mollusks, crabs, shrimp and echinoids. Combined, these data suggest that continuous recruitment is likely to maintain this worm reef which is similar to Florida worm reefs, and likely to enhance local biodiversity in St. Croix.
Six samples were collected at 1m intervals from the Middle Miocene age (Globorotalia fohsi fohsi Zone) Brasso Formation at St. Fabien Quarry, west central Trinidad. They yielded 123 species of benthonic foraminifera, of which only 18 comprised >5% of the recovery from any one sample. The fauna comprised a mixture of (1) common outer-neritic to upper-bathyal species that confirm the paleoenvironment indicated by abundant planktonic foraminifera, and (2) rarer foraminifera indicative of shallow-water, reefal, oligotrophic conditions. There exists a strong correlation between the percentage of the fauna as planktonics and the diversity of the deeper-water benthonic association, both of which increase upwards through the section, indicating that the sequence comprises part of a transgressive systems tract. The top of the sequence, with common Bolivina jiattongi and Globocassidulina subglobosa, culminates within the upper part of an oxygen minimum zone. The relatively high abundance (19.8%) in the middle of the section of the reefal assemblage, which includes the epiphytal species Amphistegina gibbosa, Planorbulinella trinitatensis, and Quinqueloculina lamarckiana, is postulated to derive from seaward transport of epiphytal specimens on seagrass debris during a one or more storms. The sequence stratigraphic and directional drilling possibilities of these findings are emphasised.
Analysis of 19-year-old planted Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis on clay and sandy soils in the mountains of Puerto Rico showed the suitability of both sites for tree growth to commercial size. Growth rates were compared with tree densities ranging from 278 to 2,500 trees per hectare and tree dbh's (trunk diameters outside bark at breast height, 1.4 meters above ground on the upper side) from 10 to 40 cm. With angular spacing tree growth was found related to that of six equidistant adjacent trees. Frequent past remeasurements exposed tree growth trends with changes in the density of surrounding trees. Regressions of tree diameter growth based on relative basal area tree density had coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.76 and 0.77 for clay and sand, respectively. As a guide to tree planting spacing and thinning for any plantation productivity goal a table is presented showing predicted time requirements to grow each 10 cm in dbh, mean annual dbh growth rates, and approximate periodic productivity of usable wood in m3/ha/yr. On comparable sites this table permits managers of plantations with any spacing and mean tree dbh to predict current growth, number of years to any mature tree size, the approximate yield at that time, and tree growth stimulation after thinning of different intensities at different times.
A structure in Berrydale Quarry, parish of St. Ann, north central Jamaica, described as a submarine paleo-channel incised into the Upper Pliocene Hope Gate Formation, a raised reef, and infilled with scleractinian coral debris, is reassessed. The structure cross-cuts a thick sequence of talus including limestone cobbles and boulders in a red matrix (terra rosa), and is most probably no older than Pleistocene. The infill is of cobbles and boulders of reworked limestone, coated with dripstone and stained red. Both the substrate into which the structure is cut and the infill are terrestrial in origin. Rather than a palaeo-channel, we identify the structure as a sectioned sinkhole, a modern feature of this area. The fault said to control the direction of the paleo-channel is considered unproven.
Navassa Island and waters surrounding it were designated a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in 1999, becoming the eighth unit of the Caribbean Islands NWR Complex. Five expeditions to the island between July 1998 and October 2006 yielded 18 new records of birds, bringing the species list to 58. Winter mist netting allowed for the banding of several new species. Five seabird species roost and nest on Navassa Island including hundreds and thousands of magnificent frigate birds, Fregata magnificens, and red-footed boobies, Sula sula, respectively. Several grassland-associated bird species are now common, suggesting that this habitat has become more dominant during the last century. Habitat disturbance appears to primarily be the result of human caused fires. Future management efforts will focus on regulation of unauthorized hunting, fishing, and other public use, as well as control of nonnative invasive species and restoration of subtropical dry forest.
The lizard genus Anolis (Polychrotidae) is essentially ubiquitous in the West Indies, with most species confined to one island bank. However, human-mediated transport of materials, plants, and animals has introduced species across natural boundaries, sometimes with deleterious effects on native anoles. Among the most recent introductions is Anolis sagrei on St. Vincent. We investigated the distribution of introduced populations and evaluated possible effects on perch heights of native anoles (A. griseus and A. trinitatis) at a site where all three species occur. We found little evidence that A. sagrei has affected either native species. Perch heights of A. trinitatis in the presence of A. sagrei were comparable to those found in habitats where A. sagrei did not occur. However, we suggest continued monitoring of this exotic on St. Vincent to evaluate potential long-term impact on native species and to determine whether any effects will extend beyond heavily altered low-elevation sites.
The majority of phyllostomine bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) are considered to be primarily insectivorous and carnivorous. However, the Phyllostomus—Phylloderma clade is an exception; Phyllostomus discolor and P. hastatus are known to feed in large part on fruit and nectar. Observations of the consumption of fruits of Gurania spp. (Cucurbitaceae) by Phylloderma stenops in Costa Rican lowland wet forest suggest a similar diet for this poorly known, closely related species. Furthermore, the survival and germination of ingested seeds indicate that this bat may be an efficacious seed disperser for its food plants.
During recent fieldwork on the island of Tobago, West Indies, we found the tadpole of the critically endangered Bloody Bay poison frog (Mannophryne olmonae) and describe it here for the first time. Tadpoles were collected in small rock pools or other depressions adjacent to streams. The tadpole is similar to other dendrobatid larvae in many features including a labial tooth row formula of either 2(1)/3 or 2(1–2)/3 and the presence of a dextral vent tube. Our observations suggest no obvious morphological features that unambiguously distinguish the tadpole of M. olmonae from M. trinitatis found on the neighboring island of Trinidad. These results underscore morphological conservatism in the larvae of many dendrobatid frogs.
The first evaluation of the feral population of honey bees on the island of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands is performed. Since Africanized bees had been reported in 1994, we expected that, as in the neighboring island of Puerto Rico, the feral population of St. Croix would be strongly Africanized. We sampled worker bees of 13 colonies. Using a molecular technique that distinguishes European from Africanized bees we found that nine sampled colonies were Africanized and four were European by maternal descent. The lack of a complete genetic sweep by Africanized bees contrasts greatly with the population in Puerto Rico and populations studied in the mainland. Even though the presence of European bees on the island may be due to input from the apicultural sector, it is highly likely that other factors, such as island climate, the lack of a continuous influx of Africanized bees, and the absence of Varroa mites, a common pest of European bees has allowed their survival.
We examined the control of salt excretion by leaves of the mangrove Avicennia germinans. Endogenously secreted salt on intact leaves was compared to exogenously deposited salt spray on excised leaves. Lower salt excretion was observed on seaward leaves with high salt deposition, and higher salt excretion was found on landward leaves with low salt deposition. Similar total salt loads accumulated on leaves located throughout the tree crown, suggesting that Avicennia germinans controls salt excretion at the foliar level by responding to variation in salt deposition. We propose that the salt excretion rate in leaves is a response to the gradient of salt between the xylem and leaf surface.
Lane, A.C., S.P. Horn and K.H. Orvis. 2008. The Earliest Evidence of Ostionoid Maize Agriculture from the Interior of Hispaniola. Caribbean Journal of Science 44(1): 43–52.
Lane, A.C., S.P. Horn, K.H. Orvis and C.I. Mora 2008. The Earliest Evidence of Ostionoid Maize Agriculture from the Interior of Hispaniola. Caribbean Journal of Science 44(1): 43–52. | 2019-04-23T23:55:33Z | https://bioone.org/journals/caribbean-journal-of-science/volume-44/issue-2 |
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Set of 12 Modern Stainless Steel Cased Round Refrigerator Magnets – Perfect Stainless Steel Magnets for Home Magnets, Office Magnets, Whiteboard Magnets, and Much More - Durable and versatile, one stainless steel magnet can hold up to 6 pieces of printer paper these silver magnets feature a durable and sleek finish for modern contemporary refrigerator magnets. Lifetime guarantee, each magnet you buy will last a lifetime or bullseye office will replace them for free if our product is unsatisfactory feel free to send it back and receive 100% of your money back. Set of 12 steel finished magnets, disc magnet shape, machined silver magnet finish durable lasting shine, perfect for refrigerator magnets, office magnets, whiteboard magnets, and dry erase board magnets will not work on stainless steel or glass surfaces. Scratch safe, these modern disc magnets feature scratch safe backing, and a smooth round magnet shape to avoid harming surfaces each stainless steel magnet is 22 x 6mm. Unparalleled quality, strong metal magnets with durable construction, and quality silver magnet finish not for use on glass magnetic boards, and they do not stick to stainless steel.
Small Multi-Use Refrigerator Magnets for Refrigerator, Science, Crafts – Tiny Round Disc, Sliver, 12MM x 3MM – Approximately 1/2″ x 1/8″, 25 Pcs - Durability, magnets have high resistance to demagnetization, corrosion and oxidation. Great for all home, office, craft, science projects and product manufacturing applications. These inexpensive disc magnets are great for many craft uses. Light duty flexible style magnet. Countless ways to re-organize and simplify your life, there’s so many ways to use magnets.
Ninja souvenirs San Francisco Set of 24 refrigerator magnets magnetic fridge sticker home decoration accessories magnet paste arts crafts - Excellent gift for family, lover and friends, they are suitable for any iron objects. 1 set(24 pcs), product size 58×42 cm each. These magnets can make your memos notes and lists more visible. The unique design and functionality of these magnets is perfect for the whole family.
leoyoubei Magnetic Photo Picture Frames and Refrigerator Magnets, Magnetic Picture Collage Frame for Refrigerator,pvc picture frame 7 Pack (4×6 ” black) - Magnets as you like on your refrigerator, dishwasher, school locker, magnetic dry erase board or any other metallic surfaces，holds picture by edges sticks great to any flat metal surface, no stainless steel. Easy to use, this set includes 7-black magnetic frames that hold photo sizes 4×6 “；this set includes 7 black magnetic frames that hold picture sizes 4×6 “fridges (no stainless steel）, file cabinet, school locker, tool chest, magnetic dry erase board. Made of high quality durable soft pvc, flexible perfect option for gift to family friends coworkers and loved ones on any occasion or holiday such as wedding engagement birthday anniversary graduation valentine’s day christmas new year etc. Innovative design, when your space requires that something extra -whatever your style,add or update photos right on the refrigerator by framesremoval of cover sheet provides non-blocking more pleasant view to sight and allows the frames to be used for editable lists, reminders, notes and messages. Strong magnetic back makes these slam proof, they will not fall the soft magnets do not damage the surface of your valuable appliancesdisplay lists notes reminders messages photos calendar etc decorate your appliances locker dry erase board or any magnetic surface.
FreezerBoy Refrigerator Magnets (Dry-Erase Whiteboard Set) - Make your refrigerator look like your favorite 80’s video game console with the freezerboy magnet set available for fridges of all sizes, this magnet set transforms your kitchen into a vintage geek shrine. These dry-erase magnets turn your fridge into a giant gaming system, ready to have it’s button’s pushed. Great gift for gamers, geeks, nerds, and boyfriends unlike the permanence of a fridge sticker or decal, these magnets are 100% removable and leave no marks the magnet set also fits on fridges of all sizes, as well as dishwashers and laundry machines note some customers are commenting that they have not received all magnets in the set. Give a few taps on the d-pad along with a few jabs on the a button and you’ll be ready to crack open that freezer in search of a few frosty beverages. If you are missing magnets from the set, please contact the seller and they can ship you any missing pieces right away. The issue is a result of amazon prime fulfillment, not an oversight from the manufacturer.
TOMY Gearation Refrigerator Magnets - Complete set includes five colorful, turning, interlocking gears. Age requirement 3 years and up. Fun learning toy promotes children’s creativity, imagination, and dexterity while also being a fun activity for children to enjoy. Features gears flip, whirl, spin, and turn according to the placement and speed can be controlled with the battery operated central on/off gear switch. Bright colors features a colorful and whimsical design.
Refrigerator Magnets Fridge Magnets Emoji Magnets, Mymazn Office Magnets WhiteBoard Magnets Cute Dry Erase Board Magnetic for School Home Decorative Cute Fun Smiley Face Magnets - If you receive broken product or product get broken during using, send us a mail, we would send you replacement or refund immediately. It’s not toy, keep away from little kids and dogs. Cute smiley face, perfect to be used on fridge, magnetic door, locker, cabinet, cubicle, calendars, etc. Made by hands. Strong magnets, can hold multiple pages paper or thick photo steady.
10PCS Novelty Mini Man Fridge Magnets, Toosunny Cute Rubber Magnet Men Refrigerator Magnets Magnetic Toy For Kids And Adults Office Fun Decorative Decoration - Strong magnets, does a great job of holding up pictures, papers, school notes, etc. Fun to collect, once you see how much fun they are, you’ll want more collect all the different colors and create all kinds of combinations. Cool magnets, the holding strength of these small magnets is unbelievable to hang up pictures, papers, school notes, etc. Fun refrigerator magnets, spruce up your kitchen fridge with these colorful magnet men with magnets on their hands and feet, you can combine them to form funny positions that will keep the whole family entertained. Multipurpose, use for office magnets, fridge magnets, whiteboard magnets, calendar magnets, map magnets, cabinets and any other magnetic metal surface.
4 Refrigerator Magnet Clips, Super strong!
4 Refrigerator Magnet Clips, Super strong! - Super strong they’ll even cling to metal through the packaging before you even take them out. 4 refrigerator magnets. These do double duty they hold papers to the refrigerator and clip notes as well. Never lose track of notes and memos again heavy-duty magnetic clips are spring loaded to keep a firm hold on coupons, recipes, receipts, and more great for use in the kitchen, pantry, office, craft room, and garage. One 4-ct pack of heavy-duty magnetic metal clips.
Office Magnets Kitchen Magnets Refrigerator Magnets Fridge Magnets for Whiteboard Magnets for Dry Erase Board Multicolor Square Glass Colorful Cute Fun Decoration (Glass) - Shiny and attractive, perfect to be used on refrigerator, cabinet, locker, whiteboard, any magnetic surface. Keep them away from little kids. Small yet strong magnets, hold thick photo steady. If any problem with product, send us a mail, we would give you replacement or refund. Set of 24.
Alago Emoji Refrigerator Magnets, Fridge Magnets, Cute Magnets, Perfect for Magnetic Message Whiteboard, Office Cabinets,12 Pack - Emoji gift set includes emoji faces refrigerator magnet, super cute round magnets for home, office, fridge, lockers, or party favors. Strong magnets, can hold thick photo or several pieces paper steady. Perfect to be used on fridge door, cabinet, office cubicle lovely smile face, add fun to your decoration. Magnets feature a high-gloss,heavy magnet back and high quality. Diameter, 125″ refrigerator magnets face emoji magnets.
Magnetic Poetry – Original Kit – All the Essential Words For Your Refrigerator – Write Poems and Letters on the Fridge – Made in the USA - Great for teachers, magnetic poetry is used in the classroom by english teachers, as well as esl (english as a second language) educators it is a perfect learning aid for anyone learning english, from children to adults it helps students to expand their vocabulary, and learn syntax and sentence structure, all while being fun and creative teachers have told us that it is a fun educational manipulative, allowing students to play with language and improve their writing skills in the process. Contains, over 300 magnetic word tiles in a stylish, giftable 475 x 6 inch box tile height is 0375 inches, compatible with other magnetic poetry brand sets with dozens of other themed kits the possibilities are endless you can mix and match to create custom combinations, and custom gift ideas magnet words make a great dorm room accessory, or locker decoration they’re also a perfect gift for poetry lovers, or a gift for writers of any kind, and as a graduation present, you can’t go wrong. Made in the usa, magnetic poetry is the inventor of the magnetic word tile, and we’re still a small us company that takes great pride in every set we make our sets are made in america, are nontoxic, and comply with all american and international safety guidelines and regulations please click on the magnetic poetry brand name above the title of this page to browse other sets, including themed sets, made by us read more about our company in the product description below. The first and original this is the kit that, since it came out in 1993, has launched a gajillion fridge door poems it includes over 300 carefully-chosen words and word fragments designed to take your imagination to all kinds of uncharted territories includes a gorgeous symphony of words including (of course) gorgeous, symphony, elaborate, time, soar, dream and many, many more magnetic poetry is a pop culture phenomenon, and it keeps growing. A fun creative writing aid, rearrange the words to write poems, messages to your roommates, or generative esoteric word art masterpieces whose meaning is lost even to you magnetic poetry is both a creative writing aid, and just a really fun and limitless toy they’re not just fridge words, you can write an ode on your commode, an elegy on your doorknob, a haiku on your car hood, or a novelette on your omelette maker.
FORCE MAGNET – 10 Powerful Stainless Steel Magnetic Bulldog Clips, Heavy Duty Refrigerator Magnet Hook Clips, FREE Anti Scratch Pads ~ The MOST POWERFUL Magnet for House, Office (Black) - 100 % lifetime warranty they are heavy duty stainless steel construction unlike cheap bulldog clips that bend & break, your 10-piece magnetic clip set is crafted of 100%, 304-grade stainless steel enjoy for decades without fail. You like beautifully designed product enjoy countless uses in the kitchen, office, classroom & more display photos, organize notes, hang décor, keep keys handy, the possibilities are endless. Stick them anywhere at home, in the garage, in the office, school locker superior, waterproof design ordinary refrigerator clips detach from their magnets, leaving them useless yours are expertly crafted to never fall apart plus, they won’t rust or corrode. ✔ Look at the video below the features and details remind yourself what is important, powerful hold magnetic clips your fridge magnet clips use specialized, great magnets, not the average, very weak kind powerful enough to hold a 60-page newspaper, yet tight enough to grip just 1 coupon. Free non-scratch pads because you care about your surface your stainless steel magnetic clips include 10 non-scratch pads to protect delicate surfaces plus, they don’t slip like weaker magnets perfect for whiteboards.
Refrigerator Magnets,36PCS Premium Brushed Nickel Round Magnets, Fridge Magnets,Office Magnets by A AULIFE – 10 X 3 mm - Small size but widely used,perfect for magnetic push pins, office magnets, whiteboard magnet, map magnets etc. No question 100% money back guarantee. 36pcs refrigerator magnets,one magnet can hold up to 18 sheets of print paper. Refrigerator magnets not for use on glass magnetic boards, and they do not stick to stainless steel. Disc magnet shape, machined silver magnet finish,each round fridge magnet is 10 x 3mm. | 2019-04-19T13:26:26Z | https://www.bestformykitchen.com/21-most-wanted-refrigerator-magnets/ |
On Friday last, William Wood, a waterman, was in his boat off Wapping Stairs, when he noticed the body of a woman, dressed in superior clothing, floating down the river. He secured the body and took it ashore. The police were then communicated with and the body was removed to the mortuary. It was fully dressed with the exception of the hat and boots, which were missing. Inquiries were at once set on foot by the police, and it was found that the body was that of Frances Annie Hancock, who had been missing since October 21. On that day she was seen walking along the Strand, in company with a tall, fair gentleman with a heavy moustache. She was then wearing a gold necklace, and that was the last time she was seen alive. When the body was recovered the necklace was missing. Deceased resided at Prusom street, Brixton, where it is stated she was supported by some gentleman at present unknown. At an inquiry held by Mr. Wynne E. Baxter, Coroner for the South eastern Division of Middlesex, last evening, on the body of the deceased, only evidence of identification was taken, and, owing to the mysterious nature of the case and supposition that the deceased woman has met her death by foul means, the coroner adjourned the inquiry in order that a post mortem examination might be made on the body, and to give police an opportunity of full inquiry into the facts of the case, which, it is stated, will be of a startling and sensational character, owing to the relations formerly existing between the deceased woman and some gentleman of distinction.
The resignation of the Chief Commissioner of the London Police is a matter which deserves more serious attention than the idiotic howls of delight with which its announcement was received last night in the House of Commons. It is characteristic that the news should have been divulged in answer to a question put to the Home Secretary by Mr. Conybeare. Probably the supporters of that gentleman will be of opinion that in some mysterious manner his question had an influence in getting rid of Sir Charles Warren; and no doubt there are quarters in which the reputation of having forced a Commissioner of Police to resign would be regarded as a high distinction and a badge of merit. The Opposition in the House of Commons seem to be partly of this opinion. They attribute Sir Charles Warren's departure to their own persistent hatred of him and to the bitter virulence with which they have attacked every act of his administration. Above all, he suppressed the periodical rioting and spouting of their extreme supporters in Trafalgar square; and no doubt we shall be told that the Square has been as fatal to Sir Charles Warren as it was to his predecessor, who adopted a very different line of policy in dealing with metropolitan difficulties.
The immediate cause of Sir Charles Warren's resignation is undoubtedly the rebuke administered to him by his official superior in respect of the article that recently appeared in Murray's Magazine. The Commissioner had certainly overstepped the limits prescribed to all Civil Servants in this country, who are not allowed to criticise the department to which they belong, nor, for that matter, any branch of the public service, so long as they are holding any official position. That Sir Charles Warren will be now free to express his criticisms, and to give utterance to much which he has kept under control for the last two or three years is clear; yet it is to be hoped that he will not be eager to avail himself of this freedom. The real cause, however, of the difficulty which has existed between the Home Office and Scotland yard has been the quarrel about the Criminal Investigation Department. Mr. Matthews' policy has been to withdraw the detective force more and more from the control of the Chief Commissioner. Sir Charles Warren has resented this; and it has been an open secret that for months past he and Mr. Monro have been unable to work harmoniously together. Finally, Mr. Monro had to resign his position as Assistant Commissioner at Scotland yard; but he was immediately transferred to the Home Office, and to all appearances he was still practically, though not nominally, treated as the chief authority on detective matters. That a subordinate should be preferred to the chief official, and that his opinion should be allowed to prevail, would make the tenure of any office impossible. This is what Sir Charles warren has found. The occasion of his fall is indeed the injudicious article which he allowed himself to write; but the real reason is that a personal and departmental rivalry has existed for a long time which was sure to culminate, one day or other, in the disappearance of either the one or the other.
It cannot be denied, however, that Sir Charles Warren has done good work. He has once for all, we hope, made it clear to the riotous element in the metropolis that it will not be permitted to work out its sweet will upon peaceful and law abiding citizens. He was appointed at a time when a perfect panic had seized upon London, and the wildest rumours of thousands marching to plunder the City were recklessly circulated and greedily believed. It was his duty to stem the tide of lawlessness, which, under the specious guise of exercising liberty of speech, threatened to turn the capital into a centre of disorder and violence. The noisy orators who claimed Trafalgar square as their own, and were only too pleased if the police, whom they regard almost as their natural enemies, could not cope with the violence of the roughs, have been satisfactorily taught that they must go and air their eloquence elsewhere. Even the mistaken enthusiasts who rushed upon the police for the purpose of getting their heads broken, and who reproached Mr. Labouchere for his drawing room radicalism because he did not charge with them, have learnt wisdom, or, at least, that kind of prudence which is a fair cloak for wisdom. Sir Charles Warren supplied at a critical moment the very elements of strength and resolution which were lacking in the government of the metropolis. He was quick in making his decision, and firm in acting upon it. We wish that Mr. Matthews could lay claim to the same reputation. The police had in Trafalgar square a harder task to perform than any which had fallen to their lot since the time of Sir Richard Mayne and the Hyde Park railings. They performed it well and successfully, too; but they did it without much support from the Home Office, where their real chief is, or ought to be, placed. They have been exposed to the most brutal obloquy, though we must admit that the attacks on Mr. Matthews have been quite as stinging as those made upon his subordinates, rank and file as well as officials. London is certainly indebted to Sir Charles Warren for much which he has effected during his term of office. He has not made himself popular, it is true; but when a man is in such a position that to gain popularity he must satisfy the noisiest and most discontented portion of the community, it is rather to his credit that he fails to achieve this kind of distinction. The office of Chief Commissioner of Police in London is a difficult one, more particularly because it is regarded as a quasi political post, and the Government is rightly held responsible for the public acts of this official. It may come about ere long that the responsibility will be shifted, and that the new County Council will have the control of the police. This would relieve the Government from much undeserved violence of criticism; but it is to be hoped that the example of firmness and determination set by Sir Charles Warren will under any circumstances be imitated by his successors.
Dr. McDonald, the coroner who yesterday conducted the inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of the unfortunate woman Mary Jeanette Kelly, set an example which other coroners would, in a general way, do well to follow. He laid down the sound proposition that the duty of a coroner's jury was to find out the cause of death, and return a verdict accordingly. They have nothing to do with the prosecution of criminals; and when they stray into that region they are merely essaying to do work which can be much better done by other agencies to which it more properly belongs. Long drawn out inquests, such as we have too often had to suffer of late, are in every way a mistake. They are wastefully expensive, they cause a quite unnecessary amount of trouble, and put witnesses and others to inconvenience which is at once uncalled for and unjustifiable. Once the jury is satisfied as to the cause of death, whether it was murder, suicide, accident, or what not, its duty is at an end and, if there is any suspicion or a certainty of criminality involved in the matter, the affair then becomes one for the police. In the case of the Whitechapel murders, one is so much like another that these considerations tell with redoubled force. No coroner's jury is at all likely to throw any fresh light upon the modus operandi of the monster who has selected the East end as his sphere of action, and therefore it is sheer waste of time for a coroner to go on travelling over and over again what is practically old ground.
That Her Majesty's Government is fully justified in refusing to offer a reward for the apprehension of the perpetrator of the Whitechapel horrors will most clearly be shown in the Home Secretary's statement to the House last night. The excited state of public opinion in the East end and the consequent danger of false charges being preferred against individuals would, as Mr. Matthews argued, be additionally strong reasons for not departing from a practice which has been in vogue for some years, and has been found to work well. The temptation of a big reward would be quite enough to secure a sufficient combination of witnesses to swear an innocent man's life away, and it is well not to lose sight of such a danger in moments of excitement like the present.
The Press Association, in reference to Sir Charles Warren's resignation, learns on the highest authority that the relations between Sir Charles Warren and the Home Office have for some time been strained. The action of the department in reference to the resignation of Mr. Monro caused the first serious difference of opinion. Sir Charles took exception to certain of the methods of the Assistant Commissioner, and he intimated to Mr. Matthews that either he or Mr. Monro must resign. A few days afterwards Mr. Monro's resignation was announced. Sir Charles Warren complains that Mr. Monro's resignation was accepted without consultation with him, and that prior to the Home Secretary's statement in the House of Commons last evening he (Sir Charles Warren) was not even aware of the reason assigned by his subordinate for severing his connection with Scotland yard. Since Mr. Monro's transference to the Home Office, matters have become worse. Sir Charles complains that, whereas he has been saddled with all the responsibility, he has had no freedom of action, and in consequence his position has become daily more unbearable. Although Mr. Monro has been no longer in evidence at Whitehall place, he has to all intents and purposes retained control of the Criminal Investigation Department. Indeed, Mr. Matthews last evening admitted that he was deriving the benefit of the advice of Mr. Monro in matters relating to crime, and was in communication with him at the present time on the subject of the organisation of the detective staff. This division of authority Sir Charles Warren has strenuously fought against. He maintains that if the Commissioner is to be responsible for the discipline of the force, instructions should be given to no department without his concurrence. Latterly, in spite of the remonstrances of Sir Charles Warren, the control of the Criminal Investigation Department has been withdrawn more and more from Whitehall Place. Every morning for the last few weeks there has been a protracted conference at the Home Office between Mr. Monro, Mr. Anderson, and the principal detective inspectors, and the information furnished to the Commissioner in regard to these conferences has been, he states, of the scantiest character. These facts will explain how, apart from any other consideration, it was impossible for Sir Charles Warren, holding the views he did in regard to the function of the Commissioner, to continue in command. The reproof of the Home Secretary last week in reference to the article in "Murray's Magazine" completed the rupture. Sir Charles thereupon took counsel with his friends, and immediately tendered his resignation to the Home Secretary. Yesterday morning his books and papers were removed from the Commissioner's office, and this was the first intimation in Whitehall place that he had relinquished his position.
The names of Mr. Monro, late Assistant Commissioner of Metropolitan Police; Mr. Malcolm Wood, Chief Constable of Manchester; and Mr. Farndale, the Chief of the Birmingham Police Force, are mentioned in connection with the vacant Chief Commissionership.
The police, yesterday evening, received an important piece of information. A man, apparently of the labouring class, with a military appearance, who knew the deceased, stated that on the morning of the 9th inst. he saw her in Commercial street, Spitalfields (near where the murder was committed), in company with a man of respectable appearance. He was about 5ft 6in in height, and 34 or 35 years of age, with dark complexion and dark moustache turned up at the ends. He was wearing a long, dark coat, trimmed with astrachan, a white collar with black necktie, in which was affixed a horseshoe pin. He wore a pair of dark gaiters with light buttons, over button boots, and displayed from his waistcoat a massive gold chain. His appearance contrasted so markedly with that of the woman that few people could have failed to remark them at that hour of the morning. This description, which confirms that given by others of the person seen in company with the deceased on the morning she was killed, is much fuller in detail than that hitherto in the possession of the police.
During yesterday several arrests were made, but after a short examination in all cases the persons were set at liberty, as it was felt certain that they had connection with the crime. Dorset street still continues to be a thoroughfare of great interest, and during the whole of the day people, who were evidently drawn thither solely out of curiosity, passed up and down the street while before the entrance to Miller's court a crowd collected. They were not, however, allowed to enter the court, which was guarded by two police constables.
In order to arrive at the truth of the conflicting statements which have appeared as to the use or non use of bloodhounds in the attempts to track the murderer of Marie Janet Kelly, the last Whitechapel victim, a representative of the Central News had an interview with Mr. K W Taunton on the subject yesterday evening. It will be remembered that at Sir Charles Warren's request Mr. Brough, the well known bloodhound breeder, of Scarborough, was communicated with shortly after the Mitre square and Berner street tragedies, and asked to bring a couple of trained hounds to London for the purpose of testing their capabilities in the way of following the scent of a man. The hounds were named Burgho and Barnaby, and in one of the trials Sir Charles Warren himself acted as the quarry, and expressed satisfaction at the result. Arrangements were made for the immediate conveyance of the animals to the spot in the event of another murder occurring, and in order to facilitate matters Mr. Brough, who was compelled to return to Scarborough, left the hounds in the care of Mr. Taunton of 8 Doughty street. Mr. Taunton said: After the trial in Regent's Park, Burgho was sent to Brighton, where he had been entered for the show, which lasted three days. In the meantime Barnaby remained in my care. Burgho would have been sent back to me, but as Brough could not get anything definite from the police he declined to send the dog, and wrote asking me to return Barnaby. I did not do so at first, but acting on my own responsibility, retained possession of the dog for some time longer. About a fortnight ago I received a telegram from Leman street Police station asking me to bring up the hounds. It was then shortly after noon, and I took Barnaby at once. On arriving at the station, I was told by the superintendent that a burglary had been committed about five o'clock that morning in Commercial street, and I was asked to attempt to track the thief by means of the dog. The police admitted that since the burglary they had been all over the premises. I pointed out the stupidity of expecting a dog to accomplish anything under such circumstances and after such a length of time had been allowed to elapse, and took the animal home. I wrote telling Mr. Brough of this, and he wired insisting that the dog should be sent back at once, as the danger of its being poisoned if it were known that the police were trying to trace burglars by its aid was very great, and Mr. Brough had no guarantee against any pecuniary loss in the event of the animal being maltreated. Therefore there has not been a "police bloodhound" - that is to say, a trained hound - in London for the past fortnight. The origin of the tale regarding the hounds being lost at Tooting whilst being practised in tracing a man I can only account for in the following way: I had arranged to take Barnaby out to Hemel Hempstead to give the hound some practice. The same day a sheep was maliciously killed on Tooting Common, and the police wired to London asking that the hounds might be sent down. I was then some miles away from London with Barnaby, and did not get the telegram until my return late in the evening. Somebody, doubtless, remarked that the hounds were missing, meaning that they did not arrive when sent for, and this was magnified into a report that they had been lost. At the time Burgho was at Scarborough. Under the circumstances in which the body of Marie Janet Kelly was found I don't think bloodhounds would have been of any use. It was then broad daylight and the streets crowded with people. The only chance the hounds would have would be in the event of a murdered body being discovered, as the others were, in the small hours of the morning and being put on the trail before many people were about.
Some surprise was created among those present at the inquest in the Shoreditch Town Hall by the abrupt termination of the inquiry, as it was well known that further evidence would be forthcoming. The coroner himself distinctly told the jury that he was only going to take the preliminary portion of Dr. G.B. Phillips's evidence, the remainder of which would be more fully given at the adjourned inquiry. No question was put to Dr. Philips as to the mutilated portions of the body, and the coroner did not think fit to ask the doctor whether any portions of the body were missing. The doctor stated to the coroner during the inquiry that his examination was not yet completed. His idea was that by at once making public every fact brought to light in connection with this terrible murder, the ends of justice might be retarded.
The examination of the body by Dr. Phillips, on Saturday, lasted upwards of six and a half hours. Notwithstanding reports to the contrary, it is still confidently asserted that some portions of the body of the deceased woman are missing.
"Dear Boss - I am now in Queen's Park estate in the Third Avenue. I am out of red ink at present, but it won't matter for once. I intend doing another here next Tuesday night about ten o'clock. I will give you a chance now to catch me. I shall have check trousers on and a black coat and vest, so look out. I have done one not yet found out, so keep your eyes open.
The police are receiving a very large number of letters on the subject of the murder.
The Central News learns that the police now have no one in custody. All has been quiet in the district during (the) night, and there is very little excitement apparent. The police are as busily engaged as ever, and are now actively following up fresh information gathered from yesterday's inquest. So conflicting, however, are various descriptions of the supposed criminal, that there is but slight ground for anticipating successful investigation.
The Central News says: Last night the police made a careful inspection of all the casual wards, and at one of three places near Holborn a man was arrested, who had a knife of formidable proportions in his possession. His account of himself was very confused, and he was arrested. The excitement in the East end has materially abated.
Miller's court, this morning, is still guarded by two police constables, but persons having business to transact are allowed to enter the court. The room in which the murder was committed is still closed. There is a considerable crowd in Dorset street. Nothing has yet been definitely settled respecting the funeral, but it is expected that all details in connection with it will be settled in the course of today.
Several drunken men were brought up at the Metropolitan police courts today, each charged with shouting out "I'm Jack the Ripper," or words to the same effect. At Westminster Police court an individual, who was seen between one and two o'clock this morning to climb some railings and try to open the ground floor window of a private house, explained his action by assuring the policeman who took him into custody that he "was looking for Jack the Ripper."
Scotland yard was the leading topic at question time. Mr. Gent-Davis had an early interview with the Speaker regarding his intended motion for the adjournment of the House, and Messrs. Pickersgill and Conybeare took a leading part in questioning the Home Secretary on the subject. The substance of the right hon. gentleman's answers was that Mr. Monro resigned his office as Assistant Commissioner because he could not get on with Sir C. Warren; that Mr. Anderson was now the head of the Criminal Investigation Department, subject to the supervision of the Chief Commissioner; and that Mr. Monro's services were retained by the Home Office in a consultative capacity. In reply to a further question, Mr. Matthews stated that it was not customary to lay papers in such cases on the table of the House, and therefore he could not produce the correspondence with regard to the resignation of Mr. Monro. "Then we might get it tonight," Mr. Gent-Davis remarked, amidst cheers from the Radicals on the other side of the House.
So far, things looked rather awkward for the Government, as it seemed settled that some house would be wasted by a motion for adjournment; but in the answers to subsequent questions the Home Secretary scored heavily, particularly in regard to his refusal to offer a reward as to the Whitechapel murders. Replying to Mr. Conybeare, the right hon. gentleman stated that the whole system of the Criminal Investigation Department was under his consideration, with a view to improvement.
Sir C. Warren tendered his resignation on the 8th instant, and that resignation had been accepted. Directly this announcement was made, there were loud and prolonged cheers from below the Opposition gangway, in which several Conservative members joined. Some surprise was felt that the First Lord of the Treasury replied to a question on Friday that Sir C. Warren had not resigned. Evidently, the Government did not decide upon accepting the resignation of the Chief Commissioner until the Cabinet Council on Saturday.
In answer to Mr. Cuninghame Graham, the Home Secretary made a lengthened statement of his reasons for not offering a reward in the Whitechapel cases. He showed that in 1881 Sir William Harcourt, then Home Secretary, decided that the practice which had previously prevailed at the Home Office of offering rewards should be discontinued. The reasons for this decision were chiefly that it had been found that rewards failed to secure the detection of crime, promoted the giving of false evidence, and in some cases the prospect of a reward for information actually led to the planning of crimes and outrages, as in the case of a projected explosion at the German Embassy. Succeeding Home Secretaries - Lord Cross in 1885, and Mr. Childers in 1886 - took the same view, and consistently declined to offer rewards. Since he (Mr. Matthews) had been at the Home Office, he had merely followed the rule laid down by his predecessors. That rule might be subject to exception, as in a case where a murderer was known, and only his place of concealment had to be discovered; or, as in a case where only some special circumstances required elucidation. In the Whitechapel murders those principles did not apply, and there was great risk of a reward producing false testimony. He knew how desirable it was to allay public feeling; and he would have been glad to offer a reward in order to show that the authorities were not negligent or indifferent, if he had felt that the circumstances would justify the course. He earnestly assured the House that neither the Home Office nor Scotland yard would leave a stone unturned in order to bring to justice the perpetrators of these abominable crimes.
This statement made a profound impression upon the House, and produced a great revulsion of feeling in favour of the Home Secretary. The right hon. gentleman was warmly cheered by both sides of the House alike; and it was at once evident that the prospect of a debate had gone by the board. A little of the comic element was supplied by Mr. Cuninghame Graham, who pompously assured Mr. Matthews that he agreed entirely with him, whereupon the House laughed. Mr. Montagu essayed to make a personal explanation as to his own offer of a reward, but was pulled up by the Speaker; and the subject then dropped. In the Lobby afterwards the remarkable demonstration which welcomed Mr. Matthews's justification was the great subject of talk. Seldom has so quick a change been witnessed in the attitude of the House towards a Minister; and it was certainly creditable to the Radicals, who have been foremost in attacking the Home Secretary, that they responded so heartily to his tacit claim that the House should do him justice. | 2019-04-20T09:23:10Z | https://www.casebook.org/press_reports/evening_news/18881113.html |
Saturday 13-July Soaring Report: Fun starts in Tonopah !
In three long days my crew and I drove to Wendover NV, about 2450 miles from Acton. I'd hoped to fly the last leg to Tonopah, but the weather said otherwise. We drove on down to Ely (you've read about the record camps from Ely in Soaring), where we got past the heavy haze and cirrus that were present further north. Ely is only around 150 miles out of Tonopah, so we stopped and I launched the Ventus. 95 degrees on the ground at 6000 feet still gives an OK climb rate but it peters out pretty quick at this density altitude; I found a thermal and did the cool-down-then-retract thing.
This country is fantastic and barren. Airports are few and far between, dry lakes are available in only some of the valleys, and the roads are listed as places to land if you really get in trouble (apparently its expected that you can get it down and stopped between the stakes marking the road). Hopefully we'll all avoid such drama this contest. I'm looking forward to the safety briefing as apparently there are more places to land than I could recognize on today's trip. Its really beautiful but extremely rugged, and the clouds are fantastic. Everything is scaled up. The "little" mountains are taller than Mt. Washington, and the big ones are in the 14,000 range still with snow on top.
Practice days are Sunday and Monday, then competition starts on Tuesday. Someone said there are ~20 current or former national champions in the line-up here, and I've already seen 10... Should be quite a race.
Sunday 14-July Soaring Report: P1 in Tonopah !
Monday 15-July Soaring Report: P2 heats up in Tonopah !
Now its getting serious. Another drag race was called for the second practice day, 187 miles. A bit drier so less chance of storms. Less smoke from fires today, and less cirrus. I even loaded with water today. The start is height-limited to 7000 AGL. You have to stay under this altitude for 2 minutes before start. This is all very well when that's above the thermal tops, or when there's a ripping thermal in the start cylinder and you can start by climbing out the top. Real silly when there's lift that goes 5000 ft higher and no lift in the cylinder. Dive down, mill about, then start, and dive for the next thermal on course. Lower than you want to be by 5000 feet !
Stop whining and get going. First thermal is only 7-8 knots, eventually improving but gets me back up to cloudbase near the start of a monster street. Cruise at 110 knots, pull up in lift. If I can climb straight ahead at better than 7 knots I slow up a lot, otherwise just keep pounding along. Follow the street most of the way to the first turn. SN10 says average 101 mph as I round the first turn, of course the 20 knot tailwind helped. Cross the streets, try to stay high, second turn, ooops, those mountains are starting to fill the canopy again. Should dive at the rocks but I wimped out and circled in 6 knots. Run another street back towards home, diverting away from course to stay under the street. Why ? Because I've managed to line up the sink street when I didn't do that. Wimped out and flew too slow, then overcooked the final glide. Last 25 miles at redline. Arrived too high in lots of traffic, so after finish I pull up and climb out to wait for a less busy time to land.
100.1 MPH ! 300km in 1:50. That sounds fast, but 5 pilots broke 110, and Gary Ittner turned in 122 MPH (that's 300km in 1:30). But its only the second time I've gone over 100 on a task. Gotta go faster to keep up with these guys. Shaking off the cobwebs and trying to remember how to fly the Ventus in 15m (I only ever put the short tips on once before, for Uvalde last year; I really should practice). Perhaps a bungee cord to hold the stick forward would help. Striedeck told me this task could have been completed with no circles, perhaps Gary actually did it. I don't understand how to read the lift lines if you cruise far below the 17k cloudbase though.
Tomorrow the real show begins.
PS: Gary's trace shows only 13 circles - he didn't do it without any circles, but real close ! John Cochrane did it with no circles but was a bit slower.
Today (16-July) we had a serious accident during take-off at Tonopah. A glider ground-looped and hit a motorhome and a pedestrian. The pedestrian was airlifted to Las Vegas and will have brain surgery this evening, and will likely lose an eye. Multiple skull fractures and a broken jaw. Condition is listed as "stable", but perhaps with brain damage.
Some older gliders have the release on a long floppy cable. You will NOT be able to grab this in a ground- loop. And, these older gliders are more prone to ground-loop. In such a glider, HOLD ON TO THE RELEASE until you are certain of a safe launch, then LET GO so you cannot accidentally release.
PLEASE: practice this. Instructors, please drill it. This was a preventable very serious accident. It was also the SECOND pilot to ground-loop today, and NEITHER pilot pulled the release soon enough. The first ground-loop damaged the glider and he may be out of the contest.
Today's flying was marred by a take-off accident. Launch was delayed and the task shortened: 208 miles is a very short task out here. Doug Jacobs won at 111 mph, and more than 40 pilots exceeded 100. My measly 102 was good for only 39th or so.
Lets hope we can manage without any more accidents or incidents.
When is the lift too good ? What could possibly be wrong with huge lines of 13kt lift ? Perhaps the big blue sparks and microbursts are a clue. Today we launched, but there was no obvious task that would not risk tangling with the big boomers (and PST would be a complete crap-shoot). Task cancelled.
I flew along the edge of some of the building storms, plenty of time to play and enjoy the scenery even if no where near enough time for a task. The storms are just stunning to watch from high altitude in the clear air. Just remember to stay away from the sparks. They don't move quickly and don't have a big anvil, so you can fly on the side where the storm is feeding safely - just stay well away from the rain and don't go under the thing where the micro-busts will descend. Quite unlike a really tall fast-moving storm where the shelf is in the hail danger zone.
Flew along the edge of a line of storms to the south and found my eyes stinging from the smoke flowing up from the fires near Bishop. Watched the walls of dust flow up into the storms with the sun shining through between these spectacular clouds. Absolutely amazing to see, sorry I didn't have a camera with me.
Flew home and put it in the box when it looked like these storms might reach Tonopah.
Big storm near the airport resulted in day scrubbed while we were on the grid, followed by a mad rush to get them back in the box. Drying trend makes tomorrow and later days look more promising.
Good news: the guy hit by the groundlooping glider has lost an eye, but it looks like he will recover OK. He's in for more surgery, and the plastic surgeon told him he'll certainly look better than he did before the accident. Hopefully to be released from hospital in 5 days or so.
Started after 2PM; it was difficult to get a decent start with no thermal convenient to my assigned start cylinder. 2 mile start cylinders are too small for the conditions here. Great first leg, passed a bunch of gliders, had 96 mph average at cloudbase after the first turn. Promptly got in trouble on the second leg and fell behind the pack. Check the pulse oximeter and verify that I am in fact screwing up big-time whilst fully conscious. Made a huge deviation for a 9 knot thermal to finally get back up to a reasonable altitude but now 15 miles off course. Extremely discouraging to hear the first finishers while still 90 miles out, even though I was only 1-2 climbs from final glide.
Oh well, somebody has to lose and I'm ready. 76 mph while the winner did 99... Basically dead last for this performance ! Surely better next time.
Further reduced moisture didn't prevent beautiful cloud streets developing to the North-East early. We're tasked straight out to the Northern-most turnpoint up past Euraka, then a slight dog-leg home. Should be a fast run up the streets baring any holes. Only 310 miles or so.
Started at around 2:15 after a bunch of others had already left. Climbed out the top of the gate, proceeded on course, and stopped to climb at 7 knots in the blue to comfortably reach the clouds over the high ground. Finally got up and ran down the first street. Stayed up in the top 2k below cloudbase and avoided any circling for many miles. At the end of this street, dove at the rocks and sun starting the next one. Climbed at 11 knots, and as I topped it off got to see 30 sailplanes streaming into the bottom. Ran the next street slow enough to stay high and got in front of the others who cruised faster and circled in the cores.
This is too good to last, I've passed all the early starters, and I get to the end of the street at cloudbase near Euraka. Its blue and hazy looking 30 miles North to the Bald Mountain mine turnpoint. I dithered and searched under wisps part way. Too low to get out to the turn and back. Picked a bad line and watched all the little planes pass overhead... Its better when there are sailplanes in front marking the lift !
Wasting time getting low near Bald Mountain and then getting out slowly puts me in back of the pack, and the good clouds South are now cycling. Extensive sight-seeing follows. Didn't see the wild Mustang herd one of the guys saw though I may have been at their altitude. Lots of scratching and scraping finally gets me home as the last finisher.
76 mph while the winner did 100... again ! At least I didn't land out as a few did. OK, enough fooling around, time to go fast !
Task is changed and reduced to 240 miles after we launch. The cirrus is moving across the task area, and I wait to start until the sun is shining on the first leg. Start at 2:27 after a bunch of others had already left. Climbed out the top of the gate, proceeded on course, and topped off to 15k at 10 knots under the first cloud on course. Bounced through a 7 knot thermal no doubt really making the circling gliders mad, and hit 11 knots under the next cloud. Keeping the cruise speed down to 100 knots to make it more certain to connect under the next cloud, probably too conservative as the gliders in front of me disappear. Detour past the first turn to stay under a line of clouds but hit no strong cores (5 minutes wasted).
Bounced along and get a good look at the over-development, rain, virga, blow-off, etc. in the upcoming task area. Stop and top off at 5 knots to ensure getting around a storm over the high ground between me and the next turnpoint. Detour around the front of the storm to avoid the virga, and find weak lift in the dark in front of the virga. Top off to 16k and glide out to the next run in the dark. Much too conservative. Lots of guys go direct under the messy stuff and pass me. I'm being very cautious to make very sure I don't get low in this area with rain in all directions. 100 knots to the next good cloud, solid climb, blow through some virga to a massive street leading home. Tried to circle once but it sleeted on me so I flew straight. Bounced up to glideslope under the street and ended up on MC 8; good thing as the headwind picked up by 10 knots in the last 20 miles and the reserve was helpful. There were a few straight-ins, which I really don;t want to do out here.
The virga is interesting. We saw one cloud collapse with a mass of rain and descending air in the middle of the task area, clearly visible on the second leg. I really don't want to be underneath a cloud when this happens. Its not a real thunderstorm, but the release of water then mixes with the super- dry air, which evaporates the water, and the cooling causes big sink. Yet, while the virga is forming, no huge sink. Local pilots say the rule is through the virga is OK, but never underneath. Wish I understood the mechanism better. In any case, blowing through this stuff is something I'm only going to do with landing sights in easy reach and clear air on the other side.
Day 4 starts with severe clear, except for some cloud to the far East. Former MITSA member John Cochrane is in cumulative first place after his win on day 4 - I guess he's getting used to his new plane !
Task A is a 500km dogleg around the task area. I'm last to launch on todays rotation, and while I won't have to spend 1:30 hanging about waiting for the task to open, it would give a chance to relax and cool off before the start.
Really windy on the ground - about 25 knots but pretty straight down the runway. As I launch there are gliders relighting. Looks like an interesting day. Its blue except for very isolated wisps and cumulus. Blue days encourage gaggling and when anybody turns everybody turns - very frustrating and inefficient. Still, Task A it is.
25 gliders round the turn at about the same time. Onto the third leg, into wind, over a big mountain range that has to give good thermals but doesn't. Into the next valley, huge area of calm, no workable lift. 25 mile quite glide until the next thermal, glad I got real high before this leg. Some gliders get low on the next range, and its hard to find any decent lift. I just keep bumping along, working into the wind. Almost no markers out ahead, just an occasional wing flash in the distance tells me I'm (surprise) being a slow-poke. The only actual cloud of the day yields some lift near the last turn.
45 mile final glide, nearest place to land on course is - Tonopah. I press out gently looking for the last climb. Work it up to MC 4 with 1500 ft reserve, not enough for this distance and terrain. Press out slowly, bumping up the MC and margin. I see a glider lower dump water and bail out to the North where there's a highway to land on. Don't dump the water on a high wind day until you're landing or you find a thermal !
The view West towards Tonopah is apocalyptic - there's and enormous fire on the Sierra south of Whitney and the sky is black, with what little sun hitting directly in my eyes. Eventually hit strong lift in the shade and press over to warp speed for the last 20 miles.
Slow again at around 75, the winner did 86, but the big story is that at least 20 pilots didn't finish the task, including at least 2 of the top 10 (sadly John Cochrane landed out and blew first place). Interesting flight !
Very high wind and difficult conditions for Day 6 on the ground and right near Tonopah. I almost land and a number of others needed relights. Had trouble getting high near the start, almost landed back again, and finally started very late. Bad move - should have started low earlier, though its painful to head into the mountains low. Fast flights started much earlier, even though this was only a 250 mile task. The great streets were decaying when I got there and I had a rough time. Got home very late and very slow. Smoke from the big fire at Sequoia National Park is affecting the Western task area so we're staying East. Stings the eyes on final glide !
What's that burning smell in the cockpit ? Too much Mexican food ? Nope, no Mexican yesterday or this morning. Problem with the electronics ? Not in my glider. Must be the from the lightning off the right wing. Perhaps its time to turn left. From before launch, it was obvious that the sky would explode. Why the *F****$%^@ did they send us on a 340 task directly under the build-ups ?
I detour away from the first cell and get a good look at the huge anvil building over the first turn still 50 miles away. The sniffer went out to fly the task ahead of us and reports light hail. Sometimes discretion... As I turn around to fly home, others start calling their crews for the same reason - including many previous national winners. Too bad, I was flying well and running with a couple of the top pilots for the first 70 miles until turning back. The guys I was flying with actually completed the task, but they have a lot more experience with this weather than I.
Fly safe - turn around if it doesn't look prudent !
The day started extremely hazy. The short 240 mile task should be quick, but we can't see far enough to be certain about the weather. I start early and have a fast run East towards the first turn. A bit soft right near the turn, the bases aren't so high, and we have to cross back over a mountain range to the area with stronger lift. Some guys fly through the passes and keep going, I stay high and waste 5-10 minutes to keep out of the weeds. Follow the strong bases and bounce along West towards the second turn. Good stuff seems well left of course, and not as strong as it looks. Trying to avoid getting low I take 5kt a few times. Suddenly we're out of the haze into severe clear and blue. A few gliders dive direct towards the turn, but I detour further left to stay under good-looking clouds, and find a thermal that eventually goes to 15k at 9 knots. Follow the wisps downwind into the turn. Past the turn I stop to top off in a 11kt thermal and Karl bounces through. Karl or not, I'll stick with the 11kt. Follow the wisp lines South towards the last turn where there's a huge storm building. Approaching near cloudbase at 15.5k I can see a pass through to sunshine on the other side, tighten the straps and dive through. Altimeter does the cartoon spin in the rain and sink, and finally I hit weak lift near the turn. SN10 shows above glide-slope for home, but that's a joke because I have to go back under the storm. Lots of gliders circling below me but its only 4-5 kts. I press to the other side of the storm which is also working, and get back up to 15.5k - now I have a 10:1 glide on home plus a tail-wind, with a dry lake half way if I don't make it under the storm. What a ride. Altimeter spins down, ear-splitting descent. I hit the gust front on the other side and pull up to gain a little back, then make a normal finish. We scramble to stash YO before the storm reaches the airport.
~20 pilots didn't make it home - arrived too late when the storm was to strong to cross. On the weather channel in the evening there is exactly one storm in all of Nevada, which we had to cross twice ! It was a very unusual long skinny storm caused by a High and Low pinched together, with low-level convergence and high-level divergence enhancing the convection. This is also why both sides of the storm had lift, with the sink in the middle. The weather channel satellite image showed the storm as a line starting in the lee of the Sierra and going all the way into Utah. As usual for this contest, my dithering about made for a slow speed around 73, where the winner did 94.
Amazing contest. Winning average speed 100.2 mph. >100k XC miles flown. Winner and 2nd place flying with ILEC SN10 of course (I was hoping for top 5, oh well). Guess I'll have to start practicing if I'm going to fly fast with this crowd ! What a privilege to participate here.
Back in Boston, trying to recover from this amazing trip. Including practice and a no-task day: 12 flights, 45:30 air-time, 2500 miles cross-country, no land-outs or relights.
Most amazing final glide ever for me: 11 minutes 20 seconds from leaving the lift to the finish line, crossing under a storm on the last day, covering 26.2 miles (138 mph average groundspeed, average vario -8kt and L/D 14.9). The flight log shows more than 24kt down at >200mph groundspeed passing under the storm ! The regular 50 mile glides over unspoiled desert were a bit trying as well, even without storms.
Fastest thermal flight ever for me: 101 mph. Gary did a 300km practice day flight at 122mph, and his trace shows only 13 circles.
Most bizarre auto accident/incident seen: Picture a set of heavy skid marks down the highway that cross each other as the vehicle swaps ends, and end at a Ryder truck facing the wrong way in the median-side shoulder, with the driver staring at us and holding his head with both hands, and all four tires shredded. We also saw a semi on its side by the highway, a destroyed car that had lost control and bounced off the median barrier a few times on the descent from the Rockies into Denver, and a car and trailer intact and facing the wrong way on the outer shoulder (apparently after the driver fell asleep and crossed the median and opposing traffic). The 5700 miles to drive out and back are probably more of a hazard than the contest, though the new MDX tows the Ventus superbly.
Took my loyal crew Justin Oliveira for his first flight in the Duo on Sunday. Justin had his first ride in a 2-32 at Tonopah, but this was his first opportunity to fly. He learned to handle the Duo pretty quickly, including thermalling, and flew more than half of our 3 hour flight around the Sterling area (though we didn't go cross- country, just to Fitchburg and Worcester a few times). Justin is an RC glider pilot, and after all the Duo is just a big model !
Hope you all enjoyed the reports, and Fly safe !
Crew Justin Oliveira at dinner at the Tonopah mining museum. Lots of haze from the California fires in the background. | 2019-04-18T22:35:52Z | http://www.nadler.com/public/tonapah2002_01.html |
§ Lord VAIZEY rose to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of the difficulties facing young people who are training for careers in the arts. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper. First, may I thank all noble Lords in the Chamber who are going to take part in the debate for their great concern about this important issue. A number of other Peers wanted to take part, but they cannot, unfortunately, be present, notably the noble Lord, Lord Balfour of Burleigh, the noble Lord, Lord Miles, and the noble Lord, Lord Vernon, who is unfortunately ill. I hope very much that he will soon be better. I am sure, though, that despite their absence it will be an interesting and valuable debate. Not least, may I in anticipation thank my noble friend for his reply and say how much we are looking forward to the maiden speech of the noble Viscount, Lord Chandos, who has come here tonight specially for this important debate.
§ I had the privilege of being the chairman of two committees of inquiry into training for the arts which were established by the Gulbenkian Foundation. One was into drama and the other was into music. There were two further reports: one on dance, chaired by Mr. Peter Brinson; and another on the visual arts, chaired by Dr. Richard Hoggart, will soon follow. The three reports on the performing arts—I know that my noble friend Lord Gosford will be speaking particularly about the visual arts—make many similar points, and I wish to draw your Lordships' attention to them tonight.
§ Achievement in the arts is of course a matter of talent and genius, but the high levels of achievement are dependent upon high levels of training. You get good dancers, good orchestras, good actors, out of a well tilled and well fertilised seedbed in which individual plants of genius and talent are nurtured. The rise in the standards of British dance, drama and music in this century, and especially in the past 30 years, is principally due to the excellence of the training which is provided here in Britain. All the reports provide chapter and verse for that. There is no 1534 doubt at all that training leads to excellence, and we have excellence in this country probably without parallel in the Western World.
§ The next point I want to make is that we are dealing with very small numbers of people. All children of course have artistic gifts of one kind or another but the number who are gifted, in the sense that they have the potential to go on to become professional performers or to play in one of the great symphony orchestras, is exceptionally small. In the report on music, we estimated that out of the 10 million children in our schools, something like 30,000 children were probably gifted in that sense. The figures for dance and for drama may well be smaller. Not all of those people with these very rare gifts will want to make use of them in their professional lives. Many gifted people, like my noble friend Lord Annan, whose brilliant lecture on Shakespeare the other night showed that he would make a brilliant actor, has chosen to use his gifts in academic life. Not all of these gifted people want to be professional performers, and many of these very gifted children are dealt with perfectly adequately in normal local authority schools or in independent schools, like St. Paul's Girls' School. So the numbers involved that we are talking about are very small, but of course they are terribly important.
§ If I may come to the first problem to which I wish to draw your Lordships' attention, if you want to exercise a musical or a dancing gift—and there can be few greater gifts that can be bestowed upon anybody than to have the gift to be a musician of genius or a dancer of genius—you have to begin very early. Local authorities are more and more setting up schemes to identify talent and to develop it through music centres and the use of peripatetic teachers in ordinary schools. But there is no doubt at all that some children need a special environment. Noble Lords will know that Mrs. Shirley Williams in the 1976 Education Act exempted schools for music and dance from the general provisions about secondary educational reorganisation which were incorporated in that Act.
My Lords, the noble Lord will remember that noble Lords on his side 1535 of the House were bitterly opposed to this exemption.
My Lords, that is perfectly true, although no doubt the noble Lord will also remember that I helped to move various amendments along those lines at that time.
Yes, my Lords, that is right.
If we take some of these schools, like Chetham's School, Manchester, which is a very great school, or Wells Cathedral School or the Royal Ballet School, the difficulty is that these schools are charitable foundations. Although they in some respects get a direct grant from the Department of Education and Science, I hope that ways and means can be found for local authorities to give direct support to these schools—as, indeed, is being tried very imaginatively by the London Borough of Brent for the Purcell School—and that other local authorities will not be unduly restrictive when they are called upon to pay the hefty fees for those very few children who need to go to these schools—perhaps in the whole country at most a few hundred in every year.
May I now turn to the second set of questions relating to the colleges—sometimes misleadingly called schools—which take people from 17 or 18 onwards. Some, like most of the arts schools, the Royal Northern College of Music, the Central School of Drama and the Guildhall School, are in the public sector and are adequately financed. Others, including some of the most prestigious, like the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, the Upper School of the Royal Ballet, the London Contemporary Dance School and RADA, are in the private sector, and they are finding it increasingly difficult to raise funds. I have for very long thought that for many of them a carefully negotiated entry into the public sector would be for the best. But one problem stands out, and it is the vexed question of mandatory and discretionary grants to students. Roughly speaking, if a British student goes to a university or to a polytechnic to read for a degree, he is in most circumstances qualified for a grant to cover the fees, and 1536 a maintenance grant, which is of course means tested, to cover his living expenses. But for other students attending private colleges or non-degree courses—this applies especially to dancers and to actors, for the course at the Upper School of the Royal Ballet is a non-degree course, and this also applies to a good number of musicians—the grants for fees and maintenance are at the discretion of the local authority.
Now the fees in the private sector are necessarily large since they have to contribute to all the costs of the institution which in the case of the universities and the polytechnics are covered by the state. These fees are naturally quite beyond most students. In these hard times, this is where most local authorities, or many local authorities, are cutting.
The consequences are that many really brilliant candidates are not able to train and that some outstanding institutions, like the London Contemporary Dance School, are threatened by closure. That is particularly sad because, as many noble Lords will know, Mr. Robin Howard, having overcome enormous personal difficulties, has created this school which is one of the most distinguished in the world, and it is now threatened by closure. It would be a terrible tragedy if this outstanding contribution to the artistic life not only of this country but of Western Europe and North America were to close.
I tried to get the law on this matter amended during the passage of the Education (No. 2) Bill, but my amendment was defeated. I cannot for the life of me see the reason why the dimmest polytechnic student in business studies or the stupidest chemist at a university should get a mandatory grant while a brilliant dancer or musician is left to the vagaries of discretion. Now that the Prime Minister has reaffirmed in the strongest terms at the Royal Academy Dinner the Government's commitment to the Arts and has announced today an extra £1 million to the Royal Opera House fund, perhaps we can look at this matter again.
It is surely illogical, as the noble Viscount, Lord Eccles, has often said, to protect the specialist secondary schools in the Arts and then, the moment the 1537 children leave the junior school in the Royal Ballet at the age of 16, to leave them to the vagaries of local authority discretion when they get to the upper school. It is a bizarre arrangement. Of course the argument is used that it is difficult to discriminate between one kind of student and another. I think that is the wettest kind of argument I have ever heard. After all it is an old adage that "To govern is to choose" and if civil servants cannot devise a scheme I cannot see why they should have such enormous salaries. I am sure it could be done if there was the political will.
I turn now to what is fundamentally the most important issue of all, namely, employment. The over-supply of people trained for the arts seems to me to be endemic in a free society. If you never dare to sell your talent then you never win the prize for expressing it. It is in the nature of being a free country that more people will try to get into the professional arts than are likely to succeed. In my opinion therefore there will always be unemployed actors, artists and musicians. It is a very difficult thing to measure because people are reluctant to give up this ambition in the face of repeated failures. All our attempts to measure it statistically ran into the sand. It does not make it any less unhappy or miserable for the people concerned because it is something which is in the nature of things, but, if we could limit the supply of training places and help to regulate entry to some extent by setting up proper career patterns, I think we could mitigate the misery and ensure that the really able boys and girls progress in their careers.
Two very promising things point the way. We now have a training council in drama under the chairmanship of Mr. Van Straubenzee, the Member of Wokingham, a training board for music under the chairmanship of Mr. John Hosier of the Guildhall School of Music, and one for dance under the chairmanship of Mr. Michael Wood, formerly of the Royal Ballet School. These boards represent the employers, the unions and the training bodies and their job is try to match demand and supply and to raise standards at the training institutions. I hope that one day we shall see a training board for the arts of which these important existing boards would be constituent elements.
1538 That would be an enormous breakthrough because it would link one in to the whole power base of the Manpower Services Commission and all the agencies attached to it. It is important because one of the reasons why the arts have been so badly treated has been because they have not been organised as the rest of the economy is organised. That could be a misleading and philistine statement to make, because I share the view that we do not want an enormous bureaucracy dealing with the arts; that would be death, as it has been in Eastern Europe. "The spirit bloweth where it listeth". On the other hand, there is a great body of legislation and rules, like social security, the tax system, and so on, which affect the arts as much as they affect everything else in our lives.
There is little doubt in my mind that those of us in the arts have to organise if we are to win the legitimate rewards which are available to other people in our society who are organised. It is indicative that we have virtually no lobby in the other place or here, whereas the heritage lobby—which, after all, is ultimately dealing with dead art—is immensely strong. The unions, like Equity and the Musicians' Union (for which I feel very warmly because I have worked with them for a long time) are fully seized of this and I think they are growing more and more influential and we shall see more of their impact on Parliament in the next few years.
I come now to my last point. After graduation, there has to be a path to a full career. The most promising development is the National Centre for Orchestral Studies which was set up by Mr. Nick Tschaikov, a former member of the Philharmonic. My report endorsed and developed his idea and it has the support of the Musicians' Union, the BBC and the Association of British Orchestras. It is located at Goldsmiths' College—that is Dr. Richard Hoggart's college—and it gives graduates in music a full-time professional training in orchestral playing, which is something we have never had before in this country. It prepares them for excellence, but the trouble once more is grants. It picks the candidates to play a particular instrument but the candidates might live in the wrong place to get the money to get them through the course.
1539 I have only a couple of points to make in closing my speech. The major question is, what help do we need from public authorities? First, quite clearly we want mandatory grants for people taking courses in the arts. That really is essential. The second requirement is an open mind about the entry of some private bodies of great distinction into the public sector. That may be unacceptable in the present atmosphere of cutbacks and economic hard times, but it ought not to be. The equation is simple. We want more money for the gifted who form, certainly, a much smaller number than the talented. If the country does not look after the gifted, then, in my judgment, we might just as well give up talking about the outstanding achievements of this country in the arts.
But even on a strict economic calculus the reports that the Gulbenkian Foundation has supported suggests less rather than more public expenditure, for a very simple reason. Perhaps I may explain, since the Minister on the Front Bench at the time could not take it in, although I am sure this Minister will. The present position offers no firm guidance to local authorities as to which are strong and which are weak colleges and schools. Discretion is used to support a large number of private institutions indiscriminately. In our view—and I speak now for the members of the committees which I chaired—too many students are now trained, with a consequent overcrowding of the labour market. We want fewer students to be trained, but trained to an even higher standard. The way to do that is to make the good schools and colleges financially secure enough to enable them to turn away mediocre applicants. At the moment they are having to take in anyone who can pay the fees. So that is why mandatory grants for institutions approved by the training boards are essential for excellence and economy.
My Lords, I have ranged over a wide area of the topic and inevitably I have spoken briefly and superficially about a subject to which I have devoted much study and which I believe to be fundamental to the arts in this country. What used to be lacking was knowledge. The Gulbenkian Foundation has now made knowledge available and the time has 1540 come for action. The foundation, the unions and the employers have taken some of the action; the training boards are in existence and so is the National Centre for Orchestral Studies. It is now time for the Government to accept their responsibilities.
My Lords, I am delighted to be able to be the first to thank the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, for having raised this matter with us tonight. We know of his work with the committees of the Gulbenkian Foundation and also some of us know of other work that he does in the arts world, helping the proliferation of the arts and helping others, and we are grateful to him. I think we ought also to express our thanks for the immense help which the Gulbenkian Foundation has given to the arts in this country and to this subject in particular. I think it is right to say that our discussion tonight would not be half as informed as I hope it will be if it had not been for them. Although unfortunately some noble Lords have had to remove their names from the list, we have a distinguished list of speakers and we are delighted to see the name of the noble Viscount, Lord Chandos, who is about to make his maiden speech.
I am going to trespass on your Lordships' time—though not very much of it—to go a little wider than the area covered by the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey. That is because he has covered it so well and there is very little with which I disagree. There will be a certain amount, I think, that will emerge in the course of what I am about to say.
I am speaking tonight on behalf of the general feeling of those of us in the Liberal Party who have paid particular attention to the problems of the arts in modern life and what Government should do and should not do about it. I think it is important to put what is being said tonight against a rather broader background. If one had to make a choice, if the money was so short, as to whether you were going to cultivate excellence or you were going to cultivate as much as possible of the bubbling art which can be encouraged at the grass roots among the people of this country, it is the latter that I would choose. It is, of course, a 1541 false dichotomy. On the whole it is difficult to have one without the other, in either way.
But why I think the grass-roots effort is the more important is because if you have the grass roots then I think it is impossible that the real geniuses and the really talented people, or at least a very large proportion of them, will not burst their way through and find help, indeed find the help that they are finding from the Gulbenkian Foundation and from your Lordships' debate tonight. But I think it is possible to have a sterile situation in which the few geniuses that there are in every generation are sedulously cultivated and the rest of the art world of the country goes cold and stale. I think that is something which we ought never to allow to happen. I am quite certain that the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, and I are at one in thinking that both are desperately important, but I thought it important that we should not lose track, even in discussing this rather narrow subject tonight, of the basic importance of the arts in society.
To that main point I would add just three shorter ones, almost plucked at random from among the advice I have received from numerous Liberals who work in these fields. The first is the only point on which I think perhaps I disagree with the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey. I do not think I want to see fewer schools dealing with the arts, although I entirely take the point that there must be discrimination in the way that state money is used in supporting pupils in the arts. I think we must get away from the idea, which we sometimes have, that if you cannot get a job in the profession of the arts then in some way your education in the arts has been wasted. It has not. Education in the arts is a wonderful education and can be used by people in themselves in the whole of their lives. Of course it is a pity and of course it is a tragedy, and I would not deny it for a moment, if people with real talent are not allowed to use that. But what I am saying is that that kind of education is never wasted, and I am not entirely certain whether it is right to say that if you concentrate on fewer schools for better education you must necessarily get rid of the slightly less good schools and the less good education. We must 1542 remember, going back to what I was talking about earlier, that we have the need for the teachers and the animateurs who will in fact keep alive this feeling for the arts in the great mass of the people. We are at last no longer really a philistine country; that artistic feeling does exist in many places and in many ways.
The second minor point I wanted to make was that we must be very careful that we do not concentrate on the special schools to the exclusion of postgraduate entry. I know the Gulbenkian Trust took this fully into consideration when they made a report under the chairmanship of the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey. I do not think it has been mentioned and I think it is important that it is.
The third point I want to raise is the importance of the ethnic arts or ethnic artists. It is very difficult to speak on this matter without appearing to be condescending in some way, without producing half-baked theories as to whether what we need is pure ethnic art from our ethnic minorities or for them to be merging into us. AH I do say is that there is a danger of losing the art that can be produced sometimes in wonderful ways by the ethnic minorities who are with us to stay, and to lose it would be very sad indeed. T. S. Eliot pointed out in his Notes Towards the Definition of Culture that a culture always benefited from the diversity of the sources on which it could count and it always suffered from uniformity. This country is very lucky to have so many ethnic minorities, and one of the things we can actually take from them and use is their arts. Do let us never forget that when we are discussing the main subject of what we are doing about art education.
Before concluding, my Lords, I should like to repeat, or at least re-emphasise, what the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, said about mandatory grants. It is, as he said, absolutely absurd that somehow in this country, which has produced and is producing great musicians, great artists, great sculptors, where our arts are in some ways in many fields at the top of what the world is producing, it should still be thought of as an optional extra which is of no importance. That is something which the Government should do and can do straight away, and I hope they will do 1543 something about it, as indeed I hope they will do everything they can to meet the points the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, has put.
My Lords, I rise on this occasion to support completely the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, because I totally agree with the propositions that he has put forward.
My Lords, order. Is the noble Lord in order? We have a list of speakers and a maiden speaker should be speaking next.
I beg your Lordships' pardon.
My Lords, I, too, must thank the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, for the opportunity to discuss this important and, even more, urgent question. I must say first of all that I can lay no claim to the depth of study and the qualifications which the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, possesses, and that is particularly so in the area of dance and the theatre. I, too, can claim Robin Howard as an old friend of some 35 years. I have always been interested and aware of what he has been doing at the Institute of Contemporary Dance, but the dance has never played as much a part in my life as music.
At this stage, I should like to pick up a point which the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont of Whitley, made about ethnic contributions. At the Institute of Contemporary Dance, I saw a performance which seemed to me to achieve what I did not believe was possible in dance—namely, a performance that contained such complicated intellectual and, indeed, cerebral ideas that I would not have believed it possible. It was a dance performed by a solo dancer who was black and whether it was due to a genius which was in him irrespective of his colour, or whether it was a particular contribution which came from his ethnic origins, I do not know, but I merely put it forward as a point.
I have in the past had some connections with the theatre. I was in a theatrical management company of charitable status which did not try to make money, and I was a director of a commercial manage- 1544 ment company which did try to make money. The latter put on some plays of which I was proud and which lost money; and also some plays of which I was ashamed and which made money. Therefore, on a general basis all that I can really say is that I fully support the recommendations that the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, has advanced tonight; namely, that mandatory grants should be available for the arts as they are for other subjects of higher education, and there should be—but obviously on a longer-term—some reorganisation of education, especially in music, in the colleges.
Having said that, I shall confine any further remarks to the field of music. For, although I have no professional qualifications I have continuously for the past 25 years been involved with various types of musical organisations and two in particular were concerned with young artists. For about 15 years I have been chairman of the National Trust Concert Society which, until two or three years ago, was responsible for putting on concerts in National Trust houses. That active function has now reverted to the National Trust which has grown, which has an organisation and which is happy to take it on. Partly by design and partly because of economic necessity those concerts employed a very high proportion of young artists. If one has a house which can accommodate an audience of perhaps 150, the economics mean that one must look for promising young artists at the beginning of their career. For that we depended upon the most expert professional advice and also on the wide knowledge of a number of my colleagues who had irons in the fire in a similar way in other organisations.
One of the problems that were brought home to us was, for example, that a promising young pianist in this country who, say, enters the Leeds Festival Piano Competition is at a great disadvantage as regards his competitors from, say, Eastern Europe simply because he does not have the exposure to the public, he does not have the opportunities to perform. That is one of the very grave handicaps which, in my view, are faced by young artists in this area.
I would agree, too, with the views expressed both in Gulbenkian and tonight by the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, that there 1545 is a strong argument for raising the standards of entry to the musical colleges; reducing the number of students in the musical colleges; improving the ratio of teachers to students; and raising the standards on leaving, often after, I think, a fourth year, especially for string players.
A musician friend of mine, who already has an international reputation, I think expressed it fairly succinctly when he said that what we wanted was rather less of a finishing school and rather more of the conservatoire. At this time I do not propose to go further along the lines that the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont of Whitley, has followed about the general virtues of music for education. I agree with the noble Lord, but I do not think that this is the occasion on which to expand on this.
For a moment I should like to draw on my personal experience. I can claim no formal musical education whatever other than that I made an unsuccessful attempt to play the piano up to the age of nine. The lady who taught me, no doubt an inept pupil, could not resist pulling my then copious hair, and I abandoned this in an attempt to avoid baldness. Nevertheless, I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without music. It may not be a very scientific way—I might have learned much more quickly if I had understood more about it—but, simply by using my ears, it has come to play an almost major part in my life and there are very few days when I do not listen to music.
Therefore, I think that when we talk about the balance between concentrating on the excellence at the top—that is, producing performers of the highest quality—we are talking about education as well. When the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont, talks about a few musicians of genius, I do not think that he has quite understood what the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, has said, which is that when we talk about excellence we are talking about a quality of a first-rate orchestral player, not of a world-famous star.
How much does musical life in this country owe to the efforts of, for instance, Sir Robert Mayer?—who has exposed children to something that they did not imagine. I think that we owe an equal debt to Sir William Glock, whose work 1546 on the original Third Programme has continued so that musical horizons which never dawned even on our parents have been available to everybody in this country who, of course, went to the trouble to listen.
There is something formidable about what is regarded as serious music. I suggest with some diffidence that perhaps it is just as important to achieve first-rate performances of second-rate works as well as not particularly distinguished performances of great masterpieces. In Vienna the New Year concert of what seems to me to be very second-rate music, and what Sir Thomas Beecham charmingly described as his "lollypops", brings into the musical field people who would not otherwise listen.
There is one point for which perhaps I could make a special pleading. It is something about which I know a certain amount. Since its formation I have been the chairman of a body with a charitable status which administers a baroque orchestra in this country which I think I can describe as second to none, though some critics have said that it is the finest in London. This is a development over not more than the last 10 years in this country, perhaps even shorter. It raises particular problems about training. The performance from original scores on original instruments, or copies of them, and in a style which, after a certain amount of research, is as close as we can get to what the composer intended, is very exacting. No doubt the position in the colleges is improving rapidly as there is a feedback through the professors and teachers who are themselves experts in this particular kind of performance, an expertise which they have probably had to achieve the hard way in their working life. I think that it is peripheral to the general argument, but it reinforces the importance of the high standards in the music colleges and, above all, of the necessity for a fourth year when required.
The economic prospect at the moment is, I think all your Lordships will agree, fairly bleak for the immediate future, but we must look beyond this, and whatever solution is arrived at, it is certain that the next 10 years or so will bring a totally different world for us to live in and that it will be hastened on us by new technologies. In some form or another, we 1547 must deal with increased leisure, whether it is due to working a shorter week, to earlier retirement or, alas, to continuing unemployment. In that world the arts—I have spoken with feeling about music but I am sure this applies equally to the other two—have an important role to play. If we do not build on that now, let alone allow to perish the valuable institutions we have, it will be much too late to do anything about it when the new world to which we look forward comes.
My Lords, what a pleasure and privilege to be allowed to be the first to congratulate the noble Viscount, Lord Chandos, on such a confident, civilised and, above all, enormously knowledgeable maiden speech. How appropriate also that it should be on the arts that he spoke, considering the enormous gifts to the arts, the dedication to them, that lie within his family, a family whose name, I am happy to say, is embodied in what is now one of the most famous and distinguished theatres in Europe. But I am sure your Lordships will not thank me for expatiating upon the noble Viscount's forbears but will want me to say how enormously we enjoyed him himself and his maiden speech. It is not often that one can say, hand on heart, that one agreed with every single word of a maiden speech, but that indeed I can say, and I know I echo all your Lordships when I say how very much we hope to hear him often in this House.
I wish also to add my voice to those who have congratulated the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, on introducing this debate, on such an important topic. It has been covered by Lord Vaizey and those who have spoken subsequently so widey that I do not intend to detain your Lordships for long. I intend in fact to take up only one aspect of Lord Vaizey's opening remarks but to echo them perhaps even more fervently than he did. He said that employment was a major factor and I believe, to take him up on the wording of his Question—which is the difficulties facing young people in the arts—that the biggest difficulty facing young people in the arts is the profession which they hope to enter. In many cases, the profession they hope they are entering is either in 1548 decline or on the point of going out of existence altogether. If not, they face other difficulties of employment that their training can scarcely have equipped them to face.
I wish to talk about two areas with which I have had some slight acquaintance in my working life. One of course is the theatre, and here there is a particular problem. Everybody knows—it has almost become a cliche of our own, by now limited, self-advertisement—that our acting and theatres are the greatest in the world, are a world attraction and are one of the few remaining aspects on which we can confidently congratulate ourselves. I think that our acting schools might share in that; certainly the distinction of their direction and the enthusiasm of their pupils would lead one to believe so. It is, therefore, for the theatrical profession in general, and certainly for the casting directors of those great theatres who have some potential to offer work to young people, a desperately dispiriting thing to find that they cannot do it. They are not empowered to offer work to brilliant young talent emerging from acting schools.
I do not want to involve myself in a debate about union procedures and union attitudes about which I am not totally informed. But to prevent young people entering a profession because of the dire and catastrophic under-employment of the older members of it may be sympathetic in a way but cannot in the long run be anything except suicidal. A policy which allows no young blood in until better times—those better times which by now are becoming legendary, certainly in financial terms, and which I doubt we shall ever see—will eventually wind up supporting a profession which can offer only King Lear and Gloucester, and in which Edgar and Edmund are no longer castable. I beg the unions in their attitude to consider that the normal cycle of human life must be preserved in acting, as it must in any other field.
So far as the films are concerned, the problem is different. There is a flourishing film school in the National Film School, but there are 'indeed other film schools, and they, too, are flourishing. They face a different problem—this time not from the unions, who have made an understanding approach to this matter and have in fact undertaken to see that the 1549 path into employment is not strewn with too many obstacles for the graduates of these schools. No, the problem for them is quite different. The problem is that the profession which they are entering has long been regarded as self-sufficient, so commercial, so rich, and indeed in some cases so disgraceful, that it needs no help whatever from private funds, or Government either; that the moguls of the world happily support it and grow rich upon it, and that no further action is necessary.
A small corner remains in this attitude which says that of course there is film art. It can confidently be left to the British Film Institute, because film art consists of either old films or foreign films—not exactly our own industry. Your Lordships will be relieved to know that I do not intend to weary you at this hour of the night with a lecture upon the dire economic circumstances of the British film industry. Your Lordships have been wearied with it before, and not only from me. Nevertheless, I believe that the point I am making, though I make it in slightly joking terms, is real. There must be an understanding that to enter a film industry which makes films—and like any other art they have their high points and their low points—requires some kind of opportunity to be offered in a national film industry. You cannot work exclusively in an archive, and you cannot be expected to go abroad immediately.
So the problems of the film industry are concerned with an understanding that some chance is needed later, and that films do not always involve millions. In fact there is a growing caucus of films in this country which shows that you do not need an excessive and almost plutocratic amount of money to be able to make a film. From the amateur world of the 8 millimetre film maker up to the minor film maker, and the off-shoot film maker in full 35 millimetre professional circumstances, films are possible on a limited but nevertheless exciting scale. That fact needs to be realised by the public, by the Government, and by institutions of all kinds when considering the output of our film schools.
Lastly, I wish to take up one further point of the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey. He drew a very nice contrast between the gifted and the very gifted, as I understand 1550 it. It was a contrast, if I jotted down his figures fast enough, which involved 10 million children going in and 30,000 coming out. That represents a tapering effect, and as I understand it, it is the funnel of interest tapering to the group of real talent. If we are to accept those figures, and certainly the principle behind them—and it is difficult not to—I think we must realise that it is very early that we have to start looking at our children to see how they are going through that long, exciting but in the long run probably not encouraging tunnel.
We do a great deal for our teenagers, for our 14, our 15 and our 16-year olds; we have competitions at the end of the road for our graduates; we have competitions for our university students; and we have grants—I appreciate all the points which have been made about the mandatory grant, but I am no expert on it and cannot speak to it—but as yet we do not do much among children before their teens, up to the age of 11 or 12, to encourage them to perform or exhibit, even on the most amateur terms, on school terms, their excitement and their talent in art. I believe (I have spoken briefly before on this subject, and I shall be even briefer now) that an international, or at least a national, children's art centre, where the children of the world, as opposed to the up-and-coming already-forming graduate talents of the world, can meet each other to perform and to excite each other about the artistic possibilities of the world, is something which, somehow, we must design, and fight for; because it is at that age that we shall start that long process to which the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, has so eloquently referred, which leads them to become the practitioners of the arts whom we all admire.
My Lords, first of all I should like to congratulate the noble Viscount, Lord Chandos. I, too, made my maiden speech in an arts debate, two or three years ago; and I was very interested to hear of his involvement in these thorny matters. Interestingly enough, more or less all the protagonists in that debate are here this evening. I should also like to thank Lord Vaizey for asking this Question, and for extending it from his original Question, which was going to be restricted to the performing arts.
1551 However, this bestows a great responsibility on me, as I must declare my interest as a visual artist and as honourary chairman of the Artists' Union.
I say right away that I agree with Lord Vaizey on the matter of the mandatory grants, and I supported his amendment to the Education (No. 2) Bill. I also agree with several sentiments which he expressed in his speech. Not least, I share his burning enthusiasm for the arts in this country. However, as he will well know, I do not agree with him that the answer lies in limiting the supply of training places. There are dangers here which I shall endeavour to explain. In effect, I believe the answer is very much broader. First, the problems as regards art and design courses are similar to those outlined by the noble Lord. The foundation course gets a discretionary grant, the degree course a mandatory grant by the local education authority. To enter a degree course you must have qualifications ranging from three A-levels to five O-levels. The preferred route through the various foundation courses caters for 96 per cent. of the students; 3 per cent. get straight into the degree courses but must also be academically qualified as above. That leaves roughly 1 per cent. who can still get into degree courses with no qualification, but the college must get permission from the validating body.
Here arise some of the dangers. One of the dangers which is recognised is that mostly middle-class children are in higher education—which is also recognised as not a good mix. The other danger is that academic qualifications may become the norm, thus cutting off the chances of those who are inarticulate through any other means. May I read from the page of questions which I sent to the Minister earlier today? Is a subject like mathematics when used as a generalisable skill, say, as an A-level qualification, regarded as being of greater value than an art A-level? If so, what is the reason behind this?
I differ from the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, and I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont of Whitley, in that I do not believe that there should be more money for the gifted. There ought to be more provision for all to have a chance of further education; and if their talents 1552 lie in the arts they should not be denied the discipline of training, even though this might eventually lead to a different career, especially as talent may not be immediately obvious but may come through after several years' training. I am indebted to a friend for giving me a list of people who have benefited from visual arts education but have taken up different careers. They span from Makepeace Thackeray to David Storey, the playwright, Gerald Hoffnung, the composer and musician, Gerald Mansell, of the BBC; the noted art critic, John Berger, Roseburg, the poet; and we all know the Beatles, to name but a few.
I am also indebted to a head teacher who sent me the following information: The most important single fact about the education of artists and designers is that there is not enough of it. Speaking now of degree level education, the present proportion of the post-school age group who enjoy the benefits of advanced further education (i.e. higher education) is approximately 13 per cent.—and this is the figure for all subjects. Virtually no other developed country educates so few of its post-school population, and the figure is now stabilising, or dropping, after a fairly rapid rise from around 6 per cent. in the early 1960's. New courses in higher education are almost non-existent; … The number of students taking degree courses in art and design is of course an extremely small proportion of that 13 per cent.; I think the figure is now around 4,500 graduates per year in all art and design subjects … The number of people graduating in Fine Art each year, I think, is around 1200. This is also the number who enter the system, more or less". I should like now to quote from Lord Redcliffe-Maud's document, Support for the Arts in England and Wales, (founded again by Gulbenkian) and dated 1976: I read from the paragraph headed "Education and training" The excellence of our artists, professional and amateur, and our increasing enjoyment of old and contemporary art depend in each case more on education than on anything deliberate arts patronage can do. A revolution, therefore, in educational policy over the next ten years which brought the arts nearer the heart of the curriculum in British schools (and teacher-training institutions) is what I would most dearly like to see ". He goes on: … what we need is another revolutionary change, this time in the scale of national expenditure. Within the next five years or so, the adult education movement must receive priority such as it has had at no time in our history, and when it does the arts must at last have their chance ". This is underlined by the progressive approach of the National Union of Students. They make several points: that 1553 reducing teachers and courses reduces choice; that school-leavers should be able to choose a worthwhile course, not necessarily with a job in view but a good all-round education. They point out that we are moving into times of less employment and therefore more opportunity and growth in the leisure area, where a cultural outlet is necessary to soak up creative energy. They believe that a good healthy stock of artists will be necessary for more opportunities not only to use art in the service of the community, but also linked courses such as fine art and practical printing techniques et cetera, to help gain export markets needed so desperately by Britain by good marketing through original design.
We should perhaps remember the importance of industrial design in the building of the great Wedgwood company by the coming together of the artist Flaxman and Wedgwood himself. The National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education—NATFHE—of course are worried about the cuts and the effects of the intention of streamlining through the new body, the Technicians Education Council.
I should like to ask the Minister my next question. As a result of the Further Education Circular 1/80, what steps are the Government taking to protect the vocational and degree level art and design courses which are necessarilly staff intensive? Special provision must be made to protect some of these courses which, while they do not attract a mass of people, arc none the less essential. The fear is that technical courses will stay and fine art courses will be scrapped first, thus ending up with colleges run only for certain studies.
I come to my next question. As a result of the local authority resources failing to keep abreast of the pay increases, will the Minister give an assurance that the staff/student ratios will not decline any further? One fear is that the Delaney system will have disastrous effects on the establishment of the art colleges, not least the practical element of overseeing in laboratories and expensive equipment. Here I agree with the noble Viscount, Lord Chandos, the teacher/student ratios must not worsen.
1554 Further education must strengthen links with industry. The London College of Printing is, I believe, very much affected as many processes are required and injection of the real world by part-time teachers brings in expertise from a wide range of disciplines. The fear is also therefore that cuts in staff will kill vitality, and the fear is a return to academicism. May I ask the Minister also what steps are the Government taking to protect part-time teachers, so necessary for the DA courses? I should like to quote from a speech made by Norman St. John-Stevas entitled "Arts in Education", on 21st March 1980. He said: In conclusion, I would like to say that education in the arts can no longer be regarded as the aquisition of specialist knowledge unrelated to everyday life. It is a vital ingredient in living a fuller life, in building a richer society ". Finally, we move into the area of employment of artists and designers. The demand for designers is great. It is all a question of attitude. It is well known that artists and designers form part of managerial teams in the most successful firms abroad, notably in Japan. Design is an integral part of the whole industry. The Government have underlined their belief in the arts and I applaud the creation of a Minister with a seat in the Cabinet. But art is nothing without artists, who must feel as secure as the vest of society in order to carry out their work. As the Redcliffe-Maud Report said: "We underpay our artists".
I should like to quote from the TUC working party report on the arts which says this: There is no doubt in the working party's view that society does not benefit fully from the work of performing and creative artists. Much of the exploitation and under-employment of artists arises from the unsatisfactory terms and conditions of their employment, which are often of a casual nature. For every one of the stars and other brilliant successes in the arts there are many artists who make their contribution from a position of acute economic insecurity, which militates against them making a significant contribution to society ". There is no category for an artist so far as the DHSS and the Department of Employment are concerned. They neither fit on to the professional register nor the worker register. Where are all the provisions that other countries are promoting, such as a percentage of building costs? Bulgaria, for instance, recognises that 1555 artists newly out of art schools will not yet have developed nor necessarily have found a market. They allow an artist to take a job which is most suited to him and to take half a day off to pursue his career in the arts. Also, I believe that Bulgaria has several thousand artists who are in fact living off their work as full-time arts artists.
May I ask the Minister whether he will approach the Arts Council to look into provisions that could be made to help young artists immediately on leaving art school?—as I believe these major grants and awards usually go to mature artists. I should like to quote now from a speech by the right honourable gentleman Mr. St. John-Stevas at a meeting of the representatives of the regional arts associations on 9th November last year. He said: I intend to do all that I can to enable those in the regions to enjoy our great national achievements in the arts but the regional arts associations have a special role to play. In order to encourage devolution from the centre, as expounded in the Redcliffe-Maud Report, how much effect has the report had on the level of commitment to the arts by the local authorities? That report says: The new local authorities created by the 1972 Act are the chief arts patrons of the future. Local government is the democratic instrument whereby individual members of a community combine their efforts for common purposes within limits laid down by Parliament. Local communities in district and county have recently lost some of their traditional functions (sewage disposal, for example, water and health) but they now have the power (though no legal duty) to ensure that all members have the opportunities to practise and enjoy the arts. The future of the arts in England and Wales now chiefly depends on the extent to which, and the pace at which, these local councils come to regard the use of their arts patronage powers as part and parcel of the social fabric which they already help to sustain through their provision of education, housing, the social services, roads, land-use control, police, fire-protection, and the rest of local government. 1556 So I differ with Lord Vaizey on the need for less rather than more public finance.
I am heartened by Norman St. John-Stevas's quote on 28th April this year: Nor are the benefits those of prestige and influence only. The arts can genuinely be said to pay their way. In every field from literature to painting they earn money for Britain. This is especially true of the performing arts: a high proportion of the tourists who flock to our country every year are drawn by the magnet of the British theatre. But I do not agree with him when he said the following, in June 1979: … private patronage frees art from the threat of censorship and establishmentarianism which constitute the unacceptable face of state support for the arts ". The reason why I am a bit doubtful about that is that in the document put out by the Association of Business Sponsorship of the Arts it is said: It is very important firstly to distinguish between patronage and sponsorship. We are only dealing with the latter and it is also important to talk to businesses not in terms of the effect that they ought to be helping art (that is quite clearly not so) but more in terms that there are perfectly normal business reasons for being involved in art sponsorship. If ABSA can look after the interests of business when it is involved in the sponsorship of the arts, and can ensure that business will get a good return on its investment it will be the best possible way of ensuring the continuing increase in the total amount spent by industry on the arts in the UK". I, like every Member of your Lordships' House, I am certain, dislike any kind of censorship whether it be by state or private hands.
Let me end by pointing out that the Richard Hoggart-chaired inquiry, again sponsored by Gulbenkian, that Lord Vaizey spoke about at the beginning, will tell us a lot more about the artists. Its terms of reference really are the inquiry into the economic situation of the living artist. I hope it will be only a short while now before that is prepared.
My Lords, may I, first of all, congratulate our maiden speaker, the noble Viscount, Lord Chandos. It was a truly marvellous maiden speech, without any question one of the finest I have heard in this Chamber. Seeing the noble Baroness, Lady Elliot of Harwood, still in the Chamber, it is a rather fascinating fact that her half-sister married the noble Viscount, Lord Chandos's grandfather, and I shall leave your Lordships to work that one out! At this late hour, I expect that the shorter my speech the better it will sound to your Lordships, so I shall indeed be brief.
As with everyone else who has taken part in this debate, I should like to thank my noble friend Lord Vaizey. He has certainly most persuasively argued that Government really does have an obligation to ensure that the high standards that exist in the performing arts in this country are maintained. Even if one looks at this question from a very simple economic viewpoint, high standards produce excellent returns for this country. There is no need to elaborate on the number of people who come to this country merely to see our theatre, concerts and ballet. I wonder whether maintaining these high standards need cost the Government any additional money, and perhaps the Minister will be talking about this aspect of the question tonight.
I wonder whether it is not just a question of a redeployment of the existing resources that are spent on training. There is no question that part of any redeployment must surely be in the giving of mandatory and discretionary grants to students, which have been much talked about this evening, and I very much hope that the Government will look at this point carefully again. It will clearly be a tragedy if the talented cannot train simply for lack of funds; and of course, if the talented cannot train, then the institutions to which they would be going simply have to pack up.
Along with other noble Lords, I know the work of the London School of Contemporary Dance very well, and they have made a truly remarkable contribution in the sphere of contemporary dance.
1558 They are genuinely threatened with closure and if that happens it will surely be a tragedy. I was interested in what my noble friend Lord Vaizey said about the all-important issue of employment and, indeed, this has been mentioned in other speeches. I should like to make two points about this, one which has been made already and one which has not been. The first was made by the noble Lord, Lord Birkett, and I agree with him that this is not the place to discuss in any detail the union problems that exist in theatre and in film. But we know that it is very difficult for a trained and talented actor to become a member of Equity, and I do not know whether there is any way in which the Government can help. I rather doubt it, but it is worth mentioning because it poses real problems for young performers.
The second point should be heartening to all of us, and it really extends a point made by the noble Viscount, Lord Chan-dos, which is that in the next 10 years we are going to see an incredible technological revolution. We are continually living through technological revolutions, but the things that are soon going to be with us will make an enormous difference to the performing artist. There will be an enormous growth in the demand for the services of those engaged in the performing arts. We shall see tremendous developments in the home video market, the video disc market and the pay television market, which is already a great success in America and will probably start in this country in the latter part of this year. Satellite TV will become a reality in about 1983, and will probably be bigger than all those markets put together. We have the fourth channel, we have breakfast television and we have an extension of the commercial radio network.
All these markets will require specially created material, and I have no doubt that the potential employment for performers will be greater in the next few years than at any time since the war. This is surely another reason, and a happy reason, why the Government must look very carefully into this most important question which my noble friend has most correctly allowed us to discuss tonight.
My Lords, we owe a deep debt of gratitude to my noble friend Lord Vaizey, first because he initiated this very worthwhile debate, and, secondly, because he has provided us with the great joy of listening to the maiden speech of my noble friend Lord Chandos. May I add my congratulations to those which my noble friend has already received? When there is talk of abolishing this House, those who wish to do so might care to reflect that we should all be the poorer if we were deprived of hearing speeches such as the one delivered by my all too modest noble friend—a moving and brilliant specialist speech which could have been made only by someone who has devoted a lifetime to the service of the arts. It was a rare experience to listen to him.
Much that I should have liked to say has already been said, and I suppose that noble Lords will be thankful for that! However, while echoing the hopes of others, I feel that there is a certain difference between the needs of those who are gifted as actors, or who are concerned with drama, and the needs at an early age of those who dance or who are associated in any way with music. To put it baldly, actors have a way of making good, whatever their education, but the gifted child in the realms of dance and music needs specialist training from an early age.
Specialist training needs money, and there is no doubt that it is often very hard for music students to get discretionary grants. Private school fees are very high because they are not subsidised, but local authorities are often not prepared to meet these high fees. This is of particular application to opera students. Public bodies may jib at the fact that they do not get superb results from everyone they subsidise, but they must expect a percentage of non-high fliers in order to produce that pearl of great price. For example, within the last two years the London Opera House closed down. One of the reasons given for this was that it was not producing a high enough percentage of successful talent. It had, in fact, produced a number of stars, including Kiri te Kanawa, together with a very 1560 large number of talented and efficient performers who are still immensely active in the opera houses of Britain, Australia, Canada and America.
My Lords, if I may interrupt the noble Baroness, she spoke of the London Opera House. I think she meant the London Opera School. The Opera House is still open.
I do apologise. I thought I said "London Opera Centre", and I am glad to be corrected. I should hate to be misunderstood, because this is a vital point. There were of course a number of people who did not make the grade at the London Opera Centre and, by the very nature of things, there had to be. I hope that this supports the point that I have already made.
The worrying aspect is that talented youngsters will be forced to look outside this country for their training. There are brilliant teachers. Many speakers have mentioned Robin Howard, who is an old friend of mine. He has employed one of the most brilliant teachers in his school of ballet. Brilliant teachers, however, without pupils or without a school will obviously look elsewhere for work. Do we really want there to be a talent drain from this country? Unless we support the young, that is surely what will happen. Indeed, it is already happening. I cannot believe that that is what this Government want.
My Lords, I should like to join in the tributes paid to my noble friend Lord Chandos on a most distinguished maiden speech—as we might have expected from a member of the very distinguished family from which he comes. The more we hear him speak in this House, the better the House will be. I intervene briefly in this debate for two reasons only. First, for some years I was a trustee of a repertory theatre in Surrey, near where I live. Secondly, for a few years I was a chorister at my school, and therefore have a particular love of music.
1561 The repertory theatre movement in this country is really the breeding ground (if I may use that expression) not only for young actors and actresses but for designers, directors and others. It is also true that, through the repertory theatre, some of our finest actors and actresses graduate. Certainly the theatre in which I have an interest, although not a financial one—the Thorndike Theatre, named after the great Dame Sybil Thorndike and her very distinguished late husband—produced a number of plays with very young actors and actresses, and particularly "The Match Girls", which had a tremendous success there, although not as great a success in the West End as it deserved. But if ever there was a real example of some talented young actors and actresses, that play certainly provided it.
The repertory theatre movement generally, both in England and in Scotland—and I instance here the splendid Pitlochry Theatre, which I have had the pleasure of visiting and which is such a great tourist attraction, as well as catering for the native population—is suffering financially. Certainly so far as the Thorndike Theatre is concerned, due to inflation there has been a cut-back of some 50 per cent. on young actors and actresses; and although occupation of the theatre by audiences is in the main well over 90 per cent., and for many performances 100 per cent., there are serious problems of cost. Last year there was a 25 per cent. escalation in costs and of course the increase in admission charges is something which every theatre wants to avoid. This is particularly serious for the young actors and actresses who really are subsidising these theatres. The wages which they are paid are very much below the national average, but they still continue to give splendid performances. Without our repertory theatres in this country the potential for young actors and actresses would be dire indeed.
Turning for a moment to music, those of your Lordships who work in the City of London will know that in a number of the churches there are some splendid lunchtime concerts where those who work under pressure can unwind for half an hour to an hour. These concerts are given by the young students from the Royal College of Music. Not infre- 1562 quently I go along and listen to these highly talented pianists, violinists and singers, who give immense pleasure to their audiences. But I wonder whether my noble friend has anything to say about the future of these young players, particularly the violinists and the woodwind players, in view of the cut-back of some of the BBC orchestras—and I do not want to get involved in that question at this late hour. There is no doubt that the musical life of this country will suffer if this cut-back is anything like permanent.
We as a country have for long led the world in music, since the 14th and 15th century, and it is the same with the stage. My noble friend Lord Vaizey has asked a Question of enormous importance this evening, and it is to be hoped that with the plethora of experienced speakers we have had this evening the Government can hold out some hope, even if it be medium long-term hope, for these young men and women on the stage and in the world of music who give such pleasure nationally and internationally.
My Lords, may I apologise on three counts. May I first apologise to the noble Viscount, Lord Chandos, for butting in when I did earlier? I do apologise most sincerely to him for that. I also apologise to the acting Leader of the House because I did not give notice that I intended to speak in this debate. May I apologise too to my noble friend Lord Vaizey for not putting my name down on the list of speakers, and to my colleagues on this Bench that for the first time I have stepped down here to make a speech? So I have done the four apologies in one, and f your Lordships all accept my apologies, that is it.
I want to say very briefly that I have been chairman of a local education committee and have served on various education authorities up and down the country many times and in many ways. One of the things I have always been very worried about is the way in which we distribute grants to people who perhaps have not got academic talents but nevertheless are first-class in the world of the arts. I come from a place called Blackburn 1563 and we had Kathleen Ferrier in Blackburn. She was refused a grant from the local authority there because academically she could not qualify for that grant. Because she did not qualify, she did not get to any school or any organisation that would help to train her, and therefore she went on her parents' request.
What I want to do, like Lord Vaizey, is to make sure that these people are entitled to a grant in the same way that other people are entitled to a grant. I think that is vital. If we have got people in our communities who are good in the arts in any way at all, we ought to encourage them and we ought to give them the encouragement by providing financial resources. I do not want to go on any longer, but I completely support the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, in the way that he has gone on this.
My Lords, I fear that the noble Lord's Question will get a fairly frosty answer from the noble Lord opposite. It is indeed refreshing to hear a new recruit on the other side make a plea for proper planning, for a carefully negotiated entry into the private sector (is not that something rather like nationalisation?), for more Quangos, and for more spending on the arts.
I agree with pretty well everything which he puts forward, but I must remind him which side he is on. His leader and her colleagues are highly sceptical of all planning and believe with doctrinaire passion in competition and the free market. The Government are contemptuously opposed to Quangos and yet the noble Lord proposes in his drama plans a new one without which the plans could not work. And in all his suggestions there must be more, not less, expenditure.
I repeat I am in favour of pretty well all that he suggests. But I doubt whether this evening's Question will get us much nearer to what he is asking for. Doctrinaire though the Tory devotion to the market may be, I am glad to note that even this somewhat philistine Government accept that the arts cannot flourish without subsidy. The Minister is now asking the business world to put up £500 million 1564 for the arts. I admire this optimism. The figures of who does what show how formidable his task is. At the moment the Government distribute £70 million through the Arts Council and another £93 million through the museums and libraries. The local authorities put up £69 million and the business sponsors £5 million. So the right honourable gentleman has £495 million to go for and good luck to him. But, however successful he may be the arts will for ever, in my opinion, depend upon Government as their main supporter. So the question of more money for training in the arts is not one the Government can shrug off.
The noble Lord has served a particularly useful function in differentiating clearly between art in education and vocational training. The two are quite different and need separate discussions. I wish for a moment to look at art in education which generally speaking has not been discussed much this evening. When going around schools, which for three years I did quite a lot of, I was enormously impressed with two arts which seemed to be well put forward to children. One of them was painting. In nearly every school—both the big and the small, and the forward and backward—one saw exhibitions of children's art with a great deal of dross but some real talent. And that seemed to me—I would not say all that one could ask for—very much in the right direction.
As regards music I wish to join with the noble Viscount in saying that it is also my passion. I should like to take the opportunity to congratulate him on his splendid speech. I was so pleased that he spoke of Sir Robert Mayer and William Glock who have, in fact, done a very great deal personally to transform things here. However, as regards music, I found, as I went around, that there was a good deal of good elementary education and presentation of music to children at a young age. It was nothing like as good as they are doing in Hungary and nothing like as good, I think, as the Suzuki system in Japan, both of which, by taking children very early, are producing more converts to the subject than we are able to do. However, I think that we are doing quite well here.
I have two grandchildren in a comprehensive, both of whom have music 1565 scholarships and I must say that I think that the education they are receiving is extremely good. That is not true of all schools—it could not be true—but I think that in their case it is very good. As regards drama, the most important aspect is the peripatetic companies to which the noble Lord's report refers, which go round to schools, and places like the Cockpit in London which have schools in, and who, roughly speaking, do theatre in education. What worries me about theatre in education is that largely the troupes who deal with it are attached to local theatres which are financed by local government, and I am afraid that they may be cut. I shall not ask the Minister to give me an answer tonight, but I think that I shall put down a Question for Written Answer to ask about the position of theatre in education over the last four or five years. I believe that it is bad, and if that is so, then it is very serious. It is one of the most hopeful movements in the whole of art in education. As to dance, I saw very little. I saw one or two dance activities going on, but there is a great deal to be done here and it is probably the least forward of them.
Looking back on one's own experience, I had an extremely expensive education, like some other noble Lords, and I was exposed to all these things. The exposure to painting did nothing for me until many years later when I became interested. As for the exposure to dancing, I danced the hornpipe in a sailor suit with somebody who is now a High Court judge and that went down very well, but it was a long time ago. As for drama, I acted in a couple of plays at school and I say with some pride that the noble and learned Lord who sits on the Woolsack had a very prominent and successful part in drag in one of them. As to music, it has become a basic part of my life, as the noble Viscount, Lord Chandos, said. I began to learn the violin at the age of seven and I have never looked back in my intense interest in music, which I think is the noble Viscount's position. So much for the schools.
On the whole, quite a lot is happening. But there was a nasty report in The Times last week suggesting that some of the art colleges are suffering from cuts and may have to close. I should like to know whether we can be given information, 1566 either today or by letter, about that. I do not necessarily want it tonight. However, it is very important that these colleges should not be closed down.
I want to turn to the vocation business, which is an entirely different matter. However, before doing so, let me say that over the intermediate stage—that is, not the elementary school child, but the boy or girl of 15 or 16 years of age who is quite interested in music—there are a number of very serious problems. The noble Lord, Lord Somers, who could not stay to speak tonight, gave me a few figures. Do noble Lords realise that it costs £1,400 to buy a bassoon; that it costs £500 to buy a trumpet, £800 to buy a French horn, £600 to buy a flute, and so on? This is an absolutely new situation. I bought my first clarinet for £11, although admittedly that was a long time ago and I cannot say I still have it, but I remember buying it very well.
I have received complaints, particularly from people in North Wales who regard themselves as being in a neglected area in this world, who say that to obtain intermediate teaching in musicianship is almost impossible there. I should like the noble Lord to look at this and possibly talk to me about it later on. The other point about Wales is that actors who act in the Welsh language need special help and find it very difficult to get.
Returning to the question of vocational training in the higher sense, here, in spite of the Tory reluctance to indulge in planning, it is quite crazy to leave matters to sort themselves out. The noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, has made a very powerful case. The problem is particularly urgent in music and dance for, as the noble Baroness, Lady Trumpington, said, both are almost wholly dependent on technical training as opposed to painting or drama, where natural genius can sometimes, but not always, flower with little or no training. But excellence in music or dance can be achieved only with, first, talent and then training. Therefore, it is extremely important.
Following the general lines of the noble Lord's excellent Gulbenkian report, Training Musicians, it seems that we should have mandatory and not discretionary grants to the five specialist music schools 1567 and, I would add, to the 30 or so choir schools. I think that the question of mandatory or discretionary grants is crucial. It is the matter about which I am perfectly certain we shall get a raspberry, and not a strawberry from the noble Lord, Lord Mowbray and Stourton. However, I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, that if the Minister and his colleagues wanted to find a way of doing this, it could be done. It could be done at the cost of certain other people, but every now and then one must have priorities, and I think we ought to do it. The various speeches tonight have stressed the importance of this in a moving way from all sides of your Lordships' House, and I hope the noble Lord, Lord Mowbray and Stourton, can get his colleagues to look at this again. Of course it could be done, although it would create a lot of trouble with other people; but, then, that is what Ministers are for.
Planning comes in here because somebody has to look at the prospects for professional musicians and dancers and make sure that the number being so expensively trained with mandatory grants of which the taxpayer pays 60 per cent., should be kept in line with the vacancies available. The orchestral players, for example, have just been conspicuously reduced by the BBC, and in his drama training study called Going on the Stage the noble Lord suggests a new Quango to do this for drama. My view is that there should be a similar Quango—in a sense, he has already told us that the training boards might so act—in each of the four fundamental arts we are discussing.
I endorse the noble Lord's main recommendation that vocational training at a specialist level should command mandatory grants in a limited number of training institutions approved by a high-level committee drawn from the relevant profession and the same committee should be responsible for keeping the numbers roughly in line with professional opportunities for employment. This is all quite complicated and we cannot elaborate it now, but the basic idea is quite simple, perfectly practicable, will cost money and, in my opinion, I regret to say, will not be done, though it ought to be done.
My Lords, despite the lateness of the hour, I must thank my noble friend Lord Vaizey and express gratitude to him for the opportunity to debate this important and very interesting topic. We have had an extremely impressive list of speakers, and many interesting and useful contributions have been made by noble Lords whose experience and concern in training for the arts commands the respect of the House. I am very conscious of my own relative inexperience in this area, but I have listened with great care to all that has been said and I shall endeavour to clarify the Government's position on the matters raised.
I too pay tribute to my noble friend Lord Chandos for his most eloquent and delightful maiden speech. It is delightful to have among us such a man, remembering his splendid father and his equally splendid ancestor, Sir John Chandos, of Poitiers fame. To have had his descendant expounding so charmingly on music has been a great pleasure, and the words of praise of the noble Lord, Lord Birkett, were extremely apt. Lord Birkett mentioned that better times were hoped for. I am reminded that one of William the Conqueror's knights had inscribed in French on his sword le bon temps viendra. Hope springs eternal and hopefully one day somebody will find that the good times have arrived.
The commitment of the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, to the development of the arts is well known and has been witnessed again tonight. He has mentioned his leadership of the two inquiries sponsored by the Gulbenkian Foundation into training for drama and dance. The first, Going On The Stage, was published in 1975, and the second, Training Musicians, in 1978. These have done much to promote useful discussion and debate, and the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, has performed an invaluable service to the arts in this respect.
The noble Lord, Lord Beaumont, began by speaking of the importance of getting the brilliant pupil identified and trained. This subject is one which I remembered being the theme of many of the speeches of the noble Lord, Lord James of Rusholme, in so many of our 1569 debates on the brilliant child, and of course we are now discussing the brilliant child in relation to the arts.
While the Government recognise the value of the Gulbenkian Reports, and not least those which centre on individual aspects of the performing arts, and the contribution which they make to the development of both education and training in these fields, it must be stated that these are independent inquiries which have been, and will be, carefully studied by the Department of Education and Science, and I trust, by the many other bodies closely affected by their recommendations. In the final analysis, however,—and I know that the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, will understand this—the Government have no commitment to adopt any recommendations made, and could do so only after the fullest consideration of the effect which they would have on public expenditure.
Both the noble Lords, Lord Vaizey and Lord Donaldson, rightly referred to the marked improvement in standards in dance, drama and music, and attributed this, in the main, to the high level of training available in this country. We must certainly remember that there is much in the present system from which we can take satisfaction; and I was glad to hear the point made that many children of school age with an artistic talent can be catered for in their own schools, or by means of special arrangements made by local education authorities.
I feel very strongly that industry has a role to play in sponsoring the training of exceptionally bright children in the performing arts. In the past, especially in central Europe, the Churches used to support musicians and artists in their work. Could not commerce and industry take over some of this good work? The noble Lord, Lord Donaldson, mentioned that my right honourable friend had been suggesting this; and I do not see why they should not help these children with their special training, in the same way as companies finance concerts, opera and ballet performances, and the theatre.
The noble Lord, Lord Donaldson, mentioned the cut-back in orchestras. There is a very hopeful sign. Discussions are going on at this moment between four parties: the Arts Council of Northern 1570 Ireland, the Ulster Orchestra Society, the BBC in Northern Ireland, and Gallaher Ltd. It is proposed to form a Northern Ireland orchestra of up to 70 players, and it is hoped that at least 33 of the new posts in the symphony orchestra might go to players from the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra. This is an example which, if it does come off—and it is only at the discussion stage—will be one occasion where industry is entering into discussion in order to help.
The report Training Musicians to which I have referred rightly stressed the central position of local education authorities in this area. The report made a number of interesting and positive recommendations, which I am sure will have been studied with care by local education authority music advisers. These dealt with the identification of musical ability in primary and secondary schools, the encouragement of non-specialist teachers to become more involved in musical activities in schools, the supporting of weekend and evening music centres, and a number of other detailed points. Perhaps the key recommendation, linking the others, was that local education authorities should be prepared to provide musical training in whichever of a number of possible ways is most appropriate to the particular circumstances of an individual area and the particular needs of each individual pupil. This is a useful reminder that individual needs and circumstances differ, and that local education authorities are particularly well placed to assess these, and, if they consider it necessary, to make or support special arrangements.
I am sorry, my Lords, but the Minister is not aware of what is going on among local authorities in regard to cut-backs, and the cut-backs are on this side.
My Lords, perhaps the noble Lord will allow me to finish my speech, and then he will hear what I have to say. It is too early to interrupt me to tell me what I am not going to say.
My Lords, talented musicians at maintained schools are also able to apply for junior exhibitions at the main music colleges, which are sponsored by education authorities. Some of these arrangements may be under pressure as a result of the public spending economies which are having to be insisted upon, but in general, it seems to me, there is a background of increasing musical education and training, which is encouraging.
My Lords, few would dispute that special arrangements may be needed for school-age children with outstanding talent or promise in instrumental playing. Your Lordships will be aware that in 1973 the previous Conservative Government introduced a direct grant scheme to provide precisely this for pupils at the Yehudi Menuhin and Royal Ballet Lower Schools. This, in part, replaced assistance formerly channelled through the Arts Council. The principles accepted by the Prime Minister when she was Secretary of State for Education and Science were that there was a limited need for specialised training of a high order; that these excellent schools should not have to compromise their very high standards for financial reasons; and that pupils of the necessary talent should not be denied access to a place for lack of parental means. About 150 pupils are at present supported by fee remission grant, which totalled some £440,000 in the 1979–80 financial year. This is a high per capita outlay, but few would dispute that this has been a successful and desirable arrangement. As a 1572 Government, we are fully committed to the continuation of these arrangements.
My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont, and my noble friend Lord Chandos asked about ethnic art. We know there is public support for the performing arts, and it is of course a matter for the Arts Council, whose patronage is very extensive. I am sure they will study with interest the points which the two noble Lords have made on this particular topic. My Lords, other schools considered tonight, such as Chetham's School of Music, the Wells Cathedral School and Purcell School, have much to offer as well. Many local education authorities have been willing to sponsor children at these schools, particularly Chetham's School, and I understand that the scale of this particular form of support was steadily increasing until 1979, when some intending pupils were unable to persuade their authorities to give support. In some cases, too, the support given may have been at a fixed level, leaving the parents to find a large balance of the fees, which I know are somewhat hefty.
The schools are worried that last year's check in local education authority support may be repeated, and that more pupils who would otherwise have been admitted will not be able to take up places. This must, of course, be a matter for the authorities concerned, who may wish to have regard, not only to their policy on discretionary awards but to the alternative provision which may be possible. Thus, concern by the music schools about support by local education authorities has led them to propose to my noble friend the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science that they should be supported by direct grant from the Government on the lines of the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal Ballet Lower School.
My noble friend (that is Lady Young, of course) has told the schools that their bid for financial support will have to be considered in the context of the assisted places scheme, which your Lordships will recall discussing at length when the Education (No. 2) Bill was before us earlier this year, and this the Minister is doing. Any extension of existing arrangements for Government support for specialised schools would have to come 1573 from the resources available for that scheme, and would also be subject to the same timing. This means that the earliest any assistance could be available might be for the September 1981 intake, as that is when the assisted places scheme is to start. At the moment, our position on this is completely open, but we shall let the three schools have our answer as quickly as possible.
I have taken a little of your Lordships' time to explain the Government's position on this particular point, and I hope it will be of interest to noble Lords.
My Lords, perhaps I may say how grateful I am for that particular point.
I thank my noble friend. My noble friend Lord Drogheda, who, unfortunately, owing to the lateness of the hour at which this debate was to come on, had to go to another engagement, gave me notice of the two chief points that he would have liked to talk about. They were ballet schools and the London School of Contemporary Dance. Like my noble friend Lady Trumpington, I, too, must be in on the act. I, too, know Mr. Robin Howard. I have known him for 35 years, in fact. For good measure, I know his mother Lady Lorna and his sister, Kiloran, as well. The noble Viscount, Lord Chandos, and the noble Lord, Lord Crathorne, expressed anxiety on this point and the noble Lords can be assured that we are looking at this point sincerely and sympathetically.
Turning to the further education sector, the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, would, I know, be the first to acknowledge that the mixed bag of provision in the performing arts, which stretches across age levels and across both the independent and public sectors, is an inheritance largely due to historical accident. The noble Lord, Lord Donaldson, I remember, told us he had danced the hornpipe when he was young. My only dancing achievement when I was young, in 1929, was that I was Madame Vacani's star pupil with the sister of the Chairman of Committees.
My Lords, I went to Miss Vacani's when I was young.
As I did, my Lords.
My Lords, so did I.
My Lords, as somebody who was born in 1929,I hope we are not going to dance the hornpipe in here tonight.
My Lords, we hope not. However, it is a fact that most of the art schools or colleges and several of the music and drama schools are in the public sector and are therefore maintained by local education authorities, while others remain independent, having been established on that basis. Any attempt to rationalise this diverse provision must take into account the competing claims on public resources of other, quite unrelated, disciplines and the consequential effect on educational resources.
The question of mandatory and discretionary grants to students has been described as a "vexed" question. We have no doubt that it is, have we? The noble Lord, Lord Donaldson, spoke about the theatre and education and the noble Lord, Lord Auckland, referred to the same point.
The present awards system is based on the principle that awards should be mandatory for students taking full-time courses of first degree or equivalent level or teacher-training courses, irrespective of the subject of study. Courses comparable to first-degree courses can also, on application, be designated individually for mandatory awards; this applies to courses in drama, dance and music as well as in more academic disciplines. Noble Lords will realise that, except in music, most such courses are designed for performers and in consequence do not require academic study of a level which can be regarded as comparable to that of a first degree. This is particularly so for courses in dance which for professional reasons are designed for 17-year-olds. Nevertheless, local education authorities do have the power to make awards at their discretion for courses which are not designated for mandatory awards.
I am most grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Gosford, for giving me notice of the questions to which he wanted an 1575 answer. I will point out to him now one of his answers, but I must ask him when he addresses your Lordships' House in future to comply, please, with the conventions and not just to refer to "Norman St. John-Stevas"—he is the right honourable the Minister, or your Lordships' right honourable friend. We do not refer to him in that way.
My Lords, may I say that I am sorry.
My Lords, I thank the noble Earl. The noble Earl raised the question of the effect of cuts in local government expenditure on awards for foundation and diploma courses. I take it that the noble Earl has in mind non-advanced courses which do not attract mandatory awards. Undoubtedly, there will be some effect but it is difficult to say at present how reductions in expenditure on local authority discretionary awards will affect particular areas. So far as foundation courses are concerned, those which form an integral part of a degree course do attract mandatory grants. Courses intended to bring a student up to the standard at which they can embark on a degree course, however, do not.
The Government's expenditure plans assume that local education authorities' expenditure on discretionary awards will remain broadly at the present overall level of about £80 million a year. This does not, of course, imply that every local authority will be maintaining its expenditure at the present level, and indeed there is evidence that some local authorities are having to reduce severely the number of discretionary awards they are making in 1980–81. It is difficult to estimate the extent of local education authority economies on discretionary awards and their effect on particular fields of further education, and it may be that their effect is being felt disproportionately by students wishing to undertake courses in the performing arts. While we are of course aware of the consequences of this, both for individuals and for institutions, it remains the responsibility of each local education authority to decide upon the priority to be given to discretionary awards compared with other pressing claims on 1576 resources, and upon the priorities they are prepared to give to courses of various kinds.
The Government have no intention of interfering with or advising authorities on the use of their discretion: it is up to them to formulate their own policies and to make awards in accordance with their own judgments of local circumstances and the merits of each case. It is my impression that authorities take their responsibility for discretionary awards very seriously. This is no easy task and particular difficulties arise in the field of the performing arts in identifying the standard of the courses concerned.
Moreover, I should like to point out that, if some of the more profligate local authorities reduced their unnecessary spending, they would have more money to provide grants for children with great artistic talents. Still, I am sure that those who have spoken tonight applaud the efforts of all those authorities which have found it possible in these difficult times to give discretionary grants in deserving cases.
I do not think that we should take too gloomy a view of the future prospects for local authority discretionary awards, either. Though some have found it necessary to make economies in this area in the short term, these may become less necessary as longer-term expenditure plans are formulated and applied.
Noble Lords will know, from the debate we had at Report stage on the Education Act 1980 on Lord Vaizey's amendment, that the Government have no plans to change the present legislative position on mandatory awards. We recognise that difficult problems may arise for would-be students of the performing arts where authorities reduce their expenditure on discretionary awards. But they are not alone in this predicament, and it would be quite inequitable to extend the scope of mandatory awards to courses in the performing arts while ignoring the claims, for instance, of lawyers, social workers and many others who depend on local authority discretionary awards as well.
If that is the case, my Lords, why are they prepared to give mandatory grants to business studies in chemistry but not for dance and drama? If you are going to make that kind of 1577 argument, it is a very "wet" answer, if I may say so.
My Lords, I will write to my noble friend on that point. If anybody else is interested, they can have a copy of the letter.
We have concluded that such a call on public resources could not be justified when we are asking for restraint in other areas. Even if we were able to, however, the problem for performers would not be wholly solved since, as I have already explained, a number of courses for performers are not advanced courses. To make awards mandatory for all non-advanced courses of further education would of course be prohibitively expensive. It would be virtually impossible to find an equitable basis for extending mandatory awards only to selected non-advanced courses of further education, and it is not self-evident that courses in the performing arts could be regarded as having priority.
This brings me to the question on which the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, touched. At present, the education and training systems of this country produce more qualified aspirants to careers in the performing arts (with the possible exception of string players) than can be accommodated in the volume of professional activity as we know it at present. Against this background, it is probably not in the long-term interest of any but the most talented young people to encourage them to think in terms of a professional career in any of these fields: and it is difficult to justify spending public money to give awards for such training as an automatic right. I appreciate that Lord Vaizey's proposal, that courses should be designated for mandatory awards only at accredited institutions, is designed to reduce the number in training; but there can be no guarantee that it would do so. With mandatory awards assured, the selected institutions might well increase their intakes.
Special mention has been made of the National Centre for Orchestral Studies, and I should like to add my own appreciation of the work of the centre. Nevertheless, it is a performers' course and students must look to their local education authority for discretionary awards. The noble Lord said that it is time for the 1578 Government to face up to their responsibilities. This has been echoed by other noble Lords. Let me say a word first about the visual arts, on which the noble Earl, Lord Gosford, also spoke.
We shall, of course, study with interest the impending report from the Gulbenkian Foundation, but I think I should make the point that there are currently 41 colleges offering degree courses in the fine arts catering for a wide range of interest, and it is unlikely that there can be any aspirant frustrated by the absence of the right kind of course. At the lower level, vocational courses are about to become subject to national validating arrangements under the Technician Education Council's Committee for Art and Design.
I was going to answer some more of the questions of the noble Earl, Lord Gosford, but, if he will allow me, I will write to him, and, again, if any other noble Lord would like to have copies, I will arrange for that.
My Lords, may I thank the noble Lord the Minister for that kind offer of writing to me, and may I take up his offer of receiving a copy of the letter he sends to the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey?
My Lords, as for our responsibilities in the area of school age provision for training in the performing arts—and most of us would accept, I am sure, that we are talking here about providing for high talent in music and dancing—we have to recognise, on the one hand, the special role of local education authorities in identifying and assessing need; and, of course, the quite special funding by means of direct grant at the Yehudi Menuhin and Royal Ballet Lower School to which I have already referred. My noble friend Lady Young is currently considering with great care the case made to her for similar funding for pupils at three other music schools and they can expect an answer from her before very long.
Discretionary support by education authorities is not, of course, a responsibility of government. It has been made abundantly clear by the local authority associations that local authorities should 1579 be entirely free to make their own decisions in those areas, including awards, where they are charged with a discretionary responsibility. The Government have no wish to intervene in matters which are properly the concern of local authorities, who must determine their own priorities in the light of their particular needs and resources, as I have said. Moreover, if the Government started to sponsor arts training directly, it could become a never-ending drain on the Exchequer from all the folk whose hopes of financial support had suddenly been raised.
There may, as noble Lords have suggested, be a case for looking again at the scope of mandatory awards, though I can see little prospect of any extension in present economic circumstances. However, I assure your Lordships that the Government will be keeping the question under review in the light of local education authorities' future plans for discretionary awards. I can assure the noble Lord, Lord Donaldson, that we are not trying to shrug anything off and we are not trying to issue raspberries or strawberries!
I am afraid that I have not offered very much by way of further finance for training gifted children in the performing arts, although we all agree on the desirability of this. Still, I think we have tonight given the various aspects of this topic a most useful airing, and who knows but that some businessman or commercial organisation may read about this debate and be spurred on to sponsor the training of a bright child—for example, a future musician, actor or dancer. Also, I hope very much that local education authorities will feel encouraged to continue with their crucially important and very worthwhile work in this field.
My Lords, if I find I have left out certain things—and I am sure I have—apart from what I have said to the noble Earl, Lord Gosford, I will promise to write. I will also write to the noble Lord, Lord Donaldson, about art in the art colleges. I would like to thank all your Lordships who have contributed to this very interesting debate and to apologise for my inadequacy if I have not answered sufficiently well. | 2019-04-25T17:47:52Z | https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1980/jun/04/the-arts-career-training |
Last Saturday, I had the great honor of participating in the second MegaMarch here in Dallas, Texas.
These thoughts first appeared as my sermon on Sunday, and you can hear that here. But several have asked for a transcript. So, in what follows, I will take my best shot at a “comprehensive” statement on how I see the issues of immigration reform from the perspective of a person of faith.
— Our faith calls us, the Bible calls us, over and over, to speak to this issue.
— Immigration, and issues of race, also directly affect Latino/Latina citizens and brothers and sisters in Christ.
Immigration is a passionate issue for large numbers of our citizens.
However you feel about immigration, there is no question it’s an important topic to many in our society. Saturday’s march embodies this point better than anything I know. The march featured upwards of 50,000 people(1). The MegaMarch of four years ago featured close to ten times this: 500,000 people. These two marches together, separated by four short years, are the largest two gatherings on any social issue in any historical time in the history of Dallas, Texas.
If you added all up ALL THESE, they would not even equal HALF the total number of people involved in these two marches.
Think about that. More folks marching in support of immigration reform, than any other social issue in Dallas’ history, COMBINED.(2) And lest we be misled, the vast majority of those who marched in both of these marches are American citizens.
Our faith calls us, the Bible calls us, over and over, to speak to this issue.
At Thursday’s press conference, I put forth some of the theological and spiritual reason why I believe it’s important to advocate for immigration reform. You can read that statement here.
The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) remind us time and time again, to treat the foreigner, the “alien,” the outsider as if they were one of their own.
God calls God’s Holy people to reach out and love the stranger, because YOU were strangers and aliens once too.
Gee, does that remind you of any immigrant nation you might happen to currently live in?!
Immigration is important in the New Testament too.
Jesus’ story begins with a story of migration. Have you ever stopped to consider that? The Christmas story –the story of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a story we lovingly retell each December– is a migration story. And it doesn’t just end with Jesus’ birth. Soon after, Joseph follows the advice of an angel and takes the family to Egypt. In other words: before Jesus is even one year old, he is a political and religious refugee in a foreign land.
When Jesus preaches his first sermon ever, (Luke 4) in his hometown of Nazareth, he tells them he’s come to preach Good News to the poor, release of captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. The hometown crowd is thrilled!
But! Then he goes on to remind them that God often sends prophets to foreigners and those outside the faith. And suddenly, their joy evaporates. In what must have seemed like a shocking turn of events, they seek to rise up and kill him. Even in Jesus’ day, advocating for the foreigner and the outsider could raise the anger of the hometown crowd.
In Matthew 25, Jesus calls us to “welcome the stranger.” And when we do, Jesus says, we are not just welcoming a person, we are welcoming God.
Friends, despite these many passages, many people draw a dividing line of the issue of “legal” verses “illegal” immigrants. Many people say, “I am all for welcoming and loving the stranger, just so long as they are here legally.” I have heard this a lot from a lot of very well meaning people. And I really do understand and respect that view.
But the Bible does not make a distinction between legal and illegal. That is our modern issue.
And if this seems strange, or even off-base, please see Footnote 6 below for a more detailed treatment of this issue.
For those of us who are Methodists, the World IS our parish. I happen to believe that God’s call to us is to love our neighbors the way God loves us; without condition and prejudgment. God’s command is to look outside our windows, look at those in our community and to LOVE them. Period.
To advocate for immigration reform is not to advocate for more illegal immigration. Far from it! Instead, it is to say that our calling should be to advocate for fair, just, and reasonable levels of immigration from our neighboring countries, and perhaps for guest worker programs such as work in other nations. I also believe our calling is to advocate for families to remain unified.
What the United Methodist Church has said.
That is why the 2008 General Conference of the United Methodist Church passed a very clear resolution, calling for comprehensive immigration reform. The statement was a part of a larger resolution titled “Welcoming the Migrant to the US,” and can be read in full here.
There are several more pages to this statement, which lay out specific ways a United Methodist congregation might be engaged in the ministry of supporting immigrants. And, at the end of the statement, are some specifics for why the United Methodist Church calls on the government to pass comprehensive immigration reform (and there are some examples of what the church believes that would look like). Again, feel free to read the entire statement here.
That is why our friends at Christ’s Foundry United Methodist Church made these signs for us to march with on Saturday. Members of both churches marched with these signs, witnessing to the truth of our United Methodist Church’s resolution on immigration reform.
Speaking of Christ’s Foundry, all these issues come close to home when I listen to my friend and colleague, Rev. Own Ross, pastor of the that church. For the past month, Owen Ross has been telling me the story of one of his members, a young man named “Cristian.” I had the great good fortune to march alongside Cristian on Saturday.
Cristian is enrolled in junior college here in Farmers Branch. But a routine traffic stop there has landed him squarely in the middle of the hodgepodge of current immigration law, because his papers were not in order, even though everybody else in his family *does* have their documentation. I Facebooked with Owen the day of Cristian’s recent hearing, and I could feel Owen’s deep sadness upon learning of the judge’s initial ruling.
Owen considers Cristian to be one of the most trustworthy young men in his congregation. He’s even given Cristian a key to his house, so that Cristian can watch things when Owen is out of town.
Unless the decision is reversed on appeal, or unless the Dream Act is passed immediately, Cristian is likely to be sent away to a country he has never known. Which is why, as we marched with signs that said “Pass the Dream Act,” it was not a theoretical plea. It was about real people, and real United Methodists.
Immigration, and issues of race, also directly affect Latino/Latina citizens and brothers and sisters in Christ.
As I said near the beginning, issues of immigration, whether we like it or not, also open up the touchy and tender subject of race. And we must speak about this, and speak about it plainly.
How do you tell who is illegal, and who is not?
As somebody who for 20 years now has had Latinos and Latinas in my own family, I can assure you: you can’t.
Laws like Arizona’s run the risk of violating the liberty of our own citizens, precisely because racial profiling and stereotyping still goes on in our society. Sometimes, it’s innocent. Sometimes, it’s not. But it happens.
The sensitive truth is, we ALL do it. we all make assumptions about other people, and about their race and status. Blacks do it to whites, and even to other blacks. (Remember Spike Lee’s “School Daze?”) Latinos do it to each other, and to other groups. Whites do it to each and to other groups too.
There is a much of this that is racism-neutral…ie, is not about racism, but is simply about the assumptions we make about people.
But in the specific case of Latinos and Latinas, it happens far more often that you might imagine. Perhaps you read the story in the Dallas Morning News, from Mercedes Olivera over the weekend. She relays a story from my old and dear friend, State Representative Rafael Anchia. Raf tells a story of growing up in Central Florida, and of being denied service in a restaurant because he and his family –more light skinned Latinos– were speaking Spanish. This man, now a state representative, knows and remembers what being profiled is like.
And so it is that many Latinos don’t teach their children Spanish. That was the case in Dennise’s home.(8) As she grew up in Irving, her father, Richard Garcia, remembered his own experience of being punished for speaking Spanish in a West Dallas elementary school –a teacher locked him in a closet. So, he vowed to *not* teach his own children Spanish.
Flash forward to a time when Dennise was a little girl. Her father Richard had had a heart attack and had to stop work as a spot welder. He eventually started mowing lawns to make ends meet. They mowed lawns all over near North Dallas. (Every now and then, we’ll be driving around, and Dennise will point one out. The closest is about four blocks from Northaven…) On weekends, she and her siblings would go to help.
One Saturday, while Dennise was out helping, her father was around the corner and out of sight, when she was approached by INS agents. They came up to her and began speaking to her in Spanish.
Which, as you might imagine, terrified her because a) they were big scary-looking government guys, and b) as I just mentioned she didn’t speak Spanish!
Lord knows how “guilty” she must have looked to them, as she stood there mute, unable to respond to their spanish inquiries.
A young man come in the room. He’s a “runner” with documents for the court. He comes into the room, takes a brief look at Dennise, and then turns to wait to talk to Dennise’s two office staff members.
And at this, the young man looks back again, and for the first time, seems to really see who she is. Filled with embarrassment and apology, he approaches her desk.
I suppose this misidentification could have been about being a woman, except that everybody in the room was a woman. We’re left with almost no other choice than to assume that this was the kind of thing that Latinos and Latinas will tell you happens all the time: incorrect assumptions and stereotypes about who they are.
This example was SO ridiculous that Dennise was never angry at this guy. In fact, this example is so incredibly ridiculous as to make you laugh, really.
These are just a few of the stories I have heard during my life. There are more, please believe me. More from Dennise’s life. More from the lives of friends I’ve made along the way. Stories of clear race-based incidents, many of which are innocuous. But that’s not the point. The point is: they happen. And they happen in ways that they never happen to me.
That if it is THAT easy to make assumptions about a clearly identified Latina, how, dear friends, can we believe that a law like the one in Arizona will be impartially enforced?
The obvious answer is: we can’t.
And this is not to impugn the good law enforcement officers of Arizona, or anywhere else. But it is to note that it is our human nature that makes assumptions. And in the case of race and the power of the state, it would be far too easy for law enforcement to infringe the rights of our own law abiding citizens.
All this is why many of our Latino/Latina brothers and sisters are rightly concerned about the Arizona law. Far too many of them have their own stories of being profiled, and know how easy it would be for such a law to be abused.
Time after time, Jesus reminds us to love the neighbor. Time after time, Jesus reminds us that our “neighbor” is often one we we consider to be a foreigner and an outsider. In the famous parable of the Good Samaritan, the good neighbor is an “other,” an “outsider” a Samaritan.
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” Jesus says, is the greatest and most fundamental commandment of all. All the rest hang on this one.
Tens of thousands of people wearing white shirts and waving thousands of American flags. Immigrants and citizens standing together, with a common and positive message advocating for the inclusion of all people. Tens of thousands of people marched; and just like last time, not ONE arrest! Marchers even brought their own trashbags to pick up after themselves..and the city, last time, commended the marches for how neat and clean they left the parade route.
Jewish, Christian and Muslim clergy, all marching —as were at least six of our United Methodist clergy– in support of immigration reform. All witnessing to the truth that: we CAN welcome the stranger….we CAN embrace the outsider…we CAN LOVE the stranger as ourself.
Not only can we, but believing that God calls us to this work.
Near the middle of the march, something happened that almost brought me to tears, and almost brought me to tears when I saw it on the news later. Midway through the march, we passed the Sheraton Hotel(9). It’s the scene of the annual “Black Tie Dinner,” which many of us here at Northaven enjoy each Fall.
We march past the backdoors –the loading docks– of that hotel. And as we looked over, we saw the mostly Latino and Latina faces of hotel workers who had come out to greet us.
They were dressed in the uniforms of maids and dishwashers; busboys and bellhops; short-order cooks and waiters. It struck me that some of them might have served me (and maybe some of you) at the Black Tie Dinner.
They were lined up against the wall, on the outside sidewalk as we passed by. Wide-eyed, they were smiling and they were cheering. I don’t know if all of them are legal or not.
But I thought of all those who are like them. I thought of all the thousands of people who were working that day and could not get off work to come to such a march. I thought of all those everywhere who work and serve, cook and clean, and generally keep our city running, quietly and behind the scenes.
And, in that moment, what I knew that Saturday’s march was for THEM.
They are why we marched.
They are why, in God’s name, we advocate for immigration reform, and a more just world for all God’s children.
(1a) This one shows Kaye Gooch, Bryan Coley, Rachel ‘Rei’ Coley and David Coley at the 24 sec mark. Kim Batchelor at the 40 sec mark, and Ron Wilhelm and Linda Harris at the 44 sec mark. This one shows Kenny Wickline at 9:12 mark. Bob Radford and Mike Kelly at 8:47. And this final one show me at 5 min and 38 sec.
These clips also give you a sense of just huge this march was.
(1)Initial estimates placed the crowd size at 25,000. Later police statements indicated that this number refers to the total number that gathered at City Hall plaza after the march, and that the total number of marchers was likely between 50 and 60,000. My sermon refers to the initial estimate, which was all that was known at the time.
(2) I have spoken with many friends who have been “activists” on various causes in Dallas’ history. All have agreed with the basic premise of my statement. For example, a “peace rally” just before the Iraq War began drew 5,000 people to downtown. Nothing to sneeze at, for sure. But a tiny sliver of the 550,000 who marched on immigration. Think of it another way: have there been even 10 rallies of 50,000 people? (No). Have their been 20 of 25,000 people? (No). I am fairly certain the basic premise here is solid, and would love for some journalist to confirm it.
(3) If there had been recent Peace marches –if any other social movement was getting lots of press right now– I would likely mention them too. I’m not trying to make any political point here.
(4) The national rally in support of immigration reform, which took place the weekend health reform was passed and got almost *no* national press, drew the largest one-day crowd to the National Mall in Washington in the Obama Administration’s tenure…larger than any other gathering on any social issue there, and serving to make this same point I am making here, on a national scale.
For a very comprehensive list of these and many other Old Testament and New Testament passages, click here.
(6) I have checked this with several prominent Biblical scholars whom I know personally, and each agree with this assessment. To suggest that there was some sort of distinction made in these Biblical texts between “legal and illegal” makes no logical sense, and would undercut the main theological justification of the passages (“remember that you were once an alien”). You will recall that Israel’s status in Egypt was as a group of slave people. Not only were they not citizens of Egypt, they weren’t even a status of foreigner afforded legal rights of any kind!
I note this because some Biblical scholars claim the words “sojourner” or “alien” or “stranger” refer to some kind of legally sanctioned status within ancient Israel. The implication being: therefore these passages do not apply to “illegal immigrants” of today.
However, as I’ve just noted, this interpretation makes no logical sense in the original context of the passages themselves, when the original metaphor given was to remember being a nation of slaves; without any legal rights whatsoever.
The call to God’s holy people is to not be like the Egyptians –who denied rights to their forebearers– but to look past legal status and welcome all who are “aliens,” “strangers,” or “foreigners.”That is precisely what will distinguish them as God’s Holy people, and not simply another average nation in a world of average nations.
(7) I learned later that this is young man is Sol Weiner, son of our friend David Weiner.
(8) I thank Dennise for the permission to share these stories, which are really her’s.
(9) I incorrectly identify this in the sermon as the “Adams’ Mark,” which was its name a few years back. I need to keep up.
Praying for a Peaceful March.
Well-spoken, Eric. Thanks for that.
This is beautiful, Eric – thank you so much! | 2019-04-25T11:59:31Z | https://wheneftalks.com/2010/05/04/because-you-were-once-an-alien/ |
The neurotoxic effects produced by a tentacle venom extract and a fraction were analyzed and correlated by in vivo and in vitro approaches. The tentacle venom extract exhibited a wide range of protein components (from 24 to >225 kDa) and produced tetanic reactions, flaccid paralysis, and death when injected into crabs. Two chromatography fractions also produced uncontrolled appendix movements and leg stretching. Further electrophysiological characterization demonstrated that one of these fractions potently inhibited ACh-elicited currents mediated by both vertebrate fetal and adult muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) subtypes. Receptor inhibition was concentration-dependent and completely reversible. The calculated IC50 values were 1.77 μg/μL for fetal and 2.28 μg/μL for adult muscle nAChRs. The bioactive fraction was composed of a major protein component at ~90 kDa and lacked phospholipase A activity. This work represents the first insight into the interaction of jellyfish venom components and muscle nicotinic receptors.
Scyphozoan jellyfish produce venoms that possess potent biological activities . Like all cnidarians, scyphozoans store and release these bioactive mixtures through specialized organelles known as nematocysts which are highly abundant in the fishing tentacles . Nematocyst venom is mainly involved in effective prey capture and deterrence of predators by the disruption of key physiological processes. Several studies have demonstrated the pharmacological effects of jellyfish toxins when tested in different in vivo and in vitro preparations [3,4].
The moon jellyfish—Aurelia aurita—is a scyphozoan jellyfish with a cosmopolitan distribution often considered harmless to humans . However, significant envenomation has been described for its stings, characterized by local pain, intense itching, ulceration, and appearance of vesiculopapular erythematous eruptions [6,7]. A. aurita crude venom and partially purified fractions have been reported to produce hemolysis, cytotoxicity, dermonecrosis, lethality, neurotoxicity, and to contain phospholipase activity [7,8,9,10,11,12]. In particular, only a few studies have focused on characterizing A. aurita neurotoxins. In this regard, Segura-Puertas et al. reported some protein fractions that caused paralysis and death of crabs when tested in vivo. Likewise, Kihara and colleagues demonstrated that a venom preparation caused depolarization of frog muscle membranes that was attributed mainly to sodium ion influx. A similar feature has been suggested for other scyphozoan jellyfish venoms that appear to induce the opening or activation of non-selective cationic channels and a subsequent increase of inward sodium-elicited currents [13,14,15,16]. However, the identification of the specific molecular targets involved in the mechanism of action of scyphozoan neurotoxins remains unclear.
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are non-selective cation channels known to be affected by a wide variety of neurotoxins . The vertebrate muscle nAChRs are divided into fetal (α1β1γδ) and adult (α1β1εδ) subtypes depending on the subunit stoichiometry and the developmental stage of muscle . Both subtypes are found at the postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction and their inhibition has been demonstrated to lead to skeletal muscle paralysis . Muscle nAChRs are targeted by several neurotoxins produced by Elapid and Hydrophiid snakes, and marine Conus snails. Snake curaremimetic or α-neurotoxins have been reported to target muscle nAChRs with high affinity and selectivity; however, weak neurotoxins homologues (e.g., CM10, CM12 from Naja haje annulifera and S5C10 from Dendroaspis jamesoni), candoxin from Bungarus candidus and LSIII from Laticauda semifasciata have been demonstrated to produce a reversible neuromuscular blockade [20,21,22,23,24]. Similarly, individual conotoxins from the α3/5 and the α4/7 subfamilies, and the αA-family have shown remarkable selectivity, whereas ψ-conotoxins PIIIE and PIIIF have been reported as non-competitive antagonists for the muscle nAChRs [25,26,27].
In the present study, we assessed some A. aurita neurotoxic compounds on fetal and adult muscle nAChRs using the voltage clamp technique. The electrophysiological characterization was initially guided by the in vivo neurotoxic effects produced by a tentacle venom extract in crabs. The neurotoxic compounds were also tested in a qualitative enzymatic assay used as a preliminary indicator of phospholipase activity.
A. aurita specimens were originally collected as polyps from coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Veracruz, México) and subsequently raised to ephyras and adult jellyfish in the facilities of the marine park “Xcaret” (Quintana Roo, México). Specimens were identified as A. aurita species; however, due to the likely occurrence of cryptic species , the existence of more than one species of Aurelia in Mexican waters should not be discarded.
Tentacle venom extract (TVE) was obtained from fishing tentacle preparations enriched with nematocyst batteries as shown in Figure 1. Two types of nematocysts were identified and corresponded to those previously reported [29,30]. Manual homogenization using a hand-held Teflon pestle and mortar was the most suitable technique for maximum nematocyst discharge (>80%) in comparison to methods like sonication or bead mill homogenization that caused massive rupture of capsules or complete destruction of the organelles.
Figure 1. Micrograph of A. aurita nematocysts along fishing tentacles. Atrichous ishorizas (white arrow) measured 6 × 4 µm wide and presented a disperse distribution along the tentacle tissue. Heterotrichous microbasic euryteles (black arrow) were approximately 12 × 9 µm wide and were arranged in clusters. 400× magnification, bar = 50 µm.
Although TVE contained nematocyst-derived venom, the presence of nematocyst capsule membranes and tissue components should be considered as a result of tentacle homogenization process. Therefore, the biological effects produced by this preparation should be attributed to all components within the extract and not only to nematocyst venomous contents. In this way, some bioactive compounds from other cnidarians have proven not to be exclusively confined to nematocyst structures but also found in other tissues like ectodermal gland cells or nematocyst-devoid tentacle extracts [31,32].
The biological activity of TVE was well preserved for almost one year using a protease inhibitor cocktail, lyophilization and storage at −70 °C. Similar preservation and concentration methods have been recommended for other jellyfish venom preparations by other investigators .
The total protein yield of the TVE was 50 mg (dry weight) from 50 jellyfish. An initial overview of the A. aurita TVE protein profile was obtained by reducing SDS-PAGE (Figure 2A). A great number of proteins ranging from 24 to >225 kDa were detected, reflecting the complexity of TVE. The analysis revealed 6 major constituent proteins clearly-defined at 40, 80, 95, 100, 200, and 225 kDa, while diffuse protein bands were present at 24–31 kDa and 45–55 kDa. Similar results have been reported for this species elsewhere; however, the distribution of some protein bands varies among previous reports [7,8,12]. These differences have often been attributed to variability in isolation procedures, animal size, nematocyst source (e.g., oral arms or fishing tentacles), and geographical distribution of the species [12,34].
Figure 2. Protein content and fractionation of A. aurita TVE. (A) SDS-PAGE protein profile of TVE was performed in 12% polyacrylamide gel stained with Coomassie brilliant blue R-250. M indicates molecular mass standards (Amersham Rainbow Marker high-range, GE Healthcare); Lane 1 corresponds to 20 μg total protein of TVE. (B) Chromatogram of TVE fractionation by C18 reversed-phase column using a gradient of solution B from 5% to 95% (dashed line) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min over 60 min; Baseline indicated with a thin line. (C) SDS-PAGE protein profile of chromatography fractions. Analysis was performed in 10% polyacrylamide gels stained with Coomassie brilliant blue R-250. M indicates molecular mass standards (Kaleidoscope, Bio-Rad); Lanes 1–10 correspond to the eluted peaks equally labeled from HPLC fractionation.
To further identify the protein compounds that induced neurotoxicity, TVE was fractionated using a C18 analytical reversed-phase HPLC column that yielded 10 fractions during the first 60 min of elution (Figure 2B). All chromatography fractions were also analyzed with SDS-PAGE which showed an evident separation of venom proteins (Figure 2C). For fraction 1 (50 µg apparent total protein) and 2 (4.5 µg apparent total protein) no protein bands were detected and may correspond to salts, unbounded compounds or trace contaminants. Only two poorly defined bands at ~55 and ~65 kDa were found in fraction 3 (3.6 µg total protein). Fraction 4 (28 µg total protein) was mainly composed of an intense band at ~90 kDa and two minor bands between 150 and 250 kDa. A less intense ~90 kDa band was also visible in fraction 5 (50 µg total protein), in addition to four more components detected at 45, 85, 150, 225, and >250 kDa. The profile of fraction 6 (37 µg total protein) showed protein bands at 150, 250 and >250 kDa, but the ~90 and ~45 kDa bands appeared more diffuse. Fractions 7, 8, 9 and 10 (25, 25, 39 and 0.8 µg total protein, respectively) revealed noteworthy protein bands in clusters at 25–35 kDa and 37–45 kDa, indicating lower molecular masses for the predominant protein components of these chromatography fractions, although some protein bands from 100 to 250 kDa are still distinguishable.
The identification of A. aurita neurotoxic TVE components was initially assessed in vivo by intramuscular injections into adult ghost crabs (Ocypode quadrata). Animals injected with control vehicle (deionized water) exhibited normal behavior. In contrast, intramuscular injections of A. aurita TVE (100 μg total protein) caused motor impairment, appendix stretching, tetanic reactions, loss of balance, flaccid paralysis, and death of crabs within 7 min. These neurotoxic reactions were similar to those reported initially by Segura-Puertas et al. , demonstrating that neurotoxicity is a consistent and clearly defined feature of A. aurita TVE.
After fractionation, all resultant chromatography fractions were also tested in crabs. Fractions 4 and 5 (Figure 2B,C) were the only fractions to cause similar reactions to those of TVE. Fraction 4 (28 µg total protein) produced uncontrolled appendix movements and leg stretching reactions. These effects were temporary and crab recovered completely in 1 min. Fraction 5 (50 µg total protein) only caused temporary appendix movements for 20 s.
Pulses of ACh applied to non-injected X. laevis oocytes showed the absence of native cationic channels in the oocyte batches used in this study. On the contrary, pulses of 1–5 μM ACh caused depolarization of transfected oocytes to 4–20 µA (details in Figure 3).
TVE and fractions 4 and 5 (Figure 2B,C) were tested on muscle nAChRs following the neurotoxicity exhibited in vivo. TVE produced membrane alterations and immediate death of oocytes even at low concentrations. Similarly, serial concentrations of fraction 5 caused damage to oocyte membranes preventing adequate current measurements. For this reason, TVE and fraction 5 were discarded for further in vitro tests. Fraction 4 potently inhibited ACh-elicited currents mediated by both fetal and adult muscle nAChR subtypes. The inhibitory effect for the fetal muscle receptors is shown in Figure 3. Receptor inhibition was concentration-dependent and completely reversible at the second pulse of ACh allowing complete toxin dissociation from receptors in all tested concentrations. The concentration-response curves indicate that fraction 4 had an IC50 value of 1.77 μg/μL and 2.28 μg/μL for fetal (α1β1γδ) and adult (α1β1εδ) muscle nAChRs, respectively (Figure 4). Although fraction 4 was not completely isolated, the main components of this fraction corresponded to a ~90 kDa protein.
Figure 3. Activity of fraction 4 on fetal muscle nAChR expressed in X. laevis oocytes. Concentration-response effects can be compared through the various panels. Arrows indicate the first current elicited after the 5 min static bath of toxin equilibration. Control membrane depolarisations elicited by 1–5 μM ACh pulses are indicated as 10% of total value (nA); (A) 1.5 μg total protein of fraction 4 inhibited 25% of ACh-elicited currents; (B) 3 μg total protein of fraction 4 blocked 50% of ACh currents; (C) 4.5 μg total protein of fraction 4 caused 96% blocking effect.
Figure 4. Concentration-response curves for fraction 4 on the adult (up-triangle) and fetal (down-triangle) subtypes of mouse muscle nAChR. Curves were generated by plotting current amplitude after toxin application as a percentage of current amplitude prior to toxin application (% response). Each data point represents the average value ± S.E. of the responses from three oocytes.
The activity exhibited by fraction 4 showed a rapid reversibility similar to the temporary reactions observed in crabs demonstrating a correlation using in vivo and in vitro approaches. The toxin-receptor kinetics resembled those of α-neurotoxins, especially of non-conventional, three-fingered α-neurotoxins (e.g., candoxin and “weak toxins” also named WTX), as well as some members of the ψ-conotoxins (e.g., PIIIE and PIIIF) [23,24,35,36]. These neurotoxins exhibited similar dissociation kinetics (5 to 10 min to complete wash-out from receptors) and affected muscle nAChRs subtypes with different potencies. The fast dissociation could be ascribed either to low protein concentration or low receptor affinity; however, the protein concentration was enough to cause a blockade of muscle receptors as well as neurotoxic reactions in crabs. Furthermore, the toxin interaction with several nAChR subtypes is not always correlated with low receptor affinity and could reflect underlying mechanisms of interaction between toxin and receptor distinct from the specific binding sites . Even though we were unable to specify the interaction site or mechanism of action of the partial purified fraction, toxin-receptor kinetics suggest a non-competitive antagonist activity. Nevertheless, further characterization of the receptor-toxin interaction remains to be carried out.
Since it has been demonstrated that the venom of Aurelia aurita jellyfish contains phospholipase A2 activity , we investigated the presence of this activity in the neurotoxic fractions identified in this study (TVE and fractions 4 and 5). No cleared rings in the plates were visible with the negative control (deionized water). In comparison, the snake phospholipase used as a positive control and A. aurita TVE caused peripheral clear ring areas indicating a significant enzymatic activity. Fractions 4 and 5 did not cause cleared ring areas, thus demonstrating an absence of PLA activity (data not shown). This result suggests that neurotoxic fraction 4 lacks an enzymatic activity necessary to hydrolyze membrane phospholipids commonly shown by presynaptic neurotoxins [37,38]. Moreover, fraction 4 seems to have a preferentially postsynaptic action at the neuromuscular junction by inhibiting acetylcholine binding to postsynaptic nAChRs (Section 2.4), contrarily to the absent alteration of the motor endplate sensibility to acetylcholine exhibited by presynaptic neurotoxins . In addition, fraction 4 produced flaccid paralysis on crabs when tested in vivo which is a common effect produced by some postsynaptic neurotoxins . However, this hypothesis remains to be confirmed by biochemical and structural studies of the neurotoxic components of the bioactive fraction in order to clarify its mechanism of action.
Protease inhibitor cocktail was purchased from Roche (Indianapolis, IN, USA), protein assay kit (DC™) was obtained from Bio-Rad (Hercules, CA, USA), gentamicin was from Bruluart (Naucalpan de Juárez, México) and all other chemicals of analytical grade were from Sigma (St. Louis, MO, USA). Solvents were high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) grade.
A. aurita polyps were collected from the Gulf of Mexico (Veracruz, México) and cultured in the facilities of the marine aquatic park “Xcaret” (Quintana Roo, México) in April 2010. A total of 50 adult specimens were acquired. Live jellyfish were individually placed in 1-liter containers filled with ice-cold seawater at 4 °C and immediately transported to the laboratory.
A. aurita tentacle venom extract (TVE) was obtained according to Segura-Puertas and colleagues . Briefly, fishing tentacles were excised, combined and placed in cold deionized water at 1:4 v/v with a tablet of protease inhibitor cocktail (one tablet for 50 mL) (Complete, MiniProtease Inhibitor Cocktail, Roche, Indianapolis, IN, USA). Tentacles were homogenized using a hand-held Teflon pestle and mortar (Pyrex® 40 mL Ten Broeck Homogenizer, Palo Alto, CA, USA) surrounded by an ice slurry. Nematocyst discharge was monitored microscopically until maximum capsule discharge was achieved. The mixture was then centrifuged at 18,700 × g for 10 min at 4 °C (Eppendorf centrifuge, swinging bucket rotor, Hamburg, Germany). The supernatant was collected, lyophilized (Savant SpeedVac drier, Waltham, MA, USA), and separated into aliquots of 1 mg dry weight. Lyophilized TVE was stored at −70 °C. Identification of discharged and undischarged nematocysts was based on capsule and tubule characteristics according to the Östman nomenclature guideline and previous reports.
For each chromatography run, an aliquot of lyophilized TVE (1 mg total protein) was dissolved in 1 mL of 5% v/v aqueous acetonitrile (ACN) containing 0.004% v/v trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Dissolved TVE was applied to a Vydac C18 analytical reversed-phase HPLC column (218TP54, 5 μm, 4.6 × 250 mm, 300 Å) equipped with a Vydac C18 guard column (218GK54, 5 μm, 4.6 × 10 mm). Protein elution was accomplished using an HPLC chromatography system (Pro Star, Varian, Palo Alto, CA, USA) with a linear gradient of 5%–95% solution B at a flow rate of 1 mL/min over 90 min. Solution A was 0.1% v/v aqueous TFA and solution B was 0.085% v/v TFA in 90% v/v aqueous ACN. The absorbance of the eluate was measured at 220 nm. The resultant chromatography fractions were collected manually in 1.5 mL polypropylene tubes, freeze dried (Savant SpeedVac drier, Waltham, MA, USA), and stored at −70 °C.
The protein concentration of TVE and chromatography fractions were determined in a microplate reader spectrophotometer using a commercial kit assay (DC™ Protein Assay, Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a reference standard.
Protein profiles of TVE and chromatography fractions were obtained by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) . An aliquot of TVE (1 mg total protein) and lyophilized chromatography fractions (0.8–50 µg total protein) were individually dissolved in 10 µL of deionized water and mixed with 10 µL of reducing sample buffer. Protein samples were boiled for 4 min and loaded into the lanes of electrophoresis gels. The one-dimensional electrophoresis was performed in 10% and 12% polyacrylamide separating gels using a Bio-Rad Mini-PROTEAN 3 electrophoresis system. Gels were run at 60 V for 4 h in Tris-glycine buffer, pH 8.3, at 4 °C. Protein bands were visualized with Coomassie brilliant blue R-250 (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) and molecular masses were estimated by comparison with 10–250 kDa protein standards (Kaleidoscope, Bio-Rad; Amersham Rainbow Marker high-range, GE Healthcare, Hercules, CA, USA).
The neurotoxic activity of TVE and chromatography fractions was assessed by a crustacean bioassay used to characterize cnidarian neurotoxins [42,43]. In brief, male adult ghost crabs (Ocypode quadrata) with 10–15 g total body weight were collected from the Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo, México and immediately used in the bioassay. All crabs were injected intramuscularly into the base of the third walking leg using 29-gauge hypodermic needles. Test crabs (n = 3) were injected with TVE (100 µg total protein) or lyophilized chromatography fractions (0.8–50 µg total protein) dissolved in 0.2 mL of deionized water. Control crabs (n = 3) were injected only with 0.2 mL of deionized water. Behavior after injection was observed simultaneously in treated and control crabs. All experimental procedures in animals were approved by the Mexican official norm for the use and care of laboratory animals “NOM-062-ZOO-1999”.
Electrophysiology was performed as described in detail previously by Cartier et al. . Briefly, oocytes isolated from Xenopus laevis frogs were defolliculated with 1 mg/mL of collagenase (Collagenase IA from Clostridium histolyticum, Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) dissolved in OR2 solution in gentle shaking for 45 min. OR2 solution consisted of 82 mM NaCl, 2 mM KCl2, 1 mM MgCl2, and 1.8 mM HEPES, pH 7.5. Defolliculated oocytes were then washed with OR2 solution alone and placed in ND96 solution with 125 µg/mL gentamycin (Bruluart, Naucalpan de Juárez, México) at 17 °C. The composition of the ND96 electrophysiological solution was: NaCl 96 mM, KCl 2 mM, CaCl2 1.8 mM, MgCl2 1 mM, HEPES 5 mM, pH 7.5.
Oocytes were transfected 1–2 days after harvesting. Plasmid DNA was cloned in cytomegalovirus (CMV)-based pRBG4 vector and encoded for mouse muscle nAChR subunits . 1 ng of each subunit cDNA (α1, β1, ε, δ, γ) was injected into the nucleus of each oocyte to express fetal (α1β1γδ) or adult (α1β1εδ) muscle nAChR subtypes. Non-injected oocytes were used as negative controls for nAChR subtype expression.
Voltage-clamp recordings were made 1–6 days after injection. Each oocyte was placed in a 30-μL recording chamber, clamped at −70 mV with two electrodes, and gravity perfused with ND96 solution. Acetylcholine (ACh)-gated currents were elicited by 1 s pulse/min of 1–5 μM ACh. MlatA1 from Micrurus laticollaris was used as muscle nAChR antagonist .
Electrophysiological characterization was conducted only on TVE and chromatography fractions that exerted neurotoxicity in the crab bioassay as previously described. TVE (100 µg total protein) and neurotoxic fractions (0.5–60 µg total protein) were dissolved in 18 μL of ND96 solution and serial dilutions were evaluated by application in the superfusing bath. A series of three-way solenoid valves (Neptune Research, Northboro, MA, USA) were used to switch the perfusion medium between ND96, toxin or ACh. TVE and neurotoxic fractions were allowed to equilibrate with the receptors in a static bath for 5 min before pulsing with ACh. Subsequently, ND96 perfusion and ACh pulses were resumed to permit toxin dissociation from the receptors and washout. For control responses, ND96 solution alone was applied in a 5 min static bath prior to pulsing with ACh.
Test and control responses were assessed in at least 3 different oocytes. The average peak amplitude of the control responses just preceding the exposure to toxins was used to normalize the amplitude of each test response to obtain a “% response” or “% block”. Concentration-response curves were fitted to the equation: % response = 100/(1 + (toxin/IC50) nH), where nH is the Hill coefficient, using Prism software (GraphPad Software Inc, San Diego, CA, USA). Each point represents the average value ± S.E. of the responses of the tested oocytes. All electrophysiological experiments were performed using an oocyte clamp system (Warner Instruments Corp., Hamden, CT, USA; Model OC-725C) at room temperature.
The PLA enzymatic activity was assessed by a simple and highly sensitive radial diffusion assay using a modification of the Habermann and Hardt method . Only the neurotoxic fractions of A. aurita (TVE and chromatography fractions 4 and 5) were tested in this assay. In brief, a mixture of 1 mL of 20 mM CaCl2, 100 µL of Triton X-100 and 2 mL of egg yolk suspension (30%) was added to 10 mL of 0.6% agarose dissolved in 0.2 M Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.95. The solution was poured into plastic Petri dishes and dried at 37 °C. TVE and neurotoxic fractions (50 μg total protein) were dissolved in 5 µL of deionized water and placed into wells. Plates were incubated for 24 h at 28 °C. PLA activity was detected visually by peripheral clear ring areas surrounding wells. A purified phospholipase A2 from an elapid snake (Micrurus tener) was used as positive control (data unpublished) and deionized water was used as negative control. Comparison of clear haloes was performed using UV transillumination (Gel Logic 200 Imaging System, Kodak, Rochester, NY, USA).
Tentacle venom extracts obtained from A. aurita jellyfish cause well-defined neurotoxic effects when tested in vivo. However, the mechanisms of action underlying this noxious process have remained unclear. The identification of possible molecular targets by means of electrophysiological analysis can lead to a better understanding of the interaction and the molecular mechanisms involved. Here, we described for the first time the interaction between some components of a tentacle venom extract from A. aurita and muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The neuromuscular effects produced by some venom components suggested the participation of receptors located at the neuromuscular junction, which activity was confirmed and correlated in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, the neurotoxic fraction lacked phospholipase A activity, thus suggesting a preferential interaction with postsynaptic receptors such as muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. These results may explain, at least in part, the neurotoxicity and paralysis observed in crabs, but also the effect seen on nicotinic receptors agrees with the evidence that A. aurita might feed of juvenile crustaceans found in the zooplankton as a part of its diet.
Further biochemical studies will allow the identification and analysis of composition and structural features of protein compounds implicated in neurotoxicity. Electrophysiological and pharmacological characterizations are also needed to determine the specificity and selectivity of scyphozoan neurotoxins on other membrane receptors or ion channels.
We thank the aquatic park “Xcaret” for providing the specimens, Alejandro Alagón (Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) for phospholipase analysis and Rocío Salceda (Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) for biochemistry assays. We gratefully acknowledge Christine Wright and Ken Winkel for revision of the manuscript. This work was supported by grants: IN213808-3 (Estuardo López-Vera) and IN2033309 (Judith Sánchez-Rodríguez) from Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica (PAPIIT-UNAM). Estuardo López-Vera was also supported by grant 75809 from the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT). Dalia Ponce was funded by the postgraduate studies scholarship from the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT). | 2019-04-23T16:44:28Z | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/5/12/2420/htm |
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Top 10 things everyone must know about computer viruses : You have permission to publish this article electronicallyor in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines areincluded and all links are made active. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated: published@antivirus-report.
What Is Malware How Do I Remove It ? : You have permission to publish this article electronicallyor in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines areincluded and all links are made active. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated: published@antivirus-report.
Top 8 Tips for a PC Clean and Safe From Viruses : You have permission to publish this article electronicallyor in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines areincluded and all links are made active. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated: published@antivirus-report.
How To Recognize If Your Computer Has A Virus Or Trojan On It. : You have permission to publish this article electronicallyor in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines areincluded and all links are made active. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated: published@antivirus-report.
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No Operating System : Imagine a computer with no operating system. If you can do that, you can imagine a computer that is extremely difficult to hack into.
You've Got Mail : Is E-Mail marketing worth it? EMAIL MARKETING IS THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL subject in the Internet world now and is linked with a more controversial subject of Internet security and Privacy rights. This article is not about trying to show the advantages of email marketing or email based CRM solutions, but to render a situation which will make you think about finding ways to make your campaign successful. | 2019-04-20T15:08:46Z | http://articlebound.com/tag/viruses/ |
Last winter, heavy floods brought severe devastation to Vietnam during two months. Sanghas throughout the world sent $10,000 to help Vietnamese people.
In Central Vietnam, we assisted the most impoverished villages where there were no schools, health care systems, or bridges. In the rainy season these villages flood with water. In the summer, the land is too dry for anything to grow. With the $7,600 we received from the Canada Sangha and the Nu Hong Sangha, we bought blankets and old clothes and rebuilt houses in remote areas of Qui Nhon, Quang Ngai, Thua Thien, Dong Niu, Quang Xuyen, and An Tuyen. In Phu Hoa and Sen Thuy, Quang Binh, and in Quang Tri, 120 families were given $50 each to rebuild their houses. In Thua Thien, 80 families were helped.
We were able to to rebuild 109 huts in Binh Hoa Trung, Binh Thanh, Huyen An, and Thanh Hoa, Long An in South Vietnam with $2,100, and to lend money to peasants there to buy fertilizer and seeds for planting rice.
Twice a month, a group of doctors, pharmacists, and social workers travel to remote areas to examine patients, distribute medicine, and treat dental problems of young children and poor adults. In these areas, there is no other form of health care. Plum Village and a benevolent association in the U.S. give $350 for every trip to buy medicine, pay for travel expenses, and buy simple meals for the workers.
We gave $2,000 to the leper camp in Van Mon, in North Vietnam to increase the amount of food given to undernourished families. Doctors specializing in leprosy have asked Plum Village to build at least five operating and recovery rooms so they can offer effective treatment. We will help with $36,000 (1/5 of the total amount needed to build a good hospital in Van Mon). A hospital in Van Mon, Thai Binh, also needs some rooms rebuilt. Plum Village and a Sangha in Germany are looking for sponsors to carry out this work. We gave $4,200 to help build two rooms at an herbal medicine clinic in the valley of the Yen Tu mountain—one is used for examinations and acupuncture treatments, the other for storing medicine.
We sponsor 133 undernourished children, and provide food for 76 children at the day care center in Kinh Te Moi Xa Bang, Suoi Nghe in South Vietnam. The South Vietnam Sangha travels to the mountains of Quang Ngai where there is no school and the children are undernourished. Their lips are often purple from the cold, and most only have a pair of torn shorts to wear. We sent 400 packages to these children, each containing rice, a blanket, instant noodles, and clothes.
Social workers show young mothers the importance of including protein in their children's diet. Together, they make a porridge that contains brown rice, string beans, tofu, and eggs. Each month the mothers are given 30,000 dong which they use to prepare this meal for their families.
With the help of Partage in France and Aktion Lotus in Switzerland, the Sangha in South Vietnam gives scholarships to 180 students in Kinh Te Moi Xa Bang, Suoi Nghe. In Dieu Giac, we supply provisions for 16 kindergarten classes in areas where there were no public schools. In North Vietnam, 150 children in Tu Liem and Soc Son near Ha Noi are sponsored by funds collected through the Community of Mindful Living. Two day-care centers are maintained in Soc Son with help from the Maitreya Funds in Germany.
In Thua Thien, Quang Tri, Quang Ngai, and Nha Trang in Central Vietnam, we give monthly scholarships to over 1,500 undernourished students, $10 a month to 148 apprentices, and income supplements of $2.50 a month to 732 people who are old or have physical disabilities. We provide salaries for 267 teachers and 48 students who are carefully trained to take care of the young children. We also sponsor 127 students at the universities of Hue and Da Nang.
We have helped ten communities in remote areas of Binh Tri Thie. We give 10% of what the community itself takes responsibility for in order to realize the various projects. $600 a month supports the work the social workers are doing. It costs $150 a month to feed the children in one kindergarten boarding school. The Washington D.C. Sangha, the Community of Mindful Living, and the Maitreya Funds in Germany, have sponsored 14 daycare centers in these communities where children learn songs such as "Fresh as a Flower, Solid as a Mountain" and receive soy milk daily to supplement the protein in their diets. Trung An is a very poor and arid area with white sand and few trees. Most of the children are not educated, and have only one pair of trousers and few have shirts. Eighty percent of the teenagers do not know how to read. The aid from Plum Village makes evening classes available for them, because during the day they must work—even seven-year-old children must work or else they starve. Teenagers learn a trade in their own village or are sent to Hue for an apprenticeship. This program helps to eliminate the gambling, smoking, drinking, and fighting that are common. Every school has a health care team of nurses and physicians from Hue.
Dear International Sanghas, if you would like to sponsor a community, please talk to the social work staff at Plum Village. Each community has a long-term project which they discuss with the Sangha that sponsors them.
The name of our community is Loc Hoa. It is 30 kilometers southeast of Hue, and 15 kilometers west of the Phu hoc district, hoc Hoa is a very impoverished town. The land is wooded and mountainous. Five hundred families live here. Two years ago we were fortunate enough to receive support from the Understanding and Love Project sponsored by Plum Village. Before this support, we had no health-care center, and the one elementary school here had only two classrooms. Six groups of inhabitants were separated from each other by rivers and steep mountains. Many parents wouldn't dare let their children cross these deep rivers. There were only a few Buddhist practitioners. My family was one of them. This area doesn't have a Buddhist temple yet.
Thanks to the monks, nuns, and the brothers in our community, we are not afraid of the obstacles that prevent us from reaching the hearts of people. Every project the government questions, the people vehemently support, and eventually the government accepts the project. As a result, the six groups of inhabitants in Loc Hoa that are separated from each other now each have a kindergarten center that permits the young children to be taken care of and educated while their parents work in the forests. Doi Mot is lucky enough now to have a boarding house where the children can stay and have soy milk and lunch. Two bridges have been built so people can now cross the very dangerous rivers. They are called the Bridge of Understanding and the Bridge of Love. Lonely and poor families receive a small amount of financial support every month. Social workers visit anyone in the village who has had an unfortunate accident.
People in Loc Hoa feel that they are very close to these projects. They are very thankful to Thay and to Thay's students for their help. They have learned that in order to have human morality they have to be mindful. Two-thirds of the people in our area now follow the Buddha's teachings. They participate in every retreat in our region. By looking deeply, we and the people in Loc Hoa are taking refuge in the island of the self. Everyone is watering the seeds of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha in themselves.
Everyone in Loc Hoa is very happy and peaceful. We are not lonely as we were two years ago. Even though there is no Buddhist temple yet in Loc Hoa, there are hundreds of Buddhist temples in the heart of each one of us. I myself am a Buddhist. For 45 years I have been involved in many organizations, but I have never been peaceful. When anyone asks me, "What is the use of being a Buddhist?" I always respond, "It's to have peace. " Sometimes they ask, "When will we have peace ? " I do not know how to answer that.
For the past year I have had the opportunity to work with many monks and nuns from the Understanding and Love Project and have had the opportunity to participate in many retreats. Thanks to that, I can really feel peaceful now and I can also answer people's questions based on my own experience in practice. Sometimes during sitting meditation I see you doing walking meditation with the whole community of Loc Hoa. Sometimes I see you sitting with people who are highly esteemed in society. They have all the material possessions they could want, but what they miss is peace. I do not have the material possessions, but since practicing what you teach, I am more peaceful. I can continue to help people with a clear mind and a peaceful heart. I can love without being attached to results. During this New Year's, I bow to you and the monks and nuns (the Buddhas-to-be) in the Western world.
By Leah Matsui The plans for my trip to America were jampacked: a seven-day mindfulness retreat with Amie Kotler and Therese Fitzgerald, three days with my beloved aunt in Florida, and a meeting with my mother—the first in 24 years. I anticipated Florida as a high point—Aunt Helene and me drinking iced tea under the palm trees and reminiscing about my darling stepmother who died last January. It was a great scenario of peace, reconciliation, and comfort, especially for me. A perfect plan for happiness.
Imagine my shock when the day before my departure, I received news that Aunt Helene's only daughter had just had surgery for a malignant brain tumor! A second surgery would take place the day I planned to arrive in Palm Beach. My plans flew out the window.
Ironically, a few weeks before I had spoken about wanting to become a "big river" as the Buddha taught, with the capacity to absorb and transform suffering with ease. But in this moment, with plans dashed, I was a tiny stream inundated by a storm of emotions. As I sat in front of the Buddha in our living room, my mind whirled. "Should I go straight to Florida? Cancel the trip? Who can help us? Can my cousin survive? Can my aunt survive? Can I survive this suffering?" One decision was made for me—no part of the bargain air ticket from Japan could be changed. My aunt said, "Come anyway, Leah." But there was a chance she would be out of the state, consulting with specialists when I arrived.
Out of the confusion, I realized that the three Jewels —Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—are on-call 24 hours a day, but that it was up to me to make the call. First, I would be at a retreat. After the retreat, I could contact our teacher the Buddha, or Dharma brothers and sisters if things became turbulent. So I felt ready to go and meet whatever circumstances arose. The only meditator in my family, I planned to go as a "good Buddhist." Maybe I could be a "Compassion Distribution Center" in the midst of crisis. Maybe my practice could help others.
Many things worked favorably for my cousin, and when I landed in Palm Beach, my aunt was waiting. Luckily, as soon as we hugged at the airport, my preconceived notion that I was on a "mission of mercy" disappeared. I was able to hug my aunt in the present moment. I was able to be myself and she felt just like herself in my arms.
Aunt Helene and I have been talking about feelings since I was three and she was sixteen. Now, forty years later, we were together in Florida, talking and listening from the heart. Anchored in the present by conscious breathing, I was able to relax my grip on how things "should" be. I felt joy and gratitude for my aunt's smile, the melon pink sunset, and the fact that my cousin had survived this day. Before bed that night, Aunt Helene and I practiced hugging meditation.
Early the next morning, I sat in meditation. Then, walking into the Florida dawn, I met a wild jackrabbit. My aunt prepared "American Bagels" for breakfast—a real treat. I gave her a Japanese Shiatsu hand massage. Later, my cousin called. She was out of intensive care and very upset. She was losing big clumps of hair. We talked, and for me, it was one of the deepest interactions I've ever had with her. She asked for a hat. "Please," she said, "so I won't be embarrassed in the hospital."
That afternoon, my aunt and I went hat shopping. It was tough for me as we started out. I have always admired my cousin's beautiful hair. On this shopping trip, only the present moment could offer peace. "When you live a long time, there are a lot of ups and downs," my aunt told me. We found the perfect hat in a surf shop, and then enjoyed some delicious iced tea.
Nothing that day went according to my "plans" for happiness, but for me it was the best day and the worst day at the same time. There was no need to be the Buddhist of the family or to hand out any prepackaged compassion. My aunt and I took turns, each sometimes embodying terror or equanimity. We were both in touch with plenty of genuine peace during the storm.
Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that the conditions for happiness are right before us. He often stresses that "happiness is being fully alive in the present moment." I have always been moved by the possibilities this teaching offers. But until recently, it has just been an idea. We each study and practice the Dharma at our own pace. On this trip, it was my turn to really practice dwelling deeply in the present and letting go of worries and plans.
Looking back now, I see that expectations gave in to reality, and with that came fear and confusion. The surf was up, the waves were rough, but the anchor of the present held me firm and stable. On the retreat, Arnie Kotler had quoted Dogen-zenji: "Every day is a good day." And so it was for me. Thanks to the Buddha's teaching, I was able to open up to the present, and enjoy the gift of three wonderful days in Florida.
As of June 2000, Cousin Alicia is back home, a joyful wife and mother of two. Officially cancerfree, to me, she is more beautiful than ever. May all beings be protected and safe.
Leah Matsui, True Light of Awakening, practices with the Sazanami Sangha in Kumamoto, Japan.
The voice of your tears,is the fragrance of your heart when it smiles, is the color of your freedom.
Winds of peace, let me be your paint, Paint me like the clouds over the sky, On the face of a refugee, On the falling rocks of holy rage, On the abyss of fear, On the eyes of an oppressed child, On the mouth of a hungry ghost.
I will have no form.
Please come softly, Or you'll find my door closed My house empty, I'm not there. Confused and shrunk I am nowhere to be found, Please blow softly.
Wake me up with a warm and tender hand, So I can be here To be your paint.
Hagit, Deep Aspiration on Love of the Heart, lives in Israel and practices with the Jerusalem Sangha.
Dear Brothers and Sisters on the path, in this moment my heart is clear, not because i have attained much understanding, not because i am able to love all without discrimination. my heart is clear because i have a path to go.
a path that is rich and full of learning, with many companions to support me and protect me. i know that i am best protected by our practice, by our capacity to calm, to embrace suffering and pain to bridge the chasms of separation and fear, to relax into connection.
dear friends, dear companions, i am aware of your presence, of your sincerity and care.
i am in touch with a source of peace, a source of energy, not dependent on the great elements of earth, air, water and fire. yet not independent. our energy arises from our aspirations, our sincere wish to understand, to love, to hold as one.
i touch the earth, i touch my life source with gratitude, with concentration, with joy. and i am nourished, to continue. to grow. to love. i acknowledge my weaknesses, my mistakes and i make the vow to lay all my suffering on the earth, to transform everything i have received from my ancestors, from my society into a great source of peace and presence.
dear brothers and sisters, please enjoy this small booklet in your hands. it is an offering to you. it is an opportunity to meet your friends on the path of practice, to smile to each other, to simply acknowledge each other’s presence, as real.
The stars appear slowly and dim one shark kite still sways above the darkness to meet the stars advancing toward the west and this last kite and all those who meet at night are the freedom of a people greater than any flag.
Thay Chan Phap Tue currently lives at Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California.
An altar in the alley in Da Nang, Vietnam by Gary Richardson, Chan Dieu Hanh.
By Paul Davis In Vietnam this year, as I walked mindfully on the earth that had experienced such destruction and suffering during the American war, my mind returned to the Vietnam of 1965. At that time, I was often part of a team searching for land mines. In many ways, that was also mindful walking, but the seeds being watered were fear and anxiety and the psychological ground was ignorance. Now, walking with the support of Thay and a loving and compassionate Sangha, I was able to breathe in the suffering of war and breathe out peace and compassion to all those killed or wounded and for those who killed or wounded others. The psychological ground had been transformed from ignorance to awareness and the seeds from fear to compassion.
Paul Davis, Authentic Connection of the Heart, sits with the Eastside Sangha in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Within three days of arriving home, I was on a plane to Colorado to visit my nephew and join in the celebration of my mother’s ninetieth birthday. What was to be a joyous occasion was soon transformed into something quite different. My mother fell, breaking her arm and badly bruising her face. Then we learned that in just two days, on Sunday morning, my nephew was to begin his journey from this life as we know it. I felt my equanimity slipping away, replaced by the sorrow of what was to come. I sat alone that night. Focusing on my breath, I slowly eased into a place of stillness, readying myself for the days to come.
We spent Saturday afternoon saying our good-byes to him. It wasn’t easy. He is my hero and I knew I would miss his physical presence. Yet I felt that all my weeks of practice with the Sangha had given me the peace and solidity I needed to be with him for him. Thay’s teachings on no-birth no-death, and on accompanying the dying made it possible for me to wish him a peaceful journey without any fear. I held him close and could feel his peace as well. I shared with him some of my happiest memories of our times together. His eyes sparkled.
My nephew once was asked what he thought about heaven. He replied, “I think it’s like graduating to God.” But for me, he already had manifested his God-like nature in his patience, acceptance, and surrender without complaint to his illness, and in his joy of living in a body that increasingly was unable to support him. In graduating to God long ago, he allowed the lives he touched to awaken just a little bit more to the God within, to the Buddha within. This was a gift he gave to me.
Family and friends arrived early Sunday morning. I did walking meditation before we gathered, and periodically during the day and evening as the process unfolded, which helped me maintain a center of calm. I joined in massaging his hands and feet. I silently sang to him “Namo Avalokiteshvara,” and I could hear the monastic brothers and sisters and our lay Sangha in Hue, Hanoi, and Binh Dinh singing with me. Throughout, I felt the love and support of our Sangha, and while my practice is far from perfect, I was able to bring into the room the peace and stability I had developed on the retreat. During the night, I followed my nephew’s breath as it gradually eased and the time between breaths lengthened. And finally, with only his parents present, he passed from this life early the next morning.
Several months have passed. To some, it might look as though very little has changed. My mother’s arm has mended, her bruises faded. Our family has returned to the busyness of life, much as before. Yet I am aware that my nephew’s transformation has been my transformation as well. I am taking more time to be with family and friends. My heart is more open. There are times when the tenderness is almost too much to bear. More shared tears and joy, more awareness of life in the present moment. This too is a gift my nephew gave me.
Susan Glogovac, Wonderful Calling of the Heart, lives in Long Beach, California and practices with the Los Angeles Compassionate Heart Sangha. A retired psychology professor, she now serves her community as a mediator in victim-offender reconciliation cases.
When I took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha many years ago, I was given the dharma name “Joyful Purpose of the Heart.” At the time I didn’t think much about it. Frankly, the name didn’t mean much to me. Joyful Purpose? I had no idea what my joyful purpose might be. I had been practicing mindfulness in a personal way, meditating by myself and reading books on mindfulness. As a result, my life had been changing slowly. For example, I found myself having more patience for my kids and a sense of calm inside myself. But I did not feel there was any purpose to my life. I was living life aimlessly.
After the events of September 11, everything changed. As I listened to the coverage of the crashes, I felt a sense of compassion and courage growing inside of me. Suddenly, interbeing—the idea that every one of us is intimately connected to one another—was a concrete reality rather than an abstract concept.
My own need for Sangha surfaced as I sought the support of other people who could see the interbeing in this event and find the connection between the victims and the terrorists. I began to sit regularly with the Stillwater Mindfulness Group in Maryland. I needed the support of other people for my growing mindfulness and to be in an emotionally safe place. By joining fully in the Sangha, I made the decision that mindfulness was my life path, and I began to live from this foundation.
Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna, “Do thy work in the peace of yoga and, free from selfish desires, be not moved in success or in failure… In the bonds of works I am free, because in them I am free from desires.” I began to think that it might be okay to express my creativity through my work and even to do it with joy.
I knew there was something I could do to transform the growing anger and mutual misunderstanding that led to the events of September 11. I had a talent for teaching children, and my study and practice of mindfulness and my relationship with Thay gave me insights into peace and conflict resolution.
On September 14, I sent an e-mail to Coleman McCarthy, a former Washington Post columnist turned peace activist, asking how I could get involved in teaching peace and conflict resolution in the Washington, D.C. public schools. His organization got me in touch with Marsha Blakeway who works with the public schools’ peer mediation and conflict resolution programs. Marsha happily became my peace mentor, and I immediately began to assist her with peer mediation meetings at Alice Deal Junior High.
I also contacted my son’s third grade teacher and asked if she would be interested in having me teach a weekly conflict resolution class. I had no experience in this area, but I had books and I had my new mentor and I had my mindfulness practice. With these tools I was able to fabricate a wonderful class in which I used games, literature, discussion, and dramatization to help third graders learn how to resolve disputes peacefully.
At the end of my first month of teaching, I was approached by another third grade teacher to teach in her classroom. During the first year, I often wondered whether the kids were getting anything out of the class. Then one day, my son had a friend over to visit. Both of them were in my conflict class at the time. When my son did something that irritated me, I began to scold him. His friend said, “Annie, use your ‘I’ language.” I had taught them to do this in our conflict class, and he not only remembered it, but also applied it to real life. After that, I worried much less about the impact of my teaching.
In the fall of 2002, I saw a notice for a program training people how to teach yoga to kids. I had long been a yogini and had experience in the connection between the mind and the body. Kids especially live in and through their bodies and their ability to stay centered depends on this connection. As we teach children how to think rationally, they begin to lose this grounding, and I think this can cause children—and adults—to become physically and mentally ill.
During the last day of the training, I was asked to teach a free yoga class for children with two of my fellow students. We gave a forty-five minute class to seven kids, ages eight to twelve. What surprised me was that the students liked the relaxation part of class best. These kids really needed the time and space to relax. They are often busy all day at school and afterwards with activities, and then they usually watch TV or use the computer.
After the training, I approached the owner of a small exercise studio where I took classes and asked if I could teach a yoga class for kids. They were happy to try it. I also decided to offer an after-school class at the local elementary school. That class was so popular I ended up offering two classes after school, each class filled with twelve students.
After a while I realized that part of the experience for kids was having a kid-friendly, aesthetically pleasing space. So I decided to open a yoga studio for kids. In March, 2003 I opened Budding Yogis, Mindful Yoga Studio for Kids.
My practice is to stay open to what the world, my students, and coworkers need; to express my creativity without becoming attached to the outcome; to create a space for myself and the community; and to remember that the connections—interbeing—are what matter. The business supports the vision.
At long last my dharma name begins to make sense. Now I understand what it means to have—to be—Joyful Purpose of the Heart.
Annie Mahon, Joyful Purpose of the Heart, practices with the Stillwater Mindfulness Practice Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. She has four wonderful and sometimes stressed-out children of her own.
From: Spoken Like a True Buddha, an unpublished compilation of stories about mindfulness practice in everyday life, edited by Carolyn Cleveland Schena and Sharron Mendel.
By Laura Lester Fournier The night before I received the Five Mindfulness Trainings at Stonehill College last August, I sat with friends and together we read the Trainings. I remember taking in every word deeply and contemplating what I was about to commit to. The topic that kept coming up for conversation was found in number five: specifically, “I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant.” For me, there was no question that if I were to commit to that, I would commit to no longer drinking alcohol. My friends, however, found peace in the idea that this is a practice and not a commandment. They did not have to be absolute; they simply needed to approach drinking with more mindfulness—although that in itself seems like a contradiction in terms. Can one ever drink mindfully, given that alcohol is an intoxicant that alters our consciousness?
As we shared our feelings and laughed together, I became crystal clear about my intention. I was no longer going to drink alcohol.
I come from a long line of alcoholics, though I myself am not an alcoholic. I have a strong desire to help transform this disease for my ancestors and for the children who will follow in the generations yet to be born. It occurred to me that although I am not an alcoholic, my beautiful ten-year-old daughter Abby-Rose could be. The moment I realized that my daughter’s very life could be the price I pay if I continued, I felt completely grounded in my intention to no longer drink alcohol. I had a profound opportunity to transform something in me and in my ancestors and potentially in my daughter. It was my chance to shine a light on something that could alter my daughter’s life profoundly. Although I only have a drink once or twice a month, alcohol was still something that I continued to reach for. I could dedicate my decision to my ancestors, my precious child, and all those who suffer with alcoholism.
The following morning as I stood with my friends listening to Thây’s beautiful voice and hearing the Five Mindfulness Trainings, I felt so proud and sure that I was taking a step that only good would come from.
When I got home, I sat down with Abby and shared with her my decision to no longer drink. I shared how much suffering there has been in our family because of alcoholism and my wish for her for a life that is free from that kind of suffering. She listened quietly and when I was done she reached for me and gave me the longest and deepest hug I have ever received from her. I knew that she understood. I knew that she heard me on a level of spirit, connection, and conviction, beyond words.
The next day, I took my bottle of vodka out of the freezer. I walked to the kitchen sink and held it up to the sunlight shining through the window. As I gazed into the bottle, all I saw in it was suffering, and it caused me to weep. I unscrewed the cap and poured the contents down the drain, breathing deeply and remaining truly present to my commitment. I then walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. I held the water up to the light streaming through the window and saw nothing but joy and thanksgiving. I drank the water and blessed it with gratitude.
But there was still the liquor cabinet in the family room. Ultimately, all that was left was a bottle of French wine. I thought that was appropriate, given that Plum Village is in France and it felt like a synchronistic connection with the Sangha and Thây. I knew right away what I wanted to do with the bottle. I wanted to return it to the earth. I walked outside to our summer house, a wonderful sanctuary where we have had many celebrations at our home in New Hampshire. The summer house is surrounded by a grove of trees and is very magical. I thought about all the good times we have had there and also about all the times when liquor was a central ingredient in those celebrations.
I knelt on the ground; the sun was shining through the trees, dappling the ground with little moments of radiance. I dug a hole and placed the bottle in it and covered it back up with dirt. I bowed to the earth and placed my hands on the dirt. I felt all my ancestors around me at that moment. I felt their hands on my back and I felt them smiling, I felt their gratitude and their healing. I felt myself healing, too. I knew that the cycle had come full circle—all for the love of one very special little girl, one promise of the future, one Abby-Rose.
Since giving up drinking, I have had the opportunity to really see when I want a drink. There seem to be two times when I crave it. First, when I want to really let my hair down and have a good time! And the other is when I am completely stressed out and want to escape. During those times I miss the feeling I would get from that first sip of alcohol. Instant relaxation. A few sips later, I would not even remember whatever it was that I was stressed or worried about. It was like a mini-vacation.
I did not realize how much I had come to rely on that bottle to give me peace or just take the edge off. I didn’t drink very often, but I knew alcohol was available if I wanted it. Just the thought that I could go to the freezer and get that bottle and escape was sometimes intoxicating enough for me.
Now that I am not drinking I have found myself wondering if I truly am an alcoholic. There have been days when I wanted a drink, because I was stressed or because I wanted to party. That’s when I have an opportunity to roll up my sleeves and go deep into my practice. I get to return to my breath. I get to go home.
I can choose to celebrate and fill my champagne flute with something nourishing and joyful, rather than something that will only cause me more suffering. I have the opportunity to remind myself of ways that I can avoid becoming so stressed. Rather than escaping into a false peace, I can embrace a true peace. A peace that I joyfully pass on to the next generation.
Laura Lester Fournier, Awakened Direction of the Heart, lives on a small farm with lots of animals in New Hampshire, where she facilitates a children’s sangha.
Dear Thay, dear Sangha, While this issue was coming together, I spent an evening reading our teacher’s poetry on his experiences in war. Afterward, I dreamt that people in my community were drafted into military service and a war was going to break out within a few days. I was very conscious of the peaceful conditions of our lives. The sky was clear and quiet with-out bombers. No grenades were hidden in the fields. The children’s faces were innocent and happy. If war came to our community, I thought, we would look back on this day as a blissfully peaceful time, a day in heaven.
In our world, moments of peace are priceless. Too many people are living in the chaos and terror of war. Even when there’s no external violence, we can have a war going on inside us if the seeds of anger and hatred have been watered. War is never far away. My dream reminded me to cherish peace wherever I find it, and also to cultivate inner peace and use it to nurture harmony in my community.
Thay shows us the way of a bodhisattva, one who continually embodies and generates peace within the crucible of war. He showed us by his example in Vietnam. He shows us by embracing all of our suffering, by meeting one wound after another with the healing balm of compassionate presence. He shows us how places of conflict and suffering are the very places to birth peace.
Anh-Huong Nguyen, in this issue’s interview, encourages us to embrace our pain and to lean into the Sangha for support, because “sometimes our mindfulness is not strong enough to hold the pain that arises in us. We need to lay this pain inside the Sangha’s cradle, so that it can be held by the collective mindfulness and concentration.” Resting in the Sangha’s arms can give us the strength to practice the art of suffering—to engage with our difficulties and transmute them into gifts.
Also in this issue, young practitioners in the Wake Up movement share what it’s like for them to rely on the Sangha and to be transformed by the collective energy of awakening. Their exuberance, deep questions, playfulness, and freshness are inspirations to continue opening new doors in our practice. And practitioners of all ages share stories of their ever-deepening gratitude and compassion.
May these offerings nourish compassion and loving-kindness in us. May we nurture and share our inner peace to help transform war and amplify peace in the world.
By Bridgeen Rea This talk was presented at the Vesak Conference in Hanoi in May 2008.
I first went to Plum Village for a week of the summer retreat in July 2005. Sitting with Thay and the Sangha around the lotus pond in Upper Hamlet — following my first-ever walking meditation— had a massive impact on me. Maybe it was the strong French sunshine or the beautiful pink lotuses, which I’d never seen before in my life, but I was deeply touched by the peace and the happiness all around me in Plum Village. I had a joyful, wonderful time and I felt lots of love. I decided to take the Five Mindfulness Trainings that week.
Back in Northern Ireland I went to meditation once a week in the Belfast Zen Centre, which follows the Soto Zen tradition. I feel like the Mindfulness Trainings worked on me, rather than me working on them. I was training to be a yoga teacher and tried to be as mindful as I could — when I remembered!
In August 2006 I went to the Neuroscience Retreat at Plum Village, where I met a psychologist from Dublin who told me I should go to Vietnam. I thought it was impossible, but I went! Many friends supported me to go and even my family were happy for me.
For the whole three weeks of segment two, I shared a room with Gladys from Hong Kong, who has now been ordained as Sister Si. I felt so happy to have met such a beautiful person. In Vietnam many of the lay friends encouraged me to start a Sangha in Belfast. In Belfast it’s not really possible to be Buddhist — if I say I practice Buddhism, people say ‘but are you a Catholic Buddhist or a Protestant Buddhist?’ and it’s only half a joke!
I was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1974, five years into what is known as “the Troubles.” Growing up in a divided society rife with sectarianism, hatred, and fear was the norm, but I had a happy childhood and enjoyed school.
The Troubles did penetrate my life though. I was born on July 8, which is right in the middle of the ‘marching season’ — the guaranteed time for trouble in Belfast. Belfast used to shut down and become a ghost town. I have memories of people protesting out on the streets when a hunger striker died around my eighth birthday and I didn’t get to go on a planned outing. When I was much older and wanted to have a party or an evening out in a local place, often my friends couldn’t come because of trouble in parts of the city.
As a teenager I had to be aware of going to places wearing my school uniform because it identified me as Catholic. I had to be careful about going out with Protestant boys. Also I was very aware that my name, Bridgeen, labels me as a Catholic, unlike my sister’s neutral name Jenny, which can be either Catholic or Protestant.
In April 2007 I told my friend Sinead about the idea of Sangha — she is a poet and very open to new ideas. She thought it was wonderful! She had just had a baby and thought that Sangha would be the perfect thing to help her balance her life. So with her encouragement I called a couple of friends who were interested or at least open-minded towards Buddhism and meditation. The Tall Trees Sangha started in my apartment. After a year five of us are still practicing once a week. It is very wonderful and brings all of us many blessings.
How to Be at Peace?
By coincidence when the Sangha started in May 2007, Northern Ireland installed its first power-sharing executive. Ten years after the historic Good Friday Agreement Northern Ireland finally has a locally elected government. This is something that my Granddad didn’t live to see and would never have believed could happen. Belfast has been transformed. In some ways the peace is still tenuous and people are now having to learn how to live in a new situation after forty years of conflict.
I work in the new government administration as a Press Officer — for a Minister who belongs to a party that my community once saw as the enemy. But in spite of the many positive events, sectarianism and fear are still rampant. The society is still very much divided in terms of where people live and the schools they go to. There are many social problems of deprivation, depression, and suicide.
My mindfulness practice and Sangha can’t do much on a large scale but on a micro scale five us are learning a lot from Thay and trying to nourish our good seeds. Every week we practice sitting meditation, walking meditation, listen to Thay speak on CD and we have a Dharma discussion. Two of us come from a Catholic background, one was brought up Protestant, one was brought up with no religion; there’s also a German guy whose religious background doesn’t really count in the Northern Ireland context!
We don’t discuss politics or the state of society, rather our personal problems and challenges. I really believe in Thay’s saying “peace in oneself, peace in the world.” I aspire to follow the Five Mindfulness Trainings, though sometimes I don’t find it easy to live up to them.
Another Sangha member in his fifties with five children says gratefully that the Sangha nourishes the spiritual aspect inside him and that it makes a space in his week. He remembers being angry and depressed during the Troubles and shouting at the TV. I think every family experienced that.
When I am out socialising and people find out I practice meditation they ask me all sorts of questions. There is a lot ignorance, confusion, and misunderstanding about anything that comes from the East. There is fear that it’s some kind of cult or it’s against Christianity. Yet Belfast people are the salt of the earth; they are warm and friendly and funny! If you ever visit Belfast you will find people go out of their way to help you and make you feel welcome.
Because of our history we may have a dark sense of humour, but there is also awareness of the importance of forgiveness. People understand about changing and moving on for the sake of future generations.
Bridgeen Rea, Peaceful Gift of the Heart, hosts Tall Trees Sangha in her apartment in Whiteabbey Village, Belfast, Northern Ireland. | 2019-04-20T03:15:57Z | https://www.mindfulnessbell.org/archive/tag/peace |
Overall, we published 100 new factchecks and explainers in the 8 weeks after the snap election announcement, including factchecking the viral stories like the NHS video, "Garden Tax", Naylor review, "Dementia Tax" and lots of infographics.
We factchecked the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, SNP, UKIP and Green manifesto launches.
We live factchecked seven different multi-party leader debates, including three with ITV News, the BBC Victoria Derbyshire show, and BBC Wales.
We made 18 factual videos which together racked up 2 million views.
We were in or on: ITV News, BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live, Reuters TV, Sky News, BBC General News Service, the Telegraph, the i, Metro Online, the London Evening Standard, Press Association, Mail Online, the Guardian, the Times, Vice, Wired, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Mashable UK, Dazed, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed and many others.
On Twitter 9.8 million people saw our factchecks.
We held two Facebook Live Q&A sessions with the country's leading experts to answer your questions on Brexit, Immigration, Health and the Economy.
With First Draft, we brought verification and factchecking together in the same office for the first time!
We partnered with expert organisations including the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Nuffield Trust, the National Foundation for Educational Research, and the Migration Observatory at Oxford University.
We raised £100,263 from 1920 supporters through our crowdfunding campaign.
We grew our team of 11 to 30 for the election, including hosting statisticians and specialist researchers as secondees who had deep subject knowledge in each area.
We built automated factchecking tools that were used live during the election.
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We gave voters the facts... minus the spin. We cleared up unsubstantiated claims about Labour’s so-called “Garden Tax” and explained what the Conservative’s “Dementia Tax” was really all about. We factchecked viral videos on the NHS, and graphics that were making the rounds.
But our bread and butter was factchecking the claims of the parties and politicians themselves. In total we published around 100 factchecks since 18 April, when the election was announced.
The parties’ manifesto launches were big events during the campaign, and we were on hand to factcheck them. We looked at the speeches by the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, UKIP, the SNP and the Green party to bring you nearly 8,000 words of factchecking across 38 articles.
We looked at the claims being made by the people campaigning for your vote and got to the bottom of them. From whether or not the Labour party were planning to raise the basic rate of income tax to 25p (answer: they’re not) to whether the UK was the fastest growing economy in the G7 last year (it was, along with Germany).
We took on the claims that made a splash, finding out if £300 million could pay for 10,000 police officers (probably not), if there was going to be a cap on social care costs (it will be in a consultation after the election) and if nurses were really having to use foodbanks (there are reports to suggest so, but we don’t have the data to know how many).
Some were the kind of claims that crop up all the time, like when the A&E target was last hit in English hospitals. Others were less familiar: did UK foreign aid money pay for an airport in St Helena? Had the SNP ever been fined for election spending mistakes before?
We were more responsive than ever to viral content. We factchecked videos on the state of the NHS and the Naylor Review. We tackled a viral graphic on the state of the economy over the last three days of the campaign—15,000 people shared our response in a few hours.
We interacted with a growing community who read our online factchecks. Has the government changed the way poverty is measured? Are the employment figures driven by a growth in insecure, precarious work? People asked us and we answered.
Some of our most popular content isn’t factchecking a claim at all. Explainer articles, where we apply our rigour and neutrality to giving a simple account of a complex situation, seem to be in demand.
We partnered up with the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Nuffield Trust, the National Foundation for Educational Research, and the Migration Observatory at Oxford University.
With them we were able to tackle hugely important issues like ‘Is the NHS in crisis?’, 'What’s happening to income inequality?', and what people mean when they say “the rich”. With their help we were able to give authoritative answers in clear and simple formats.
We also hosted two Facebook Live Q&A sessions to answer your questions (more on that later).
When there’s a big political debate on TV, Full Fact is on the case—we research claims as they are made and tweet out what we find within seconds or minutes.
This election we live factchecked seven TV debates (two over one bank holiday weekend).
We covered the first five-party TV debate live from the ITV News studio, and later the 7-way BBC debate. Our skilled researchers were even more tested than ever searching for reliable regional facts during the BBC Wales debate and our Director appeared live in the Victoria Derbyshire Big Debate too.
Best thing about #BattleForNumber10 ? @FullFact live fact checking every word! The truth is available if you want it.
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Hurrah for @FullFact during #BattleForNumber10. Can't we just have a leaders debate with a 2min lag and a fullfact rep?
@FullFact doing an excellent job laying it all out there, as usual. Thank you for maintaining clarity between lip service and soundbites!
We tried a lot of new things on Twitter. A lot of this was experimenting with how to make facts as visual as possible. One method we tried was Claim and Conclusion Cards, which we got a lot of strong feedback on - especially one in particular.
Another was our fact graphics and GIFs, a way of condensing a factcheck into a single image.
We also experimented with 'Moments' - a Twitter tool for collecting a group of tweets together. We used Moments to collect together our live factchecks. Our BBC Question Time Leaders Special Moment was read by over 25,000 people within a few hours of publication.
Helped by these new ways of communicating, our tweets were seen over 9 million times. During the same period for the EU Referendum last year, that number was 6.4 million.
Up until the polls opened at 7am we were posting our factchecks and explainers on Facebook in different formats — videos, pictures and gifs — trying different ways of catching people's attention to get the facts across.
The day before the election we were factchecking and agonising over how to present our factcheck of an inaccurate viral infographic that compared Labour and Conservative budget spending. We decided to press on and at 7pm posted the final products — a short video and the infographic below.
It worked. We reached 1.6 million people with no advertising and that post has had over 12,000 shares so far.
Other popular posts were our factchecks of the Garden Tax (960 shares) and the Naylor Review (1,500 shares), which many readers had asked us to look into.
We ran two Facebook Live Q&As with the Press Association’s UK Politics page. We had leading experts answer your questions on Brexit, immigration, economy and health.
First we did Brexit, with the Institute for Government and UK in a Changing Europe, then immigration with Migration Observatory. The second one was hosted by at Facebook’s HQ and we covered the economy with the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and health with the Nuffield Trust.
What are world trade organisation rules and what will they change?
What is an Australian points based system and what would the effect be in the UK?
What is Land Value Tax and how will it affect people?
Are we training enough doctors and nurses?
Watch them again on our Facebook page.
Longer form explanatory videos including ‘Is the NHS in crisis’ with Nuffield Trust; ‘50 years of income inequality’ with the Institute for Fiscal Studies, ‘The election and the net migration target’ with Migration Observatory, and ‘What is hard Brexit?’.
Over 2 million people saw our 18 election videos (although we should say, in the spirit of transparency, that only 100,000 people watched to the end).
We are incredibly grateful to the people who joined our team in the weeks running up to the election. A snap election is particularly difficult because it means you need to grow, fast.
Luckily, we've had the benefit of the Scottish Independence Referendum, the 2015 General Election and The EU referendum, so we have an incredible network of previous staff, freelancers and volunteers who have worked with us before, and appreciate the nuances of neutrality and the standards we work to.
We'd like to especially thank Susan Blackburn, Michael Skelly, Tom Shane, Ben Matthews, Katie Craig, Faith Waddell, Ben Hayes, Emma Nash, Philip Gorman, Elena Ares, Cassie Barton, Jennifer Brown, Gabrielle Garton Grimwood, Maria Lalic, Arabella Lang, Frederico Mor, Sarah Priddy and Fox Hambly.
Over the election we have had 11 amazing researchers come in to support our day to day factchecking. The House of Commons Library, the Office for Statistics Regulation, and the Department of Health all kindly lent us excellent staff who had expertise in a wide range of topics including housing, health, agriculture, employment, and even the postal service.
Having staff from these organisations hugely strengthened our in-house expertise and our capacity to produce content fast for our website and to prepare for the live TV debates.
These secondments benefit us in the short term, we hope that the Full Fact experience of communicating facts will help the people who are responsible for answering parliamentary questions or publishing government statistics.
I have also worked on factchecks for lots of other areas, such as foreign aid, university applications, debt and inequality, corporate income tax, the living wage, air pollution, Brexit and the Lisbon Treaty. I think I’ve managed to learn nearly as much about government statistics in these five weeks as in my last four years in the civil service!
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Having previously worked in teams that publish National and Official Statistics, these five weeks have certainly given me a lot of food for thought on how we, as government analysts, can help the public consume the information we put out.
And my own personal highlight? Researching the funding and governance structure for the island of St Helena.” — Ben, a member of the Government Statistical Service and Government Social Research Service.
We don't just publish factchecks and leave it there: we go a step further and work with media outlets to get the facts out more widely. This helps us reach more people, but also strengthens our relationships with newsrooms around the country. That's especially useful when we have to ask for corrections to the record.
Two days before polling day, our Director Will Moy gave an epic 13 interviews to regional BBC Radio programmes, including Leeds, Newcastle and Wales over the course of two hours, factchecking the number of armed police in the UK following the London Bridge terror attack.
He also appeared on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live and Reuters TV to discuss how fake news could affect the election. For a lot of the people listening it would have been the first they heard of us!
We were featured on the front page of the Guardian (in print and online) on Saturday 20th May.
The most frequent of our media partnerships was our daily election factcheck in the pages of the Evening Standard, which ran from the beginning of May until polling day. We published 19 factchecks in this series, including claims from: the Conservatives (eight); Labour (eight); Liberal Democrats (two) and UKIP (one).
We worked with the Telegraph Data team to publish a series of factchecks which we updated throughout the campaign.
Regular Full Fact host Talk Radio published our manifesto factchecks on their website and had our Director Will Moy on ‘The Radio Hustle’ to discuss the Labour and Conservative manifestos.
Mashable UK produced bespoke illustrations to go alongside six of our factchecks. These were produced to be relevant to a younger audience and to be as shareable as possible. They went out on the penultimate day of the campaign.
We worked with the i newspaper, who printed three of our factchecks in their print edition, and two online as well.
Dazed magazine created slides from four factchecks which they featured on their Instagram feed. We were especially excited about this collaboration as it reached our to a younger audience.
Sometimes good engineering is like housework — you only notice if it's done badly.
So if you didn't notice that the website is more responsive, or featured more content, or the factcheckers responded more quickly during live factchecking, or that the servers were stable and nothing went offline, we can be proud of that too.
We spent a lot of our time working on the future of factchecking - we’ve been working on automated factchecking for a while but this election was the first time we got to put our tools into action.
Thanks to your help, we’ve built a system that lets us match claims in real-time. It takes a stream of subtitles, live from the TV, and looks for things we’ve already factchecked. When it finds it, it surfaces the conclusion. This helps us react faster.
We're hoping to spend the next year making this a reliable tool available for journalists in the UK and factcheckers around the world. Watch this space.
Although education and news literacy wasn't our focus this election, we tried to do as much as we could with the resources we had. Mainly this included taking part in a Facebook Live with Change.org, sharing the top 10 tips for tackling false news, and sharing our recently launched toolkit.
We would love to be doing more education and news literacy, to help us on that mission, please donate.
Fake news is a complicated problem. In partnership with Facebook, we shared these ten tips for helping you take the first steps to spot misinformation.
The BBC and Mail Online covered these tips, and Facebook also took out full-page adverts displaying them in the Guardian, the Telegraph and the Times.
We don’t express opinions about the matters we factcheck—that’s our readers’ job. But we will comment on a narrow range of issues about things like access to information or statistics which directly affect our mission to support well informed public debate.
Full Fact wrote to the UK’s top civil servant when the election was announced, because it is his job to set rules on what public bodies can and cannot do during the so-called ‘purdah’ period that covers the run up to an election.
Based on our experience in past votes, we asked him to make sure that the rules don't make it any harder to get hold of the expertise of the statisticians and publicly-funded researchers in places like the Office for National Statistics or even in universities.
You can read his reply here.
Before the election we wrote a submission to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee's inquiry on fake news. We were concerned that inaccurate information could be spreading through hidden online advertising (dark ads) with no-one to scrutinise it.
As more people consume their news on Facebook, our concern grows too.
We called on the parties to publish what they put on Facebook, and who they are targeting their adverts at (see more here). To set an example, we will be publishing this information shortly.
Watch this space for more action from Full Fact on dark ads.
At the start of May we decided to work with First Draft, a global network of newsrooms technology companies, human rights organizations and academic institutions who specialise in verification.
We recruited eight journalists who very quickly set up a sophisticated monitoring system using a mixture of technologies: CrowdTangle, Google Trends, Newswhip, Trendolizer, Trendsmap, and Signal, as well as building numerous lists to monitor content and conversations on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit and online forums.
Every morning we sent out an email to newsrooms telling them what was getting popular online. In the afternoon we sent out an email with our research findings, including verifying or debunking photos, and some of the results of our factchecking.
We'll be writing more about this soon.
When this snap election was announced we had barely recovered from the EU referendum. It was incredibly heart warming and motivating to see so many of you reach out to us with words of encouragement and shows of support.
We hope we have you done you proud this election. And should there be another one (!) you can rely on us to be there.
In the middle of our busy, rowdy democracy, we need to make sure that everyone can access impartial information. Our team needs to grow if we are going to regularly serve the tens of millions of people in the UK. | 2019-04-22T05:08:54Z | https://fullfact.org/blog/2017/jun/general-election-2017-factchecked/ |
While there may be moments you simply can’t recreate, capturing your big day is a timeless investment you will never regret.
There may be no more detailed day in your life than your wedding, yet there are some moments that may not go as planned. So, when the flower girl runs up and down the aisle, when Grandpa decides to cut loose on the dance floor, or when your loved one is caught welling up at the sight of you, no doubt you will want to capture them all.
If couples regret one thing, for most it’s not investing enough in capturing these moments on camera and video. In fact, a recent survey by Zola (a nationwide wedding registry site) found most newly married couples’ biggest regret was not spending enough on videography.
For all the moments you’ve planned for, and all those you never could, we’ve curated some of Florida’s tasteful creatives to document it all.
TL: How long have you been in the industry?
TL: What is your main focus or motivation on the big day?
TL: What can couples expect for the post-production process?
I love giving next-day sneak peeks via social media, and then a storytelling slideshow within the week. My goal for wedding galleries is to deliver within two weeks. My turnaround has been as quick as four days. A few weeks after the wedding, I send a gift box with the clients’ USB and a few surprises.
TL: What three things should a couple know before selecting a photographer?
Experience, experience, experience. I know that’s redundant, but your photographer should be experienced in all aspects of your wedding — inclement weather, difficult personalities, problem-solving different lighting and not-ideal location scenarios. Backup equipment is a must!
TL: How should a couple prepare to be photographed on the big day?
Relax and have fun! It’s the only time in your life that everyone you love is in one place.
TL: What is your aesthetic as a wedding photographer?
More moments, less Pinterest. I love organic, genuine moments. My approach is candid, nonintrusive, and laid back.
This September will be 10 years since I’ve gone full time and have been in the industry. I shot my first wedding 15 years ago.
Capturing the story and essence of the wedding day. I want to tell their story well, in a beautiful way, and capture genuine emotion throughout the process.
I deliver wedding images within six weeks. Clients receive an email with a link to their gallery that they can share with family, and download.
1. Make sure that you can see consistency throughout their work. Ask to see some full galleries, and make sure that they can take good photos in different scenarios, especially ones that match your wedding day. Ask about their experience.
2. Ask about backup systems. Do they have backup gear? How do they back up their images?
3. Check references! If they weren’t personally referred to you (or maybe even if they were), check their reviews on a third-party website (Google, weddingwire.com, etc). When you’re paying someone several thousand dollars, you want to make sure they will deliver.
Engagement sessions are great practice. I love photographing engagement sessions, because I get to know the couple, and the couple gets more comfortable being in front of a camera. They can learn some cues that I give so that things happen quicker and more naturally on the wedding day.
I would say my aesthetic is natural, fun, and expressive. My approach on the wedding day is to generally stay behind the scenes, capturing the events of the day. I’ll work to keep everyone on schedule and give suggestions on locations for certain events. During portraits, I give direction but tell the clients to be themselves. If they want to move around and interact, that only adds to the natural representation of who they really are, which translates to natural photos.
I’ve been in the photography industry since I was fresh out of high school. Dad gave me my first camera for Christmas and from there I experimented. I taught myself camera essentials, lighting techniques, posing, and, after a few years of practice, I gained the confidence to shoot at a more professional level. I was always intrigued by the photography industry growing up, especially the fashion and editorial side.
Wedding days are always such an adrenaline rush. My main focus is to capture the special moments of the big day for the couple and their families. You’ll typically catch me on standby, with my finger on that shutter button waiting to fire.
1. Do you “click” with your photographer’s personality? This is a must! You want to hire a photographer who vibes well with your personality. You’re going to be with them all day and continue a correspondence through the post process. Liking your photographer is key.
2. Do your homework when looking for the right wedding photographer. Look through their website and online social media content; you can even request to see more images. You want to make sure that person’s style is what you’re looking for.
3. Research current wedding photography pricing before you do your budget and begin shopping around. The photography industry and its pricing are constantly changing. Be informed, then shop around.
1.) Breathe and enjoy their big day. It only happens once.
2.) Smile, and keep smiling.
Candid-style comes most naturally to me. There are so many beautiful moments that happen during a wedding, that I am constantly scanning the room, waiting for something special to capture. Love can be captured and seen in an image. When it is, and it’s authentic, it’s beautiful.
I began pursuing commissions with photography almost 10 years ago in 2008, and found an appreciation and interest in wedding photography a year or so later.
My style is a blend of a documentary and a fine-art approach. I believe in love; I believe in marriage; and I believe the significance of a wedding goes much deeper than the images in my portfolio. It is such an honor to photograph weddings, and I wholeheartedly look to live up to that privilege at every event.
My post production is honestly very minimal. As a lover of light and emotion, I am looking to enhance those elements in the lab while still delivering natural, timeless tones. During capture throughout the day, I am making conscious decisions to photograph in a style that is consistent and does not rely heavily on post production, all the while remaining true to the vision in which the couple connected to my work.
Understanding the variety of photographic styles is important, as well as being mindful of trends in the wedding industry. Couples should select a photographer who they can place complete trust and confidence in.
Don’t overthink the process; remain natural and comfortable while being mindful of posture. But, most importantly, live in the moment filled with joy and happiness.
I approach a wedding with the mindset that I must create an authentic and comfortable environment for those in front of my camera. I work to always maintain professionalism and an easy demeanor to capture the most intimate moments artistically, without being intrusive or drawing attention away from the event. My hope is that when a couple looks through their photographs, it’s like reliving the day all over again.
I’ve been in the wedding industry for five years.
My main focus on the big day is to serve my couples, not just with beautiful images, but with memorable moments. I do that by getting to know the family and guests, making sure I document their interactions with the bride and groom.
The day after their wedding, an email will be in their inbox, with a link to their gallery and a time estimate of when it will be available. Once the gallery is available, they pick their favorite images, and I design the album (along with other tangibles) from their big day. They receive a keepsake as a thank you for allowing me to document their wedding.
1. Find a photographer you make a connection with. Meet the photographer before you make a decision. It’s important to find someone you’re comfortable with.
2. Know that photography should be a priority; it’s the only thing that will increase in value over time. Your wedding images are meant to last more than your lifetime — it’s your legacy.
3. Ask the wedding photographers how they backup their photos. Professionals have backup methods to ensure your images are safe and sound from the time they are taken until after they’re delivered. If they don’t have a backup method, they could potentially lose your images.
Be prepared to smile a lot! Brides, wear waterproof mascara. Other than that, just enjoy the day. My job is to flatter you, and I will do just that, no matter what comes your way.
I see beauty in life — the laughter, the snuggles, the chaos, the tears. They all have meaning, and I want to be there to remind you that ordinary moments are extraordinary. That honest moment is what gives context to the love story I tell through my lens. I take that moment and make it timeless for them to enjoy, not just a few weeks from now, but for generations to come.
I have been in the industry for eight years, and my wife joined three years ago during our start-up of our company.
TL: What is your main focus on the big day?
To document the couple’s unique personality and the beauty of their relationship. We strive to honor the passion and raw emotion of each part of the day.
Our typical full-day wedding album takes four to six weeks to complete. We spend this time carefully selecting each photo, and hand-tailoring colors and contrast to match our style. Couples can expect warmer tones, leading to a romantic depth to fully illustrate the emotion in each image. We do not have a limit to the amount of edits delivered, because we believe that our couples deserve the entire visual history of their day, small and big moments alike.
1. Know what style you prefer.
2. Know how much time you want covered by your photographer (for example, the full day photographed, half of the day, or just the ceremony, etc.).
3. Ask potential photographers if they are able to meet in person with you and your [future spouse] to establish a personal connection, which will help them capture your vision more accurately on the big day.
Consider setting up an engagement or mini couple’s session with the photographer you plan on booking for your wedding.Also, being in front of the camera does not mean couples have to model for us. Most photographers want to capture genuine emotion and reactions. Be authentic, natural, and try to soak in the moment rather than be caught up in how you look on camera.
To preserve every uniquely beautiful moment witnessed in its purest form. From tears to laughter, we see these emotions as artifacts of the love being celebrated between our clients. Using traditional and modern techniques, we want our imagery to evoke a sense of timeless beauty — pictures that can be enjoyed among anyone, now and for years to come.
I’ve been running my own wedding photography business for over three years now.
Although I always go into a wedding day hoping to capture some truly gorgeous images, my main priority and motivation are to serve my couple. If I can be a joy and blessing from start to finish, leaving my couple feeling loved and beautiful, then I have succeeded.
The first thing my couples can expect is a sneak-peek blog posted only a few days after their wedding. After that, the images are carefully sorted, edited, and uploaded into an online gallery, where couples can download images, share on social media, and order prints directly. My couples can also expect little surprises and thoughtful encounters … far beyond the wedding day.
1. You have to love and believe in your photographer’s vision. If you don’t like their style or approach, then they aren’t the photographer for you.
2. Choose someone with a personality that works well with yours. A wedding day calls for a photographer who not only takes amazing pictures, but also knows how to make you feel comfortable and loved.
3. And finally, choose a photographer who knows how to troubleshoot difficult situations. No wedding day is perfect, and a good photographer will know how to think on their feet and work as a team with your other vendors.
The best way my couples can prepare to be photographed is to book an engagement session. This gives all of us a chance to get to know and feel comfortable around each other. This is also when we can be honest about any insecurities, practice poses, and just run around like kids and have a great time. However, engagement session aside, I always give my couples careful instructions on the day-of, reminding them to breathe and stay relaxed, as well as affirming them throughout the process to keep their confidence high!
I am an artistically driven photographer. I’m moved by deep colors, moody shadows, and strong emotional connection. My approach is to capture the story of the day, as well as the deep passion and longing that couples have for each other. As a strong believer in the beauty and sacredness of marriage, I pour my heart and soul into creating imagery that will stir my couples’ hearts for years and years.
I’ve been a wedding photographer for six years.
When it comes to a wedding, my main focus is to create timeless, authentic, and emotional imagery that you can look back on and feel the love and joy of your special day.
I have two separate businesses, a commercial (robchristian crosby.com) and a wedding business (crosbyphotos.com). The commercial work I do has really taught me the correct way to retouch, and I’ve spent hours learning and honing the craft of beauty and high-end retouching the right way. So, when it comes to weddings, I’m extremely detail-oriented in the post-production process of color and retouching skin.
Know what type of person is behind the lens, and make sure you’re comfortable with the photographer you’re working with. Know the style of photography you want, and make sure the photographer lines up with that.
While planning the day, I think it’s always a good idea to really identify the aesthetic you want for your wedding. Expressing that to the photographer and even giving them a mood-board can really help achieve the look you want. Second, on the day of the wedding, the best way to prepare is by relaxing and just enjoying your special day!
Eleven years of wedding fun!
I truly believe that with grace and selfless attention, marriages work and families flourish. I love shooting weddings, because I love marriage. The ability to make even just one special day stand still in the lifetime of a couple is a true treasure.
Typically, I send over a sneak peek within a week or two of the wedding, and the remainder of the files are delivered within about a month of the wedding (times can vary based on the season). I carefully edit each image and prep the entire gallery to be print ready, and this takes time, of course.
Be sure to look at full wedding galleries, and look at images that will compare to your actual wedding location, lighting, time of year, etc. It’s easy to put a few good frames from a wedding on a website, but make sure your photographer understands how to handle any lighting or weather scenario that could occur.
It’s always helpful to talk over important shots beforehand. Let your photographer know about sentimental items, very special people, or any planned surprises that might happen. But, really, just be yourself, relax, enjoy your day as it unfolds. I promise it’s so much better that way!
My aesthetic is typically light, airy, and reminiscent of the colorings of film photography, with a healthy dose of moody shadow tossed in for fun. I typically keep it clean and classic. I want your images to still feel beautiful in 50 years when your grandchildren display them at your big anniversary party!
Our main motivation is to focus on the couple and their story. There are so many facets that come into play on a wedding day, but if the bride and groom’s covenant and celebration are not the main focus, it will just be another highlight film.
TL: What can the couple expect for the post-production process?
With each package we offer a full-length film starting with the time we arrive through the final shots, generally lasting an hour to an hour and a half. It also comes with a narrative trailer that shows the most intriguing shots from the entire day put into a cinematic storyline lasting three to five minutes long.
TL: What three things should a couple know before selecting a videographer?
1. The couple must be able to connect well with the videographer. If a couple is being filmed all day, they need to feel completely comfortable in front of the camera and with the person who is capturing their day.
2. The couple needs to make sure the videographer gets along well with the vendor teams. So many times I’ve seen things go wrong because of the wrong expectation and miscommunication.
3. Finally, a couple needs to be in alignment with the videographer’s style. They need to like the videographer’s prior work in order to have the proper expectation for their own wedding footage.
TL: How should a couple prepare to be filmed on the big day?
worry about how they’re being filmed, but to ultimately enjoy every moment of their day. If they find the right videographer, there shouldn’t be any worry, because it’s about the couple, not the videographer. It’s the videographer’s job to capture the essence of their covenant and joy that comes with their wedding celebration.
TL: What is your aesthetic as a wedding videographer?
Our style of filmmaking is a blend of a documentary and cinematic approach. We want to get to know the couple beforehand so we can thoughtfully tell their story through their personalities, their family, their friends, the location, and their decor. Since each wedding is unique, our passion is to capture and tell that story in the most authentic way possible.
To capture moments that will tell the couple’s love story. I focus on candid moments, when true, genuine emotions are expressed. I’m always motivated to try to capture something that the couple was not expecting to see when they watch their film.
My post-production process is very collaborative in that I give the couple the opportunity to choose the song for their highlight film. I also present a draft of the highlight film to allow the couple an opportunity to review and suggest changes, before the film is finalized and released to the public.
1. What parts of the wedding would you like to have captured? Do you want events prior to the ceremony filmed? Are you planning a grand exit you want captured? Knowing the answer to these questions will make it easier to select the best video package.
2. How you would like to view the wedding, after all is said and done. Do you just want a highlight film, the entire ceremony edited into one film, the reception toasts?
3. Your comfort level with having nearly every part of your day filmed. It’s OK to be up front about how you feel having a camera around you all day.
They should just be themselves on the wedding day. Put aside any stress that may be left over. And I encourage them to not even think about the camera.
My style is flexible, but when granted full creativity in capturing a wedding, I like to go for cinematic shots that are oftentimes close up, to capture an angle no one else viewing the wedding can see. | 2019-04-25T00:19:34Z | https://thelakelander.com/make-it-unforgettable/ |
The evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein Crumbs is required for epithelial polarity and morphogenesis in the embryo, control of tissue size in imaginal discs and morphogenesis of photoreceptor cells, and prevents light-dependent retinal degeneration. The small cytoplasmic domain contains two highly conserved regions, a FERM (i.e., protein 4.1/ezrin/radixin/moesin)-binding and a PDZ (i.e., postsynaptic density/discs large/ZO-1)-binding domain. Using a fosmid-based transgenomic approach, we analyzed the role of the two domains during invagination of the tracheae and the salivary glands in the Drosophila embryo. We provide data to show that the PDZ-binding domain is essential for the maintenance of cell polarity in both tissues. In contrast, in embryos expressing a Crumbs protein with an exchange of a conserved Tyrosine residue in the FERM-binding domain to an Alanine, both tissues are internalized, despite some initial defects in apical constriction, phospho-Moesin recruitment, and coordinated invagination movements. However, at later stages these embryos fail to undergo dorsal closure, germ band retraction, and head involution. In addition, frequent defects in tracheal fusion were observed. These results suggest stage and/or tissue specific binding partners. We discuss the power of this fosmid-based system for detailed structure-function analyses in comparison to the UAS/Gal4 system.
Many internal organs of multicellular organisms develop from epithelial tubes, which further differentiate to serve a variety of functions. They can be specialized for secretion, as salivary glands or the pancreas, or for respiration, forming branched networks of interconnected tubes, e.g., in the lung of vertebrates and the tracheal system of arthropods (Affolter et al. 2009; Kerman et al. 2006; Warburton et al. 2010). Others are specialized for absorption and filtration, for example, the kidney or the Malpighian tubules, the excretory organs of vertebrates and arthropods, respectively (Denholm and Skaer 2009; Little et al. 2010). Several mechanisms are used to form tubular organs, including budding and invagination from an existing epithelium, oriented cell division, cavitation of a solid epithelial rod, or formation of a lumen by fusion of intracellular vesicles (reviewed in Andrew and Ewald 2010; Rodriguez-Fraticelli et al. 2011). Strikingly, many molecules and pathways involved in tube formation are conserved between invertebrates and vertebrates. This finding and the relatively simple organization of the fly embryo, its accessibility to high resolution in vivo imaging, and the availability of a large genetic toolbox has made the Drosophila embryo an ideal system to study the cell biological and genetic basis of tubulogenesis. In particular, studies of a simple tube, the salivary gland, and a branched tubular system, the tracheae, have provided detailed insight into the different steps of tubulogenesis and their regulation (Affolter et al. 2009; Baer et al. 2009; Maruyama and Andrew 2012; Pirraglia and Myat 2010; Schottenfeld et al. 2010).
Most processes during salivary gland and tracheal development take place in the absence of any cell division. This means that the final organization of the organ depends on changes in cell shape and cell size, on remodeling of junctions, and modification of apical and basolateral surface areas (reviewed in Andrew and Ewald 2010; St Johnston and Sanson 2011). After allocation of ectodermal cells to either salivary gland or tracheal cell fate, the initial morphogenetic processes common to both organs can be subdivided into three different steps: apical constriction, internalization, and elongation. Apical constriction depends on the coordinated activity of signaling molecules and components of the actin cytoskeleton. This leads to a shrinking of the actino-myosin belt and a reduction of the apical surface (reviewed in Sawyer et al. 2010). Internalization of cells occurs by coordinated and often patterned invagination, resulting in a small sac or pit. Once internalized, the sac expands to form a tube. Directed migration of the tube is under genetic control, which ensures the stereotypic localization and patterning of the organ. While the salivary glands stay as simple tubes, the tracheal sacs start to branch in a very precise and stereotypic pattern. Individual branches further elongate and eventually fuse at later stages (Affolter and Caussinus 2008).
The Drosophila ectoderm, from which salivary glands and tracheae originate, is a single-layered epithelial sheet, with a pronounced apico-basal polarity. A hallmark of epithelial cell polarity is the apical zonula adherens (ZA), a belt-like structure, characterized by accumulation of the homophilic adhesion molecule Drosophila E-cadherin, which is linked to the actin cytoskeleton via Armadillo, the Drosophila ortholog of β-catenin. Maintenance of epithelial cell polarity is crucial for proper embryonic development, and its loss results in severe morphogenetic defects and embryonic lethality. One of the key regulators of epithelial cell polarity is the evolutionarily conserved Crumbs complex. It is composed of the transmembrane protein Crumbs (Crb), which recruits the scaffolding proteins Stardust (Sdt), DPATJ, and DLin-7. Embryos lacking Crb or Sdt fail to maintain the integrity of most of their epithelia. Cells of the epidermis, for example, are unable to establish a proper ZA, lose contacts to their neighbors, and undergo extensive apoptosis. The same happens to cells of the salivary glands, whereas the tracheae invaginate, but fall apart later, forming small vesicles with proper apicobasal polarity (Grawe et al. 1996; Tepass 1996; Tepass and Knust 1990).
Crb, a type I transmembrane protein, contains a large extracellular domain, composed of an array of repeats with similarity to the epidermal growth factor (EGF-like repeats), interspersed by four domains with similarity to the globular domain of laminin A. Its small cytoplasmic portion of only 37 amino acids contains two highly conserved motifs, a C-terminal, PDZ (postsynaptic density/discs large/ZO-1)-binding motif, -ERLI, which can bind the PDZ-domain of Sdt and Drosophila Par-6, and a FERM-binding motif, which can directly interact with the FERM (protein 4.1/ezrin/radixin/moesin)-domain of Yurt and Expanded (Ex) (Laprise et al. 2006; Ling et al. 2010) and is required to recruit Moesin to the apical membrane (Medina et al. 2002). Besides a role in epithelial cell polarity, Drosophila crb controls tissue size in imaginal discs by acting upstream of the Hippo pathway (reviewed in Boggiano and Fehon 2012; Genevet and Tapon 2011), regulates the morphogenesis of photoreceptor cells, and prevents light-dependent retinal degeneration (reviewed in Bazellieres et al. 2009; Bulgakova and Knust 2009). The modular organization of the Crb protein raises the question of whether individual domains serve particular functions. This idea is supported by the observation that one of the three mammalian Crb orthologs, Crb3, contains only the conserved cytoplasmic domain but lacks the typical extracellular domain with EGF- and laminin A-like repeats (Lemmers et al. 2004; Makarova et al. 2003).
Using the Gal4/UAS system (reviewed in Elliott and Brand 2008), we elucidated the function of the short cytoplasmic domain of Crb. We found that ubiquitous expression of a membrane-bound cytoplasmic domain, called Crbintra, suppressed the crb mutant embryonic phenotype to the same extend as the full-length protein. Removing the PDZ-binding motif (CrbintraΔERLI) completely abolished this activity (Klebes and Knust 2000; Wodarz et al. 1995). This result was in agreement with the observation that crb8F105, an allele encoding a mutant protein that lacks the C-terminal 23 amino acids, develops only a slightly weaker embryonic phenotype than the protein null allele crb11A22 (Wodarz et al. 1993). Expression of UAS-crbintraY10A or UAS-crbintraY10AE16A, which carry mutations in conserved amino acid residues within the FERM-binding domain, also failed to suppress the crb mutant phenotype (numbering of amino acids according to Klebes and Knust 2000), starting with the Arginine residue C-terminal to the transmembrane domain (Figure 1). However, unlike UAS-crbintraΔERLI, these constructs induced polarity defects when overexpressed in wild-type embryos, similar to those observed with the full-length cytoplasmic domain (Klebes and Knust 2000). Using the same UAS-constructs, it was found that the FERM-binding domain is required to rescue invagination defects of the anlagen of the tracheae in crb mutant embryos (Letizia et al. 2011) and to activate the Salvador/Warts/Hippo pathway in otherwise wild-type wing imaginal discs (Robinson et al. 2010). On the other hand, a UAS-construct encoding the membrane-bound extracellular domain, which does not rescue the embryonic phenotype, could rescue the overgrowth phenotype in heads and eyes associated with loss of crb (Richardson and Pichaud 2010), but not the embryonic crb phenotype.
foscrb variants used and their expression. (A) Genomic region covering the crb locus (adopted from Flybase). foscrb (dotted line) covers nearly the same region as cosmid Pw-1 (dashed line), which was shown to rescue the crb mutant phenotype (Tepass and Knust 1990). (B) Crb variants used in this study. Green rectangles: EGF-like repeat, brown hexagon: repeat with similarity to the globular domain of laminin A, gray bar: transmembrane (TM) domain, purple: insertion of EGFP. Depicted proteins are based on the Crb-PA isoform (2.146 amino acids). Numbering of amino acids in the cytoplasmic domain starts with the first arginine residue (R) after the transmembrane domain. The fosmids encode all Crb isoforms, although only Crb-PA is shown here. The amino acid sequences of the wild-type and mutant versions of full-length Crb are indicated, red symbols indicate exchanges. (C) foscrb does not cause Crb overexpression in the presence of endogenous Crb (lane 2), whereas UAS/Gal4-driven crb does. Western blot of lysates prepared from overnight embryos, probed with anti-Crb and anti-Tubulin as a loading control. Embryos, from which extracts were prepared, had the following genotypes: lane 1: wild-type; lane 2: foscrb/foscrb (carry four copies of crb); lane 3: UAS-crbfull-length; GAL4daG32; lane 4: foscrb/foscrb; crbGX24/crbGX24. (D) crb, foscrb, foscrbEGFP, and foscrbY10F express Crb protein at similar levels. Western blot was probed with anti-Crb and anti-Tubulin, antibodies. Extracts were prepared from overnight embryo collections from wild-type (lane 1) and homozygous foscrb/foscrb; crbGX24/crbGX24 (lane 2); foscrbEGFP/foscrbEGFP; crbGX24/crbGX24 (lane 3); and foscrbY10F/foscrbY10F; crbGX24/crbGX24 (lane 4) embryos. (E) Cross section of the embryonic epidermis at stage 13/14 showing the localization of Crb and the lateral marker Dlg in wild-type (wt) and homozygous foscrb/foscrb; crbGX24/crbGX24, foscrbEGFP/foscrbEGFP; crbGX24/crbGX24 and foscrbY10F/foscrbY10F; crbGX24/crbGX24 embryos. Scale bar, 10 µm.
Despite the tremendous power of the Gal4/UAS system, there are several disadvantages. In most cases, a heterologous promoter is used, which does not reflect the endogenous expression pattern of the gene and often results in ectopic and/or strong overexpression. In addition, only one isoform of the gene of interest is expressed. Recently developed methods using large genomic fragments, such as bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) or fosmids, which cover whole genes, including all splice variants and regulatory elements, overcome most of these problems (reviewed in Ejsmont et al. 2011; Venken and Bellen 2012). In combination with recombineering, which allows the introduction of mutations into the transgenes by homologous recombination in bacteria before insertion into the genome (reviewed in Ciotta et al. 2011), this technology now opens the possibility for structure-function analysis under optimized in vivo conditions.
Here, we used fosmid-based transgenesis to analyze the role of the PDZ- and FERM-binding domains of the cytoplasmic tail of Crb during early stages of salivary gland and tracheal development. We show that the PDZ-binding motif is essential for proper invagination of both salivary glands and tracheae. Surprisingly, however, and in contrast to previous results obtained with UAS-constructs, a Crb protein with a mutated FERM-binding domain (fosCrbY10A) rescued apical constriction, invagination, and elongation of salivary glands and tracheae despite some defects during apical constriction observed during tracheal morphogenesis. Embryos expressing fosCrbY10A showed later defects, such as incomplete tracheal fusion, defective dorsal closure, and germ band retraction.
Flies were kept at 25°. The following stocks/mutant alleles were used: OregonR as wild-type control, crb11A22 (Jürgens et al. 1984), crbGX24 (Huang et al. 2009), Gal4daG32, Gal4385.3, UAS-crbintramyc2b (Wodarz et al. 1995), UAS-crb8xMycintra16.1 (S. Özüyaman and E. Knust, unpublished data), w; foscrb;crbGX24, w; foscrbEGFP; crbGX24, w; foscrbY10F; crbGX24, w; foscrbY10A;crbGX24, w; foscrbΔERLI; crbGX24, and w; foscrbY10A,ΔERLI; crbGX24 (this work). Mutant stocks were balanced over TM3, twist-GAL4, UAS-EGFP (Bloomington Stock Center).
The foscrb variants are based on the fosmid library clone pFlyFos No P52 G02 obtained from Pavel Tomancak [MPI-CBG, Dresden (Ejsmont et al. 2009); named foscrb throughout the text]. The contained genomic region of crumbs was modified by recombineering in Escherichia coli in vivo by use of the Red/ET Recombination technology according to the technical protocol for the “Counter-Selection BAC Modification Kit by Red/ET Recombination” (version 3, 2007; Gene Bridges) with following major changes: The recombineering as well as the amplification of the vector foscrb were performed in the E. coli strain TOP10 (Invitrogen). Whenever foscrb was kept in liquid culture, 0.01% L-arabinose and 20 µg/mL chloramphenicol are added (Ejsmont et al. 2009). The concentration of streptomycin in the counter-selection step was increased from 50 µg/mL to 8000 µg/mL to enhance the efficiency of the counter-selection. In addition, the counter-selection by streptomycin was performed overnight in liquid culture, and then 1 µL of this liquid culture was plated onto LB-Agar plates containing chloramphenicol and streptomycin for a final counter-selection step. Cotransformed recombineering source served the plasmid pRed4Flp (Sarov et al. 2006), whereas 0.35% L-rhamnose was used to induce Red expression and was selected by adding 100 µg/mL hygromycin in low-salt LB medium, pH 8, cultured at 30° due to the temperature-sensitive origin of replication. However, after we added L-rhamnose and before the addition of the recombineering cassette, the temperature was shifted to 37° to obtain an optimal Red expression. The plasmid pR6K-rpsL-neo (Wang et al. 2006) was used as template to amplify the respective counter-selection cassette in the first recombineering step. After the first as well as second recombineering step a medium-scale plasmid DNA isolation (QIAGEN), followed by retransformation into E. coli TOP10 cells, was performed to identify the clone containing the correct integration of the counter-selection/modification cassette by colony-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A detailed description of the protocol can be obtained from the authors.
foscrb contains the nonmodified wild-type crb locus. For the generation of foscrbEGFP the oligonucleotides 5′-GGGTCAGGTGGTTCTGGCATGGTGAGCAAGGGCGAGGAGC-3 and 5′-CCCGGATCCTCCCGAGCCCTTGTACAGCTCGTCCATGCCGA-3′ were used to amplify the sequence encoding the EGFP tag from the plasmid pEGFP-C1 (Clontech), without STOP codon and to flank the tag with a stretch of glycines and serines (GSGGSG). The linker shall enhance a proper folding and reduce effects onto the Crb protein. The PCR product served as template in a second PCR to add the homology arms for recombineering using the oligonucleotides 5′-TCGAATTTTGCCAACACGTTACATGTCCGGGACAGAGCTTGTGCCAAAATGGGTCAGGTGGTTCTGGCATGGTGAGCAAGGGCGAGGAGC-3′ and 5′- TCCTGCCCAGTAAATGTGGTGTTCGTAACACACTCATAGCCATCGTCCAGCCCGGATCCTCCCGAGCCCTTGTACAGCTCGTCCATGCCGA-3′ (homology arms, linker GSGGSG). The counter-selection cassette was amplified from the template pR6K-rpsL-neo (Wang et al. 2006) by using the oligonucleotides 5′-TCGAATTTTGCCAACACGTTACATGTCCGGGACAGAGCTTGTGCCAAAATGGCCTGGTGATGATGGCGGGATCG-3′ and 5′- TCCTGCCCAGTAAATGTGGTGTTCGTAACACACTCATAGCCATCGTCCAGTCAGAAGAACTCGTCAAGAAGG-3′ (homology arms). For all foscrb variants mutated in the cytoplasmic domain, the same counter-selection cassette was amplified from the template pR6K-rpsL-neo (Wang et al. 2006) by using the oligonucleotides 5′-GACATTGCCATCATTGTAATACCCGTAGTGGTGGTGCTGCTGCTGATCGCGGCCTGGTGATGATGGCGGGATCG-3′ and 5′-TGTAAACCATAACTAGGGGCCAACTTAGTACAAAACATTGAGTTACTCCTTCAGAAGAACTCGTCAAGAAGG-3′ (homology arms). The oligonucleotides 5′-GACATTGCCATCATTGTAATA-3 and 5′-TGTAAACCATAACTAGGGGCCA-3′ were used to amplify the mutated cytoplasmic domains of crumbs from the following pre-existing plasmids: foscrbY10F from pBS-8xMyc-crbintra-Y10F (C. Clemens and E. Knust, unpublished data); foscrbY10A from pUAST-8xMyc-crbintra-Y10A (S. Özüyaman and E. Knust, unpublished data); foscrbΔERLI from pBS-8xMyc-crbintra-ΔERLI (S. Özüyaman and E. Knust, unpublished data); foscrbY10A, ΔERLI from pUAST-8xMyc-crbintra-Y10A,ΔERLI (C. Clemens and E. Knust, unpublished data). The obtained modification cassettes exchanged the counter-selection cassettes in the second recombineering step in the different foscrb variants, respectively. All foscrb variants were verified by sequencing before injection into Drosophila melanogaster.
Transgenic flies were generated via the phiC31 integrase mediated site-specific integration into attP landing-sites (reviewed in Venken and Bellen 2007). For the injection and establishment of transgenic lines standard protocols were followed (Bachmann et al. 2008). All foscrb variants were integrated into the landing site attP40, of the stock y, v, P(nos-phiC31\int.NLS)X ; P(CaryP)attP40 (Bloomington #25709).
Embryos were collected on apple juice plates for 2 hr at 25° and then incubated for 6 hr at 25° or 12 hr at 19°, dechorionated in 50% bleach for 3 min, and fixed for 20 min in 4% formaldehyde in phosphate-buffered saline/heptane. For heat fixation, dechorionated embryos were sunk into boiling TTS solution (68 mM NaCl, 0.03% Triton X-100) and then transferred immediately to ice. Devitellinization was done in heptane/methanol. Embryos were blocked for 2 hr at room temperature in PBT (phosphate-buffered saline + 0.1% Triton X-100) + 5% normal horse serum. Embryos were incubated for 2 hr at room temperature with primary antibodies: rat anti-Crb 2.8, 1:500, (Richard et al. 2006a), mouse anti-Crb-Cq4, 1:300 (Tepass et al. 1990), mouse anti-Discs large (Dlg) 4F3, 1:50 [Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank (DSHB), 1:50], mouse anti-Armadillo N2 7A2, 1:50 (DSHB) (Riggleman et al. 1990), rabbit anti-Stranded at second (Sas, 1:500; kindly provided by E. Organ and D. Cavener), rabbit anti-Canoe (Cno), 1:1.000 (Matsuo et al. 1999, kindly provided by K. Takahashi), rabbit anti-Pyd, 1:5.000 (Djiane et al. 2011, kindly provided by Sarah Bray), guinea pig anti-Eyegone (1:1000) (Aldaz et al. 2003, kindly provided by Natalia Azpiazu), rabbit anti-phospho moesin (Cell Signaling Technology, cat. no. 3150, 1:100), mouse anti-alpha-spectrin SA9, 1:25 (DSHB), rabbit anti-GFP (Invitrogen, cat. no. A11122, 1:500). Incubations with the appropriate secondary antibodies were performed for 1 hr at room temperature: 1:500 for Alexa Fluor 488-, 568-, and 647-conjugated antibodies (Invitrogen). Stained embryos were mounted in glycerin propyl gallate (75% glycerol, 50 mg/mL propyl gallate) and visualized using a Zeiss LSM 780 NLO confocal microscope with a C-Apochromat 40x/1.2W Corr objective with the correction collar at 0.18 (at this position the brightness and contrast was enhanced). All images were taken under the same settings for laser power, PMT gain and offset. Maximal projections and merging was performed using Fiji and Adobe Photoshop CS4. Cuticle preparations were performed according to standard procedures (Wieschaus and Nüsslein-Volhard 1986).
Adult flies of the desired genotype were kept on apple juice agar at 25° and removed after 2 hr. The number of embryos on the plate was counted and the plate was further incubated at 25°. After approximately 48 hr, the number of empty eggshells was determined and divided by the total number of embryos to determine the viability. This experiment was done three times for each genotype. In summary 201, 296, and 351 embryos were collected after 2 hr for WT; 322, 246, and 331 for foscrb/foscrb; crbGX24/crbGX24, 114, 187, and 273 for foscrbEGFP/foscrbEGFP; crbGX24/crbGX24; and 187, 175, and 169 for foscrbY10F/foscrbY10F; crbGX24/crbGX24.
For embryo collection, adult flies of the respective genotype were kept overnight at 25° on apple juice agar plates. Embryos were dechorionated for approximately 3 min in 3% bleach and homogenized with Biovortexer (Biospec products) in lysis buffer (50 mM Tris, pH 8.0; 150 mM NaCl; 0.5% Triton X-100; 1 mM MgCl2) supplemented with complete protease inhibitor cocktail (Roche). The lysate was centrifuged for 2 min at 4° at 1.900 g and protein concentration was determined by standard Bradford biochemistry using Roti-Quant (Roth). The supernatant was analyzed by western blotting using standard procedures. Primary antibodies used were: rat anti-Crb 2.8 (1:1.000) (Richard et al. 2006a) and mouse anti-α-Tubulin (1:3.000, Sigma-Aldrich).
Drosophila Crb is involved in several processes, such as maintenance of epithelial cell polarity, regulation of the Hippo pathway, morphogenesis of photoreceptor cells, and prevention of light-dependent retinal degeneration. To better understand which region(s) of this multidomain protein are required for these different functions, transgenes encoding the whole genomic region of crb have been designed. It has previously been shown that the cosmid clone Pw-1, containing a genomic region of approximately 32 kb, completely rescues the crb mutant embryonic and adult eye phenotypes [(Tepass et al. 1990); M. Richard and E. Knust, unpublished data]. Beside the ∼19-kb transcribed region, this clone contains ∼9 kb upstream genomic sequence of the crb locus and ∼4 kb downstream (Figure 1A). The fly fosmid clone pFlyfoscrb (no.P52GD2) used here (called foscrb) contains the complete transcribed region of the crb locus plus ∼7 kb upstream and ∼5 kb downstream genomic sequence, thus spanning a similar genomic region to that contained in cosmid Pw-1 (Figure 1A). A second variant, foscrbEGFP, was generated by recombineering, which contains an EGFP tag N-terminal to the fourth laminin A G domain-like repeat (Figure 1B), thus allowing to distinguish the transgene-encoded from the endogenous Crb protein. foscrb was the template for several mutant variants, which are summarized in Figure 1B. The design of these variants was based on previous constructs, which used the GAL4/UAS system (Klebes and Knust 2000; Wodarz et al. 1995). The deletion of the C-terminal amino acids in foscrbΔERLI removes the PDZ-binding motif, ERLI, which links Crb with Sdt (Bachmann et al. 2001; Hong et al. 2001) and DmPar-6 (Kempkens et al. 2006). Two variants, foscrbY10F and foscrbY10A, carry mutations in Tyrosine10 of the cytoplasmic domain, which is conserved in all Crb variants described so far (Richard et al. 2006b). This residue is part of a conserved FERM-binding domain (Klebes and Knust 2000), which has been shown to bind the FERM protein Yurt, a negative regulator of Crb (Laprise et al. 2006), and the FERM domain of Ex, an upstream regulator of the Hippo pathway (Ling et al. 2010). In addition, a version carrying both mutations, foscrbY10A,ΔERLI, was generated (Figure 1B).
Both foscrb and foscrbEGFP rescued crb the loss-of-function mutation crbGX24 (Huang et al. 2009) or crb11A22: 87% and 75% of the embryos homozygous for crbGX24 and carrying two copies of the fosmid, i.e., foscrb; crbGX24 or foscrbEGFP; crbGX24, respectively, hatched, which is slightly less than wild-type embryos (95%). Flies with either genotype were fertile, did not show any obvious mutant phenotype, and could be kept as homozygous stocks. In contrast, a UAS-transgene encoding the full-length Crb protein was unable to rescue embryonic lethality and could only suppress some aspects of the crb mutant embryonic phenotype (Wodarz et al. 1995). Surprisingly, 82% of the embryos with the genotype foscrbY10F; crbGX24 hatched and gave rise to adult viable and fertile flies. This result is striking because expression of UAS-crbintraY10F, which encodes a protein consisting of the transmembrane and the cytoplasmic domain of Crb, in which Tyr10 was mutated to Phenylalanine, did not rescue embryonic lethality and showed only minor suppression of the crb mutant embryonic cuticle phenotype upon ubiquitous expression, compared to that of UAS-crbintra (C. Clemens and E. Knust, unpublished data).
It is well established that the amount of Crb protein expressed in a cell is crucial for the maintenance of apicobasal polarity and proper size of the apical domain (Hamaratoglu et al. 2009; Klebes and Knust 2000; Muschalik and Knust 2011; Wodarz et al. 1995). Therefore, we analyzed the levels of Crb protein in flies carrying different copy numbers of the endogenous and/or fosmid-encoded crb gene. Surprisingly, the presence of four copies of crb did not increase the overall Crb protein levels. In the absence of endogenous crb, each of the three fosmids that rescued embryonic lethality expressed comparable amounts of Crb protein when present in two copies (Figure 1, C and D).
To analyze the expression pattern of foscrb- and foscrbEGFP-encoded Crb protein in embryos in the absence of endogenous crb, we stained foscrb; crbGX24, foscrbEGFP; crbGX24 and foscrbY10F; crbGX24 embryos with different markers at different developmental stages. At all developmental stages, fosCrb protein in these embryos was expressed in epithelia of ectodermal origin as in wild-type, i.e., in the epidermis, the amnioserosa, the tracheae, the salivary gland, the hindgut and the Malpighian tubules (Figure 2 and data not shown). As revealed by the apical marker Sas, epithelia in embryos carrying one of these fosmids maintain proper apicobasal polarity (Figure 2, C′−E′). In embryos with these genotypes, fosCrb is localized apical to the basolateral marker Dlg (Figure 1E and data not shown).
foscrb variants completely rescuing crb mutant embryos. Lateral view of stage 13/14 whole-mount embryos stained for Crb and Sas (right). (A) Wild-type. (B) crbGX24. (C) foscrb; crbGX24. (D) foscrbEGFP; crbGX24. (E) foscrbY10F; crbGX24. Arrows in A′, C′, D′, and E′ indicate salivary glands, and arrowheads in A, C, D, E the tracheae. In B, the embryo negative for Crb staining is outlined with the dotted line. Inset in B′ is a maximal projection of a stack through the remnant tracheal system. The arrowheads in the inset in B′ indicate discontinuities in the transverse connective (TC) and dorsal trunk (DT) branches. Anterior is to the left, dorsal up. Scale bar, 100 µm.
crb mutant embryos lack a continuous cuticle, and only grains of cuticle can be detected (compare Figure 3, A and B) (Jürgens et al. 1984; Tepass and Knust 1990). crb mutant embryos with transgenes that either carried a mutated FERM-binding domain (foscrbY10A; crbGX24), lacked the PDZ-binding motif (foscrbΔERLI; crbGX24), or carried both mutations (foscrbY10A,ΔERLI; crbGX24) did not hatch. The different transgenes suppressed the crb mutant phenotype to different degrees. In comparison with foscrb, which completely rescued the cuticle phenotype (Figure 3C), crb mutant embryos carrying two copies of foscrbY10A form continuous anterior and ventral cuticle with rather fully developed denticle belts (Figure 3D). This result is striking in view of previous observations showing that Gal4-mediated expression of UAS-crbintraY10A completely failed to suppress the crb mutant cuticle phenotype (Klebes and Knust 2000). The phenotype of foscrbY10A; crbGX24 embryos resembles that of wild-type embryos overexpressing UAS-crbintra with a ubiquitously expressed GAL4 line (compare Figure 3, D and E) (Wodarz et al. 1995) and is characteristic for embryos with impaired germ band retraction and dorsal closure. crb mutant embryos carrying foscrbΔERLI developed only small patches of continuous cuticle (Figure 3F) reminiscent to the phenotype of crb mutant embryos with a strong intermediate phenotype (Tepass and Knust 1990) but more severe than a crb mutant embryo expressing the membrane-bound intracellular domain (UAS-crbintra) using an ubiquitously expressed GAL4 line (Figure 3G) (Klebes and Knust 2000). The phenotype of crb mutant embryos with one copy of foscrbY10A and one copy of foscrbΔERLI was the same as that of crb mutant embryos with two copies of foscrbY10A (compare Figure 3, D and H). crb mutant embryos carrying foscrbY10A,ΔERLI did not develop any continuous cuticle and resembled crb embryos with a strong loss of function allele (data not shown).
foscrb variants and their ability to rescue the crb mutant phenotype. Cuticle of Drosophila embryos (lateral views) with the following genotypes: (A) wild-type (WT), (B) crbGX24, (C) foscrb; crbGX24, (D) foscrbY10A; crbGX24, (E) Wild-type embryo overexpressing UAS-crb8xMyc-intra under the control of a strong, ubiquitously expressed Gal4 line, GAL4daG32, (F) foscrbΔERLI; crbGX24, (G) crb11A22 mutant embryo overexpressing UAS-crbMyc-intra under the control of a ubiquitously expressed Gal4 line, GAL4385.3, and (H) foscrbY10A/foscrbΔERLI; crbGX24. Anterior is to the left, dorsal up.
Loss of crb differentially affects various ectodermally derived embryonic epithelia. Although some epithelia, such as the epidermis, almost completely die, others, such as the tracheal system, partially survive and their cells form vesicles that maintain epithelial cell polarity. Some organs, such as the hindgut, are nearly unaffected (Tepass and Knust 1990). To analyze in more detail the effects of the expression of the different foscrb variants during embryonic development, we stained these embryos for Crb and the apical marker Sas at different developmental stages.
Epithelial polarity and integrity in foscrbY10A; crbGX24 was normal in the epidermis (compare Figure 4, A and B), the fore- and hindgut, the salivary glands (compare Figure 4, A′ and B′, arrows), and the Malpighian tubules until the end of embryogenesis. In contrast, the amnioserosa exhibited defects from stage 13 onwards (not shown) and was completely lost at stage 15. This defect was accompanied by impaired germ band retraction, head involution (arrowhead in Figure 4C′), and dorsal closure. In fact, the leading edge of the epidermis appears uneven and wiggling, instead of straight as observed during dorsal closure in wild-type embryos (highlighted by a dotted line in Figure 4C). In addition, segments exhibited variable widths. For example, the width of segments T3, A1, and A2 is largely unequal, contrary to what is observed in wild-type embryos (Figure 4C′). This finding suggests defects in the tension of the actin cable in the leading edge cells. In contrast, the hindgut (Figure 4C, asterisk) and the Malpighian tubules (Figure 4C′, inset) were maintained. Interruption of Crb staining in some transverse connective branches manifested defects in the tracheal system already at stage 13 (Figure 4B, arrowhead in inset; see below). These discontinuities were also observed along the dorsal trunk at later stages (not shown). In foscrbΔERLI; crbGX24 embryos at stage 13, nearly no Crb protein was detected (Figure 4D). Sas expression indicated the presence of remnants of the dorsal epidermis at this stage, whereas the tracheal tubes were fragmented (Figure 4D′, inset). At the end of embryogenesis, only the hindgut (Figure 4E, asterisk), the Malpighian tubules (Figure 4E′, inset) and vesicular structures, probably remnants of the tracheae, were visible (Figure 4E′). The phenotype of foscrbY10A,ΔERLI; crbGX24 embryos was similar to that of crb mutant embryos carrying the foscrbΔERLI transgene (Figure 4, F−G′).
foscrb variants and their ability to rescue the crb mutant phenotype. Lateral view of whole embryos stained for Crb (left column) and the apical marker Sas (right column). (A, A′) Wild-type embryo at stage 13/14. All ectodermally derived epithelia show apical localization of Crb and Sas. (B−C′) foscrbY10A; crbGX24 embryos at stage 13 (B, B′) and 15/16 (C, C′). The arrowhead in the inset in (B) indicates a discontinuity in Crb staining along the transverse connective branch. The dotted line in (C) delineates the leading edge of the epidermis. Arrowhead in (C′) indicates the head that fails to undergo involution. In (C′), the third thoracic segment (T3) and the first two abdominal segments (A1, A2) are marked to highlight their variable width. (D-E′) foscrbΔERLI; crbGX24 embryo at stage 13 (D, D′) and stage 15/16 (E, E′). (F-G′) foscrbY10A,ΔERLI; crbGX24 embryo at stage 13 (F, F′) and stage 15/16 embryo (G, G′). Arrowheads in A, B, D′, and F′ indicate the tracheae, insets in B, D′, and F′ show tracheal hemisegments. Insets in C′, E′, and G′ show a Malpighian tubule. * in C, E, and G point to the hindgut. Arrows in A′ and B′ point to the salivary gland. Anterior is to the left, dorsal up. Scale bar, 100 µm.
As previously shown, cells of the developing epidermis of crb mutant embryos fail to form a proper zonula adherens (ZA) (Figure 5, A and A′) (Grawe et al. 1996; Tepass 1996). To analyze the effects of the different transgenes on the development of the ZA we stained stage 11 embryos with antibodies against Armadillo, the Drosophila ortholog of β-catenin. Both foscrb and foscrbY10A restored wild-type Armadillo staining, suggesting a normal formation of the ZA (Figure 5, B, B′, C, and C′), whereas foscrbΔERLI completely failed to restore a continuous adhesion belt (Figure 5D′).
foscrb variants and their ability to rescue the ZA defects of crb mutant embryos. Optical sections taken from the epidermis of stage 11 embryos of the following genotypes: crbGX24 (A, A′), foscrb; crbGX24 (B, B′), foscrbY10A; crbGX24 (C, C′), and forscbΔERLI; crbGX24 (D, D′). The embryos were stained with Crb (A, B, C, D) and Armadillo (Arm; A′, B′, C′, D′), a component of the zonula adherens. Scale bar, 10 µm.
Taken together, a Crb protein lacking the PDZ-binding motif is unable to maintain epithelial polarity from early stages onwards. In contrast, the Y10A mutation in the FERM-binding domain had no effect on epithelial polarity. Embryos expressing this mutant Crb protein showed defects in fusion of tracheal tubes and in the development of the amnioserosa, resulting in defective dorsal closure, head involution and germ band retraction.
The Drosophila tracheal system originates from groups of about 40 ectodermal cells each, called tracheal placodes. They form on the lateral side of the embryo from the second thoracic segment to the eighth abdominal segment. Invagination of epithelial cells of the placode is initiated by localized apical cell constriction, which is preceded by apical enrichment of Crb and actinomyosin (Brodu and Casanova 2006; Letizia et al. 2011; Llimargas and Casanova 1999). At early stage 11, tracheal cells are internalized and undergo their last round of postblastodermal division. Together, apical constriction, cell rearrangements, and oriented cell divisions are important for organized invagination of tracheal cells (Brodu and Casanova 2006; Nishimura et al. 2007). This results in the formation of the segmentally arranged tracheal sacs or pits at stage 11, each composed of about 80 cells, which are organized in a polarized epithelial monolayer. At stage 12, expression of the chemoattractant fibroblast growth factor induces the formation of primary branches in the tracheal sac in a stereotypic pattern. These branches elongate by cell intercalation, a process that involves changing neighbors and remodeling of adhesive contacts, to form long, thin tubes. At stage 15, fusion of branches is initiated, which finally leads to an elaborate network of interconnected tracheal tubes (reviewed in Affolter and Caussinus 2008).
Tracheal development was completely normal in foscrb;crbGX24, foscrbEGFP;crbGX24 and foscrbY10F;crbGX24 embryos (Figure 2, C−E′, Figure 6, A and B′, and data not shown). crb mutant embryos, which do not express any Crb protein (Figure 2B, Figure 6, C and D), showed aberrations already in the initial invagination process at early stage 11, as revealed by the mislocalization of the ZA marker Cno, the Drosophila ortholog of mammalian Afadin (Figure 6, C′ and D′). Nevertheless, some internalization occurred, resulting in the formation of an irregular tracheal sac (Figure 6D′). At stage 13/14, the tracheae showed abnormal branching, discontinuities in different branches, or lack of a discernible single lumen later on (Figure 2B′, inset). At the end of embryogenesis, a complete breakdown of the tracheal system was observed (data not shown) (Tepass and Knust 1990).
foscrb variants and their ability to rescue tracheal development of crb mutant embryos. Tracheal sacs of the second and third hemisegments of stage 11/12 embryos, stained for Crb and Cno, with the following genotypes: (A, A′, B, B′) foscrb; crbGX24, (C, C′, D, D′) crbGX24, (E, E′, F, F′) foscrbY10A; crbGX24, (G, G′) foscrbΔERLI; crbGX24, and (H, H′) foscrbY10A,ΔERLI; crbGX24. The images shown in (A), (A′), (C), (C′), (E), and (E′) are single planes through the spiracular branch, the tube that connects the sac to the exterior. This plane of section allows one to detect whether a normal tube is formed and whether the tube develops normal apical-basal polarity. In (C′), the branch in the third segment is encircled by a dotted line. Scale bar, 10 µm.
Strikingly, crb mutant embryos expressing a Crb variant with a mutated FERM-binding domain (foscrbY10A; crbGX24) showed nearly normal accumulation of Crb in the placode and normal apical constriction and invagination (Figure 6, E and F′). However, at stage 13, some transverse connective tubes showed discontinuities in Crb staining as in crb mutants (Figure 4B, inset). In later stages, gaps also were observed in the dorsal trunk (data not shown). In contrast, fosmids encoding a Crb protein, which lacked the PDZ-binding motif, completely failed to rescue the crb mutant phenotype in the tracheae (Figure 4, D′ and F′, Figure 6, G−H′). Similar to crb mutant embryos, development of the trachea in foscrbΔERLI; crbGX24 and foscrbY10A,ΔERLI; crbGX24 mutant embryos proceeded to stage 13, at which the dorsal and visceral branches as well as the posterior lateral trunk could be identified, (Figure 4D′ and F′, insets). Later on, the complete tracheal system disintegrated (Figure 4, E′ and G′).
To further dissect the early steps in the different mutant backgrounds, we used additional markers to follow the invagination process. One of the earliest events during invagination is the apical accumulation of the phosphorylated form of Moesin, phospho-Moesin, or pMoe (Letizia et al. 2011). Moesin is the single Drosophila member of the ERM (ezrin-, radixin-, moesin) protein family (McCartney and Fehon 1996). ERM proteins act as linkers between membrane proteins and the actin cytoskeleton and are crucial in organizing distinct membrane domains (Fehon et al. 2010). Apical pMoe, together with some apical enrichment of α-spectrin and baso-lateral localization of Dlg, highlights the apicobasal polarization of cells in the tracheal placode, both in wild-type and in crb embryos carrying foscrb, foscrbEGFP, or foscrbY10F (Figure 7, A−C, and data not shown). Loss of polarized pMoe, α-spectrin and Dlg expression indicated loss of cell polarity in the placodes of crb mutant embryos (Figure 7, D−F) (Letizia et al. 2011). foscrbY10A;crbGX24 mutant embryos showed reduced levels of pMoe, diffuse staining of α-spectrin, and mostly baso-lateral, but also diffuse Dlg staining (Figure 7, G−I). These data indicate that the polarity defects of crb mutants were not completely rescued by the CrbY10A variant. Nevertheless, the placodes underwent normal invagination and elongation. In contrast, foscrbΔERLI; crbGX24 mutant embryos failed to accumulate pMoe and did not show polarized distribution of α-spectrin and Dlg, yet some uncoordinated internalization of cells occurred, resulting in a tiny and irregular lumen (Figure 7, J−L).
foscrb variants and their ability to rescue the early stages of tracheal development of crb mutant embryos. Spiracular branch of the embryonic tracheae at stage 11, stained for Crb, pMoe, α-spectrin (α-Spec), and Dlg in the following genotypes: (A, A′, B, C) foscrb; crbGX24, (D, D′, E, F) crbGX24, (G, G′, H, I) foscrbY10A; crbGX24 , and (J, J′, K, L) foscrbΔERLI; crbGX24. The arrowheads point to the lumen observed in the reconstructed stacks of the spiracular branch. Scale bar: 10 µm.
Taken together, expression of CrbY10A with a mutated FERM-binding domain allowed proper invagination of the tracheal sac and normal elongation of the branches, but was not sufficient for proper fusion of the tracheal branches at later stages. In contrast, in the absence of the PDZ-binding motif, Crb is not stabilized by Sdt, resulting in defects in apical constriction, apico-basal polarity, invagination and outgrowth of the tracheal system.
Development of the salivary glands is initiated by the formation of two placodes of approximately 100 cells each on both sides of the ventral part of parasegment two. Invagination is initiated in an orchestrated manner at stage 11, with dorsal−posterior cells constricting their apical surfaces first, followed by dorsal−anterior, ventral− anterior, and ventral−posterior cells (reviewed in Maruyama and Andrew 2012). In wild-type embryos, Crb accumulates in the salivary glands placode before invagination (Myat and Andrew 2002). A similar accumulation of Crb and the ZA markers Cno and Polychaetoid (Jung et al. 2006) as well as normal invagination of cells of the placode was observed in foscrb;crbGX24, foscrbEGFP;crbGX24 and foscrbY10F;crbGX24 embryos (Figure 8, A and B, data not shown). In all cases, properly elongated salivary glands developed (Figure 2, C′−E′ arrows, data not shown). In crb mutant embryos the expression of eyegone, a marker for the anlage of the salivary glands (Jones et al. 1998), is normal, demonstrating that the salivary gland placodes are properly specified. However, cells fail to undergo apical constriction (Figure 8, C and D) and invagination does not occur. Interestingly, although foscrbY10A partially restored accumulation of Crb in the placode (Figure 8E), apical constriction was less well organized as revealed by Cno staining (Figure 8E′). Nevertheless, invagination and elongation proceeded in a similar way as in wild-type, and CrbY10A protein was properly localized apically (Figure 8F and Figure 4B). In contrast, foscrbΔERLI;crbGX24 (Figure 8, G−H) as well as foscrbY10A,ΔERLI; crbGX24 (data not shown) mutant embryos did not show any apical constriction nor invagination. Similarly, and in contrast to recently published results (Roper 2012), we observed that salivary glands of crb8F105 mutant embryos, which carry a premature stop codon that removes the last 23 amino acids of Crb, including the -ERLI motif (Wodarz et al. 1993), do not accumulate Crb and fail to invaginate (data not shown).
foscrb variants and their ability to rescue the early stages of salivary gland development of crb mutant embryos. Embryonic salivary gland placodes stained for Crb (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H), Cno (A′, C′, E′, G′) Polychaetoid (Pyd; B, D, F, H, magenta) and Eyegone (Eyg; B, D, H, blue). (A), (A′), and (B) foscrb; crbGX24 early-stage 11 embryo. (C), (C′), and (D) crbGX24 stage 11 embryo. In (C′), the placode is highlighted by the dotted line. (E), (E′), and (F) foscrbY10A; crbGX24 early-stage 11 (E, E′) and stage 12 (F) embryos. (G), (G′), and (H) foscrbΔERLI; crbGX24 early-stage 11 embryo. Anti-Eyg was used in every staining to identify the salivary gland placode but only shown in B, D, F, H. Scale bar in (A),10 µm, applies to all images except for F (5 µm).
To summarize, foscrbY10A allowed normal invagination and morphogenesis of the salivary gland in the absence of endogenous Crb, despite uncoordinated apical constriction at early stages. In contrast, the PDZ-binding motif of Crb is essential for all steps of salivary gland development that require Crb.
Two functional domains have been characterized in the cytoplasmic tail of Crb: the C-terminal PDZ-binding motif -ERLI and the juxtamembrane FERM-binding domain. Using fosmid-based transgenes, we could confirm previous results showing that the PDZ-binding domain is essential for the maintenance of epithelial polarity in the early embryo and for proper invagination of cells of the tracheal and salivary placodes. The PDZ binding domain is required for recruiting Crb to the apical membrane by binding to Sdt, and embryos expressing this truncated version of Crb develop the same phenotype as those lacking sdt function (Bachmann et al. 2001; Hong et al. 2001; Krahn et al. 2010). Similarly, the crb allele crb8F105, which lacks the -ERLI motif, behaves like a null allele in the embryo (Wodarz et al. 1993). These results are in line with the observation that UAS-crbintraΔERLI, when ubiquitously expressed in a crb mutant embryo, did not suppress the polarity phenotype in crb mutant embryos despite the presence of the FERM domain (Klebes and Knust 2000; Letizia et al. 2011). This finding supports the view that the PDZ-binding domain is essential for maintenance of apicobasal polarity by stabilizing the Crb-associated complex members, including Crb itself, at the plasma membrane. However, since apical localization of Crb depends on its binding to Sdt via its PDZ-domain, no conclusions can be drawn for possible function(s) of the residual part of the cytoplasmic domain under these experimental conditions.
As suggested by S2 cell culture capping assays, the truncated cytoplasmic domain encoded by crb8F105 still carries an intact FERM-binding domain, which could recruit Moesin and βH-spectrin, but failed to do so after introducing a Tyr10 or Arg7 mutation (Medina et al. 2002). Therefore, we assume that the Y10A mutation in foscrbY10A abolishes the function of the FERM-binding domain of Crb also in vivo and conclude that the FERM-binding domain of Crb is of little importance for epithelial polarity at early embryonic stages. However, foscrbY10A ; crbGX24 embryos showed later defects in dorsal closure and germ band retraction. Structural analyses have revealed that Tyr10 in the nonpolar region of the intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-2 is crucial for the interaction with the FERM domain of Radixin. An exchange of Tyr10 to Ala in the cytoplasmic tail of ICAM-2 resulted in a 16-fold reduction in its binding affinity to Radixin (Hamada et al. 2003). Therefore, we speculate that the protein encoded by foscrbY10A fails to interact with its FERM-domain containing partner(s). One of its binding partners is Ex, a regulator of the Hippo pathway. Results on the effect of a similarly engineered crb gene, which carried several mutations in the FERM-binding domain (crbY10AP12AE16A), are controversial. Although Ling et al. showed basolateral mislocalisation of Ex, Robinson et al. showed elevated level of Ex in mutant wing disc clones (Ling et al. 2010; Robinson et al. 2010). Because the Hippo pathway has not been shown to act in the embryo, a more likely partner of the FERM-binding domain of Crb in the embryo is Yurt (Laprise et al. 2006). In fact, phenotypes observed in foscrbY10A;crb embryos, e.g., defects in germ band retraction and dorsal closure, are similar to those of embryos lacking zygotic yurt activity (Hoover and Bryant 2002). Yurt binds to the FERM-binding domain of Crb and shows apical colocalization with Crb from stage 13 onwards. Complete removal of Yurt results in apical enrichment of Crb and an expansion of the apical surface (Laprise et al. 2006). We observed slightly lower levels of Crb and higher levels of Sas in foscrbY10A; crbGX24 embryos at later stages (Figure 4C and C′). However, more detailed analysis is required to find out whether the late phenotypes of foscrbY10A; crbGX24 and yurt mutant embryos have the same cell biological basis. Interestingly, some aspects of the mutant phenotype of foscrbY10A;crbGX24 embryos, such as un-coordinated apical constriction, resemble those described for human colon cancer epithelial DLD-1 cells upon RNAi-mediated knock-down of Lulu, the mammalian ortholog of Yurt. These cells fail to organize the apical circumferential actinomyosin belt and exhibited discontinuities in β-catenin staining (Nakajima and Tanoue 2011), comparable with our observations of foscrbY10A;crbGX24 embryos stained with the junctional marker Canoe (see Figure 8E′).
Despite a defective FERM-binding domain, Crb proteins expressed in foscrbY10A; crbGX24 embryos promote tracheal and salivary gland invagination, although these processes occur in a less-coordinated manner, possibly due to reduced pMoe recruitment. In contrast, overexpression of UAS-crbintraY10A in crb mutant embryos did not rescue the tracheal invagination defect of crb mutant embryos, which was traced back to a failure in pMoe recruitment (Letizia et al. 2011). This discrepancy could be the result of a dominant-negative activity of the UAS-encoded protein due to overexpression, by which the normal binding partner of the FERM-binding domain of Crb is outcompeted, leading to a delayed and uncoordinated invagination. Currently we cannot explain the discontinuities in Crb staining observed in some tracheal branches in foscrbY10A; crbGX24 embryos. Fusion of tracheal branches is a complex process, which requires, among others, formation of filopodia, DE-cadherin-mediated cell-cell contact and regulation of associated F-actin structures (Lee et al. 2003; Lee and Kolodziej 2002; Tanaka-Matakatsu et al. 1996). Although not studied yet, any of these processes could require ERM-protein(s), the function of which may depend on an intact FERM-binding domain of Crb.
Strikingly, foscrbY10F rescues lethality of crb mutant embryos, suggesting that the phosphorylation of Tyr10 (as predicted by NetPhos) is not important for viability, but we cannot exclude subtle defects, such as modified dynamics of internalization. Nevertheless, this finding is surprising, given the observation that UAS-crbintraY10F, when ubiquitously expressed in a crb mutant embryo, suppressed the mutant phenotype much less than UAS-crbintra, which encodes the wild-type cytoplasmic domain (C. Clemens and E. Knust, unpublished data).
Our results also revealed differential requirement of Crb during tracheal and salivary gland invagination. Although cells of the tracheal anlage invaginate to some extent in crb mutant embryos, Crb is absolutely essential for polarity, apical constriction, invagination, and survival of cells of the salivary gland placode (Tepass and Knust 1990; Xu et al. 2008). In the salivary gland, the FERM-binding domain is necessary for coordinated apical constriction, organized localization of the junctional markers Cno and Pyd, and invagination movements but dispensable for internalization of cells and correct elongation of the tube. Our data do not support the function of a putative negative regulator acting via the FERM-binding because we did not observe greater Crb levels at later stages nor an expanded apical domain attributed to overexpression of UAS-Crb (Myat and Andrew 2002; Wodarz et al. 1995).
The presence of both a FERM binding- and a PDZ binding-motif is not uncommon in transmembrane proteins and has been described, among others, for ICAM-2, syndecans (Bass and Humphries 2002; Kwon et al. 2012), and the immunoglobulin-like, Ca2+-independent cell−cell adhesion molecule nectin (Dudak et al. 2011; Ishiuchi and Takeichi 2012). These proteins have short cytoplasmic domains, in which a nonpolar region, flanked on both sides by basic regions, contains a conserved tyrosine residue at position 10. The Tyr residue in the putative FERM binding domains of syndecan-3 can be phosphorylated in vitro (Asundi and Carey 1997). In syndecan-2, Tyr10 and another, more C-terminal tyrosine residue is phosphorylated by the EphB2 receptor tyrosine kinase, and this phosphorylation is essential for clustering of syndecan-2 and spine formation in hippocampal neurons (Ethell et al. 2001). In contrast, exchange of Tyr10 in syndecan-1 by phenylalanine had no effect on the association of syndecan-1 with the actin cytoskeleton (Carey et al. 1996), suggesting that the functional importance of phosphorylation may be syndecan and/or cell-type specific.
Taken together, although the Gal4/UAS system provides an invaluable tool to analyze gene functions, fosmid- or BAC-based transgenes combined with the recombineering technology will be our preferred approach for in depth structure-function analyses of proteins in an in vivo system.
We acknowledge Pavel Tomancak and Radoslaw Ejsmont for providing pFlyFos vector foscrb, the TransgeneOmics facility for providing tools and advice for the recombineering, Sven Ssykor for injection of Drosophila embryos, and Catrin Hälsig for technical support. We thank the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center for fly stocks, and Kuniaki Takahashi, Sarah Bray, Natalia Azpiazu, and the Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank for antibodies. We thank Nadine Muschalik for many discussions throughout the work and Shirin Pocha for critical reading of the manuscript. This work was supported by the Max-Planck Society (MPG).
Copyright © 2013 Klose et al.
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1) Isn’t the Exodus story a myth?
There is an ancient Egyptian papyrus document called the Ipuwer Papyrus, which seems to recount in eye-witness fashion the plague of blood, the plague of cattle, the plague of strange fire, the plague on the firstborn, as well as the strange darkness – events previously known only from the Bible, in the book of Exodus.
The Ipuwer Papyrus, often referred to as the Papyrus Ipuwer, is believed to have been written between 1,600 B.C. and 1,850 B.C. The oldest copy in existence was purchased from a collector in 1828 and translated into English in 1909. Currently the Ipuwer Papyrus resides in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Netherlands. This small piece of papyrus has sparked a great deal of debate and scholars remain divided over its true meaning and purpose. The primary interest for our purposes are the striking similarities to the plagues recorded in the book of Exodus.
First let’s take a look at the similarities between the Ipuwer Papyrus and the Book of Exodus. There is no denying the two are shockingly similar and it should come as no surprise that many use the papyrus in their arguments for the story of the plagues being historical fact.
The Iupwer also speaks of a pestilence throughout the land and the collapse of order that servants are leaving their servitude and acting Rebelliously. Some translations tell how the king has been taken away by poor men.
All of these examples show how many people, some scholars included, have claimed the Ipuwer Papyrus to be speaking of the plagues as recorded in the Bible. When read in this manner it is in fact hard to deny the similarities and to come to any other conclusion. However, when read in its entirety, the Ipuwer Papyrus takes on an entirely new meaning to many scholars.
Interestingly, some scholars believe the papyrus recorded the events immediately following the plagues when the land of Egypt was invaded and conquered. Given the condition of the country, and its armies, after the plagues it should not come as any surprise that Egypt’s advisories would take advantage of the opportunity and invade. In one line the Ipuwer records, ” The stranger people from outside are come into Egypt.” Only one of the eight examples listed above seem to relate to an invasion. Example number eight could easily be seen as the result of an invasion by a conquering army.
It would be difficult to believe that two independently written documents, recording similar events all of which take place in Egypt, can be so similar and are in no way related to one another. To what degree they are connected is difficult if not impossible to determine. While any connection to the book of Exodus is hotly debated and refuted by many scholars, the Ipuwer Papyrus remains an interesting element worthy of study and further evaluation.
We also can rely on the bible account as well. The five books of Moses (including Exodus) abound with Egyptian words, roots and phrases, as would be expected of a writer who had come out of Egypt.
“The contents of our pentateuch [the five book of Moses] are, in general, very much older than the date at which they were finally edited; new discoveries continue to confirm the historical accuracy or the literary antiquity of detail after detail in it….It is, accordingly, sheer hypercriticism to deny substantially Mosaic character of the pentateuchal tradition.” CH Dodd, More New Testament Studies, p.224. Manchester University Press, 1968.
2) Where were the various stops along the Exodus route from Egypt to the Red Sea?
• Where was the crossing spot?
Firstly, the Israelites travelled from Rameses to Succoth (Exodus 12:37).
“And Joseph placed his father and his brethern, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land , in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh commanded” Genesis 47:11.
“And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly” Genesis 47:27.
Moses gathered the Israelties (Hebrews) at Succoth (Exodus 12:37).
Succoth had to be a place large enough for this tremendous amount of people and flocks to assemble.
“Succoth” is a Hebrew transliteration of the Egyptian “Tjeku” mentioned in Egyptian documents as a border station. It was also known as “Tharu”.
In ancient Egypt there was a line of guarded fortifications along the canal which connected the Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean sea. This canal is known to have existed anciently, by satellite photos and infra-red photos, which still show its path. At the border – the point where one would leave Egypt proper and go into the Sinai desert, there was a fortress and a bridge.
This was located near the Delta where the Israelites were living. “Tharu” was where the Egyptian army assembled in preparation for their military expeditions to the north. Armies consisted of a great deal of men, horses and chariots; and they required a large area to assemble properly.
Moses well knew Tharu, called “Succoth” in the Biblical account – and it was here that he orgainzed the people for their journey. They had left Egypt proper once they crossed this line of fortification, just as the Lord had promised.
Yes, Moses was thoroughly trained in all aspects of military leadership and would have known well how to assemble large numbers of people for travel. The fact that Moses was indeed a general in the Egyptian army seems to have been a well-known fact. Josephus writes about this in his Antiquities of the Jews, Bk.2 and ch.X. As a military man, once again, Moses knew “Tharu”, and it was here that he orgainzed his largest “army” ever travel. And from this assembly point, they travelled to Etham.
– Route B – “the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea” – the southern route (v.18).
They took the southern (and longer) route. Josephus, the Jewish historian, concurs that the Hebrews headed southward from Egypt.
“But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea” Exodus 13:18.
It was the Wilderness of the Red Sea – the mountainous land of the mid and southern Sinai Peninsula. This was along a route that was commonly taken in those days by both caravans and the army, and it was called “the southern route”. This route was taken because it was safer than travelling along the coastal “northern” route, where the Philistines were.
Etham was not a singular location, but a region. How do we know this? Because they were in Etham BEFORE they crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 13:20). And they were still in an area called Etham AFTER they crossed the sea (Numbers 33:8).
Etham was, therefore, a designation of the land that lay around the mid-northern edge of the Gulf of Aqaba.
“Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon; before it ye shall encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, they are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in” Exodus 14:2,3.
To be “entangled in the land”, they would have to be travelling through an area with mountains all round, hemming them in. This is BEFORE crossing the sea.
So from Etham they changed their direction of travel (“that they turn”) and went south.
They found themselves entering the mountains, along a dry river bed system that must have appeared like an endless maze to them. The 27 kilometer (17 mile) Wadi Watir is a natural highway from Egypt.
The multitude comprised 603,000 men, as well as women and children – perhaps as many as two million people.
As the great multitude WEAVED their way through this awesome and wild canyon, it would appear that they were entangled. Hemmed in to the left and right, they could travel in only one direction. The only path through that wadi leads to an enormous beach – so big that it can be seen on satellite maps.
The beach head is named today “Nuweiba”. The root of this name suggests that some misfortunate incident happened here (Haas Wehr Arabic-English dictionary). It is speculative to say whether or not it refers to the drowning of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea.
On the north end of the beach area are the remains of an ancient Egyptian fortress – another evidence that Egyptian territory extended all the way through the Sinai Peninsula. We believe this was Pihahiroth.
Pihahiroth means; “Mouth of Gorges” (Strong’s concordance). As was the typical custom of the people of that time, they named it after an attribute of the geology of that place.
7) Where was the crossing spot?
The Wadi Watir leads to a wide expanse of beach on the Gulf of Aqaba arm of the Red Sea, which could easily have held the multitude, their flocks and also Pharaohs pursuing army – separating the two groups by several kilometres.
This beach at Nuwebia is so large (7km by 3km); it can easily be seen on satellite maps. It is the only place that matches all the requirements of our checklist.
As they were now encamped between Migdol and the sea, Migdol could be either the mountains to the west, which make a perfect barrier, enclosing them on the beach, or it may have been a watch-tower atop one of those mountains. (The name “Migdol” means “tower” or “fortress”).
The Egyptians had watch-posts all through the Sinai Peninsula. It is documented that they flashed messages from tower-to-tower by day and night, using reflected light. Perhaps this is how Pharaoh knew exactly where the escaped slaves had gone.
On the opposite shore, in Saudi Arabia, precisely across from where they camped by the sea, is another ancient structure. All alone on the beach, it may have been a Midianite fortress, dedicated to Baal; we believe this could be Baalzephon. The phrase “over against” seems to mean “opposite from” in respect to being across a body of water. (As, for example, in Deuteronomy 32:49 “……in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho” – meaning across the Jordan River from Jericho).
10) Isn’t the Gulf of Aqaba too far from Egypt? Wouldn’t it have taken too long to get there?
The record says that they travelled both day and night (Exodus 13:21). This means they did not stop and camp much at all. Knowing that the Egyptians would spend time in mourning and burying their dead as a result of the tenth plague, they knew the Egyptians would be bent on revenge. THEY WERE IN A HURRY!
“Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians and how I bare you ON EAGLES WINGS..” Exodus 19:4.
Again, we are told in Scripture, that this Israelite trip was accomplished by a miracle – just as was their 40 year wilderness wandering.
When the Bible mentions an eagle it usually refers to ‘SWIFTNESS’. For example in Daniel 7:4 a Leopard is depicted with EAGLES WINGS. This denotes Alexander the Great’s SPEED of conquest.
In Exodus 19:4, the implication is that their journey was a MIRACLE – that the Israelites were supernaturally strengthened to accomplish this journey swiftly. Because the distance was NOT SHORT, BUT LONG.
If the distance was only to the Gulf of Suez you would not need a miracle to get there quickly. Thus, the Biblical account does not suggest a short, but rather a long distance – which required travelling by both day and night.
The question arises, is it possible to travel to the Gulf of Aqaba on foot in three days and nights?
The distance from the Suez Canal to Nuweiba is 336km (210 miles). In 1967, Israel’s Moshe Dayan marched his troops ON FOOT over the same route, in reverse, that the Hebrews took – between Succoth and the Gulf of Aqaba. Marching only by day they did it in 6 days. And the modern Israeli marchers camped at night.
“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night” Exodus 13:21.
With divine assistance, this huge mass of people travelled in an orderly manner both day and night, with great speed: “Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings”.
Even if they accomplished the trip in 3 days and 3 nights (equivalent to the 6 days of marching on foot performed by the Israeli troops over the same distance), that would be at an average speed of no more than 4.67km (2.9 miles) per hour.
11) Why do Exodus Route Maps put some of the cities differently, where you claim them to be?
Since scholars have placed Mt.Sinai in Egyptian territory, they are compelled as a result to locate all of the preliminary stops likewise on the traditional Sinai Peninsula.
This impediment of miss-alignment with the Biblical account that the conventionally trained scholars have inherited, has led them into trying all sorts of clumsy techniques to make their theory fit. Their maps of the route often wildly disagree – since they are based only on speculation. Some of the map-makers are honest enough to insert question marks (?) after each name.
12) Why do the vast majority of Scholars reject this Red Sea discovery?
Micheal Lemonick (U.S. Time Magazine) would tell us that “most scholars suspect that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob….never existed; many doubt the tales of slavery in Egypt and the Exodus” Time, December 18th, 1995.
13) Didn’t the crossing occur at the “sea of reeds or bitter lakes” at the eastern border of Egypt?
Confusion over the Red Sea crossing stems from a wrong location for Mt.Sinai, which the Hebrews reached after the crossing.
Mt.Sinai as we know it today was land marked by St.Helena in the 4th Century AD. The story has it that she went around the Israeli & Middle Eastern area with a group of men and landmarked places that fit her own ideas. Subsequently, the Church picked these up as traditional historical spots for biblical events. Since the marking of modern Mt.Sinai by Helena and adherence to it by the established Church many Christians had difficulty reconciling the Red Sea crossing. Stories have been concocted that the water was only a marsh, a couple of feet deep – and that this Exodus path went over the area of what over the area of what over the area of what is today the Suez Canal.
Now it really would have been a “miracle” to drown Pharaoh’s army in only 2 feet of water!
Some people determine to support the Exodus as crossing marshlands from the Hebrew words used in the Bible to name the Red Sea: “yam soof”, which means “Sea of Reeds”. These words are still used by the Jews today, but they are used to name the entire Red Sea including the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez.
Regarding a marshland, or lake. Think now. Would it make sense for the Hebrews to flee through a lake, when all they needed to do was to go around it?
In any case, marshland crossing does not fit the Biblical account, which describes the crossing spot as “the heart of the sea” Exodus 15:8. The Suez Canal area is NOT “the heart of the sea”. The Suez Canal is NOT the RED SEA.
With all of the digging that went on to construct the modern Suez Canal, not to mention the clearing of that canal after the first Egyptian-Israeli war, not one wheel of Pharaoh’s drowned army in that spot was ever found.
Firstly, we have shown that the Hebrews under Moses assembled at Succoth, which is OUTSIDE of Egypt. From this point armies or caravan assemblies used to strike SE across the Wilderness of the Red Sea to distant places. At no time was there any reason for them to have to cross the upper reach of the Red Sea (Suez branch), nor did they have any necessity to cross any of the Bitter Lakes. All they had to do was bypass either of these masses of water if they were encountered. This is clear from any map.
Look at the map again! At the proposed crossing site south of Suez along the Egyptian shore, if the Hebrews were facing the Gulf of Suez, ready to cross, in which country would they still be standing? The answer is, they would still be on Egyptian soil!! One is still in Egypt, as one faces the proposed Red Sea crossing at the Gulf of Suez.
Egypt borders the entire western shore of the Gulf of Suez. Whatever the Hebrews camped along that coast, they would still be in Egypt. However, the book of Exodus tells us that before they came to the Red Sea crossing, they had ALREADY LEFT Egypt.
The “children of Israel went up harnessed OUT OF the land of Egypt.” Exodus 13:18. So, when they later arrived at the Red Sea and found themselves trapped, they complained to Moses their leader, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?” They asked why Moses has carried them forth “OUT OF Egypt….we did tell thee IN Egypt, saying, Let us alone” Exodus 14:10-12.
You notice, when they found themselves trapped BEFORE crossing the Red Sea, they were already OUT OF EGYPT.
Secondly, the proposed crossing spot in the Gulf of Suez is “comparatively shallow.” The Suez area is not deep! When the sea rolled back according to the Bible account, there was not one survivor.
I ask you, would 250,000 soldiers (Josephu’s figure) all drown in just 3 to 4 metres of water? Every one of them? And likewise, thousands of strong horses? And how come the multitude of chariots has not been found in such shallow water, to this day?
Those who insist on a Lake Timsah or Suez crossing ALWAYS emphasize how shallow the water was. Shallow water couldn’t have swamped Pharaoh and his army!
Every single one of these texts is describing the Red Sea crossing spot! The Gulf of Suez is “shallow.” The Gulf of Aqaba is “the great DEEP” – up to 5,400 feet deep – with a ridge crossing it between two deeps!
14) Isn’t the Gulf of Aqaba too deep to cross?
Nautical charts show the Gulf of Aqaba arm of the Red Sea to be an underwater trench more than 5,000 feet (1,600 meters) deep in places. That’s positively “DEEP.” The Western shoreline drops steeply underwater into this “canyon” at a slope of 45 degrees. However, at the precise location of Nuweiba beach, the deep trench is spanned by an 8 mile underwater land bridge.
From the Egyptian end, it slopes at a gentle angle of about six degrees underwater – until midway across the sea it is, according to one source, some 300 feet (100 meters) below the surface of the sea. It then gently rises to the opposite shore.
This bridge appears to have been formed by washouts meeting each other from two directions – from the Western and the Eastern shores. Perhaps it was during the closing stages of the Great Flood, that the Lord, in His foreknowledge, divided the Gulf with this path across the sea, for the event He saw ahead.
• “dividing the water” (Isaiah 63:12) of this deep trench.
Based on data from the ETOP05 data base that the greatest depth on this ridge is only 300 to 320 feet deep. If this is correct, there would be no noticeable angle of ascent or descent at all, over the 8 mile length of the bridge.
Please note that ETOP05 is claimed to be a combination from various data bases. However, we must say that there remains so much disagreement between the various sources that we cannot be certain about the depth. One thing is certain: the bridge is there!
It was by following Biblical clues (disregarding all previous human theories) and accepting every word of the Exodus account as LITERALLY true, that Ron Wyatt & his crew were led to this very spot on the Red Sea. There is NO OTHER LOCATION that fits ALL the Scriptural requirements. On the Eastern shore of the Sinai Peninsula there is ONLY ONE PLACE that is big enough to hold the perhaps 2-3 million people, their flocks and Pharaoh’s army! And the underwater land bridge extends DIRECTLY from that beach area! That beach is so huge that it can be seen from outer space!
What if there was no Underwater Ridge Today?
For purposes of argument, let’s say that the underwater ridge had over the centuries become eroded away. Would that negate the mass of Bible evidence that indicates that spot? Would it eliminate the chariot parts and skeletal remains found on the seabed?
Suppose the Bible said that there was once a lush green plain and a valley (the vale of Siddim) where armies fought in a battle. But today all we can find there is a desert and a salt (the Dead Sea). Would that mean that the Scripture was wrong? We must always remember that Geography can change dramatically.
The strongest point to be made is the enormous total weight of evidence – the true Mt.Sinai on the other side of the crossing, with the golden calf altar, Moses 12 pillars, the boundary fence around the mount, the split rock out of which poured the water, and so on. The fact is that NO ONE has been able to find these things anywhere else. The over-all evidence shrieks that this is the spot!
As we see the weight of evidence accumulating, to keep opposing it requires an extra measure of foolishness.
But trying to pin a man down to FACTS can be futile. His main goal seems to be debating the hair splitting meaning of the word “bridge.” It becomes easier to understand the Lord Jesus Christ’s anger at the Pharisees of His day who thrived on debating the trivial shades of the meaning of the word. It was not that they could not understand Him, but that they would not.
Some of God’s people can get so bogged down, caught on a detail of something that to them raises doubt, that they fail to see the weight of evidence, the overall picture, and as a result miss out on the great blessing that God is trying to reveal to them.
15) In the Bible, it says that when the children of Israel crossed the parted Red Sea, there was a strong wind. Wouldn’t the strong wind have blown them all away?
Midway across on each side, the cliffs of water were up to 300 feet (100 meters) high, that’s skyscraper height! Only a MEGA HURRICANE could have exposed that deeply covered land bridge and pushed and held two walls of water 100 meters high.
The walls of water eventually stood up WITHOUT the wind, and the Hebrews walked through to the other side.
Strong’s Concordance notes that “congeal” comes from the Hebrew “qapha” (pronounced kaw-faw), which means “to shrink, ie. Thicken (as unracked wine, curdled milk, clouded sky, frozen water)”.
16) Could Bible writers have wrongly assumed it to be a miracle?
There are certain events in the lives of men and nations, for which coincidence is hardly an adequate explanation – events where one senses a greater, even intelligent, reality working behind the scenes.
Consider for example, the Red Sea Crossing event. In reading the story, one is forced to the conclusion that either this event did NOT happen as described, or it was a miracle.
Well, we can rule out the first option – that it did not occur. We have now been able to document the evidence that it DID.
That leaves us with the second option…..a miracle. There are just too many “impossible” coincidences, to call it anything but a miracle.
1. The bridge across the undersea trench – prepared, as it were, ready for the event.
From two separate land masses, two washouts occur, which form two half bridges. These meet precisely to form a raised pathway right across the deep undersea canyon. We know of nothing like this – a canyon so bisected – anywhere on this planet.
2. At the right time, a strong wind parted the sea, precisely at the bridge location.
Had the sea split open anywhere else, the fleeing Hebrews would have looked down a 45 degree drop to about 5,000 feet (1,600 meters) – impossible to cross. But at the underwater land bridge it was a gently 6 degree slope, an easy passage for the 8 mile (13km) journey to the opposite shore.
3. On each side of this dry passage through the sea, watery walls of skyscraper height (up to 300 feet/100 meters) were held back.
4. These walls of water stood firm for hours, until every Hebrew was safely on the opposite shore, and then crashed down only when every Egyptian pursuer was on the sea bed. Too many coincidences. A deliverance unique in history – for a once only need.
17) What has been found on the sea bed?
Ron Wyatt and his team have found the remains of chariot parts, chariot wheels & skeletal parts of horses and men, ALL CEMENTED IN CORAL. Because of this, it is difficult, if not impossible, to extricate them without destroying them.
Ron Wyatt did extract the hub of a wheel with parts of 8 spokes attached and presented it to the Egyptian authority. This was sufficient for Mr. Nassif Mohammed Hassan to identify the dynasty from which the wheel came.
To date, the chariot parts have never been found in the Red Sea anywhere, except this site!
18) Can the remains be protected from treasure seekers?
One shudders to think what might be happening to the irreplaceable evidences of the destruction of Pharaohs hosts in the Red Sea, now that Ron Wyatt has revealed the true site. This information would undoubtedly draw hordes of scavengers and treasure seekers well aware of the value that such ancient artifacts would bring. How can these survive?
The remains, fortunately, are largely covered with coral, which not only has preserved them, but also helps to disguise their presence. And – fortunately – most of the remains lie at the Saudi Arabian side of the sea, which is out of bounds to tourists, divers, etc. Any divers at the Egyptian side most now report to a local police officer – and no artifacts are allowed out of Egypt.
19) If this is the crossing, there should exist the Biblically mentioned sites beyond the crossing – such as Marah, Elim, etc. Have these been found?
People working on these discoveries in Saudi Arabia and who have gone into this region, time and time again and provided wonderful footage of their explorations, have noticed one major thing. The LACK OF PALM TREES! Especially considering how plentiful they are in Egypt. There were no palm trees anywhere throughout the large, dry valleys which led from the seashore directly east.
“And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there” Numbers 33:9.
The two wide north-south wadis mentioned above end to the south at an east-west wadi, which again leads back to the sea. And there these three wadis intersect, there is an extremely large oasis with hundreds of palm trees, and 12 wells of water.
We have no doubt that this is the Biblical Elim. The 70 palm trees have proliferated and now hundreds of their descendants are thriving in this extremely desolate and arid region.
“And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea” Numbers 33:10.
Why did the children of Israel go back to the Red Sea? Did they reverse back to the crossing spot? Why would they do that? But since the exploration of this area, we now know why!
This third wadi (the east-west one) leads just a few miles westward to the sea!
From the sea there branches off another wadi, and then they resumed their travel, they would have followed this.
Along this route they made two more encampments – Dophkah and Alush. We may never know their exact location, since no information is given.
After a short distance eastward, they met the Wadi Alfa, which cuts north-south. They veered left and after travelling the Wadi Alfa between mountains into an open plain, they immediately turned east into the foothills of the western side of Jebel el Lawz. Here they found themselves at Rephidim. And now the people became very angry at Moses because of the lack of water. It was here that the Lord caused water to gush out of the “rock at Horeb”. Evidence which survives here of this awesome event is given in the “Mt.Sinai FAQs” section.
Down through history, the inhabitants of Al-bad, a short distance to the south of here, have preserved the memory of Jethro (Moses father-in-law) who came to visit Moses after the Israelites arrived at the “mountain of God”. They still claim this day that the oasis of Al-Bad was his home. Travellers through the region in the 1800’s all recorded the tales told them about Jethro.
The stone circles around Al-Bad are called the “circles of Jethro”. Al-Bad is the only large oasis in the N.W. Arabian plain near Jebel El Lawz. We firmly believe this was his home and the home of Moses during his exile. | 2019-04-25T01:46:48Z | https://truediscoveries.org/red-sea-crossing |
Technically on the daily charts we see minor support on the downside for Zinc Mcx Future lies in zone of 220- 222 levels, whereas minor resistance on the upside is capped around 230- 232 levels.
Currently Zinc Mcx Future is trading above 200 days exponential moving average and suggests long term trend is bullish. EquityPandit’s analyst predicts range for the week is seen from 240- 245 on upside and 218- 215 on downside.
Technically on the daily charts we see minor support on the downside for Zinc Mcx Future lies in zone of 184- 185 levels, whereas minor resistance on the upside is capped around 204- 205 levels.
Currently Zinc Mcx Future is trading above 200 days exponential moving average and suggests long term trend is bullish. EquityPandit’s analyst predicts range for the week is seen from 218- 220 on upside and 175- 174 on downside.
Technically on the daily charts we see minor support on the downside for Copper Mcx Future lies in zone of 184- 185 levels, where as minor resistance on the upside is capped around 204- 205 levels.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 2.60%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 187 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 180 to 183 where Fibonacci levels and medium term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 191 and close the week around the levels of 199.
Minor support for the commodity lies around 193 to 195. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 187 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 180 to 183 where Fibonacci levels and medium term moving averages are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 198 to 200 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 204 to 206 where Fibonacci levels and high for the month of February-2019 is lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 187 – 190 on downside & 206 – 209 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 2.10%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 187 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 180 to 183 where Fibonacci levels and medium term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 187 and close the week around the levels of 194.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 187 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 180 to 183 where Fibonacci levels and medium term moving averages are lying.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies around 193 to 195. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 198 to 200 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 204 to 206 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 185 – 188 on downside & 200 – 203 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 1.20%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 193 where Fibonacci levels and high for the month of November-2018 and December-2018 is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 183 to 185 where Fibonacci levels and medium term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 183 and close the week around the levels of 191.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 180 – 183 on downside & 200 – 203 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 3.40%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 198 to 200 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 204 to 206 where Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 203 and close the week around the levels of 193.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 193 where Fibonacci levels and high for the month of November-2018 and December-2018 is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 183 to 185 where Fibonacci levels and medium term moving averages are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 198 to 200 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 204 to 206 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 183 – 186 on downside & 200 – 203 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 4.30%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 183 to 185 where Fibonacci levels and medium term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 190 and close the week around the levels of 199.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 193 to 195 where Fibonacci levels and high for the month of November-2018 is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 190 – 183 on downside & 205 – 207 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 3.20%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 182 to 184. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 174 to 176 where Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 183 and close the week around the levels of 191.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 183 to 185 where Fibonacci levels and medium term moving averages are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 193 to 195 where Fibonacci levels and high for the month of November-2018 is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 198 to 200 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 183 – 185 on downside & 198 – 200 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 5.00%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 184 to 186 where Fibonacci levels and medium term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 186 and close the week around the levels of 185.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 182 to 184. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 174 to 176 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 193 to 195 where Fibonacci levels and high for the month of November-2018 is lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 175 – 178 on downside & 192 – 195 on upside.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 173 to 175 where the commodity has formed a low in the month of November-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 164 to 166 where the commodity has formed a double bottom in the month of August-2018 and September-2018. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 167 and close the week around the levels of 171.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 164 to 166 where the commodity has formed a double bottom in the month of August-2018 and September-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 158 to 160 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 173 to 175 from where the commodity broke down from November-2018 and December-2018 low. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 180 to 183 where Fibonacci levels and short term moving averages are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 160 – 163 on downside & 180 – 183 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 2.80%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 180 to 182. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 196 to 198 where Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 180 and close the week around the levels of 174.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 173 to 175 where the commodity has formed a low in the month of November-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 164 to 166 where the commodity has formed a double bottom in the month of August-2018 and September-2018.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 180 to 182. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 196 to 198 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 163 – 166 on downside & 185 – 188 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 3.30%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 185 to 187. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 192 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 196 to 198 where Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 186 and close the week around the levels of 177.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 172 to 175 where the commodity has formed a low in the month of November-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 164 to 166 where the commodity has formed a double bottom in the month of August-2018 and September-2018.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 2.50%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 192 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 196 to 198 where Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 192 and close the week around the levels of 183.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 180 to 182 where Fibonacci levels and break out levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 172 to 175 where the commodity has formed a low in the month of November-2018.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 185 to 187. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 192 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 196 to 198 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 172 – 175 on downside & 190 – 193 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 4.50%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 181 to 183. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 185 to 188 where Fibonacci levels and short & medium term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 192 to 195 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 191 and close the week around the levels of 188.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 184 to 186. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 180 to 182 where Fibonacci levels and break out levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 172 to 175 where the commodity has formed a low in the month of November-2018.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 192 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 196 to 198 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 178 – 180 on downside & 195 – 197 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 0.60%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 180 to 183 where Fibonacci levels and break out levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 173 to 175 where Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 173 and close the week around the levels of 180.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 173 to 175. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 163 to 166 where Fibonacci levels and low for the month of August-2018 & September-2018 are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 155 to 158 where the commodity has taken support in the month of June-2017.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 181 to 183. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 185 to 188 where Fibonacci levels and short & medium term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 192 to 195 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 165 – 170 on downside & 190 – 195 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 5.30%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 194 to 196 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 198 to 200 where Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 194 and close the week around the levels of 182.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 180 to 183 where Fibonacci levels and break out levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 173 to 175 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 184 to 186. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and short & medium term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 194 to 196 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 170 – 173 on downside & 190 – 193 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 3.80%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels and break out levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 165 to 168 where the commodity has formed a double bottom in the month of August-2018 and September-2018. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 181 and close the week around the levels of 192.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and short & medium term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 183 to 185 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 194 to 196 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 198 to 200 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 182 – 185 on downside & 198 – 200 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 1.80%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 193 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 185 to 187 from where the commodity broke out of August-2018 & September-2018 high and Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 181 and close the week around the levels of 185.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels and break out levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 165 to 168 where the commodity has formed a double bottom in the month of August-2018 and September-2018.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and short & medium term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 193 to 95 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 170 – 175 on downside & 195 – 200 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 0.90%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 198 to 200 from where the commodity broke down from May-2018 lows and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 205 to 207 where Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 203 and close the week around the levels of 198.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 193 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 185 to 187 from where the commodity broke out of August-2018 & September-2018 high and Fibonacci levels are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 198 to 200 from where the commodity broke down from May-2018 lows and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 205 to 207 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 180 – 185 on downside & 210 – 215 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 0.60%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 193 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 185 to 187 from where the commodity broke out of August-2018 & September-2018 high and Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 192 and close the week around the levels of 197.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 0.10%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 193 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 185 to 187 from where the commodity broke out of August-2018 & September-2018 high and Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 193 and close the week around the levels of 198.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 5.90%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 195 to 198 from where the commodity broke down from December-2017 & May-2018 lows and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 203 to 206 where Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 200 and close the week around the levels of 198.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 198 to 200 from where the commodity broke down from May-2018 lows and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 204 to 206 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 4.60%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 185 to 187 where high for the month of August-2018 is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 190 to 192 where long term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 195 and close the week around the levels of 192.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 185 to 187 from where the commodity broke out of August-2018 high and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels and short term moving averages are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 195 to 198 from where the commodity broke down from December-2017 & May-2018 lows and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 203 to 206 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 175 – 180 on downside & 200 – 205 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 9.60%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor resistance for the commodity lies around 170 to 173. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 185 to 187 where high for the month of August-2018 is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 184 and close the week around the levels of 182.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 170 to 173 where break out levels are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 185 to 187 where high for the month of August-2018 is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 190 to 192 where long term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 170 – 175 on downside & 190 – 195 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 4.30%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies around 172 to 174. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 164 to 167 where long term Fibonacci levels and low for the month of August-2018 are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 150 to 155 where the commodity has formed a bottom in the month of June-2017. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 166 and close the week around the levels of 166.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 164 to 167 where long term Fibonacci levels and low for the month of August-2018 are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 150 to 155 where the commodity has formed a bottom in the month of June-2017.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies around 170 to 173. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 185 to 187 where high for the month of August-2018 is lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 155 – 160 on downside & 175 – 178 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 1.10%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 180 to 182 where Fibonacci levels and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 190 to 195 from where the commodity broke down from June-2018 lows. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 180 and close the week around the levels of 176.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 180 to 182 where Fibonacci levels and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 190 to 195 from where the commodity broke down from June-2018 lows.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 165 – 170 on downside & 185 – 190 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 6.00%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor resistance for the commodity lies around 172 to 175. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 180 to 182 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 190 to 195 from where the commodity broke down from June-2018 lows. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 179 and close the week around the levels of 178.
Minor support for the commodity lies around 172 to 174. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 165 to 167 where long term Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 150 to 155 where the commodity has formed a bottom in the month of June-2017.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 4.50%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies around 174 to 176. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 165 to 170 where long term Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 150 to 155 where the commodity has formed a bottom in the month of June-2017. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 164 and close the week around the levels of 168.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 165 to 167 where long term Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 150 to 155 where the commodity has formed a bottom in the month of June-2017.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies around 172 to 175. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 180 to 182 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 190 to 195 from where the commodity broke down from June-2018 lows.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 155 – 160 on downside & 175 – 180 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 2.30%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies around 174 to 176. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 165 to 170 where long term Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 150 to 155 where the commodity has formed a bottom in the month of June-2017. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 176 and close the week around the levels of 177.
Minor support for the commodity lies around 174 to 176. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 165 to 170 where long term Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 150 to 155 where the commodity has formed a bottom in the month of June-2017.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 180 to 182 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 190 to 195 from where the commodity broke down from June-2018 lows.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 0.80%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 182 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 190 to 195 from where the commodity broke down from June-2018 lows. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 182 and close the week around the levels of 181.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 182 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 190 to 195 from where the commodity broke down from June-2018 lows. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 183 and close the week around the levels of 180.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 182 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 190 to 195 from where the commodity broke down from June-2018 lows.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 165 to 170 where long term Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 150 to 155 where the commodity has formed a bottom in the month of June-2017. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 171 and close the week around the levels of 179.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 5.70%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 195 to 200 where the commodity has formed a low in the month of December-2017 and May-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 185 to 190 where the commodity has hit a low in the month of September-2017. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 185 and close the week around the levels of 191.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 185 to 190 where the commodity has hit a low in the month of September-2017. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 170 to 175 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 195 to 200 from where the commodity has broken down from the double bottom pattern. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 210 to 212 where short & medium term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 175 – 180 on downside & 205 – 210 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 1.60%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 195 to 200 where the commodity has formed a low in the month of December-2017 and May-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 185 to 190 where the commodity has hit a low in the month of September-2017. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 194 and close the week around the levels of 198.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 195 to 200 where the commodity has formed a low in the month of December-2017 and May-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 185 to 190 where the commodity has hit a low in the month of September-2017.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212 where short & medium term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 218 to 220 where high for month of April-2018 and Fibonacci levels are lying.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212 where short & medium term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 200 to 205 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of May-2018. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 199 and close the week around the levels of 202.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 185 – 190 on downside & 215 – 220 on upside.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 218 to 220 where high for month of April-2018 and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 219 and close the week around the levels of 212.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212 where short & medium term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 200 to 205 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of May-2018.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 218 to 220 where high for month of April-2018 and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 200 – 205 on downside & 220 – 225 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 4.70%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 200 to 205 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of October-2017 and December-2017. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and lows for the month of September-2017 is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 206 and close the week around the levels of 217.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 212 to 215 where short & long term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 200 to 205 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of October-2017 and December-2017.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 200 – 205 on downside & 225 – 230 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 0.30%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 212 to 215 where short & long term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 213 and close the week around the levels of 208.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 200 to 205 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of October-2017 and December-2017. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and lows for the month of September-2017 is lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 212 to 215 where short & long term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 190 – 195 on downside & 220 – 225 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 1.90%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 200 to 205 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of October-2017 and December-2017. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and lows for the month of September-2017 is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 205 and close the week around the levels of 207.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 1.40%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 200 to 205 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of October-2017 and December-2017. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 188 to 190 where Fibonacci levels and lows for the month of September-2017 is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 205 and close the week around the levels of 211.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 212 to 215 where short & medium term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 195 – 200 on downside & 225 – 230 on upside.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 215 where short, medium & long term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 210 and close the week around the levels of 208.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 215 where short, medium & long term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 190 – 195 on downside & 225 – 230 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 2.00%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 200 to 205 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 195 where Fibonacci levels and lows for the month of September-2017 is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 199 and close the week around the levels of 205.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 185 – 190 on downside & 220 – 225 on upside.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 220 where short & medium term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 216 and close the week around the levels of 210.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 200 to 205 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 195 where Fibonacci levels and lows for the month of September-2017 is lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 220 where short & medium term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 200 to 205 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 195 where Fibonacci levels and lows for the month of September-2017 is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 202 and close the week around the levels of 215.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 4.10%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 220 where short & medium term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 202 and close the week around the levels of 203.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 209 to 211. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 200 to 205 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 195 where Fibonacci levels and lows for the month of September-2017 is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 208 and close the week around the levels of 211.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 209 to 211. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 200 to 205 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 195 where Fibonacci levels and lows for the month of September-2017 is lying.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 220 where short & medium term moving averages and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 216 and close the week around the levels of 214.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 1.40%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212 from where the commodity broke out of December-2017 high. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 200 to 205 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 207 and close the week around the levels of 210.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 2.60%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 217 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 210 to 212 from where the commodity broke out of December-2017 high. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 208 and close the week around the levels of 214.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212 from where the commodity broke out of December-2017 high. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 200 to 205 where Fibonacci levels and long term moving averages are lying.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 217. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 220 to 223 where short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 205 – 210 on downside & 230 – 235 on upside.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 222 to 225. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 217 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 210 to 212 from where the commodity broke out of December-2017 high. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 232 and close the week around the levels of 220.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 217 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 210 to 212 from where the commodity broke out of December-2017 high.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 223 to 225. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 235 to 237.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 205 – 210 on downside & 235 – 240 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 0.50%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 222 to 225. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 217 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 210 to 212 from where the commodity broke out of December-2017 high. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 226 and close the week around the levels of 230.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 222 to 225. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 217 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 210 to 212 from where the commodity broke out of December-2017 high.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 235 to 237.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 212 – 215 on downside & 240 – 245 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 5.30%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 221 to 223. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 235 to 237. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 231 and close the week around the levels of 230.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 3.60%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 220 to 222. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 217 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 210 to 212 where short & medium term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 216 and close the week around the levels of 218.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 217 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 210 to 212 where short & medium term moving averages are lying.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 221 to 223. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 228 to 230 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 235 to 237.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 210 – 212 on downside & 228 – 230 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 2.20%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 222 to 224. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 227 to 229. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 230 and close the week around the levels of 226.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 220 to 222. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 215 to 217 where the commodity has taken multiple support in the month of January-2018. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 210 to 212 where short & medium term moving averages are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 228 to 230. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 235 to 237.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 212 – 215 on downside & 235 – 237 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 1.20%.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 217 to 219. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 207 to 209 where short & medium term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 200 to 202 where break out levels are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 222 to 224. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 227 to 229.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 210 – 212 on downside & 227 – 229 on upside.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 216 to 218 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of October-2017 and November-2017. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 224 to 226. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 221 and close the week around the levels of 219.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 214 to 215. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 207 to 209 where short & medium term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 200 to 202 where break out levels are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 220 to 222. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 225 to 227.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 208 – 210 on downside & 225 – 227 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 1.80%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 205 to 207 where short & medium term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 200 to 202 where break out levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 213 and close the week around the levels of 217.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 216 to 218 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of October-2017 and November-2017. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 224 to 226.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 205 – 207 on downside & 225 – 227 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 1.10%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 216 to 218 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of October-2017 and November-2017. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 224 to 226. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 215 and close the week around the levels of 214.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 205 to 207 where short & medium term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 200 to 202 where break out levels are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 200 – 202 on downside & 220 – 222 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 1.00%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 216 to 218 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of October-2017 and November-2017. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 224 to 226. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 213 and close the week around the levels of 211.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 207 to 209. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 200 to 202 where break out levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 196 to 198 where break out levels for the commodity is lying.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 2.00%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 202 to 204. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 196 to 198 where break out levels for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 188 to 190 where long term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 203 and close the week around the levels of 209.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 205 to 207. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 200 to 202 where break out levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 196 to 198 where break out levels for the commodity is lying.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 3.00%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 202 to 204 where medium term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 208 to 210 where short term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 207 and close the week around the levels of 205.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 202 to 204. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 196 to 198 where break out levels for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 188 to 190 where long term moving averages are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 208 to 210 where short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 216 to 218 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of October-2017 and November-2017.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 195 – 197 on downside & 216 – 218 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 5.10%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 208 to 210. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 202 to 204 where break out levels for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 192 where break out levels and medium term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 198 and close the week around the levels of 199.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 196 to 198 where break out levels for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 188 to 190 where long term moving averages are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 202 to 204 where medium term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 208 to 210 where short term moving averages are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 188 – 190 on downside & 208 – 210 on upside.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 0.20%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 208 to 210. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 202 to 204 where break out levels for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 192 where break out levels and medium term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 202 and close the week around the levels of 210.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 208 to 210. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 202 to 204 where break out levels for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 192 where break out levels and medium term moving averages are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 214 to 216. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 218 to 220 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of October-2017.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 208 to 210. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 202 to 204 where break out levels for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 192 where break out levels and medium term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 206 and close the week around the levels of 210.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 208 to 210. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 202 to 204 where break out levels for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 192 where break out levels and medium term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 204 and close the week around the levels of 209.
ZINC closed the week on a positive note gaining around 1.70%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 206 to 207. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 202 to 204 where trend-line joining highs of 208 and 204 is lying and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 192 where break out levels and medium term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 206 and close the week around the levels of 212.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 202 – 204 on downside & 220 – 222 on upside.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 214 to 216. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 218 to 220 where the commodity has formed a short term top. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 216 and close the week around the levels of 209.
ZINC closed the week on a negative note losing around 3.50%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 204 to 206 where trend-line joining highs of 208 and 204 are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 192 where break out levels and short term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 199 and close the week around the levels of 205.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 202 to 204 where trend-line joining highs of 208 and 204 is lying and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 192 where break out levels and medium term moving averages are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 207 to 209. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 217 to 219 where the commodity has formed a short term top.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 190 – 192 on downside & 214 – 216 on upside.
ZINC (212.15) closed the week on a negative note losing around 0.90%.
As we have mentioned last week, that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 204 to 206 where trend-line joining highs of 208 and 204 are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 192 where break out levels and short term moving averages are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 211 and close the week around the levels of 212.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 204 to 206 where trend-line joining highs of 208 and 204 are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 192 where break out levels and short term moving averages are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 218 to 220. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 225 to 227. The commodity is trading at the multi year high so virtually no resistance exists.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 200 – 202 on downside & 222 – 224 on upside.
ZINC (214.10) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 1.90%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 218 to 220. The commodity is trading at the multi year high so virtually no resistance exists. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 219 and close the week around the levels of 214.
ZINC (210.20) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 4.60%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 204 to 206 where trend-line joining highs of 208 and 204 are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 210 to 212. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 210 and close the week around the levels of 210.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 204 to 206 where trend-line joining highs of 208 and 204 are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 190 to 192 where break out levels and short term moving averages are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 210 to 212. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 218 to 220. The commodity is trading at the multi year high so virtually no resistance exists.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 195 – 197 on downside & 218 – 220 on upside.
ZINC (201) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 3.10%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 195 to 197 from where the commodity has broken down from the consolidation. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 204 to 206 where trend-line joining highs of 208 and 204 are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 203 and close the week around the levels of 201.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 196 to 198. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 192 where break out levels and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 183 to 185 where trend-line support for the commodity is lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 204 to 206 where trend-line joining highs of 208 and 204 are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 210 to 212.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 190 – 192 on downside & 210 – 212 on upside.
ZINC (194.90) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 0.70%.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 189 to 191 where break out levels and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 183 to 185 where trend-line support for the commodity is lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 195 to 197 from where the commodity has broken down from the consolidation. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 204 to 206 where trend-line joining highs of 208 and 204 are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 185 – 187 on downside & 205 – 207 on upside.
ZINC (195.50) closed the week on a negative note losing around 2.60%.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 195 to 197. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 189 to 191 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 185 to 187 from where the commodity broke out of July-2017 highs and declining trend-line support is lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 204 to 206 where trend-line joining highs of 208 and 204 are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity will broke out of multiple years of consolidation and correction.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 185 – 187 on downside & 208 – 210 on upside.
ZINC (200.80) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 8.30%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 186 to 188 where declining trend-line resistance for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can witness a major long term break-out and the commodity can move to the levels of 196 to 198. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 202 and close the week around the levels of 201.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 190 – 192 on downside & 208 – 210 on upside.
ZINC (185.45) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 3.50%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 179 to 180 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 185 to 187 where the commodity has formed a short term top and declining trend-line resistance are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 190 and close the week around the levels of 185.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 182 to 183. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci level and 200 Daily moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 170 to 172 where short & medium term moving averages and break out levels for the commodity is lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 186 to 188 where declining trend-line resistance for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can witness a major long term break-out and the commodity can move to the levels of 196 to 198.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 175 – 177 on downside & 195 – 198 on upside.
ZINC (179.20) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 0.70%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 176 where 200 Daily moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 170 to 172 where short & medium term moving averages and break out levels for the commodity is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 176 and close the week around the levels of 179.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 176 where 200 Daily moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 170 to 172 where short & medium term moving averages and break out levels for the commodity is lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 179 to 180 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 185 to 187 where the commodity has formed a short term top and declining trend-line resistance are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 170 – 172 on downside & 188 – 190 on upside.
ZINC (178) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 0.30%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 176 where 200 Daily moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 170 to 172 where short & medium term moving averages and break out levels for the commodity is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 177 and close the week around the levels of 178.
ZINC (177.55) closed the week on a negative note losing around 1.00%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 173 to 174 where 200 Daily moving averages and break out levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 175 and close the week around the levels of 178.
ZINC (179.30) closed the week on a negative note losing around 0.60%.
As we have mentioned last week, that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 173 to 174 where 200 Daily moving averages and break out levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 177 and close the week around the levels of 179.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 173 to 174 where 200 Daily moving averages and break out levels are lying.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 183 to 184. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 188 to 190 where channel resistance for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 195 to 198 where the commodity has formed a top in the month of February-2017.
ZINC (180.30) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 1.10%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 188 to 190 where channel resistance for the commodity is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 183 and close the week around the levels of 180.
ZINC (178.25) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 2.20%.
As we have mentioned last week, that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 188 to 190 where channel resistance for the commodity is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 179 and close the week around the levels of 178.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 173 to 174 where 200 Daily moving averages and break out levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 165 to 167 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 178 to 180 where Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 188 to 190 where channel resistance for the commodity is lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 165 – 167 on downside & 188 – 190 on upside.
ZINC (174.40) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 7.50%.
As we have mentioned last week that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 162 to 163 where Fibonacci level is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 158 to 160 where channel support for the commodity is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 163 and close the week around the levels of 174.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 172 to 173 where 200 Daily moving averages and break out levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 165 to 167 where Fibonacci levels are lying.
ZINC (162.30) closed the week on a negative note losing around 0.50%.
As we have mentioned last week that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 162 to 163 where Fibonacci level is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 158 to 160 where channel support for the commodity is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 157 and close the week around the levels of 162.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 162 to 163 where Fibonacci level is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 158 to 160 where channel support for the commodity is lying.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 165 to 166. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 168 to 170 from where the commodity broke down after consolidation. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 172 to 173 where 200 Daily moving averages are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 153 – 155 on downside & 170 – 172 on upside.
ZINC (163.15) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 0.10%.
As we have mentioned last week that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 162 to 163 where Fibonacci level is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 158 to 160 where channel support for the commodity is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 156 and close the week around the levels of 163.
ZINC (162.90) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 0.30%.
As we have mentioned last week that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 171 to 173 where 200 Daily moving averages are lying. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 177 from where the commodity broke down. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 179 to 181 where Fibonacci level is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 171 and close the week around the levels of 163.
ZINC (170.25) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 0.30%.
As we have mentioned last week that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 171 to 173 where 200 Daily moving averages are lying. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 177 from where the commodity broke down. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 179 to 181 where Fibonacci level is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 172 and close the week around the levels of 170.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 167 to 168. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 163 to 165 where Fibonacci level is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 158 to 160 where channel support for the commodity is lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 171 to 173 where 200 Daily moving averages are lying. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 177 from where the commodity broke down. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 179 to 181 where Fibonacci level is lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 160 – 162 on downside & 178 – 180 on upside.
ZINC (169.80) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 3.20%.
As we have mentioned last week that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 163 to 165 where Fibonacci level is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 158 to 160 where channel support for the commodity is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 159 and close the week around the levels of 170.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 163 to 165 where Fibonacci level is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 158 to 160 where channel support for the commodity is lying.
ZINC (163.60) closed the week on a negative note losing around 1.90%.
As we have mentioned last week that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 169 to 170 where 200 Daily moving averages are lying. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 177 from where the commodity broke down. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 179 to 181 where Fibonacci level is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 171 and close the week around the levels of 164.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 166 to 167. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 169 to 170 where 200 Daily moving averages are lying. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 177 from where the commodity broke down. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 179 to 181 where Fibonacci level is lying.
ZINC (166.70) closed the week on a negative note losing around 1.60%.
As we have mentioned last week that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 167 to 168. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 163 to 165 where Fibonacci level is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of around 158 to 160 where channel support for the commodity is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 163 and close the week around the levels of 167.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 169 to 170 where 200 Daily moving averages are lying. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 177 from where the commodity broke down. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 179 to 181 where Fibonacci level is lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 158 – 160 on downside & 175 – 177 on upside.
ZINC (169.45) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 1.70%.
As we have mentioned last week that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 169 to 170. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 177 from where the commodity broke down. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 179 to 181 where Fibonacci level is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 170 and close the week around the levels of 169.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 158 – 160 on downside & 177 – 179 on upside.
ZINC (166.65) closed the week on a negative note losing around 1.15%..
As we have mentioned last week that minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 172 to 173. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 177 from where the commodity broke down. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 179 to 181 where Fibonacci level is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 171 and close the week around the levels of 167.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 169 to 170. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 177 from where the commodity broke down. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 179 to 181 where Fibonacci level is lying.
ZINC (168.60) closed the week on a negative note losing around 1.95%..
As we have mentioned last week that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 168 to 170 where 200 Daily MA is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 164 to 166 where Fibonacci level and low for the month of December-2016 is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 165 and close the week around the levels of 169.
Commodity has closed just below the support zone of 168 to 170 where 200 Daily MA is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 164 to 166 where Fibonacci level and low for the month of December-2016 is lying.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 172 to 173. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 177 from where the commodity broke down. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 179 to 181 where Fibonacci level is lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 161 – 163 on downside & 178 – 179 on upside.
ZINC (171.95) closed the week on a negative note losing around 4.70%..
As we have mentioned last week that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 176 to 178 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 168 to 170 where 200 Daily SMA is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 171 and close the week around the levels of 172.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 168 to 170 where 200 Daily MA is lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 164 to 166 where Fibonacci level and low for the month of December-2016 is lying.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 175 to 176. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 179 to 180 where Fibonacci level is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 184 to 186 where short & medium term moving averages are lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 163 – 165 on downside & 178 – 180 on upside.
ZINC (180.40) closed the week on a negative note losing around 2.15%..
As we have mentioned last week that resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 187 to 188. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 194 to 196 where trend-line joining earlier highs is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of around 200 to 202 where top formed in the month of November-2016 is lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a high of 186 and close the week around the levels of 180.40.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 183 to 184. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 187 to 189 where the commodity has formed a short term top. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of around 193 to 195 where trend-line joining earlier highs is lying.
ZINC (184.35) closed the week on a negative note losing around 2.15%..
As we have mentioned last week that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 186 to 187. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 183 to 184 from where the commodity broke out. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 179 to 181 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 182 and close the week around the levels of 184.35.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 183 to 184 from where the commodity broke out. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 179 to 181 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 187 to 188. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 194 to 196 where trend-line joining earlier highs is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of around 200 to 202 where top formed in the month of November-2016 is lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 175 – 177 on downside & 192 – 194 on upside.
ZINC (188.40) closed the week on a positive note gaining around 4.70%.
As we have mentioned last week that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 179 to 181 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 173 to 175 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 176 and close the week around the levels of 188.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of 186 to 187. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 183 to 184 from where the commodity broke out. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 179 to 181 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying.
Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 188 to 190. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 194 to 196 where trend-line joining earlier highs is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of around 200 to 202 where top formed in the month of November-2016 is lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 180 – 182 on downside & 198 – 200 on upside.
ZINC (180.00) closed the week with a negative note losing around 3.20%.
As we have mentioned last week that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 184 to 186 where the commodity has taken multiple support and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 179 to 181 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 176.55 and close the week around the levels of 180.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 179 to 181 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 173 to 175 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 181 to 182. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 185 to 186 from where the commodity broke down from the double bottom pattern. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 188 to 190.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 170 – 172 on downside and 190 – 192 on upside.
ZINC (185.85) closed the week with a negative note losing around 1.60%.
As we have mentioned last week that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 184 to 186 where the commodity has taken multiple support and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 179 to 181 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 184.75 and close the week around the levels of 185.85.
Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 184 to 186 where the commodity has taken multiple support and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 179 to 181 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 190 to 192. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 198 to 200 where trend-line joining highs of 204 & 199 is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of 204 to 206 where 52 week highs for the commodity is lying.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 182 – 184 on downside and 194 – 196 on upside.
ZINC (188.95) closed the week with a positive note gaining around 0.50%.
As we have mentioned last week that support for the commodity lies in the zone of 184 to 186 where the commodity has taken multiple support and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 179 to 181 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 185 and close the week around the levels of 188.95.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 191 to 193. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 198 to 200. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 204 to 206 where 52 week highs for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of around 210.
ZINC (188.05) closed the week with a negative note losing around 4.25%.
As we have mentioned last week that minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of around 192 to 194. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 184 to 186 where the commodity has taken multiple support and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 179 to 181 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying. During the week the commodity manages to hit a low of 186.45 and close the week around the levels of 188.05.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 179 – 181 on downside and 194 – 196 on upside.
ZINC (196.40) closed the week with a positive note gaining around 5.15%.
Minor support for the commodity lies in the zone of around 192 to 194. Support for the commodity lies in the zone of 184 to 186 where the commodity has taken multiple support and short term moving averages are lying. If the commodity manages to close below these levels then the commodity can drift to the levels of 179 to 181 from where the commodity broke out after consolidation and Fibonacci levels are lying.
Minor resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 198 to 200. Resistance for the commodity lies in the zone of 204 to 206 where 52 week highs for the commodity is lying. If the commodity manages to close above these levels then the commodity can move to the levels of around 210.
Broad range for the commodity in the coming week can be seen between 184 – 186 on downside and 205 – 207 on upside. | 2019-04-24T18:36:39Z | http://www.equitypandit.com/tag/zinc-news/ |
A GOLD MEDAL Review: DAN J. MARLOWE – Operation Counterpunch.
DAN J. MARLOWE – Operation Counterpunch. Fawcett Gold Medal P3454, paperback original; 1st printing, February 1976.
This 12th and last of Dan Marlowe’s Earl Drake “Man without a Face” series was a disappointment, starting with the front cover, where Drake appears misshapen and starting to become, dare I say it, paunchy. I also don’t care for books which finish up the action in a previous one, and this one takes some care to tidy up some loose ends from not one but two earlier ones, neither of which have I read.
To wit: At the end of Operation Deathmaker, book #11, Hazel, Drake’s girl friend and constant companion, was hurt and in the hospital. This one starts with Drake breaking her out before she’s able to answer too many questions, using one of the most embarrassingly juvenile ways of accomplishing this that I can imagine.
Also: the story in Operation Hammerlock, book #9, had Drake and Hazel ripping off a fabulously rich Mexican gangster. Now he wants revenge, and he doesn’t much care who gets in his way to get it.
How Drake manages to find Don Luis Morales first and finish him off with all of his henchman is all that this story is about. Drake goes through the motions of changing his face and rest of his appearance every so often, but there’s really no reason to. No undercover espionage assignment this time around, no sneaky plot devices, no interesting characters, just a series that for whatever reason needed to be wound down, including in hindsight, a happy ending at least in sight for the pair.
It’s a readable book, all right, don’t get me wrong, but it’s still mostly an empty and non-satisfying one.
ALICE & CLAUDE ASKEW “Aylmer Vance and the Vampire.” First published in The Weekly Tale-Teller, UK, July 1914. Collected in Aylmer Vance: Ghost-Seer (Wordsworth, UK) as “The Vampire.” Anthologized several times over the years, including The Vampire Archives: The Most Complete Volume of Vampire Tales Ever Published, edited by Otto Penzler. Available online here.
In “Aylmer Vance and the Vampire,” the reader learns of a most unusual case investigated by Vance and Dexter, one that involves a vampire and a witch’s curse and unravels less like a mystery and more like a Gothic supernatural tale. Although it’s not a particularly compelling work of detective fiction, the story does contain all of the major tropes of the then emerging modern vampire story.
All told, “Aylmer and the Vampire” is a solidly constructed vampire story and one that deserves more recognition. While reading it, I couldn’t help but picture Peter Cushing portraying Aylmer Vance in my mind’s eye. That surely counts for something. Recommended.
Music I’m Listening To: PATRICK SKY – His First LP.
A Movie Review by Jonathan Lewis: THE GOLDEN SALAMANDER (1950).
THE GOLDEN SALAMANDER. General Film Distributors, UK, 1950. Eagle-Lion Classics, US, 1951. Trevor Howard, Anouk, Herbert Lom, Walter Rilla, Miles Malleson, Jacques Sernas, Wilfrid Hyde-White. Based on the book by Victor Canning. Director: Ronald Neame.
Despite the occasionally languid pacing, The Golden Salamander is overall an enjoyably cerebral British thriller. Directed by Ronald Neame, the movie features Trevor Howard as David Redfern, an English archaeologist dispatched to Tunisia to recover Etruscan antiquities and bring them back to the United Kingdom. While in the exotic confines of North Africa, Redfern stumbles both into love with Anna, a local French girl (Anouk Ameee) and upon a criminal gun running enterprise.
Much of the film deals with the ethical question of what is a man’s responsibility in the face of evil. Indeed, the titular golden salamander, albeit not a live one, has a prominent role in the movie. One of the antiquities Redfern (Howard) is meant to transport back to England is a statue of a salamander, and on the statue’s base is engraved a Greek aphorism about the necessity of not turning one’s eyes away from evil.
This has an indelible impact on Redfern’s psyche. It propels him into a life-altering decision. He’s simply not going to pretend that he isn’t aware of the illicit gun running taking place around him. Rather, he’s going to confront it head on, danger be damned. This course of action will affect not just him, however. It will also impact the burgeoning romantic relationship between him and Anna.
He’s also going to have to physically take on the cartel’s enforcer, a thuggish man by the name of Rankl (Herbert Lom). Corruption and murder envelop the couple as they make their way in and out of danger, ultimately forcing a showdown with the head of the crime syndicate whose identity may or may not surprise you.
Although packaged as part of a Kino Classics British Noir box set, The Golden Salamander isn’t really what one would think typically think of as a film noir. There’s really no doomed protagonist and the setting is a small village in Tunisia and not the post-war neon-lit American urban landscape. It’s simply a darn good British crime film/thriller, one that’s by no means a classic, but is nevertheless worth your time.
Archived Review: HENRY KITCHELL WEBSTER – Who Is the Next?
HENRY KITCHELL WEBSTER – Who Is the Next? Perennial Library, paperback reprint, 1981. First edition: Bobbs-Merrill, hardcover, 1931. Also: Garland, hardcover, 1976.
For a book first published fifty years ago, Who Is the Next? is amazingly fresh and up-to-date. The subdued, unacknowledged love interest between a guardian and his much younger ward would not be played quite the same today, but Webster’s version of this scenario has an attraction that is both pleasing and frustrating, as it was meant to be then, and as it still is today.
Nor would Camilla Lindstrom’s airplane be of the same model and vintage, but in the process of becoming a woman, there’s no better symbol of her budding independence, even today. Her childhood is in the process of disappearing, and as it does, her guardian, Prentiss Murray, realizes that he is falling in love with her.
Well, of course it’s more than a love story. (Need you ask?) Camilla’s aged grandfather is murdered, and almost immediately afterward so is Miss Parsons, his newly acquired secretary and companion. Also soon on the scene is Camilla’s prodigal brother, and of course there are numerous mysterious strangers seen lurking around the estate.
There is a good reliance on fate (on the part of the murderer), and some good detective work (on the part of the police). My only real complaint is that too much of the latter is done behind the scenes, and it comes out only in retrospect, at the end.
But for mystery, vintage atmosphere, and romance, with one of the spunkiest heroines you’d ever want to meet, this book would be hard to beat. I read the last one hundred pages in twenty minutes. That’s three times my usual reading speed.
— Reprinted from The MYSTERY FANcier, Vol. 5, No. 5, Sept-Oct 1981 (slightly revised).
[UPDATE] 06-28-16. This old review was first posted on this blog in December 2014. I finished reading the book a second time last night, and while I think everything I said about it the first time is true, I found that I didn’t enjoy it quite as much this time aroud.
First of all, it really is more of an old-fashioned romance than it is a mystery, and the young girl in the story is one of the spunkiest heroines you’d ever want to meet. I think, in fact, perhaps she may have been the first heroine in a mystery novel to fly her own airplane, which turns out to be an integral part of the plot.
Keep in mind that has been 35 years since I’d read the book the first time, and that I’d totally forgotten it. I had in fact forgotten that I’d posted this review on this blog, and that was less than two years ago. What bothered me this time is that (a) the mystery plot promises so much and delivers so little, and (b) it still take 30 pages to explain all of the coincidences that dovetail together so nicely to make a rather unsatisfying whole.
Tastes change over the years, and while I still read this one with enjoyment, I didn’t have the same feeling of happy contentment I seem to have had when I finished it the first time.
A Movie Review by David Vineyard: APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER (1950) .
APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER. Paramount Pictures, 1950. Alan Ladd, Phyllis Calvert, Paul Stewart, Jan Sterling, Jack Webb, Stacy Harris, Henry Morgan, George J. Lewis, David Wolfe. Screenplay by Richard Breen and Warren Duff. Directed by Lewis Allen.
This exceptionally well done procedural noir set against the background of a post office investigation stars Alan Ladd as postal inspector Al Goddard, a tough no-nonsense investigator with a heart of lead, who is plunged into a dangerous undercover assignment when nun Sister Augustine (Phyllis Calvert) witnesses two killers, Joe Regas and George Soderquist (Jack Webb and Henry Morgan) dump the body of Post Office investigator Harry Gruber in an alley in La Porte, Indiana.
The case expands as Goddard has to track down the nun and once he finds her, find the man she saw and spoke to in the dark alley, Soderquist. That’s complicated because Goddard begins to have human feeling about the nun and when Regas, who fears she saw him, tries to kill her, he starts to take things personally.
Meanwhile, following the late Gruber’s lead, Ladd is led to Paul Ferrer (Stacy Harris), a Post Office truck driver, and a heist planned by Earl Boetticher (Paul Stewart) a hotel owner, Regas, and a team hoping to exploit a million dollar hole in Post Office security during a transfer of funds in Gary, Indiana. While still searching for Soderquist, who Regas has killed in the meantime, Ladd goes undercover hoping to nail the gang for Gruber’s murder or catch them in the act.
Jan Sterling has a nice bit as Boetticher’s none too loyal girlfriend, Dodie: “You can put strings on good women or bad women, but you can’t put strings on lazy women.” She is at once slightly off key, a little dopey, and too smart for the men around her.
Goddard (taking her in his arms): It’s already given me a lift.
As the deadline for the heist closes Goddard finds himself suddenly alone and one complication after another closing his door to get out alive including when Regas, obsessed that the nun saw him, kidnaps Sister Augustine.
Regas: You look as if you lost your best friend.
Goddard: I’m my best friend.
Regas: That’s what I mean.
This is the one, of course, where future Dragnet team Webb and Morgan play a pair of killers. Morgan’s fairly short-lived as a simple minded type who Webb kills with a pair of brass booties, all he has left of the son he hasn’t seen since infancy: “Why’d you do that Joe, I thought you liked me?” he asks just before Webb finishes him off.
You may find yourself having to suppress and inappropriate laugh at one point when Webb impersonates a cop to lure Calvert into his car, but it isn’t the fault of the film. It doesn’t help he’s named Joe either.
Well-acted all around, with Ladd, Stewart, Sterling, Webb, and in a short bit, Morgan outstanding, a sharp script by Richard Breen and Warren Duff, good location shooting and set pieces (the scene in the handball court is often copied and expanded on), and solid if straight forward direction by Lewis Allen, Appointment With Danger, is a tough smart noir film that lets Ladd humanize believably during the course of the film without getting too sticky or sentimental. There is more than enough suspense, and Sterling has a great final scene any film noir femme fatale would kill for, as an unsentimental survivor.
It’s not top noir, but it is well above average and moves smoothly and smartly, with good dialogue to keep the thing lubricated.
Members of the group are Michael Ballew (guitar, vocals), Danny Wilder (bass, piano, vocals), Lucky Floyd (drums, vocals), Mack Tubb (guitar, vocals).
A Western Movie Review by Jonathan Lewis: VERA CRUZ (1954).
VERA CRUZ. United Artists, 1954. Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Denise Darcel, Cesar Romero, Sarita Montiel, George Macready, Jack Elam, Ernest Borgnine, Morris Ankrum, Charles Buchinsky. Screenplay: Roland Kibbee & James R. Webb, based on a story by Borden Chase. Director: Robert Aldrich.
Films in which American or European mercenaries show up in Mexico at a time of revolutionary change and hire out their guns to one side or the other, or both simultaneously, can be considered a proper subgenre of the Western. Alternatively, they have all the hallmarks of adventure films: an exotic locale, a daring protagonist on a quest fraught with danger, a love interest that develops out of said journey, and, of course, some form of priceless object or treasure that the protagonist hopes to acquire.
As fans of the Western genre know all too well, there are many – perhaps too many – Spaghetti Westerns, most of them made between 1965 and 1975, that fall into the “mercenaries in Mexico adventure film” subgenre. Released in 1954, the Robert Aldrich directed film Vera Cruz may rightfully considered a pioneer work in the aforementioned subgenre to which I just alluded.
Both gritty and lavish, Vera Cruz takes some effort and patience to fully appreciate. Upon first glance, the rather cynical story isn’t particularly complex, but it’s got a lot going on underneath the surface that merits attention. Indeed, Francois Truffaut himself was both a critic and admirer of the film’s narrative structure in which motifs and sequences, such as Mexican revolutionaries surrounding the mercenaries and one partner rescuing another, are repeated throughout the film.
In the wake of the American Civil War, former Confederate colonel and Louisiana plantation owner Ben Trane (Gary Cooper) ventures south to Mexico in search of profit. He’s willing to hire himself out to the highest bidder in the Franco-Mexican War in which Emperor Maximilian I (George Macready) is facing down a Juarista nationalist peasant revolt led General Ramirez (Morris Ankrum). Trane ends up joining forces with Joe Erin (Burt Lancaster), a cynical, borderline nihilist gunfighter eager to double cross anyone who gets between him and his money.
The plot follows the exploits of the two men as they guide a convoy filled with gold from Maximilian’s lavish palace to Vera Cruz. Along for the journey are a French princess (Denise Darcel) and a Maximilian loyalist (Cesar Romaro). Each is not exactly whom they seem to be, leading to a series of plots and double crosses, some of which do get a bit wearing on the viewer.
What the film lacks in cohesion, it more than makes up for in sheer spectacle. There is something just so, well, cinematic about the movie. Indeed, the final battle sequence in which the mercenaries, along with their newfound Juarista allies, invade a government outpost is exceedingly well staged and photographed. The same goes for the final dramatic showdown between the two mercenaries. In a movie like this, there can only be one man left standing. One last matter for Western fans: look for Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, and Jack Elam in supporting roles. They are great as expected.
Mystery Review: CHARLES KNIEF – Emerald Flash.
CHARLES KNIEF – Emerald Flash. St. Martin’s, hardcover, April, 1999; paperback, May 2000.
The first time I saw Margo Halliday she was stark naked, running for all she was worth down a Honolulu alley in the middle of the night.
Telling the story is ex-SEAL and now Hawaii-based private eye John Caine. Emerald Flash is the third of four recorded adventures.
The big man jogged past and I dropped him with a flying kick, He went down easy but refused to let go of the pistol, so I broke his wrist and he gave it up. All the fight went out of him. He deflated like an octopus brought up on a lure and dropped into the bottom of a canoe, when it knew it was going to die.
Caine doesn’t see Margo again until seven months later, when she is accused of killing her ex-husband. Not only that, but hard on her trail is a gang of Colombian thugs, and for good reason. They think she is somehow in possession of a fortune in stolen emeralds. She remembers Caine, and she calls on him for help.
He does, but it isn’t easy. I was reminded of John D. MacDonald in a couple of ways, not only the obvious one, but Caine also has a philosophy of life very similar to that of a certain Travis McGee. But there is a difference: no matter how close he and Margo get as man and woman, they sleep in separate beds, and none of the McGee books had the same amount of firepower that is called upon in this one: rifles, grenades, Glocks, even an elephant gun.
It had been a year of extremes. I felt good and fit. My wounds all had healed. I had gone up against powerful enemies and had vanquished them all, including the one who had ordered my destruction.
It’s not a perfect book. Too much of the story depends on things that happened in earlier ones, for example, and a long, lengthy portion of the book consists of Caine and Margo on the run, which with all of the aforementioned firepower is exciting enough for two or three books, but crammed into just this one, it somehow managed to slow the pace down rather than enhance it.
On the other hand, when things are going a little slower, Caine manages to get along with a brain as well as brawn, and is as quick with a quip as Jon Stewart on a good night, and that’s very good indeed. | 2019-04-19T04:38:33Z | http://mysteryfile.com/blog/?m=201606 |
Company news | Aclaris Therapeutics Inc.
and beyond in our company blog.
When we founded Aclaris Therapeutics seven years ago, our idea of taking medicines from the laboratory bench into patient care was driven by the first-hand experiences of Dr. Stu Shanler and myself in our clinical practices. As physicians treating patients, sometimes we had no choice but to use sub-optimal treatments for dermatological and immunological conditions. Since then, our team has advanced Aclaris into a fully-integrated biopharmaceutical company with two FDA-approved medicines and one of the sector’s most promising pipelines.
2018 has been a particularly productive year for Aclaris Therapeutics. We launched a topical medicine to address a condition which can be a cosmetic concern for patients; received a U.S. patent related to the use and administration of certain Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors for treating hair loss disorders; further bolstered our intellectual portfolio and clinical pipeline programs; entered into a partnership with Harris-Stowe State University to support the development and education of scientists from underrepresented minority groups; and licensed and re-launched a topical medication to treat a characteristic sign of a dermatological disease affecting the face.
As we look to 2019, potentially the most event and data-rich year in our company’s history, we expect multiple mid and late-stage clinical data readouts, including data for experimental treatments for alopecia areata and common warts, two diseases where we know first-hand that there is an immense need for better treatments. We also expect to file an investigational new drug application to address a progressive immunological disorder which causes sufferers to have difficulty completing everyday activities.
Our approach at Aclaris Therapeutics to discovering and developing new treatments is not conventional by pharmaceutical company standards. We start by understanding the mechanism of a molecule in the body, such as one of the protein kinases from our KINect platform or a therapeutic remedy used for another disease in a different dose or form. Then we conduct experiments to apply the mechanism to a disease or condition with great need, potentially one that others have abandoned or overlooked. We formulate these potential treatments with the patients in mind, taking into consideration the opportunity for both topical and oral medications to address the full spectrum of disease severity. We use the term “revelationary science” to describe our approach: making connections and turning surprising insights into practical applications for the benefit of patients. Sometimes, this means understanding when it’s time to change course or enter into a strategic partnership when we know this will lead to a medicine getting into the hands of patients faster.
We are entering a new, exciting era of growth and innovation at Aclaris Therapeutics, and I look forward to the progress that the new year will bring for our company and the patients we serve.
© 2018 Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted, all trademarks referenced on this page are owned by Aclaris Therapeutics.
At Aclaris, we have built a sharp, experienced research and development team and have resources to tackle some of the “white spaces” in dermatology – conditions that lack approved medications or where significant treatment gaps exist. In our discovery laboratories in St. Louis and our clinical research unit in Wayne, PA, we are mining new insights into biologic pathways to develop innovative medicines that could potentially treat intractable conditions in dermatology and immunology.
But one company alone cannot ensure a vibrant ecosystem for innovation in dermatology. The future of dermatology depends on many physicians, researchers, business leaders and companies attacking disease targets from multiple angles.
That is why I joined a group of about a dozen other dermatologists, researchers, and business leaders seven years ago to form a novel non-profit organization committed to fostering and driving innovation in dermatology. At the time, each of us had individually concluded that there remained a significant need for scientifically-driven innovation to address the many dermatologic conditions that continued to vex researchers, frustrate physicians, and cause patients both physical and emotional discomfort.
To be sure, the number of new dermatology medicines submitted to the FDA for approval has fallen steadily over the past few decades. New medicines have been introduced for conditions like melanoma and plaque psoriasis, but dermatology is a field characterized by many common skin conditions as well as rare genetic disorders where significant unmet needs remain.
With the leadership of William Ju, M.D. as president, these colleagues and I founded Advancing Innovation in Dermatology (AID). We were hoping to create a resource and serve as a connection for scientists, clinicians, and entrepreneurs dedicated to expanding treatment options in the field. Now, AID has become the community of innovators that we envisioned, and that was so needed in our field.
Earlier this year, we held our fifth annual “Dermatology Summit,” and our fourth annual “Dermatology Entrepreneurship Conference”. We were heartened by the growing numbers of attendees each meeting attracted. Hundreds of people enthusiastic about innovation gathered to network and learned from experts in the field. The program covered everything from the latest advances in aesthetic dermatology to clinical trial management to outcomes measurement.
Just as we want to drive and support entrepreneurship, we also understand that we need to nurture the next generation of innovators committed to dermatology. Investing in future breakthroughs has to begin now, by training and inspiring new leaders to develop products and ultimately commercialize them. Right now, AID is in the process of reviewing applications from dermatology residents and fellows as well as early-career researchers and clinicians for a 10-month AID-sponsored program. The half dozen scholars selected for the program will connect with innovators from AID-member companies who can provide real-world guidance on how to advance new dermatologic treatment options, such as defining an opportunity, creating a drug development plan, and accessing expertise to navigate the regulatory approval process.
AID recognizes that insufficient financial resources can be a significant roadblock to innovation, especially in the high-risk early stages of proof-of-concept development. We have created the AID Accelerator Fund which is directed to bridge the gap between academic institutional funding and traditional venture capital. The fund provides seed funding and in-kind business support, such as guidance on establishing and protecting intellectual property. The fund is described in an article titled “Catalyzing Future Drug, Device, and Information Technology Breakthroughs in Dermatology” which appears online in the April 11 issue of JAMA Dermatology.
Beyond our work at Aclaris to drive dermatologic innovation, I am proud to have played a role in AID. If you are interested in learning more about it, visit www.advancing-derm.com.
When I treated patients in my dermatology practice, I saw people struggle with skin conditions that were not life-threatening, yet took an emotional toll. These people included patients with psoriasis who refrained from intimate relationships because of their skin plaques; patients with rosacea who worried that their colleagues would think they had been drinking; patients with alopecia areata who felt compelled to wear hats or wigs; and patients with vitiligo who minimized their time in public places to avoid strangers’ questions and stares.
Dermatologists know these stories are common. Take alopecia areata and vitiligo, for instance. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune skin disease that results in partial or complete loss of hair on the scalp and body, and about 6.8 million Americans have or will develop alopecia areata during their lifetimes.[i] Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which the skin loses its pigment; it is the most common pigment disorder worldwide.[ii],[iii] Despite this prevalence and patients’ need for treatment, there is a gap – or white space – in the availability of safe and effective medications.
What can be done to improve patient access to treatments? Earlier this year, I was invited to address this issue of innovation and access at the Winter Clinical Dermatology Conference, a continuing medical education conference for dermatologists.
In my opinion, the first step to overcoming barriers to patient access is bringing new safe and effective medications to market. In response to the low priority that the pharmaceutical industry has placed on developing treatments for skin conditions, Aclaris focuses on discovering and developing compounds that could become therapies for conditions that fall into the white space of dermatology and immunodermatology. We have expertise in identifying promising work from research labs – like the early scientific work on Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors conducted at Columbia University – and then translating this work into the clinic. Right now, we are conducting clinical trials with multiple JAK inhibitor compounds for the treatment of alopecia areata and vitiligo – with the hope that one day we may have new medicines that will benefit millions of patients worldwide.
Unfortunately, even when treatments are available, too many interests interfere with the physician-patient relationship and limit patients’ access to care. My perspective is that the issue is three-fold, involving third-party payers, chain drug stores and patients.
Third-party payers have extraordinary power to limit coverage for branded medicines and shift a large percentage of the cost of treatment to patients and their employers. Payers often do provide better coverage and reimbursement for the first FDA-approved medication for a disease, so our strategy of focusing on the white spaces may help avoid reimbursement headwinds. Additionally, the business practices of chain drug stores sometimes add to the cost burden for patients, even for generic drugs. In some cases, generics are priced at 80 percent of the brand. And with increasing consolidation in that industry, patients have been left with very few alternatives. It will be interesting to see how the entry of Amazon as a new competitor affects the landscape.
That brings me to patients. I believe that some of the responsibility for access to treatment falls on patients themselves. Patients don’t always realize that when they prioritize convenience – say by seeking care for a skin condition at an urgent care facility or a clinic in a pharmacy – they may be sacrificing a good outcome that would have been accessible through the expertise of a board-certified dermatologist. Also, patients who see dermatologists should understand that not every treatment can be submitted to their insurance. They must keep in mind that they have to pay out-of-pocket for treatments whose sole purpose is to improve appearance, such as the removal of asymptomatic benign lesions like seborrheic keratoses (SKs).
Scientific innovation and openness to change are fundamental to the culture of Aclaris. We are committed to identifying, developing and commercializing therapies to address the white spaces in aesthetic and medical dermatology and immunodermatology. I’m confident we can do our part to increase patient access to transformative medicines.
[i] National Alopecia Areata Foundation. FAQ's. Available at: https://www.naaf.org/faqs. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
[ii] Boniface K, et al. New Insights Into Immune Mechanisms of Vitiligo. G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2016 Feb;151(1):44-54. Epub 2015 Oct 29. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26512930.
Skin, the largest organ of the human body, plays a critical role in the immune system, providing a physical barrier against foreign substances and acting as an immunologic organ. Human skin contains an estimated 20 billion T cells – a white blood cell that is an important part of the body’s immune response – far greater than the number of T cells found circulating in blood.
Unfortunately, despite the amazing efficiency and precision with which the skin and immune systems work together, things sometimes do go wrong. These “errors” can lead to autoimmune dermatological disorders such as a type of hair loss known as alopecia areata, and other conditions including eczema, psoriasis and vitiligo.
As our understanding of the immune systems grows, one of the most exciting areas of dermatology research is the development of highly targeted immuno-therapeutics that have the potential to change approaches to managing skin disorders. Aclaris Therapeutics is working in this cutting-edge field of immunodermatology, working with several families of immunomodulators targeting Janus kinase (JAK), interleukin-2 inducible kinase (ITK) or the p38/MK2 pathway. These intracellular signaling pathways are involved with many aspects of the body’s immune responses, including skin inflammation.
The first of the four JAK enzymes was discovered in the early 1990s by researchers at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Subsequent studies showed that genetic defects in a particular JAK, JAK3, can cause severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). In fact, many of you may be familiar with the medical case of David Vetter, dubbed “the bubble boy,” who suffered from SCID. It was his case that ultimately led to the discovery of JAK and spawned the idea that drugs blocking these proteins might be protective against the damaging inflammation of certain autoimmune diseases.
At Aclaris, we are diligently working on oral and topical JAK inhibitor candidates, which are in clinical testing for conditions including alopecia areata. Our research and development team also is actively looking at the application of JAK inhibitors for the potential treatment of androgenetic alopecia, also known as male/female pattern baldness.
We find the potential for immunodermatology so promising that we recently acquired Confluence Life Sciences, Inc., a company focused on discovery of new kinase inhibitors. The Confluence acquisition expands our anti-inflammation and immunology pipeline. Confluence has developed a family of complementary JAK inhibitors, including unique, skin-targeted JAK1/3 inhibitors that we will evaluate for the potential treatment of alopecia areata and, possibly, other skin disorders. These skin-targeted, “soft” JAK inhibitors are designed to be active in the skin but rapidly metabolized in the circulation.
ITK inhibitors, a second category of kinase inhibitors was acquired by us as part of the acquisition of Confluence. This kinase is involved with T cell signaling, and it has a particularly potent influence on Th17 cells and their expression of interleukin-17. We have plans to evaluate ITK inhibitors in psoriasis and related pathologies.
A third drug class that has come to Aclaris via Confluence is called p38/MK2 pathway inhibitors. One can think of these drugs as “oral anti-TNFα and anti-IL1β” agents. P38/MK2 is the central pathway involved in all chronic inflammation.
Finally, with the Confluence acquisition, we not only expanded our inflammation and immunology pipeline, but also gained a drug discovery engine led by some of the leading researchers in the field.
As a dermatologist-led biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying, developing and commercializing innovative and differentiated therapies to address significant unmet needs in medical and aesthetic dermatology, we are proud to be on the front lines of immunodermatology.
Salmon JK, Armstrong CA, Ansel JC. The skin as an immune organ. Western Journal of Medicine. 1994;160(2):146-152.
Seneschal J, Clark RA, Gehad A, Baecher-Allan CM, Kupper TS. Human Epidermal Langerhans Cells Maintain Immune Homeostasis in Skin by Activating Skin Resident Regulatory T Cells. Immunity. 2012;36(5):873-884. doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2012.03.018.
Schwartz DM, Bonelli M, Gadina M, O’Shea JJ. Type I/II cytokines, JAKs, and new strategies for treating autoimmune diseases. Nature Reviews Rheumatology. 2016;12(1):25-36. doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2015.167.
Notarangelo LD, Mella P, Jones A, de Saint Basile G, Savoldi G, Cranston T, Vihinen M, Schumacher RF. Mutations in severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) due to JAK3 deficiency. Hum Mutat. 2001 Oct;18(4):255-63.
Cossu F. Genetics of SCID. Italian Journal of Pediatrics. 2010;36:76. doi:10.1186/1824-7288-36-76.
Aclaris Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company founded by dermatologists and dedicated exclusively to dermatology. As one of those founders and President and Chief Executive Officer of Aclaris, I’m privileged to lead a team that is committed to developing and commercializing innovative medical and aesthetic treatments for dermatologic conditions. We are focused on skin and hair conditions characterized by underserved patient populations in which treatment gaps exist, or no FDA-approved medications are available for patients. Dermatology patients are at the heart of everything we do, and our goal is to empower patients with choices by bringing to market new treatments with the potential to improve the way they look and feel.
Aclaris is dedicated to developing impactful medicines for the ultimate benefit of the patient. It’s what motivates our team every day. We are committed to addressing patients’ needs not only through innovation but also through a laser-like focus on our core competencies in identifying, developing, achieving regulatory approval for, and commercializing new treatments for underserved skin and hair conditions.
An example of an innovation that was born in clinical practice and developed by industry is a new topical treatment for rosacea approved by the FDA in January 2017 and marketed by Allergan plc as Rhofade™. This medicine has the potential to help millions who suffer from rosacea, a common facial skin disorder that causes many patients significant distress. Dr. Stuart D. Shanler, my fellow dermatologist and Chief Scientific Officer of Aclaris, co-invented the treatment and spent years on its development because he saw a real unmet need in the rosacea patients he cared for while practicing dermatology.
Sometimes, great advances in medicine come out of the basic science research efforts of academic centers. For example, a research team at Columbia University Medical Center led by Angela Christiano, Ph.D., identified the immune cells responsible for destroying hair follicles in people with alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. These researchers then tested a drug in the family of Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors approved by the FDA for another disease and found it eliminated these immune cells and restored hair growth in a small number of patients. Aclaris licensed the intellectual property from Columbia University to develop medicines for patients with alopecia areata and other dermatological conditions who currently have no satisfactory treatment options.
Identifying new approaches to serving dermatology patients was the reason I decided to switch to the industry side of health care. I realized my impact could be greater than the fulfilling work I was engaged in as a practicing dermatologist. At Aclaris, offering new options to people suffering from dermatologic conditions is always on our minds, hence our dedication to Illuminating Science, Empowering Patients. | 2019-04-20T06:18:08Z | https://www.aclaristx.com/companynews/ |
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A method for training a server for content delivery based on communication of state information from a mobile device browser, the method comprising providing a control channel between the server and mobile device browser, transmitting over the control channel a plurality of request messages from the mobile device browser to the server for Web pages, each of the messages indicating browsing-related state data, and implementing heuristic algorithms within the server to detect and learn patterns of the request messages, pre-fetching at least hypertext content of Web pages that the server has learned will likely be requested, and embedding the hypertext content in response codes within response messages over the control channel from the server to the mobile device browser.
A portion of this specification contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
This specification relates generally to mobile data communication systems, and more particularly to a method of training a server for content delivery based on communication of state information from a mobile device browser.
Mobile communication devices are becoming increasingly popular for business and personal use due to a relatively recent increase in number of services and features that the devices and mobile infrastructures support. Handheld mobile communication devices, sometimes referred to as mobile stations, are essentially portable computers having wireless capability, and come in various forms. These include Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), cellular phones and smart phones.
It is known in the art to provide local file caching. One approach is set forth in GloMop: Global Mobile Computing By Proxy, published Sep. 13, 1995, by the GloMop Group, wherein PC Card hard drives are used as portable file caches for storing, as an example, all of the users' email and Web caches. The user synchronizes the file caches and the proxy server keeps track of the contents. Mobile applications (clients) are able to check the file caches before asking for information from the proxy server by having the server verify that the local version of a given file is current.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the method of training the proxy server to deliver content based on detecting and learning patterns of request messages from the mobile device browser.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a broad aspect of the exemplary method of training a proxy server for content delivery based on communication of state information from a mobile device browser.
In general, there is provided a method of training a server for content delivery based on communication of state information from a mobile device browser, the method comprising providing a control channel between the server and mobile device browser, transmitting over the control channel a plurality of request messages from the mobile device browser to the server for Web pages, wherein each of the messages indicates browsing-related state data, implementing a heuristic algorithm within the server to detect and learn patterns of request messages and pre-fetching at least hypertext content of Web pages that the server has learned will likely be requested, and embedding the hypertext content in response codes within response messages over the control channel from said server to the mobile device browser.
A specific application of this method provides for communicating information between an enterprise or proxy server and a mobile Internet browser. An HTTP-like protocol is set forth, referred to herein as the Browser Session Management (BSM) protocol, for providing a control channel between the proxy server and the mobile device browser, so that the mobile device browser can communicate to the proxy server what data the first mobile device browser has stored in memory (from previous browsing). The BSM protocol is an “out of band” protocol in that BSM communications are in addition to the usual stream of HTTP requests from the mobile device browser to the proxy server and provide “metadata” relating to cache contents. This metadata is used by the proxy server when handling subsequent requests from the mobile device browser, to determine what data to send to the mobile device browser, thereby significantly reducing data transfer on subsequent requests relative to the prior art methodology discussed above.
Because the proxy server is aware of what the mobile communication device has stored in its cache, the amount of data sent to the mobile communication device may be reduced, thereby increasing the performance of the mobile communication device and reducing operational cost. If after the first request the CNN.com banner is cached and provided the proxy server “knows” that the information has been cached, then there will be no need to send the CNN.com banner to the mobile device browser upon subsequent visits to the CNN Web site.
In contrast to the prior art GloMop caching methodology discussed above, the exemplary method set forth herein synchronizes the cache contents when the mobile device browser connects to the proxy server in order to initiate a session and keeps track of changes to the cache via knowledge of what data has been sent to the mobile device browser in combination with state information periodically received from the mobile device browser identifying what has actually been cached. Also, as set forth in greater detail below, the proxy server uses this cache knowledge to determine what to send back to the mobile device browser. In contrast, the prior art GloMop methodology does not contemplate sending any state information to the proxy server for identifying what has actually been cached in the device. Moreover, the prior art GloMop approach first checks the local cache, and then queries the proxy server to determine whether a particular data item in the cache is current or not. According to the GloMop prior art, the proxy server does not use its own knowledge of the mobile device browser cache to determine what to send back to the mobile device browser.
Another aspect of the specification provides a method comprising: providing, via a server, a control channel between the server and a mobile device; receiving, at the server, over the control channel requests from the mobile device for content, the requests comprising data identifying previously requested content cached at the mobile device; implementing, at the server, a heuristic algorithm to build an internal statistical model of patterns of the requests to determine subsequent content that the mobile device is most likely to request; pre-fetching, at the server, a portion of the subsequent content when the statistical model indicates that probability of requesting the subsequent content exceeds a first threshold, and otherwise awaiting another one of the requests comprising a content identifier and adjusting the statistical model in response thereto; and embedding at least the portion of the subsequent content in responses transmitted over the control channel from the server to the mobile device browser.
The method can further comprise modifying downloading of the content from the server to the mobile device based on tracking history of changes reflected in hash values of the data identifying the previously requested content cached at the mobile device.
The method can further comprise fetching a further portion of the subsequent content when the statistical model indicates that the probability of requesting the subsequent content exceeds a second threshold greater than the first threshold and otherwise awaiting the another one of the requests. The method can further comprise inlining subsequent content data after sending current content to the mobile device. The subsequent content data can be inlined within the current content. The statistical model can include time information for predicting that subsequent content will likely be requested within a specific time after the server begins sending current content to the mobile device.
The method can further comprise building different statistical models for each of a plurality of mobile devices serviced by the server.
The method can further comprise building a global statistical model for a plurality of mobile devices serviced by the server.
The statistical model can comprise a selective blend between a single statistical model built for the mobile device and a global statistical model built for a plurality of mobile devices serviced by the server, selected on a content-identifier-sequence-by-content-identifier-sequence basis.
The heuristic algorithm can be selected from a group consisting of Hidden Markov Model algorithms, Bayesian inference methods and Neural Networks.
Yet a further aspect of the specification provides a communication system comprising: a mobile device enabled to transmit over a control channel a plurality of requests, comprising data identifying previously requested content cached at the mobile device; and a server enabled to: implement a heuristic algorithm to build an internal statistical model of patterns of the requests to determine subsequent content that the mobile device is most likely to request; when the statistical model indicates that probability of requesting the subsequent content exceeds a first threshold pre-fetch a portion of the subsequent content, and otherwise: await another one of the requests comprising a content identifier; and adjust the statistical model in response thereto; and embed at least the portion of the subsequent content in responses transmitted over the control channel from the server to the mobile device browser.
The server can be further enabled to modify downloading of the content from the server to the mobile device based on tracking history of changes reflected in hash values of the data identifying the previously requested content cached at the mobile device.
The server can be further enabled to fetch a further portion of the subsequent content when the statistical model indicates that the probability of requesting the subsequent content exceeds a second threshold greater than the first threshold and otherwise awaiting the another one of the requests.
The server can be further enabled to inline subsequent content data after sending current content to the mobile device. The subsequent content data can be inlined within the current content. The statistical model can include time information for predicting that subsequent content will likely be requested within a specific time after the server begins sending current content to the mobile device.
The server can be further enabled to build different statistical models for each of a plurality of mobile devices serviced by the server.
The server can be further enabled to build a global statistical model for a plurality of mobile devices serviced by the server.
Additional aspects and advantages will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, residing in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 depicts the architecture of a system for providing wireless e-mail and data communication between a mobile device 1 and an enterprise or proxy server 9. Communication with the device 1 is effected over a wireless network 3, which in turn is connected to the Internet 5 and proxy server 9 through corporate firewall 7 and relay 8. Alternatively, the device 1 can connect directly (via the Internet) through the corporate firewall 7 to the proxy server 9. When a new message is received in a user's mailbox within email server 11, enterprise or proxy server 9 is notified of the new message and email application 10 (e.g. Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), MS Exchange, etc.) copies the message out to the device 1 using a push-based operation. Alternatively, an exemplary architecture for proxy server 9 may provide a browsing proxy but no email application 10. Indeed, the exemplary embodiment set forth herein relates to mobile browser device functionality and is not related to email functionality. Proxy server 9 also provides access to data on an application server 13 and the Web server 15 via a Mobile Data Service (MDS) 12. Additional details regarding e-mail messaging, MAPI sessions, attachment service, etc., are omitted from this description as they are not germane. Nonetheless, such details would be known to persons of ordinary skill in the art.
In terms of Web browsing functionality, the device 1 communicates with enterprise or proxy server 9 using HTTP over an IP protocol optimized for mobile environments. In some embodiments, the device 1 communicates with the proxy server 9 using HTTP over TCP/IP, over a variant of TCP/IP optimized for mobile use (e.g. Wireless Profiled TCP), or over other, proprietary protocols. For example, according to the communications protocol of FIG. 2A, HTTP is run over Internet Point-to-Point Protocol (IPPP) and an encrypted Global Messaging Exchange (GME) channel over which datagrams are exchanged to transport data between the device 1 and proxy server 9. The GME datagrams are 64 Kbit in size whereas the wireless network 3 can only transport UDP (User Datagram Protocol) datagrams with payloads up to 1500 bytes. Therefore, a Message Delivery Protocol (MDP) is used to separate the GME datagrams into one or more MDP packets, each of which is less than 1500 bytes (default size 1300 bytes), which are transported over UDP/IP to and from the relay 8 which, in turn communicates with the proxy server 9 via Server Relay Protocol (SRP)/TCP/IP. The MDP protocol includes acknowledgements, timeouts and re-sends to ensure that all packets of the GME datagram are received.
The communication between the device 1 and proxy server 9 is optionally encrypted with an encryption scheme, such as Triple Data Encryption Algorithm (TDEA, formerly referred to as Triple Data Encryption Standard (Triple DES)), as is known in the art. The proxy server 9 enables Internet access, preprocesses and compresses HTML and XML content from the Web server 15 before sending it to the device 1, transcodes content type, stores HTTP cookies on behalf of the device 1, and supports certificate authority authentications, etc.
In order to indicate device browser state information to the proxy server 9, three transitional state messages are defined herein, as follows: CONNECT, UPDATE and DISCONNECT, each of which conforms to the exemplary BSM protocol. As shown in FIG. 2B, the BSM communications protocol is identical to the protocol of FIG. 2A except that the conventional HTTP layer of the protocol stack is replaced by an HTTP-like BSM layer, including a Browser Session Management (BSM) Handler at the proxy server 9.
The CONNECT transitional message creates a new session with a connection identifier carried in the payload, device information and state data (e.g. current cache and device information) in the form of a set of hash functions for use by the proxy server 9 in preparing a response. Specific care is taken not to identify to the proxy server 9 what cookies or cache entries are contained on the device 1. Only hash values of the state data are sent to the proxy server 9 in order to protect the identity of state data on the device 1.
The CONNECT message also contains a unique authentication key for generating a MAC (Message Authentication Code) using a Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC) algorithm that incorporates a cryptographic hash function in combination with the authentication key. Each portion of a multi-part document from the proxy server 9 also contains an HMAC, generated using the authentication key, that is used for authenticating the proxy server 9 before adding that portion to the device cache. This prevents a third party from creating its own multi-part document and sending it to the device 1 for injecting cache entries that could be used to extract personal information from the user.
The UPDATE transition message notifies the proxy server 9 of changes that have occurred on the device 1 since the last CONNECT message or the last UPDATE message, between the device 1 and proxy server 9 (e.g. new cache entries added because of a push, or invoking the “Low Memory Manager” (LMM) or other memory-space preservation policies on the device and purging items from the cache).
The DISCONNECT transition message notifies the proxy server 9 that the device 1 will no longer send any more messages using the connection identifier specified in the payload. The proxy server 9 can then de-allocate any memory reserved for the connect session between the device 1 and proxy server 9. Upon receiving the disconnect message, the proxy server 9 deletes any session cookies for the device 1 (if it is processing cookies) along with state information. Receiving a request on the identified connection after the DISCONNECT has been received, and before any subsequent CONNECT message has been received, is defined as an error.
Since state is indicated from the device 1 to the proxy server 9, and state may be stored in transient memory within proxy server 9, a mechanism is provided for the proxy server 9 to return to the device 1 a message indicating that the session the device is trying to use is not valid. Once this occurs, the device 1 issues a new CONNECT message and establishes a new session with the proxy server 9, and re-issues the original request.
The data protocol set forth herein is similar to HTTP in order to reduce complexity and to reuse code that already exists for the HTTP protocol. Thus, data transmission according to this protocol begins with a STATE keyword; followed by a BSM (Browser Session Management) protocol identifier and a “Content-Length” header. The end of the “headers” is indicated by a double CRLF (a sequence of control characters consisting of a carriage return (CR) and a line feed (LF)), much like HTTP. After the double CRLF pair (i.e. \r\n) a WBXML (WAP Binary Extensible Markup Language) encoded document is inserted as the message payload. The WBXML document is later decoded using a DTD (Document Type Definition) and codebook, as discussed in greater detail below. The indication of the protocol version refers to what version of the DTD to validate the request against (ie. BSM/1.1 stipulates using version 1.1 of the DTD). It should be noted that WBXML encoding of the contents of BSM messages is set forth to allow for more efficient processing of the BSM message at the device 1, but that in alternate embodiments, the BSM message may be formatted as normal (textual) XML.
In the foregoing, the first four lines form the CONNECT message from the device 1 to the proxy server 9, and the last two lines are the response from the proxy server 9.
In the example, the state data includes the URL of an HTML page within the device cache. It will be noted that the XML document payload includes a connection identifier (i.e. bsm id=“2”), a value indicating when the document was last modified (i.e. etag=“SomeEtag”), a page expiry (i.e. expiry=“256712323”), and hash values for a URL (i.e. entry urlHash=“FEEDDEED01”) and a data attribute (i.e. entry dataHash=“FDDEDEED11”) rather than transmitting the actual URL and data attribute themselves. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the hashes of the URL and data attribute of the cached page are sent to the proxy server 9 in the CONNECT string (step 21). The proxy server 9 then fetches the requested page from Web server 13 (step 23), computes hashes of device browser state data (step 25) and data from the Web server 13 (step 27), and compares the hashes of the URL and data attribute of the requested page with the hashed URL and data attribute of the cached page, and also compares the time stamps/expiration information (step 29) in order to determine whether the cached page is current. Specifically, in response to the proxy server 9 retrieving a portion from the Web server 13, it computes the dataHash and urlHash of that portion and performs a comparison to the dataHashes and urlHashes of the entries it has saved. There are three cases.
In the first case, if both the dataHash and the urlHash of the retrieved portion match the dataHash and urlHash of a cache entry that the proxy server 9 knows the device 1 has, then the server 13 simply omits this portion from the response, as the device 1 still has a valid entry in its cache.
In the second case, if the dataHash of the retrieved portion matches the dataHash of a cache entry that the proxy server 9 knows the device 1 has, but the urlHash of the retrieved portion does not match the urlHash of that cache entry, the server 13 inlines this updated portion in the combined response to the device 1. However, because the dataHash matches a dataHash of an entry that already exists on the device 1, the inlined response does not include the actual data, but instead only includes a new HTTP header whose value is the new dataHash. When the device 1 receives this inlined portion, it detects the special header, looks for the cache entry with that dataHash, and either creates or updates its cache entry for that URL with the data corresponding to the dataHash by copying that data from the other cache entry (the cache for device 1 is modified to have two indexes, one to retrieve cache entries by URL, the other to retrieve cache entries by dataHash). Finally, if the proxy server 9 already has a cache entry for the urlHash, it updates that entry with the new dataHash; otherwise it creates a new entry for this portion.
In the third case, if the dataHash of the retrieved portion does not match the dataHash of any of the cache entries that the proxy server 9 has received from the device 1 in the BSM messages, then the server inlines the entire portion (headers and new data), since this portion has been updated and the device 1 does not contain the updated value anywhere in its cache.
Although not indicated in FIG. 3, it will be appreciated that each inline part to be added to a document to be displayed at the device 1 is fetched. If the response code from the proxy server indicates a “304” (step 31), then the part (i.e., the “304” response) is written as a block in the multipart document. On the other hand, if the proxy server 9 returns a “200” (step 33), then the hash compare operation is performed, and the portion is only included in the multipart document if the hash compare function indicates it is not already on the device 1. The method of FIG. 3 ends at step 35.
As is well known in the art, the codebook is used as a transformation for compressing the XML document to WBXML, wherein each text token is represented by a single byte from the codebook.
As discussed above, the proxy server 9 transmits multi-part documents in a proprietary format of compressed HTML, interspersed with data for images and other auxiliary files (which may or may not be related to the main HTML Web page). However, in a departure from conventional HTML, each document part may also include a response code (e.g. “200” for OK, or “304” for “not modified” to indicate that the specified document part has already been cached in the device 1). This may be used for selective downloading of document parts rather than entire documents and for indicating when a part (e.g. image) is about to expire. This is useful, for example, when one Web page links to another page containing one or more common elements.
Of course, certain device requests (e.g. page refresh) will always result in a full document download, irrespective of device state information stored in the proxy server 9.
It is contemplated that the inclusion of response codes may be used by heuristic processes within the proxy server 9 to learn user behaviour and modify downloading of documents based on tracking the history of certain changes reflected in the hash value (e.g. the server 9 may learn to download a certain page (e.g. CNN news) at a particular time each day based the user's history of issuing requests for that page at regular times. As discussed above, because the downloaded documents are multi-part and contain embedded response codes, only those portions of the document that have changed are actually downloaded.
Turning to FIG. 4, a method is set forth in which the proxy server 9 uses heuristic algorithms to learn what additional data requests the device 1 may make based on knowledge of the current request, and knowledge of past activity. For example, in some instances, the device may consistently follow a pattern of requesting a first Web page (e.g. “cnn.com” Web page), followed by a second Web page (e.g. “cnn.com/news” Web page). According to the method depicted in FIG. 4, the proxy server 9 learns this pattern, such that whenever the device 1 requests the first Web page, the proxy server 9 determines that the device is likely to then request the second Web page and therefore automatically fetches the second Web page, uses its knowledge of the data cached on the device 1 (i.e. from the state information transferred to the proxy server 9 during initiation of the connection) to determine whether the second Web page already exists within the data cached on the device and whether the cached page is current (i.e. by comparing the time stamps/expiration information as discussed above with reference to step 29 of FIG. 3). If soothe second Web page exists and is current, the proxy server 9 includes information about the second Web page via response codes embedded within the response provided for the first Web page, as set forth in detail above. If the device 1 requires the second Web page, then the device 1 references its cache and thereby avoids having to make a request to the proxy server 9 for the second Web page.
Thus, at step 37 of FIG. 4, the proxy server 9 retains a history of the sequence of specific page requests made by the device browser. Preferably, the tracking history is based on changes reflected in the hash values of the browsing-related state data, as discussed above. The proxy server 9 then uses a heuristic technique to build an internal statistical model of the request patterns (step 39). Where the proxy server 9 services multiple devices 1, a separate statistical model is developed for each device 1. Alternatively, a global statistical model may be developed across all devices that the proxy server 9 is servicing. Or, indeed, the two foregoing statistical models may be blended to yield a best prediction on a URL-sequence-by-URL-sequence basis.
In any event, the statistical model developed at step 39 is used to determine the set of URLs that the device 1 is most likely to request next, given the particular historical sequence of previously requested URLs (step 37).
If, at step 41, the statistical model indicates that probability of a certain previously requested URL being requested next is above a certain threshold (Threshold 1), the proxy server 9 proactively fetches the HyperText content of the predicted next page (step 43). Otherwise, the method awaits the requested URL from the device 1 and adjusts the statistical model accordingly (step 45) and the method ends (step 51).
If, at step 47, the probability exceeds a higher threshold (Threshold 2) then all of the associated images and/or auxiliary files are fetched for the predicted next page (step 49).
According to one embodiment, the proxy server 9 inlines the “next page” data after it has sent the data for the current page to the device 1, in order to allow the device to fully render the current page. In another embodiment, the “next-page” data is inlined within the HTML of the current page rather than appended at the end of it. In both cases, the “next-page” data is still part of the response for the current page, rather than appearing in a separate request or response.
One example of the embodiment in which the “next-page” data is inlined is where the statistical model includes time information and determines that particular “next pages” will likely be requested very shortly after the proxy server 9 has started sending the current page data to the device 1. As discussed above, because the downloaded documents are multi-part and contain embedded response codes, only those portions of the document that have changed are actually downloaded.
Examples of heuristic techniques that may be used in step 39 include, but are not limited to, the Hidden Markov Model algorithms, Bayesian inference methods and Neural Networks.
The method set forth in FIG. 4 causes the proxy server 9 to constantly learn and refine the statistical model with every new page request it receives, to ensure that it most closely tracks the current behaviour of the devices it is servicing.
Turning now to FIG. 5, a broad aspect of the exemplary method of training a proxy server for content delivery based on communication of state information from a mobile device browser, is illustrated by way of a flowchart. At step 52, a control channel is established between the proxy server 9 and mobile device 1. The device 1 transmits a plurality of request messages to the proxy server 9 for Web pages, wherein each of the messages indicates browsing-related state data (step 53). At step 54 a heuristic algorithm is implemented within the proxy server 9 to detect and learn patterns of request messages. The proxy server 9 then pre-fetches at least HyperText content of Web pages that the proxy server 9 has learned will likely be requested (step 55). The pre-fetched HyperText content is then embedded in response codes within response messages transmitted to the mobile device 1 (step 56). The process ends at step 57.
As indicated above, the protocol of the preferred embodiment is preferably carried over a proprietary IPPP transport layer, but can also be easily adapted to run over TCP/IP on a specific port. The protocol is preferably implemented as a handler in the proxy server 9, thereby simplifying any currently existing protocol. (e.g. to avoid overloading a current HTTP protocol).
A person skilled in the art, having read this description of the preferred embodiment, may conceive of variations and alternative embodiments. For example, the conditional transfer of data based on communication of state information, as set forth above, may also be applied to separately transmitting individual portions of the multipart document as opposed to transmitting the entire document at once.
All such variations and alternative embodiments are believed to be within the ambit of the claims appended hereto.
embedding at least the portion of the subsequent content in responses transmitted over the control channel from the server to the mobile device browser.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying downloading of the content from the server to the mobile device based on tracking history of changes reflected in hash values of the data identifying the previously requested content cached at the mobile device.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising fetching a further portion of the subsequent content when the statistical model indicates that the probability of requesting the subsequent content exceeds a second threshold greater than the first threshold and otherwise awaiting the another one of the requests.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising inlining subsequent content data after sending current content to the mobile device.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the subsequent content data is inlined within the current content.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the statistical model includes time information for predicting that subsequent content will likely be requested within a specific time after the server begins sending current content to the mobile device.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising building different statistical models for each of a plurality of mobile devices serviced by the server.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising building a global statistical model for a plurality of mobile devices serviced by the server.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical model comprises a selective blend between a single statistical model built for the mobile device and a global statistical model built for a plurality of mobile devices serviced by the server, selected on a content-identifier-sequence-by-content-identifier-sequence basis.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the heuristic algorithm is selected from a group consisting of Hidden Markov Model algorithms, Bayesian inference methods and Neural Networks.
embed at least the portion of the subsequent content in responses transmitted over the control channel from the server to the mobile device browser.
12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the server is further enabled to modify downloading of the content from the server to the mobile device based on tracking history of changes reflected in hash values of the data identifying the previously requested content cached at the mobile device.
13. The communication system of claim 11, 11, wherein the server is further enabled to fetch a further portion of the subsequent content when the statistical model indicates that the probability of requesting the subsequent content exceeds a second threshold greater than the first threshold and otherwise awaiting the another one of the requests.
14. The communication system of claim 13, 11, wherein the server is further enabled to inline subsequent content data after sending current content to the mobile device.
15. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the subsequent content data is inlined within the current content.
16. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the statistical model includes time information for predicting that subsequent content will likely be requested within a specific time after the server begins sending current content to the mobile device.
17. The communication system of claim 11, 11, wherein the server is further enabled to build different statistical models for each of a plurality of mobile devices serviced by the server.
18. The communication system of claim 11, 11, wherein the server is further enabled to build a global statistical model for a plurality of mobile devices serviced by the server.
19. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the statistical model comprises a selective blend between a single statistical model built for the mobile device and a global statistical model built for a plurality of mobile devices serviced by the server, selected on a content-identifier-sequence-by-content-identifier-sequence basis.
20. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the heuristic algorithm is selected from a group consisting of Hidden Markov Model algorithms, Bayesian inference methods and Neural Networks. | 2019-04-24T05:16:52Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US20110264731A1/en |
Well, I’ve been occupied. I’ve had it in my head for at least a couple years now that I should write a distance training manual for small dogs. Over time—using my web-log for a focus for writing discipline—I honed and refined many of the concepts and exercises that are intrinsic to my understanding of distance training in dog agility. And yet, I had a hard time staring the project from the POV of a cohesive content plan.
I had an epiphany! It occurs to me that there is fundamentally no difference between training the small dog and training the big dog. The concepts are the same. The exercises and methods and objectives are identical. And so the concept of writing a specific guide for the small dog is flawed from the onset. Little dog people will tell you that their dogs have to take more strides between obstacles; they move slower; they are tiny and don’t have the speed and impulsion of their larger cousins.
I find that any training objective begins with a mission statement and, you might say, the will to prevail. As often as not the little-dog person will spend more energy explaining why they can’t achieve the distance training mission than they actually do working on the distance training mission. Aye, there’s the rub.
And so, I return to the drawing board free of the shackles of the misstated mission. The size of the dog makes no difference.
And so what I’ve been doing for most of the past week is developing a workbook based on my own lesson plans. I’ve been living like a bear in the basement thumping on the keyboard and referencing hundreds of short articles I’ve written on distance training and handling.
My objective is to publish a distance training workbook on a monthly basis suitable for instructor-led lesson planning or as a reference to the back-yard agility enthusiast. I figure that after about a year I’ll have written (and rewritten) most of what I know about training a dog for distance work in agility. This week I just wanted to give it a good start.
I have a bit of editing to do yet. And I want to do my usual technical thing, putting the project in a .zip file so that the reader can click on any of the course maps and spawn it into the Clean Run Course Designer. That little detail alone represents 8 or 10 hours of work.
I’ll let you all know when it’s available. I figure by January 1 it will be good to go.
As a handling exercise, this simple sequence is more difficult than it looks. As a distance exercise it is considerably harder than it looks.
Sometimes the solution to a distance challenge when constrained by a handler containment line mightn’t really be the best handling solution if there were no constraint to movement. In the workbook I also intend to study handling challenges in which a distance handling solution is the most elegant.
Which is true of this sequence?
Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston: [email protected]. And Check out my latest publication the Just For Fun Agility Notebook #30 available on the Country Dream Web Store.
This discussion relates to our training plan for the week, which will be published in JFF Notebook #31 (around the first of the year). Each week we have a featured game for league play. It is my habit to build the lesson plan around the set of equipment.
There’s a little bit that caught my eye in this week’s lesson plan. If you take a good look at the sequence here there’s a fair chance that the dog will take a wrong course to the dummy-tire alongside jump #3.
There are a variety of ways we can phrase the discussion. But I find that one of the fundamental skills the handler needs to understand is his own path. The dog draws a great deal of information from the direction the handler is moving.
In the failed movement the handler is out of position in order to conduct his Cross. A Front Cross is not a bad option at all. But this handler has failed to understand that his own path will cue the dog to direction. Take note of a couple of the Laws of a Dog in Motion ~ A dog moves in a path parallel to the handlers path; A dog ahead tends to curl back to the handler.
The handler’s path must necessarily be a sharp line along the left edges of the two jumps following the collapsed tunnel. So after the dog is in the tunnel it’s the handler’s job to get up to that corner in order to conduct the Cross.
Just so you don’t think I’ve been lollygagging around these days, I should catch you up on what I’ve been doing. The better part of the past week has been spent designing my very own web-store.
I’ve put all of my writing products (about a quarter-million pages, I figure) on an impressive product management system at http://www.e-junkie.com. These guys provide the credit card and Paypal processing in a very secure transaction environment.
Now, there’s a story to tell here I suppose. About ten years ago I bought a license for a secure proprietary web-store. The upshot of this was that I had to commit to a web service provider that charged me an arm & a leg to maintain the proprietary system and the huge data storage overhead.
The webstore was techie enough that I had to contract with a fellow who would do the necessary periodic maintenance. And, at that, it was never quite as pretty or as organized as I would have liked it. There was almost constantly something going wrong technically with the system; and for a guy like me, there already aren’t enough hours in the day.
Now I’m ready to close an old bank account, fire a merchant card processing company, dump my old web service provider, and save about $500 a year in the deal. With any luck, my products will be easier to find and my sales will increase.
The blizzard that hit the east coast yesterday has put me behind on some outside chores with which I was already tardy. I transplanted about 40 trees from the undercover of the woods within my property. And I was busy putting them all in planters and adding to the soil so they could over-winter; but the ground froze up and I was only about half done.
I also failed to haul my raft/barge up out of the pond. I don’t really want it to get locked in ice. So with any luck, it’ll warm up for a few days and allow me to go down with the tractor, and pull it out of the water with chains. I need to flip it over and do some repairs anyhow. My bad.
There are a couple of projects that I can do even with the bad weather outside. I’ve milled enough 1″ lumber to do I could new sections of wainscot in the training building. I’ll get them nailed up in the next couple of days. I’m 95% finished… and have to admit that it’s looking pretty impressive. This is 364 linear feet of wainscot wall, all done with recycled and reused lumber.
Another project that I only started… I was building steps from my back outside stairs into the garden. So I have two post holes dug and posts sitting down into the holes; which filled with water that is now frozen. I stopped midpoint because I had to go down to Lowes to buy a couple of long bolts which will be drilled through the posts and connected to the stair railing… and, I have to fill the holes beneath with cement. All of this construction, by the way, is merely to put two steps down from the deck into the garden. But I needed the posts so I can build a gate. I have a couple dogs that are fruit and vegetable stealing sneaks. So like I said, I need a gate.
Posted in Dog Agility Training | Comments Off on OMGzilla!
I’d like to share with you a brief tutorial on spacing between flow obstacles for course design in the TDAA. I am, for now, the chief course reviewer for the TDAA. Throughout 2009 I was on a mission to open up the transitional spacing between flow obstacles to the degree that play in the venue was both safe and appropriate for dogs.
I find myself now in the curious position that I must work with judges in 2010 to tighten things back up again. Chiefly this is a problem of education so that our judges and course designers can understand when a short transition between obstacles is appropriate (and highly desirable); and when the space between obstacles needs to be opened up both for safety and fairness.
In this first illustration I show a straight-away sequence with the obstacles spaced uniformly at 8′ interval. I would not be averse to seeing some variability in the spacing… at times as little as 7′ and as much as 9′ or 10′.
Note in this drawing that the dog has a good 12′ between the #1 pipe tunnel and jump #2. A dog comes out of a tunnel blind and undirected and needs a bit of extra room to focus on the next correct obstacle.
Now we’ve changed the sequence to include turns. A 90° turn deserves a minimum of 12′ for the handler to convince the dog to change directions. It is purely a matter of physics that a dog traveling a modest 3 YPS will need room to affect his turning radius. Any shorter transitional distance will have the quick little dogs forging around the jump as he comes out of the turn.
I’ve included a serpentine-like 180° transition (between jumps #3 and #4). This too will deserve a minimum of 12′.
The 10′ distance between jump #5 and the pipe tunnel at #6 was not an oversight on my part. Even the approach to a pipe tunnel deserves an accommodation for the dog’s turning radius. While I can order up a dog’s path out of the Clean Run Course Designer… the software is frankly ignorant of how dog’s move. The line of the dog’s dismount from jump #5 is dictated by the dog’s approach to that jump. The dog’s path in CRCD incorrectly draws a straight line from jump #5 on the approach to the pipe tunnel.
So if a 90° turn deserves a 12′ turning radius… then a pinwheel will reflect a series of 12′ interval spacing.
Please note that the pipe tunnel at #8 represents a wrong course option in the dog’s path through the turn after jump #5. The handler deserves an absolute minimum of 12′ to solve any wrong course option presented by the course. And frankly, 14′ would be more kindly.
The #8 pipe tunnel on the approach from jump #7 is a two-headed beast kind of discrimination with which we are all completely familiar these days. The flowing approach would be to the right side of the tunnel. And yet the course designer has opted to require the dog enter the left side. And so with this challenge I have provided 14′ to solve the discrimination. By the standards of any other agility organization this is an incredibly small piece of real estate to solve the technical riddle. And by our standards 12′ is the minimum… and 14′ would be more kindly. You see! Even I will be more kindly, from time to time.
This illustration presents the opportunity for several obstacle spacing discussions.
The first and last jump on course must be set a minimum of 10′ from the front of the ring. The ring barrier should always be treated as though it were a brick wall. The dog needs room to start; and the dog needs room to finish.
I give a little extra room for the approach to the tire. It is a special kind of hurdle that inspires anxiety and dread in the minds of otherwise level-headed people. And so we always seek to square the tire and give a little extra room on the approach so that the dog may be thoughtful in his performance.
The weave poles too deserve a bit of extra room on the approach. At 10′ this sequence represents the absolute minimum room and mostly because it’s in a straight line of approach. Out of any turn, the weave poles (being a technical obstacle, after all) deserve about 12′.
The teeter also deserves a square approach. Note that I use an anticipation of the dog’s turning radius to create the square. More on this later.
It should not be lost to you that the weave poles constitute a wrong course option to the dog coming out of the #6 pipe tunnel, and in the turn from jump #7 to #8. Once again, a wrong course option always deserves a minimum of 12′ (and, 14′ would be more kindly).
A more overt option is the table discrimination alongside of jump #10. Note that I’ve provided ample room for the handler to solve the mystery of direction.
The course designer is obligated to create a square presentation of the tire. As I’ve already mentioned, CRCD will kindly draw lines to represent the dog’s path. These lines will often beguile and obfuscate.
In truth the dog’s dismount from the #3 jump is dictated by the approach from the #2 jump. Frankly, only the dog moving in an inefficient manner really gets a square approach to the tire. While a quick moving little thing with an efficient turn at jump #2 will approach the tire at a bad angle. While it was correct to give the dog 10′ on the approach; it was probably wrong to use the tire as the terminal obstacle.
The simple fix for this in most course design is to seek placement for the tire that is already in a nice straight line. So my simple fix for this sequence was to swap the tire for the #2 bar jump.
Most of our judges and course designers know that we require a square approach to certain obstacles (contacts, the tire, and to a some extent the collapsed tunnel). What often happens is that the course designer sees only the no brainer… create the square with a straight-away series of obstacles as shown in this illustration.
However, it is also possible to create a square approach by pitching the dog into space so that the dog’s turning radius naturally brings him square to the teeter. The two jumps with the green line show a 180° curl back to the teeter. This is a perfectly acceptable way to use the pitch to create the square.
The blue line labeled “Maybe” could also be used. But I would be tempted to move the teeter a couple feet to the left to ensure the square.
The red line labeled “No” creates a nearly perpendicular approach to the teeter which would result in a “MUST FIX” notation in my course review. However, even this can be fixed. Consider moving the teeter about 5′ to the left.
Note that the dogwalk requires essentially the same approach as the teeter. And so there’s no good reason for me to repeat the discussion for the dogwalk.
We can also take a no-brainer approach to the A-frame. However this obstacle too can be approached with the idea that the dog’s pitch into space creates a square approach. What I’ve done in this illustration is to create two corner-to-corner axis lines that demonstrate an area of safe and square approach. Around the A-frame I’ve drawn four different approaches that create about a 12′ square approach to the A-frame. I was careful in each pair of jumps to put the dog into the area of square approach indicated by the axis lines.
This illustration presents several talking points about interval spacing.
I’ve given about a 12′ approach to the weave poles. There’s a little argument to be made for the notion that the pitch creates the square for the dog on the approach to the weave poles as well. I might have given as much as 14′ for the approach, were a kindlier man.
And, on the dismount from the weave poles, I’ve given a couple extra feet for the dog to come out of his weaving trance and resume movement.
The approach to the collapsed tunnel too, should be square. I’ve drawn axis lines which frankly correspond to corner-to-corner within the entry barrel. When the collapsed tunnel is presented at too perpendicular of an angle on the approach it’s entirely possible that the dog can get a hip-pointer on a hard unprotected side of the barrel. And as the dog screams in agony you get to stand there as the judge and live with the understanding that your bad course design put that dog in agony.
I’ve also provided the minimum 12′ approach to jump #6 on the dog’s dismount from the collapsed tunnel. If a dog comes out of a pipe tunnel blind and undirected… that must be double-true of the collapsed tunnel. And so I always provide an absolute minimum of 12′ for the handler to focus the dog on the course ahead.
Please note that jump #1 represents a wrong course option to the dog in the transition from jump #6 to jump #7. A wrong course option always deserves a minimum of 12′ for the handler to show the dog the actual direction of the course.
The 12′ spacing from jump #6 to #7 represents the course designers accommodation both for the turning radius after jump #6 and for the influence of the wrong course option.
And, darned if I didn’t put the tire after the hard-aback turn on jump #7. Once again, the pitch creates the square. However, I did give the dog about 12′ of real estate in the turn to ensure the square.
I should point out again that the first and last hurdles in this sequence are a minimum of 10′ from the front ring barrier..
Here’s a sample course for you. It’s really not a bad concept at all. But the course does have some spacing and flow problems that probably need to be fixed.
Given the foregoing discussion… what course review comments would I be likely to make on this course?
To tell you the truth there are often little things that I let slide in a course review. I look at the course review process as education. A person can’t really be educated if you beat the crap out of them every time they submit a course. So it’s necessary to pick the big stuff (like, what is unsafe); and leave some for the continuing education process.
But, with that being said, I’m looking for a little granularity here. Go ahead and pick nits. And if you are really OCD… you might simply revise and redraw the course to a degree of perfection.
Calera Oklahoma was friggin’ cold, and wet, and windy. I did six days of NADAC judging clinic… three mixed classroom/ practical and three practicing judging under NADAC rules for a Fun Raiser trial. I’ve learned heaps and have a lot of notes to sort through.
I’m happy to be home. I left early on Thanksgiving day and now it’s well into December. I especially regret that I didn’t get the haircut I needed about a week before I started the trip. Did I mention that Calera was windy?
Never have I maintained much of a bias for or against any agility venue. You know, it’s all rock ‘n roll to me. With that in mind I find NADAC to be pragmatic and forward-thinking and probably apart from any venue subscribing to the so-called “international standard” for the sport. I say “apart” and intend not to mince words here. This is not the same game as played in the USDAA, TDAA, or AKC. NADAC is founded on a thoughtful sensitivity for safety and fairness to the dog both in the design of courses and in the construction of equipment.
Course design is intuitive. And everything is about speed and flow. You know, the reason I even attended this clinic is because I’ve wanted from the beginning to make my boy Kory’s introduction to the sport of agility in NADAC. I want him to understand from the very beginning that agility is about working at full speed.
As to construction standards… if there is any one thing that has permanently switched in my brain is that contact obstacles should have a rubber surface; (yah, I reckon a NADAC person reading this would be wondering why I’ve been retarded on the point). To tell you the truth, Sharon Nelson did about a 15 minute demonstration on a full-height A-frame with a young pup who’d not been previously introduced to the obstacle. Here was a young dog wiggling around and moving with complete confidence and control on a surface that without the rubber would have had the dog scrabbling his toe-nails against a harder surface and feeling out of control. With the rubber surface the dog was completely nonplussed and in control.
In terms of distance training and handling and directional control of the dog NADAC players are far superior to players in any other venue in this country. I’m sorry, that sounds like quite a preposterous claim based as it is on a nearly insignificant statistical sampling. Given the amazing distance handling I saw this past weekend… I believe it right down to my bones.
So over the past week little NADAC myth bubbles have been popping left and right for me. It’s funny, if you keep hearing a thing it begins to resonate as a truth. A big one for me is the notion that competition in NADAC is “whatever’s in front of you is right!” (meaning the next obstacle). Well, that one ain’t true for sure. NADAC course design is proud to offer options and discriminations… and with the dog working at full-tilt rather than at a gathered pace.
Some of my favorite students around the country, by the way, are huge NADAC fans. I regret teasing them over time about their starry-eyed affection for the venue; but remember that I’ve been influenced by prevalent myths. I see in retrospect what draws them to my teaching. I teach handling skills complimentary to NADAC… giving information to a dog working at full speed.
I got a phone call yesterday from one of our TDAA judges (Holly, down in Georgia) wanting clarification on how to play the game Power & Speed. I believe I talked her through it. But after the call I decided to put this game up for our weekly league game. The fun part about this game—for the purposes of agility training—is that the performance of the contact obstacles in the Power section of the game goes untimed. That means the handler can make a big show of training with the dog and set a standard of care in the dog’s performance which should last the entire night (of training). I am personally of the belief that it is the handler’s own panic and rush that erodes solid contact performances in this sport.
Oh, and I was really working very hard on the design of this game to give sweeping transitional distances between the obstacles… creating for myself an intellectual puzzle in which I limited myself to 3,000 square feet of floor space for a 14 obstacle jumping sequence. And yet, I managed to provide pretty much 20′ on average between obstacles.
Note that this is not a TDAA course. In Teacup the transitional distances between obstacles would be nearly half of what is required for big dogs.
The class is scored on a time plus faults basis—lowest score wins.
Maximum course time is 2 minutes. If the course is not completed within maximum time, the dog and handler are eliminated.
The first section of the course—obstacles #1 through #5—is not timed. However, a handler will earn a 5-second time fault for any mistake. If, for example, a dog misses the up contact on the A-frame his score would be 5 for the first part of the course—obviously, the ideal score for #1 through #5 is 0.
The timekeeper will start the stopwatch at jump #1 (white circle numbers) and stop it after jump #14. Any faults earned in the first part of the course are added to this time. Suppose the dog that missed the A-frame contact ran #1 through #14 in 17.2 seconds. His final score would be 22.2 seconds.
The following is intended as a whimsical tutorial for a number of TDAA judges who need a nudge of help in course design.
To tell you the truth, we might rightly note that this course has a proper number of obstacles for a Superior level course. And, it probably forces a couple changes of sides; though one has sapped away the challenge by forcing the changes of sides at the table.
This course is, in fact, uninteresting.
The trap of down and back lines is exacerbated in an even narrower venue when there is room only for three lines. That means that the course will have a down and back, and a down… with no easy way to get back at all… expiring the course at the wrong end of the field.
You should note in the design of this course that it is completely cluttered. It was a labor just to get 20 obstacles out on the field and still leave room for the dog, handler and judge to operate in this small space.
So, I’d like to play a little game with this course, just to see if we can add interest.
All I’ve done here is drawn a random scribble of a line that clearly manages to cross itself as it goes downfield. Note that the line begins on the opposite side of the ring from where it ends. Also, I made a small attempt to incorporate a couple of the contact obstacles in the lines.
The arbitrary line that I drew crosses itself three times.
So, just based on the silly lines that I drew, I moved equipment around in order to fit them to the flow of those lines. I moved the table to be pretty much in the middle of the 20 obstacles (it appears at #11 instead of #6).
Note that on two occasions, when the line crosses itself, I used a jump. And, because I’m reusing obstacles, that means I get to take two obstacles off the course. The third cross is different… the dog’s path in the transition from jump #15 to #16 crosses the dog’s path from #17 to #18. This is a box cross.
I really wasn’t happy with the course that I drew above. The first 13 obstacles are taken pretty much with the dog working on the handler’s right side. This is boring beyond measure.
I’m not really uncomfortable going back to the drawing board. The element that was holding back the opportunity for a change of sides was really the pipe tunnel under the dogwalk. But in the course I recognized that I had plenty of real estate to reverse use the tunnel to suggest maybe a couple changes of sides.
I softened the line to and through the collapsed tunnel, and changed two of the winged jumps to be wingless. I’d like to visualize someone in a wheel-chair, powered or otherwise, moving among the set of equipment.
Clearly I have more work to do on the course. I need to set my start and finish lines and put identifying information on one of the borders. And maybe, I could tweak things around a bit so that it doesn’t feel quite so crowded.
This week I’m in Calera, OK for a week of NADAC judges training with Sharon Nelson and will be tested under practical conditions on a weekend Fun Raiser. It’s going to be a small trial.
You must know that the mind-set for judging NADAC is a radical departure from my work in other venues. And yet I am completely conscious that the judge is a stodgy arbiter of rules. I don’t mean to make that sound unkind to judges. But practically speaking the judge’s role is to accurately and completely reflect the rules, philosophy, and every other little nuance of the parent organization. I make the point early in the Clean Run book of agility games that all games are at their core irrational. And so, this week I am immersing myself in the philosophy and granularity of the NADAC world.
It’s kind of fun actually. NADAC bases its fundamental premise on a small thing that should be rule #1 for training a dog in agility… it’s a full speed, wide open, running game. I’ll most likely make my pup Kory’s debut at agility competition in NADAC. I want him to know right from the onset that it’s all about attacking the course.
Anyhow, it’s going to be a long week in an uncomfortable hotel… and a bit of a busman’s holiday, to be sure. I hope to come out of this an approved NADAC judge and have the opportunity to go into the world setting up courses for an audience of competitors that have a grand sense of fun.
I need to go a couple weeks back in time here to the small USDAA trial we did in Lawrence, Kansas. I want to look at the Grand Prix course I set up there.
The obvious tunnel under the A-frame discrimination in the early going wasn’t really such a tricky part of the course. The dog’s path truly favored the wrong course pipe tunnel. But in general the players were prepared for the moment. Dog’s were more likely to miss the down contact of the A-frame in a sequence that nearly demanded that the handler have dog-on right, while a pipe tunnel made the handler work at an uncomfortable and un-proofed distance.
If I made a mistake in this course design it’s the hard aback turn coming out of the collapsed tunnel. I saw too many Back Crosses at the tunnel. If the dog didn’t feel the pressure of the handler’s change of sides the dog would turn to the left on the exit; then the handler would be required to sacrifice any advantage in real estate to draw the dog back across the fabric and introduce the awkward serpentine sequence of three jumps that followed.
Did I say that this was the most challenging part of the course? Well, it was. The handler simply did not want to arrive at jump #7 with dog on left. While some handlers got away with it, having the dog on the wrong side more likely presented the #14 hurdle as a wrong course option. So either the dog’s path wobbled badly there, or the dog actually took the option.
Dog and handler face the tunnel under the A-frame discrimination again in the transition from jump #15 to the #16 pipe tunnel. We actually saw more wrong courses here than in the initial approach to the discrimination (at #4). Mostly this was due to the handler stepping in to block, but with drawing before consummating the block. You know, the very few handlers who determined to approach the #16 pipe tunnel with dog on left were far more successful in solving this discrimination and the course that followed.
You’ll note that the #19 jump is presented at such an angle that it was easy to earn a refusal there if the handler drew too aggressive an approach to jump #18. So this represented on last cruel trick in the overall course.
I liked the way the course ran generally. Tho I certainly had the sense that players geared their dogs down more than the flow of the course warranted. Playing for the kill is a developed instinct I suppose.
You are currently browsing the Bud Houston's Blog blog archives for December, 2009. | 2019-04-26T10:00:08Z | https://budhouston.wordpress.com/2009/12/ |
How to Choose Shampoo for Scalp Eczema?
Scalp eczema can be easily considered a curse. Not only do you have to deal with extreme itchiness, but embarrassing flakes as well. If you constantly have to go out in public, this condition can wreck havoc to your self-confidence.
There are a number of different eczema treatments available in the market today, mostly steroid-based.
However, if you have taken the time to really study the causes of eczema then you may have already known that it is brought about by the body’s immune system’s overactive reaction.
This means, if you are keen on finding an effective, lasting eczema treatment, then you will need to focus on the root cause and work on promoting healing from within the body and not just application of salves and ointments that are only known to provide temporary relieve.
If you are dealing with scalp eczema, it is very important to understand that there are many natural oils present in shampoos and conditions that can aggravate your condition. This is because the oil feeds the fungus that can cause your scalp eczema to worsen.
A specific oil known as oleic oil is commonly found in shea butter, coconut oil, castor oil and olive oil. So whether you are looking for shampoo or lotion ingredients, steer clear from products that contain any of these ingredients.
Choosing shampoos that are specifically formulated to treat dandruff is a good start when finding scalp eczema treatment. This will help relieve itching and flaking of your scalp.
Most anti-dandruff shampoos contain anti-fungal agents like ketoconazole and pyrithione zinc, which are known to be highly effective in reducing skin fungus.
Most dandruff shampoos are recommended to be used 3 to 4 times a week in order to ensure effectiveness in reducing anti-fungal activity. Once the itchiness and flaking have abated, then you can slowly ease back to your normal hair washing routine or alternate your regular shampoo with an anti-dandruff variety.
Are you fond of using gels, mousse or sprays? Then carefully consider eliminating them from your daily grooming as these products can seriously aggravate your scalp eczema.
If you are suffering from a severe condition, chances are, there are open wounds due to excessive scratching and you definitely don’t want to expose any open wound to harsh chemicals.
With so many people suffering from eczema today, you have ready access to products that are specifically formulated to help relieve eczema. Take time to choose shampoos that contain tar, salicylic acid or pyrithione zinc, all of which are known to effectively clean the scalp from fungus.
When using such products, make sure to focus on applying it on the scalp and not on the entire length of the hair as these formulations are known to cause excessive dryness.
You can also watch a Video HERE to learn more about how to choose shampoo for scalp eczema.
By Fay Spencer who is the author of 14 Days Eczema Cure which offers many ideas on how to treat eczema within 14 days by using readily accessible natural products and applying them in the right balance.
The 14 Days Eczema Cure is a comprehensive and holistic approach to curing eczema. This means that it is safe, natural, effective and 100% drug free. This will help to cure your eczema for good without any side effects which can happen if you use those expensive medications, potions or steroids.
For more information on the 14 Days Eczema Cure, click HERE.
What Really Causes Gray Hair – How to Stop It?
One of my good friends likes to say his hair is not going gray… it’s just running out of paint.
But scientifically speaking, he’s really not that far off!
As we age, our hair actually runs out of the pigment melanin, the same cell that gives skin its color. Each hair follicle has a finite amount of melanin cells. As they run out, the hair slowly turns gray, then finally white when there is no pigment left at all.
But you’d think by now we’d have discovered a more effective way to keep hair color than getting it chemically treated a few times a year. While there’s no one-size-fits-all, clinically-proven regimen, there are many theories and studies that have shown promise for prevention of premature graying, further graying, and even gray hair reversal.
I’m not sure it’s possible to prevent gray hair forever, but diagnosing one of the following causes of one or more of these natural tricks and treatments could help keep your locks in high definition color for longer.
Smoking has been known to increase the rate of graying hair. One study published in the Indian Dermatology Online Journal showed that smokers were a whopping 2.5 times more likely to experience premature hair graying (graying before age 30) than non-smokers. If you haven’t quit smoking yet, it’s definitely time!
The hair care company Pantene Pro-V knew their stuff when they formulated their shampoos and conditioners. Vitamin B deficiency, especially pantothenic acid (B5) and B12, can cause low melanin production.
This deficiency can also lead to pernicious anemia. Anemics may also suffer from premature hair graying.
Low thyroid hormone – or hypothyroidism – can also cause premature hair graying, according to Dr. Lawrence Wood, head of the Thyroid Foundation of America.
Henna extract, which treats gray hair naturally by combining your hair’s proteins with its reddish-tinted molecules. It’s like hair color without the harsh chemicals, hefty salon bill, or huge time commitment.
Amla fruit extracthas 30 times more vitamin C than an orange. It fights free radical damage on your hair’s color cells (melanocytes), allowing them to continue producing color for longer.
Red hibiscus extracthas been said to fight grays at the root – while promoting faster hair growth.
Kudzu extractwas recently shown to reduce formation of new gray hairs over a six-month period. There were no adverse effects reported.
You can also get double the bang for your buck by using your daily supplements for treating unwanted grays.
Vitamin C fights oxidative stress in your body, which can help increase melanin and overall hair production. It also boosts collagen production (more on that in a moment).
Vitamin B12 is a critical building block for healthy, colored hair. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause gray hair even in children, according to Stanford Med’s Dr. Alan Green.
Vitamin D helps grow healthy hair – and there are tons of anecdotal evidence to support it can actually reverse gray hair.
Vitamin K2, or menaquinone, is a fat-soluble vitamin. Studies show 90% of the western world is deficient in K2. Low K2 causes kidney stress, with the result often appearing in facial wrinkling and decreased health and color of hair.
Collagen makes up 25% of the protein in our bodies. Though it’s commonly ascribed to healthy skin and nails, hair follicles require plenty of collagen to produce thick, healthy hairs – and plenty of pigment to maintain their natural color.
It’s tricky to find a good quality supplement with these vitamins and collagen.
Strangely enough, I recently realized the Healthy Back Institute’s Super Joint Support supplement has them all. Now, it was formulated to support healthy joints, while reducing stiffness and pain in the process.
Now you can get double the bang for your buck… enjoying healthier, less painful and more limber joints while keeping gray hair at bay. It’s a two-for-one punch, all in one capsule!
It could take up to six months to notice a difference in your hair when taking supplements. But you’ll notice a near instant decrease in stiffness and pain in your joints – a nice bonus while waiting for your hair to catch up!
Click HERE to read – What Causes Premature Grey Hair?
Click HERE to read – How to cure grey hair naturally by boosting your supply of melanin?
Click HERE to read – How to Dye Your Hair with Henna At Home?
How to Use Avocado for Your Beauty Care from Hair to Toes?
The healthy and beauty benefits of avocado are getting more attention as can be seen from the growing trend of more and more beauty products having avocado oil as one of their main ingredients.
Some of these cosmetic products are rather expensive and may not be safe if they are loaded with some unknown chemicals. However, this should not stop you from using avocado for your beauty care.
Following are some easy and cost-effective ideas for using avocado for your beauty care in the comfort of your home.
How to use avocado to get shiny soft hair?
You peel, cut the avocado into small slices and mash them into a paste. Then you add in 1 egg yolk and half a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to the mashed avocado. You can now apply this paste onto your hair and let it stay there for up to 30 minutes before you shampoo and condition your hair.
You can also combine mashed avocado with 3 to 4 tablespoons of coconut milk to create your own homemade hair conditioner. You comb this mixture through the hair and let it stay for up to 15 minutes before you rinse off.
How to use avocado for puffy eyes?
You peel and cut avocado into crescent-shaped slices. You take 5 to 6 slices. You lie down and place few slices under each eye and rest for up to 20 minutes.
This is optional – before putting the avocado slices under your eyes, you can soak them in almond oil. This is because almond oil is also good for dark circles under the eyes.
How to use avocado for facial care?
You peel, cut the avocado in half and take out the seed. Then you mash it to a paste. Now you can apply this paste using your fingertips evenly on your face and neck while steering clear of the area near to your eyes.
You just lie down, relax and let the paste stay on your face for up to 30 minutes before you rinse off with lukewarm water first and follow by cold water to close up the skin pores. You can finish this treatment by applying your favourite moisturizer. This basic avocado mask is good for dry skin.
You can also combine avocado with other natural ingredients such as honey and olive oil in order to create a more portent avocado face mask.
To prepare this face mask, you will need 1 ripe avocado, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of raw organic honey (preferably manuka honey).
You peel, cut the avocado into small slices and mash them into paste. Then you add in honey and the rest of the ingredients to create a smooth and creamy paste which you can now apply it onto your face and neck. You let this paste stay on your face for up to 30 minutes before you rinse off.
How to use avocado for care of hands?
You peel the avocado and you just need one quarter of it. The other ingredients you need are 1 egg white, 2 tablespoons of oatmeal and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. You mix all of these ingredients together. You can now apply this mixture to your hands and leave it there for up to 20 minutes before you wash off.
How to use avocado for body care?
You can also prepare an avocado body scrub using 1 ripe and mashed avocado, 2 cups of sea salt and half a cup of apricot of kernel oil. You combine all of these ingredients to form a paste you can apply it to all over your body after you have showered, gently rubbing the paste onto your body in circular motion. You let the paste stay there for between 5 to 10 minutes before you wash off.
How to use avocado for care of feet?
For this, you will need 2 ripe avocados, one quarter cup of sugar and half a cup of extra virgin olive oil. First, you peel, cut the avocado into small slices and mash them into a paste.
Next you add in the rest of the ingredients to create a paste which you can apply to your feet in a circular motion, starting from the toes and working up to the ankles. You let this paste stay on your skin for up to 15 minutes before you wash off.
If you love making your own beauty care products, click on DIY Skin Care Recipes to learn how to make them.
How to Make a Homemade Natural Hair Highlight?
It is best to use natural recipes to highlight you hair in order to give your hair the extra boost it needs to get that vibrant look. Your hair’s natural highlights will be greatly enhanced and you will get naturally beautiful hair without damaging it. Following are some recipes you can use to create your own homemade natural hair highlight.
You brew 3 cups of chamomile tea and then let it cool. You get a strainer to strain the tea. After this, you add in 1 cup of fresh lemon juice and mix well. You apply this mixture to your damp hair and let it sit for an hour before rinsing.
If you have very long hair, you mix together half a cup of lemon juice with half a cup of apple cider vinegar. If you have short to medium hair, you can just half the amount of the recipe.
Next, you add in enough ground cinnamon to form a smooth thin paste. The lemon juice will bring out the natural blond highlights, while the vinegar and cinnamon will bring out the reds and browns.
You scoop a small amount of the paste and apply it to the roots of your hair near your hair line. You apply more paste into the rest of your roots and then spread the paste evenly all over your hair.
You can tie your hair into a loose bun and tuck it under a shower cap. You let the paste stay on your hair for between 4 to 8 hours, sleeping with the shower cap on if this is comfortable for you.
When the time is up, you remove the shower cap and comb through the hair to remove the dried paste. Next you remove any remaining paste with warm water. You do this treatment once a week until you get the desired color you want.
You brew 4 to 6 cups of dark coffee and then let it cool down to room temperature. You place the coffee solution into a large bowl and position your head over the bowl. You use a cup to scoop the coffee and pour it over your hair and letting the excess coffee to collect back into the bowl.
You do this repeatedly until your hair is sufficiently drenched. Then you allow the coffee to sit on your hair for at least 15 minutes before you rinse it off.
You take 2 cups of water to boil and then add in 4 pouches of chamomile tea. You then allow the tea to steep. You use a hair brush to brush the chamomile tea solution through your hair. You allow your hair to dry naturally and then rinse the chamomile tea from your hair.
You put half a cup of dried sage into 2 cups of water. Simmer it for about 30 minutes and then remove it from the burner. Allow the mixture to steep for 3 hours. Strain the mixture and pour it through clean, dry hair. You allow your hair to dry naturally and then rinse the mixture from the hair.
You mix together half a cup of beet juice and carrot juice. Then you pour this mixture on your damp hair and let it stay there for an hour before you rinse it off.
How to Dye Your Hair with Henna At Home?
Going through a breakup? Need a life change? Looking to get that salon look at home? Want to color your hair just like the pros? It’s easier than you think to color your hair like a pro, especially when you’ve got the right styling products and tools on hand.
One of the safest and chemical-free ways to do so is to dye your hair with henna. Henna is the common named for the lawsonia inermis plant. A paste created from powered Henna coats hair, which in turn bonds to the keratin proteins within the hair shaft. Henna on its own leaves gray hair bright red or orange, but a variety of other plant dyes, like indigo and walnut, will change the final color.
If your hair has been chemically treated, do not use henna. If you have permed, dyed, straightened or bleached hair, you should wait for at least a month before you apply henna to your hair.
Before you dye your hair with henna, it is better to do a strand test. Test on lock of hair saved from your hairbrush. The stand test is essential to determine how long to leave on the henna to produce the final color. If the color is not right, try again with a different duration or ratio of henna to other plant dyes.
Generally, it will be best to leave the dye for 3-4 hours to achieve a deep brown color, 4-5 hours for a deep auburn color, or 6-7 hours for very dark or black hair. As a general rule, the longer you leave the dye in, the darker the resulting hair color. If you like the results of dyeing your hair from the hairbrush proceed with dyeing your entire head.
You should use approximately 2 cups of powder for a large batch, which will render enough dye to color short to very long hair. Use a large mixing bowl and double boiler to prepare the hair color. Use tight-fitting disposable gloves, plastic wrap or a shower cap, and an old towel to protect the skin from staining.
To give your hair deep red shade, you mix 2 cups of henna powder with 2 cups of red wine and 3 tablespoons of powdered cloves.
To give your hair bright red shade, you mix 2 cups of henna powder with 2 cups of red wine and half a cup of pomegranate juice.
To give your hair light blonde shade, you mix 2 cups of henna powder with 2 cups of lemon juice and 1 cup of chamomile tea.
If you want your hair to have golden blonde shade, you just mix 2 cups of henna powder and 3 cups of chamomile tea.
To achieve brown shade for your hair, you mix 2 cups of henna powder with 3 tablespoons of walnut powder and 2 cups of coffee.
For any of the above recipes, you can add 6 to 7 drops of essential oils, like tea tree oil or lavender oil. These oils help develop a deeper stain and give the paste a nice smell. Henna on its own can smell like straw.
When you dye your hair with henna, you start at the back of your head at the base of the hairline to begin coloring hair, applying in a good amount of henna to small sections of hair. Make sure every stand of hair is covered from the root to the tip. Make sure you wear plastic gloves.
After 7 hours, or overnight (if you are comfortable with it), you rinse the hair thoroughly in warm water until the water runs clear. Combing the hair while rinsing will help remove all the henna. Do NOT use shampoo for at least 24 hours after washing off the Henna Henna can be slightly astringent. If you experience itching, massage a few drops of high quality vegetable oil into the scalp.
The hair will go through an adjustment period of 2-3 days after coloring. If the color looks dull at first, do not be alarmed. It will soften over the first few days. Color will last for 3-6 months, during which time it will gradually wash out.
Continue washing, drying and styling the hair as usual. When the color begins to look faded, reapply. The color will become darker each time you apply, so gradually reduce the processing time for each application.
Henna: Natural Hair Dye -What is henna and what should I expect from using it to color my hair? | 2019-04-19T10:18:15Z | http://luv2sex.info/tag/hair/ |
You will be lucky if your air mattress came with a pump and even luckier if it held up for long. Anyone who owns an air mattress will at some point need to buy an air pump and that’s why we have compiled a list of the best air mattress pumps, from various brands and categories to help you make the right selection. We also have a guide on the factors to consider when buying one and the benefits of using air pumps.
We have chosen OutdoorMaster Electric Air Pump best overall. It's very compact for portability, storage, and durability. Its design makes it a good choice for both home and outdoor use.
This electric air pump is very portable thanks to its smaller size and lightweight design. It will not only occupy just a small space in your storage space but also not add any significant weight. Again, it’s small enough to be used by both adults and kids since it fits in either palm perfectly.
With it, you can just inflate any inflatables since it’s designed to be a universal air pump. It thus might make a good choice for use at home or outdoors. OutdoorMaster is the best air pump for inflatable pool available in the market. So you won’t have to struggle with manually inflating your pool toys or anything else.
For safety purposes, this little electric air pump is ETL certified so you can inflate everything faster and safely. It is also compatible with any inflatable brand so you don’t have to worry if it will work with what you want to inflate. Again, it has a long cord to make the inflating process easy and convenient.
It’s not always that you will have a power outlet, especially when camping or on other outdoor activities. Thus, getting a pump that’s not 100% dependent on electricity is very convenient. This pump is designed to use three power options. You can use 8 AA batteries, 12V car use, or 110V/220V home use. This is very convenient because you can rely on it without disappointments no matter where you are.
When it comes to the actual task, inflating, the pump is very fast and you can use it to inflate various inflatables thanks to its effortless operation. It inflates and deflates effortlessly. Again, it features three detachable nozzles for more convenience.
If you are operating on a tight budget but badly need a good electric air pump then the Intex quick-fill rechargeable air pump might be a great choice. It features a compact design for durability and portability. If you are needing a good air mattress inflator for outdoor use this might be a good pick. It’s small enough to take it with you to any destination.
Again, since it has various nozzles all of the different sizes, it can be used to inflate different things besides air mattresses. This again is a great feature for home and outdoor uses because you might need to inflate other things as well.
Also, since it needs a 110-120V electrical outlet, it can fit in most homes because this is the most common standard voltage in households. The only limitation would be when you need to use it in places without electrical outlets. And, you can use it for deflating and it’s pretty easy to use and fast too.
The pump’s fans run hot when used continuously for a long time, so give it some breaks when inflating, say a large pool.
We all need an efficient inflatable experience because there is no fun in a slower fill. This little pump features a high-pressure design that makes inflating quick and efficient. If you know the pain of using a traditional hand pump, you will be happy with this one.
And, since you might need to inflate various air mattresses or other inflatable stuff around your home, the pump is designed to have interlocking nozzles to fit various inflatables. It also deflates and it’s easy to operate.
Again, if you are after the best electric air pump for inflatables then Etekcity might work for you. It features a compact and lightweight construction for portability. The size is small enough to throw it in any small space and you don’t need a second hand to operate it so you can rely on it or solo travels.
About noise, we all know that most airbed pumps are noisy and some can be too noisy. However, with this air pump, the noise is greatly reduced by its wheel design plus the choice of impellers. As such, you can use it even when some people near you have already fallen asleep and you won’t wake them. It’s also sturdy as it’s made from solid thick plastic thus you can count on its durability.
As much as it works with various inflatables, the pump can’t inflate balls that require a needle inflator and it’s also not compatible with balloons.
This is a very reliable air mattress inflator and deflator. It can be used both indoor and outdoor hassle-free thanks to its design. You can use the 12V DC to either inflate or deflate. Again, if you want it cordless, just recharge the battery airbed pump and you will have all the convenience or inflating your inflatables from anywhere.
Its design makes it very versatile in terms of power use and also what you can use it with. It features three nozzles that make it compatible with various inflatables, both for indoor and outdoor use.
Again, it’s very portable thanks to its compact and lightweight construction. Taking it with you for camping or any other activity won’t be a problem because you will only require a small storage space and it’s not heavy.
A bit pricey than most other air mattress inflators but it’s worth the price.
If you are looking for the best battery air pump for inflatables then Coleman air mattress pump might meet your needs. All you need is 4 D-cell batteries and you will be good to go. The batteries are sold separately though they are not expensive and are readily available.
This battery air mattress pump works best for people who are absolutely sure that they won’t have electrical outlets and it’s very reliable especially for outdoor use such as camping to inflate your inflatables. It also inflates and deflates fast and can be used on various airbeds.
Again, since it features a Boston/double lock combo valve adapter, it not only inflates airbeds but other inflatables as well. As long as the batteries are okay, you will have your inflatables inflated or deflated within no time. And, it is compatible with any airbed brands and various other inflatables.
With three detachable nozzles, this inflatable pump can be used to either inflate or deflate various inflatables. Again, with the kind of accidents we have seen with these type of pumps, you want to make sure that whatever you are buying is safe and this air pump is CSA and ETL/Interek certified so it’s safe.
This particular pump features a new design that enables it to not only inflate or deflate faster but also quieter. It is also very simple to use and its size and weight are ideal for portability. However, when using it, make sure to take breaks especially when blowing large inflatables because it might shut off from overheating or worse, burn the motor out.
This air pump works impressively fast for both inflating and deflating. It features three nozzles so you can use it to either inflate or deflate just anything besides air mattresses. And, it is very easy to use as it features really simple mechanism.
It is small in size and also lightweight so if you are looking for a portable option this might serve you right. Also, the power cable is long so you get to do everything conveniently but you have to give it a five minutes rest after every ten minutes of use to avoid overheating which might result to motor burn.
This is a powerful auto air pump that comes with both home power and car power adapters making it ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. Again, because it is very powerful, it can be used to inflate and deflate and it works fast either way.
Again, since it comes with three differently sized nozzles, this air pump can be used on various inflatables with ease. Also, there is no complicated construction or designing. So, using it is pretty simple. It also features a practical design for both outdoor and indoor use as it’s not only small in size but lightweight as well for portability and easy storage.
Cannot be used on high-pressure inflatables such as basketballs, tires, etc.
Cannot be used for more than fifteen minutes continuously as it will overheat and burn the motor.
This is a great indoor and outdoor electric air pump. It uses both AC and DC for convenience and it can be used for both inflating and deflating. It has three detachable nozzles for a wide compatibility with inflatables and this is why you can use it for both indoor and outdoor inflatables.
Again, the air pump features a travel-friendly construction. It is small and lightweight for portability and you can use it when camping, event decoration or any other. Also, it comes with 2-in-1 long enough wire for easy inflating and deflating. It is easy to use but always remember to give it at least a five minutes break after every ten minutes of use to avoid overheating.
All air bed pumps are not designed the same nor are they meant to handle similar blowing tasks. Some are specifically designed to work on smaller inflatables while others can handle both small and bigger perfectly. To be on the safer side, or to avoid buying various air pumps, just buy one that will inflate both smaller and bigger inflatables with ease.
This ties to the first point and it basically means how fast the pump is able to inflate your mattress or other items. You don’t want to spend too much time inflating one item. The best air pump should take just a few minutes with each item.
If you go for an electric air pump, ensure that you will a power outlet. Mostly, this won’t be a big deal if you are buying one for home use, but it might be a challenge when buying one for outdoor use and especially in a different country because you also have to ensure that it matches their standard voltage.
If you are not sure about power outlet availability, you can always take the battery operated mattress pump. The only thing to ensure with this option is that you have enough batteries and that they are all in a working condition to avoid disappointments.
You might just be in need of an air bed pump today, but with time, you might need one for other inflatables such as decorations, toys etc. Thus, it’s good to ensure that your pump is compatible with as many inflatables as possible.
The size and weight of your air pump will matter when you need to take with you and when storing it. As long as it’s powerful and sturdy, there is no need of buying a big air pump.
Some air mattress pumps are only designed for inflating while others can inflate and deflate efficiently. Now, manual deflating is just as much work as manual inflating so why go through the trouble while your pump can do it for you at no extra cost.
You will hardly come across a quiet air mattress pump but the noise intensity varies. Some are too noisy while others are well-manageable so check the how loud your choice is before ordering. Again, try not to use the pump at night as the noise might be disturbing.
When it comes to airbed pumps, there is no need of going fancy or looking for big brands. Essentially, all these pumps, whether you have come across the brand or not, will perform the same way and have similar durability. Luckily though, most air mattress pumps are very affordable so whichever way you swing you won’t be breaking your bank.
There are many accidents that emanate from the wrong use of air pumps. To avoid such, ensure that you read the manufacturer’s recommendation of how to use them. Most will tell you not to exceed certain working time before giving it a break while others will warn you against using the pump to inflate certain products. And, if you notice that your pump is getting too hot even before you hit the recommended use time, just let it rest for some minutes then resume. You should also look for safety certifications.
What are the benefits of using air mattress pumps?
Well, if you have inflated a large mattress by mouth or many balloons and toys, you will certainly understand the relief that comes with air mattress pumps.
For one, they are quicker than using your mouth and you get to properly fill your inflatables as recommended.
Again, most air pumps are compatible with various inflatables so you won’t have to buy one for each. They are also very affordable yet efficient so there is no loss in buying one. Plus they can serve you for many years if used as recommended.
All the ten air mattress pumps are great in their own rights and any one of them might be the best that you have come across. However, Dr.Meter Electric Air Pump stands out as our winner of the day for several reasons. One, this pump has three power options thus making it very convenient. You can comfortably use it at home/indoors or outdoors. Second, it’s not only for inflating but deflating as well and it works efficiently either way. It is also very travel-friendly thanks to its small but compact size and a lightweight construction. As such, you can take it with you to whatever destination and won’t struggle with weight or storage space.
Again, you can count on its construction and the quality of the materials used for durability. Generally, you don’t have to spend too much on an air mattress pump, but be careful to choose the best for your needs. The best air mattress pumps should not only be within your budget but also efficient and dependable.
If you think new kitchen gadgets are not a thing anymore, allow me to introduce you to the emerging world of air fryers. These simple, yet intricate devices are rapidly rising in popularity as more people are learning about what they do, and all of the advantages that come with them.
Although there weren’t very many buying options available at first, a slew of manufacturers have joined the fray over the last year, doing all they can to beat out the competition with one of the hottest new kitchen items in recent memory.
As you can probably guess, the influx of new products has led to a suddenly oversaturated market, making it a little hard to initially determine which are the best air fryers not only in terms of the best quality, but the best for your needs in general.
We’ve identified and analyzed every current air deep fryer on the market, and compiled a list of the 10 best rated air fryers for 2019. This buying guide goes through a wide range of types, sizes, prices, and features, so there should be something here for everyone.
So, if you’re in the market for a new dry air fryer, but don’t know where to start, we’ve done all the work for you, and now all you need to do is decided which one is best for your own kitchen.
We’ll start with how we ended up rating each product.
How We Rated These Air Fryers?
Air Fryers all do the same thing for the most part, and all utilize the same concept, so we narrowed it down to 4 main aspects we considered the most important.
Ease of Use – They are made to be user-friendly, but there are some that are a lot easier to use than others. They are quick to set up, easy to open and close, require only a small amount of cooking savvy, if any, and have clear, simple buttons and features.
Useful Features – I’d say most of us appreciate some added features on kitchen appliances when applicable. There are some airfryers that are very basic in build and design, and may have just an on/off button, and a temperature setting/timer. Others will have presets for certain foods, accessories, and innovative designs that help you to better monitor the cooking process.
Price – The initial ones were fairly expensive, often around the $350 mark. Fortunately, the prices have come down some, and there are some real bargains to be had out there. That said, the price of an dry fryer should be in relation to how well it operates. The more you spend, the better product you’ll get for the most part, but the price needs to be fair in regards to what the air deep fryer offers, and how well it works overall.
The Philips XL Airfryer has all the things you could want from a fryer, including a large capacity, a sleek design, easy to use controls, and most importantly -- even cooking.
Philips is the manufacturer that started it all, so it’s no surprise to see their largest dry air fryer top this list of the best air fryers on the market.
The XL Airfryer can accommodate up to 2.65 lbs of food, and has a large basket design that allows for simultaneous frying of enough for for at least 3-4 people. The temperature control reaches as high as 390 degrees Fahrenheit. The actual body of the fryer has a modern, minimal design, which anyone leaving it on their counter will appreciate.
A sleek touchscreen is used to set the temperatures and cooking times, which can be programmed up to 60 minutes, including an auto shut-off so you don’t overcook your food. The controls are clear and concise, and easy to understand right from the first use.
In most cases, you’ll be able to cook most dishes in about 15-20 minutes thanks to the rapid air technology facilitated by the star-like fan design, allowing for better air rotation efficiency. This results in an even browning on all sides when the food is rotated halfway through cooking.
If you happen to find the perfect temperature and time setting for a particular dish, you can make it a preset for future use. Also, all of the removable components of the Airfryer XL are dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze for the most part.
The strongest aspects of the Philips Airfryer XL are definitely its capacity and cooking efficiency, which are always the most important. In most cases, you can fit in a large amount of food without cramming or obstructing airflow. The presets, auto shut-off, and responsive digital screen make the unit easy to operate for anybody, and the unique fan design really does make a huge difference in terms of even cooking.
The Airfryer XL is one of the most expensive units on the market, which may turn some away. It also takes up a lot of space on the average countertop. And while the parts are dishwasher-safe, the mesh basket may require some extra effort to get rid of any entrapped food bits after cooking.
Overall, the Philips Airfryer XL offers the most in regards to cooking ability and cooking size, and backs it all up with convenient features, high max temperatures, and just a genuine quality feel to it. If you want the ultimate air fryer and don’t mind paying for it, this is the one to get.
The Power Air Fryer XL can best be described as a less-expensive version of the Philips XL, that still retains many of the same features and functionality. And while it may fall short in a few ways to the Philips model, the Power Dry Fryer XL actually does a few things better, so if you’d like a more affordable air fryer with high capacity and numerous features, this is an excellent choice.
As indicated, the Power XL has a 5.3 quart basket capacity that lets you fry a substantial amount of food all at once. Even more impressively, it operates off of 1,700 watts, making it the most powerful dry fryer you’ll come across currently. The design is a little generic, but I’m sure most won’t mind.
Controls are operated using a vibrant digital touchscreen, which allows for precise dialing in of both cooking time and temperature. The basket handle is in the front, and is easy to pull out and place food in before beginning the cooking process. Cooking times can go as long as 60 minutes, and as high as 400 degrees Fahrenheit, which is quite high.
Due to the high power and extended temperature setting, the Power Air Fryer XL can fry foods in a short amount of time, which is not only good if you’re a little impatient, but if you have multiple batches to cook.
Aside from the fast and efficient cooking times, the fryer comes with a very handy divider basket that will allow for separate cooking of two different items at the same time, without interfering with flavors, smells, or sauces. Programmable presets make things a little easier as well.
One of the only drawbacks of the Power dry Fryers is how the plastic exterior of the basket can actually expand a bit when cooking at high temperatures, making it somewhat difficult to pull the basket out to flip the food. It’s not impossible, but it’s definitely not smooth when this happens.
Despite a few small flaws, the Power XL performs incredibly well, and offers a large enough size to make larger meals for more people at the same time. If you need a bigger capacity, prefer faster cooking times, and also like to use digital controls, this air deep fryer is an economical buy in terms of capability.
The GoWISE USA Electric Air Fryer may be our pick for the best large capacity air fryer, but it’s more than just a huge basket. This unit combines a spacious frying basket with smooth, seamless operation, easy controls, and plenty of convenience — and all while keeping a very fair price point that will be well within the range of most shoppers.
The GoWISE USA Electric Air deep Fryer’s 5.8 quart size takes the form of a spacious, deep, and large circumference basket that can easily fit in everything from small snacks, to larger main dishes, meats, pizzas, and even cakes. Not only that, but it can cook food up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the highest you’ll see an dry air fryer go.
The controls are located on the front, and all cooking settings are accessed via a colorful, responsive touchscreen that has a number of different settings, including shrimp, fish, cakes, and many more. You can adjust the cooking settings during a cycle, and also make use of pausing, and using alerts and auto shut-off.
The high temperature, spacious basket design, and high power of the GoWISE USA Electric Air Fryer allows it to cook large food quantities in times ranging from 5 to 20 minutes, requiring one quick flipping of the food halfway through, if desired.
For those who place an emphasis on aesthetics, the fryer is available in 4 different colors, although not nearly as many as the smaller sized option. The GoWISE USA Electric Air Fryer has a sleek look, which is reinforced with the sharp touchscreen.
The main advantage with this fryer is obviously the largest food capacity size you’ll see, but the various presets and expanded cooking controls are a major bonus too. The parts are easy to clean after cooking, and GoWISE USA also includes a handy recipe book for some easy ideas to use with the fryer.
Drawbacks are few and far between with this model, but I will say the size is a little overwhelming, but hey, you know going in that it has a huge cooking capacity, so it comes with the territory. A lack of accessories is a little puzzling, I will say. Not a big deal though.
We honestly went back and forth on making this one of the top picks, but felt it better to designate it as one of the best large capacity air fryers, because, well, that’s exactly what it is. Bottom line, the GoWISE USA Electric Air Fryer offers a stellar combination of size and quality and is currently the best large air fryer to buy in 2019. You can’t go wrong here.
No surprise; another Philips air fryer on this list, and this one is literally named the “Original.” The Philips Airfryer Original gives you some of the highest cooking performance in a smaller package, and also in a much more simplified format, which some may actually prefer anyway.
The basket size of this air fryer is 28 ounces, which comes out to about 1.75 lbs capacity — enough to cook an entire bag of frozen french fries. Perfect, right? Although this model is obviously not best for those needing to cook larger items or a lot at once, for smaller snacks, or a meal for 1-2, it’s very effective.
Rather than elaborate digital controls and touch screens, this fryer keeps things simple by utilizing analog dials instead. You don’t get the same level of accuracy as a digital dial, but the knobs on this fryer are well-constructed, easy to turn, and as accurate as you can get for an analog version.
The Philips Airfryer Original uses the same smart design as its bigger brother, which results in fast, efficient, and even cooking times, bolstered even more by its smaller size.
The smaller design of this air deep fryer makes it more suited to leave out on the counter, right next to your toaster, blender, or whatever else. It’s also very easy to clean, and comes with a very detailed 150 recipe cookbook that has some great ideas for the fryer, well beyond just chicken nuggets and fries.
While the Philips Airfryer Original is one of the best on the market, the price is still a little high for some I’m sure, especially when considering how basic it is in a lot of areas. It also doesn’t come with any accessories, which makes the higher price seem a bit stretched.
Despite the higher price, the Philips Airfryer Original is still worth it for those who want the most quality and performance out of a smaller air fryer. Why not go with the original, and the most established? You won’t be disappointed.
Not everyone is wanting to spend hundreds of dollars for an air fryer, which is certainly understandable. If you’ve been bummed out about some the higher prices when first shopping around, the Simple Chef Air Fryer is the answer. Yes, it’s a lot cheaper in price than most models out there, but it can still perform on a comparable level.
At 3.5 liters, the Simple Chef Air Fryer actually has a sizable capacity, even for being under $70. It has 1,300 watts of power, and can reach a temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit, which is definitely impressive for a fryer in this price range. So far, so good.
As expected, there isn’t anything flashy in terms of controls. You get your basic knob timer, and knob temperature setting, but if you like things simple, this won’t be an issue or you at all. A quick twist here and there, and you’re all set. You don’t get any presets or anything of that sort, so be advised.
Thanks to the smaller size, high wattage, and even higher max temperature, you can really make quick work out of smaller batches of food, ranging anywhere from 5 to 25 minutes, and without any preheating times.
The Simple Chef Air deep Fryer doesn’t really have any unique features, but that’s part of its allure I’d say. As soon as you get it out of the box, you know exactly how to operate it. The basket, controls, design, and general operation are all basic. It even has a bit of a dated look to it, actually.
The biggest advantages to the Simple Chef Air Fryer are its price in relation to performance, but not at the expense of how well it works. This fryer can hang with some nearly twice its price and not skip a beat. It’s surprisingly efficient, even, and fast.
However, with an air fryer this simple and cheap, there will be some drawbacks. The analog controls are boring and limited, there are no presets, no alerts, no expansive adjustments, or anything else. It’s as exciting as an old toaster. But hey, it works well. And as you probably guessed, there aren’t any accessories either.
If you’re looking for a high-quality and best cheap air fryer that doesn’t skimp on any of the important stuff, the Simple Chef Air Fryer is best air fryer for the money. This is great for small apartments, RV’s, or really just anyone who simply needs a more compact air fryer without a bunch of features — just pure cooking power, and that’s it.
The Big Boss Oil-Less Air Fryer takes a bit of a different approach to the cooking process, and not only by the way it looks, but by how the actual heating is done as well. On top of that, this is one of the biggest capacities you’ll ever see in an air fryer.
First, let’s talk about the basket size. The Big Boss Oil-Less Air Fryer can hold up to 16 entire quarts of food, and eve has the ability to cook two different dishes on top of each other with a dividing system. The internal cooking temperature can reach all the way up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. “Big Boss” indeed.
The cooking temperature and timer are both located on the very top, along with some helpful suggested settings and cooking times for various food items. Indicator lights let you know when the unit is on, and when cooking is complete.
As the name says, this unit is oil-less, so heating is actually done with infrared, halogen, and convection. The infrared heats the inside of the food, while the halogen creates surface heat that is then circulated around the food with the high-powered fan. This is as healthy as it gets in terms of “frying.” You still have the option to add oil though.
This fryer offers a lot of advantages. First off, the glass bowl lets you see how the food looks while cooking, which is not something you get anywhere else. Also, the heat is more intense, general quicker, and all the components are dishwasher safe. You even get two different cooking trays, tongs, and a ring extender for larger food items.
There are some cons though. First of all, this thing is HUGE. Don’t plan on leaving it on the counter, unless you live in some giant mansion with a giant kitchen.That’s the tradeoff to the large capacity. Another tradeoff is the glass body — it’s very hot when in use. You’ll need either quick hands, or oven mitts.
Overall, the Big Boss Oil-Less Air Fryer is a force when it comes to cooking quickly, and taking on a family-sized amount of food all at once. It has a very fair price, and you can even pick from several different colors, some with varying prices. While it does have some inconveniences, its effectiveness, extra accessories, and functionality are hard to beat.
The FrenchMay Air Fryer kind of flies under the radar for many, but it’s very much a capable air fryer that has several innovative features and design traits that make it not only easy to use, but very safe as well.
This fryer is a little on the compact side, but not to the point of being overly small. It stands about 14.3 inches tall, and has a 3.7 quart capacity, which is enough for 1-2 people, depending on what food you’re frying. The FrenchMay Air Fryer runs off of a powerful 1,500 watts, and gets as hot as 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
All of the cooking processes are controlled using the sharp touchscreen menu. The touchscreen lets you dial in the exact temperature, determine cooking timers up to 60 minutes, has a number of presets, along with a pause/stop option as well.
The FrenchMay Air Fryers have a sleek, minimal, understated design that allows them to blend in with most decors, should you choose to leave them on the counter. Cleanup is incredibly easy thanks to the removable parts being dishwasher safe. A non-slip base, cool-touch handle, and auto shut-off feature all help to up the safety factor a bit.
This fryer is not fancy by any means, but the low-key design, intuitive controls, and ease of use all make this a very quality air deep fryer that anyone can quickly figure out. The compact size, additional safety aspects, and fair price all work together to create one of the best air fryers under $100.
This unit isn’t all that wide but it is a little taller than it seems, likely due to the slightly expanded capacity. There also seems to be some discrepancy with the temperature presets for certain foods, so keep an eye on your food when first using them, and making mental notes of what works well and what doesn’t.
The FrenchMay Air deep Fryer is a perfectly good fryer that doesn’t get the same attention as some other models, but it performs just as well, and has an awesome price. If you need an air fryer you can leave sitting out at the back of the counter, and don’t need to cook large amounts, this fryer will make a fine addition to your kitchen.
For those that prefer to keep things basic, and with a more kitchen counter-friendly size, the AirFryer by Cozyna is an ideal appliance that offers the same basic air fryer functions and features you get with any other quality model, with a price tag that stays below $100.
The AirFryer by Cozyna has a capacity of 3.7 quarts, so this unit is more ideal for smaller servings, or maybe just for 1-2 people. The integrated timer can go up to 30 minutes in cooking time, while the temperature range can be adjusted from anywhere between 176 to 392 degrees Fahrenheit.
The actual controls on the AirFryer by Cozyna are very basic. You get a knob for the timer, and a knob for the temperature adjustment. The design of the fryer is fairly basic as well, and uses the standard handle pull-out to access the frying basket inside.
The cooking time of the fryer is on par with other units its size, but it’s not exceptionally fast or more efficient than others. With that said, it’s still very effective, and certainly more than adequate at frying evenly on all sides in an acceptable amount of time.
The AirFryer by Cozyna does come with two different cookbooks, one ebook, and one physical recipe book that has over 40 easy and quick ideas you can actually use the fryer for. The frying basket and housing can be quickly removed, and cleaning can be done in the sink, or in the dishwasher.
The allure of the AirFryer by Cozyna resides with its simplicity and durability. You do also get a fairly extensive 2 year warranty as well, so it’s fully covered for multiple years. The simple design means there’s less to go wrong too.
On the other hand, some shoppers may find the AirFryer by Cozyna a tad boring or generic. It also doesn’t come with any extra accessories, and the cooking time is rather limited, and there are no presets.
The AirFryer by Cozyna is polarizing in some ways. Those who like their appliances to function more like gadgets and have lots of extra features will not be all that pleased with the AirFryer, while others that prefer simplicity and durability will likely appreciate it.
The Secura Electric is a total package appliance that provides everything you need for successful and versatile air frying from the moment you get it set up. It combines a high level of performance and convenience with a smart design, and some very helpful extras too.
Secura is the best hot air fryer powered by 1,500 watts, and has a maximum temperature setting of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This particular model has a 4.2 quart capacity, which not on the large end of the spectrum, but it’s well above the mid-size capacity. With a little ingenuity, you can cook for 3-4 people at once.
Although the interface of the Secura Electric Hot Air cooker looks sleek, it’s actually controlled with analog knobs, including a 60 minute timer setting, and the temperature control. Suggested cooking temps for various food items are printed near the controls for quick reference. It does come with an auto shut-off feature.
Cooking time is standard, typically around 10-20 minutes depending on what the food is, and how large the quantity is. The fryer does come with a toaster rack that you can use for certain foods, or to separate two different kinds. Metal skewers are included as well. And like every good air fryer, the Secura Electric Hot AirFryer also comes with a recipe book to give you some ideas. The flatter shape of the fryer is much preferred over the typical cylindrical shape many other air deep fryers have.
As far as any potential drawbacks go with this unit, there are a few small ones. The control knobs for the Secura Electric Hot deep Air Fryer are just a little…off. They feel strange to move around, and you sometimes feel like you may not have it on the exact temperature. You eventually get a feel for it though. Also, when frying with max temps, sometimes you’ll smell a little burnt plastic smell. This does fade away over time.
Overall I’m a pretty big fan of the Secura Electric Hot Air. I like how it sits flatter against the wall, the large capacity, and the extra accessories. Once you get the hang of the controls, you’re all set. This is a great value for under $90.
Last but not least, we have the Black and Decker Air Fryer. In fact, there are a lot of air fryer users who think this is actually the best one available for the money. While I respectfully disagree, it’s actually not too far off. This durable, sleek, and simple air fryer excels in a lot of different areas — as long as you aren’t cooking for more than two people.
The has a 2 liter capacity, but it’s a spacious 2 liters. The cooking temperature ranges from 175 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, with adjustments within increments of 50 degrees. In terms of shape and design, the Purify Air Fryer has a rounded look, but it is a little flatter than similar models, saving some front end space on the counter.
The 60 minute cooking timer and temperature controls are adjusted using the two centered knobs on the unit. I’m not always a huge fan of knobs, but these feel very solid, and I kind of like the look as well.
The cooking time and efficiency of the Purify Air deep Fryer is above average thanks to dual convection fans instead of the typical one. This doubles the air circulation and makes the heating effect more efficient.
The Purify Air Fryer has some integrated safety features, such as an overheating protection, auto shut-off, and a non-slip base. All detachable parts can be washed in the microwave, and a handy basket divider lets you cook two different foods at the same time without worrying about flavor interference. Very helpful, and essentially cuts cooking time in half if your frying multiple foods.
The only notable drawbacks with the Purify Air Fryer involce temp control. The numbers are tiny, and the 50 degree increments is a bit much. It’d be nice to at least have it down to 10 degrees instead. Also, aside from the basket divider, there are no other accessories.
Black and Decker Dry Fryer is definitely one of the best you can buy, we just didn’t know what category to put it in. So just consider it a top 10 all-around air fryer. For less than $100, it’s a steal.
Simply put, an air fryer is something that fries with air. Easy, right? Well, thanks go a bit further than that, but that’s the general idea.
Prior to dry fryers, the only way to fry things like potatoes, chicken tenders, and similar items was to submerge them in cooking oil, like you would at a fast food restaurant. The food stays submerged under the hot oil until done, you strain the oil out, and you’re all set.
While the name “air fryer” makes it sound like no oil is used, that’s not entirely true. There is a small amount of oil used, but you definitely don’t submerge your food in it.
How an Air Fryer Works?
Air fryers cook food using a number of different heating methods. There is a heating element inside the unit, similar to what you’d see in a standard oven. On top of the element, there is a fan that spins at a high speed to distribute the heat evenly around the inside, similar to a convection oven.
Here’s where things get a little more innovative. The fryer uses a small amount of oil, which is turned into a very fine mist, and spread all around the inside with the fan. This allows the tiny oil droplets to heat up and “fry” the food, but using the hot air that’s moving all around the inside at the same time.
The result is a three-pronged heating method that still delivers a crispness you’d find with deep-fried foods, while still cooking the food evenly, and very quickly.
Towards the back or top of the unit, there is an exhaust chute that allows excessive hot air to safely escape through a filter, which also helps to eliminate smells. For the most part, the majority of air fryers can reach temperatures of up to 200°C.
Air fryers weren’t invented merely as some way to fry stuff easier on your countertop. For the most part, they are intended to be a much healthier and safer way to cook a variety of foods, and not just stuff you would normally fry.
If you didn’t know already, frying foods in oil isn’t exactly the healthiest way to cook. Fried foods are a pretty big contributor to a variety of health issues when eaten excessively, which is actually pretty easy to do. Who doesn’t love french fries and basically any other fried food, right?
The problem resides in the amount of oil used to cook the food. Regardless of the food or oil type, using that much leads to a high fat and cholesterol content — not ideal. But here’s the other thing though, a little oil is actually a good thing. That’s what makes an air fryer so useful.
Best Air fryers let you decide what kind of oil you want to use, whether it’s canola, coconut, sesame; whatever you want. You can even use spray butter if you’d like.
The advantage is the fact that you barely have to use any, often about 80% to 90% less than you’d use with an actual deep or pan frier. The design of the air fryer distribues it evenly as a fine mist, so you get the most out of a little, and still get that fried effect. Can’t beat that.
With an air fryer, there’s no open oil anywhere. It’s all contained inside, nice and safe. It doesn’t get any safer than that.
Another huge benefit of an air fryer is how fast it is. The three-heat method significantly cuts down on cooking time, and there’s no preheating. Just turn it on, add the oil, pop the food in, and you’re good to go. Most items can be cooked in around 15-20 minutes, whether it’s fries, chicken breasts, vegetables, whatever.
Air fryers aren’t just for basic fried foods. For the most part, whatever you can cook in a standard oven, you can cook in an air fryer. And depending on the model you have, you can really fine-tune the settings to handle everything from burgers, to even cakes.
This means you have a fryer and oven, all in one. And on top of your counter, not taking up a bunch of space. Most units can fit into a large drawer, cabinet, or pantry when not in use. Or you can just leave it on the counter next to your other main appliances.
Is it the Same as Traditional Frying?
It’s important to mention the fact that you will not get that exact deep-fried texture and taste of a conventional frier, but it’s close. Some people may even prefer the lighter texture and lack of excessive oil when air frying their favorite traditionally fried foods.
Air fryers have been quickly embraced by numerous renowned chefs, even ones such as Gordon Ramsey. He gets it.
Also, this newer method of cooking may allow some buyers to experiment in ways they haven’t before, finding new ways to enjoy foods they’ve always cooked in different ways. No matter what you’re cooking or how, you can always bet on a crisp, evenly-cooked surface on each side, which often involves flipping the food just once during cooking.
How to Know What is the Best AirFryer to Buy?
As I’ve mentioned, air fryers aren’t the most complicated kitchen appliances you’ll find. With that said, there are a number of characteristics you can look out for during the buying process that will help ensure you end up with the right one for what you’d like to use it for.
If you’re tight on counter space, you may want to first check out the dimensions to make sure the unit will fit under your cabinet, or maybe just on the available surface space you have. Air fryers can get quite big if you’re opting for a higher capacity, so try not to end up with one that you can’t actually use in your kitchen/RV/wherever.
This is definitely something you don’t want to overlook. The actual capacity can vary a lot amongst models, so you first need to address how much food you’d like to cook at once.
If you have a family, I’d advise trying to get an air fryer with at least 2 lbs in capacity. Some models list their capacity in liters and quarts instead, so in that case, about 3 liters, or at least 4 quarts. If you’re cooking for yourself, or two most of the time, you can get by with smaller units, and maybe save some cash as well.
Regardless, make sure you read over the manufacturer’s info to see in their words how they describe the capacity, as different designs may be a little more efficient in how they use the space.
Air fryers can come with several different features that can aid you in cooking different items, and just how to use it in general.
The cheapest models will only have analog controls operated by knobs and such, while more expensive models will have a digital display that likely has programming options as well. This can include options such as presets, and sometimes even different cooking temperatures for different time periods during the cooking process. You can also set timers and make other adjustments with some models too.
Accessories are another thing to check out. Some top rated air fryers will come with pan dividers, covers, different pans for different foods, cookbooks, trays, tongs, baskets, and a number of other things.
One last thing to consider is the air fryer’s design itself. Some models have ways to let you rotate and move the food around without actually having to pull the basket out. Others have transparent bodies so you can see the food while it’s cooking, which is certainly helpful in many cases.
I touched on the price aspect a bit earlier, but let me elaborate a little. These are not very cheap for the most part, even when buying one of the more basic models. The majority of these appliances are going to over $100, while some of the best air fryers with larger and much more complexity will be over $200.
The Christmas mood kicks in immediately one sees thousands of dancing stars and this laser Christmas light makes this possible with just a click of a button. And, if after some time you will need the laser display to be still, all you do is click the button again and voila!
The laser light comes in two color modes, and it’s designed to enable you to choose between what most people refer to as the breath-taking green and red combination and the all green light show display. You can also switch from either of the display as often as you wish with just a click of the button.
The laser light also has a built-in light sensor which enables the star shower motion to turn on in darkness or off in daylight automatically. However, if you wish to have it on even in the daylight, this is totally possible, and the effects are still the same because the red and green colors are clearly visible even in daylight.
What’s more, this star shower motion lights projects up to 100 yards away while covering more than 3200 square feet which is a good coverage even when you have just one but if you need a more spectacular result you can add several. Again, the dazzling holographic lights are ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. They come with an indoor base that enables you to create a galaxy of dancing stars in your house and also it is weather-resistant thus perfect for outdoor use.
Unlike most Christmas laser lights that require you to press a button to switch from one mode to the other, this here is remote controlled which makes things easier. What’s more, these Christmas projector lights are available in three mode options; green, red, and red & green and you can instantly switch from one to the other. They make a great choice not only for the use during the Christmas festive but also for various parties, patios, weddings, or any other outdoor garden decorations.
When it comes to coverage, this laser light gives you over 3000 square feet, and it is also weather-resistant meaning it is perfect for both indoor and outdoor use. Again, because it comes with a remote control, it is very convenient even in snowing or raining days.
The laser light projector also features a built-in timer thus giving you all the benefits of an auto-timer feature. Basically, the laser light will go off after being on for six hours then automatically turn on after eighteen hours. For safety purposes, the light is certified by FCC, FDA, CE, UL, ROHS, & EMC plus it is IP65 waterproof thus there is no doubt about how safe it is for use around the homes.
Again, if in the past you have experienced the overheating effect of laser light, this light gives you a different experience as it features a unique, metallic heat-dissipating design that prevents overheating. And, its maximum projection rate is less than 5mW, so it doesn’t use a lot of power.
It is also IP65 waterproof level meaning it can withstand normal water spray from the rain, so you don’t have to take it in when it’s raining. It also comes with a ground stake and indoor base thus making indoor and outdoor installation easy. It is also sturdy and well-constructed for durability. It is also the perfect definition of simple and convenient as assembling takes just a few minutes.
Does not give you the option to select all green lights but if need be, you can simply cover the single red emitter using a gaffing tape.
The UNIFUN laser Christmas light combines LED landscape projector with red christmas lights that shine on house and bring an amazing light show effect. Its design creates the festive atmosphere instantly and works perfectly on gardens and other exterior surfaces and also in interior rooms with its 300 square feet coverage. It also switches images automatically, so you don’t have to press buttons every time.
And, controlling this laser projector light is easy as it comes with a remote control. You can also display just the blue or red lights using the remote control. And, this is a year-round kind of laser light as it comes with 16 slides that enable you to switch from one theme to another depending on the kind of celebration.
You have the option to either stick the waterproof led projection lights in the ground using the included stake or mount it on a round plate, also included. The laser light also has moving patterns that create a unique display around your home. It is also brighter than most other given in this list of laser Christmas lights reviews and above all it's very affordable.
Comes with 16 slides to enable you to switch from any festive say Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, etc.
Hanging individual Christmas lights strands is not everyone’s favorite task, not unless it’s your hobby. Thanks to 1byone Christmas laser lights, this will be a thing of the past. This is an energy-efficient laser light, and it is designed to serve you all year round.
It features red stars plus green Christmas tree patterns thus brings out a great festive atmosphere the moment it’s on. And, the laser light works perfectly both indoor and outdoor, and the projections look awesome in any garden, interior rooms or external surfaces. It’s a great option when you want your home to stand out during the Christmas festive.
It also features a built-in timer automatic function and ambient light sensor that goes off once it senses the daylight and turns it on at night. Basically, the laser light relies on the light intensity to turn on or off. Again, with the automatic timer function, this laser light turns off after being on for six hours and turns back on after eighteen hours.
This laser light gives you a 2,100 square feet coverage from a 20 feet distance. This is a broad application compared to what most brands are offering. Again, it is snow-proof and waterproof which makes it ideal for use at any time of the year. It comes with an outdoor laser light spike, an indoor laser light stand and the needed screw and bracket for installation. For the price, this is a great laser Christmas light to purchase.
If you have other lights around, the laser light might keep shutting off because they make the photocell react. However, you can prevent this by covering it up with an electric tape.
This is a remote-controlled star laser shower with single green, single red, and green & red which you easily choose using the remote. The patterns move, and you can control the moving speed or set it stationary with the RF remote control. It also features an automatic timer that sets your laser light on or off depending on the light intensity.
Again, the remote control allows you to set a timing mode that turns the light on and off at the same time every day and night. You can choose to have it off after 2, 4, or 8 hours of being on. This is unlike most other laser lights with the option of being on for 6 hours and turning on again after 18 hours.
The construction is just right for both indoor and outdoor environments. It features a metallic shell which facilitates a great heat dissipation to prevent overheating while also promoting durability. You also have three mount options to choose where you can go for wall mounting, tripod mounting or ground mounting. This makes it very versatile and convenient because setting up is straightforward. It also comes with an indoor base plus an outdoor plug. And, it is power efficient as it needs just 2.0mW power output plus it is CE, FDA, FC, and ROHS certified for safety.
This is a beautiful laser Christmas light with red, green and blue colors. As such, it is not only perfect for Christmas seasons but also for any other events around the year. This is why the lights are also referred to as year-round magic lights. Controlling it is super easy as you just use the remote and you have the option to choose either of the single colors or a combination of either the two or all. The coverage is also huge, and you might just need one to have the entire house covered.
The construction is super sturdy for durability, and because the case is all metallic, heat dissipation is perfect thus no overheating. It is a great laser light for both outdoor and indoor because it is waterproof. Also, it is very bright, and it uses holographic technology and cutting-edge laser to bring out the perfect celebrations atmosphere.
The LED Mall laser light goes through the aging test to ensure that they will be able to perform perfectly in any environment. However, in extremely cold environments, the laser light appears dim and will require some time to warm up and luckily, it features a built-in heater for this. It is also straightforward to use as all you do is plug and play then use the remote to control it. And, it comes with a metallic stake which way better than the plastic ones in other brands, and it is generally brighter and vibrant than most laser lights on the market.
The Red color is weaker than the green and blue in terms brightness and spread. However, this might be a matter of preference, and you have the option to choose either color or a combination of either two or all three.
If you are looking for quality and high performance, then you should get this blinking star projector laser light. It’s a premium quality and uses the holographic laser technology thus projecting breathtaking stars. It is also weather resistant, IP65 waterproof, thus withstands rain, snow, and even intense sun. And, whatever surface you want to illuminate, houses, patios, lawns, among others, this laser light will perform perfectly as long as the light intensity is right.
With a cover range of 800 square feet from 100 yards away, you will love the illumination effect given that it is super bright. It has three colors, green, red and blue, and you have the option to display either individually or a combination of the three. The star pattern makes it ideal for other seasons and events as well unlike those specifically designed to display Christmas themed patterns.
Installation is super easy and eliminates the hassles that come with ladders. All you do is plug and play. Again, controlling it is easy as it comes with a remote control whose range is 8m to 15m so you won’t have to walk in the rain to go and change patterns.
This is a two color motion laser Christmas light that’s easy to set up and control. It offers blue and green colors where you have the option to display either single blue or single green, or you can also display a combination, green and blue. Controlling it is easy as it comes with an RF remote control that enables you to choose which option to go by. Also, it features an auto on/off timer that helps in energy saving by ensuring that it goes off and on at the appropriate time based on the light intensity. Again, you can choose to have a moving pattern or a stationary one using the wireless remote control.
This laser Christmas light has a cover range of up to 3900 square feet from 25 feet away. This gives you a broad coverage eliminating the need to buying too many of them for proper display. Whatever way you set it, twinkle/flashing or stationary, you will love the outcome. And, this is a multi-use laser light because the light and the pattern fits various moods, Christmas, parties, Halloween, camping, etc.
With 8 patterns, this Geekers laser Christmas light is about to light up your home and bring in the Christmas mood in a new way. It features a high-end technology, advanced chips, aimed at enhancing brightness, promote for projection distance, to enable you to light up your house and compound without having to purchase many units. The total coverage is 2100 square feet which are pretty awesome for the price.
The eight patterns include led snowflake projector pattern, snowman, Xmas tree, jingle bells, reindeer, Santa Claus, cabin, and RG stars. You can use the RF remote control to select the patterns you want to display, and this makes the laser light ideal for other celebrations as well.
It also has a built-in timer function that helps in energy saving as you can set it to turn off automatically after either 2, 4, or 8 hours of being on. Again, the remote control up to 15m away thus making it better than IR. Also, this laser light’s design makes it great at heat dissipation which gives it longer durability plus it is also waterproof and dust-proof thus ideal for outdoor use. The blue LED background gives it a unique look.
LCL - Laser Christmas Lights are either plastic or metal constructed. Now, for weather resistance and durability, the metal construction always wins.
If you need a laser light for outdoor use, ensure that this is clearly stated or confirm beforehand because if it’s not constructed to withstand the elements, it might not perform well outdoors. The same case applies to indoor use.
The Christmas laser lights are meant to relieve you of the hassle that comes with the traditional Christmas lights decorations. As such, they should be easy to install and control. Mostly, you will only need to plug and play, but if you get one with a remote control, it will be better than having to walk over everytime you need to change the pattern and press a button.
The Christmas season comes around once a year, but we still have other celebrations throughout the year. You might find it helpful to get a laser light that you can use in other events as well instead of having to purchase one for each.
If your laser Christmas light has a wide coverage, it will save you from purchasing several units.
Some people will go for AC powered laser lights while others prefer battery powered. Check this out before purchasing to get what you want.
The more the number of patterns the better the Christmas mood. Some laser lights have up to 8 and 10 patterns.
Mostly, the brightness of your laser lights will be affected by the light intensity. As such, the lights will do better in a dark environment, but you should ensure that the light is bright enough to your liking.
You don’t want to risk using untested laser lights. Some certifications such FDA guarantees that the light is safe for use around your home.
To save on power, you need a laser light with an inbuilt auto-timer function to ensure that it will always go off at the right time.
You will no longer take too much time hanging Christmas lights. With the lazer Christmas lights, it will take you even less than 5 minutes to set up and have your home covered with beautiful Christmas patterns.
Again, most laser lights are easy to control as most come with a remote control while others have a button that’s easy to operate.
Packing away the traditional Christmas lights might take up some space, but laser lights are usually small and compact thus needing just a small space for storage.
Most of the laser lights can be used for other celebrations, events, parties, etc. Most of them allow you to choose what pattern to display and you can choose different patterns for different events.
All these Christmas lights are awesome, but the only product that topped our list of laser christmas lights reviews post is Geekers Laser xmas Lights. Apart from its affordable price, this laser light stands out by having all the necessary features that any home would need to bring in the celebration mood. It features a metal construction which makes it ideal for both outdoor and indoor use while also giving it a longer durability. It also has 8 amazing patterns (snowflake projector light, snowman, Xmas tree, jingle bells, Santa Claus, RG stars, and reindeer cabin) that make it ideal for most events that happen around the year. It also has a built-in timer function plus it comes with a remote control.
The Christmas mood kicks in immediately one sees thousands of dancing stars and this laser Christmas light makes this possible with just a click of a button. And, if after some time you will need the laser display to be still, all you do is click the button again and voila! The laser light comes in two color modes, and it’s designed to enable you to choose between what most people refer to as the breath-taking green and red combination and the all green light show display. You can also switch from either of the display as often as you wish with just a click of the button. The laser light also has a built-in light sensor which enables the star shower motion to turn on in darkness or off in daylight automatically. However, if you wish to have it on even in the daylight, this is totally possible, and the effects are still the same because the red and green colors are clearly visible even in daylight. What’s more, this star shower motion lights projects up to 100 yards away while covering more than 3200 square feet which is a good coverage even when you have just one but if you need a more spectacular result you can add several. Again, the dazzling holographic lights are ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. They come with an indoor base that enables you to create a galaxy of dancing stars in your house and also it is weather-resistant thus perfect for outdoor use.
Unlike most Christmas laser lights that require you to press a button to switch from one mode to the other, this here is remote controlled which makes things easier. What’s more, these Christmas projector lights are available in three mode options; green, red, and red & green and you can instantly switch from one to the other. They make a great choice not only for the use during the Christmas festive but also for various parties, patios, weddings, or any other outdoor garden decorations. When it comes to coverage, this laser light gives you over 3000 square feet, and it is also weather-resistant meaning it is perfect for both indoor and outdoor use. Again, because it comes with a remote control, it is very convenient even in snowing or raining days. The laser light projector also features a built-in timer thus giving you all the benefits of an auto-timer feature. Basically, the laser light will go off after being on for six hours then automatically turn on after eighteen hours. For safety purposes, the light is certified by FCC, FDA, CE, UL, ROHS, & EMC plus it is IP65 waterproof thus there is no doubt about how safe it is for use around the homes. Again, if in the past you have experienced the overheating effect of laser light, this light gives you a different experience as it features a unique, metallic heat-dissipating design that prevents overheating. And, its maximum projection rate is less than 5mW, so it doesn’t use a lot of power.
treeDoes not give you the option to select all green lights but if need be, you can simply cover the single red emitter using a gaffing tape.
The UNIFUN laser Christmas light combines LED landscape projector with red christmas lights that shine on house and bring an amazing light show effect. Its design creates the festive atmosphere instantly and works perfectly on gardens and other exterior surfaces and also in interior rooms with its 300 square feet coverage. It also switches images automatically, so you don’t have to press buttons every time. And, controlling this laser projector light is easy as it comes with a remote control. You can also display just the blue or red lights using the remote control. And, this is a year-round kind of laser light as it comes with 16 slides that enable you to switch from one theme to another depending on the kind of celebration. About its construction, you’ll be right to say that this is a well-made laser Christmas light. First off, it is FDA, FCC, CE, and ROHS certified. It also features ABS plastic construction, so it feels sturdy, plus has a high-quality power adapter and light casing. It fits both outdoor and indoor use, and it is secure without radiation You have the option to either stick the waterproof led projection lights in the ground using the included stake or mount it on a round plate, also included. The laser light also has moving patterns that create a unique display around your home. It is also brighter than most other given in this list of laser Christmas lights reviews and above all it’s very affordable.
Hanging individual Christmas lights strands is not everyone’s favorite task, not unless it’s your hobby. Thanks to 1byone Christmas laser lights, this will be a thing of the past. This is an energy-efficient laser light, and it is designed to serve you all year round. It features red stars plus green Christmas tree patterns thus brings out a great festive atmosphere the moment it’s on. And, the laser light works perfectly both indoor and outdoor, and the projections look awesome in any garden, interior rooms or external surfaces. It’s a great option when you want your home to stand out during the Christmas festive. It also features a built-in timer automatic function and ambient light sensor that goes off once it senses the daylight and turns it on at night. Basically, the laser light relies on the light intensity to turn on or off. Again, with the automatic timer function, this laser light turns off after being on for six hours and turns back on after eighteen hours. This laser light gives you a 2,100 square feet coverage from a 20 feet distance. This is a broad application compared to what most brands are offering. Again, it is snow-proof and waterproof which makes it ideal for use at any time of the year. It comes with an outdoor laser light spike, an indoor laser light stand and the needed screw and bracket for installation. For the price, this is a great laser Christmas light to purchase.
This is a remote-controlled star laser shower with single green, single red, and green & red which you easily choose using the remote. The patterns move, and you can control the moving speed or set it stationary with the RF remote control. It also features an automatic timer that sets your laser light on or off depending on the light intensity. Again, the remote control allows you to set a timing mode that turns the light on and off at the same time every day and night. You can choose to have it off after 2, 4, or 8 hours of being on. This is unlike most other laser lights with the option of being on for 6 hours and turning on again after 18 hours. The construction is just right for both indoor and outdoor environments. It features a metallic shell which facilitates a great heat dissipation to prevent overheating while also promoting durability. You also have three mount options to choose where you can go for wall mounting, tripod mounting or ground mounting. This makes it very versatile and convenient because setting up is straightforward. It also comes with an indoor base plus an outdoor plug. And, it is power efficient as it needs just 2.0mW power output plus it is CE, FDA, FC, and ROHS certified for safety.
This is a beautiful laser Christmas light with red, green and blue colors. As such, it is not only perfect for Christmas seasons but also for any other events around the year. This is why the lights are also referred to as year-round magic lights. Controlling it is super easy as you just use the remote and you have the option to choose either of the single colors or a combination of either the two or all. The coverage is also huge, and you might just need one to have the entire house covered. The construction is super sturdy for durability, and because the case is all metallic, heat dissipation is perfect thus no overheating. It is a great laser light for both outdoor and indoor because it is waterproof. Also, it is very bright, and it uses holographic technology and cutting-edge laser to bring out the perfect celebrations atmosphere. The LED Mall laser light goes through the aging test to ensure that they will be able to perform perfectly in any environment. However, in extremely cold environments, the laser light appears dim and will require some time to warm up and luckily, it features a built-in heater for this. It is also straightforward to use as all you do is plug and play then use the remote to control it. And, it comes with a metallic stake which way better than the plastic ones in other brands, and it is generally brighter and vibrant than most laser lights on the market.
If you are looking for quality and high performance, then you should get this blinking star projector laser light. It’s a premium quality and uses the holographic laser technology thus projecting breathtaking stars. It is also weather resistant, IP65 waterproof, thus withstands rain, snow, and even intense sun. And, whatever surface you want to illuminate, houses, patios, lawns, among others, this laser light will perform perfectly as long as the light intensity is right. With a cover range of 800 square feet from 100 yards away, you will love the illumination effect given that it is super bright. It has three colors, green, red and blue, and you have the option to display either individually or a combination of the three. The star pattern makes it ideal for other seasons and events as well unlike those specifically designed to display Christmas themed patterns. Installation is super easy and eliminates the hassles that come with ladders. All you do is plug and play. Again, controlling it is easy as it comes with a remote control whose range is 8m to 15m so you won’t have to walk in the rain to go and change patterns.
This is a two color motion laser Christmas light that’s easy to set up and control. It offers blue and green colors where you have the option to display either single blue or single green, or you can also display a combination, green and blue. Controlling it is easy as it comes with an RF remote control that enables you to choose which option to go by. Also, it features an auto on/off timer that helps in energy saving by ensuring that it goes off and on at the appropriate time based on the light intensity. Again, you can choose to have a moving pattern or a stationary one using the wireless remote control. This laser Christmas light has a cover range of up to 3900 square feet from 25 feet away. This gives you a broad coverage eliminating the need to buying too many of them for proper display. Whatever way you set it, twinkle/flashing or stationary, you will love the outcome. And, this is a multi-use laser light because the light and the pattern fits various moods, Christmas, parties, Halloween, camping, etc.
LCL – Laser Christmas Lights are either plastic or metal constructed. Now, for weather resistance and durability, the metal construction always wins.
You will no longer take too much time hanging Christmas lights. With the lazer Christmas lights, it will take you even less than 5 minutes to set up and have your home covered with beautiful Christmas patterns. Again, most laser lights are easy to control as most come with a remote control while others have a button that’s easy to operate.
When it comes to hot water heaters, there really is no debate: everyone needs one, and it doesn’t matter where you live. Nothing beats a hot shower, right? We depend on hot water each day in our homes, from washing dishes, to washing laundry, to baths. Hot water boilers make it all possible.
Now, when I say on demand hot water heaters, you’re probably envisioning one of those huge 7 feet tall metal tanks that essentially sits on top of a big gas range, constantly lighting up throughout the day to keep the water inside hot. That’s understandable, as these have been the conventional choice of most households for years.
However, have you ever run out of hot water in the middle of a shower? Or dealt with that cold blast of water because someone elsewhere in the house flushed a toilet, or decided to start a load of laundry? Of course you have. Nobody enjoys that.
Tankless hot water boilers avoid the trouble of having a finite amount of hot water stored away in a tank, in constant need of reheating. These small, yet powerful devices can instantly turn cold water from your home’s incoming plumbing into an endless supply of piping hot water that’s always readily available right when you need it.
Intrigued? You should be. Think these are too expensive for you? Think again.
Tankless hot water heaters come in a variety of sizes and types, ranging from immensely powerful models that provide hot water for entire hotel room floors, to smaller versions you can easily install in your home with little fuss.
As an experienced HVAC professional, I’ve dealt with my fair share of tankless hot water boilers over the years, and have gotten to know them well. In fact, I use them in my home, and now I’m going to show you the 10 best water heater models currently available, spanning many different sizes and price points.
So, if you’re in the market for a water heater, or are simply curious about what they can do for you, read on to see my picks, as well as some helpful buying advice.
For those that think you have to spend a ridiculous amount of money in order to have a fully functioning hot water convector that can support multiple water sources at one time, the Stiebel Eltron Tempra Plus begs to differ.
While this unit is certainly not cheap, it still costs less than several other water heaters that advertise themselves as superior, while providing a top-tier level of performance that’s hard to find elsewhere — one of the many reasons it’s our overall favorite for best tankless water heater.
The Tempra Plus is electric-powered, so you don’t have to worry about using a gas source. The unit is relatively small when considering the power output, and it requires absolutely no ventilation whatsoever. It’s available in a wide range of wattages, helping you better match it to your actual climate.
The water temperature is displayed digitally in an easy-to-read manner, and the temperature can be controlled with a dial that tells you what each setting is best for. Auto-modulation allows for ideal temperature control without exerting too much energy, helping you save on your bill.
Constant and quick heating is provided by dual copper chambers that help you avoid the dreaded cold spurts that can sometimes interrupt your hot water flow, especially when other sinks and showers are being used at the same time.
A minimum flow rate of 0.5 gallons triggers the unit on, and depending on your outside water temp, it can provide around 5 gallons per minute at whichever temperature setting you’ve selected.
You may notice that there is a Tempra Plus, and just an ordinary Tempra. The “Plus” indicates that it comes with Advanced Flow Control, which restricts the water pressure as needed in case there is a lag in maintaining the water’s heated temperature. This is definitely preferred over the cold spurts you get with models that can’t offer such a feature.
As far as disadvantages go, it’s hard to really pinpoint any with a unit of this quality and price. Having a digital temperature control would be welcome, and maybe a slightly smaller unit, but this is really just being picky for the sake of being picky. No major flaws here.
The Stiebel Eltron Tempra Plus is simply the best you can buy for under $1,000. And depending on your needs, you can purchase the unit in smaller or larger sizes to better match the water sources in your property. If you’re aiming for the best, definitely start here — you can’t go wrong.
For many, one of the biggest allures to using a tankless hot water heater is the energy-saving aspect. While the most energy-efficient heaters sometimes involves sacrificing the overall effectiveness and capabilities of a unit, that’s not the case with the EcoSmart ECO 27.
This innovative, powerful tankless hot water convector is capable of supplying hot water to a number of different outlets in your home, while not only maintaining even heating throughout, but also at a significantly reduced energy rate during the duration of its use.
The ECO 27 is one of the smaller units you’ll come across, at least in terms of ones that can supply the amount of hot water as this model. Its smaller footprint makes it suitable to be mounted where your hot water tank used to be, or as a point-of-use unit below a sink, or near a shower.
The unit’s temperature is displayed directly on the front of the box with a digital readout, and it can easily be controlled with the turning of a dial, right down to one degree at a time — anywhere in between 80 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
The minimum flow rate to activate the ECO 27 is 0.25 gallons per minute, so a dripping faucet will not unintentionally turn it on. For this model, you can expect about 2.7 gallons per minute in colder climates, and up to 6.6 gallons per minute in warmer climates, or during the summer.
Most top-level hot water heaters have a modulation feature that allows the water temp to remain the same by altering the flow rate as needed. The ECO 27 is self-modulating, but does things a bit differently, using anywhere from 1 to 3 of its copper heating pipes at a time, depending on the incoming water, combined with the desired pressure on the other end.
This is what makes it “eco smart,” as the modulation features only uses what it needs in real time, helping keep energy costs down, and eventually even letting the ECO 27 pay for itself, sometimes within a years time.
The EcoSmart ECO 27 is easily one of the best tankless hot water heaters on the market, and for one of the best prices you’ll come across. Its combination of affordability, effectiveness, and low energy use makes it a can’t miss purchase on every level.
For those that want to keep the price down and need a powerful point-of-use model, or simply live in a warmer climate that doesn’t require a large unit, the Rheem tankless water heater RTX-13 is the best option in their expansive line of water heaters.
The RTX-13 has sort of a cool, modern look, and is very small in stature when compared to other models. Hoses are connected on each side, and the temperature dial and display are located in the center. The display is crisp and bright, and the dial adjusts temperatures one degree at a time, ranging from 80 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Although not technically Energy Star rated, I wouldn’t be surprised if the RTX-13 eventually achieves the rating officially. It used two separate copper pipe heating elements as needed, as the unit determines how much heating is needed as the water passes through, utilizing self-modulation for more energy efficiency.
This results in an average gallon per minute output of around 1.5, with a maximum of 3.17 in ideal conditions. In most cases, this is enough to run the shower and a faucet at the same time, with no hot water drop off or flow reduction. Flow-optimizing shower heads allow the unit to be even more efficient, so keep that in mind.
While the RTX-13 is efficient and powerful, do realize that it’s not an ideal unit to use in a large house in the middle of winter. If you have higher water demands in a colder climate, you’re better off getting one of Rheem’s larger, more powerful models.
All in all, the Rheem RTX-13 is the best you can get when trying to spend less than $350 and still come close to supplying an average sized house with endless hot water throughout the year. Its surpsign energy efficiency, small profile, and economical price are more than enough reasons to keep it high on your buying list, if your living situation is appropriate for its size.
Portable tankless hot water heaters are a bit of a different beast when compared to permanent models you install inside a home. While the concept is relatively the same, the application is not, so it’s best to know the limitations and advantages.
With that said, if you are requiring a powerful, reliable, and capable hot water boiler you can use on a camping trip, in your yard, or practically anywhere else you need to set one up, the Camplux 10L is the clear choice for a variety of reasons.
While many hot water heaters are powered by electricity and copper heating elements on the inside, the Camplux 10L takes the gas route instead, due to its need for portability. In this case, that power source comes from propane, not unlike what you see with a camping stove or boiler. You can go for hybrid water heaters if you want to save the gas or electricity bill.
To use the Camplux 10L, you simply hang it up in an outside location, attach the propane tank, and use either an electric outlet or two DD batteries for the flame’s ignition. From there, you can adjust both the water flow and the temperature using the dials located in the front.
The unit includes a shower hose to make things a little easier, or you can opt to use a standard hose. The same connectors are used for attaching the Camplux 10L to your water source. Depending on the inlet water temp, you can achieve up to 2.6 gallons per minute of water output with full water heat.
The Camplux 10L is intended for outside use, but it can be converted to an inside model bty installing a flue pipe to carry exhaust away from its location. This gives it an added amount of versatility, and makes it suitable for smaller cabins, homes, horse stables, etc. Want to use it on a modified water system? Connect it to a 12v pump and you’re good to go.
The main advantages with this system center around its overall portability, along with its ease of use, and surprising heat efficiency. This unit can definitely make campouts and outdoor stays a lot more luxurious, and you still have the option to use it inside.
Obviously there are going to be some limitations due to the design, but as long as you know what you’re getting going in, it shouldn’t be an issue.
The Camplux 10L is simply the best portable tankless hot water heater, offering a mixture of convenience and innovative design, which is reinforced with impressive heating ability, and ease of use. And with a price of just over $200, it’s a great bargain.
Not every tankless hot water heater buyer needs a giant unit that can deliver scalding water in the dead of winter in Canada. For those that have smaller homes, cabins, or guest houses in warmer climates, the Titan SCR2 N-120 is an inexpensive option that is capable of getting the job done.
As a small, compact electric-powered unit, you have a lot of leeway as to where you can install the unit, whether that’s in your water tan closet, or even as a point-of-use unit mounted below a sink or behind a shower.
The SCR2 N-120 measures only 10x7x3 inches, and weighs a mere 8 pounds. You’ll have no trouble mounting it, and won’t need a bunch of assistance in getting it installed. Nice and simple. Push buttons on the front allow you to change the temperature, with a graph display that lights up to indicate the setting, which starts at 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
As for the GPM, this tiny unit can put out 4 gallons per minute, but the inlet water temperature has to be above 65 degrees, so keep that in mind. Colder temps will result in low water pressures if you’re using a high flow appliance like a washer or shower.
The SCR2 N-120 maintains consistent water temps by using a sampling system that checks the temp 21 times in a single second, making small adjustments to the flow rate as it operates, ensuring the temperature always stays the same.
For many, the price point is the most attractive part of this unit, and that’s understandable. It’s cheap, yet packs a big punch in the right environment. The flow rate is excellent considering the size, and the water sampling system keeps things consistent — literally all you could ask of a tankless heater.
The only negatives are the high inlet water temp requirements, but again, this is geared towards warmer climates ands small homes/cabins, so this shouldn’t be an issue when used correctly. The high starting temp is a little odd, but doesn’t detract from things much at all.
If you’re looking to spend the least amount of money, live somewhere like Florida or Arizona, and have a smaller home or family, the Titan SCR2 N-120 may be just what you need.
Looking for a point-of-use tankless hot water heater that doesn’t look terrible? The Atmor 24kw/24V ThermoPro is a perfect solution for those needing a reliable and capable water boiler they can install visibly in a bathroom or kitchen area, or simply the same location where their hot water tank used to be.
Temperatures can be controlled right on the front of the sleek-looking unit by using the chrome knob, allowing for adjustments in 1 degree increments — a rarity for nearly any hot water heater, regardless of type. The unit maxes out at 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
As with any tankless unit, the gallons per minute will depend on the inlet water temperature at that point of the year. The ThermoPro has a maximum of 4.6 GPMs when used with an inlet water temperature of 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Colder climates will attain a GPM capacity of around 2.5 to 3, which is still enough to run a shower and dishwasher at the same time.
The ThermoPro is definitely striving to be the best in the style department, but this little unit packs a punch in terms of heating ability. While it’s still better for warmer climates, it can still deliver adequate water amounts during winter months in colder climates. This is further improved by using it as a point-of-use installation, but that’s not required.
The ability to change heat settings by 1 degree is awesome, and the large dial makes things even easier. Furthermore, the unit is corrosion-proof and spill-proof, making it ideal for point-of-use installations where it will be exposed near the water fixture.
The only real potential drawbacks here revolve around the actual installation It can be a little trivy if you’re new to the process, and you’ll aso have to check quite a few different aspects of your home’s electrical setup to make sure you can support the unit.
At just under $400, the Atmor ThermoPro is an efficient and surprisingly powerful tankless hot water convector with a very modern aesthetic. The more decor-conscious buyers will certainly appreciate a unit that combines both form and function — and for a fair price.
Tankless on demand water heaters come in two distinct setups: gas, and electric. The majority of this list involves electric-powered models, but gas-powered versions are not to be overlooked. For many, this is actually a better option for homes with a conventional hot water boiler setup.
With that said, the Takagi tankless water heater T-Kjr2-IN-NG is one of many models in the company’s lineup, with this one being more of a mid-range model. But don’t let the size fool you. While this is a smaller, more compact version of larger Takagi models, this is also one of the most capable.
The T-Kjr2-IN-NG can be installed where your hot water tank used to be located, using the same gas connection. It’s larger than most electric units, but for a gas-powered model, it’s actually quite small, weighing just 38 pounds, and measuring 20x14x7 inches.
Water is heated as it passes through the unit by the way of gas-powered flames. Temperatures can range between 99 and 167 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the ground temperature. Rather than using knobs, the T-Kjr2-IN-NG comes with a remote control to adjust temperatures as needed.
Thanks to its efficient design and gas power, the T-Kjr2-IN-NG can offer a GPM rate of up to 6, which is certainly more than most electric models in its range. In favorable conditions, it can supply hot water to homes with 2-3 bathrooms, allowing someone to shower, while the dishwasher is being run.
The T-Kjr2-IN-NG is a very feasible replacement solution for someone who wants to get rid of the tank and save on energy, yet not sacrifice on the amount of hot water they can immediately access without interruption or diminished temperature range.
The fact that is is so small provides advantages during installation, and for anyone with cramped space in their closet. I really like the use of a remote control as well. You don’t have to leave it sitting out if you’re worried about losing it, simply set it near the unit at all times and you’re fine.
As with any gas tankless boiler, you’ll need to properly ventilate the heat exhaust, so do keep that in mind. You also won’t get the same energy savings as an electric model, but it’s still a lot better than using a tank.
Overall, the Takagi T-Kjr2-IN-NG is probably the best gas water heater for the money. For just under $500, you can attain a very capable solution that provides a very high amount of gallons per minute, and at a fraction of the maintenance, replacement costs, and energy usage. This is a great unit.
The Noritz NRC98-DV-NG is a massive tankless gas water heater for buyers needing to meet high water output requirements for larger homes and families. Powered by gas, this is as close as you can get to a conventional tank water heater’s performance — only without the tank.
The NRC98-DV-NG accomplishes this in several ways, but mostly through two different heating elements that work together to create instantly hot water with a huge output level. The first element serves as a pre-heater in a way, while the second element actually uses the heat exhaust to further heat the water. Genius, right?
Not only does this make the unit more efficient and quicker at heating, it also minimizes the amount of heat exhaust, which is one of the main drawbacks of a gas-powered unit. With this design, the exhaust is around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a lot cooler than other models.
The NRC98-DV-NG is definitely on the larger side, measuring 24x18x10 inches, and weighing 58 pounds. It has three main heat settings, but you can access 9 settings by purchasing a remote, also allowing you to adjust the temperature by 5 degree increments. Temperatures range between 100 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
As for the gallons per minute? The NRC98-DV-NG can maintain an output of 9.8 GPM with favorable inlet water conditions. This makes it suitable for a variety of climates. Yes, using it in cold climates will affect its output, but you can still get around 4-5 GPM, the max of many other units.
The NRC98-DV-NG also has a lot of safety settings, including a flame sensor, overheating prevention, and freeze protection.
And while the unit does it the 4 figure price range, it will eventually pay for itself anyway. It’s large size and exhaust setup is probably better with professional installation as well, so you’ll need to factor that in to your budget.
Simply put, the Noritz NRC98-DV-NG is the most powerful tankless on demand gas water heater on this list. If you’re looking for a high output model that can sustain standard temps and pressure for multiple bathrooms and fixtures at the same time, this is the way to go.
For those looking for a tankless hot water heater that can really crank out a high amount of water, be it for home or commercial properties, the Rinnai RL75iN is definitely worthy of your attention. Another great example of a high output propane/gas-powered model, the RL75iN is up to task, and you don’t have to live in a warm climate to benefit.
The RL75iN is designed to take the place of your tank boiler in the spot it once occupied (or wherever you’d like to route gas lines.) And while it is a standard gas-powered unit, it does do things a little differently, mainly in being a high output model that can use natural gas or propane.
This unit can attain water temps anywhere from 98 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, all of which can be controlled on the front of the unit with digital dials and readouts.It also offers error codes if something goes wrong so you know exactly what the issue is.
In terms of gallons per minute, the RL75iN can reach a whopping 7.5 GPM in ideal conditions, with a 5 GPM level in colder environments. This is all powered by anywhere from 10,300 to 180,000 BTUs, so this thing really is a beast.
If you have around 2-3 bathrooms in a moderate climate with cold winters, you won’t be lacking in hot water, even with two showers going at once. You can also convert the unit to a commercial model with a controller upgrade, reaching temps of 160 degrees. That’s hot.
The RL75iN comes with a giant 12 year warranty, with 5 years on parts, so it’s in it for the long haul. It’s one of the most powerful units on this list, and still manages to be Energy Star certified, which is hard to do, A scale detection system indicates when hard water is causing issue and requires a descaling cycle.
There are a few obvious drawbacks, mainly revolving around the price of the unit., but powerful models will always cost more for a reason. Ventilation can be tricky too, and you’ll need to make sure your gas line can offer enough pressure to reach 180,000 BTUs, so a reconfiguration my be needed.
As I’ve said, this is a massive unit that combines reliable water temps, versatility between fuel sources, ease of use, and built-in features that elongate the unit’s life. Rinnai RL75iN is the best propane tankless water heater and if a high GPM is your goal, the Rinnai RL75iN is worthy of your attention.
Gas and electric tankless hot water heaters are well represented on this list, as they should be, but propane-only units can be every bit as useful, and not only in RVs and small cabins/vacation houses. The Eccotemp FVI-12-LP is a great example of a versatile and easy-to-use tankless hot water heater that can be used in a variety of locations.
As i’ve said, the FVI-12-LP is powered by propane, and you can actually use anywhere from 20 pound to 100 pound tanks, giving you the ability to tailor your tank size for how much the unit will be used. It has a standard 2-prong plug-in that powers the ignitor.
The FVI-12-LP uses dials on the front to control the temperature, which is digitally displayed for better accuracy, taking out the guesswork. The maximum setting is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. When plugged in, the unit only activates the gas when it sense the water flowing through, so you save on gas there too.
The GPM can range from anywhere between .09 gallons per minute, and 4.8 when used in warmer climates. This makes it suitable for small homes with low simultaneous water usage. 3.0 GPMs is more average for this unit, which it can attain when being used with a 55 degree rise.
The small size and simple design of the FVI-12-LP makes it ideal for point-of-use applications, but it can also be used as a typical tank replacement in warmer climates, or homes that use one water fixture at a time.
With a price of under $275, the FVI-12-LP is one of the most affordable you’ll find, while still offering the capabilities of supplying a decent amount of hot water to sinks, showers, tubs, and more. Yes, you’ll still be purchasing propane from time to time, but not as much as you’d think due to the impressive efficiency of the unit.
The FVI-12-LP also comes with its own vent kit, and is relatively easy to install, making the process even simpler and more ideal for small homes and vacation cabins. No, it’s not as powerful as larger units, and not as suited for colder climates, but when used within its range, it offers excellent value.
Overall, the Eccotemp FVI-12-LP provides as much as it can for the price. The propane-powered nature of the unit gives it more versatility as to where you can use and/or install it, making it a logical choice for warmer locations and smaller homes with less-used water utilities.
How a Tankless Hot Water Heater Works?
I’m sure most people are familiar with conventional hot water tanks. The concept for these is fairly simple: water is stored in a large metal tank, which is heated on the bottom by gas flames. When the tank is heated to the desired temperature, the water remains in the tank, ready to use.
As water is depleted from the tank, more cold water is fed into the tank, where it’s then heated as well before eventually making its way to faucets, showers, dishwashers, etc.
With a tankless water heater, the water has no way of being stored, so it needs to be heated as it passes through from the source, and into the home’s various water outlets.
So, why would someone even want to mess with a tankless hot water heater in the first place? Don’t water tank versions work well enough?
Perhaps, but water boilers without tanks offer some distinct advantages in more ways than one.
Think about how a hot water tank works for a moment. In order to keep the gallons upon gallons of hot water hot, the gas has to activate frequently throughout the day whenever it sense the temperature has fallen below the desired heat setting, or if one simply uses a lot of hot water, be it for a bath, laundry, etc.
This constant on/off cycle uses up your gas, even when you aren’t actually using the water. Over time, that’s a lot of energy waste going on, and of course money being wasted too.
A tankless version only uses heat and energy when it’s activated, and then shuts off right after. There’s no meaningless heating of water throughout the day, simply to keep a giant tank of water hot enough just in case you decide to use hot water at any given moment.
Ever run out of hot water in the middle of taking a shower? Your hot water tank was too depleted to keep supplying hot water, probably due to either someone else taking a long shower or bath before you, or doing a few loads of laundry during your bath.
When using a tank, you are always operating with a finite amount of water. These heaters heat as the water enters and comes to your fixture or appliance, so you never have to worry about running out. You could leave the shower on all day long, and you’d still never run out.
For some households with lots of kids or roommates, this is an invaluable advantage that can certainly help things go smoother in the mornings.
Most of us know someone that’s had a hot water tank fail at some point in life. More often than not, this leads to the tank leaking countless gallons of water into the home, ruining hardwood floors carpet, and more. It can be an event that ends up costing a homeowner thousands of dollars.
While proper care and maintenance can help avoid this, when you’re dealing with a huge tank of water sitting inside a closet or utility area, it’s always a risk.
Tankless hot water heaters don’t store water, so there’s nothing to spill or leak.
Tankless systems are environmentally friendly, and have a sort of modern allure that is appealing to many prospective buyers. Installing these water heaters in your home can instantly boost your home’s value, and make it appear more attractive to buyers.
A popular type for those going for a replacement that will have little to no drop-off from a hot water tank, natural gas tankless water heaters use the game gas lines your conventional tank heater uses.
The unit is installed into the gas line, often in the same hot water closet. The water is then fed into the unit, which triggers the ignition that lights the flame, which then heats the water as it passes through.
Natural gas units do require venting, which requires a lot of extra work beyond just installing the unit in the home. Vents can run horizontal or vertical, depending on your home.
Natural gas water heaters are usually the most powerful, provide seemingly instant hot water, and offer a higher flow rate of hot water. However, they are not as energy efficient as electric models.
Electric tankless hot water heaters are completely gas-less, and rely on electrical heating elements that heat the water as it moves through the unit.
Since these don’t require gas, they are easier to install, and also do not require any ventilation.
In terms of energy efficiency, electric water heaters are easily the best, and can offer the most savings on your bills. However, they are typically not as powerful as gas models, and may take a little longer to get the hot water flowing.
Propane tankless heaters operate just like natural gas models, but have the ability to hook up propane tanks instead of being slaves to gas lines. Some models are compatible with both natural gas lines and propane tanks.
Using propane allows the boiler unit to be installed anywhere, rather than where the gas connection is. Many portable models use propane, and also some smaller ones for homes with little water use.
One key difference to be aware of with tankless units is whole home and point-of-use versions.
Like the name suggests, whole home units operate like a tank heater, installed in a main location that equally serves all water lines in the home simultaneously.
Point-of-use units are meant to be installed into the water line of a particular fixture. This most often involves a sink, but can be installed into a shower water line. These units supply hot water directly to that particular fixture, which usually makes them very efficient with a high flow rate.
In order to comprehend some of the main words used in describing the features and specs of these tankless water heaters, here are some quick definitions to get familiar with.
This refers to the amount of water a hot water boiler can provide, both maximum and minimum. This is measured in gallons per minute (GPM.) The maximum GPM is what the unit can put out in ideal conditions, while the minimum is the amount of water required to trigger the system into turning on and heating the water.
Inlet water temperature is the temperature of the water coming into your home and inside the unit, prior to being heated. This has a significant effect on your flow rate, and the temperature range of your water as well.
Inlet water temperatures change throughout the year, depending on where you live. When the inlet water is colder, your hot water heater has to work harder to quickly convert the cold water to the desired temperature, which may reduce flow rate.
Sometimes when reading about a particular unit, you’ll see the information refer to what’s known as a temperature rise. This figure is the difference between what you have the water heater set at, and what the inlet water temperature is.
Larger temperature rises often result in lower flow rates.
What to Look For When Choosing a Tankless Hot Water Heater?
Thinking about buying a tankless water heater? Make sure you go over these aspects first.
The power source of the unit will determine how well it works, and where you can install it in the first place.
Natural gas units will need to be patched in to your gas line, which is almost always where your water tank was prior. There are always exceptions to this, but also keep in mind that you’ll need to install ventilation as well.
Electric models can be installed practically anywhere, as long as there is a power outlet nearby.
Propane models can be installed most anywhere too, but they almost always need a power outlet for the ignitor, and usually require ventilation as well, but not always.
This is incredibly important, as this indicates the overall level of performance you have available, which in turn determines how many water fixtures and/or appliances you can use in your home at the same time, without experiencing diminished water pressure or water temperature drops.
Some like to discuss GPM in relation to a home’s size, but this isn’t always accurate. The GPM is more in relation to how many water applications you can use at once.
So, if you have a larger family, and don’t want to have to worry about running a dishwasher while someone is showering, a GPM of 4+ is where you should be looking. If you live alone, or with one other person, you can often get by with a GPM below 3.
*Water-saving shower heads are a great way to get more out of your water heater, as they restrict flow while maximizing water pressure, enabling you to have higher water pressures while using less gallons per minute.
I recommend you purchase one of these shower heads for each shower in your home, regardless of your water heater’s GPM.
*Keep in mind that those living in colder climates will need a higher GPM to cover the temperature rise gap.
Tankless water heaters are always smaller than actual water tanks, but the size is still important if you are trying to get a good fit in the space you’ve chosen to install it. Larger heaters usually it where you previously housed the water tank, such as a closet or laundry room, but point-of-use models can be harder to fit when being placed behind a sink or shower.
Make sure you measure the space and compare it to the unit you’re considering before purchase.
As you can see, tankless hot water on demand heaters are really not all that complicated, you just need to know what to look for, and what your water needs are going to be. Hopefully you now have confidence with your buying decisions as well.
These 10 products all vary from each other in many ways, but the diversity I covered was intentional, making sure to touch on a wide range of different budgets, flow rates, heat sources, and size.
Make sure you double check the specs in relation to your home’s needs, and of course the space you’ll be installing the unit in. After ordering best tankless water heater of your choice, and completing the installation, you can immediately get to enjoying an endless supply of hot water on demand, saving on energy costs in the process. Good luck! | 2019-04-26T11:37:56Z | https://www.2kreviews.com/home-and-garden/page/2/ |
How To Choose the Best Cabin Rentals.
Among the many things that you will have to plan on when taking a trip or a vacation the crib. The cabins are really popular today and for good reasons. The more space and the privacy, not top mention the beautiful surrounding among many more are the reasons why they are a great choice. You can cook in the cabins, and they are also generally cheaper and especially with the larger groups. Choosing the right one however is the mots important thing here because they are not all the same. You will be choosing from a whole lots of them and here is how you get to the best.
The first thing that you will have to decide on the kind of cabin that you want because there is a while lots of types them out there. This will mainly depend on the kind of trip it is, your budget and others things like the number of people that you will be bringing, the size of the cabin that you need and even who you will be bringing. You will then have narrowed down the search to the ones that suit your needs and have the amenities and other things like pet friendliness if you need one. An online search will give you a lot to work with. How informative the websites are, how easy it is to navigate it and find things are among the forts signs of the kind of company that you are dealing with.
The other important thing is the kind of customer services that they offer. Whether you are talking to the people that you know who have been there or getting the reviews online, the reviews are among the best ways that you can get the reputation information before you invest in them and something that you should look at While the very cheap cabin rentals may seem attractive, there is so much more to this than just saving up a few pennies. Paying too much, on the other hand, is no guarantee that you will get the best of the experience. and this, therefore, means that you should be looking for affordable cabin rentals and the best quality that your money can buy. The cabin that you choose may be the thin line between having some great time and hating the whole tip and this, therefore, means that you should actually choose well.
Many at times we get into offices and find furniture that are so attractive to our eyes, while in other cases the furniture you use in an office can be very uncomfortable for you and which makes it difficult for you to be productive. By being comfortable at the work place your staff are able to be much productive as the furniture they have allows for more productivity. Most people think that by having a furnished office, you need to have paintings and more electronics in them but it is all about the kind of furniture that you have in your office that will make the difference as profits and success matters a lot in any business in the long run. It may not be that you don’t have furniture in your premises, but the quality and lifespan of it could be posing as the problem. By finding the replacement or buying new ones, you can change the face of your business to attract more customers. Do not assume that getting the right office furniture can be as easy as picking the one you need for your home and hence you need to empower yourself with the proper knowledge that will guide you through everything.
Having enough space that fits every employee well helps in minimizing workplace conflicts. It vital to know that the size of your office and space available for furniture is a dictator on the type and size of furniture you will buy. You need to make sure that you are investing in good storage options and appropriate sized furniture so that you can avoid incurring more costs in your budget. This is important when you want your employees to have an easy time moving around and freely. To achieve that professional look that an office should have; you need to have arranged your furniture well and have enough space. Consider buying furniture that can be of use for different purposes as they come in handy when you are holding different functions. Having furniture that can serve different purposes saves you on storage space and also cheaper.
Consider the quality of the furniture that you are purchasing, have low quality furniture that is cheap is expensive in the long run. It is worth investing in having a high-quality furniture as they are long lasting even though they could be expensive in the first place. Having the right vendor to purchase the furniture from is also essential, you should thus be cautious and conduct a market research before setting on the service of one. The comfort of your staff is a crucial factor to keep in mind every time you are choosing furniture. All you need is to ensure that you get the office furniture that will make your employees as happy and healthy as possible when they work.
If you are feeling lucky, then you should note that you can be able to play the Powerball as this might give you a chance to win. It is paramount for you to warrant that you have done your search on how to play the game so that you can do it right.
When you are playing the game, then you will need to ensure you get five main numbers from 1-50 and power ball from 1-20. You should note that you can choose to play form a retailer or use the online option. There is no much into it as you should note that the choice you make will mainly depend on the things that you prefer. Since there are many shops sell these products, you should note that this is something that will come in handy when you are making the purchase. You should note that you need to warrant that the dealer who is selling is licensed to offer you with the bet slip. The thing to put in mind is that if you choose this option, you can decide to pick the numbers or you can have them being generated at random.
When you are getting the board slip, some of the things that you should note are that you can be able to play as many boards as you want. The other thing you should note is that you need to decide n the draws that you want to enter. You have to note that if you want to play a single game, then you should leave it blank. The other thing you should note is that when you do this, then you need to think if you want to get a Powerball. From there the other thing that you should note is that you ought to get a ticket.
When you are doing this, some of the things that you should note is that you need to play over the internet. When you are doing this, then you should note that you need to start by creating an online account. The other thing you should note is that you can choose to pick the numbers that you will use to deal with the draw. When you do this, then you should note that you have to pick the lines that you want to play as well as the draws that you want to enter. The thing is that you can confirm the purchase and then wait for the draw.
When you play, you should ensure that you take a look a look at the draw which is held twice a week on Thursday and Friday. The games in most cases is played at 21.00 SAST. It will cost you around R.5 to get the ticket.
One of the products that are becoming very popular these days are the ones that are made from CBD. It is you that will find it a bit overwhelming since you can have a number of products that you can see in the market. Whenever it is you that will be looking at CBD products then one of them is the tinctures. It is knowing everything about it is a thing that you will need to do once you have plans of using them. You need to know though that tinctures are something that is fairly new to the market. If you want to know more about CBD tinctures though then read on this article.
When taking a look at CBD tinctures then it is them that comes in a liquid form and they are also considered to be dietary supplements. The creation of tinctures happen by steeping CBD-rich hemp flowers in high-proof grain alcohol. It is this concoction that will be cooked in low heat for hours. If there is no alcohol available then manufacturers can also use vinegar or glycerin as a substitute. If you want to have the best tinctures though then it is alcohol that you should be using. A process that is very simple but only time consuming is what this is all about.
It is a carrier oil that the liquid will be mixed with once it is all ready. The liquid once unmixed will give you a bitter taste. Whenever you are able to get a product that is on its final stage then it is the one that can be very potent. The CBD tincture and the cannabis ones are different from each other. Once you will choose the cannabis type then it is the one that can have THC on them. It is a head high effect that you will not get once you will opt for a CBD tincture so once they are into psychoactive.
Just look a regular CBD oil, it is the CBD tincture that you can also use the same. CBD tinctures are concentrated which means that it is also the one that can provide you with the same effect. You need to know though that since it is concentrated then you will need to use a small amount only. There are various diseases that this one is able to address plus it can also help you achieve a healthy lifestyle. Before using this product though or any product for that matter to always consult your physician. Many studies have shown that it is CBD that is a strong anti-inflammatory and antiseptic compound.
A predict that can be easily consumed is what you are able to get with tinctures. The reason for this is that they don’t need any preparation at all and will only need a small amount.
When one is on social media, they tend to look for more followers through a number of means. When you want to grow your own personal account or working on behalf of a company, there are different ways you can grow a bigger, more relevant audience on Instagram. In this article, we will take you through the steps to follow in getting more is Instagram followers.
First and foremost, you can begin by buying Instagram followers. The beauty about buying Instagram followers review is that the services are provided by many companies. However, the way these companies work is different, for instance, while some target followers with few photos, some depend on those with many posts.
Buying follower on Instagram may be easy, however, you need to be cautious in the process. The following are the tips to buying followers on Instagram. As much as having many followers is vital, numbers may not be everything as most people used to think. One of the ways of making a large number of followers to your Instagram account to stick to your account is by making your account active. The truth of the matter is that an account with many followers yet it is inactive will only make people think one has a lot of followers. Besides, the inactive account are not going to get many likes other than the one the owner of the account bought and followers will start to realize the forgery in the account when they see that the account has many followers yet the posts only get few likes.
At times, people with many followers on Instagram tend to think that active followers are real people when they are not. The followers are just accounts with images on them. The sad truth is that the followers will only be vital in adding a rise in follower numbers, however, they will not engage with your posts or adding content to your account.
In addition, you need to be careful when seeking the services of the companies that sell Instagram followers. Most social media platforms tend to use algorithms which assist them, in running their services, therefore, it is easier for them to detect any strange activity such as when one of the account owners gets more than twenty thousand followers overnight. If you find buying followers to be risky, you can hire an affordable service to assist you with Instagram growth. When you want to grow your Instagram account, you should consider using genuine means and not buying followers since you may never know when Instagram may decide to check on followers buying activities and put your account on red flag. Therefore, by following the steps discussed in this post, you can be assured of getting many followers.
Which Allergy Treatment is Best For You?
There are very many people that are affected by allergies in various regions all over the globe. At the point when certain materials come into contact with an individual experiencing a particular hypersensitivity, their insusceptible framework erroneously trusts the material to be hurtful. Ordinarily, your body is going to produce histamine and many other related chemicals as a form of protection against the allergen. Because of the availability of these chemicals inside the body, responses will happen, for example, a rash, swelling, and tingling. Sometimes, individuals might be influenced by items within the environment, for example, dust, contaminations, mold, and residue. In this situation, your body might react by some eye sensitivity or getting itchy on the skin depending on the allergen that’s affecting you.
The most important advance in effective treatment is to keep away from the materials that are causing the hypersensitivity indications. Any medical practitioner that wants to know more about the allergic reaction that you are facing must complete a comprehensive test to discover more about the allergic reaction that you are facing. Sensitivity treatment must start with testing the skin to discover what substances respond with the skin when they reach the body. The test is normally referred to as scratch and patch test whereby they put different materials or substances to the skins to test whether you are going to experience an allergic reaction. At whatever point the district responds and begins swelling or gets red, hypersensitivity test is certain. When the principle issue has been distinguished, they at that point begin the treatment procedure depending on how you responded to the substance. A few alternatives are accessible in sensitivity treatment. Avoiding the substance that is going to cause a hypersensitive response will help you a ton. There are also allergy medications that your medical specialist might prescribe. The medicine is going to help you in the eradication of the allergic reaction or help you get rid of a nasal clog.
The greater part of the sensitivity drugs are used on a transient premise; however, when the hypersensitivity is monstrous, the specialist will give you a long haul treatment. Any momentary medication needn’t bother with a prescription, however they will make you feel tired. If it is a long haul sedate, it will require a few solutions. Hypersensitivity treatment relies upon the particular sensitivity indications and the suggestions of the specialist. You can use some over-the-counter medications. There are some profound prescription drugs for allergies that the doctor might prescribe. Every individual will require their particular hypersensitivity treatment. You have numerous alternatives for treatment. If you comply with the guidelines given by the medicinal expert, you will have better administration of your hypersensitivity over the long haul.
Regardless if you’re looking for an individual health insurance or one that could encompass the needs of your company, it is critical that you are careful enough to pick only the best of the best. Although you may want to be as careful as possible, this could take too much of your time – something that you may not be able to afford with your hectic schedule. You have to research strenuously, contact companies and endlessly compare until you find the right one. This is why it is essential to seek the help of a health insurance agent instead of doing things yourself.
Just like any other industry, agents or brokers are rampant in the industry but, it does not mean that all of them has the high reputation you’d expect them to have. Reputation is an important factor in your search, as this tells you that the company has earned it through numerous clients and at the same time, that they have been in the market long enough to be known by others. While checking out the agent’s reputation, do spare some time reading reviews to get a good look at how customers view the agent. Reviews are great source of information whether you’re looking for positive or negative notes about an agent.
Even with the most skilled health insurance agent, there’s no doubt that they’ll still need time to pinpoint the plan that would fit your requirements. This is why it is a must that the other party is highly available and that you could talk to them should the need arrives. You simply wouldn’t be able to trust the other party, should they lack in terms of availability.
What about consultation? It is critical that you should also learn more about the consultation process when you want to talk to the other party face-to-face. In the consultation process, the most important factor is to determine who would visit who – is it you who’ll go to the agent or the other way around? You’ll surely find it more reassuring to know if the other party is the one who’ll go out of his way to go to you and talk to you about your needs.
The experience of a health insurance agent is also a critical factor to consider, as it is highly likely that their time in the industry have already deeply embedded some plans into their minds already. They ought to already have a set of products they advise to customers and more often than not, you could find it on their site or you could ask them about it. This would give you a swift idea, as to whether the agent has what you need or if you should look for another agent to contact.
The games that are found in personal computers are things that are made of many components or parts that work together so that we can be able to have the game. They come in various sizes, colors and are also available at different prices. This is to mean that, the pc are only used for the games and not any other purpose whatsoever. Through the advanced technology, we can now be able to have the people who are building the games that can be able to see the plane landing and taking off.
This is something that is very important, courtesy of the creative minds that are able to ensure that people are going and extra mile to ensure that they are getting the best. It is one of the things that are very important and very good in any given point of the earth where a person is living. We are going to look at the importance of the gaming pc in this article. The reason for this is that we now have many games spread across the countries and some are being made, while others are being upgraded.
The first thing is that, the gaming pc helps our minds to relax and reflect more on something that we have been working on. This is something that is nice in our lives because everybody needs to relax so that he can be productive. Relaxtion simply comes by doing that which your mind finds it very good to do. This is something that is very great because the PC can be loaded with games, which are your own choice, something that is very important. This is something that is very important to them that like gaming and them that like to watch the sports. You no longer have to go miles so that you can play or enjoy the game that you like because all you need is within the convenient of your home.
The other one here is that there is the art of interaction with people and friends, which is something that is really important. The act of building and playing cannot be done alone because it requires some sort of interaction, something that is really good. This means that you cannot be able to build it alone and also play the game all by yourself. New ideas are always with the people, so it is a good thing to work closely with them.
There are the new games that are coming up that are so real that they are used in the training schools as learning manuals, something that is very good. They are very important because from them people are able to learn. | 2019-04-23T16:25:40Z | http://lstaoxin.com/category/technology |
Officer Farias describes Clearwater’s problem at the time as “sweeping the dirt under the rug until the pile grew too high to deal with” as the Hispanic immigrant presence grew ever larger and the city’s agencies had no process to manage it. However, this bilingual American with Cuban and Puerto Rican roots has a special talent. He is “simpático,” or sociable. This is important because Hispanics are a people-focused culture. Farias will reach out to anyone to talk about anything, and his word is his personal pledge. Also a cross-cultural trainer, Farias loves to share his experiences working with the Clearwater police department.
Farias’ personal story dissects Clearwater’s ‘from-the-ground-up’ approach to serving a changing community. Farias was among a handful of bilingual officers in Pinellas county, Florida when a rash of Mexican immigrants moved into the city. As in many other U.S. cities and counties, the growth of immigrant communities can start with a single immigrant. Farias recounts the case of one highlands Mexican man who dreamed of a beach vacation in Florida. After saving enough money for a trip to Clearwater Beach, the man decided to stay. As Farias describes the situation, “the wages earned in Mexico could be as low as $4.50 per day whereas in Clearwater they could earn up to $10.00 per hour in the service industry. This could include medical benefits as well as vacation time and sick leave.” He continues, “at the beach they can work indoors and only 8 hours per day. They get uniforms and can work as much overtime as is available sending millions of dollars back home each year.” Eventually, the man from Hidalgo moved more of his family to the U.S. and news of attractive work opportunities in Clearwater spread back home in Hidalgo, Mexico. In no time, there was a vibrant hidalguense community in a resort city with no plan to deal with Spanish-speaking residents.
Through networking, officers were able to identify a wealthy Mexican-American businessman in Clearwater who happened to also have roots in Hidalgo. Convincing this individual to get involved was a coup for the city. The businessman’s connections with Hidalgo government officials encouraged Hidalgo politicos and the Mexican embassy to sponsor international initiatives, starting with extending Farias an invitation to visit Mexico.
Farias told his police chief, “I have to go to Hidalgo!” He realized the importance of empathizing with the reality that the immigrants lived. He stayed with a rural family in a leaf-roofed hut among cactus, sheep, cattle and donkeys; ate food cooked over miner’s coal in a hole in the ground; and slept on wooden slats. He met all manner of people from the governor down and returned to Clearwater with official commitments.
Clearwater was able to manage their immigration situation due to intelligence from their boots on the ground: bilingual officers caring enough to ask each immigrant they approached about their individual stories. Just as important, the Clearwater case proves law enforcement can be a catalyst to success, but it doesn’t have to be solely responsible for funding. Grants may have provided the seed money for the outreach initiative, but then the Mexican government contributed resources and eventually, the Hispanic Outreach Center branched off from the YWCA to become an independent non-profit organization. The coalition between immigrant community, law enforcement, and foreign local government is what makes Clearwater department’s efforts so unique, and a creative idea for implementation by other law enforcement agencies.
Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority in the United States, representing over 16% of the U.S. population, according to the 2010 census. New immigrant communities are cropping up in areas far from the border states. Authorities in jurisdictions as disperse as Portland, Oregon, New Haven, Connecticut, and Clark county, Ohio have had to quickly mobilize to train their officers how to manage an unexpected influx of Latino immigrants. As U.S. population demographics change, so must law enforcement agencies react to the diversity in their districts.
No one would dispute that to do this, training is key. “…As the dynamics of the police role in society have become increasingly complex,” states criminal justice expert, Professor Thomas Jurkanin, “…the quality of law enforcement in society is directly commensurate with the degree and quality of training provided to law enforcement personnel at all levels of the organization.” To be effective, cross-cultural competency training needs to be more than the typical diversity training seminar that merely satisfies a state or federal requirement. Training needs to be supported by administration as a critical priority; it must be comprehensive and memorable enough to “stick;” and it must be targeted to officers ready to apply the lessons on the job.
Choose the right individual as outreach liaison.
Officer Farias’ story is a good example of how an individual advocate can make or break an initiative, especially when dealing with the Hispanic community. Hispanics relate to individuals who earn their trust over any institution. Even after he retired from the Clearwater police department, Mexican officials continue to contact Farias instead of the department when they have an issue to be resolved. It takes a long time to gain traction and any gains won by an outreach advocate can quickly unravel when he or she leaves the position. There always should be a succession plan. It is wise to choose the next best candidate for the job and ask the outreach advocate to introduce his or her successor to influential members of the Hispanic community. They should work together until the community feels comfortable with the transition.
Applying leverage to get the cooperation of Hispanic witnesses, informants, and suspects.
“Leverage” here means the ability to convince civilians to talk to the authorities by respecting Latino cultural priorities. If officers understand what is most important to the Latinos in their communities, then they can appeal to their sensibilities to elicit their cooperation. In a machista society, for example, a good tactic is to avoiding embarrassing a man in front of his girlfriend. Parents will be especially sensitive to threats against their children and will choose to protect them. Since the family is the most important priority in Hispanic societies, asking how an uncooperative suspect’s dependents will fare with him or her in jail will have an impact. Latinos are also people of faith, so appealing to religion is another viable strategy.
Due to the concentrated numbers of Hispanic immigrant groups in U.S. localities today, Spanish-speaking immigrant groups are less likely to adapt to English than previous immigrant groups. Monolingual officers face a language barrier. The linguistic character of the Spanish language doesn’t make it easy, either. When Spanish speakers are calm, they speak in an even rhythm. When they are excited, they speak very fast…in the same even rhythm. There is no variance in stress or intonation as in English to help non-Spanish speakers guess whether the speaker is angry, sad, happy or afraid, from their speech pattern. Instead, the English-speaking officer must learn to interpret body language.
Ex-FBI interrogator Joe Navarro recounts that when he first arrived in the U.S. from Cuba as a small boy, he didn’t speak much English. Since he did not understand much of what he heard, he began to observe facial expressions and interpret body language as a coping mechanism. This talent in interpreting body language helped him later in his investigative career. If one extrapolates this lesson to other non-native speakers of English, then Latin American immigrants will be receptive observers of police body language. First responders should be aware that they can communicate meaning with their expression, their tone, and their gestures as well as with their words. Cross-cultural training can help officers use this to their advantage. Looking an apprehensive immigrant in the eyes and smiling, as opposed to eyeing him up and down in a body scan, can help put him at ease. Conversely, officers would benefit from learning which non-verbal cues are universal (or visceral) reactions and which cues are learned responses, meaning different things to different cultural groups. For some Meso-American groups, gazing downwards as they address authority figures may feel like they are acting guilty, but it is actually a sign of deference. A lesson in cultural-specific gestures is especially useful in situations where communication is hampered by poor language skills.
An innocent gesture in the U.S. can be a vulgar one in other cultures.
Successfully networking in Latino communities by understanding cultural values and learning the social graces.
Community outreach is essential in Latino immigrant neighborhoods to win over the ‘hearts and minds’ of this target group. Hispanic cultures emphasize the value of interpersonal relationships with individuals over institutions. The community police officer who has successfully embraced and been accepted by his or her Latino neighborhood has more influence over the residents than any institution or law. For Latinos, people are not interchangeable parts, so it’s best to assign the best candidates to be the permanent community policing officers or outreach advocates in a neighborhood and give them the best training. Education about differences in cultural values will help prepare the officers to ingratiate themselves with Hispanic community members.
Similarly, identifying the right representative and providing him or her with appropriate education also applies to networking with local neighborhood, social, scholastic and political groups related to Latino communities. Learning appropriate social protocol will improve the non-Hispanic officer’s chances of success when representing his or her agency in meetings, seminars, social events, and even when liaisoning with law enforcement in Latin American countries. Diplomacy means knowing how to properly greet Hispanics, knowing which are appropriate topics of conversation, following dining protocol, understanding correct behavior in social settings, and anticipating cultural expectations. Latinos won’t form partnerships with faceless institutions. They will, however, form allegiances with someone they have learned to trust.
Educating immigrants of the laws, their rights, and how to seek help.
Public urination, drinking alcohol outdoors from open containers, truancy… these are a few problem areas that get the unacculturated immigrant into trouble with the U.S. justice system. These misdemeanors are unenforced in Latin America. First responders, outreach advocates and community law enforcement units can help social agencies and community groups distribute bilingual materials to educate immigrants. Hispanic female victims of domestic violence are especially vulnerable since culturally, Latino men are given latitude to rule over their families. Cross-cultural trainees will benefit from developing culturally consistent strategies to educate immigrant women about their rights and options under U.S. law. The more law enforcement knows about social mores, cultural behaviors and legalities in Latin America, the better they can anticipate problems, inform about options, and make referrals to appropriate agencies.
Offering language training for monolingual officers, enlisting the aid of bilingual community members, enabling bilingual officers to assist colleagues, and implementing initiatives to recruit officers from among Latino communities.
The obvious solution to language problems is to train officers to speak Spanish. Even a clumsy attempt at practicing Spanish with Latinos is appreciated—those who struggle to learn English tend to be very tolerant of other language learners. Showing an interest in one’s language and culture encourages positive relations. But only the most dedicated and linguistically gifted officers can survive the commitment necessary to become proficient in Spanish. So enlisting the assistance of bilingual officers to fill this gap is another option. However, although proficiency in Spanish is useful, it doesn’t guarantee success. Latinos will prefer communicating with officers who have earned their loyalty regardless of their language skills. Thus, cultural proficiency is even more important in eliciting the cooperation and collaboration of Hispanics. The best of both worlds is a bilingual officer trained to be culturally sensitive. Neighborhood law enforcement officers trusted by immigrants serve as positive role models for young people when they choose careers. A corollary benefit to positive interaction between officers and Latino residents is eventual recruitment of young bilingual and bicultural locals into the ranks of law enforcement.
There is little need to reinvent the wheel. Police and sheriffs’ departments are well advised to seek successful models of cooperative relationships with Latino communities and adopt some of these for themselves. The “VIPS” program (Volunteers in Police Service) initiated by the Tulsa, Oklahoma police department offers unlimited ride-alongs to bilingual volunteers from Hispanic neighborhoods who then help interpret for the patrol officers. The police department in Durham, North Carolina lost to local residents in a soccer match challenge with the ultimate goal of improving social relations with an otherwise incommunicative Hispanic immigrant community. One of the initiatives of the International Relations Unit (IRU) of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department in North Carolina was to promote banking programs among Latino civilians to reduce robberies. (Too many immigrants carry large amounts of cash on their persons because they don’t have bank accounts.) Green Bay, Wisconsin’s Latino Teenage Citizens Police Academy encourages Latino recruitment into their local police department and the Hispanic Illinois Law Enforcement Association (HISLA) has reached out to poor Hispanic families at Christmas with toys, on Thanksgiving with food baskets, and more strategically, with college scholarships for Latinos with good academic standing, leadership skills and proven community involvement. This last initiative is a strategic one not just for law enforcement recruitment potential, but also because recipients will become ‘good will’ ambassadors with influence over the Latino community.
Some may argue that immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants living in the margins, are a drain on the U.S. system. They need resources—housing assistance, subsidized education, free diapers. Farias advocates to his fellow officers that assimilating immigrants into the community benefits everyone. They transition from recipients to contributors. Sandra Lyth agrees that integrating immigrants into the community—and not just as victims—will encourage more responsibility. Certainly, open communications between immigrant residents and law enforcement increases the reporting of crimes and crime resolution. The “to protect and serve” motto applies to all, regardless of their origins or their immigration status.
In conclusion, law enforcement departments can focus on all sorts of special outreach programs, collaborative projects, and educational initiatives to close the communications and trust gap between them and the Hispanic community. There are police and sheriffs’ departments with measurable success in improving relations with their ethnic communities to share with other departments. But the key to success in each case is a culturally informed workforce. The best resources for investment are human resources!
From a personal interview the author had with officer Farias on August 22, 2013 in Brooksville, FL.
Officer Sergio Fidelis is the current Clearwater Hispanic Outreach liaison.
For its outreach initiatives, the Clearwater police department received the Rocky Pomerance Award from the Florida Police Chiefs’ Association in 2004 and was recognized as a semi-finalist for the Webber Seavey Award in 2005. For the Clearwater outreach progression, see http://www.clearwaterpolice.org/hispanic/chronology.asp. They created an instructional DVD with their local Regional Community Policing Institute (RCPI) documenting the best practices of these community policing partnerships, available for duplication through the RCPI. Request a copy by contacting the department at [email protected].
From a phone interview with Sandra Lyth on November 5, 2013.
For Clearwater, the bilingual “boots on the ground” included Lt. Torres, Sgt. Cosme, Det. Carasquillo, Officers Stevrak, Rodriguez, Phillips, Muñoz, Illich-Hailey, Bailey, Farias and Fidelis.
Thomas J. Jurkanin, Police Education and Training: An Intelligence-Led Future, in Police Chief Magazine, Nov. 2011, http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=2527&issue_id=112011 (accessed May 10, 2013).
Mr. Navarro recounted this anecdote in an interview on April 24, 2012 in Tampa, FL. Joe Navarro is author of many books on interpreting body ‘tells’ including What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People, Harper Collins, New York, 2008.
The term “unacculturated” refers to first generation immigrants. Acculturated Hispanics are those who have grown up in the U.S. but very often are bilingual and continue to feel an affinity to their cultural roots. These tend to identify with their nation of origin and conservative values, but as consumers their preferences are no different from mainstream American ones.
Mark Sherwood, Developing a Multifaceted Approach to Hispanic Outreach, in Police Chief Magazine, March, 2011, http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=2337&issue_id=32011 (accessed September 15, 2012).
Samuel Walker, Leigh Herbst and Dawn Irlbeck, The Police Outreach to the Hispanic / Latino Community: A Survey of Programs and Activities. A Report by the Police Professionalism Initiative (University of Nebraska at Omaha) and the National Latino Peace Officers Association, November 2002, pp. 3-11, http://www.unomaha.edu/criminaljustice/PDF/hispanicoutreach.pdf (accessed July 17, 2013). | 2019-04-22T10:52:25Z | https://slspublications.com/a-blueprint-for-hispanic-outreach/ |
Covering the history of Israel from 1948-1973, this article includes candid insightful interviews with the major figures of the day, including Ariel Sharon, Shimon Peres, and Jehan Sadat.
After Israeli troops captured Beersheba and outflanked Egyptian forces, Egypt agreed to negotiate an Armistice Agreement. In 1949 on the Greek island of Rhodes, four Armistice Agreements were signed between Israel, Egypt, Transjordan and Syria. The War of Independence had ended. The country had been secured. But Israel’s casualties were staggering. One percent of the population – six thousand people – had perished in the fighting. The Palestinians had suffered a major trauma. Hundreds of thousands had fled their homes, many hoping to return after the fighting. Others had been evicted and driven out.
Israel was a fact, but a fact which most Palestinians refused to accept. Palestine had been split into three entities. Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Jordan annexed the West Bank. Gaza became Egyptian occupied territory. Palestine no longer existed except as a memory. It was a state of mind. The personal and national sense of loss was profound.
Israel reveled in its newfound independence. Prime Minister David Ben Gurion set two priorities, security and immigration. The country began the twin tasks of building a strong army while absorbing hundreds of thousands of new immigrants. In just four years Israel would double its population by 600,000.
New immigrants flooded the country. First the survivors of the Holocaust, the remnants of European Jewry. Then came Jews from Arab countries, from North Africa, from Eastern Europe. The conditions were hard and facilities almost non-existent.
Most of the newcomers were housed in transit camps and makeshift shantytowns. For many, especially those from Arab countries, the experience was traumatic.
Many of the new arrivals found themselves having to adapt to a Western-Israeli culture which was totally alien. It led to deep-rooted feelings of discrimination which would emerge to the surface a generation later.
In the early years Israel’s economy was in dire straits. The massive influx of newcomers and pressing defense needs all but emptied the country’s reserves. A policy of strict price control and food rationing led to a flourishing black market. Israel was down to its last few supplies. And then rescue came in the form of highly controversial Restitution Agreement with West Germany. The Germans agreed to pay billions of marks to help “resettle Jewish refugees uprooted during the Nazi years.” It recognized the “unspeakable acts perpetrated against the Jews during the Nazi regime.” The issue was stormy, emotional and charged.
Leader of the opposition Menachem Begin led the onslaught against the government. He viewed the agreement as nothing less than treachery of the highest degree. Begin had lost both his parents in the Holocaust and had himself barely escaped with his life. He and many like him were not about to accept “blood money” from West Germany. The stormy demonstrations against the agreement reached their climax with an attack on the Knesset.
Police intervened, dispersed the rioters, and Begin himself was suspended for three months from the parliament. The Restitution Agreement was ratified and German financial aid started to flow. The funding was critical. It helped settle immigrants and created the foundation of heavy industry, Israel’s merchant navy and its railway system.
In Jordan, a young Hussein became king after the assassination of his father Abdullah in Jerusalem. Syria was ruled by a military regime. In Egypt, President Gamal Abdel Nasser, swayed Cairo’s masses with his plans of social revolution and forging a united Arab empire. He saw Israel as a colony of the West, and alien entity in Arab land which must be destroyed. Nasser helped organize Palestinian guerrillas, fedayeen, to launch attacks against Israel from the Gaza strip. David Ben Gurion who was both Prime Minister and Defense Minister gave top priority to ending the raids.
As the death toll rose the Israeli army created a special unit. Its task was to carry out cross border retaliatory attacks. The commander of the unit was a young officer and brilliant tactician called Ariel Sharon. Israeli reprisal raids were fierce and deadly.
The Arabs who remained in Israel were relatively few. A way of life had been changed forever. Entire villages had disappeared off the map. Israel viewed its Arab community for the most part as hostile to the Jewish state and a potential security threat. Its allegiance and identity was Arab. They were placed under military administration, a state of affairs which would last for 18 years.
In 1956, on the eve of the Sinai Campaign, Arab workers returning home to their villages of Kafr Kassem were unaware that a curfew was in place. The Border Police force had been given orders to shoot anyone breaking the curfew. When the gunfire ended 49 villagers lay dead. A state inquiry recommended that 11 police be brought to trial. Eight were convicted of murder but all were freed within four years. The incident left a deep scar across the Israeli Arab community.
The story turns to Egypt. Threats of renewed war from Cairo and President Nasser’s pledge to destroy the Jewish state became more menacing after Nasser concluded an arms deal with Czechoslovakia.
In a desperate search for weapons Israel turned to France. The move was proposed by Shimon Peres, the Director-General of the Defense Ministry.
Nasser angered by the stoppage of western aid to his country nationalized the Suez Canal. It was a step which displeased France and Britain.
Egypt’s blockade on Eilat and the continued guerrilla raids coming out of Egyptian territory contributed to Israel’s feeling of encirclement. When Nasser forged a military pact with Syria and Jordan, Israel decided to take action. But not unilaterally. Contacts were established with Britain and France. A secret deal was coordinated to invade the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula with support from British and French troops. Final negotiations were conducted between Ben Gurion and French and British representatives in Sevres near Paris. Accompanying him were Shimon Peres and Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan.
October 29 1956. The war, codenamed “Operation Musketeer” begins. Israel ped paratroopers into the Sinai while three armored forces with air support advanced on strategic targets. The Sinai Campaign was militarily an overwhelming success, routing Egyptian troops within 100 hours.
But the British and French side of the offensive quickly collapsed. The Soviet Union issued threats of possible nuclear confrontation. The US demanded an end to the “Suez Adventure.” Britain bowed to international pressure and accepted a U.N. ceasefire. The French soon followed suit.
Within weeks all foreign forces were withdrawn from the Sinai. Israel emerged militarily strengthened from the operation. The blockade on Eilat had been lifted. United Nations peacekeepers took up positions to prevent guerrilla attacks out of Egypt. But despite the gains Israel had risked its relations with the United States by its collusion with the superpowers. It had enraged world opinion. And while the Sinai Campaign provided a decade of relative quiet there would be no peace. The foundations were laid for the next war.
Israel and France enjoyed warm relations for the better part of ten years following the Suez campaign. Trade between the two nations grew. Cultural ties developed. Most important for Israel was the development of French weapons sales and equipment. France became Israel’s chief supplier of arms. Even more significant was the development of the Atomic Reactor built with French cooperation in Dimona. It was a move which would change the balance of power in the Middle East.
Dozens of newly built towns, development towns, populated mainly by new immigrants popped up in the north and the south of the country. New regions were opened for settlement and agriculture. The national water carrier was built bringing water from the north to the center of the country. So impressive were Israel’s achievements that it began to provide aid and assistance to developing countries in Asia and Africa.
But then the darkest shadows of the past reappeared. In 1961 Adolph Eichmann, the man responsible for the murder of millions of Jews during the Second World War was captured by Israeli secret agents in Argentina and flown to Israel. The trial of Eichmann electrified Israel and the rest of the world. Witness after witness testified in the Jerusalem court about the atrocities which occurred in the hell of the Nazi Death camps. The wounds of the Holocaust were visible to all including many Israelis who preferred until then not to deal with the horrors endured by the dead and the living. Or even listen to the survivors. It was as if the voices of the millions of men, women and children, tortured and murdered by the Nazis, could now be heard. Eichmann was found guilty, executed and his ashes thrown into the sea.
Jerusalem, Israel’s capital was a divided city. It was the seat of government, and was home to the Hebrew University, but its population consisted mostly of the ultra orthodox, immigrants who arrived in the 1950’s and old timers. A border separated Israel held West Jerusalem from the Jordanian held Eastern sector. There lay the historic Old City, the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. In 1965 Teddy Kollek became mayor of Jerusalem.
The new city mayor had no idea, when he showed Hollywood film director Alfred Hitchcock the reality of divided Jerusalem, just how soon that would change.
The most explosive frontier was in the north along the Israeli Syrian border. At the heart of the conflict lay water, the mot precious commodity in the thirsty Middle East. When Israel began pumping water directly from the Sea of Galilee, Syria started to divert the sources of the Jordan River. Israel retaliated by shelling and bombing the Syrian construction teams. At the same time Syrian artillery shelled Israeli villages and fields from the strategic Golan Heights. The shelling caused mounting Israeli casualties.
In April 1967 Israeli jets attacked Syrian cannons on the Heights and shot down half a dozen Syrian MIGs in an aerial dogfight. Syria signaled its ally Egypt that a response was necessary. President Nasser moved troops and equipment into the Sinai. The Soviet Union supported the Egyptian moves. Nasser then demanded and gained the withdrawal of all UN forces in the Sinai and reimposed the blockade of the Straits of Tiran. The situation was a startlingly close repeat of the 1956 scenario. War seemed inevitable. The IDF Chief of Staff was Yitzhak Rabin.
Eban had secured political support for Israel from its closest ally. The United States.
Egypt concluded military pacts with Jordan and Iraq. Israel felt encircled. It was a tense terrifying period of waiting. Many believed a second holocaust was at hand.
The strain was particularly acute on General Yitzhak Rabin. The Chief of Staff visited the retired leader David Ben Gurion to discuss the situation. Ben Gurion was furious at Rabin who became depressed and disappeared for 36 hours.
The strain also took its toll on Prime Minister Levi Eshkol. During a critical radio broad to the country Eshkol had started to stammer. In a move to reinstall a sense of confidence in the nation Eshkol appointed former Chief of Staff and national hero Moshe Dayan as Minister of Defense. The cabinet voted to create a national unity government and opposition leader Menachem Begin joined the cabinet. Early in the morning of June 5 the Israeli Airforce went into action against Egyptian bases and aircraft.
In six days of war Israel lifted the Egyptian blockade on the Straits of Tiran; captured the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip; occupied the entire West bank of the River Jordan; took control of East Jerusalem and its Old City; gained control of the Golan Heights; and defeated the combined armies of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.
Many in Israel viewed the Six Day War as a near miraculous deliverance from Arab threats of annihilation.
“I was happy. I then did not see the price we had to pay for this victory. Victories are not coming cheap. You have to pay. Many people, R. Tzvi Yehuda Kook, R. Goren, Bnei Akiva, looked at this as God’s hand leading our history into the final redemption. I personally said we had no right, but I said we had to be very careful, have to believe in God but can’t measure steps of God with a stopwatch in hand. Therefore have to distinguish between military victory and redemption that will come. But we are not allowed to say that this is already redemption.
For the Palestinians of whom more than a million had fallen under Israeli rule, the Six Day War was a disaster. It was a devastating blow which shattered the dreams of defeating Israel and returning home. Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza became a daily, deadening and humiliating way of life.
Thousands of Palestinians began to work inside Israel providing a cheap source of manpower which would become an economic fact of life for the next 25 years. Israel was swept away by a feeling of euphoria, of overpowering self-confidence and a belief that it was invincible. While some believed the moment was ripe for a peace settlement, the extent of the overwhelming Arab defeat excluded such a possibility. No Arab government could face such a crushing humiliation.
A vacuum was created. No peace, and no war. There was a move towards settling critical areas of the captured territories. Some politicians thought it would jolt the Arabs into talking peace with Israel. Housing construction began in Jerusalem. In the Etzion Bloc which had been the site of fierce fighting in the War of Independence. Approval was given to build a Jewish neighborhood, Kiryat Arba, adjacent to Hebron. Settlements were set up in the Jordan Valley, the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip. Israel got used to its new dimensions. Israelis were thrilled by rediscovering their Jewish heritage in the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria. They visited Jericho, Bethlehem, and flocked to the Old City of Jerusalem and Judaism’s holiest site, the Western Wall of the Temple Mount.
World wide Jewish support was overwhelming. American Jews and Jewish communities everywhere had contributed and assisted Israel generously since its independence. The victories of the Six Day War had inspired Jews with an overwhelming sense of pride and mission. They contributed more money to Israel than ever before. Hundreds of millions of dollars were raised in emergency funding from Jewish communities worldwide. The 67 War also awoke the spirit of Soviet Jewry, which had been sealed behind the Iron Curtain for decades.
The scale of Arab defeat produced a new militant extremism among the Palestinians. The Palestine Liberation Organization which had been founded in east Jerusalem in 1964 was now dominated by Yasser Arafat and his militant Fata faction. Bullets, said Fatah, not words, was the only way to dislodge the Jews from Palestine. In March 1968 Fatah fighters and Jordanian soldiers clashed with Israeli troops who had crossed into Jordan on an operation against Palestinian guerrilla bases. The Battle of Karameh was a turning point for the Palestinians. The fact that they had fought Israeli soldiers face to face and inflicted heavy casualties gave them a psychological victory.
The strongest support for the Fatah was in the Palestinian refugee camps of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. But the attempt by Fatah to mount an uprising against Israeli troops failed. Arafat moved has base of operations from the West Bank to Jordan. In the Gaza Strip the Fatah resistance lasted longer. The dense crowded sprawl of narrow streets and small houses created an ideal atmosphere for hit and run ambushes against Israeli soldiers on patrol. But in 1971 General Ariel Sharon bulldozed wide roads through the Gaza refugee camps.
A different kind of attrition was taking place along Israel’s eastern border. The Palestinians had firmly established themselves in Jordan. The Jordan Valley served as a launching pad for operations against Israel. Palestinian attacks against civilian targets and ambushes on Israeli army patrols were common and often deadly. Israeli retaliation was swift and massive. But King Hussein of Jordan was becoming increasingly apprehensive over the degree of Palestinian influence and political control in his country. The Palestinians had long overstepped their welcome. After a second assassination attempt on his life the King sent in his troops to wipe out the Palestinian forces. It was September 1970. A date etched in the Palestinian consciousness. It became known as “Black September.” Hundreds of guerillas were killed. The rest fled to Lebanon where they would set up new headquarters.
By the early 1970’s Israel was locked into a military concept. If believes itself strong and impregnable. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan ruled out the possibility of an Arab attack. He was busy dealing with the administration of the occupied territories.
It appeared as if the situation would continue forever. The Sinai Peninsula would remain in Israeli hands. The Palestinians would stay under Israeli rule in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Syria could not possibly launch an attack from the north.
Life was getting better in Israel. The standard of living was improving. Jewish immigration had started to trickle from the Soviet Union. There was a few political scandals, a little corruption. Some said it was high time for a change of government. There were street demonstrations by the “Black Panthers,” young Israelis whose families had emigrated from Arab countries in the 1950’s. They angrily charged that they had been discriminated against by the Israeli establishment. They demanded equal rights and the kind of opportunities now being offered to new arrivals from the Soviet Union and other countries. It was a harbinger of the social time bomb ticking in the country.
In Egypt Anwar Sadat had become President after the death of Gamal Nasser. Sadat was deeply disappointed at what he saw as the lack of international interest in resolving the Israel Arab conflict and the crucial return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. The way to redeeming the Sinai would be through war. Sadat said he was ready to sacrifice “a million soldiers” to regain the Sinai. Sadat carefully plotted his movies in coordination with the Soviet Union and Syria. The plan was to mount a surprise attack on Israel on two fronts and regain the Sinai and the Golan Heights.
On the Day of Atonement 1973, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Egypt and Syria opened up a coordinated offensive in the north and south of Israel. It was a terrifying totally surprise attack, which would end forever Israeli complacency. It claimed 2,700 Israeli dead and many more wounded. It shocked the nation and would change the face of the Middle East forever. | 2019-04-22T19:15:22Z | https://www.biblicalproductions.com/production-services/filming-the-history-of-israel-different-perspectives/ |
Du Cane Range GPS route. Camp sites at Walled (1 + 2), above Lake Helios (3 + 4), Massif (5) and Falling (6).
If you don’t have the time, patience and wherewithal to read through what I’m sure is going to be quite an essay, what it says, in short, is that the Du Cane Range is a stunning walk in a beautiful part of Tassie. It doesn’t seem to be as popular or talked about as much as walks like the Arthurs, perhaps because it’s partly untracked, but it’s definitely on par with them, and goes down as a favourite.
The uphill to Walled Mountain with 7 day packs on starts to take its toll, and Geryon and the Acropolis are perfect excuses to pause for a breather!
Because of this, I didn’t have any close close friends who’d done it, I’d not really seen any photos and had very little idea what to expect. I could have done a bit more research, but given that we’d already decided to go, I figured it didn’t really matter, and concentrated purely on finding a gps route for the part of the walk we thought might be most difficult to navigate in case we had whiteout conditions (thanks for that Dan!).
The only other preparation was an email to Parks asking if they might let us go counterclockwise, which goes against their north-south policy on the Overland Track. Our reasoning was that it would allow us to know what the weather would be for the ‘hard’ part (it would also mean we could pop up the Guardians or go out over Gould if we had spare time on the way out). The answer was a no. As it turned out, the day we needed to be clear for that to work was to be the worst day of the week. Rain and snow forecast down to 1300m!
Camping on Walled. Would be a lovely spot for sunset if the cloud (and then snow!) had stayed away.
It had been a busy time at the bakery and also with translating, and the last three days were even more hectic (250 pizzas for the cricket on the Friday were not what I wanted!). So I was glad to finish at 5am on Saturday morning, duck home, then wait for Graham who had slept in (I don’t know, these people who need their beauty sleep..!).
Day 2: With a horrid forecast, we set out for a rock hop and scrub bash up Macs Mountain. It starts off nice, but we’re soon walking in snow!
We raced off, got to John’s and transferred cars, leaving a grey and wet Hobart behind. With 5 minutes for Graham to drink his coffee at the Lake St Clair visitors centre, we paid for and walked out to the ferry. There seemed to be quite a few different groups going in, and as we walked a lovely lady who was going in to Pine Valley said excitedly to me, “you must be the rock monkey!”.
A brief pause and a hint of sunlight, but it doesn’t last long. We just have to drop down that gully to the saddle, and make it up the other side… then back again ;)!
It was very cool to be recognised and to meet someone other than friends and family who had actually read my blog! Her excitement was infectious, and coupled with the excellent weather (it was hard to believe the next day would be foul), I was happy and raring to go.
Macs Mountain.. a one photo summit given the conditions! We did a quick turn and headed straight back down. Fingers and toes numb.
We chatted (well, Graham did, while I listened and occasionally piped in) to some others, and I thought about how hearing bits of people’s stories is one of the things I like about random encounters while bushwalking. And then we were at Narcissus, and ready to go. With a few more chats along the way, we made good time to the helipad at Pine Valley, where we ate lunch (I think it’s becoming a custom). I savoured the rest, knowing the real work for the day was up next.
Day 3: Australia day… what a scene to wake up to!
Though it had us dripping in sweat and short of breath, and most relieved to be at the top, lugging 7-day packs up to the start of the Labyrinth was not quite as bad as I’d feared. We passed on the pad to the right that looked like it’d take us to the top of the Parthenon (one day I’ll check it out) in favour of an up and back without packs further along. Both Graham and I had been before, but it was only a short walk, and clag at the end of the Geryon South trip last year had seen the three of us pass on it then, promising John that we would do it one day.
Today was the day. We found a suitable spot, dumped out packs, and made the short scramble up, John in the lead. It was definitely worth the views again, and we took our time admiring them. When we did start heading back down, we were surprised by a holler, a comment about putting a hole in Graham’s pack, and a chuckle.
Yes.. Geryon did rather steal the limelight.
I recognised the chuckle at once, it was none other than Greg’s! I’d known the Labyrinth was one option he and another friend Tim had been considering after their Western Arthur plans had changed, but I hadn’t thought about the timing. We scrambled down the last bit and spent some time catching up. It was really great to see them there, even if they teased me with the fact they’d been up mountains I hadn’t! Refuelled with Tim’s delicious home made jerky and dried kiwi fruit (Tim is probably the best chef I know personally), and even more excited by what lay ahead, we said our goodbyes and good lucks for the following day, and headed off in opposite directions.
Time to head back up. There’s plenty of water around as the snow is melting fast.
As we walked I pondered Greg’s tale about trying to get up the second, more southern summit of Geryon North, and his nearly quite nasty fall on his return, and wondered how we’d find it. But that would be another day’s challenge. For now we had one last hill to climb, and it was proving to be quite tiring now. But as always, persistence and stops to enjoy the mountains (Geryon South mostly!) got us there, and we were left only with the simple challenge of finding some shelter from the wind.
A much warmer and dryer home for the night, with a pretty stunning view too!
The bowl just west of the summit of Walled Mountain is rather lovely, but a little exposed. John’s determination that surpassed both mine and Graham’s found us three relatively sheltered spots, and there we made our home for the next two nights. The cloud was coming in and we knew there’d be no sunset, though if there had been, a short walk would have given us excellent views of it. Instead we cooked dinner (Graham first having to fashion himself a spoon out of one of John’s tent pegs as he’d left his at home) and hopped into our tents to warm up.
The next morning I expected to wake to full on rain after a wet and windy night (didn’t really believe it would snow – this was the middle of summer!), and though it was drizzly, it didn’t seem too bad. We did, however, put our faith in the weather forecast and allow ourselves the luxury of a late start, given we had the spare time up our sleeves. We estimated it would take us something like 4-5 hrs to get to Macs mountain and back, and we’d decided not to move on to camp at Helios that night given we had the time and weren’t too keen on striking tents in the rain.
Really not a bad spot to pitch a tent! You could camp almost anywhere up here, and be there in the same day you leave home. Think I’ll be coming back here quite a bit.
We set out just before 11 to partial views, the cloud coming and going. It seemed to be holding off, giving us (or at least me) a false sense of optimism. None of us knew a great deal about the terrain, except that there was a drop (where we could take any gully of our choosing), scrub, then a climb up scree. But before all that, we discovered we had a bit (more than expected) of boulder scrambling to do!
The wet made that slow and careful work, but to take things to the next level (yep, you guessed) it started snowing! The clouds were still swirling, revealing glimpses of Hyperion behind us (I was paying particular attention to it, as not only was it reportedly a nice scramble, it was also set to be my 500th point) and Macs in front.
Hyperion from the summit of Eros. Love how close they are to camp!
Though perhaps we could have dropped off the rock and sidled underneath in light scrub, we chose to stay high, dropping when the boulders became a bit too big to easily negotiate in the wet. And then we found ourselves standing on the lip of the drop down (straight down) to the saddle. The sun came out in a happy moment of warmth, but it wasn’t to stay.
That evening the light was rather nice..
We understood what was meant now by several different routes down, all doable. The one we’d arrived at looked steep, but both Graham and I thought it was doable. John, ever the scout, headed to the next gully to the left to check out one he’d thought looked good on Google Earth. Again, as always, it paid off, and we had a much more gentle descent.
Geryon dressed for the evening!
We followed a few cairns down the scree, then left to more scree, and felt like we were on some kind of a pad/route. It wasn’t as bad as we’d heard here, though we were still intent on following advice to stay to the left (thanks Louise). Someone had been generous to put up some bright orange tapes, which we managed to stick relatively close to despite the fact you couldn’t really see them until you were already next to them, so they only served to provide confirmation rather than direction.
We popped out into an open patch in the saddle before the climb, which we’d been aiming for, then found an orange tape on the other side. Great, it might lead us through the scrub! Oh no.. Again, we couldn’t find the next bit of tape so we just plunged in. And yep, it wasn’t impossible, but it wasn’t a lot of fun. Graham took over, he had the most energy of us, and long legs to go with it. Don’t believe what I think is Chapman’s description of light scrub. It’s not, and plenty of it was more than head high. Having said that, we did find a better way on the return trip, but there were still a few patches of bashing through scoparia and the like.
Day 4: Heading up Hyperion the slightly climby way.. just loved it ;)!
We took minimal breaks, because to stop was to get cold. And fast. It was snowing more now, and by the time we hit rock some of it was starting to settle. We pushed on, going at our own paces, occasionally pausing to regroup before continuing onwards. By the time we reached the summit I couldn’t feel fingers or toes despite breathing hard from the climb, so it was a matter of taking one summit shot and turning back around. Not the most enjoyable way to climb a mountain, but I was grateful we hadn’t had to bash through the scrub in heat, and that the weather was such that this would be the only foul day of the week, and as such it couldn’t have been better timed.
The summit of Hyperion, with a small addition to celebrate my 500th peak bagging point. :D!!
As we headed back down I was cold and tired, and pretty much over the snow and rain. I think it was starting to wear on all of us. But still I knew I felt exactly as Graham did when he let out a laugh, shook his head with incredulity, and made a comment about how crazy we are to enjoy this kind of thing! Because we do, I do. I wouldn’t have been anywhere else if I had the choice. Call me crazy, I don’t really mind :)!
Geryon North looking like a fun scramble. But fun only insofar as you stay safe!
Though colder, the sun having given up fighting the snow, the trip back seemed easier, but perhaps that was just because the challenge of route finding had been taken out of the equation now, or I was more focused on staying warm. We skipped lunch, preferring to snack and keep moving, for which I was silently most grateful (I feel the cold more than either John or Graham).
When we arrived back at the tents in the late afternoon (6 hrs after having started out) it was all about getting dry and warm. Food (lunch, soup and half a dinner) was an after thought.
The snow was still falling, though it was forecast to stop that night. I ducked out in between flurries to go to the loo before bed, and on my return was surprised to hear a plop of something landing in the snow to my right. A few moments later, a snowball hit my shoulder. Not a bad shot! It was hard in the dark, because while you can see your target, you have little idea of how poor your aim is. A disapproving ‘awww’ is about the only indication you get that you landed a snowball on target. It was actually a good way to get warm!
It took a while to warm up the tent, but I eventually did, and managed to get bits of sleep in between waking up cold. I was surprised it was still snowing at 2am, concerned by 6. The side of my tent had accumulated so much snow I woke up at one point to find it pushing against my face. A push back sorted it for a bit.
Not quite as strong as he thought he was, Graham pits himself against the dolerite.
It was still snowing in the morning, and there was a decent coating on everything around us. It was an untouched, pristine world. We decided to wait. All we had to do was move to Lake Helios, so we had half a day spare. We could do the mountains either today or tomorrow, it didn’t really matter. I was glad we didn’t have to pack in the wet and cold, as I wasn’t looking forward to putting on wet clothes or pulling tent pegs out of snow (that’s most painful on fingers). I could also use a bit of extra sleep. So that’s what we did.
On the way back the sun comes out, and Geryon lights up!
I dozed, waking occasionally to a slightly lighter, warmer world, and the hope that maybe the sun was back for good. You never appreciate the sun quite as much as you do when you’re in the snow and half your gear is wet. But each time it turned the tent world a glowing warm orange, it would disappear again.
Some pretty impressive dolerite pillars ,near and far.
By midday, when the forecast had the chance of rain down to 5%, we make the call to eat a light lunch then pack and move. It drizzled while we packed, and we hastened to start walking. It didn’t matter though, by the time we’d dropped just a little bit of height we were already much warmer, feeling more normal, were out of the cloud, and had started to regain some of our views. It was lovely to watch a snow dusted Gould materialise between wispy white curtains, and the Geryons and the Acropolis be revealed as the cloud gradually lifted.
Looking out to the rest of the range. A bit exciting, I’d not seen it in full before now. All that green is one massive stretch of fagus!
Soon we were stripping off layers, and with the warmth came a new energy and pleasure. Slowly we dried out. We paused for rain jacket maintenance at the junction with the Labyrinth track, and ran into a group of four (one of whom I knew) who were also doing the traverse (but a bit faster than us). We had a series of chats as we passed one another at various times on the climb up onto the range.
The track was excellent, the views continued to astound, and the camping proved to be just perfect. We’d intended to camp at Lake Helios, which sounded beautiful, but the other group had said they were just going to find some flat ground and water and camp higher up. When we saw what was up there, we did exactly the same. It meant we had better views, and would save the climb back up with full packs. The wind wasn’t going to be an issue, but we did shelter a little over the northern side of the highest point of the plateau. It was a stunning spot!
And we take a good look at the terrain ahead, wondering excitedly what the next few days will bring!
Having started out in snow that morning (well afternoon really – 12.40!), the sun was now shining brightly and the sky was very definitely blue behind fluffy cloud. Not to be wasted, we chose to duck over to Mount Eros that evening, before returning for dinner. It wasn’t exactly the 25mins return as advised (but anyone who knows him knows Jared walks FAST), but it was really rather nice to be sitting on the summit of a mountain, having made something more of the day than just a change of camp sites.
It was cold again as soon as the sun went down, and the cloud was back, so it was a little bit easier to say our goodnights and close zips to the world outside. Later that night, coming back from a trip to the loo I startled, and was startled by, a yabbie who had made his home in the small soak closest to my tent. Everything glistened with frost and the stars were bright. I smiled at that very strong feeling of living in, and (almost) with nature. It felt, as always, so free, pure, natural, right and worthy of sharing and celebrating. This is where I belong, who I am.
Macs sits on the horizon, as we say our goodnights and retire to our tents.
The following morning was cool, but the sun was out and I was excited for the day ahead. We had the time, and the spot was just so lovely that we decided we’d stay another night, taking our time to spend the day climbing Hyperion, Geryon North and Du Cane in that order.
Day 5: Down to Big Gun Pass we head (that would be the gun there) and back up the other side.. most of today is on rock :D!
We set off shortly after 9.30, Hyperion in our sights. As with all the walking this trip (with the exception of our bash out to Macs), the terrain consisted of low (very low) alpine scrub and scree, which made navigation quite easy, and just a bit fun. We’d already been worded up on the scramble up Hyperion – left for the easier route, right for the slightly more airy one (and a hint that a revised Abels description might make use of a northern route).
When we hit the scree on the left shoulder of Hyperion (if looking at it from our campsite – the direction from which we approached, naturally) and started to climb, Graham handed the lead over to me. This one was my mountain :D! That of course meant I got to choose the route, and you can guess which way that meant going! Yep, straight up and to the right. It was a tad airy, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely in my element and enjoying every moment.
Did I mention rock? Nice to have it dry and grippy.. I do love that stuff!
A short bounce across rock and there was the summit, complete with a small but proud cairn. It needed a temporary crown to celebrate my 500th point, and with that taken care of, it was time for some special Lindt balls that I’d been saving for the occasion. Perfect! One last thing – a selfie (I chickened out on this, and got Graham to take a photo of me instead) which I promised to send to a friend who has been on many walks with me (and still does come on walks, but in a different way now), and knows just what it means to get to 500 points.
We enjoyed for a little longer, then thought about moving on. John suggested checking out the northern route, and it looked like there was a fairly well walked pad, with the occasional cairn or two. Neither Graham or I were fussed, so the adventure was on. Though it didn’t seem like we were heading north, my GPS route shows we were, and we dropped off quite quickly, but without the airiness of our ascent.
We’re amazed with the bowl we find before us.. where shall we camp??! Too many choices. We select tarns on the far ridge to bathe in. So nice to feel clean :)!
When we were down, we sidled around to the right, following grassy ledges without losing much, or any, height. It was quite pleasant and different, and we popped out onto the scree we’d headed up on. Lovely route back!
Our camp site in the bowl below Massif (from which the photo was taken). Just love those layers of mountain ranges beyond!
It was midday when we got back to the tents, so we had an earlish relaxed lunch before setting off once again for Geryon North. It didn’t take us long to walk on to the track (there’s a pretty big cairn that’s hard to miss in good weather), and from there it was easy sailing as we climbed gradually up the flank. The snow fight from the other night continued, as did the teasing and laughter. What a simple world it can be.
The beauty about being all of 10 minutes from the summit of Mount Massif, means it’s no big deal to duck up for sunset.. Oh the views!
When we hit the ridge it was rather exciting to finally get a view of the rest of the range that we’d be traversing (I’d not had a good look at it before then). It looked good, very good (that means nice and rocky!). The brilliant green carpet of fagus below was massive, and I’m set on a return trip one April to see it as it changes. Not to be outdone, the dolerite was massive in quite another sense – the Acropolis’ pillars were as impressive as you’ll ever see them from any perspective.
And if you turn around, even more views..!
We took the time to take it all in before continuing south to Geryon North, which looked quite different! The track takes you along the western side. We ignored a few that didn’t look particularly attractive, before heading up a bit that looked climby, but doable. Graham scrambled up. John followed his route, while I climbed up a few metres to the left.
Almost over. A short but most enjoyable day!
But we were all lucky. He was perhaps a little bruised, but otherwise ok. He didn’t let on if he was at all shaken, instead he checked out the way I’d climbed up, and with a hand that was more for reassurance than necessity he was up, and we were on our way. It was another reminder of the respect the mountains rightly deserve, and of how a walk, and lives, can change in a moment.
Day 6: Again we wait for the mist to clear (we have the luxury of time) before taking the grassy green gully down. Instinct says to stay high, but when you round the corner it’s clear why you don’t!
We continued on carefully, passing under the summit then climbing up to the ridge and turning back, approaching it from the south. We could see the stack of rocks even further south that Greg had talked about in his attempt to climb to the more southern high point (but not the highest). Graham made mention of it later, but not in the usual suggestive ‘shall we check it out’ manner. We both knew with out really having to talk about it that it wasn’t happening today: there was no need and it wasn’t appropriate.
Graham gave John the lead, he’d more than earned the right, and we followed him up. On top we celebrated quietly, took in the views, talked about the mountains, went for a rock on a rocking rock until John and I got a bit carried away (the rock no longer rocks)! A snack for energy, and time to mentally prepare for the descent, then we were heading back down. It was straight forward, and we were quickly down the climby bits.
The sun came out from between the clouds and the rock glowed in its light. Graham pitted his strength against it, and you can guess the result. The mood was lighter now, as we wandered the easy walk over (yes, over, more than up) to the Du Cane Range high point. Though it wasn’t much of a summit, fittingly marked by a stick protruding from a cairn, the views were lovely, and I was drawn to the eastern edge.
I get to lead the climb up Falling Mountain. I love it, love the rock, love the freedom to choose any path you wish, the feeling you get when a pivot or series of moves propels you up with more ease than you thought possible..
Looking over at the rest of the range as the light stretched long and warm, I wondered what the following day would hold for us, and the one after. I could never have imagined, and I’m glad of that, for it would have lost some of its beauty, its surprise… its gift. Satisfied with an idea of what we would face for the first part of the day, we turned and headed back to camp, more than ready for a good dinner.
We drop packs near the saddle, liking the look of a few possible camp spots there, and head on up to the summit of Castle Crag. Graham is sidetracked by two cairns, where he finds a decent source of water!
We sat on a rock above our tents, enjoying the view before us, eating and chatting. We returned to our tents to warm up (or in my case, doze off) before reemerging to check out the sunset. For a precious few moments it painted the world orange, and everything basked in its beauty. As soon as it was gone, blue replaced orange, cold replaced warmth, and we were scurrying to our tents, keen to warm back up.
John checks out the view east from the summit of Castle Crag, the dolerite was amazing!
The next morning was the closest we got to a sunrise, though John wasn’t too convinced. Graham and I tried to make the most of the gaps in the mist that came and went as it pleased (more of the former than the latter), and succeeded in enjoying it for what it was, not what it wasn’t. It was cold though, so when the colour was gone we returned to the warmth of our respective sleeping bags, and each of us cooked breakfast from our tents.
There were car, truck, even lorry sized boulders. Those that had been standing straight had rounded tops. Graham looks like he’s been playing dominos.
We chose again to opt for a late start, as we waited for the mist to burn off and the sun to dry the dew from our tents. I took the chance to catch up on sleep and find a soak to half wash in (not bad, but it would be out done later that day!). I’m not entirely sure what the guys did, perhaps similarly, with the addition of making repairs to gear.
We sit, sipping hot drinks, looking towards Geryon, chatting away, just enjoying. Jokes are made about Graham and John looking like a pair of bums or tramps, but I would, and I do, trust them with my life. They’re two of the finest bushwalking mates you could have.
By 11 we were off, over Du Cane (left of the high point), and looking down to Big Gun Pass. I’d been under the impression it was a scramble down, but it’s not really, and there was a cairned pad to follow. We took our time as a result of the scenery, not the level of difficulty. The ‘Big Gun’ was prominent, and certainly commanded attention.
Tucked away from the southeasterly. It’s a lovely spot. There’s also room to camp a whole army up near the summit, but it’s slightly less sheltered.
We couldn’t find any cairns heading back up the other side, and opted for Graham and Becca default approach of ‘straight up’. John is perhaps a little more cautious in this regard, and perhaps more intelligent in being so! We could have taken a slightly more contoured approach, but then we wouldn’t have had the views off both sides.
Tents are up, we have plenty of time, and we want some more definite info on which way to get off Falling mountain, so we go exploring over the saddle and down to a gully. We find cairns, and are relatively happy with the terrain. At the same time, we have a bit of fun in natures own playground. The rock was like a skate park, and it was hard to resist the urge to run, jump and bound a way around it all!
Part way up we figured there couldn’t be a better spot for lunch, so we stopped on the rocks and ate. There were more rocks to follow (such fun!), and one or two dips to drop down courtesy of our ‘straight up’ approach. But no matter, in a little bit we were standing on the edge of rocks looking across a beautiful green bowl that was dotted with small tarns, some of which were connected by squiggly little rivers.
This wedgie came to say hi twice, and came really low on a number of passes. We were simply mesmerised :D!!
“How could it get better than this?” With a bathe in a tarn, we decided. But first the guys decided on the most suitable spot to camp (wind was the first and most important consideration, then flat ground and water), tents were pitched, and (who could forget!) we had a summit to climb. A short 10 minutes later and there we were, on the summit of Mount Massif, which was massive on all accounts, most especially the views!! Words just don’t suffice.
Again, we headed for the summit for sunset, it was 5 minutes away. Looking south to the Traveller Range.
We wandered around, checked out the views from another point on the northern edge (worth it) and, despite reluctance to leave such a special place, eventually pulled ourselves away in favour of a much anticipated bathe in a tarn. We selected tarns on the far rim, unlikely to be used for drinking water, and took it in turns.
John went, returned, and raved. We checked out what looked like a sink hole. Graham went, returned, and raved. I went, and understood. Pure bliss. Though the wind was cold, the sun was deliciously warm on bare skin, and the tarn I chose had been warmed sufficiently to be comfortable, but still refreshing. One small piece of tek towel that I usually used as a camera wipe worked wonderfully as a scrubber, and I laughed at the incredulity and novelty of me having clean knees half way through a 7 day walk.
Cathedral and Pelion East. And sun on rock.
After drying off I did enjoy a luxurious moment in the sun, but figured I’d better dress and get back, as two other hungry tummies were keen to dig into John’s promise of soft cheese, biscuits and frangelico. YummMMM! I felt a little bad, as in December we’d decided not to bring treats given it was a 7 day walk, but both Graham and John had (Graham had Lindt balls). So I’d saved the last three days worth of mini mars bars I’d brought for me, and offered them as desert to compliment John’s spread. The only other thing I had had to share were two cherries, and I’d given them one each for breakfast the day before. I decided never to trust those kind of agreements in the future ;)!
Back at camp we selected a spot, and sat down to enjoy good food, company, and place. It was pretty perfect. Ok, it was perfect. In addition to discussion of food, cameras and routes, we had a very interesting ‘thing’ (aka ‘little guy with strange dress habits’ – in Graham’s words) to keep us entertained. It took a little while to convince the two guys that 30mls of frangelico wasn’t making me tipsy and seeing things, mind you!
As it dipped below the horizon, reds turned to pinks, and the show continued. It would last longer than I could keep my eyes open.
What looked like a bit of the end of a plant seemed to be moving of its own accord, and not with assistance of the wind. I couldn’t figure it out. Graham didn’t believe me, and he knocked it over with the tip of a finger to see if it would stand back up. After a few minutes of no movement, it must have sensed that danger had passed, and to our surprise a black worm like thing stuck out of the ‘bottom’, bent over until it was touching the ground, then righted the bit of leaf-like matter. It looked like just another bit of growth on a cushion plant! Amazing (and slightly satisfying to prove I was right)!
Day 7: Back to reality time :(. We head down the gully selected the day before, and, following Graham’s fine nose, pick a relatively easy path through the scrub, popping out onto the Overland Track at Du Cane Gap.
We returned to our tents for some respite before dinner, and I took the chance to jot down some notes and have a lie down. Though we’d not walked far or strenuously at all, I was sufficiently sleepy, perhaps from the sun. But it was dinner time soon enough, and we enjoyed that as we had our biscuits and cheese. For desert we had the sunset, which we chose to enjoy from Mount Massif. It was simply beautiful. I decided that it wasn’t a bad thing for walking to sometimes be about pure indulgence ;).
Again, the cold dictated a swift return, and as I lay in bed that night, it was hard not to be grateful for what was and to have hope for and feel excitement over how I might get to live this ‘wild and precious’ life of mine into the future. Being out there, in that place (physical, mental, emotional), seems to have this affect on me. I feel free, encouraged to make change, to be all that I want to and can be, to explore and discover. I drifted off, completely at peace.
The following morning we once again woke to mist, and responded in our (by now) typical fashion: back to bed! It’s a tough life!! I didn’t mind.. in fact, I could quite get used to it! There was no sun, but the mist had lifted sufficiently by 11, and we were ready to navigate our way through what we expected to be the toughest part of the walk.
We’d been told to ignore Chapman’s route suggestion, and take the obvious grassy gully. It was cairned at both top and bottom, so despite feeling like it was wrong to drop down so much, we didn’t protest. The reason was soon apparent, and dropping down led us out onto the ridge ahead without us needing to scramble over some pretty big and rough looking boulders. Nor did we have to regain any height, the primary reason for instinctively wanting to stay as high as possible.
Though the sun still hid behind thick grey clouds, our views weren’t impeded, and we enjoyed them as we wove our way along occasionally cairned pads. We drunk from tarns as we passed them, believing that Falling mountain was pretty dry. I got the pleasure of leading up the final scree climb, which I simply loved.
And then we were there, in a grassy little saddle looking back at our range, taking a little bit of pride in the fact that we’d been up pretty much every mountain we could see! Across the other side of the saddle was the route we later decided (after sufficient exploration) that we’d take out. But for now we dumped packs and went to check out the summit.
We didn’t get there. As we walked along two cairns appeared on our horizon, close together, and we wondered what they were there for. Graham suspected they might mark water. He was right, they marked a decent sized soak, which made us all breathe a little easier.
Water sorted, we turned again to the summit. It wasn’t far, and was pretty speccy too. Flatish, with a nice sized cairn, what struck first was the dolerite rock and the way it had eroded. It’s hard to describe, quite amazing to take in. And then of course there were the views!! We played for a bit, then headed back, via a campsite big enough to fit an army (if a tad exposed)!
It was time to put the tents up, but we promptly forgot all that when a wedge tailed eagle came to say hello.. a very personal hello from all of about 10-15 metres. He or she was just magnificent, and we stood and stared, stunned looks of awe and amazement on our open mouthed faces. It was very special, and would be repeated later that evening too!
With tents set up and time to spare before dinner, Graham and I decided to check out the gully on the other side of the saddle. The first part struck me as being like a skate park, and it was impossible to resist running and jumping from one rock to another, so I didn’t really try too hard ;)! Further down we found a few cairns, and though there was no really distinct path, we eventually concluded it would work, and looked relatively straight forward. Interpreting route descriptions is always a difficult task, and though Graham was slightly more hesitant, I was pretty happy with what we had, even if it differed from some of the notes we had.
We returned to the tents, which seemed to still be in the shade despite much greater expanses of blue sky above! We rejoiced at every bit of sun we did get, though it was not nearly as much as we’d have liked. We sat around drinking hot drinks, chatting about tomorrow’s route, cooking dinner and laughing at Graham’s attempts to take a photo into the sun of his Strive meal in front of Geryon.
Our wedgie returned, and came as close again (:D!) before it was time to head back over to the summit for sunset. And what a sunset for our last night (our sixth night at about 1400m!). I think we all forgave the sun for having been absent for most of the day as the sun turned the sky on fire. It lasted forever. It was like it sensed my (our?) reluctance for the evening to end, and stretched time for us. What a special place the Du Cane range is, one that for me is up there with the best of them.
There was to be no sleep in on our last day. We had a 3.45pm ferry to catch, and we had to get down and out, regardless of what the mist was doing. It was, as expected, misty when we woke, but we had decided on an 8am start, so we got moving. It wasn’t so bad, and after dropping down only a very short way we were under the cloud. After the usual amount of discussion over routes, we finally settled on following Graham’s nose, which was in top form, and wove us out on a relatively easy route through the scrub!
In some ways, the hardest part of the walk was to follow. I found it difficult to get into a rhythm, to not drag my feet, to find motivation to keep walking. The reason was I really didn’t want to be going home. Who would, after a trip like that? Not least of all because I just don’t know how much I’ll be able to walk (to new and exciting places at least) in the next few years – a very scary prospect!
All up: a very very cruisy and beautiful 67km, 4089m ascent.
A very big thank you to John and Graham for making it all that it was, and for putting up with me again ;)! | 2019-04-25T14:12:29Z | https://rockmonkeyadventures.wordpress.com/category/cradle-st-clair/hyperion/ |
Mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) are a major cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), whereby the mutant proteins misfold and aggregate to form intracellular inclusions. We report that both small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) 1 and SUMO2/3 modify ALS-linked SOD1 mutant proteins at lysine 75 in a motoneuronal cell line, the cell type affected in ALS. In these cells, SUMO1 modification occurred on both lysine 75 and lysine 9 of SOD1, and modification of ALS-linked SOD1 mutant proteins by SUMO3, rather than by SUMO1, significantly increased the stability of the proteins and accelerated intracellular aggregate formation. These findings suggest the contribution of sumoylation, particularly by SUMO3, to the protein aggregation process underlying the pathogenesis of ALS.
Copyright: © 2014 Niikura et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: This work was supported by grants from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (15590908, http://www.jsps.go.jp) to TN and Keio Gijuku Academic Development funds (no number, http://www.med.keio.ac.jp/research/) to TN. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that causes the selective loss of motor neurons leading to paralysis and ultimately death within 2–5 years. Although most ALS cases are sporadic, approximately 10% of familial ALS cases are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) are the second most common cause of familial ALS (FALS) after C9ORF72 , . SOD1 mutants have been widely used for in vitro and in vivo models to investigate the pathomechanisms of ALS , .
Mice or rats overexpressing FALS-linked SOD1 mutants develop a human ALS-like phenotype that involves motor neuron degeneration. FALS-linked mutant SOD1 proteins misfold and aggregate into intracellular inclusions both in vitro and in vivo , and it is generally accepted that the propensity for aggregation is associated with the pathobiology of SOD1 mutants –. The aggregation of disease-specific proteins is implicated in the pathogenesis of other neurodegenerative disorders, such as amyloid β in Alzheimer’s disease and α-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, elucidating the process of aggregate formation is important for understanding the pathomechanisms of ALS and other neurodegenerative disorders in which pathological intraneuronal inclusions develop.
Sumoylation, a post-translational protein modification, involves the covalent attachment of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins to target proteins. Although SUMO is typically conjugated to a specific lysine (Lys) residue within the consensus motif ψKxE/D (where ψ is an aliphatic amino acid) in the target protein, sumoylation can occur at Lys residues outside of the consensus, and not all the consensus Lys residues are sumoylated . The mechanism of the conjugation of SUMO to its target protein is similar to that of ubiquitination. Sumoylation requires a cascade with three enzymes, E1 activating, E2 conjugating, and E3 ligase enzymes; however, unlike ubiquitin, at least three SUMO family proteins, SUMO1, -2, and -3, exist , . SUMO1 only displays 45% sequence identity with SUMO2 and SUMO3, whereas SUMO2 and SUMO3 are 87% identical . SUMO1 and SUMO2/3 serve distinct functions by targeting different proteins , , though some substrates can be modified by both SUMO1 and SUMO2/3. For instance, RanGAP1, α-synuclein, and tau are predominantly modified by SUMO1 and to a lesser extent by SUMO2/3 , . In addition, SUMO2/3 but not SUMO1 can form polymeric chains , and the de-sumoylating enzymes, sentrin/SUMO-specific proteases (SENPs) 3, 5, 6, and 7, preferentially act on SUMO2/3 versus SUMO1 . It is therefore postulated that SUMO1 and SUMO2/3 can cause different functional consequences on the same substrate. Sumoylated proteins have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative disorders, such as huntingtin in Huntington’s disease, tau and amyloid precursor protein in Alzheimer’s disease, and α-synuclein and DJ-1 in Parkinson’s disease , . In ALS model mice, C-terminal fragment of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) cleaved by caspase 3 is modified by SUMO1 and accumulates in spinal cord astrocytes . The astrocytic expression of sumoylated EAAT2 fragment induces cytotoxicity in NSC34 cells and primary motor neurons . These findings provide evidence for the involvement of sumoylation in ALS pathogenesis. Since SUMOs are expressed in spinal cord neurons , , it is assumed that sumoylation may have a pathological role in motor neurons as well as astrocytes. Fei et al. reported that the human SOD1 protein is sumoylated and stabilized by SUMO1, suggesting that sumoylation is linked to SOD1 aggregation . However, the detailed mechanisms of the relationship to ALS pathogenesis remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effect of sumoylation on ALS-linked mutant SOD1 proteins in a motor neuron cell line and found that SOD1 is sumoylated not only by SUMO1 but also by SUMO2/3, suggesting a role for SUMO2/3 in the pathogenesis of ALS.
To understand the role of sumoylation in the pathobiology of ALS, we used NSC34 cells, a motor neuron cell line that is widely used for studies on the pathomechanisms of ALS. First, we examined whether the SOD1 protein undergoes sumoylation in these cells by cotransfecting FLAG-tagged wild-type (wt) or mutant SOD1 with HA-tagged SUMO1 in the presence of myc-tagged Ubc9, a sumoylation E2 conjugase. The FLAG-SOD1 proteins were immunoprecipitated with an anti-FLAG antibody, and the precipitates were subjected to western blotting using an anti-HA antibody to detect HA-SUMO1. Two dominant bands with molecular masses of approximately 38 and 58 kDa, corresponding to the size of putative mono- and di-sumoylated SOD1, respectively, were detected in cells expressing each SOD1 protein (Fig. 1A, Fig. 2A, lanes 1–4, and Fig. S1A, lanes 1 and 2, arrowheads). Minor bands with a higher molecular mass were also detected but were not derivatives of sumoylated SOD1 because the anti-FLAG antibody did not detect these bands in the anti-FLAG (Fig. S1A and B, lane 5) or anti-HA (Fig. S1A and B, lane 8) antibody precipitates, suggesting that sumoylated proteins other than SOD1 were also coimmunoprecipitated with FLAG-SOD1. These observations indicate that all the SOD1 proteins, including wt, FALS mutants, and N19S mutant, were modified by SUMO1 in the NSC34 cells. The degree of sumoylation was higher for the FALS mutant proteins (Fig. 1A, lanes 3–5, and Fig. 2A, lanes 2 and 3) than the wt (Fig. 1A, lane 2, and Fig. 2A, lane 1) and N19S mutant proteins (Fig. 1A, lane 6, and Fig. 2A, lane 4). The difference in SUMO1-modification between the FALS mutants and wt was not due to a difference in sumoylation E2 conjugase activity because the levels of Ubc9 were almost the same in both the lysates of cells transfected with the FALS mutants and wt SOD1 and because the global sumoylation of cellular proteins occurred similarly in both cells (Fig. S1C). The sumoylation of SOD1 appears to occur for a portion of SOD1 proteins, as a large amount of nonsumoylated monomer SOD1 proteins (Figs. S1A and B, lanes 4–6, indicated with an arrow) and small amount of nonsumoylated dimer proteins (Fig. S1A, lanes 4–6, Fig. S1D, indicated with asterisks) were detected in the anti-FLAG antibody immunoprecipitates.
Figure 1. Familial ALS-linked SOD1 mutants are modified by SUMO1 at Lys9 and Lys75.
NSC34 (A, B) or HEK293 cells (C) were cotransfected with plasmids expressing FLAG-tagged wild-type (wt), mutant SOD1, or empty vector (vec) and HA-tagged SUMO1 and myc-tagged Ubc9. The cell lysates were immunoprecipitated with anti-FLAG M2 antibody, followed by immunoblotting with anti-HA antibody (upper panel) and anti-FLAG antibody (lower panel). A. SUMO1 modification of SOD1 proteins in NSC34 cells. All SOD1 proteins, wt, familial ALS-linked mutants (A4T, G93R, and G85R), and sporadic ALS mutant (N19S), were modified by SUMO1. A representative immunoblot result from three independent experiments is shown. B. Sumoylation of G93R-SOD1 by SUMO1 was decreased by both K9R and K75R mutations. The presence (+) or absence (−) of mutations at K9 and K75 in each construct is indicated above the lane. A representative immunoblot result from three independent experiments is shown. C. Sumoylation of SOD1 proteins by SUMO1 was decreased by the K9R mutation in HEK293 cells. The presence (+) or absence (−) of mutations at K9 in each construct is indicated above the lane. A representative immunoblot result from three independent experiments is shown.
Figure 2. SOD1 proteins are modified by SUMO1, SUMO2, and SUMO3.
NSC34 cells were cotransfected with plasmids expressing FLAG-tagged SOD1 (either wild-type or mutant), HA-tagged SUMO 1/2/3, and myc-tagged Ubc9. The cell lysates were immunoprecipitated with an anti-FLAG M2 antibody, followed by immunoblotting with anti-HA antibody (upper panels) and anti-FLAG antibody (lower panels). A. SOD1 mutants (G93R, G85R, and N19S) were modified by both SUMO1 and SUMO2/3. A representative immunoblot result from four independent experiments is shown. B. The sumoylation of G93R-SOD1 by SUMO2/3 was markedly decreased by the K75R mutation but not by the K9R mutation. The presence (+) or absence (−) of mutations at K9 and K75 is indicated above the lane. A representative immunoblot result from three independent experiments is shown.
There are two potential lysine residues for sumoylation, Lys9 and Lys75, in the SOD1 protein. To identify which lysine residue is important for SOD1 sumoylation, we substituted these lysine residues with an arginine. As shown in Figure 1B, both K9R and K75R mutations reduced the SUMO1 modification of G93R-SOD1 (Fig. 1B, lanes 2 and 3), and the degree of sumoylation was the lowest in G93R-SOD1 carrying two K/R mutations (Fig. 1B, lane 4). These results indicate that G93R-SOD1 can be sumoylated at both Lys9 and Lys75 in a cell line of neuronal origin. We also confirmed the site specificity of sumoylation on the SOD1 protein in HEK293 cells. The K9R mutations significantly reduced the sumoylation of all types of SOD1 proteins (Fig. 1C, lanes 2, 4, 6, and 8), indicating that SOD1 can also be modified by SUMO1 via Lys9 in HEK293 cells.
Fei et al. showed that wt SOD1 was not modified by SUMO2 or SUMO3 in HEK293 cells . We therefore examined whether SOD1 is modified by SUMO2 and SUMO3 in neuronal cells by immunoprecipitating FLAG-SOD1 with an anti-FLAG antibody, followed by the detection of HA-SUMO with an anti-HA antibody. Consistent with the finding of Fei et al. , neither SUMO2 nor SUMO3 caused significant modification of wt SOD1 in NSC34 cells (Fig. 2A, lanes 5 and 9). However, the FALS-linked mutant SOD1 proteins G93R and G85R were clearly modified by SUMO2 and SUMO3 (Fig. 2A, lanes 6, 7, 10, and 11, and Fig. S1A, lane 3, arrowheads). Similar to the cells transfected with SUMO1, two bands with sizes corresponding to sumoylated FLAG-G93R-SOD1 protein were commonly detected in the anti-FLAG antibody (Figure S1A, lane 6, arrowheads) and anti-HA antibody (Fig. S1A, lane 9, arrowheads) immunoprecipitates, suggesting that these bands are mono- and di-sumoylated SOD1 proteins. The sumoylation of mutant SOD1 proteins was marginally detectable in the absence of exogenously transfected Ubc9 but was significantly increased by the overexpression of Ubc9 (Fig. S2A), indicating that the regular sumoylation machinery also functions in the SUMO modification of SOD1 mutants. As is the case with SUMO1, the difference in SUMO3 modification between the FALS mutants and wt was not due to a difference in the sumoylation E2 conjugase activity because the levels of Ubc9 and global sumoylation of cellular proteins were almost the same in the lysates of cells transfected with the FALS mutants and wt SOD1 (Fig. S1C).
In addition to the FALS-linked mutant SOD1 proteins, N19S-SOD1 was also modified by both SUMO2 and SUMO3 but at a lower degree compared to the FALS-linked SOD1 mutants (Fig. 2A, lanes 8 and 12). We next used the K/R mutants to determine the sumoylation sites in G93R-SOD1. The K75R mutation, but not the K9R mutation, significantly reduced G93R-SOD1 sumoylation by SUMO2 and SUMO3 (Fig. 2B, lanes 3 vs. 2, and 7 vs. 6), indicating that the SUMO2/3 modification of the mutant SOD1 proteins mainly occurs at Lys75.
We have previously demonstrated that FALS-linked SOD1 mutant proteins aggregate in CHO cells using EGFP-fused SOD1 proteins . Using this system, we then examined the effects of SUMO1 and SUMO3 on the aggregation of FALS-linked mutant SOD1 proteins. First, we observed the subcellular localization of SUMO1 and SUMO3 cotransfected with wt-SOD1-EGFP by immunofluorescent staining using an anti-HA antibody (Fig. 3). As reported previously, SUMO1 and SUMO3 are mainly localized to the nucleus and cytosol, respectively. Regardless of the localization pattern of each SUMO protein, wt SOD1-EGFP was found to be localized throughout the cell body (Fig. 3 arrows). In contrast, FALS-mutant SOD1-EGFP formed aggregates in the perinuclear area (Fig. 3 arrow heads), and a portion of the SUMO protein colocalized with the aggregates. A quantitative analysis (Fig. 4A) showed that the coexpression of SUMO1 and Ubc9 with A4T/G93R-SOD1 slightly, but not significantly, increased the number of aggregate-positive cells, whereas significant increases in aggregate formation were observed in the cells coexpressing SUMO3, Ubc9, and A4T/G93R-SOD1. These results indicate that SUMO3 has more influence on the aggregate formation of mutant SOD1 than does SUMO1. To examine whether the enhancement of aggregation of G93R-SOD1 by coexpression of SUMO3 is induced by direct SUMO3 modification of the SOD1 protein, we introduced the K/R mutations in the G93R-SOD1-EGFP fusion construct (Fig. 4B). Consistent with Figure 2B, K75R mutant but not K9R mutant significantly reduced the rate of aggregate positive cells, suggesting that SUMO3 modification on Lys75 directly contributes to the aggregate formation of mutant SOD1 proteins.
Figure 3. SUMOs colocalize with familial ALS-linked SOD1 mutants in intracellular aggregates.
CHO cells were cotransfected with plasmids expressing EGFP-fused SOD1 (either wild-type or mutant), HA-tagged SUMO 1/3, and myc-tagged Ubc9. The cells were fixed after 24 h of transfection and immunostained with anti-HA antibody and DyLight594-conjugated anti-mouse IgG antibody, followed by counterstaining with DAPI. Representative images from two independent experiments are shown. The bar in the upper left panel indicates 10 µm. Arrowheads and arrows indicate cells with and without intracellular SOD1 protein aggregates, respectively. In all triple transfections, all GFP-positive cells were DyLight594 (SUMO)-positive (detail in Supporting Information Table S1).
Figure 4. SUMO3 modification increases the aggregation of SOD1 proteins.
CHO cells were cotransfected with plasmids expressing EGFP-fused SOD1 (either wild-type or mutant), HA-tagged SUMO 1/3, and myc-tagged Ubc9 and fixed after 24 h of transfection. Images of randomly selected fields in each well were recorded, and the number of cells with and without aggregates were counted. The total number of GFP-positive cells counted in each sample (mean ± SD) were 185±49 (A) and 338±124 (B). A. SUMO3 increased aggregate formation of mutant SOD1 proteins. The percentages of aggregate-positive cells (mean and SD) were plotted (triplicate sample). Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) between with and without SUMO3 were analyzed by t-test and indicated by asterisks. B. K75R mutation significantly reduced the aggregate formation of G93R-SOD1. The percentages of aggregate-positive cells (mean and SD) were plotted (sextuplicate samples). Statistically significant difference (p<0.05) by a one-way ANOVA followed by a post-hoc test is indicated by asterisks. N.S. indicates not significant.
We next examined whether sumoylation affects the stability of FALS-linked mutant SOD1 proteins in NSC34 cells (Fig. 5). NSC34 cells expressing G93R-SOD1, SUMO1/3, and Ubc9 were treated with cycloheximide (CHX), a protein synthesis inhibitor, and the expression levels of the G93R-SOD1 protein were analyzed along a time course. The G93R-SOD1 levels similarly decreased during CHX treatment in a time-dependent manner, with or without coexpresion of SUMO1 (Fig. 5B, C). On the other hand, the coexpression of SUMO3 significantly increased the initial G93R-SOD1 levels (Fig. 5A, lane 7, and 5B) compared to that of SUMO1 and, in contrast to the coexpression of SUMO1, maintained the high level of G93R-SOD1 up to 6 h of CHX treatment (Fig. 5A, lanes 8 and 9, and 5B, C). The cells expressing the A4T-SOD1 protein showed results similar to those expressing G93R-SOD1, i.e., SUMO3 itself significantly increased the level of A4T-SOD1 (Fig. S3A, lane 7, and Fig. S3B), and the level of the protein was maintained during 6 h of CHX treatment (Fig. S3A, lanes 8 and 9, and Fig. S3B, C). These results suggest that SUMO3 plays a pivotal role in stabilizing FALS-linked mutant SOD1 proteins. Interestingly, our immunoblotting results with the anti-FLAG antibody exhibited a band with a size of approximately 19 kD (Fig. S1A, lanes 8 and 9, arrow), corresponding to nonsumoylated SOD1, in the anti-HA antibody immunoprecipitate from the lysate of cells expressing HA-SUMO and G93R-SOD1-FLAG. However, this 19-kDa band was not detectable in the precipitates from cells expressing HA-SUMO and wt SOD1-FLAG (Fig. S1B, lanes 8 and 9, arrow). Considering the fact that the majority of the SOD1 protein was not sumoylated (Figs S1A and B, lanes 4–6, indicated with an arrow), these results strongly suggest that the SUMO conjugation of mutant SOD1 accelerates the aggregation of the protein, incorporating the nonsumoylated form.
Figure 5. A familial ALS-linked SOD1 mutant is stabilized by SUMO3 modification.
NSC34 cells were cotransfected with plasmids expressing FLAG-tagged G93R-SOD1, HA-tagged SUMO1, SUMO3, or the empty vector (vec), and myc-tagged Ubc9. After 16 h of transfection, the cells were treated with 50 µg/ml cycloheximide for 3 or 6 h or left untreated (time 0). The cell lysates were subjected to an immunoblot analysis with anti-FLAG antibody (A upper panel) and anti-β-actin antibody (A lower panel). A. A representative immunoblot result is shown. B. Quantitative analysis of the immunoblot. The intensity of each band was quantified using ImageJ and normalized to the arbitrary units of β-actin, and the means and SD (n = 4) were calculated. # indicates a statistically significant difference (p<0.01) among the three transfection conditions (vec, SUMO1, SUMO3) at time 0. Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) between time 0 of each condition are indicated by *. N.S. indicates not significant. C. Quantitative analysis of the immunoblot. The data in B are expressed relative to the 0 h value ( = 1).
In this study, we found that Lys75 of mutant SOD1 proteins is modified not only by SUMO1 but also by SUMO2 and SUMO3 (Fig. 2). Fei et al. showed that the SUMO1 modification of SOD1 increases its aggregation and stability , and we observed a similar phenomenon, though the effect was not prominent in motoneuronal NSC34 cells. In contrast, SUMO3 modification significantly accelerated intracellular aggregate formation and stabilized the FALS-linked SOD1 mutant proteins (Figs. 4, 5). Although SUMO1 and SUMO2/3 share the same process for conjugation at Lys residues of target proteins, each SUMO displays a preferential intracellular localization: SUMO1 mainly localizes to the nuclear membrane, and SUMO3 is localized in the cytosol (Fig. 3) , . Because SOD1 is a cytoplasmic protein, SUMO3, rather than SUMO1, should be more readily accessible to SOD1. In addition, SUMO2 and SUMO3 are found in a free, nonconjugated form in vivo, whereas SUMO1 mainly exists in a conjugated form. SUMO2/3 conjugation is induced by cellular stimuli, such as heat-shock and oxidative stress . Therefore, it is more likely that SOD1 is conjugated by SUMO2/3, rather than by SUMO1, under conditions of stress.
SUMO3 increased the stability of nonsumoylated SOD1 mutant proteins (Fig. 5). This finding raises the question of how SUMO3 increases the total amount of nonsumoylated SOD1 mutant protein. One possibility is that the elevated SUMO3 level induced the global stabilization of proteins via modification of proteasomal degradation system. We observed that the mutation at Lys75, the major sumoylation site of SUMO3, significantly reduced the aggregate formation of mutant SOD1 proteins (Fig. 4B), suggesting that SUMO3 modification directly affects the aggregate formation. Moreover, the nonsumoylated mutant SOD1 proteins coimmunoprecipitated with SUMOs, whereas the nonsumoylated wt SOD1 proteins, which do not form aggregates, were undetectable in the SUMO immunoprecipitates (Fig. S1). Therefore, it appears unlikely that the SUMO3-induced increase in mutant SOD1 aggregation is merely caused by increased levels of SOD1 proteins, though it cannot completely rule out the possibility that SUMO3-target proteins other than SOD1 are involved in aggregate formation of mutant SOD1 proteins. It is rather more likely that the global augmentation of SUMO3 modification increases the amount of sumoylated SOD1 proteins and causes the recruitment of nonsumoylated SOD1 mutant proteins into the intracellular aggregates formed by sumoylated SOD1 proteins, resulting in accelerated aggregation formation. In addition, it has been reported that mutant SOD1 can form prion-like aggregation and has spreading ability . It is thus speculated that sumoylation may trigger such prion-like characteristics in mutant SOD1. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that SOD1 aggregate formation closely correlates with cytotoxicity in cellular models and decreased survival in model mice , –, . Taken together, it is assumed that the sumoylation-induced acceleration of SOD1 aggregation is linked to neurotoxicity in ALS pathogenesis.
We also demonstrated that SOD1 can be modified by SUMO1 at two sites, Lys9 and Lys75, in motoneuronal NSC34 cells (Fig. 1). Both Lys9 and Lys75 are located within a canonical consensus sequence for sumoylation, ψKxE/D (where ψ is an aliphatic amino acid): LKGD and PKDE, respectively. SUMO1 modification at Lys75, but not Lys9, was previously demonstrated by an in vitro assay using purified proteins . However, the additional observed sumoylation at Lys9 is most likely because of the difference between the assay systems, i.e., in vitro versus in vivo. Consistent with our findings, proteomic analyses have demonstrated SOD1 sumoylation at multiple sites in a yeast system , . It should be noted that sumoylated SOD1 was still observed in the lysate of cells transfected with G93R/K9R/K75R-SOD1 triple mutant and SUMO1 (Fig. 1B, lane 4), suggesting the existence of minor sumoylation sites other than Lys9 and Lys75 in human SOD1.
Oxidative stress results from an imbalance in the production and removal of reactive oxygen species. Because free radical production increases with aging, oxidative stress is a risk factor for the onset of aging-related neurodegenerative disorders, including ALS . Indeed, elevated oxidative damage in proteins is observed in sporadic ALS patients , and in an ALS model of SOD1 transgenic mice . SUMO2/3 conjugation is a major response to oxidative stress , , , and global protein modification by SUMO2/3 is increased by hydrogen peroxide treatment in yeast and HeLa cells , supporting the link between oxidative damage and SUMO2/3 protein modification. A cellular model of ischemia induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation also increases global protein modification by SUMO2/3. The stress-induced SUMO2/3 modification in this model appears to function as a neuroprotective mechanism because the knockdown of SUMO2/3 increases cellular vulnerability to ischemic stress , . Thus, it is unclear whether oxidative stress-induced sumoylation is neurotoxic or neuroprotective. Nevertheless, we propose that the stress-induced elevation of global sumoylation accelerates the aggregation of mutant SOD1 proteins and consequently activates cytotoxic pathways in motor neurons.
DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) has been identified as a major aggregating protein in ALS and frontotemporal lobar degeneration , and TDP-43-positive aggregates are found in most sporadic cases and in familial cases caused by its mutation . TDP-43 has a canonical sumoylation motif at positions 135–138, colocalizes with SUMO2/3 in intracellular inclusions, and is directly sumoylated in insoluble cellular protein fractions . Additionally, heat-shock induces the accumulation of SUMO2-conjugated TDP-43 by 7-fold . These findings suggest that SUMO2/3 is involved in TDP-43 aggregation under stress conditions. Considering our results, we propose that stress-induced SUMO2/3 modification plays an important role in the aggregate formation of ALS-associated proteins, which contributes to the pathogenesis of ALS.
Plasmids containing wt, FALS-linked SOD1 mutants (G93R, G85R, and A4T), and N19S-SOD1 cDNA were previously described . K9R and K75R mutations were introduced via site-directed mutagenesis using the primers 5′-GTGTGCGTGCTGAGGGGCGACGGCCCAG-3′ (K9R sense), 5′-CTGGGCCGTCGCCCCTCAGCACGCACAC-3′ (K9R antisense), 5′-CACGGTGGGCCAAGGGATGAAGAGAGGC-3′ (K75R sense), and 5′-GCCTCTCTTCATCCCTTGGCCCACCGTG-3′ (K75R antisense). The pXJ-HA-SUMO1 and pXJ-myc-Ubc9 plasmids were provided by Dr. Victor Yu (National University of Singapore, Singapore). The SUMO2 and SUMO3 cDNAs were cloned by PCR from the human brain cDNA library using the primers 5′-GGATCCATGGCCGACGAAAAGCCCAAG-3′ (SUMO2 sense), 5′-CCCGGGTCAGTAGACACCTCCCGTCTG-3′ (SUMO2 antisense), 5′-GGATCCATGTCCGAGGAGAAGCCCAAG-3′ (SUMO3 sense), and 5′-CCCGGGCTAGAAACTGTGCCCTGCCAG-3′ (SUMO3 antisense); the products were inserted into the pXJ-HA vector.
HEK293 and NSC34 cells, the hybrid cells of motor neuron-enriched embryonic mouse spinal cord cell with mouse neuroblastoma N18TG2, were cultured in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (D-MEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 50 units/ml of penicillin, and 50 µg/ml of streptomycin (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). HEK293 (7×105 cells/dish) and NSC34 cells (5×105 cells/dish) were seeded into 60-mm dishes and transfected with plasmids expressing FLAG-tagged SOD1 (wt or mutant), HA-tagged SUMO 1/2/3, and myc-tagged Ubc9 by lipofection (Lipofectamine with Plus reagent, Invitrogen). To prepare the transfection mixture, the plasmid DNAs were mixed in a ratio of 2∶1∶1 for SOD1:SUMO:Ubc9. After 24 h, the cells were harvested and lysed in RIPA buffer (10 mM sodium phosphate [pH 7.2], 150 mM NaCl, 1% Triton X-100, 0.1% SDS, 1% sodium deoxycholate, 10 mM N-ethylmaleimide, and protease inhibitors [Complete protease inhibitor cocktail, Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN, USA]. The cell debris was removed by centrifugation (16,000×g, 20 min, 4°C), and the clarified cell lysates (500 µg of protein) were subjected to immunoprecipitation using anti-FLAG M2 antibody-conjugated beads (Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA).
Immunoprecipitates were subjected to SDS-PAGE, followed by transfer to polyvinylidene difluoride membranes (Millipore, Billerica, MA, USA). The membranes were blocked with 10% skim milk in TBS-T (20 mM Tris-HCl [pH 7.6], 136 mM NaCl, and 0.1% Tween 20) and incubated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) conjugated to various primary antibodies in 1% skimmed milk in TBS-T, followed by detection with an enhanced chemiluminescence reagent (Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). The primary antibodies used were HRP-conjugated anti-HA (Roche), HRP-conjugated anti-FLAG (Sigma), and HRP-conjugated anti-actin (Sigma) antibodies.
NSC34 cells (1.5×105 cells/well) were seeded into 12-well plates and transfected with one of the plasmids expressing FLAG-tagged A4T-SOD1, HA-tagged SUMO 1/3, or the empty vector and myc-tagged Ubc9 using lipofection. After 16 h of transfection, the cells were treated with 50 µg/ml cycloheximide (CHX) for 3 or 6 h and lysed in T-PER lysis buffer (Thermo Scientific) with phosphatase and protease inhibitors (Thermo Scientific). The cell debris was removed by centrifugation, and the clarified cell lysates (20 µg of protein) were subjected to an immunoblot analysis as described above. The band intensity was quantified using ImageJ (NIH), and the arbitrary units of SOD1 were normalized to those of β-actin.
CHO cells were cultured in Ham’s F12 supplemented with 10% FBS, 50 units/ml penicillin, and 50 µg/ml streptomycin. The cells (8×104 cells/well) were seeded into 4-well chamber slides (Thermo Scientific) and cotransfected with plasmids expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-fused SOD1 (wt or mutant), HA-tagged SUMO1/3, and myc-tagged Ubc9 by lipofection. To prepare the transfection mixture, the plasmid DNAs were mixed in a ratio of 2∶1∶1 for SOD1:SUMO1/3:Ubc9. After 24 h of transfection, the cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS and incubated with blocking solution (5% bovine serum albumin in PBS), anti-HA antibody (M180-3, MBL, Nagoya, Japan), and DyLight594-conjugated anti-mouse IgG antibody (Jackson Immuno Research, West Grove, PA, USA), followed by counterstaining with 4′, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI, AAT Bioquest).
CHO cells (4×105 cells/well) were seeded into 6-well plates and cotransfected with plasmids expressing EGFP-fused SOD1 (wt or mutant), HA-tagged SUMO1/3, and myc-tagged Ubc9 by lipofection. After 24 hours, the cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS, and EGFP fluorescence was detected using a fluorescence microscope (Olympus). Images of randomly selected fields in each well were recorded. We counted cells containing heterologous accumulation of fluorescence with high intensity as aggregate-positive cells (indicated with arrowheads in Fig. 3), and the percentages of aggregate-positive cells were calculated.
All statistical analyses were performed using Prism5 (Graph Pad Software, La Jolla, CA, USA). Two group comparison was analyzed by t-test. Group differences were analyzed by a one-way ANOVA, followed by post-hoc tests (Tukey’s multiple comparison test). The results expressed as mean ± SD.
SOD1 proteins are sumoylated by SUMO1 and SUMO3. NSC34 cells were cotransfected with plasmids expressing FLAG-tagged G93R- (A) or wild-type (B) SOD1, HA-tagged SUMO 1/3 or vector, and myc-tagged Ubc9. The cell lysates were immunoprecipitated with anti-FLAG M2 antibody or anti-HA antibody (M180-3, MBL). Immunoprecipitates (A, B) and input samples (15 µg protein) (C) were analyzed by immunoblotting with HRP-conjugated anti-HA, anti-FLAG, anti-myc, and anti-β-actin antibodies. In D, immunoprecipitate of anti-FLAG antibody from NSC34 cells expressing G93R-SOD1-FLAG, HA-SUMO3, and myc-Ubc9 (indicated as IP) and the lysate of HEK293 cells (15 µg protein) expressing G93R-SOD1-FLAG, HA-SUMO3, and myc-Ubc9 were analyzed side-by-side. Arrowheads indicate the bands commonly detected in immunoprecipitates of anti-FLAG and anti-HA antibodies, suggesting that these bands are sumoylated SOD1 proteins. Arrows indicate the bands of non-sumoylated SOD1 monomer. Non-sumoylated G93R-SOD1 but not wt SOD1 monomer was detected in immunoprecipitates of anti-HA antibody. Asterisks indicate the bands detected by anti-FLAG antibody in immnoprecipitates of anti-FLAG antibody and HEK293 lysate, but not in immnoprecipitate of anti-HA antibody, suggesting that these bands are nonsumoylated SOD1 dimers.
Ubc9 promotes sumoylation of SOD1. NSC34 cells were cotransfected with plasmids expressing FLAG-tagged mutant SOD1, HA-tagged SUMO 1/3, and either myc-tagged Ubc9 or the empty vector. The presence (+) or absence (−) of Ubc9 is indicated above the lane. The cell lysates were immunoprecipitated with an anti-FLAG M2 antibody. Input samples (15 µg protein) (A) and immunoprecipitates (B) were analyzed by immunoblot with HRP-conjugated anti-HA, anti-FLAG, anti-myc, and anti-β-actin antibodies. The global sumoylation of cellular proteins was significantly increased in the presence of Ubc9 (A upper panel). Consistently, the amount of sumoylated SOD1 proteins was markedly increased in the presence of Ubc9 (B upper panel).
A. Familial ALS-linked SOD1 mutant is stabilized by SUMO3 modification. NSC34 cells were cotransfected with plasmids expressing FLAG-tagged A4T-SOD1, one of the HA-tagged SUMO1, SUMO3, or the empty vector, and myc-tagged Ubc9. After 16 h of transfection, the cells were treated with 50 µg/ml cycloheximide for 3 or 6 h or untreated (time 0). The cell lysates were subjected to an immunoblot analysis with anti-FLAG antibody (A upper panel) and anti-β-actin antibody (A lower panel). A representative immunoblot result is shown. B. Quantitative analysis of the immunoblot. The intensity of each band was quantified by using ImageJ and normalized to the arbitrary units of β-actin, and the means and SD (n = 3) were calculated. C. Quantitative analysis of the immunoblot. The data in B are expressed relative to the 0 h value ( = 1). Statistical analysis between 0 h and 6 h was performed by t-test and the p values are shown. The amount of SOD1 protein decreased over time in the presence of SUMO1. On the other hand, the amount of SOD1 proteins did not show an apparent difference among treatment time in the presence of SUMO3.
Coexpression of SOD1 and SUMO in CHO cells. Transfection efficiency of SOD1 and SUMO in CHO cells is summarized (representative data of two independent experiments). Immunostained cells used in Figure 3 were counted. The numbers of DAPI-positive nuclei were used as total cell numbers. All GFP-positive cells were also DyLight-positive, indicating that SOD1 and SUMO were coexpressed in these cells.
Conceived and designed the experiments: TN YA. Performed the experiments: TN YK. Analyzed the data: TN YA. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: TN YK YA. Contributed to the writing of the manuscript: TN YA.
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Together with my fellow ambassador CopMike I'm running this survey to find out which new parts and/or new colors you would like LEGO to produce. We guarantee your feedback will be delivered to LEGO via our various channels, so here's your chance to be heard!
Only make one post in this thread per member. If needed you can later edit your post and add more part requests and/or color requests.
- Part description: --> use any means you think necessary to explain us what you have in mind like drawings, pictures from the Internet, words, etc. If we don't clearly understand what you mean we can't present your suggested part to LEGO, so do your best!
- Part usage: --> explain why you believe LEGO should produce this part. Why is it important to you and potentially others?
- Color usage: --> explain why you believe LEGO should introduce this new color. Why is it important to you and potentially others?
- Part description: A head similar in shape to the elephant head. It will use he same connection to the body and body as the elephant from the adventurers line. In the front there will be 2 holes for the horns, in the one in te front the 'Barb Large (Claw, Horn)' part, in the back hole the 'Barb Small (Helmet horn)' part.
- Part description: A head similar in shape to the elephant head. It will use he same connection to the body and body as the elephant from the adventurers line. It woul have a hinge(maybe) and two holes in the mouth for the teeth. The teeth would be the 'Barb Small (Helmet Horn)' part.
- Part description: This would be a great way to introduce a new horse mold. It would be a horse with a zebra pattern. It would also include a striped 2x2 brick and tile to put where the sattle would usually go in the new mold.
- Part description: A large cat mold. The legs would be unmovable and the male would include a mane, while the female would not. This part couls also be used for a tiger or other big cats.
- Part description: A edit of the pig mold to add holes in the front where the 'Barb Small (Helmet Horn)' part could be placed.
- Part description: A small lizard part that's about as big as a snake with a stud on the stomach.
- Part description: An eagle mold, bigger than an owl mold, with printed details like the new HP owls.
- Part usage: Could be used in a zoo, city, aviary, safari, or any other set with birds. It could even be made in gold with no printed details for a statue.
- Part description: A mold that looks like a seal. It would have printed details like the new HP owls.
- Part usage: Could be used at a zoo, aquarium, beach, underwater, or ocean set. It could even be made in gold with no printed details for a statue.
- Part description: Similar to the seal mold, but bigger and bulkier. It would have 2 holes in the front so that there can be bothe male and female walruses.
- Part usage: Could be used at a zoo, arctic, aquarium, beach, underwater, or ocean set. It could even be made in gold with no printed details for a statue.
- Part description: A seagull mold. About the size of a parrot mold with printed details.
- Part description: Around the size of the current dog mold, although much wider. It would also have printed details.
- Part usage: Could be used at a zoo, farm, hunting, historic, or a Thanksgiving set. It could even be made in gold with no printed details for a statue.
- Part description: A baby version of all of the animals listed above.
- Part usage: Any usage that has been listed above aswell as a nursery.
- Part description: A mold for a Bothan head.
- Part usage: As a Bothan or any other alien.
- Part description: A 1x1x1 and 1/2 head.
- Part usage: In any set with Ki-Adi Mundi or as a generic alien.
- Part description: A multitude of Naboo fishes. Link to pics can be found at the bottom of the SW section.
- Part usage: As alien fish or as alien food.
- Part description: A head mold for Boss Nass.
- Part usage: As a generic alien or as Boss Nass himself.
- Part description: A Naboo creature that was used to pull battle wagons.
- Part usage: An alien zoo or a Naboo set.
- Part description: An Eopie mold. It would have parts that bags could connect to.
- Part description: A Clone Wars Clone helmet without a fin.
- Part usage: Your clone army.
- Part description: A Bith head. It would be wider on the top and 1x1x1 and 1/4.
- Part usage: For a MOs Eisly Cantina or any set with a Bith. Could also be used by a generic alien.
- Part description: A helmet for Nemodian Pilots.
- Part usage: A Nemodian Pilot and anything else with a tall helmet.
- Part description: A cone with droid printing.
- Part usage: A multitude of droids.
- Part description: A Rebel Helmet without the hole for the visor and a shorter back.
- Part usage: Can be used for a Jedi Temple set.
- Part description: A torso with an extra long neck. The arms and legs are recolored Toy Story arms and legs.
- Part usage: For any alien with an extra long neck.
- Part description: A head that looks like an Aqualish from SW.
- Part usage: Any alien or an Aqualish.
- Part description: A head that looks like the Quarren from SW.
- Part usage: Could be used as a generic alien or a Quarren.
- Part description: A head that resembles the head of the Ithorian from SW.
- Part usage: Can be used for a generic alien or an Ithorian. Could especially be used in a Mos Eisly Cantina set.
- Part description: A mold to resemble a Kybuck. It would have a hole in the back for a saddle.
- Part usage: Could be used for an alien zoo, a Kashyyyk set, or a Attack on Coruscant set.
- Part description: A mold that resembles a Gelegrub from Felucia. A 2x2 are with studs would be located on the back so that minifigs could ride it.
- Part usage: Could be used for an alien zoo or a Felucia set.
- Part description: The headset that Lobot wears. It would be able to fit on a normal minifigure head and it would snap into posistion.
- Part usage: Could be used for any cuborg minifig.
- Part description: A medical droid from Star Wars episode 3 and 5. It would have clips to connectt robot arms to on the side.
- Part usage: For any medical droid or a Hoth Diorama.
- Part description: A head mold to look like Max Rebo.
- Part usage: This would be great for a Jabba's Palace set or any other set that could feature an Ortuloan.
- Part description: A helmet that resembles Boushes.
- Part usage: It could be used for a Jabba's Place set.
- Part description: A torso with an extra set of holes for the arms.
- Part usage: Could be used for a Dex Minifig or any other alien that has 4 arms.
- Part description: The Aqua droids from the Clone Wars season 3 premier.
- Part usage: Could be used as any type of droid.
- Part description: The helmet that ARC troopers wear in Season 3 of the Clone Wars.
I know what you're thinking, LEGO will never make Halo sets. But if they were smart they would. The Halo franchise has so many possibilities, and with Reach there are so many more sets that could be made. It would most likely even be popular with kids even if they havn't played the game.
- Part description: A helmet with an open spot in the front for a visor, would include a visor.
- Part usage: A helmet on any armored army minifig.
- Part description: Armor that goes on the minifigures body.
- Part usage: Armor for any minifigure.
- Part description: A mold for the Grunt, would include arms, legs, head, and body that can detach and reattach.
- Part usage: A generic alien or as a Grunt.
- Part description: A mold for the Elite, would include arms, legs, head, and body that can detach and reattach.
- Part usage: A generic alien or an Elite.
- Part description: A mold for the Hunter, would include arms, legs, head, and body that can detach and reattach.
- Part usage: A generic alien or a monster or a Hunter.
- Part description: A mold for the Jackal, would include arms, legs, head, and body that can detach and reattach.
- Part usage: A generic alien or a Jackal.
- Part description: A mold for the Brute, would include arms, legs, head, and body that can detach and reattach.
- Part usage: A generic alien/monster or a Brute.
- Part description: A rocket launcher mold, the barrels would be detachable to reaload.
- Part usage: A rocket launcher.
- Part description: A battle rifle mold.
- Part usage: A gun that can be used by anything.
- Part description: An assault rifle mold.
- Part usage: A gun that can be used for anything.
- Part description: A magnum pistol mold.
- Part usage: A pistol that can be used in any situation where a pistol is necessary.
- Part description: A flamethrower mold, the canister would detach for reloading.
- Part usage: Any situation where a flamethrower is necessary.
- Part description: A sniper rifle mold, would include a detachable stand.
- Part usage: Any situation where a sniper is necessary.
- Part description: A Plasma Pistol Mold.
- Part usage: An alien gun.
- Part description: A Plasma Rifle Mold.
- Part description: A Needler Mold.
- Part description: A Mauler mold.
- Part description: A Needler Rifle mold.
- Part description: A Fuel Rod Cannon mold.
- Part usage: A heavy alien gun.
- Part description: A Covenant Carbine mold.
Parts with no particular theme.
- Part description: A minifig torso that slowly curves down to where the legs would normally connect to the ground.
- Part usage: Anything that uses a dress.
- Part usage: Just about everything.
- Part description: An inside cornered cheese.
- Part usage: Anything where you would need a cheese slope in a corner.
- Part description: An outward cornered cheese.
That's al I have for now. I'll probably come back to post more later.
Here's few ideas i've been tossing around.
- Part description: --> a 1x1 cheese slope with a stud on the sloped part of the element.
- Part usage: --> Anywhere from mecha legs and arms to mounting plates on a slope like one would do with a roof.
- Part description: --> Pair of headphone that will fit around a minifigs head and hair.
- Part usage: --> Minifig customizing, music nut.
- Part description: --> Two sizes, on that would fit a 1x2 tile, and one that would fit a 2x2 tile. the element would have a slot where a lite would be able to slide in.
- Part usage: --> Could be placed in a house, or be hanging on the wall.
- Part description: A part similar in size to the current pig (or slightly smaller) but of a sheep.
- Part usage: Would complete the farm theme by adding a classic farm animal.
- Part description: Like this windscreen only 6 studs wide.
- Part description: Like the 2 x 2 techinc plate above but with no studs.
- Part description: --> Moped like this using the wheels and tires used in the old motorcycle design. Wheels attached, it should be 1 or 2 studs off of the ground, with a space at the bottom for a 1x1 brick. Behind the where the minifig sits, a single stud. At the front and back, a stud sideways to attach plates for headlights.
- Part usage: --> Any city set involving a street.
- Part description: A window like this but 1 brick taller.
Edited August 19, 2010 by FixBayonets!
- Part description: This hat is exactly one-half as tall as the standard minifig top hat, and exactly the same in all other dimensions. It should be produced in tan, dark tan, and white.
- Part usage: This hairstyle would make lego female minifigures look real pretty. Many lego fans would love it, it would be a nice addition to the hairstyles.
- Part description: Well, a stud without a stud.
- Part usage: For finishing off round structures. Detailing - imagine a printed version for ventilations.
- Part usage: For more advanced building - easily changing the direction of the studs.
- Part usage: Anywhere 1x8 is too long and 1x2 is too short.
- Part usage: Anywhere 1x2 is too wide. Would be great for greebling as well.
- Part usage: For finishing off corners on small buildings or details. Would also be great for greebling.
I also second the inverted cheese slope above.
- Part description: A cone 2 x 2 x 2 that has been sliced in half, with one stud on top, the rest of the top surface is smooth. A bit difficult to get it right, fitting in with the system, but the fez works as "Cone 1.17 x 1.17 x 2/3"... Perhaps the fez piece could fit on top of this?
- Part usage: Head piece for R5 Astromechs, but also for architectural use.
Part Description: IR Receiver with Red / Yellow or Interchangable housing (on the upper portion) so that it can be better hidden in small MOC's.
Part Description: Small PF Motor like the old Micromotors. It would come in handy in many technic models / situations, and powering LA's directly. However it was not done for the new motorised excavator so might not be feasible.
Part Description: A Small servo mechanism which is operates over a limited range (but with high torque).
C0 = 0, C1 = 0. Servo is off (or returns to neutral).
C0 = 1, C1 = 0. Servo goes to max counter clockwise position (e.g. -90 degrees over 2 seconds).
C0 = 0, C1 = 1. Servo goes to max clockwise position (e.g. 90 degrees over 2 seconds).
Part Usage: Easily modified to work with train points, provide steering mechanisms in cars, trucks etc. Can also be worked into smaller mechanical systems. When combined with the Pneumatics system could also provide remote control of pistons.
Part Description: A normal 1x2 brick but with the hole running through the long axis (not in the front face). Could be considered as 2 1x1 technic bricks with holes aligned.
Part Usage: A lot of MOC's and Creator designs make use of axles through brick elements, e.g. for holding wheels / gears etc. However putting two 1x1 bricks with holes side by side can lead to problems if the bricks are not perfectly aligned; binding upon the axles and causing added friction. Such a brick would reduce this and enable interesting Lego designs. E.g. using technic elements to build digger constructions.
Part Description: Similar to BBB Medium wheels, and the current train wheels with technic axles, but with the added advantage of a technic connector point to add rods etc.
Part Usage: Improved train designs for smaller steam / electric locomotives. Can also be used in conjunction with Lego Pulley Wheels to provide alternative driving mechanisms. Note in BBB wheels the offset between axle and hole is less than 1 stud, unlike the pulley.
uses : water details\ ice \ car lights \ clear sculptures and more..
and would not create tube arches and pneumatics will also can be put in small models because the main problem of movement is the hoses that are bent.
4.a double universal joint : approximately 3 studs wide double u-joint : in order to make full suspension in smaller vehicles and allowing to move height to gears more easily OR a small CV joint that can be connected with a special axle that can go trough a stud hole : that way building will be much more challenging and many options will be revealed.
- Part description: A torso with four holes for four arms.
- Part usage: Lots! You could use it for a lego dexter jettster minifigure, A spider mutant, anything! I'm sure every lego fan will buy the set this is included in.
- Part Description: The head similar to chewbacca, wookiee warrior, watto, and the Dexter Jettster head used in LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga.
- Part Usage: A lego Dexter's Diner, or another great peice for an alien.
-Part Usage: Everyone loves the simpsons! Even children. Even without a contract with Fox or Matt Groening, releasing something like that will make everyone want that set!
-Part Description: A head similar to standard spiky hair, but instead of spiky it should be rounded. It should also be trans-green.
-Part Usage: Wat Tambor is almost Everybody's favorite member of the Separatists. Like my other ideas, these are in high demand by me, my friends, and a huge percent of lego.
This is just an idea for part 4. The face mask should be attached to the chest plate. The head should be a standard plain trans-green minifigure head.
- Color Usage: Well, people love to make a large variety of minifigures. Also, people make minifigures of themselves, an those with this hair in black (like me) yould be very happy.
-Color Usage: This can be used as a Quarren, an alien species from star wars. This could be used in a Dexter's Diner set (wink wink). Kids could use the head to make a new jedi, or maybe he could be a victim when a bounty hunter is searching for his bounty.
a full four sided building with removable top.
In the medieval market village item #10193 there are a couple of smaller animals you have to build.
- Part usage: --> these animals could be used in with a farm set, zoo set, or any type of castle set.
- Part usage: -->these animals could be used in with a farm set, zoo set, or any type of castle set.
I also like the post on sheep, lizards, Warthog, Lion, Rhino, Hippo, and any other animals..
I think Lego should come out with a bigger farm set that includes more animals and plants, rather than machines and a few cows and pigs. Cows and pigs are a plus. But if there is no crops like corn or sun flowers to harvest, what are you supposed to do with the harvester? does it just sit there and you pretend it is broken because there are no crops? or do you roll play global warming and there are no crops after the drought or wild fires?
Take a look at this play mobil set..
we need a set with more animals plus crops..
The point I am trying to make is that most kids usually play with PLAY MOBIL because Lego doesn't have it all like Play Mobil.. Most kids start off with Play Mobil and then go to Lego, or they have both... If Lego made more sets that PLAYMOBIL has, people would stop buying playmobil as much and buy more legos..Lego needs to look at what playmobil is doing and do it too..
Supply and Demand.. Lego won't Supply.. But we Demand it.. PLay mobil has it... It is the basics of economics..
- Part usage: Anywhere from mecha legs and arms to mounting plates on a slope like one would do with a roof.
- Part usage: Perfect for any alien, mutant, etc. Would be very popular.
- Part description: Imagine a 1x1 plate, with studs on both sides!
- Part usage: It would be revolutionary! I can imagine dozens of new techniques that will be invented that revolve all around this one piece.
- Part usage: For finishing off round structures. Detailing. Many uses.
- Part description: This PF receiver is just a brick (could be 4x2x6 + IR dome) but would not have a 'L' shape. In addition, more technic connections (holes instead of studs).
- Part usage: the L shape makes difficult the integration into small (compact) mocs.
- Part name : 2 upsidedown studs.
- Part description: --> A regular 2x4 plate, but in a much-needed color; dark green.
- Part usage: --> Just hear me out. Currently, a plate does not exist in dark green that is smaller that 4x8. Having a 2x4 plate would greatly help matters in this department.
My suggestion is simple and easy.
Description: One of the smallest elements produced, basically just a stud.
Useage: caps on fire hydrants, flowers, plants, landscapes and scenery. Why aren't they made in this colour anymore?
Oh, and inverted cheese slopes would be really useful!
However, I also agree with superkalle in that we don't need that many new parts and filling colour gaps would be better.
Part usage: Excellent in making sloped roofs for vehicles.
Part Description: Same as the one used in the Grand Carousel and some other Creator sets, but uses 3 types of Siren sounds used by emergency vehicles.
but then without the plate (maybe a square one with studs on both sides would even be better). So that one could even make better use of SNOT.
If one doesn't understand it, click here but then a 1 x 1 version.
Uses are many and varied for a colour such as cream.
- Part description: Imagine two of these adjacent to each other.
- Part usage: A useful brick to add more detail to an MOC. I would personally use it to create even smaller scale houses and other features.
- Part description: Similar to this but with 180 degree rotation instead of 90.
- Part usage: For items such as see-saws, or anything that requires rotation on the spot.
- Part description: A slope brick with studs on the actual slope.
- Part usage: For creating non-perpendicular walls and other surfaces.
- Part description: Literally a cube-shaped brick (width, height and depth of one stud) with holes on each side. Think the reverse of this piece. I'm thinking of a 1 x 1 brick, but it could also be a 2 x 2.
- Part usage: Would be very useful for SNOT building. Although Technic pieces can be used instead of this, there's the issue of the height of a standard brick to contend with.
- Part description: The reverse of the last idea: a cube-shaped brick with studs on each side.
- Part usage: Would also be very useful for SNOT building.
- Part description: A 1 x 1 version of the 2 x 2 round tile.
- Part description: One of these with grooves on the sides, similar to the handles on this.
- Part usage: For decorative purposes, I suppose.
- Part description: This, but with stop rings on both sides.
- Part usage: For placing bars between objects, without having to worry about adjusting them.
- Part description: Imagine a one- or two-stud wide version of this, coupled with a thin door like this. It would work a lot like the garage door parts.
- Part usage: For easily creating sliding doors for buildings. This is something I've seen quite a few people try to emulate using existing parts, and something I'd really like to use.
- Colours: white, light/dark bluish grey, dark green, red, dark red.
- Part description: A windscreen piece to fit this cockpit, in the style of this existing windscreen.
- Part usage: For anyone who doesn't want to be stuck using this rollcage piece. Imagine what kind of spacecraft or vehicles could be built with a windscreen for this part. | 2019-04-24T16:14:18Z | https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/45361-survey-new-parts-and-new-colors/&do=findComment&comment=2980594 |
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King Hill Climb is a 2Dphysics-basedgame.
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Tap the bottoms on the screen, the diffusion of yourthinking.Accelerate or jump obstacles on your bike, get as manypoints asyou can!
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The power of magic jewels is in your hands! Switch and match 3 ormore jewels to the diffusion of your thinking, walk through morethan 259 levels in this completely new hit puzzle adventure.Pirate Jewels King (Free Match 3 Game) is an addictive anddelicious adventure filled with colorful gem crunching effects andwell designed puzzles for you to play in subway time! With candystyle jewels to smash and eliminate in each level, Pirate JewelsKing is twice the fun but familiar to play. Enjoy the saga of jewelworld, keep playing!!**** How to complete your target ****- Switch the jewels to match 3 in a line to blast them.- Classic Mode reach a specific point target to solve the puzzlesimulator.- Advanced Mode to challenge your power to crush & blast thejewels block, fight with pirate king!**** Exciting features of Pirate Jewels King ****- Arcade Mode: 259 challenging levels of saga puzzles and more tocome.- Delicious gem & jewels.- Sparkling Diamonds, Jewels & Gem.- Thousands of fantasy saga levels.- Stunning graphics with a highly polished interface.- Sharp and animated visuals fit this jewels tale to surferslife.- Easy and fun to start but a challenge to fully master.- Best to kill your free time.Free join in the Jewels World! It will make your happyday!Best wishes to you.
Welcome to a sweet jelly world! This is a very sweet and addictivematch three game! It is classic connect game and simple but yetvery addicting and challenging.Connect matching color jelly line to create a link. Crush andsplash all super-cute jelly, and cover the entire board to solveeach level. But complete before jelly line runs out!Start matching today and bring the fun back to Jelly Land!How to play?- Connect three or more same jellies pet to crush them.- In each swipe action, longer the chain of jellies, higher thescore you will get.- Play with strategy to form and swipe longer chains.Jelly Line Mania Features:- Cute and yummy jellies.- Friendly and fascinating characters.- Very small size but super tasty graphics.- Hundreds of levels of adorable jelly-matching action!- Easy and fun to start but a challenge to get three stars in eachlevel.- Colorful graphics and cute funny jellies will fascinate you andyour kids!Join us to play this hottest Jelly Line Mania to experience thecute jelly world.
Crunch your pastry and hop in your traveling bakery to set sail onthis new puzzle adventure!Pastry Crush Soda is an all-new match 3 puzzle-adventure in abeautiful candy paradise. New candy, New pastry, new cookie, moredivine, more star combinations and challenging game modes brimmingwith purple sugar soda!Slide your finger, the diffusion of your thinking, crush and blastall required pastry, eat all cookies, jellies, wafer jam andcandies to get into next awesome level. Enjoy the saga of pastryworlds, keep playing!!How to complete your target ?- Switch and match 3 or more pastry of the same color pastry toblast them!- Less times you pass a level, higher score you'll get.Can youscore high enough to earn 3 stars on every level?Main features:- Very sweet and yummy pastries.- Challenge high score in classic mode.- Complete various targets in adventure mode.- A sweet and addictive match-3 adventure challenged.- Over 259 Sodalicious pastry levels.- Unblock different blockers & locks to unleash the tastypastry candies.- Sharp and animated visuals fit this pastry legend tale to surferslife.- Create amazing power-ups and use them to clear the screen!- Easy and fun to play, yet challenging to fully master all withstrategic swiping!- Totally free and no need for network.Install and Play your new game in Pastry Crush Soda for free onAndroid Google play now!Best wishes to you.
Download the FUN and AMAZING MATCH 3 Bubble game FOR FREE!Everybody knows and enjoys this Bubble Shooter game, and nowfirsttime for your Android device!Bubble Target of King is a fun bubble shooter game. ThisBubbleShooter game is Classic casual puzzle game really fun to playinall time your activity bubble shooter mania.So let's get started play shoot bubble world wars mania andstartyou journey adventure in bubble world now! Destroy/crush alltargetbubble to level up. Clear all level as fast you can.☆☆☆☆☆ How to the complete your target ☆☆☆☆☆1.Tap where you want the bubbles.2.To group 3 or more bubbles to make them burst.Tips: Breaking the bubbles continuously can get points asbonus.☆☆☆☆☆ Exciting Features ☆☆☆☆☆- Amazing bubble with cool design GUI.- Classic bubble shoot game.- Match three or more cute and lovely bubbles to complete levelinsnow environments.- Endless mode of innovation design, challenges high score,don'tstop!- Real physical collision effect, beautiful game screen, theperfectgame experience!- Various special bubbles and powerful props, games cool!- Create awesome bubble-busting streaks to unleash showersofsparkling jewels!- Kid family friendly.The best bubble shooting puzzle adventure game! Shoot bubblesandmatch 3 or more to pop and drop your way to victory!Now begin a new journey bubble!
Meet your crony who only want to eatyummyfruit – all the yummy fruit! Om nom nom!All fun and games right? Woohoo! Fruit party over here! TryOnetFruit Heroes and connect fruits in this funny farm.Some people call it fruit link, paopao,... Onet Fruit Heroes isaconnect game for all of kind age: children, teenagers and adultandthe best way to spend time when you waiting bus in city, subway,orwaiting for something.Try downloading and test your concentration and accuracy!✰ ★ ✰ ★ ✰ ★ ✰Exciting Features in this onet fruit game:✰ Sweet, very beautiful, very yummy!★ Lot of fruits from farm to frenzy: fruit star, fruitoranges,fruit apples, ...✰ A classic onet - connect-2 puzzle.★ Harvest all fruits by touch two identical item.✰ Sharp and animated visuals fit this juice legend tale tosurferslife.★ FREE now and fever fever!✰ ★ ✰ ★ ✰ ★ ✰How to connect fruits in this onet game free?★ Remove all fruits in time to clear level.✰ Find 2 items with same kind which can be connected within 3linesto clear them.★ If there's no move, game will re-arrangecardsautomatically.If you like connect / matching game, then your will love toplaythis onet fruit game.Enjoy Onet Fruit Heroes today! It will certainly make yourday!Enjoy this blitz & blink sweet game.
★★★★★ Candy Link Deluxe ★★★★★-------------------------------------If you like candy line, you will like Candy Link Deluxe.Candy Link Deluxe is a very sweet and addictive connect linespuzzlegame for you to play in subway time! the use of elements tocreate awomen's favorite candy sweet candy style, lianliankanwithtraditional classic gameplay, the game is simple and easytouse.Candy Link Deluxe eliminate big adventure fantasy trip now.Reachtarget score before you run out of jelly line.-------------------------------------Candy Link Deluxe Features:★ Variety of sweet candy elements★ Sweet and yummy candies.★ Exquisite cool game screen special effects and props★ Multiple levels, challenges stimulate★ Enjoy amazing candies! Enjoy last bonus!★ Sharp and animated visuals fit this candy legend tale tosurferslife.★ Classic connect game.★ Many challenging levels of saga puzzles★ Gameplay is very simple, easy to use★ Leaderboards to watch your friends and competitor.★ Variety of ways and share pic candy to your crony and family.-------------------------------------How to play candy link?- Touch and swipe over similar candies to crush them.- In each swipe action, longer the chain of candies, higherthescore you will get.- Play with strategy to form and swipe longer chains.-------------------------------------Now, join and connect all candies, match 3 or more candies inthispuzzle of lines.Have fun of playing Candy Link Deluxe!
Jelly Blast Mania (Free Match 3 Game) is totally free to play in abeautiful candy paradise.Challenging stages, fantastic jelly, attractive music, smoothlytouching, and original strategy of jelly crush matching.Match and collect jellies in this amazingly delicious puzzleadventure guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth!Slide your finger, the diffusion of your thinking, crush and blastall required jellies, eat all cookie, pastry, candy, sushi, caramelto get into next awesome level. Enjoy the saga of jelly worlds,keep playing!!☆☆☆☆☆ How to complete Target game☆☆☆☆☆- Make matches of 3 or more jelly to blast them.- Match the jellies until the bottom board, the Jelly Boom willappear. Jelly Boom can eliminate the jellies around.- There are many amazing special jelly when you get combo.- Complete the target for each level.- Use the lighting at the right time to complete the task.☆☆☆☆☆ Main Features ☆☆☆☆☆- Beautiful environment with sweet and yummy jellies fromJapan.- Hundreds of levels of adorable jelly matching action!- Easy and fun to start but a challenge to get three stars in eachlevel.- Leaderboards in your friends circle and world.- Super boosts to help free those jellies from a tight spot!- Sweet candy is a brand new and amazing candy game!- Stunning graphics with a highly polished interface.- Sharp and animated visuals fit this candy tale to surferslife.- No time limitation, you just need to complete the task withingiven moves.- Colorful graphics and cute funny jellies will fascinate you andyour kids!Everybody loves sushi - so why not join in the sweetest amazingsushi worlds!Download Jelly Blast Mania now to start your saga!
The target of this baby blocks game is to solve the puzzle in thecar parking by move the block of fire truck out of the chaos. Blockpuzzle free game is a challenging block puzzle games for kids.You'll need brilliant analytic car unblock skills to be a winner orhigh scorer in the free block games free no wifi. Your main freebrain games brain teasers logic tests and puzzles to exercise yourmind objective here is to get your sliding puzzle to the exit byclearing its way. These best car games free help me to identify thetheory of life in difficult times. Have you ever wanted to play thefunny blocks game and challenged car unblock? Then this unblock cargames for kids is the game for you. Tired of free animal puzzle fungames for toddlers and kids with the old and dull design? Then thisunblock my car and learning activities for kids is for you mommyand baby only. Here comes toddler puzzle games free. Slide puzzlesfree is the most popular slide the block game in. Move the logicpuzzles out of the puzzle block way to make room for firetruck gamefor kids free. Boy games free for boys car games free car games forkids is one of our selected parking free fire truck games for kidsto play. Sliding games is a very interesting slider puzzle game. Ifyou like playing these types of slide games, you would love thispuzzle games free for adults. Girl car games for free is a logicgames for kids that are age 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 years old and up.The kid puzzle games free goal is to get the free logic puzzles outof the firetruck new fire truck games by sliding the other blocksout of the car games for free way. You are a fireman who has gottenblocked in by other vehicles car games for girls with no internetneeded. Everything you want to know about top free firetruck gamefor toddlers. Fire truck games free for toddlers is a puzzle gamethat makes preschoolers think. Think hard and unblock the freejigsaw puzzle games for adults with no wifi needed. Move the firetruck games for kids free around and unblock your path home to yourfree puzzle games for adults. Every day we are having parkingproblems that we need to solve and top ten logic games free is whatthis little kids slide puzzle free game is all about. Like all goodkindergarten puzzle games for toddlers the puzzle games for girlsconcept is very straight forward but actually completing the puzzlegames for free can be tricky. Your job is to quickly drive firetruck out of the parking lot of puzzle games for kids hard. Easyfor 2nd grade learning apps and 3rd grade learning games free ages7 thru 13. educational games for kids 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade freebrings us this first simple but challenging.
Space Bubbles is a unique bubble shooter game type in Google playwith a space theme, with some features that you can't find in othersimilar games (example: a moveable launcher) and with the spirit ofa arcade style game.If you like to play a game with permanent adrenaline rush andfast action, this is the bubble shooting game for you.The rules are simple: make groups of three or more bubbles ofthe same color to pop them. Burst all the bubbles and you'll passto the next level.=== Main features ===- The only bubble shooter game with a moveable launcher (makeshuge difference in gameplay).- 3 game modes (classic mode, puzzle mode and challengemode).- Three difficulty levels.- Puzzle mode with 600 puzzles (with frequent updates to increasethis number)- Special bubbles (score multiplier, bomb, freeze and elevator) tohelp passing levels.- Local and online leaderboards (Scoreloop service).- "Continue Last Game" option to restart a previous game.- Full HD Support on tablet devices.If you like games like Shoot Bubble, Bubble Shoot, PuzzleBobble, Bubble blast, Christmas ball, Bubble Buster, Bubble Worlds,Bubble Birds, Bubble Witch Saga or Frozen Bubble then you have totry this one.If you have any problems with the game, please contact oursupport e-mail [email protected] can also join our facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Space-Bubbles/199788903397742)and share your opinion about the game.You can also follow us on twitter using @pconlinegamesPlay and enjoy the game!PcOnline teamPS: Don't forget to rate the game, your're opinion is veryimportant to us.
All aboard the brain train! Are you searching for cool “cars gamesfor little boys” and girls? Match the cards in this Cars MemoryGame for Kids and see whether you can get the highest score!Improve your memorization and boost up your brain power by matchingcards with car pictures! Play alone or with your friends and familyand complete the entire table! See who will be the best in thesenew “cars games of 2014” - one of the best matching cards apps onthe market! Download this adorable “cars game for kids for free”and have a lot of fun! How to play: ➤ Flip the pictures of coolcartoon cars. ➤ Match the cards of the same type. ➤ Difficultylevels: from easy to hard. ➤ Single player and multiplayer mode. ➤Table sizes: 3x2, 4x3, 6x4, 7x4 and 8x4. ➤ Fun for the entirefamily! At first, all cards will be turned face down. Flip one ofthe cards and remember the picture on it. With the next tap try tofind and the card with the same car as the previous one. If thepictures on the both memory cards are the same, they will stay openand you can continue with the next pair. Otherwise both cards willflip back over and you will get another try. The objective of thiscars matching game is to find all of the pairs and to complete theentire table. “Cars Memory Game for Kids” is a combination ofeducational games and fun memory puzzles – kids flip the cards,memorize the places of different colored cars and try to find allof the pairs. Even adults and seniors can enhance their cognitivecapacity by playing this fun mind improvement game! Put yourshort-term memorization to a test by finding all the pairs andsolving this mind boggling puzzle of cars! If you cannot findsuitable “cars games for little boys for free”, try this amusingmatching for kids and toddlers, sit back and relax while you watchyour little angels having hours of fun! Get this “memory braintrainer and matchup” for Android™ and see who will be the first oneto find and match all of the pairs! Cars Memory Game for Kids isone of the new popular learning games for kids, standing side byside with challenging brain teasers, concentration games for kids,crossword puzzles and other problem solving apps! These cars gamesare ideal for babies and toddlers, kindergarteners andpreschoolers, even adults who are ready to improve theirmemorization by solving fun puzzles! Besides being an amusing carsgame for kids, this memory match is a great learning tool and atype of those mindjolt games that improve your concentration andthinking, as well as keep children occupied for hours! Stylishdesign and cute cartoon cars add up to the quality and beauty ofthis mind exercise game! Do not be the last one who discovers oneof the greatest mind games for toddlers – the best thing about itis that it is completely free! Put your brain to a test with CarsMemory Game for Kids! Toddlers and kids, boys and girls, evenadults will enjoy the cool concept of these matching puzzle games!Match cars, pair all the cards, be the best in this cars learningapp! Do not waste your time on other mind games for your brain –download these entertaining cars match game for kids and toddlersand see for yourself why these memory brain training apps are sobeneficial for you! *Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
More than 100 animated jigsaw puzzles for kids free! Assemble apuzzle to see cars driving, construction machinery moving. Childrencan pop the balloons when the puzzle is completed and get awonderful collectors’ vehicle for 5 completed puzzles! At the sametime the kid will have much fun unwrapping the present which isplaced on your child’s personal prize shelf. Amass a big collectionof presents on the personal prize shelf. All images are colorfulreal world pictures. They help toddlers explore the world aroundthem and learn to distinguish different object groups. The imagesare grouped into 15 categories which include more than 100 jigsawpuzzles. The game will help children memorize different elements ofsurrounding objects, develop attentiveness and brings many hours offun. Specially for boys there are excavator games for kids free,puzzles with machinery, cars, trucks, trains in the game. Littleadmires of construction machinery will like digger, dozer and ofcourse children’s favorite vehicles – ambulance car, fire truck andpolice car. Themes of our easy jigsaw puzzle: - Cars. Little boyswill surely like various puzzle-vehicles: car, racing car, jeep,off-roader, limo, pickup, Formula 1 car. - Construction Machinery.For a little fan of big machinery! In the section: roller, cementtruck, dozer, tractor, dump truck, digger. - Special PurposeVehicles. If the child likes to play policemen or firefighters thenthese puzzles are right for them! Here kids can assemble policecar, fire truck, ambulance car and also taxi and even a SWAT car! -Auto-Moto-Bikes. Your toddler can discover different kinds ofvehicles. The set consists of bicycle, four-wheeler, little oldtimer, muscle car, scooter and motorcycle - Trucks and Buses. Letyoung learner assemble double-decker, van, ice-cream truck,school-bus, towing vehicle, trailer truck, trailer, dump truck. -Ships-Planes-Trains. New jigsaw puzzles for toddlers who love toexplore! Travel around the world on a sailboat, yacht; by tram,plane, train or take an air-balloon flight. - Plants. Girls andboys will find out how to identify a tree by its leaves. Here arecollected the following trees: chestnut, maple, apple-tree,fur-tree, palm-tree, and oak-tree. - Animals. Children will learnanimals! There’re deer, bear, cow, goat, hedgehog, sheep in ourlittle zoo. - Living Creatures. For nature lovers! Here are thepuzzle pictures of chicken, owl, snail, parrot, ladybug and frog. -Sea Animals. Take an imaginary dive to the bottom of the ocean andmeet its inhabitants: funny octopus, various fish, dolphins and theterror of the sees – shark! - Fruits-Vegetables. Your child willget to know fruits, vegetables and berries. Pumpkin, strawberry,carrot, cucumber, tomato, apple, banana, beetroot, egg-plant –everything is here! - Food and Drinks. This yummy set consists ofhot-dog, chicken, drinks, water, milk and sandwiches. - Desserts.For a sweet tooth! Ice-cream, donuts, lollypops, fruit-cocktails,cake, muffins are waiting for you. - Sights. Take a voyage aroundthe world’s historical monuments like the Eiffel Tower, Coliseum,the Sphinx, the Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal, and Rushmore. -Houses. What types of the houses are there and what are theyconsist of? The answer to this question kids will find out fromthis theme. Educational puzzle games features for children toenjoy: - Choose images to complete from a wide collection of themeswith multiple colorful jigsaw puzzles in each of them - Interfaceand touch controls are specially designed for preschool children -Nice animations and sounds while assembling a puzzle - Developmentof comparison skills, fine motor skills, leadership. Kids get toknow modern machinery and just enjoy the game! | 2019-04-21T05:16:16Z | https://apk-dl.com/king-hill-climb/daikim.king.hill.climb |
Let's see this week...Monday I had my normal basketball workout from 10:30-1:00 since we didn't have school because our faculty had a retreat. That evening, I went to the WCAC championship between DeMatha and St. John's. It was a live and exciting atmosphere in the championship game. St. John's ended up winning 71-57. On Tuesday I went to strength and conditioning and did upper body with Tobe. Wednesday I went to strength and conditioning but focused on lower body. Thursday we had TTO practice and Friday I went to basketball workouts after school.
This week I have to give a big S/O to my A1 since day 1 my family! My mother, dad, grandmother and sister have helped me where I am today. My mom, Melanie, has helped me with school, basketball and off the court issues. She has always been pushing me in the class room more than anything and always telling me that life is bigger than basketball. Having an education will help you succeed in life period if basketball doesn't workout and she always stresses that to me. My lil sister , Mikayla , supports me in everything and pushes me at everything I do even if I don't feel like doing it. My grandmother , Ce-Ma (my nickname for her), helps me stay close to God. We read bible versus together and we pray together. She always wishes me luck before my games, which I think makes me play better. In all, these 3 will always be the #1 ladies in my life and support me the most.
Now my father, Big T (nickname for him), is the life of the family. He brings laughter and playfulness to the family. He always likes to joke around with me but we also can be serious. He has pushed me on the court to the maximum and pushes me off the court like my mother does. He also stresses the education part in life. This weekend we celebrated his birthday, since it's on Monday. We went out to dinner and bought him some gifts.
In closing, my family has helped me become the person I am today and I thank them for this. Family comes before basketball and I always remember that. Talk to you next week in my next entree. Peace!
Trenton Middle School Championship Recap: Joyce Kilmer Earns The Trophy!
Shaun Balkcom scored 10 points and Tylik Neal added 8 markers as Joyce Kilmer exploded in the second half to defeat Rivera Middle School 36-18 to win the Trenton Public Schools Middle School championship. Here are the top performers from the event.
Shaun Balkcum Forward (Joyce Kilmer)- Balkcum came alive in the second half by establishing post position and scoring close to the cup. He wasn’t on fire like he was in the semi-finals but still managed to lead the team in scoring.
Tylik Neal Guard (Joyce Kilmer)- The pint size point guard plays the game with much heart and poise. He ran the team well and was able to score a couple of buckets himself. He should fit in well with Trenton’s running style when he reaches high school.
Rajohn Craig Guard (Joyce Kilmer)- It was another solid outing for the southpaw shooting guard. Even when he shots didn’t fall they still looked good when he released it. He has a natural feel to score the rock.
Ethan Garita Forward (Rivera)- Garita is very raw but has good size and plays the a high motor. He’s willing to crash the glass and block shots in his area. Offensively he has a ways to go but he seems like a hard worker.
Daquan McNeil Guard (Rivera)- McNeil pushed the rock up the floor in a hurry and made some good plays when he was under control. He has some good instincts but needs to change speeds a little better and better decisions passing the rock.
Jaheem Lewis Forward (Rivera)- The ball didn’t fall much for Lewis but I liked his size and skill set he showed on the floor. He knows his way around the court and has a nice touch on his shot. I think he has a productive upside.
The Teach Me Classic League concluded Sunday with their championships. Basketball Spotlight provided the coverage and Primetime Sports was on hand for the video coverage. They gave us an inside look into this event while talking to the players, coaches and contributors to this event. Congratulations to the Teach Me Classic staff and sponsors for another successful season.
The Basketball Spotlight 8th Grade Top 10 Rankings are listed below. These rankings are based on our opinion and should be taken as such.
1. Team Takeover (Black): TTO showed they are truly the #1 team in the region and maybe the country after running through the Clash. They have the pieces to no lose a game all season.
2. New Heights: NH didn’t make the Clash but have the crew to win the AC Showcase in a couple of weeks. I’m anxious to see this squad in action again.
3. B’More United Thrill: Thrill made it to the finals of the Clash. They have a complete unit and are capable of winning any event.
4. Team Final: TF made a final four run during the Clash. They are one of the early favorites for the AC Showcase.
5. Gauchos: The Choz came through the Clash and made it to the semi-finals. I like the intensity they bring on the court.
6. Team Takeover (Orange): This group came into the Clash and made a splash. They made it to the final four and let everyone know they was legit.
7. NJ Playaz: The Playaz had an early exit from the Clash. I think they will rebound soon and comeback with a vengeance.
8. NY Rens: The Rens have a stacked roster and have shown better in regional play. They might make an appearance at the AC Showcase.
9. Brooklyn Rens: This hungry group has the guard play to make a deep run in the AC Showcase. They are a squad that a lot of teams don’t want to see.
10. NY Lightning: The talented Lightning will be making their Spotlight debut at the AC Showcase. We look forward to seeing this squad and their top rated players.
The Basketball Spotlight 7th Grade Top 10 Rankings are listed below. These rankings are based on our opinion and should be taken as such.
1. Team IZOD: Sports U didn’t come to the Clash but did put in work at the Elevate league. They have one of the most loaded squads in the country. They will be at the Atlantic City Showcase.
2. Team Takeover: TTO came to the Clash and took home the title. They have a well-balanced squad and want a shot at the #1 spot. Maybe they will head to the AC Showcase to collide with Team IZOD.
3. B’More United Thrill: Thrill made it to the finals of the Clash while pushing TTO to the limit. Hopefully we will get another look at this group before the circuit ends.
4. Philly Triple Threat: PTT didn’t make the trip to the Clash. I know we will be seeing them again real soon.
5. PSA Cardinals: The Cardinals lost in the quarterfinals at the Clash. They are a hungry group that can cause havoc at the Atlantic City Showcase.
6. New World Unlimited: NWU made a final four run at their first Spotlight appearance this season. Their guard play makes them a dangerous group.
7. National Select: The All Star group came in the Clash with a buzz and made it to the semi-finals. They should have a chance to move up after the AC Showcase.
8. Team Final: TF got knocked out during the quarterfinals of the Clash. We will probably see them again during the MDC.
9. Gauchos: The Choz fought hard at the Clash before falling in the quarterfinals. They can get buckets in a hurry. Hopefully we will see them in AC.
10. NY Rens: The NY Rens looked good winning the Teach Me Classic over the weekend. They are headed to the AC Showcase.
The Basketball Spotlight 6th Grade Top 10 Rankings are listed below. These rankings are based on our opinion and should be taken as such.
1. Riverside Hawks: The Hawks got knocked off in the Clash For The Cup but I think their body of work still makes them the #1 squad for now. They will have a chance to capture another banner at the AC Showcase.
2. Team Melo: TM blazed through their first Spotlight appearance by winning the Clash For The Cup. They have enough talent to take another title if they travel down to America’s Playground.
3. NY Rens: The Rens didn’t play in the Clash but just won the Teach Me Classic Championship. They are lock and loaded for the Atlantic City Showcase.
4. Team Rio National: Team Rio made its first appearance during the Clash made it to the finals. Don’t be surprised if they run the table at the AC Showcase.
5. 60 Elite: This North Jersey crew came close to reaching to the finals. They have some exciting young pieces and know we will see them again soon.
6. Gauchos: The Gauchos made it to the final four at the Clash. They are a very intriguing group and we look forward to them coming through the Spotlight again.
7. Team IZOD: This group is very talented and have the pieces to make an explosive run. They most likely will be making the trip down the AC Expressway.
8. NY Lightning: This bunch is very hungry and will be looking to make a mark very soon. I think they will make their next appearance during the MDC.
9. Hilltoppers Heat: I think this group will have a breakthrough during the Atlantic City Showcase. They have enough talent in their stable.
10. NJ Shore Shots: This group made their presence felt at the Clash For The Cup. They might open up even more during the AC Showcase.
The Basketball Spotlight 5th Grade Top 10 is listed below. These rankings are just our opinion and should be taken as such.
1. Riverside Hawks: RH finished in the final four of the Clash For The Cup after losing to eventual champion CIA Bounce. But their overall body of work keeps them at the #1 spot. We will see them in action again at the AC Showcase.
2. CIA Bounce: The Canadian ran through the Clash For The Cup in an impressive fashion. Hopefully we will see them again at the AC Showcase or MDC.
3. Team IZOD: Sports U once again made it to the finals this time at the Clash. Maybe they can jump the hurdle at the AC Showcase.
4. B’More United Thrill: Thrill hit their stride while making a final four run at the Clash For The Cup. They have enough talented to win it all at a future event.
5. New Heights: NH has a talented bunch which can make a run at the top spot at any time. They will have a chance to run the table at the AC Showcase.
6. NY Rens: The Rens didn’t come to the Clash but did win the championship of the Teach Me Classic League. I like their pieces and look forward to seeing them at the AC Showcase.
7. Playtime Panthers: PP made a good push at the Clash For The Cup. They continue to be a squad in the thick of things.
8. NY Lightning: The Lightning made it to the quarterfinals of the Clash For The Cup. Next time we might see them will be the Memorial Day Classic.
9. New World: New World made a good run at the Clash For The Cup before losing in the quarterfinals. They also are headed to the AC Showcase.
10. Milbank: “The Bank” impressed us with their championship appearance at the Teach Me Classic. We will see them at the Atlantic City Showcase.
After destroying the middle school circuit in Ohio, Sonny Johnson took his talent to the NEO Elite Camp. Once again the talented 6th Grade point proved to be one of the best in the building. His feel for the game and command of his moves at a young age is very unique. He has the chance to be something special down the road.
Teach Me Classic 4th Grade Championship Recap: Playtime Panthers Win Thriller!
Braylin SanGeorgio hit a three pointer with 2 seconds left on the clock to give Playtime Panthers a 30-29 win over the NY Gauchos to win the Teach Me Classic 4th Grade Championship. We congratulate both teams for making it to the finals and look forward to seeing them at the AC Showcase.
Teach Me Classic 3rd Grade Championship Recap: NY Rens Run To Title!
The NY Rens took an early lead and never looked back as they defeated the Gauchos 32-23 to win the Teach Me Classic 3rd Grade Championship. Congratulations to both teams for making to the finals and we look forward to seeing them at the Atlantic City Showcase.
This week was kind of a slow week because it snowed again in the area. On Monday we didn't have school because it was President's Day, so I got a two a day in with basketball and strength and conditioning. On Tuesday, it snowed so we didn't have school and I couldn't get out of the house, but I went downstairs and worked out anyway. On Wednesday, I went to my team strength and conditioning workout with our trainer. We all worked on upper body that day. On Thursday, I went to basketball workouts with Coach Leslie and got a good workout for 2 hours. On Friday, I went to strength and conditioning and worked on my speed and agility since that's a big thing I need to work on.
Saturday was a busy day. I started off my day with 8 am TTO practice. This practice was very intense from start to finish. From my practice, I went to my final interview with Georgetown Prep, which is a boarding high school in Rockville, Maryland. After that I went to my PYBL games. PYBL is a local DMV league where middle school players can play and showcase their talent to the area. I have played in the league since it first started in 2013. I played my last two regular season games in the PYBL on Saturday. Our first game was against Anne Arundel County where we won 77-48. Our next game was against Southern Maryland. We knew that they were a scrappy team and played hard, but we came out and won 83-50. It felt good ending my final PYBL season undefeated.
On Sunday I took a day off. It's okay to work out a lot but you also need time to recover your body and rest it for the next week's workouts. I spent my off day watching the WCAC high school semifinals between St. John's vs Bishop McNamara and DeMatha vs Gonzaga. The championship game will be between DeMatha and St. John's.
Until next week Basketball Spotlight Fam!
Teach Me Classic 8th Grade Championship Recap: Hilltoppers Heat Captures Championship!
Hilltopper Heat exploded in the second half to defeat Playtime Panthers 52-38 to win the Teach Me Classic 8th Grade Championship. Here’s a look at the top performers that impressed us.
Myles Ruth Guard (Hilltoppers Heat)- Ruth was dynamic from the outset. The ultra-quick guard blazed down the floor and did whatever he wanted with the rock. He got into the lane at will and finished effectively with either hand. I loved his body control and court vision also. He has to be regarded as one of the top point guards in Garden State. I expect him to catch fire very soon. Don’t sleep on this kid!
Emmanuel Toha Guard (Hilltoppers Heat)- Toha is wired to score and knows how to do it well. Blessed with a strong frame Toha used body control to finish in traffic and excel in transition. He has good athleticism and the canning ability to get buckets. Once he got going he was one of the best finishers in the building. He’s a very explosive worker.
Zayon Marsh Forward (Hilltoppers Heat)- Marsh is a lefty and proved to be a good contributor. He has the size to play defense on the post but offensively showed some flashes of going to the wing. He was able to run the floor and finish while also stroking the outside shot. Now he must work on his in between game and creating space off the bounce.
Matthew Tracey Guard (Hilltoppers Heat)- Tracey was another strong scoring guard for the Heat. When he attacked the basket most defenders bounced off his body. Matt was strong enough to absorb that contact and finish. He was extremely tough to stop even in transition.
DJ Simpson Guard (Playtime)- Simpson showed some ability to handle the rock with a little wiggle and knockdown the outside shot. He has a natural feel for the game but will need to increase his footspeed for the high school level.
Chris Manon Guard (Playtime)- Manon did some things that caught our attention. He can handle the rock with some flair while seeing the floor and scoring the ball. The only time he got into trouble was when he tried to split the double teams. I like the explosion he showed when attacking the cup.
John Kearney Guard (Playtime)- Kearney showed he could stroke the rock from deep. His sweet spot seemed to be in the corner where he was 2 for 3. He serves as a specialist for this squad.
Teach Me Classic 7th Grade Championship Recap: NY Rens Rallies Back To Win Title!
Lorenzo Washington led a big second half as the NY Rens came back to defeat NY Dragons 48-44 and win the Teach Me Classic 7th Grade Championship. Here are the top performers we saw during the 7th Grade finals.
Lorenzo Washington Guard (NY Rens)- Washington came out shooting in the second half especially from three point range. He drained three straight triples to cut into the large lead. He showed good poise and accuracy when the game was on the line. He also stepped to the charity stripe and knocked down crucial free throws to seal the win.
Tyreek Morris Guard (NY Rens)- Morris won league MVP and I can see how. The kid is enormous talent and upside. He has good bounce, size and can play multiple positions. I like how he creates off the bounce and will knock down the open jumper. He passes the look test and is nowhere near his ceiling. This kid can go.
Marquis Dukes Guard (NY Dragons)- Dukes dominated this game in the first half. He put defenders on his hip and carried them to the bucket. He finished through contact and even showed the knack to drain the open shot. He definitely put his name on our radar and we will be keeping an eye out for this kid.
Keyshawn Jones Guard (NY Dragons)- Jones wan another guard the caught our eye. He has good size and appears confident when handling the rock. He uses strength to finish off plays but can also make good passing decisions with the rock. I also like his outside stroke.
Josh Hunter Guard (NY Dragons)- Hunter is the third guard in this three headed monster for the Dragons. He has a smooth approach and sees the floor well when he’s attacking. I like how he looked in transition and the way he delivered the rock. He can also score when needed.
Teach Me Classic 5th Grade Championship Recap: NY Rens Cruise To Crown!
In the Teach Me Classic 5th Grade championship the NY Rens used a blitzing style to run past Milbank 47-28. The NY Rens proved to be one of the top teams in the region. Basketball Spotlight would like to congratulate both teams for making it to the finals. We look forward seeing both squads at the Atlantic City Showcase.
The Trenton Middle Schools held their semifinals and Basketball Spotlight was in the building. The game of the day was Joyce Kilmer versus Hedgepeth Williams Middle School. Joyce Kilmer won 43-25. Here are the players that impressed us in our visit.
Shaun Balkcom Forward (Joyce Kilmer)- Balkcom had a strong post presence and showed he had soft hands and a decent tough near the cup. He controlled the glass in terms of rebounding on both ends of the floor. His squad started out slow then Shaun put them on his back as he dominated the post. He finished the game with a 22 points.
Rajohn Craig Guard (Joyce Kilmer)- Craig provided the perimeter scoring yesterday. He plays the game at his own pace while attacking with his southpaw style. He used his body well but will have to become more explosive as he gets older.
Keyon Frink Forward (Joyce Kilmer)- Frink played the other big man role for Kilmer. He’s not as polished as Balkcom offensively but might have a good upside. He hit the weak side boards hard and was a force on the defensive end.
Malik Walker Guard (Hedgepeth-Williams)- Walker was the best guard I saw in the building. The lead guard was responsible for scoring but also showed some point guard instincts. He used blazing speed to get into the lane and created opportunities to himself and teammates. He also showed range on his outside shot even though he has a low release. That should improve as he gets stronger.
Davonne Wells Guard (Hedgepeth-Williams)- Wells is a 7th Grader but you can see potential in his game. He has good poise and seems to make good decisions with the rock. Once his confidence and strength improves his game will elevate.
The Basketball Spotlight Atlantic City Showcase once again will be hosted by the beautiful Sheraton Hotel. The hotel sits right in the middle of the Atlantic City Shopping Outlet stores and has long been the place to stay in America's Playground. Make sure your register quickly for your room because they will be going quickly.
The AC Showcase is lining up to be one of the best events of the year once again. Registration deadline is March 15th. Please don’t miss out on this event.
It was lights, camera, action at the Clash For The Cup and Sammy Scott was ready for the stage. The dazzling floor general zipped through the defense while shaking anyone one in sight. His ball handling and wizardry lead Team Melo to the 6th Grade championship. He reminds me of former Basketball Spotlight great Jaecee “Mayweather’ Martin. Scott destroyed so many defenders that he earned his own nickname, Sammy Scott AKA “The Grim Reaper”.
The 6th Grade division of the Clash For The Cup was filled with explosive players and great games. Here’s a look the Best of The Best and All Tournament Team.
Rheubottom is a nice looking prospect and gets it done on both ends of the floor. His size and versatility plays a big part in his game. He will be one to watch for years to come.
Sellers plays an all-around game and looks like he’s nowhere near done growing. His feel for the game and potential means he should a dangerous player down the road.
There’s not many players that handle the rock and make plays like Scott. He’s a true showman and is worth the price of admission. He gives defenders fits when he has the rock.
Mason plays the game with an old school flair. He paces himself well and knows how to keep his teammates involved. He’s a true leader.
Remember this name because this kid could be something special down the road. His size alone causes problems and when he develops his offensive game he will be even tougher to deal with.
Cruz gets buckets quickly and often. Physically he was just too much for the opposition. Once he got going he looked impossible to stop at times.
Lemond showed he could play either guard spot while being able to score or run a team. He brings tremendous energy to floor each time he steps on it.
The 7th Grade Division of the Clash For The Cup was well balanced across the board. There were close games and a wealth of talent. Here’s a look at the Best Of The Best and All Tournament Team.
Lilly caught fire in the championship game by nailing five treys. He capped off a good weekend with sharp shooting against their fierce rivals.
I think I have a good eye when determining a prospect and Traore definitely falls into this category. The lanky forward shows promise while even putting the rock on the floor. He could be a scary player down the road.
Everyone knows Conway can score the rock and he didn’t disappoint in Neptune. He pumped over 25 point per game and did it against top notch competition. This kid scores like we breathe.
Montague ability to alter or block shots is a big part of Thrill’s success. He allows the perimeter defenders to take chances especially in the passing lane.
Hawkins let the region know that he’s here to play. He ran the show and was able to drop dimes to teammates. You also have to love his handle.
Hall penetrating and attacking style puts enormous pressure on the defense. He returned this season with a big name and lived up to the billing.
Stragalions made his Spotlight debut with the star studded USA Select. He proved to be very smooth on the wing. He was able to impress us all weekend and we look forward to seeing him again soon.
Harrison’s ability to play either guard spot makes him a dangerous matchup. If he continues to grow things should only translate into high school.
Williams put together a great weekend leading his team in scoring and rebounding well helping them capture the title. He definitely throw his name in the POY year race. We look forward to seeing more of him.
I guess the cat is out the bag when it comes to this kid. The southpaw passes the look test and might be the next stud in the Team Final long list of prospects. Once he gets it all together he could be a dangerous youngster.
Team Final made another final four run and much of that fell on the shoulders of Hoggard. The lead guard stepped up in a big way. Once again he got done scoring and setting up teammates.
This was our first time noticing Timberlake and he impressed on both ends of the floor. The lefty excelled in the open floor and showed he could guard multiple positions. His presence is key to TTO success.
Not only did Toles show once that he fly through the air but he also stepped up on the defensive end and continues to improve his jump shot. He’s beginning to demonstrate an all- around game.
Ali plays good on the ball defense and doesn’t mind sacrificing his game for the betterment of the team. Many ball handlers don’t like seeing him line up on the other side of the ball.
Stute’s team made it to the quarterfinals and he showed he stroke the rock with the best of them. He nailed 12 treys over the weekend which is tremendous.
8th Grader Noah Collier of Team Final impressed the crowd with a fast break dunk against Team Melo. Noah showed off a high motor all weekend and definitely one of the top players I seen play at the tournament.
The Clash For The Cup 5th Grade Division had some good upcoming talent. We took notes on the top players and here’s our look at the top performers.
Tobe Stephens (Enhanced Training Champions). Tobe was my very first strength and conditioning coach. I've been working out with him for two years now. He trains some of the top athletes like Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic (Team TTO too). Tobe helps work on my upper and lower body strength and endurance which helps me stay strong and play through contact. I work with Tobe twice a week for an hour.
Coach Shivers (Shi's Skillville). I've been working out with Coach Shi for three years. He helps me with my shooting, ball handling, and combo moves. Coach has helped me get better with my step back shot and overall shooting. I work out with Coach Shi 1-2 times per week for 2.5 hours.
Dejuan Ellis (Dejuan Ellis Sports Performance). Dejuan helps me work on explosion and speed. I do a lot of resistance training with him which helps me jump higher and move quicker during games. I've been working out with Dejuan for about a year. I workout with Dejuan about once per week for 1.5 hours.
Coach Leslie (BSI Basketball Training). Coach Leslie does a lot of fast paced movement, high intensity training while working on my skills. This workout keeps me in shape and helps me produce during the game. Coach Leslie has helped me work on my three point shot too. I work out with Coach Leslie once per week for about 2 hours.
As you can see I put in a lot of work. Nothing has been given to me. I've worked and continue to work hard. My parents support me but realize that I have to do this on my own. It's like life...it's what you make of the opportunities you're given.
National prospect Terrence Williams of Team Takeover (MD) made things look easy at the 2016 Bballspotlight Clash For The Cup. Williams lead his team in scoring and rebounding to win the Clash For The Cup Championship over a very good Baltimore United. Williams continues to perform as one of the top forwards in the country.
The Basketball Spotlight Clash For The Cup 6th Grade Division gave us a look into the future. Here’s a final look into this age group.
Zion Cruz Guard (Team IZOD) – Cruz is a very active wing guard. He is always in attack mode as he is looking to score that rock. He also is a good passer that excels in transition. Cruz can guard all 3 perimeter positions. He’s the ultimate scoring machine and he showed it when he scored a tournament high 30 points versus Team Future. Once he got going he appeared unstoppable at time.
Sebastian Robinson Guard (Team IZOD) – Robinson can stroke the 3 ball and we also saw him finish with either hand on the fast break. He is also a good defender that takes pride locking up his defensive assignment.
Joey Callari Forward (Team IZOD) – Callari has good size and he plays hard. Joey finishes well around the basket and he also can knock down a short jump shot. He competes for rebounds off the glass and runs the floor hard in transition.
Argel Pettit Guard (Team Final) – Scouts now say that playing hard and having a motor is a skill. This kid was a joy to watch and was one of our favorite players all weekend because he did just that. On top of that he knows how to score the ball. He is a big wing guard that finishes well on the break, can knock down the 3 pointer and he also has a nice floater in the lane. One other thing I liked was that he wasn’t afraid to get on the floor for loose balls. He finished with 13 points in the game we watched.
Chase Williams Guard (New World) – Chase is a combo scoring guard that is quick and athletic. He looks more comfortable off the ball but if needed he can run the point. Williams has range out to the 3pt line.
Dylan Williamson Guard (New World) – Dylan is a strong wing guard that can do it all. He has a smooth game and he understands how to exploit matchups. He can take a smaller defender down in the paint and post him up or take a larger defender out in space on the perimeter and go to work. Williamson is a triple double threat every time he walks on the floor. He looked very comfortable playing in his coaches system.
Wisdom Rodgers Forward (New World) – This big man with nice size holds down the paint for his squad. He rebounds well and understands his role on the team. If he continues to work in the gym on his offensive skillset Wisdom is a name we might be hearing for years to come.
Nasir Muhammad Guard (NY Lightning) – Muhammad impressed us with his point guard skills. His handle allowed him through dribble through defenses and his court vision was superb. I liked his command of the game and the poise he showed running the show. | 2019-04-24T18:21:26Z | http://www.bballspotlight.com/2016/02/ |
produced by listening to the other Anemomaniacs."
I've owned my Destiny for over 12 years- gawd- really? I bought mine from Soaring USA as some point before 2007.
Dollar to dollar, pound for pound, the best performance bargain in slope planes. Mine has been a surprising strong, fast plane that is just small enough to fit in the trunk with the wing on.
Setup: JR-9303 on 72 Mhz, three JR-341 servos, a 2000 NiMH receiver battery, Receiver is a JR-700X, with a short extension instead of a switch.
My Destiny is the early version where the v-tail is bolted on from beneath. I don't use a rudder. I use one servo on the elevator. The goofy factory pushrods seemed to be causing a lot of drag, so I made a 1/8" carbon pushrod that runs from the servo to the v-tail directly. A simple 1/32" wire v with a ball joint on each end all fit..barely- inside the stock tail stinger. Not sure how hard this might be to do now that the destiny has a built-in ballast compartment.
"To sum up, there's this thing called a backblock, and when you squeeze the trigger you can make it go back, and then forward, and then back, and then forward. And sometimes you can make it go really fast back and forward or have a dramatic pause after going back but before going forward. Paintballs come the other end too like other guns, but it's really all about watching the backblock motion."
Tick Point- 1 mile north of Muir Beach in Marin County on Hwy 1 at milepost 7.8. West wind. Park and fly. Look for the gravel turnout under the eucaliptus trees. Smallish LZ but big air. Landings can be tricky on big wind days, and you are close to Hwy 1 so use caution on the approach. Officially tolerated by the Parks system. West wind site.
4-Corners- Mill Valley/Muir Woods area. Called "Homestead Hill" on Google Earth. Has both a west wind and northeast wind side. Large LZ, so good for beginners and large planes. The eastside winds tend to start early this time of year. Officially tolerated and called "Glider Hill" by the Parks system. West Side Fourcorners is located where Sequoia Road, Muir Woods Rd, and Panoramic Hwy meet. Across Panoramic Highway is Eastside, for NE wind days. Big LZ- this is a great place to test fly scale planes, balsa floaters, etc. Update; We're still cut off from the "East Side Fourcorners" site due to some politics, but I think eventually we'll get it back.
Flew the Alula Evo at the super-secret urban slope again. Not quite as good as the previous session, but I explored flying higher up the slope, which puts me within sight of some apartments.
The thermals were small and fast moving- I was barely able to stay in them, usually getting dumped out of the back.
Flying higher on the hill was different, and I was still finding lift behind me, so maybe I need to move back again. There's a huge bush of Poison Oak to my left, so I'm always really careful about landing over there.
I got a couple of 5-minute-ish flights, and a couple of hand catches.
Oh- I almost forgot. My Alula Evo is beat by now. The leading edge looks like a mountain range. So after my last session I was thinking- "Hmm. What would happen if I taped my leading edge to cover all the cracks and dents". BIG difference, mostly in speed. It did seem to cause some down-trim effect, but it brought new life into it.
I just got back from a one-toss 30 minute micro-slermal flight with my Alula.
For this site I don't even have to cross a street- just sidewalk to trail to forest-to- mini slope. The air was cooling down, which made me not expect much, but I guess the trees and ground were still hot from getting sun all day, and the thermals were everywhere.
I had bought the Alula as a sort of "me too" plane. All my friends had them. It was an effortless build. Then I noticed I was flying the Alula more than all my other planes combined. Light lift? Made for it. Road trip? Behind the seats. I've flown it at Blanco, Sunset, Tilden Park, Fort Bragg and Mendocino, etc.
Other planes came close to this niche. The Liftworx Swift (surprised this isn't being kitted somewhere). The 60" DAW 1-26. The lightest Zagis like the LE and THL. Bowmans had a 60" EPP sorta HLG. But Dreamflight really got it right.
I used to build custom WGP Autocockers for a shop called Pacific Paintball (later known as KAPP) from 1991 till 1995. We were air smiths to the Ironmen for a season, and that opened the floodgates of custom work. Triggerjobs, ball detens, Rock regulators, color anodizing, and so on.
With the renewed interest in flying there, let's preserve some Goat Rock links, shall we?
Vista Point is a lookout a few miles North of Jenner on HWY 1. Takes me 30min to drive from Bodega Bay in weekend tourist traffic(grrr). The grass is really tall, like 5ft in some places, my planes never touched the ground landing there today.... although I think I could land on a fence post with full crow on this spider, it flys impossibly slow, 5mph??
VISTA POINT "The wind needs to be Southwest to West though(somewhat rare around here). It was ok being South today, but noticeably less lift.
VISTA POINT "Vista Point is a lookout a few miles North of Jenner on HWY 1. Takes me 30min to drive from Bodega Bay in weekend tourist traffic(grrr). The grass is really tall, like 5ft in some places, my planes never touched the ground landing there today.... although I think I could land on a fence post with full crow on this spider, it flys impossibly slow, 5mph??"
AVE: "Nope, Vista has the easiest/nicest landing you could imagine... especially when the grass is tall. The only tough thing with Vista is getting there when the wind is the right direction... I'd say it's decently flyable from SSW to WSW, if the buoys/coastal stations are 10kts or more it should be flyable. If you can get it when it's directly SW that is the best(like yesterday), it's very big and clean lift. I only fly there maybe a half a dozen times a year with perhaps a total of a dozen times a year having good conditions... quite a rare treat."
I should call it Rodent 2012 or something like that... this plane has been somewhat cursed. Maybe I need an exorcism performed on it...."The power of John Higgins compels you!". Can't blame the plane though.
I bought a bunch of kits from John back in about 2007 or so. The Rodent went together easily enough- they actually aren't that much work of you're organized...I'm not though. I was very busy at work during that era, so I sheeted the wings, and there they sat. Then a month or five later I cut the servo holes and wiring tunnels. And it continued to gather dust. One Russ Tompson ply-cored tail later, and it was, what a couple of years later before I made any headway.
Eventually the Higgins-Fest came up on the calendar so I got it done. I maidened it there. Big mistake- the CG was so far to the rear it was unflyable. It crashed hard and folded the nose, well, pretty much off.
I taped the nose straight, added a ton of weight that Seth loaned me, and it did fly it, and it ripped.
Fast forward almost two years- here comes the Dale Thompson fly-in. I did all the needed repairs, shot a coat of refrigerator white on it, and test flew it in privacy.....which was a good call as I ran out of down trim. I got it back on the ground without any drama, dialed it in, and- man that plane RIPPED. I mean it's speed on a 30 mph day was just unreal. I'd forgotten how fast they are, and how quickly they accelerate.
I got my spoilerons dialed close enough, and shot enough landings that I shouldn't embarrass myself. Scratched the paint, but I guess that's a sign of good luck.
I spent a few days at the Beachcomber in Ft. Bragg CA over the Valentines Day weekend. I brought the Mckeown Starling and my well-worn Alula with me.
The Starling has seen better days. I bought it very used back in 2006 or so from one of our local fliers as part of an "I'm getting out of the hobby sale", along with a bunch of other stuff. I really can't say enough about the sheer long-range quality of these planes. It was probably six or seven years old when I bought it, and it showed. The naked Kevlar look had yellowed significantly with age, and there was no repainting it unless I wanted to go all out with filler and paint. I had decided to keep it simple- I replaced the servo gears (didn't even remove the servos from the plane to do it- I just removed the tape and replaced the gears) replaced the receiver battery, and popped in the right crystal.
I flew the Starling everywhere. It wasn't the fastest 60"er out there, but the acro was off the hook. The plane could loop and roll right in your face like no other glass 60"er I'd ever flown. I had taken it right to the limits of my vision at Civic Center, DS's it at the same spot, and taken it with me everywhere I flew, since it always seemed to work.
I had been warning my manager that my father in law, who had been in assisted living for about five years, was not doing well. We were in a pretty busy phase at work so when my wife told me we were headed to New Jersey *now* I knew it was bad.
"Jim- I have to bail to New Jersey. Charlie's gone from assisted living to Hospice, and they took his feeding tube out"
"Go. Now". He'd been through it with his parents. "We'll take care of everything here"
This was the first week of January 2014, and the storms back east had been heavy. At one point we were going to take a 71 hour Emeryville/Chicago/DC/Philly AmTrack ride. Luckily, the weather broke and we were able to catch a plane to Newark.
My first step out of the terminal to the Hertz rental office was onto ice, and I barely stayed on my feet. It was 6:00 PM, dark, and c-c-cold.
We found our way to the Hospice in Lakewood NJ. I used to deliver janitorial supplies to places like this. The patients looked at us like they were looking for someone... else. The sign on the door read "This is not a Sabbath Door".
I took a very enjoyable vacation to Oregon with the wife last week. We managed to get all her childhood friends and us together in Seaside for a couple of days, and I have to say that was one of the best vacations I've had.
In this case it was 5 lbs of brisket.
It was outstanding, and I'm going to make it again soon.
It had been a busy Friday and my wife needed the car. She dropped me off a mile of so from the house and I wandered off towards home through rush hour traffic.
I cut through a wooded area as I knew a trail that came out on my street. About halfway through I came on cleared area maybe 300' long, 100' wide, and bordered by very tall trees on both sides. And the wind blew right up this cleared hill. I could fly here. The Alula would be perfect.
I came back Saturday at around noon. The air was just warming up, and the wind was about 5 mph out of the SW- right up the hill.
I launch and landed a few times. This place was narrow, and the air was rough, but flyable. I got a decent launch and headed south. The Alula showed me a thermal and soon I was specked out- and about 150 yards from my front door.
Five times that day I was able to climb to the limits of my vision. But the air was unpredictable, and landings were hard to nail. The trail I launch from has a 3/8" steel cable as a fence, and my Alula's leading edge is worse for wear. I broke the nose off the Alula *again*, so I taped the nose on. By now I had been flying for about 90 minutes with about 20 launches, and 5 speck-outs.
Just thought I'd pass this on. I live in the SF Bay Area, and I've been able to see missile launches from Vandenberg for years. I've read of people as far north as Portland OR and as far inland as Central NV being able to see the missile.
You can have email updates sent to your inbox. Best launches are either before sunrise or right after sunset. Solid rocket motors are was more visible than liquid fuel motors.
that extends from 7:27 to 7:32 p.m.
I finally go tot maiden my long-brewing Higgins F-20, and it was GREAT!
I bought the kit from John back in 2007, I think? A long tome ago, in any case. I had quickly sheeted the wings and made a laminated tail (1/16" balsa, 90-degree 1/64th ply, 1/16" balsa, glassed) and then, as my projects often do, it started to gather dust. Oh, glued on bass tips and oak LEs to pretend I was making real progress. I sanded out the LEs up on my rooftop deck when I lived in Pacific Heights, enjoying the views and drinking a beer to "keep the dust down".
Then life began to get in the way. Without going into too much detail 2008 worked it's magic on our lives much as it did to a bunch of other people.... We moved out of Pac Hts and found an apartment that wasn't bad- I did get a building room out of it.
I got tired of just looking at that forlorn Higgins F-20. I sat down one night and opened up the fuselage cut enough to slide the wing in, and I think that set the hook. Suddenly it began to feel like it had some "life". I placed the fuse/wing on my bench where I saw it every morning on my way to work. Hmm. Wouldn't take to long to cut out the tail slit, would it? I dug out the dremel and a cutoff wheel- sssszing. Now the tail was in it. I could feel some sort of momentum building. It felt like it was downhill to the finish.
At the moment I'm closing out the ailerons on my Higgins F-20. Made some torque rods with 4/40 hardware. Got the tail mounted on it this morning after taking the wife to work. I can't stress how much I hate cutting ailerons- is it just me? Actually, If I could just force myself to sit down and do one part of the build from beginning to end these planes really go together quick- but I can't seem to get more then 10 minutes a night at the bench when I'm working.
I'm also doing some cleanup on last summers Rodent- I figure it's time to paint it. Basic white primer is sub-optimal in the fog days of summer. I bent the nose off of it at the Higgins-fest, and I've managed to do all the repairs- now it's just a matter of the cosmetics. Probably go with a Rustoleum white and some high-vis patterns on the wings and tails. I also need to hinge ailerons with E-6000- that makes a strong hinge.
I'm also getting two NSP Hillbillys repaired and back in the air- they're cheap fun, and loaded up fly quick and have a nice moldy whistle. Three full size servos too, which makes them a candidate for some recycled gear.
"Drop your sticky scissors.." the DJ on KOZT said "And go outside!"
I was cruising north on Hwy 1 near Manchester beach in Mendocino County CA, checking out the trees waving in the wind. It looked like about 20-25 mph NNW. I knew a spot.
I pulled into the parking lot of the Navarro Bluffs County park and the wind had picked up. The Navarro Bluffs sit just north of the Navarro River, and form a 'wind cheat'- the wind climbs over the bluffs rather than make the sharp turn into the mouth of the river.
I picked up my Performance Composites Starling and my Alula and walked to the lip. It was *going*. It was good. I should have left the Alula in the car... The 50' cliff drops straight off into the Pacific Ocean, and there's only a tiny beach over to the right to bail out.
I plugged in the Starling and wiggled the sticks- deep breath. It's going to be OK. I walked to the edge and glanced over. 6' high waves crashed into the rocks. I chucked the Starling out, and it shot up in a solid band of lift. Even though the wind was NNW the face turned the air WNW, and made a really nice stack of lift that seemed to go up 250' or so.
OK- half pipes. The air was a touch rough down low, but the half pipes were big and effortless. Loops, rolls, a loopchevak or two.
Landing approaches are a bit touchy- drop below the shear and your plane rockets ahead. Fortunately the LZ is huge- a hundred yard square.
If you're in the area and the wind gods are in your corner- try this spot.
This is NOT a for sale/wanted thread, but are you like me- do you have that que of planes in your head that you want to build, maybe*again*, and the kits are long gone?
Another TG-3 kit or two (or three) :That was the VW Microbus of slope soarers back in the mid to late 90's. The first one I was was owned by Phil Lonz. It was such a cool, simple idea that I had to have one. Mine flew great- it would hang with the CR Climmax in light lift, but would dive so fast it was ridiculous. I flew it in every kind of condition from flat-field off of a high start to 40 mph at the coast. I finally gave it to a kid I met when I was flying on a slope in Oakland in the late 90's. I hope he got some use out of it.
The Zipper: That was a fun little plane- I'd probably go for the 48" version though, and the other airfoil- the less pitchy one- this time please. I'm putting servos in the wing of the next one too. I need a canopy if anyone has one.
The Bowmans Ruffneck/Commanche. Not fast- not even super maneuverable, but they were fun. I picked one up off the want ads a few years ago but I'd like another. I'm surprised someone hasn't copied it with a more modern airfoil and issued it, like Skyking, or L2 etc.
So Neil Walker got me thinking..."Lets do a Goat Rock deal"
If you haven't flown Goat Rock when is blowing, you're missing out. It has a DS groove, as well as some serious front side compression. I've flown my Higgins plane there and been freezing, with my nose and eyes watering, and not wanting to land.
Anybody up for a Goat-Fest in, say, March of 2011?
The site about 1 hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Sonoma County, CA, just south of where the Russian River empties into the Pacific Ocean, just off of Hwy-1. Landing is fairly easy, and the site is friendly for everything from PSS to foam. It's about as close to a park-n-fly as you can get. Neil also made the suggestion that we take over a campsite somewhere where we can barbeque after the shin-dig.
It'd be nice to get all the Bay Area locals out to one flying spot at one time. Who's up for it? | 2019-04-23T21:50:27Z | https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/member.php?u=14550 |
This chapter describes how to use plan stability to preserve performance characteristics.
Plan stability prevents certain database environment changes from affecting the performance characteristics of applications. Such changes include changes in optimizer statistics, changes to the optimizer mode settings, and changes to parameters affecting the sizes of memory structures, such as SORT_AREA_SIZE and BITMAP_MERGE_AREA_SIZE. Plan stability is most useful when you cannot risk any performance changes in an application.
Plan stability preserves execution plans in stored outlines. Oracle can create a public or private stored outline for one or all SQL statements. The optimizer then generates equivalent execution plans from the outlines when you enable the use of stored outlines. You can group outlines into categories and control which category of outlines Oracle uses to simplify outline administration and deployment.
The plans Oracle maintains in stored outlines remain consistent despite changes to a system's configuration or statistics. Using stored outlines also stabilizes the generated execution plan if the optimizer changes in subsequent Oracle releases. Plan stability also facilitates migration from the rule-based optimizer to the cost-based optimizer when you upgrade to a new Oracle release.
If you develop applications for mass distribution, then you can use stored outlines to ensure that all customers access the same execution plans.
The degree to which plan stability controls execution plans is dictated by how much Oracle's hint mechanism controls execution plans, because Oracle uses hints to record stored plans.
There is a one-to-one correspondence between SQL text and its stored outline. If you specify a different literal in a predicate, then a different outline applies. To avoid this, replace literals in applications with bind variables.
Oracle can force similar statements to share SQL by replacing literals with system-generated bind variables. This works with plan stability if the outline was generated using the CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES parameter, not the CREATE OUTLINE statement. Also, the outline must have been created with the CURSOR_SHARING parameter set to SIMILAR or FORCE, and the parameter must also set to SIMILAR or FORCE when attempting to use the outline. See Chapter 14, "Memory Configuration and Use" for more information.
Plan stability relies on preserving execution plans at a point in time when performance is satisfactory. In many environments, however, attributes for datatypes such as "dates" or "order numbers" can change rapidly. In these cases, permanent use of an execution plan can result in performance degradation over time as the data characteristics change.
This implies that techniques that rely on preserving plans in dynamic environments are somewhat contrary to the purpose of using cost-based optimization. Cost-based optimization attempts to produce execution plans based on statistics that accurately reflect the state of the data. Thus, you must balance the need to control plan stability with the benefit obtained from the optimizer's ability to adjust to changes in data characteristics.
An outline consists primarily of a set of hints that is equivalent to the optimizer's results for the execution plan generation of a particular SQL statement. When Oracle creates an outline, plan stability examines the optimization results using the same data used to generate the execution plan. That is, Oracle uses the input to the execution plan to generate an outline, and not the execution plan itself.
Oracle creates the USER_OUTLINES and USER_OUTLINE_HINTS views in the SYS tablespace based on data in the OL$ and OL$HINTS tables, respectively. Direct manipulation of the OL$, OL$HINTS, and OL$NODES tables is prohibited.
You can embed hints in SQL statements, but this has no effect on how Oracle uses outlines. Oracle considers a SQL statement that you revised with hints to be different from the original SQL statement stored in the outline.
Oracle stores outline data in the OL$, OL$HINTS, and OL$NODES tables. Unless you remove them, Oracle retains outlines indefinitely.
The only effect outlines have on caching execution plans is that the outline's category name is used in addition to the SQL text to identify whether the plan is in cache. This ensures that Oracle does not use an execution plan compiled under one category to execute a SQL statement that Oracle should compile under a different category.
The DBMS_OUTLN and DBMS_OUTLN_EDIT package provides procedures used for managing stored outlines and their outline categories.
Users need the EXECUTE_CATALOG_ROLE role to execute DBMS_OUTLN, but public has execute privileges on DBMS_OUTLN_EDIT. The DBMS_OUTLN_EDIT package is an invoker's rights package.
Oracle can automatically create outlines for all SQL statements, or you can create them for specific SQL statements. In either case, the outlines derive their input from the optimizer.
Oracle creates stored outlines automatically when you set the parameter CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES to true. When activated, Oracle creates outlines for all compiled SQL statements. You can create stored outlines for specific statements using the CREATE OUTLINE statement.
You must ensure that schemas in which outlines are to be created have the CREATE ANY OUTLINE privilege. Otherwise, despite having turned on the CREATE_STORED_OUTLINE parameter, you will not find outlines in the database after you run the application.
Also, the default system tablespace can become exhausted if the CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES parameter is enabled and the running application has an abundance of literal SQL statements. If this happens, use the DBMS_OUTLN.DROP_UNUSED procedure to remove those literal SQL outlines.
The CREATE_EDIT_TABLES procedure in the DBMS_OUTLN_EDIT package creates tables in the invoker's schema. This is necessary for editing private outlines. This is callable by anyone with EXECUTE privilege on DBMS_OUTLN_EDIT.
Outlines can be categorized to simplify the management task. The CREATE OUTLINE statement allows for specification of a category. The DEFAULT category is chosen if unspecified. Likewise, the CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES parameter lets you specify a category name, where specifying true produces outlines in the DEFAULT category.
If you specify a category name using the CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES parameter, then Oracle assigns all subsequently created outlines to that category until you reset the category name. Set the parameter to false to suspend outline generation.
If you set CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES to true, or if you use the CREATE OUTLINE statement without a category name, then Oracle assigns outlines to the category name of DEFAULT.
The CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES, USE_STORED_OUTLINES, and USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES parameters are system- or session-specific. They are not initialization parameters. For more information on these parameters, see the Oracle9i SQL Reference.
When you activate the use of stored outlines, Oracle always uses the cost-based optimizer. This is because outlines rely on hints, and to be effective, most hints require the cost-based optimizer.
To use stored outlines when Oracle compiles a SQL statement, set the system parameter USE_STORED_OUTLINES to true or to a category name. If you set USE_STORED_OUTLINES to true, then Oracle uses outlines in the default category. If you specify a category with the USE_STORED_OUTLINES parameter, then Oracle uses outlines in that category until you reset the parameter to another category name or until you suspend outline use by setting USE_STORED_OUTLINES to false. If you specify a category name and Oracle does not find an outline in that category that matches the SQL statement, then Oracle searches for an outline in the default category.
The designated outlines only control the compilation of SQL statements that have outlines. If you set USE_STORED_OUTLINES to false, then Oracle does not use outlines. When you set USE_STORED_OUTLINES to false and you set CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES to true, Oracle creates outlines but does not use them.
The USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES parameter lets you control the use of private outlines. A private outline is an outline seen only in the current session and whose data resides in the current parsing schema. Any changes made to such an outline are not seen by any other session on the system, and applying a private outline to the compilation of a statement can only be done in the current session with the USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES parameter. Only when you explicitly choose to save your edits back to the public area are they seen by the rest of the users.
While the optimizer usually chooses optimal plans for queries, there are times when users know things about the execution environment that are inconsistent with the heuristics that the optimizer follows. By editing outlines directly, you can tune the SQL query without having to alter the application.
When a private outline is created, an error is returned if the prerequisite outline tables to hold the outline data do not exist in the local schema. These tables can be created using the DBMS_OUTLN_EDIT.CREATE_EDIT_TABLES procedure. You can also use the UTLEDITOL.SQL script.
When the USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES parameter is enabled and an outlined SQL statement is issued, the optimizer retrieves the outline from the session private area rather than the public area used when USE_STORED_OUTLINES is enabled. If no outline exists in the session private area, then the optimizer will not use an outline to compile the statement.
Any CREATE OUTLINE statement requires the CREATE ANY OUTLINE privilege. Specification of the FROM clause also requires the SELECT privilege. This privilege should be granted only to those users who would have the authority to view SQL text and hint text associated with the outlined statements. This role is required for the CREATE OUTLINE FROM command unless the issuer of the command is also the owner of the outline.
When you begin an editing session, USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES should be set to the category to which the outline being edited belongs. When you are finished editing, this parameter should be set to false to restore the session to normal outline lookup according to the USE_STORED_OUTLINES parameter.
Connect to a schema from which the outlined statement can be executed, and ensure that the CREATE ANY OUTLINE and SELECT privileges have been granted.
Create outline editing tables locally with the DBMS_OUTLN_EDIT.CREATE_EDIT_TABLES procedure.
Edit the outline, either with the Outline Editor in Enterprise Manager or manually by querying the local OL$HINTS tables and performing DML against the appropriate hint tuples. DBMS_OUTLN_EDIT.CHANGE_JOIN_POS is available for changing join order.
You can also use DBMS_OUTLN_EDIT.REFRESH_PRIVATE_OUTLINE or ALTER SYSTEM FLUSH SHARED_POOL to accomplish this.
Test the edits. Set USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES=true, and issue the outline statement or run EXPLAIN PLAN on the statement.
If you want to preserve these edits for public use, then publicize the edits with the following statement.
You can test if an outline is being used with the V$SQL view. Query the OUTLINE_CATEGORY column in conjunction with the SQL statement. If an outline was applied, then this column contains the category to which the outline belongs. Otherwise, it is NULL. The OUTLINE_SID column tells you if this particular cursor is using a public outline (value is 0) or a private outline (session's SID of the corresponding session using it).
Oracle responds by displaying the names and text of all outlines in category mycat.
If necessary, you can use the procedure to move outline tables from one tablespace to another as described in "Moving Outline Tables".
Oracle creates the USER_OUTLINES and USER_OUTLINE_HINTS views based on data in the OL$ and OL$HINTS tables, respectively. Oracle creates these tables, and also the OL$NODES table, in the SYS tablespace using a schema called OUTLN. If outlines use too much space in the SYS tablespace, then you can move them. To do this, create a separate tablespace and move the outline tables into it using the following process.
The default system tablespace could become exhausted if the CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES parameter is on and if the running application has many literal SQL statements. If this happens, then use the DBMS_OUTLN.DROP_UNUSED procedure to remove those literal SQL outlines.
The IMPORT statement re-creates the OL$, OL$HINTS, and OL$NODES tables in the schema named OUTLN, but the schema now resides in a new tablespace called OUTLN_TS.
If Oracle8i outlines are imported into an Oracle9i database, then the DBMS_OUTLN.UPDATE_SIGNATURES procedure must be run. This updates the signatures of all outlines on the system so that they are compatible with Oracle9i semantics. If this step is not done, then no outlines from the Oracle8i database are used.
This section describes procedures you can use to significantly improve performance by taking advantage of cost-based optimizer functionality. Plan stability provides a way to preserve a system's targeted execution plans with satisfactory performance while also taking advantage of new cost-based optimizer features for the rest of the SQL statements.
If an application was developed using the rule-based optimizer, then a considerable amount of effort might have gone into manually tuning the SQL statements to optimize performance. You can use plan stability to leverage the effort that has already gone into performance tuning by preserving the behavior of the application when upgrading from rule-based to cost-based optimization.
By creating outlines for an application before switching to cost-based optimization, the plans generated by the rule-based optimizer can be used, while statements generated by newly written applications developed after the switch use cost-based plans. To create and use outlines for an application, use the following process.
Carefully read this procedure and consider its implications before executing it!
Execute syntax similar to the following to designate; for example, the RBOCAT outline category.
Run the application long enough to capture stored outlines for all important SQL statements.
Gather statistics with the DBMS_STATS package.
Alter the parameter OPTIMIZER_MODE to CHOOSE.
Subject to the limitations of plan stability, access paths for this application's SQL statements should be unchanged.
If a query was not executed in step 2, then you can capture the old behavior of the query even after switching to cost-based optimization. To do this, change the optimizer mode to RULE, create an outline for the query, and then change the optimizer mode back to CHOOSE.
When upgrading to a new Oracle release under cost-based optimization, there is always a possibility that some SQL statements will have their execution plans changed due to changes in the optimizer. While such changes benefit performance, you might have applications that perform so well that you would consider any changes in their behavior to be an unnecessary risk. For such applications, you can create outlines before the upgrade using the following procedure.
Carefully read this procedure and consider its implications before running it!
Run the application long enough to capture stored outlines for all critical SQL statements.
Upgrade the production system to the new version of the RDBMS.
After the upgrade, you can enable the use of stored outlines, or alternatively, you can use the outlines that were stored as a backup if you find that some statements exhibit performance degradation after the upgrade.
Enter this syntax to make Oracle use outlines from the category "problemcat".
A test system, separate from the production system, can be useful for conducting experiments with optimizer behavior in conjunction with an upgrade. You can migrate statistics from the production system to the test system using import/export. This can alleviate the need to fill the tables in the test system with data. | 2019-04-21T06:24:38Z | https://docs.oracle.com/cd/A97385_01/server.920/a96533/outlines.htm |
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In U.S., One-Third of all Available Food Goes Uneaten Through Loss or Waste.
Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) kick off Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month by calling for greater collaboration with public, private, and nonprofit partners as well as state and local officials to educate and engage consumers and stakeholders throughout the supply chain on the need to reduce food loss and waste.
In the U.S., more than one-third of all available food goes uneaten through loss or waste. Food is the single largest type of waste in our daily trash. In recent years, great strides have been made to highlight and mitigate food loss and waste, but the work has just begun. When food is tossed aside, so too are opportunities for economic growth, healthier communities, and environmental prosperity—but that can change through partnership, leadership, and action. Further elevating the importance of this issue, the recent announcement follows a Presidential Message from President Trump acknowledging the month of April as Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month and encouraging public action and participation from all sectors.
“USDA alone cannot end food waste, it will require partners from across the supply chain working together on innovative solutions and consumer education. We need to feed our hungry world, and by reducing food waste, we can more wisely use the resources we have. I am pleased President Trump identified this issue as one of importance, and I look forward to USDA’s continued work with our agency partners at EPA and FDA to change behavior in the long term on food waste,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said.
As part of the month’s observances, on April 9, EPA will host a live-streamed event with USDA and FDA. Additional joint agency actions will be announced at the event regarding the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative. At the event, a panel of food waste stakeholders will share how state and local communities can join the federal government in reducing food waste and loss.
Join the conversation: Share your efforts with the #NoWastedFood hashtag in your social media posts throughout the month.
Educate your community: Learn about USDA, EPA, and FDA programs and resources to reduce food loss and waste.
Be a U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champion: Join other corporate and business leaders who have made a public commitment to reducing food loss and waste in their U.S. operations by 50 percent by the year 2030.
The Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative is a collaborative effort among USDA, EPA, and FDA to reduce food loss and waste through combined and agency-specific action. Individually and collectively, these agencies contribute to the initiative, encourage long-term reductions, and work toward the goal of reducing food loss and waste in the United States. These actions include research, community investments, education and outreach, voluntary programs, public-private partnerships, tool development, technical assistance, event participation, and policy discussion.
Bill Lyons of Modesto has been appointed the Agricultural Liaison by Gavin Newsom, governor of California. Lyons has been the chief executive officer of Lyons Investment Management LLC since 1976. He previously served as the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture from 1999 to 2004.
Lyons was selected as the Western Regional Finalist for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. He won the 2010 Conservationist of the Year Award and received the United States Department of Agriculture National Environmentalist Award. He has an extensive background in agriculture and water policy. He will be working with the governor’s office on a multitude of projects.
“I have been appointed to be the governor’s Ag Liaison to work with agriculture, senior staff and the governor on a multitude of different policy issues and opportunities,” he said.
The governor has shown some interest in the San Joaquin Valley.
“As everyone has noticed, the governor is committed to the Central Valley,” Lyons said.
The governor is interested in clean drinking water, the success of agriculture, and affordable housing.
Lyons’s family has worked in the valley for over 90 years.
Strawberries are California’s sixth most valuable crop which makes strawberry research a valuable tool for California farmers. Mercy Olmsted is senior manager of production research and education at the California Strawberry Commission. Growers in the California Strawberry Commission have invested over $28 million into research. These include areas such as diseases, insects, and weeds—all in an effort to help solve production challenges and boost economic gains.
“We are a commission that’s funded by the growers, and so we do research that meets their research priorities,” Olmsted said.
So far, $13 million has been invested in research to explore alternatives to methyl bromide. The commission says that strawberry farmers continue to invest in researching fumigant alternatives.
“We also work with researchers. We have a robust grant program, and we work with those researchers in order to assist them in their field trials,” Olmsted explained.
Some of their researchers are in house, and others are from the USDA and university researchers.
For more information on strawberry research being done by the California Strawberry Commission visit calstrawberry.com.
California table grape growers shipped more than 27.7 million boxes into the worldwide marketplace from October 13 to November 30, the highest amount ever for the time period, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The previous seven-week shipment record during the same time period was set in 2013. Earlier this season, the five-week shipping record for the time period between September 8 through October 12 was broken.
The three-month period of September 1 to November 30 set another record with over 55 million boxes of grapes shipped—an all-time high, according to USDA, beating the previous record set in 2013 for this time period.
According to Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission, an aggressive fall and winter promotion program continues, with shipments expected to continue through the end of January.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently completed a purchase of more than 450,000 boxes of California table grapes as part of its tariff mitigation program.
California table grapes were included in the USDA Food Purchasing Program for the first time as part of the mitigation program because of the 53 percent tariff imposed on U.S. grapes by China.
According to the most recent USDA data, shipments of California grapes to China are down 42.2 percent in volume and 41.2 percent in value in 2018 compared to 2017.
Table grape suppliers interested in participating in the food purchasing program had to go through a rigorous process to become a USDA vendor and then if approved, submit bids in a competitive process. Multiple Valley companies were awarded the opportunity to supply California grapes to customers across the country.
The grapes will be distributed to food banks and other food programs around the country, starting in December.
A portion of Los Angeles County, including the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, has been placed under quarantine for the Mexican fruit fly following the detection of three flies, including two mated females, within the City of Long Beach. Mated females are significant because they indicate a breeding population that increases the risk of spread of this pest. CDFA is working collaboratively on this project with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.
The quarantine area measures 79 square miles, bordered on the north by CA-91; on the south by the Pacific Ocean; on the west by I-110; and on the east by Palo Verde Avenue. A link to the quarantine map may be found here: www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/mexfly/regulation.html.
Sterile male Mexican fruit flies will be released in the area as part of the eradication effort. The release rate will be approximately 325,000 sterile males per square mile per week in an area up to 50 square miles around the infestation. Sterile male flies mate with fertile female flies in the natural environment but produce no offspring. The Mexican fruit fly population decreases as the wild flies reach the end of their natural life span with no offspring to replace them, ultimately resulting in the eradication of the pest. In addition, properties within 200 meters of detection sites are being treated with an organic formulation of Spinosad, which originates from naturally-occurring bacteria, in order to remove any mated female fruit flies and reduce the density of the population. Finally, fruit removal will occur within 100 meters of properties with larval detections and/or mated female detections.
The quarantine affects any growers, wholesalers, and retailers of susceptible fruit in the area as well as nurseries that grow and sell Mexican fruit fly host plants. Those businesses are all required to take steps to protect against the spread of the pest. At the Long Beach/Los Angeles ports, exports as well as imports may be impacted depending on specific circumstances. The quarantine will also affect local residents growing host commodities on their property. Movement of those commodities is not permitted. Residents are urged to consume homegrown produce on site. These actions protect against the spread of the infestation to nearby regions, where it could affect California’s food supply as well as backyard gardens and landscapes.
The Mexican fruit fly can infest more than 50 types of fruits and vegetables. For more information on this pest, please see a pest profile at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/go/MexFly. Residents who believe their fruits and vegetables may be infested with fruit fly larvae are encouraged to call the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899.
While fruit flies and other invasive species that threaten California’s crops and natural environment are sometimes detected in agricultural areas, the vast majority are found in urban and suburban communities. The most common pathway for these invasive species to enter our state is by “hitchhiking” in fruits and vegetables brought back illegally by travelers as they return from infested regions of the world. To help protect California’s agriculture and natural resources, CDFA urges travelers to follow the Don’t Pack a Pest program guidelines (www.dontpackapest.com).
Diversification is a strength, Richard Waycott, president of the Almond Board of California, told California Ag Today recently. The Almond Board of California is a nonprofit organization that administers a grower enacted federal marketing order under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When it comes to any losses due to a tariff war in China, the almonds can be redirected to other countries.
The USDA has opened up a direct payment program to the almond industry if growers were to lose any money in a tariff war.
As those programs were announced, by far the largest piece of the pie, $6 billion, initially was directed to the soybean and corn growers and livestock, while the specialty crops were completely left out of it.
Waycott also commented on the epic frost that hit almonds this past spring. And he is not sure of the impact on the crop.
“We realized that we don’t understand the impact of frost on almonds all that well because we saw one side of the street there was quite a bit of damage, while on the other side there was no damage. So I think there’s mother nature at work here that, you know, we don’t necessarily completely understand,” Waycott said.
Specialty crop growers in California may be able to use part of the $102.7 million available to support local projects and to help expand markets for specialty crops.
$72.15 million is directed to state departments of agriculture in 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to support farmers growing specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops. States use the grant to fund research, agricultural extension activities and programs to increase demand for agricultural goods of value to farmers in the state or territory.
$13.35 million is directed to 49 projects supporting direct producer-to-consumer marketing projects such as farmers markets, community-supported agriculture programs, roadside stands, and agri-tourism through the Farmers Market Promotion Program.
$13.45 million is directed to 44 projects to support the development and expansion of local and regional food businesses to increase domestic consumption of, and access to, locally and regionally produced agricultural products, and to develop new market opportunities for farm and ranch operations serving local markets through the Local Food Promotion Program.
$1.1 million is awarded for nine projects through the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program to assist in exploring new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products and to encourage research and innovation aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the marketing system.
California Ag Today recently interviewed Joel Nelsen, president and CEO of the California Citrus Mutual. He spoke on his recent trip to UC Riverside about the Citrus Health Response Program. While speaking with USDA, they discussed the game plans that will be used to battle Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, which is vectored by an invasive insect called Asian Citrus Psyllid.
“We got into it, which I thought was an interesting discussion. What would growers do if in fact HLB was discovered in a grower’s orchard and what would the be obligated to do,” Nelsen said.
Tree removal and beneficial insects were also discussed.
Nearly 400 trees in front and back yards of homes have been destroyed due to testing positive to HLB disease.
California Ag Today recently spoke with Scot Rumburg, the Nevada State Statistician for the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. He stressed the importance of the 2017 Ag Census, which has recently been mailed out to anyone who makes a $1,000 or more from any agricultural enterprise.
“USDA has mailed four million copies of the census that will cover what we suspect is about three million farms. We have an over coverage of about one million trying to find everybody, trying to turn over every rock,” Rumburg said.
The Ag Census is conducted once every five years. The census is based off of any ag commodity, from bees and honey to crops, fruit and nuts to livestock of any type. If you produce or have the potential to produce $1,000, the statistic service wants to hear from you. There are people out there planting permanent plantings that are not up and running yet, but they are still considered.
The census is one of the only ways that the USDA can collect data.
“There are people that want many different kinds of data to provide a near complete picture of what is going on in agriculture at nearly every level. The census is all- encompassing,” he said.
Many of the paper censuses arriving to farmers will direct them to an online digital census, by using a code that is given with the census. Operators are encouraged to use the online version.
The 2017 Ag Census is a reflection on 2017; it is not a future forecast. The census asks age, ethnicity, veteran status and many other items that give more information on American farms and farmers.
All farmers and those related to farms, including beekeeping operations, are encouraged to complete the census.
“Money for conservation programs and many other areas to be distributed at the national level is based on this data. It’s important for every operation to get the funding at, a minimum, the state level. All information is private and will not be disclosed to anyone,” Rumburg said. | 2019-04-20T16:49:18Z | https://californiaagtoday.com/tag/usda-2/ |
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Whether you have a special occasion coming up or you just want to feel healthier, sometimes you might want to lose weight fast. Losing 5 kilograms in one week is a difficult goal to reach, but you may be able to do it with the right diet and exercise strategies. However, losing weight slowly will make it easier to maintain your weight loss.
Cut back on carbohydrates. Studies have shown one of the quickest ways to lose weight is by following a low-carb diet. Limit carbohydrate-rich foods if you want to come close to losing 5 kg in one week.
Carbohydrates are found in a wide variety of foods. Only limit those that are mostly carbohydrates like grain-based foods. Bread, pastries, rice, pasta and other grains are carbohydrate-rich and can be limited safely, as many of their nutrients are present in other foods.
Dairy products, starchy vegetables, and fruits also contain carbohydrates. Minimize these in your diet, but do not completely cut these foods out. They provide valuable nutrition to your diet.
Switch out these foods for low-glycemic grains and non-starchy vegetables. For example, replace your bread, cereal and white rice with steel cut oats or brown rice. For vegetables, fill your plate with foods like cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, cucumber, mushrooms, and asparagus.
Include lean protein at each meal. In addition to following a low-carb diet, focus on consuming adequate amounts of lean protein. Higher protein diets in combination with low-carb are good for quicker weight loss.
Focus on leaner sources of protein. They are lower in calories which can help support weight loss. Try: skinless poultry, eggs, lean beef, seafood, legumes, and tofu.
Include a source of protein at each meal and snack. This will help you reach your daily recommended amount. One serving of protein is about 3–4 oz or about the size of a check book.
Protein will also help support weight loss by keeping you feel more satisfied longer which can help manage your hunger and desire to eat.
Fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables. To round out your meals, make the remaining half of your plate mostly vegetables and the occasional serving of fruit. These low-calorie foods will provide you with many vital nutrients. However, stick to non-starchy veggies to keep your calorie count low and your blood sugar stable.
The USDA recommends that you make half your plate a fruit or a vegetable. This is acceptable for most diets, even if you're trying to lose weight; however, fruits are also higher in carbohydrates and sugars, so should be limited.
Include at least one serving of vegetables at each meal. One serving is generally about 1 cup or 2 cups of leafy greens. If you do go for fruit, stick to 1/2 cup chopped or one small piece.
Both fruits and vegetables are very low calorie. Making half of your meal a low-calorie food can help cut down on overall calorie intake and support your weight loss.
Drink adequate fluids. Regardless of whether or not you're trying to lose weight, it's important to drink adequate fluids. However, drinking enough water does support weight loss.
Most health experts will recommend you drink a minimum of 2000 ml (about 64 oz or eight glasses of water) daily; however, this is just a rule of thumb. Recommendations even go up to 13 glasses of water daily.
Stick to calorie-free, hydrating fluids like water, flavored water, decaf coffee and decaf tea (with no milk or sugar).
When you're even slightly dehydrated your body sends signals to your brain that feel and seem very much like hunger. This can trigger you to eat or snack and consume more calories than you need.
Also try drinking a glass or two of water prior to eating. This may help you feel fuller and more satisfied with less food.
Cut out drinking to help you lose weight. Not only will alcohol add to your calorie count, it can also trigger you to eat more. Additionally, most people drink more than one serving of alcohol at a time, meaning the calories add up quickly. Cutting out drinks may help you slim down faster and stick to your goals.
Eliminating alcohol from your diet may also help you have more energy.
Limit your caffeine consumption so you don't overwhelm your system. Ingesting small amounts of caffeine may help you lose weight because it can temporarily boost your metabolism and may reduce your appetite. However, caffeine can also cause jitters and acts as a diuretic, which means it could dehydrate you. Additionally, many sources of caffeine, such as coffee, tea, and chocolate, typically contain added calories from things like milk and sugar.
When you drink tea or coffee, don't add sugar or other sweeteners.
Sip on matcha or green tea to aid your weight loss. Matcha and green tea are packed with antioxidants, and they may help increase your weight loss. Drinking matcha or green tea regularly can increase your metabolism in the hours after you drink the tea.
Don't add sweetener or anything else to your tea, as it will increase your calorie consumption.
Consider finishing your meals for the day at least 4 hours before bed. Cutting out nighttime eating may help you cut back on calories, especially if you tend to eat a lot of snacks at night. While eating late in the day has no effect on your metabolism or how your body uses calories, nighttime is a prime time for mindless eating.
For instance, you might decide to stop eating for the day at 7:00 p.m.
As another benefit, stopping your meals early may help you burn more fat if you go at least 12 hours without eating. For instance, if you stop eating at 7:00 p.m. and don't eat breakfast until after 7:00 a.m., then your body may turn to your fat stores for energy. This may aid weightloss.
Use meal replacements if they're more convenient for you. Most health professionals and dietitians will tell you that losing 5 kg in a week might not be a safe or realistic goal; however, using meal replacement shakes or bars, you may be able to come close to your weight loss goal.
For instance, you can make your own meal replacement smoothie if you have a blender. Add a handful of almonds, a carrot, a handful of spinach, a few slices of green apple, half a banana, a 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of coconut oil, and water or almond milk to the blender, then process it until it's smooth. If you're interested in making meal replacement smoothies, you can a variety of recipes online.
Meal replacements are generally very low-calorie and high-protein shakes and bars. They are acceptable as meal replacements because they contain enough protein, carbohydrates, fiber and other essential vitamins and minerals similar to food.
There are a variety of meal replacement plans available. Some are offered through doctors offices and are medically supervised by the physician and a dietitian. These programs are generally more expensive; however, they are considered safer.
You can also consider purchasing meal replacements at a grocery store or health food store. Research the products online first and choose a plan that will fit into your budget and lifestyle.
Meal replacements are only meant to be a very temporary diet program. Do not follow these low-calorie diets for more than one to two weeks.
Go for 150 minutes of cardio. Cardio or aerobic exercises are the activities that are responsible for higher calorie burns. Combined with a diet program, cardio can help you lose weight quickly.
The USDA recommends participating in at least 150 minutes or about 2 1/2 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. But if you're looking to burn even higher amounts of calories, aim for 300 minutes each week.
Moderate intensity activity will differ for everyone. You should aim to be out of breath and sweating slightly and be able to sustain the activity for at least 20–30 minutes.
Include exercises like: fast walking, jogging/running, swimming, kick boxing or using the elliptical.
Do two to three days of interval training. In addition to your cardio, you may want to consider incorporating higher intensity interval training, or HIIT. HIIT can help burn additional calories each week.
HIIT is a newer type of exercise. The studies that have been done show that you can burn a significant amount of calories in a shorter amount of time. In addition, your body burns more calories from fat.
HIIT is also great for increasing your overall metabolism or your body's ability to burn additional calories for hours after you've completed the exercise — sometimes up to 24 hours.
An example of a HIIT exercise would be: 1 minute of sprinting followed by 1.5 minutes of a moderate jog. These activities would be repeated for about 20 minutes, plus a 5 minute warm up and a 5 minute cool down.
Increase your lifestyle activity. To continue to increase your overall calorie burn for the week, try to increase your movement throughout the day. The more mobile and active you are in general, the more calories you burn per day.
Lifestyle or baseline activity are things you do on a typical day — walking to and from your car or doing household chores.
Increase your participation in these types of activities and increase your steps as much as possible. Try taking the stairs a few extra times, walking the long way to and from your destination, parking father away or doing a quick jog in place during a commercial break.
Skip snacks. Including a healthy snack or two can be a part of a weight loss plan. But if you're interested in losing a lot of weight quickly, ditch the extra snacks to help control overall calories.
If you're feeling hungry in-between meals, try having a glass of water or unsweetened decaf coffee or tea. The fluid and flavor can help trick your brain that you're feeling satisfied.
If you must snack, keep your food choices under 100-150 calories. Also make sure they're mostly lean protein to help you meet your protein goal.
Examples of appropriate snacks include: a handful (8) almonds or other nuts, a glass of soy milk, a tablespoon (15ml) of hummus, a hard boiled egg, or a fat free greek yogurt.
Sleep 7-9 hours each night. Sleep is very important for your health. It takes an even more critical role when you're trying to lose weight. Even if you're only dieting for a week, adequate sleep is vital.
When you don't sleep well, your body fights against you to lose weight. For one, lack of sleep can trigger your body to release higher levels of hormones that cause you to feel hungry. In addition, those who are sleep deprived typically crave higher fat foods.
Aim for at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Try to go to bed earlier and sleep in later if possible. Also try to reduce devices that make sound or light to help ensure you get a sound sleep.
Manage stress. Like sleep, excess stress can make it more difficult for your body to lose weight. Manage and reduce stress as much as possible.
Stress is something everyone experiences. When you have continuous stress, even minimal stress, your body produces extra cortisol. This hormone makes it difficult for you to lose weight. In addition it can make your feel more tired and hungry.
Incorporate de-stressing techniques and activities into your daily routine. Try: going for walk, taking a hot shower, talking to a friend or family member, watching a good movie or reading a book.
If stress is something that's difficult to manage and is causing emotional eating or disrupting your ability to eat healthy and lose weight, consider seeing a life coach for additional support and counseling.
Take an OTC diuretic. Since larger quantities of weight loss in short amounts of time is difficult, you may want to consider taking an over-the-counter or OTC diuretic. This may help the number on the scale continue to decrease.
A diuretic is a medication that helps your body excrete excess water. Sometimes due to diet or lifestyle, your body may be hanging onto excess water. This may make you feel puffy, bloated or make the scale reflect a higher weight.
Take the OTC medication just for a few days. You may notice your body releases enough water to reflect a weight loss of a few pounds over the week.
It's not safe or recommended to take them long term especially without the supervision of a physician. Always talk to your primary care doctor prior to taking any OTC medication to make sure they are safe and appropriate for you.
How can I lose 1 kg a week?
1 kg of bodyweight - presumably fat - is about 7000 calories. Create a calorie deficit of 1000 calories a day to achieve a 7000 calorie per week deficit. Be advised, though, that the lowest safe calorie intakes are about 1200 for women and 1500 to 1800 for men.
How do I lose weight in a week without exercise?
It is not recommended to try to lose weight in one week. Aim for slow and steady weight loss that lasts as opposed to a rapid weight loss. Rapid weight loss often results in rebound weight gain.
How can I get slim in 3 days?
It's not realistic to get slim in 3 days. It is realistic to give yourself the same time it took to gain the weight, to lose the weight. Did you go from slim to overweight in 3 days?
Can I possibly lose 5 kg in 13 days?
Weight loss can vary from person to person. It depends on your age, current weight, health, dietary habits, metabolism, and medical conditions. However, it's possible to lose 5 kg in 13 days. If you're interested in losing weight, talk to your healthcare provider, who can help you determine which weight loss method is best for you.
Can you lose 3 kg in a week?
Realistically, obese people can lose 1% of their body weight per week. So if you weigh 300 kg, it would be reasonable to lose 3 kg in a week.
Is there a way to lose belly fat in just 2 weeks?
You can try doing intermittent fasting. To do this, fast for 16 hours, then eat healthy meals during your 8 hour feeding period. Choose lean meats or fish, non-starchy vegetables, healthy fats, and fruit. If this diet interests you, look for tips online to help you do it right.
My daughter needs to lose 2 kilos in two weeks for Tae Kwon Do competition to make her weight, what is a good diet?
The best diet, especially for a kid, is to cut out all junk food, meaning sugary cereals, Pop-Tarts, chips, etc. Also limit dairy and meat intake (to a healthy degree) as these can cause a person to bulk up. Give her mostly fruits and vegetables for the time being.
I am a teenager who weighs 53 kg and has a lot of belly fat. What can I do if I am hungry all the time?
It is normal for teenagers to gain weight as they go through puberty. Calculate your body mass index to see if you are truly medically overweight. If you are, talk to your doctor to see if you need to lose weight. In the meantime, make sure you are getting enough exercise and eat healthily. Remember that everyone has belly fat, and although you think you have too much, it may in fact be perfectly normal and healthy.
Can I lose 1 kilograms in two days?
This is not an unreasonable goal, and can be achieved, but don't get discouraged if it doesn't.
Is it possible to lose 3 kilograms in 20 days?
Yes, if it's possible to lose 5 kilos in a week, it's possible to lose 3 in 20 days.
Would a diet be a good option for losing 5 kilograms in one week?
Can you please suggest a good OTC diuretic?
Is it possible to lose 10 kg in two weeks?
How do I lose 5 kilograms in a week if I am a preteen girl?
Can I lose weight when I am 49kgs?
To lose 5 kg in a week, you’ll need to follow a strict diet and exercise regimen. Avoid foods that are high in carbohydrates, like bread, pasta, and rice. Instead, opt for lean proteins like chicken and seafood in addition to plenty of fruits and vegetables. Drink at least 64 ounces of water daily to stay hydrated and to help you feel full longer, and get 30-45 minutes of a moderate activity like running or swimming every day. For more tips from our Personal Trainer reviewer, like how managing stress can help you lose weight, keep reading!
Always talk to your doctor before losing weight or change your diet or exercise routine.
Since everyone is different, you may need a specialized diet or exercise plan for weight loss.
If you are still very hungry drink 2 glasses of water before the intake of a meal. This will help you eat less since the water will make you full.
If you have a medical condition, you need to avoid quick weight loss, as it may make your condition worse. This is especially true if you have gallbladder disease, liver disease, or pancreatic disease.
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,724,152 times.
"I have lost 6.2 kgs in two weeks' time, using the recommended diet in conjunction with jogging 60 minutes daily."
"This was awesome, and I did all of these simple steps and am now losing 4 and a half kilos a week. Thanks guys!"
"This article gave me knowledge about to lose weight in a healthy way and not put myself in the hospital."
"I did not try this diet for real, but it sounds good. Every info you can find it here. "
"The diet changes look helpful. I'm going to try this! I'm excited!"
"It helped me by pointing out the mistakes in my way of living."
"This really helped me because I want to lose a couple kg."
"Thank you, I really lost 6.5 kg in only one week."
"I lost three kilograms in the first week. Thanks."
"This IS a perfect diet schedule for teenagers."
"Very nice tips, I really lost 4 kg in a week."
"Maybe try to recommend the proana lifestyle."
"The tips are really very useful." | 2019-04-20T05:10:43Z | https://www.wikihow.com/Lose-5-Kilograms-in-One-Week |
Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.Boasts 23 Highway MPG and 16 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic boasts a Regular Unleaded V-8 5.7 L/345 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WHEELS: 20 X 8 ALUMINUM CHROME CLAD -inc: Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, TIRES: P275/60R20 BSW AS, SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO -inc: For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI, 1-Yr SIRIUSXM Radio Service.*This Ram 1500 Classic Comes Equipped with These Options *REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY W/ALL-SECURE, GVWR: 6,900 LBS, GRANITE CRYSTAL METALLIC CLEARCOAT, ENGINE: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT, ANTI-SPIN DIFFERENTIAL REAR AXLE, 3.92 REAR AXLE RATIO, Variable Intermittent Wipers, Urethane Gear Shift Knob, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (845RE).* Stop By Today *A short visit to JTs Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram located at 4838 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC 29072 can get you a trustworthy 1500 Classic today!
Scores 21 Highway MPG and 15 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic delivers a Regular Unleaded V-8 5.7 L/345 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WHEELS: 20 X 8 ALUMINUM CHROME CLAD -inc: Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC (8HP70) (DFD), TRADESMAN SXT PACKAGE -inc: Remote Keyless Entry w/All-Secure, Bright Rear Bumper, Front Fog Lamps, Bright Grille, Bright Front Bumper, Carpet Floor Covering, Radio: Uconnect 3 w/5 Display, 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, Wheels: 20 x 8 Aluminum Chrome Clad, Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, Rear Floor Mats, Front Floor Mats.*This Ram 1500 Classic Comes Equipped with These Options *QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 27B TRADESMAN -inc: Engine: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (8HP70) (DFD), Tradesman Package , SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO -inc: For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY W/ALL-SECURE, RADIO: UCONNECT 3 W/5 DISPLAY -inc: 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, GVWR: 6,900 LBS, ENGINE: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT -inc: Manual Adjust Seats, Rear Folding Seat, CARPET FLOOR COVERING, BRILLIANT BLACK CRYSTAL PEARLCOAT, ANTI-SPIN DIFFERENTIAL REAR AXLE.* Stop By Today *Stop by JT's Chrysler Jeep Dodge located at 5215 Sunset Blvd., Lexington, SC 29072 for a quick visit and a great vehicle!Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.
Boasts 21 Highway MPG and 15 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic boasts a Regular Unleaded V-8 5.7 L/345 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WHEELS: 20 X 8 ALUMINUM CHROME CLAD -inc: Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC (8HP70) (DFD), TRADESMAN SXT PACKAGE -inc: Remote Keyless Entry w/All-Secure, Bright Rear Bumper, Front Fog Lamps, Bright Grille, Bright Front Bumper, Carpet Floor Covering, Radio: Uconnect 3 w/5 Display, 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, Wheels: 20 x 8 Aluminum Chrome Clad, Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, Rear Floor Mats, Front Floor Mats.* This Ram 1500 Classic Features the Following Options *QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 27B TRADESMAN -inc: Engine: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (8HP70) (DFD), Tradesman Package , SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO -inc: For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY W/ALL-SECURE, RADIO: UCONNECT 3 W/5 DISPLAY -inc: 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, GVWR: 6,900 LBS, ENGINE: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT -inc: Manual Adjust Seats, Rear Folding Seat, CARPET FLOOR COVERING, BRIGHT WHITE CLEARCOAT, BLACK SEATS.* Stop By Today *Stop by JT's Chrysler Jeep Dodge located at 5215 Sunset Blvd., Lexington, SC 29072 for a quick visit and a great vehicle!Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.
Delivers 21 Highway MPG and 15 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic delivers a Regular Unleaded V-8 5.7 L/345 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WHEELS: 20 X 8 ALUMINUM CHROME CLAD -inc: Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC (8HP70) (DFD), TRADESMAN SXT PACKAGE -inc: Remote Keyless Entry w/All-Secure, Bright Rear Bumper, Front Fog Lamps, Bright Grille, Bright Front Bumper, Carpet Floor Covering, Radio: Uconnect 3 w/5 Display, 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, Wheels: 20 x 8 Aluminum Chrome Clad, Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, Rear Floor Mats, Front Floor Mats.*This Ram 1500 Classic Comes Equipped with These Options *QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 27B TRADESMAN -inc: Engine: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (8HP70) (DFD), Tradesman Package , SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO -inc: For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY W/ALL-SECURE, RADIO: UCONNECT 3 W/5 DISPLAY -inc: 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, GVWR: 6,900 LBS, ENGINE: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT -inc: Manual Adjust Seats, Rear Folding Seat, CARPET FLOOR COVERING, BRIGHT SILVER METALLIC CLEARCOAT, BLACK SEATS.* Stop By Today *Test drive this must-see, must-drive, must-own beauty today at JT's Chrysler Jeep Dodge, 5215 Sunset Blvd., Lexington, SC 29072.Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.
Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.Delivers 25 Highway MPG and 17 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic boasts a Regular Unleaded V-6 3.6 L/220 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WHEELS: 17 X 7 ALUMINUM (STD), TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC (845RE) (STD), TIRES: P265/70R17 BSW AS (STD).*This Ram 1500 Classic Comes Equipped with These Options *QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 22J EXPRESS -inc: Engine: 3.6L V6 24V VVT, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (845RE), Front Fog Lamps, Ram 1500 Express, Body Color Grille, Body Color Rear Bumper w/Step Pads, Rear Floor Mats, Body Color Front Fascia, Front Floor Mats , SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO -inc: For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI, 1-Yr SIRIUSXM Radio Service, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY W/ALL-SECURE, RADIO: UCONNECT 3 W/5 DISPLAY -inc: 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI, 1-Yr SiriusXM Radio Service, POPULAR EQUIPMENT GROUP -inc: Remote Keyless Entry w/All-Secure, SIRIUSXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI, 1-Yr SIRIUSXM Radio Service, GVWR: 6,800 LBS (STD), GRANITE CRYSTAL METALLIC CLEARCOAT, ENGINE: 3.6L V6 24V VVT (STD), DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT, BLACK SEATS.* Visit Us Today *Stop by JTs Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram located at 4838 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC 29072 for a quick visit and a great vehicle!
Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.Boasts 25 Highway MPG and 17 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic delivers a Regular Unleaded V-6 3.6 L/220 engine powering this Automatic transmission. TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC (845RE) (STD), SPRAY IN BEDLINER, RADIO: UCONNECT 4C W/8.4 DISPLAY -inc: USB Host Flip, Google Android Auto, 1-YR SiriusXM Guardian Trial, HD Radio, Media Hub (2 USB, AUX), Air Conditioning ATC w/Dual Zone Control, 8.4 Touchscreen Display, Apple CarPlay, Humidity Sensor.* This Ram 1500 Classic Features the Following Options *QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 22F WARLOCK -inc: Engine: 3.6L V6 24V VVT, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (845RE), Black RAM Head Tailgate Badge, Black Powder Coated Front Bumper, Black Headlamp Filler Panel, Black Grille w/RAM Lettering, Tow Hooks, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, ParkSense Rear Park Assist System, Front Wheel Well Liners, Black Headlamp Bezels, Black Powder Coated Rear Bumper, Black Wheel Flares, Front LED Fog Lamps, Bi-Function Halogen Projector Headlamps, Black Exterior Truck Badging, Semi-Gloss Black Hub, Sport Tail Lamps, Hood Decal , LUXURY GROUP -inc: Cluster 7.0 TFT Color Display, LED Bed Lighting, Overhead Console w/Garage Door Opener, Universal Garage Door Opener, Steering Wheel Mounted Audio Controls, Sun Visors w/Illuminated Vanity Mirrors, Exterior Mirrors Courtesy Lamps, Glove Box Lamp, Auto Dim Exterior Mirrors, Exterior Mirrors w/Supplemental Signals, Rear Dome w/On/Off Switch Lamp, Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel, Power Heated Fold-Away Mirrors, Rear View Auto Dim Mirror, Power-Folding Mirrors, GVWR: 6,800 LBS (STD), ENGINE: 3.6L V6 24V VVT (STD), DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, PREMIUM CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT -inc: Power Lumbar Adjust, Folding Flat Load Floor Storage, 115V Auxiliary Power Outlet, Front Center Seat Cushion Storage, Rear 60/40 Split Folding Seat, Power 10-Way Driver Seat, DIAMOND BLACK CRYSTAL PEARLCOAT, ANTI-SPIN DIFFERENTIAL REAR AXLE, 3.21 REAR AXLE RATIO (STD), Wheels: 20 x 8 Semi-Gloss Black Aluminum, Vinyl Door Trim Insert.* Visit Us Today *Test drive this must-see, must-drive, must-own beauty today at JTs Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, 4838 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC 29072.
Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.Scores 22 Highway MPG and 15 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic delivers a Regular Unleaded V-8 5.7 L/345 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WHEELS: 20 X 8 ALUMINUM CHROME CLAD -inc: Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC (8HP70) (DFK), TIRES: P275/60R20 BSW AS.*This Ram 1500 Classic Comes Equipped with These Options *QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 26J EXPRESS -inc: Engine: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (8HP70) (DFK), Front Fog Lamps, Ram 1500 Express, Body Color Grille, Body Color Rear Bumper w/Step Pads, Rear Floor Mats, Body Color Front Fascia, Front Floor Mats, GVWR: 6,900 lbs, EXPRESS VALUE PACKAGE -inc: Remote Keyless Entry w/All-Secure, Radio: Uconnect 3 w/5 Display, 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI, 1-Yr SiriusXM Radio Service, Wheels: 20 x 8 Aluminum Chrome Clad, Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, Rear Floor Mats, Front Floor Mats , SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO -inc: For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI, 1-Yr SIRIUSXM Radio Service, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY W/ALL-SECURE, RADIO: UCONNECT 3 W/5 DISPLAY -inc: 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI, 1-Yr SiriusXM Radio Service, GVWR: 6,900 LBS, GRANITE CRYSTAL METALLIC CLEARCOAT, ENGINE: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT, ANTI-SPIN DIFFERENTIAL REAR AXLE.* Visit Us Today *Test drive this must-see, must-drive, must-own beauty today at JTs Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, 4838 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC 29072.
Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.Scores 22 Highway MPG and 15 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic delivers a Regular Unleaded V-8 5.7 L/345 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WHEELS: 20 X 8 ALUMINUM CHROME CLAD -inc: Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC (8HP70), TIRES: P275/60R20 BSW AS.*This Ram 1500 Classic Comes Equipped with These Options *QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 27J EXPRESS -inc: Engine: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (8HP70), Front Fog Lamps, Ram 1500 Express, Body Color Grille, Body Color Rear Bumper w/Step Pads, Rear Floor Mats, Body Color Front Fascia, Front Floor Mats, EXPRESS VALUE PACKAGE -inc: Remote Keyless Entry w/All-Secure, Radio: Uconnect 3 w/5 Display, 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, Wheels: 20 x 8 Aluminum Chrome Clad, Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, Rear Floor Mats, Front Floor Mats , SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO -inc: For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY W/ALL-SECURE, RADIO: UCONNECT 3 W/5 DISPLAY -inc: 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, ENGINE: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT -inc: Manual Adjust Seats, Rear Folding Seat, BRIGHT SILVER METALLIC CLEARCOAT, BLACK SEATS, ANTI-SPIN DIFFERENTIAL REAR AXLE.* Stop By Today *Test drive this must-see, must-drive, must-own beauty today at JTs Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, 4838 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC 29072.
Scores 25 Highway MPG and 17 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic boasts a Regular Unleaded V-6 3.6 L/220 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WHEELS: 20 X 8 ALUMINUM CHROME CLAD -inc: Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC (845RE) (STD), TIRES: P275/60R20 BSW AS.*This Ram 1500 Classic Comes Equipped with These Options *QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 22J EXPRESS -inc: Engine: 3.6L V6 24V VVT, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (845RE), Front Fog Lamps, Ram 1500 Express, Body Color Grille, Body Color Rear Bumper w/Step Pads, Rear Floor Mats, Body Color Front Fascia, Front Floor Mats, EXPRESS VALUE PACKAGE -inc: Remote Keyless Entry w/All-Secure, Radio: Uconnect 3 w/5 Display, 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, Wheels: 20 x 8 Aluminum Chrome Clad, Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, Rear Floor Mats, Front Floor Mats , SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO -inc: For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY W/ALL-SECURE, RADIO: UCONNECT 3 W/5 DISPLAY -inc: 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, ENGINE: 3.6L V6 24V VVT (STD), DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT -inc: Manual Adjust Seats, Rear Folding Seat, BRIGHT SILVER METALLIC CLEARCOAT, BLACK SEATS, ADD CLASS IV RECEIVER HITCH.* Visit Us Today *Come in for a quick visit at JT's Chrysler Jeep Dodge, 5215 Sunset Blvd., Lexington, SC 29072 to claim your Ram 1500 Classic!Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.
Boasts 22 Highway MPG and 15 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic boasts a Regular Unleaded V-8 5.7 L/345 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WHEELS: 20 X 8 ALUMINUM CHROME CLAD -inc: Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC (8HP70) (DFD), TIRES: P275/60R20 BSW AS.*This Ram 1500 Classic Comes Equipped with These Options *QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 27J EXPRESS -inc: Engine: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (8HP70) (DFD), Front Fog Lamps, Ram 1500 Express, Body Color Grille, Body Color Rear Bumper w/Step Pads, Rear Floor Mats, Body Color Front Fascia, Front Floor Mats, EXPRESS VALUE PACKAGE -inc: Remote Keyless Entry w/All-Secure, Radio: Uconnect 3 w/5 Display, 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, Wheels: 20 x 8 Aluminum Chrome Clad, Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, Rear Floor Mats, Front Floor Mats , SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO -inc: For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY W/ALL-SECURE, RADIO: UCONNECT 3 W/5 DISPLAY -inc: 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, ENGINE: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT -inc: Manual Adjust Seats, Rear Folding Seat, BRIGHT WHITE CLEARCOAT, ANTI-SPIN DIFFERENTIAL REAR AXLE, ADD CLASS IV RECEIVER HITCH.* Visit Us Today *Stop by JT's Chrysler Jeep Dodge located at 5215 Sunset Blvd., Lexington, SC 29072 for a quick visit and a great vehicle!Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.
Scores 21 Highway MPG and 15 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic boasts a Regular Unleaded V-8 5.7 L/345 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WHEELS: 20 X 8 ALUMINUM CHROME CLAD -inc: Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, TRUE BLUE PEARLCOAT, TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC (8HP70) (DFD).*This Ram 1500 Classic Comes Equipped with These Options *TRADESMAN SXT PACKAGE -inc: Remote Keyless Entry w/All-Secure, Bright Rear Bumper, Front Fog Lamps, Bright Grille, Bright Front Bumper, Carpet Floor Covering, Radio: Uconnect 3 w/5 Display, 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, Wheels: 20 x 8 Aluminum Chrome Clad, Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, Rear Floor Mats, Front Floor Mats, QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 27B TRADESMAN -inc: Engine: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (8HP70) (DFD), Tradesman Package , TIRES: P275/60R20 BSW AS, SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO -inc: For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY W/ALL-SECURE, RADIO: UCONNECT 3 W/5 DISPLAY -inc: 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, GVWR: 6,900 LBS, ENGINE: 5.7L V8 HEMI MDS VVT, DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT -inc: Manual Adjust Seats, Rear Folding Seat, CARPET FLOOR COVERING.* Stop By Today *For a must-own Ram 1500 Classic come see us at JT's Chrysler Jeep Dodge, 5215 Sunset Blvd., Lexington, SC 29072. Just minutes away!Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.
Boasts 25 Highway MPG and 17 City MPG! This Ram 1500 Classic boasts a Regular Unleaded V-6 3.6 L/220 engine powering this Automatic transmission. WHEELS: 20 X 8 ALUMINUM CHROME CLAD -inc: Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC (845RE) (STD), TIRES: P275/60R20 BSW AS.*This Ram 1500 Classic Comes Equipped with These Options *QUICK ORDER PACKAGE 22J EXPRESS -inc: Engine: 3.6L V6 24V VVT, Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic (845RE), Front Fog Lamps, Ram 1500 Express, Body Color Grille, Body Color Rear Bumper w/Step Pads, Rear Floor Mats, Body Color Front Fascia, Front Floor Mats, EXPRESS VALUE PACKAGE -inc: Remote Keyless Entry w/All-Secure, Radio: Uconnect 3 w/5 Display, 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, Wheels: 20 x 8 Aluminum Chrome Clad, Tires: P275/60R20 BSW AS, Full Size Temporary Use Spare Tire, Rear Floor Mats, Front Floor Mats , SIRIUSXM SATELLITE RADIO -inc: For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY W/ALL-SECURE, RADIO: UCONNECT 3 W/5 DISPLAY -inc: 5.0 Touchscreen Display, Overhead Console, Rear View Day/Night Mirror, GPS Antenna Input, Temperature & Compass Gauge, Integrated Voice Command w/Bluetooth, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, For More Info, Call 800-643-2112, No Satellite Coverage w/AK/HI/PR/VI/GU, 1-Year SiriusXM Radio Service, MAXIMUM STEEL METALLIC CLEARCOAT, ENGINE: 3.6L V6 24V VVT (STD), DIESEL GRAY/BLACK, CLOTH 40/20/40 BENCH SEAT -inc: Manual Adjust Seats, Rear Folding Seat, BLACK SEATS, ADD CLASS IV RECEIVER HITCH.* Stop By Today *Stop by JT's Chrysler Jeep Dodge located at 5215 Sunset Blvd., Lexington, SC 29072 for a quick visit and a great vehicle!Must Mention internet price to receive this price. Pricing does not include tax and tags. Price includes $389 closing fee. Pricing only valid when financing through Ally Financial. Must present Internet Pricing before negotiations to qualify. . MSRP is the suggested retail price set by the manufacturer not the selling price. The sale price may not reflect the MSRP. The selling price includes all incentives including a $500 Chrysler Capital Rebate on certain models, a $1000 Upfitter Rebate on commercial vehicles, and a sub prime rebate up to $1250 on select vehicles. Some vehicles may have dealer installed optional equipment such as custom wheels and tires, step rails, etc. The extra equipment may not be included in the price. Optional equipment may be removed upon customer request. Pricing not valid with special APR programs. Offers not in conjunction. JTs Chrysler is not responsible for typographical errors in pricing. By submitting your information,you consent to receive all forms of communication including but not limited to;phone, text, email, mail, etc. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase. | 2019-04-24T00:32:50Z | https://www.jtschryslerdodgejeepram.com/vehicles/2019-ram-1500-classic-big-horn-937175-1c6rr6lt8ks573040-4af02c6b-2d29-417c-86ed-97f6770927f8 |
Welcome to the Thirty Seventh Edition of the Owen Guns Bulletin.
$1300 to $1500. phone for more details phone 07 54 825070.
Most of the .22 caliber rimfire bolt action rifles have a slackless trigger mechanism, slackless means no fore travel or a single stage trigger instead of a double stage trigger. A double stage trigger, or a slack trigger mean that the shooter has to take up the slack first stage with a little pressure, until the trigger comes to bear on the second pressure which actually releases the sear and then the striker as in the stock standard 98 Mauser and the Lee Enfield Rifles.
.22 cal rimfire bolt action rifles can easily be designed to have a slackless single stage trigger as there is no appreciable recoil, the action is not operated fast or hard, nor is clearance between parts required with large tolerances to operate in sand, mud or dust essential. A shotgun should always have a slackless trigger as in aerial moving target shooting there is no time to take up a slack.
Most shooters prefer a trigger without backlash that is one that stops positively as soon as the sear has been released, and has no further backward movement. This has been accomplished in the case of the trigger on the Remington Model 700 bolt action rifle, and with several trigger mechanisms of private manufacture. Some marksmen may derive considerable benefit from such a trigger, but it is not believed to be essential as evidenced with the very large number of good scores being turned in continually with the Brno Model 2 CZ rifles, the trigger of which does have backlash.
It is well considered that a trigger with a pull under three pounds is unsafe. With a lighter trigger even a highly trained marksman may have a premature discharge in firing rapidly, and a cocked rifle with lighter pull could be discharged by a fall or rough handling. Riflemen, or pistol shooters who contend in certain forms of target and varmint shooting sometimes prefer a set trigger. Such a trigger ordinarily performs in the usual manner, but when “set” the weight of pull is greatly reduced, even to an ounce or a mere touch. It is not used in rapid firing, and should not be set until the shooter is all ready to fire, so that the danger of discharge from a fall is reduced. With a double set mechanism there are two triggers.
As soon as any pressure is applied to any trigger it may go off so only use a set trigger when the sights are on target and you are ready for the rifle to fire. Sometimes the front trigger operates the same as a regular trigger, but if the rear trigger is pulled back hard, first, the front trigger is thereby “set” and the pull reduced to a very light one. In other Double Set Trigger the front trigger will not fire unless the rear one is pulled first. They need a bit of getting used to and some people, who are critical have suffered a fumble experience when first used and have not had the patience to put time and thought into there use. A screw, usually appearing in the trigger guard between the two triggers, serves to regulate the weight of this pull. By screwing this screw in a pull may be secured that will cause discharge when merely touching the front trigger lightly. With another form of double set trigger the rear trigger is pushed forward to set the front trigger.
With a single set trigger there is but one trigger, and it is set by pushing it forward and released by applying pressure to a bar at the front of the trigger.
Set triggers to some extent precludes the requirement for careful training in trigger squeeze application, as the trigger can be pressed with very minimum disturbance to the rifle which should guarantee very accurate shooting. On the other hand the user must be extremely careful to avoid premature discharges and accidents, and everyone should acknowledge that it is an impossible trigger for rapid firing. These days most set triggers are only fitted on a rifle or single shot pistol when the customer specially orders one.
Edition 38 Lock Time Ignition.
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Smokeless Powder. Where does it Come From?
The Australian handloader has always had to battle acquiring a good supply of powders. Once he finds a favourite load he often goes to his local gun shop and finds that the importer is not bringing that brand in any more, or that the freight company that dispatched it for twenty years has now found out its dangerous goods so will not move it any more and another company has to be found, or its simply run out, as we have massive amounts of anti terrorism laws the wholesaler has given up due to the bureaucratic nightmare that his staff have to carry out free so the government can charge him for doing it. So, I would not be advising people to store life time supply but if you have a brand and type you like using I would keep a tin or two in advance. In Australia we have one domestic manufacturers ADI, or Mulwex or what ever name they are using for marketing now, and Hercules/Alliant and Winchester are imported, Hodgdon’s are sold in the USA but are not sold in Australia even though they are made by ADI in Mulwala Victoria. Naturally, all of the firms just mentioned compete with each other for the reloading market and this has eventually resulted in better products.
We classify all small arms propellant powders in two groups: “straight” nitrocellulose, single base, and those containing also a substantial percentage of nitroglycerine, double base. For many years the basic formula for smokeless powder has changed very little. As a fuel, which it is, in reality, common garden variety smokeless powder is pretty efficient. In the firearm (essentially a single-cylinder internal combustion engine) it is considerably more efficient than petrol in your car engine. (Probably nearly double the efficiency, that’s why your car will only go at 150 miles and hour and bullets go further, faster and use less of it. Of course your car is a guided missile and has far more kinetic energy.) So please don’t knock it simply because it is made from basic a100 year old formula. While it may be possible for future small arms propellants to come along as a result of the vast amount of rocket propellant research into hydrogen, you can plan on using the current crop for many years to come. On the other hand, manufacturing methods have undergone a great deal of change over the years. These changes have resulted primarily in greater stability (freedom from deterioration due to age or climactic conditions) and uniformity and reduced production costs.
Acids are extremely vital to powder manufacture, yet, are conversely powder’s greatest enemy. Unless all traces of acids are removed in the final stages of manufacture, powder deteriorates rather rapidly with age. During the early 1920’s, millions of pounds of powder left over from World War I had to be destroyed because it deteriorated in storage magazines. Other large quantities destroyed themselves simply by spontaneous fire. These incidents were brought about directly or indirectly by residual acids which emergency, wartime production methods failed to remove.
In addition to the vast quantities of bulk powder destroyed due to deterioration, much loaded ammunition was destined for the same fate. During the years following the two Great Wars, Ordnance inspectors tested samples of all lots of military ammunition in storage at frequent intervals. When deterioration was discovered, the ammunition was condemned and often effectively destroyed by dumping it in deep water at sea. It was also sometimes destroyed by burning, but that is a slow, laborious and expensive way to do the job. I have had satisfactory results from fifty year old powder and found some at barely ten years old that had orange globules in it and some others that had broken down into liquid lumps. Don’t use it like that.
With such problems in the background, the military establishment was greatly interested in a product better suited to storage. DuPont and Hercules the primary WWI powder producers, developed and perfected new production methods before WWII thundered into being. The War Department’s Picatinny Arsenal also conducted considerable research into better methods. Fortunately, these efforts set the stage for WWII powder production in quantities that staggers the imagination, yet today, much powder produced during the painful early 1940’s is still perfectly safe and usable. Magazines fires and explosions like those of the 1920’s are not unknown, but are rare.
Naturally, production facilities were not adequate to the task at the start of WWII. The quantities produced aren’t important for our purposes here. It is sufficient to say that in the peak year (1943) of U.S. small arms ammunition production, the entire U.S. powder production of WWI could have been matched in slightly over one week!
One plant produced 206,700,000, (yes that is 26 million a month) rounds of .30/06 ammunition per month at its peak rate. This required 1,476,430 pounds of IMR 4895 powder, one full freight car (50,000 lbs.) , each day. Another plant (the smallest in operation) produced 1,200,000 calibre .50 M.G. cartridges daily. This consumed nearly 43,000 lbs. of powder each day. And, it was the smallest in operation.
Since the WWII production methods were eminently successful and are still in general use, we’ll describe them in some detail, digressing only where significant changes have taken place. For convenience sake, we’ll break production into two stages —that of processing the nitrocellulose, and that of converting the nitrocellulose to powder. High grade nitrocellulose (actually cellulose-nitrate) is required for all powders, so up to the point of delivery of the nitrocellulose to the powder mill, processes are the same.
The Liberal Member of Federal parliament Joe Hockey has still not responded in any way the letter I emailed to him, has any one else had a response at all from the man who has supposedly seen the light and made the speech, IN DEFENCE OF LIBERTY or is he just another political hypocrite?
A humorous article that should be read by every RSPCA member, or any other of those Walt Disney World animal huggers. Lets hope they all take a play with Bambi one day.
I'm not really a Red Deer, I have just had a bath and I'm still trying to lick his blood off. Yuk humans taste so gamey, I wonder if they are better hung?
“I had this idea that I was going to rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat it. The first step in this adventure was getting a deer. I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck just a few feet away), it should not be difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head (to calm it down) then hog tie it and transport it home.
I filled the cattle feeder then hid down at the back end with my rope.
The cattle, having seen the rope trick before, stayed well back.
They were not having any of it for a while. After about 20 minutes, my deer showed up, 3 of them. I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope.
I took a step towards it. It took a step away. I put a little tension on the rope and then received an education.
The second thing I learned is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a horse. A cow or a horse in that weight range I could fight down with a rope and with some dignity.
That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled. There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to it. As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not nearly as good an idea as I had originally imagined. The only up side is that they do not have as much stamina as many other animals.
I thought if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it would likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the time, there was no love at all between me and that deer. At that moment, I hated the thing, and I would venture a guess that the feeling was mutual.
Despite the gash in my head and the several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer’s momentum by bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground, I could still think clearly enough to recognize that there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility for the situation we were in, so I didn’t want the deer to have to suffer a slow death, so I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the feeder, a little trap I had set before hand…kind of like a squeeze chute. I got it to back in there and I started moving up so I could get my rope back.
Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and then let go. A deer bites you and shakes its head, almost like a mad dog. (bull terrier, or shark like) They bite HARD and it hurts.
I, being smarter than a deer (though you may be questioning that claim by now), tricked it. While I kept it busy tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and pulled that rope loose. That was when I got my final lesson in deer behaviour for the day..
Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right up on their back feet and strike right about head and shoulder level, and their hooves are surprisingly sharp. I learned a long time ago that, when an animal, like a horse, strikes at you with their hooves and you can’t get away easily, the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause them to back down a bit so you can escape.
This was not a horse. This deer had not been to horse school. This was a deer, so obviously, such trickery would not work. In the course of a millisecond, I devised a different strategy.
Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately leave. It impales you and rolls you along the ground with its antlers. I suspect it does not recognize that the danger has passed. When it gets tired of that, it takes a break for a change it paws your back with its hooves and jump up and down on you while you are laying there crying like a little girl and covering your head.
I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the deer went away. A few days later after I got out of hospital, I found the rope and its condition was as damaged as mine. So now I know why when people go deer hunting they bring a rifle with a scope to sort of even the odds out a bit.
If he wakes, his worst Nightmare could be very close.
From Free Russia with Love !
The irony of this following article appearing in the English edition of Pravda (Russian on-line newspaper) defies description. Why can a Russian newspaper print the following yet the American (and Australian) media can’t or won ‘ t see it?
First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather than the classics. Americans know more about their favourite TV dramas than the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their “right” to choke down a Mc Donalds burger or a Burger King burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us about our rights and about our “democracy”. Pride blinds the foolish.
Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different “branches and denominations” were for the most part little more than Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more than happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the “winning” side of one pseudo-Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the “winning” side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox churches are scandalously liberalized in America .
The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America ‘ s short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more than another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Weimar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe .
Then came Barack Obama ‘ s command that GM ‘ s (General Motors) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of “pure” free markets, the American president now has the power, the self-given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.
So it should be no surprise, that the American president has followed this up with a “bold” move of declaring that he and another group of unelected, chosen stooges will now redesign the entire automotive industry and will even be the guarantee of automobile policies.. I am sure that if given the chance, they would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too. Prime Minister Putin, less than two months ago, warned Obama and UK ‘ s Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our “wise” Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride. Again, the American public has taken this with barely a whimper…but a “free man” whimper…?
So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set “fair” maximum salaries, evaluate performance, and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses? Senator Barney Frank, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only, not a looked – down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort. He stresses that this only affects companies that receive government monies, but it is retroactive and taken to a logical extreme, this would include any company or industry that has ever received a tax break or incentive.
Would any of us have believed in the 1980s that this would be printed in Pravda in 2010?
With the proud Americans will go the Australians, Brits, Canadians, New Zealanders, as the Americans are not on their own, We are all, by our silence condemned.
The Sabattis come with open sights, and sling swivels (not shown), they are drilled and tapped to suit Weaver bases and rings (not included). They have a solid action with front double locking lugs and have a drop down floor plate magazine similar to Remington BDL and Parker-Hale Deluxe. For the quality of the wood and finish on the steel work they are a steal at.
Operational manual translated from the 1977 Swedish Army Manual specifications.technical details, Ammunition, Function,Zeroing, Maintenance Night vision sights. Details on snipers scope. With Assemble and Diss-assemble methods. | 2019-04-23T19:55:18Z | http://www.owenguns.com/owen-guns-bulletin-edition-37-april-2010/ |
This policy sets out the principles underpinning international academic and experiential programs undertaken by students at an overseas tertiary institution or other place of learning for recognition towards their course at the University.
This part of the policy sets out the general principles underpinning international academic programs approved by the University. The general principles provide the context in which the subsequent sections of the policy are read.
1.1 The University is committed to providing open access to its international student mobility programs.
1.3 Exchange programs are formal academic programs that operate on the principle that equal numbers of students are exchanged between institutions over the lifetime of an agreement with exceptions being negotiated on a case by case basis.
1.3.1 Exchange agreements between the University and a host institution must be current and approved in line with the University's bilateral relations establishment process and must be in place prior to the commencement of the exchange program.
participate in activities as a condition of the exchange, including, but not limited to, activities at the host campus and assisting in the promotion of the University programs.
1.3.3 Exchange students must maintain their student contribution or international student fees at the University, and tuition fees at the host institution are waived.
1.3.4 The University may take measures to ensure balance in the numbers of incoming and outgoing students over the life of individual exchange agreements to ensure cost neutrality.
1.3.4.1 If the agreed number of fee-waiver places has been filled, additional fee-waiver places or fee-paying places may be negotiated between the University and the host institution on a case by case basis.
1.3.4.2 Increasing the number of fee-waiver places is at the discretion of the host institution.
1.4 Non-exchange programs comprise a range of formal and informal arrangements.
1.4.1 Formal arrangements can include short term academic or experiential programs.
1.4.3 Non-exchange students incur student contribution or fee liability to the University in accordance with their enrolment status and make any tuition or other fee payments to the program provider in accordance with the program provider's fee requirements and policies.
are undertaken normally for credit to the student's course at the University.
Part 2 of this policy ensures that the application and selection processes for students of the University participating in approved international academic programs are administered consistently and equitably.
2.2 To be considered for an exchange program students must be in good standing at the University and may require a minimum weighted average mark (WAM), where stipulated in the individual student exchange agreements.
2.3 Students must have sufficient space within their course of study to undertake an international program, and must normally successfully complete at least 24 points in their current course of study at the University at the time of application, unless an exception to this is stipulated in the individual mobility program.
applications, in exceptional circumstances, considered on a case by case basis.
1.1 Weighted average mark is normally determined based on a student's current enrolled course.
1.2 Where the exchange partner requires a full year of study and the student has not achieved this in their current course, the weighted average mark is determined based on previous study at the University.
2.1The language weighted average mark is determined as the weighted average of the student's language units undertaken in the language relevant to the exchange destination.
undertaken by the relevant board.
formal acceptance by the student.
3.3 Placements for non-exchange programs, including short-term academic programs, are determined through a selection process arranged by the relevant board.
3.4 The placement for a student on an international student visa may occur in their home country, subject to agreement by the host institution.
3.5 A student who is dissatisfied with the outcome of a decision arising from the selection process specified in 3.1 or leading to a placement specified in 3.2 may request a review of the academic decision under the University Policy on Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions relating to Students UP15/1.
1.1 Students are required to submit a preferential application to the Global Learning Office, completing all components by the advertised deadline.
1.2 Students are assessed against the eligibility criteria for the exchange program generally and the listed preferences specifically.
1.3 Students ineligible for the exchange program are notified.
1.4 The Global Learning Office makes every effort to place a student at the highest possible preference.
1.5 Where there are more applicants for a place than places available, places are allocated on the basis of weighted average mark, including the most recent semester.
1.6 Where placement is not possible due to the limitations of a particular exchange program, efforts are made to accommodate the student at their next available preference, provided time allows.
1.7 Where a placement at a particular exchange partner is not possible due to inadequate research on the part of the student, an alternative placement may be denied at the discretion of the relevant board.
1.8 Where a student is not successful in obtaining a placement at any of their preferences, due to limited places, the Global Learning Office may provide options of available institutions for the student.
1.9 Once the student has been placed at an exchange program, the student follows instructions from the Global Learning Office.
4.1 The University provides a range of scholarships to help students meet the costs associated with undertaking an international academic or experiential program.
4.1.1 All exchange students considered for a study abroad scholarship are subject to the conditions of the particular scholarship.
the conditions of the particular scholarship(s) allow.
4.1.3 Scholarships are awarded by the relevant board and are primarily based on academic merit, university internationalisation priorities and available funding.
4.1.4 Financially disadvantaged students, identified by an established mechanism, may be eligible for a supplementary scholarship.
4.1.5 Indigenous students may be eligible for a supplementary scholarship.
4.1.6 Students are not eligible to receive more than one University scholarship from the University's Student Travelling Fund for participation in an international academic or experiential program during their entire university life at the University.
4.1.7 Where available, students may seek external sources of funding relevant to their individual mobility program.
4.1.8 Where available, the relevant board may offer a student an external scholarship in the place of a University travelling scholarship.
4.1.9 Students must not concurrently hold another travel award without approval from the relevant board.
4.2 The University provides a range of loans to help students meet the costs associated with undertaking an international academic program.
4.2.1 Students currently receiving Austudy, Abstudy or Youth Allowance may continue to receive payments during their overseas study period provided they maintain their eligibility.
4.2.2 Applications for continuation of Austudy, Abstudy or Youth Allowance must be accompanied by certification from the University.
(c) have at least one 6 credit point unit remaining in their course at the University upon completion of the overseas study period.
4.2.4 Students who are not eligible for the OS-HELP loan or where OS-HELP funding is unavailable or insufficient to meet the overseas study costs may apply for the University Overseas Study Loan.
1.1 Students lodge a complete application to the Global Learning Office by the advertised deadline.
1.2 Students are ranked based on their weighted average mark, proposed academic credit of the overseas study and points achieved in their current course, and whether they are receiving other travelling scholarships for the same overseas program.
1.3 Students eligible for equity-based travelling funds are identified and awarded.
1.4 Funds are allocated to students based on this ranking until all student travelling funds for the overseas study period are awarded.
1.5 Students are allocated the highest valued scholarship they may be eligible for from the student travelling funds.
1.6 Successful students are notified of the amount awarded and the payment process by the Global Learning Office.
1.7 Unsuccessful students are notified by the Global Learning Office.
The following principles inform students of their obligations and responsibilities during their period of study overseas undertaken as part of an international academic or experiential program.
the University's ethical and behavioural standards.
1.1 Students submit a complete application by the deadline to the Global Learning Office.
Students commit to complying with requests for any additional documents during the Global 1.2 Learning Office's assessment of the application.
1.3 After the selection of the exchange partner programs, students are required to submit all (but not limited to) the following documents.
(vii) Conditions of participation related to their participation in the exchange program.
1.4 Students are committed to attending information and pre departure sessions run by the Global Learning Office.
1.5 While abroad, students must seek approval for any change to the units they are enrolled in with their allocated office for course advice as per 1.3V.
food, travel and accommodation costs, including for study abroad students as outlined in the University Policy on Incidental Fees and Charges UP07/20.
5.3 Students must book all related travel for University recognised international activities through the University's preferred travel supplier.
5.4 Students are committed to providing accurate and complete physical and mental health information and any other information that may be necessary for the University to plan for a safe and healthy overseas learning experience, and promptly communicate any health or safety concerns whilst overseas to program staff.
5.5.9 Not seek to hold the University accountable for any risks present in the overseas learning environment(s), or for the costs of legal representation when incurred, or for their behaviour or the behaviour of other participants, agents of the host institution, contractors or subcontractors.
Part 4 of the policy deals with the principles underpinning the transfer of credit achieved as part of an exchange or non-exchange program to a student's course at the University. It aims to ensure that enrolment and credit transfer policies are applied consistently for students of the University participating in approved international academic programs.
a student has less than 24 credit points remaining to complete their University course and is therefore permitted to have a reduced enrolment, which is not less than 18 credit points and is subject to approval by the relevant board.
6.2 An exchange period is normally a maximum of two consecutive semesters.
6.3 Students with a reduced enrolment may be required to enrol in additional units to fulfil the full-time academic load at the host institution or visa requirements, even though they may not receive credit from the University for the additional units.
6.4 The enrolment status of a non-exchange student at the University depends on the program funding model of the overseas course of study, with the final decision being made by the student's home faculty.
6.5 Non-exchange students must normally enrol in the required academic load at the host institution as specified by the particular program.
6.6 Students undertaking exchange or non-exchange programs are normally not permitted to overload unless specifically approved by both the allocated faculty course advising office at the University and the host university.
6.7 Students enrolled in combined courses (pre-2012) must have obtained approval from the relevant boards to undertake their international academic program.
7.1 The maximum number of points that is normally credited from study via a single exchange or non-exchange program is 48 points and is subject to the University Policy on Credit Transfer, Advanced Standing and Recognition of Prior Learning UP11/34.
the study plan, including changes, have been approved by the relevant board(s).
(iii) satisfy 'Category A' broadening unit requirements provided that the unit(s) is/are not contributing to their degree-specific major.
7.4 Results from the host institution are normally recorded by the University on the student's academic transcript on an ungraded pass/ungraded fail basis in accordance with the University Policy on Ungraded Passes and Fails UP09/10.
7.5 Actual results achieved in an approved academic program at the host institution are recorded as a footnote on the student's University academic transcript and may not be included for any calculations for admission into postgraduate or honours courses, or prize calculation.
1.1 The Global Learning Office provides documentation and instruction on how to complete the enrolment requirement to the students participating in the program.
1.2 Nominating EXCH coded units that represent the disciplines and credit loading of the subjects that are planned to be undertaken by the student on exchange.
(a) Where possible, the EXCH coded units are weighted at 6, 12, 18 or 24 points. If the overseas unit is not a one to one relationship with the University's unit and the EXCH subject or credit loading does not exactly match, the student seeks advice from the relevant board(s) as to how best represent this using the EXCH coded units available.
(b) The student signs and submits the relevant enrolment forms to the Global Learning Office.
1.3 In the event that a student changes their enrolment once at a host institution, they must notify the Global Learning Office and their allocated office for course advice so the appropriate EXCH codes can be modified.
2.1 Upon receipt of the official transcript from the host university, the Global Learning Office begins the credit transfer process.
(a) The student is notified that the transcript is available for collection.
(e) Unless specified by the relevant board, each EXCH unit is awarded an ungraded pass (UP) or ungraded fail (UF).
(c) The name of each subject studied at the institution and the mark achieved in the host university's own grading system.
This part of the policy outlines the principles relating to the deferral, withdrawal and extension of the exchange period within an approved international academic program.
8.1 Extension of an exchange period either at the same or a new host institution is subject to consideration and approval by the relevant board(s), and the host institution.
9.1 Deferral of exchange may be permitted for one semester by the relevant board(s) for students who are unable to continue with their exchange in a particular semester. In exceptional circumstances deferral may be permitted for more than one semester.
9.2 Continuation of an exchange after deferral is subject to confirmation of approval by the relevant board(s) applying the usual eligibility criteria, however, students may be required to reapply and take part in a new competitive selection process.
9.3 Any academic marks received from studies at the University during the period of deferral are considered and are used to recalculate the student's weighted average mark.
after commencement at the host institution and after the census date at the University are responsible for any financial penalties incurred at the host institution, travel-related expenses, HECS and/or International Student Fee Liability.
This section of the policy deals with the principles underpinning the management of risk and critical incidents associated with students undertaking an international academic or experiential program. It aims to ensure that the appropriate risk management mechanisms are implemented consistently where the University has formal international agreements in place.
(c) a crisis response plan.
11.1.10Ensuring that any mechanism established for the management of risk and critical incidents be applied consistently for all approved international academic programs.
(f) or any other incident that may negatively affect the student or hamper the student from successfully completing their study in a safe manner in the overseas learning environment(s).
provides information relating to resources 'on the ground', local avenues of assistance and academic status.
12.4 Where a student's ability to complete academic requirements at the host institution is impeded by a critical incident or incidents specified in 12.2, the University Policy on Special Consideration UP11/23 may take effect.
(c) Confirmation of who the student has contacted to date.
(c) Written report summarising the critical incident and actions taken.
This final section sets out the specific principles underpinning international academic programs approved and administered by the Graduate Research School for Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students.
13.2 HDR students enrolled in Joint PhD programs either as an exchange program or as an approved program with an overseas institution must meet the eligibility and candidature requirements pertaining to joint/double-badged programs as stated in the University's Doctor of Philosophy course rules.
13.3 HDR students may travel overseas to carry out fieldwork, as related to their degree.
13.4 All HDR students intending to travel overseas must have approval from their Coordinating Supervisor, Graduate Research Coordinator and the Graduate Research School prior to making arrangements for travel.
(b) the relevant Scholarship conditions (if applicable).
13.6 Approval of periods of travel for overseas research or fieldwork is subject to nomination of an external supervisor, or submission of a supervision plan for extended periods of absence.
13.7 Research undertaken as part of an approved exchange program with an international institution, an informal arrangement, or fieldwork normally counts towards the credit for the degree in which the student is enrolled.
13.8 The Graduate Research School is committed to its duty of care to HDR students and lodges details of the approved international travel arrangements with the relevant office.
1.1 The Graduate Research School records student's whereabouts within the appropriate IT systems. | 2019-04-20T04:54:57Z | http://www.governance.uwa.edu.au/procedures/policies/policies-and-procedures?method=document&id=UP16%2F4 |
1 Savino P., Tonazzini A. Digital restoration of ancient color manuscripts from geometrically misaligned recto-verso pairs. In: Journal of Cultural Heritage, vol. 19 (May-June 2016) pp. 511 - 521. Elsevier [Online First 15 December 2015], 2016.
2 Tonazzini A., Savino P., Salerno E. A non-stationary density model to separate overlapped texts in degraded documents. In: Signal Image and Video Processing, vol. 9 (Suppl. 1) pp. 155 - 164. Springer, 2015.
3 Amato G., Gennaro C., Savino P. MI-File: using inverted files for scalable approximate similarity search. In: Multimedia Tools and Applications, vol. 71 (3) pp. 1333 - 1362. Springer, 2014.
4 Falchi F., Gennaro C., Savino P., Stanchev P. Efficient video-stream filtering. In: Ieee Multimedia, vol. 15 (1) pp. 52 - 62. IEEE Computer Society, 2008.
5 Savino P., Peters C. ECHO: a digital library for historical film archives. In: International Journal on Digital Libraries, vol. 4 (1) pp. 3 - 7. Springer, 2004.
6 Amato G., Rabitti F., Savino P., Zezula P. Region Proximity in Metric Spaces and its use for Approximate Similarity Search. In: Acm Transactions on Information Systems, vol. 21 (2) pp. 192 - 227. ACM, 2003.
7 Dohnal V., Gennaro C., Savino P., Zezula P. D-Index: Distance Searching Index for Metric Data Sets, Multimedia Tools and Applications. In: Multimedia Tools and Applications, vol. 21 (1) pp. 9 - 33. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003.
2 Salerno E., Savino P., Tonazzini A. Low-level document image analysis and description: from appearance to structure. In: Learning Structure and Schemas from Documents. pp. 343 - 367. Marenglen Biba, Fatos Xhafa (eds.). (Studies in Computational Intelligence, vol. 375). Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, 2011.
3 Amato G., Savino P., Magionami V. Image indexing and retrieval using visual terms and text-like weighting. In: Digital Libraries: Research and Development. vol. 4877 pp. 11 - 21. Costantino Thanos, Francesca Borri and Leonardo Candela (eds.). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 4877). Pisa: Springer, 2007.
4 Amato G., Gennaro C., Savino P., Rabitti F. MILOS: un sistema di content management per lo sviluppo di biblioteche digitali. In: L'informazione multimediale dal presente al futuro: le prospettive del multimedia information retrieval. pp. 146 - 157. Italy: AIB, 2006.
5 Amato G., Gennaro C., Savino P. Audio/video digital libraries: the ECHO experience. In: MultiMedia Information Retrieval: metodologie ed esperienze. pp. 170 - 188. Roberto Raieli, Perla Innocenti (eds.). Roma: Aida, 2004.
6 Gennaro C., Rabitti F., Savino P. The Use of XML in a Video Digital Library. In: Intelligent Search on XML Data, Applications, Languages, Models, Implementations, and Benchmarks. vol. 2818 pp. 19 - 33. Henk M. Blanken, Torsten Grabs, Hans-J�rg Schek, Gerhard Weikum (eds.). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 2818). Twente, Z�rich, and Saarbr�cken: Springer, 2003.
1 Savino P., Bedini L., Tonazzini A. Joint non-rigid registration and restoration of recto-verso ancient manuscripts. In: IWCIM 2016 - International Workshop on Computational Intelligence for Multimedia Understanding (Reggio Calabria, Italy, 27-28 October 2016). Proceedings, article n. 7801180. IEEE, 2016.
2 Bedini L., Savino P., Tonazzini A. Removing achromatic reflections from color images with application to artwork imaging. In: ISPA 2015 - 9th International Symposium on Image and Signal Processing and Analysis (Zagreb, Croatia, 7-9 September 2015). Proceedings, pp. 126 - 130. S. Loncaric, D. Lerski, H. Eskola, R. Bregovi (eds.). IEEE, 2015.
3 Debole F., Savino P., Tonazzini A. Building a digital library containing digital elaborations of ancient documents. In: ICDIM 2015 - Tenth International Conference on Digital Information Management (Jeju Island, South Korea, 21-23 October 2015). Proceedings, pp. 124 - 131. IEEE, 2015.
4 Debole F., Gennaro C., Savino P. Enriching image feature description supporting effective content-based retrieval and annotation. In: VSMM 2014 - International Conference on Virtual Systems & Multimedia (Hong Kong, 8-12 December 2014). Proceedings, pp. 80 - 87. IEEE, 2014.
5 Tonazzini A., Savino P., Salerno E. Non-stationary modeling for the separation of overlapped texts in documents. In: SIU 2014 - 2014 22nd Signal Processing and Communications Applications Conference (Trabzon, Turkey, 23-25 April 2014). Proceedings, pp. 2314 - 2318. IEEE, 2014.
6 Tonazzini A., Salerno E., Savino P., Bedini L. Removal of non-stationary see-through interferences from recto-verso documents. In: WIPRA'2013 - International Workshop on Intelligent Pattern Recognition and Applications (New York, 15 luglio 2013). Proceedings, pp. 151 - 158. Petra Perner (ed.). ibai-publishing, 2013.
7 Debole F., Salerno E., Savino P., Tonazzini A. Editing metadata to support the content analysis, storage and retrieval of ancient documents. In: 5th International Congress on "Science and Technology for the Safeguard of Cultural Heritage in the Mediterranean Basin" (Istanbul, Turkey, 22-25 November 2011). Proceedings, vol. III (2nd Part) pp. 180 - 185. Valmar, 2012.
8 Salerno E., Tonazzini A., Savino P., Martinelli F., Debole F., Bruno F., Bianco G., Console E. AMMIRA: an easy and effective system to manage digital images of artworks. In: 5th International Congress on "Science and Technology for the Safeguard of Cultural Heritage in the Mediterranean Basin" (Istanbul, Turkey, 22-25 November 2011). Proceedings, vol. Vol. III (2nd Part) pp. 237 - 243. Valmar, 2012.
9 Amato G., Bolettieri P., Falchi F., Rabitti F., Savino P. Indexing support vector machines for efficient top-k classification. In: MMEDIA 2011 - Third International Conferences on Advances in Multimedia (Budapest, Hungary, 17-22 Aprile 2011). Proceedings, pp. 56 - 61. XPS (Xpert Publishing Services), 2011.
10 Gennaro C., Amato G., Bolettieri P., Savino P. An approach to content-based image retrieval based on the Lucene search engine library (Extended Abstract). In: SEBD 2011 - Nineteenth Italian Symposium on Advanced Database Systems (Maratea, Italy, 26-29 June 2011). Atti, pp. 333 - 340. Giansalvatore Mecca, Sergio Greco (eds.). Universit� della Basilicata, Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica, 2011.
11 Bianco G., Bruno F., Tonazzini A., Salerno E., Savino P., Zitova B., Sroubek F., Console E. A framework for virtual restoration of ancient documents by combination of multispectral and 3D imaging. In: EG-IT 2010 - Eurographics Italian Chapter Conference "Computer graphics meets computer vision" (Genova, 18-19 November 2010). Atti, article n. 001-007. Eurographics Italian Chapter, 2010.
12 Gennaro C., Amato G., Bolettieri P., Savino P. An approach to content-based image retrieval based on the Lucene search engine library. In: ECDL 2010 - Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries. 14th European Conference (Glasgow (UK), 6-10 September 2010). Proceedings, pp. 55 - 66. Mounia Lalmas, Joemon Jose, Andreas Rauber, Fabrizio Sebastiani, Ingo Frommholz (eds.). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 6273). Springer, 2010.
13 Amato G., Debole F., Peters C., Savino P. MultiMatch - Multilingual / Multimedia Access to Cultural Heritage. In: IRCDL 2009 - 5th Italian Research Conference on Digital Libraries (Padova, Italy, 29-30 January 2009). Atti, pp. 162 - 165. M. Agosti, F. Esposito, C. Thanos (eds.). DELOS, 2009.
14 Amato G., Debole F., Peters C., Savino P. MultiMatch: Multiple Access to Cultural Heritage. In: VLDL 2009 - Second Workshop on Very Large Digital Libraries (Corfu, Greece, 2 October 2009). Proceedings, pp. 9 - 16. Yannis Ioannidis, Paolo Manghi, Pasquale Pagano (eds.). DELOS, 2009.
15 Debole F., Savino P., Eckes G. Searching and browsing film archives. The European Film Gateway Approach. In: Cultural Heritage Cairo 2009 - 4th International Congress on Science and Technology on the Safeguard of Cultural Heritage in the Mediterranean Basin (Cairo, Egypt, 6-8 December 2009). Proceedings, pp. 359 - 364. Fondazione Roma Mediterraneo, 2009.
16 Amato G., Savino P. Approximate similarity search from another perspective. In: SEBD 2008 - Sistemi Evoluti per Basi di Dati (Mondello (PA), Italy, 22-25 June 2008). Atti, pp. 247 - 254. SEBD, 2008.
17 Amato G., Savino P. Approximate similarity search in metric spaces using inverted files. In: INFOSCALE - Third Interational ICST Conference on Scalable Information Systems (Vico Equense, 4-6 June 2008). Proceedings, ACM, 2008.
18 Amato G., Debole F., Peters C., Savino P. The MultiMatch prototype: multilingual/multimedia search for cultural heritage objects. In: ECDL 2008 - Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries. 12th European Conference on Digital Libraries (Aarhus, Denmark, 14-19 September 2008). Proceedings, pp. 385 - 387. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 5173). Springer, 2008.
19 Amato G., Savino P., Magionami V. Use of weighted visual terms for machine learning techniques for image content recognition relying on MPEG-7 visual descriptors. In: WMS 2008 - 2nd International Workshop on the Many Faces of Multimedia Semantics, in Conjunction with ACM Multimedia 2008 (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 27 October - 1 November 2008). Proceedings, pp. 60 - 63. ACM, 2008.
20 Amato G., Bolettieri P., Debole F., Falchi F., Gennaro C., Rabitti F., Savino P. A Tutorial on the MILOS Multimedia Content Management System. In: Russian Conference on Digital Libaries. RCDL 2007 (Perseslavl (Russia), 15-18 October 2007). Proceedings, pp. 16 - 24. 2007.
21 Amato G., Magionami V., Savino P. Image content classification by using visual terms. In: Second international DELOS Conference (Pisa, Italy, 5-7 December 2007). Proceedings, DELOS, 2007.
22 Amato G., Cigarran R. J., Gonzalo J., Peters C., Savino P. MultiMatch - Multilingual/Multimedia Access to Cultural Heritage. In: Third Italian Research Conference on Digital Library Systems (Padova, Italy, 29-30 January 2007). Atti, pp. 86 - 94. DELOS A Network of Excellence on Digital Libraries, 2007.
23 Amato G., Magionami V., Savino P. Region Based Image Similarity Search Inspired by Text Search. In: IRCDL - Third Italian Research Conference on Digital Library Systems (Padova, 29-30, January 2007). Atti, pp. 78 - 85. DELOS A Network of Excellence on Digital Libraries, 2007.
24 Amato G., Magionami V., Savino P. Region-based image indexing and retrieval inspired by text search. In: International Workshop on Visual and Multimedia Digital Libraries. In conjunction to ICIAP 2007 (Modena, 10-14 September 2007). Proceedings, pp. 101 - 106. IEEE Computer Society, 2007.
25 Amato G., Bolettieri P., Debole F., Falchi F., Rabitti F., Savino P. Using MILOS to build a multimedia digital library application: the photobook experience. In: Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries. 10th European Conference, ECDL 2006 (Alicante, September 17-2 2006). Proceedings, vol. 4172 pp. 379 - 390. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 4172). Springer Berlin / Heidelberg, 2006.
26 Amato G., Bolettieri P., Debole F., Falchi F., Rabitti F., Savino P. Using MILOS to build an on-line photo album: the PhotoBook. In: Italian Symposium on Advanced Database Systems. SEBD 2006 (Portonovo (Ancona), June 18-21, 2006). Atti, pp. 233 - 240. publisher information no available, 2006.
27 Amato G., Gennaro C., Savino P., Rabitti F. MILOS: a multimedia content management system for multimedia digital library applications. In: Italian Research Conference on Digital Library Management Systems (Padova, Italy, January 28). Atti, pp. 29 - 32. Thanos, Costantino and Agosti, Maristella (eds.). 2005.
28 Amato G., Debole F., Rabitti F., Savino P., Zezula P. A Signature-Based Approach for Efficient Relationship Search on XML Data Collections. In: Database and XML Technologies, Second International XML Database Symposium, XSym 2004 (Toronto, Canada, August 29-30, 2004). Proceedings, pp. 82 - 96. Zohra Bellahsene, Tova Milo, Michael Rys, Dan Suciu, Rainer Unland (eds.). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 3186). Springer, 2004.
29 Amato G., Gennaro C., Rabitti F., Savino P. Milos: A Multimedia Content Management System. In: Twelfth Italian Symposium on Advanced Database Systems, SEBD 2004 (S. Margherita di Pula, Cagliari, Italy, June 21-23, 2004). Atti, pp. 342 - 349. Maristella Agosti, Nicoletta Dess�, Fabio A. Schreiber (eds.). 2004.
30 Amato G., Gennaro C., Rabitti F., Savino P. Milos: a Multimedia Content Management System for Digital Library Applications. In: ECDL 2004 - Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries, 8th European Conference (University of Bah (UK), 12-17 September 2004). Proceedings, pp. 14 - 25. Rachel Heery, Liz Lyon (eds.). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 3232). Springer Verlag, 2004.
31 Dohnal V., Gennaro C., Savino P., Zezula P. Access Structures for Advanced Similarity Search in Metric Spaces. In: Symposium on Advanced Database Systems (Cetraro (CS), Italy, June 24-27). Atti, pp. 483 - 494. Sergio Flesca, Sergio Greco, Domenico Sacc�, Ester Zumpano (eds.). Rubettino, 2003.
32 Dohnal V., Gennaro C., Savino P., Zezula P. Similarity Join in Metric Spaces. In: European Conference on IR Research (Pisa, Italy, April 2003). Proceedings, pp. 452 - 467. Fabrizio Sebastiani (ed.). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 2633). Springer, 2003.
33 Amato G., Gennaro C., Savino P. Indexing and retrieving documentary films: managing metadata in the ECHO system. In: Multimedia Information Retrieval Workshop (in conjunction with ACM Multimedia 2002) (Juan-les-pins, France, 6 December 2002). Proceedings, ACM, 2002.
1 Artini M., Bardi A., Biagini F., Debole F., La Bruzzo S., Manghi P., Mikulic M., Savino P., Zoppi F. Data Interoperability and Curation: the European Film Gateway Experience. IRCDL 2012. Preprint, 2012.
2 Manghi P., Savino P., Zoppi F. EFG - Adaptation of the DRIVER Software Components (D-NET). European Film Gateway-EFG. Deliverable D 2.3, 2010.
3 Amato G., Bolettieri P., Savino P. Efficient approximate classification with support vector machines and index structures in the input space. Technique for efficiently and effectively executing top-k classification tasks on very large datasets. Technical report, 2009.
4 Manghi P., Savino P., Eckes G. EFG - Functional analysis of DRIVER customisation. The European Film Gateway (ECP 517006 - 2007). Deliverable D4.1, 2009.
5 Nardi A., Savino P., Peters C. MultiMATCH - Thirty month progress report. Multilingual/Multimedia access to cultural heritage. Deliverable 9.3.5, 2008.
6 Amato G., Gennaro C., Savino P. D-Lib - Audio/Video Digital Library. Digital Library Competence Center. Deliverable D1.1.1, 2004.
7 Falchi F., Gennaro C., Savino P. Efficient video filtering of MPEG-7 streams. Technical report, 2004.
8 Amato G., Gennaro C., Savino P. D-Lib - Audio/Video Digital Library Report. Digital Library Competence Center. Deliverable D5.1.1, 2003.
9 Savino P., Peters C. ECHO: a Digital Library for Historical Film Archives. The document has been submitted to Journal Journal of Digital Libraries, Springer, Technical report, 2003.
1 Debole F., Savino P., Caruso E. Metadata Editor. [Software] , 22 June 2010.
1 Console E., Tonazzini A., Salerno E., Savino P., Bruno F. Integrating optical imaging and digital processing for nondestructive diagnosis of artifacts. In: TECHNART 2015 - Non-destructive and microanalytical techniques in art and cultural heritage (Catania, Italy, 27-30 April 2015). Abstract, article n. P1-168. INFN, 2015.
2 Debole F., Salerno E., Savino P., Tonazzini A. Editing metadata to support the acquisition, content analysis, storage and retrieval of ancient documents. In: Cultural Heritage Istanbul 2011 - 5th International Congress on "Science and Technology for the Safeguard of Cultural Heritage in the Mediterranean Basin" (Istanbul, 22-25 November 2011). Abstract, pp. 213 - 213. Valmar, 2011.
3 Salerno E., Tonazzini A., Savino P., Martinelli F., Debole F., Bruno F., Bianco G., Console E. AMMIRA: an easy and effective system to manage digital images of artworks. In: Cultural Heritage Istanbul 2011 - 5th International Congress on "Science and Technology for the Safeguard of Cultural heritage in the Mediterranean Basin" (Istanbul, 22-25 November 2011). Abstract, Angelo Guarino (ed.). Valmar, 2011.
4 Amato G., Cigarran R. J., Gonzalo J., Peters C., Savino P. MultiMatch - Multilingual/Multimedia Access to Cultural Heritage. In: 11th European Conference on Digital Libraries - ECDL 2007 (Budapest, Hungary, September 2007). Abstract, pp. 505 - 508. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 4675). Springer, 2007.
5 Savino P., Amato G., Peters C. MULTIMATCH - Α Vertical Search Engine for European Cultural Heritage. In: European Information Space: Infrastructures, Services and Applications Workshop (Rome, Italy, 29-30 October 2007).
6 Amato G., Gennaro C., Rabitti F., Savino P. Functionalities of a content management system specialized for digital library applications. In: International Workshop of the EU Network of Excellence DELOS on Audio-Visual Content and Information Visualization in Digital Libraries (Avivdilib'05) (Cortona (Italy), May 2005).
7 Amato G., Falchi F., Gennaro C., Rabitti F., Savino P., Stanchev P. Improving image similarity search effectiveness in a multimedia content management system. In: MIS International Workshop on Multimedia Information Systems (Washington DC, 25-27 August 2004).
8 Batko M., Gennaro C., Savino P., Zezula P. Scalable Similarity Search in Metric Spaces. In: DELOS Workshop on Digital Library Architectures: Peer-to-Peer, Grid, and Service-Orientation (S. Margherita di Pula (Cagliari), Italy, 24-25 June 2004).
9 Amato G., Gennaro C., Savino P. Audio/video digital libraries: designing, searching for documents, and generating Metadata. In: JCDL 2003 - Joint Conference on Digital Libraries 2003 (Houston, USA, 27-31 May 2003). | 2019-04-19T19:02:47Z | http://nemis.isti.cnr.it/person/pasquale-savino |
TIP! Deep breathing and thought control can also relieve some tension. Visualize yourself taking a hot bath or doing an activity you enjoy.
Stress is an issue that deals with ones mental health, and everyone will deal with stress at one point in their life. Many different factors can create stressful situations, from work to relationships. The tips below will help you find a way to manage stress effectively.
TIP! Make sure you aren’t carrying tension in your jaw. The physical representation of your stress often shows up first in your jawline.
Everyone needs positive thoughts in their life. Create your own by coming up with a positive, short phrase called an affirmation that you can use daily. Use it as a mantra to silence any doubts about yourself that may be making you more stressed. Inform yourself that you’re capable of dealing with it, that you are calm, or whatever affirmations can help you feel better.
TIP! You need to understand why you are feeling stressed. It is important to figure out what in life is causing your own stress.
One way to reduce stress is to perform repairs. Think of three things in your life that could use repairs, then fix them! By doing so, you are eliminating three potential headaches further down the road.
TIP! A professional massage makes a great way to manage and purge your stress. People often carry stress in their bodies in the form of tense muscles.
If you have several friends, organize activities such as walks in a park or jogging on hiking trails. You can reduce the amount of toxins by sweating them out. A quick jog is all it takes to get your stress under control.
TIP! Remind the people in your life that they are not the direct cause of the stress in your life. If you take your stress out on your family, they will feel as if they are not treating you right.
Get to know your stress. One of the most important parts of dealing with stress is identifying where your stress comes from. A person, situation, or even an object can be the cause of your stress. Once you know what has caused your stress, you can start addressing it until your stress is either minimized or eliminated.
TIP! Talking with other people can be a great way of relieving stress. This will give you an opportunity to let your anxieties and emotions out.
Write your stress away. In life there are often situations which cause a lot of stress, but which are not easier to talk about with others. In these situations, writing can provide a confidential outlet for your worries. Keep a journal containing the things that stressed you out, and how you solved them or relieved your stress, that way you can refer back to it.
TIP! Video games are a wonderful form of reducing stress. When playing video games, your focus is on how you can beat the game.
Try purchasing some spearmint oil to help reduce stress. Dab a bit on your neck and temples when you feel stressed. Minor luxuries like this can mean a world of difference against your stress, so give it a shot!
TIP! Daydreaming is not just for kids! Find the time to close your eyes and relax. Let your mind carry you to a tranquil and enchanting place, free of the stresses of the moment.
Put your hands on a wall and push forward while you are pushing downwards with your feet. This forceful stretching will work tension out of your body and take your focus off of whatever is causing you stress.
TIP! You can reduce stress significantly with calming deep breathing exercises. Our breathing gets shallow and rapid when we are stressed, so incorporating better breathing techniques into your life will improve your daily stress levels.
Every funny event you experience or joke you hear should go into it. Reading this type of log will be extremely enjoyable, but keeping records of this type serves to remind you of all of the entertaining and funny things that regularly happen in your everyday life.
TIP! Limit the amount of caffeine that you take in during the day. Caffeine increases the presence of stress hormones in your body.
Honesty is always the best policy so make sure you use this to ward off stress and anxiety. Even little white lies can lead to guilt and leave you worried and stressed that the truth will be exposed.
TIP! Try mixing up a stress-reducing potion. A variety of homeopathic remedies are available to decrease anxiety and the symptoms of stress.
Get a tutor to help you master a difficult subject at school. A tutor can help you to study for upcoming tests in the subject, so that you feel less stressed out when exam time arrives. Being 100% prepared can really make a difference in your mental state.
TIP! Listen to light music, close your eyes, and relax. When you sooth your senses you actually take away stress and tension.
It is awful to live with stress. It makes you anger faster, frustrate easier and a generally not a fun person to be around. People live with unnecessary stress all the time. The following tips will help you manage your stress and live a more relaxed life.
TIP! Make preparations for the day ahead. This will help you start your day feeling less stressed.
It is difficult to keep a job in place when most businesses are laying people off. If your workplace is causing stress, it is vital that you address the problem right away. This article contains tips that will help you to manage your stress.
TIP! Take whatever is stressing you out and number it from 1-10. Let “1” represent a small problem, and let “10” represent a real catastrophe.
Try your hardest to keep the stress in your life under control. High stress can lead to several health problems, such as stroke, hypertension, heart attacks, ulcers, insomnia, depression and muscle aches. Making sure that you have an adequate amount of sleep each night can reduce your stress levels and decrease the chances of you getting sick.
TIP! Create your own affirmation; this is an upbeat, brief statement that you can use when you are feeling stressed. Repeat your affirmation when you are feeling overwhelmed, to give yourself the courage and strength you need to forge ahead.
There’s nothing like a bit of exercise to help you battle stress. Do not expect your stress to disappear instantly, since this is only a way to deal with your issues. Not only can it relieve a great deal of stress, but it can also gift people with self-esteem and give them back some control over life.
TIP! A great way to relieve stress is to exercise and get yourself active. While exercise is not a miracle cure, incorporating regular workouts into your lifestyle can make your life better.
Think about what you currently do to manage stress, and determine if there is a better way to go about it. Consider tracking how you react to stressful situations over a couple of weeks. Then, examine your responses and try to decide whether they were helpful or made the situation worse. If not, you can then develop new coping strategies to help you better handle day to day stress.
When stressed, you may be relaxed by drinking a cup of hot tea. You may find relief from herbal teas that include botanical ingredients like kava kava or chamomile. To make tea strong and get all of its benefits, let them steep for a full ten minutes. Try drinking a cup every morning or prior to bed to reduce your stress.
TIP! One way to lower your stress level may be to spend time with pets. Experts agree that even the simple interaction of petting an animal can go a long way in alleviating stress.
Teens and young adults can relieve stress by playing video games. Playing games lets you focus on the act of playing, letting you clear your head of negative thoughts. Either play with a friend or play alone to better your mood.
TIP! Let your friends and family members know that your stress has nothing to do with them. Frequently, spouses, and particularly children, feel like they are at fault.
A long bath can serve as a great relaxation tool. Scented oils can be used to help someone relax even more and feel as if they are in a luxury spa. You can also listen to soft music or indulge in a book. A relaxing soak is very effective in resting your body and brain, as well was letting go of stress.
TIP! Analyze how you deal with stressful situations right now and your results can help establish if there are ways you can improve on handling it better. Try keeping a stress journal for a few weeks.
Keep a close watch on your muscles if you’re stressed out, watching to see if any groups become clenched tightly. You may clench your teeth, back, or shoulders during an attack. When you are aware of where you hold your tension, consciously stretch these spots often when you are under stress. This will help to lessen the tension you feel and will help you relax.
TIP! Playing video games is an excellent way for young adults to relieve stress. Playing a game forces you to focus on the strategy, thus helping to distract you from other worries.
To reduce stress learn some deep breathing exercises. During periods of stress, our breathing can become fast and shallow. Breathing slowly deeply reduces stress and curbs tension. This is a great way to reduce stress in your life.
TIP! Listening to music can be a simple, effective stress-reducing technique. It is a well known phenomenon that music therapy will reduce stress as long as the type of music is soothing to you.
To help give yourself a less stressful lifestyle, do your best to forgive others. Spending your energy focusing on the ways others have wronged you will increase your stress levels and make you anxious and irritable.
TIP! Enjoying a hot bath is a great way to relieve stress. Soaking in a tub is a great way to push all your worries and cares out of your mind.
Learning what things in your life are really important to you can help to deal with stress. Prioritizing your “top 10 list” can help you to understand what’s worth stressing about, and what’s trivial. This can lead to a happier day-to-day life.
TIP! Try to focus your attention on the quality of your breathing on a regular basis. It may be hard to believe but simply breathing deeply can increase the oxygen in your bloodstream and relax your body rapidly.
In conclusion, no one wants to have stress with them in their job. Not only at work, but stress is present everywhere in your life, and can disturb your natural balance and open the door for a lot of unwelcome things. Use the advice in this article to reduce your stress.
TIP! When you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, visualize being calm. Visualize yourself taking a hot bath or doing an activity you enjoy.
It’s hard to reduce stress from your life; you must learn how to handle it. Like anything else, you need to be educated about the ways to reduce stress if you want to overcome it. These suggestions can help you get rid of stress and have you living healthier.
TIP! Take whatever is stressing you out and number it from 1-10. If at one on the scale there means only minor problems, a ten then indictaes major problems.
Do your best to control the stress level in your life. Too much stress is the cause of numerous health problems like stroke, heart attacks, hypertension, ulcers, depression, insomnia, obesity, and aches and pains. Get an adequate amount of sleep each night to allow the cells in your body to rejuvenate, and be ready to deal with tomorrow’s stress. It can also reduce your risk of developing any of these illnesses.
Make a list of everything that is causing you stress and rank each item from one to ten. Use a rating system to determine how important the stressful things in your life really are. This method can often help you to stop suffering from stress due to minor issues.
TIP! Make plans to take a long walk or go jogging with people you enjoy being with. This will let you sweat out all the toxins that are in your body, which is an important thing to do.
Some people, when they get stressed out, end up turning to drugs or alcohol. This is a way people choose to temporarily relieve the negative and overwhelming feelings that they don’t have control over. Alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs will not solve your problems. Drugs and alcohol will instead make your life even harder and add to the stress you are already dealing with.
TIP! Remember that alcohol is a depressant and is never good for stress relief. Using alcohol responsibly in a social setting with friends is fine; however, downing ten beers a night to knock the edge off your day is lunacy.
The best way to start removing stress is to first discover where your stress is coming from and work to reduce or eliminate it. A common source of stress for many people is a friend that is emotionally draining and prone to drama. Limit the time you spend with such a person. By minimizing your exposure to highly stressful people or situations whenever feasible, you are taking great strides in improving the quality of your life and quite possibly, your health.
TIP! Being able to listen to your own music at work can help quite a bit. Focus on calmer, low-key music like smooth jazz.
Think about your stress, and how you deal with it. There is probably a better way to do things. Track how you respond to stressful situations over a few weeks. Examine how you respond to the stressful situation and find out how you can deal with it. If you aren’t, then try to devise a new coping strategy that will help you to deal with things on a day to day basis.
TIP! By being prepared for problems you may encounter, you can reduce your exposure to stressful situations. For example, keep a spare house key in a secure location, always have a spare ready meal in stock at work and arrange backup babysitting options in case your regular sitter is ill.
If your work allows it, listening to music of your choice can offer you a great benefit. Choose calm music, as this will reduce your stress level. If you play music with a strong beat, be sure it sends a positive message.
TIP! Breathing before you respond can help control a situation that is stressful. Step back, count to ten, and breathe deeply before you act on the situation.
Stand parallel to a strong wall, and with your feet planted firmly on the ground, place your hands flat on the wall and push as hard as you possibly can. This forceful stretching will work tension out of your body and take your focus off of whatever is causing you stress.
As already noted, stress reduction is accomplished by a combination of education and coping techniques. If you know the right ways to reduce stress, it can seem more manageable.
TIP! Engage in preventative healthcare to avoid stressing out. Now knowing about potential medical conditions or health concerns can leave you feeling stressed and anxious.
Stress is often just a part of life but, learning to manage it makes it fade away. Gaining a bit of knowledge about how to relieve stress will be necessary in order to eliminate that feeling of being overwhelmed. The following article has advice you can use to lower your stress, while improving your overall life.
TIP! Stop clenching your jaw and consciously relax it. Stress can be found in several parts of the body, but it is very common in the jaw.
Try your hardest to keep the stress in your life under control. You can cause yourself serious problems like heart disease, insomnia, muscle aches and depression if you are stressed. A good night’s rest can help you in reducing the amount of stress you have in your life and give you a better ability to stay healthy.
TIP! Music is a very effective tool for the management of stress. Music has an incredible power over people.
You need to make certain your jaw is relaxed, and stop grinding your teeth. Different people allow stress to manifest itself in different areas of the body. For many people, stress affects the jawline. If you begin to feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, put your index finger on your jaw, clench, take a deep breath in, and release both your jaw and your breath at the same time. This is a neat tip that will immediately help you feel less stressed.
TIP! Animals are a proven way to decrease stress levels. Studies have shown that the act of stroking an animal’s fur for a short period can help ease stress.
A professional massage is a great way to take some of the stress away. It is very common for people to carry their stress as extremely tight muscles in the neck, jaw, shoulders and back. A massage is the best way to relax your muscles and release positive chemicals.
TIP! Try writing about your stress to relax. Sometimes stress gets to the point where speaking about it is difficult, but sitting down and putting it to paper can actually have a more calming effect, which can relieve the stressful situation.
Writing about your problems can help to reduce stress. There are problems in everyone’s life that causes anxiety. They may not be things you want to share with other people. Writing out these things for yourself can give you some perspective and meaning. Think about keeping a notebook with all your writing in. By doing this, you will have a useful resource to refer back to in the future if you are ever faced with similar problems.
TIP! Gardening can be a great stress reducer. If you live in your own house, you have the right to garden as you please and where you please.
Identifying the causes of your stress can definitely help to relieve it. If you find that you can remove a stressful thing from your life, try it. Once you remove what is causing you stress, it will feel as if a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.
TIP! There are many herbal teas that help individuals to relax. Passionflower, kava kava, and chamomile tea are all famous for their mild sedative effects.
In many cases, an enjoyable talk with a close friend is the greatest way to overcome stress. Expressing your emotions is a great way to feel better. Arrange to get together with a family member or friend, or make a telephone call to one.
Going out to a candlelit dinner with your loved one is a wonderful way to relieve stress. This will focus your attention on the one you love so that you can enjoy yourself for the moment and not worry about past and future events.
TIP! Treat yourself to a hot bath, at the end of a long day, to release tension. Some nice scented soaps or oils can make a bath luxurious.
A great technique for reducing stress is daydreaming for short periods. Allow your mind to drift into a place and time of fantasy. Exercises like these will help your brain deal with any negative situation.
TIP! If you practice healthy ways of living, you will have less reasons to become stressed. Worrying about your health can be stressful, and not taking preventative health measures may be harmful to your long-term well-being.
With the constant movement of a busy life, it’s easy for people to find themselves feeling stressed out. Even searching for stress advice can be a source of stress, given the vast reams of information to pick through. The following information will help you quickly and easily begin getting rid of the stress in your life.
When you feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities, it can help to visualize yourself being calm. Visualize yourself taking a hot bath or doing an activity you enjoy. As an alternative, close your eyes and picture yourself at a place that relaxes you most, such as the beach or in a field. Focus on the calmness of your surroundings.
TIP! If you have several friends, organize activities such as walks in a park or jogging on hiking trails. Exercise will help rid your body of toxins by letting you sweat them away.
Right down all of the things that are stressing you and then give them a number from 1-10. Allow one to be the bottom of the meter, “little to no stress”, while ten is extremely catastrophic situations. While it can be hard, learning how to not allow minor things in your life bother you can be a huge step towards a less stressful life.
Develop an affirmation or a positive statement that can bring happiness to your life when you are stressed out. As you repeat your affirmation to yourself, you will be able to stifle that wheedling, pessimistic voice from within. Remind yourself whatever may come, you can handle it. Repeat to yourself that you are in control of your reactions. Choose an affirmation that responds to the voices that are bothering you.
TIP! Some people turn to alcohol or other drugs when they are stressed out. They can then just forget about the issues that are plaguing them.
The solution to stress is never found in a bottle. Using alcohol responsibly in a social setting with friends is fine; however, downing ten beers a night to knock the edge off your day is lunacy. Many times alcoholism starts with just one drink and then escalates from there.
TIP! Since stress can come from so many different sources in our lives, it is important for you to identify the causes of your worst stress. If it is something that you are able to remove from your life, then you should consider doing just that.
Try to replace unhealthy habits with healthy, productive ones. Getting some exercise is a better way of dealing with stress than overeating. Your body will be stronger, and better able to deal with everyday stress, if you replace your unhealthy coping habits with healthy ones.
Try standing by a stationary wall, place your hands on it and push with all your might, digging your feet into the floor. This exertion process will help you to unleash your pent up stress.
TIP! While video games and other hobbies can typically be very relaxing, if you find yourself becoming frustrated then you should put it down. Ideally, you should be clearing your mind and feeling more calm, so replacing your stressful feelings with frustration will undo the work you’ve done.
Handcrafts are a very nice way to relax and reduce stress. Your mind just lets go and relaxes when you do something that does not involve a deadline. So try knitting, carving, writing, sculpting, or whatever it is you prefer.
TIP! Stand by a solid wall, put your weight in your hands on the wall, and push hard while bracing your feet on the floor. Physical effort can be a really good way to relieve your stress.
One natural way you can eliminate stress is by leading a lifestyle that is healthier. Try to get more exercise, improve the foods you eat or get a good night’s sleep to help your body fight anxiety or stress. When you take good care of yourself, your sense of well being increases and stressful events are easier to handle.
TIP! Another great trick to relieve stress is to use visual imagery. Research has shown that using positive imagery works very well when trying to rid yourself of stress.
In order to reduce stress, try deep breathing exercises. Stress causes quick, shallow breaths which reduce your oxygen intake, so learn how to breath correctly to relieve stress. Try to incorporate breathing exercises into your daily stress relief routine.
If life is making you feel overwhelmed, then it is okay to say no. Do not try too hard to please everyone you know.
TIP! If you are having to deal with stress, remember to stop and breath deeply occasionally. When you start feeling overwhelmed or anxious, studies have proven that by breathing deeply, you can start to feel better.
Long, hot, luxurious baths are great stress relievers. There is almost nothing better at relieving stress than getting in the tub and soaking your muscles in a hot bath. If you don’t have time for a bath, take a few minutes to rinse your hands and face with hot water. If you imagine being in a bath at the same time, you will feel a bit of relief.
TIP! Try to listen to relaxing music, and close your eyes to relax. Activities that soothe your senses can help stress or tension melt away.
You should strive to remember that while stress is unpleasant, it is also bad for your health. Your body has difficulty running efficiently and effectively when stressed. If you apply the advice provided here, you will be able to relax and feel less overwhelmed.
TIP! Practice preventative health care maintenance, and give yourself fewer reasons to stress-out! Health issues can be stressful but you could avoid most conditions by taking preventive measures. Keeping up with the recommended medical check-ups and tests will keep you focused on maintaining your body, resulting in better health and lower stress levels.
As we understand more about stress, many people will take it more seriously. Some places of employment even look at is as a medication affliction that warrants time off from work. However, it is not likely that there is anyone who enjoys the concept of taking time off work because their stress is too much to handle. You want to defeat it. Use the information provided her to effectively banish your stress.
TIP! Relax your jaw and stop gritting your teeth. The physical representation of your stress often shows up first in your jawline.
Try your hardest to maintain a healthy stress level. Stress is a major contributor to aches and pains, depression, insomnia, ulcers, cardiac arrest, high blood pressure, stroke and more. Getting adquate sleep will minimize stress and can even reduce the possibility of getting sick.
TIP! Getting a pet can help you with stress management. Even the simple act of petting an animal has been proven to be a stress reliever.
For the health of your mouth, stop grinding your teeth. There are different parts of the body that may begin to harbor tension when a person is stressed out, and the jaw is one of the most common. Gently hold your hand around your jaw while your jaw is closed. Then, take a breath. Finally, exhale while releasing your jaw. This should make you feel better.
TIP! One way to get rid of excess stress is writing it down. Often times we have difficulty discussing the matters which stress us most, but when it’s just between you and your writing, things have a way of working themselves to the surface and clearing up a great deal of stress.
Make an affirmation, or a positive statement to use as a coping mechanism. By running the mantra in your mind, you will be able to control the self-critical thoughts that like to pop up in your head at times, and cause you unnecessary stress. Any affirmation that can make you feel more able to cope with stress is worth using, whether you are telling yourself that you are capable, or commanding yourself to be calm.
TIP! Stress can be caused by a wide variety of factors, so you should first try to identify exactly what is causing you to feel stressed. If you find that you can remove a stressful thing from your life, try it.
Avoid, overusing the word “stress”. There are many situations where you can convince yourself of something by repeating it to yourself over and over again. When you speak and think the word all the time, you’ll only end up feeling increased levels of stress.
TIP! Drinking alcohol is a really bad way to cure a stress filled day. While having a couple beers among friends is fun, drinking beer every single day to calm your nerves is bad.
Listening to music is an effective stress reliever. Music has a strong ability to alter our moods and feelings. It has been proven through recent studies that simply listening to music can help calm us. While everyone has various musical tastes, you need to find something that may calm and soothe your stress.
Writing about your problems can help to reduce stress. Sitting down and writing all about your problems can lift a stressful weight from your shoulders. It’s particularly effective with those sorts of stresses that you feel uncomfortable sharing with other people. Keep a journal containing the things that stressed you out, and how you solved them or relieved your stress, that way you can refer back to it.
One of the best hobbies for dealing with stress is getting down and dirty with gardening. If you own a house, you can garden away happily in your yard.
TIP! Managing your time will effectively reduce your stress. If you are constantly rushing around, you will be under stress.
Think about your stress, and how you deal with it. There is probably a better way to do things. Write down notes about how you dealt with stress each day. Keep doing this for a few weeks. Looking back at your notes will allow you to judge your responses: were the results helpful and were they healthy in nature? If you aren’t, then try to devise a new coping strategy that will help you to deal with things on a day to day basis.
TIP! When you need to purchase lotion or shampoo, buy some that smell really good. The aroma of lavender is believed to have a calming effect, and other scents can make you feel good about yourself when you smell them and can make you feel much better about your day.
TIP! Unclench your jaw and try to avoid grinding your teeth together. When we are stressed out, the tension will focus somewhere in our bodies; most commonly in the jaw.
How much better would you life be without stress? Of course, nothing can really vanquish stress and it can actually be useful in smaller doses. There’s a problem when stress is chronic or uncontrollable. When stress gets to be too much and is not properly managed, your health will suffer. This article can help you to understand the steps that are important to take if you hope to manage your stress.
TIP! Develop a short affirmation that you can use to focus yourself. If you repeat this statement you can overcome your stress.
Your stress levels will stay down if you stay up to date on repairs your items may need. Think of how many things need to be repaired and the energy it would take to do them one by one. If you had kept up with these, you could have avoided them all piling up at the same time.
TIP! Some hobbies and interests, such as video or word games, can provide a relaxing outlet for stress, but if they begin to cause you frustration, you should try something else. Remember, the goal is to have a clear mind so you can feel calm and relaxed, not more frustrated, which can only add to your stress.
Stress can cause some people to cope in a negative way such as alcohol and drugs. They see this as the only way to combat the overwhelming stress they feel in their daily lives. Drugs and alcohol are definitely not a good solution. Far from fixing what’s wrong, drugs and alcohol will just add another layer of complexity to your existing issues.
TIP! If you are constantly going somewhere, you could be thinking or moving too quickly. You must, in these circumstances, slow down and put things back into perspective with controlled, deep breaths.
Some activities that seem to be harmless can actually increase or cause stress. For example, a few video games can be fun and relaxing. Hours of video games can be distracting from daily life. If you are addicted to video games, you will neglect your real life, and this will surely cause stress. This can be a reason for missing out on much needed sleep, or time spent preparing and eating a healthy meal.
TIP! To keep anxiety at a minimum, always conduct yourself and your affairs honestly. Studies show that small lies can create a lot of guilt and make many people anxious about being caught.
You should discover your main causes of stress, and find out methods of eliminating or reducing them as much as you can. A common source of stress for many people is a friend that is emotionally draining and prone to drama. Limit the time you spend with such a person. When you eliminate stressful situations, your health and your life will improve.
You should never drown your stress in alcohol. While light social drinking is okay, using beer as an answer to tension on a daily basis is a bad idea. Alcohol abuse may actually cause additional stress, or addiction may set in.
TIP! Learn to make better use of your time when you need to reduce the stress in your life. If you are constantly in a rush, stress is sure to follow.
If your boss isn’t a curmudgeon and allows you to listen to your MP3 player at work, you should take advantage of the opportunity. Playing soft, relaxing music will help ease your tension. If you prefer upbeat music, stick to something that has happy lyrics and a fun tempo.
TIP! Try picking up a few lotions, cremes or shampoos that emit strong and pleasing odors. If you enjoy your own scent, you will feel much better about yourself, which will make it harder for stress to ruin your day.
Enjoying a cup of hot tea is one more way to reduce stress. Kava kava, passionflower, chamomile, and other teas are excellent stress relievers. Allow the tea to steep for up to 10 minutes; this allows you to get the maximum potency. These teas are excellent for the morning or evening, and can be a wonderful way to unwind from a stressful day.
TIP! A great tip on reducing stress is to take a long hot bath. A hot bath relaxes tired and tense muscles like nothing else.
Sometimes, just having a good conversation with someone you trust can be the best way to beat stress. Releasing your anxieties and revealing emotions in confidence can help you feel much better, almost instantaneously. Grab a good listener from your stock of friends and family to enjoy a nice long conversation, and vent some stress.
TIP! Try to cut back on caffeine consumption during the day. Caffeine increases the presence of stress hormones in your body.
Stand next to a solid wall and use your hands to push against it, giving all you have while digging in with your feet. You will be able to feel the stretch of your hamstring and it will take your mind off your problems, thus helping to relieve your stress.
TIP! A simple stress reliever is carrying a small notebook and taking notes whenever you have a conversation that involves instructions being given to you. Make sure to pay attention to instructions that you are given.
If you have a significant other, spend time with your loved one and go out to a romantic dinner by candle light This can help you focus and enjoy this moment versus thinking about what happened before, or what will happen later, to cause you stress.
TIP! One technique you should consider using to lower your stress is shutting your eyes, and turning on relaxing music. Seek out objects that give off soothing or calm effects to help relieve stress.
The challenges are finding the ones that work for you and then actually using these techniques when you get stressed out. It can be hard to remember to use a stress management technique when you are actually stressed out. Consider using some of the tips presented above, as they can help you control your daily stress levels. | 2019-04-25T23:58:56Z | http://typemigraine.com/tag/reduce-stress/ |
cars4holidays hereinafter called the intermediary, procures rental cars for self-drivers (hirer) acting as an intermediary between the respective car rental company and the hirer. The mediation is performed on behalf and on the account of the car rental companies associated with the intermediary.
With the order for a rental car, the hirer acknowledges the General Booking Conditions without any limitation.
The intermediary procures hired cars between the client (hirer) and car rental company (supplier).
The hirer instructs the intermediary, in accordance to the offer on the web page of the intermediary, to reserve a hired car. The offers are subject to change and non-binding.
a. Orders may be placed on the web page, by email, by fax or by telephone.
b. The intermediary transmits the order-relevant data to the supplier. The supplier confirms the customer-related reservation to the intermediary.
c. With the confirmation of the reservation on-line or the sending by email or by fax the reservation is accepted and confirmed to the hirer. With the reservation confirmation (Direct-Payment-Voucher, Partial-Prepaid-Voucher or Full-Prepaid-Voucher) the vehicle is confirmed to the hirer. From the offer divergent verbal arrangements need additional written confirmation by the intermediary to attain validity.
By performance of the above mentioned conditions under the clauses 2(a), (b) and (c) of the General Booking Conditions, the intermediary has properly fulfilled the contract. The restriction under clause 4 © with regard to an incorrect or missing email address, shall remain unaffected.
The mediation and advice by telephone through Cars4holidays, as well as the correspondence with the hirer, are offered in German, English or Spanish, the offer of other languages is voluntary and not binding. Any correspondence in other languages relieves the intermediary of all responsibility for any wrong translations.
The offer on the website may include additional languages.
Freesale vehicles: For vehicles which are listed as freely available (freesale), the hirer will receive an automatic, on-line, on-screen confirmation, or one via e-mail. These vehicles are reconfirmed by our supplier. The intermediary reserves the right to cancel the reservation if the supplier providing the car does not reconfirm the reservation for any reason.
On request vehicles: All reservations for other vehicles are received on a request basis and will only be confirmed once the intermediary has received confirmation from the supplier, usually within 24 hours (the period may prolong accordingly on Sundays or public holidays). The hirer is bound to his order for 72 hours, should the reservation be not confirmed by then, the mediation order expires at the request of the hirer.
If the reservation commitment will, for any reason whatsoever, be withdrawn by the supplier in spite of reconfirmation, the intermediary is entitled to retroactively cancel the reservation commitment to the hirer. In this case the intermediary is not to be held liable.
The hirer is obliged to supply an email address for each booking and is required to verify its accuracy. The sole indication of a telephone or fax number is not sufficient, since all information, and any additional information requested by the hirer, will only be sent via email. Postal deliveries are not provided.
The hirer is hereby required to maintain and regularly check his email mailbox, to ensure that the receipt of emails sent to him by the intermediary is guaranteed, and that he has knowledge of the information sent to him by the intermediary. It is explicitly pointed out that some email providers place emails in so-called spam folders, whose contents are automatically deleted after a few days. It is the responsibility of the hirer to take appropriate precautionary measures.
The mediation contract remains non-binding for the mediator and provisionally invalid and releases him of any responsibility, as long as no, or only a faulty email address is given to him, or if in the case of a telephone reservation, no email address was provided.
The mediator assumes no liability for typographical errors in the email address during the acceptance of a telephone reservation and thereby of resultant disadvantages for the hirer. After a telephone reservation, the Terms and Conditions are immediately sent to the hirer by email of by fax. No-objection by the hirer to the Terms and Conditions within 24 hours, is deemed to be tacit consent of the Terms and Conditions. In case of reservations on short term (within 3 days of the rental period) this period will be reduced to one hour from the reservation.
Immediately after the completion of a booking via e-mail, the reception of a telephone reservation and the receipt of a Fax reservation, an acknowledgement of receipt of the reservation is transferred to the hirer. In the case of a Fax reservation, some reasonable delay shall be taken into account. The hirer is obliged to promptly check the receipt. In case of non-receipt, the hirer is obligated to supply a valid email address to the intermediary. Omission to do so shall take section 4 (Incorrect or missing email address) of the present agreement into effect.
For the correct delivery of the vehicle to the airport, the supplier requires the flight number of the hirer, as well as an indication of the scheduled arrival time. In case of transfer flights the hirer is obligated to supply the intermediary with the flight number with which he arrives at the destination Airport, where the vehicle pick-up shall take place. Without the provision of the correct flight number the supplier reserves the right to maintain the reservation.
The rental conditions of the supplier on the website were submitted by the supplier to the intermediary. In the rental conditions on the website only the most important points are mentioned. The list is not meant to be exhaustive. The rental conditions may differ to those on the website of the supplier, since special conditions were agreed with the intermediary.
The hirer is required to observe the specified payment methods in the rental terms, whether cash, debit cards or credit card payment is accepted, as well as if payment at pick-up, instalment payments after confirmation of the reservation, or full payment on confirmation of reservation is specified.
The reservation confirmation voucher (Direct Payment Voucher or Partial-Prepaid Voucher or Full-Prepaid-Voucher) must be handed over to the supplier when the vehicle is collected. If the Voucher is not presented, the supplier has the right to deny delivery of the vehicle.
The hirer is obligated to contact the intermediary immediately, if possible by telephone, if obscurities or discrepancies of the promised performance by the supplier emerge, in order to enable the intermediary to consult with the supplier. (duty to avert, minimise or mitigate loss).
Fuel is not included in the rental price and will be, depending on the car hire company, charged differently. Some suppliers invoice the contents of the fuel tank according to the indications of the manufacturer. The remaining fuel will not be refunded. Because of logistic reasons the fuel price can be different at the pump. On receipt of the vehicle, the hirer is obligated to inform himself about the fuel policy, such as calculation of the tank contents, as well as to undoubtedly inform himself about the type of gas the car requires. In the case that the hirer has used the wrong fuel, he will be made responsible for the respective costs and damages.
Some car hire companies allow returning a car to a different location. This implies a One Way tax which is not included in the basic price and is calculated according to the distance traveled and the vehicle category. The charges for One Way car hire are indicated on the Website under Extra (booking step 2). On the booking confirmation reference is made tot he information available on the Internet with regard tot he One Way tax. On this form it’s not always possible to indicate an exact price.
In case of damage or loss to car keys, the hirer will have to pay all the arising costs.
All traffic accidents of the hirer, must be reported to the supplier within 24 hours, presenting the police accident report. Failure to present the police accident report can result in the loss of the C.D.W. and Theft Protection insurance. Upon the theft of the vehicle, a police report has to be filed and return of the keys is necessary.
In case of subsequent pick-up or premature return of the vehicle other than agreed, there is no entitlement of reimbursement of the cost difference. The supplier decides whether, in the context of goodwill, a refund is possible. The hotline of the intermediary can supply non-binding information regarding this issue.
Complaints regarding the performance of the supplier will be sent directly to him, cars4holidays is merely mediating for the hirer. Most suppliers have a claim period of up to 30 days in their terms, starting from the day of the return of the vehicle.
The mediation contract between the hirer and cars4holidays is limited to the proper mediation placement within the context of the due diligence of a prudent businessman. The intermediary is responsible with limitation of liability in case of intent or gross negligence only.
For damage or loss as a result of defects the intermediary is only liable in case of intent or gross negligence. In the case of mere careless neglect, whether on the part of the intermediary or on the part of his agents, the liability of the intermediary is limited to contractually typical predictable damage. The liability limit is set to twice of the rental price.
Liability is excluded for events that are not within the responsibility of the intermediary. The performance of the mediated supplier is his responsibility and is not part of the mediation contract.
Damages or events resulting from acts of god, have no effect on liability claims. These include wars and military missions, terror attacks, civil unrest, natural disasters, fires, floods, strikes, and police or official orders.
The intermediary can not be held liable in case the agreement is finally not entered into or the vehicle can not be handed over to the client, for instance due to car hire company's insolvency, ceasing of activities, overbooking, technical defects of the vehicle or other incidents outsider of the intermediary's control.
All information regarding the offer, the terms, as well as further rental related items, specifically about the insurance benefits are transmitted to the intermediary by the supplier. This information cannot be reviewed for correctness and completeness by the intermediary. The intermediary can therefore not be held liable for this part.
As customary in the car rental trade the requested category will be reserved for the hirer. An example vehicle is designated per vehicle category and is usually presented with a photograph. The supplier maintains, however, per category, vehicles from various car manufacturers of comparable size and equipment. Certain vehicle model requests are of course considered, but there is no delivery obligation.
will be specifically reconfirmed or merely noted in the reservation depending on the supplier. The prices and conditions differ from each supplier.
The intermediary does not offer any insurances. It is the supplier who offers insurances. The intermediary has received all information from the suppliers and does not pretend this information to be exhaustive, correct or up to date. Therefore the intermediary does not accept any liability in this respect. Furthermore the suppliers reserve the right to modify the information. Under some circumstances these modifications have not yet been communicated to the intermediary. The hirer is required to specifically have the insurance benefits of the supplier reconfirmed to him on site.
Also, please note that "unlimited coverage" in some countries simply means that an increased insurance coverage exists (e.g. in Spain unlimited means ilimitado-EUR 50 million per occurrence), so it is capped as well.
The insurance will differ between each country and between each individual supplier. Basically, the legal liability insurance and comprehensive insurance (CDW) and theft insurance (TP), is included, in some countries with a franchise. The insurance coverage will differ between each country and can not always be compared with a similar insurance policy concluded in Germany.
Depending on the country and the supplier, damages to tires, wheel rims, glass (or plastic), damages to the clutch, windows, driving mirror, motor, battery, loss of keys as well as damages to the interior, the roof and accessories are not covered by the comprehensive insurance in many countries. The same applies for the vehicle underside (on the website this part is only described as undercarriage) and consequential loss. This also applies in case of damages incurred during the use of inadequate or non-authorized public roads or streets or terrain.
The Rental Contract will be issued under the terms and conditions of the supplier in the local language. Most suppliers offer the rental details in English, some also in German. Rental contracts and terms are always subject to each country’s own laws, the law of the country in which you receive the car therefore applies.
Legal relationships herewith develop between the supplier and the hirer. In particular, concerning the provision and availability of the vehicle, technical issues or the general condition, ordered accessories, insurance benefits and any agreements resulting from the rental contract. In case of problems we will be glad to intermediate. The intermediary assumes no liability for the performance of the supplier (e.g., rental contract, settlement of the car, delivery of the vehicle and the quality and status) also no claims or refunds will be done by him. All requests resulting from the reservation contract (booking confirmation) to the supplier or the rental agreement with the supplier are to be directed only to him.
The amount will be paid by credit card, that is issued in the name of the hirer. The PIN number is required. Payment by cash or debit card is possible with few car rental companies. In general, the rent will be charged plus fill-up. The specified deposit is blocked by credit card, as well as the excess may be specified. The car rental price includes the local V.A.T.. Unlimited mileage, Third Party Insurance and the Collision Damage Waiver, are usually included in the price. In general, the costs to tank up / fuel costs are not included in the rental price.
The hirer normally pays directly to the supplier upon arrival. Charges or refunds of any kind whatsoever shall be made solely and only by the supplier (e.g. rental charges, tank contents, prolongations, security deposit, self excess charge; Refunds, e.g. tank contents, premature return, price reduction, change or withdrawal, claims arising from contract problems).
Reservations for some countries must be prepaid. The credit card of the hirer will be charged after the supplier confirms the reservation. In some cases, cars4holidays charges the hirer on behalf of and for the supplier. The reservation confirmation (payment voucher) must be provided to the supplier upon collection of the vehicle.
The assignment of a claim of the hirer against the intermediary is excluded. This applies to all claims arising from the mediation contract, and unjust enrichment and tort.
Reservations can be cancelled free of charge 24 hours prior to the planned rental start. Cars4holidays takes over the costs of the cancellation and rebooking fees applied by the supplier up to 24 hours prior to the rental start. The cancellation will be accepted via E-Mail or via telephone during office hours under: +34-966497596. (Mo-Fr 10:00 - 18:00 ). The office is closed on Saturday,Sunday and bank holidays.
The conditions are different and are listed explicitly in each offer.
Our suppliers reserve the right to refuse delivery of a vehicle to a mediated customer, when the supplier's management has sufficient reason to believe, that the customer is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, is dressed inappropriately or acts in threatening, abusive or otherwise unacceptable behaviour.
Should a provision of this agreement be invalid or become invalid or should this agreement contain an omission, then the legal effect of the other provisions shall not thereby be affected. Instead of the invalid provision a valid provision is deemed to have been agreed upon which comes closest to what the parties intended; the same applies in the case of an omission. | 2019-04-24T00:34:24Z | https://www.cars4holidays.com/en/company/gbc |
2009-10-02 Assigned to U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION reassignment U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION SECURITY AGREEMENT Assignors: ACCO Brands Corporation, ACCO BRANDS INTERNATIONAL, INC., ACCO BRANDS USA LLC, ACCO EUROPE FINANCE HOLDINGS, LLC, ACCO EUROPE INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, ACCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC., BOONE INTERNATIONAL, INC., DAY-TIMERS INC., GBC INTERNATIONAL, INC., GENERAL BINDING CORPORATION, POLYBLEND CORPORATION, SWINGLINE, INC.
2009-10-02 Assigned to BOONE INTERNATIONAL, INC., ACCO Brands Corporation, GENERAL BINDING CORPORATION, ACCO BRANDS USA LLC reassignment BOONE INTERNATIONAL, INC. RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: CITICORP NORTH AMERICA, INC.
2009-10-30 Assigned to DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH reassignment DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH SECURITY AGREEMENT Assignors: ACCO Brands Corporation, ACCO BRANDS INTERNATIONAL, INC., ACCO BRANDS USA LLC, ACCO EUROPE FINANCE HOLDINGS, LLC, ACCO EUROPE INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, ACCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC., BOONE INTERNATIONAL, INC., DAY-TIMERS INC., GBC INTERNATIONAL, INC., GENERAL BINDING CORPORATION, POLYBLEND CORPORATION, SWINGLINE, INC.
A lock device for use with a key is disclosed. The lock device includes a locking spindle including a plurality of locking spindle bores and a passage extending axially along an axial length of the locking spindle, and a driver structure including a plurality of driver structure bores. An interface between the driver structure and the locking spindle forms a shear line. The lock device also includes a plurality of combination pins in the plurality of locking spindle bores, and a plurality of driver pins in the driver structure bores in the driver structure, the plurality of driver pins being respectively associated with the plurality of combination pins.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/283,322 filed on Nov. 18, 2005, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Recent news reports indicate that the plastic barrel of a certain type of pen can be used to open a certain type of tubular lock that is present on bicycle locks. According to the news reports, the plastic barrel can be inserted into the keyway of the tubular lock, and after some effort, the lock can be opened. The insertion of the plastic barrel into the keyway of a tubular lock can mold the plastic barrel to the shape of a key, and the molded barrel could be potentially used to turn the lock.
Improvements to deter this type of lock picking would be desirable.
Embodiment of the invention are directed to lock devices, locking apparatuses, locking systems, and methods for using the same.
One embodiment of the invention is directed to a lock device for use with a key with an extended portion, the lock device comprising: a locking spindle including a plurality of locking spindle bores and a passage extending axially along an axial length of the locking spindle; a driver structure including a plurality of driver structure bores, wherein an interface between the driver structure and the locking spindle forms a shear line; a plurality of combination pins in the plurality of locking spindle bores; and a plurality of driver pins in the driver structure bores in the driver structure, the plurality of driver pins being respectively associated with the plurality of combination pins, wherein the passage is configured to receive the extended portion of the key, and wherein the extended portion extends to the shear line when the key is used to turn the locking spindle.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a locking apparatus comprising: a lock device comprising a locking spindle including a plurality of locking spindle bores and a passage extending axially along an axial length of the locking spindle, a driver structure including a plurality of driver structure bores, wherein an interface between the driver structure and the locking spindle forms a shear line, a plurality of combination pins in the plurality of locking spindle bores, and a plurality of driver pins in the driver structure bores in the driver structure, the plurality of driver pins being respectively associated with the plurality of combination pins; and a key including a coded portion and an extended portion, wherein the extended portion is configured to fit in the passage and extends to the shear line.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method for using a lock device, the method comprising: inserting a key into a keyway of a lock device, wherein the key includes an extended portion that passes through a passage in a locking spindle in the lock device and to a shear line between the locking spindle and a driver structure; and turning the key.
Other embodiments of the invention are described in further detail below.
FIG. 1 discloses a cross-sectional perspective view of a lock assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 discloses a side view of a key according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 shows a front, cross-sectional view of a lock device along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 shows a front, cross-sectional view of a lock device along the line 4-4 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 shows a front view of a lock device according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a lock device with a portion of the lock device being removed.
FIG. 7 shows a schematic view showing how a lock assembly according to an embodiment of the invention would work with a key having an extended alignment structure.
FIG. 8 shows a schematic view showing how the lock device would function if one tries to turn the locking spindle with an unauthorized tubular structure.
FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of another lock device according to another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 10 shows pins and a locking member when they are present within a security slot in a housing of a portable electronic device.
One embodiment of the invention is directed to a lock device for use with a key with an extended portion. The lock device may be a cylinder lock. In one embodiment, the lock device comprises a locking spindle including a plurality of locking spindle bores and a passage extending axially along an axial length of the locking spindle, and a driver structure including a plurality of driver structure bores. (As used herein, “along an axial length” includes a passage that extends at least partially along a portion of the locking spindle.) An interface between the driver structure and the locking spindle forms a shear line. The lock device also includes a plurality of combination pins in the plurality of locking spindle bores, and a plurality of driver pins in the driver structure bores in the driver structure, the plurality of driver pins being respectively associated with the plurality of combination pins. The extended portion of the key can extend exactly or approximately to the shear line to provide a temporary solid interface portion for the locking spindle. As a result, the driver pins in the driver structure stay on one side of the shear line when an authorized key is used to lock and/or unlock the lock device.
The lock devices according to embodiments of the invention can be used to secure or prevent the theft of any suitable types of articles. Such articles include bicycles, furniture, etc. However, the articles that can be secured by the lock devices according to embodiments of the invention are preferably portable electronic devices. Examples of portable electronic devices include portable computers (e.g., laptop computers), wireless phones, portable music players, DVRs (digital video recorders), flat panel displays and television sets, etc.
FIG. 1 shows a locking apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The locking apparatus 100 includes a key 20 and a lock device 102. These components, alone or in conjunction with other components, can form a locking apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.
The key 20 includes a handle 22, an extended portion 26 and a coded portion 24 between the extended portion 26 and the handle 22. These features are described in further detail below.
The lock device 102 includes a housing 90. In this example, the housing 90 may include a tubular or cylindrical structure. It may be made of a material such as stainless steel or any other hard material.
A cable 30 or the like may be attached to the housing 90. The cable 30 may be a stainless steel cable or the like. In some embodiments, a distal end of the cable 30 may include a loop. To secure an article to an immovable object (e.g., a desk), the cable 30 may be looped around a portion of an immovable object (e.g., a leg of a desk) and the head of the lock device may pass through the loop. The lock device 102 may be attached to the article using a locking member that is present in the lock device 102. In some cases, the article may include a slot through which the locking member is inserted. The locking member may then be configured to a locked position to secure the head of the lock device to the article, and consequently to the immovable object.
Various components may be inside of the housing 90 of the lock device 102. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a locking spindle 42 is cooperatively engaged with a driver structure 44 inside of the housing 90. In embodiments of the invention, the locking spindle 42 may rotate with respect to the driver structure 44. A shear line S may be defined by an interface between the driver structure 44 and the locking spindle 42.
The locking spindle 42 has a proximate end 42(a) near the front of the lock device 102 and a distal end 42(b) near the rear of the lock device 102. As shown in FIG. 1, the distal end 42(b) of the locking spindle 42 passes through the center of the driver structure 44. The locking spindle 42 can turn or rotate (clockwise or counterclockwise) relative to the driver structure 44, when the combination pins and driver pins do not lie across the shear line S.
The proximate end 42(a) includes a cylindrical portion including a number of locking spindle bores 42(c). The locking spindle bores 42(c) extend axially through the cylindrical portion of the locking spindle 42 at the proximate end 42(a) of the locking spindle 42. A plurality of combination pins (not shown) may be respectively disposed within the locking spindle bores 42(c). The combination pins can have different lengths and may correspond to the notched portions of the coded portion 24 of the key 20. If desired, the driver pins may also have different lengths.
A passage 51 is in the locking spindle 42 and is configured to receive the extended portion 26 of the key 20. The passage 51 may also have any suitable cross-sectional shape (e.g., a circular shape). In embodiments of the invention, the passage 51 may be in the form of an open channel at a side of the locking spindle 42, or may be in the form of a closed channel in the locking spindle 42. In either case, the passage 51 is configured to receive an extended portion 26 of the key 20 when the key 20 is being used to change the lock device 102 from a locked configuration to an unlocked configuration, or vice-versa. A distal end of the extended portion 26 of the key 20 extends to the shear line S to fill the passage 51 and to temporarily provide a solid surface for the locking spindle 42 at the interface S. As will be explained in further detail below, this prevents driver pins in the driver spindle bores 44(a) in the driver structure 44 from lying over the shear line S.
As shown in FIG. 1, the driver structure 44 may include a plurality of driver spindle bores 44(a). The driver spindle bores 44(a) also extend axially through the driver structure 44. They may also be disposed in a circle around a central axis of the driver spindle 44. Driver pins (not shown) may be respectively disposed within the driver spindle bores 44(a). A plurality of springs 36 may also be respectively disposed within the driver structure bores 44(a). These springs 36 push the driver pins (not shown) toward the shear line S.
During normal operation, one or more of the forwardly biased driver pins cross the shear line S when the locking device 102 is in a locked configuration. This prevents the locking spindle 42 from rotating relative to the driver structure 44 and prevents a locking member attached to the locking spindle 42 from moving. When the locking device 102 is in an unlocked configuration, the driver pins may be pushed rearward by corresponding combination pins in the locking spindle bores 42. The coded portion 24 of the key has cutouts of different depths so that the combination pins are pushed rearwardly different distances. When the combination pins are pushed rearward, the driver pins are on one side of the shear line S, while the combination pins are on the other side of the shear line S. Since the combination pins and the driver pins are separated from each other at the shear line S, this allows the locking spindle 42 to turn relative to the driver structure 44.
The driver and combination pins may be formed of any suitable structure and may be made of any suitable material. For example, the pins may be in the form of a peg, post, straight cylinder, a cylinder with a head, etc.
The operation of the passage 51 and the extended portion 26 of the key 20 will now be described. When the lock device 102 is in an unlocked position, the driver pin 64 may be biased toward the front of the lock device 102, may pass into a corresponding locking spindle bore 42(c), and may lie over the shear line S. In order to turn the locking spindle 42 and a locking member (not shown) attached to the locking spindle 42 to put the lock device 102 into an unlocked configuration, the key 20 is inserted in the keyway of the lock device 102 and the extended portion 26 of the key extends into the passage 51. The extended portion fills the passage 51 and keeps the driver pin 64 on one side of the shear line S as the locking spindle 42 rotates relative to the driver structure 44.
If one tries to insert an unauthorized tubular structure such as the barrel of a ballpoint pen into the keyway of the lock device 102, the molded barrel of the ballpoint pen cannot pass through the entire axial length of the passage 51. Even if the unauthorized user is successful in partially turning the locking spindle 42, the locking spindle 42 will still not be able to fully rotate. As the unauthorized user tries to turn the unauthorized tubular structure in the keyway of the lock device 102, the driver structure bore 44(a)-1 becomes aligned with the passage 51. Since there is no corresponding combination pin in the passage 51 and since the unauthorized tubular structure (not shown) does not fill the passage 51 to the shear line S, the driver pin 64 will be forward biased across the shear line S by the spring 36 when the passage 51 is aligned with the driver structure bore 44(a)-1. Consequently, the unauthorized user will not be able to completely turn the locking spindle 42 relative to the driver structure 44 and therefore cannot unlock the lock device 102.
In the preferred embodiment described above, the passage is configured to receive one of the driver pins if an unauthorized tubular structure is used to turn the locking spindle. However, a structure (e.g., a ball, cube, pyramid, etc.) other than a driver pin may be present in a driver spindle bore in other embodiments and may also prevent the use of an unauthorized tubular structure as a locking and/or unlocking device. In these alternative embodiments, the structure may lie in a driver spindle bore along with a biasing element such as a spring. The biasing element may bias the structure towards the shear line. If the key with the extended portion is inserted into the keyway of the lock device and if the extended portion extends to the shear line, the biased structure will remain on the driver spindle side of the shear line. If an unauthorized tubular structure is inserted into the keyway of the lock device, the unauthorized tubular structure cannot extend to the shear line. When the unauthorized tubular structure is used to turn the locking spindle, the driver spindle bore will become aligned with the passage. The biased structure will then pass into the passage and will lie over the shear line, thereby preventing further rotation of the locking spindle and preventing the authorized tubular structure from locking and/or unlocking the lock device.
FIG. 2 shows a key 20 according to an embodiment of the invention. The key 20 includes a handle 22, a coded portion 24 with notches 28 coupled to the handle 22, and an extended portion 26 extending from the coded portion 24. In this example, the coded portion 24 may be circular in shape.
The extended portion 26 may be an extended key alignment tab. The extended alignment tab can serve two functions. It can serve as an alignment guide for a user, so that the user can align the coded portion 28 of the key 20 with the keyway of the lock device 102. As indicated above, the alignment tab can also serve to fill the passage in the locking spindle down to the shear line in the lock device. This keeps the driver pins from entering the passage 51 in the locking spindle 42.
FIG. 3 shows a front, cross-sectional view of the lock device along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, a number of driver structure bores 44(a) are present in the driver structure 44, which is disposed within the housing 90. In this example, there are six driver structure bores 44(a) arranged in a circle. One driver pin 64 is shown in one of the bores 44(a) for clarity of illustration. Normally, there would be one driver pin in each of the driver structure bores 44(a).
FIG. 4 shows a front, cross-sectional view of the lock device along the line 4-4 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, a number of locking spindle bores 42(c) are in the locking spindle 42. The locking spindle 42 is disposed in the housing 90. An alignment region 42(d) in the locking spindle 42 forms part of the previously described passage 51. The alignment region 42(d) is in the form of an open channel.
FIG. 5 shows a front view of a lock device 102 according of an embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 5, the alignment region 42(d) and the housing 90 are shown. The function of the alignment region and its corresponding passage are not immediately apparent to the end user or unauthorized user.
FIG. 6 shows a perspective, partial cut away view of a portion of the lock device. In this Figure, the combination pins 62 and driver pins 64 are more clearly illustrated. The combination pins 62 are within locking spindle bores 42(c) in the locking spindle 42. The driver pins 64 and corresponding springs 36 are within driver spindle bores 44(a) in the driver structure 44. An interface between the locking spindle 42 and the driver structure 44 forms a shear line S. As shown, when the driver pins 64 overlap with the shear line S, the locking spindle 42 cannot fully rotate with respect to the driver structure 44.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show how an authorized key and an unauthorized tubular structure may work in a lock device according to an embodiment of the invention. For clarity of illustration, pins are illustrated but their corresponding bores are not illustrated in these Figures.
FIG. 7 shows a schematic illustration of the how the driver and combination pins are positioned when an authorized key is used in the lock device. In this example, a key 20 is inserted into a keyway in a lock device. The coded portion 24 of the key 20 pushes the left pair of combination pins down, thereby pushing the driver pins 64 down under the shear line S. An extended portion 26 of the key 20 extends to the shear line S and passes through the passage 51. As a result, when the locking spindle 42 rotates with respect to the driver structure 44, each of the driver pins 64 stays below the shear line S.
FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration of the how the driver and combination pins are positioned when an unauthorized tubular structure 120 is used in the lock device. As shown, when an unauthorized user tries to push the unauthorized tubular structure 120 into the keyway to turn the locking spindle 42, the deformed tubular structure 120 does not have a portion that extends all the way down to the shear line S. Consequently, when the unauthorized user tries to rotate the locking spindle 42, the driver pin 64(a) is biased upward into the passage 51, as shown by the arrows 12, and lies across the shear line S. This prevents the locking spindle 42 from rotating further with respect to the driver structure 44.
FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a lock device according to another embodiment of the invention. The lock device includes a locking member 124 in the form of a cross-member or T-bar, and a pair of locking pins 130. The locking member 124 may be coupled to the previously described locking spindle so that it can rotate when the locking spindle rotates. As shown, the cross-bar portion of the locking member may be aligned with the pins 130. They may be inserted together into a security slot or the like.
FIG. 10 shows the pins and a locking member of a lock device extending through a security slot 72 in a housing 70 of a portable electronic device. As shown, after the cross-bar portion of the locking member is inserted into the slot with the pins, the locking member is turned so that the cross-bar is oriented perpendicular to the orientation of the slot 72. This secures the lock device to the housing 70. In embodiments of the invention, security slots that are generally rectangular and/or have dimensions of about 3 mm by about 7 mm are preferred. Small security slots do not significantly alter the aesthetic appearance of portable electronic devices, but can be used to deter theft. For example, if a thief tries to separate a lock device from a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device will be damaged, thereby impairing its value.
Other features that can be used in the lock devices according to embodiments of the invention are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,006,557 and 5,502,989, which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
Embodiments of the invention provide for a number of advantages. For example, the presence of the elongated passage in the previously described locking spindle is not readily apparent to an unauthorized user. Thus, when the unauthorized user tries to pick the lock, the unauthorized user will not understand why the lock cannot be picked. In addition, embodiments of the invention are relatively easy to incorporate into a cylindrical lock and no elaborate modifications are needed.
The above description is illustrative and is not restrictive. Many variations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the pending claims along with their full scope or equivalents. Also, any one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with any one or more features of any other embodiment without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.
Any reference to positions such as “rear”, “forward”, “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, “lower”, etc. refer to the Figures and are used for convenience. They are not intended to refer to absolute positions.
wherein the passage extends to the shear line and the extended portion of the key extends to the shear line when the key is used to turn the locking spindle.
2. The lock device of claim 1 wherein the extended portion is configured to temporarily provide a solid surface for the locking spindle at the shear line, when the key is used to turn the locking spindle.
3. The lock device of claim 1 wherein the lock device is a cylinder lock.
4. The lock device of claim 1 wherein the locking member is in the form of a T-bar.
5. The lock apparatus of claim 1 wherein the extended portion is configured to keep a driver pin from entering the passage when the key is used to turn the locking spindle.
6. The lock device of claim 1 wherein the passage coincides with an alignment tab region of the lock device.
7. The lock device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of springs in the driver structure bores in the driver structure.
wherein the extended portion extends to the shear line when the key is used to lock or unlock the lock device.
9. The locking apparatus of claim 8 wherein the coded portion is circular.
10. The locking apparatus of claim 8 wherein the lock device further comprises a housing disposed around the locking spindle and the driver structure, and a pair of parallel pins coupled to the housing.
a portable electronic device, wherein the locking apparatus is used to secure the portable electronic device to an object other than the locking apparatus.
a key including a coded portion and an extended portion, wherein the extended portion is configured to fit in the passage and extend to about the shear line.
13. The locking apparatus of claim 12 wherein the lock device further comprises a housing disposed around the locking spindle and the driver structure.
14. The locking apparatus of claim 12 wherein the extended portion is configured to temporarily provide a solid surface for the locking spindle at the shear line, when the key is used to turn the locking spindle.
attaching the lock device to a portable electronic device.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the lock device is a cylinder lock.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein the passage is an open passage.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the passage does not contain a combination pin.
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U.S. Appl. No. 95/000,116, Murray Jr. et al. | 2019-04-20T12:46:55Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US7730751B2/en |
The Public Education Foundation of Marion County administers a variety of scholarships. Please check listings below for individual scholarships, criteria and deadlines.
Scholarship Donors include corporations, associations, organizations, foundations and individuals who want to create a brighter future by encouraging education. Different scholarship donors have different scholarship qualifications. Please review each scholarship’s information carefully to determine eligibility.
Most scholarship applications are available starting the first week of January 2019 and are due March 1st.
Mildred Boynton and Alicia Boynton laid a foundation of caring for Marion County’s children. From Head Start to the Marion County Family Visitation Center they played a pivotal role in structuring and motivating children to aspire to dream, set, and achieve positive goals. This Scholarship will enable students to help reach their educational goal.
There will be 2 scholarships- $250 each awarded to a high school senior from North Marion High School and/or a high school senior from Vanguard High School’s ROTC program. All applicants must meet the following criteria: Eligible applicants must have a 3.5 GPA or better. Applicants are required to complete a 300-word essay and they must obtain a letter of recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, or high school administrator from North Marion High School/ Vanguard High School.
The Ocala Lions Club provides sight, hearing, glaucoma, and diabetes screening by financially supporting eye exams and glasses for the needy, eye surgeries, hearing aids, and so much more. The David Baillie scholarship was established in memory of David Baillie, Jr., a long-time member of the Lions Club and a big supporter of the Southeastern Youth Fair.
Applicants for this scholarship must be pursuing an undergraduate degree in either agriculture, through the study of the biological or physical sciences, or veterinary medicine; at a college or university they choose.
Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to the field of agriculture through involvement in Future Farmers of America, 4H, The Southeastern Youth Fair, or through proven experience such as actual work in agricultural or animal care activities as well as the study of the biological or physical sciences at the high school level.
Some examples of work experience could include, on a family farm, at a veterinarian’s office, volunteering at an animal shelter or for an animal rescue organization.
Ft. McCoy Elementary School is dedicated to their student’s success. This scholarship is available for students who have attended Ft. McCoy School for the entirety of Kindergarten to fifth grade, or the entirety of sixth through eighth grade. Ft. McCoy School is proud to give back and offer the opportunity to help in furthering education of their students.
2. Application must be typed and turned in by April 5, 2019.
what advice would you give to someone beginning their high school career”?
6. The application must be signed by your guardian.
Gianni Garcia was an incredible young man who was kind-hearted, generous, a lover of his life and passionate about baseball. He was the kind of kid that would light up a room and make you feel as if you had known him a long time, even if you had just met him. Gianni could make you laugh and would console you if you were down.
Gianni was a very talented and passionate baseball player and you could see that passion for the game shine inside and outside the “white lines”. One of Gianni’s dreams was to play the game he loved as the highest level possible.
In his honor, Kohl’s Department Store created the Gianni Garcia Memorial Scholarship to help others pursue the dream of playing baseball at the next level. This $500 scholarship will be awarded to a Forest High School senior baseball player seeking to continue their education and baseball career at the collegiate level.
The Mission of the Marion SWCD is to protect, conserve and improve the quality of soil and water in Marion County through planning, technical assistance and education.
be viewed as a leader in soil and water conservation efforts.
be a prominent resource in urban and rural areas.
be a resource for natural resource and conservation related information.
have a record of measurable and demonstrated results.
Jim and Joanne Yancey dedicated their lives to help make their community a better place to live and work. Jim was a 7 time letterman at the University of Florida as a member of the football and golf teams. He is inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame. Additionally, he was a class A PGA Professional and a certified Greens Superintendent. He was the Head Golf Professional at Ocala Golf Club for over 25 years where he was known for his Junior Golf Programs and for teaching multiple PGA Tour Players.
Joanne was a member of the Garden Club in Ocala for over 40 years. Her passion for beautifying her yard and her community go hand-in-hand. She was devoted to the City of Ocala for over 40 years, serving in multiple capacities including the Building and Zoning Board. Her dedication to high school sports and amateur golf was well-known, particularly for organizing the Henry Camp Invitational Golf Tournament every spring since 1970.
This $500 scholarship is to be awarded to a senior who is seeking an education in Sports Management, Agriculture or is pursuing competitive golf in college. The candidate must be a leader in their school and community.
Joshua Rossignol was an awesome young man who was kind-hearted, hilarious, passionate, generous, and overall just loved life. He was so warm and kind that he made you feel like you had known him forever, even if you had just met him. He could also make anyone laugh, even in the toughest of situations. Josh was a talented and passionate cook and it had always been his dream to become a chef and open his own restaurant. He was pursuing his degree in culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University when he passed away at the age of 21. In his honor, his family and friends created the Joshua Rossignol Memorial Scholarship to help others achieve their dreams of becoming a chef. This year (1) $1500 scholarship will be awarded to a Dunnellon High senior & (1) $1500 scholarship will be awarded to a Marion County senior seeking an education in the culinary arts who has demonstrated leadership in their school and community.
Lamar Luffman Sr. was an active member of the Agricultural Community in North Marion County. He was brought up in a family where working hard on the farm was a way of life. After graduating Anthony High School in 1957 he worked for the local telephone company but continued to stay close to his farming roots. He worked with the Anthony Elementary PTA and later was elected to the Marion County Council PTA. His passion for children ultimately led him to a position on the Marion County School board where he served in that capacity for over 16 years. He was always a champion for the children and his love of Agricultural programs inspired many in Marion County. The Lamar Luffman Memorial Scholarship was established by his family to celebrate Lamar’s passion & contributions.
Marilyn Hughes, a life-long educator began her teaching career in 1963. She taught at schools in Florida and California until 1985 when she joined the staff at Stanton Weirsdale Elementary. There she held positions as a teacher, Elementary Learning Specialist, Curriculum Coordinator and Assistant Principal. She served as Assistant Principal until her passing in 2016.
Mrs. Hughes earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Florida A&M University. In 1983 she received her Master’s Degree in Reading Education from California State University. Her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership comes from Nova Southeastern University.
Marilyn Hughes made a difference in the lives of many after teaching and serving as an educator for over half a century. The Marilyn Hughes Memorial Scholarship has been established to honor the life of Mrs. Hughes and to continue her legacy of excellence in education. This annual scholarship will benefit a high school senior who attended Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary school for at least one complete school year, a school where Mrs. Hughes was an integral part of the faculty for over thirty years.
Niko Malidelis was a senior at North Marion High School, preparing to enter the Fire College after graduation when a tragic automobile accident cut his young life short. His family reached out to their network of friends to help establish the Niko Malidelis Fire College Scholarship. This $300 scholarship will be offered to seniors who will become a fireman and demonstrate economic need and initiative.
The Ocala Film Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to leading our community in creative and cultural discovery through the medium of motion pictures. We seek to discover and encourage independent artists worldwide and to build a community among those artists and their audience. By increasing awareness, accessibility, and a broader appreciation of the cinematic arts within our community, we endeavor to support the educational, cultural, and economic well-being of our region.
cinema, as well as the cultural landscape of Florida. Through the Festival, our goal is to offer scholarships to area students interested in the media arts and provide (and upgrade) necessary equipment for our Marion County schools through classroom grants. The Festival will also serve to encourage filmmakers to utilize the areas’ pristine natural resources and unique culture and character.
Focus: keep the main thing the main thing.
Accountability: do what you say you are going to do when you say you’re going to do it.
Superiority: we expect excellence in everything we do, PAPA- people are priority always.
Attitude: if you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.
Constant Improvement: we never stop trying to surpass our previous best.
With that in mind, we are looking for two (2) seniors who wish to further their education, are driven to pursue their dreams, and have the ability to overcome adversity. These are students involved in their school, athletics, and are giving back to the community. Papa John’s believes that people are our greatest assets.
The two (2) $750 Papa John’s scholarships are available to graduating seniors at Belleview High School, Forest High School, Lake Weir High School, Vanguard High School, and West Port High Schools.
James M. Frazier was an active Phi Delta Kappa member and past president of the local Florida Springs chapter. He used his unfailing enthusiasm for PDK and education to inspire others to get involved. It was his dream to help as many young people as possible achieve their goal of a career in teaching.
The Jim Frazier Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a deserving applicant who meets the following criteria: eligible applicants must be students or employees of the Marion County Public Schools and must have a desire to be a classroom teacher. Eligible applicants include high school seniors intending to major in education, Marion County Public School employees who are enrolled in an undergraduate teacher education program, or teachers who are seeking additional certifications. The recipient is selected by the scholarship committee of the Florida Springs Chapter #1434 of Phi Delta Kappa in Ocala, Florida.
The Southern Sportsman Whitetail Foundation provides expenses for travel, lodging and food for hunting trips to Georgia and locally in Florida for disabled veterans and other disabled people who could not go hunting by themselves. The funds for this scholarship is raised through a banquet which is held in August and a golf tournament which is held in March. Below are scholarship opportunities for students who will be pursuing careers in one of the four areas: agriculture, military, law enforcement, or as first responder. Please review the application based on your career interest.
Applicants for this scholarship must be pursuing an undergraduate degree in either agriculture, through the study of biological or physical sciences, or veterinary medicine at a college or university they choose.
Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to the field of agriculture through the involvement in Future Farmers of America, 4H, or the Southeastern Youth Fair, or through proven experience such as actual work in physical sciences at the high school level.
Some examples of work experience could include work on a family farm, at a veterinary office, volunteering at an animal shelter or for an animal rescue organization.
The Southern Sportsman Whitetail Foundation provides expenses for travel, lodging and food for hunting trips to Georgia and locally in Florida for disabled veterans and other disabled people who could not go hunting by themselves. The funds are raised through a banquet held in August and A golf tournament which is held in March.
Applicants must be pursuing a degree from one of the military academies to become a commissioned officer or plan on a career in one of the armed forces as a non-commissioned officer.
Applicants must be involved in some military organization, such as ROTC, Young Marines or some other service organization. The applicant must show student achievement, wellness, leadership and diversity.
Applicants for this scholarship must be pursuing a career in Law Enforcement.
Applicants for this scholarship must be pursuing a career as a First Responder.
Suncoast Credit Union Foundation is a proud supporter of public education. Since 1990, the Foundation has provided more than 600 scholarships totaling nearly $1 million to students pursuing higher education. Scholarships are available to high school seniors who live in the counties served by Suncoast Credit Union and who demonstrate a need for financial assistance, possess leadership abilities and achieve high academic performance.
This year, the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation is partnering with the Public Education Foundation of Marion County to offer (2) $2,000 scholarship awards to high school graduates in the Class of 2019. Class of 2019 high school graduates in Suncoast Credit Union’s 21-county service territory have the opportunity to apply for financial support to continue their education, thanks to a $116,000 investment in scholarships by the Tampa-based credit union’s Foundation. Additional student requirements can be found on the Suncoast Credit Union Scholarship application.
Walter Wade was a Navy veteran who served our country for 20 years (1973-1993). He loved the Navy and his duty posts included, San Diego, Honolulu, San Francisco, Seattle, Orlando, Long Beach, Commander Sixth Fleet in Italy and Sardinia during the Gulf War, and finally teaching ROTC at the University of Mississippi. He achieved the rank of Quartermaster Senior Chief Petty Officer. He entered the Navy with an Associate in Arts degree from Centralia College, WA, and then took advantage of evening extension classes offered to active military through Columbia College, MO and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Government. When he retired from the Navy, he continued traveling on cruises all over the world because he truly loved being at sea, and he worked as a volunteer at St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, WA for 10 years as a gift shop assistant responsible for receiving and inventory. He moved to Ocala in 2013 and enjoyed the community and the weather immensely. Even though he had no children of his own, he was always an advocate for young people continuing their education beyond high school no matter how many years it took to graduate.
Walter loved cooking, reading, interior design, attending the symphony, dance performances, and visiting museums around the world. The Walter William Wade Memorial scholarship is dedicated to the arts and to our military men and women who have proudly served our country.
2. At least one parent who has served a minimum of four years active duty in any of the U.S. military branches.
Applicants are required to submit a 300 word essay, three letters of recommendation from teachers and a DD Form 214 certifying their parent’s military discharge.
Take Stock in Children helps students from low-income families achieve academic and personal success by providing them with volunteer mentors and college scholarships. Take Stock is a statewide program, funded locally through the Public Education Foundation. Students attending Marion County Public Schools are selected through a competitive process during their 8th grade year. Upon high school graduation, students who have completed all of the requirements of the Take Stock program will receive a 2 year college tuition scholarship through the Florida Prepaid Foundation.
Applications must be submitted to the child’s Middle School Guidance Department by October 31st.
The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage and support outstanding employees who have the desire to become classroom teachers.
Non-instructional employees who are working toward their teacher certification and who have been working for the district for at least 2 years are eligible to apply.
Please click HERE Teacher to Be Scholarship Application 2018 for the application and more details. | 2019-04-21T16:03:33Z | https://pefmc.org/scholarships/ |
The University of Wollongong’s head boxing trainer Lee Murray has trained boxing world champions down to young amateurs, has been a promoter of events and a match-maker. He’s one of many in the industry who have welcomed a review of legislation by the NSW Combat Sports Authority (CSA) which was sparked by the coronial inquest into the death of professional boxer David Browne in 2015. Browne, known as Dynamite Davey, died in hospital four days after being knocked to the canvas in the 12th round of an International Boxing Federation Pan Pacific Super Featherweight title fight. In June 2017 the coroner found the fight should have been stopped in the 11th round while better training for officials and medical staff should be implemented. The coroner also made a number of recommendations for the future of combat sports. “It’s a bit like an onion to me, you scratch one thing and there’s a whole heap of stuff underneath it,” Murray said. “I guess they’re trying, that’s got to be a good thing.” The review has led to a consultation paper for proposed law changes, an online survey and a series of public forums being held in different cities (including Wollongong) by the CSA. The authority is raising questions around concussion, experience and qualifications of doctors and officials, which sports should be included or excluded under the Combat Sports Act, medical history of fighters and whether amateur bouts should be treated differently to professional. “A lot of [ringside] doctors are GPs, they’re not a combat sports doctor. You’ve got to be someone that should be looking for concussions, what are the rules they should be abiding to say when to stop the fight early. Going into a corner and asking if someone’s okay, you know that sometimes is just not enough,” Murray said. “But you don’t know the background of the fighter either. He might have come from overseas, he might have starved himself for two weeks to make weight to get this fight.” Read More: Jabbour eyeing Oceania gold Khrop Khrua Muay Thai trainer Danny Jones has been in the industry for 43 years and attested to doctors and officials not having sufficient time to check competitors – before, during and after a fight. “I’ve seen doctors come up to guys and look at their wraps, squeeze their hands, look at their face, and say ‘you’re okay mate’ and then they go and fight. They don’t do blood pressure, they don’t check heart rate or anything, balance, they don’t check motor skills or their eyes – you get the odd one that might do it but it’s very rare,” Jones said. Illawarra Kyokushin Karate instructor Viktor Timev is also a father to a teenage combatant. He said in his sport, greater power needs to be given to doctors to make calls to stop fights after witnessing some tournaments where inadequate medical staff were on site, despite the majority of competitors being children. “There are guys that run events who don’t go to the effort to organise first aid or doctors to be present; they fly by the seat of their pants,” he said. “It’s an added expense for them, and then when something happens they avoid it and it’s all swept under the carpet.” Currently karate – and other “mat sports” like taikwondo, Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, Hapkido and judo – are not governed by the CSA. Timev believes if all martial arts were under the legislation it would “weed out those guys and makes it a little bit safer for the participants”. Read More: Goodman fast-tracks dream Amateur boxer Lenna Wingate has worked in combat gyms for nearly a decade and as a spectator watched dozens of fights across boxing, kickboxing and MMA. Like Timev, she said some promoters would often grab doctors just to meet requirements rather than seek a doctor with correct combat sports experience. She said she had seen many fights continue on when a combatant was clearly too injured or too dazed, including a close friend who was in a kickboxing match recently. “She got split at her last fight and the doctors didn’t put anything but a butterfly clip on it and when she got home she went to the doctor and got six stitches. The doctor hardly even looked at her, it was an elbow to the head and it was split under her eyeball,” she said. Former wrestler, international MMA fighter and Australian match official Kevin Manderson said doctors and referees with a lack of experience pop-up ringside all the time. “I did a couple of [MMA] shows last year in Sydney … and the other two referees on the night were kickboxing refs, they were Muay Thai refs, they weren’t MMA refs,” he said. “And so there was some real confusion on what was happening.” Confusion – and pressure from a fighter’s corner or a promoter – meant fights can continue on longer than they should, paving the way for serious injury he said. Another recommendation being tabled by the CSA is to ensure all ringside officials – amateur and professional – are educated enough to understand the signs of concussion and when to stop a fight. “It’s the black mark in our sports,” Manderson said of concussion. “It’s the nature of the sport. You’re entering into a competition where one of the goals isn’t just to win the match it’s to inflict damage on somebody else. In order to manage that effectively, not only do you need to have self aware fighters, your trainers have to have your best interest at heart.” Timev explained even children wearing padding at karate tournaments were susceptible to concussion – let alone experienced adults who are fighting with bare shins and knuckles in Kyokyshin. “You’ll always get the fighter wanting to fight on and a lot of parents insist on their children being able to fight on or keep going, because everyone’s chasing the glory of a win, and sometimes judgement can be clouded when there isn’t a doctor present,” Timev said. Head trainer at Full Circle MMA Russell Thompson said issues in the ring or the cage arise from the team not paying attention, as he believes a fighter will always try and push through. “A lot of the time towels should be thrown in a lot earlier in fights, they let their fighters push through. These guys are really tough and they push through lots of pain and sometimes they’re a little bit too tough for their own good,” he said. Former Australian middleweight champion Vito Gaudiosi believes it should be a group effort between everyone who is up close to the action. “Someone must know between a coach, a fighter and a doctor if at the time of battle this fight needs to be stopped,” Gaudiosi said. In recent years padded head-gear has become mandatory for muay thai, kickboxing and amateur boxing fights though this is not the solution according to some. Lauri Lauriano is a former professional boxer, promoter and has trained both boxing and kickboxing athletes. He said there was a “long-held misconception” that padded head-gear and bigger gloves assisted the safety of fighters. “It’s mostly supported by people that don't have any knowledge of the sport,” he said. “In the old days when there was no head-gear a fight would stopped from lacerations so it would actually stop you from getting further concussed. With bigger gloves and head gear a fight’s allowed to continue because there’s no lacerations but there’s more risk of concussion.” Jones agreed. He said head gear not only worsened the affects of concussion they were “detrimental” to a person’s ability to fight well. “It’s been proven in studies all around the world, head gear doesn’t help when you fight, it just spreads the impact larger throughout your brain,” the Muay Thai trainer said. Another key area all agreed needed more attention was how amateur fighters dropped weight for a match. Losing one to several kilograms was mostly accepted though drastic weight loss in a short space of time was frowned upon. All had seen cases of extreme weight cuts – sometimes up to 10 kilograms or more in a week – to get to a required weight class to be allowed to step into a fight. Methods commonly used would be poor diet, limiting amount of water consumed, heavy cardio and spending long periods in a sauna. These extreme methods can cause severe dehydration around the brain as well as put more strain on a person’s heart, giving potential for cardiac arrest (even before a fight night). “Most of the novice amateurs have no idea about cutting weight, they do it in the last week or the last three days,” Jones said. “We’ve had people die from dehydration before the fights and ... when you do that you lose too much water from the brain and it’s like getting hit over the head with a hammer. “Why should young kids or amateurs put their life at risk by doing silly things to drop weight when they don’t get anything for it except a trophy.” Thompson added drastic weight loss was “sucking the energy out” fighters and leaving the door open for issues such as cramping, fatigue and diminishing overall performance. “I know of a gym out west that almost killed one of their girls, she was in the sauna by herself and passed out,” Thompson said. “It’s too dangerous.” Murray suggested the CSA could monitor this by logging how much weight fighters lose and over what time, such as a mandatory monthly weigh in pre-match. Gaudioso believes if a fighter has to drop nine kilos in a week they shouldn’t be allowed to compete. Overall the consensus was to keep a closer eye on the amateurs with the CSA being the top overseeing body. “Ninety per cent of these guys aren’t going to make a career out of [fighting],” Manderson said. “They’re making a couple of cracks and they’re going to go back to their regular job on Monday.” Have your say – tell the CSA what you think via this survey.
The University of Wollongong’s head boxing trainer Lee Murray has trained boxing world champions down to young amateurs, has been a promoter of events and a match-maker.
He’s one of many in the industry who have welcomed a review of legislation by the NSW Combat Sports Authority (CSA) which was sparked by the coronial inquest into the death of professional boxer David Browne in 2015.
Browne, known as Dynamite Davey, died in hospital four days after being knocked to the canvas in the 12th round of an International Boxing Federation Pan Pacific Super Featherweight title fight.
In June 2017 the coroner found the fight should have been stopped in the 11th round while better training for officials and medical staff should be implemented. The coroner also made a number of recommendations for the future of combat sports.
The review has led to a consultation paper for proposed law changes, an online surveyand a series of public forums being held in different cities (including Wollongong) by the CSA.
The authority is raising questions around concussion, experience and qualifications of doctors and officials, which sports should be included or excluded under the Combat Sports Act, medical history of fighters and whether amateur bouts should be treated differently to professional.
“A lot of [ringside] doctors are GPs, they’re not a combat sports doctor. You’ve got to be someone that should be looking for concussions, what are the rules they should be abiding to say when to stop the fight early. Going into a corner and asking if someone’s okay, you know that sometimes is just not enough,” Murray said.
Khrop Khrua Muay Thai trainer Danny Jones has been in the industry for 43 years and attested to doctors and officials not having sufficient time to check competitors – before, during and after a fight.
“I’ve seen doctors come up to guys and look at their wraps, squeeze their hands, look at their face, and say ‘you’re okay mate’ and then they go and fight. They don’t do blood pressure, they don’t check heart rate or anything, balance, they don’t check motor skills or their eyes – you get the odd one that might do it but it’s very rare,” Jones said.
Illawarra Kyokushin Karate instructor Viktor Timev is also a father to a teenage combatant. He said in his sport, greater power needs to be given to doctors to make calls to stop fights after witnessing some tournaments where inadequate medical staff were on site, despite the majority of competitors being children.
Currently karate – and other “mat sports” like taikwondo, Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, Hapkido and judo – are not governed by the CSA. Timev believes if all martial arts were under the legislation it would “weed out those guys and makes it a little bit safer for the participants”.
Amateur boxer Lenna Wingate has worked in combat gyms for nearly a decade and as a spectator watched dozens of fights across boxing, kickboxing and MMA. Like Timev, she said some promoters would often grab doctors just to meet requirements rather than seek a doctor with correct combat sports experience.
She said she had seen many fights continue on when a combatant was clearly too injured or too dazed, including a close friend who was in a kickboxing match recently.
“She got split at her last fight and the doctors didn’t put anything but a butterfly clip on it and when she got home she went to the doctor and got six stitches. The doctor hardly even looked at her, it was an elbow to the head and it was split under her eyeball,” she said.
Former wrestler, international MMA fighter and Australian match official Kevin Manderson said doctors and referees with a lack of experience pop-up ringside all the time.
Confusion – and pressure from a fighter’s corner or a promoter – meant fights can continue on longer than they should, paving the way for serious injury he said.
Another recommendation being tabled by the CSA is to ensure all ringside officials – amateur and professional – are educated enough to understand the signs of concussion and when to stop a fight.
“It’s the black mark in our sports,” Manderson said of concussion.
Timev explained even children wearing padding at karate tournaments were susceptible to concussion – let alone experienced adults who are fighting with bare shins and knuckles in Kyokyshin.
“You’ll always get the fighter wanting to fight on and a lot of parents insist on their children being able to fight on or keep going, because everyone’s chasing the glory of a win, and sometimes judgement can be clouded when there isn’t a doctor present,” Timev said.
Head trainer at Full Circle MMA Russell Thompson said issues in the ring or the cage arise from the team not paying attention, as he believes a fighter will always try and push through.
“A lot of the time towels should be thrown in a lot earlier in fights, they let their fighters push through. These guys are really tough and they push through lots of pain and sometimes they’re a little bit too tough for their own good,” he said.
Former Australian middleweight champion Vito Gaudiosi believes it should be a group effort between everyone who is up close to the action.
“Someone must know between a coach, a fighter and a doctor if at the time of battle this fight needs to be stopped,” Gaudiosi said.
In recent years padded head-gear has become mandatory for muay thai, kickboxing and amateur boxing fights though this is not the solution according to some.
Lauri Lauriano is a former professional boxer, promoter and has trained both boxing and kickboxing athletes. He said there was a “long-held misconception” that padded head-gear and bigger gloves assisted the safety of fighters.
Jones agreed. He said head gear not only worsened the affects of concussion they were “detrimental” to a person’s ability to fight well.
“It’s been proven in studies all around the world, head gear doesn’t help when you fight, it just spreads the impact larger throughout your brain,” the Muay Thai trainer said.
Ninety per cent of these guys aren’t going to make a career out of [fighting]. They’re making a couple of cracks and they’re going to go back to their regular job on Monday.
Another key area all agreed needed more attention was how amateur fighters dropped weight for a match. Losing one to several kilograms was mostly accepted though drastic weight loss in a short space of time was frowned upon.
All had seen cases of extreme weight cuts – sometimes up to 10 kilograms or more in a week – to get to a required weight class to be allowed to step into a fight.
Methods commonly used would be poor diet, limiting amount of water consumed, heavy cardio and spending long periods in a sauna. These extreme methods can cause severe dehydration around the brain as well as put more strain on a person’s heart, giving potential for cardiac arrest (even before a fight night).
“Most of the novice amateurs have no idea about cutting weight, they do it in the last week or the last three days,” Jones said.
“We’ve had people die from dehydration before the fights and ... when you do that you lose too much water from the brain and it’s like getting hit over the head with a hammer.
Thompson added drastic weight loss was “sucking the energy out” fighters and leaving the door open for issues such as cramping, fatigue and diminishing overall performance.
Murray suggested the CSA could monitor this by logging how much weight fighters lose and over what time, such as a mandatory monthly weigh in pre-match. Gaudioso believes if a fighter has to drop nine kilos in a week they shouldn’t be allowed to compete.
Overall the consensus was to keep a closer eye on the amateurs with the CSA being the top overseeing body.
Have your say – tell the CSA what you think via this survey. | 2019-04-26T13:37:11Z | https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5336884/head-gear-doesnt-help-in-a-fight-why-combat-sports-must-change/ |
Home Insurance Lafayette La — Top Rated Companies Want Your Business!
Because Home Insurance in Lafayette Louisiana along with the rest of our states Parishes is among the most expensive in the entire country — working with an independent insurance agency is a must to keep your rates low over the long run!
Jeff Davis Insurance is a leading Independent Insurance Agency in Louisiana and we can shop the market to help you find lower rates on Homeowners Insurance in Lafayette Louisiana and the surrounding areas.
An agent only selling insurance through one company is at a HUGE disadvantage because there isn’t a single insurance company that offers the lowest rates for all circumstances — this is why independent agencies are the best place to find the lowest rates long-term!
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Home Insurance Lafayette La — Is This Claim Covered?
In our previous post we were discussing a fictitious account whereas a party is thrown by yourself. One of your guests recommend shooting off some fireworks including Bottle Rockets, Roman Candles, Lady Finger Firecrackers, and Sparklers for the kids.
Two of younger kids, Stephanie (9 years old) and Joey (10 years old) sneak around to the front of your home and want to light some of the sparklers away from the other kids and adults and they do it near your front porch.
As Stephanie lights up a sparkler she gets scared and hurls the sparkler away landing right next to your cedar siding and she and Joey run to rejoin the rest of the adults and other kids.
Regrettably, that sparkler sets the front of your home on fire! It only takes a few minutes before the fire is detected by one of your house guests. The fire department is called and the fire is quickly extinguished and within the next few days you learn that the damage amounts to about $47,000.
Because of he high cost of Home Insurance in Louisiana you opted for the Broad Policy Form (HO 2) which coincidentally is a named perils policy.
And while it is true Fire is a listed peril in the policy purchased, you may recall from our previous post that only claim events specifically named in the policy would be covered.
Would the $47,000 in damages be covered by your broad policy form despite the fact that the fire was caused by fireworks which is not a named peril?
That is a very good question. It’s likely the insurance company would pay the claim as fire was the catalyst for the damage to the property unless there is some type of exclusions within the policy itself.
However, the HO2 has some BIG limitations whereas a claim event may not be covered.
Our question to you as a reader is why would you want to take a chance on minimizing your coverage for the sake of saving money?
You see for only a little more money, a HO3 Special Policy Form could have been purchased versus the HO2 Broad Form.
The HO3 Special Policy Form eliminates named perils coverage for the Coverage A (the house itself) and provides coverage for all claim events unless that event is specifically excluded in the policy.
The HO3 only covers your personal property on named perils so keep that in mind, but the house itself does not include the named perils restriction.
The HO3 is a much superior policy form compared to the HO2.
The HO5 policy form is superior to the HO3 and in a future article we will discuss this in more detail.
It’s always best to work with an agency that will go over the options with you as you are shopping for Home Insurance in Lafayette Louisiana, don’t you agree?
Choose Jeff Davis Insurance for Home Insurance in Lafayette Louisiana!
Commercial Auto Insurance Lafayette Louisiana — Call us Today.
If you need Commercial Auto Insurance in Lafayette Louisiana or the surrounding area the best number to call is 337-824-4455!
The agents of Jeff Davis Insurance can help you find the best options for commercial auto, general liability, coverage for business property which including buildings, equipment, and Louisiana Worker’s Compensation Insurance.
Commercial Auto Insurance Lafayette Louisiana — Part 14 of the Hal Dingledorfer Story.
In part 13 we found Hal walking north on the highway looking for help. His new truck was completely destroyed. Hal’s clothing is shredded, he is bleeding and he looks like a refuge who just walked out of a war zone.
Hal starts to walk toward Big Ben and because of his injuries he stumbles and falls to the ground passing out.
Big Ben and a few other motorists call 911 and soon after Hal is transported to a local medical facility.
The highway patrol and fire departments close down the highway in both directions. Hal is treated and released the next day. He suffered a mild concussion, numerous scrapes and contusions but is more or less okay.
Hal learns the next day why there were more than 1000 cattle congregating around both sides of the highway, the subsequent damage the cattle caused after they headed into the farmer’s field, plus why his truck exploded.
Hal is not sure how he is going to explain this to his insurance company. His $100,000 truck is destroyed along with his load of office supplies he was hauling to Staples and he has no idea if his insurance covers meteorite damage or not.
In our next post we will consider the answer to that question.
Commercial Auto Insurance Lafayette Louisiana — It’s Complicated.
Insurance is very complicated and for this reason we like to use stories and accounts to post situations, in some cases outlandish situations in which to teach object lessons.
The account about Hal Dingledorfer that we have written over the last 14 articles as you might imagine is completely fictitious. However, there is a very real story to be learned that we will consider in next week’s lesson so we hope you tune in!
Call 337-824-4455 When You Need Quotes on Commercial Auto Insurance Lafayette Louisiana!
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If you find our website after hours and you enjoy our articles, you will enjoy speaking with our team members even more.
Are you in the market for Lake Charles Commercial Auto Insurance? If so, then the search is finally over!
Our goal here at Jeff Davis Insurance is to help you find great rates and even better service for all your needs for Commercial Auto Insurance in Lake Charles.
Jeff Davis has been helping policyholders with their Louisiana Business Insurance needs for over 50 years!
Commercial Auto, General Liability, Workers Comp, we offer it all with one call.
We will now consider part 8 of our continuing story of Hal Dingledorfer. The lessons we will consider will help you personally with your Louisiana Commercial Auto Insurance.
Lake Charles Commercial Auto Insurance — Part 8.
Hal Dingledorfer, an owner operator, was attempting to complete his delivery on time despite running through a heavy rainstorm as we considered in our last article. The rain was so intense other vehicles traveling south with Hal decided to pull over as visibility became an issue, Hal decides to press on despite the decreased visibility.
As Hal makes the sharp right turn a mile and a half past mile marker 151 he immediately slams on his brakes because of what suddenly appears through his windshield. Hal pulls over into the emergency lane as quickly as his Big Rig allows.
Hal gets out of his truck to investigate and walks forward sweeping his light to the left and right trying to figure out the extent of this massive roadblock before him.
It appears there are hundreds, if not thousands of cows blocking both sides of the highway for as far as he can see in the rainstorm. Some of the cows turn and stare at Hal curiously as his flashlight attracts their attention.
Other cows ignore Hal and meander in their search for grass to feed upon.
Hal then realizes he needs to immediately warn other drivers. A car or even Big Rig running into a full-sized cow at 75 miles per hour would be very bad for the cow and the passengers of that car or truck.
Hal reaches into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone to call 911 and he finds only his car keys, he then remembers he left his cell phone attached to his USB port in the truck so he turns around and heads back to the truck to find both his phone and the emergency flares.
With a sense of urgency Hal decides to run toward his truck and after only a few paces he notices at what can only be accurately described as some kind of celestial phenomenon.
Fast streaks of light above and behind his truck appear to be headed toward Hal as if they were guided missiles targeting him personally.
Hal immediately freezes like a deer in a headlight, forgetting the emergency flares and his cell phone.
What happens next? Stay tuned for next week’s episode.
Lake Charles Commercial Auto Insurance — Lows Rates, Great Service!
When you need low rates on Commercial Auto Insurance in Lake Charles Louisiana you can trust the agents of Jeff Davis Insurance to help you find what you need.
Lafayette Commercial Auto Insurance – Drop Us a Line Today!
If you are on the lookout for affordable rates on Commercial Auto Insurance in Lafayette Louisiana then drop us a line today at 337-824-4455!
You can call our toll-free number any time to speak with an agent about receiving free quotes on the Louisiana Commercial Auto Insurance you need.
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Hal Dingledorfer, the truck driver who drives freight for his limited liability company, Dingledorfer Delivery and Transport, LLC., recently switched to a new insurance provider in order to save himself some money on insurance premiums.
You may remember from part 1 that Hal also changed his coverage from Comprehensive Coverage to Fire and Theft with Combined Additional Coverage, which is a form of coverage that only provides insurance protection for a short list of specific types of damage.
In a general sense, Hal knew, when he made the decision to switch coverage, that his new coverage did not cover as many things as his former coverage.
That being said, he did not take the time to understand exactly which kinds of damage would no longer be covered under the Fire and Theft with Combined Additional Coverage form.
Besides, several months have gone by since the switch without so much as a fender bender, scrape, ding, scratch, dent, or crack. To be honest, Hal probably hardly remembers making the coverage switch at this point.
It is with this in mind that we join Hal one afternoon while he is making his way across the state in his big rig on a delivery for Dingledorfer Delivery and Transport, LLC.
Hal has been craning his neck all morning to look up at the sky through his windshield. The weather forecast called for heavy rains all day long. So far, though, Hal has not seen a single drop, let alone a full-blown rainstorm.
It’s not that Hal minds the rain all that much. In fact, he finds them to be rather pleasant. Unfortunately, though, torrential downpours can make visibility while driving very difficult, and anything that decreases his visibility slows him down.
Even with a fancy new set of wiper blades, Hal still isn’t certain that he will be able to maintain anywhere near the speed he typically likes to cruise at while on deliveries.
What will happen next? Find out next week in part 3!
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Truck Insurance Shreveport – Call Now for Improved Rates!
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Last time, we described how Clarence, a tow truck driver for a company named TJ’s Titanic Towing, got into an accident involving an unfortunate deer that leaped out in front of his truck without warning.
Not having time to stop, Clarence hit the critter at full speed, causing serious damage to the front end of his vehicle even before he smashed into a tree and damaged his truck even further.
Miraculously, Clarence survived the crash. He emerged from the wreckage a little dazed and covered in bruises, but otherwise unharmed. “Airbags are wonderful things,” he would later say when recalling that night.
We ended our previous article by asking whether Clarence would be alright, whether the tow truck was totaled, and, finally, whether TJ’s Titanic Towing’s commercial auto insurance policy will cover the damage to the truck in this situation.
Since we’ve already answered the first question, let’s move on to the second one.
Is the tow truck Clarence drives so badly damaged that it would be more expensive to fix it than to simply replace it?
It certainly looks that way. The front end of the vehicle is crumpled up like an accordion and bent around the trunk of the tree. It seems very unlikely that the engine and transmission are undamaged.
Clarence calls his boss, doing his best to talk over the sound of the pouring rain.
Nick, Clarence’s boss and the owner of TJ’s Titanic Towing, takes it upon himself to call the police.
Shortly afterward, Nick files a claim with the insurance company that provides his business’s commercial auto insurance policy.
In next week’s article, the insurance company will perform its assessment of the accident and we’ll find out whether or not the damage is covered by TJ’s Titanic Towing’s policy.
Commercial Truck Insurance Shreveport – Talk to the Truck Insurance Experts Today!
Are you ready to take the next step toward obtaining better rates and coverage on the Louisiana Truck Insurance you need?
If that is the case, then call the Louisiana Commercial Auto Insurance experts at Jeff Davis Insurance right away. Again, our toll-free number is 2, but you can also begin the quotes process by filling out our online quote request form.
Truck Insurance Baton Rouge – Big Time Savings on the Coverage You Need!
Are you after big time savings on Commercial Truck Insurance in Baton Rouge or the outlying counties, towns, and neighborhoods?
That is great news, because we at Jeff Davis Insurance are looking to provide new clients with top-tier pricing and policies for the Louisiana Truck Insurance they seek.
The number to call is 337-824-4455. It’s toll-free, so don’t hesitate to give us a ring.
Our office is open every Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
If you would like to send us your information ahead of time, or if you have found our website after normal business hours, click one of the links provided here and request a free quote using the form that appears.
In the last entry into our ongoing coverage scenario series, a tow truck driver named Clarence braved a pelting nighttime downpour in his tow truck to reach a stranded customer.
To refresh your memory, recall that Clarence works for TJ’s Titanic Towing, a towing company owned by Nick, who is also the best friend of Rick, another towing company owner.
Previously, we learned that Clarence is a relatively new tow truck driver, and this one of his first night shifts since taking the job.
Groggy from lack of sleep and already struggling to stay safely in his lane on the near-invisible road, Clarence did not see his imminent car accident coming until it was much too late.
Animals usually hunker down during a rainstorm such as this one, but, for one reason or another, a lone deer had been spooked out of its nesting area and made a break for the other side of the road.
Unfortunately for all involved, he decided to attempt the crossing just as Clarence was approaching.
Between the wind, rain, darkness, and sleep deprivation, Clarence stood little chance of avoiding the animal.
Next week, we find out what happens to Clarence and his tow truck upon collision.
Commercial Truck Insurance Baton Rouge – Contact Our Office Today!
For excellent customer service, free quotes, and great rates on the Louisiana Commercial Auto Insurance you need, contact the office of Jeff Davis Insurance today by dialing 337-824-4455.
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Truck Insurance New Orleans – Act Now for Big Savings!
Do you want to save big money on Commercial Truck Insurance in New Orleans or the surrounding areas?
If so, then act now by calling us free of charge at 337-824-4455.
Our agency is open for business every Mon to Fri until 4:30 pm CST (lunch hour at noon).
When you contact our agency for quotes on New Orleans Commercial Truck Insurance, you are making a smart financial decision.
Because when you work with an independent agency like ours you get to take advantage of the benefits that are unique to independent agencies (as opposed to a captive agency who can only sell insurance from one insurance company).
We are able to browse the insurance market in order to give you a choice from multiple carriers. Chances are good that you will find a much better rate using this method than you would if you bought from a captive agency’s “one size fits all” approach.
To find out whether you might be able to save big money on your premiums, contact us today by phone or by filling out our online quote request form.
Previously, in Part 6, we followed a tow truck driver named Buford, who works for Slick Rick’s Quick Towing, as he made his merry way to tow a vehicle on the other side of town.
As he drove along the scenic route, Buford turned up his radio and sang along to a favorite song of his. With the window down, the radio blaring, and the scenery to take it, it’s fair to say that Buford is less alert that he might otherwise be.
If he was paying better attention he might have noticed the danger up ahead.
Let’s find out what lies in wait for Buford.
As Buford zoomed along and belted out the lyrics to the song on the radio, a small herd of deer is busy crossing the road about 100 feet up ahead.
By the time Buford notices the deer it is far too late to slow down. The does on each edge of the road dart off into the woods, but one is left staring directly into the oncoming tow truck, frozen like… well, like a deer in headlights.
The story continues in next week’s episode.
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In our most recent article, Chad nearly had a panic attack when he noticed red and blue lights flashing through his bedroom window.
After scrambling around his room indecisively, he ultimately nestled himself inside his closet and held his breath, hoping against hope that he would escape detection.
He heard police officers exit their patrol car and knock on his front door. After a few minutes, though, they walked back to their car and pulled out of the driveway.
Did Chad just evade capture? Let’s find out.
Chad bolted down the stairs and toward the back door. His fear of being captured and subsequent elation at not being arrested sent adrenaline coursing through his veins.
He burst out of his back door, sprinted through his back yard, and made for the fence surrounding his small property.
“I’m going to make it!” he said to himself jubilantly as he vaulted over the wooden fence.
Chad’s visions of a bright future performing circus tricks as Doughnuts the Clown were dashed in an instant as he leaped over the top of the fence and landed into the waiting arms of a burly police officer.
“Nooooo!” he cried out maniacally as the police officers wrestled him to the ground. “I’m Doughnuts the Clown!” he shouted again, beside himself.
Find out what happens next in Part 29.
Fill Out Our Online Form to Request Quotes on Gas Station Insurance in Lafayette! | 2019-04-22T22:42:09Z | http://www.autoinsurancelakecharles.com/type/gallery/ |
ii. AFGHANISTAN. See AFGHANISTAN iii.
The Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union (Turkmenia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the southern Kazakhstan) form part of an arid belt stretching from northwestern Africa through southwestern Asia to Mongolia and western China. In this article attention will be focused on the fauna of these republics, with only minor attention to the animals of Mongolia and western China.
In composition, origin, and ecological features the fauna of the Central Asian republics is related to those of Persia (see i), though there are significant differences. Russian zoologists include both areas in the Irano-Turanian zoogeographical subregion, which includes both plains and mountain areas. The fauna of this subregion is fairly well known. The animal complexes of the Central Asian sand deserts are especially rich and distinctive. Each of the three mountain systems of this region also has a number of unique features: the Turkmeno-Khorasanian system, in particular the Kopet-Dag range in southern Turkmenia; the Gissaro-Darvaz (Ḥeṣār-Darvāz) system, mainly in Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan; and the vast and heterogeneous Tian Shan range. The fauna of the western chains of the Tian Shans (the Ugam, Talas, Chatkol, and Farḡāna ranges) are related to Gissaro-Darvazian in some features but differ sharply from animals of the central and northern parts of this system, which are more closely related to those of central Kazakhstan, the southern Altai, and Mongolia, including many steppe and some taiga elements, together with endemics.
The large vertebrates of the entire area have been severely decimated by centuries of human activity, which has intensified during the last decades. For example, the Turanian tiger and the cheetah (Acinonyxjubatus) have been totally eradicated. Populations of leopards, onagers, tugay deer (Cervus elaphus bactrianus), gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa), and highland dwellers like the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), ibex (Capra hircus aegagrus in the Kopet-Dag, Capra sibirica in the Tian Shans and the Gissaro-Darvaz system, Capra falconeri in the chains of southern Tajikistan), and mountain sheep (Ovis ammon cycloderus in the Kopet-Dag, Ovis ammon bocharensis in southern Tajikistan, Ovis ammon poloi in the Pamirs, etc.) are now very small, most surviving only in preserves and under threat of extinction.
Many birds, especially game species, have suffered a similar fate: the pheasant Phasianus colchicus, the partridge Francolinus caccabis chookar, and species of such grouse genera as Tetraogallus and Pterocles. Populations of the large predators, like eagles (Aquila chrysaetus and Hališetus leucoryphus), falcons (Falco cherrug and F. pelegrinoides), and vultures (Gypaetus; Gyps himalayensis), are also seriously diminished, as are those of the desert bustard (Chlamydotis undulatus), and the woodpecker (Picus squamosus).
Desert reptiles, for example, the lizard Varanus griseus and the snakes Naja oxiana and Ptyas mucosus are also declining.
Especially threatened are animals living in the tugays (< Ar. ṭaḡā “to flood”), the periodically inundated forests in the great valleys of the Amu Darya (Oxus), Syr Darya (Jaxartes), Morḡāb, and Zarafšān, which are disappearing rapidly under the pressure of expanded irrigation and other human activities.
Despite these destructive processes, many vertebrates are still common. Particularly numerous among mammals are the wolf (Canis lupus), foxes (Vulpes vulpes and in the deserts also Vulpes corsak), the polecat (Vormela peregusna), the desert shrew (Diplomesodon pulchellus), the hedgehog (Erinaceus or Hemiechinus auritus), the hare (Lepus tolai), and many rodents, including ground squirrels (Citellus fulvus and in sandy deserts Spermophilus leptodactylus), gerbils (Meriones lybicus and meridianus, Rhombomys opimus), and jerboas (Allactaga elater, psammophilous Allactaga bobrinskii, Dipus sagitta, Eremodipus lichtensteinii, Jaculus turcmenicus, Paradipus ctenodactylus). In the mountains there are marmots (Marmota caudata and menzbieri, the latter endemic to the western Tian Shans), Citellus relictus, and several species of pika (Ochotona) and vole (Microtus) and at high altitudes Alticola. The rat Nesokia indica inhabits humid environments, Rattus turkestanicus the mountain forests; both species are also found in oases and settlements. Several species are found only in the southwestern parts of the region, for example, the endemic genus Calomyscus, Meriones persicus (also found in Persia), Microtus afghanus, and the Indo-African ratel Mellivora indica.
The birds of the Central Asian republics are extremely diversified. Although they are relatively uncommon in the deserts, there are several characteristic species, including the jay Podoces panderi, Scotocerca inquieta, the sparrow Passer hispaniolensis, and some wheatears of the genus Oenanthe. In oases and tugays most of the birds have vast ranges, for example, the palm dove Streptopelia senegalensis, the starling Pastor roseus, the myna Acridotheres tristis, and many species of the passerine genera Emberiza, Oenanthe, and Passer. In the mountains there are a few strictly localized forms, as well as many with relations to species of European, Mediterranean, Himalayan, Chinese (the white-winged grosbeak Mycerobas carnipes, Myiophoneus temmincki, Terpsiphone paradisca), and Eurasian highlands (e.g., alpine chough Pyrrhocorax graculus, species of finches of the genera Erythrina and Montifringilla, Phoenicurus erythrogastra, and the wall creeper Tichodroma muraria) birds.
Reptiles, especially lizards and snakes, are numerous in the plains of the Central Asian republics; some of the same species are also found in the mountains. Among lizards some geckos inhabit the sand deserts (Teratoscincus scincus, Crossobamon eversmanni), others (species of Alsophylax and Cyrtopodion) the soils of the oases and foothills; the isolated southern Asian genus Eublepharis is represented in the Kopet-Dag by the species turcmenicus. The second important family of lizards is Agamidae: Trapelus sanguinolentus and Phrynocephalus mystaceus and interscapularis are highly adapted to the sand deserts, whereas other species of Phrynocephalus live on soils and species of Laudakia in the mountains. Laudakia caucasia and L. erythrogaster are also found in Persia and the former in Transcaucasia as well. Laudakia himalayana is found in Tajikistan and the northwestern Himalayas, whereas Laudakia lehmanni is limited to the Gissaro-Darvaz system. The skink genus Ablepharus is represented by several species in the mountains. Species of Eremias (of the family Lacertidae) are also numerous.
Snakes abound in this region, particularly species of Eryx and Coluber (karelini, ravergieri, rhodorhachis, all localized) and especially in sandy deserts Psammophis lineolata. Species of Lytorhynchus, Eirenis, and Boiga are found mainly in Turkmenia, as well as in Persia and throughout southwestern Asia. Among poisonous snakes Naja oxiana and Echis multisquamata are also found in Persia and Afghanistan. The dangerous Vipera lebetina is distributed through the eastern Mediterranean region and Central Asia (except for the highlands) as far as northwestern India.
Turtles, on the contrary, are rare; only Testudo (or Agrionemys) horsfieldii occurs commonly in the arid plains and foothills of the Central Asian republics, northeastern Persia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
The general aridity of the environment accounts for the small number of amphibians. Only the frog Rana ridibunda and the toads Bufo viridis and danatensis are widely distributed throughout the region. The primitive salamander Ranodon sibiricus is localized in the mountain springs of the Dzungarian range in southeastern Kazakhstan.
There are also rather few fishes, though some are endemic. Among the latter the relict genus Pseudoscaphirhynchus includes three almost extinct species in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins; the single related genus is Scaphirhynchus, found in the Mississippi basin in the United States. Several species of Cyprinids, of the genera Schizothorax (snow trout) and Diptychus, are specific to the mountain rivers from Kopet-Dag to Tibet and the Himalayas. Some fishes that were living in the Aral Sea are probably now extinct there, for example, Salmo trutta aralensis. Some widely distributed species have economic importance: the carp Cyprinus carpio, the sim Abramis brama, the esbele catfish Silurus glanis, and in the Tian Shans the trout Salmo trutta. The eastern Asian genera Ctenopharyngodon and Hypophthalmichthys have been introduced into irrigation systems in the Central Asian republics.
The array of insects and arthropods in this region is particularly rich, including many species of economic and medical importance. To the first groups belong the aggregate of agricultural pests like the Asiatic locust (Locusta migratoria), the Moroccan locust (Dociostaurus maroccanus), species of Calliptamus, bugs (Eurygaster integriceps, Nezara viridula), aphids (Aphis gossypii and craccivora, Brachycaudus hedychrysi, Myzodes persicae), scale insects, moths (Chloridea obsoleta and peltigera, Euxoa segetum, Spodoptera exigua, Loxostege sticticalis, etc.), and beetles. Most of these species are widely distributed, but some are localized in the Central Asian republics. Among the carriers of diseases dangerous to humans and animals are the mosquitoes (especially several species of Anopheles), sand flies (Phlebotomus), synantropous flies (of the family Muscidae, etc.), fleas, and ticks (Ixodes, Dermacentor, Ornithodoros). On the other hand, many parasitic insects of the orders Hymenoptera and Diptera and predators (ladybugs, robber flies, etc.) are useful in integrated biological control of pests. Equally important are pollinators (especially bees) of fruit trees, alfalfa, and pasturage. The zoogeographical composition of the Central Asian insects reveals that endemics and species also found on the plains of Persia are particularly concentrated in the sand deserts. Among the endemic genera are the ground beetles Discoptera; the scarabs Thinorycter, Chioneosoma (more than twenty species), Ochranoxia, and Eutyctus; the darkling beetles Ammozoum, Argyrophana, Sternodes, Pisterotarsa, and Remipedella; the leaf beetle Theone; the weevil Mesostylus; and many others. Some species of many beetle genera are also found in Persia; others, like those from Philothis of the family Histeridae and species of darkling beetles of Habrobates (vernalis in the Karakum desert, agnesae in Dašt-e Kavīr), also in Central Asia. Insects distributed over these vast areas and as far as North Africa are not uncommon (e.g., the scarabs Pharaonus, Orubesa, and Coptognathus and the locusts Hyalorhipis and Dericorys).
The insects of the clay and salt deserts are less distinctive, though they also include many endemic species. Particularly characteristic of the Irano-Turanian region are termites of the genus Anacanthotermes and ants of Cataglyphis, Camponotus, Messor, Monomorium, and others. There are a number of xerophilous insects belonging to mainly tropical groups, including the huge ground beetle Anthia mannerheimii (distributed mainly in Africa), the buprestid Julodis, darkling beetles (Zophosis and Adesmia), ants (Acantholepis), and so on.
The composition of the array of mountain insects is quite different. It includes several elements of different origins. First are the endemic species (or species groups) of widely distributed genera (the ground beetles Carabus, Nebria, Bembidion, Pterostichus, and Curtonotus; the scarabs Melolontha and Netocia; the leaf beetles Cryptocephalus and Chrysolina; the longicorns Prionus and Phytoecia; the grasshoppers Chorthippus; etc.). Second are genera inhabiting mountain systems extending from Persia to Kazakhstan, the Himalayas, and western China (e.g., the darkling beetles Prosodes, Bioramix, and Solskyia; phytophagous dung beetles of Lethrus; leaf beetles of Crosita; and the wingless grasshoppers Conophyma and Gomphomastax). Some genera and most species of this group are localized in single mountain ranges; for example, the carabid beetles Bronislavia and Petrimagnia, the chafers Euranoxia and Trochaloschema in Tajikistan; the carabid Colpostoma in the western Tian Shans; and some boreal groups in the central and northern Tian Shans. The characteristic insects of the Kopet-Dag include both inhabitants of southwestern Asia (northern Persia, Transcaucasia, Syria, Turkey) and Central Asian forms. There are many endemic species but only a few localized genera. Among the complexes of mostly endemic insects living in the tugays are an element of tropical origin and another related to inhabitants of temperate forests.
The following scheme of zoogeographical division can be proposed for the Irano-Turanian subregion. It includes two desert and three mountain provinces.
The central Persian province. This province encompasses most of Persia, with the exception of the mountains along the northern frontier, the humid belt near the Caspian shore, a-nd the hot tropical districts of the extreme south. The deserts of western and southwestern Afghanistan are also included. The fauna consists mainly of desert animals, partly endemic, partly common in eastern Central Asia and North Africa.
The Turanian province. This province encompasses the southern part of the Aralo-Caspian lowland: Turkmenia (except for the mountains), Uzbekistan (without the eastern mountains), the low-lying parts of Kirgizia, southern and southwestern Kazakhstan, northern Afghanistan (the Amu Darya depression), and small arid districts of the former Azerbaidzhan S.S.R. (e.g., the Apsheron peninsula and the Kura-Aras lowland). It is characterized by the highly specialized fauna of the sand deserts; less distinctive are the insects of the clay and alkaline deserts, the oases, and the tugays.
The Turkmeno-Khorasan province. The mountains of southern Turkmenia, northeastern Persia, and northwestern Afghanistan (the Paropamisos) are included here. The fauna consist of Persian, Turkmenian, and eastern Mediterranean elements; there are relatively few, though quite distinct, endemic species.
The Turkestan province. This province encompasses the eastern mountains of the Central Asian republics, which can be divided into two subprovinces: the western Tian Shans (mostly the chains of northern Uzbekistan and western and southern Kirgizia) and the Gissaro-Darvazian (the mountains of southern Uzbekistan and Tajikistan). The rich fauna includes many endemic genera, along with Turanian, boreal, Tibetan, and eastern Asian elements.
The central Afghan province. This province encompasses most of Afghanistan, except those allotted to the preceding provinces; the valley of the lower Kabul river in the east, where the fauna are of Indian type; and the mountains of Nūrestān, where the fauna are more related to the western Himalayan assemblage. The fauna of this province have, however, been rather poorly investigated.
I. A. Abdusalymov, Fauna Tadzhikskoĭ SSR XIX: Ptitsy (Fauna of the Tajik S.S.R. XIX: Birds), 2 vols., Dushanbe, 1971-73.
D. A. Azimov, ed., Nasekomye Uzbekistana (Insects of Uzbekistan), Tashkent, 1993.
S. A. Chernov, Fauna Tadzhikskoĭ SSR XVIII: Presmykayushchiesya (Fauna of the Tajik S.S.R. XVIII: Reptiles), Dushanbe, 1959.
P. J. Darlington, Zoogeography: The Geographical Distribution of Animals, New York, 1957.
G. P. Dement’ev, Ptitsy Turkmenistana (Birds of Turkmenia) I, Ashkhabad, 1952.
V. Fet and K I. Atamuradov, eds., Biogeography and Ecology of Turkmenistan, Monographiae Biologicae 72, Dordrecht, 1994.
V. G. Heptner, “The Zoogeographical Distribution of Desert Fauna of Turkestan and its Origin” (in Russian), Bulletin de la Société des Naturalistes de Moscou, Series Biologique, N.S., 47/5-6, 1938, pp. 329-49.
Idem, “Desert and Steppe Fauna of the Palearctic Region and Centers of Its Development” (in Russian with English summary), Bulletin de la Société des Naturalistes de Moscou, Series Biologique, N.S., 50/1-2, 1945, pp. 17-38.
O. L. Kryzhanovskiĭ, Sostav i proiskhozhdenie nazemnoĭ fauny Sredneĭ Azii glavnym obrazom na materiale po zhestkokrylym, Moscow and Leningrad, 1965; tr. as The Composition and Origin of the Terrestrial Fauna of Middle Asia [Based mainly on the Evidence of the Coleoptera], New Delhi, 1980 (with many errors).
Idem, “Main Regularities of Composition and Distribution of Afghanistan’s Entomofauna” (in Russian), in V. E. Sokolov, ed., Ekologiya i biogeografiya v Afganistane (Ecology and biogeography in Afghanistan), Moscow, 1983, pp. 101-14.
R. N. Meklenburtsev et al., Ptitsy Uzbekistana (Birds of Uzbekistan) I, Tashkent, 1987.
V. M. Neronov and I. F. Gachik, “Peculiarities of the Rodent Fauna of Afghanistan and the Zoogeographical Districts of the Deserts of the Middle East” (in Russian), in V. E. Sokolov, ed., Ekologiya i biogeografiya v Afganistane (Ecology and biogeography in Afghanistan), Moscow, 1983, pp. 165-84.
G. V. Nikol’skiĭ, Ryby Tadzhikistana (Fishes of Tajikistan), Moscow, 1938.
M. P. Petrov, Pustyni tsentral’noĭ Azii, 2 vols., Leningrad, 1966; tr. as The Deserts of Central Asia: The Ordos, Alashan and Peishan, Washington, D.C., 1966-67.
S. M. Shammakov, Presmykayushcheesya ravninnogo Turkmenistana (Reptiles of lowland Turkmenia), Ashkhabad, 1981.
B. S. Vinogradov et al., Zveri Tadzhikistana: ikh zhizn i znachenie dlya cheloveka (Wild Beasts of Tajikistan: Their Life and Significance for Man), Moscow and Leningrad, 1935.
T. Z. Zakhidov and R. N. Meklenburtsev, Nature and animal life in Central Asia I. Vertebrates (in Russian), Tashkent, 1969.
Zhivotnyi mir SSSR II. Zona pustyn (Animal life in the U.S.S.R. II. Desert zone), Moscow and Leningrad, 1948. | 2019-04-18T14:20:29Z | http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/fauna-ii-iii |
Trains are the most convenient way to get to Shiga Prefecture. There are long-distance buses (mainly from Tokyo) which are cheaper than trains, but they do not run so often. However, long-distance buses to Nagoya Station run quite often and you can take a local train to Shiga from there. There are no airports in Shiga. The nearest international airports are Kansai International Airport in Osaka and Central Japan International Airport in Aichi Prefecture.
Shinkansen and Mt. Ibuki near Maibara Station.
Two shinkansen bullet train stations serve as the main gateways to Shiga: Maibara Station in northern Shiga and Kyoto Station in neighboring Kyoto. Cities in southern Shiga like Otsu and Kusatsu are a short train ride from Kyoto. To visit western Shiga, Yamashina Station in neighboring Kyoto or Omi-Shiotsu Station in northern Shiga is where you get on the JR Kosei Line.
The main train lines going to Shiga Prefecture are the Japan Railways (JR) Tokaido Shinkansen, JR Tokaido Line (also called Biwako Line in Kyoto/Shiga), JR Kosei Line, and JR Hokuriku Line. From the east (Tokyo, Nagoya, etc.), take the Tokaido Shinkansen or JR Tokaido Line. From the west (Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, etc.), take the Sanyo Shinkansen, Tokaido Shinkansen, or JR Tokaido Line (also called Biwako Line. From the Hokuriku Region (Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui, etc.), take the Hokuriku Main Line. Details below.
The Tokaido Shinkansen has three different trains called Kodama, Hikari, and Nozomi. The train fare is the same, but the number of stations they stop at differ. Kodama trains stop at every shinkansen station so the travel time is the longest. Hikari trains stop at fewer stations, and Nozomi trains stop only at major train stations. Only the Kodama and some Hikari trains stop at Maibara Station. Nozomi trains do not stop at Maibara Station. All Tokaido Shinkansen trains stop at Kyoto Station. Note that the Japan Rail Pass is not valid on Nozomi trains.
From Kyoto, you can go to Kyoto Station and catch the JR Tokaido Line (also called Biwako Line to visit southern (Otsu, Kusatsu, Koka, etc.) or eastern Shiga (Hikone, Nagahama, etc.) To visit western Shiga (Katata, Takashima, Imazu, etc.), take the JR Kosei Line. Also, the Tozai subway line (Sanjo-Keihan Station, etc.) goes to Keihan Yamashina Station where you transfer to the Keihan Keishin Line for Biwako Hama-Otsu Station (Otsu Port). Biwako Hama-Otsu Station enables you to transfer trains to visit Ishiyama-dera temple, Miidera temple, Omi Jingu Shrine, and Sakamoto.
From JR Tokyo Station to Maibara Station: About 2.5 hours via shinkansen bullet train. All Kodama trains and a few Hikari trains (about once an hour) stop at Maibara. Or get off at Kyoto Station and take a local train to Shiga. Takes 2.25 hours from Tokyo to Kyoto via Nozomi shinkansen, then 10 min. to Otsu via JR Tokaido Main Line.
From JR Kyoto Station to Otsu Station: About 10 min. via JR Tokaido/Biwako Line.
From Sanjo-Keihan (Kyoto) to Keihan Biwako Hama-Otsu Station: 25 min. via Keihan Keishin Line.
From JR Gifu Station to Maibara Station: About 40 min. via Tokaido Main Line.
From JR Nagoya Station to Maibara Station: About 25 min. via shinkansen or 1 hr 15 min. via Tokaido Main Line (train transfer at Ogaki Station may be required).
On the map, click on the upper right icon to view the larger map and an alphabetical list of all the train stations and boat ports in Shiga.
If you don't have a Japan Rail Pass or if you want to save money, long-distance buses are an economical way to travel in Japan. They pick up and drop off passengers at or near major train stations. There are a number of bus companies to choose from. Generally, JR Bus, affiliated with Japan Railways, is the most expensive, but the most convenient since their bus terminals are right at the train stations. Other bus companies are forced to pick up and drop off passengers at some distance away (10-15 min. walk) from the train stations.
Only Willer Express stops at train stations in Shiga Prefecture. From Tokyo, they have buses stopping at Hikone Station, Kusatsu Station, Minami-Kusatsu Station, and Kyoto Station. The buses to Shiga usually run overnight, leaving Tokyo at around 10:30 pm and arriving in the early morning around 5:30 or 6:30 am. The bus fare is around 4,000 to 7,000 yen depending on the day of the week (more expensive on weekends), season, and bus type. Their Web site is also in English.
An alternative would be to take a long-distance bus to Nagoya Station or Kyoto Station, then take a local train to Shiga. There are many more bus runs to both stations, including daytime runs. You would also have more bus companies to choose from, although Willer Express is the only one with an English Website as of this writing. From Tokyo (Shinjuku Station), it takes 5.5 or 6 hours to arrive at Nagoya Station (less than 2 hours via shinkansen). The bus makes two toilet stops at rest areas along the Tomei Expressway. Be aware that traffic conditions and highway accidents can delay the bus.
From Kansai International Airport in Osaka: The easiest (and most expensive) train is JR Haruka limited express from Kansai Airport. It takes about 75 min. to Kyoto Station. Most Haruka trains terminate at Osaka station or Kyoto Station, but a few trains go all the way to Maibara Station taking 130 min. and stopping at most stations between Otsu and Maibara. All cars are non-smoking and most cars have reserved seating. The train cars have storage space for large suitcases. The fare from Kansai Airport (if you don't have a Japan Rail Pass) is around 3,370 yen (JR Haruka departure timetable). There are cheaper trains which take a longer time.
From Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) near Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture: From Central Japan International Airport Station, take the Meitetsu Line to JR Nagoya Station taking about 30 min. Transfer to the JR Tokaido Main Line bound for Maibara Station (end of the line) or the Tokaido Shinkansen (bound for Maibara Station or Kyoto Station). If it is late in the evening, you may have to take the JR Tokaido Main Line train terminating at JR Ogaki Station where you transfer to a train one going to Maibara Station. From Nagoya Station, the last train for Maibara (via Ogaki Station) leaves at around 10:45 pm, taking about 75 min.
Travel within Shiga is easy via JR Lines, private railways, local city buses, bicycle, and taxis. There is at least one train station in almost all cities and towns in Shiga. It is possible to travel around Lake Biwa entirely by train with the JR Tokaido Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line on the eastern side and the scenic Kosei Line along the western shore. However, since it is not a loop line, at least two train transfers (at Yamashina Station and Omi-Shiotsu Station) will be necessary along the way. Train runs along the heavily-traveled Tokaido Main Line (also called Biwako Line between Nagahama and Kyoto) are frequent, and less frequent along the Kosei Line along the western shore.
On the east side is the JR Kusatsu Line shooting off from Kusatsu Station until it reaches Mie Prefecture. Also in eastern Shiga, the private Ohmi Railways serve a few cities such as Maibara, Hikone, Higashi-Omi, Taga, and Koka. Be aware that Ohmi Railways trains are slow and not that frequent. On weekends (Fri., Sat., Sun., and national holidays), the "One Day Smile Ticket" is only 820 yen and valid to ride on Ohmi Railways all day. A good deal if you plan to ride the Ohmi Railways train at least twice. Also, during non-rush hours (9 am - 4 pm), you can bring your bicycle aboard the train.
If you like train stations, see Shiga's Top 20 train stations for some of Shiga's best-looking train station buildings.
Shiga's train lines and train stations and nearby major sights and facilities are as follows.
Kashiwabara Station (柏原駅) - The station after Sekigahara Station in Gifu. A former stage town on the Nakasendo Road. A local history museum, Tokugen-in Temple, and Kitabatake grave.
Omi-Nagaoka Station (近江長岡駅) - Gateway to Mt. Ibuki and Mishima Pond. Bicycle rental at Green Park Santo (accessible by bus).
Samegai Station (醒ヶ井駅) - Former stage town on the Nakasendo Road. Famous for the Samegai Trout Farm and baikamo underwater river flowers in sumer.
Maibara Station (米原駅) - Tokaido shinkansen bullet train stop and where the Tokaido/Biwako Line and Hokuriku Line intersect. You can transfer to the Hokuriku Line to travel to Fukui, Ishikawa, and Toyama Prefectures.
Hikone Station (彦根駅) - One of Shiga's major cities and tourist bases with Hikone Castle, Hikone Port (for Chikubushima), and shrines and temples.
Minami-Hikone Station (南彦根駅) - Viva City shopping center and movie theaters.
Notogawa Station (能登川駅) - Giant water wheel is the town's symbol, and the station's facade is also partially shaped like a water wheel. Bicycle rental at the station.
Azuchi Station (安土駅) - Rent a bicycle and cycle to Azuchi Castle ruins, House of Nobunaga, and the archeaological museum. Bicycle rental in front of the station.
Omi-Hachiman Station (近江八幡駅) - Another major tourist base with Hachiman-yama mountain for great views of the city and Lake Biwa, Suigo boat rides, Hachiman-bori moat which is the historical part of town, and buildings by the American architect Vories. Bicycle rental at the station.
Yasu Station (野洲駅) - Mt. Mikami, Hyozu Taisha Shrine, and rice-planting festival in May. Bicycle rental at the south exit (Minami-guchi) at the Yasu Tourist Office (077−587−3710) until 5 pm (closed Mon.).
Moriyama Station (守山駅) - Another stage town on the Nakasendo Road with noted shrines and temples mostly on the west side (toward the lake) of the station. The east side has little. Bicycle rental at the tourist office (077−514−3765) at the west exit until 7:30 pm. Also bicycle rental at Laforet Biwako (phone: 077-584-2180), a hotel on the lakeshore (accessible by bus from the station).
Ritto Station (栗東駅) - Daiho Shrine is nearby on the west side of the station.
Kusatsu Station (草津駅) - A former stage town on the Nakasendo Road. The Kusatsu-juku Honjin is a marvelous example of the luxury accomodations used by feudal lords and emperors when they traveled in the old days. Tourist info booth near the turnstile. Bicycle rental (phone: 077−565-9052) at east exit street level.
Seta Station (瀬田駅) - By bus, go to the "Bunka Zone" (Culture Zone) that has a Japanese garden, the Shiga Prefectural Library, and the The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga.
Ishiyama Station (石山駅) - Ishiyama-dera Temple is a must-see and the Seta River and Seta Karahashi Bridge are also historic places. Ishiyama is also a Keihan streetcar stop which cuts through Otsu.
Zeze Station (膳所駅) - Zeze Castle ruins. Also near to Otsu's shopping area.
Otsu Station (大津駅) - Shiga's capital and a city with many important temples and shrines such as Enryakuji Temple, Ishiyama-dera Temple, Omi Jingu Shrine, Gichuji Temple (where Haiku poet Basho is buried), and a nice lakeshore. After major renovations, the Otsu Station building reopened on Oct. 1, 2016 with a 60-bed capsule hotel (geared for foreign tourists), multilingual tourist information center, free rental bicycles, five restaurants, and an outdoor terrace and event space.
From Maibara Station going up north toward Fukui Prefecture.
Maibara Station (米原駅) - Tokaido shinkansen bullet train stop and where the Tokaido/Biwako Line and Hokuriku Line intersect. You can transfer to the Hokuriku Line to travel to Fukui, Ishikawa, and Toyama Prefectures. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Sakata Station).
Sakata Station (坂田駅) - A statue of Lord Yamauchi Kazutoyo and Chiyo (born in Maibara) is nearby. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Maibara Station or Nagahama Station).
Nagahama Station (長浜駅) - A beautiful, new station building opened in Oct. 2006. A major city and tourist base with Nagahama Castle, Nagahama Port for boat cruises to Chikubushima, Daitsuji Temple, and shopping. Tourist info booth at Ibukiyama/Heiwado exit. Bicycle rental near the station (drop-off OK at Sakata Station or Kawake Station).
Torahime Station (虎姫駅) - Country town with the historic Gomura Betsuin Temple. Bicycle rental at the station.
Kawake Station (河毛駅) - Visit Odani Castle on a mountaintop. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Nagahama Station or Takatsuki Station).
Takatsuki Station (高月駅) - Best known for the 11-faced Kannon statue, a National Treasure, at Kogenji Temple. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Kawake Station or Kinomoto Station).
Kinomoto Station (木ノ本駅) - A new station building was opened in 2006. Take a bus to Mt. Shizugatake where you can ride the lift up the mountain during the warmer months. Great view of Lake Biwa and Lake Yogo. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Takatsuki Station or Yogo Station).
Yogo Station (余呉駅) - Lake Yogo visible from the station is a small scenic lake north of Lake Biwa. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Kinomoto Station or Omi-Shiotsu Station).
Omi-Shiotsu Station (近江塩津駅) - Mainly a transfer point between the Hokuriku LIne and Kosei Line. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Yogo Station or Nagahara Station on Kosei Line).
Kosei Line at Omi-Takashima Station.
This train line runs on the west side of the lake.
Yamashina Station (山科駅) - In Kyoto. Transfer point between the Kosei Line, Tokaido Main Line, and Kyoto subway.
Hie-zan Sakamoto Station (比叡山坂本駅) - Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Saikyoji Temple, Hie-zan Sakamoto Cable Car to Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei. Rental bicycles at nearby Sakamoto Station (Sakamoto Tourist Association office) on the Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line.
Ogoto Onsen Station (おごと温泉駅) - Formerly called Ogoto Station. The station's name was changed on March 15, 2008. Ogoto Spa is nearby.
Ono Station (小野駅) - Bicycle rental at station (drop-off OK at Kita Komatsu Station).
Kita-Komatsu Station (北小松駅) - Yobai no Taki Falls, Hira Genkimura. Bicycle rental at station (drop-off OK at Ono Station).
Omi-Takashima Station (近江高島駅) - Shirahige Jinja Shrine (torii in lake), Haginohama Beach, Omizo Castle, Otomegaike Pond, Ireland Koryukan Village. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Adogawa Station).
Adogawa Station (安曇川駅) - Biwako Kodomo no Kuni, Yomeien Garden. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Shin-Asahi Station, Omi-Imazu, or Omi-Takashima Station).
Shin-Asahi Station (新旭駅) - Shin Asahi Windmill Village. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Omi-Imazu Station or Adogawa Station).
Omi-Imazu Station (近江今津駅) - Imazu-ko Pier (boat to Chikubushima island), Biwako Shuko no Uta Shiryokan song museum, Biwako Shuko no Uta song monument, Imazu Vories Shiryokan museum, Mt. Hakodate-yama. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Makino Station, Shin-Asahi Station, or Adogawa Station).
Makino Station (マキノ駅) - Makino Sunny Beach, Kaizu Osaki coast. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Nagahara Station or Omi-Imazu Station).
Nagahara Station (永原駅) - Marukobune no Yakata museum, Ranta no Yakata, Haraobi Kannon Temple. Bicycle rental at the station (drop-off OK at Makino Station).
Omi-Shiotsu Station (近江塩津駅) - Transfer station for JR Kosei Line and Hokuriku Line. Catch another train south to Nagahama/Maibara or north to Tsuruga/Fukui.
The line runs from Kusatsu Station to Tsuge Station in Mie Prefecture, with stations in Kusatsu, Ritto, Konan, and Koka.
Kusatsu Station (草津駅) - Transfer point between the Kusatsu Line and Tokaido Line. A former stage town on the Nakasendo Road. The Kusatsu-juku Honjin is a marvelous example of the luxury accomodations used by feudal lords and emperors when they traveled in the old days. Tourist info booth near the turnstile. Bicycle rental (phone: 077−565-9052) at east exit street level.
Tehara Station (手原駅) - Near Ritto City Hall and Mt. Anyoji. Also near the site of the new Tokaido shinkansen station proposed to be built.
Ishibe Station (石部駅) - Former Ishibe-juku stage town on the Tokaido Road linking Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto. Also Jorakuji Temple and Chojuji Temple are reachable by bus. Bicycle rental at the station (inside the Community House).
Kosei Station (甲西駅) - Zensuiji temple and Konan City Hall are nearby. Bicycle rental at station.
Kibukawa Station (貴生川駅) - Transfer point for Ohmi Railways and Shiga Kogen Railways.
Konan Station (甲南駅) - Bicycle rental at station.
Terasho Station (寺庄駅) - Bicycle rental at the station.
Koka Station (甲賀駅) - Take a bus to the Koka Ninja Village. Bicycle rental at station.
Aburahi Station (油日駅) - Bicycle rental at the station.
Tsuge Station (柘植駅) - In Iga, Mie Prefecture. Transfer to the Kansai Main Line.
Ohmi Railways at Taga Taisha-mae Station.
From Maibara Station to Kibukawa Station.
Maibara Station (米原駅) - Transfer point for the Tokaido Line, shinkansen bullet train, Hokuriku Line, and Ohmi Railways.
Toriimoto Station (鳥居本駅) - Toriimoto-juku is a former stage town on the Nakasendo Road. The Western-style station building was built in 1931.
Amago Station (尼子駅) - Buses leave this station for the Koto Sanzan Temple Trio. Bicycle rental at the station (drop off OK at Echigawa Station).
Echigawa Station (愛知川駅) - Bicycle rental at the station (drop off OK at Amago Station).
Gokasho Station (五箇荘駅) - Famous for Omi merchant homes. Bicycle rental at the station.
Yokaichi Station (八日市駅) - Main station for Higashi Omi city and transfer point for the Ohmi Railways' Main Line and Yokaichi Line (for Omi-Hachiman). Bicycle rental at the station.
Hino Station (日野駅) - Main station for Hino-cho town. Bicycle rental in front of the station.
Minakuchi Matsuo Station (水口松尾駅) - Very rural area.
Minakuchi Jonan Station (水口城南駅) - Main station for Minakuchi and Koka city. Minakuchi-juku was a former stage town on the Nakasendo Road. Minakuchi Castle is also nearby. Bicycle rental at station.
Kibukawa Station (貴生川駅) - Transfer point between the Ohmi Railway Line, JR Kusatsu Line, and Shigaraki Kogen Line.
Only two stations on this line which shoots off the Main Line.
Takamiya Station (高宮駅) - Transfer point between the Main Line and Taga Line. Takamiya-juku is also a former stage town on the Nakasendo Road.
Taga Taisha-mae Station - (多賀大社前駅) - Nearby is Taga Taisha Shrine, one of Shiga's most popular shrines.
Runs between Omi-Hachiman Station on the Tokaido Line and Yokaichi Station in Higashi Omi.
Omi-Hachiman Station (近江八幡駅) - Major city on the Tokaido Line.
Musa Station (武佐駅) - Former stage town on the Nakasendo Road.
Tarobogu-mae Station (太郎坊宮前駅) - Unmanned train station. Mainly residential and farmland. Tarobogu Shrine is nearby.
Shin-Yokaichi Station (新八日市駅) - Nice Taisho-Period station building.
Yokaichi Station (八日市駅) - Main station for Higashi-Omi city (formerly Yokaichi city).
Shigaraki Kogen Railway at Kibukawa Station.
This short train line operates entirely within Koka city. The main destination is the Shigaraki Ceramic Park. It takes about 22 min. from Kibukawa Station to Shigaraki Station. In September 2013, Typhoon Man-Yi damaged a railway bridge and other parts of the railway, forcing it to close for repairs. Substitute buses are running along the railway line until the railway reopens in 2014.
Shigaraki Station (信楽駅) - Station for Shigaraki Ceramic Park. Bicycle rental at station.
Two streetcar lines operate in Otsu, Shiga.
Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line at Shimanoseki Station.
Otsu's main streetcar line connecting one end of the city to the other.
Ishiyama-dera Station (石山寺駅) - Near the famous Ishiyama-dera temple and Setagawa River.
Karahashi-mae Station (唐橋前駅) - Near the famous Seta Karahashi Bridge and the Seta River.
Keihan Ishiyama Station (京阪石山駅) - Transfer to JR Ishiyama Station on the Tokaido Line.
Keihan Zeze Station (京阪膳所駅) - Near the shopping area. Also transfer to JR Zeze Station.
Shimanoseki Station (島ノ関駅) - Near the Shiga Prefectural Capital.
Biwako Hama-Otsu Station (びわ湖浜大津駅) (formerly Hama-Otsu Station until Feb. 2018) - Shopping area, hotels, and Otsu Port for lake cruises.
Miidera Station (三井寺駅) - Near the famous Miidera temple and Biwako Sosui Canal.
Otsu Shiyakusho-mae Station (大津市役所前駅) (formerly Bessho Station until Feb. 2018) - Near Otsu City Hall, Otsu History Museum, Ojiyama Sports Park, and Ojiyama Stadium.
Keihan Otsukyo Station (京阪大津京駅) (formerly Ojiyama Station until Feb. 2018) - Ojigaoka Park, Ojiyama Sports Park, also transfer to JR Otsukyo Station on the Kosei Line.
Omi Jingu-mae Station (近江神宮前駅) - Near Omi Jingu Shrine dedicated to Emperor Tenchi.
Sakamoto Station (坂本駅) - Near the Hiezan cable car station to go up Mt. Hiei.
Streetcar line connecting Otsu and Kyoto.
Misasagi Station (御陵駅) - Transfer to Tozai Line (Kyoto).
Kami-sakaemachi Station (上栄町駅) - Former stage town of Otsu-juku on the Tokaido Road.
Biwako Hama-Otsu Station (びわ湖浜大津駅) (formerly Hama-Otsu Station until Feb. 2018) - Shopping area, hotels, and Otsu Port for lake cruises. Transfer to Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line.
Cable Sakamoto Station (ケーブル坂本駅) - At the foot of Mt. Hiei in Shiga. Near Sakamoto Station on the Keihan Line and Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine.
Horaioka Station (ほうらい丘駅) - Newest station opened in 1984 to enable people to see a stone buddha statue. The cable car stops here only upon request.
Motateyama Station (もたて山駅) - Nearby is the grave of poet Ki no Tsurayuki (紀 貫之).
Cable Enryakuji Station (ケーブル延暦寺駅) - Terminal station atop Mt. Hiei. A short walk away is Enryakuji temple.
"Aikuru" bus from Kibukawa Station.
Major train stations such as Otsu Station, Kusatsu Station, Moriyama Station, Yasu Station, Omi-Hachiman Station, and Nagahama Station have a good local bus network. Ask the local tourist info office for directions on which bus to take. If you don't understand the buses or if they come to infrequently, take a taxi available at the larger train stations. The smaller train stations usually have no taxis. In rural areas, it may be difficult to catch a taxi on the street.
Buses operated by Ohmi Railways operate from the major train stations. The routes and schedules are in Japanese here: http://www.ohmitetudo.co.jp/bus/rosen/index.html also here at Jorudan: https://mb.jorudan.co.jp/os/bus/shiga/. There is Kojaku Bus that operates in western Shiga in Otsu and Takashima, Teisan Konan Kotsu that operate buses in Kusatsu and Otsu, and Shiga Bus that operates mainly in Yasu.
Hikone Station to Hikone Port: Free shuttle bus provided for Omi Marine boat passengers.
Major train stations in Shiga have taxi stands. Otherwise, you may have to call for a taxi. Click here for a list of taxi phone numbers for train stations in Shiga (in Japanese).
Rental bicycles at Omi-Hachiman Station.
Many train stations have rental bicycles for tourists. Usually, you can rent a bicycle at one train station and return it at another if it's on the same train line. Very convenient and a great way to enjoy the lake views or get to places not often served by buses. The bicycles are rented out by the local tourist association or a private vendor. It's usually 500 yen for the day's rental, and the bicycle must be returned by 5 pm or so. Many major hotels in Shiga also have rental bicycles.
In recent years, bicycling around Lake Biwa (called "Biwa-ichi") has become very popular, attracting over 70,000 cyclists annually. To assist these cyclists, "Biwaichi Cycle Stations" have been setup at convenience stores and other spots in Shiga. They may provide food, water, bicycle tire pumps, and bicycle courier service. While most rental bicycles are for short and casual cycling, a few bicycle rental outlets such as Biwako Isshu Rental Cycle at Maibara Station and Moriyama have high-grade bicycles geared for long-distance cycling.
The following train stations in Shiga have rental bicycles: Otsu Station, Hikone Station (AL Plaza), Kusatsu Station, Omi-Hachiman Station, Azuchi Station (North exit), Maibara Station (East exit), Sakata Station, Nagahama Station, Torahime Station, Takatsuki Station, Kawake Station, Kinomoto Station, Yogo Station, Omi-Shiotsu Station, Nagahara Station, Makino Station, Omi-Imazu Station, Omi-Takashima Station, Shin-Asahi Station (West exit), Adogawa Station, Sakamoto Station, Terasho Station, Konan Station, Ishibe Station, Kosei Station, Koka Station, Aburahi Station, and Shigaraki Station.
If you have your own bicycle, you can cycle around the lake in 3 days, assuming you also want to see the sights. The ride can be shortened to two days if you opt to ride across the Biwako Ohashi Bridge at the neck of the panhandle and skip riding on the southern shore (Otsu). There is a lakeshore road or cycling road along most of the way, and the terrain is flat almost all the around. Very scenic compared to riding a train.
The only tough part is the mountainous northern area where the road goes up a mountain near Sugaura (Oku Biwako Parkway or Route 512). Most people avoid this road and take the flatter route on Route 303 going through the long tunnel. The views are much better along the steeper Oku Biwako Parkway, but it can be hazardous with loose rocks falling down the cliffs. Check information on road conditions before going up Route 512. The downhill ride is thrilling. Riding in a counterclockwise direction (left side of the road) will put you closer to the lake.
From Otsu, the Michigan paddlewheel boat offers cruises on Lake Biwa.
Lake Biwa has boats operating from Otsu Port, Hikone Port, Nagahama Port, Imazu Port, and Horikiri Port. The main destination is Chikubushima island in northern Lake Biwa from Hikone Port, Nagahama Port, and Imazu Port. Horikiri Port has boats going to Okishima island, the lake's largest island inhabited by a few hundred people.
It's possible to cross Lake Biwa between Nagahama Port and Imazu Port by boat via Chikubushima island.
From Otsu Port, Biwako Kisen operates sightseeing cruises on the Michigan paddlewheel boat for daily daytime and dinner cruises within the lake's panhandle. A 60-min. cruise is 2,000 yen for adults. The company also operates the Bianca luxury boat for cruises around the entire lake.
The other cruise company is Omi Marine which operates boats mainly from Hikone Port for cruises to Chikubushima island, Kaizu-Osaki (popular during cherry blossom season), and tiny Takeshima island. This company is affiliated with Ohmi Railways.
eki konai 駅構内 – inside or within the train station.
Midori no Madoguchi みどりの窓口 – Manned ticket counter or office at major train stations to buy reserved seat tickets (and rail passes). Colored in green and usually open from 5:30 am to 10 pm.
shiteiseki 指定席 – reserved seating, extra charge required.
machiai-shitsu 待合室 - Waiting room in the train station. A room to keep warm in winter or cool in summer while waiting for your train. Most train stations have a small waiting room on the platform.
kaisatsu 改札 – Turnstile or ticket gate where you present your ticket or tap card.
Futsu 普通 – Local train stopping at every station. Also called Futsu-ressha 普通列車.
kaku-eki 各駅 – Stops at every station.
Tokkyu 特急 – Limited Express long-distance trains stopping only at major train stations. Extra charge required.
Green-sha グリーン車 – First-class car requiring extra charge.
shinkansen 新幹線 – Bullet train. Nozomi only stops at the major stations (doesn’t stop at Maibara). Hikari trains stop at a few more stations (sometimes Maibara) and Kodama trains stop at all shinkansen stations on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line.
okure 遅れ – Delayed train. Usually preceded by the number of minutes the train is delayed.
yusen-seki 優先席 – Courtesy seat for elderly, handicapped, etc. Formerly called “silver seat” シルバーシート.
senro – 線路 – Railroad/train tracks. If you drop something on the tracks, alert the station staff.
homu ホーム – Station platform where you board the train.
Roku-ryo-hensei 6両編成 – Six-car train. If it’s a 10-car train, it’s called Ju-ryo hensei.
nanban-sen 何番線 – Which platform No.?
shasho 車掌 – On-board train conductor who may check your express train ticket (on tokkyu and shinkansen). He/she also sells train tickets if your boarding train station does not have a ticket machine or manned ticket window.
shuten 終点 – Last stop on the train line.
coin locker コインロッカー – Coin-operated lockers for luggage. Only the larger train stations have it.
Index to Shiga-related transportation articles.
This page was last edited on 23 March 2019, at 12:58. | 2019-04-19T01:06:46Z | http://photoguide.jp/w/index.php?title=Shiga_Prefecture_Transportation&oldid=27002 |
COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED Hope Eckert, Attorney at Law, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (Michael A. Keefe, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Albuquerque, NM, with her on the briefs) for Defendants-Appellants.
David N. Williams, Assistant United States Attorney, Albuquerque, NM (David C. Iglesias, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, with him on the brief) for Plaintiff-Appellee.
Before EBEL, Circuit Judge, BRORBY, Senior Circuit Judge, and HENRY, Circuit Judge.
Kurt Cousins and Bukola Cousins pled guilty to various drug charges stemming from the discovery of over 500 marijuana plants growing in their backyard. Police officers, acting on a tip from a utility employee, entered into a "sideyard" of Defendants' house and, looking through a hole in a fence, were able to observe marijuana plants growing in Defendants' backyard. Below and on appeal, Defendants argue that the police conduct violated the Fourth Amendment because the sideyard was within the curtilage of their house. We conclude that the district court properly rejected this claim and therefore AFFIRM the district court's denial of the motion to suppress.
Defendant Kurt Cousins also challenges the validity of his sentence. Specifically, Kurt Cousins argues that the district court should not have used a 1996 state court conviction in calculating his criminal history category because that conviction was obtained without the benefit of counsel and in violation of the Sixth Amendment. We conclude that Kurt Cousins's 1996 conviction was unconstitutional at the time it was imposed and REVERSE his sentence and REMAND for resentencing.
On June 12, 2003, Robert Bryant, an employee with Public Service of New Mexico ("PNM"), visited the home of Kurt Donald Cousins ("Kurt") and Bukola To-lase-Cousins ("Bukola") (collectively "Defendants"), a married couple. Bryant was attempting to collect on a delinquent bill for electricity and gas services. When he knocked on the door, there was no answer. After leaving a note stating that the home's power would be cut off, Bryant then went to the electricity meter and cut the power to the house using two plastic "boots." The meter was located on the east side of a small "sideyard," directly adjacent to the Cousinses' home.
The sideyard was approximately eight feet wide and was bordered to the north by a gate leading to the Cousinses' backyard, to the west by a fence separating the Cousinses' property from their neighbor's, and to the east by the Cousinses' residence. There was no barrier to the south. One could enter the sideyard from the south by walking north along the Cousinses' driveway and following a paved walkway that led west (away from the front door) and turned north at the edge of the Cousinses' garage where it ended in front of the gate. The distance from the electric meter to the gate was approximately thirteen feet. Defendants had planted a small melon garden in the sideyard to the left of the paved walkway.
Bryant returned on July 2, 2003, because payment on the utility bill still had not been made. He discovered that the electric meter had been tampered with: the boots had been removed and the meter had been reinstalled. Bryant disconnected the power and placed a new lock on the electric meter and also disconnected the gas service to the house.
The following afternoon, Bryant again returned to Defendants' residence and discovered that someone had attached jumper cables to the meter in order to provide electricity illegally to the house. Bryant then called PNM and requested a "trouble truck" be sent to the address so that electricity could be cut at the transformer, which would prevent theft of electricity from the meter. As he was waiting for the truck to arrive, Bryant leaned against the west wall of the sideyard, where he was able to see into the backyard of the house through an open gate.1 As he was looking through the gate, Bryant saw what he recognized to be marijuana plants growing in Defendants' backyard.
After the trouble truck came and completed the process of cutting off electricity at the transformer, Bryant left the premises. After driving about half a block, Bryant saw a police car pulling out in front of him from a nearby side street. Bryant got out of his car and flagged down Officer Mark Manno of the Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety. Bryant identified himself as a PNM employee and told Manno he had seen marijuana growing in the backyard at the Cousinses' residence. Officer Manno then put in a call for backup, to which Officers Sal Gonzalez, Tim Robey, and Robert Kinney responded. After Bryant left, the four officers drove to the area in which Defendants lived, parked several houses away, and approached the Cousinses' residence on foot. All four officers walked up Defendants' driveway, turned west (away from the front door), and walked north into the sideyard where the electric meter was located. Although the open gate Bryant had spoken of earlier was now closed, Gonzalez noticed that the door of the gate had three heart-shaped cutouts through which one could see into the backyard. All four officers looked through the holes in the gate and agreed that there was, in fact, marijuana growing in the backyard. Gonzales also detected the faint smell of marijuana in the area. After a few minutes, the four officers then "backed away," so that they could form a plan of action.
Officer Gonzalez contacted Officer French, a local patrol officer who was also assigned to the local Drug Enforcement Agency ("DEA") task force. Officer French advised that he would be there shortly and instructed Gonzalez to establish a security perimeter around the house and to detain anyone coming in or out. Before the officers established the perimeter, they saw a woman (later identified to be Defendant Bukola Cousins) drive up to the residence in a white car. Officer Gonzalez approached Bukola and asked her if she was a resident of the house, to which she answered "yes." Bukola refused to identify herself, saying only that she was a "secured party." Officer Gonzalez handcuffed Bukola and placed her in his police car. Gonzalez then ordered the other three officers to establish a security perimeter around the house due to concerns about officer safety. Officer Robey secured the rear of the house from the backyard while Officer Manno secured the front entrance.
A short time thereafter, Officer French arrived with Detective Jeremy Melton. French and Melton took control of the investigation and interviewed the other officers as well as Bukola. Melton prepared an affidavit for a search warrant seeking authority to search Defendants' home. A New Mexico state district court judge issued the warrant, and later that evening, officers executed a search of the premises. They discovered Defendant Kurt Cousins as well as 505 marijuana plants of various sizes in the backyard.
On August 1, 2003, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Defendants. Count I accused Defendants of conspiring to manufacture more than 100 marijuana plants, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. Count II accused Defendants of maintaining a place to manufacture and distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 856(a) (1) and (b). Count III sought the criminal forfeiture of Defendants' residence in the event they were convicted of either crime alleged in the previous counts, pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 853.
On January 30, 2004, Defendants filed a joint motion to suppress all evidence discovered at their residence when officers executed the search warrant. They had two primary arguments: First, Defendants claimed that officers violated the Fourth Amendment by entering upon the curtilage of their house without a warrant. Second, they claimed the affidavit in support of the warrant contained false statements which rendered the warrant invalid under Franks v. Delaware, 438 U.S. 154, 98 S. Ct. 2674, 57 L. Ed. 2d 667 (1978).
The district court denied the motions to suppress as well as a subsequent motion to reconsider. Subsequently, pursuant to a plea agreement, Bukola agreed to plead guilty to Count II (maintaining a place to manufacture marijuana) of the indictment while reserving the right to appeal the district court's suppression ruling. The Government, in turn, agreed to dismiss Count I. The district court accepted the plea and sentenced Bukola to five months' imprisonment and three years' supervised release, in accordance with the recommendations made in her presentence report ("PSR").
Kurt Cousins also entered into a plea agreement whereby he agreed to plead guilty to Count I of the indictment (conspiracy) in exchange for the Government's agreement to drop Count II.2 The probation office then prepared a PSR and recommended a level II criminal history category for Kurt and an offense level of 18. Based on these recommendations, Kurt would have been eligible under the sentencing guidelines for a sentence of between 30 and 37 months. However, the crime for which Kurt was convicted carried a five-year mandatory minimum sentence. See 21 U.S.C. § 841(b) (1) (B). The only way around this mandatory minimum sentence was to qualify for a safety valve reduction, see 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f), which requires, among other things, a level I criminal history category.
Therefore, at sentencing, Kurt objected to the PSR's criminal history recommendation. He argued that one of the two criminal history points accorded to him was due to a 1996 South Carolina misdemeanor conviction during which Kurt alleges he was deprived the right to counsel. Without this criminal history point, Kurt would have been eligible for the safety valve reduction and therefore for the lower sentencing guidelines range. After holding a hearing, the district court overruled Kurt's objection, adopted the findings of the PSR, and sentenced Kurt to the statutory mandatory minimum, five years' imprisonment.
Kurt and Bukola each filed appeals regarding the district court's denial of their motion to suppress.3 In addition, Kurt filed an appeal challenging the legality of his sentence. Kurt's and Bukola's appeals have been consolidated before this panel.
the issue of whether an area is part of the curtilage of the home depends upon the factual resolution of whether "the area harbors the intimate activity associated with the sanctity of a man's home and the privacies of life."
Id. (quoting United States v. Dunn, 480 U.S. 294, 300, 107 S. Ct. 1134, 94 L. Ed. 2d 326 (1987)). On clear error review, we may reverse "only if the district court's finding was without factual support in the record or we are left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made." United States v. Cernobyl, 255 F.3d 1215, 1221 (10th Cir. 2001) (internal quotation marks omitted).
"The curtilage concept originated at common law to extend to the area immediately surrounding a dwelling house the same protection under the law of burglary as was afforded the house itself." Dunn, 480 U.S. at 300, 107 S. Ct. 1134. In Oliver v. United States, 466 U.S. 170, 104 S. Ct. 1735, 80 L. Ed. 2d 214 (1984), the Supreme Court recognized that the Fourth Amendment protects the curtilage of a house and that the extent of the curtilage is determined by factors that bear upon whether an individual reasonably may expect that the area in question will remain private. Id. at 180, 104 S. Ct. 1735. The central component of this inquiry is whether the area harbors the "intimate activity associated with the sanctity of a man's home and the privacies of life." Id. (quotation omitted). In Dunn, the Court more carefully defined this standard and articulated four factors used to determine whether a particular area was within the curtilage of a house: (1) the proximity of the area to the house; (2) whether the area is included within an enclosure surrounding the home; (3) the nature of the use to which the area is put; and (4) the steps taken by the resident to protect the area from observation. 480 U.S. at 301, 107 S. Ct. 1134. These factors are not a "finely tuned formula," but "are useful analytical tools only to the degree that, in any given case, they bear upon the centrally relevant consideration—whether the area in question is so intimately tied to the home itself that it should be placed under the home's `umbrella' of Fourth Amendment protection." Id. at 301, 107 S. Ct. 1134.
Applying the four Dunn factors, we conclude that the district court did not clearly err in finding that the sideyard area was not within the curtilage of the Cousinses' home.
The sideyard was immediately adjacent to the house. Thus, the proximity factor suggests this area is curtilage.
The sideyard was enclosed on three sides: (1) on the east by an exterior wall of the house; (2) on the north by the gate door; and (3) on the west by a fence. As such, the sideyard is partially, though not completely, enclosed.
enclosed on three sides by a wire fence, making it impossible for someone to enter the yard from the fields without using the gate or climbing over the fence. Entry from the remaining side, although not completely barred, [was] partially obstructed by the house.
Id. at 773. What makes the instant case different from Jenkins is that the unenclosed side is the expected path one would take to get to the sideyard, and it is a paved sidewalk. Given this, it is substantially different from the areas in question in either Jenkins or Swepston. Thus, this factor weighs against a finding of curtilage.
There is some evidence in the record that a portion of the sideyard area was used as a garden for melons. Gardening is an activity often associated with the curtilage of a home. See United States v. Breza, 308 F.3d 430, 436 (4th Cir. 2002). This is not to say that simply because an area has a garden, it will always be within the curtilage. As Dunn makes clear, the area in question must be used for the "intimate activities of the home." 480 U.S. at 302, 107 S. Ct. 1134. Whatever intimate character a few melon plants might add to the sideyard, we cannot conclude that gardening was a primary or even significant use of this area. Indeed, the presence of the electric meter and paved walkway belie any claim that the sideyard was intended as a private space for gardening. Thus, this factor also weighs against a finding of curtilage.
As for the fourth Dunn factor, the district court concluded that "no steps were taken by Defendants to limit access to this walkway even when they were clearly aware utility employees frequented this area." Defendants' main counter-argument is that a number of trees and bushes restricted the view of the sideyard from the street. Even if this is true, it is still clear that the utility meter and gate were visible from the street and that the sideyard was connected to the driveway by a paved walkway that was accessible to any and all persons wishing to enter upon it. See LaFave, supra, at 599-603 ("In the course of urban life, we have come to expect various members of the public to enter upon such a driveway, e.g., brush salesmen, newspaper boys, postmen, Girl Scout cookie sellers, distressed motorists, neighbors, friends. Any one of them may be reasonably expected to report observations of criminal activity to the police.") (quoting State v. Corbett, 15 Or.App. 470, 516 P.2d 487, 490 (1973)).
Furthermore, since the electric meter was located in this area, the Cousinses knew that utility employees would be in the area at least once a month to read the meter. The Cousinses claim that these employees were not "uninvited visitors," but that they were "invited as the result of an easement to which the Cousins voluntarily agreed." The Cousinses, however, could have had no reasonable expectation that such visitors would protect the Cousinses' privacy; the utility employees could potentially report any illegal conduct observed while on the property (as happened in this case). Inviting such persons onto their property further shows that the Cousinses did not take steps to protect the area from observation. See United States v. Domitrovich, 1995 WL 358624, at *1 (9th Cir. 1995) (unpublished) (affirming the district court's conclusion that an area was not curtilage, in part because the defendant "had regularly allowed meter readers access to the area around the home"), aff'g 852 F. Supp. 1460, 1467-71 (E.D. Wash. 1994) ("Meter readers were afforded unrestricted access to the area around the residence while going to and from the meter.... [Thus,] the defendant's actions were not entirely consistent with his professed zeal for privacy."). Cf. United States v. Depew, 8 F.3d 1424, 1428 (9th Cir. 1993) (finding that the fourth Dunn factor weighed in the defendant's favor, in part because he "had a post office box in town and read his own meter so that no postal worker or meter reader came to his premises"); State v. Poulos, 149 Or.App. 351, 942 P.2d 901, 904 n. 2 (1997) (concluding that the defendant had shown an intent to exclude the public, in part because "by agreement with the electric company, defendant read his own meter and reported it to the company").
Allowing meter readers on the premises is not necessarily dispositive, but here the fact that the area was accessed by a walkway and was not enclosed, coupled with the fact that the Defendants knew the area was frequented by a meter reader who might be expected to report observed illegal activity, leads to a conclusion that this fourth factor also weighs against a finding of curtilage.
As a result of the above analysis, we conclude that the district court did not commit clear error in finding that Defendants' sideyard did not fall within the curtilage of their home. As a result, law enforcement presence in this area did not violate the Fourth Amendment.
18 U.S.C. § 3553(f) (1)-(5). If the district court makes these five findings, the defendant is eligible instead for the range proscribed by the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Here, the district court sentenced Kurt Cousins to five years in prison, pursuant to the statutory mandatory minimum. If, however, Kurt's criminal history category had been level I instead of level II, he may have been eligible for a safety-valve reduction. See id. Kurt's criminal history category classification was due, in part, to a 1996 South Carolina misdemeanor conviction for receiving stolen goods where he was sentenced to a $500 fine or, in the alternative, to 30 days in prison.4 Kurt contends that he was deprived of the right to counsel at these state court proceedings and that therefore the district court in the instant case should not have included the conviction in his criminal history category calculation.
We review de novo both the legality of a sentence and the constitutionality of a state court conviction used in sentencing proceedings. See United States v. Wicks, 995 F.2d 964, 975-76 (10th Cir. 1993).
In its answer brief, the Government asserts that it is improper for Kurt to challenge the constitutionality of his prior state court conviction in a federal sentencing proceeding. The proper route, according to the Government, would have been to challenge the conviction within the South Carolina state court system.
The Supreme Court has held that a defendant may not generally challenge the constitutionality of his prior state court conviction by objecting at a federal sentencing hearing to the use of that prior conviction as part of a sentencing enhancement. Custis v. United States, 511 U.S. 485, 487, 114 S. Ct. 1732, 128 L. Ed. 2d 517 (1994). However, an exception to this general rule is that challenges to the constitutionality of a conviction based upon a violation of the right to counsel are permitted in sentencing proceedings, even though the defendant is attacking the prior state conviction collaterally in federal court. Id. Thus, on its face, the Government's argument appears to be meritless.
However, there is a slight distinction between the instant case and Custis. In Custis, the defendant raised his constitutional challenge to the prior state conviction as part of his objections to a sentence enhancement. 511 U.S. at 487, 114 S. Ct. 1732. Here, by contrast, the objection is to the non-application of the safety-valve provision. That provision does not enhance a sentence; rather, it makes a defendant eligible for exemption from the statutory mandatory minimum.
Thus, while it is clear that a defendant may challenge his state conviction in federal court when it is used to enhance his sentence, the question before us is whether he may do so when he seeks a safety valve exemption from the statutory mandatory minimum to reduce his likely sentence. In Lewis v. United States, the Court stated: "We recognize, of course, that under the Sixth Amendment an uncounseled felony conviction cannot be used for certain purposes. The Court, however, has never suggested that an uncounseled conviction is invalid for all purposes." 445 U.S. 55, 66-67, 100 S. Ct. 915, 63 L. Ed. 2d 198 (1980) (citations omitted). With this in mind, the Court in Lewis held that it was permissible to use an uncounseled conviction for the purposes of imposing a civil restriction against owning a firearm, even though the conviction could not be used to enhance a criminal sentence. Id. at 67, 100 S. Ct. 915. This was because prohibiting the use of uncounseled convictions in sentencing enhancements is based on a concern about the reliability of an uncounseled conviction. Id. The federal gun laws, by contrast, focus on the mere fact of conviction (or even indictment) in order to keep firearms away from potentially dangerous people. Id.
The instant case is closer to Custis than it is to Lewis. Whether or not we are enhancing a sentence based on a conviction or determining on the basis of that prior conviction that a defendant is not eligible for a safety-valve reduction, the principle concern is whether the prior conviction being used against him is accurate and reliable. There is no principled reason that the Sixth Amendment would protect someone from a sentence enhancement yet deny that person the benefit of an exemption from a mandatory minimum on the basis of the same prior conviction, particularly since both challenges seek to reduce the amount of prison time a defendant has to serve.
Thus, we hold that Kurt may challenge the constitutionality of his state court conviction on Sixth Amendment grounds in a federal sentencing proceeding where the purpose of the challenge is to establish eligibility for safety valve consideration under § 3553(f).
In Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335, 344-45, 83 S. Ct. 792, 9 L. Ed. 2d 799 (1963), the Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of the right to appointed counsel applies to state criminal prosecutions through the Fourteenth Amendment. Clarifying the scope of Gideon, the Court later held that an indigent defendant must be appointed counsel in any criminal prosecution, regardless of its classification as a misdemeanor or a felony, "that actually leads to imprisonment even for a brief period...." Argersinger v. Hamlin, 407 U.S. 25, 33, 92 S. Ct. 2006, 32 L. Ed. 2d 530 (1972). Seven years later, in Scott v. Illinois, 440 U.S. 367, 99 S. Ct. 1158, 59 L. Ed. 2d 383 (1979), the Court established the outer limit of the right first enunciated in Argersinger. Id. at 373, 99 S. Ct. 1158. Although the statute under which the defendant in Scott was charged authorized up to a one-year jail term, the Court held that the defendant had no right to state-appointed counsel because the sole sentence imposed on him was a $50 fine. Id. at 368, 373-74, 99 S. Ct. 1158.
The next major development in this area of law was Alabama v. Shelton, 535 U.S. 654, 122 S. Ct. 1764, 152 L. Ed. 2d 888 (2002). The defendant in Shelton was sentenced to 30 days' imprisonment after a conviction for misdemeanor assault. Id. at 658, 122 S. Ct. 1764. The trial court suspended that sentence, however, and placed the defendant on two years' unsupervised probation. Id. If the defendant violated his terms of probation, he would be subject to the 30 days' imprisonment. Id. The Court held that a suspended sentence that may end up in actual deprivation of a person's liberty fit under the Argersinger-Scott "actual imprisonment" rule and thus entitled the defendant to the benefit of counsel. Id. at 674, 122 S. Ct. 1764.
The instant case is analogous to Shelton in the sense that the sentence imposed by the South Carolina court was essentially a suspended sentence: either Defendant paid the $500 fine or he went to jail for 30 days. Therefore, by depriving Kurt of the benefit of counsel, South Carolina appears to have violated Kurt's Sixth Amendment rights.
The Government on appeal contends that Shelton does not apply to Kurt's South Carolina conviction because the Supreme Court issued Shelton after Kurt's state court conviction had taken effect and Shelton did not apply retroactively to that conviction. See Teague v. Lane, 489 U.S. 288, 310, 109 S. Ct. 1060, 103 L. Ed. 2d 334 (1989) (holding that a "new rule" does not retroactively apply to cases on collateral review unless it falls within one of a narrowly-defined set of exceptions).5 Thus, argues the government, since the conviction was valid at the time it was made, it could be used for the purposes of denying a safety-valve exemption. See Nichols v. United States, 511 U.S. 738, 748-49, 114 S. Ct. 1921, 128 L. Ed. 2d 745 (1994).
However, the Teague bar is not jurisdictional and it may be waived. See Schiro v. Farley, 510 U.S. 222, 228, 114 S. Ct. 783, 127 L. Ed. 2d 47 (1994). In reviewing the record, it appears that the Government did not raise a Teague-style objection to the application of Shelton below. Therefore, we decline to address this issue. See Duckett v. Godinez, 67 F.3d 734, 746, n. 6 (9th Cir. 1995); Hanrahan v. Greer, 896 F.2d 241, 245 (7th Cir. 1990).
For the reasons outlined above, we AFFIRM the district court's decision to deny Defendants' motion to suppress. However, this matter is REMANDED with instructions to the district court to VACATE the sentence and resentence the defendant in accord with this opinion.
In Schriro v. Summerlin, 542 U.S. 348, 124 S. Ct. 2519, 159 L. Ed. 2d 442 (2004), the Supreme Court recently summarized the types of cases that fall outside the Teague retroactivity bar. Generally speaking, new substantive rules apply retroactively. Id. at 351, 109 S. Ct. 1060. "This includes decisions that narrow the scope of a criminal statute by interpreting its terms as well as constitutional determinations that place particular conduct or persons covered by the statute beyond the State's power to punish." Id. at 351-52, 109 S. Ct. 1060 (citations omitted). New rules of procedure, on the other hand, generally do not apply retroactively, unless they fall into the small set of "watershed rules of criminal procedure," implicating the fundamental fairness and accuracy of the criminal proceeding. Id. at 352, 109 S. Ct. 1060. | 2019-04-26T13:45:20Z | https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/440/1237/477826/ |
On this week’s episode of Union Matters, guest host Mary Otto (President of Local 43 and member of NSGEU’s Political Action Committee) interviews Bill Swan about health care and Pharmacare advocacy. Bill Swan authors a website called the Faces of Pharmacare that chronicles real stories of Canadians as they struggle with the costs of the drugs they need to keep themselves healthy.
Hi and welcome to the NSGEU podcast Union Matters. My name is Mary Otto and I’m going to be your host today. Today I have with me Bill Swan who is the founder of Faces of Pharmacare. Hi Bill.
MO So that means, probably because, unlike most of our members, we have some sort of drug coverage and it’s somethings that’s negotiated, but if you work for yourself you are on your own.
BS Yes, and he had a double-whammy because his daughter was very sick as a child, so even if they went the private way, they would be told [the insurance company] would cover everything except the stuff you need. So they do a lot of this exclusion in the private level, so that’s the sort of story, you can imagine. They started a go-fund-me campaign for $250,000. Most of that for drug money. Those are the sorts of things you’re dealing with and you’re trying to help and it can be heart-breaking at times to listen to some of the stories. On the other hand, when you see people suddenly feeling like they have a voice, like they’ve contributed, it’s really nice to see. If you’re sick enough to need on-going drug treatment, you’re busy.
MO It’s exhausting being sick. And it’s exhausting trying to take care of somebody who’s sick. And to try to figure it all out, especially. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to have you one here because you’re such a patient advocate. I think people talk about the need for universal pharmacare. There’s some type of pharmacare out there for people who are low income and seniors, but it’s trying to figure out what that is, is really complicated and convoluted, and trying to get that coverage is crazy. I’ve looked at your website and was reading the stories and thought, okay, which of our members are going through this themselves or seeing people going through it?
BS It’s starting to happen even in the group plans where there will be a change from a $5.00 co-pay to a 20% co-pay, That may not seem like much for a lot of people, but when you’re talking about some of the new biologics, 20% is a big bite! I was on a biologic for three injections. Luckily it almost killed me so I had to stop it, but every month when I had my injection it was $400.00 out of my pocket, not covered at all! What we’re seeing — Mark Andre Gagnon put out a really nice paper that talked about how private insurance is trying to push the cost of all of these high-cost drugs into the public systems. They want nothing to do with it. They just want the cream. In terms of patient advocacy, it really is about getting people to understand what’s really happening out there. I can’t remember who I commented to today, because, once again, I was like: Gee, I’m almost out of a drug, and I’m a severe asthmatic, I have co-morbidities with high anxiety, and things like that, high blood pressure. Every day I’m looking at it and going “Oh my god, how can I be out of that already?” That’s the sort of thing that’s going on all the time.
MO And it’s super stressful to have to try to deal with that. To go “How and I going to be able to afford my drugs?” Nova Scotia has a serious poverty problem. I read and article earlier in the week about the Halifax Municipality, that we have the highest rate of poverty in the country, I think. And the amount of people that are living with food insecurity, so if you have the added cost of drugs, are you going to take your drugs or are you going to eat? How do you take care of yourself and get better when you’re stressed about it? The pharma care that we do have is supposed to take care of these people, but to try to actually go through the process. I remember with my grandmother trying to figure it out, oh my god!
BS What we have, if you really think about it, is a microcosm of the whole US system. If you’re working, poor, or elderly, you’re covered. The Conference Board of Canada, supposedly a non-partisan group, did what they called a study, which was really a survey, and they said there are programs available to 97% of the population. But when you look at that, I don’t know if anyone has ever tried or looked at applying for family pharmacare here in Nova Scotia, but even with not working for the last two years I make too much money to apply. It looks nice on paper, but it doesn’t really exist. The hoops are so difficult. One of the stories that I have on the site is Carrie from Winnipeg. Right now she has gotten to the point where she’s going to run out of her parents’ coverage and she got put on a new drug for her asthma. She has asthma and ADHD. The problem is that the drug is actually a COPD drug, and the plan won’t cover it if your indication is asthma and not COPD. The problem being that asthma is really a subset of COPD and if you have severe asthma you have COPD, because COPD is damage.
MO It baffles the mind. It’s so convoluted.
BS The problem is, the narratives out there, people swallow them, hook, line, and sinker. I had somebody who was at one of these Conferences from the Conference Board of Canada as a patient rep and she came back very much in favour of the “Oh, we’ll just fix the holes in the system” and “We have to have used fees to stop abuse!” and I’m just about going out of my mind reading this email — because I can’t reach this person directly — there’s absolutely no research that says it’s about abuse.
MO In fact, those small fees actually put a barrier in place because sometimes $2.00, $5.00 is a barrier. A very small amount of money will actually stop people from filling that prescription. It’s ridiculous. It doesn’t save anybody but the insurance companies. It’s a way for them to make money.
BS The user fee debate started in the States. The insurance industry in the 70’s was using them to reduce costs and increase their profit. And then a study came out by a guy named Joe Newhouse on the effect of user fees for doctors’ visits. The insurance groups said, “Look, we can not only do this we can blame it on abuse!” because there was some suggestion that people might over-use it. The problem is the wrong people stopped going to the doctor. This is the basis for all the user fees we see. We’re relying on research that looked at visits to doctors and applying it to prescriptions that we have to go to the doctor to see and it’s free and it doesn’t make any sense. I’ve written something called “8, make that 9, reasons that user fees for drugs are stupid”. There is a caveat. If you look at opioids, there’s a reason that people take those even if they don’t need them. That requires something else. Even anti-biolytic, you have to be a little bit careful because you don’t want people taking them just because they have a cold. But, I don’t know of anyone who wants to take an asthma drug for fun. A lot more people would have asthma if there were psychotropic effects.
MO Or if you’re a diabetic. You’re not taking insulin for fun. You’re taking it to keep yourself alive. The number of people who have amputations, the number of people who die every year, it’s been proven! The amount of people I know who are non-unionized, who don’t have a benefit plan, who will try to stretch their drugs out, drugs that are not effective if you’re not taking them every day. They just stop taking their anti-depressant because they can’t afford to fill it for two weeks, so they’re getting the brain zaps. These are drugs you just can’t go cold-turkey off of.
BS If you look at asthma — it’s seen a lot of “Yeah, I’m feeling fine, I can stop taking it.” But asthma treatment is a combination of beta-agonists, which relax the lung muscles, and cortical steroids, that basically reduces swelling of the mucous membrane. If you’re taking your drugs and you feel good and you want to eat and you only have a certain amount of money, as you said, what are you going to choose? You’re feeling fine and then you go through a cycle of collapse, because the problem with stopping cold-turkey with asthma meds is that your body slows down it’s own production of cortical steroid, so if you stop it, all of a sudden it’s like “Oh, hey, does anyone remember how to turn the plant on?” So there is that necessity to treat. With diabetes, I have one of the stories on there, this kid is going to age out soon. His Mom and his Dad work their butts off at low-paying jobs. She works at one, so she has coverage, but it only covers 80%. Here’s a biologic but we’re still paying through the nose because it got into the pharmaceutical system and suddenly it costs a fortune. But that wasn’t what it was meant to do. Banting originally said this should be available.
MO On a previous podcast I talked to someone from the Canadian Health Coalition and we talked about how we truly do need a fully funded, full meal deal, national pharmacare system, and how many people’s lives it will save. It really is essential. These stories need to get out there.
BS One of the things that I’m trying to redirect is to talk about the fact that it will save lives. It’s not just about the money. It’s really about the lives first. Now, when I did an assessment, I kind of tongue-in-cheek said — based on research from the States — said that over 50 years we’ve killed Kitchener by not having a national plan.
MO Medicare just celebrated its 50th year yesterday. It’s crazy to think in the past 50 years that many have died because we don’t have a national pharmacare.
MO Bill and I sit on the Board of Nova Scotia Health Coalition. This is how we’ve gotten to know each other and he’s definitely a very outspoken, fierce health care advocate and patient advocate.
BS Patient advocate, because I believe that there is so much untapped potential in the knowledge of patients. And what I mean is there’s different ways of looking at patients. I’m not talking about the person who broke their nose in a bar fight and is in the ER. I’m talking about the diabetics and the asthmatics and people that, whether they’re in the hospital or not, they are using the health care system every day, because they’re taking their meds. Those sorts of people have so many ideas of how to improve the system. The very first one I went to I was shocked at the number of things people would say: ” You know, it would just work easier if you did this…” Most of these solutions are not high-cost solutions, they’re common sense solutions.
MO And they’re probably things that, a lot of our members who are in health care see every day. I want to be a better advocate for both myself as a patient, but also for my loved ones. I’m sure that’s something that our members want as well. Whether you work in health care or not, you’re interacting with the system, which is pretty broken. We are absolutely in crisis. Do you have any advice on how we can be better patient advocates for ourselves and our families?
BS It comes down to understanding how to use the internet. A lot of people complain about Doctor Google. On the other hand there are some good pieces of research out there. So the first thing I’d say is learn how to differentiate between bad and good research. It’s hard. A lot of people go to PubMed, not realizing that PubMed is actually a much broader selection than Medline. So if you want the good research, you would look at the Medline. So you would just put a Medline filter on PubMed and you won’t get the wonky stuff. The unfortunate thing is that the gold standard for health information, The Cochrane Collaboration, which is now just called Cochrane, is going through a crisis right now. So, what do you, as a patient, rely on? Sometimes it just has to be a little bit of information, sometimes it’s a little bit of gut, but I think it’s important that we get people to really look critically at things and accept sometimes that, well, you k now, you’ve got asthma, you’re going to have to deal with that and this is how you do it. I think there’s also other things that we can do, and that’s starting a discussion of the patient being involved in a lot of different ways. The health research institutes in Canada started a thing called SPORE, which is the Strategy for Patient Oriented Research. I probably was on of the few people to read the whole document and I got really excited. Now, that has morphed into something that involves patients and research and that’s good, in a way. Because it gets maybe a different outcome in the research, so that a patient might say “I’d really like my hands to stop tingling. I don’t care about these things, this is what’s really effecting me.” And I think that’s great. But they’ve kind of stopped short because I’ve seen the, the last three times I’ve been in the health system beyond my asthma, were pure disasters. I can point very easily to simple things that can be done. I feel what we really need is the patient ombudsperson who has the resources to be able to help people understand what’s going on as a patient. To train them so they can sit on boards. I sat on the Capital District health Authority Board before it was shut down. I breathed a high sigh of relief when that happened because it’s a hard job. There’s not many patients that can just pick that up and do that. Learning those skills is not impossible. I think that if you’re going to have a learning health system, and that’s the de rigueur way of calling health form now, I was called up about this on a short term research they’re doing out of McMaster, and I said, if you’re going to really have a learning health system, the patients have to be the start of things. Otherwise you’re just going to fiddle with what you have. In the past, doctors were the patient advocate. That’s not really true for a variety of reasons not withstanding the research shows that they have an interest in getting you out of the office, for example. And they only have so much time. I think we really need to say, do we need real advocacy? The problem is we did have funding for advocacy groups/ Sharon Batt, who’s also on the board of the Coalition wrote a book called Health Advocacy Inc. She detailed how they went from government funding to help women with breast cancer to losing that funding to the drug companies coming and happily filling the void and the whole timbre of the discussion changing.
MO It does change when the drugs companies are the ones paying the money. So it s a hard thing even to just be an advocate for yourself. Sometimes it’s hard to know that you can ask those questions to the doctor when you go to the doctor. Sometimes you feel shut down, like your opinion doesn’t matter. I’m very lucky in that I have a very good family doctor, who unfortunately is retiring in March and I don’t know what I’m going to do after March. But I’m lucky in that he knows my health history, he has been my doctor from the time I was an infant. I have chronic health issues my whole life. To be able to go to him and he knows that history and he listens to me respects that I know. But I’ve gone to other doctors where they just shut me down. It’s hard sometimes to stand up to the doctor and say “No, this is my history, I know my history, this is what’s happening, it’s happened before.” and to have those difficult conversations.
MO But you’re not recommending members punch…don’t’ be like Bill’s mom!
BS Yeah, and there’s a continuum. There’s people that just barely use the system, or even if they use the system they don’t really have the interest. They just want to be treated. And then there’s crazy people like me and you!
MO It makes it really hard when you don’t have a family doctor and you’re trying to get answers and you’re sick or somethings going on and you know you should get it checked out but you don’t have a family doctor, so where do you get those referrals. Do you have to go to the emergency room where you’re going to have to sit for six hours before you get seen and they tell you you’re wasting their time, you have to go to a walk-ion clinic. It’s so frustrating.
BS Yes, that report came out from the auditor general yesterday and that’s what he pointed at. Here we are. This is the same people that have no control of what’s going on and they’re in charge of tendering for the one person, one health record, and they’re talking half a billion dollars. In a society where you don’t have to pay for Oracle anymore. Open source software is actually more secure than Oracle.
MO I think a lot of our members who work in health care are on the front lines and they see these issues and they see how the system could work better. I hear them talking about it, going “I don’t understand why this isn’t changing.” Our health care members are dealing with patient-clients. They want to be advocates for their patients and clients. They take these stories home with them. Do you have any advice on how they can be better advocates for those patients?
BS The true heroes to me in the health care system have always been the nurses. I can remember taking my Mom in and the nurse just looking and saying “Oh, she doesn’t have enough O2” and just knew right away what to do. Any of my times in the hospital it’s always been the nurses that I relied on for more useful information. To be an advocate for someone when you’re in the system, part of it is that you’re in the system that is still doctor-centric. You can see that if you go over to the VG Site. If you remember when the CDHA was going there were signs everywhere that said Patients First. Well the new signs that are up, ironically, I have a picture of one over one of the unusable water fountains, talk about the care givers, nothing about patients. I understand where they’re coming from, but they’re also getting directives that they need to refer to patients as clients. That’s just another way of separating yourself from the sick, from the people that need help. What they can do? If they just keep in mind, look for that information coming from patients. There are a few of us out there that do right. We do try to say “Hold it a second, this is how it really effects us.” There may be a way. Some of them may be sitting on one of the boards. The problem that I see now with the NSHA, I don’t think there’s any way to get to them. I understand the situation. They’re trying to meld 7 groups into one. I don’t know why we need a Authority sometimes when we have a health department and we have less than a million people, but that’s another discussion. When you decide to fix the dyke, you don’t bring everybody in for a meeting and pull all the fingers out of the dyke to have a team meeting. You still have to have the fingers in the dyke. I’ll give you a really good example. I mentioned earlier that I had to take some time off from Faces of Pharmacare. I had done through de-proscribing, feeling great – June, running. End of June I finished a half-marathon. Three days later I had a CT that had been scheduled for a while. I coughed up a bit of blood in March, pretty normal stuff, but just in case we scheduled the CT. So I had the CT, went on with my day. An hour and a half later the doctor calls and says come in tomorrow. I go there the next day and she says this is not good news, Bill, and I’m shocked. You have a spiculated lesion in your lung. If you know the term spiculated makes doctors’ sphincters go “Wheep!” really fast. It’s a scary word. And typically 90% of spiculated lesions are malignant. I was devastated. It wrecked my summer. I didn’t get a follow-up with the surgeon until the end of the summer. But what was galling was that the surgeon looked at the same CT within 2 or 3 days, disagreed with the radiologist, but that’s where the information stopped. I would have had a much different summer. This is when I talk about the solutions that are out there, you could have sent a frickin’ email to the doctor! I would have had a good summer. It’s a breakdown in communication. Taking all the fingers out of the dyke and trying to start the new system and forgetting that, okay, I understand that most of the time you’re seeing people that are really sick, but I went through a depression. I went through severe anxiety. I had to go back on medication that I had successfully weaned myself off of so that I could function. It would take me hours some days to create a bill. Now, I’m doing better. Hey, great, I don’t have lung cancer. But, I want to create a system where that doesn’t happen to anybody any more. And that’s why you start with the patient.
MO Yeah, and that’s why it’s important to have that communication back and forth. I don’t think it’s anything that we’re going to fix any time in the immediate future. The work that you’re doing, that the Nova Scotia health Coalition is doing, and that our members are doing day-to-day in the workplace. I know they really care and they’re going to try to take care of their patients. That’s the number one focus of pretty much anyone I talk to is their patients and being good advocates and trying to fix the system that’s broken from within. It’s really demoralizing and hard sometimes, so it’s good to know you have the support.
BS And I think it’s growing. There is a lot of patient engagement going on. There’s a growing vocal group that’s saying, wait a minute, you’re not really representing me, you want to sell more drugs, or you want to sell more of these or more of that. I’m starting to see the ability to pull together. I belong to a couple of co-ops. One is Canada and one in the US. They’re run by patients. I don’t quite agree with the way they’re doing some things, and it’s not how I would do it, but it’s not my thing. But, I’m still going to join it.
MO Getting out there and getting involved in these groups and having your voice heard is really important. That’s one of the reasons that I showed up to the Nova Scotia Health Coalition AGM. That’s coming up again in January. I ran for the board because I feel like health care is such an important issues. I really feel like it’s important that people get out there and fight for health care. It’s something that we’re so proud of. It’s something that could be magnificent and it’s something to BE proud of, but we need to fix it and wee need to step up and do that.
BS The first step of that really is pharmacare, because the money that we need to fix the rest of the system comes from the savings that we’ll get from pharmacare. One of the things I should point out at Faces of Pharmacare of value to the members: you don’t have to be a patient to tell a story. Tim, who’s on the board, is a doctor. I have his story up there because of what he sees. Contact me if you want to tell your story, or you know that there’s someone whose story should be told talk to me. I’m always open to that. I love talking to people about getting the right narrative and really understanding. Remember, we treat doctors and hospitals as a right. But we treat drugs like a privilege. If take that to the very end, if it’s a privilege, you have to say, okay, I’m comfortable with people dying. I don’t think Canadians really are. I think they’re just so used to the system that they don’t understand how broken it is.
MO So, it’s https://www.facesofpharmacare.ca/If someone who’s listening has a story they’d like to share they can email you through that?
BS That’s right, I’ll reach out and we’ll have a chat.
BS @pharmacarefaces, because Faces of Pharmacare was just one letter too long. We’re on Facebook and LinkedIn as well.
MO Perfect. I highly encourage people to contact Bill and get those stories out there. If you want to be anonymous that’s fine too. I highly encourage you to get involved with health care activism. Bill, you are quite an inspiration to me, the way you fight for not just yourself, but you really are a fierce patient advocate. I really admire the drive that you have to make things better, not just for yourself, but for people right across the country. I really enjoyed reading those stories and I hope that our members take a look at it and get involved.
BS Thank you for the kind words. For those in the audience, I’m blushing!
MO Thank you so much. I enjoyed talking to you.
BS Any time. I’ve got some other projects in the pipeline, so maybe I’ll be back.
Mo It’s always good to talk to you. I do hope our members get out and get involved with health cate activism. I already know that most of them, the ones who work in health care are fierce advocates for their patients and clients. It’s good to know that people recognize that you’re doing that and that our members know they’re not alone in trying to do this advocacy. Sometimes you feel like you’re fighting for your patients and your clients and you feel like you’re in it alone, so it’s good to know that there are people out there who you can contact. Even just to say “have you tried to do this or have you tried to do that” to bounce ideas off of.
BS Yeah, I’ve been known to help out people just in that guise. Just to say, here’s some ways you can work with your doctor.
MO That’s awesome. Thank you so much. I hope everybody enjoyed listening to this conversation as much as I’ve enjoyed having it.
MO Be sure to tune in next week. This is a weekly podcast. If you have any ideas of who we should talk to next make sure you get in touch with the communications staff or comment on the Facebook site. For those who are hearing impaired, just to let you know, there will be transcripts up on the NSGEU website as well. Thanks again for listening. We’ll talk to you again soon.
Local 75 – Stock Transportation, CSAP Bargaining Update: Tentative Agreement Reached!
Local 119 Membership Signing Drive: You Could Win! | 2019-04-19T19:23:31Z | http://nsgeu.ca/union-matters-pharmacare/ |
Typing in CAPS is considered yelling, as far as computers and text messages go. And I’m yelling MOTORCYCLES because that’s what you have to do in order to be able to hear yourself talk or even think while one is nearby. With the horrible reality of gas prices these days (holding “steady” at $3.99 in my area currently), it seems that people are turning in their minivans and SUVs for more fuel efficient vehicles, especially motorcycles.
This is unfortunate for me because I can’t stand the things. Normally I’m all for people doing their own thing; if someone wants to ride a motorcycle, why should it bother me? Because simply put, it DOES affect me. I can’t stand when I’m walking down the street, talking to my husband or my girls, only to have one of us drowned out by the awful noise of a motorcycle. Some moron on a motorcycle revving his engine even startled one of my kids so badly that she cried! It affects us even when we’re in our own car, and the noise of a motorcycle drowns out our conversations, the kids’ movie, or even wakes the kids up. Sure, you can roll up the window, but oftentimes it’s too late, unless you want to drive around with the window closed. And why should I have to do that? It’s MY car; I shouldn’t have to be so negatively affected by other people’s actions in my own car! And the fact is, these effects come from just one motorcycle. The situation can be especially compounded when there are a whole pack of motorcycles, and they do often travel in packs, which means even louder interference. I don’t understand why it is that cars can be ticketed for having loud mufflers, yet motorcycles can drive down the road, revving their noisy engines and being as deafening as they please.
The main reason why I hate motorcycles doesn’t even have anything to do with the fact that their racket makes their owner seem very discourteous and not aware of others at all… I also have a major beef with the safety issue motorcycles present. It would be one thing for a rider to drive down the road on a motorcycle, not wearing a helmet – as they often do – if it only affected him… But unfortunately, that is not the case. If any type of car accident were to happen involving a motorcycle, no matter who was at fault, any driver involved would have to live with the guilt for the rest of their lives that someone got hurt. And if a motorcycle is involved in an accident, it is relatively easy for the cyclist to get injured – it’s a proven fact, plus I’ve witnessed 2 such crashes – neither were pretty, and one ended with the motorcycle’s helmeted occupant being airlifted by helicopter to the trauma center. His helmet was smashed almost flat, and If he hadn’t been wearing it, my kids and I and whoever else happened upon that scene would have witnessed a fatality, no doubt.
So now that I’ve sounded off, I feel better. It’s not like I think motorcycles should be banned or anything like that… though if my kids or I get interrupted by the clamor of a motorcycle and I’m having a bad day I might feel differently. And in this age of $4/gallon gas with no end in sight to the price increase, I can’t say I blame people for wanting to lower their transportation bill. I just wish it didn’t affect other people so extremely! So if you’re a motorcyclist, please be considerate, don’t rev your engine unessessarily, it makes kids cry! Please always have safety as your #1 priority, and ALWAYS wear a helmet – not just for you, but for the rest of us! Helmets and other safety gear a motorcyclist might wear look much cooler to me than the idiots who wear do-rags or shorts while riding… What’s a do-rag gonna to do for you anyway in case of an accident, soak up the blood from your head wound?
In case you haven’t heard of it, Walking With Dinosaurs is a traveling show that is based on the BBC documentary of the same name. It is in Fort Wayne, Indiana this week, which isn’t too far from us. They’ve been advertising it heavily, and I’ve been meaning to check out ticket info, but I kept forgetting. Thanks to our local paper who ran a story about it the other day, I was reminded about it just in time! Seems the tickets are QUITE costly! However, my computer-savvy husband went online and found a discount that saved us SO much money on tickets, but only if we went opening night… So, we dragged all the kids to Fort Wayne to see some dinosaurs on a school night. Let me say, it was SOOO worth it!
It’s been a really long time since I was really excited about something that actually ended up measuring up to my expectations. I was really excited about this show; I thought it would be a good show, but I will say that it EXCEEDED my expectations! Not only was it visually stunning, It was a perfect show for the whole family. There were lifelike dinosaurs engaging in battles, flying, and scavenging… what’s not to like?!? We have kids of all ages and bravery levels, and they were all entertained. Our 8-year-old and our 4-year-old did get a little nervous in the beginning, but their fear quickly turned to excitement and awe once the dinosaurs started appearing. Our 19-month-old LOVED everything about the show. She is getting to the age where it’s hard for her to sit still, especially now that she can walk, but she watched every moment of this show, and clapped and laughed so hard that I was even distracted from the dinosaurs at times by my daughter’s cuteness. I wasn’t distracted too much though, cuz the dinosaurs were totally AWESOME! They were life-size and SO realistic looking, it was amazing. Our seats were great too – best in the house, front row center. These dinosaurs were even better looking than the ones in the movie Jurassic Park! Walking With Dinosaurs operates on a $20 million dollar budget, and it shows!
I would venture to say that this is probably the best professional live show I have ever seen, and that includes musicals from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Phantom of the Opera, Camelot, and Les Miserables to other shows like Monsters Inc. on Ice, Dragon Tales Live, and dinner shows like Medieval Times, Arabian Nights, and Pirates Dinner Adventure in Orlando, Florida. This was fun for the whole family; probably even most fun for my husband and I! If the tickets weren’t so pricey, I would definitely go back and see the show again – even with the $20-30 it cost in gas money alone. My 4-year-old suffered from what I call “fundown” after the show – a feeling of disappointment when an event is over that is so intense for kids, they usually cry or throw tantrums. But I can’t say I blame her. When I realized the show was ending, I had my own “fundown” when I realized there weren’t going to be any more dinosaurs!
Totally awesome show – wait, that’s not even the right word. It was more of an experience than a show. Even better than the dinosaur-themed rides at Disney World and Universal Studios. As we were leaving the coliseum, the rest of the audience seemed very pleased as well. Everyone was smiling and jabbering about the dinosaurs a mile a minute. They also had one actor – who was upstaged by the dinosaurs, of course! – and some other props and effects in the show that made it totally awesome. Also pretty impressive were the rows upon rows of trailers parked outside that carry the dinosaurs from venue to venue. I knew it would take a few semis to cart around all those dinosaurs, but there were probably at least 25 semis parked out there! It is understandable that all these lifesize dinosaurs would create such an entourage, since the Brachiosaurus alone was 36 feet tall and 56 feet from nose to tail.
If this live show experience is going to be anywhere near your hometown, I highly recommend that you do your best to get tickets. It is a perfect show for the young and old, dinosaur fans, skeptics, or even those who are indifferent to the world’s history; I don’t see how anyone could NOT enjoy Walking With Dinosaurs!
A Niles man who reversed his car so that it ran on top of a Buffalo Grove police car Friday has been charged with reckless driving.
Henry Raskin, 70, had been pulled over by a police officer around 11:30 a.m. Friday for speeding. He had been driving 58 mph in a 35 mph zone on Dundee Road, police said.
After the officer wrote Raskin a ticket, he hit the gas while he was in reverse and ended up with his vehicle on top of the squad car, police said.
Sgt. Scott Kristiansen said Tuesday that police determined the incident wasn’t purely an accident after watching the squad car video and talking to Raskin.
Kristiansen said that most drivers if they found they had accidentally reversed in this situation, would have hit the brakes before driving over a police car.
Raskin posted 10 percent of his $2,000 bond Friday and was released. He has a June court date in Rolling Meadows.
We watched an interesting movie tonight, for lack of a better word. It is called Funny Games. It wasn’t funny, and let me apologize ahead of time for the vague review – you’ll have to see the movie to understand why I couldn’t write too much about it. I had never heard of it before, but it was a thriller, so my husband suggested it. If you like thrillers, see it and then tell me what you think. I don’t really know what to say about this movie. It was captivating and VERY tense, so I was never bored, but I was disappointed with the way it ended. For one thing, I did not understand the movie.
Let me back up and give a quick synopsis. Naomi Watts stars as a mother who, along with her husband and son are held captive by 2 very well-spoken young men in their remotely secluded (of course it’s secluded – this IS a thriller movie!) vacation home. As I said, the movie is very intense but only after what is a somewhat slow start. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will just say that are no words for what happened in the last 40 minutes of the movie. Near the conclusion, it took a turn for the confusing, and what happened made me not really understand the entire movie. It’s based on an Austrian film, and imdb.com said that the American guy who remade it didn’t change much from the Austrian version, so maybe it didn’t translate well? I liked the movie, for the time being anyway while I was watching it, but I would really like some insight about a certain event that took place… it might actually be a thriller I would watch again, which is rare, but I might want to see if I can get what I must have missed. Like I said, if you’re a big fan of suspense movies, I would try this one, it’s definitely different from all the others! And if you have seen it or do see it, make sure you try to fill me in on what I missed, cuz I just didn’t get it!
What a frenzied way to start off the shortened week after a 3 day weekend – it was Pet Day at my oldest daughter’s school today. So this morning saw us trying to unload a parrot, a 19-month-old little girl and a dog from the car, all while trying to get the other dog to stay in the car – it must’ve made for a funny scene. We had to bring our “veteran” dog with in the car since the other pets got to go out, but she was not invited into the classroom because of her nervousness around kids. So while she stayed in the car, Squawky the parrot and Beesley the dog visited a classroom full of 2nd graders.
It went surprisingly well! And we were very impressed with our normally shy daughter, who got up in front of her whole class to tell about her pets. She shared information about them, and patiently called on individuals from her class and answered their questions. Neither pet had any accidents in the classroom, and the kids seemed to really enjoy seeing and learning about the animals. Squawky got shy and wouldn’t talk for the kids of course, he never does, though he did yell out “HI!” when we entered the school – wonder if anyone heard that or what they thought it was? He enjoyed himself, didn’t bite any of my husband’s fingers off, and returned home in time for a relaxing perch in front of The Price is Right. Beesley loved being around all those kids, I think her only problem was being on a leash so she couldn’t be let loose to turn onto her back and let them all pet her at once.
Now, should we try Pet Day at the preschool with my younger daughter? I wonder how a roomful of 3-5 year olds would handle the parrot and vice-versa… I will let you know if I get brave enough to attempt that one!
Illinois: Police puzzled over driver who drove up and over a squad car.
A man who had been pulled over and ticketed by police ran backward up and onto a Buffalo Grove squad car Friday morning, apparently in his haste to drive off.
Henry Raskin, 70, of Niles had been pulled over by a Buffalo Grove officer on the 400 block of Dundee Road around 11:30 a.m. Friday for driving 58 mph in a 35 mph zone, Sgt. Scott Kristiansen said.
The officer wrote the ticket and returned to the car, and Raskin got ready to drive away. Except he went flying backward.
“(He) apparently was going to pull away at a high rate of speed, but the only problem was that he was in reverse,” Kristiansen said.
He said Raskin was not happy about getting a ticket. He said police are reviewing the squad car videotape to see what Raskin might also be charged with.
Raskin was taken to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights as a precaution.
Kristiansen said police don’t believe Raskin has any medical conditions that could have led to the crash. Raskin’s age also didn’t seem to play a factor, he said.
The officer, a 20-year veteran of the Buffalo Grove department, was not injured, but his car will be out of service for a while.
The squad car suffered significant damage to the front end, including the windshield and the hood.
Kristiansen said the police investigation so far shows the officer initiated the traffic stop properly. He said officers are trained to treat every stop as if it isn’t a routine procedure so that they are aware when unexpected circumstances like this one take place.
“The officer stopped the car properly and positioned himself properly,” he said.
Before last night, I had never seen an Indiana Jones movie. So when the opportunity presented itself to view Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on its opening day rather inexpensively via email coupons from Fandango.com, I couldn’t resist the temptation to see what all the fuss was about.
I walked away entertained, but still a little bewildered about why the character is SO popular. The people I saw the movie with (both have seen all of the movies in the series) said this was not the best of the Indiana Jones movies. Not that it was a bad movie, but I would have chopped off about an hour of it. A few of the chase scenes ran a little long, and there was a little too much hokeyness in my opinion. Before I went, I was hearing critics talk about the Indiana Jones movies and how they are a throwback to the adventure movies of the 1930’s and 40’s. I thought this might be a good explanation for some of the cheesy action; for example, characters swinging through the air and falling exactly where they need to in order to avoid certain death or to land the perfect punch, etc. I can deal with hokey action sequences. What was a little hard to swallow however, was the origin of the movie’s namesake, the crystal skull. Since I’m at risk of spilling some major spoilers here – and don’t read any further if you’re worried about learning anything about the movie you don’t want to – it will suffice to say that I did not appreciate the supernatural element they gave the fourth Indiana Jones movie.
The acting wasn’t anything Oscar worthy, but that is to be expected in this type of movie. I didn’t see Shia LeBeouf as the kid from Disturbia, so he must have some diversity in his acting. Cate Blanchett was really good as the villianess, and I found it funny when I read that when people heard she was in the movie, they just assumed she was Harrison Ford‘s love interest. People were so critical that an older man’s love interest was going to be a much younger woman, then they had to eat their words when it was leaked that she was playing the part of the evil enemy. Indiana Jones’ actual love interest in the movie was a character played by Karen Allen that had been in some of the previous movies, which I liked. What I didn’t like is that there were 2 characters in the movie who were supposed to be former friends of Indiana Jones, however, my Indy experts tell me that neither of them were in the previous movies.
I was entertained throughout the entire movie, and there were funny jokes and interesting characters. Also a few plot twists anyone with half a brain could see coming from a mile away. During most of the action sequences, I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching a video game. I was really appreciating the components of the quest to obtain the crystal skull, at least until the supernatural element came into play. Parts of the movie also made me envision a Universal Studios ride – it would probably be really cool, maybe a splashdown ending… I didn’t fall asleep during this movie, but as you just read, my mind did wander a bit, probably because of the lengthy action sequences. Overall, I’d say the movie was exactly what I was expecting, perhaps even a wee bit better. And hearing from 2 experienced Indiana Jones viewers that this was not the best movie makes me willing to give the others a try – providing they are not over 2 hours each, of course – that’s just too long to sit through an action movie in my opinion!
TOKYO, Japan (AP) — When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught — recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help.
Lost in Tokyo, Yosuke the parrot was able to give his name and address to get taken home.
“I tried to be friendly and talked to him, but he completely ignored me,” Uemura said.
If it weren’t for the expense and especially the screaming, I would definitely have my African Grey by now!
When I was talking about the best reality show ever, The Mole, the other day, it made me think of my second favorite: American Inventor. It was a show where people brought their inventions in front of a panel of judges, and the “good” ones advanced until a winner was chosen. This show was fun to watch because some of the inventions were horrible ideas, and when the inventor pitched them, it was hilarious to see their inventions and the judges’ reactions to them. It was also heartbreaking at times because there were people who put up everything they had to pursue the development of their invention – and some were so bad, they never had a chance. Take Bulletball, for instance. It was a game invented one night while the inventor and his wife sipped wine and batted a cat’s toy ball back and forth across a table. So the inventor proceeded to invest everything he had, even living in his car, to develop the “high caliber” tabletop game of bulletball. One of the judges asks, “So if you invested everything, what do you have?” His reply? “I have Bulletball.” Oh my. His segment on the show was very memorable (and sad – you had to feel sorry for someone who was so determned, yet his idea was SO bad, all 4 judges said no and broke his heart) that we were talking about it the other day and decided to look it up on youtube. So, I will share his clip with you. I admire his determination, but even I wouldn’t get Bulletball if I spotted it at the thrift store… see below.
I wonder if American Inventor is going to return? It was a good show, but the problem with it was that the inventions that end up winning aren’t realistic. Both of the winning inventions were born out of tragedy, one was a special protective car seat thought up by a guy who lost his daughter in a car accident. The other was a Christmas tree that extinguished itself if it caught on fire. Both good ideas, but not really practical when you take cost and other factors into consideration. But anyway, I’d like to see the show again, even if they keep choosing winners based on emotional reasons. | 2019-04-22T07:05:41Z | http://taylhis.tangents.org/2008/05/ |
Gunmen in Pakistan have ambushed a bus and killed 14 passengers after forcing them off the vehicle in the country's south-west, an official said.
Sadaf Khadem, who on Saturday became the first Iranian woman to contest an official boxing bout, has cancelled her return to Tehran after an arrest warrant was issued for her there, her representative said yesterday.
A New Zealand nurse kidnapped by Isil in Syria more than five years ago may still be alive, says her employer the Red Cross, breaking its silence in attempts to find her.
Shamima Begum, the east London schoolgirl who fled to Syria, served in the Islamic State's "morality police" and also tried to recruit other young women to join the jihadist group, well-placed sources have told reporters.
An Israeli spacecraft lost contact with Earth and crashed just moments before it was to land on the moon late yesterday, failing in an ambitious attempt to make history as the first privately funded lunar mission.
People don't call Benjamin Netanyahu "the magician" for nothing. The attorney general had already served notice that he plans to indict the Israeli prime minister on multiple counts of bribery and fraud. A popular former military chief with a reputation for integrity had convinced many in Israel their leader had to go. But the scandals weren't enough to sink Netanyahu's bid to become Israel's longest-serving prime minister. His nationalist base rallied to his aid, cushioning him against likely charges.
EASTERN forces and troops loyal to the Tripoli government fought on the outskirts of Libya's capital yesterday as thousands of residents fled from the battle.
Turkey has warned it could buy jets and additional air defence systems from Russia if it cannot get Patriot missile shields and F-35 jets from Washington, raising the prospect of ever deeper defence ties between Moscow and a Nato member.
Israel's elections were too close to call last night as both Benjamin Netanyahu and the former general trying to unseat him claimed victory.
Israelis began voting in an election on Tuesday that could hand conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a record fifth term or see him dethroned by an ex-general who has pledged clean government and social cohesion.
The Israeli military vehicle rolled slowly through the dark streets of Beit Ummar, a Palestinian town in the southern occupied West Bank.
They could have been a couple in love. And perhaps they were. In their own way. Rami Elhahan and Bassam Aramin. Men in their fifties. All the tell-tell signs were there. The eyes. The eyes. The way they met. Their lightness and the gentleness of touches. The slightest of smiles.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fallen behind his main challenger in opinion polls ahead of next week's election but still has an easier path to form a government that would keep him in power for a record fifth term.
The children of murdered Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi have received million-dollar houses in the kingdom and monthly five-figure payments as compensation for the killing of their father.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party has decided to lodge objections to local election results in all 39 Istanbul districts, the 'Hurriyet' newspaper said yesterday, after results showed a narrow lead for the main opposition candidate.
Two Israeli researchers said yesterday they had discovered a network of hundreds of fake Twitter accounts that promoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attacked his political rivals, a week before the election.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party is scrambling to regain lost ground in the polls by trying to paint his main rival as mentally unstable.
A third young Palestinian has died as tens of thousands of protesters gathered near the Israeli border to mark the first anniversary of weekly demos in the Gaza Strip.
A €388m superyacht belonging to a Russian billionaire in one of the world's costliest divorce battles has been released by a Dubai court after being impounded last year.
An airstrike, most likely by the Saudi-led coalition, struck near a rural hospital in northern Yemen, killing seven people including four children, according to the charity Save the Children, which supports the facility.
SchoolsS reopened in southern Israel and traffic clogged Gaza's streets yesterday amid signs of a de-escalation from the most serious cross-border fighting in months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned home from Washington yesterday, going straight into military consultations after a night of heavy fire as Israeli aircraft bombed Gaza targets and Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israel.
Ten children, part of the same extended family, were killed by a US air strike in Afghanistan, along with three adult civilians, the United Nations has said.
The Israeli military said it had begun carrying out strikes on Hamas militant targets in the Gaza Strip yesterday, hours after a rocket struck a house in Israel.
Dubai's government has vigorously denied a claim by R&B singer R Kelly that he had planned concerts in the emirate after he had sought permission from a US judge to travel there despite facing sexual-abuse charges.
The US-backed Syrian forces' push to defeat Isil in its last bastion in Syria has been slowed by the presence of civilians and scores of prisoners held by the extremists, officials said.
Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes hitting 100 locations after militants in the territory fired two rockets towards Tel Aviv, the first time the coastal city has been targeted since the war in 2014.
Isil faced imminent defeat in its final enclave last night as hundreds of jihadist fighters and their families surrendered and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) claimed the battle was as good as over.
Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian man after he ran at them with a knife in the Israeli-occupied West Bank yesterday, the military said.
Air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition killed at least 22 civilians, including women and children, in a village in northern Yemen, the United Nations said.
In Baghuz, a single black flag fluttered yesterday in a light afternoon breeze above wrecked vehicles and improvised tents - the last Isil banner flying over the last of its territory east of the Euphrates. The final slice of the terror group's "caliphate" was braced for a fresh assault from Western-backed forces.
U.S-backed fighters will resume their assault on Islamic State's last, small patch of ground in eastern Syria if no more civilians come out by Saturday afternoon, one of their spokesmen said on Friday.
Turkey is running out of time to avert a showdown with the United States over its plans to buy Russian air defences and spurn a counter-offer from its Nato partner, raising the chance of US sanctions against it.
American and British-made bombs may have killed or injured nearly 1,000 civilians, including women and children, in Yemen's four-year conflict, according to a report by human rights groups.
Hundreds of children in Iraq have been charged with links to terrorism, many of them based on confessions obtained through torture, a human rights group has found.
Iraq and the Kurdish regional government have charged hundreds of children with terrorism for alleged affiliation with the Islamic State group, often using torture to coerce confessions, Human Rights Watch said.
US-backed fighters have slowed an offensive to take Isil's last enclave in eastern Syria as a small number of civilians remain there, though fierce fighting continues.
The Dutch man who married British teenager Shamima Begum after she ran away to join Isil now wants to return to the Netherlands with her and their newborn son.
Columns of black smoke billowed from the last small piece of territory held by Isil militants yesterday as US-backed fighters pounded the area with artillery fire and airstrikes.
Shamima Begum's Dutch husband says he wants to return to the Netherlands with her and their newborn son.
We have a remarkably myopic view of terrorist organisations. If they are not on our news channels, the assumption is that they have gone away. Yet the reality is that they are locked into struggles that they see on millenarian timelines in advance of God's greater glory.
Shamima Begum and her newborn baby are thought to have been moved from a Syrian refugee camp after they were "threatened", her family's lawyer has said.
United Nations investigators said Israeli security forces may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in killing 189 Palestinians and wounding more than 6,100 at weekly protests in Gaza last year.
At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 injured when a fire broke out at the main train station in Egypt's capital on Wednesday, two medical sources said.
A Saudi princess has been named as the country's first ever female ambassador and its next envoy to the United States.
A devastating fire has raced through densely packed buildings in a centuries-old shopping district in Bangladesh's capital, killing at least 70 people, officials said.
Isil appeared closer to defeat in its last enclave in eastern Syria as a civilian convoy left the besieged area where US-backed forces estimate several hundred jihadists are still holed up.
Around 200 families are trapped in a tiny pocket of land in Syria still controlled by Isil and are being bombed by US-led coalition forces, the UN has said.
Saudi Arabia has agreed to free more than 2,100 Pakistani prisoners as the kingdom's crown prince concluded a visit to its nuclear-armed ally.
One of Israel's most prominent dovish politicians, former foreign minister Tzipi Livni, yesterday said she was leaving politics and warned "democracy is in danger".
Khudida Haji has followed news of the battle for the caliphate's final stronghold more closely than most. For four and-a-half years, he has been hoping for information on family members captured by the jihadists. Out of the five that went missing the day Isil overran the Yazidi homeland of Sinjar, northern Iraq, in 2014, only one returned.
Widowed, homeless, having already lost two young children and utterly alone save for the unborn baby she is soon to give birth to in a Syrian detention camp. So one might expect to detect a note of contrition in the east London accent of teen jihadi bride Shamima Begum.
A senior French officer involved in the fight against the co-called Islamic State terror group in Syria faces punishment - from his own side - after launching a scathing attack on the tactics used by the US-led coalition to defeat Isil in its remaining stronghold of Hajin, a French army spokesman said yesterday.
Iran is planning a "new Holocaust" to destroy Israel, US Vice President Mike Pence claimed at a summit on Middle Eastern security.
Turkish police believe the remains of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi may have been burned, according to a police report.
Displaced by war, starving and living under a tree, 12-year old Fatima Qoba was just 10kg when she was carried into a Yemeni malnutrition clinic.
When London teenager Shamima Begum fled Britain with two other schoolgirls in 2015 to join Isil, it shocked a nation. Now, she wants to go home.
Conjoined twin boys born under blockade in Yemen nearly three weeks ago died at the weekend after attempts to secure their evacuation for potentially life-saving treatment failed.
US-backed troops yesterday battled at Syria's eastern edge to oust Isil from the last square mile of the group's once-sprawling so-called caliphate territory.
The landscape of the eastern Syrian Desert is so flat that from a vantage point 300 yards away you can almost see the entirety of the minuscule last pocket of territory ruled over by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Conjoined twin boys born in the chaos of Yemen's war may be evacuated to Saudi Arabia for lifesaving treatment, Saudi authorities said yesterday.
A five-year-old girl was rescued from the rubble of an eight-storey apartment building in Istanbul yesterday, raising the number of survivors of the collapsed structure to 13. At least 10 people have been found dead.
Afghan opposition leaders are set to meet Taliban envoys in a meeting decried by Afghanistan government officials as a betrayal that could let insurgents exploit political divisions.
Pope Francis is opening his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates by meeting with the federation's leader and a group of Muslim elders before addressing faith leaders in a show of religious tolerance in a Muslim region known for its restrictions on religious freedom.
France is planning to repatriate more than 100 Isil suspects from Syria amid fears they could lose track of them after US troops withdraw from the war-torn country.
The United Arab Emirates vice-president boasted of the country's "significant progress" on gender equality as he handed out awards for promoting equal opportunity. The only trouble was - all of them went to men.
A senior US government official, speaking after six days of US peace talks with Afghan Taliban militants, said that Washington was committed to withdrawing foreign forces from Afghanistan to end more than 17 years of war.
The United Nations said shelling of a camp for displaced people in northern Yemen killed eight civilians and wounded 30 others, as the UN envoy arrived yesterday in the capital Sanaa for ceasefire talks with Houthi rebels.
Taliban officials said US negotiators yesterday agreed a draft peace deal stipulating the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan within 18 months of the agreement being signed.
A Taliban attack in central Afghanistan yesterday killed scores of security personnel, officials said, with some estimates putting the death toll at more than 100, amid government silence about one of the most deadly insurgent attacks in months.
Israeli airstrikes in Syria killed 11 Iranian and pro-Assad fighters early yesterday, in the most serious direct combat between Iranian and Israeli forces in the past six months.
Four American servicemen were killed in an Isil suicide bombing in Syria yesterday, calling into question Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops before the Islamist group had been defeated.
Severe weather conditions in Syria have killed at least 15 displaced children seeking refuge, over half of whom were in a camp under US control.
Hopes for a fresh truce in Yemen were dealt a blow over the weekend as Houthi rebels boycotted UN-brokered peace talks and threatened further drone strikes against pro-government forces.
The US secretary of state insists he will press Saudi Arabia's crown prince to ensure that the killers of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are held accountable.
US troops have begun withdrawing from Syria, compounding weeks of confusion over Donald Trump's policy in the Middle East and raising fears over the fate of America's Kurdish allies.
An eight-year-old Syrian girl has died in Lebanon after she fell into a swollen river and drowned in the northern town of Minyeh, as refugee camps were battered by extreme winter weather.
An 18-year-old Saudi woman's flight from what she said was an abusive family has rallied opposition to the kingdom's male guardianship system, still a major constraint on women despite the conservative Muslim country's efforts to open up.
Iran will put two satellites into orbit in coming weeks using domestically made missiles, President Hassan Rouhani said yesterday, a week after Washington warned it not to pursue three planned space rocket launches.
Houthi rebels used an explosive-packed drone to target Yemen's military leaders at an army parade yesterday, killing six soldiers and wounding several senior officers.
An 18-year-old Saudi Arabian woman who fled her family over alleged abuse and barricaded herself in a Bangkok airport hotel room in a bid for asylum will be allowed to stay in Thailand while her case is evaluated by the UN refugee agency, immigration authorities said. | 2019-04-19T05:23:23Z | https://news.wiinkz.com/ie/middle-east/ |
MS001.02: How Do I Submit a Reporting Change Request?
Welcome to this video on submitting a reporting change request for one of your employees.
In Manager Self Service, you can initiate a request to have the "reports to" supervisor be changed for one of your employees. Please remember, this is just initiating a request, not making a permanent change directly in the application.
Before you get started, it is helpful to have the Position Number of the new reports to supervisor before you get started with your request.
From Manager Self Service in OneUSG connect, select the My Team tile.
Locate the employee you want to request the reporting change for.
Click their action button, which is this green button next to their name.
Click Job and Personal Information.
And then, click Submit Reporting Change Request.
First, you will need to enter or select the transaction date. The date that you select should be the first date of a future pay cycle. For this example, we are going to enter 12/18/17.
Now we can look up the new Reports To supervisor. We'll click the look up icon.
And we'll input the position number here.
If you are unsure of the position number, use the other fields to look for the new supervisor.
After entering your search criteria, click the Search button.
And select the new supervisor.
So now we see the new information for this employee, as well as the old information.
To proceed, we'll click Next.
Here we'll enter comments explaining our request.
And finally, we can click Submit.
This page details the pending request along with the next approver in the chain.
And that is how you can submit a request in OneUSG Connect to change the Reports To supervisor for one of your employees.
MS001.03: How Do I Approve or Deny a Submitted Transaction Request?
Welcome to this video on approving or denying a submitted transaction.
If a transaction is routed to you for approval, there are multiple ways that you can approve or deny the transaction. Through the email link you receive, through the notifications flag, through the approvals tile, or through Review Transactions tile. In this video, we are going to walk you through using the Review Transactions tile.
From Manager Self Service in OneUSG connect, select the Review Transactions tile.
In the Approval Status drop down, make sure Pending my review is selected.
To see all transactions, click in the Approval Process field and clear everything by clicking the X.
Then, we can refresh the page.
And here are all of the transactions awaiting our approval.
Let's first select this one for a reporting change approval. Select the transaction to review by clicking the Approve/Deny link.
Review the information on the request.
We can enter our comments in the Approver Comments field.
And then we can click Approve.
You can add comments on the Approve pop-up box as well. Finally, click Submit.
And let's go back to review transactions.
Now, we can easily use the Review Transactions page to see transactions we have actually approved.
For Approval Status, this time we'll select I have approved.
And we'll clear the Approval Process field again and click Refresh.
And here's our Reporting Change Approval. We'll click View Details to see the information since it is still pending.
Below is the approval chain for this request. Notice that still has additional approval steps to go through. Please note that the workflow approval configuration may be different at your institution.
Let's go back to the transactions page.
This time, we'll pull up additional transactions we have to approve.
Let's look at this request for a transfer.
Again, review the information on the request.
Notice that some things, such as salary detail need to be expanded.
When finished reviewing the information, close the box.
Now, we can enter our comments. For this example, we are going to deny this request because we need to wait a few months before we can make it official.
To deny a transaction, we'll click Deny.
And we'll leave our comments and click Submit.
Let's go back and see what a denied transaction looks like.
For Approval Status, we'll choose I have denied.
And we'll clear the process field and click Refresh.
Here, we can see that the transaction has been denied.
Towards the bottom, we can see where we denied the transaction. And we can see that all other approval steps have been terminated.
And that is how you can approve or deny a submitted transaction request in OneUSG Connect.
MS001.05: How Do I Submit a Retirement Request?
Welcome to this video on submitting a retirement request for one of your employees.
When one of your employees you informs you that they are ready to retire and have a retirement date, you can use Manager Self Service in OneUSG Connect to initiate a request to begin retirement procedures for that employee. Please remember, you are just initiating the request, not making a permanent change directly in the application.
Locate the employee you want to request retirement for.
And then, click Submit Retirement Request.
Here, make sure that the person you selected is listed on the Submit Retirement Request page.
Then, you need to enter or select the requested retirement date. This date is the first date of retirement for the employee. For this example, we'll select 1/1/2018.
For reason, we'll indicate this is a normal retirement.
And that is how you can submit a retirement request in OneUSG Connect for one of your employees.
MS001.08: How Do I Submit a Termination Request?
Welcome to this video on submitting a termination request for one of your employees.
If you need to terminate an employee due to either voluntary or involuntary reasons, you can initiate that request within OneUSG Connect's Manager Self Service. Please remember, you are just initiating the request, not making a permanent change directly in the application.
Locate the employee you want to request termination for.
And then, click Submit Termination Request.
Here, make sure that the person you selected is listed on the Submit Termination Request page.
Then, you need to enter or select the requested termination date. This date is the first day the employee is no longer employed at the institution. For our example, this is 12/6/17.
Then, we can select the reason.
Notice that this drop down has a variety of reasons. You will select the one appropriate to your situation. For our example, this is a voluntary termination by the employee so we'll select Resignation.
And that is how you can submit a termination request in OneUSG Connect for one of your employees.
MS001.10: How Do I View the Status of a Submitted Transactions Request?
Welcome to this video on viewing the status of a transaction request you submitted.
When you submit a transaction request for an employee, you can then view the status of that request in Manager Self Service, within OneUSG Connect.
Through the Review Transactions tile, you can view transactions awaiting your review, ones that you have approved or denied, or ones that you have submitted, which is what this video shows you.
You can then see where a transaction resides in the workflow approval chain.
In the Approval Status drop down, change the selection to I have submitted.
To see all transaction types, click in the Approval Process field and clear everything by clicking the X.
And here are all of the transactions that we have submitted.
Anything that is listed as pending is still in the approval chain. Let's look at this reporting change request that we submitted.
To review a transaction, we just need to click the view Details link.
Here we can see the transaction request we submitted.
Towards the bottom, we can see where it is in the approval process.
Please note that the workflow approval configuration may be different at your institution.
If an approver has inputted comments, the comments bubble icon will have dots in it. Click it to view the comments or expand the comments section below.
And we'll pull up transactions we have submitted.
Let's look at this one that has been denied.
Here we can see that Dwight denied this request.
When a transaction has been fully approved or denied, you will be notified via an alert. A number will appear at your notifications flag quickly informing you of an action.
And that is how you can review the status of a transaction request that you submitted in OneUSG Connect.
MS001.13: How Do I Submit an Ad Hoc Salary Change Request?
Welcome to this video on submitting a request for an ad hoc salary change for one of your employees.
If you want to request an ad hoc salary change for one of your employees due to a temporary or interim assignment or other valid reason, you can initiate that request within OneUSG Connect's Manager Self Service. Please remember, you are just initiating this ad hoc salary change request, not making a permanent change directly in the application.
Locate the employee you want to request the ad hoc salary change for.
And then, click Submit Ad Hoc Salary Change.
Here, make sure that the person you selected is listed on the Submit Ad Hoc Salary Change Request page.
Next, we need to update the transaction date. This date should be the first day of a future pay period. We'll select 12/17/17.
Next, we can select the reason. For this example, Pam is taking on an additional temporary responsibility, so we'll select begin temporary appointment.
And you can update either the change percent or change amount. We are requesting a 10% increase for this situation. After entering either the change percent or the change amount, we can press enter to update the New Salary Amount.
And that is how you can submit an ad hoc salary change request in OneUSG Connect for one of your employees.
MS001.14: How Do I Submit a Supplemental Pay Request?
Welcome to this video on submitting a request for supplemental pay for one of your employees.
If you want to request supplemental pay for one of your employees due to a temporary assignment or allowance of some sort, you can initiate that request within OneUSG Connect's Manager Self Service. Please remember, you are just initiating this supplemental pay request, not making a permanent change directly in the application.
Locate the employee you want to request the supplemental pay for.
And then, click Submit Supplemental Pay Request.
Here, make sure that the person you selected is listed on the Request Supplemental Pay page.
Next, we need to update the effective date of this transaction. This date should be the first day of a future pay period. We'll select 12/17/17.
Then we need to enter the end date of this supplemental pay request. This should be the last day of a future pay period. We'll select 5/19/17.
Now, we need to select the supplemental pay type.
Notice that there are five different choices. What you select as the pay type will drive what you can select in the next field, which is supplement pay code. Notice that you can select from different allowances, a one-time payment, and short term pay for faculty, staff and students.
For our example, we are choosing Short Term Payment Staff.
And for the supplemental pay code, we need to select temporary assignment.
For amount, we'll enter $100.
And finally we need to enter the combination code. If you are unsure of which combo code to select, contact your Payroll Department for guidance.
We'll click the look up icon.
And we'll expand the search criteria.
For description, we'll enter library and click Search.
And we see our library operations combo code here, so we'll select it.
Finally, we need to enter comments supporting the supplemental pay request.
If you have supporting documentation for this request, click the Add Attachment button.
Select My Device, search for and select your document. For our example, we'll just close this box.
And that is how you can submit a supplemental pay request in OneUSG Connect for one of your employees.
MS001.20: How Do I Submit a Transfer Request?
Welcome to this video on submitting a request to transfer one of your employees.
If you wish to request that an employee be transferred to another work unit, you can initiate that request within OneUSG Connect's Manager Self Service. Please remember, you are just initiating this transfer request. You are not making a permanent changes for the employee.
Locate the employee you want to request the transfer for.
And then, click Submit Transfer Request.
Here, make sure that the person you selected is listed on this Questionnaire page.
The answers you select here will drive the other choices on the next page.
If the employee will be changing work locations, such as going to a different campus, select Yes.
If the employee's supervisor will change, select yes.
And select yes if you are requesting a change to this employee's salary information.
First, we need to enter or select the transaction date. We'll choose 12/17/17.
For the reason, you would select either Inter-Institutional Transfer or Reorganization. The other selections are used by Shared Services Center.
Next, we need to select the new position title. It's easiest if you know the exact position number this employee will be transferring into.
If you indicated that the employee's salary information will be changed, then you will be taken to the compensation detail page. We'll enter 10% as the change. We'll hit enter to update the new amount.
Finally, we can enter comments supporting the transfer request.
Then, we can click Submit.
And that is how you can submit a transfer request in OneUSG Connect for one of your employees.
MS001.21: How Do I Submit a Promotion Request?
Welcome to this video on submitting a request to promote one of your employees.
If you wish to request that an employee be promoted, you can initiate that request within OneUSG Connect's Manager Self Service. Please remember, you are just initiating this promotion request. You are not making a permanent changes for the employee.
Locate the employee you want to request the promotion for.
And then, click Submit Promotion Request.
First, we need to enter or select the transaction date. This needs to be the first day in a future pay period. We'll choose 12/17/17.
For the reason, we are selecting Job Reclassification.
Next, we need to select the new position title. It's easiest if you know the exact position number this employee will be promoted to. We'll expand the Search Criteria. We'll enter our position number for this example and click Search.
Here is our position, so we'll select it.
Let's proceed to compensation details.
Finally, we can enter comments supporting the promotion request.
And that is how you can submit a promotion request in OneUSG Connect for one of your employees.
MS001.22: How Do I Submit a Location Change Request?
Welcome to this video on submitting a request to change an employee's location.
In Manager Self Service, you can initiate a request to change an employee's location. This is only applicable to institutions that have more than one location, such as multiple campuses. Please remember, you are just initiating this request to change locations for the employee, not making a permanent change directly in the application.
Locate the employee you want to request the change in location for.
And then, click Submit Location Change Request.
For the Transaction Date, we'll select 12/1/17.
Then, we can click the look up icon for Location.
Notice that only locations for your set id are listed. Locate the appropriate location and click it.
Enter comments supporting your request.
And that is how you can submit a request to change an employee's location in OneUSG Connect.
MS001.23: How Do I Submit a Demotion Request?
Welcome to this video on submitting a request to demote an employee.
In Manager Self Service, you can initiate a request for an employee demotion. Please remember, you are just initiating this request to demote an employee, not making a permanent change directly in the application.
Locate the employee you want to request the demotion for.
And then, click Submit Demotion Request.
Ensure that the employee you are requesting demotion for is listed at the top of the page.
Answer the questions to indicate if the demotion will also come with a change in work location, supervisor and salary.
Next, update the transaction Date, we'll select 12/1/17. This needs to be the first day of an upcoming pay period.
For reason, select either Involuntary or Voluntary.
You will need to know the new position number that you are demoting the employee to. Click the look up icon and search for position 10008449.
Now, update the salary information. If you are indicating a reduction in salary, simply put a negative sign before the number. For this example, we'll input -10%.
Now we can enter comments supporting the request.
And that is how you can submit a request to demote an employee in OneUSG Connect.
MS001.25: How Do I Submit a Security Request?
Welcome to this video on submitting a security request for one of your employees.
If you wish to request additional security be granted to one of your employees for access OneUSG Connect, you can initiate this request from Manager Self Service. Please remember, you are just initiating this security request. You are not making any permanent changes for the employee. Before you begin, you will need the new security roles, query access, and supporting documentation your institution may require.
Locate the employee you want to request the security for.
And then, click Submit Security Request.
Here, make sure that the person you selected is listed on this Security Request page.
First, we'll enter the effective date of this security request. For our example, we'll enter 1/1/18.
Next, we can enter the reason we are requesting additional security. Keep in mind that this field is limited to 30 characters. (Jan needs to monitor absence & tl).
For new security roles, we can use the look up icon.
For the first role, we are going to select BOR ABS Inquiry.
Then, to add additional roles, click the Add a Row icon.
Again, we'll use the look up icon and select BOR TL inquiry this time.
If you are also requesting this person be granted query access, indicate the level you are requesting. For Jan, we are only requesting review.
If you wish the employee to be able to query sensitive data, make this a yes.
And if you are requesting the employee have access to personal identifying information, make this a yes.
If you wish the employee be granted Correction mode, make this a yes.
We are not requesting that Jan have access to be able to query sensitive data, see personal identifying information, be granted correction mode, be made a security administrator or be made a workflow administrator. So we'll leave all of those set to no.
We are going to set the HR business unit for this employee to 39000.
And we are only questing that Jan see Library Operations so we'll select that for the From Department, as well as the To Department.
Finally, we can enter comments supporting the security request.
And if you have any supporting paperwork to accompany this request, click Add Attachment button.
Then find your document and select it. And click Upload. And then Done.
And your documentation is now attached to this request.
And that is how you can submit a security request in OneUSG Connect for one of your employees.
MS001.30: How Do I Send a Notification to an Employee from MSS?
Welcome to this video on sending a notification to one of your employees.
In OneUSG Connect, you can send an employee a notification or email directly from Manager Self Service.
Locate the employee you want to send a notification to.
In the Notify Employee box, select whether you want to notify the employee with an alert or an email, or both. If notifying via an alert, the employee will see their notifications flag enabled when they log into OneUSG Connect.
If you wish to send an email, you can indicate if you wish to cc or bcc someone. For this example, we'll just notify via an alert.
Leave the category as HR Notification.
You can select to send a notification to multiple employees if you wish.
And the message you want to send.
If you want to add attachments, click the Add Attachment button and following the instructions.
And click OK to the confirmation message.
Now, let's go and see what the employee we just sent the notification alert to sees.
We are now logged in as the employee. And we can see that their flag icon has a number 1. That indicates there is one notification.
We can click the flag icon to open the Actions and Alerts box.
If we select Alert, we can see the alert that the manager sent to this employee.
And that is how you can send notifications to employees from Manager Self Service in OneUSG Connect.
MS002.01: How Do I Submit a Request to Add Position and Funding?
Welcome to this video on submitting a request to add a position and funding for one of your employees.
If you want to request to add a new position and funding, you can initiate that request within OneUSG Connect's Manager Self Service. Please remember, you are just initiating this additional position and funding request, not making a permanent change for the employee.
Locate the employee you want to request the position and funding for.
And then, click Submit Request to Add Position and Funding.
Here, make sure that the person you selected is listed on the Request Add Position and Funding page.
Next, we need to update the effective date of this transaction. This date should be the first day of a future pay period.
Next, we need to enter the job code for this position.
We'll begin entering the job code for this example, and select the appropriate new job code for this position.
Once we tab out of the job code field, many of the fields will fill in.
We'll leave official title and full time, but we'll complete this field for a regular position.
Then, we need to enter work location information.
And select our department from the list.
Once we tab out, the location field should fill in.
We'll leave Reports To blank, since Derek will continue to report to us.
It's optional to complete Salary plan and salary grade. These settings are often unused, so we'll leave them blank.
Some institutions use the Budget Amount field. This also is optional.
We do need to indicate how the position is to be funded. You can add multiple funding codes and allocate a percentage for each one.
For this example, we will enter the beginning portion of the combo code and select the appropriate entry in the list. If you are unsure of what combination codes to select, check with your payroll department.
This position's funding will be split 50-50 between this first combo code and the second one.
We'll enter the beginning portion again, and click the appropriate entry in the list.
Tab out of the field to see the description.
And we'll enter 50 percent here as well.
Finally, we need to enter comments supporting the additional position and funding request.
Select My Device, search for and select your document.
Click Upload, and then click Done.
And that is how you can submit request to add a position and funding in OneUSG Connect for one of your employees.
MS002.02: How Do I Submit a Request to Change Position and Funding?
Welcome to this video on submitting a request to change position and funding for one of your employees.
If you want to request that position and funding be changed for one of your employees, you can initiate that request within OneUSG Connect's Manager Self Service. Please remember, you are just initiating this changed position request, not making a permanent change for the employee.
Locate the employee you want to request to change position and funding for.
And then, click Submit Request to Change Position and Funding.
Here, make sure that the person you selected is listed on the Request to Change Position and Funding page.
Next, we need to update the effective date of this transaction. This date should be the first day of a future pay period. We'll select 1/1/18.
Indicate the reason for the change in position and funding. For this example, we'll enter Change in Job Responsibilities.
Notice on the page, all of this employee's current information appears. The current information will remain on the right, while the requested changes are made on the left.
For this example, we are changing the position from a manager position to a director position. So we'll start entering a new job code and select from the list (300X01).
When we tab out, other fields update.
Notice that fields with an orange circle require a value. So we'll select this drop down and choose Regular.
For this position, we're not changing department, location or reports to. If you do have updates, simply click the look up icon for the appropriate field and select the new value.
Next, you can indicate whether you want all incumbents of this position number to be updated. All current incumbents are listed below. And this is often just the one employee you are requesting the change for. If multiple individuals are listed here, select Yes to request to update all employees or No to just request the update be made for the current employee.
Now, we can update funding information.
We're going to leave Training, but make it 75%.
The second funding code is 987110000140 for 25%.
Here, enter comments supporting the changed position and funding request.
If you have supporting documentation, click the Add Attachment button.
Click My Device and search for and select the file.
Click Upload and then click Done.
And that is how you can submit a request to change a position and funding in OneUSG Connect for one of your employees.
MS002.03: How Do I Submit a Request to Inactivate a Position?
Welcome to this video on submitting a request inactivate a position.
If you want to request that position be inactivated, you can initiate that request within OneUSG Connect's Manager Self Service. Please remember, you are just initiating this inactivate position request, not making a permanent change for the employee.
Locate the employee you want to request to inactivate the position and funding for.
And then, click Submit Request to Inactivate Position.
Next, we need to update the effective date of this transaction. We'll select the current date.
Notice that there are current active incumbents in this position. This procedure is most often done on vacant positions that you no longer want to fill.
Here, enter comments supporting the inactivate position request.
If you have supporting documentation, click the Add Attachment button and follow the directions to upload files.
And that is how you can submit a request to inactivate a position in OneUSG Connect.
MS005.01: How Do I See Basic Information About My Team?
Welcome to this video on viewing basic team information.
Within Manager Self Service, you can access and view basic information about your direct employees and perform certain actions for those employees.
After launching OneUSG Connect, go to Manager Self Service.
From Manager Self Service, select the My Team tile.
The My Team page provides a list of your direct reports. The Summary information includes the employee's job title, department and location, and contact information.
If one of your direct reports has direct reports of their own, that will also be listed. Click the link to see basic team information for those indirect reports. You can return to your direct reports through the breadcrumbs.
Now, let's take a look at the Compensation page.
The Compensation page provides the employees' current salary and other compensation details.
And finally, there is a leave balances selection.
The Leave Balances page provides a summary of each employee's leave balances.
You can view additional leave balance details for an employee by selecting the View Details link.
And we'll return to the Summary page.
If you wish to see your employees in a tiled format instead of list format, select the business card icon.
This page provides a business card type summary for each employee. If you click on the bottom right corner of a business card, you can see additional information about that employee.
If you need to perform a job related action for an employee, select that employee's green menu button.
A list of Action links is then displayed. To navigate to one of the action areas, just click it.
To close the menu, just click the close button.
And that is how you can review basic information about your team within OneUSG Connect.
MS005.06: How Do I Review Compensation History for My Employees?
Welcome to this video on reviewing compensation history for your team.
Through Manager Self Service, you can quickly view the compensation history of your team members.
Click the My Team tile on the Manager Self Service page.
Locate the employee that you wish to view the compensation history for and select that employee's action button, which is the green drop down arrow next to their name.
From the action menu, select Compensation.
And then click View Compensation History.
On the Compensation History page, all changes in compensation history for this employee will be listed here.
To see the details of a compensation change, click the Date of Change.
The Salary Change Details indicate the date of change, annual salary, previous annual salary, if different, and the change amount and percent if applicable.
Click Return to go back to Compensation History.
To choose another employee, select the My Team back button.
And repeat those steps for another employee you wish to view the compensation history for.
Return to Manager Self Service by using its back button.
And that is how you can review the compensation histories for your employees within OneUSG Connect.
MS005.08: How Do I Review My Team's Current Talent Profiles?
Welcome to this video on reviewing your employees' current talent profiles.
In OneUSG Connect, all employees have the ability to record degrees, licenses, certifications, language skills and honors and awards through Employee Self Service. These additions are recorded to their Talent Profile. As a manager, you have the ability to review your employees' talent profiles. And there are two ways to get there: one through the employee's action button, and the other through Talent: Degrees and Certifications tile.
After launching OneUSG Connect, proceed to Manager Self Service.
Then, select the Talent - Degrees and Certifications tile.
Here, to see an employee's talent profile, choose their Select button.
Let's go back to Manager Self service.
We can also see their current profiles by selecting the My Team tile.
Locate the employee you wish to view and click their action button.
And click View Current Team Profiles.
or honors and awards, they would be listed here.
And that is how you can review the current talent profiles for your employees in OneUSG Connect.
MS005.09: How Do I Add Something to the Talent Profile for One of My Employees?
Welcome to this video on adding something to your employee's talent profile.
In OneUSG Connect, all employees have the ability to record degrees, licenses, certifications, language skills, and honors and awards within Employee Self Service. As a manager, you are able to review what information your team members have added to their talent profile. You also have the ability to edit and add something to their profile.
Then select the Talent: Degrees and Certifications tile.
Select the employee you wish to add a profile item to (0295614).
You can add any profile item. Simply complete the fields. For this example, we are going to add an award for this employee so we'll click the Add New Honors and Awards link.
We'll leave the current date as the effective date.
Then, we can select the look up icon for Honor or Award.
The item you wish to add must be in this look up list. You are unable to enter free text into the field. If you do not see the item you wish to add, you can cancel out of this and submit a request to Shared Services Center to have the item added to the look up list.
Our example of the Customer Service Excellence is listed, so we'll select it.
And then, we can include who granted this award. In this case, it was the Governor's Office.
Follow similar steps when adding other profile items for your employee. When finished adding all items, click the Save button.
And that is how you can add items to your employees' talent profiles in OneUSG Connect.
MS005.12: How Do I See My Team's Historical Talent Profiles?
Welcome to this video on reviewing your team's historical talent profiles.
Once you are in Manager self service, to see historical talent profiles for your team, you can go to My Team.
And select the action button of the employee you wish to view.
And then choose View Team Historical Profiles.
You can also go back to Manager Self Service and select the Talent: Degrees and Certifications tile.
Here, update the As Of Date and then click Refresh Employees.
You will be able to see the talent profiles of anyone you supervised as of that date you entered. Keep in mind that the historical profiles are built from entries made in OneUSG Connect. So it may be a while before any historical profiles appear. We will need to be live on the application for some time before entries begin appearing.
And that is how you can review the historical talent profiles for your employees in OneUSG Connect. | 2019-04-23T12:19:36Z | https://ung.edu/human-resources/oneusg/video-transcripts/transcript-mss-01.php |
If you’re looking for a marijuana drug lawyer in Jarrell TX, certainly the journey that led you here has been tumultuous and demanding. Regardless of whether you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, identified in a bust, or picked up in a road stop, the penalties are steep if you’re convicted. While a good many states have legalized cannabis to some extent, those that have not come down exceedingly hard on those who are accused, in order to curb the spread of drugs into the state. Even a little marijuana, residue, or oil, can result in major repercussions, such as time in jail or prison and fines. In addition, a criminal background may cost you jobs in the future, limit your housing options, and strain your relationships with friends and family.
With so much at risk, you can’t just choose any marijuana drug lawyer in Jarrell TX from the Yellow Pages. You’ll want to research conscientiously and talk with several before you make a final choice on which one to hire. At Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, we offer unbiased information and facts to assist you to with your court case, as well as profiles of legal representatives who have the credentials and knowledge necessary to help you defeat your charges and move forward with your life. As you read the profiles listed here, search for the following qualities to help choose which marijuana drug lawyer in Jarrell TX is right for you.
Specialty: Look for legal professionals who have dedicated a portion of their practice to defending marijuana charges. Because the laws change rapidly, a person who frequently works in this field will be knowledgeable about the laws, in addition to the latest techniques to overcome accusations. It’s also helpful to work with someone who is very familiar with the variation of cannabis and the charge associated with your matter, as a person fighting a hemp oil charge will be needing a vastly different approach than a person fighting a marijuana trafficking accusation.
Resolve: It may be hard to determine a legal professional’s commitment to you during the case evaluation. However, if you ask each marijuana drug lawyer in Jarrell TX that you speak with what defensive strategy he thinks is strongest, and also why he thinks it’s the proper method for you, you’ll have the ability to compare and contrast responses. After you’ve heard from several legal representatives, it will be an easy task to recognize who has your needs under consideration. Remember, the practitioners shown on Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer are all known for their dedication to providing people with a customized and rigorous defense, so as you talk to them, you may wish to concentrate your attention on which methods resonates the most with you instead.
Ability: Hire a marijuana drug lawyer in Jarrell TX who has a confirmed record of delivering encouraging outcomes in cases similar to yours. Determining this is as easy as asking each legal practitioner about his background and previous experience during your consultation.
It’s important to choose your marijuana drug lawyer in Jarrell TX fairly quickly, as even the greatest representative will require time to review your case and provide you with a thorough defense strategy.
After you have looked over profiles and have made a list of attorneys you think are a good fit, book your no-cost case evaluations immediately, to make sure your legal practitioner has the time he requires.
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If you’re seeking a marijuana drug lawyer in Prairie Lea TX, without a doubt the path that led you here has been turbulent and nerve-racking. Regardless of whether you were targeted in a road stop, identified in a bust, or were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, the penalties are steep if you’re convicted. Although many states have legalized cannabis at some level, those that have not come down extremely hard on people who are accused, in order to curb the spread of substances into the state. Even a small amount of marijuana, residue, or oil, can result in tremendous repercussions, such as fines and jail time. Additionally, a criminal conviction may cost you job opportunities later in life, limit your housing options, and strain your family relationships.
With so much at risk, you can’t just select any marijuana drug lawyer in Prairie Lea TX from the phone book. You’ll need to research carefully and seek advice from several before you make a final choice on which one to retain. At Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, we present unbiased material to help you with your matter, as well as profiles of legal professionals who have the credentials and knowledge necessary to help you defeat your charges and move forward with your life. As you assess the profiles listed on this site, look for the following traits to help choose which marijuana drug lawyer in Prairie Lea TX is best for your needs.
Focus: Look for professionals who have dedicated a portion of their legal practice to defending cannabis charges. Because the laws change rapidly, an individual who frequently works in this area will be well-versed in the laws, as well as the latest ways to overcome charges. It’s also helpful to work with an individual who is very familiar with the form of cannabis and type of charge associated with your court case, as someone dealing with a hemp oil charge will require a significantly different defensive strategy than a person combating a marijuana trafficking charge.
Commitment: It may be hard to assess an attorney’s commitment to you during your consultation. Nonetheless, if you ask each marijuana drug lawyer in Prairie Lea TX that you meet up with what strategy he thinks is strongest, and also why he believes it’s an excellent method for you, you’ll be able to do a comparison of responses. When you have heard from a handful of professionals, it will be easy to identify who has your interests under consideration. Take into account, the attorneys listed on Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer are all well-known for their commitment to providing those accused with a tailored and strong defense, so as you chat with them, you may wish to focus your attention on which methodology resonates best with you instead.
Skill: Select a marijuana drug lawyer in Prairie Lea TX who has a confirmed record of delivering favorable outcomes in cases similar to yours. Determining this is as easy as asking each attorney about his background and relevant experience during your initial consultation.
It’s important to retain your marijuana drug lawyer in Prairie Lea TX fairly quickly, as even the greatest representative will need time to review your case and provide you with a thorough strategy.
Once you have reviewed profiles and have a list of practitioners you think are ideal, schedule your no-obligation case evaluations immediately, to make certain your attorney has the time he requires.
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Trying to find a Weir TX drug attorney? You have found yourself in the perfect place. Across the pages of Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, you’ll find quite a few profiles of proficient and knowledgeable lawyers who can help you with your matter. All the same, you should also spend time getting to know any lawyer you consider retaining wherever you find him. Despite changes in legislation, drug violations are still treated very seriously by the judicial system. Even a lower charge, such as possession, could lead to incarceration and fines. More severe crimes, such as RICO or illegal drug trafficking, can add years to your sentence, plus could lead to tens of thousands of dollars in fines. Of course, when you pick the right Weir TX drug attorney to oversee your case, you might be able to have your charges thrown out or diminished.
Discover what his relationship is like with prosecutors and judges. A well-practiced Weir TX drug attorney will very likely have worked with the men and women who are influential the outcome of your case before. If he has a good working relationship with them, he will be in a position to negotiate better terms for you. Normally, this respect is reciprocal, so you can assess how other people feel about a potential candidate by asking him his opinion about the prosecuting attorney and judge overseeing your case. Keep in mind if he has earned the regard of these influential women and men, he will also be able to win over members of the jury, so having a good rapport is very important.
Look closely at how he communicates. Undoubtedly, the way he talks to you and others is very important. He’ll need to be able to explain intricate concepts in a straightforward manner to members of the jury, and also be able to influence. In addition, he must also maintain open communication with you, by responding promptly to your messages or calls, and speaking frankly with you regarding the details of your court case.
It’s best if you talk to more than one Weir TX drug attorney, in order to look into the qualities and knowledge each one has. Every legal representative has a completely different policy on the fee for the initial consultation. At Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, the experts highlighted all offer complimentary consultations, which makes it simple to contact several, so you can have confidence about the selection you make.
Take a moment to review the profiles showcased here, while keeping the components discussed above in mind. The Weir TX drug attorney you retain will need time to research your case and put together a solid defense, so it’s best if you move fairly quickly through the decision-making process. Connect with the ones you feel will be ideal for your situation, and arrange your no-obligation initial consultation in a timely manner.
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If you’re looking for a marijuana drug lawyer in Buda TX, without a doubt the journey that led you here has been tumultuous and nerve-racking. Whether you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, part of a bust, or picked up in a traffic stop, the penalties are great if you’re found guilty. Even though many states have legalized cannabis to some degree, states that have not come down particularly hard on those who are accused, in an attempt to curb the spread of illegal drugs into the state. Even a little marijuana, residue, or oil, can result in tremendous repercussions, such as jail time and fines. Moreover, a criminal history may cost you job opportunities in the future, limit your housing options, and strain your family relationships.
With so much in jeopardy, you can’t just select any marijuana drug lawyer in Buda TX from the telephone book. You’ll want to research conscientiously and contact several before you make a decision on which one to retain. At Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, we present unbiased info that will help you with your matter, as well as profiles of professionals who have the credentials and expertise necessary to help you combat your charges and get on with your life. As you assess the profiles listed here, look for the following attributes to help choose which marijuana drug lawyer in Buda TX is best for your needs.
Specialty: Look for legal professionals who have dedicated a portion of their practice to defending cannabis charges. Because legislation change rapidly, a person who regularly works in this area will be familiar with the legislation, plus the latest techniques to overcome accusations. It’s also helpful to work with someone who is very familiar with the variety of cannabis and the charge involved in your case, as a person fighting a hemp oil charge requires a significantly different technique than a person battling a marijuana trafficking charge.
Loyalty: It may be difficult to gauge an attorney’s dedication to you during the consultation. However, if you ask each marijuana drug lawyer in Buda TX that you meet up with what approach he thinks is best, and also why he is convinced it’s the proper method for you, you’ll have the ability to compare responses. After you have heard from several attorneys, it will be simple to identify who has your best interests in mind. Keep in mind, the professionals detailed on Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer are all known for their commitment to providing those accused with a customized and rigorous defense, so as you talk to them, you may want to focus your attention on which technique resonates best with you instead.
Talent: Hire a marijuana drug lawyer in Buda TX who has a proven record of delivering positive outcomes in cases similar to yours. Ascertaining this is as simple as asking each legal representative about his background and experiences during your case evaluation.
It’s extremely important to select your marijuana drug lawyer in Buda TX fairly quickly, as even the greatest attorney at law will require time to research case and construct a comprehensive strategy.
After you’ve looked over profiles and have a list of practitioners you think are an ideal fit, book your no-obligation case evaluations right away, to make sure that your representative has the time he needs.
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Searching for a Waelder TX drug attorney? You have found yourself in the right place. Across the pages of Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, you’ll find many profiles of capable and knowledgeable practitioners who can help you with your matter. Nonetheless, you should also spend time getting to know any lawyer you consider hiring regardless of where you find him. Despite changes in legislation, drug accusations are still treated very sternly by the judicial system. Even a more minor offense, like possession, can result in time in prison or jail and fines. More severe crimes, such as RICO or trafficking, can add several years to your sentence, plus may lead to much greater fines. Naturally, when you select the right Waelder TX drug attorney to manage your case, you may be able to have your charges dismissed.
Learn what his relationship is like with prosecutors and judges. A well-practiced Waelder TX drug attorney will likely have worked with the individuals who are influential in your case before. If he has a good working relationship with them, he will be able to negotiate more favorable terms for you. Usually, this respect is reciprocal, so you can assess how others feel about a potential candidate by asking him how he feels about the prosecution and judge overseeing your case. Bear in mind that if he has earned the admiration of these influential women and men, he will also be able to win over members of the jury, so possessing a good rapport is crucial.
Focus on how he communicates. Needless to say, the way he speaks to you and others is important. He’ll need to be able to discuss intricate concepts in a simple manner to a jury, and also be able to influence. At the same time, he must also keep the lines of communication open with you, by replying promptly to your calls or messages, and speaking frankly with you concerning the details of your matter.
It’s wise to confer with more than one Waelder TX drug attorney, in order to evaluate the characteristics and expertise each one offers. Every attorney has a unique policy on the rate for the initial consultation. At Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, the specialists highlighted all offer free case evaluations, which makes it simple to seek the advice of several, so you can be sure about the choice you make.
Make time to review the profiles highlighted here, while keeping the things detailed above in mind. The Waelder TX drug attorney you hire will need time to study your case and construct a sound defense, so it’s a good idea to move swiftly through the decision-making process. Touch base with the ones you think will be ideal for your situation, and arrange your free initial consultation in a timely manner.
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If you’re seeking a marijuana drug lawyer in Bartlett TX, without a doubt the path that led you here has been tumultuous and stressful. Whether you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, part of a bust, or picked up in a road stop, the penalties are harsh if you’re convicted. Although many states have legalized cannabis at some level, places that have not come down particularly hard on people who are accused, in an attempt to curb the spread of substances into the state. Even a little bit of marijuana, oil, or residue, can result in tremendous consequences, such as fines and time in prison or jail. Moreover, a criminal history may cost you job opportunities in the future, limit where you can live, and strain your family relationships.
With so much in jeopardy, you can’t just pick any marijuana drug lawyer in Bartlett TX from the phone book. You’ll need to research thoroughly and seek advice from a few before you make a final choice on which one to retain. At Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, we present unbiased material to guide you with your case, as well as profiles of legal professionals who have the qualifications and knowledge necessary to help you beat your charges and move on with your life. As you look at the profiles listed on this site, look for the following attributes to help decide which marijuana drug lawyer in Bartlett TX is best for you.
Focus: Look for professionals who have devoted a portion of their practice to defending weed charges. Because the laws change rapidly, somebody who frequently works in this area will be knowledgeable about the laws, plus the latest methods to overcome accusations. It’s also useful to work with somebody who is very familiar with the variation of cannabis and the charge involved in your matter, as a person managing a hemp oil charge will be needing a greatly different technique than someone fighting a marijuana trafficking offense.
Resolve: It may be hard to assess a legal representative’s commitment to you during the case evaluation. Even so, if you ask each marijuana drug lawyer in Bartlett TX that you consult with what defensive strategy he thinks is strongest, and also why he is convinced it’s the proper method for you, you’ll be able to compare responses. Once you have heard from several lawyers, it will be easy to distinguish who has your interests in mind. Keep in mind, the attorneys highlighted on Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer are all known for their commitment to providing those accused with an individualized and rigorous defense, so as you chat with them, you may want to concentrate your attention on which strategy resonates best with you instead.
Skill: Retain a marijuana drug lawyer in Bartlett TX who has a confirmed record of delivering encouraging outcomes in court cases similar to yours. Ascertaining this is as simple as asking each legal representative about his history and experiences during your consultation.
It’s crucial to choose your marijuana drug lawyer in Bartlett TX fairly quickly, as even the best attorney will require time to review your case and come up with an intensive strategy.
After you have looked over profiles and have a list of legal professionals you think are a good match, arrange your free case evaluations without delay, to make sure that your legal practitioner has the time he needs.
Tag's : Drug Defense Attorney | Drug Defense Lawyer | Marijuana Drug Attorney | Marijuana Drug Attorney in Bartlett TX | Marijuana Drug Charges | Marijuana Drug Charges in Bartlett TX | Marijuana Drug Laws | Marijuana Drug Laws Bartlett TX | Marijuana Drug lawyer | Marijuana Drug Lawyer in Bartlett TX | marijuana laws .
Looking for a Liberty Hill TX drug crimes lawyer? As you likely know, the consequences for drug crimes are incredibly tough. A guilty verdict will impact your whole future- from job prospects, to housing, and even relationships with your family. However, your present concerns are likely the chance of time in jail or prison and/or fines. A Liberty Hill TX drug crimes lawyer who is proficient and skilled might be able to have your charges decreased or thrown out, though identifying which one is ideal is not always easy. As you speak with potential candidates, use the following attributes as a checklist, to help determine which Liberty Hill TX drug crimes lawyer is best-suited for your circumstance.
Knowledge: Legislation is complex and laws are always being modified. It’s difficult for a general-purpose lawyer to keep up with adjustments for each area he works in. For this reason, it’s vital that you select a Liberty Hill TX drug crimes lawyer who has expertise with the type of offense you’re facing, as well as with the substance involved in your matter.
Availability: Top law firms book up quickly and they manage many cases at the same time. You should look into availability from two perspectives. First, verify that the legal representative has time to dedicate to your case. Secondly, ensure that he will treat your situation as a priority and that he returns calls and messages promptly.
Quality: Ask candidates what their reputation is like regarding cases similar to yours. Even country’s greatest legal professional won’t be able to have charges diminished or thrown out each and every time, but people who can share stories of several favorable outcomes are usually very good choices.
Demeanor: It’s often said that “attitude is everything.” Although may not be everything in a court of law, a lawyer’s attitude certainly impacts how others interact with him. The right disposition can help him make friends with the judge, prosecution, jurors, which is necessary during negotiations. You have to be able to detect this trait during your case evaluation, but it can also be beneficial to visit a court to see professionals in action.
At Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, we only highlight profiles of legal professionals who have dedicated their practices to taking care of drug crimes. Each one has a distinctive history, and is ideal for tackling even the most complicated trafficking or RICO case. Most importantly, they analyze each case on its own merits, and build a unique strategy based on their previous experience, as well as the factors of your case. While it’s crucial that you be diligent in picking a Liberty Hill TX drug crimes lawyer, you must also act swiftly, as top law offices book their slots quickly, and they require time to put together an effective defense. Take some time to look at the profiles listed here, and schedule a no-obligation initial consultation with the ones you believe will be a good fit for your needs right away.
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Looking for a Round Rock TX drug attorney? You have found yourself in the perfect place. Over the pages of Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, you’ll find several profiles of capable and knowledgeable legal representatives who can help you with your case. All the same, you should also spend time getting to know any lawyer you consider hiring wherever you find him. Despite the ever-changing legislation, drug charges are still treated very seriously by the judiciary system. Even a lower charge, like possession, can lead to time in prison or jail and fines. More severe crimes, such as illegal drug trafficking or RICO cases, can add several years to your sentence, plus may lead to much greater fines. Needless to say, when you pick a qualified Round Rock TX drug attorney to manage your case, you might be able to have your charges reduced or dismissed.
Discover what his relationship is like with prosecuting attorneys and judges. A seasoned Round Rock TX drug attorney will very likely have worked with the people who are influential in your case before. If he has a good rapport with them, he will be equipped to negotiate better terms for you. Typically, this respect is two-way, so you can gauge how other individuals feel about a potential candidate by asking him his opinion about the prosecuting attorney and judge overseeing your case. Bear in mind that if he has earned the respect of these influential men and women, he will also be able to conquer a jury, so having a good rapport is crucial.
Focus on how he communicates. Undoubtedly, the way he talks to you and others is important. He’ll have to be able to discuss elaborate concepts in a straightforward manner to the jury, and also be able to influence. At the same time, he must also maintain communication with you, by responding promptly to your messages or calls, and speaking frankly with you regarding the details of your court case.
It’s wise to seek advice from more than one Round Rock TX drug attorney, in order to look into the qualities and experience each one brings to the table. Every legal professional has a completely different policy on the price for the initial meeting. At Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, the specialists highlighted all offer totally free initial consultations, which makes it very easy to contact several, so you can be certain about the decision you make.
Take time to review the profiles highlighted here, while keeping the components discussed above in mind. The Round Rock TX drug attorney you select will need time to review your case and put together a solid defense, so it’s recommended that you move fairly quickly through the decision-making process. Reach out to the ones you believe will be a good fit for your case, and arrange your free consultation in a timely manner.
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If you’re looking for a marijuana drug lawyer in Dripping Springs TX, undoubtedly the journey that led you here has been turbulent and stressful. Whether you were picked up in a traffic stop, identified in a bust, or were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, the consequences are harsh if you’re convicted. Even though many states have legalized cannabis to some degree, regions that have not come down particularly hard on people who are accused, in an attempt to curb the spread of drugs into the state. Even a small amount of marijuana, residue, or oil, can result in huge repercussions, such as incarceration and fines. Moreover, a criminal record may cost you work opportunities later in life, limit your housing options, and strain your family relationships.
With so much at risk, you can’t just select any marijuana drug lawyer in Dripping Springs TX from the phone book. You’ll want to research mindfully and contact several before you make a decision on which one to hire. At Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, we present unbiased info to help you with your matter, as well as profiles of lawyers who have the credentials and abilities necessary to help you fight your charges and get on with your life. As you assess the profiles listed here, search for the following traits to help decide which marijuana drug lawyer in Dripping Springs TX is best for your needs.
Specialty: Look for lawyers who have devoted a portion of their career to defending pot charges. Because the laws change rapidly, someone who frequently works in this field will be familiar with the laws, along with the latest methods to overcome charges. It’s also helpful to work with a person who is very familiar with the form of cannabis and type of charge involved in your case, as a person fighting a hemp oil charge requires a greatly different strategy than a person fighting a marijuana trafficking offense.
Dedication: It may be difficult to measure a legal professional’s commitment to you during your initial consultation. Nevertheless, if you ask each marijuana drug lawyer in Dripping Springs TX that you meet up with what defensive strategy he thinks is strongest, and also why he thinks it’s the ideal method for you, you’ll be able to measure up responses. After you’ve heard from a few lawyers, it will be easy to distinguish who has your interests at heart. Remember, the attorneys listed on Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer are all well-known for their dedication to providing clients with an individualized and rigorous defense, so as you speak to them, you may wish to focus your attention on which techniques resonates best with you instead.
Talent: Choose a marijuana drug lawyer in Dripping Springs TX who has a proven track record of delivering encouraging outcomes in matters similar to yours. Determining this is as easy as asking each attorney about his history and experiences during your consultation.
It’s necessary to retain your marijuana drug lawyer in Dripping Springs TX fairly quickly, as even the greatest legal professional will require time to study your case and construct a comprehensive defense strategy.
When you have reviewed profiles and have a list of professionals you think are an ideal fit, schedule your no-obligation initial consultations without delay, to be sure your legal representative has the time he needs.
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Looking for a Flatonia TX drug crimes lawyer? As you likely know, the consequences for drug crimes are incredibly tough. A guilty verdict will impact the rest of your life- from your career, to housing, and even relationships. However, your most pressing concerns are likely the prospect of jail time and/or fines. A Flatonia TX drug crimes lawyer who is seasoned and competent can sometimes have your charges reduced or dropped, though identifying which one is the most suitable is not always simple. As you speak to potential candidates, use the following traits as a checklist, to help identify which Flatonia TX drug crimes lawyer is ideal for your case.
Expertise: Legislation is complex and laws are always changing. It’s tough for an all-purpose lawyer to keep up with variations for each area he practices in. Because of this, it’s essential to select a Flatonia TX drug crimes lawyer who has knowledge with the type of accusation you’re facing, as well as with the illegal drug involved in your matter.
Accessibility: Top legal professionals book up quickly and they watch over many cases at any given time. You should examine availability from two standpoints. First, verify that the attorney has time to commit to your case. Secondly, be certain that he will treat your matter as a priority and that he returns calls and messages promptly.
Caliber: Ask candidates what their reputation is like with regard to cases comparable to yours. Even the world’s best attorney won’t be able to have charges dropped or decreased each and every time, but professionals who can share stories of many favorable outcomes are generally very good choices.
Demeanor: It’s commonly said “attitude is everything.” While it may not be everything in a court of law, a lawyer’s demeanor certainly impacts how others react to him. The right disposition can help him make friends with the judge, other attorneys, members of the jury, which is very important during negotiations. You ought to be able to see this trait during your initial meeting, but it can also be helpful to visit a court to see professionals in action.
At Austin Interstate Drug Lawyer, we only show profiles of legal professionals who have devoted their practices to taking care of drug crimes. Each one has a diverse background, and is proficient at tackling even the toughest drug trafficking or RICO case. Most importantly, they evaluate each case individually, and develop a unique strategy based on their previous experience, as well as the components of your case. While it’s crucial that you be diligent in picking a Flatonia TX drug crimes lawyer, you have to also act fast, as top legal professionals fill their slots quickly, and they need time to build an effective defense. Take some time to look at the profiles listed on this site, and book a free initial consultation with the ones you think will be a good fit for your case today.
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Echoes of the troubadour’s song can still be heard across the lands of Oc, ringing in the silence and the song of the nightingale, in the melody of flowing springs and sometimes a chanson from a modern minstrel. Since the beginning of time, the music of nature and of muse wove a spell that sustained the harmonious patterns across the landscape and between earth and heaven. Enchantments woven by the troubadour poetry and songs nourished the land and all its creatures.
The quest for the grail, the return of beauty and the elevation of the feminine arose out of a deep longing held within the heart of the people and troubadours carried this impulse between medieval chateaux, mountain fortresses and across the land. Troubadours were also messengers carrying news and keeping alive the network of secret factions, such as the Templars, Cathars, and Gnostic groups. The word troubadour comes from the root word trouver in French and trobar in Occitaine, meaning one who finds or discovers and also one who invents.
We can also look at the word troubadour as trouba d’or, or finder of gold, as in alchemical transmutation of dross matter into perfection. Harmonious chords can change the dissonant noise of life into beauty. Music contains the seeds of perfection in its proportions and harmonics, which are also found in the architecture of ancient temples and medieval Gothic cathedral construction.
Troubadours can be seen as the ones who are recovering the seeds of truth, flowering into the songs which stretch our minds and hearts, and weaving a new cultural matrix for a new era.
“Whatever the gods do, they do by song…things are summoned by this praise song and encouraged to come joyfully into being.”?
For several decades, I have been a questing troubadour journeying in many lands of the world and learning from the ancient cultures, from the people and through observing nature. I found a shared thread of wisdom and knowledge that streams like a river, connecting like tributaries, all religions and ancient traditions. The job of the troubadour is to strive to bring these essences alive in stories and songs to reawaken the magic and mystery of life, re-enchanting our world. The following accounts are a few fragments of this harper’s journey through the ancient sites of the Land of Oc.
once more a theme of vital importance…”?
In the summer of 1987 I visited Southern France for the first time and spent three weeks in a friend’s family farmhouse in Cahors in the region of Lot, site of a medieval Templar commanderie, (center of command). At that time, I had never heard of Templars or Cathars and was a traveling troubadour, making my way from South America and Britain, on to Egypt. During that short stay I sang to Black Madonnas, serenaded the stones in Neolithic circles and huts and explored the wonders of the beauty inside the earth in Magdalenian era grottos, floating down their underground rivers.
I was not yet aware of the tragic history of the many so-called heretical groups who had inhabited this region. And yet the imprint of timeless layers of poignant stories remained that I found entirely overwhelming. That was the beginning of a long quest for threads of truth and wisdom resonating in Southern France and the sacred covenant that was formed by a people’s love of freedom and freedom to love.
The various groups who have resided in this southern region of the Languedoc have perennially been labeled heretics: Cathars, Templars, Jewish refugees, Moors, Kabbalists, Gnostics, Troubadours and more. The etymology of the word heretic, or hérétique in French, is from the Greek hairetikos, ‘able to choose’. These groups were all labeled as heretics and yet, they were the ones who chose to be true to their authentic path, unwilling to compromise their values and succumb to the agendas of the ruling kings or the Church of Rome. Perhaps it is for this reason that so many people are drawn to study and understand these groups today. We all hunger for freedom in a world that has become severely incapacitated by its fascination with material success and power. The Languedoc has always been a refuge for the rebellious and the free-spirited.
Throughout history, the quest for beauty, love and truth has struggled to survive amidst the quest for dominance and greed. During the medieval era, the dominant powers of church and state burned the Templars, they burned countless thousands of Cathars, they burned Joan of Arc, who tried to liberate her people from foreign rule. They even tried to ban the poetry and songs of the Troubadours and silence the voices of women. But the spirit of truth would not be silenced and rose again and again, from the dust and ashes, rising from the half remembered promise patterned in the blood, held in the heart. Always they return, with the flame of hope for a better world filled with compassion, beauty and a song of love returning to the land.
Not only do we return, but we are stronger. Out of struggle and adversity, we give birth to something greater, more passion to adhere to our truth. Depth of soul can be born out of times of challenge and it is through the fight for survival that one is seasoned and ripened beyond what could have occurred in an environment of ease and docile comfort. The beginning of the first and second millennia were turning points, times of great change and chaos, such as our current entry into a new millennium, a New Earth and a return to Beauty.
After reading ‘The Treasure of Montsegur’ in 2007, I felt a strong impulse to visit the Sabartez caves and nearby chateaux said to be connected with the Cathars and with the grail mysteries. The Sabartez region is a narrow valley of the Pyrenees with the Ariege River cascading abundant clear waters from the mountains above. The high walls of the canyon host voluminous caverns, some reaching ten kilometers or more in length. My intention was to somehow find the caves mentioned by Walter Birks and Antonin Gadal, but finding accommodation for that night was first on the list.
I parked the rental car in the little village of Ussat les Bains. Even the name of the village is fascinating, as numerous thermal spas in the region were developed by the Romans during the first and second centuries CE, during which time Romans practiced adoration of Isis. Often there are clues to be found in the old names of sites and Ussat is phonetically similar to Ausset, Iset, her Egyptian name. The Coptic word for her is Usat and the Greco-Romans called her Isis.
As I walked through the village looking for a nice Chambre d’Hote, I came to a strange sign posted, ‘Maison de Flutes de Pan’. Not only did the place offer cheap rooms, but the owner apparently was a musician. I had heard Panpipes in the Andes, but not in the Pyrenees! Intrigued, I knocked on the door and Christian Koenig answered, a tall man with a deep and intense gaze, and it felt as if I was meeting a familiar old friend. With my scant French, about equal to his English skills, we discovered within the first ten minutes that we both played numerous instruments, including the troubadour harp. I was excited to learn that Christian was an expert in medieval Cathar and troubadour ‘chansons’. Through the universal language of music and after exchanging several songs, we agreed that he would guide me to a Cathar initiation cave that afternoon. I did not know at that time that Christian had inherited some of the texts and artifacts from Antonin Gadal, a man who was born in Ussat les Bains and dedicated his life to the study of the Cathars and the caves in the region. Certainly I had knocked on the right door!
Two images were impressed on my memory from that first meeting. In the stairway of Christian’s home was a large pentagram carved in stone. I was to learn the following day that the Cathar initiation cave called Bethlehem is located on the hill directly opposite his home. Within the small double exit cave is a pentagonal shaped recess in the wall, just large enough for a human body with legs and arms extended to form a pentagram, similar to Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man or the alchemical image of the perfected human. Also within the cave is a large rectangular altar stone, or sun stone, thought to have been used by ancient Celtic and Mithraic sun worshipping traditions. Several have been found in the Pyrenees region; one that I had visited is near Saint Michel de Cuxa near Mount Canigou and the other is at Rennes-le-Chateau.
The pentagram I noticed that day was the first of many to be discovered in the French churches and carved in the stones, and seemed to relate to an ancient stream of Hermetic knowledge that emerges in Templar, Cathar, Gnostic and Grail traditions. The pentagram is a shape associated with perfection, harmony, music and beauty. The Cathars called themselves The Pure and their priests traveled in pairs, living a life of fasting and prayer. They ministered to the poor and healed the sick and sang in the ancient languages, continuing the traditions and practices of the first Christians, Essenes and Nazareans.
Cathar priests were both male and female and called Parfaits or Perfects. In Jean Markale’s book ‘The Grail’, he relates the quest for the grail in Wolfram von Eschenbach’s epic ‘Parzival’ to the “Purity that leads to perfection, the supreme goal of Catharism.”? He continues that the grail ritual in Parzival is essentially Cathar and concerns an alchemical goal to “…disengage the divine essence that sleeps in the heart of matter. This is pure Catharism.”?
The second thing in Christian’s home that intrigued me was the bible over the fireplace opened to the Gospel of John, which begins, “In the beginning was the word,”? the sound of creation. This is the gospel which was used almost exclusively by the Cathars.
Above the bible was a piece of art portraying the resurrection mysteries and a caduceus within the Christed human. (A caduceus is the ‘herald’s staff’ carried by Hermes and is depicted with two entwined serpents and wings. This image was used in ancient alchemy and is still the modern symbol for medicine and healing). The Hermetic science of resurrection combining sacred music and Eastern purification practices used by ancient Gnostics would become a central theme in my continuing quest and research.
I returned at the appointed hour for the promised visit to the grotto, but Christian was not yet finished with his day’s work and the hours dragged on until it was twilight and soon to be very dark. I was quite concerned about navigating the mountain paths at night, not to mention the unknown twists and turns of a large cave. Finally he appeared with two miner’s headlamps and said, ‘Okay, let’s go’. What did I get myself into this time? Yes, I had wanted to visit the Cathar initiation cave, but this was turning out to be my own initiation.
I tried to walk without the headlamp bouncing too wildly, trying to focus the limited light on the narrow and steep path. As we ascended the mountain, keeping the light focused on the path became a metaphor for my life. I had always walked a razors edge, choosing adventure over comfort as a modern troubadour. But more than once the quest took me dangerously close to the limits of human endurance. Once inside the enormous cavern, we turned off our head lamps and were immersed in total darkness. I began seeing strange lights moving and had a strong feeling that we were not alone.
Christian played an old Cathar melody on his panpipes which was haunting and with the expanded acoustics of the large grotto, the song seemed to open a door between dimensions of time. Then I played and sang the Aramaic Lord’s Prayer and again sensed the spirit of the place and the people who had made this a place a refuge grow more present and palpable. Aramaic was called the language of the angels and was spoken by Jesus and his followers, and most likely by Cathars when saying this ancient prayer. A phrase kept singing within me during that experience in the dark cave, “Heart of the dove, the way of love.”? Perhaps like Saint John says in his gospel, Lux lucet in tenebris, ‘the light shines in the darkness’.
“Penetrate to the caves for in the cave you will find the secret of a brotherhood…He would have to work in the dark with only the light of his own spirit…Treasure lies in wisdom and love, remember.”? Sept. 29 1937 message from White Eagle through Grace Cook, ‘The Treasure of Montsegur’, Walter Birks and R. A. Gilbert.
On a subsequent visit to the Ariege and Ussat les Bains, Christian suggested that we visit the ruins of Montreal de Sos, a ‘Grail Castle’. The valley of Vicdessos is Southwest of Tarascon sur Ariege and leads into the Pyrenees; there is still a path at the end of the valley in use for thousands of years that is traveled by modern pilgrims as well as smugglers passing between Spain and France. The fortification chateau Montreal de Sos was built in the 12th century within the region and rule of Raymond-Roger, Count of Foix. The Count was sympathetic to the Templar and Cathar cause and his wife ultimately became a member of the Cathar church.
Raymond’s sister was Esclarmonde, meaning light of the world and one of the greatest Cathar priests. She was responsible for the rebuilding of Montsegur and records tell us that she received the Cathar sacrament, the consolamentum to become a Parfait or Perfect in 1204 AD. In a local legend, it is said that Esclarmonde took the form of a dove in order to carry the Holy Grail to safety during the Cathar persecution at Montsegur. After climbing to the top of the ruins on my first visit to Montsegur, I felt the presence of a great white bird wrapping its wings around our small circle of pilgrims as we were chanting softly….perhaps an imprinted memory held within the stones of the chateau.
Driving to Montreal de Sos through the narrow winding valley road from Tarascon sur Ariege toward Vicdessos, the opening to the extensive caverns of Niaux can be seen on the left. Niaux is a Paleolithic era cavern that hosts paintings of bison, horses, auroch, ibex and fish, more than twelve thousand years old. One passes the medieval chateau ruins of Miglos and the nearby Neolithic dolmen called Sem. (Interestingly, Sem was the name of the Egyptian priests who performed rituals to Osiris and also one of the sons of Noah).
What is in a name? If one looks at the etymology of names of ancient places, especially in areas that host a concentrated number of sacred sites, the name can provide clues about the nature of the place. The phonetic resonance of a word tends to carry more meaning than just the spelling, as this can change dramatically in a short time. The sound of a name can also identify essential qualities of the thing or place named.
“Mithraic liturgy contained magical formulas held to be ‘root-sounds’…every object is related to a subtle sound which, when uttered, can destroy, modify or bring into being the corresponding object.”?
One of my Tibetan teachers once said that in a language predating Sanskrit, Hebrew, Sumerian and Egyptian languages, there was no separation between the sound and the root resonance of that which it referred to. (This reminds us of modern physics and string theory). When a word was uttered, the material or state which related to that resonance was called forth. This is the same science practiced in the relationship between a mantra (a combination of bija seed syllables) and its corresponding shape or design, called in Sanskrit, yantra. This sound science was practiced by Thoth-Hermes and Isis, both of whom ruled over Egyptian temple music and chant.
From the base of the medieval chateau of Montreal, the easiest access is through one of the short passage caves that open just below the fortification. On the day that Christian Koenig and I arrived, there was an archeological excavation in process. I asked what sorts of things they were finding and the men replied that there were pottery fragments, various knight’s gear, and coins dating to the medieval era, when the Knights Templar were active in this region.
Deodat Roche, considered to be the last Cathar ‘pope’, believed the most important site for the Cathars was Montreal de Sos and compared it to the grail castle Montsalvash (Mount Salvation) mentioned in Wolfram’s ‘Parzival’. When Roche was shown a painting of the scene depicted on the cave wall of Montreal, he recognized it as being identical with an illustration found in a manuscript of the 13th c. ‘La Queste del Saint Graal’ edited by Albert Pauphilet (Paris, 1923). Interestingly, there is a triangular alignment in the Vicdessos valley formed between the ruins of Montreal de Sos, the Neolithic dolmen Sem and a peak named Col de Grail. | 2019-04-24T08:33:35Z | https://aniwilliams.com/a-troubadours-journey-in-cathar-country-part-1/ |
Thirteen thermophilic fungal strains were isolated from agricultural soil, tubers and compost samples in tropical Brazil. Two strains were selected based on of their ability to produce considerable glucoamylase activity while growing in liquid medium at 45ºC with starch as the only carbon source. They were identified as Aspergillus flavus A1.1 and Thermomyces lanuginosus A 13.37 Tsiklinsky. The experiment to evaluate the effect of carbon source, temperature and initial pH of the medium on enzyme production was developed in a full factorial design (2x2x3). Enzyme productivity was influenced by the type of starch used as carbon source. Cassava starch showed to be a better substrate than corn starch for glucoamylase production by A. flavus but for T. lanuginosus the difference was not significant. Enzyme activities were determined using as substrates 0.3% soluble starch, 0.3% maltose or 0.3% of starch plus 0.1% maltose. The enzymes from A. flavus A1.1 hydrolyzed soluble starch preferentially but also exhibited a significant maltase activity. Moreover higher quantities of glucose were released when the substrate used was a mixture of starch and maltose, suggesting that this fungus produced two types of enzyme. In the case T. lanuginosus A 13.37, the substrate specificity test indicated that the enzyme released also hydrolyzed starch more efficiently than maltose, but there was no increase in the liberation of glucose when a mixture of starch and maltose was used as substrate, suggesting that only one type of enzyme was secreted. Glucoamylases produced from A. flavus A1.1 and T. lanuginous A.13-37 have high optimum temperature (65ºC and 70ºC) and good thermostability in the absence of substrate (maintaining 50% of activity for 5 and 8 hours, respectively, at 60ºC) and are stable over in a wide pH range. These new strains offer an attractive alternative source of enzymes for industrial starch processing.
Entre 13 linhagens de fungos filamentosos isolados a partir de amostras de solo agrícola, tubérculos e de material em compostagem, duas foram selecionadas em função da capacidade de crescer em meio líquido contendo amido como única fonte de carbono, a 45ºC, e produzir consideráveis quantidades de glucoamilase. Essas linhagens, identificadas como Aspergillus flavus A1.1 e Thermomyces lanuginosus A13.37, foram utilizadas para desenvolvimento de experimentos para avaliar os efeitos do tipo de amido (milho e mandioca), do pH inicial do meio de cultura (4,0; 5,0 e 6,0) e da temperatura de incubação (40 e 45ºC), em um modelo fatorial (2x3x2), sobre a produção da glucoamilase. O tipo de amido usado como fonte de carbono para o cultivo dos fungos influenciou significativamente a produção de glucoamilase por A. flavus, sendo obtida uma maior quantidade da enzima em meio contendo amido de mandioca do que em meio com amido de milho. A produção da enzima por T. lanuginosus também foi maior em meio contendo amido de mandioca, porém, a diferença não foi estatisticamente significativa. As atividades enzimáticas sobre amido (0,3%), maltose (0,3%) ou sobre mistura de 0,3% de amido com 0,1% de maltose, indicaram que as enzimas de Aspergillus hidrolisaram, preferencialmente, o amido, embora tenham mostrado atividade considerável sobre a maltose. A maior liberação de glicose a partir da mistura de substratos sugeriu que o fungo em questão possa secretar dois tipos diferentes de enzimas. Enzimas produzidas por T. lanuginosus hidrolisaram o amido e a maltose e não liberaram maiores teores de glicose quando o substrato constou de mistura de amido e maltose. As enzimas de Aspergillus e Thermomyces apresentaram elevada temperatura ótima de atividade (65 e 70ºC, respectivamente) com boa termoestabilidade na ausência de substrato (manutenção de 50% da atividade por 5 e 8h respectivamente), além de estabilidade em ampla faixa de pH. Os resultados apresentados indicam uma importante fonte alternativa de glucoamilase para uso no processamento industrial de amido.
The enzymes that hydrolyze starch can be divided into endoamylases, exoamylases and debranching amylases.
The endoamylases (EC 3.2.1.1) cleave a-1,4 glycosidic bonds in amylose, amylopectin and related polysaccharides but not a-1,6 linkages. The products of hydrolysis are oligosaccharides of varied chain lengths and have a a-configuration on the C1 of the reducing glucose unit produced (8).
The exoamylases act preferentially on a-1,4 linkages from the nonreducing end, successively, resulting in low molecular weight products. Currently two types of exoamylases are important for starch hydrolysis. Glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.3) of fungal origin attacks a-1,4 bonds, releasing D-glucose molecules in the b-configuration; this enzyme also attacks a-1,6 bonds at branching points in the amylopectin molecule, but much more slowly than a-1,4 linkages. a-Glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.20) catalyzes the splitting of a-D-glucosyl residues from the nonreducing end of substrates to release a-glucose (9); b-amylase (EC 3.2.1.2) of plant or bacterial origin acts in an exo-fashion proceeding, from the nonreducing ends of the outer starch chains or related polysaccharides, gradual removal the romoving maltose units in the b-anomeric form (6).
Debranching enzymes include pullulanase (EC 3.2.1.41) which acts specifically on a-1,6 linkages in pullulan, starch, amylopectin and related oligosaccharides and isoamylase (EC 3.2.1.68), that hydrolyzes a-1,6 linkages in amylopectin, but has a very low activity or no activity toward pullulan (8).
In industrial starch syrup production, the starch is liquefied in a first stage at 105-107ºC for 5-15 min, followed by a second stage for 60-180 min at 95-98ºC. Thermostable a-amylases are used for starch hydrolysis in this liquefaction step. Upon completion of liquefaction, the slurry has to be cooled at 55-60ºC before the saccharification step, since the glucoamylase from Aspergillus niger used in this stage is unstable at temperatures above 60ºC (2; 17).
High value is placed on the extreme thermostability and thermoactivity of amylases used in the starch bioprocessing. Thus, for industrial purposes, new highly thermostable and environmentally compatible glucoamylases may make an important contribution to the starch processing industry.
On the other hand, the discovery, isolation, and application of different amylolytic enzymes have resulted in the development of new hydrolyzed starch products and in a wide variety of different syrup properties, which can be exploited in many applications.
The objectives of this study were to evaluate glucoamylase production in various culture conditions from newly-isolated thermophilic fungi and the physico-chemical characterization of these enzymes.
Two g samples of agricultural soil, potato tubers, compost and animal manure were homogenized in sterile medium of pH 5.0 containing 1.0% soluble starch; 0.14% (NH4)2SO4; 0.20% K2HPO4; 0.02% MgSO4.7H2O; 1.60 mg/L MnSO4.H2O; 1.40 mg/L ZnSO4.7H2O; 2.0 mg/L CoCl2. After incubation at 45ºC for 24 h, a loop of the homogenized culture was streaked on the surface of the same medium containing 3.0% agar and incubated at 45ºC for 24 to 72 h. All morphologically contrasting colonies were purified by repeated streaking. Pure cultures were sub-cultured on slants of the same medium for identification and enzyme studies. The identification of the fungi was based on morphological and biochemical characteristics (12). The stock cultures were maintained at 7ºC on Potato Dextrose Agar medium (PDA).
Erlenmeyer flasks with 25 mL of medium containing 1.0 % carbon source, 0.14% (NH4)2SO4, 0.60% K2HPO4, 0.20% KH2PO4, 0.01% MgSO4 7H2O, 0.50% yeast extract, 0.20% peptone, 0.20% beef extract (pH 5.0) were inoculated with aliquots of mycelial suspensions (approx. 5.0 mg/mL) of Thermomyces or spore suspensions (106 spores/mL) of Aspergillus, obtained from 7-day agar slant cultures suspended in sterile 0.01% Tween 80 solution. The fermentation was carried out in a rotary shaker at 100 rpm for 96 h at the temperatures described below. The biomass was separated by centrifugation at 10000 g for 20 min and the supernatant was used to evaluate amylase activities.
Corn or cassava starches (1.0%) were used as carbon sources. The media pH was adjusted to 4.0, 5.0 or 6.0 and incubation temperatures were 40 or 45ºC. The experiment was developed in a full factorial design (2x3x2) with three repetitions. For statistical analysis (ANOVA and Tukey test) the face software Estat was used.
Enzyme activity was assayed at 60ºC in a reaction mixture containing 0.5 mL of diluted crude enzyme solution and 0.5 mL of substrate solution in 0.25 M sodium acetate buffer pH 5.0. The substrates used were 0.3% soluble starch, 0.3% maltose or a mixture of 0.3% soluble starch plus 0.1% maltose (16). The amount of glucose released was estimated by the peroxidase/glucose oxidase assay (4). One unit of enzymatic activity (U) was defined as the amount of enzyme that releases one µmol of glucose per minute per mL of reaction.
Optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity: The optimum pH was determined by measuring activity at 60ºC using various buffers: sodium acetate (pH 3.0-5.0), citrate-phosphate (pH 5.0-7.0), tris-HCl (pH 7.0-8.5) and glycine-NaOH (pH 8.5-11.0). The optimum temperature was assayed by incubating each reaction mixture at 40ºC up to 90ºC.
Thermostability: a thin layer of mineral oil prevented evaporation of the crude enzyme solution which was incubated at various temperatures (10-90ºC) for 1 h at pH 5.0. Another experiment was carried out to assay the enzyme stability at 60ºC. The enzyme solution was maintained at this temperature for a period of 9 h. A control to evaluate a possible maltose hydrolysis was carried out using water instead crude enzyme. In both assays an aliquot was withdrawn and placed on ice before assayed for residual enzyme activity at the optimum pH and temperature.
pH stability: Crude enzyme was dispersed (1:1) in 0.1 M buffer solutions pH 3.0-5.0 (sodium acetate), pH 5.0-7.0 (citrate-phosphate), pH 7.0-8.5 (tris-HCl) and pH 8.5-11.0 (glycine-NaOH) and maintained at 25ºC for 24 h. An aliquot was used to determine the remaining activity at the optimum pH and temperature.
Among the 13 thermophilic fungi isolated from the tested materials, two strains were selected for their ability to grow at 45ºC on a liquid medium containing starch as the only carbon source and to produce considerable glucoamylase activity under these conditions. These strains were identified as Aspergillus flavus A1.1 and Thermomyces lanuginosus A13.37.
The statistical analysis indicated that variables carbon source, pH and temperature influenced significantly the enzyme production. The type of starch source used as carbon source influenced the glucoamylase production by A. flavus A1.1, which was higher (with statistical significance at 1% level) in media containing cassava starch than in those with corn starch (Fig. 1a-f). No statistical difference was observed in the amounts of enzyme synthesized by T. lanuginosus A13-37 on the two carbon sources, but it can be observed that enzyme activity was higher in the medium containing cassava starch (Fig 2a-f). Since there are differences in the amylose and amylopectin composition and lipid contents of these starches (3,5) (corn starch has approximately 28% amylose, 72% amylopectin and 6.0% lipids while cassava starch has approximately 17% amylose, 83% amylopectin and 0.1% lipids), these results suggest that the composition and differences in the molecular structure of the starch could affect the enzyme induction. Cruz et al. (7) observed that the ability of Rhizopus sp to produce amylolytic enzymes that liberate reducing units was higher when the carbon source was amylose rather than to amylopectin, and that corn amylose was a better inducer of enzyme than its homologue from potatoes.
Analysis of Fig. 1 indicated that enzyme synthesis by A. flavus A1.1 grown on cassava starch was significantly higher when the initial pH of the culture medium was 6.0 (5% level by Tukey test). However the enzyme activity was higher when the initial pH of the culture medium was 4.0 than when it was 5.0 (Fig. 1c to 1f), indicating that two forms of enzyme may have bee produced. Enzyme synthesis by T. lanuginosus A.13.37 was higher at pH 5.0 and 6.0 than at pH 4.0 for both substrates.
Considering that the total growth of the microorganisms was significantly not affected by the pH of the media (data not shown), the effect of pH must be related to mechanisms regulating enzymatic synthesis and secretion. A similar effect of pH on production and secretion of glucoamylase (GA) by A. niger was described by Wallis et al. (22). They demonstrated that GA production was higher at pH 4.0 than at pH 5.5. Since enzyme activity was not correlated with biomass production, the authors speculated that pH and the high level of produced gluconic acid controlled some aspects of enzyme production. Characterization of the pH signal transduction pathway in A. nidulans has been completed at the molecular genetics level, although the biochemical functions of the proteins involved still have yet to be elucidated (10).
Regarding the incubation temperature no statistically significant differences were detected in the enzyme synthesis when fermentation was carried out at 40 or 45ºC, although higher activities were observed in some assays at 40ºC (Figs. 1 and 2).
To test the substrate-specificity, enzyme activities were determined with 0.3% soluble starch, 0.3% maltose or 0.3% starch plus 0.1% maltose as substrate. The results shown in Fig. 1 indicated that the enzymes produced by A. flavus A1.1 preferentially hydrolyzed starch (significantly 1% level) and exhibited a low maltase activity. On the other hand, crude enzyme released the highest quantities of glucose when the substrate used was a mixture of starch and maltose (Fig. 1e, 1f).
In the case of enzymes from T. lanuginosus A 13.37, the data of Fig. 2 indicate that the enzyme was able to hydrolyze starch more efficiently than maltose, but differently from A. flavus enzyme its activity on maltose was considerable. Moreover, there was no increase in the glucose liberated when a mixture of starch and maltose was used as substrate.
Although a-glucosidase and glucoamylase are essentially differentiated by the produced anomer (a-glucosidase produces a-glucose and glucoamylase, b-glucose (6)), according to Saha and Zeikus (16) the a-glucosidase activity can be determined in the presence of glucoamylase by comparing the results of incubating the enzyme with starch or with starch plus maltose. The higher yield of glucose from the second substrate gives evidence of the presence of a-glucosidase. In this way, the results indicated that both glucoamylase and a-glucosidase may be secreted into the cultivation medium by A. flavus. The presence of both enzymes has been reported in culture media of A. awamori, A. niger and A. oryzae (18,19,20) and it was determined that the a-glucosidase from these fungi hydrolyses not only maltose and malto-oligosaccharides, but also hydrolyses soluble starch very slowly, while glucoamylase is a starch-hydrolase capable of also degrading starch (6).
On the other hand, Tosi et al. (21) reported that a purified glucoamylase from H. grisea showed considerable maltase activity, however the optima pH, profiles response temperature and also the activation energies for hydrolysis of starch and maltose were different. Similar characteristics were described for glucoamylase from Scytalidium thermophilum (4). This pattern of activity in glucoamylase has been attributed to the existence of a common catalytic site for starch and maltose hydrolysis, but specialized subsites for each of these substrates. The presence of various subsites in the enzyme was also demonstrated for a-glucosidase from Mucor javanicus and A. niger. M. javanicus a-glucosidase has high activity on maltooligosaccharide and on soluble starch. This enzyme hydrolyses maltose and soluble starch at a single active site and has six subsites, which are more extended than other described subsites. This extended subsite structure binds the maltoligosaccharide firmly on the bond-cleavage site; however, the smallest substrate, maltose, would be bound in a non-productive configuration and would be slowly hydrolyses when compared with larger maltooligosaccharides (18). In a-glucosidase from A. niger, three subsites have been determined; this enzyme preferentially hydrolyses maltooligosaccharide and maltose and hydrolyses soluble starch slightly (10).This difference in substrate specificity is due to subsite structure (19).
Our results support that A. flavus produces two different enzymes while T. lanuginosus seems to produce one enzyme with a preference for soluble starch, but it is not possible to infer whether it is a glucoamylase or a-glucosidase. Further investigations are required.
The glucoamylase activities in the crude filtrates obtained from Aspergillus flavus and Thermomyces lanuginosus cultivation were characterized in terms of pH and temperature optima and stability. The enzyme from A. flavus exhibited maximum activity at pH 4.0. Approximately 86% of this activity was observed at pH 3.5 and 57% at pH 7.0, indicating the enzyme showed activity over a wide pH range (Fig. 3a). The enzyme showed optimum activity at 65ºC and 40% of this activity at 70ºC.
Enzyme from T. lanuginosu showed maximum activity at pH 4.5 and 67% of this activity at pH 4.0 and at 5.5 (Fig. 3a). Optimum temperature for its activity was determined to be 70ºC and the enzyme showed 67% of maximum activity at 75ºC (Fig. 3b).
As illustrated in Fig. 3a, enzyme from A. flavus was stable over wide pH range, with 100% stability at values of 5.0-9.0 and 80% of this activity retained at pH 3.0 and 90% at pH 10.0. Glucoamylase from Thermomyces was more stable at pH 7.0-8.0, retaining 55% of its activity at pH 3.0 and 75% at pH 10.0.
Enzyme produced by Aspergillus lost only 20% of the initial activity after 1h at 60ºC with total inactivation at 80ºC, while glucoamylase from Thermomyces showed an enhanced of 30% in relation to the original activity, after being maintained at 50ºC for 1h. After 1h at 60ºC, the activity of enzyme was 20% higher than the initial activity.
The thermostability of enzymes at 60ºC was high. The enzyme from Aspergillus retained 85% of this activity after 1 h and 45% after 7 h at this temperature. The glucoamylase produced by Thermomyces increased its activity (20%) when maintained for 1h at 60ºC. After 8 h at 60ºC, 55% of the initial activity was observed (Fig. 3c).
The optimum pH found for the Aspergillus glucoamylase is comparable to those from other Aspergillus species which have optimum activity in the pH range 4.0-5.5 such as the enzymes from A. terreus and A. tamari (pH 4.0) and A. niger (pH 5.0) (1; 13). However, for Thermomyces species, glucoamylases have been described with which neutral pH optimum, such as those from H. grisea (pH 6.0) and H. lanuginosus (pH 6.6) (4).
In comparison with the thermal characteristics of known glucoamylases, the enzymes differed in terms of their thermal stabilities and optimum temperatures (65 and 70ºC) from those of several mesophilic fungal species whose optimum temperatures are between 40 and 50ºC, e.g. glucoamylases from Aspergillus and Rhizopus strains which are described as susceptible to denaturation at temperatures above 60ºC (9,20). The enzymes were similar to glucoamylases from thermophilic fungi such as Talaromyces duponte, Thermomyces lanuginosus and H. grisea that have optima at 75, 70 and 60ºC, respectively (15).
Since any industrial process is based on the use of crude or partially purified enzymes, it is important to determine the optimum temperature for activity and thermostability under these conditions. Although a-amylases used in the commercial production of sugar syrups from starch are sufficiently stable at the high operating temperatures, the enzymes employed for saccharification and for debranching of amylopectin are more thermolabile. Thus, glucoamylases with greater thermostability and active at higher temperatures are required.
Besides thermostability, the stability and activity over a wide pH range are important properties of the enzymes produced by the strains studied in this work. During saccharification, the pH of the liquefied slurry is adjusted down to 4.2-4.5, to move it closer to pH optimum for Aspergillus niger GA. Using enzymes that function over a wide pH range would eliminate this adjustment step.
In conclusion, glucoamylases produced from A. flavus A1.1 and T. lanuginosus A.13-37 have high optimal temperatures (65ºC and 70ºC) with good thermostability in the absence of substrate (they maintained 50% of activity for 5 and 8 h respectively at 60ºC) and stable activity over a wide pH range. With these characteristics they offer an attractive alternative source of enzymes for industrial starch processing.
The authors wish to thank the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) for financial support. | 2019-04-26T02:03:57Z | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1517-83822005000100015&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en |
Until the early 1990s Yeoville was a densely populated working class, student and immigrant white neighborhood. It was always the place that white immigrants started from before they began their journey – both north and upwards into the middle classes of Johannesburg. After the first democratic elections in 1994, its proximity to employment and the city centre, made Yeoville the preferred destination for a predominantly black, working class population now rapidly moving to the city from the far-flung black townships and rural areas of South Africa, and elsewhere on the African continent. As a consequence, white residents slowly began to move away taking their business and their money with them.
In 2008, I found myself on a commission in Yeoville. My colleague was researching a newly commissioned urban management plan, and my job was to find and photograph the blurred and interesting boundaries between public and private space. The diversity of the neighbourhood was immediately very striking. A mixture of South Africans and immigrants from countries like Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and elsewhere.
Our conversation curved around a wistful turn from the vagaries of looking for love to the difficulty of finding work. Taking up a perch alongside us, sharply dressed Frank Assimbo, formerly a teacher of French literature and philosophy at the University of Kinshasa, sifted through his folder of papers and pleasantly joined in on our conversation. He had come to the store to photocopy his degrees for an apoplication for a teaching job. He had, by this time, spent several years trying to obtain South African residential and work permits, and in the interim, was running computer literacy classes for adults from his apartment on Yeo Street. They introduced us to some of their friends as they passed by, and then we all drifted off to the Afro- themed Nando’s on Fortesque Street, for a Coke.
Television and print media relentlessly direct our gaze towards the violence and conflict between South Africans and Africans who have come here from other parts of the continent. It is very rarely that a successful immigrant, with an ordinarily mundane and repetitive life is reported upon. The images of migrants and refugees that we are presented with, are usually abject and universalised types, standing in for oppression and (always noble) suffering, and are of course integral to the representational politics that surround mobility; symbols of a much larger argument.
A few ideas began to churn. I started to think about making a new project in Yeoville. Finding ways to talk back to this big and abstract story; taking it away from the body politic to little, intimate stories about this particular person’s loss – that particular person’s dreams, or his great hairstyle, her exquisitely styled shoes and her enduring search for the perfect man!
I was mindful of my position as an uninvited outsider (or ‘tourist’), and of the pitfalls of parachuting a project (or a large object) into a neighbourhood that had not asked for it in the first place. With these thoughts on the back burner, I turned toward the equally challenging trajectory of very practical tasks like drawing together a start-up project team, writing (many) funding proposals, imagining possible research processes and partnerships, and finding the right institutional base.
The African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS), a graduate research and teaching programme at the University of the Witwatersrand welcomed a trans-disciplinary approach to their terrain and with interested colleagues and an apposite home base we were able to secure our project funding.
Past experience had taught me that working collaboratively in the public realm involves being able to build relationships, and in good faith, to navigate one’s way through a complex set of power relations and negotiations: between artists, other professionals, project partners, project funders, stakeholders, residents, participants, and audience that eventually, for better or worse, animate and bring the work into being. This shifting matrix of relationships forms the delicate foundation onto which everything else is layered and is as much a part of the final product as everything else that is produced along the way.
Our initial project team comprised John Spiropoulos, an urban practitioner, with whom my early thinking about the project developed, George Lebone, a Yeoville community activist who facilitated our initial access to people and places in the neighbourhood, Jean-Pierre Misago, a PhD student at ACMS from Burundi who helped us design a first research process aligned with his own enquiry into the experiences of migrant communities in Johannesburg, and Belinda Blignault, an artist and designer who came up with the look and feel of our first website. Hotel Yeoville, before it became a physical and virtual ‘thing’ embedded in its specific locale, was incubated in an 18-month history of research, development and planning.
The project’s name came to us very easily. We were thinking about ‘hotel’ as a place that offers intimate and temporary private space to people from many different places of origin. And Yeoville being a place where many people we met had a very tenuous hold on either. But, it definitely bothered some Yeoville community leaders and activists who needed to see the suburb as a cohesive whole, rather than a disparate group of South African and immigrant communities with their own very clear and separate national identities living alongside each other by happenstance. It also brought several people rushing up the stairs, clutching references that attested to their experience of working in hotels; and there were floods of emails from manufacturers of ashtrays, reading lights, and bedside tables in China. But, it was the one and only thing about which we were ever absolutely certain. For the rest, well, it felt, much of the way, like a wildly experimental (and risky) blind date. In a sense our first relationship of trust had to be with the process, and the unfolding of an unpredictable project.
We spent several weeks methodically walking the suburban grid and talking with anybody who smiled at us as they went about their day. It was our sense that the word “community” was not a very useful one in the context of Yeoville. We met a heterogeneous mix of people from almost every country on the continent. There was also a distinct pecking order. South Africans and then Nigerians, on top, and everybody else in-between, with Zimbabweans at the bottom, and blamed for everything.
We kept our focus on drawing upon what we might find, and noticed two things most particularly. The first, wrapping around the Shoprite supermarket,7 was a whole suburban block of wall space covered in notices: sheets and scraps of multi-coloured paper with hand-written notes in English and French; offering and seeking shared accommodation, employment, money transfers, baby’s clothes, lounge suites, faith, romance, marriage and more. And interspersed amongst these were hundreds of small printed flyers; advertising business and translation services, language classes, religious events, HIV testing, abortions and a host of other services.
The second thing we noticed was the unusual density of Internet cafés. We counted thirty cafés distributed between just four blocks, all of them hosting customers at every terminal.8 Most of the cafés were owned and run by foreigners and had very specific national identities. People often seemed to come in just to chat, see who’s who, and meet up with friends, and familiar others.
Gorgeous Mr. Abbas, Congolese owner of the Timbuktu Cafe, occupying two large apartments on the third floor of a building overlooking Times Square, explained to us, somewhat ruefully, that competition had driven the rate of Yeoville’s Internet cafes down to R5.00 an hour, which didn’t bring in nearly enough revenue when offset against exorbitantly high space rentals and telecommunications costs. And so the Cafés plugged this hole by offering a wide range of ancillary services that turned their establishments into something between a cosy club lounge and a business centre. You could make long-distance phone calls, have your CV designed and typed, commission somebody to do research for you, or simply help you to fill in your application for citizenship or refugee status forms. You could hire a DVD, order a plate of food, have your hair cut, or braided, and find your way around the city and its authorities. It struck us that very large numbers of people seemed to depend upon communal café spaces to use the Internet and the telephone on a daily basis, with many of them making repeat visits at different intervals during the day.9 These were interesting social spaces, seemingly integrated into the daily needs and routines, and the serious business of many of the people living around them.
Between the communicative supermarket walls, and modus operandi of the many Internet cafés, we decided to work with web technology and some of the familiar language of social media as the medium of the project, and to design an interactive, customised website aimed at the online café culture of the suburb. The site was imagined as something that, on the one hand, enabled a largely invisible pan-African group of Johannesburg residents to write themselves into being, and on the other, as a useful resource that helped new arrivals to navigate their lives through and around the rules of the city.
Central to this early concept was the idea that the website should become the default homepage when any Café visitor began their browsing, but in as smart and savvy a business environment as this one, we knew we would have to be able to come up with an incentivising and reciprocal offering to the Café owners, something that really added value to their business!
And so we embarked on two simultaneous processes. One was to find out something about Internet Café business practices, and the informational and virtual context of these physical spaces. What were people doing online? And what might they like to be able to do online in this city and suburb? The other was a lengthy and parallel (and infinitely more difficult) process: to persuade one or other of the big telecommunications companies of the hidden value in this invisible local market of communal Internet Café users, completely ignored in major quantitative South African surveys on both Internet and cell phone access and use. We hoped to offer them unusual and far-reaching marketing opportunities through engaging with our project, in exchange for broadband and telephony packages at competitive rates.
We shared, discussed and analysed our results and experiences,12 reviewed our imagined project, and then worked toward creating a meaningful and useful journey through a three-dimensional website. The framing concept for the design and development of the website was our view of the political importance of the minutely observed details of personal, everyday life. We emphasised subjectivity and personal identity, and designed the site’s structure and navigation through ‘normal’ everyday life categories. Freud has often been quoted, (although neither Google nor anyone else can accurately identify the source!) as having said, “love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness.“ Onto these we layered home, faith, play and more, and these themes became the vehicles of navigation through the website. We also decided to incorporate popular social media platforms such as YouTube, Flickr and Facebook, maximising on their viral capacity and also on the ease and familiarity with which people were using them in Yeoville. We took our wire frames back to the Internet cafés for feedback, amended them in response to comments that were made, designed and built the site, and then tested and amended it all over again.
Our next big challenge, while I worked upon and waited for a response from the corporate world, was to come up with an effective means of launching and marketing the project and its website within the suburb.
I have to add at this point, that at times, the implementation of my project felt like an epic mission, like being a player on a ‘quest’ in one of the popular, real-time online games, like World of Warcraft, where in order to succeed, you have to ‘build your character’ by acquiring talents, and a multiplicity of skills and new professions, as you get deeper into the game.
Excerpted from “Public Art/Private Lives A.K.A. Hotel Yeoville,” Terry Kurgan, Hotel Yeoville, Published by Fourthwall Books 2013.
2 “There were some cops that already came to my place a few months ago and they made me so angry! Anyway, their arrival this time was the last straw! I was already having problems with the landlord who was always giving me unreasonable issues. The cops, this time stole all of my stuff. I didn’t know that the cops in South Africa have the right to steal? They stole my jewellery; they stole the flash drives, DVDs, and all the other goods I used to sell in my business. They also took about R3000 in cash from me. Yaah. So we just decided to close the shop.” Quoted by kind permission of Ginibel Mabih Forsuh, from a recorded conversation, August 2008.
3 Whereas many South Africans arriving in central Johannesburg are from rural areas and peri-urban townships, “more than 95% of non-nationals have spent their lives in cities or towns before leaving for South Africa. Foreign migrants also have disproportionately higher levels of technical and academic qualifications and bring with them the skills needed to survive in cities.” C. Kihato, C and L. Landau, (2006). “The Uncaptured Urbanite: Migration and State Power in Johannesburg”. The Forced Migration Studies Working Paper Series, Working Paper# 25.
4 This accommodation is particularly evident in Yeoville. With white middle class residents having moved away from the suburb, property owners began to neglect their properties because of uncertainty about their value in the context of this demographic change. They also tend to exploit the vulnerable and tenuous status of their new tenants – massively raising rents and neglecting to provide essential services.
5 Francis Alys: A to Z, Compiled by Klaus Biesenbach and Cara Starke in Francis Alys, A story of Deception, edited by Mark Godfrey and Klaus Biesenbach, p. 35, published byTate Publishing, London 2010.
6 Muf, (2001).“THIS IS WHAT WE DO: a muf manual” pg 29, with contributions from Katherine Shonfield and Adrian Dannat, edited by Rosa Ainley, Ellipsis Publications, London.
7 The Shoprite supermarket is on the corner of Bedford and Rockey Streets.
8 In late 2007, when we began our research, most people relied upon a PC to get online. In 2012, following global trends, the cell phone habits of South Africans have changed dramatically as smart phones, mobile applications and the mobile Internet have entered the mainstream. This doesn’t seem to have affected the customer base of Yeoville’s Internet Cafes.
9 The situation described above arises in low-income neighborhoods such as Yeoville because of the high cost of connecting to the telephone and Internet from home. South Africans pay some of the highest telecommunications rates in the world added to which we have low bandwidth and high bandwidth costs. Added to this, many residents have a particularly tenuous grasp on ‘home’; at the mercy of corrupt landlords who take advantage of their vulnerable status in this country.
10 This is a term Hilton Judin uses to describe architects Cohen & Judins’ approach to their design of the Mandela museum in Transkei; instead of simply providing storage and display spaces representing the life of Mandela, the museum project brought a plentiful and common source of running water (and a structure designed to contain it) to the people still living in the village of Mvezo, where Mandela was born, a legacy that more definitively presents his struggle. Women and children would no longer have to walk to the distant river to collect water. Judin, H, (2000). “Culture as Infrastructure” Journal Architektur Aktuell vol 245, pg 53 – “Less Aesthetics, More Ethics”.
12 The research questionnaires included a section on what users might want from the website. The following received the highest votes: Information on immigrant and refugee rights and resources, the ability to advertise and seek accommodation and jobs, a personal profile on a community website, the ability to share experiences, stories and to leave messages for friends, and finally information on local sport and religious congregations. When asked what their hopes and dreams were, these were the most popular responses: A desire to invest in the local economy; a wish for the despotic leaders of their home countries to be removed; to be able to live and work in South Africa without fear; to be able to work in a chosen profession for which the subject was already qualified; to be able to help others in need.
© 2019 Copyright Hotel Yeoville Project and Terry Kurgan. | 2019-04-26T08:50:10Z | https://hotelyeoville.co.za/research/ |
Over recent decades, many experimental studies have focused on the effect of CO2 on phase equilibria and melting behaviour of synthetic eclogites and peridotites as a function of pressure and temperature. These studies have been of fundamental importance to understanding the origin of carbonated magmas varying in composition from carbonatitic to kimberlitic. The occurrence of diamonds in natural rocks is further evidence of the presence of (reduced) carbon in the Earth's interior. The oxygenation of the Earth's interior (i.e. its redox state) through time has strongly influenced the speciation of carbon from the mantle to mantle-derived magmas and, in turn, to the volcanic gases released to the atmosphere. This paper explains how the knowledge of the oxygen fugacity recorded by mantle rocks and determined through the use of appropriate oxy-thermobarometers allows modelling of the speciation of carbon in the mantle, its mobilization in the asthenospheric mantle by redox partial melting, and its sequestration and storage during subduction by redox freezing processes. The effect of a gradual increase of the mantle fO2 on the mobilization of C is here discussed along with the main variables affecting its transport by subduction into the mantle.
Carbon in the Earth's mantle is in exchange with the Earth's surface and the atmosphere (Kasting et al. 1993). At subduction zones carbon from sediments and altered oceanic crust is transported into the mantle and recycled to the surface on a short timescale as a result of island arc processes, but some carbon probably persists both as carbonate minerals and as elemental carbon during subduction and can be carried down to the depth of the deep upper and even lower mantle (Kelemen & Manning 2015). In contrast, basaltic magmas at mid-ocean ridges and oceanic islands bring carbon mainly in the form of CO2 to the surface. Some of this carbon shows geochemical evidence of crustal recycling (Hauri et al. 1993) but some might result from oxidation of a reduced primordial source; that is, a source present in the mantle since accretion of the Earth (Palot et al. 2012). Our understanding of the deep carbon cycle through the mantle requires information on the mobility, solubility within mantle rocks and magmas, and knowledge of the forms in which carbon is stable at different pressure, temperature and oxygen fugacity conditions within the Earth. This information is necessary to determine how much carbon is probably stored in the mantle, and the mechanisms by which it may be cycled through the mantle and eventually reach the surface. In this paper, known forms of carbon-bearing phases found in mantle rocks are first described through a selection of classic articles from the literature, followed by discussion of the carbon speciation as a function of the mantle redox state through space and time.
Estimates of the abundance of carbon in the Earth's interior are uncertain owing to its low solubility in mantle minerals and the outgassing at shallow depths. The amount of carbon in rock-forming minerals such as olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and garnet has been determined experimentally and found to be in the range of a few ppm (Keppler et al. 2003; Rosenthal et al. 2015). Similarly, the most abundant minerals representative of the transition zone and lower mantle (i.e. wadsleyite, ringwoodite, ferropericlase and bridgmanite) also incorporate negligible (<1 ppm) amounts of carbon (Shcheka et al. 2006; Hayden & Watson 2008). The low concentration of carbon in the abundant silicate minerals implies that it must be stored in the largest geochemical reservoir, the terrestrial mantle (Javoy et al. 1982), as a pure phase in the immobile reduced form of elemental carbon (or carbide), oxidized carbonate and the mobile form of carbonated magma. Because of the low solubility of CO2 in magmas upon decompression with consequent devolatilization, the possibility of tracking its history from the source rock to the surface is limited to a few known undegassed lavas (e.g. Siqueiros and 2πD43 popping rocks; Le Voyer et al. 2017); alternatively, geochemical tracers and noble gases that correlate positively with the abundance of C (e.g. helium, argon, barium, rubidium and niobium; Matthews et al. 2017) are used, the concentrations of which are better constrained because of their high incompatibility in erupted lavas and sampled fumaroles. Using, then, the global average concentration of these trace elements from mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) and assuming typical melt fractions of 10%, such a method provides concentrations of a few tens of ppm (c. 14–50 ppm) as referred to the depleted mantle (i.e. the residual mantle source after extraction of MORB); whereas the carbon content of the bulk silicate Earth (BSE), generally determined from mantle plume-like magmas, has been proposed to vary between 500 and 1000 ppm (Marty et al. 2013).
Carbon forms different accessory phases in rocks from the Earth's interior, such as graphite, diamond, iron(–nickel) and silicon carbides and either solid or liquid carbonates. Native carbon in mantle-derived rocks such as eclogites and peridotites occurs both as graphite and diamond. The origin of graphite in mantle-derived rocks is usually explained as a result of the following: (1) transformation from an original diamond-bearing assemblage to graphite owing to a re-emplacement at lower pressures observed, for example, in garnet pyroxenite layers from Beni Bousera, Morocco (Pearson et al. 1989); (2) exsolution from a C-saturated magma at reducing conditions as observed in ultramafic xenoliths from the Algerian Sahara (Kornprobst et al. 1987); or (3) as a relict of metasomatic processes such as found in peridotites from Jagersfontein (South Africa) showing multiple graphite flakes of vein-like form (Field & Haggerty 1990). Some graphite occurrences are thought to originate by assimilation from magma of carbonaceous country rocks (Ripley & Taib 1989; Barrenechea et al. 1997; Luque et al. 1998). In contrast to the processes above, where variation in pressure, temperature and bulk-rock chemistry are invoked to explain the origin of graphite, there is also evidence of crystalline carbon in exhumed blueschist metasedimentary rocks in contact with serpentinite from Alpine Corsica (France) that formed by reduction of carbonate during cold subduction (Galvez et al. 2013).
In contrast to what observed for graphite, the occurrence of diamonds is limited to specific rock types, mainly kimberlites but also lamproites and lamprophyres from cratonic areas (Boyd & Gurney 1986; Gurney et al. 2010), regions of the continental crust that have remained tectonically stable for at least 2.5 Gyr and are underlain by a thick lithospheric mantle extending to depths of over 200 km. Rocks considered as host for diamonds have been identified on the basis of inclusions in natural diamonds and are represented by eclogites (E-type inclusions), peridotites and websterites (P-type inclusions; Meyer 1987; Gurney 1989; Stachel & Harris 2008). The occurrence of carbon in the form of diamond has been a major field of research because of its economic value and stimulated some of the very first high-pressure experiments (Bundy 1963; Kennedy & Kennedy 1976; Akaishi et al. 1990; Irifune et al. 2004) that aimed to explore the pressure and temperature conditions for synthesis of gem-like quality diamonds. The results from these studies combined with thermodynamic predictions (Day 2012) have been used as a geothermobarometer to constrain the equilibration pressures and temperatures of diamond-bearing rocks, in particular those rocks showing coexistence between graphite and diamond (e.g. Korsakov et al. 2010; Mikhailenko et al. 2016). Importantly, most attention has been paid to the chemical composition of minerals and fluids trapped in diamonds as a tool to understand their origin. For instance, this is the case for silicate minerals from Juina diamonds (Walter et al. 2008) and daughter minerals in fibrous diamonds (Weiss et al. 2011), both showing geochemical evidence of the passage of CO2-rich melts with important implications for the origin of diamonds by reduction of C–O(–H) mantle fluids.
Although rarely found in nature, carbon can be stored also as silicon carbide (Leung et al. 1990; Mathez et al. 1995; Yang et al. 2015) or as an alloying element in Fe(–Ni) metal trapped in diamonds (Jacob 2004; Kaminsky & Wirth 2011; Mikhail et al. 2014; Smith et al. 2016). The stability of Fe(–Ni)–C intermetallic alloys has been the subject of investigation in recent high-pressure experimental studies (Fei & Brosh 2014; Rohrbach et al. 2014; Stagno et al. 2014) and, in the mantle, this appears strongly dependent on the ratio between metallic iron and elemental carbon and, therefore, mostly associated with local heterogeneities in the C/Fe distribution. In fact, assuming that the deep mantle at depth below c. 300 km is saturated with 1 wt% Fe(Ni) alloy (Frost et al. 2004; Rohrbach et al. 2011), most of the elemental carbon is predicted to dissolve with concentrations up to 2 wt% in the alloy. This implies that, where elemental carbon is locally more abundant (>c. 100 ppm) than iron, carbides can be stable in the form of molten Fe7C3 along with coexisting diamonds (Dasgupta & Hirschmann 2010; Rohrbach et al. 2014). Therefore, carbides would form by solid–solid reaction only in portions of the Earth's interior where iron metal and elemental carbon (either graphite of diamonds) or carbonate (Palyanov et al. 2013) are in mutual contact. Thus, one should not be surprised if the best evidence of Fe-carbides in the mantle is probably produced by solid–solid reaction at the boundary between the Fe inclusions and the diamond host at mantle conditions (Kaminsky & Wirth 2011; Smith et al. 2016). The local mantle oxidation state also plays a critical role in determining the conditions for the stability of carbide versus carbonate phases.
Carbon occurs in the mantle in its oxidized form (e.g. C4+); for example, as either solid or molten carbonate or fluid where it can be present as both molecular (CO2) and ionic (CO32−) species. Carbonate minerals are usually solid solutions between calcite (CaCO3), magnesite (MgCO3) and siderite (FeCO3) end-members strongly depending on the temperature, pressure and bulk composition (see Hammouda & Keshav 2015, and references therein). A Ca, Mg-rich phase (dolomite) is stable below 4 GPa (c. 120 km) in peridotite assemblages (Falloon & Green 1989, 1990), whereas Ca-rich solid carbonates are shown experimentally to be stable in eclogitic assemblages (Hammouda 2003; Yaxley & Brey 2004). As the pressure increases, magnesite is expected to be the stable carbonate with respect to dolomite and siderite as a consequence of the high affinity of Ca and Fe for lower mantle silicate minerals (see Fig. 1a; Hammouda 2003; Ghosh et al. 2009; Litasov & Ohtani 2009a,b, 2010; Keshav & Gudfinnsson 2010; Stagno et al. 2011; Kiseeva et al. 2013). However, previous experimental studies support the observation of Mg-rich carbonates and aragonite coexisting for Mg# of the initial starting material of ≤0.6 (Fig. 1b). The presence and chemical composition of solid carbonates coexisting with mantle minerals are determining factors for the composition of near-solidus CO2-rich magmas formed by partial melting of carbonated eclogites and peridotites (Gudfinnsson & Presnall 2005; Hammouda & Keshav 2015, and references therein). Carbonatites are defined by the Subcommission on the Systematics of Igneous Rocks of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) as igneous rocks, either effusive or intrusive, containing more than 50% in volume of primary carbonate minerals (Streckeisen 1980); that is, the result of crystallization of a magma with less than 10 wt% of SiO2 (Woolley & Kempe 1989). Carbonatites have been found in several localities within diverse geological settings related to either intraplate continental rifts or compressive systems such as subduction zones (for more details on the worldwide distribution, see Woolley & Kjarsgaard 2008), although a mantle origin for these liquids is not unequivocal (Koster van Groos & Wyllie 1963; Wyllie & Huang 1975; Wallace & Green 1988; Veksler et al. 1998) as they might retain evidence of crustal origin (Liu et al. 2016) and late-stage assimilation processes (Lustrino et al. 2016). Primary carbonatitic melts were shown experimentally to be characterized by extremely low viscosity in the range of 0.003 and 0.01 Pa s (Kono et al. 2014; Stagno et al. 2018), other than being an important constituent of metasomatic fluids interacting with mantle silicates in peridotite xenoliths from Spitsbergen in Norway (Ionov et al. 1993); and their possible origin beneath mid-ocean ridges has been the subject of several experimental studies (Dasgupta & Hirschmann 2006 ; Stagno et al. 2013) aimed at shedding light on the seismic and electrical conductivity anomalies in the upper mantle as detected beneath the East Pacific Rise ocean ridge (Evans et al. 1999; Dunn et al. 2001; Gu et al. 2005; Gaillard et al. 2008).
Chemical composition of solid carbonates recovered from multi-anvil experiments at pressures up to 32 GPa expressed as Mg/(Mg + Ca + Fe) molar ratio v. pressure (a) and v. Mg/(Mg + Ca + Fe) of the employed starting material from (sub)solidus synthetic peridotite and eclogite mineral assemblages (b). Data sources: G2009, Ghosh et al. (2009); L&O2009b, Litasov & Ohtani (2009b); L&O2010, Litasov & Ohtani (2010); K&G2010, Keshav & Gudfinnsson (2010); K2013, Kiseeva et al. (2013); H2003, Hammouda (2003).
Kimberlitic magmas are thought to form at depths below 150 km by partial melting of a carbonated mantle rock source and are also important carriers of carbon either in the form of a dissolved CO32− component in the melt, or as exsolved CO2 or diamonds. Diamonds found in kimberlites, such as those from Lac de Gras (Canada), are known for showing morphological features typical of surface dissolution that link with the oxidizing nature of these melts (Gurney et al. 2004; Fedortchouk et al. 2005) during their ascent at conditions where diamonds become unstable. The local oxygen fugacity has, therefore, the potential to flux carbon out the Earth's interior, with implications for its residence time.
To date, many experimental studies have been performed to investigate the structural stability of pure carbonate minerals (Biellmann et al. 1993; Isshiki et al. 2004; Oganov et al. 2008; Mao et al. 2011; Boulard et al. 2012; Cerantola et al. 2017) and their melting (Tao et al. 2013; Solopova et al. 2014; Shatskiy et al. 2015a,b) as well as melting of CO2-bearing mineral mantle assemblages as a function of pressure and temperature, respectively (for a detailed reference list see Hammouda & Keshav 2015). All these experimental studies, however, assume the stability of carbonate minerals at depth, neglecting the possibility that elemental carbon rather than carbonate can be the stable carbon phase depending on the availability of oxygen in the interior of the Earth. An alternative and more dynamic approach to understanding the state of carbon at depth is to consider the oxygen fugacity required for carbonate (liquid or solid) to be stable versus elemental carbon. The fO2 in the Earth's interior is buffered by the local abundant silicate minerals and is dependent on the pressure and temperature. Only when the fO2 required for the carbon–carbonate equilibrium crosses the local fO2 buffered by the mantle rocks will oxidation of diamonds to solid carbonates occur and, at solidus T, CO2-rich magmas can form. In the next section, we will review some recent studies on the calibration of oxy-thermobarometers that are widely used to determine the oxidation state of mantle peridotites and eclogites and, thus, model the speciation of carbon throughout the Earth's interior. In addition, some redox reactions of interest for the speciation of carbon down to the lower mantle will be discussed.
The oxygen fugacity (fO2), or partial pressure of oxygen (Eugster 1957), is the thermodynamic variable that indicates the chemical potential (i.e. availability) of oxygen in those reactions where both reagents and products contain the same element(s) but with different oxidation states. These reactions are termed redox reactions and their graphical representations are univariant curves in log fO2–temperature diagrams. At a given temperature, above this curve the oxidized phase of an assemblage is stable, whereas below it the reduced phase is stable (see Fig. 2). Rock-forming minerals are widely characterized by the presence of heterovalent elements, such as iron, chromium and vanadium. Their occurrence in oxidized or reduced form can be used to infer the redox state at which certain rocks have equilibrated. An important goal in experimental geochemistry is, therefore, to investigate the behaviour of these elements with respect to the fO2 and develop interpretative models to understand the change of redox conditions in the Earth and how this might have influenced the speciation of carbon (Delano 2001; Li & Lee 2004; Aulbach & Stagno 2016).
Logarithm of the oxygen fugacity (log fO2) v. temperature (°C) diagram of redox buffers commonly employed in petrology of C phases. Calculations are performed at 3 GPa and temperatures between 950 and 1400°C. Buffer abbreviations: FMQ, fayalite–magnetite–quartz buffer (O'Neill 1987); DCDG, dolomite–coesite–diopside–graphite buffer (Luth 1993); EMOG, enstatite–magnesite–olivine–graphite, and EDDOG, enstatite–dolomite–diopside–olivine–graphite buffers (Stagno & Frost 2010); IW, iron–wüstite buffer (O'Neill 1987); C–COH, graphite–COH fluid (Ulmer & Luth 1991); MsOCP, moissanite–olivine–graphite–enstatite (Ulmer et al. 1997).
The fO2 in experiments performed at high pressure and temperature is monitored mainly following two techniques: the first is based on the use of solid minerals or metal–metal oxide couples (e.g. Fe–FeO, Re–ReO2, Mo–MoO, Ni–NiO, etc.) that buffer the oxygen fugacity at certain known values calculated using the relative thermodynamic data and equation of states; the second approach employs noble metals as redox sensors to effectively measure the unknown oxygen fugacity of the run products recovered from a given pressure and temperature. In more detail, these techniques can be summarized as follows.
Double capsules are used, where an outer capsule (e.g. of Re) contains a metal oxide (e.g. ReO2) buffer and H2O and an inner capsule contains the sample plus H2O. A Pt inner capsule ensures permeability of H2 between the buffering outer and the inner capsules. By buffering the fH2 in the outer capsule the fO2 of the inner capsule is fixed (Eugster & Wones 1962; Ulmer & Luth 1991).
Capsules of materials such as Fe, Re and BN have been shown to influence the redox state of samples (Wendlandt et al. 1982; McCammon & Ross 2003), although a fluxing phase (i.e. a circulating fluid) is necessary to ensure homogeneous fO2 conditions inside the whole capsule.
Buffering solid assemblages such as a mixture of Re and ReO2 can be added (about 15–20 wt%) to the starting material (Rubie 1999). In this case, the fO2 of the experiment is buffered by the solid assemblage only if both metal and metal oxide phases coexist and are in mutual contact with the surrounding mineral assemblage. The circulation of a fluid phase would also help to buffer the fO2 all over the sample. Obviously, the choice of the metal–metal oxide depends on its potential reactivity with the experimental starting materials, which would limit its applicability.
Noble metal alloys (e.g. platinum group elements (PGE), Au and Ag) are used as sliding redox sensors where the fO2 is measured (not buffered), which normally comprise an Fe-bearing metal alloy (Huebner 1971; Taylor et al. 1992).
The first three experimental techniques allow investigation of the dependence of a variable (e.g. Fe3+/ΣFe in minerals, element partitioning, C–O–H fluid speciation, melting temperature) with respect to the buffered (imposed) known fO2. In contrast, the application of noble metals (mainly platinum and iridium) employed as redox sensor is more appropriate when the fO2 buffered by a mineral assemblage is quantitatively not known, meaning that its variation as a function of P–T needs to be determined (i.e. the univariant curve in the log fO2 versus T or P diagram), or when the fO2 buffered by a solid mineral assemblage (although it can be calculated using a proper thermodynamic dataset of the mineral end-members (Luth 1993) involved) needs to be verified owing to its use at extrapolated P–T conditions or owing to the disappearance of a phase (e.g. by melting). A practical example is given by the coexistence of graphite (diamond) and carbonate along with mantle silicates in peridotite (known by the acronym EDDOG/D) and eclogite (DCDG/D) mineral assemblages as follows:2Mg2Si2O6+CaMg( CO3)2enstatitedolomite=CaMgSi2O6+2Mg2SiO4+2C+2O2diopsideolivinegraph/diam (1)andCaMg( CO3)2+2SiO2=CaMgSi2O6+2C+2O2.dolomitecoesitediopsidegraph/diam (2)Equilibria (1) and (2) are both chosen to represent the fO2 at which carbon is present either as graphite (or diamond, C0) or carbonate (C4+) along with mantle mineral assemblages. The fO2 buffered by both equilibria was calibrated based on a set of thermodynamic data for each pure phase by Eggler & Baker (1982) and Luth (1993), respectively (Fig. 2). However, the fO2 buffered by equilibria involving solid carbonates is applicable only at temperatures below their melting temperature. Above the melting (solidus) temperature, the fO2 will be buffered by similar equilibria to (1) and (2) where the solid carbonate is replaced by the CO2-rich silicate-bearing melt. Because thermodynamic data are complex to determine and not available for liquid carbonates, the composition of which varies as the temperature increases toward more and more SiO2-rich liquids, accurate measurements of the fO2 at each P and T are necessary. These can be made by adding 3–5 wt% of pure Ir (or Pt) metal as a redox sensor to the starting material. During the high P–T experiment, FeO from the coexisting phases (i.e. equilibria (3) and (4)) is reduced to Fe0 and alloys with the Ir metal. The activity of Fe in the alloy is adjusted to the value buffered by the presence of carbonate melt and graphite (or diamond; equilibria (1) and (2)) at a given P and T. The resulting lowering of the activity of the Ir (Pt) metal component is a consequence of the redox conditions imposed by the carbon–carbonate equilibrium as a function of pressure and temperature and the melt composition. The fO2 at which carbon and carbonate coexist within synthetic peridotite and eclogite assemblages (1) and (2) at high P–T of the experiments is, thus, calculated using the simultaneous mineral equilibriaFe2SiO4=SiO2+2Fe+O2olivinealloy (3)andFe3Al2Si3O12=Al2SiO5+2SiO2+3Fe+1.5O2.garnetkyanitecoesitealloy (4)The fO2 of the above equilibria is then calculated with the formulaelogfO2=−ΔrGP,T∘RTln(10)+logaFe2SiO4olivine−logaSiO2−2logaFealloy (5)andlogfO2=−ΔrGP,T∘1.5RTln(10)−2logaFealloy+23logaFe3Al2Si3O12garnet. (6)A gradual decrease of the measured fO2 buffered by equilibria (1) and (2) is observed as result of the increased SiO2 content of the carbonated melt with temperature in contrast to thermodynamic calculations of the fO2 buffered by the appropriate subsolidus peridotitic and eclogitic assemblage (Stagno & Frost 2010; Stagno et al. 2015).
The choice of including kyanite in equilibrium (4) is mainly motivated by the need to balance the excess of Al from the involved almandine component, although also supported by its presence in diamantiferous eclogites (Smyth 1980; Mikhailenko et al. 2016). Because Al2SiO5 and SiO2 are pure phases in natural eclogites (e.g. Mikhailenko et al. 2016), the fO2 in (6) is calculated fixing the activity of these phases at unity, and aFe2SiO4olivine, aFealloy, aSiO2 and aFe3Al2Si3O12garnet are the activities of the Fe2SiO4 component in olivine, Fe in Fe–Ir alloy and the Fe3Al2Si3O12 component of garnet, respectively, calculated using the appropriate activity–composition models (Stagno & Frost 2010; Stagno et al. 2015). ΔrGP,T is the standard state Gibbs free energy change of pure end-member equilibria (3) and (4), determined at the pressure and temperature of interest from the thermodynamic data (i.e. formation enthalpy, entropy, heat capacity, thermal expansivity, molar volume) and the equation of state of each mineral end-member (details have been given by Stagno & Frost 2010; Stagno et al. 2015). A full formulation of the ΔrGP,T has been given by Cemič (2005),ΔrGP,T0=ΔrH298+∫298TΔrCpdT−TΔrS298∫298T(ΔrCp/T)dT+[ΔrV298+Δr(αiVi,298)(T−298)−Δr(βiVi,298)P2(P−P0)=0(7) where ΔrH298, ΔrS298, ΔrCp and Δrα are the enthalpy and entropy of formation, heat capacity and thermal expansivity changes of the reaction (Fei 1995; Fabrchanaya et al. 2004 ); ΔrV is the volume change of a reaction, i is the ambient pressure and temperature volumes times their appropriate thermal expansivity and β is the compressibility. aFemetal is the activity of Fe in the Ir–(Pt–)Fe alloy determined asaFemetal=XFemetalγFemetal (8)where XFemetal is the molar Fe/[Fe + Ir(or Pt)] in the alloy and γFemetal is the activity coefficient of Fe in the alloy determined using symmetric binary Margules terms provided in the literature (Schwerdtfeger & Zwell 1968; Kessel et al. 2003). Many noble metals that form solid solutions with Fe can be employed as a redox sensor. Fe–Ir and Fe–Pt are preferred because Fe is likely to exist in the face-centred cube (FCC) structure over the experimental pressure and temperature range of multi-anvil applications. Further, the solubility of C in Ir and Pt has been shown to be negligible at least in the recovered run products (Stagno et al. 2011, 2015). Importantly, timescales of the order of 12–24 h are required for the equilibrium fO2 to be obtained. Although an important aspect in facilitating equilibrium is to keep the grain size of the initial Ir and Pt metals at c. 5 µm to accelerate the diffusion of Fe from the surrounding silicate minerals, the equilibration becomes sluggish at subsolidus temperatures, with consequent unequilibrated fO2 (Stagno et al. 2015). A further source of uncertainty is represented by the possible overestimation of XFe in the alloy caused by secondary X-ray fluorescence near grain boundaries (Llovet & Galan 2003). For instance, an overestimation of the XFe mole fraction in the alloy by ±0.01 (i.e. ±0.4 wt% Fe) would result in a difference in the calculated fO2 of about ±0.3 log units. The presence of oxides measured in the alloy, such as SiO2 and CaO, probably results from the contribution of nearby silicates, and it can be used to evaluate the quality of the electron microprobe measurements on the redox sensor alloy.
The redox state of the upper mantle refers to the oxygen fugacity of unaltered spinel and garnet peridotites and eclogites equilibrated at depths from 45–60 km (e.g. spinel lherzolites from the Vitim Field; Ionov et al. 2005; Goncharov & Ionov 2012) to c. 255–270 km (e.g. garnet peridotite from the Diavik Mine, Slave Craton; Creighton et al. 2009; kyanite-bearing eclogite from the Lace kimberlite, Kaapvaal Craton; Aulbach & Viljoen 2015) and ranging in age from c. 3.8 to c. 2.6 Ga. The knowledge of the fO2 recorded by these rocks is made possible through the use of oxy-thermobarometers; that is, redox equilibria representative of peridotitic and eclogitic mantle mineral assemblages where Fe in the form of Fe2+ and Fe3+ occurs both as reagents and products as follows:6Fe2(2+)SiO4+O2=3Fe2(2+)Si2O6+2Fe(2+)Fe2(3+)O4fayaliteferrosilitemagnetite (9)2Ca3Al2Si3O12+4Fe2(2+)SiO4+6MgSiO3+O2grossularfayaliteenstatite=2Ca3Fe2(3+)Si3O12+2Mg3Al2Si3O12+4Fe(2+)SiO3andraditepyropeferrosilite (10)5CaFe(2+)Si2O6+13Ca3Al2Si3O12+O2hedenbergitegrossular=2Ca3Fe2(3+)Si3O12+13Fe3(2+)Al2Si3O12+4SiO2.andraditealmandinequartz/coesite (11)The Gibbs free energy change of these chemical equilibria was calibrated experimentally at P–T applicable to mantle depths employing the redox sensor technique (O'Neill 1987; Ballhaus et al. 1991; Gudmundsson & Wood 1995; Stagno et al. 2013, 2015). The use of these oxy-thermobarometers requires measurements of the Fe3+ content in natural Cr-bearing spinel (equation (9)), and garnet (equations (10) and (11)) in addition to the chemical composition of the coexisting silicates. Figure 3 shows the Fe3+ content of Cr-spinel and garnet of natural mantle peridotites and eclogites available in the literature plotted as a function of the calculated fO2. The positive correlation between Fe3+/ΣFe of spinel or garnet and the log fO2 is evident and brings into consideration that most of the spinel peridotite xenoliths are more oxidized than garnet peridotite and eclogites. Natural spinels are characterized by averaged Fe3+/ΣFe contents of 22(±8)%, whereas garnets from peridotites and eclogites show much lower averaged contents of c. 8(±5)% and 4(±3)%. Because of the coexistence of many of these xenoliths with graphite and/or diamonds, the correlation between Fe3+/ΣFe and the mantle redox state reflects the chemical potential of these rocks to reduce or oxidize volatile phases such as C through the general net redox reaction4Fe(bulk)3++C0=4Fe(bulk)2++Cvap/melt/solid4+ (12)where Fe3+ and Fe2+ refer to the ferric and ferrous iron of the bulk-rock. Indeed, a similar equilibrium can be written replacing C0 and C4+ with H2 and H+, N3− and N2, and S2− and S6+, respectively, to describe the buffering effect of Fe-bearing silicates on the speciation of (less abundant) volatiles. The redox state of the lithospheric mantle as a function of equilibrated depth is shown in Figure 4, where most of the peridotitic xenoliths plot in the diamond and graphite stability field possibly along with C–O(–H) fluids or melts from carbonatitic to kimberlitic in composition. The fO2 required for carbide phases to coexist along with mantle silicates would be 7–8 log units below the FeNi precipitation curve (Fig. 4) as predicted by Schmidt et al. (2014). In contrast, most of the fibrous diamonds show inclusions of daughter minerals probably crystallized from a CO2-rich melt (the growth medium) suggesting, therefore, an fO2 for their formation near the equilibrium between diamonds and molten carbonate between −1 and −2.5 log units at P–T conditions of the cratonic geotherm (44 mW m−2 is here taken as reference). In addition, the oxidation state of most of the eclogitic rocks is shown to plot in the diamond stability field within a range of fO2 values consistent with those of peridotite xenoliths. A few eclogitic xenoliths from the Lace kimberlites (Aulbach et al. 2017) appear reduced (log fO2 between FMQ −4 and FMQ −5, where FMQ is fayalite–magnetite–quartz buffer) and might have coexisted, therefore, with CH4-rich fluids. Such overlap might reflect either Fe3+ depletion of the protolith or the result of metasomatism. A more detailed explanation is given below.
Ferric iron content of garnet and spinel from mantle rocks plotted as a function of the calculated log fO2 using equations (9)–(11). Data from garnet- and spinel-bearing peridotites are from Miller et al. (2016) and Stagno et al. (2013). Data on eclogites are from Stagno et al. (2015, and references therein) and Aulbach et al. (2017).
Log fO2 (normalized to the FMQ buffer) calculated for mantle xenoliths using oxy-thermobarometers (9), (10) and (11). The blue curve is the oxygen fugacity calculated for equilibrium (1) along a cratonic geotherm of 44 mW m−2 that defines the stability field for diamond (or graphite) and solid (liquid) carbonate. The purple and pink curves indicate equilibrium fO2 between diamonds and a carbonate–silicate and kimberlitic melt, respectively, calculated along a cratonic geotherm. The orange line is the FeNi precipitation curve (Frost & McCammon 2008). References are as in Figure 3.
The subduction of carbon back into the mantle is an important natural form of carbon sequestration and recycling (Kelemen & Manning 2015). The residence time, storage and flux in or out of carbon in the eclogitic portions of the slab mainly depend on the redox conditions buffered by the surrounding mineral phases represented by equilibrium (11). Carbonate minerals subducted into the deep mantle can undergo important polymorphic transformations such as that from rhombohedral dolomite-I to triclinic dolomite-II at 17 GPa to dolomite-III at c. 35 GPa, which makes them an important carrier of C down to the lower mantle (Mao et al. 2011). Subducted carbonates are also exposed to melting processes at variable depths depending on the bulk-rock chemistry and P–T path (Hammouda & Keshav 2015). A recent experimental study by Thomson et al. (2016) showed that melting of a carbonated MORB is expected to occur at depth between c. 330 and 580 km with the production of Na-bearing carbonatitic melts representing, therefore, a ‘barrier' to further subduction of carbonate minerals. Although these melts are important metasomatic agents potentially responsible for the refertilization of the asthenospheric mantle (Rosenthal et al. 2014), the interaction with the surrounding Fe metal-saturated mantle can cause their reduction to diamonds by redox freezing (Rohrbach & Schmidt 2011). Inclusions in superdeep diamonds such as majorite and Ca-silicates (Thomson et al. 2016) were claimed to form by interaction of alkali-rich carbonatitic melts and reduced asthenospheric mantle. Importantly, the fate of the subducted carbonates at depth is also strongly linked with the intrinsic redox state of the oceanic slab buffered by Fe-bearing phases such as clinopyroxene and garnet. These minerals can significantly become oxidized and, thus, incorporate a large amount of Fe3+ as a result of increasing depth (i.e. pressure) at the expense of the surrounding available oxygen (Stagno et al. 2015). This form of oxygen sequestration from Fe-bearing minerals can result in reduced portions of the subducted slab with diamond being the stable C form even at an fO2 higher than that required for diamonds to be stable in peridotites (i.e. fO2[DCDG/D] > fO2[EMOG/D]) as in Fig. 2; Luth 1993). A tentative reconstruction of the redox state of the subducted slab as a function of depth is shown in Figure 5a and b. Here, the variation of fO2 is calculated using the equilibrium (equation (11)) for an eclogitic slab with different bulk composition (Fig. 5a; GA1, Yaxley & Green 1994; SLEC, Dasgupta et al. 2005; OTBC, Hammouda 2003), different temperature regime (Fig. 5b; cold and hot subduction, Syracuse et al. 2010) and different Fe3+/ΣFe content to reflect the different oxidation state of the MORB protolith (Fig. 5c; Cottrell & Kelley 2011) along with the fO2 at which C and carbonate can coexist (Stagno et al. 2015). Although the effect of bulk-rock chemistry (Fig. 5a) mainly reflects on the composition of coexisting clinopyroxene and garnet used to calculate the fO2 from equilibrium (11), carbonate minerals (or carbonatitic melts) are predicted to be stable down to the transition zone or lower mantle as a consequence of either the hot regime of the slab or its high ferric iron content inherited by the subducted altered oceanic crust or late-stage oxidizing processes. In both cases, diamonds in eclogites are expected to form at depths of 200–400 km, when the fO2 buffered by the Fe-bearing silicate minerals crosses the appropriate carbon–carbonate equilibrium (dashed black line).
(a) The fO2 of subducted eclogitic rocks is calculated along a hot subduction geotherm assuming bulk Fe3+/ΣFe ratios of 12% that describes the ratio determined for modern-day MORB glasses (Cottrell & Kelley 2011) and for different bulk chemical compositions for synthetic eclogites in the literature (GA1, Yaxley & Green 1994; SLEC, Dasgupta et al. 2005; OTBC, Hammouda 2003). The fO2 at which carbonate minerals or melts would reduce to graphite or diamond within eclogitic rock is also shown (bold black dashed line; Luth 1993). In (b) the fO2 is determined for an eclogitic assemblage with a MORB bulk composition along a hot and cold subduction geotherm as for the Andes and Honshu respectively (Syracuse et al. 2010). In (c) the fO2 is determined for an eclogitic assemblage with a MORB bulk compositions with Fe3+/ΣFe ratio of 0.07, 0.12 and 0.17.
Ancient subduction in the early Earth was probably inefficient in transporting carbonates to depth owing to the predicted hot regime (Brown 2006), which would have caused decarbonation or melting at shallow conditions (c. 30–70 km; Dasgupta & Hirschmann 2010). Alternatively, the low potential of oxidation of the slab (low Fe3+/ΣFe) might have contributed to near-surface reduction of subducted carbonates to graphite (Fig. 5c), thus preventing CO2 outgassing. Both scenarios would be in contrast to an origin of kimberlitic magmas during the Archean as in case of the Wawa kimberlites (Kopylova et al. 2011), therefore supporting their extreme rarity in the initial stage of Earth's history (Stern et al. 2016).
The determination of the oxidation state of the asthenospheric mantle and subducting slab at depth has important implications for the mobilization and sequestration of carbon over time. Carbonate melts in the Earth's interior formed by oxidation of diamonds when the fO2 buffered by the coexisting Fe-bearing silicates represented by the equilibria (10) and (11) intercepts the fO2 at which carbon can coexist with carbonate as in equation (1) and (2). In Figure 4 the fO2 for the stability of carbonate with respect to graphite or diamond in peridotitic rocks is calculated along a representative cratonic geotherm, and Figure 5 shows the fO2 at which carbon and carbonate would coexist along a subducted slab taking into account important variables such as the different MORB chemical composition, P–T path and Fe3+/ΣFe ratio of the protolith. The possibility for C-bearing rocks to melt is, therefore, dependent not only on the local thermal regimes but also, more importantly, on the temporal evolution of the mantle redox state that promotes oxidation of the refractory carbon to carbonate, promoting, therefore, redox melting processes (Stagno et al. 2013). Therefore, it is of fundamental importance to investigate the variation of the mantle redox state through time to better understand the mobilization of deep carbon through the history of the Earth.
Geochemical tracers such as the V/Sc ratio of erupted basalts have been widely used to claim the constancy of the mantle redox state over the last 3.8 Gyr (Li & Lee 2004; Scaillet & Gaillard 2011) to conditions where C is stable in the form of C4+. Based on the reconstruction of the mantle oxidation state over time using the V/Sc of Archean eclogites as representative of early metabasalts, Aulbach & Stagno (2016) highlighted the possibility that the mantle underwent a gradual, rather than sudden, oxidation process during which the fO2 was raised by c. 1 log unit to the modern MORB during the last 3.8 Gyr. Despite the large uncertainties in their fO2 determinations, a similar conclusion was reached by Nicklas et al. (2018) through partitioning measurements of V in komatiites. Figure 6 is a schematic illustration that summarizes the redox melting of a diamond-bearing asthenospheric mantle from the Archean (Fig. 6a–d) to the present (Fig. 6e and f). The fO2 of the mantle, which is indicated by straight lines calculated as a function of different Fe3+/ΣFe, is shown to increase toward shallower depths as a result of the decompression on the volume change of equation (10) until the carbon–carbonate equilibrium (i.e. equilibrium (1)) is crossed and carbonatitic melts form by redox melting. This probably happened during the early Archean (3 Ga) when, owing to the hot mantle adiabat and the low Fe3+/ΣFe (assumed to be 2% for a reduced upper mantle), carbonate–silicate melts formed at about FMQ −2 log units at c. 100 km depth. Small amounts of carbonated silicate melts could be produced owing to the limited amount of carbon (c. 10 ppm in the case of reduced Early Earth; Dasgupta 2013), which, once entirely oxidized, led the Archean mantle redox state to further increase to the fO2 indicated by the Archean MORB (FMQ −1.5 log units) represented by the Lace metabasaltic eclogite (Aulbach & Stagno 2016). Figure 6c and d shows that the thickness that undergoes redox melting strictly depends on the initial mantle Fe3+/ΣFe ratio and carbon content according to equilibrium (12). The gradual increase of Fe3+ in the bulk asthenospheric mantle through time owing to subduction of oxidized material (Arculus 1985) resulted in the deepening of the redox melting with consequent decrease in the fraction of carbonatitic melts and their dilution during ascent (Fig. 6e and f). The composition of these magmas remains strictly controlled by the temperature and pressure, varying from carbonatitic to carbonate–silicate to basalts during upwelling with an increase in the melt fraction from less than 0.01 vol% to c. 10 vol%. It is expected, therefore, that the rheological properties of these melts such as viscosity and ascent rate will continuously change upon upwelling as they dilute to the more abundant MORB by about three orders of magnitude (Kono et al. 2014; Stagno et al. 2018). The drawn models have a two-fold implication: (1) that the oxidation state of MORB does not reflect the mantle oxidation state at the source, although it is linked to it (see Sorbadere et al. 2018, after reading Ballhaus 1993); (2) that larger volumes of CO2-rich melts could have formed at shallower conditions during the Archean when the convective mantle was less oxidized and more ‘hot', to then become less and less abundant to the present as a result of dilution at depth.
(a–f) Thermodynamic prediction of the variation of the mantle oxidation state upon decompression obtained using equilibrium (10), and consequent depth at which the redox melting would occur. Detailed calculations have been given by Stagno et al. (2013) and Aulbach & Stagno (2016).
Previous experimental studies provided evidence of metal saturation at pressures compatible with the transition zone and the lower mantle, which implies that diamond is the most stable form of carbon in the Earth's deep interior (Frost et al. 2004; Rohrbach et al. 2011). The discovery of crystallized carbonated melts (Walter et al. 2008), calcite (Brenker et al. 2007), dolomite (Bulanova et al. 2010) and other carbonate minerals (Kaminsky 2012) all trapped in natural sub-lithospheric diamonds provided an alternative view of the deep mantle as characterized by higher oxygen fugacities where metal iron would not exist. Estimates of the fO2 at which carbonate and diamond can coexist (e.g. the trapped carbonate inclusions in diamonds) can be determined through thermodynamic calculations (see equations (5)–(7)) using similar equilibria to equations (1) and (2) but employing the appropriate high-pressure polymorphs (wadsleyite or ringwoodite, coesite or stishovite, clinoenstatite, etc.). As an example, the equilibriumMgCO3=MgO+C+O2magnesitepericlasediamond (13)is chosen to represent the coexistence of magnesite and diamond in the lower mantle along with periclase intended here as a component of ferropericlase. Unfortunately, thermodynamic calculations of the fO2 can result in contrasting results owing to uncertain available data used to describe the compressibility of mineral end-members as a function of pressure and temperature (i.e. bulk modulus and its pressure derivative). This is the case shown in Figure 7, where two different log fO2 versus pressure trends are obtained depending on the equation of state (EoS) data used for magnesite. For this reason, Stagno et al. (2011) determined experimentally the fO2 at which diamond and magnesite can coexist in mineral assemblages consisting respectively of wadsleyite (or ringwoodite) plus clinoenstatite, and ferropericlase plus bridgmanite synthesized at pressures from 16 to c. 50 GPa using the redox sensor technique described above. These values were found to be about 2 log units above the iron–wüstite (IW) buffer, which implies that diamonds hosting carbonate inclusions are witnesses of more oxidized conditions in the deep interior than previously thought. From Figure 7, it can be noted that by extrapolating these measured values at high pressures of 100 GPa or so, magnesite is expected to be stable along with diamonds and Fe (maybe with some dissolved C), which is in agreement with the observed stability of magnesite (Isshiki et al. 2004) at lower mantle depths. More importantly, the presence of about 9000 ppm of C in the form of magnesite would be required to raise the fO2 in the lower mantle by 2 log units relative to the IW buffer, causing, therefore, oxidation of 1% Fe metal (Rohrbach & Schmidt 2011) and incorporation of about 60% and about 2% of Fe3+/Fetot in bridgmanite and ferropericlase, respectively (Stagno et al. 2011).
Experimental measurements of the fO2 (relative to IW) v. pressure for magnesite and diamond to coexist (blue dashed line), along with transition zone and lower mantle mineral phases obtained using the IrFe alloy redox sensor and compared with thermodynamic calculations through (equation (13)) changing EoS data for magnesite (Fiquet et al. 1994; Ross 1997; Litasov et al. 2008). The dark shaded region indicates the fO2 of the mantle after Frost & McCammon (2008) and Stagno & Frost (2010) calculated along a mantle adiabat to 10 GPa.
Whether carbonates (solid or liquid) can be stable in the transition zone or lower mantle in subducted MORB-like lithologies strictly links with the role of coexisting Fe-bearing redox-sensitive minerals such as majoritic garnet, tetragonal almandine–pyrope phase (TAPP), new hexagonal aluminous (NAL) phase, calcium-ferrite (CF) and bridgmanite phases. These phases are all possible candidates for incorporating large amounts of Fe3+ at transition zone and lower mantle conditions during subduction, leading to the formation of sub-lithospheric diamonds from the oxidized CO2-bearing fluids. Potential equilibria such as equations (1) and (2) might be written that involve some of these phases plus carbonate and diamond. However, to date no experimental studies have been performed to determine the effect of fO2, pressure and temperature on their Fe3+ content (i.e. their redox buffering capacity).
For decades, the experimental investigation of melting processes in the interior of the Earth has relied mostly on the effect of volatile elements in their oxidized state where C has been considered to be stable as CO2 at any depth, playing, therefore, the major role in lowering the melting temperature of mantle rocks and causing the formation of carbonate magmas. However, the redox state of the Earth's interior has played a major role in controlling the oxidation and reduction of C species and its geodynamic cycle over time, and the evolution of the mantle redox state can be investigated through the application of oxy-thermobarometry on dated mantle rocks. Such studies, along with the mineralogical findings in (sub)lithospheric diamonds, have raised several important questions, such as: When does carbon turn into carbonate at mantle conditions? What is the minimum amount of oxygen required to oxidize elemental carbon to CO2 within natural deep mineral assemblages? Has the increase of the mantle redox state been a gradual process or did it occur all at once? Is it possible to link the mantle redox state to the volcanic eruptive style and the migration rate of magmas from the mantle up to the surface? The seismic evidence of low-velocity zones is often referred to the presence of incipient melting processes, but this would imply stagnation of melt rather than fast ascent rate (Stagno et al. 2018). Are Fe-bearing minerals valid indicators of oxidized conditions and melting processes in the hidden deep mantle?
Recent studies have provided geochemical evidence of a gradual increase in fO2 (Aulbach & Stagno 2016; Nicklas et al. 2018) in contrast to the general view that the mantle retained a constant fO2 of IW +4(±1) (Scaillet & Gaillard 2011) over the last 4 Gyr (Trail et al. 2011). Figure 8 summarizes the redox state of the Earth's mantle from the fO2 of abyssal peridotites (Frost & McCammon 2008), present-day and Archean MORB (Aulbach & Stagno 2016), and diamonds with (Mg,Fe)O inclusions that are variable in Fe# [Fe/(Fe + Mg)] for which the fO2 is inferred by the presence of carbonate inclusions (Kaminsky 2012) through Figure 7. The fO2 of Earth at the time of equilibration (separation) between mantle and core is also shown in Figure 7 (green circle; Frost et al. 2008). Interestingly, this figure indicates that the mantle redox state is distinct between the lower and the upper mantle, as well as heterogeneous in both C-reservoirs with fO2 values ranging up to c. 5 log units relative to the IW buffer. This implies that the mobilization of carbon over time does not necessarily require a mantle great oxidation event to occur (c. IW +1); in contrast, local chemical heterogeneities, pressure effect on the carbon–carbonate equilibria and kinetics of the redox reactions such as equation (12) might have played a key role over time.
Log fO2 v. Fe# (Fe/(Fe + Mg)) of mantle rocks (orange rectangle) and ferropericlase inclusions in superdeep diamonds (blue area) along with that of the Earth at the core–mantle separation (green circle; Frost et al. 2008). The pink shaded area refers to fO2 (between 3 and 5 log units to IW) of present-day MORB.
The critical and thoughtful comments by the two reviewers, S. Mikhail and T. Hammouda, are gratefully acknowledged and helped to improve the quality of this paper. Special thanks go to editors M. L. Frezzotti and I. Villa for their patience during the preparation of this paper. I would like to dedicate this manuscript to Professor Mariano Valenza, who suddenly passed away a few months before the final submission. Most of the motivation in my own research exists thanks to what I learnt from him throughout 2006. Much of what is discussed in this paper would not have been possible without the comprehension of my wife Paola Valenti over the last 12 years while travelling around the world to perform new exciting experiments with the support by colleagues at Bayerisches Geoinstitut (Bayreuth), Geophysical Laboratory (Carnegie Institution of Washington), and Geodynamics Research Center (Ehime University).
V.S. acknowledges financial support by the DeepCarbon Observatory (DCO), Sloan funds (G2016-7282) and Sapienza University of Rome through ‘Fondi di Ateneo’.
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Decide on the contact you would like to ship the invoice to. Administrate allows one to create and email earnings invoices and earnings orders right into your customers. Your sales statement has been produced now you may bring line products. As long as payment has never been received for the objects, shifting the delivery service employed to get a e bay sale could be accomplished by creating a brand new statement with the most suitable support chosen.
You have the ability to find various types of invoices. Where as an invoice admits purchasing goods however, also the fee isn’t accomplished instantly but soon after some moment. As the bill will be right for four visits, then don’t forget to multiply the price tag on the weekly visits with the quantity of visits. You can produce a decent invoice with Notepad. Selecting the statement or billing software for you personally is no easy feat.
You might even transmit your invoice, employing exactly the emailaddress. Open the customer accounts that you’d like to invoice. Professional are easily generated and delivered to clients in a very couple of minutes.
There are various alternate options In the event you intend to mail invoices with respect to your customer. Hence, yet another kind of statement is needed. An invoice contains comprehensive info concerning the acquired items compared with a simple invoice. Be aware it’s not essential to upgrade this invoice touse a different shipping procedure, even though it is vital to alter the price of shipping through eBay. Irrespective of if you will be creating invoices later on, it’d be foolish to design a template to get just inch usage.
Developing a buy order would make it easy that you cover inside a window. You may receive the person sign each buy order, but a number of the term processing programs will enable one to import a signature and set it. Needless to say just like any buy and sale, at the eventuality of internet sites and also the sale and the obtain should be completed only after gathering adequate info and after thinking about the budget.
An organization application is of good use and essential as it also acts as a guide to operate by. It is not only some thing that you have to organize to show to banks for a financial loan or to investors. Your advertising program that is tactical is definitely an basic part of your overall small business application, and we will have the ability to allow you to pull all of the weather.
Work out why you prefer to get into business for yourself. Your organization should conduct economically to earn money. Thus, don’t be afraid see that your on-line business advancing in a few days and to learn more. Set out you have for your organization. Your amusing Pages business become a part-time occupation using a time cash flow that is comprehensive! By way of example, it has to have their organization’s title and also its own address, together with the customer’s contact data.
You require the capability to acquire supplies online credit For those who own a company card. You will determine just how rewarding you think that the corporation will be in lots of distinct monetary ponds. Whether you own your own company or work for a enormous business, you are frequently judged by your own charging techniques.
The program creates. Like a home produced spreadsheet but using other facets that might have substantial fiscal benefits to the small company bookkeeping applications is often as simple. The software is offered as a completely free trial before a subscription has been created. Moreover, it also provides a record of bills delivered, when you have to figure out your taxes at the end of the 30, which is invaluable to you. QuickBooks on the web applications is just a easy to use package and can be accounting applications appropriate for more compact organizations.
Utilizing an Excel template provides a intuitive means to produce bills for moderate-demand and low small business use. Locating the template aids conserve a whole lot of cash and time. The template that is aforementioned mentioned provided is case of quality as far as expert strains are included.
A few of the templates work out the sum owed. You may understand that there are various sorts of templates out there for companies that are diverse and you may decide on the one which is applicable to your company and put in it at no cost. If you should be searching for a free business printable shapes and templates! The free statement template may be employed via Microsoft term 2013 with Micro Soft term 2007 and will conveniently be altered to suit your organization’s colour and style together with any information you may need. You can additionally become statement templates free of price tag.
An individual can acquire free invoice forms . Track down the templates you require, customize that form, then ship it to a own printer. As a means to take care of just a business efficiently You’ll find a lot of kinds and forms of instruction necessary.
A cover letter is the most. It’s really sort of business creating and must be drafted Even though letter will probably possess personal factors. Generally, if you should be prepared to compose an really fantastic letter of justification, then you are going to take a position to buy longer, as the lending company might never report that the payment to your self preserving your CreditScore. Writing a formal letter is often thought to be an intimidating task by individuals. So, it’s crucial to fully grasp how to write a letter. Previous, you have to remember that writing a formal letter isn’t difficult if you know and stick to the rules and the format of the correspondence. A properly drafted late-payment letter really is quite a polite but continuous types of approving a person they are drunk in their repayment and also needs to send the total quantity in possible.
Developing a Common Invoice is more straightforward as that you never will need to specify layouts and designs in contrast. A invoice is an statement form within a total type of document seeking cost for product or a service together with your company or firm utilized. A invoice might be a little paper. It gets a tremendous impact when you are in trouble. Your initial few bills are free. A commercial statement is an delivery document provided from the supplier for the consumer detailing the value and kind of services and products.
Since a statement is merely an official record of products or services you can believe an invoice sort is only an invoice form. It’s crucial to offer an invoice in order they understand that the business announcement is legal and also your work really is real. In the event that you would like to get a statement that may be applied in virtually any nature of business, then a generic statement is the most acceptable tool that you get a record while in the design of phrase or Excel sheet wherein you could be in a position touse at any time you want for closure a transaction to an individual customer. Another thing that an invoice contains is your payment options. Then, the statement goes to be joined to the dictate molds. The statement goes to become classified into classifications. An independent contractor invoice is comparable to statements in the business environment as it is a petition for payment of work.
Dozens of pay letter templates that you will print and download at no cost. Sample character reference correspondence templates you may download and print free of cost. You may possibly come across totally free kind templates for these invoice sorts within the resources checklist under. The printable template provides you the ability to save any you type that you don’t have to retype each moment to the same information. First choose the template which you just will find acceptable. When writing a formal correspondence, this template that is normal needs to be followed closely. Be certain you get a normal Generic bill Template, also bookmark sites you see.
Additionally, there are quite a number of consequences of late installments, such as fines and interest rates. Indicate that or the key goal of the sales statement is to represent a sale using assistance or an alternative. Listed below are elements you ought to include from the correspondence. The rest of the correspondence arrangement resembles that said previously. You are definitely going to want to send an PDF Invoice any-time you complete function for a customer and you wish to move paidoff. The cancellation specifics ought to be voiced concisely and plainly, so as to cut back chances of a misunderstanding. Ergo, as you’d like you may pick the print and utilize it.
Utilizing the above recorded information on a statement for an checklist, make sure your form contains everything you want. An Generic Invoice Type is an invoice which can be used by any form of firm for any sort of products and services. The case of charge letter just serves to elucidate the arrangement better so that there is no doubt in your mind regarding the way in which in which the letter ought to be drafted. It’s critical to provide references that will assist the reader produce a connection to the letter’s contents. A PDF document of the statement is going to be joined to the e mail . This application is entirely free and will not incorporate a watermark. As being a solution to compete on Business a single and the software market place isn’t an exclusion, accounting software have to be flexible.
That you don’t need to retain any type of stock in any way. You have to have an bill. Selecting the invoice or charging software for the needs you have isn’t a very simple accomplishment. Establish what you’re aware concerning the late payment at the first paragraph. It’s challenging for all people to help make the payment in the moment. When it is for charge-card payment, or for a policy that has to definitely be renewed, below are some suggestions in writing a reminder correspondence, followed closely by means of an example of exactly the same. In the event the purchase cost tag on support or this item is far beyond your budget then you may need move on to a different item.
The manner they’re composed, states that a whole lot concerning the organization and its own particular culture. If you contact the business that you are wanting to earn a claim as a result of, then you might or may not get some help in finding out how to print another receipt from Amazon. Additionally, a second measure is added by some businesses . The provider goes to be made to take legal actions to recoup the debt together with other associated charges and also all the curiosity. Most people will run businesses and clients who do not make payment from statements punctually.
After you commence any business you have to look at and execute through several case situations. It’s likely to then find out how profitable you feel the company will soon probably maintain a lot of unique monetary ponds. In the event you wish to be booming inside your business, you will need to find your market and also provide the best possible professional services. If you hold your business, you choose the working hours in accord with your relaxation and have the selection to be your own boss. Commence off looking into cross-promoting diverse organizations, if you’re not inclined to teach.
Electronic invoices and networks tend to be considered the silver bullet to fix the procedure. In the event that you’d really like to get money running an ironing service, then the first issue that which you would like todo is to learn everything exactly an online service agency is and appraise if you discover that it’s possible to furnish the exact ceremony reliably. Check to be sure that the staffing firm is certified by The Joint Commission, If it’s medical care services that you are seeking. Customers may typically pay a significant chunk of one’s overall invoice upon finishing the job therefore that you are going to get to foot the expenses until you become reimbursed when they pay their invoice . For example, some users may not be needed by you in order in order to delete customer or invoice information.
Folks are inherently lazy and they’re more likely to purchase your solution than to go away and start earning their own. The item that you choose on must have a mechanism to enable you to define exactly what users can and can not perform. For example, a number of services and products may be sold by you to a customer, however in the exact same invoice you’ve got non-taxable delivery or labor. Individuals are satisfied having a solution or service an exception may be made by the firm or only leave you.
The case of payment correspondence merely functions to nullify the format easier so that there is no uncertainty in your thoughts about the way in which the letter ought to be drafted. You will have the capacity to discover totally free business program examples online. But it is more difficult to come across a specific sample of the roofing firm program. Given here are elements you need to include in your correspondence.
It really is better to compose a copy of one’s invoice to maintain everybody abreast of one’s advancement. For example, if the file goes to be published, it has to be formatted to be printed on a normal size paper. Reports may arrive in quite useful to you. The Sales Tax Liability Report is used to finish the rest of the earnings tax yield. Include the outcomes of any business study that you do or industry numbers you’re able position to accumulate.
Letter has to be printed around the company letterhead. For your very first campaign you may have to add matters as an introduction letter telling the way a organization works and individuals a little bit about yourself and the services that you supply. Your letter should signify that you’re eager and acute to pay the frustrations possible. You may also get sample letters and high suggestions to aid you. In general, if you should be in a posture to write a correspondence of excuse, you are going to take a place to buy more time, since that the overdue payment may not be reported by the lending company to your self preserving your CreditScore. Consistently write a lineup stating the letter has to be ignored in the event the critical actions is taken at the close of the letter. The set letter you receive from an assortment agency ought to have a investigation note. | 2019-04-20T12:35:43Z | http://meethalifax.com/11-list-motywacyjny-urzad-miasta/ |
Why Not Euthanasia by Karel F. Gunning ". . .there remain many other cases of killing the patient which we would call euthanasia, and which are not called euthanasia, but which are called "normal medical practice" by the Dutch government."
Practice of Euthanasia in the Netherlands by Karel F. Gunning ". . .we must show the world that we have to choose between humanitarian and utilitarian ethics."
If today we accept the intentional killing of a patient as a solution for one problem, then tomorrow we will find a hundred problems for which killing must be accepted as a solution. During World War II, euthanasia was considered to be a solution for over 100,000 German patients who were killed as unwanted by doctors under Nazi Germany.
In the Netherlands, a government-installed committee headed by the former Attorney General, Mr. Remmelink, investigated the extent of euthanasia practiced in 1990 (1). The conclusion of the excellent Remmelink Report (see summary in Table) was that, on a total annual mortality of nearly 130,000, a lethal drug was given in only 2,300 cases (1.8% of all deaths). As the Dutch government defines euthanasia as "ending a patient's life at his own explicit request" there remain many other cases of killing the patient which we would call euthanasia, and which are not called euthanasia, but which are called " normal medical practice" by the Dutch government. There are 400 cases of assisted suicide and 1000 cases where a lethal drug was given without request. Then there were over 11,000 cases where life saving treatment was omitted with the explicit intention of shortening a patient's life, while only 4,000 cases at the latter's request. And in nearly 5,000 cases pain treatment was intensified with the implicit intention of shortening life. Together in almost 20,000 cases (15.4% of all deaths) the patient died after a doctor' s decision to hasten death, in almost 11,000 cases at the patient' s own request.
A change in the law since 1994 makes it possible today for a doctor to end a patient's life without being prosecuted, provided he follows some guidelines: he must consult a colleague (not necessarily a specialist in palliative care); he must write a report answering some 50 questions, and so on. This report is given to the public prosecutor who decides whether to prosecute or not. But this decision is made on the basis of the report. Its author is the doctor himself. According to Dutch law, one cannot be expected to accuse oneself. The chief witness -- the patient -- is dead at this point. In most cases, the doctor can report as he likes. This means that our patients are no longer protected.
In 1996, a report similar to the Remmelink Report was produced over the year 1995 (2). Comparing the two reports (see table), we find that the number of cases where the patient died after a doctor's decision to hasten death, had increased from almost 20,000 (over 15% of total deaths) to almost 27,000 (nearly 20% of total deaths) of which over 13,000 were done at the patient's request. Of the cases which should have been reported according to the guidelines of the new law, only 41% were actually reported. In fact, the new law protects the doctor, not the patient.
The first case of euthanasia in Holland where a doctor killed her mother allegedly at the latter's request, was in 1975. This doctor was sentenced to a two weeks prison term on probation. Twenty years later we got down to 27,000 cases of intentional killing per year. It shows that not only had the numbers increased, but that the mentality toward euthanasia is going down the slippery slope. Of course, if treatment is refrained from or if a high dose of medication is given without the intention to kill but for the patient's benefit, this is regarded as very good medical practice.
The situation in which euthanasia can be practiced with impunity is also increasing. First, only in cases of unbearable and uncontrollable suffering near the end of life, can euthanasia at the patient's request exempt a doctor from prosecution. Today, the handicapped, new borns, comatose patients, and even completely healthy but depressed people have been euthanized without punishment by the courts. Some Dutch doctors, hearing about the British successes with palliative care, answered that they did not need to study it, as they could apply euthanasia instead.
What this change in mentality means in practice, is shown by a few examples. An internist, called to see a lady with lung cancer who breathed with great distress, told her that he could help her, but that he would prefer to admit her to his hospital. The patient refused, as she feared to be euthanized. But the doctor told her that he would be on duty during the weekend and would admit her himself. She did go on Saturday. On Sunday night, she was breathing normally. On Monday morning the doctor was off duty. In the afternoon, he came back to the hospital but the patient was dead. A colleague had come in that morning and said, " We need that bed for another case. It makes no difference for her whether she dies today or after a fort night! So, the patient was euthanized against her explicit will.
I, myself, had a discussion with a colleague about administering morphine. I maintained that large does are needed to kill a patient. At first he denied this, but suddenly said, "You are right. I remember a case of an old man who could die any day. His son came to see me. He was booked for a holiday and did not want to come home for his father's funeral. He wanted the funeral to be over with before he left. So I went to see the old man and gave him a huge dose of morphine. In the evening I came back to declare death, but the patient was happily sitting on the edge of his bed. At last, he had gotten enough morphine to kill his pain." My colleague told this story as if it were the most normal thing to do: to kill a patient in order to please the family.
Nowadays, there are two competing ethical systems. The oldest, which I call humanitarian, is the ethics of the Universal Declaration: the Hippocratic Oath formulated in 400 B.C. by Hippocrates who was no Christian. He believed that the doctor was a powerful man who could decide on life or death. As the patient could not know whether a white powder was meant to kill or cure him, he had to simply trust his doctor. That is why Hippocrates made doctors swear that they would never use their knowledge and experience to kill, either before or after birth; not even at the patient's own request. In this humanitarian ethic, the well being of the individual is central.
The other ethic I call utilitarian because it is not for the patient's well being, but the well being of others which prevails. The doctor judges the quality and the sense of a patient's life whether he is a burden or useful to society, etc. This way of thinking was described in a very clear editorial in California Medicine, September of 1970. It said that medical ethics had been based so far on the notion that all men's lives had equal value, but that this could no longer be maintained as over population was threatening us and we were no longer prepared to accept every quality of life. Choices would have to be made on the basis of medical evaluation. Intentional killing was still abhorrent, so one had to begin with abortion and then go on to voluntary euthanasia. But in the end, we would have death control as well as birth control, and we doctors should prepare ourselves for this new task.
Many people think that legalizing euthanasia will make them autonomous. But, in fact, it is the doctor who is made free to do as he thinks right. In the end, it is not the patient, but the doctor who decides when life should be ended. Is this what we really want? Respect for human life will diminish: violence will increase.
Here is another option. Instead of killing the patient, we can kill the pain. Britain is far ahead of us in dealing with the symptoms of terminal diseases: pain, vomiting, constipation, shortness of breath, itching, fear of the future, loneliness, and so on. Today, we can help these patients effectively.
The big question is, Will the United Nations maintain the humanitarian ethic of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights which recognizes each man's right to life? Or, Will we accept the utilitarian ethic of death with its elimination of unwanted people? We cannot at the same time defend people's right to life and allow them to be killed. We need a clear strategy to make sure that our children inherit the kind of world the U.N. has promised to build.
1 P.J. van der Maas, J.J.M. van Delden & L. Pijnenborg. 1991.Medische beslissingen rond het levenseinde. SDU - Den Haag.
2 G.van der Wal & P.J. van der Maas. 1996. Euthanasie en andere medische beslissingen rond het levenseinde. SDU - Den Haag.
by Karel F. Gunning M.D.
Before I speak about doctors who perform euthanasia, I want to make clear that in my opinion almost all of them do it out of compassion, being convinced that it is the best way to help a patient. I disagree, as I think that adequate palliative care is a far better way to help. But whatever our own position, we have to admit that euthanasia in the Netherlands is completely out of control. If you define euthanasia, as the Dutch Physicians" League does, as "Consciously causing a patient's death," then it occurred in some 20,000 cases in the Netherlands in one year. Of a total annual mortality of 129,000, this amounts to over 15 percent of all deaths.
Yet the government-installed Remmelink Committee, which issued a report on the practice of euthanasia in the Netherlands in the year 1991, speaks of 2,300 cases of euthanasia, that is 1.8 percent of all deaths! They used another definition of euthanasia, to wit "life-ending treatment at the patient's explicit request."
Using our own definition we have to include, besides the 2,300 cases called euthanasia by the Committee, the 400 cases of assisted suicide and the 1,000 cases of ending a patient's life without his request, also mentioned in the report. That makes together nearly 4,000 cases. But the report speaks also of cases where high doses of medicine for pain and symptom control were given or where treatment was omitted with the implied or explicit intention to hasten the patient's death. And these cases are called " normal medical practice" . That is most frightening. Refraining from treatment which burdens the patient and cannot prevent his death is, of course, very good medical practice. But if it is done with the intention to end life, then it is not medical practice at all, but consciously causing a patient's death, which we call euthanasia. On the basis of the numbers given in the Remmelink report the Dutch Physicians" League had estimated the number of these cases at 16,000. Together, the League estimated the number of cases where the doctor had the intention (implied or explicit) to end the patient's life at nearly 20,000 per year, that is over 15 percent of all deaths. These are huge numbers.
Now these conclusions and estimates of the Physicians" League have been hotly contested. But in a recent letter to the editor of Medisch Contact (MC, April 29,1994), the official organ of the Royal Dutch Medical Association, the investigators of the Remmelink Committee themselves say that abstaining from treatment was done with the explicit intention to hasten the end of life in 11,000 cases. And high doses for pain and symptom control were given with the implied or explicit intention to hasten the end of a patient's life in 6,500 cases. So, according to their estimates there must have been over 21,000 cases where the doctor had the intention (implied or explicit) to end the patient's life, which is over 16.4 percent of all deaths, even more than the estimates of the Physicians" League.
I mention these facts as a warning, because they show that we have no reason at all to tell the world to follow our example. They show how rapidly the Netherlands has slipped down the slippery slope. They show that, once you accept killing as a solution for one problem, you soon find a hundred problems for which killing can be regarded as a solution. First you kill at the patient's request, then without request, a comatose patient or a handicapped newborn baby, then you help a healthy but depressed person to commit suicide, etc.
Just recently a change in the " Act on the Disposal of the Dead" has been accepted by the Dutch Parliament. It requires that in the event of the termination of life on request or without explicit request on the part of the patient, or assisting a patient to take his or her own life, the consulting physician must notify the municipal coroner and provide him with a reasone and full written report on the basis of a questionnaire of some 50 points to be dealt with. This report is given to the Public Prosecutor, who must decide either to prosecute or to dismiss the case. But the author of the report is the euthanazing doctor himself, and as the patient is dead and the doctor cannot be expected to co-operate in his own condemnation, we can safely predict that no doctor will be prosecuted. Moreover, if one doctor would be punished, the medical profession would boycott the notification procedure. Already now the number of notifications is far too slow, some 1,400 last year, whereas, according to the Remmelink Committee the annual number should be some 4,000. This means that not yet half of the cases are reported.
But what is really terrifying is that the Dutch government considers the administration of an overdose of drugs or the omission of life-supporting treatment both with the explicit or implied intention to end the patient's life as " normal medical treatment," which therefore does not have to be reported to the coroner. The annual number of these cases was estimated at 16,000, that is some 80 percent of all cases of consciously causing a patient's death. The new Act makes the patient defenseless in the hands of a powerful doctor. At the same time it is disquieting that in most cases "unbearable suffering" is put forward as the reason for ending a patient's life. Does it mean that great numbers of Dutch doctors do not know how to treat suffering? Another government-sponsored committee, investigating the treatment of pain in the Netherlands in the late eighties, reported that in over half of the cases of cancer with pain, the treatment had been insufficient, so that these patients were suffering unnecessarily.
So that is where the Dutch Physicians League feels the greatest need. Many countries in the world have followed the British example of training doctors and nurses as specialists in Palliative Care, treating all the physical symptoms of a terminal disease and helping the patient to deal with the mental and spiritual problems he experiences, treating the whole person including his family. Why do we not help our Dutch patients the same way? Why does the Dutch government hesitate to train sufficient specialists in Palliative Care so that the terminal patient can live comfortably till the day he dies? The Act requires that the euthanazing doctor consults at least one colleague. Why does the Act not specify that a specialist in Palliative Care must be consulted"
In September 1970 an editorial in California Medicine, the official publication of the California Medical Association, stated that besides birth control we would also adopt death control, because those with an inferior quality of life would have to be eliminated. In 1970 this sounded absurd. Today we have almost reached that point in the Netherlands. It is the consequence of a kind of thinking which I like to call utilitarian ethics, as it may take in consideration a patient's quality of life, weighing a patient's costs against his usefulness to society, judging the sense of his or her life, etc. It is the opposite of the old Hippocratic ethics, which I like to call humanitarian ethics, where the patient is the centre of all medical care.
We will soon have to choose between humanitarian or utilitarian ethics, as they are incompatible. Do we want our children to inherit a world where doctors decide who may live and who not? Or do we want a world where there is place for everyone, healthy or disabled, young or old, clever or less clever? We still can choose. The decision is ours.
So far I have been speaking of the Netherlands. In my opinion the Netherlands are not alone. We are facing a worldwide strategy to get euthanasia accepted. They have used the Netherlands as a pilot country, and the moment euthanasia was accepted, the propaganda started in many other countries, using the Netherlands as an example to be followed: Australia, Germany, England, Canada, U.S.A., even Japan, etc. I was invited to come and tell the reality of the Netherlands in Australia, England and Canada, and fortunately in all three countries proposals to legalize euthanasia were rejected. In Oregon, U.S.A., the bill permitting euthanasia was declared unconstitutional, and in the Northern Territories of Australia the opposition to the Euthanasia Bill may soon defeat it after all.
But we must not be complacent. It will be a continuous battle to restore respect for human life. The most important will be to establish good hospice care throughout the world. And secondly we must show the world that we have to choose between humanitarian and utilitarian ethics. HOW to do it is another question we might be able to discuss today. When we could find enough money, we might start a huge information program, which itself might induce people to support us financially, But there must be many ways, if we plan it all together. That is what I hope this conference may bring. | 2019-04-25T17:48:19Z | http://www.chninternational.com/Gunning%202006.html |
EE: Today is May 24, 1999. I believe we're moving on. I’m in Richmond, Virginia, today, at the home of Constance "Connie" Phillips. Ms. Phillips, thank you so much for having us here today. This is an interview for the Women Veterans Historical Project of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
I’ve got about thirty note cards here. The first question I ask folks—I try not to trip them up right at the beginning—where were you born and where did you grow up?
CP: St. Paul, Minnesota, I was born. I grew up in Concord, North Carolina.
EE: How did you get from St. Paul to Concord?
CP: Well, my father and mother moved, and they came to Salisbury, North Carolina. My father was engaged in a little enterprise with his brother, a slipper factory which went kaput. So then we moved to Concord, at which point he started a new business which went kaput.
EE: What years was this, the twenties?
CP: Well, jeez, I was born in ’24, so we’re talking late twenties.
EE: Before the Crash [of 1929].
CP: Yes, yes, that’s right.
in Boston at the Boston Homeopathic Hospital. Her friend moved to St. Paul and asked her to come out and work with her in the operating room.
EE: Wonderful. So your mom was a native of Massachusetts?
CP: No, she was a Canadian-born and grew up in Keene, New Hampshire.
EE: I guess in those days folks finished high school and then went for a couple years’ nurse’s training in a hospital.
CP: She was not allowed to go to nurse's training because she was under twenty-one. Her parents would not sign for her, because women did not do that kind of thing in that era. So she taught school one year, which she hated. After that, she was old enough and so she hauled herself off and went to nurse's training, which was remarkable for that era.
EE: You told me here before our interview started that your mom was actually in the First World War.
CP: She was in World War Number One, and she was at Fort Meade, Maryland, ready to go overseas, and she had a ruptured appendix, which almost killed her. Her unit went on off to wherever they went, France, wherever it was, I don’t even know that.
EE: This was what, ’17?
EE: And so she was in Minnesota, then joined the service?
CP: No, no, she joined the service before she went to Minnesota, somehow or other. I don’t know.
EE: But after her stay at Boston Homeopathic.
CP: Yes, that’s where she trained, and then she probably went into service then. I don’t know that. But then later in her early thirties is when she went to St. Paul and met my father. They were both in their thirties. This was a late marriage for that era. They were both never been married before, quite mature people.
CP: I have one sister who is twenty months younger. I saw her two weeks ago in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
EE: Wonderful. What’s her name?
EE: And your mom and your dad. Your mom, I think you told me, she later became a [U.S.] Public Health [Service] nurse?
CP: She moved to Concord. We lived in one room. This was my father, my mother, and two children, and it was tight. She got mighty sick of living in the house with her mother-in-law, so she said, “Well, what can I do?” So she goes and finds herself a job. And she decides that she and the children are moving, so she rented a house. And she said to my father, "The children and I are moving. We hope you will go with us," and he did. [Laughter] And of course, two weeks later it was his idea, you know.
CP: The way things go. But anyway, we rented two houses and then bought a farm outside of Concord which had been in my father’s family and sold to somebody else. But this farm was in our family for two hundred years.
EE: So there is way back a North Carolina connection.
EE: So y'all were in Concord then, I guess, before the Depression hit.
CP: The Depression did not really affect us. We were either living in my grandparents’ house or—and at that point my father was working for my grandfather at Cline and Moose Grocery Store in Concord. We never were hungry, we never saw people that were hungry. We moved to the country. We had a fantastic farm, forty-three acres. My daddy, who had a "nervous breakdown," later died of a brain tumor. Who knows? Anyway, he went to farming at age forty-five. He was very experimental. We had a quarter acre of asparagus. We had raspberries, both red and black. We had peaches of many varieties, including Georgia Bells, which do not ship. [Laughter] So anyway, we had a great childhood on the farm. I loved it. My sister hated it because she was a people person. Me, I was happy to eat peaches and read books.
CP: We went to town high school. We lived in the county, went to high school in town, and graduated from Concord High School.
EE: And you said you had about a hundred in your graduating class in ’42?
EE: If you were eating fruit and reading books on the farm, you must have liked school.
CP: Yes, I liked parts of it.
EE: What did you like about it?
CP: I was in love with my geometry teacher. I took art and band at the end of my junior year. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. It seemed silly to go ahead and graduate, so I thought, well, let me take a year off and do this. So I took art and band two years each and fell in love with art. Not drawing, not painting, but all the crafts. I got very interested in it and did my undergraduate stuff at Woman’s College [WC] in pottery, which was my love—metalwork, weaving, you know, the crafts.
EE: Was Seagrove a popular place then?
CP: I’ll tell you what was there then that my family had a connection with—Jugtown Pottery. And I have Jugtown Pottery. That is old Jugtown.
EE: Was it the Owens family that started that?
CP: He was the potter. No, the Busbees started it. And I have in my lockbox a letter from Mrs. Busbee. I wrote her, asking her about art. I had to interview somebody in college. And she wrote me at length what she thought about art, and it's sitting in my lockbox.
EE: Wow. I know Chapel Hill published a coffee table book not too long ago about the pottery.
CP: They were fine people, and they were good friends of my folks.
CP: Yes, I was on a bus coming back from Woman’s College on the weekend. Wasn’t that in December?
CP: I was coming back on a bus having gone—what year was that?
CP: All right. I must have been up there to visit somebody to see if I liked it, to see if I wanted to go there. I remember hearing about it in connection with that bus trip. Of course, the bus from Greensboro to Concord, I think it was seventy-three miles, as I remember, it took a fair while to stop in all those little towns.
CP: Yes. And everybody stopped.
EE: Do you remember any conversation about the war, the start of the war that you heard?
CP: I am probably the least politically oriented person you will ever run into. It’s just not on my page.
EE: Didn’t faze you. When did you graduate from high school, ’42?
EE: What did you do after you graduated from high school? Did you go right to WC?
CP: I chose that because of the art department, because they had a crackerjack art department there.
EE: Did you already know the name of somebody, the professors before you got there?
CP: It was really Ocracoke. And I loved every minute of it. What was great about it was we ate when we were hungry, we slept when we were tired. The mail boat came in roughly at four o’clock. That was the only thing that came to that island. Of course, we all went down to get our mail. So that was the only time frame we had.
EE: Did they have the Coast Guard station out there then?
CP: Yes, they had a Coast Guard station.
EE: I went to Ocracoke many summers in my youth.
CP: Oh, Ocracoke is a great place. Our jumping-off point on the mainland for the mail boat, I think, was Atlantic, and it took all day on this mail boat to get from Atlantic to get to Ocracoke.
EE: Was there anybody in Portsmouth then?
CP: I don’t remember Portsmouth at all.
EE: So when you got to WC, do you remember what dorm you were in?
EE: Did you come with roommates from back home or you just come on your own?
CP: I came with my sister’s best friend, Ann Llewellen. Then I had, each following year, different roommates. Ann left to get married.
EE: Did she marry a Spencer, by any chance?
CP: No, but her middle name was Spencer, Ann Spencer Llewellen.
EE: She didn’t have anything to do with Goodie's later on, did she?
CP: Got me. I have lost complete track of most everybody down there. See, I’ve been up here fifty years, you know.
EE: There’s a woman in my church back home who is Ann Llewellen Spencer. I just was wondering if that was any relation.
EE: You told me, before we started the interview, that you started your college career and then you interrupted it.
CP: And that’s how I got in the army.
EE: That was Christmas of ’44?
CP: Probably. Got me, man. I was not particularly patriotic, but I was mad because they had screwed me up. And they did that a lot. You know, they still do it.
CP: And they let you go so far before they tell.
EE: Before they tell you.
CP: And there I was, and I was really trying to get through. Not for any patriot—see, I’m not politically oriented, you know.
EE: But you were twenty, so did your mom give you any grief?
CP: No, no. No, no. They gave me ultimate freedom. Can you imagine letting a sixteen-year-old go alone for a month to Ocracoke Island? I mean, that’s pretty trusting. Of course, I didn’t get into any trouble.
EE: But you also were an independent type from the beginning out there on the farm, it sounded like.
CP: Well, we were raised—there was no distinction made between male and female. Women were allowed to do most everything, you know. My father may not have agreed with it, but my mother was all for it.
CP: Our art teacher, and I kept in touch with his daughter, Ann somebody or other, long gone. I don’t remember his name.
EE: Did you say Ivy?
CP: But, anyway, I was extremely impressed by all the teachers. I could not draw and I could not paint, but I had a fine time. And I loved the classes.
EE: Great. Dean [Harriet] Elliott, I guess, had gone on and left?
CP: She was the dean of women, I think, at that point.
EE: I can’t remember when she left to go to Washington to work in the Roosevelt administration.
CP: I have no memory of that at all. I’m apolitical.
EE: Did you have any fun social-wise? What was the social life like?
CP: Social life was rather sparse at Woman’s College because that was the war era. I was never particularly afraid of men, never paid much attention to them, really, but I remember walking out of the dorm one time and all I had seen for weeks was women, and some serviceman said hello to me. Well, it was so startling to hear a male voice that I panicked and ran back to the dorm. You know, I was just so surprised.
EE: This was somebody from the ORD [Overseas Replacement Depot]?
CP: I had no idea. Somebody walking around campus. You know, there were a lot of young men who, because it was a women’s college, would come over there and roam around.
CP: That’s right. Film was film. So that’s how I ended up being an army X-ray technician, much to my amazement.
EE: So did they talk about that option with you then before you joined?
CP: Oh, I’m sure so. I think I designated that.
EE: Did you say you signed up at a recruiter there in Concord or in Greensboro?
CP: I think I went to Charlotte. I wouldn’t be surprised.
EE: Is that where you reported back?
CP: Des Moines, Iowa. In February. And you talk about cold.
EE: This was February ’45.
CP: It was cold. February the 8th. It was cold out there, and they made us march outside. They made us do our exercises, and I used to run in place with my eyes shut, and they didn’t think much of that. At five o’clock in the morning, I wasn’t interested in seeing a bunch of people running in place.
CP: Oh, we were issued clothing. Oh, yes. And I used to always lose gloves. We were issued two pairs of gloves. I promptly lost one pair and had to buy the replacement, and that was the last pair of gloves I lost. We were issued nylons, too. Nylons in that era were pretty big stuff, and they wore like iron. They turned green after a while, but they didn’t get runs in them. The dye came out of them, but they lasted well. They also issued us cotton stockings.
EE: Those are the kind I’ve seen pictures of women, and they say, “Don’t look at my ankles,” because they’d always bunch up there.
CP: Little ruffles down there, yes.
EE: How long was basic [training] for you?
CP: Six weeks, as I remember. I remember having KP [kitchen patrol] fourteen times. Now, KP was not a punishment; it was a roster duty, a rotating duty. And I did not care for KP. I did not like big things of potatoes to peel, you know. I could do that on the farm. I had peeled a fair amount of stuff.
EE: What was a typical day like for you in basic?
CP: Well, they got you up early. They made you do whatever you were going to do that day. You did a fair amount of marching. Of course, it was cold. It was Des Moines, Iowa. It’s cold out there, the wind blows.
EE: Were most of your instructors men or women?
CP: Women. In fact, I had no male instructors.
EE: You weren’t going with anybody you know, were you, from WC?
CP: No. I just went.
EE: Brave new world, just went, right in the middle of the year, said, "I’m going."
CP: Right on the train. It took two days to get from Concord or Charlotte to Des Moines, and you were riding any which way you could.
CP: No berths. I remember sleeping on some duffel bags between cars. There was a little spot back there.
EE: I don’t know how it is, but most women I’ve talked with about basic, there’s only two Southerners in the whole basic group. Everybody gets picked on with your accent.
CP: I do not remember anybody in basic. I just know that I didn’t care for the whole thing. I did clean a grease trap. I do not know that you will talk to too many women who have cleaned a grease trap. They make you do it at five o’clock in the morning before you have your KP duty, because when you upchuck, you don’t have much in your tummy to upchuck with. It was not fun.
EE: No, doesn’t sound like it.
EE: So are you thinking now, "This is why Dad wanted me to do all this""
CP: No, no, I just did it. I don’t question motivation, I just go do what I do and I do it.
EE: Where did you go from Fort Des Moines?
CP: From Des Moines I went to Atterbury in Indianapolis. Camp Atterbury, I believe that was, in Indianapolis. That’s where X-ray school was. That was a four-month stint.
EE: You came out of basic. What rank were you?
EE: Private. And after X-ray school, are you still a private or are you a specialist?
CP: Probably. I don’t know when I got to be a corporal, but somewhere in there I became a corporal. Probably after I left X-ray school. I don’t know that. I do know that I became a sergeant in Louisville, only by default, only because everybody else was leaving and they needed for their TO a sergeant. So all of a sudden this kid who was barely out of X-ray school is a sergeant, which was nice pay-wise. And it never happened in the army. You know, I just fluked into it.
CP: I just fluked into it. All my life I’ve won by default.
EE: Atterbury, Indiana, was that near Indianapolis?
CP: Yes, right outside of Indianapolis.
EE: Was this is the farthest you’ve ever been away from home?
CP: Yes. Well, Des Moines was farther than Atterbury. It was pretty far.
EE: For your first big train trip—or how did you get down to Ocracoke? Did you drive?
CP: I think I probably rode with my art teacher to school. See, my folks were really quite cosmopolitan, you know, and we had a stream of people, due to my mother’s Public Health job, coming into our home. I was good friends with a Filipino doctor, you know, all sorts of people. So we were not typical.
CP: I didn’t pay much attention to it. I just didn’t like being waked up in the middle of the night, and told them so. That got me in hot water.
EE: You weren’t the social butterfly.
CP: Oh, no, I didn’t pay any attention to a bunch of this stuff.
EE: I know some folks, especially WACs [Woman's Auxiliary Corps—Army ], I know I think in ’42 when they first started the WACs, which was WAAC, they later found out it was the army itself that kind of started the smear campaign against the WACs.
CP: There was much smearing. I have had young men walk up to me—this happened at Atterbury, I think—walk up to me and ask me to spend the weekend with them. And my rejoinder was, “No, I’m not really interested. But I’m looking for somebody to play tennis with. You want to play some tennis?” So we ended up becoming friends. You know, innocence is a great protection.
EE: Sure. That was a good campaign.
EE: But this kind of rumor and innuendo didn’t bother your folks back home?
EE: Your mom was in Public Health, she can put up with about anything.
CP: Listen, I grew up playing with the cards of the people that had VD [venereal diseases] in Concord, North Carolina. You’ve had a similar background.
CP: I didn’t hear that one, because they didn’t have it in that era, but I would have, you know. And I knew about homosexuality because one of the neighbors came and talked to my mother at home on the front porch. We’re in the living room, you know. See, our experience in our childhood was so wide-ranged.
EE: You weren’t cloistered intellectually, in that sense.
CP: No. And I tell you the truth, I didn’t pay any attention to it. And there was a lot of garbage going on around me that I just didn’t get into, wasn't awed by it or disturbed by it, you know.
EE: Well, those were the two big smears, was either the wantonness or the lesbian charge, I guess.
CP: Yes, I had a girl come sit in my lap one day, and the rest of the girls in the dorm decoyed her off. You know, barracks, not dorm.
EE: You were at Atterbury for four months.
CP: Right. Then I went back to Des Moines in summer for staging. And that was hot.
EE: At Atterbury, textbooks and then you were working in a hospital there or something, is that how you did it?
CP: We X-rayed each other. They did not tell us till after.
EE: So you glow in the dark.
dental X-rays. I’ve restricted chest X-rays. Very few people get the privilege of seeing X-rays on me. I did have bone density recently because I’m of the age.
EE: But that does have a lifetime cumulative effect on you, doesn’t it, that radiation?
CP: Well, so far as I know, and I will be seventy-five in August, I seem not to have had any particular result from it. Who knows? But we did, we used each other as patients.
EE: Were most of these women of your age, early twenties?
CP: I think there probably were some older, but most of us were quite young. And I remember very few of those people from that era.
EE: You worked this X-ray position. I know that some of the recruiting stuff for getting women into the services talked about freeing a man to fight. Was this the kind of position that you were replacing a man in army hospitals, or was this something a woman had been doing before?
CP: I really don’t know enough to know. My bet was that they were freeing up men to go overseas, and they were going to use us in the States, probably. That was my bet, but I don’t know that. In Louisville there were some civilian technicians.
EE: That’s what I was going to ask you. After Atterbury, were you working with both men and women in your regular job?
CP: There was one male civilian technician. No, there were two male civilian technicians. There was one army male technician. I think there were two of us women, young women technicians. There was a girl, Phyllis, who came out of New York. I think she was in Louisville. I was good friends with a lab tech there. She was my best buddy, and she and I both went on to White Sulfur [Springs] at the same time.
EE: We talked a little bit before this interview started, so I sort of know about the places you were. Why don’t we run through for the tape the hospitals that you were stationed at through the end of your service, and then I want to go back and ask you about the kind of work you did in each of those places.
EE: You were at Nichols in Louisville through April of ’46?
CP: August 24th, I have here as a date, of ’45 through March of ’46.
EE: And then you went to White Sulfur Springs for April and May of ’46?
CP: Right, April and May of ’46.
EE: Ashford General, where is that?
CP: Ashford was the army’s name for the Greenbriar at White Sulfur at that time. And then that hospital closed and I went to Valley Forge, and that was from June until August of ’46.
EE: Is that when you got your discharge from Valley Forge?
CP: Got it from Fort Bragg, August 22, 1946, and, boy, was I happy. Whee! What happened, there were several of us who had not finished college. They didn’t need the personnel and they gave a couple of us the option to get out with eighteen months’ service, which was not what was permitted at that point. But because we were juniors and seniors, you know, they said, “Would you like to go back to school?” And of course I said yes. So it worked out beautifully, got out in August, went back to school in September.
EE: Yes, I think you had to serve—I don’t know what the minimum was, but I know basically for every month in you got a certain—it added up that way.
CP: Yes. And then, of course, we got the G.I. Bill and that was a great deal. I bought a bunch of art books and had myself a ball, and it didn’t cost my parents. The Woman’s College, the year I went there as a freshman, I think, was six hundred dollars. I don’t know what it went up to in ’46 and ’47.
EE: That was for room and board and everything?
CP: Oh, yes, that was it.
EE: The kinds of patients at these different hospitals, Nichols General— was that all just whatever?
CP: Nichols General was a nerve center. They had paraplegics there and probably some quadriplegics. I don’t remember any of those. And they also had a lot of extremity nerve injuries.
CP: No, no, no. Man. Miss a whole part of a person. And they were trying to rejoin the nerves and they used tantalum wire, is something I remember X-raying to see how close something was getting to something to rejoining. But I think that was where some of the first paraplegics were kept alive. I don’t believe they understood the technology to be able to do that. So that was very interesting. And, of course, most of our patients were male. Very few females. Which, of course, at twenty I thought was cool.
CP: That was big brass. I X-rayed four generals in one morning, and you don’t see that many generals very often. They also had the room that they showed up where Ike [Dwight D. Eisenhower] had slept. And our X-ray department, as I remember, was up on the fourth floor. It was a very interesting hospital. We liberated a number of steaks, because they were trying to get rid of their food. And these were large—what is the finest cut you can get?
CP: Yes. And they were delicious. We had them a couple times a weeks. Probably coated our arteries good.
EE: Your cholesterol went way up, but you said it was a good steak.
CP: Oh, I tell you it was a fine maneuver. And I did buy some jewelry from their PX. I bought a bracelet and some earrings that had moonstones in them because they were on sale.
EE: I imagine their PX [post exchange] had a little better merchandise than others.
CP: Oh, I’m sure it did very nicely.
EE: You were there just for a couple months and then you went to Valley Forge.
CP: Sam Snead played an exhibition the day I had a wisdom tooth taken out. It took them four hours. They took it out in pieces, because my teeth are fragile and they break. And I got up from the dentist chair and I said, “Well, I think I’m going out and see Sam Snead.” And the dentist said, “Honey, you go home and go to bed.” Well, I could have seen Sam, and I was mad that I had not gone. But it was very much of a luxury place. It was very rundown because it had not been maintained. It was pretty shabby at that point, but quite interesting.
EE: You mentioned that Valley Forge was a burn center.
EE: I can’t imagine an X-ray technician having as much to do there.
CP: We were still pretty busy.
EE: What was a typical day on the job like for you? Did y'all work seven-day shifts, or how was it?
CP: We pulled emergency. I remember more of that in Louisville because I was there longer. I can remember we were pretty short staffed there toward the end. So I remember pulling duty at night with emergencies and then working a full day the next day. We had a roster and it rotated, and the two civilians that were there kind of filled in.
EE: So some weeks you were first shift, second shift? Did you rotate on shifts, or did you pretty much stay per shift?
CP: No, we worked a full daytime and then this night stuff was extra. But the interesting thing in Louisville, we had two German POWs [prisoners of war] that worked our darkroom for us, and one of them was young and very open. The other was in his probably thirties, which looked old at that point, but he was a confirmed Nazi. But they were good. Boy, they ran a good darkroom. And we got together at Christmas. Our captain, who became the head of the X-ray department at the University of Penn later on, Richard Chamberlain, Captain Chamberlain, was away at Christmas. It was my first Christmas away from home, and of course it was pretty sad. So we got together and we sang into his dictating setup Christmas carols, they in German and we in English, which was fun.
CP: I was in college at Woman’s College, so I did hear a little of that.
EE: We talked a little bit about how there was occasionally the troublesome GI, but on the job since you worked with men, were you treated professionally?
CP: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. And I tell you, I have always not been bothered by people, you know. They don’t usually tangle with me, and they didn’t even then. I had a few, like the gentleman that out of the blue that asked me to spend the weekend with him, but, you know, that didn’t bother me a bit. I wanted somebody to play tennis with. He was a pretty good tennis player.
EE: When you were in Louisville, did they have a nurses' dormitory that y'all stayed in or where did you stay?
CP: We had a WACs barracks, and the nurses were in another segregated area.
CP: Well, see, we were peons and segregated.
EE: Did you get access to a service club?
CP: Yes, but, see, I didn’t do that kind of thing. I didn’t pay much attention to it.
EE: What was your after-hours like? Did you go see movies?
CP: I used to read books, watch movies. I’ll tell you, I remember at Ashford knitting a great deal. I remember in the barracks I was knitting one day, and this little mouse came over looking for crumbs. So I reached over and scratched him with my knitting needle. [Laughter] So we made friends. But if you’ve grown up on a farm, you know, you don’t think anything about it. There’s a little mouse, you know.
EE: You did tell me that at some point you must have stopped knitting and met a fellow.
CP: I met my husband in Louisville. He was in a unit as a truck driver that was sent back from Germany. They didn’t know what to do with all these people at the end of the war, because they were overstaffed, so they put him on as a ward boy. Well, my husband ended up being a professional football player, among other things. He played one year for the Baltimore Colts. So here came this great big fellow, moving a patient on a stretcher very gingerly. It didn’t bounce him off the walls.
EE: I'd better back up. So you saw your husband-to-be wheeling around folks in the ward for you, you thought, "My goodness, what a pussycat. This guy is big and yet tender at the same time."
CP: It was an illusion. [Laughter] It was an illusion, like many things are.
EE: So you started dated there at Louisville?
CP: Very, very, very briefly. But the reason I chose West Virginia in preference to California, which I was given a chance at, was that it was closer to Philadelphia, and Mike was in Philadelphia.
CP: No, he got out of the service in Louisville and went back to Philadelphia, and then had jaundice and was in the naval hospital in Philadelphia. So by the time I got back to Valley Forge, I would go from Valley Forge to see him down at the naval hospital.
EE: How long was he in there for jaundice?
CP: A long time. He damn near died. He had the highest—I think it was called an icterus index, I don’t even know the test, but anyway, it was the highest one. They’d never seen anything quite like it, but he survived.
EE: You say his folks were from Philadelphia?
EE: You left from Louisville, worked with the same kind of work at The Greenbriar just with better clientele. And at The Greenbriar did y'all have fancier headquarters because you were staying on the grounds?
CP: No, we were over in barracks and when we were back there last fall, I looked for those old barracks, but they had been leveled and a parking lot put there.
CP: These were temporary brown barracks. I was so hoping to see them to get oriented, and of course they weren’t there. But they were brown.
CP: No, they were wooden barracks. This little book, you may want to read before you leave here and see if it would be of value, because it tells about the barracks and other things. I think it might be of real interest to you.
EE: Then you went back to Valley Forge and had this similar kind of schedule of work for the day.
EE: Did you ever think about making the military a career?
CP: He had as much trouble with me and I did with him. We were totally different in our backgrounds, totally different in our interests. He was so sports oriented that there was very little else in the world. Beautiful athlete, fine athlete, good golfer, good—you know, you name it, he could do it.
EE: What was the hardest thing that you had to do while in the military, either physically or emotionally?
CP: Probably physically, one of the fourteen KP days, probably, because it started very early and went very long, involved lots of potatoes and a few grease traps.
But emotionally, there was a boy—who later died in the hospital in Louisville—from Concord and he had a cancer of some sort, a blood cancer of some sort. I saw him get more ill and finally he wasn’t there any longer. So I think that was probably one of the hardest things. And we dealt with some very bad injuries.
And probably emotionally Valley Forge. I had this one man that had had a bad injury, brain injury. He said, “You know, I'm a college graduate, and I can neither read nor write.” So that was, you know, pretty rough. And some awful disfiguring things with skin grafts. I mean, a column of flesh going from somebody’s chest up to somewhere on their face to remake something. Grotesque stuff. That was tough.
EE: You said that you don’t get steeled for that kind of stuff.
CP: I don’t think anybody could. I thought I was pretty tough, and, you know, I could do ordinary stuff, but not that one. I don’t know that anybody can do that when people’s faces are involved. You know, you can do something to a limb or a belly or something like that, but their faces are very personal.
EE: When you're losing a limb, it’s traumatic and yet it doesn’t affect the personality like something happens to the face.
CP: But to me, something happening to somebody’s brain is the ultimate. You know, the rest of it you can handle. You can lose an eye, you can lose a nose.
EE: You seem the kind of person who might remember a story like this. Do you have an embarrassing moment that sticks out in your mind?
CP: That wasn’t embarrassing; that was painful. [Laughter] I mean, they had me pegged. No, no, I don’t remember anything particularly embarrassing.
EE: In the kind of work you were doing, it doesn’t sound like you were ever in physical danger. Were you ever afraid going to all these new places?
CP: I was afraid after I found out what we’d been exposed to in X-ray school. Now, that was fearsome.
EE: It’s a good little drive from West Virginia to Philadelphia.
CP: No. You didn’t. Nobody had cars, you remember?
EE: So there was rationing and everything else?
CP: You rode a train, that’s how you got there.
EE: He was in the hospital this whole time.
CP: We wrote letters. And only when I got to Valley Forge did I probably see him. He certainly did not come out there to see me. He was home and not sick for a while before this thing hit.
EE: Had you kept up? You talked about being upset to miss Christmas for the first time, in ’45, I guess it was. Did you keep up with the home folks and let them know this romance was burning?
CP: I have a box of letters sitting over there that I never even read that my mother kept, and they sit in the box on the floor, but I’m too busy.
EE: But you did keep them posted on what was going on?
CP: Oh, of course, of course. We were a very close family.
EE: Do you have, when you think about that time, any favorite songs or movies that when you see or hear you think of it?
EE: The kind of job that you had, do you think you contributed to the war effort?
CP: I would not have thought of it in those terms at all. I was not a particularly patriotic person. My motivation was not always pure. I did what I was supposed to do and didn’t worry about it.
EE: It was the job of the moment for you as much as anything else?
CP: It was very exciting and I loved X-ray, and I was a pretty good technician.
CP: I went in right when it’s over.
EE: —right after it’s over.
EE: So most of the time you’re moving, they’re decommissioning folks.
CP: That’s right. And what we were getting were people that had been wounded, many of them quite a long time before, that there was like rehab stuff, you know.
EE: Did that give you any kind of opinion about war?
CP: I never thought much about war. I tell you, I have written—I am aggravated at what we are doing now. We have no business in Kosovo. I was married for forty-five years to a Ukrainian. Their thought processes and ours—one of the ladies in here is quite an activist, and she told me to write to my congressman. I never done anything like that in my life. I said, you know, "You folks don’t realize that we don’t even understand these people’s thought processes." What the hell are we doing over there? So I think this kind of war is very stupid and very unwise. And I said in that letter, I said, we are dealing with people who don’t think the same, and we are in a situation where we have no business.
EE: Well, you know, we got into World War II because somebody came and attacked us.
CP: Well, I think there are justified wars, you know. And if you're defending your territory. I think Vietnam was the first real disastrous thing I can remember so far as war went. And since then, I don’t know we've fought any wars where we had any business.
CP: See, World War II was the last war where there was true patriotism across the board in this country, so far as I know.
EE: Korea—I was watching this special they had on [Douglas] MacArthur the other night and was reminded, between MacArthur and [Harry S.] Truman, how divisive that made our strategy in Korea. What were we there for?
CP: See, all this is past my page. I don’t really understand it, I know I don’t. And I’ve never been really interested in it, and I never really paid that much attention to it.
EE: Well, that’s encouraging to hear, because in every generation there’s a whole range of people who do all sorts of things for all different reasons. Many times I hear about the World War II generation, and usually from people who have never been there, that everybody was patriotic, that everybody wanted to do it.
CP: Well, most people, I think, truly were. Now, I didn’t suffer hardship from World War II. My mother had a rationing ticket because she was a Public Health nurse, so we had gasoline. Not that we used it foolishly, but we had it.
EE: Did your folks fly the little flag in the window with the star on it?
CP: Out on the Irish Potato Road in Cabarrus County, who would have seen it? No, they did not. You know, it just wasn’t that big a deal to them.
EE: Good enough, good enough. That’s what I want to hear.
EE: Didn’t know if it was the farmer’s daughter trying to marry him.
CP: So we get them home and my mother realizes what we’ve gotten into, she says, “Now I just want y'all to know I have counted my silver.” [Laughter] But we met some lovely young men and thoroughly enjoyed them, and they kept up with my folks years later.
EE: I’ve heard from many folks that just wearing a uniform would get you dinners, seats on a train or in a bus, movie passes.
EE: Do you have any memories about where you were or what you did on either VE [Victory in Europe] Day or VJ [Victory in Japan] Day?
EE: You left the service in ’46. When did you get married?
CP: September the 6th, 1948.
EE: In the meantime, did you got back to Cabarrus County, or what in the world did you do with yourself?
CP: Well, I worked one summer on a State of North Carolina mobile X-ray unit. I finished school. I taught school in Wilmington, Delaware, one year, and my husband was playing ball in Baltimore, which was very convenient, I thought.
EE: So he played professional ball. You told me he went to Western Maryland after getting out of the hospital.
CP: He graduated from Western Maryland. He got out of the hospital in time to go back to school, and he was a senior, as was I. We went back and forth some that year. But we each dated other people.
EE: You dated afterwards. So y'all really were testing the waters to see if this was going to last.
CP: I was leery, because I knew that this was a real stretch. And it was.
EE: So you picked a location conveniently far enough away from both families where you could do your own thing.
CP: And I went to some of the games in Baltimore and enjoyed that, until I saw my husband get creamed one day. He broke some ribs, broke his cheekbone, just a few little things, you know.
EE: It’s nerve-wracking being the spouse of professional athlete, I would imagine.
CP: Well, it wasn’t much fun. Well, I wasn’t a spouse at that time, but I did think I had a vested interest.
CP: Yes. November the 11th. "Mickey." Constance Michelle.
EE: Right. Then you had another daughter.
CP: In ’51, Nancy. And then a son in ’53, Barry.
EE: Where were y'all living at this time?
CP: When Mickey was born, we were in an apartment out west in Richmond. Then my husband, to supplement his ball-playing, worked a couple of different jobs. One was as a materials checker for a big construction thing.
Then a fluke again. He was playing ball with a kid that had been a coach at Midlothian High School. As he’s getting ready to leave, he says, “Mike, want to try coaching?” Mike says, “I always thought I’d like that.” So we moved to Midlothian and lived over a grocery store with cockroaches and mice for four years.
EE: You weren’t as friendly to those mice, I don’t think, were you?
CP: Well, I caught a few. One night we were sitting in the living room, I caught four. Doing right good that night.
EE: My wife and I, our first apartment was in Philadelphia, and we didn’t understand what urban life was like until you live in big apartment building and you don’t know what your neighbors have left out in the kitchen and whatever. Oh, we had lots of guests that year.
CP: They come up the pipes.
EE: They do. In fact, we had a brand-new kitchen installed and they came up through the burners on the gas stove.
CP: We had them in the motors in electric clocks, in our refrigerator motor, and would spray and chase them downstairs. They'd stay a week or so and come back up.
EE: So your husband came back to coach at Midlothian.
CP: And he was also playing professional football.
EE: Down here at Richmond?
CP: Yes, with the old Richmond Rebels.
CP: You know, you don’t play so many more years.
EE: Did you come back and raise the kids?
EE: Took care of the babies.
EE: Well, I’m one of three, so I know you had plenty to do.
EE: Do you think your time in the military made you more of an independent person than you would have been otherwise?
EE: Has your life been different because of that military experience? You got a husband out of it.
CP: Meeting my husband, I think probably that was the greatest thing that made a difference in my life.
EE: You were likely not going to meet a Ukrainian in Cabarrus County.
CP: Might have. Possibly through my mother’s job, because that job led us to very interesting people.
CP: See, that was no big news in our family because of my mother.
CP: I’ll tell you, I think that what’s happened since then started then, certainly, but I think women have in the process lost a lot of power as human beings. Because I see these young women going to work, having small children at home, when I really think those children are missing a lot of boats, and I really think that that’s exactly in some measure what’s wrong with our current setup.
See, my daughter had two children, they are the only grandchildren we had from my eldest daughter, and she was willing in this day and age to make a sacrifice of material possessions—and her husband was in agreement, in order that she be able to know what was going on at home. So she worked as a cleaning woman for some years. She has a degree in Phys Ed, but she’s too old now to do that. You know, she’s not coaching anymore at fifty, almost. So she’s a teacher’s aide now in an elementary school, having a good time.
EE: It’s a great age. It’s fun being a dad when your kids are that age. Did your daughters ever have any interest in the military?
EE: Would you have ever encouraged them? Did you encourage them to try the military?
CP: No way. I wouldn’t encourage anybody to do anything. I say let them figure it out and do it.
CP: No, I’ll tell you. My son was threatened by the draft. I went to the dentist and the only thing I could figure out that was wrong with him was his bottom teeth were pretty crooked. And I talked to the dentist, who was a dear friend, and he said, no, that was not sufficient. So I said, "Oh, hell," because I really didn’t want him to go in.
EE: This would have been during Vietnam?
CP: Yes. I did not want that. And fortunately, it disappeared right in front of him. He had a low number. I don’t remember what it was, eleven or thirteen or something like that. I mean, they were breathing on him. But it went away, thank heaven.
EE: As a country, we’ve sent our first female combat pilot into action just this last December.
CP: I don’t like women on boats. Nature is a powerful force. You cannot take people and put them in close quarters without having some results, I don’t think.
EE: Human history doesn’t show that to be the case, does it?
sure what Hillary [Clinton] is going to do right now, but neither does Hillary, I don’t think. I heard some commentator the other night saying that they thought perhaps she might be spiting her husband a bit. And I giggled to myself. Who knows. But anyway. And Mrs. [Elizabeth] Dole, all the Viagra controversy. This gets to be funny after a while.
But anyway, I like to see women have the opportunity, but I do not think it is a smart move to put them on a boat with a bunch of men.
EE: What do you think about the time that you were in the service and you saw those folks? Do you have any heroes from that time period, folks that you admired?
CP: I think her name was Colonel [Oveta Culp] Hobby. She was in the WACs. And I think if there were a WAC heroine that she—I never had any contact with her, I just knew her by name and her status, you know. But I think if there were a WAC heroine in that era, she would probably have been it, because to be a colonel for a woman at that point was pretty big stuff. Later on, I’m sure they had generals and what have you, but right then that was about as high as you went. Oveta Culp Hobby, that’s the name. I never saw her.
EE: The woman I am going to interview the day after tomorrow was Brigadier General Mildred Bailey, who was the next to the last head of the WACs before they were fully integrated into the army in the mid-seventies. She’s a WC grad.
CP: Well, I’ll be darned.
EE: But you’re right, there are very few line officers ever from the WACs.
CP: Oh, yes. And people, when they hear that I was a sergeant, they think I drilled people. Well, with my little pitiful voice, there ain’t no way I could have drilled anybody. I could barely make it in a classroom, you know.
EE: That was just a fluke. I’m not sure if we had that on tape how you got to be a sergeant.
CP: It was by default, because what was happening is everybody was being sent home. They were trying to get rid of personnel. They had a plethora of people. They didn’t need them all, so they were discharging people right and left. Well, all the TO was gone. I was the only one left there. I didn’t have enough time to get out. So they couldn’t get me out, so they made me a sergeant. And that was within about a year, which is very unusual in that era. And it was not my charm or my wisdom or my what have you; it was just they needed to fill that spot.
EE: What did you think of the Roosevelts? Did you have any memories of those folks?
CP: See again, if you’re not that politically oriented, you know. Now [Bill] Clinton has kind of got me stirred up. I’ve got to admit that.
EE: Everybody, I think, has an opinion on Mr. Clinton.
CP: Well, I hear he’s a great charmer. But when he went to Washington, I said, "Son of a gun, the carpetbaggers are back." I have not changed my opinion from the very first time I saw him.
Truman I remember as being decent, probably an honorable man. Mrs. Roosevelt I remember as being a far-thinking woman, way before her time, probably. Mr. Roosevelt and politics—you know, just not there. Just never have been there. It doesn’t interest me in the least, but I do think we need a new pPresident. And I don’t mind being on tape for that one.
CP: Well, I’d have been very interested in some of the elderly folks around here, because I learned long ago, you don’t deal with religion and you don’t with politics, you just go right on your merry way. But we have some ardent Democrats that are senior citizens around here. This man can do no wrong; he is blameless. All these people have been persecuting this dear little sweet fellow.
EE: That’s the way his mama taught him to say, so.
CP: Well, I’ll say what.
EE: Well, I’ve run through my gamut of questions.
CP: Well, I really am not help to you, because I was not a serious member of the armed forces. I happened to be there.
EE: Well, you know, I’m not so sure. I think you're an honest reporter of how you felt at that time. I think a lot of people in their imprimatur of history would like to have seen a lot more serious than what they were. But they were only nineteen, twenty, twenty-two or three years old.
—lost track of it. What were we saying?
CP: I always said that I would not deify my husband if he were to predecease me. I have heard women who had an interesting, challenging marriage, and their husbands became saints when they died. I have not felt the need to do that.
EE: It’s interesting to see what my sister, the one who’s a year younger than me, does with hers. She’s had an interesting marriage.
CP: Well, I’ve had a challenging one.
EE: Did you go back to the work force after your kids grew up, or what did you end up doing?
CP: When my husband started selling insurance for Nationwide Insurance and he had his office in our bedroom and he used to type at night, I tried to type for him. He’d looked at this form which I had typed laboriously with many numbers. It was a fire policy. He looks at it and he says, “You know, I gave you the wrong rate.” Rip. Well, that was the end of my career working for him.
I said, “I have a degree in art. I have taught elementary art. I don’t know a damn thing about the third grade."
I’d been selling World Book on the side because I needed money, you know. We were not flush, as you are not when you are struggling. I had given my husband an ultimatum. He was teaching school and selling insurance, and these were eighteen-hour days. I figured he was going to die pretty shortly from that. So I said, “One or the other, I don’t care which one it is, but just pick one and do it.” So he figured he could make more money selling insurance than he could teaching school, so he chose that, and I think wisely. But we had a hiatus in there.
EE: Should we take it off?
EE: Well, madam transcriber, thank you so much—or mister transcriber. I don’t know if you are a madam or a mister, but thank you for putting up with our conversation today. We’ve had a good time.
CP: I think that would be very interesting.
Item description Interview discusses Constance Phillips's early life; education at the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina; work as an X-ray technician in the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during World War II; and her life after her military service .
Phillips describes her childhood and family, including her mother's career as a nurse in World War I and with U.S. Public Health Service; being unaffected by the Depression; and developing an interest in crafts such as weaving and pottery .
" Topics related to Phillip's education include choosing the Woman's College because of the art program; taking summer courses at Appalachian State Teachers College; and being informed that she had been taking too many art classes, spurring her to join the army .
" Phillips recalls her basic training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, including the cold weather, uniforms, cramped train rides, open dorms, and female instructors. She mentions the students at X-ray school using each other as patients without realizing the danger of radiation exposure. She remembers the WAC scandal, fending off men's advances, and becoming a sergeant by default. Phillips also discusses each of the hospitals she was stationed at. She recalls meeting her husband at Nichols General Hospital, a nerve center, and working with two German prisoners of war. She describes treating army brass at Ashford General Hospital and the Valley Forge General Hospital, which operated as a burn unit and plastic surgery center .
" Postwar topics include Phillips's courtship and marriage with her husband and his professional football carrer; finishing her schooling; and working briefly as a teacher . | 2019-04-22T10:40:37Z | http://libcdm1.uncg.edu/cdm/ref/collection/WVHP/id/4247/ |
As always on Sparshott holidays, no time is wasted and we have an early start, leaving the house well before 6am to get to Dover. Standing on the outside deck as we dock in Calais, it’s growing warmer already and I know we’ve left the changeable English weather well behind. The drive down to Normandy is uneventful but it’s a pleasure to meet our hosts again after four years.
After a quick change of clothes, time to head out and reacquaint ourselves with the towns on the Normandy coast, heading into Courseulles-sur-Mer for dinner. We also find some local cider and strawberry-flavoured jaffa cakes (!) in the local supermarket – perfect for an after-dinner snack in the beautiful garden. S laughs at me for wanting an early night – and then falls asleep in his clothes.
Fathers’ Day – and not only in the UK. The French make a much bigger thing of it however and there are celebrations happening everywhere (I don’t find this as difficult as I was expecting however – but I must remember to call Mum later). We catch up properly with Mylene over a breakfast of creamy warm brioche and a whole loaf of local dark bread for S.
We briefly revisit Bayeux and St Mere Eglise, looking for a replica WWII gun for S, though the closest we can come is a very convincing plastic one. We explore Carentan’s Fetes des Peres celebrations, held in the harbour, with some unusual and amusing water-based activities.
But – we can’t wait any longer – off to Omaha Beach to get some sand between our toes. It feels fantastic to feel the sun on our backs and a warm breeze in our hair. S finds an almost complete cuttle-fish ball. We try – and fail – to work out why there are several quite fresh onions just lying randomly on the sand.
I do remember to call Mum later, from the restaurant in Bayeux, over galettes. Which actually literally means wafer – but is also applied to savoury pancakes made with dark (as opposed to white) flour.
I’ve been really looking forward to some real French cooking and we head out to Montrichard with mouths watering. Nothing looks inviting so it’s off to Chenonceaux, where we know there are several very nice hotel/restaurants. Unfortunately, we’re not quite in tune yet with continental meal-times and none of them are yet prepared to serve non-residents (even with a drink!) Eventually, stomachs complaining, we end up in St Aignan at a very pretty hotel on the banks of the river. The waiters are prompt and quietly spoken in the quiet restaurant – well it isn’t quite yet high season after all – but we remain thwarted by the most bizarre meal, nothing like the traditional French cuisine I’d so been looking forward to! At least I’m avoiding putting on any weight so far… except through alcohol.
The weather had grown steadily warmer the further south we ventured yesterday and this morning dawns hot and sunny. S is delighted to find several swifts’ nests, complete with young, in the roof space above our room.
Villandry is our first stop today, hailed in the guide book as the chateau with the best gardens, as this is the only chateau whose gardens are kept in the traditional manner: combining flowers and vegetables in a functional but also aesthetic layout. The chateau was bought by the great-grandfather of the present owner in 1906 and subsequently restored to its original design.
We head into Tours after lunch and end up the main square, watching the second half of what turns out to be France’s last world cup match. The locals are rather half-hearted in their support, after all the press reports of fallings-out with the coach, mutiny by the players and the exit of Anelka for his dissent with team management. Of all the French people we have discussed it with, no-one has a good word to say of Domineck – a view also shared by the French sixth-form student who strikes up a conversation with us.
Wednesday morning we take refuge from the increasing heat in the Troglodyte Caves near Vouvray. With 750 metres’ worth of tunnels and at a maximum temperature of 13 degrees, this is a very atmospheric and slightly eerie experience. It’s also informative, the caves having been formed by the mining of tofu (pronounced too-fuh) which was used to build the chateaux (there are a lot of similar caves in the area). After the mining, the caves were inhabited and I am amused to find, even down here, a Rue de la Rèpublique.
We reach the winery in Vouvray to take the tour slightly later than anticipated, having been delayed just outside Tours by a flat tyre (luckily, S being the eternal boy scout, we have a full-size spare). It takes a while to get the most out of the wine tour, the guide speaking perfect English but with a very thick Loire accent. This must be why, even though I’ve been trying to use my French as far as possible, that everyone keeps replying to us in English… ! So S now begins to tease me about my lack of French accent (though Isabelle tells me it’s actually very good. It might be; it’s just not from the Loire, obviously).
After stopping to buy a bottle of their 2009 (I later learn, back in England, that 2009 is expected to be one of the best years) we make for Amboise. Over more Leffe Ruby (yum) we are entertained by a very enthusiastic American, cheering on his team against Algeria. We end the day back at the chateau, in the garden watching the sun go down, finishing the jaffa cakes and bottle of red we brought with us from Normandy.
We have a long drive this morning as we plan to visit Orleans. The city was much damaged during the war and unfortunately much of its architecture is therefore post-war. We drive on to Chartres, another place I particularly wanted to visit, the cathedral being a draw for pilgrims through the ages – architectural as well as religious: Chartres was the first to use flying buttresses as a support for a light and airy central nave structure and therefore would have felt very different to congregations used to the old style of church architecture. Along with the 176 stained-glass windows it would have been – and still is – a magnificent sight. Currently in the process of being cleaned, if you imagine the newly-built cathedral in fresh creamy stone with the sun flooding through the intricate windows – it must have been fantastic.
On then to Blois for dinner, another Loire town that has grown up around a tightly packed medieval centre of narrow cobbled streets. Another World Cup match to watch over dinner – this time Japan v. Denmark – but without any Japanese or Danes to make it more interesting.
This morning, S is being a little more cagey than usual about our first destination. We pull through a set of rather imposing gates, with no discernable change in the general layout of the road or landscape and S announces ‘this whole area is still owned by the castle that it’s named for’. This can only be Chambord, who’s chateau is described rather aptly as having a roof resembling a crowded chessboard.
The castle itself is huge and takes the greater part of the day to explore – and I swear the part open to the public still only scratches the surface of what’s actually here. Most impressive are the double-helix staircases (two staircases in one stairwell, what warped and feverishly genius mind conceived that?) and the roof space, which can also be explored in all its Alice in Wonderland glory.
Today is the hottest so far and the lake in front of the castle looks very inviting. I guess a €20/half an hour boat hire is a little on the pricey side, but what the hell? We’re on holiday – and how fabulous to have the little lake to ourselves. It means we also get a perspective of Chambord that we would not otherwise have seen.
Partly in a bid to beat the heat, we head upwards next, to Sancerre, perched almost precariously as it is at the top of a hill. A pretty little town, very easy to explore and, from the keep at the top of the hill, with fabulous views of the surrounding countryside. Which is absolutely dominated by vines, as far as the eye can see, in every direction (predictably enough, I guess).
The charm of Sancerre notwithstanding, we decide to press on to Bourges for dinner, which turns out to be a good choice. Hindsight being the wonderful gift it is, I am glad now that I enjoyed the duck as much as I did… but more of this, later.
I wake this morning with a sore throat that has been steadily worsening over the last day or two, but which I am not going to be able to ignore for much longer. Despite this, we have an easy drive down to the coast south-west of Nantes to the popular French holiday destination of Les Sables d’Olonne. On the Atlantic coast but warm and almost Mediterranean in atmosphere, this is yet largely unexplored by British holidaymakers and we are starting to rely more and more on my recent French lessons.
I sleep like the dead for about 5 hours and then spend some time in restless agony. Breakfast is quite lavish but I can manage only one slice of the softest brioche. S takes pity on me and announces a quiet day. We had understood enough from our hostess yesterday to gather that Noirmoutier is accessible by two roads, except at high tide – so take the high road. I’m feeling much better than I did last night, though my throat is still very sore, and we keep our eyes open for chemists – predictably enough for a Sunday however, they remain steadfastly closed.
We return to the chateau in the early afternoon to find it, and the pool, gloriously deserted. I am pleasantly surprised to find that this swimming lark is not as difficult as I thought and we have a very enjoyable hour or so splashing around. Maybe it’s the heat that has affected my throat, as it feels much better when I get out.
We have a repeat of the mission of our first night in Tours, trying to find somewhere to eat, before we give in and return to Les Sables and a restaurant recommended by our hostess (who we have affectionately come to refer to as Madame). It does indeed live up to her recommendation; though pizza probably isn’t the wisest choice for me, it is delicious.
Having several hours to fill before the appointed time, we raid Madame’s leaflet carousel and take ourselves over to a local botanic garden. So sure are we by now of where we are however that we miss a turn on the way back and turn up late for the doctor. He remains unruffled however, being a very nice man, and diagnoses me with a throat infection, also correctly surmising that I have had a slight fever at some point in the last few days. We leave clutching a prescription for some cough syrup, some hefty soluble paracetemol (I have to break these into four to get them to dissolve) and some Amoxycillin.
Mightily relieved at the thought of imminent recovery, we drive to Nantes. We spend some time exploring the town, admiring the shops (trying to keep away from the shoes), avoiding several random singing pedestrians. We fail miserably to find the tourist tram (though we do find the stop for it), or a guitar shop. We finally wend our way to La Cigale, an art deco restaurant in the corner of one of the main squares, which is constantly busy. We stop for one beer before the waiters start laying the tables for the evening dinner service. And by the time we’ve read the menu, the place is full once more. We gain yet more brownie points with Madame when we tell her next morning where we ate.
It’s time for one of the highlights of the trip for S – a visit to the tank museum at Saumur. He’s long wanted to see a Panzer ‘in the flesh’ and today’s the day! We wander into pretty Saumur afterwards for another beer, before heading off to Angers. They have a beautifully preserved tapestry based on the Book of Revelation, housed in the moated castle.
The entrance to the medieval town can be seen from the castle battlements and, intrigued, we head over there next. Unlike most of the other towns we’ve explored, the old streets of Angers have been left unchanged with no commerciality, though the buildings are lived in. Walking through the medieval streets feels like stepping across the threshold of a time machine: the buildings are sympathetically looked after, not in the least run down but also no overt modernisation to the facades and it’s very quiet with no traffic. On a Tuesday afternoon there was absolutely no-one else around and it felt quite atmospheric, in a refreshing sort of way. It was a pity to leave and return to the modern city.
For our last day in the Loire, we decide to take it easy again. We have been trying without success to find a shirt for S (to a specific design) and I have a hankering for a shorter dress. As luck would have it, all the shops are deep into sale season and we manage to grab a bargain on a lovely floaty number for me, and S spots the perfect necklace to go with it. We also take a field trip flying tour of the market and find that there are indeed, several terms for ‘prawn’. Quelle surprise….
The day is one of the hottest so far and we take advantage of another quiet afternoon in the chateau to head back to the pool. I’m feeling quite confident in my own abilities this time and even manage to swim a couple of lengths, as opposed to widths – though I hasten to add, not in one go.
The restaurants at Les Sables being arranged along both sides of the water, we decide to hit the opposite side tonight and this time, it’s my choice entirely. I decide to take a different tack with the menu tonight and choose something that I know isn’t shellfish-based but is otherwise untranslatable by me. When it arrives, I find it’s not meat either. Apart from knowing what it’s not however, I’m no closer to deciding what it is. Discussing it with Isabelle on my return, she is also none the wiser. From what I can remember of the spelling, she confirms that this is likely to mean something like ‘unspecified sea creature’ (no, before you oh-so-humourously suggest it, the word wasn’t ‘poisson’) and therefore could have been anything. I wonder if it could possibly have been squid, if exceptionally well-cooked given that it required almost no chewing.
Today, we’re leaving the Loire behind and heading north again. The temperature is still gloriously hot however as we pull into our next B&B. Which looks suspiciously deserted… Several phone calls, an espionage meeting with a taxi driver and a quick time-filling drive to the beach (should’ve walked) later, we leave our bags in our room and head off to Cancale.
After a stroll around the town and the market, and having bought some Leffe for later, we head down to the harbour. I have beef carpaccio, a little slither of heaven! We end the day on the patio of the B&B, drinking Leffe and watching the sun go down.
We wake to a slightly more blustery day than we’ve been used to recently, but just shrug our shoulders and head off to St Malo. Walking round the battlements of the walled town I get struck by photography-itis and can’t seem to stop taking pictures of the abandoned fort in the harbour.
St Malo is charming and intriguing, but very expensive within the walls. Great fun to explore, but apart from more beer and food, we’re not tempted to put our hands in our pockets. Entertainment over dinner consists of watching various drivers make a sharp turn to exit the town through the narrow gate in the wall. Tip: don’t stand on the path outside the public loos or you’ll spend more than a penny.
Dinner over early by French standards, we lose the car back at the B&B and walk down to the beach. It’s hard to believe that from the middle of the village it’s five minutes to the sea… Fantastic. We watch another sunset in the brasserie (La Perle Noire) at the top of the cliff, over several more beers. And a bottle or two of wine. And a couple of whiskies.
This morning, we’re off to Mont St Michel, somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit. We take the scenic coast road. This almost feels like home, the landscape is so flat. Which means you get an amazing view of St Michel as you approach. This is one of those places in the world which looks amazing in photos – but absolutely blows you away when you see it for real. I was intrigued by St Malo yesterday, enclosed in its walls, and enthralled by Angers’ perfectly preserved medieval town, but this is really something else. We decide not to take the tour of the abbey, in favour of exploring the streets and I can’t help muttering to myself every five minutes: people live here! This is unbelievable! The first street up from the gatehouse is quite commercialised but that still somehow doesn’t detract from the enchantment of the place. Every corner you turn brings you something else to see – a tiny crammed cemetery, the front or side view of someone’s old home or a view over the endless flat landscape.
I’d love to spend a weekend in one of the hotels within the town walls, and maybe visit the abbey late in the afternoon, when the crowds are much fewer. As it is, even though we’re not in peak holiday season, there is nowhere left to sit. We perch ourselves on the edge of the fountain just inside the gated entrance and watch the endless crowd roll by.
On the way ‘home’, we take a detour through Dinard, which is very pretty but again, quite pricey. The day has grown steadily hotter from its unpromising start and I’m looking forward to trying out the sea, however. We grab the absolute minimum that we’ll need from our room and walk down to the beach. The water is cold but not freezing and we spend the next hour like absolute children; omig I haven’t done this since I was about 12! S thinks it’s hilarious when a huge incoming wave picks me up, turns me through 360 degrees and then deposits me back on the beach. I know it’s pointless to try and either stand up or resist so just let the water take me.
Having spent several hours drinking ourselves silly there the night before, we particularly want to eat at La Perle Noire tonight. We are fortunate to find the last available table as they are holding a private party – several people get turned away or have to eat outside. The waitress seems surprised when we order a second bottle of wine but this is our last night and we’re enjoying ourselves far too much to make it an early one.
What can I say about our last day? Our ferry isn’t until early evening and we’ve got all day to get there – but it will take the better part of the day to drive to Calais from Brittany. We stop briefly at Cap Gris Nez to admire the view and finish off a sandwich before turning our noses towards Good ‘Ole Blighty once more.
Now: where are we going next year… ? | 2019-04-20T11:04:21Z | http://www.katsock-crafts.com/loire-valley-2011/2014/1/31/loire-2010 |
OK. That’s all I could come up with on short notice, but it’s a fun exercise to think about what seemed to be so critical 365 days ago is all but forgotten now. Every time I do this exercise, I am reminded about the progression on leadership themes I have seen in the Navy since I was a midshipman. Let’s see if anyone remembers: Day-long Sensitivity Training, Management by Objective (MBO), Total Quality Management (TQM), Lean, Six Sigma, Navy Enterprise Model, Accelerated Learning, Business Process Reengineering. I can still see the TQM workshops with the red and white balls in my mind as well as watching videos of Demming droning on. I remember when it was declared that all SES and Flags should be at least a Brown Belt. I’m not quite sure what management fad we are in now, but if you have some ideas, please comment. By the way, I hope this page looks decent. It taxed my knowledge of HTML to get columns into the article…And harder still to get them to stop. By the way, for all you retired Flags and SESers, I will be happy to collect your brown belts and sell them on consignment.
OK, I know it’s been a while since I sat down and put some thoughts on paper…One of my New Year’s resolutions it to do a better job. Frankly, for me, writing these articles is a way to organize my thoughts and to vent (but not too much). And it seems that of late one risks a great deal by exposing one’s thoughts to the universe of tweet-ers, facebook-ers, linked In-ers, and web lurkers, given the apparent lack of tolerance for anything but the most extreme views. There. I feel better.
On to “Who do you trust?” I think it’s a good time to consider this question, especially in light of the “fake” news craze, endless exposure to unverified “Breaking News”, and a Congress seemingly motived by party politics and reelection fever over trust. I admit that’s harsh, but I’m pretty sure when you make a list of who you trust, your representatives on the Hill won’t be on it. I really don’t know what to think when I hear our elected representatives constantly using the most extreme superlatives, good or bad, when describing each bit of proposed legislation….It’s either “the most devastating blow to the middle class since the Great Depression” or “historic legislation which will restore the American Dream.” Really? Can it be that bad or that good? I don’t think so and hence, I don’t trust what is being said.
I’m thinking this will be a two-parter….There’s too much to cover in one article, so I will focus on who/what I don’t trust and why in this article. Tomorrow, I will follow up with who I do trust and why.
Airline Flight Status. Airlines always recommend you check with them before heading to the airport….I’ve yet to check on a flight that still three hours away that says anything but “On Time.” I’m talking about normal operations, no big storms or computer meltdowns in the offing….just an everyday trip to the airport. So I bop on over to the airport, go through security, check again on flight status (On Time) and head on over to the gate. I’ve got a nifty app on my phone that lets me see where the airplane is coming from so I can check on it….Lo and behold, my airplane is 30 minutes behind schedule ….but at my gate it still says “On Time.” If I ask the gate agent, usually I get a “nothing is showing on my system” reply. Eventually, they have to come clean and the announcement is made that there’s a delay. Now they post a new departure time, usually wildly optimistic, that they have no hope of making….I’d much rather they use technology and post actual status….6 minutes late, or 15 minutes early. By the way, ever had a delay because the aircrew was late arriving from another flight? The airlines know that way ahead of time. Why don’t they put a status up that reflects that? I don’t trust ‘em.
Weather Reports. Apparently actual temperatures are not very news worthy, so weather guessers have invented wind chills and heat factors. It’s not so interesting to say it’s going to be 15 degrees tonight. Instead, why not say, “We are going to have serious, life threatening wind chills of minus 5 tonight somewhere is our listening area. Stay tuned as this story develops.” Huh? Why say “There’s a chance of snow tomorrow” when you can say “I can’t rule out the possibility of over 12 inches of snow and blizzard conditions similar to Antarctica will be here tomorrow because the Manchurian model says so.” And why are we naming storms which we used to label northeasters except to make them seem as serious as a hurricane so the viewers will “stay tuned”? Since when has a cold spell become a “Bomb?” Everything the weather reporters say always emphasize the extremes. I’m interested in their best guess about what’s likely to happen, not their speculations on how bad it might be. They seem to be just opposite.
Congress. It’s all about the extremes over there too. Apparently, nothing can be solved by compromise, so they have invented ways to ensure the extremes always win (or lose). I get a kick watching coverage over there. It’s always the leadership slinging superlatives right and left while surrounded by 5 or 6 colleagues looking concerned. I would feel like such a dope standing in the background, nodding my head and furrowing my brow while having absolutely nothing to say. I always wonder what the stand-arounds are thinking. “Do I look concerned enough?” “I wonder if they are having meatballs in the cafeteria today?” “I hope they see me standing here back in the District.” Who knows what they are thinking?
I guess I’ve said enough to get me in trouble, but before I leave the subject of non-trust, I thought it might be interesting to think about why things/people show up on the non-trust list. I’m also interested in what’s on your list.
History of being wrong. I guess this one is obvious, but worth a comment. If you tell me something and it was wrong, I’m probably less likely to trust what you say in the future. It helps if you come to me and admit you were wrong and to express a desire to be more accurate in the future. There are plenty of reasons to be wrong, so fess up! Just remember, I tend to trust people who have a track record of being right. The weather is usually never as bad as the worst-case scenario pushed by the TV forecaster, so I tend to take what they say with a grain of salt. By the way, I woke up this morning with a white driveway, yet there was no mention of any precipitation for the next 24 hours.
Shifting reality. I don’t trust people or things that seem to change based on convenience, personal benefit, discovery of the truth, or crowd-think. Airlines know that flights aren’t “on Time” usually well in advance. Why not say so when they know? Sure, they eventually are truthful, but only after they have no other option but to be truthful. People are sorry after they get caught…..not while they are doing illegal or hurtful things.
Inward focused. When people are self-focused, saying and doing what’s best for them, not for others, I don’t trust them. One can usually tell when the “What’s in it for me?” rule is in effect and I find it hard to trust someone who hasn’t at least considered the consequences of their actions on me and others.
Agenda over truthfulness. If I sense that someone is more focused on their own agenda at the expense of being truthful, then I don’t trust them. They frequently are unresponsive to facts, seeking alternate facts (Whatever that means). This results in a situation where the opinion of others is seldom valued or even considered. I don’t trust people who develop solutions that haven’t considered all perspectives. I don’t think that many who seek our trust are intentionally un-truthful. They may “think” they are being truthful, but because they are so focused on their agenda, they have conveniently overlooked facts which don’t contribute to their version of the truth. Remember, one can tell the truth without being truthful.
Violation of Trust. When you have trusted someone who then wrongly takes advantage of your trust, it will be difficult to ever trust them again. This is the most important factor I consider when determining who to trust. Have they ever violated my or someone else’s trust? If so, they wind up at the top of my “Do not Trust” List.
It’s useful to spend some time to think about trust and who you do and don’t trust. More importantly, thinking about why people wind up on one of those lists will serve you well when a new person pops up. What list do you put them on? Is it possible to change lists? Probably the most important outcome of this little drill is to think about where you fall on other peoples’ lists. This article was about a list you don’t want to be on and the things which will put you there. We all want to be trusted, but we must earn that trust by our actions. Next time, how to be on the “Trusted” list.
I just finished reading this article concerning the Air Force waiting for things to break in their shore infrastructure instead of doing preventative maintenance. My first thought was, “I sure hope that doesn’t include nukes!!!” From what I can tell from the article, maybe yes, maybe no. So that has me a little worried. But there were several other things about that article that worried me.
First, it said that the Services only submitted about 80% of what they needed for facilities maintenance because they wanted to put priority on training and operations instead of maintaining their buildings. I believe the idea was to fix things as they fail. Who wants to be in a building that might “fail”? Not me. I’m puzzled as to why they wouldn’t ask for everything needed since the money for such things comes from different appropriations than training and operations. By the way, they got all that they asked for which leaves me wondering what would have happened if they asked for what they really needed.
By the way, this is not just an Air Force problem. Here is a similar article about Navy facilities and infrastructure. Stunningly, it says that of the 13 barracks at NAS Oceana, 10 of them are rated substandard. What happened to taking care of our number one asset….our Sailors. And we only asked for 80% of the money to fix them??
Thirdly, one Commander in the article is worried that money for repair is so short, that even when things break there will not be enough money to fix them. Little wonder, since they only asked of 80% of what they needed. I suppose they are hoping for some sort of natural disaster so they can go in for supplemental funding to fix everything.
Once something happens, there will be a feeding frenzy at the supplemental trough to fix not only what was damaged by said disaster, but also stuff that was damaged by neglect. What a world!
Finally, it says that the Air Force is not planning on returning to “full spectrum readiness” (whatever that means) until 2023. That must mean they have a plan….but since when has any service been able to stick to a plan more than a couple of years???? Heck, in the Navy, we change the 30 Year Shipbuilding plan just about every year!
I recall reading an article not long after the Berlin Wall fell which said the conditions in East German bases were puzzling. The barracks the soldiers were living in were barbaric…..but just across the street, the tanks, personnel carriers, trucks, artillery and lots of other weapons were sitting in pristine condition in air conditioned splendor. This is what happens when we value things over people. Hey, recruiting is at an all time high. We could probably stand a few people jumping ship anyway. Why not skimp on their facilities so that we can continue to pay for the cost overruns of the JSF and other out-of-control acquisition programs?
On the other hand, I suppose you could say that this problem is yet another symptom of the need for another round of BRAC. Good luck with that!
Oh, by the way, no facilities were damaged in the writing of this article.
Now hold on there you DoD buckaroos!!!!! I’m not saying that what you put out is not “True”, but I think we can all agree that words can be put together is a way that while they are true, they may not be “truthful.” I put on an occasional seminar on Ethical Decision Making and in that class I discuss some points concerning “truth.” Perhaps the most famous seeker of a definition of truth was Pontius Pilate when he asked, “What is truth?” He didn’t get an answer to his question then and the answer to his question has been debated for centuries. In my previous article , Sigh-ber, I touched upon the wisdom of always being completely truthful so I won’t jump into that morass again. But is always just telling happy truth, and ignoring some of the bad news, being completely truthful? I think not. I recall during one session on the Hill when I was asked if we had fully funded the ship maintenance requirement I replied, “Yes Sir. We have fully funded the ship maintenance line to 75% of the requirement!” True enough! Anyway, I digress.
I am somehow offended that DoD chooses to mark my email as [Non-DoD Source]. I suppose I should be grateful that they deign to open my “insecure” emails. Given the thousands of emails folks receive in the Pentagon, my guess is that they will all become desensitized to that phrase and will ignore it. But……if someone ever clicks on a [Non-DoD Source] email and causes some sort of bot or bug or worm or virus to be introduced into that bastion of security, the “dot mil” domain, the Cyber-police will descend upon them for ignoring the [Non DoD Source] warning. I am sure the cyber-Dons within DoD are correct when they believe that this sort of thing can’t happen from within the “dot mil” domain….But somehow I still see echos of Bradley Mannings, Ed Snowdens and a lot of others who had inside access, that could care less about [Non DoD Source], because they were a [DoD Source]!
PS. My N8 former self can help but wonder how much it cost to mark all non DoD email as [Non DoD Source].
Please help our wounded Sailors and Coast Guardsmen by attending a performance of “A Christmas Carol”, presented by the Little Theater of Alexandria on the evening of December 16th by clicking here.
And that is a real problem because cyber crime, cyber snooping, cyber intrusion, cyber war, and all manner of other things is perhaps the most significant challenge to the well-being of the good ole US of A in this century, IMHO. I’ve attended a series of meetings and had a couple of events in my personal life that have caused me to think a lot about this problem. But they way, I don’t claim ownership of any of these ideas. I have heard them in a variety of places from a variety of people. I just wrote them down in one place.
Nothing chafes me more than getting my credit card rejected, and then finding out that my credit card company has detected the unauthorized use of my card and I must get a new one. That’s when I realize just what a poor job I have done in protecting myself….I even have a spreadsheet now with all the web sites that I have to visit to update my credit card number. It has web addresses, user names, account numbers and passwords all laid out so I can spend about two hours on line changing them all…..Am I the only one with this problem??? I’ve started trying to put everything on line through PayPal, but who’s to say that won’t be hacked next?
Think about all the bad things that have happened due to cyber crime in the last year or so…..Target gets hacked, the Joint Staff email system is fried, the Pentagon Food Court is penetrated, the OPM debacle. BTW I just got my ( less than timely) letter last week from OPM informing me that all the information on my SF86’s was compromised….that’s efficiency for you!!! (No wonder they got hacked if the timeliness of their notification is any indication of their expertise) How long has it been since we all knew about the OPM fandango???? And yet…..no one has gone to jail on the criminal side and no one has been fired or disciplined ….for any of those things. And I’ve got to say that in the case of OPM, it seems to me the cure is worse than the disease….Let me get this straight…..I get free monitoring for a couple of years and all I have to do is enter in all the personal information they couldn’t keep secure anyway…They want me to enter driver’s license number, bank account numbers, credit card numbers….What kind of idiot do they think I am? They gooned it up once……and most likely will goon it up again…There’s no way I’m putting all that info into anything that has anything to do with OPM or the US Government, for that matter…( Isn’t the lowest bidder providing most of the government’s security packages?). They should just ask the Chinese or the Russians for my info, since they apparently already have it………but I digress.
Everyone is an operator. Except for a few holdouts from America’s Greatest Generation, virtually everyone is slammin’ away at a keyboard or tip-tapping on a touch screen or talking to Siri(for those who are unable to get anyone else to talk to them). You don’t need a license, or any training, or have any awareness of just how badly you can screw things up to “operate” on the Internet. You all know people who shouldn’t be allowed on the Internet….the people who actually reply to the email from Mr. H. J. Spankle, Esq. from South Africa telling them that their long-lost cousin has left them a fortune. Or the ones who hit the “reply” button on the email from their bank telling them to update their user name and password……And yet they are all out there spending hours on-line, causing who knows how much damage. Their vote counts just as much as yours, by the way. This is why cyber experts will tell you that in most breaches, it’s not technology, but people at the root cause.
No one is in control. This relates to the no boundaries problem. Since there are no boundaries, it’s not clear who is in charge. Of course, there are several organizations that may exercise some moderate influence, like the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) or maybe some of the companies maintaining Authoritative Name Servers (the keeper of the “phonebook” for domains like .com, .net, .org, etc) Until about 1999, a company known as Network Solutions,Inc. did this function, but now several entities claim this responsibility, along with organizations for domains like .biz and .edu. The United Nations has been monkeying around with Internet Governance as well, claiming that they don’t want the US in charge (BS IMHO) but in the end there is no single “belly button” in charge.
There in no difference between military, government and civilian operations. Everyone is in the same boat. This becomes a real problem after a hacking event when trying to attribute the attack to someone or something. Was it a hostile act by an opposing military power or was it a criminal act by some organized crime actor, or was it a terrorist act by a radical group, or was it just a random act of boredom by a “hackivist” wasting time between Minecraft games? Who knows? It all looks the same. This is a fundamental problem in determining what type of response is appropriate for any given attack. I have no doubt the US has the capability to “smoke check” every single computer in North Korea….or even turn my own laptop into a time bomb fueled by a “Phaser Overload” in my lithium battery pack, but to what end? Is it our responsibility to be the “Net Police”? Is it DoD, DHS, FBI, FCC, Radio Shack???? I just don’t know (and apparently neither does any of our leadership).
All share in the risk. Just look at the Target incident. Even though I might have been a completely hygienic internet user with impeccable security habits, all I needed to do was buy a lightbulb from Target using a credit card and BINGO….I’m hacked!! And think about the problem of someone else using your computer for whatever reason…all they need to do is click on one spam message and you are hacked. In fact, it takes just one ne’er-do-well on your vastly secure network to plug in one thumb drive, and you are hacked. You are at risk, even if you chose not to play the game. This has huge implications. BTW, do you all have the new credit cards with the chip that is supposed to enhance security? You know, the one that doesn’t work in any of the credit card readers?????? As far as I can tell it’s still swipe, swipe, swipe your personal information away!!!!!!
Cyber-Health is nonexistent in the masses. Probably an overstatement, but the point is that even very well educated folks are constantly falling prey to all sorts of scams, phishing schemes and electronic theft. Think about the little device that criminal stick to the ATM card slot that copies all your ATM card info. Or what about the scanners that can cue your smart phone to dump its address book (now we need metal card holders to prevent intrusion, a la the new Pentagon Badge Holders?). So my contention is that the vast majority of internet “operators” pay about as much attention to cyber-hygiene as they do about the dangers of texting and driving…..Once again, it only takes one to spoil the whole barrel and there are plenty of rotten apples running around out there.
So there are just a few reasons why cyber-related problems are unlike any we have tackled before. No great revelations here and sadly no solutions. But I contend that to get to the solution, we must first understand the problem we are fixing. I don’t think we are anywhere near understanding the extent, nature or consequences of living in a world where everything is connected. To my way of thinking, we have too much of a good thing and that can be bad thing. I am reminded of a discussion I once had with a prospective bridegroom when I was a marriage mentor. We were talking about the special relationship between married couples….no secrets, everything open and above board…Then I remembered that sometimes openness and honesty may not always be the best policy when it comes to marriage….I made that mistake early on in our marriage…..I recall coming home just weeks into our wedded life and passing on the blueberry pie the lovely Mrs. Crenshaw has spent many hours preparing (after attending classes all day). “Just so you know, I don’t like blueberry pie,” I said. Some four-two years later I regret that moment of honesty every day!!!!!!!!!!
I guess it’s that time of year when one must talk about all things budget. And since I am only a small gnu within the herd, I too will opine on the obvious. Several thoughts came to mind as I was reading some of the commentary on the budget. It’s always fun to read the DoD press releases and to see the latest spin. How well-educated and experienced people can say some of this stuff with a straight face is a mystery to me. Take the DoD article on its press site today, “Budget Request Balances Today’s Needs Against Tomorrow’s Threats.” The article is a summary of a press conference held by DoD Comptroller, Mike McCord. I love his characterization of the budget: “although planners were aware of financial constraints, the budget is a strategy-driven construct.” Translation–we ignored the budget caps. As an aside, you all know how I hate the way the Pentagon takes common words and complicates them…like “construct“. Don’t they mean plan? I confess that I used to be as bad as the next Pentagonian in inflating words to add an air of sophistication and deep-thoughtedness to them. The “construct” word stands out in my mind because I used it one day while briefing the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Ike Skelton. He stopped me and asked, “What the heck does that mean…construct’? I replied, ” Well, you know…the product of the assimilation of a multitude of facts and non-facts into a non-coherent stream of pseudo-strategy designed to defend an un-defendable position.” Mr. Skelton replied,” Just say plan. Don’t make it so complicated with strange words.” AMEN…..And after that, I tried to avoid Pentagonisms like the plague.
Once again this budget side-steps many of the large issues, like the runaway Joint Strike Fighter budget and focuses in on the marginal stuff…TRICARE rate hikes, cutting Commissary hours, as well as proposing the impossible…base closure, A-10 retirement and the like.
But that’s not the subject of today’s blog, so I will move on from that unpleasantness…….Today’s topic is about HOW the Pentagon arrives at its budget. Of course, it’s fairly common knowledge to this audience that it uses the Planning, Programming Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) system.
Sound familiar? I submit that all of these factors exist today to some degree or another, perhaps for different reasons than in 1961, but they exist nonetheless. That’s why I think it’s time for a serious discussion about changing the process. Over the past half-century we have fallen back into some very bad habits. They were good reasons for change then, and equally good for change now.
Many would say today’s budgets are very independent of plans. Despite the efforts of the 24,000 or so Pentagon workers, in the end the budgets are determined in large measure by political decisions. I note that the elegant planning process in the Pentagon has recommended decommissioning the A-10, laying up Aegis Cruisers, another round of BRAC, and on and on. These proposals were developed by thousands of planners chewing up millions of man hours, yet the analysis is ignored by the Congress. As the Navy’s N8 I came to the conclusion that at any given moment probably 90% of the people in the Pentagon are working on some part of the budget. But to what ends? At the end of the day, the budget never changes more than about 1% -1.5%, despite the hundreds of thousands of man hours devoted to changing it? Why bother? Given there is so little change, why not stop all the madness of millions of minor budget data base changes which in the end have less than a 1% impact? We could get by with half the people in the Pentagon and let them do something more constructive.
There’s no doubt that we have still to tackle the duplication of effort issue. We still have an unexplainable excess of tactical aircraft in the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps because no one is willing to give the mission up. Look how much money that one is costing us in the guise of the JSF.
With regard to independent budget development by the Services, that’s still a problem too. How often do you think Air Force budgeteers sit down with the Navy guys to go over their current budget plans…Answer: never…It’s not until OSD gets the budgets that the Services find out what each is really up to. Heck, the Marines don’t share much of their budget with the Navy until end-game, and they are in the same Department!
The one-third rule ( every Service is entitled to roughly a third of the DoD budget) is still alive and well in the Pentagon. But because of the growth of the Fourth Estate (DoD agencies and combatant commands according to SECDEF nominee Ash Carter) the pie has been further divided. It’s almost the one-fourth rule now. What’s up with that? The process will never work if one assumes equal shares for all.
As far as budgets being focused on one year, despite the best efforts of DoD to lay in a 5 year plan, it is essentially redone every year. I used to submit the Navy’s 30 Year Shipbuilding plan almost every year with major changes. What kind of long-range plan is that? The truth is that with the way we fight the budget wars from year to year, coupled with the inability of the Congress to regularly and reliably pass funding and authorization legislation, DoD has no choice but to focus on one year. It has become so challenging to execute the budget and build several (the base budget, the sequester budget, the President’s budget, Overseas Contingency Ops budget) that it is impossible to focus on later years.
It’s too complicated to explain here, but check out the presentation. Even though it was done in 2009, I think it’s relevant today.
So that’s my rail of the day. We need to change the PPBE. I don’t know how. I am not that smart. Maybe some smart combination of the above management systems… I do know that the same reasons we decided to re-twicker the DoD budget process in 1961 exist today. We should convene a group of smart folks (and not just old fogies like me who got us into this mess in the first place) to consider how to develop a process which eliminates the 1961 reasons. It’s time for some new and innovative thinking, done by all interested parties (Congress, DoD, Administration) on how to fix the problem. | 2019-04-26T14:54:14Z | http://crenshawconsultingassociates.com/category/public-sector-management/ |
Reusable surface disinfectant tissue dispensers are used in hospitals in many countries because they allow immediate access to pre-soaked tissues for targeted surface decontamination. On the other hand disinfectant solutions with some active ingredients may get contaminated and cause outbreaks. We determined the frequency of contaminated surface disinfectant solutions in reusable dispensers and the ability of isolates to multiply in different formulations.
Reusable tissue dispensers with different surface disinfectants were randomly collected from healthcare facilities. Solutions were investigated for bacterial contamination. The efficacy of two surface disinfectants was determined in suspension tests against two isolated species directly from a contaminated solution or after 5 passages without selection pressure in triplicate. Freshly prepared use solutions were contaminated to determine survival of isolates.
66 dispensers containing disinfectant solutions with surface-active ingredients were collected in 15 healthcare facilities. 28 dispensers from nine healthcare facilities were contaminated with approximately 107 cells per mL of Achromobacter species 3 (9 hospitals), Achromobacter xylosoxidans or Serratia marcescens (1 hospital each). In none of the hospitals dispenser processing had been adequately performed. Isolates regained susceptibility to the disinfectants after five passages without selection pressure but were still able to multiply in different formulations from different manufacturers at room temperature within 7 days.
Neglecting adequate processing of surface disinfectant dispensers has contributed to frequent and heavy contamination of use-solutions based on surface active ingredients. Tissue dispenser processing should be taken seriously in clinical practice.
The emergence of multi-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in healthcare associated infections has led to an increased awareness for prevention of transmission , e.g. by hand disinfection or targeted surface disinfection . Especially surfaces in the immediate proximity of patients and those with frequent hand contacts should be wiped regularly with a surface disinfectant which may contain quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC), amines, glucoprotamin or amphotensides (all summarized as “surface-active ingredients”), aldehydes, alcohols or oxygen-releasing compounds . In recent years reusable tissue dispensers for surface disinfection became more popular with the aim to facilitate targeted surface disinfection in areas with frequent hand contacts or in high risk areas such as intensive care units . They are also recommended as one of many measures to control outbreaks, e.g. caused by Serratia marcescens in neonatology units . Manufacturers of dispensers usually recommended how to process them before refilling with use solutions and tissue roles but compliance with the recommendation in clinical practice is unknown. We were informed in connection with an outbreak by Serratia spp. in a neonatology unit that “Pseudomonas species” at approximately 107 cells per mL was detected in a single dispenser containing a surface disinfectant solution based on the QAC benzalkonium chloride (BAC) (Exner M.; personal communication). That is why we determined the frequency of contaminated surface disinfectant solutions in reusable dispensers, the ability of isolates to multiply in different formulations and their ability to form biofilms.
Seventy dispensers or solutions from dispensers were collected randomly from various healthcare facilities as well as information on the date of last refill, type and date of last routine dispenser processing and type of disinfectant dosage (e.g. manual dosing or use of a peripheral disinfectant dosage apparatus). The focus was on surface disinfectant solutions based only on surface-active ingredients such as quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC), amphotensides, amines or glucoprotamin, but other preparations based on alcohols or aldehydes in combination with QAC were also collected. Preferably solutions in a concentration of 0.5% which are described as effective within one hour and which are recommended in risk areas (e.g. intensive care units and operating theaters) and on surfaces with frequent hand contacts were collected. Each solution was tested for bacterial contamination by serial dilution in casein peptone soymeal peptone broth containing neutralizing agents (0.1% histidin, 0.1% cysteine, 0.3% lecithin, 3% Tween 80). The combination of neutralizers was validated and effective for all tested products. Aliquots of one mL were spread on casein peptone soymeal peptone agar and incubated for 72 h. Colonies were counted to calculate the number of colony-forming units (CFU) per mL. Whenever a high bacterial contamination of the solution was found the species was identified by MALDI mass spectrometry (Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Germany). A pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of Achromobacter species 3 isolates was performed using Xba I as restriction enzyme .
In order to find out if isolates are capable to multiply in different types of disinfectant solutions, we contaminated 3 dispensers per product using an aliquot of 25 mL of the bacterial suspension with a cell number adjusted to approximately 107 cells per mL. Three days later tissue roles were inserted (X-Wipes; Bode Chemie GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) and use solutions (0.5%) of four surface disinfectants added (Mikrobac forte and Kohrsolin FF, Bode Chemie GmbH, Hamburg, Germany; Terralin protect, Schülke & Mayr GmbH, Norderstedt, Germany; Incidin plus, Ecolab Deutschland GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany). Three different types of contaminants were used: the adapted isolate Achromobacter species 3 directly from a contaminated surface disinfectant solution, the same isolate passaged five times on casein peptone soymeal peptone agar to allow loss of adaptation, and finally the closely related species Achromobacter xylosoxidans as ATCC strain 27061. A dispenser was filled with 2.5 L of disinfectant solution. Dispensers with the disinfectant solution and a role of tissues were left at room temperature for 28 days. A sample of the disinfectant solution was taken on days seven, 14, 21 and 28. Serial dilution was performed in casein peptone soymeal peptone broth containing neutralizing agents (0.1% histidin, 0.1% cysteine, 0.3% lecithin, 3% Tween 80). The number of colony-forming units (CFU) per mL was determined.
In order to find out if the isolates detected in surface disinfectant solutions were adapted to the formulation, the bactericidal activity of Mikrobac forte and Incidin plus (1% for 30 min, 0.5% for one h, 0.25% for four h) was determined according to EN 13727 in triplicate under dirty conditions against the species that were detected in the solutions with the same strain at passage zero directly from the contaminated disinfectant solution and passage five (five passages on casein peptone soymeal peptone agar at 37°C without selection pressure). Corresponding ATCC strains were also tested. An increase of susceptibility of the isolates from passage zero to passage five was regarded as evidence for adaptation.
Biofilm formation was measured in triplicate with one strain of Achromobacter species 3 and one strain of Serratia marcescens as described by O’Toole et al. . Both strains were used in the adapted (passage 0) and de-adapted cell stage (passage 5). A microtiter plate based on polypropylene was used (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Langenselbold, Germany) which is the compound most reusable dispenser for surface disinfection tissues are made off. The contamination fluid for both species was prepared in disinfectant solution of products based on surface-active ingredients (Mikrobac forte, Bode Chemie GmbH, Hamburg, Germany; Terralin protect, Schülke & Mayr GmbH, Norderstedt, Germany; Incidin plus, Ecolab Deutschland GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany), sterile physiological sodium chloride solution (negative control) and tryptic soy broth (TSB; positive control) resulting in a cell concentration of approximately 107 CFU/mL. Microtiter plates were filled with 300 μL of contamination fluid per well and left for 3 days under a work bench for sterile goods. Each well was then filled with 300 μL of disinfectant solution (0.5%), physiological sodium chloride solution or tryptic soy broth. Microtiter plates were left at room temperature. Biofilm formation was quantified after 2, 3, 4, 5 and 24 h and after 2, 8, 10 and 23 days. At each time point plates were dumped out in order to remove any liquid, gently submerged in a tub of water, stained with 300 μL of 2% crystal violet for 15 min, submerged again in a tub of water, and finally filled with 300 μL of 30% acetic acid to solubilize crystal violet. After 15 minutes at room temperature absorbance was quantified at 550 nm using 30% acetic acid in water as the blank. Absorbance in the negative control was regarded as baseline. The OD550 nm for non-specific background staining of each disinfectant solution or TSB medium was subtracted from raw values for of each disinfectant solution or TSB medium. Biofilm formation in the disinfectant solution and the positive control was calculated as the ratio between their mean OD550 nm and the mean OD550 nm of the negative control expressed as a relative change.
Dispensers or solutions from dispensers were obtained from 15 healthcare facilities (13 hospitals, two medical practices) in four regions of Germany. 66 of them contained surface disinfectants based only on surface-active ingredients (51 of them in a concentration of 0.5%, 11 in a concentration of 0.25% and four dispensers with an unknown disinfectant concentration). Four dispensers also contained aldehyde (solution of 0.5%) or alcohol (ready to use). The mean time between the last refill and the collection of the dispenser was 17.7 days (minimum: three days, maximum 58 days). Processing of the dispensers as recommended by the manufacturer was not performed in any of the participating healthcare facilities. A heavy contamination with 106 to 107 cells per mL was found in 28 of the solutions with surface-active ingredients (42.4%) whereas the disinfectants containing also aldehydes or alcohol did not reveal any relevant contamination. Whenever a contamination was detected the healthcare facility was immediately informed to allow instant removal of other dispensers. Achromobacter species 3 was identified in dispensers of all nine healthcare facilities with contaminated solutions, from one of these Serratia marcescens could be isolated as well. Achromobacter xylosoxidans was cultivated in one dispenser. Eight isolates of Achromobacter species 3 were available for PFGE and represented seven different strains, two isolates from one hospital were genotypically identical.
At both concentrations Incidin plus showed insufficient bactericidal activity with a mean log10-reduction between 0.00 and 0.09 against both dispenser isolate species from passage 0 (Table 1). Mikrobac forte revealed similar results against one dispenser isolate species (mean log10-reduction between 0.00 and 0.08) but was found much more effective against another (mean log10-reduction between 2.39 and 6.04). After five passages of the same isolates the efficacy increased mostly. Against ATCC strains both surface disinfectants were highly effective.
Achromobacter species 3, Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Serratia marcescens isolated from passages 0 and 5; n = 3; dirty conditions; *passage 1 was used due to the co-contamination with Achromobacter species 3; n.a = not applicable.
Achromobacter species 3 was able to multiply at room temperature in three different surface disinfectants based only on surface-active ingredients (all at 0.5%; Table 2). Multiplication was found within one to four weeks up to a cell number of 107 per mL regardless of using adapted or passaged cells. No multiplication of Achromobacter species 3 was found in a surface disinfectant containing in addition aldehyde (solution of 0.5%), or alcohol (ready to use; data not shown). Achromobacter xylosoxidans ATCC 27061, however, was not detected over four weeks in any of the disinfectant solutions based on surface-active ingredients.
Achromobacter species 3 (passage 0 as adapted cells, and passage 5 as de-adapted cells) or Alcaligenes xylosoxidans ATCC 27061 after up to 28 days in a freshly prepared disinfectant solution (2.5 l) with tissues, prepared in a fresh dispenser which was first contaminated with 25 ml of inoculum (approximately 107 CFU per mL).
In polypropylene microtiter plates biofilm formation was found within a few hours in all three surface disinfectant solutions contaminated with Achromobacter species 3 or Serratia marcescens. After 23 days Achromobacter species 3 formed up to five times more biofilm in all three surface disinfectant solutions in both the adapted and de-adapted cell stage (Figure 1). Similar results were found with Serratia marcescens (Figure 2). Both isolates were capable only in the positive control to produce large amounts of biofilm (up to 145 times) with the trend to more biofilm formation formed by the de-adapted cells. No major difference was found between the three surface disinfectant solutions.
Biofilm formation of Achromobacter species 3 in surface disinfectant solutions in polypropylen microtiter plates. Cells were used as passage 0 (adapted) and passage 5 (de-adapted), surface disinfectants were prepared at 0.5%, TSB was the positive control; mean and stdev of three experiments.
Biofilm formation of Serratia marcescens in surface disinfectant solutions in polypropylen microtiter plates. Cells were used as passage 0 (adapted) and passage 5 (de-adapted), surface disinfectants were prepared at 0.5%, TSB was the positive control; mean and stdev of three experiments.
The frequency of bacterial contamination found in solutions for surface disinfection based on surface active ingredients was surprisingly high with an overall rate of 42%. To the best of our knowledge none of the collected contaminated dispensers was identified as the source or associated with a nosocomial infection in the participating health care facilities although we can exclude that single transmission may have occurred but was not noted or reported. In most cases Achromobacter species 3 were detected but Serratia marcescens and Achromobacter xylosoxidans could be isolated as well. Achromobacter spp. is known to cause only rarely nosocomial infections such as septicemia, pneumonia or peritonitis . Especially critically ill patients e.g. from neonatology units or with immunosuppression are at risk . The main cause of surface disinfectant contamination seems to be the inappropriate processing of reusable tissue dispensers. In one hospital, the dispensers were only rinsed with tap water. In another hospital the last tissue was used for a brief wipe of the dispenser’s inner surface. That is why it is essential that effective processing is not only recommended by the manufacturer but also correctly carried out by the staff of health care facilities.
Inappropriate processing has probably supported the bacterial cells to adapt to the formulations as shown with Achromobacter species 3, and to produce biofilm. Development of tolerance in the presence of BAC has been shown before . This tolerance, however, may get lost again . In our isolates Achromobacter species 3 and Serratia marcescens we found the same pattern indicating that the reduced susceptibility is most likely explained by a transient adaption to BAC or glucoprotamin. Adaption to BAC has a potentially harmful consequence. It may substantially enhance biofilm production by non-BAC-resistant cells in the post-adaption period as a response to the antimicrobial stress . Originally resistant isolates probably experienced lesser stress during adaptation, and hence displayed only marginal increase in biofilm formation . Isolates with a resistance to BAC are also commonly resistant to different types of antibiotics [14, 15] or to other types of surfactants such as benzethonium chloride or alkyldiaminoethylglycine . Assuming that most isolates in clinical practice are not originally resistant, one should expect a rather high biofilm forming capacity from Gram-negative isolates surviving in or even multiplying in BAC use solution. This aspect makes a thorough cleaning of dispensers even more important not only for dispensers used over 28 days but also for dispensers used every day with a freshly prepared disinfectant solution .
Multiplication of Achromobacter species 3 was found at room temperature which is not its optimum temperature for growth . This could be demonstrated only in surface disinfectant solution (0.5%) but not in water indicating that at least these formulations seem to provide a “friendly environment” for bacterial growth. Different Gram-negative species are known to show different susceptibilities to BAC . Solutions with specific active agents may get contaminated and thereby contribute to the transmission of pathogens – at the worst resulting in an outbreak situation [20, 21]. Most outbreaks were reported with solutions based on benzalkonium chloride (BAC) which is the most commonly used QAC in surface disinfection. Whenever a contamination with BAC was detected, it was either a Gram-negative bacterial species (e.g. Pseudomonas species, Serratia marcescens, Burkholderia cepacia or Enterobacter aerogenes) or in two cases a mycobacterial species . Multiplication of Serratia marcescens up to 107 cells per mL has been described before in the presence of BAC or in a disinfectant based on QAC [22, 23]. The reason for this, however, is not fully understood, yet, some mechanisms have been elucidated. Repeated exposure of Serratia marcescens to a QAC has been described to cause the emergence of mutants resistant not only to multiple species of biocides but also to structurally and functionally diverse antibiotics . Exposure of the mutants to the QAC results in overexpression of an efflux pump, SdeAB . Similar observations were made with glucoprotamin. Pancer et al. describe that the efficacy of glucoprotamin is reduced when microorganisms are presented in biofilm . The lowest effectiveness on biofilm forming bacteria showed the disinfectant with glucoprotamine compared to formulations based on sodium dichloroisocyanurate or potassium persulfate . Alcaligenes xylosoxidans has been described to use triclosan as a carbon source resulting in a reduction of the triclosan concentration over time . In our samples from hospitals, however, we did not find a reduced level of BAC indicating that BAC is not metabolized in a relevant amount [27, 28].
It becomes quite evident that the current clinical practice of dispenser processing with a “quick and dirty” approach is not suitable to ensure safe surface disinfectant solutions with formulations based on surface-active ingredients over 28 days, in some samples not even over three days. First data indicate that processing of contaminated dispensers from clinical practice is not as easy as many practitioners think if re-contamination of the disinfectant solution shall be prevented for a period of up to 28 days . This finding raises serious doubts on the efficacy of manufacturer’s dispenser processing recommendations if not supported by sound scientific evidence. That is why evidence-based protocols for dispenser processing should be available as soon as possible. Some examples are available already, e.g. for effective automatic (professional washer disinfector; process for at least 5 minutes at 55°C – 60°C) and manual processes (thorough rinse with hot water, drying, thorough disinfection with alcohol-based surface disinfectant, allow to dry) . These processing protocols should be accompanied with excellent staff training and stipulation of a HACCP-like quality assurance system since potential errors by users may have an immediate impact. If clinical practice does not change in that respect we have to be aware that outbreaks propagated by contaminated surface disinfectant solutions based on BAC or glucoprotamine as a point source might be reported soon. Additional concern may arise because Achromobacter xylosoxidans is apparently a reservoir of horizontal genetic transfer elements commonly involved in spreading antibiotic resistance . Inappropriately processed dispensers will allow this pathogen to persist in the environment of healthcare facilities with all possible implications.
Disinfectant solutions based on surface-active ingredients from poorly processed tissue dispensers are frequently contaminated with adapted biofilm-forming Gram-negative bacteria. Effective processing of tissue dispensers is essential to eliminate them as a possible source of pathogen transmission and consecutive infections especially if disinfectants based on QAC, amines or glucoprotamin are used.
The study was funded by the BODE SCIENCE CENTER, Bode Chemie GmbH, Hamburg, Germany. The sponsor participated in the study design, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the manuscript and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. We thank Prof. Dr. Paul-Michael Kaulfers, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany, for performing the species identification with MALDI.
Parts of the study were presented as an oral presentation at the 2nd ICPIC, Geneva, Switzerland. Source: Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control 2013, 2(Suppl. 1):O67.
GK, SD, SL, KJ and CO are paid employees of Bode Chemie GmbH, Hamburg, Germany.
GK and CO designed the study, SD and SL performed and analyzed all experiments except on biofilm, KJ performed and analyzed the experiments on biofilm and prepared the figures, GK made the literature search, HB organized and supervised the experiments on PFGE, GK analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript, all authors read and approved the final manuscript. | 2019-04-23T21:52:35Z | https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com.preview-live.oscarjournals.springer.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2334-14-37 |
As a reminder, this conference call is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to your host, Lee Ahlstrom, CFO. You may begin sir.
Thank you, Nicole. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to RigNet's third quarter 2018 earnings call. Copy of our earnings press release with supporting schedules, including the schedules, which reconcile the non-GAAP metrics we'll discuss today to GAAP metrics is posted to our website www.rig.net under our Investor Relations page. For those of you who would like the release in PDF format, we've posted that as well.
Before we get started, I'd like to make you aware that we will be making forward-looking statements today. Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements related but not limited to market expectations and future plans for the rest of 2018 and beyond, are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These include but are not limited to risks associated with the general nature of the oil and gas industry, customer and other third-party interactions and other factors detailed in the risk factors section of RigNet's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated. RigNet disclaims any duty to update the information presented on this call.
And now I'd like to turn the call over to Steve Pickett, RigNet's Chief Executive Officer and President, Steve?
Thank you, Lee. And thank you to everyone who is joining today's call. I'm very pleased to be here in Houston with Lee, who joined us in August as our CFO. Lee has a strong background in oil and gas, has global experience, prior public company CFO experience, M&A experience and is an Engineer, who has come up to speed on our technology offerings quite quickly. Lee, welcome.
This morning, I'll open up with a general update on our progress in executing our growth strategy and I'll summarize some of the key wins we achieved during the quarter. Then Lee will go through some of the financial highlights. Following that, as always, we'll open it up for questions.
Yesterday, after the close, RigNet reported a net loss of $2.8 million or $0.15 per share, based on revenues of $64.8 million, which were up nearly 8% from the second quarter. This is our second consecutive quarter of delivering top line growth and our third consecutive quarter with improved earnings. Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure we defined in our press release and one of our key performance metrics, was $8.7 million, up just under 8% from the second quarter. This was our second consecutive quarterly increase in adjusted EBITDA.
Revenue increased across each of our three reporting segments, both sequentially and versus the prior year period, showing healthy activity across all three segments. We're particularly pleased with the growth in the apps and IoT segment, where revenues were up 13.5% from the second quarter and almost 50% from third quarter 2017.
Let me take a moment to remind everyone of our overall strategy, which is driving the ongoing transformation of RigNet from a company that's historically been seen as an oilfield services company, to a company that is a holistic digital transformation solutions provider. To begin with the base business, managed communication services will continue to be core to serving our global customers, who rely on us in more than 50 countries to deliver consistent and reliable communications services. As you know, RigNet is highly leveraged in the energy vertical, although we've diversified away from only serving offshore rigs and now have over 6,000 midstream pipeline sites, where we are providing SCADA and Internet of Things solution.
These pipeline sites are not included in our reported site count, because individually each one is a small contributor. Although in total, the contribution is meaningful and we hope to continue to grow in this area. Additionally, we now serve 332 production sites, including both FPSOs and fixed platforms. In speaking with our customers, there is growing enthusiasm with the energy industry, particularly offshore is in the early stages of recovery and we share that enthusiasm. However, in spite of our growth, utilization of rigs across both jackups and floaters is up only slightly year-over-year. And although we expect improvement going forward, we are forecasting hockey-stick shaped growth in this sub-segment. We're focused on driving network efficiencies across our business. Network efficiencies improve with scale, so as we move ahead, we'll look to continue acquisitions that help us build that scale, whether in energy, where we hold a leading market share position or in different verticals allowing us to diversify or even within specific geographic areas.
We're also taking advantage of unique opportunities to expand and improve our network. For example, on our second quarter call, we announced we are investing along with a major telecommunications partner to enhance our existing Gulf of Mexico infrastructure to provide 4G and 5G capabilities to existing network. I'm pleased to report that the build-out is progressing well, although some weather delays in September have nudged capital spending somewhat to the right, meaning that we will see that spend mostly come in the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2019.
Beyond the core business, we continue to make great progress in building our apps and IoT segment, growing revenue 13.5% sequentially and almost 50% versus third quarter 2017. Although apps and IoT comprises many solutions including AVI, which stands for Advanced Video Intelligence; SCADA in IoT service; MetOcean in value-adding connectivity and entertainment options for crews on our customers assets. Let me focus on two of the product areas that generate the most excitement around RigNet. The first is Intelie, our advanced real-time machine learning and AI platform, which we acquired in March of this year. Intelie is an incredibly robust, adaptable technology platform that is already making significant impacts in the oilfield, though this application is by no means restricted to oil and gas.
The company, which just celebrated its 10th birthday, counted Petrobras, the Brazilian national oil company as one of its first major and continuing customers. Petrobras has publicly stated that this type of real-time machine learning and artificial intelligence has saved them $100 million per year by reducing their complex ultra-deepwater planning process from 90 days to less than 10 days and by helping to manage drilling performance in real-time as they drill through the challenging salt layer in their pre-salt wells. As we've introduced Intelli to our customers, they are recognizing the potential for significant positive impacts on their business by improving safety, increasing top line revenues and by controlling costs. In fact, the majority of our meetings around Intelli result in a Proof of Value trial or commitment. And I'm pleased to report that we secured new commitments from both offshore customers and in onshore fracking customer during the quarter. The fracking win based on a newly developed capability represents the first time we've delivered a solution to this market.
Additionally, during the quarter we announced via our social media channels that Intelie was selected for Shell's GameChanger program to develop its Digital Decision Assistant, a virtual decision assistant module that helps engineers make data driven decisions for real-time drilling operations in longer-term data-intensive projects such as well construction.
The second product area that we're excited about is related to Cyphre, a cyber security platform. Cyphre represents some of the most sophisticated hardware-based encryption available anywhere in the market today. It provides best-in-class encryption on all network types and is easily integrated with existing technology. Like Intelli, Cyphre is not oil and gas specific, we've already announced both AT&T and Singapore-based telecommunications provider Singtel as channel partners to distribute Cyphre in verticals outside of energy. We're also very pleased to announce that Cyphre has been accepted into the Cryptographic Module Validation Program at the National Institute of Technology and Standards, often referred to as NIST, where we anticipate we will be certified under FIPS 140-2 sometime in 2019, marking an important milestone for use of Cyphre products in government and regulated industries. Our Cyphre capabilities have helped catalyze the growth of what we believe is now the leading bundle of Cyber Security Solutions in the energy sector, including best-in-class data protection, network protection, key management, IoT security, border security and, as we will announce to the market next week, an AI-based intrusion detection system that's backed by a global security operation center. All of these are delivered to our managed communication services and IoT customers as a service, allowing them to pay for these critical capabilities on a variable cost basis.
We believe our investment in Intelie, Cyphre and other over-the-top applications will enable us to capture opportunities in multiple vertical markets and can drive a growth rate that's higher than the managed communications market alone. Before turning the call over to Lee, let me comment on our System Integration or SI business. As many of you know, RigNet struggled with SI for a period of time, failing to deliver results, which were satisfactory to shareholders or to ourselves. We increased our attention on this part of the business and are very pleased with the results. By providing focused oversight and improving our bidding and cost management practices, we've not only managed first to stabilize and then grow the margins on this business, we've improved relationships and gained credibility with customers, enabling us to more than double the project backlog in SI quarter-over-quarter to $41 million. The business itself is always going to be what we call lumpy in the sense that it's project driven based on the macro environment. This makes it a bit difficult to predict revenues too far out, but we believe we're punching above our weight class in this segment and winning more than our fair share of bit.
With that, let me ask Lee to make a few comments on the financials.
Thanks, Steve. Expanding on what Steve mentioned earlier, consolidated quarterly revenue was $64.8 million, up 27.4% compared to $50.8 million in the prior year quarter and up 7.9% from $60 million in the prior quarter. All of our segments reported revenue increases. Managed communication services revenue was $44.9 million for the quarter compared to $40.2 in the prior year quarter and $41.7 million in the prior quarter. A majority of the increase quarter-on-quarter was due to equipment sales, which as I think you know, results in a smaller margin versus our traditional bandwidth sales. This is probably the right place to make a few comments about site count, which was 1,350, up by 53 sites quarter-over-quarter and by 175 sites year-over-year. Now referring back to Steve's comments, we simply haven't seen offshore rig activity increase that significantly. Of course, you're aware that we lost a Noble work this year, through September we've had about nine Noble rigs roll off. But if you look at our drilling rig category count at year-end 2017, which was 282, we've certainly more than made up for the lost Noble business given our rig count of 191 at the end of Q3.
In general, the Noble changeover has proceeded more slowly than we originally anticipated. And we currently expect that it will not be complete until sometime in 1Q '19. So there will be some revenue impact in Q1 and Q4 of '18, unless we're able to secure additional opportunities to replace those rigs. Our other three site count categories, production, maritime and other, which is mostly onshore North America, all grew during the quarter and we would highlight the McDermott win announced in September as one of our significant achievements. They have a global fleet of 11 offshore construction vessels that we are providing not only managed comms to, but over-the-top solutions as well. These OTT solutions were a key differentiator in McDermott's selection of RigNet. Apps & IoT revenue was $7.5 million for the quarter compared to $5 million in the prior year quarter and $6.6 million in the prior quarter. The main drivers here were increases in SaaS revenues as well as some equipment sales. Steve talked a little bit about systems integration but revenue for the quarter was $12.4 million, up 120% from $5.6 million in the prior year quarter and 5.5% from the $11.7 million in the prior quarter. At June 30, project backlog in the SI business was $19.6 million. During the quarter, we worked off about $9.3 million of backlog, but we added net wins and change orders totaling $29.4 million, bringing our total project backlog for the SI business at September 30 to $39.7 million or more than double the backlog at June 30.
Now in addition to the SI backlog and activity we just described, we also won an additional service project of $2 million for which we will be recognizing revenue under a percentage of completion methodology. For this project as of September 30, we had recognized about $0.3 million of revenue, with a remaining backlog of $1.7 million. Now this brings our total backlog for all of our POC projects to $41.4 million as of September 30. Gross margin for SI did decline from 33.7% in Q2 to 26.2% in Q3. Margins in Q2 were primarily higher as a result of several change orders, which we received at high margin levels, as well as some cost savings recognized on several projects as they neared completion during Q2.
Q3 margins are more in line with our normalized expectations. SG&A expenses totaled $16.6 million in Q3 compared to $13.4 million in the prior year quarter and $19.7 million in the prior quarter. Recall that in the second quarter, there was an increase in the fair value of the TECNOR earn-out of $2.8 million, driving SG&A higher for Q2. So Q3 costs were lower without that but were partially offset by a $0.8 million decrease in the fair value of the TECNOR earn-out in Q3, which reduced that fair value to zero. GAAP net loss was $2.8 million or $0.15 per share in the current quarter compared to both net loss of $4.2 million or $0.23 per share in the prior year quarter and a net loss of $4.2 billion or $0.23 per share in the prior year quarter.
Adjusted EBITDA was $8.7 million in the quarter compared to $7.8 million in the prior year quarter and $8.1 million in the prior quarter. We are very pleased with the continued growth of this metric, which we believe is an important indicator of the health of the company. Capital expenditures were $6.5 million compared to $5.9 million in the prior year quarter and $6.6 million in the prior quarter. CapEx spend for the quarter was substantially composed of success based commitments with certain large customers. As Steve has already mentioned the build out of our LTE network in the Gulf, we had expected to see that CapEx begin to ramp up in Q3, but we experienced some delays, largely weather-based, which has pushed the spending a bit to the right. So we still expect the project to be completed within Q4 and Q1, the LTE project CapEx along with the purchase of our new facility in Lafayette, Louisiana that will enable us to consolidate three separate legacy facilities, means that Q4 is expected to be a heavy quarter in terms of CapEx.
And we anticipate that this Q4 CapEx spend will be close to $15 million. Finally, let's turn to the balance sheet. As of September 30, 2018, cash was $20.7 million, net working capital, excluding cash, was $35 million and our outstanding debt was $71.2 million, including both current and long-term. Working capital increased largely due to a buildup in AR, where some systems issues over the summer put us a bit behind on collections with customers. However, I believe we're back on track on that front and I expect to see improvement by year-end. So with that, let me turn it back over to Steve.
Thank you, Lee. Before opening up the line to questions, I want to take a moment to thank RigNet's employees for delivering a very strong quarter. Thank you also for working safely in delivering a zero incident quarter. Ensured focus and dedication, that's helping drive the transformation of RigNet in becoming a leading provider of digital transformation solutions to our customers in more than 50 countries around the world and the Board and the management team very much appreciate you. Let's open it up for questions now please.
(Operator Instructions) And our first question comes from Allen Klee from Maxim Group. Your line is now open.
Yes, hi. You commented on the Noble contract rolling off a little slower. Can you provide any more color on that if all else being equal, what the impact of that might be over the next two quarters?
Hey, Allen, good morning. This is Lee. No, I'm not going to give you any guidance around that, other than to say I think Q4 we do have a little bit of a heavier impact in terms of the number of rigs rolling off. I think the transition to our competitor in terms of providing services has not gone as smoothly as perhaps anticipated and I think part of it is also a bit driven by when rigs are available in ports to make those changes. So I think that's really all the color, we're going to provide on where we are on that. I think the important thing really for us was the replacement of the Noble business as we saw in our offshore drilling count.
Okay, thank you. And then you made some comments toward the end on collections and how you might think of that improving going forward, could you just -- I missed some of that, if you'd go into some of that a little more?
Sure. Over the summer, we had some issues with our system, particularly and this is probably more detailed that you want to know but calculating sales tax on various invoices that needed to go out, which then caused us to have to recycle some of that, we're now in the -- maybe buildup in AR seeing that roll through the AR and we expect to get back on track with collections here and resolving all of those outstanding invoices from May and June as our customers get those into their systems and improve those and start submitting the cash associated with it.
So it was really a one-time issue for us over the summer that we're now back on track on.
Okay, great. And then for the Gulf of Mexico, what you're doing there to move to 4G and 5G, how much of it had CapEx of the total amount you planned have you already spent on that and how much is left over the next two quarters? And then is there a way for us to think about when this is built out, what you see is the incremental opportunity?
Let me take the CapEx and then I'll turn it over to Steve to sort of talk about the opportunity. On the CapEx side, we had thought that that was going to ramp up more significantly in September, I believe, we announced that at the end of August or early September and the weather in the Gulf really pushed us back on that. So the total project cost around that LTE build out was, is going to be close to 7-ish. We expect between 5 and 6 here in Q4 and then the rest in Q1. I think we only booked about $200,000 of CapEx on the LTE projects in Q3.
And to add some color to that in terms of the network, it'll be the only 4G and 5G network available. But will be new in terms of what we can deliver to our customers is the fact that it provides mobility services, as well as, point-to-point services, today we just deliver point-to-point services using a WiMAX capability. It will also be enabled to support both 600 megahertz and 700 megahertz and those tend to be frequencies that allow for much better propagation of the signal, into hard to reach places, think about offshore assets where there's a lot of metal, 600 and 700 megahertz ought to penetrate into those structures better, than something that's operating at a much higher frequency. So once the build outs begun, I would expect maybe beginning in 2020, we ought to begin to see some incremental revenue related to roaming opportunities that would be out there, particularly with customers who have never been RigNet customers in the past.
Okay, thank you. And it was interesting to hear you say that you felt that the application and Internet of Things segment should have a faster growth rate than managed services. It looks like this particular quarter -- is it true that this is kind of a clean quarter and that you didn't have any acquisitions that were closed within the middle of it? So is this kind of a good kind of run rate to kind of start at?
Allen, it is a quarter where there weren't any acquisitions. And the last acquisitions we closed were in April. So to use your term, it's clean from that point of view.
And also with the systems integration, this also generated a segment operating margin of around 18% and I know that it's a lumpy business but does that feel like that's a reasonable level longer term?
So, this is Lee, Allen. I mean, I think my calculation around segment margin, just taking the revenue less the cost was close to 26.2%. So I'm not sure what you're including to get down to the 18%, but I would say that -- we would expect sort of mid-20s based on the calculation I just gave you as a reasonable run rate for the segment. Obviously, can go up or down, but that's not a bad place to be for the business. And remember too, that when you think about -- while the SI margins are certainly below what we'd expect on both the MCS and the SI and IoT business. We look at SI business as our gateway drug right, we go into these projects with the idea of providing the equipment, building out the networks and trying to get in a position where when there is an offering for ongoing communication services at a plant or facility, we are in the catbird seat to be able to capture that business.
And by the way to add to that. We're also seeing situations today given our over-the-top capability or apps and IoT capability that there are situations where we have opportunities to pull through revenue in that category as well from the SI base.
Okay, great. Maybe one more just on the -- would you talk about your partnerships with AT&T and Singtel on your -- how have those gone so far? What's your view of the opportunity that they can increase that business?
Well, more slowly than we'd like, but we certainly recognize that it takes time to get a sales force fully trained and it takes a little while to get momentum around new customer wins that end up building momentum across a broader cross-section of the sales team. The Singtel selection was the one that we announced most recently, we announced on our last quarterly call, and the engagement there has been surprisingly robust in the early days here.
Great. Okay. Congratulations on the quarter. Thank you.
(Operator Instructions) And our next question comes from Walt Chancellor from Macquarie. Your line is now open.
Good morning. Just to get started on apps and IoT, you've had some success there, solid revenue growth in the quarter. I'm just curious how the selling effort is evolving there as you're trying to get better penetration among customers that maybe in pretty nascent stages of adopting these technologies?
At this point, our sales force is fully trained, of course, over time to become more and more expert on these new capabilities. But you are in no doubt, your comment is quite relevant. These are relatively new capabilities for us. And I'd say to use a baseball analogy, we're in early innings as it relates to getting this rolled out to our customers and driving the kind of revenue growth that we think is possible over time.
Okay. And to switch gears financially, in managed services gross profit has been in that high 30% range, hovering 39%, 38%. I guess what are the near-term puts and takes as you think about that business. Are you expecting pressure due to pricing and some rollovers, how do we see that evolving, I guess, directionally over the coming quarters?
This quarter we, as Lee commented on, we did see the margins defined but that was largely related to a bit heavier quarter in terms of hardware sales. But we're not well, Lee, maybe I can have you comment from here?
Good morning, Walt. I think we always have puts and takes in the business, right. We always have customers who are going to roll on and roll off, so we're out battling back on a daily basis, we are, in spite of the remarks we made earlier about not being overly seeing a huge increase in the number of rigs. There are more tenders out there and that's a good sign. So we would look to that to be a driving factor for anybody who is providing communication services to the oil and gas industry. So we will also have some satellite capacity that rolls over next year. So we'll be renegotiating there. So yes, as we are renegotiating with customers on price levels, we're also renegotiating on our bandwidth purchases to capture synergies and drive those costs lower as well. So I don't think there's anything particularly unusual that changes the margin profile of the MCS business in the coming quarters.
Okay, fair enough. I appreciate that color. Yes, just one final one from me, the onshore frac crew win for Intelie, just curious of what the competitive landscape for that sort of offering looks like? And what the broader penetration is for an offering like that among that sub-sector, it's obviously a critical part of the US onshore story. So just trying to understand what the competitive landscape looks like there and what the opportunity to be?
Yes, So couple of comments, one, no doubt, it's a large addressable market for us and this is our first entry into that market with a real-time machine learning capability. So no doubt it's competitive, but we are very pleased with how quickly we were able to get the capability introduced in the market and get our first win closed. It's actually a win that will result in this capability being deployed across the fracking sites and that they are currently operating.
And if I might add just a little bit of color to that. What's really interesting to me, and when you think about the application that Intelie has been used for here, the company is going to be monitoring pressure performance on its trucks over time, right. So just like you have issues in your car perhaps where you need to change your engine(ph) oil, we are going to be helping them optimize the change out of valves and seats and things like that on the pumps to prevent a catastrophic failure in the middle of an operation, say, but also to prevent them from doing all of these change-outs too early, it used to be changed at your oil and your car every 3,000 miles. Now, you don't need to do that anymore, right. You got a little sensor the pops on at 6,000 or 7,000 miles in your car. And if you were to keep changing it out every 3,000, you'd be spending a lot of extra money. So we believe that we can help our customer here increase both their top line revenue but also help them to cut their costs as well. And when you look at it from that perspective, we think that it's a broad application not just at fracking but some of the other potential onshore services as well.
Really appreciate that color, Lee. Thank you for the time.
Thank you. And I'm showing no further questions at this time, I would now like to turn the call back to Lee Ahlstrom, CFO, for any further remarks.
Alright. Thanks, Nicole, and thank you to everybody who joined us today on the third quarter earnings call. I'll be available in the office later on if you have any follow-on questions that weren't addressed today. And we, of course, invite you to join us in March 2019 when we expect to report our fourth quarter and full year 2018 earnings. Have a good day.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your participation in today's conference. This concludes the program. You may all disconnect. Everyone have a great day. | 2019-04-25T20:42:09Z | https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2018/11/09/rignet-inc-rnet-q3-2018-earnings-conference-call-t.aspx |
The American family is undergoing historic changes. Because of an unprecedented demographic shift, we are changing from a young to an old society. This trend has been called the "age wave," and it is forcing critical changes in the way we live and work, and in how we care for those we love. One of the most dramatic changes is in the number of people who are responsible for elder care. A study by the American Society on Aging estimates that approximately 25 million Americans are now caring for a parent or older loved one.
Though caring for elders is the most common form of adult dependent care, many people are also caring for other adults who are acutely chronically ill or disabled. Though most of the information in this section also applies to caring for non-elder adults, the word "elder" will be used to designate the care recipient.
In addition to the informational links provided below, the California Care Network is another resource designed to help you find state-licensed elder care services and facilities. These additional sites will introduce you to the primary areas of elder/adult dependent care and provide resources and information to help you plan the best strategies for your family. See Elder Care Resources for a comprehensive listing of all elder care resources that are available.
How do you know when to step in? In a medical crisis, it's obvious, but if you're observant, sometimes an elder will send signals that intervention is needed before something more serious happens. For example, your elder's house may not be as clean or tidy as it was. Bills may go unpaid. The refrigerator may be full of outdated foods and the pantry full of weevils. Personal grooming - clean clothes and body - may have deteriorated. Your loved one may also have had a significant change in weight or eating habits. Changes in your elder's attitude or behavior (for instance, isolation, depression, memory loss) are key warning signs, especially if there have been recent losses - of friends, or in "activities of daily living," such as bathing, eating, cooking, or mobility.
Within the community, the single best place to begin is your county's Area Agency on Aging (AAA). Sometimes this office is called the Council or Commission on Aging or Elder Affairs. This federally-funded program, known as the National Network on Aging, offers free or low-cost services through public and private agencies. The wide range of services includes domestic help, home health care, transportation, information and referral, adult day care, and legal advice. The AAA's purpose is to keep elders in their homes and out of institutions, for as long as possible. You may call 1-800-510-2020 for referral to senior services anywhere in the state of California. If you need help for a relative who lives farther away, call the ElderCare Locator, 1-800-677-1116, which can refer you to the nearest AAA office.
You can also get information from your elder's doctor or other medical professionals, community mental health centers, hospital discharge planners or social workers, geriatric care managers, local and national medical associations, senior centers, family service agencies, adult protective services and rehabilitation centers. Many private businesses are now involved in facilitating elders remaining independent; check with pharmacies and grocery stores, for example. Employment services that specialize in older workers are a good source for companions, drivers and housekeepers for an older person living alone.
Word of mouth is also a valuable resource. Check with religious and civic groups, neighbors and friends. Many churches and synagogues sponsor volunteer programs to run errands for seniors or visit shut-ins. Hospitals and geriatric clinics conduct physical examinations and mental and nutritional evaluations; international organizations provide translation services and referrals. Private organizations and hospitals, among others, offer support groups.
If you have the funds, but not the time or patience to do the care giving yourself, consider hiring a private geriatric care manager, a licensed professional who will develop and administer a course of action, and monitor the care plan for you. This is especially valuable in long-distance caregiving. For a referral, contact the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, 1604 N. Country Club Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-881-8008.
For any care plan to work, your elder should be included in every possible aspect of the planning process. This will not only assure that his or her dignity is respected, but also that the plan will be followed. Whether your elder needs short- or long-term care, allow for flexibility as new challenges arise.
Depending on your relationship with your elder and with other family members, and on the elder's willingness to admit there's a problem, it may be hard to broach the subject of needing help. It's important to remember that our parents' generation came through the Depression and a World War; they are proud and independent, often unwilling to admit to "weakness" or any need for services.
Sometimes you can get around a stubborn or non-communicative elder by getting a trusted friend, physician or clergy member to bring up the subject. You can also raise the topic by suggesting, for example, that you need their help with your own financial or estate planning.
One of the first orders of business is to determine who will be the "primary caregiver," the one who will have the main responsibility either for the actual care, or for putting all the pieces of the plan together and monitoring them through their inevitable progression. If possible, involve as many family members, significant friends or neighbors as possible in building a network of caring people who ensure that your elder is being monitored at all times no matter how small or how large the needs. Make sure each person knows what is expected and encourage feedback and suggestions for improvements or alterations as the situation changes.
Be aware that in many families, old sibling rivalries and unresolved emotions toward elders can arise. You may resent that your brother doesn't do enough, that your parents aren't getting the love they need from relatives, or that you weren't "mothered" the way you needed. Be realistic, and don't expect 100 percent agreement on everything. Recognize roles that family members have played in the past and try not to exclude anyone.
One of the hardest aspects of caregiving is the emotional toll that can arise from unexpectedly having to assist your elder. For many of America's care providers, duties range from helping with grocery shopping and doctor's appointments, to having to diaper and bathe an elder. Sometimes these tasks are challenging.
Care providers commonly have a range of emotions that can make them feel embarrassed and isolated. The reasons include guilt over feeling that you are not doing enough or that you can't protect your loved one from further harm, denial of the problem, and anger and frustration over not being able to get your loved one to do what you think is best.
Establishing a well thought-out but flexible care plan will help relieve stress for everyone involved. In addition to learning what resources are available, you especially need information about your loved one's mental and medical status. You need to collect data on health care, and legal and financial affairs. You need to gather names, addresses and phone numbers of all physicians and specialists, attorneys and financial planners; lists of medications and health history; locations and numbers of health insurance policies and legal papers; assets and debts, expenses and income sources. Many financial decisions need to be made at the planning stage, so they can be implemented when needed. For example, purchasing long-term care insurance or meeting Medicare eligibility requirements are steps that can affect plans both at home and in a nursing home.
How much of my elder's dependency is due to illness or infirmity, and how much is attributable to personality, habits and coping styles?
Am I or my family reinforcing dependent behavior while my elder is anxious and able to remain independent?
Have I presumed that certain frailties exist or have they been confirmed medically?
What problems are a result of natural-aging processes? What problems can be corrected by making changes in my elder's living environment, medications, etc.?
It's a natural human desire to stay in familiar surroundings and remain involved with community and family. This desire to "age in place" is making home care one of the fastest-growing segments of the health care industry.
Many social service agencies and other health care organizations provide a variety of medical, nursing and personal services to help people stay out of institutions. Home care is also usually more cost-effective. Those who use home care services include people who are discharged from a hospital or nursing home but need additional care; the terminally ill who want to die in the comfort of their own homes; those with short-term skilled medical needs; and those who need assistance to live independently at home due to age, chronic illness, or disability.
Home services include any combination of health care, medical equipment, respite care, non-medical homemaker and chore services (housekeeping, bathing, meal preparation), home-delivered meals, nutrition management, home repairs or weatherization, companion services, counseling and rehabilitation, telephone reassurance, and emergency response systems. These "custodial" services can be hourly, weekly, monthly or any other arrangement.
Home health care can also mean skilled services such as nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Medicare will pay for skilled health care in the home when it is medically necessary to treat an illness or injury if the care is furnished by a participating home health agency; if the care needed includes intermittent skilled nursing, physical, or speech therapy; and if the patient is homebound and under the care of a physician who sets up a home care plan. Custodial care is not covered under Medicare when it is the only kind of care needed; that care is primarily for helping with activities of daily living and not considered skilled.
You can find home care through friends and relatives, family service agencies, AAAs, hospital personnel, physicians, nursing registries and medical organizations, especially if the need is a result of illness or disability.
An elder's ability to remain independent may depend on services that seem simple, but are critical. The least intrusive are volunteer services in which people make weekly visits, for example, or daily telephone calls.
Home care is also provided by private home health agencies, through physician referrals by way of the hospital discharge planner, and through public health departments. Workers can be registered nurses, therapists or home health aides. Homemakers and chore workers may provide services that preserve the dignity and confidence of your elder, preventing a slide into depression that can precipitate a decline and subsequent need for a nursing home.
Find out exactly how much you will be charged and how much the worker is paid. Insist on references and check them carefully. Get the phone number, address, driver's license and Social Security number of the prospective aide, and don't be afraid to complain to the agency if you are dissatisfied with the work. Home health agencies will consult with your elder's doctor and prepare a written plan of care. The supervising nurse will visit with you concerning this plan, and will discuss costs. If you are not satisfied, keep looking.
Sometimes all it takes for an elder to remain at home are some modifications in the house itself. These can range from more lighting to installing grab bars in the bathroom. Financial assistance for energy bills can also help; PG&E has a program for eligible seniors called HEAP/LIRA through the Department of Community Services and Development (1-800-433-4327). Pacific Bell can provide telecommunication devices. Senior centers and AAAs can often provide free or low-cost home modification services. Check with the United Way for volunteer groups who do these repairs.
Raising toilet seats, or installing hand-held shower heads and bath benches.
Rearranging furniture for easy passage or hiring a contractor to widen hallways or cover steps with a ramp.
Replacing doorknobs with lever-type devices.
Covering light switches with foam to make the lever longer and easier to reach or grab.
Installing a security system if it will make your elder feel safer.
Removing all throw rugs and installing non-skid strips in bathrooms, on stairs, and other well-tracked areas.
Setting up a support system with neighbors, relatives and friends, postal workers, grocers, utility readers, bank tellers and others whom your loved one comes into contact with regularly. Some communities have these "gatekeeper" programs already in place.
One of the fastest growing segments of the aging network is adult day care or adult day health care. Sometimes these services are known as respite care, because they give the caregiver a break while allowing an elder to remain involved in the community.
At adult day care, your elder will have some combination of social and art activities, a hot lunch and a place to be cared for while you are at work. Rates average $40-$50 a day, with discounts for those who qualify due to low income. Adult day care is not covered by Medicare.
Adult day health care is a more structured setting that includes medical monitoring, occupational and physical therapy, counseling, support groups for families, etc. For those who qualify, Medicare or Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) subsidizes these costs.
There are specialty day centers for those with Alzheimer's and related dementia; they can be sponsored by hospitals, nursing homes, churches, mental health facilities, and city park and recreation departments. There are also more specialized facilities in "assisted living" communities.
You may find that your elder is resistant at first to going out of the house or to a new place. This isn't uncommon; make a deal to try it for two or three weeks. Usually by that time you'll know whether it works out; more often than not, it will.
Decide what level of activity and care your elder wants or needs.
Decide what you need (occasional free time, coverage while at your job, transportation, support, help in developing a care plan).
Find a center by asking the doctor, checking the Yellow Pages under "Adult Day Care," "Aging Services," or "Senior Citizens Services," or calling your local Area Agency on Aging. Also check with social service agencies such as Catholic Charities, Family Services, and Jewish Family and Children's Services.
Call the centers and ask for fliers or brochures, eligibility criteria, costs and discounts, a monthly activity calendar, menu and application procedures.
Find out who is the owner or sponsoring agency, how long the center has been operational, hours and days of operation, staff credentials and ratio to clients.
Discuss all aspects of respite or day care with your elder.
Find out if the center is certified, if your elder relative can begin on a trial basis, and if the service is regulated by the state.
When you visit, look to see if staff members seem cheerful, helpful and competent, if there are unpleasant noises or odors, if the clients are enjoying themselves, if there are safety features all around (such as handrails), and if there are any medical or therapy services.
Leaving home can be traumatic for an older person. It can end special life patterns, including friends and routines, producing great anxiety and feelings of loss. However, if an elder is socially isolated, if it's too hard to finance upkeep or home repairs or if the home design cannot accommodate disability, then you should consider alternate housing arrangements.
There are more options than ever as a new "seniors housing" industry jumps into full swing. As the U.S. population ages, there has been a shift away from institutional settings toward "assisted living" - homes or large communities that offer independent living with limited health and personal care services.
Some elders are able to move in with their adult children and family, or vice versa, perhaps after some home reconstruction. If you consider this option, be sure everyone in your family is involved in the process. Be aware of the possibilities of lifestyle conflicts, the physical demands of 24-hour oversight, and changes in marital and familial relationships. Be sure to work out the finances and living arrangements before the move, especially if it's long distance. On the plus side, multi-generation households offer a special quality of life, especially if there are grandchildren, and it is much easier to monitor diet and medications with your elder in sight.
Sometimes children move into their parent's home, perhaps after modifications. Be sure you consider all the financial and lifestyle ramifications, as well as issues of control and interdependence.
By making some changes in the house, a separate self-contained unit called an accessory apartment can be created - if zoning laws allow. Entrance is usually separate from the main house.
Sharing a home is also a common solution. In this situation, your elder can be matched with another applicant who may split housing and utility costs in exchange for services. There are also social advantages, especially if your elder lives alone. An extra bedroom can be rented or your elder can join a group residence. Word of mouth, newspaper ads, and community bulletin boards can also be helpful. Before making any change, however, be sure that the responsibilities and expectations of all parties are clearly defined, such as how household duties and finances will be split, how disputes will be handled and what happens if your elder's housemate becomes ill.
No longer is a nursing home the only alternative to living at home. If your elder does have to move, there are several "in-between" options, depending on your elder's medical and mental condition. Many of these facilities have requirements, including what levels of care are provided, what happens if your elder deteriorates or is no longer ambulatory, and under what conditions your elder will be forced to find another facility if his or her care can no longer be maintained at current conditions. Make sure all requirements are thoroughly spelled out.
Age-segregated apartments or "independent living." This setup is often referred to as "senior housing" and is apartment living with age peers - usually 55 and up. Check with your local Public Housing Authority or AAA for details.
"Congregate living" or "assisted living." These are mostly rental units that offer a moderate level of support services in addition to meals. The range of services might include housekeeping, transportation, health and wellness programs and emergency response systems. These homes typically provide private living quarters with a central dining room. Transportation, shopping and housekeeping services are often provided, as well as professional staff such as social workers, counselors and nutritionists. In some cases, costs are subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under Section 8.
"Board and care" or "residential care for the elderly" (RCFE). These homes offer room and meals and some level of supervision or personal assistance, but not skilled medical care. They are bridges between living independently and living in an intensive medical setting. This rental housing system provides housekeeping and personal care services for as few as three or four people to as many as 150 or more. The larger homes offer more activities and services. California puts serious restrictions on what levels of care RCFEs can provide. They are not required to have nursing staff and are not allowed to care for clients who need that level of service. Check the Yellow Pages under Homes - Residential Care for listings.
In board and care homes, administration and staff are required to report significant health changes to the resident's doctor and family. Assessments must be made regularly, and residents must have access to medical and dental services.
Some board and care homes are specifically for those with a dementing disease. Others will not accept anyone who causes disruptions or who wanders. In some cases, a resident must leave when a medical or mental condition worsens beyond the home's ability to care for him or her . All states require these homes to be licensed; check with the State Department of Social Services for the record of any home you are looking into. In California, call the Community Care Licensing Division at 916-229-4530.
Is the facility licensed? If not, it means the care is not being monitored.
Is it adequately staffed? Are staff members cheerful, helpful, clean, energetic?
Are the meals nutritious and adequate?
What is the level of activity? Do residents just sit around, or are there planned outings, reading materials, music, etc.?
Is the facility clean, tidy, odor-free?
Is the contract clear? Make sure all the services you have arranged for, as well as the fees and levels of care, are spelled out clearly in the contract.
What are the restrictions on medical conditions under which a resident can be admitted and continue to live there?
What are the facility's home inspection records? Check with the state Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division, 916-229-4530.
How much privacy will your elder have? Are pets allowed? How much personal furniture, etc., will be allowed? Is the bathroom shared?
What are the real costs, including add-ons? Most facilities are not covered under Medicare though in some cases Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income qualifies. Check with our local office of the Social Security Administration, or call 1-800-772-1213.
Do the residents have outings, go to religious services? Do they seem well-groomed, happy, active?
"Life care" or "continuing care retirement communities" (CCRCs) contract to take care of your elder for life for an entrance fee and monthly payments. These communities often contain, on one site, a range of housing from individual apartments to skilled nursing facilities. Some communities contract with nearby nursing homes to fulfill this agreement to provide "care for life." These sites usually have dining rooms and a full range of lifestyle options. There's a great variation, however, so you should ask enough questions to feel comfortable.
What is the entrance fee? Is the monthly fee reasonable and affordable?
What are the health care obligations and is there adequate staff?
What services are covered by the monthly fee? Is the admission fee refundable?
What is the CCRC's financial status? Is it solvent? What is the track record?
Do the fees increase with level of care? Who decides when the resident is no longer able to live independently and must move to the "assisted living" quarters?
Are there enough nursing home beds to accommodate everyone? Are nonresidents admitted to the skilled facility?
If possible, go over a CCRC contract with an attorney before signing. The terms should be checked through the State Department of Insurance, 1-800-927-HELP (927-4357), and contracts for several communities should be examined.
Nursing homes, also called convalescent homes, are licensed by the Department of Health Services, 1-800-554-0352, to provide both skilled nursing and custodial care. Residents may be recovering from a hospital stay and in need of rehabilitation and personal services such as grooming and bathing, or may be admitted because of a terminal illness or debilitating disease such as Alzheimer's, when 24-hour care is needed. These homes are traditionally called Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), which provide 24-hour nursing care, or Intermediate Care Facility (ICFs), which provide similar services to SNFs but not around the clock.
The traditional image of nursing homes brings unease, but these facilities have changed dramatically over the past 50 years. Although half of those aged 65 and older stay in a nursing home at least once in their lives, these facilities are no longer just places where people go to die. For example, nursing homes handle patients discharged from hospitals who don't need an acute level of care but are not yet ready to return home.
There are two primary considerations about nursing homes when this becomes the only sensible option for the well-being of your elder. The first is emotional; the importance of the transition from family home to nursing home is not always acknowledged. The change can represent a series of losses, and support systems should be in place before this move is made. Secondly, it is important to do strong financial planning beforehand. Public programs such as Medi-Cal pay for nursing home care, but if your elder is not qualified for this government entitlement, then typically most of the costs will be out-of-pocket. Medicare only covers the "skilled" aspects of nursing home care, not custodial services.
Choosing a nursing home is a difficult proposition at best, both physically and emotionally. Ideally, you would have time to plan ahead, but that is not always possible. You can find nursing homes through your local senior information and referral office, and the State Ombudsman Office located in Oakland, (510) 465-1065. (Ombudsmen are trained professionals who advocate for patients and families in long-term care facilities; they answer complaints, investigate facilities, etc.) Ask hospital discharge planners, social service and family service agencies, friends and neighbors, and check the Yellow Pages under "Nursing Homes" and "Homes-Residential Care."
Four important factors in choosing a facility are: what kind of care is needed, what financial resources are available, what location is best, and what kind of lifestyle is desired. California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), 415-474-5171, is also a good resource for questions and concerns about nursing homes.
Consider other options before placement in a nursing home. Sometimes all an elder needs is personal care services at home, closer monitoring by a physician (diet, hydration, medications) or home repair and modification. Consult with as many professionals as you can before making a placement.
Payment options and finances are especially critical to understand long before nursing home placement is considered. Familiarize yourself with long-term care insurance policies, also known as "nursing home policies," and Medi-Cal eligibility rules before considering placement. One source is the California Partnership for Long-Term Care, 1-800-CARE-445 (227-3445), or CALPERS, which offers insurance policies for state employees.
There are many excellent sources for learning about Medi-Cal eligibility. One is your local HICAP office, or Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program which offers free counseling to Medicare beneficiaries about health insurance options. Ask about "spending down" assets to required levels (around $2,000, though the amount varies by state); eligibility requirements, application procedures and processing time; the possibility of liens on real estate after the death of the person in the nursing home; "spousal impoverishment," or the ability of the well spouse/domestic partner to remain in the family home with a certain level of assets; and other forms of health insurance such as "Medigap" policies, which supplement Medicare coverage. Your local Social Security office can also help you.
Location is critical because it can make the difference in your loved one's ability to have visitors frequently, and your ability to visit as often as needed or desired. Take into account your elder's social situation before deciding to relocate. A sense of loss of friends and familiarity can be more devastating that the move itself.
Lifestyle preferences can influence the choice of a convalescent facility. Some of them are geared toward active residents; some have special ethnic menus and activities. Size of the facility is also important. The smaller ones may be more intimate but with less to do and larger ones will be more stimulating, but may provide less personal attention.
The medical condition requires daily skilled nursing or skilled rehabilitation services that can only be provided in an SNF.
The individual has been in a hospital at least three days in a row before being admitted to an SNF.
The individual is admitted to the facility within 30 days after leaving the hospital.
The care in the SNF is for the same condition treated in the hospital, or for a condition that arose while receiving care in the facility for a condition treated in the hospital.
A medical professional certifies that the individual needs, and is responding to, skilled nursing or rehabilitation services on a daily basis.
Some of this coverage can also transfer to care in the home.
Part B has annual deductibles (about $100 a year) and co-insurance, and can be signed up for during special enrollment periods. It pays about 80 percent of physicians' services, other medical services and supplies, home health care services, outpatient hospital care, diagnostic tests, ambulance, second opinions and durable medical equipment. To find out about the monthly premium, call your local Social Security office.
How will your family meet expenses? What are the base costs? What are add-on costs (e.g., laundry, bandages, beauty salon)?
Is the facility Medicare- or Medicaid-certified? What rehabilitation services are provided?
Is the home clean and odor-free? Are requests for assistance responded to quickly?
Does the nursing home require that a resident sign over personal property or real estate in exchange for care?
Are the residents happy, alert, groomed, clean, well-fed, healthy? Are they restrained to wheelchairs, lethargic?
What levels of care are available, and are they appropriate to your elder's needs?
How often are meals repeated? A re alternatives available, as required by law? Are there any ethnic-specific diets?
Can residents bring their own furniture and personal effects to decorate the room? Is there a safe for valuables and money?
Do activities cover a broad range? Is there an activities coordinator?
Is there a family council for residents? When does it meet and who coordinates it?
What is the procedure for leaving the facility temporarily, such as hospitalization or vacation? Will your elder's place be held?
Is the ombudsman program's phone number listed?
You should visit each nursing home under consideration more than once - unannounced and at different times. Talk to residents and staff, ask what they like and don't like. Take a guided tour, then come back on your own. | 2019-04-19T01:32:14Z | https://hr.ucr.edu/worklife/personal/elder_care.html |
Several more eventful days here in Edinburgh. Moving into my dorm, International Student orientation, trying to get my internet set up, getting my room set up, trying to adapt to the new social climate, the first day of classes, getting stuck in a lift…blech, so much going on.
So, on Friday morning some people from the University talked to us. While we were waiting in line for IDs and room keys, a girl fainted. She’s really skinny, and people speculated that she was malnourished. I didn’t like that speculating. Anyways, we packed, then went to lunch. Our key cards had expired, because the Butler people were silly and didn’t tell us that we were supposed to check out by noon. So we got our cards re-cut. Had lunch, then left. They sent all of us living in Pollock Halls (the dorms) on a bus over; it was a very short ride. Got out, and then went down to Holland House with the 10 or so other Butler students living there.
I got to my room, and removed all my stuff from my luggage. I then started figuring out how I could get internet in my room. I made all the necessary installations and settings changes, then went into town to use the internet. I went to the Public Library, where you can get on the internet for free. That place is amazing. A really old building, it has floors and stairs that are very noticeably eroded by the passage of centuries of feet. Remarkable. I’ve never seen anything like that before. Well, a lot of things here are new.
When the library closed before too long, I went to the internet cafe to do a bit more online. Then I went and bought a voltage converter at Poundsavers, because I had almost fried my speakers earlier in the day, forgetting about the voltage difference. I made dinner plans with a friend, for a local chinese restaurant because the dining hall wasn’t open yet. The food wasn’t bad, but the service was amusing. The woman who owned the place had a very stereotypical if understandable Chinese accent, and talked to us a lot. She said all the people working there were her children. Entertaining.
After dinner, my friends and I went to see each others’ rooms. I have the biggest, because I’m on a corner, although another friend, Erin, has the nicest, as she lives in the newest building. She got a booklet about sports in her room, so we read that a little, and I started nodding off. I went back to my room while the others explored. I got to sleep early, then woke up late the next day when Matt, one of the friends from the previous night, knocked on my door asking for the mobile number of one of the other two. I left to go into town, and ran into Natalie and Erin. We went out, and Natalie (third friend) went to look for open banks (she didn’t find any; it was Saturday), while Erin and I went in search of internet. The library was closed, so we went to the internet cafe again. I went to that place a lot, but on the way back that day, I saw that there were several other places with better prices. Oh well. I’ll use those in the future if I have to, but I’ll probably have it for free at the library, dorm microlab, or room most of the time.
Oh, while leaving the internet cafe, we almost got hit by a car. It’s not that I’m not getting used to the driving on the opposite side of the road, it was just a dangerous intersection, and we were crossing in an unconventional place. We survived, though. Oh, I got my grades at the internet cafe too. A in Logic, A in ES, A- in Judaism, and B+ in Ancient. I wrote a pretty short final paper for Ancient, that might be why it’s lower. But not bad overall.
We went to Tesco’s (cheap grocery store-ish place) and I got some hand moisturizer and hair ties. We met Natalie and headed back. Just outside the dorms, a guy we passed looked a lot like one of the members of Old Blind Dogs. We went to Natalie’s room, met her friendly neighbor from Manchester, and watched an episode of the Office (US version). So, in the dining hall, every food item is assigned 1 or 2 points, and you get 6 points to use throughout the meal. It’s fairly reasonable; you can get everything you need with that much, but it still grated harshly with me. Even worse, they don’t let you go back from the eating area to the food area, not at all, because they can’t know whether you’ve taken 6 points already or whatnot. Sunday night I got into a long discussion with an attendant about that, because I was thirsty and wanted some orange juice, but she wouldn’t let me get any. I was annoyed. And also, we don’t get lunch at the dining hall, at all. Apparently we’re supposed to get it ourselves in the city. Ew. That’s what meal plans are for, sillies, so you don’t have to get your own food elsewhere. Jeesh.
Anyways, after dinner on Saturday night we watched 3 more episodes of the Office, 2 episodes of Blackadder from my collection, and the pilot of Firefly, also from my collection. We departed, and back in my room I worked for a while on a simplified map of south Edinburgh (in order to learn the streets), and then called home. Then went to sleep.
On Sunday morning we had International Student Orientation. It was pretty boring itself. Then we had lunch. On the way down, they gave us two booklets, one of which listed all the societies (clubs). I enjoyed flipping through that, figuring out what I wanted to check out. At lunch, I met a girl from Greenfield who went to Deerfield Academy and knows Kyle Yager and Dana Albertson, and she also goes to King’s College in Halifax now and knew Zack O’Neil when he was there. Her name is Emily, haven’t seen her since. I also, of all fantastic coincidences, ran into someone from Amherst HS there, Jen Tyson, who goes to Smith majoring in neuroscience. We chatted for a minute, just the superficial stuff.
There were walking tours of the campus at 2, and just beforehand I met a nice girl named Erica, from Hawaii. And yes, she knows Meri (though I gather not closely). She goes to Bowdoin, majoring in English and Art History, and is the most loyal member of a meditation group at her school. It was weird, I spent most of the rest of the day with her. We arranged to go to dinner at 5:30.
However, around 4:30 or 5, my next door neighbor moved in, and shortly thereafter invited me in for a beer. I accepted, not wanting to make a bad impression with my new neighbor, and also because I just wanted to meet him, and Scottish people in general. His name’s Ben, from the Isle of Islay (AYE-luh). He likes to hunt, drink, and play rugby. I don’t know if I really like him. It might just be confirmation bias, or something like that, but he and his friend Mike really were nothing like what I expected. They said most of the students at Edinburgh are English, not Scottish, and were mostly educated at public (to us, private) school. You have to understand, in the UK, apparently rugby is the sport played by people who go to prestigious public school, whereas football is the sport played by the less elite. These two guys actually LOOKED DOWN on football players! I was appalled. But I was also drunk and trying to be friendly. I have a very low tolerance, surely from not drinking much really ever. Erica came in around 5:30, and then we left around 6:30 or so. She had a much less negative impression of the fellows than I did. She, like a normal college student, likes her alcohol, and thought the two would be fun to party with, if not necessarily the most pleasant of company on a regular basis.
We met two Butler people for dinner, Emily, who lives on my hall, and Sarah, from Franklin & Marshall. They’re both very friendly, if very preppy. After dinner (and the confrontation with the dining hall lady), we went upstairs to the bar. I really didn’t want another drink, but the bartender gave them to us for free because we had just gotten there, so I figured it’d be rude to decline. And awkward to not have a drink with my new friends. So I got a half-pint of Guinness (though apparently no one gets half-pints there), which was not as good as the Guinness I’d had before. I liked better the “girly drink” that Sarah and Emily had, called a Snakebite. It was sweet, almost sickly so. I liked it; you couldn’t really taste the alcohol. That’s the best kind, from my perspective. We went back to Holland house and saw everyone’s room, then they went off to watch Under the Tuscan Sun in Sarah’s room in the new dorm (that Erin lives in too), Chancellor’s Court. I stayed in.
I was productive though. I rearranged and cleaned up my room, made it pretty, put up stuff on the walls. I made a pretty name sign for my door, and started a pen & ink drawing on a piece of cardboard that had been part of packaging for something. Skipped the party in the Student Union building; it was 3 quid for entry, and I didn’t feel like going out anyway.
Monday morning, I got up, showered, went to breakfast. Went to the Microlab, which is very close by and free internet. I then went in to George square (where my classes are) and tried to get into the International Students’ Lounge for some free tea, but it was closed. I saw an Italian girl whom I met at International Students’ Orientation. Her English isn’t very good; I hope she does okay in her classes. I went over to the Uni Library, and hung out in the computer lab (more free internet) until close to class time. Well, half an hour before. I went over to David Hume Tower (DHT), where my classes are, and scoped out where they all were. Oh, the power was out, so there were no lights, but I was impressed by the architecture; a big building and just about every room I saw had some natural light. But even though the electricity was off, one of the three lifts was working. I unthinkingly used it to check out where my classes were, and it worked fine. However, when it came to time to actually go to class, I got in it again (along with 12 other people), and it died on the 4th floor or so. So yeah, it was really crowded, and we were stuck there, in the dim light, for about 10 minutes. Luckily, there were about 4 other people from my class there, so when we finally did get out, the lecturer readily accepted the excuse. In the elevator, some people were being really loud, and I was just being calm and waiting. There were two or three other North Americans in the lift, one in my class.
The class was good, not at all scary, just pretty much like a class I’d have in the US. An hour of lecture, then an hour of tutorial (discussion). It was about how Descartes is considered NOT to be a good basis for environmentalism. Okay…. After class, I talked to Bethany on the way home. I was bored, so I went up to visit Erica. she was doing nothing, so we went and hung out with Emily. My goodness, they seem preppy to me. popped collar, that sweater with the diamondy pattern down the front…lots of popped collars here. Lots of scarves too, of various sorts. Lots of long coats, and on women skirts and tights with boots. I approve, I suppose. Anyway, we talked, then went to dinner. We met another random American, and she and I lost Erica and Emily. We sat with some random Scottish students, and then they left, then she left, and I went and sat with Erin and Natalie and Matt. And two other girls, Laura from South Carolina (the girl who fainted), and Megan, from Scripps College in SoCal.
Leaving dinner, I called Liz Finlayson, a friend of a friend who studies here. She said a local pub was having all-drinks-for-a-quid night, and invited me along. When I got back to my room, I realized I really didn’t want to go drinking, so I texted her back saying I’d be staying in. I played some computer games, and watched Ocean’s 11 and Catch Me If You Can on my computer. While I was watching the movies, I worked on the pen and ink drawing I started the day before. It’s really nice so far; I’m really proud of it.
I was depressed last night, too. I think it’s mostly because I don’t have as stable a social situation as I do at home. I don’t really have any friends here, just acquaintances who I’ve spent time with. I don’t think enough of any of them to spend more time with though, that’s the thing. Feel like we don’t have enough in common, either. The one group I feel is sort of lame and I don’t think they’re that cool, the other is too preppy and focused on drinking. Drinking is such a big thing here. I mean, it is at home too, but there I have established friends, so it’s different. Also, coming into the environment there, I had the social sanctuary of Blackstone to go to if I wanted to get away from the drinking culture; here I don’t have anything like that. I think once I get involved with some societies I’ll have more meaningful social contact, but I’m pretty lonely until then.
Why is it that so many people are so obsessed with drinking, and I don’t like it? Surely neither way is better than the other, but still, frequently it seems like it’s not okay to not drink. I mean, it’s unusual. Especially in Europe, it seems pretty uncommon. But I just don’t like the stuff, not how it tastes, not how it feels, not how it affects my budget. And yet, there’s this pressure to do it anyway, because it’s what other people (who I like except for this) expect and want you to do.
ANYWAYS, today, I had to get up early to meet with my Director of Studies (DoS; they like abbreviating and pronouncing the abbreviation of things here), who’s somewhat like an academic adviser. The meeting was very short, and since then I’ve been here in the library on the internet via wireless on my laptop. I really need to get on getting in touch with the people about fixing my room’s internet. I want to see if my computer-savvy Scottish acquaintance can do anything though. I suppose I need to get in touch with him.
I have class today at 4, and maybe at 2 as well, although I doubt it. Oh, sometime yesterday I figured out when various concerts I want to go to are, and when various societies I want to look into meet. Stuff to do. I’m still kinda down, but feeling better than last night. Ooh, tonight’s the folk music society. That’s where I’m hoping to fit in, although I’m not going to pretend like drinking won’t be involved with that. In regards to drinking, I think I just need to figure out how to hang out with people who are drinking without doing so myself. Once I get that, I should be fine. It’s the lack of social contact and the pressure to drink that are getting me down. Ooh, articulation catharsis. Wonderful. I’m hoping to get up another map and some pictures soon. Enjoy. Pat on the back to all of you who got to the end of this long post.
“Articulation catharsis”!! Great phrase. I never heard it before, but it describes a phenomenon with which I am familiar also.
Sounds like you are steering a good course through a difficult adjustment time. Can’t wait to hear about the Folk Music society.
Like ol’Laertes said, “To thine own self… etc.” Maybe he was on to something. But as social creatures that can be difficult when those around us have different preferences and norms than we in our true self do. Figuring out how to resolve and make peace between our own desires/ preferences/ identity and those of our social milieu, our fellow people – there is a thorny issue for a lifetime of study. Sounds like you have some gambits to try.
I love your blog!!! And I love you!
That was Polonius speaking to Laertes.
You know that your scottish neighbour was talking about Soccer right ?
Of course football is soccer. I think it’s really interesting that most of the major sports in the US aren’t really done anywhere else. Baseball, American Football, NASCAR…not really present elsewhere as far as I can tell.
Hi, Alex. Nick here. I really enjoyed hearing all the details of your life. I think you’re onto the best reaction to drinking; if you don’t like it but you don’t want to be excluded from social situations where drinking is involved, just order something non-alcoholic. Congratulations on another set of fine grades at Conn. Today I wrote a story about how WFCR has canceled “Thistle and Shamrock” and “Valley Folk” because of low listenership. Did you hear that last weekend it was 70 degrees here, an alltime record for January?
I’m enjoying reading your blog – it’s really interesting seeing Britain, (and Mum & Dad in Manchester!) from a fresh perspective. I went to Uni in Staffordshire, (England) and I agree, most students were absolutely MAD for drinking alcohol, (unhealthily so). Despite what some sheep-minded folk may think, ‘real’ men do drink ‘halves’, and soft drinks, and ‘shandy’.
Also, try a lager shandy or bitter shandy, (fairly common over here.) A half in a pint glass, topped up with lemonade.
Hope you find some like minded people soon, I’m sure there are some, they just need finding.
I am sure you will meet some like-minded folks soon. As for drinking, Paul and your dad both inherited a gene from a very distant ancestor in Asia which makes them allergic to alcohol. This might make an interesting reason to advance on why you do not want to imbibe, lest it kick in. | 2019-04-18T16:25:10Z | https://www.alexkgellis.com/2007/01/09/first-few-days-on-campus-very-long-yet-rewarding-post/ |
Death and taxes could, indeed, be the only certainties we face in life. Still, there are many ways to structure a broadband operation that can impact an entity’s tax liability. Similarly, the potential “death” or sale of either a successful or unsuccessful broadband venture can have a significant impact on a cooperative’s membership and ongoing operations. Both of these issues should be seriously considered up-front – before or during the feasibility study stage – by getting input from multiple perspectives and asking the right – and some tough – questions.
Matthew Hale, credit supervisor in CoBank’s Denver office, spoke with Bill Miller, CPA, a tax partner with the firm of Bolinger, Segars, Gilbert & Moss, LLP to get a perspective on the accounting, tax and other issues that surround both creation of a broadband venture and an exit strategy.
Matthew Hale: Why is it important for an electric distribution cooperative to partner with its accounting firm when considering new business structures for broadband?
Bill Miller: Having a well-rounded view that incorporates multiple perspectives – financial, legal, engineering, as well as tax and accounting – is key to finding an effective structure for the cooperative. Each of these disciplines will look at a broadband business structure from a different angle.
For example, legal counsel will look at cooperative operations from the state level and accounting/tax professionals, such as myself, will take a cooperative tax view, which might add a layer to the consideration or maybe even take away a layer of consideration.
I generally advise clients to get everybody in a room or on a conference call so that all the different perspectives get out on the table and are considered at the same time. It’s the most effective approach to finding a solution, having a discussion and creating a perspective that considers the project from all angles. This type of all-inclusive, well-rounded approach provides the client’s management team and board with a sense of confidence that the new venture will be created in consistency with their goals and objectives.
MH: What are the positives and negatives of establishing a subsidiary corporation when considering a new business opportunity in broadband?
BM: The basis of any business structure should be the membership – how you want members to benefit from the project. The answer to this question will drive the legal structure and the tax structure of the project. If the goal is to provide an additional service for members, as well as for non-members, and the way members benefit is through cost-sharing and through a source of unallocated retained equity, a for-profit and taxable subsidiary corporation provides these benefits. Both legal and tax separation are also achieved. Tax separation is important because the IRS will not attribute the activities of the subsidiary corporation to the parent cooperative as long as a valid business reason exists.
Cost sharing is generally achieved through the use of intercompany agreements, such as a management services agreement. When the agreement is structured at cost, it allows the cooperative flexibility in staffing without creating, in general, unrelated business income. If the bylaws of the cooperative are modified accordingly to retain the net after tax earnings of the subsidiary as a source of retained unallocated equity, then cash distributions out of the equity of the subsidiary corporation, generally in the form of a corporate dividend, provides the cooperative a source of cash flow that can be used to assist the electric operations. Examples include using cash dividend distributions for construction, repayment of debt and for retiring patronage capital credits. Return of invested capital, such as amounts invested to capitalize the subsidiary corporation, does not generate non-member income for the electric cooperative’s 85-15 Test. A corporate dividend distribution out of the earnings of the subsidiary corporation does, however, result in non-member income for purposes of the 85/15 test. Although income for purposes of the 85/15 test, corporate dividends are excluded from the definition of unrelated business income, except to the extent the investment is debt financed. Therefore, so-called double taxation on the earnings of the subsidiary corporation can be limited.
By virtue of its structure, a subsidiary corporation will have federal and state corporate income tax return filings and will be subject to the corporate income tax at the applicable rates. Additionally, sales tax exemptions that may apply to the electric cooperative often do not apply to purchases used in or made by a subsidiary corporation. In addition to these anticipated results, a negative to establishing a subsidiary corporation is the effect inter-company transactions may have on the parent cooperative’s 85/15 test calculation and the potential for unrelated business taxable income. For example, if a management service agreement is built to generate a profit, it will generate non-member income for the 85/15 test for the amount of the total cost of the agreement and unrelated business taxable income. With the potential for unrelated business taxable income, the feasibility studies need to factor in unrelated business income tax. Therefore, we generally recommend that a cooperative should establish those types of agreements at cost.
Another consideration is the lease of fiber to the subsidiary corporation. Most of the feasibility studies we have seen consider the inter-company lease of the fiber as either related or excluded from unrelated business taxable income as a “qualified pole rental.” Rents meeting the definition of qualified pole rental income are excluded from the 85/15 test and from unrelated business taxable income. However, with few exceptions, inter-company loans and leases result in both non-member income and unrelated business income tax considerations. Therefore, analysis should be done to determine if the fiber leases involved are governed by the “qualified pole rental” rules or are governed by the inter-company transaction rules.
In general, the negatives for the cooperative would be non-member income and unrelated business income tax issues of inter-company related transactions, which could generate tax issues and effect the 85/15 test.
Having a well-rounded view that incorporates multiple perspectives—financial, legal, and engineering, as well as tax and accounting—is very important.
MH: What are the positives and negatives of keeping the broadband business within the co-op as a separate division?
BM: This goes back to the primary question of how members should benefit from the project. Subsidiary corporations are all about separation – both legal and tax. But when creating a division, typically the answer is that we not only want members to have access to a service, we also want them to benefit from additional patronage earnings. Achieving that as a so-called “like organization activity,” which is exempt from federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(12) of the Internal Revenue Code, is key.
Offering the service through a division implies an understanding and preference for the co-op model and reflects the members’ desire to maintain that structure. Additionally, a divisional structure provides no legal or tax separation, which may allow for simplification of the overall accounting and tax structure. Please note, however, that the use of a so-called disregarded entity may be used for legal separation but continue to be treated as a division for tax purposes.
Further, it eliminates inter-company transactions for purposes of the 85/15 test and the unrelated business income tax calculations. Therefore, any fees from one division to another division or any management services agreements from one division to another division are eliminated, unlike what happens in the case of a taxable subsidiary corporation.
The main negative is what happens if the amount of non-member sales exceeds the non-member income threshold for passing or failing the 85/15 test. Accordingly, the co-op should consider an exit strategy and determine the point in time it makes sense to move to a taxable subsidiary corporation structure.
The basis of any business structure should be the membership—how you want members to benefit from the project.
There is also the fair and equitable allocation issue and associated governance related issues. For example, unless the patrons buying the service of an electric division and a broadband division are substantially the same, a cooperative should allocate patronage capital on a divisional basis. A related issue is if the patrons will be members only or both members and non-members. Services provided on a patronage basis qualify as a “like organization activity” and are related to the cooperative’s exempt purposes. Services provided on a nonpatronage basis, are generally not related. The bylaws should be modified accordingly.
Another related decision is who the members of the cooperative should be - electric only patrons or purchasers of all services? If it’s electric only, governance remains the same. If it’s purchasers of all services, then governance will change. These decisions are neither pro nor con. They simply have to be made.
In summary, if a co-op decides to go down the divisional route, its management and board has to take a hard look at bylaws and ask questions: Who do we want our members to be? Who do we want our patrons to be? What do we want to do with any non-patronage sales?
MH: What level of financial planning should be conducted on a material investment such as broadband and is it necessary to utilize the services of a CPA?
BM: To put it in context, one of the differences between the recent expansion by electric cooperatives into broadband versus the diversification and expansion in the late 1990s is the amount of financial analysis that is being conducted.
In the late 1990s, there was a big push for diversification with the thought that if a cooperative didn’t diversify, its business model was going to be significantly different. Therefore, a number of cooperatives expanded into areas that were core or non-core to their primary business of electric energy. Regardless of the type of service, there wasn’t nearly the level of financial planning and analysis and exit strategy development as there is today.
Cooperatives that hire firms which specialize in analyzing markets and preparing feasibility studies for broadband could consider utilizing a CPA firm or tax consultant to look at those studies to ensure they’re considering the appropriate accounting and tax issues.
For example, some financial models include income taxes; some do not. The ones that don’t are still being promoted as taxable subsidiary corporations, which is one area where a CPA or tax consultant could provide value. Such analysis could result in revised income tax calculations and resulting cash flow forecasts. It could also identify potential income tax implications on inter-company transactions because those aren’t always reflected in the feasibility studies.
MH: How should a cooperative account for contributions in aid to construction (CIAC) on a broadband project? Do they do anything different than they would for electric plant? Does it make a difference if the business is a division or a subsidiary of the cooperative?
BM: The accounting treatment may vary based on whether or not the broadband activity is regulated or non-regulated. If regulated, CIAC contributions for a broadband project should be treated the same way as for electric plant. If non-regulated, then the accounting treatment will likely vary based on the terms and conditions surrounding the CIAC, including service contracts. Because of potential differences between the accounting for CIAC between regulated and non-regulated operations, a cooperative’s audit firm should be consulted. Depending on how the auditor advises you to record CIAC, there likely will be differences between book and tax accounting.
Under federal tax law, CIAC is considered prepayment for a service and is, therefore, income for tax purposes. This holds true whether the CIAC is received from regulated or non-regulated operations. To illustrate the potential for book and tax differences, assume the operations are regulated and a portion of the business is operated on a taxable basis through a subsidiary corporation. For regulatory accounting purposes, the CIAC is a reduction in the depreciable cost of the plant, and therefore, you have less book depreciation expense. For tax purposes, CIAC is considered income in the year of receipt but increases the depreciable tax basis of the asset. The ability to claim and accelerate tax depreciation on a corporate income tax return will help minimize the timing and cash flow differences that occur between the date received and estimated depreciable life.
If received by a division of the cooperative, CIAC is considered for the 85/15 test because it is a tax basis calculation. If received from a member – who must have both a right to vote and right to receive patronage capital for the underlying services – for an exempt activity, then it is generally considered to be “member” income. If received from a non-member, regardless of the tax-exempt nature of the service, then it is “non-member” income. If the CIAC is associated with an unrelated business or received by a taxable subsidiary corporation, then it is taxable income and the ability to claim and accelerate tax depreciation is important.
MH: What are the considerations when receiving a grant or other forms of government or state funding for a broadband project?
BM: In general, up through 2017, a government grant that was received by a cooperative for the purpose of providing a public benefit and for the construction of an asset was considered under tax law to be a non-shareholder contribution of equity and not taxable income. Grant proceeds were generally excluded from the 85/15 test.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act amended Section 118 of the Internal Revenue Code upon which the exclusion was based. Amended Section 118 now excludes government grants from income of a grant recipient only if the government is a shareholder in the organization, which can create issues for the cooperative business structure. As the Internal Revenue Code exists today, it appears as though government grants are no longer excluded from tax basis income as a non-shareholder contribution of equity. Therefore, the main consideration today is to involve your tax advisor on any receipt of federal or state grants and have them determine the impact such grants will have, first and foremost, on the 85/15 test. Revisit income tax calculations of a subsidiary corporation as these could also change. Also track any potential legislative fixes to either Section 118 or Section 501(c)(12).
This is a very important step. When feasibility studies were conducted for most projects one or two years ago, the old set of tax rules would have applied and updates may be needed for the new rules.
MH: Does either option – subsidiary or division – offer an easier exit strategy if the cooperative elects to sell its broadband business?
BM: An exit strategy could be a couple of things. One, what if we think we know the structure we want today but we might want to modify that structure.
It’s easier to flow a business downstream rather than to try to reverse and flow it upstream. Unwinding a corporate subsidiary structure by moving to and operating as a division of the cooperative can be done, but doing so is generally more cumbersome and costlier. For example, the liquidation and dissolution of a subsidiary corporation may result in taxable gain to the subsidiary if the exempt cooperative parent will conduct the business operations of the subsidiary corporation on a tax-exempt basis. In other words, the cost to operating on a tax-exempt basis in the future is a potential income tax liability today. The same tax consideration generally does not exist when a business activity flows from a tax-exempt cooperative to a taxable subsidiary corporation.
Cooperatives that hire firms which specialize in preparing feasibility studies for broadband should consider utilizing a tax consultant to look at those studies to ensure they’re considering the appropriate accounting and tax issues.
Therefore, if the cooperative thinks there might be a reason to change the structure in the future, it’s generally better to start at the cooperative level and flow it downstream than it is to start at the subsidiary corporation and flow it upstream.
If you have a subsidiary corporation and want to exit what has become an unsuccessful venture, the members are most likely going to be on the hook for the debt. This is true in either a subsidiary corporation or cooperative divisional structure. If it’s a subsidiary corporation, there’s some separation. But in the end, if the business is not successful and must be sold, that debt is ultimately going to be on the books of the cooperative.
That’s one aspect that doesn’t change and that should be considered in the feasibility study. A critically important consideration is the impact a potentially unsuccessful broadband operation and assumption of its debt would have on rates. If it’s a division, it’s already there. But if it’s a subsidiary, that’s a scenario that often isn’t – but should be – seriously considered. A related consideration is how any loss will be be recovered from the members. Bylaws should be modified accordingly and before the loss is incurred.
If the broadband business is successful, the tax implications and planning opportunities between the divisional and subsidiary corporation approaches will vary. Therefore, the structure of a potential sale will potentially be different, and a tax consultant can provide a general overview of the potential implications and options. Key questions in considering a sale are: What are the pros and cons? How is it going to work? What happens in case of a loss and what happens to the debt? What happens to a potential gain and what is the tax impact? These responses might drive a particular structure, or an idea that when we get to that point, there might be multiple ways to structure a sale.
These types of questions are examples of the difference between the current environment and the diversification that took place in the 1990s. In the late 1990s, the potential for failure wasn’t readily considered. Today, co-op bylaws should have provisions not for just allocating patronage capital but also for what to do in the event of a loss.
NRECA members can receive a comprehensive memo on the issues discussed here free of charge by emailing NRECA’s Ty Thompson.
Bill Miller, CPA, is a tax partner with the accounting firm of Bolinger, Segars, Gilbert and Moss in Lubbock, Texas. He began his career with the firm in 1992 and holds an accounting degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Bill is in charge of the firm’s utility and cooperative tax practice. The goal of his department is to provide tax and consulting services to the firm’s exempt and non-exempt utility cooperative audit clients, including related subsidiary companies. His responsibilities include tax research, tax planning, advising on entity selection for new business ventures and tax return preparation. Bill also assists his clients in complying with cooperative principles and structuring plans to allocate and redeem patronage capital. Bill is active in the National Society of Accountants of Cooperatives. He currently serves as a national director and president and also as a director of the Electric Cooperative Chapter. | 2019-04-24T20:09:49Z | https://www.cobank.com/knowledge-exchange/power/death-and-taxes |
You've moved your contacts and apps from your old phone to your new phone, but now it's time to really unpack your new phone!
Setting up a new phone is like setting up a new apartment: there's a lot to do and it can be easy to forget a few things along the way. Here at Android Central, we set up a lot of new phones during our device reviews — and of course as we play live-in tech support to our families and friends — and so we're here to help remind you of some of the smaller tasks to do after your get all your apps downloaded and your Google account logged in on the new device. A new device is a chance for a new start, which makes it the best time for you to get into some better habits concerning your apps and Android use.
So grab a nice soothing beverage, sit down in a comfy chair, and let's unpack your Android experience.
Always forgetting to silence your phone before church or school? Or to turn the volume back up once it's over? Do Not Disturb's Automatic rules can silence your phone at 8 AM when mass starts and turn the ringer back on at 9:15 when you're usually out of church and on your way to the doughnut shop.
DND's automatic rules are one of Android's hidden gems, and your automatic rules sometimes follow you from phone to phone with your Google account. You might not need to set up new ones, but if you haven't set them up, there is no time like the present!
As with most system menus, the Do Not Disturb menu can look a little different depending on your exact phone and software, but the only manufacturer that made things drastically different concerning DND is Samsung. Samsung's Do Not Disturb menu is the most sparse and the most limited, as you're limited to one automatic rule — most phones allow several DND rules — and you cannot set a default or timed duration when toggling on DND outside the automatic rule.
Pull down the notification shade by swiping down from the top edge of the screen.
Swipe down from the top edge of the screen again to open the Quick Settings.
By default, Do Not Disturb is usually placed somewhere on the first page of your Quick Settings toggles. Press and hold the Do Not Disturb toggle until the Do Not Disturb menu appears.
Under Schedule, tap Turn on automatically.
Some devices can set DND rules to fire during certain events, but all can set DND rules to fire at specific times. Tap Time to create a time-based rule.
The default rule parameters will be added to the Days, Start time, and End time. Tap Days to edit which days of the week your rule is active.
Tap the days you do not want your rule active to uncheck them. Any checkmarked or highlighted days are days the rule is active.
Once you have the desired days sat, tap Done.
Tap Start time to change the time of day the rule takes effect.
Tap the hour you want the rule to take place.
Tap the minute you want the rule to take place. Tip: if you want a minute between the 5-minute increments, hold your finger down and drag it slowly to the minute you want it at.
(12-hour time only) If you need to change from PM to AM, tap AM.
Tap End time and repeat steps 13-16.
If you want an alarm to be able to override and end a rule early — such as a super early pre-flight alarm to leave for the airport — tap Alarm can override end time if the toggle is not already active.
Tap the back arrow in the top left corner to exit the submenu and save the rule.
Back in the main DND menu, you can set more specific rules for what Do Not Disturb does and doesn't let through in the Exceptions section. You can also set whether notification sound/vibration/icons/dots are suppressed during Do Not Disturb in the Behavior section.
Tap Turn on as scheduled to edit the schedule.
Tap the days of the week you do not want your DND schedule to run. Days that are circled and colored are active days, grey days are off days.
Tap Set schedule edit the start and end time.
Scroll the hour, minute, and AM/PM to the start time you want.
Tap End at the top of the time-picking pop-up.
Scroll the hour, minute, and AM/PM to the end time you want.
Tap the back arrow in the top left corner to exit the submenu and save the changes.
You can tweak what Do Not Disturb mode will and won't let through — you can set DND to let favorite contacts or repeat callers through in case someone is trying to call you in an emergency — in Allow exceptions. You can state how much notifications are suppressed when using a phone in DND mode under Hide Notifications.
When you get a new Android phone, you're going to see a lot of "Open with" app selection prompts while you're going about tasks for the first time and settling into your various apps. These prompts are annoying, but necessary if you haven't chosen a default app for a task yet. Of course, if you set the default apps all at once in the Settings app, you can skip all those pesky pop-ups in the weeks to come.
Tap Apps or Apps & notifications (the name may vary by phone).
(Samsung devices) Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the screen.
(Google Pixel devices) Scroll down and tap Advanced to expand the Apps menu.
Tap the app type you wish to assign a default to.
Tap the app name you wish to be the default.
Tap the back arrow in the top left corner to exit the submenu and save the change.
Repeat steps 4-6 as desired with the app types listed.
At the bottom of the default apps list is an Opening links submenu. This submenu can be used to clear the defaults you accidentally set the wrong app to open a certain type of link, like Samsung Browser opening YouTube links instead of YouTube. You shouldn't need to mess with anything in here, but it's good to know where it is in case you ever do.
Once upon a time, Android was dark, beautiful place, a dangerous place where bugs and app crashes lurked in the shadows of a charcoal-and-blue Holo UI. Then Material Design came and replaced everything with white. Clean, clear, cruelly-blinding-at-2-AM white.
While Google itself has struggled to get a dark theme right before they bring it back to Android as a whole, manufacturers like Samsung and OnePlus have implemented their own theming systems to give users back control over the appearance of the Android system, and if you own a phone with a theming system available, you should give it a once-over to see if you find a theme you like more than the bright, bland default.
On Samsung phones, a separate Samsung Themes app controls device themes, Always On Display, fonts, icon packs, and wallpapers. If you don't see Samsung Themes in your app drawer, you can access it from the Wallpaper and themes option in the main Settings menu. A great and growing number of Samsung Themes are paid, and that number will only continue to rise as the One UI update rolls out to more devices.
For OnePlus, the theme in the Display section of the Settings app, where you can set the system theme, accent color, system font and wallpaper in the Customization section.
Google doesn't have a device-wide system theme yet, but they do have a Device theme setting in the Display section of the Settings app that will set the color scheme for the Quick Settings menu and some system pop-ups.
If all else fails, tap the search bar at the top of your phone and type in "theme". If there are any theme settings, they should pop up quickly.
If you're on a device that runs a more "vanilla" take on Android, you might not have any system theme to use, but it's worth checking for sure. A dark theme may not be everyone's cup of tea, but on AMOLED phones, hex black themes use less pixels and less power, which can mean the difference between your phone being at 25% or 5% at the end of a long, busy travel day.
The navigation bar is going through a few changes here in the Android Pie era, and more manufacturers have been embracing system-based gesture shortcuts over past few years. If you're setting up a new new phone, you should probably see which ones your phone came with.
Like system themes, system gestures tend to hide in different places on different phones, but if you open the Settings app and type "gesture", they should appear in short order and tell you which menus they're hiding in. Look through all of the gesture shortcuts/features your phone has, regardless of what which ones you think you'll use. You can disable some or all of them if you want, but see what they all do first.
Some of these shortcuts can not only be quite useful in your day-to-day life — like the double-tap to wake the screen — but some can be important settings to remember in an emergency, like the OnePlus 6T's hidden panic button or the Google Pixel's quick ringer shut-off. Horror movie cliche aside, you never know when you might need to silence your phone instantly or discreetly dial 9-1-1.
In addition to the gestures, as Google, OnePlus, and other manufacturers have been exploring radical changes to the navigation bar — or the complete replacement of the nav bar with gestures from the bottom edge of the screen — so make sure you know what the navigation controls for your new phone can actually do and whether a more traditional nav bar option is available.
While Google Assistant is now part of the initial setup process on many new phones, I also know that people tend to skip the Voice Match section. Whether your new phone just imported your previous voice model or you skipped it because you initially set up your phone in a noisy environment — like a busy carrier store — you should find a quiet room and retrain Voice Match on your new phone.
We can also take this time to ensure that saying "OK Google" will wake up your phone if the screen's off and unlock your phone if it's locked, two problems that pop up from new users in Android subreddits with impressive frequency.
Open the main Google app, one of the pre-installed apps on your phone.
Under Google Assistant, tap Settings.
Say "OK Google" and "Hey Google" as prompted on screen.
With the voice model saved, we can now see if the settings needed for Google Assistant to wake and unlock your phone are enabled. If either toggle is grey, tap it to turn it blue.
Access with Voice Match is the setting that will wake your phone if you say Ok Google with the screen off.
Unlock with Voice Match is the setting that will unlock your phone when you say OK Google. When turning this setting on, you will be required to put in your password/PIN/fingerprint and acknowledge that Voice unlocking is less secure than a PIN or password because voices can sound similar.
Google Photos free photo backups are amazing and free and help us keep treasured memories of beloved family members and pets and you need to turn on free backups right now so you don't forget to do it later!
Tap Allow to allow Google Photos to see and back up your photos and videos.
The Back up & sync enrollment window will appear. By default it is set to upload only on Wi-Fi at the free high-quality resolution — which will be more than enough for the vast majority of users. If you want to change either of these settings, tap Change settings.
If you want to have photos upload at original quality — which will count against your Google Drive/Google One storage limit — tap Original.
If you want to upload photos for backup even when you're on mobile data, tap Use cellular data to back up.
Tap the back arrow in the top left corner.
If you want to come back and change these settings later, we've got you covered.
When you set up a new phone, by default Google Play allow yous to install every app your old phone had from Google Play on your new phone. It can be a major pain to try and weed through this list during initial setup, but while we're getting this phone squared away for years of future use, now is the time to do some spring cleaning in the app drawer.
This may take a little time, and if you still have your old phone, pull it out and go through the two phones side by side and use the following guidelines to help you weed out old or unneeded apps.
When was the last time I used this app? The Google Play Store's My apps & games section can sort the Installed tab by Last Used. Open this view on your old phone and see when the last time you used an app was. If you haven't used the app in the last six months and it isn't a basic utility app like Barcode Scanner, you can probably uninstall it.
Do I still need this app for anything? We pick up apps for all sorts of reasons: trying new games or downloading an app for a specific event or activity like a cross-country move or a business conference or a vacation. If you no longer use a service or need the app for last year's iKKiCON panel guide and map, you no longer need its app cluttering your phone.
Do I have multiple apps that do the same thing? Redundancy for the most important apps on your phone makes sense, and really, you should have at least two keyboards, text messagers, and email apps in case a catastrophic bug renders your usual app inoperable, but you don't need five weather apps installed unless you're a storm chaser or an app reviewer.
Once you've trimmed town your apps, it's time to set the ones you're keeping where you want them on your home screen.
First and foremost, your phone came with a default wallpaper set on it. If Google didn't restore the wallpaper from your previous phone while it was transferring your contacts and app data, do yourself a favor right now and go grab a new wallpaper. It's one small step towards turning the bland default home screen into something more personal, and it can help your phone feel more like yours.
Is the grid a good size for your new phone's screen? Phones have ballooned in size over the last five years, and yet the home screen grid on many default launchers is still only 4x5. If your new phone is a tall drink of awesome, wouldn't you benefit from a home screen grid with more room for apps and widgets?
Do you like the way your app shortcuts look? Pre-installed apps can have quite different icons even between different generation devices from the same manufacturer. If you're not a fan of the way the app shortcuts look on your new phone — maybe the icons are too small, maybe they look too similar to other apps you use, maybe the labels are hard to read — would you like to replace them with something that looks better?
Does the app drawer arrange apps the way you want? Most Android launchers use A-Z sorting, like Samsung's Custom sorting and several pre-made folders that turn your app drawer into something of a treasure hunt. Does the app drawer's sorting and layout make sense to you? Can you find any app in 8 seconds or less?
Can you get this launcher set up to your liking? While launchers from manufacturers are getting more flexible, there's still a lot of things on them you simply can't change. If your new phone's launcher doesn't have a feature you're used to, or has a unchangeable feature you don't like, it may be time to consider alternatives.
If the answer to any of these questions is no, consider switching to a different launcher. It's easy to install a third-party launcher from Google Play that will allow you to increase the size of the app grid, change the size and labels for your app shortcuts, apply icon packs that make your apps look more familiar — or at least more consistent — and allow you to get your app drawer and launcher settings exactly the way you want them.
If hassling with all of this is something you'd prefer to avoid on your next phone, one of the best reasons to go with a third-party launcher is that most third-party launchers allow you to back up your launcher layout and settings, meaning when you move to your next phone, you can restore a backup from your previous phone and skip 90% of this hassle.
Getting your launcher arranged just the way you like might feel like frivolous window-dressing, but it can alleviate a great deal of tension as you figure out new settings and features on your new phone, and it also helps establish a sense of ownership.
This isn't just another Android phone; this is your phone.
The sounds that your phone make are important, since they're the aspect of your phone that everyone around you will know, laugh at, and possibly hate. If you like the ringtones and text tones that came with your phone, that's fine, but if you'd rather get something with a little more life and personality to you, there are a multitude of ways to add custom sounds to your phone, and they're getting easier all the time.
No matter how awesome your ringtone, having the same one go off anytime anyone calls you ever can get old faster than ever as telemarketers and spam robocalls reach new, infuriating levels. We can keep a single ringtone from wearing out its welcome and increase your ringtone's functionality by setting contact-specific ringtones.
By giving each of your most-used contacts a special ringtone, you can tell who is calling without having to scramble across the room and grab your phone off the charger. This is useful at all times but especially during work hours, when answering personal calls can earn you a reprimand but missing a client call could slow down your progress.
Open Google's Contacts app, which comes pre-installed on most Android phones. If you have two Contacts app shortcuts in your app drawer that look identical, follow the Google Play link listed in the previous sentence to the app listing.
Tap the contact you wish to assign a contact to.
Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the contact page.
Tap the ringtone you want to assign to your contact.
Setting a custom notification tone when your closest contacts reply to your conversation can be just as useful as contact-specific ringtones or even more so, depending on how frequently your friends text you. While custom contact/conversation text tones are finally starting to really conform to a standard method, there's still just enough variation that you'll want to check out our detailed how-to, which takes you through the steps on each of the major SMS apps.
Feeling more at home in your new phone yet?
It'll take time to settle in on your new phone, but with these basics covered, you should be able to finish unpacking the rest of your apps in short order and get back to the joys of exploring your beautiful new Android. | 2019-04-19T07:18:02Z | https://m.androidcentral.com/things-do-after-setting-android-phone |
Go on, admit it. You've said that phrase in protest to something or other in your past. Someone recommends a book. "But I'm not a reader." A friend suggests you take Zumba together. "But I'm not coordinated." Your Language Arts teacher asked you to write a story in middle school. "But I'm not a writer."
And so you let the nottas control your life. The truth is we are (and can do) anything we decide to be (or do). It's a matter of choice. Oh sure, there're some genetic limitations that limit an insignificant number of our choices in life. But those miniscule exceptions prove the rule - we can choose to do and be and create! We have the ability to choose what our life looks like.
At least have the guts to say, "I choose not to read, dance, or write." For at the point that we admit "we are choosing" we take ownership of our current state.
So, if you were not happy with 2011, then you chose not to be happy with it. You didn't read that book, not because you aren't a reader but because you chose not to read it. You didn't write that story, not because you aren't a writer but because you chose not to write it.
The good news is that you can do something different this year. And you can choose to be happy with the results. So, what's holding you back? Be someone different this year. Create something. Do it.
It almost goes without saying, but when I'm grumpy I have a bad attitude. What this tells me is that my attitude - which can be fairly easily ascertained by my facial expression and body language - is simply an external representation of my internal feelings. If I'm feeling down, my body sags. Doesn't yours?
Now it's not any secret that the answer to a bad attitude is a good laugh, a smile, and pleasant thoughts. Why? Because you can't genuinely laugh and smile without a corresponding good feeling. Our feelings have a direct impact on our outward demeanor.
The challenge is controlling our feelings. Change our feelings, change our attitude. The good news is that we can control our feelings. We're not at the mercy of our emotional life. Emotions (the well from which our feelings arise) serve as a barometer of what's going on inside of us. And we can change what's going on inside.
How? By monitoring our thoughts. Our thoughts affect our feelings which in turn shows up in our attitude. And the best way to monitor our thoughts is by listening to our self-talk. In other words, we need to think about our thinking. This might be a true difference between us and animals. We have the ability to consider our thought process and not just react by instinct (which seems more emotional in nature, doesn't it?) And since we can control our thoughts, we have the ability to influence our feelings and thus change our attitude. That is good news indeed.
More on controlling our thinking next time.
Personal success requires courage to attempt something great. And that means boldness which is, at times, confused with arrogance.
But there's a difference between arrogance and confidence. It has to do with one's attitude and motivation. In Selling the Dream (HarperCollins, 1991) Guy Kawasaki explains the difference by exploring the concept of "evangelism."
Although I'm inclined to retain a theological definition of the term ("spreading the good news") I can understand Kawasaki's point. He wants to contrast this view with traditional sales. And the main difference is the motivation: To change the world!
This is a key to personal success - finding a cause that's big enough for us to jump into and is also big enough to invite others to jump into. What's your crusade?
UPDATE: You can now follow Guy Kawasaki on Twitter!
ongoing endeavor to make a difference in young people’s lives.
Vital to society are women and men who are committed to the vision of providing quality education for today’s students.
Now I do not use the term vision lightly. I believe that in any endeavor – whether it be in business, sports, parenting, teaching – without a vision of some greater good to be accomplished, without a vision of a better or preferable future, then the sustainability of that endeavor diminishes with time.
Novelty, freshman enthusiasm, excitement at the beginning of the journey will eventually wane. Although mountain top experiences, renewal conferences, and rewards for jobs well done are all very important, it is the vision of what you want to accomplish with your life or your career that keeps you in the game until the job is done.
The challenge for many people is that they do not have a vision big enough to sustain them long-term. Most people are living too shallow a dream, so no wonder they’re frustrated when the initial enthusiasm wears off. A big vision will answer that challenge.
You’ve heard this quote. The saying has been attributed to Victor Hugo, "Dream no small dreams. They have not the power to stir men’s souls." The bible puts it like this: "Without a vision, the people perish."
I want to make the case that assisting in the maturation process of young adults into healthy, well-rounded, individuals who can better society because of the skills you as a teacher handed down to them is a worthy vision to embrace.
Let me repeat that. Assisting in the maturation process of young adults into healthy, well-rounded, individuals who can better society because of the skills you handed down to them is a worthy vision to embrace.
Almost everyone familiar with self-help is aware of Anthony Robbins and NLP (google it if you aren't). I was skeptical before reading both Unlimited Power (1986) and Awaken the Giant Within (1991) but was impressed with the practical, no nonsense principles that Robbins espouses.
Although sprinkled with Christian verbiage and a bit of God-talk, I didn't catch Tony syncretizing religious beliefs, at least not in these books. I have not kept up with his current work to determine if he's maintained a "Norman Vincent Peale" approach to faith and self-help or not.
The books are very practical, full of great exercises, and with too many ideas to summarize with one quote. But I did find his explanation of our Reticular Activating System (RAS) helpful in Awaken the Giant Within.
This makes more sense to me than magically "magnetizing" wealth into our lives (like The Secret advocates with the Law of Attraction). Simply put, the RAS works because when we focus on a question or problem our mind becomes engaged to find solutions. An example is when we car shop. We never noticed lime green VW Bugs before, but now that we're buying, everyone is driving one! That's your RAS at work.
So, if you're looking for an indepth analysis of the connection between our beliefs and our actions - along with practical steps to take for improving yourself - Robbins has a lot to offer in these thick books (both over 400 pages). Read with discernment, but go ahead and pick one up from a used book store.
Positive self talk is critical for personal development. This set of daily affirmations originally comes from Harold Sherman, author of How to Turn Failure into Success. This "code of persistence" was copied from another source, however, and I'm not sure where I found it. Great statements to memorize though!
I will never give up as long as I know I am right.
I will believe that all things will work out for me if I hang on to the end.
I will be courageous and undismayed in the face of poor odds.
I will not permit anyone to intimidate or deter me from my goals.
I will fight to overcome all physical handicaps and setbacks.
I will try again and again and yet again to accomplish what I desire.
I will take new faith and resolution from the knowledge that all successful men and women have had to fight defeat and adversity.
I will never surrender to discouragement or despair no matter what seeming obstacles may confront me.
For those who are interested, I have linked solid scriptural principles to each of these statements and turned them into biblical affirmations as well. Email me and I'll send the references to you.
This is explained in Part I - how each of us is conditioned to think and act a certain way when it comes to money. Our thinking has been programmed by the attitudes and actions of people that have influenced us, typically our parents. But the good news is that we can implement some key strategies so that we can revise our mental money blueprint.
Part II examines the differences between how rich, middle-class, and poor people think. And it's true, we think differently at different socio-economic levels. The author then provides 17 attitude and action exercises that will lead to a change in our thinking and thus a subsequent change in our financial life - if we take action!
The basis for this change - any change really - is this simple formula: Thoughts lead to Feelings lead to Actions lead to Results. The challenge is to change our thoughts - and this is done by re-programming what we think and believe about wealth and money. We've already been programmed by our past. Let's take control of our thinking and re-program our minds so that our future isn't simply a repetition of the past.
Like most other books of this nature, the author's strength is practical in nature not theological. He mixes a bit of God talk in for good measure but doesn't provide a solid biblical basis for his thesis. The scriptural arguments exist, but T. Harv Eker is not biblically equipped to deal with them. This is unfortunate as many who are seeking help here from a spiritual perspective will come away with something less than satisfying. But, that being said, the principles he espouses are solid and (can be) life changing.
Write a Spring-related post (mine is below).
Find & link to three other Spring-related posts.
Add the Think Spring button/code to your blog.
Then comment at RoseWoman, the meme host.
Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he "has put everything under his feet."
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
It is often said that the changing of the seasons is like the cycle of life. There is birth, there is youth, there is maturing, there is death. And then re-birth! We are taught that Spring is the continual reminder that all things are re-born.
Nice sentiment as far as it goes. But one day this cycle will end. For the winter of life is actually a disruption of God's good order. Death was never meant to be, as some put it, a "natural part of life." Winter's Death is the enemy, and it will be swallowed up in toto when Christ's eternal Spring arrives at his coming.
How like those spell-bound creatures we are. We've come to accept as final this seasonal cycle - as wonderfully refreshing as it may be this side of heaven.
But it is not the last word. One day death and pain and weeping and suffering and war and violence will end. The last vestiges of sin will be destroyed never to be "re-born" for another season. Eternal Spring will dawn. Christ will reign. Alleluia, He is Risen!
Wayne at Q&A titles a piece "All Alone" - I want to call is "Almost Spring"
Barbara at Tidbits & Treasures has posted "No Room For A Savior"
Paint at Play is "Back to Work" with another piece that's almost Spring.
Are you thinking Spring? Spread the word.
How to set your goals high . . . and then exceed them!
These chapter titles will have a familiar ring to them because this book was at the vanguard of the self-help movement we know today. So much of what is written today is based on the principles espoused by personal development leaders like William James, Napoleon Hill, Russell Conwell, James Allen, Les Giblin, Maxwell Maltz, Norman Vincent Peale, and of course, David Schwartz.
... to William Wilberforce in 1796 upon the defeat of his proposal to end the slave trade in the English colonies. Not knowing it would be another 11 years of sustained effort before success, Wilberforce was expressing to his old friend Newton (pictured here) his willingness to consider retirement from public life. Here is Newton's reply, which convinced Wilberforce to stay the course.
Daniel, likewise, was a public man, and in critical circumstances; but he trusted in the Lord; was faithful in his department, and therefore though he had enemies, they could not prevail against him.
Indeed the great point for our comfort in life is to have a well-grounded persuasion that we are where, all things considered, we ought to be. Then it is no great matter whether we are in public or in private life, in a city or a village, in a palace or a cottage. The promise, "My grace is sufficient for thee," is necessary to support us in the smoothest scenes, and is equally able to support us in the most difficult. . . .
[Christ] is always near. He knows our wants, our dangers, our feelings, our fears. By looking to him we are enlightened and made strong out of weakness. With his wisdom for our guide, his power for our protection, his fullness for our supply, and proposing his glory as our chief end, and placing our happiness in his favour, in communion with him, and communications from Him, we shall be able to "withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand."
John Newton is the author of the hymn Amazing Grace, which also serves as the title to the wonderful film that captures the life of William Wilberforce (see pdf study guide).
Traveling heavenward requires a different mind than the way of the world. It is a life marked by service and humility, not greatness and control. This is a hard message to hear for modern day followers of Christ. Jesus would indeed have us experience a vibrant, wonderful life, but first he beckons us to follow him to the cross and die to ourselves so that we can take hold of the new life he offers.
The types of books we read reflect how we think about ourselves. Are we constantly in "fantasy land" trying to escape reality by reading novels with little or no moral redeeming value? Or are we learning from history, engaging in personal development, and understanding how money and business works?
The types of people we associate with is also critical in how we think about ourselves and even where we end up in life. Take our income level, for example. Add up the annual salaries of your several closest friends and divide it by that number and you'll likely have your annual income. We are who we hang around.
What this means is that we generally gravitate toward five broad categories of thinking and living based on the books we read and the people we hang around. According to Steven Siebold (author of 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class), those categories are poverty, working, middle, upper, and world class thinking.
Those with a poverty or working class mentality talk about (and mostly grumble about) the past. They are constantly blaming others for their failures, for not getting ahead, for their bad breaks in life. Could be a boss, a parent, a teacher. They got screwed over by someone and that's why they are where they are at. It's a victim mindset.
Those with a middle class mentality talk about other people - comparing up or down and always trying to position themselves a little better than their peers. It's either keep up with the Joneses or it's bragging about their latest toy. The middle class have also deluded themselves into thinking that they are where they're at because of their hard work. Most middle class folks thought they hit a double when in fact they were born on second base.
Those with an upper, or better yet, world class mentality talk about ideas. They are always looking for ways to grow, increase, become better, build, influence more, impact more, do more, be more. And so they are reading books that help them think better. They associate with positive, excited people and avoid negative, limiting people.
Are you focused on the past, other people, or big ideas?
What books are you reading that support the direction you want to go?
What people in your life do you need to limit your exposure to?
When will you begin to implement the answers to these questions?
Self-realization is not a new thing, nor necessarily a bad thing. But Chambers took note of it's dangers nearly 100 years ago. Without God, the self becomes the arbiter of good and evil. This was the sin of the garden. And the same devil tempts us today with the same proposition: "You shall be like God." This is a fundamental flaw in the teaching of the Secret and those who advocate it's doctrines.
And note that we are not talking about whether the teachers of the Secret are moral or immoral. I am sure that many who profess to follow universal principles like the Law of Attraction are quite nice and giving people. That is not the issue. The issue is idolatry. Ultimately, the Secret is about claiming my right to myself.
If ever we travel within to find ourselves, rest assured, it will be a very short trip.
A surprisingly helpful little handbook is God is My CEO by Larry Julian (published by Adams Media 2001, 2002). It's actually a compilation of short chapters on a wide range of business topics by various corporate leaders, sports authorities, and even a former governor.
Normally I would shy away from books like this that tie God with politics, business, or sports, but the subtitle - Following God's Principles in a Bottom-Line World - sounded better than the title. It struck a chord with me as this is my desire.
I was pleased with the resource. Just flipping through the headings and authors piqued my interest: Tony Dungy (Super Bowl Champ Head Coach) on Patience; Horst Schulze (CEO Ritz Carlton) on Servant Leadership; Truett Cathy (Founder Chick-fil-A) on Priorities; Bob Buford (author of Half Time) on Success. Etc.
Okay. Not an instant classic. But a nice gift if you are looking to impact others in a positive way.
Summarizing some recent posts with a few key quotes on the various topics I've covered so far in Thought Renewal.
Success has to do with living a life of abundance that comes from the hand of God.
Communication requires distributing the right words to the right destination at the right time, which also requires receiving the right information from the other person.
What excuses are we willing to eliminate from our lives right now so that we can live the life of abundance that God intends for us? Go to the ant for some life lessons.
Your luck increases in direct proportion to the extent that you live your life on purpose in a cause that is bigger than yourself.
Harnessing our mental faculties for creating positive environs for ourselves and other people is a laudable and attainable goal. In fact, it is a biblical mandate.
We haven't been taught that it is a virtue to create wealth for the benefit of our family and others. So we have to teach ourselves the validity of this belief.
The Law of Attraction seems to me to be a restating of the biblical principle, "You reap what you sow."
Did you know that each one of our beliefs is a choice? Sadly, we've chosen to accept most of our beliefs "without argument."
Jesus has a clear goal in mind for each of our lives and has a plan that, if followed, will take us to our destination with banners waving.
While we shouldn't ignore our 5 natural senses, I believe there are supernatural senses which give us a heavenly perspective that our physical nature will miss.
It is not our humanity that gets us into trouble. It is the inhuman sin nature that infests and corrupts God's good earth that is the problem.
Are we going to persist in fear and give in to our anxieties or are we going to do everything we can to "flunk out of the school of worry" and live the life of abundance that God has in store for us?
Starting an ongoing series of posts on the various terms and phrases I use throughout Thought Renewal. Definitions are sometimes a bit elusive; and one challenge in communication is talking past each other due to the misinterpretation of what the other actually means.
So what I mean when I write about this topic incorporates at least those two components. Success has to do with living a life of abundance that comes from the hand of God. When we are enjoying the life that Jesus offers (see John 10.10) we are successful.
Yes, there is a pragmatic aspect to success. When we accomplish a certain goal, win a competitive test, reach a particular benchmark, then we have successfully completed the task in front of us. My definitions is broader than that and addresses more the attitude or position of the heart.
Success is . . .
and sowing seeds that benefit others.
That's good. It speaks to the overflowing life that marks a true follower of Jesus. You see, striving for success is not a selfish endeavor; it is pursuing the life of impact and joy that God intends for each of us.
Today, I have a positive mental attitude. I have eliminated criticism and impatience from my life, and replaced them with praise and tolerance.
Today, I totally believe in myself. I believe I am capable and worthy of high achievement.
Today, I have a big, challenging goal I am working toward. It is adding meaning and momentum to my life.
Today, I accept full responsibility for all my actions. Whatever results I achieve, I know they are the result of the thinking I am engaged in.
Today, I manage my time effectively. I know every minute is precious and irreplaceable, and must be used to the best advantage.
Today, I am pursuing a personal development program. I dedicate at least one hour each day toward improving myself.
Today, I value my health, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I am taking very good care of myself.
Today, I am a creative person in setting and attaining my goals. Possibilities abound in all my thoughts and actions.
Today, I have a service-minded approach toward my employment and fellow human beings. I always to more that what is expected of me, knowing I will receive more of what I want in return.
Today, I am excellent at what I do. I believe it is through excellence that I will find my true self.
Today, I am effective in all my interpersonal relationships. I believe people take priority over problems, and that they deserve my total respect and attention.
Go here for more del.icio.us Affirmations!
Did a word study awhile back on "communication."
Surprising definition, really. It means to have things in common. To communicate means to share or distribute items so that both parties may enjoy them.
What items are to be shared? Words. Good words.
Here's a principle to apply from the Apostle Paul: "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." I use this old fashioned translation of the bible (the King James Version of Galatians 6.6) to point out the word behind communicate. It's koinonia, the Greek word for fellowship or sharing.
This does not necessarily mean financial support. Yes, we should pay our teachers an adequate salary. But more than that, we can bestow upon those who instruct us - and upon anyone for that matter - a gift of words.
Some call this speaking a blessing. I think of it as distributing good words. Isn't this what communication should be about? Every day we have opportunities to give encouraging, nourishing words to others. Every day we have opportunities to practice our communication skills.
But distributing good words on a consistent basis is difficult. I've found that I need to monitor two areas of my speech if I'm going to become a better communicator.
First, I need to watch for the rise of hurtful words that tear people down. I need to stop the flow of negative words before they dribble out - or gush out as the case may be - and do damage to others.
Here's another great principle to apply. The Apostle Peter says that love "covers over" a multitude of sins (see 1 Peter 4.8). In other words, love "puts a lid on it" and doesn't broadcast a failing. When tempted to "share a concern" about another's faults, love zips the lip.
Second, I need to be sensitive to the situation of the person I want to communicate with. That is, I need to watch for the green light and say a good word at a good time. Understanding another's needs, pressures, and dreams helps us with what to say and when to say it.
Of course, this entails listening. To distribute good words to the right destination at the right time requires receiving the correct information and signals from the other person. So becoming a better communicator not only involves sharing good words, but listening so that those good words can be received at the best time.
Do you see your communication as the distribution of good words?
What might be preventing you from communicating more effectively?
Develop a list of people with whom you want to share good words.
Looking forward to sharing with you and receiving good words from you!
You’ve heard the story about Anybody, Nobody, Somebody, and Everybody?
An important job had to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
Ouch! Ever get super-charged at an event and make all sorts of commitments only to wake up the next morning and "chicken out" on whatever you decided to do? Making that first phone call or starting that project seems overwhelming in the morning light.
Let's "go to the ant" and consider its ways and be wise!
First, the ant is self-motivated to work. It has no boss telling it to get going. It is driven by habit and instinct to succeed. God has placed a success mechanism in us as well. We can cultivate that habit.
Second, the ant stores up for the future. It works when it can, knowing that winter is coming when it can no longer work. Big clue! We can play now and pay later or we can pay now, save money and build wealth.
Third, sluggards, by contrast, work when they feel like it - and they never feel like it! They are full of excuses: "I'll get back to work after a short little nap." And that nap lasts all day long. Like I said, "Ouch!"
Fourth, poverty will eat the unprepared alive. Like a bandit, like a thief, it'll take away everything the sluggard has. If we play now and neglect our work, we'll not only pay later but we'll pay with compound interest.
Fifth, there's good news! We can change, we can consider the ant and be wise. In fact, we can get wise today! The definition of wisdom is applied knowledge for godly purposes. Success is a choice. It's simply a matter of daily choosing to do those things we know is best for ourselves and those around us.
Are we driven by habit and instinct to succeed? We were designed to be. What habits do you need to start or continue to develop?
Are we storing up for "winter"? We know instinctively that we should prepare for the future and yet we're full of rationalizations.
What excuses are we willing to eliminate from our lives right now so that we can live the life of abundance that God intends for us?
I don't know about you, but I want to get wise right away so that I can experience God's favor now and in the days ahead. Let's get wise together.
"You're the creator of the HMO plan?
Sure you can stay ... For three days!"
Why? Because today you have a choice. You can choose to live this day on purpose. And when you make that decision, you put yourself in a position to receive everything that today has to offer. You can make today your lucky day. And that's great news!
But how? What's the "first step" to becoming lucky?
To continually receive good things in life, you must surrender yourself daily to a worthy cause. I believe your luck increases in direct proportion to the extent that you live your life on purpose in a business or cause that is bigger than yourself.
Many people think success is just a matter of chance; that good things in life are flukes (this is not what I mean by luck). People say, "They were just in the right place at the right time." Now that part is true. But what most people don't realize is that we create our own luck by preparing ourselves to be in the right place at the right time. Like in the movie Facing the Giants we must not only pray but prepare for rain.
1st Strategy: L – Look for people to serve. We must take the initiative. This is a mindset, an early life decision that has to be managed every day, as John Maxwell says. It's also a "heartset" - a decision to serve from love in everything we do.
The byproduct is that you benefit as well. Doesn't Zig Ziglar make sense? "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
2nd Strategy: U - Understand, accept, and work the numbers. In any business or cause, some will, some won't, so what, someone's waiting. Truth is, you can't beat the numbers, but it's also true that the numbers can't beat you.
Don't treat people as numbers, but if you're going to get lucky you must play the game daily. A game you can win. This is not like the lottery. Winning in Las Vegas is a fluke. Winning in life is not. But it is about working the numbers.
3rd Strategy: C – Commit to consistent activity. John Maxwell, a leadership expert, states that he could spend a day with you and tell you with 95% certainty whether you will be successful. He said the secret to one's success (or failure) is discovered in one's daily agenda.
4th Strategy: K – Know your business well. You don't have to be the greatest at your business or service, just be good. And get better every day. Become excellent at your craft. Of course, it takes hard work. And time. But not as long as you think.
5th Strategy: Y – You decide how fast, how hard, how much. It's a choice. You determine how lucky you get! Work hard. Get lucky. Put yourself in the right position at the right time with the right people. You can have it all when you live your life on purpose.
It's Your Choice . . .
You Decide How LUCKY You Get!
© 2007, Lyn Perry - Permission to reprint this article with acknowledgment.
Photo source: Henry Li at Kronka, utilizing the Creative Commons Deed.
but only as a learning experience.
but only as the negative feedback I need to change course in my direction.
but only as the opportunity to develop my sense of humor.
but only as an opportunity to practice my techniques and perfect my performance.
but only as the game I must play to win.
I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed; and the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I can fail and keep trying! | 2019-04-24T21:00:34Z | https://thoughtrenewal.blogspot.com/index.html |
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a quantitative analysis method for comitant exotropia using video-oculography (VOG) with alternate cover.
Thirty-four subjects with comitant exotropia were included. Two independent ophthalmologists measured the angle of ocular deviation using the alternate prism cover test (APCT). The video files and data of changes in ocular deviation during the alternate cover test were obtained using VOG. To verify the accuracy of VOG, the value obtained using VOG and the angle of a rotating model eye were compared, and a new linear equation was subsequently derived using these data. The calculated values obtained using VOG were compared with those obtained using the APCT.
Rotation of the model eye and the values obtained using VOG demonstrated excellent positive correlation (R = 1.000; p < 0.001). A simple linear regression model was obtained: rotation of the model eye = 0.978 × value obtained using VOG for a model eye – 0.549. The 95% limit of agreement for inter-observer variability was ±4.63 prism diopters (PD) for APCT and that for test-retest variability was ±3.56 PD for the VOG test. The results of APCT and calculated VOG test demonstrated a strong positive correlation. Bland-Altman plots revealed no overall tendency for the calculated values obtained from VOG to differ from those obtained using APCT.
VOG with alternate cover is a non-invasive and accurate tool for quantitatively measuring and recording ocular deviation. In particular, it is independent of the proficiency of the examiner and, can therefore, be useful in the absence of skilled personnel.
ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT03119311, Date of registration: 04/17/2017, Date of enrolment of the first participant to the trial: 04/25/2017.
Accurate measurements are important for planning strabismus surgery. Methods available for measuring the angle of ocular deviation include the alternate prism cover test (APCT), Hirschberg test, and Krimsky test. In APCT, the subject gazes at the target with both eyes, a prism is placed in front of the uncovered eye, and an alternate cover test is performed. The angle is measured by increasing or decreasing the strength of the prism used until there is no deviation or the deviation is reversed. However, the prism must be changed several times, especially when there is an accompanying vertical strabismus. Consequently, the duration of the examination will be long in such cases and, as such, it is difficult to perform in a child who does not cooperate or gaze in accordance with instructions. In such situations, the Hirschberg and Krimsky tests are used to determine the angle of deviation. The Hirschberg test measures the distance between the corneal light reflex and the center of the pupil, and then converts it into an angle. Although it is a relatively simple method, it may not accurately measure the exact ocular deviation. The Krimsky test measures the angle of ocular deviation using a prism and the corneal light reflex. For this reason, APCT measures the entire deviation, including tropic and phoric components, whereas the Krimsky tests only measure the tropic component. Both the Hirschberg and Krimsky tests require correction of angle kappa, which is largely subjective and, therefore, can lead to inter-observer errors. When the goal of surgery is to achieve orthotropia, APCT should be used whenever possible . In addition, such tests may have limitations in recording eye movements themselves.
On the other hand, a scleral search coil can be used to objectively record and measure ocular deviation. This is an accurate method because it has a spatiotemporal resolution < 1° and < 1 ms. However, it is difficult to wear a scleral search coil for more than 30 min because it is worn on the limbus of the cornea. Therefore, photography and video-oculography (VOG) have been proposed as methods to measure eye movements noninvasively and objectively [2–6]. VOG has demonstrated a measurement error < 1° for an eye movement range < 40°, and a high correlation (R2 = 0.99) with the scleral search coil method for both horizontal and vertical eye movements below 15° [6, 7]. In particular, several studies have reported measuring ocular deviation in intermittent exotropia using VOG [8–10]. To our knowledge, there has been no attempt to quantitatively measure ocular deviation using VOG with dissociation of both eyes. We believe it is important to measure ocular deviation with dissociation of both eyes, similar to APCT, for surgery. Therefore, we attempted a method of using VOG with alternate cover for non-invasive and reliable measurement of the angle of ocular deviation. Additionally, we evaluated VOG as an alternative method to standard tests to determine whether it can obviate these limitations.
This prospective study was performed at the Department of Ophthalmology, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital. All aspects of the research protocol complied with the tenets of the Declarations of Helsinki and were approved by the Institutional Review Board of Inje University Busan Paik Hospital (Busan, Korea). Written informed consent was obtained from all parents or legal guardians; children and adolescent assent forms were also provided for children 7 years of age and older.
A model eye with a pupil diameter of 5.5 mm and globe diameter of 26 mm was used to verify the accuracy of VOG. A protractor was attached to the center of the eyeball to verify the amount of rotation of the eyeball. Each of the two experiments was repeated four times, and a total of eight experiments were performed. The eyeball was rotated from 0° to 30° at intervals of 2°. The video taken of the model eye stopped for > 5 s every 2°. The degree of rotation of the eyeball and the values obtained using VOG were compared. Based on the results of the analysis, a linear regression equation for the degree of eyeball rotation was derived. In the reliability analysis of eight repeated VOG tests for a model eye, the intra-class correlation coefficient was 1.000 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.000 to 1.000; p < 0.001). The intra-class correlation coefficient between the first measurement of two independent examiners was 1.000 (95% CI 0.999 to 1.000; p < 0.001). The VOG demonstrated excellent agreement among all eight repeated examinations. The linear regression equation was derived from the mean value of the eight VOGs and the rotated angle of the model eye using linear regression analysis (Fig. 1).
Thirty-four subjects with comitant exotropia who could be observed > 3 times, with a difference between distant and near deviation angle < 3 prism diopters (PD), were enrolled. All subjects underwent APCT to measure the angle of ocular deviation. On the same day, VOG (SLMED, Seoul, Korea) was performed and APCT was performed 30 min later. Subjects with incomitant strabismus, horizontal deviation > 50 PD in APCT, ocular comorbidity other than strabismus or with systemic disease, refractive errors > 6.00 diopters, those not willing to undergo VOG, children < 4 years of age, and subjects wearing spectacles during measurements were excluded.
Two independent ophthalmologists performed APCT using a plastic prism set (Luneau SAS, Prunay LeGillon, France). The subjects were asked to fixate on a black-on-white optotype at 3 m, which subtended a visual angle of 50 min of arc (MOA), equating to a Snellen optotype of 20/200.
The VOG equipment used in the present study had a tilted semi-transparent glass through which the subject could gaze at the target with a red light with a visual angle of 50 MOA in the monitor situated at 1 m. The subject wearing the VOG goggles was instructed to look at the red light, between the two eyes, with head position kept straight so that during the examination the eyes were in primary position. During the first 10 s, initial binocular alignment was verified with both eyes open. Subsequently, each eye was allowed 5 s of covered time and 5 s of uncovered time, and the alternate cover test was repeated 5 times, with each eye being covered for 5 s. A 120 Hz camera was used for VOG, and the eyeball was observed to deviate during the alternate cover test; the magnitude of deviation was subsequently obtained (Fig. 2). The obtained values were expressed in degrees (°), and were substituted into the linear regression equation derived earlier using the model eye. The new angle values thus obtained were converted to PD to compare with the values obtained using APCT.
The inter-observer variability of APCT performed by two independent examiners and the inter-visit variability of four examinations by one examiner were measured. The VOG recorded the distance moved by the eye during re-fixation after its deviation in the alternate cover; three repeated test values were obtained and a reliability analysis was performed. The first value among the results obtained using VOG was used in the linear regression equation and subsequently compared with the value obtained using APCT.
SPSS version 18.0 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA) was used for statistical analysis. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the linear relationship between VOG and the model eye, and the linear regression equation was derived using linear regression analysis. The reliabilities of APCT and VOG were evaluated using intra-class correlation coefficient, and consistent variability between APCT and VOG was represented using a Bland-Altman plot. Correlation between the two tests was calculated using the Pearson correlation coefficient.
Thirty-four subjects with comitant exotropia, of whom 22 (64.7%) were female, were included in the present study. The mean age was 13.7 ± 11.2 years (range, 5–51 years). Thirty-one of 34 subjects had uncorrected visual acuity better than 20/30 in both eyes; uncorrected visual acuity in either eye of the other three subjects was not worse than 20/70. APCT and VOG were performed in all subjects (Table 1).
The inter-observer variability for APCT was determined using the results from two independent examiners. The Bland-Altman plot demonstrated consistent variability, except for one subject with deviation > 40 PD. The half-width of the 95% limit of agreement was ±4.63 PD (Fig. 3 [top left]). On reliability analysis, the inter-observer correlation coefficient was 0.974 (95% CI 0.947 to 0.987; p < 0.001).
The inter-visit reliability of the APCT was determined for 24 of 34 subjects who had been examined by one examiner > 4 times in three months; the inter-visit correlation coefficient was 0.968 (95% CI 0.941 to 0.985; p < 0.001). The Bland-Altman plot between the first and second APCT demonstrated consistent variability, except for two subjects, the half-width of the 95% limit of agreement being ±5.74 PD (Fig. 3 [top right]).
Thirty-four subjects were included in the VOG test. Reliability analysis of the three VOG readings demonstrated high agreement (0.990 [95% CI 0.983 to 0.995]; p < 0.001), and the half-width of the 95% limit of agreement on Bland-Altman plot was ±3.56 PD (Fig. 3 [bottom]).
Of the 34 subjects, 28 (82.4%) exhibited a difference in ocular deviation of < 3 PD between VOG and APCT, and 32 (94.1%) demonstrated a difference of < 5 PD (Table 2).
The Bland-Altman plot of VOG and APCT demonstrated consistent variability, except for two subjects, the half-width of the 95% limit of agreement being ±5.05 PD (Fig. 4). Furthermore, there was also a strong positive linear relationship between the two tests (R = 0.934; p < 0.001) (Fig. 5).
The purpose of our study was to measure the objective angle of ocular deviation using VOG with alternate cover in subjects with exotropia. The principle of the VOG device used in our study was that light was transmitted through the tilted semi-transparent glass and the subject could look at the target. As the light was being reflected, the two cameras could record the movement of the eyes without blocking the visual axes. The pupil was detected in real time, and the deviation of the eyeball was assessed by measuring the change in the reference point of the center of the pupil.
Although APCT may represent a typical test for measuring angles of deviation, the results can differ because of differences in measurements using prisms made by individual examiners. Therefore, error involved in the measurements are dependent on the skill of the examiner and the cooperation of the subject [11–13]. In particular, the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator group suggested that two skilled observers may have an error ≥ 12 PD in the measurement of esotropia exceeding 20 PD, and an error ≥ 6 PD in the measurement of 10 to 20 PD esotropia. The angle of ocular deviation measured by one observer demonstrated that the 95% limit of agreement on a measurement was ±7.3 PD for esotropia exceeding 20 PD, and ± 4.1 PD for 10–20 PD esotropia at distance. In addition, APCT could not record eye movement itself; therefore, it depends on the record of the examiner. For this reason, methods using photography were used for measurements that are more objective. Among them, Yang et al. took pictures at a distance of 1 m, and the corneal light reflex points and limbus locations were extracted from two-dimensional photographs and analyzed using a three-dimensional strabismus photo analyzer (R & DB Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea). The results demonstrated high correlation with the Krimsky test. This is useful to examine cases of manifest strabismus. However, because this test did not dissociate the two eyes, the angle of ocular deviation would be variable according fusion of both eyes in intermittent exotropia, or changeable depending on dominant eye in incomitant strabismus. Therefore, there are restrictions to its use in intermittent exotropia and incomitant strabismus. Additionally, there are limitations in measuring the angle of ocular deviation for retinopathy of prematurity with macular dragging because the angle kappa cannot be considered. In another improvement study, the use of an infrared ray filter and an infrared camera with this method was proposed to observe the deviation angle in patients with latent strabismus .
An alternative for objectively measuring eye movements is to use a VOG device equipped with a camera at a sample rate of 200 to 250 Hz. In previous studies, it was reported to have high correlation with the scleral search coil in the fixation position [6, 7]. The VOG device used in our study had a frequency of 150 Hz; hence, it was less accurate than the scleral search coil used to assess rapid eye movements. However, because our study was intended to measure the distance moved during an eyeball deviation, the results were not greatly influenced by camera frequency. In our study, we needed a device verification step to accurately measure the amount of eyeball rotation. The results obtained using VOG and the amount of eyeball rotation showed statistically high correlation (linear correlation coefficient = 1.000; p < 0.001), and a linear regression equation of the eyeball rotation angle with the angle obtained using VOG was derived. Using this equation, the degree of ocular change in the subject group measured using VOG was converted to actual eyeball rotation angle values. These converted values were compared with the angles of ocular deviation obtained using APCT. The Bland-Altman plot between the APCT values and the calculated VOG values showed consistent variability, except for two subjects. As for the outliers, one subject exhibited ocular deviation values of 20, 20, and 25 PD from the three APCTs, and 19.92 PD from VOG testing. In our study setting, ocular deviation was analyzed based on the last visit, and was judged to be located outside the 95% limits of agreement. The other subject had exotropia with inferior oblique overaction in both eyes. It was V-pattern exotropia with 55 PD in the upward gaze, 40 PD in the primary position, and 35 PD in the downward gaze. We presume that the upward gaze may have been the cause of the positive difference despite maintenance of head position.
The advantage of using VOG is that all eye movements can be recorded as video recordings, and the eye tracking system can record both eye movements and the angle of ocular deviation. Another advantage is the dissociation of the two eyes using alternate covering, and measurement of the distance moved by the eye by recording a video. Hence, VOG is not influenced by the angle kappa. Several studies reporting the objective measurement of strabismus were influenced by the angle kappa because their assessments were based on corneal light reflex points. In addition, the measurement of the manifest strabismus alone was performed without dissociating the two eyes [2, 5, 14–16]. In contrast, in a study measuring the angle of ocular deviation by dissociating the two eyes, Yang et al. used an infrared transmission filter for dissociation and measured the ocular deviation using photographs. However, because photographs―unlike video recordings―do not reflect the continuity of time, it is different from the method used in our study in that it does not record eye movement in real time. Therefore, if we analyze the angle of ocular deviation by the method used in our study with the aid of VOG, we can analyze deviation patterns in dissociated strabismus cases and use it for screening in intermittent exotropia with good convergence. Second, it is also useful for measuring the maximum angle of ocular deviation, which is significant in intermittent exotropia. Third, it can measure the ocular deviation in a short time. It took approximately 2 min during the VOG test (1 min for wearing goggles, 1 min for performing VOG with alternate cover). Finally, because VOG can quantitatively record and compare eye movements in both eyes separately, it is possible to accurately analyze the difference between secondary and primary deviations in incomitant strabismus. This may be useful for follow-up observations. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the accuracy of VOG and to include the inter-visit variability of a single examiner in the process of comparing and analyzing the degree of variability of APCT measurements. However, paralysis, a type of incomitant strabismus, was excluded from our study because there can be changes in ocular deviation during recovery. In the future, we will perform a comparative analysis of both eyes in cases of incomitant strabismus such as paralysis.
The first limitation of our study was that children < 4 years of age were excluded from the evaluation of the accuracy of VOG. We suspect that younger children have a lower attention span and ability to fixate well. Moreover, subjects with claustrophobia could not be assessed because the video goggles had to be worn at the time of the test. Second, subjects did not wear glasses, even if there was a refractive error, although the author found that the VOG goggle supported the use of glasses and video camera could detect the center of the pupil beyond the glasses, the results were affected by the prism effect of glasses. The aim of our study was to evaluate a method using VOG with alternate cover to measure ocular deviation in lieu of standard tests. Therefore, it was important to demonstrate the accuracy of VOG. Subjects did not wear glasses to eliminate variables caused by the prism effect. Third, the target was a red light (50 MOA) for the VOG test and a black-on-white optotype (50 MOA) for the APCT. For measuring the angle of ocular deviation, we did not use a light source as the target; instead, the visual acuity chart was used because the accommodation levels are different. If a light is used as the target, the accommodation is less than that with the acuity chart; hence, the deviation will be lesser for esotropia and vice versa for exotropia . The VOG goggle is constructed from semi-transparent glass, which can degrade contrast of letter targets. The same a black-on-white optotype in VOG and APCT may be different. Surmising that red light would better attract subject attention, it was used instead of a black-on-white optotype for evaluating VOG. However, no difference between red light and a black-on-white optotype was observed. A possible reason is that subjects may perceive the red light as a red dot with higher resolution through the semi-transparent glass. In addition, a recent study using a prism cover test for far distance in intermittent exotropia reported no significant variability between light and a black-on-white optotype target , supporting our trial to use red light for the VOG test. Finally, the distance of the fixation target in VOG was different from that in APCT for measuring ocular deviation because the distance was set up by a meter in the software of VOG test. For reducing the variability caused the distance, we limited our study to a group of subjects with < 3 PD difference between near and far distance ocular deviation.
VOG with alternate cover can be used to quantitatively and non-invasively measure the angle of ocular deviation, and more reliably. Moreover, the corrected values demonstrate high agreement with APCT values. Because this test is not significantly influenced by the skill of the examiner, it can accurately measure the angle of ocular deviation, even in the absence of an expert and record of ocular deviation itself. In particular, it is highly valuable as a screening test that can detect strabismus in many patient populations.
This study was supported by 2016 Inje University Busan Paik Hospital research grant.
SHM and NHP designed study, collected data, interpreted statistical analysis and drafted paper. BGP contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data at revision process. MMK aided in study design, acquisition of resources and review of the manuscript. MKO interpreted statistical analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
All aspects of the research protocol complied with the tenets of the Declarations of Helsinki and were approved by the Institutional Review Board of Inje University Busan Paik Hospital (Busan, Korea). Written informed consent was obtained from all parents or legal guardians; children and adolescent assent forms were also provided for children 7 years of age and older. | 2019-04-22T16:52:14Z | https://bmcophthalmol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12886-018-0747-9 |
I have lived a very fortunate life. My adulthood has been full of journeys into the natural world of North America, mostly National Parks, which have enriched my soul and opened my eyes to the natural and human history of this incredible continent. There has also been disappointment to accompany those moments of euphoria. These treasures of Mother Earth have been put under enormous pressure by commercial interests – mine included – and the ‘footprints’ of mass tourism.
There is reason for optimism, however. The reintroduction of wolf, grizzly, and other predators into National Park lands has forced an extension of boundaries into surrounding private and public lands. It is not uncommon today to describe them as ‘ecosystems’, where boundaries are recognised only by humans. Ranchers, mineral extractors, loggers and other commercial operators, intent on continued exploitation, have been forced to accept that the days of unrestricted and underpriced access to these lands may soon be over. Tourism is looking more like the middle ground, whereby a workable balance can be achieved so that all sides benefit.
With the recent designation of the Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument, 1.7 million acres of southeast Utah, Clinton made a bold statement to Americans, the ranching and mining industries in particular, on how he sees the future. Al Gore is an outspoken environmentalist and, if the Democrats can make it three in a row in 2000, there is a glimmer of hope that effective long term planning can take shape by the millennium. With recent severe flooding in California, officials in Yosemite NP have a golden opportunity to enact a strategy which could be the first step in this direction.
Native tribes are beginning to flex their legal muscle, challenging the government on long buried treaties. Many tribes have regained access rights to National Parks for cultural and spiritual purposes. Ancient burial sites, encampments, hunting grounds, fishing rights, and trail systems are being viewed in a different light. The Lakota and Oglala again recently refused payment in exchange for giving up claims on the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota. They have tried to make clear that no amount of money could be worth the intrinsic value that these lands have for the well being of their people.
Attending the Nez Perce Historical Trail Symposium in Idaho in 1995, I found it heart wrenching to discuss the future of Public Lands with these proud but displaced people, whose consistent reference to Mother Earth was in stark contrast with the Euro-Americans’ obsession with Father Time. They are deeply concerned over the management of what is to them ‘Sacred Ground’. Their concerns are well founded, for the National Parks also face the very real possibility of full commercial management unless funding is raised and attitudes drastically changed. Across the border, Parks Canada is already on the verge of private management, and continues extensive commercial development within park boundaries.
Visitors also have a responsibility to value their national treasure; some resent being asked to pay $10 for a 7-day pass to Yosemite for a family of four, yet would happily part with $32 each for a day in Universal Studios. Priorities have to change if progress is to be made. Morale is low in the NPS as many seasonal positions are now staffed by poorly trained volunteers, which has further eroded job security. Park Rangers have become an armed police force because of cutbacks, taking them away from their core professions. A recent hike with a ranger in Glacier NP summed up the situation: trained in wilderness education and survival training, he spends the bulk of his time enforcing park rules. Investigating campground noise complaints and car accidents removed him from the interpretive programme, which was the main reason he was hired in the first place! He believes that the travel trade and the general public share responsibility for better preparation, because the NPS no longer has the resources to cope with masses of mindless morons.
The National Park Service was established in 1872 when the United States was still embroiled in the Plains Indian Wars, and had not yet completely driven the Indians out of the Rocky Mountains. Chief Joseph must have thought it somewhat ironic to find tourists marvelling at the wonders of Yellowstone, the first National Park, while he and his people were fleeing for their lives. The Nez Perce were running from the very troops soon to become some of the first park rangers assigned to protect this latest acquisition. Mount Rushmore was carved in the Sacred Black Hills, only 40 years after the Wounded Knee massacre. The Cherokee were driven from what is now the most popular park, The Great Smoky Mountains NP. No history of the NPS is complete without these points being considered.
Yellowstone’s first 10 years saw only 10,000 tourists, completely on their own to explore the park and make up rules as they went. Hunting was not only the most popular activity, it was also necessary as visitors could rarely pack enough food for the entire visit. Hot springs were re-channelled, forests ravaged for firewood, animals shot indiscriminately, and the few native Sheepeater Indians were moved onto a reservation, “for their own protection”. Although the NPS had good intentions, there were no experts to manage the place, and it was not until Teddy Roosevelt enacted sweeping conservation legislation in the early 1900s that the NPS became what it is today.
Franklin D. Roosevelt deserves credit for the current NPS infrastructure, much of it a result of his Civilian Conservation Corps programme. Roads, trails, information centres and many other facilities were built in the 1930s by the huge army of unemployed young men with nothing better to do. Although they could not have realised it at the time, their efforts shaped the future of the Parks. Backcountry wilderness access, photography, wildlife encounters, and the search for solitude replaced more aggressive activities as a direct result of their projects.
Significant developments have taken place since the 1960s, when the USA was in the early stages of environmental protection legislation. As America boomed the NPS was flush with cash from the sympathetic administrations of Kennedy and Johnson. Jimmy Carter set aside huge areas in Alaska, which had been designated for oil and gas exploration. Unfortunately the NPS soon felt the ‘withering on the vine’ effect of three successive Reagan and Bush presidencies, neither strong advocates of pro-conservation policy. In their eyes the USA had created a monster that had to be cut down to size. ‘Non-essential’ employees such as interpretive specialists, wildlife researchers, and low level rangers were given the boot. There is a distinct feeling of atrophy in many Parks today, but like any muscle it just needs a little work to gain strength again.
In many respects National Parks are in much better shape than they were at the turn of the century, if only because regulations exist. The concept of wilderness as a viable resource has finally taken hold and, though much has been lost to the forces of development, what remains is worth fighting for. These issues must be clearly and resolutely addressed, and we must re-dedicate ourselves to the NP ideals of resource management “...for the enjoyment of future generations”. Clinton and Gore are in the drivers seat and we are the navigators.
Ask any of the 3.5 million annual visitors what the Yosemite experience should be, and their responses will be as varied as the scenery; a sanctuary to some and a recreational mecca to others. Some of the oldest and largest living things inhabit the park, along with several large mammals including black bear, elk, deer, mountain lion and coyote. Wildlife sightings usually occur in the back country away from the tourist centres. Hiking is one of the most popular activities with over 750 miles of hiking trails amidst the stunning grandeur of Alpine Wilderness, groves of Giant Sequoias (Redwoods), deep glacial valleys and towering waterfalls. Several visits are needed to absorb the magic of Yosemite, as different seasons offer different perspectives. Plan your stay well in advance.
Current status: Yosemite Valley was hit by massive floods in January, which will severely disrupt the coming tourist season. The park closed for over 2 months, with a limited re-opening from mid March. It may be wise to avoid this area for a few years, but visitors this year should plan very carefully so as not to be disappointed. Accommodation will be difficult to find, many visitor services have been curtailed, road reconstruction will slow already heavily congested traffic routes, and only 2 of 3 entrances are open. If possible avoid June through September, all weekends, and maybe even Yosemite Valley itself, and perhaps focus on the high country of Tuolumne Meadows or the National Forest Lands around the park.
When to go: If this is the year for Yosemite, seasonal variations will dictate the optimum time to visit. If it’s waterfalls you seek, May to July is ideal. For peace and quiet, mid October through March. My favourite season is Autumn, early October through November. The crowds are low and the hiking superb! Two full days within the park can offer an excellent introduction, allowing enough time to experience a fleeting taste of seclusion and wilderness. Three or four days offers the chance for longer hikes or just time to sit and wonder. The high country becomes inaccessible as early as October and sometime remains so through July.
Facilities/Transport: It is wise to reserve accommodation in advance! Hotels and campgrounds within the valley are full during peak season and most weekends unless booked well ahead. Public and private campgrounds surround the park, and must be secured early in the day. One very positive development since the floods is that seasonal restaurant and hotel employees may have to be rehoused outside the park, using a daily shuttle bus to come and go. This would ease several problems; overcrowding, parking, noise, and pollution. There is public transport available from San Francisco, Fresno, and Merced for travellers using Amtrak or Greyhound. A free Valley shuttle service operates during summer, along with hikers buses to Tuolomne Meadows and Tenaya Lake from late June to early September, and to the Sequoia Groves of Giant Redwoods in summer. Commercial tours within the park are readily available.
Over the last two million years three stages of massive eruptions occurred in the Yellowstone Plateau, the last forming a 30 by 50 mile caldera or volcanic basin. This covers almost half of the park and contains the largest concentration of geysers in the world. Combine this with huge mountain ranges, vast alpine meadows, endless forests and even its own Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone cannot help but live up to expectations. Bison, elk, grizzly and black bear, moose, deer, coyote, bighorn sheep, wolf, and antelope are some of the fauna in the area. Migratory birds pass through in spring and autumn, and several surprising birds live permanently in Yellowstone including pelican, trumpeter swan and osprey. Wildflowers are at their best in July and August, and the opportunity to witness the regeneration of the forests since the great fires of 1988/9 is a rare one indeed. There are over 1000 miles of hiking trails, many of which are little travelled and not well marked. Backcountry enthusiasts should be aware of likely wildlife encounters and possible severe weather conditions in any season.
Current Status: The fires of 1988 and 1989 have left many lasting marks on Yellowstone, and opened again the debate about fire suppression and control. I was lucky to have led several adventure tours here during the worst of the fires, witnessing the grace and fury of this very predictable burn. Returning twice in 1996, I was pleased to see how quickly Yellowstone has recovered, and how ironic that most of the long term damage was inflicted by the fire fighting machine put together to combat the blaze. Where the fire burned uninhibited, meadows have formed and a beautiful mosaic of burn lines are just a hint of the 200-300 year progression from burnt forests, to open grassland, to deciduous forest, and back to the pine/spruce/fir that so recently burned. Visitors have a special chance to witness this early stage of the park’s ecological cycle.
When to go: Unfortunately for this jewel of the Rockies, tourism has become a year round business with the rapid increase in winter snowmobile tourists. Otherwise, May, September and early October are excellent months to visit when wildlife are busy welcoming spring or preparing for winter, and school is in session. June through August requires planning and extra time to experience the wide variety of attractions. A minimum of two nights in the area will allow for at least one full day in the park, but ideally the visitor should spend three nights, seeing the northern and southern loops on separate days. This would enable them to break the 500-metre barrier and ‘sense’ a little wilderness.
Facilities/Transport: Camping is relatively easy provided it is secured early in the day, or by advance reservation. There are also many public and private campgrounds near to each of the five entrances to Yellowstone. Hotels and cabins are scattered throughout the park, and can often be reserved on the day due to inevitable cancellations. A visit to the magnificent log-built Old Faithful Inn is a must, even if you are not staying in it. Several visitor centres offer up to date information and excellent interpretive exhibits. There is a limited bus service in the park, but having your own transport is advisable.
Denali NP is home to healthy grizzly populations, free roaming wolf, herds of caribou, moose, and the tallest mountain in North America. Native Athabascan nomads hunted and gathered berries on the lower slopes of the Alaska Range, but there does appear to have been permanent settlements due to the bitterly cold winters. Permanent snowfields cover more than half of the park, winds can blow at 150mph, and winter temperatures drop to -80°F or less! Earthquakes are frequent occurrences and geologists are convinced that Denali is still rising. It was expanded in 1980 to 6 million acres, larger that the state of Massachusetts, and exemplifies the true wilderness character of the far north. It is for the most part unspoiled.
Wildlife remains firmly on top of the priority list, as predator-prey relationship continues to exist in a natural balance as it did in other areas prior to human intrusion. Almost 500 species of flowering plants cover the land, dividing Denali into two distinct plant associations, taiga and tundra, which grow on top of various levels of the permafrost that lies under parts of the park. Raven, ptarmigan, grey jay, and the common magpie are permanent residents, and several migratory birds nest here in summer. Owls, hawks, golden eagles, grouse and mew gulls are among the 157 species of birds in Denali.
Current status: Overcrowding is a growing problem as Denali NP offers limited facilities due to the very short tourist season. There are calls for further road projects to open new areas, and for another entrance towards the south end of the park. The rapid growth in the cruise ship business to Alaska has created a massive increase in day trippers, and the inevitable fast food mentality that accompanies them. Provided the visitor takes time enough, however, the rewards are plentiful with proper research.
When to go: Denali’s season is from late May through September, although both months can experience snow. June and July confirms the Land of the Midnight Sun label (as well as the mosquito capital of Earth), August opens up the back country from snow which can make wildlife encounters less likely, but gives hikers high country access, and September provides a glimpse of the winter that lies ahead. Each season is different, but mid August to mid September tops our optimum time list.
Facilities/Transport: Visitors can use the excellent train or bus transportation from Anchorage. Cars are not allowed past the 15 mile mark of the only road into the park, instead using the shuttle bus system from the Visitor Centre to Wonder Lake at the end of road. It makes scheduled stops at specific walking areas, and several unscheduled stops to view wildlife. Round trip to Wonder Lake is 11 hours and there is no food service so visitors must be prepared. Lodging and camping surround the entrance but should be reserved in advance if possible, especially in July and August. Hiking is not for the faint hearted as the park has very few established trails, requiring various degrees of bushwhacking. Visitors should keep in mind that Denali (Mt. McKinley) is hidden by clouds up to 75% of the summer.
This enormous wilderness of red rock at the centre of the Colorado Plateau, has been carved by water, wind and gravity. It contains the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers and has three distinctly different regions. Island in the Sky, the Maze, and the Needles. Sheer walls overlook Cataract Canyon, the wildest whitewater in North America, and makes this some of the most remote country in the lower 48 states. Desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, coyotes, fox, a wide range of reptiles, ravens, hawks and numerous small birds inhabit this seemingly uninhabitable place. Petroglyphs and ancient ruins are found throughout the region. For the most part Canyonlands remains untrammelled, its roads mostly unpaved and trails primitive; 530 square miles of wild and colourful desert.
Island in the Sky: Grand View Point is directly above the confluence and offers spectacular views of canyon after canyon stretching 100 miles. The Manti La Sal Mountains provide the perfect backdrop, rising to almost 13,000 feet. Limited camping and lodging makes this sector a day visit unless you are backpacking.
The Maze: This 30 square mile puzzle in sandstone is full of weirdly shaped towers, buttes and mesas, and offers an intangible resource rarely found elsewhere; solitude, the challenge of self reliance, and absolute silence. When the park was created only a few individuals ever ventured into the Maze.
The Needles: The most accessible part of Canyonlands was home to the Anasazi, with several well preserved stone and mud dwellings in almost every canyon. Wonderful well marked trails snake through the diverse landscapes of rock pinnacles, pot holes, canyons, and many natural arches. Chesler Park, a thousand acre desert meadow, offers a striking contrast to the endless bare red rock.
Current status: With Clinton’s recent announcement of the Grand Staircase/ Escalante Wilderness, a long sought goal has been achieved; to set aside as much of S. E. Utah as possible and link vast wilderness ecosystems of the Colorado Plateau. Canyonlands NP is its own best protection, offering little water and proving too tough even for miners and prospectors. Recreation has firmly gained control of the local economy, with the exception of ranching, and this can only grow.
When to go: March-May and October-November are the best times, but are also the busiest. Winters are changeable but mild, and summer temperatures make any activity difficult and potentially dangerous. Unless prepared to camp, visitors must stay well outside the park, in Moab or Monticello, and do day trips.
Facilities/Transport: The amenities are limited, although a new visitors centre has been built in the Needles District and the privately owned campground has been modernised. There is no public transport.
There is a strong presence of Native Americans in the region, many of whom are fiercely anti-government. The park was established in 1939 to protect fossils and wildlife, and to conserve the mixed grass prairie. In 1976 133,000 acres were added which doubled the size of the park. Virtually all of this came from the Pine Ridge Reservation, supposedly in agreement with the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Relations between local Euro-Americans and Oglala have always been strained, but this action exacerbated the situation and drove them further apart.
Rain, wind and frost have carved steep canyons, sharp ridges and spires, and gullies in the prairie, offering a clear picture of rapid geologic change. The bones of numerous animals, buried by periodic floods and converted into fossils, are the primary attraction in the park. Some of the richest fossil beds on earth from the Oligocene epoch (25 million years ago), portray what was the Golden Age of Mammals. Excellent exhibits are found throughout the park, and several private Palaeontological museums are nearby. The spring rains produce an array of wildflowers, providing just enough moisture to sustain the grassland which once supported countless millions of bison and an astonishing range of flora and fauna. Gone are the grey wolf, grizzly bear and elk, but mule deer and pronghorn antelope still roam. Bison and bighorn sheep were exterminated by 1890, but have been reintroduced and are doing well.
Current Status: The Badlands NP continues to be embroiled in controversy over land claims, past atrocities, and is a vivid reminder of how the west was lost. They cannot be separated from the Black Hills which border the Park. Oglala and other Plains Tribes consider them inter-related, and are determined to regain access for hunting and cultural purposes. Visitors usually pass through the Badlands in the middle of the day en route to another destination, which limits their appreciation and understanding. Cutbacks have caused the visitors programmes to suffer, and much of what is on offer is up to the individual.
When to go: Wildflowers are at their best from mid April to mid June, and again during the August rains. Summers are incredibly hot; early morning and evening hikes, or a full moon visit are good ideas. Powerful storms in August create magical skies, especially sunsets, and extra caution should be taken during the brilliant displays of lightning and thunder. September and October are optimum months for a 2-3 day visit, which also coincides with the autumn colours of the surrounding high country. Frigid winter temperatures and blizzards are common from December through March. Try to avoid the annual Days of ’76, mid August for 10 days, as the region is descended on by hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists, making accommodation impossible to find.
Facilities/Transport: Your own transport is a necessity. There is limited accommodation around the Badlands, most visitors stay in the Black Hills, but campgrounds and motels can usually be arranged early in the day. Rapid City is the closest airport serviced well by Northwest Airlines.
This unique park bridges Canada and America along one of the most dramatic borders of these vast countries. Rivers flowing into the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans begin at Triple Divide Pass, spanning almost half of the continent.
Wildlife thrives in some of the most remote mountain landscapes in north America, as do wildflowers in habitat ranging from alpine meadows to the lower prairie grasslands. Sculpted glacial valleys serve as a reminder of the massive rivers of ice that created them.
Only a few glaciers still remain which often leaves visitors confused as to the name of the park. Glacier NP was named more for the end result, rather that current forces of nature. The western slopes capture most of the rainfall, creating a relatively warm and moist environment which produces endless forests.
The eastern side, however, is influenced more by the frigid Canadian storms of winter and a much drier climate in the shadow of the Rockies. Some of the most colourful displays of wildflowers are visible for a brief time during July and August, often much more elaborate on the eastern side and at alpine levels. Bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk, black bear, deer, grizzly, moose, wolves, beaver, river otter, marmot and and marten are all permanent residents. Several birds inhabit the park including osprey, golden eagle, ptarmigan, and even a few endangered bald eagle pairs nest and fish in the area.
lands. Ranchettes, 40 acre homesites, are rapidly gobbling up and dividing the massive ranches that once dominated the state. Glacier NP is quickly becoming an elitist centre of the Natural World much like the game parks of Africa, something which is very obvious in the marketing efforts by Montana Tourism. Keeping large wilderness areas somehow out of reach of the masses could ensure continued survival of one of America's wildest places. Blackfeet, Flathead, Salish and Kootenai Indians live on both sides of the park, but have been sufficiently subjugated so as not to offer much in the way of resistance to this method of management.
When to go: A very short tourist season, particularly in the high country, offers limited access. July through September provide the best weather, with May and October potentially – weather permitting – excellent times to visit. Due to the limited road network, visitors are often herded to viewpoints and facilities, making it difficult to experience the wilderness of Glacier. Hikers have the best opportunity to achieve this by exploring the vast network of trails. Extreme weather conditions can occur during any season.
Facilities/transport: There is no public transport servicing the park, with the exception of local operators, which again makes a vehicle a must. Campgrounds and lodging, if arranged early in the day, are not a problem generally. From September facilities are limited mostly due to budget cuts, so visitors should plan carefully.
Contact details: Glacier NP, West Glacier, Montana 59936; Tel. 406 888 5441.
Up to 80% of all visitors concentrate on a very small number of national Parks; the Great Smoky Mountains, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Shenandoah, Acadia, Everglades, Zion, Mount Rainier, and Bryce Canyon to name a few.
away from the crowds if they take their time. In Yellowstone NP for example, 95% of all visitors do not venture more than 500 metres from their vehicle, and often complete their visit within daylight hours.
Be aware of the impact of seasonality – many mountain parks are closed or restricted over winter (which can extend until April). Try to avoid weekends, especially those around major public holidays such as Labor Day.
services within the parks or do the unimaginable – walk or cycle when possible! | 2019-04-20T12:44:50Z | https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/exploring-the-really-wild-west/ |
A method is provided for identifying in a computer system physical memory modules having failing or defective addresses. The transparent error correction function of the computer system is disabled and system memory is tested. If an error is detected, a coded data value that indicative of a single-bit error is written to the failing or defective memory address. The failing or defective memory address is read in and the incorrect data value in the memory address is detected. The address of the failing of defective memory address is recorded and mapped or correlated to a physical memory module.
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1. A method for locating in a computer system memory modules on the basis of a failing or defective memory address, the computer system including a transparent memory error correct routine, comprising the steps of: disabling the transparent memory error correction routine; testing system memory in the computer system; enabling the transparent memory error correction routine; writing a data value containing a bit error to the failing or defective address; reading in data from the failing or defective address; recording the failing or defective address; and identifying from the failing or defective address the associated physical memory module of the computer system.
2. The method for locating memory modules of claim 1, wherein the bit error is a single-bit error.
3. The method for locating memory modules of claim 1, wherein the data value written to the defective or failing address is associated with a data structure that identifies a single-bit error at the defective or failing memory address.
4. The method for locating memory modules of claim 1, wherein the step of recording the failing or defective address comprises the step of writing to a system event log the memory address that includes the data value containing the bit error.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying from the failing or defective access the associated physical memory module of the computer system comprises the step of correlating from a memory map the address of the bit error to a physical memory module.
6. The method for locating memory modules of claim 1, wherein the step of disabling the transparent memory error correction routine comprises the step of determining whether the transparent memory error correction routine is active and disabling the routine if the routine is determined to be active.
7. The method for locating memory modules of claim 6, further comprising the step of resetting the transparent memory error correction routine to its enable state if the transparent error correction routine was determined to be active and disabled.
8. The method for locating memory modules of claim 3, wherein the transparent memory error correction routine comprises an ECC checking routine.
9. The method for locating memory modules of claim 8, wherein the data structure comprises ECC error correction codes that identify the address as having a single-bit error.
10. A computer system, comprising: system memory of multiple memory modules; a transparent error correction routine for correcting memory errors; a memory controller for controlling the operation of the system memory, wherein the memory controller is operable to disable the transparent error correction routine, test system memory, enable the transparent error correction routine, write a coded data value to a defective memory location, read in the coded data value from the defective memory location, such that the location of the defective memory location is identified to the computer system.
11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the coded data value is a data value that is coded to indicate that the memory location includes a bit error.
12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the bit error is a single-bit error.
13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the transparent error correction routine is an ECC checking routine.
14. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the memory controller of the computer system is further operable to correlate the identification of the defective memory location to the physical memory module having the defective memory location.
15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the transparent error correction routine is an ECC checking routine.
16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the memory controller of the computer system is further operable to correlate the identification of the defective memory location to the physical memory module having the defective memory location.
17. A method for identifying in a computer system a physical memory module having a failing or defective memory address, the computer system including an error correction routine for transparently correcting memory errors in the memory of the computer system, comprising the steps of: disabling in the computer system the error correction routine; running a system memory test; enabling the error correction routine; writing a coded value to the failing or defective memory address; reading the coded data value of the defective memory address; and detecting the error in the defective memory address.
18. The method for identifying a physical memory module having a failing or defective memory address of claim 17, further comprising the step of correcting the memory error in the defective memory address transparently by the error correction routine.
19. The method for identifying a physical memory module having a failing or defective memory address of claim 17, further comprising the step of recording the address of the defective memory address.
20. The method for identifying a physical memory module having a failing or defective memory address of claim 19, where in the step of recording the address of the defective memory location comprises the step of recording in the system event log the address of the defective memory address.
21. The method for identifying a physical memory module having a failing or defective memory address of claim 20, further comprising the step of correlating the defective memory address to the physical memory module that includes the defective memory address.
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of computer memory and, more particularly, to a system and method for locating memory modules with a failing or defective memory.
Error correction is the process of detecting bit errors in memory and correcting them. Known error correction techniques can resolve both single-bit and multi-bit errors. In computer systems, information is represented in binary format (1s and 0s). When binary information is passed from one point to another, a mistake can be made in that a binary 1 can interpreted as a binary 0, or a binary 0 can be interpreted as a binary 1. An error of this sort can be caused by media defects, electronic noise, component failures, poor connections, deterioration due to age, and other factors. When a bit is mistakenly interpreted, a bit error has occurred. Memory error correction methods often involve the addition of extra bits or letters to binary words. The extra letters (bits) add an additional data structure to each word. If the content of the data binary word is altered, the content of the binary word will no longer correspond or map to the data of the appended data structure, and the memory error can be detected and corrected.
Error correction is necessary to insure the accuracy and integrity of data and, in some cases, to assist in the operation of fault tolerant computer systems. It is expected that virtually every digital data transmission or storage system makes errors at a certain rate. As data transfer rates and storage densities increase, the error rate also increases. Some digital systems experience more errors than others. For instance, an optical disk has a higher error rate than a magnetic disk. A magnetic tape has a higher error rate than a magnetic disk. Without some form of error detection and correction, most storage devices would be too unreliable to be useful. In virtually all digital systems, as transfer rates increase and designers squeeze more bits into smaller spaces, errors occur more frequently. In sum, as speed and density increase, error correction becomes a necessity.
A common solution for error correction in the memory of a computer system is ECC (error correction code) checking. ECC checking involves a comparison of the data value of the data address and an additional data structure that is appended to or associated with each data value. ECC checking allows the detection of both single-bit and multi-bit memory errors and the transparent correction of single-bit errors. ECC checking involves the creation of data structure that is appended to or associated with the data content of the memory address. The ECC data structure contains sufficient detail to permit the recovery of a single-bit error in the protected data content. ECC checking typically uses a data structure of 7 bits to perform error checking and single-bit correction on a data string of 32 bits, or a data structure of 8 bits to perform error checking and single-bit correction on a data string of 64 bits.
In some ECC checking schemes, multi-bit errors can be both identified and corrected. In many instances, however, multi-bit errors cannot be corrected and the computer system must halt. When a multi-bit error occurs, a non-maskable interrupt (NMI) is often issued that instructs the system to shut down to avoid data corruption. Although occurring less frequently than single-bit errors, multi-bit errors cause more severe problems because they often result in the computer system being halted. In comparison, a single-bit error will not cause the computer system to halt, and ECC checking may transparently correct the error.
Although ECC checking involves the transparent correction of memory errors in the computer system, system administrators and computer users often find it useful to know that an error has occurred, the time that the error occurred, the frequency of the occurrence of the error, and if the error has been corrected. A pattern of errors, for example, can indicate a hardware problem that needs to be addressed or that a piece of hardware, such as a memory module, needs to be replaced. The logging of errors that have been identified and corrected by an ECC checking routine is often inadequate. In many systems, the size of the log is limited so that only a limited number of errors, perhaps only a single error, can be logged, and with each successive error writing over the logged information for the previous error. In addition, because ECC checking runs continuously and corrects errors transparently, error identification and checking often occurs without any involvement on the part of the user, limiting the ability of a system administrator to know about and perform a standalone analysis of a single failing memory address. In sum, although a number of memory errors may be identified and corrected through ECC checking, only a small subset of those errors are logged for later analysis. Many errors occur and are corrected without any record of the presence or correction. As such, these errors, for which there is no record of their presence or correction, are corrected without any record of their correction being available to the administrator or user of the computer system.
Because the error logging of ECC checking is generally inadequate and because error correction for single bit errors occurs automatically and transparently, a system administrator may not appreciate the frequency and severity of memory errors in the computer system. In addition, because only a small subset of the defective memory addresses are logged by the ECC checking routine, the administrator is not aware of the physical memory modules that include the defective or failing memory addresses. When ECC checking is enabled, a recurring single-bit error requires that repetitive corrective steps be executed to correct the error. While it is possible that a computer system with a failing memory module can continue to operate despite the repeated error in the memory module, the computer system will function at a level that is below its normal capacity for handling memory accesses, as the single-bit error that is caused by a failing memory module may have to be repaired each time the system reads from the address of the damaged memory module. The sum of these repetitive steps to correct recurring errors caused by a defective memory module unnecessarily burdens the system memory and degrades system performance. In addition to the performance concerns caused by the automatic correction of single-bit errors, the detection of any multi-bit error during ECC checking will typically cause the computer system to halt. Thus, although ECC checking provides for the automated and often transparent correction of memory errors, the process of correcting those errors may actually hinder the performance of the computer system in that the administrator or use of the computer system will not recognize constraints on the computer system caused by the repeated failure of physical memory modules.
In accordance with the present disclosure, a method and system is provided for identifying physical memory modules on the basis of failing or defective memory addresses. To locate the physical memory module associated with a failing or defective address, the transparent error correction function of the computer system is disabled, if enabled, and system memory is tested. If an error is detected, a coded data value that is indicative of a single-bit error is written to the failing or defective memory address. The failing or defective memory address is next read in from memory and the incorrect data value in the memory address is detected. The address of the failing or defective memory address is recorded and mapped or correlated to a physical memory module. The transparent error correction routine is returned to its original operational state.
An advantage of the present invention is that by correctly identifying the failing memory address and correlating that address to a physical memory module, appropriate corrective actions may be taken with respect to the physical memory module that includes the failing or defective memory address location. The method and system described herein is advantageous in that it permits the user to evaluate memory errors individually or in groups at the preference of the user. The injection of a single-bit error in a memory address can occur with respect to only one error or multiple errors, allowing the user or administrator to focus on or evaluate a limited group of errors. The method and system disclosed herein is also advantageous in that it incorporates existing memory functionality, including the built-in logic, of the computer system. The method disclosed herein takes advantage of known routines for reading and writing data to memory locations, and mapping memory addresses to physical memory modules. Because of the incorporation of existing routines of the computer system in the disclosed method, the disclosed method is able to accomplish the result of locating physical memory modules for failing or defective memory addresses without having to substantially rewrite or develop a set of new routines to accomplish the same result. As a result, the method of the present disclosure may be used with any computer system so long as the computer system includes a set of logic routines for memory access and memory management.
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the process of identify physical memory modules on the basis of failing or defective memory addresses.
The present disclosure concerns a system and method for identifying physical memory modules having a defective or failing memory address. The method and system described herein is especially applicable in those computer systems that employ a transparent error correction scheme, such as ECC checking that automatically and transparently corrects errors, including recurrent errors, in the memory of the computer system. The method described herein takes advantage of the advantages of ECC checking and other memory diagnostic tools to identify those physical memory modules having failing or defective memory addresses.
Shown in FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer system, which is indicated generally at 10. Computer system 10 includes processor 12, which is coupled to host bus 14. Also coupled to host bus 14 is a memory controller and PCI bridge 16, which is also is coupled to system memory 18 and a PCI bus 20. Coupled to PCI bus 20 are a number of PCI devices 30. Coupled to PCI bus 20 is an expansion bus bridge 22, which is coupled to expansion bus 24. As is common in some modern computer systems, expansion bus 24 may be an ISA bus, and expansion bridge 22 may be a PCI/ISA bridge. As an alternative, expansion bus 24 and expansion bridge 22 may operate according to another suitable expansion bus standard. Coupled to expansion bus 24 are a BIOS ROM 26, nonvolatile memory 28, and a number of ISA or expansion devices 27. Nonvolatile memory 28 may be an NVRAM or a CMOS memory.
Shown in FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the process of identifying physical memory modules that have a defective or failing memory address. The memory modules described herein may reside in system memory 18 of FIG. 1. At step 204, it is determined whether ECC checking is disabled. If ECC checking is not disabled, ECC checking is disabled in step 208. The disabling of ECC checking in step 208 permits, in step 206, a standard memory test to be performed on the memory of the computer system. Testing memory with ECC checking disabled allows the memory addresses to be accessed for the sake of error identification while preventing the identified errors from being automatically and transparently corrected by ECC checking. Rather, errors in the system memory of the computer system, in the form of failing or defective addresses, are identified and recorded.
After the conclusion of the memory test of step 206, it is determined at step 210 if one or more errors were detected. If no errors were detected, processing continues at step 220, where ECC checking is return to its original operational state. ECC checking is enabled at step 220 if it was enabled when the status of ECC checking was first queried at step 204. ECC checking will remain disabled at step 220 if ECC checking was disabled when the status of ECC checking was first queried at step 204. If errors are detected during the memory test of step 206, processing continues at step 212 with the initiation of ECC checking. To this point in the method of FIG. 2, it is known that an error exists in the system memory of the computer system. The addresses of the failing or defective memory locations are also known.
In step 214, a single-bit error is injected into the failing or defective memory address or addresses that were identified in step 206. injection of error data into known addresses can occur by one of several techniques. One such technique involves the use of ECC error correction coding in which the data and its appended ECC data structure are coded such that the comparison of the data value to the data structure identifies a single-bit error in the data. The bit position of the error in the injected error data is the same as the bit position that was identified in step 206 as faulty or defective in the failing or defective memory address. In the case of multi-bit errors, a single-bit error is injected into the failing or defective memory address at step 206 even though more than one bit error is present in the failing or defective memory address. This is necessary because ECC checking has been enabled at step 212, and, if ECC checking encounters a multi-bit error, the computer system will typically halt.
Once the single-bit error data is injected at step 214, the data at the failing or defective memory address is read into memory. Reading this data into memory causes the ECC correction routine to detect the injected error at step 218. The ECC correction routines next attempts to correct the retrieved data. The ECC checking routine records the faulty memory address in a log. Because only a single memory address is being queried as part of this process, the ECC checking log is adequate. At step 219, the failing or defective memory address is mapped or associated with a physical memory module for the benefit of the administrator or user of the computer system. The step of mapping of failing or defective memory address to a physical memory is accomplished by existing routines or logic in the computer system. At step 220, ECC checking is returned to its original operational status (enabled or disabled) as of the time that the operational status of ECC checking was first queried at step 204. As a result of these method steps, the failing or defective memory address and its associated physical memory module are provided to the computer user or administrator.
Once the physical location of the failing memory module has been identified to the computer user or administrator, appropriate corrective actions may be taken. Examples of corrective actions include performing additional testing and monitoring, replacing the failing module, and reallocating memory resources. The present method provides users with the ability to locate memory modules with specific failing addresses and implement appropriate remedies, such as replacing failing modules.
One of the benefits of the present invention is the use of known logic and routines of the computer system to accomplish the steps of identifying physical memory modules having failing or defective addresses. Thus, the disclosed method for identifying physical memory modules involves the use of the built-in logic of the computer system. As a result, existing routines and logic of the computer system are used, and the practice of the disclosed method relieves any need for developing a new set of routines for performing memory module identification. Rather, existing logic and routines of the computer system can be ordered and initiated according to the disclosed method to accomplish the purpose of locating physical memory modules having failing or defective addresses. Moreover, because the steps of the present disclosure are performed by logic and routines found in any computer system, the present disclosure may apply without regard to the architecture of the computer system.
Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. | 2019-04-19T16:29:08Z | http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2002/0104045.html |
We report research into associations between the school-level and classroom-level environment in science classrooms in South Africa. An instrument, developed to assess students' perceptions of their classroom learning environment as a means of monitoring and guiding changes towards outcomes-based education, was administered to 2,638 Grade 8 science students from 50 classes in 50 secondary schools in Limpopo province. In addition, the teachers of each of the 50 classes responded to a questionnaire developed to assess factors in the school-level environment (such as the adequacy of resources, parental involvement and collegiality). Thedata collected using the two questionnaires were analysed to examine whether the environment created at the school level was linked to the likelihood of teachers successfully implementing outcomes-based education at the classroom level.
In countries around the world, there has been much attention given to the benefits and problems related to outcomes-based education (OBE). Although the media, politicians, educators and parents all seem to have opinions about outcomes-based education, unfortunately very little of this is based on any evidence. The dearth of literature and research related to the implementation of outcomes-based education makes it difficult for various stakeholders to make informed decisions and to form opinions that go beyond anecdotal or subjective information.
The history of OBE and its adoption around the world was traced by Steiner-Khamsi (2006). She found that the overhaul of New Zealand's public sector, which ended in the State Sector Act of 1988 and the Public Finance Act of 1989, had important consequences for the education sector by emphasising outcomes-based accountability. At this time, as part of ongoing market-driven reforms, there was introduced in the United Kingdom (UK) a new national curriculum that embodied the language of "public accountability, effectiveness and market regulation" (Steiner-Khamsi, 2006:688).
The outcomes-based reforms that took place in New Zealand (Bell, Jones & Carr, 1995) had much in common with curriculum reforms that took place in the United Kingdom (also known as competency-based education) (e.g. Faris, 1998), Australia (Aldridge, in press), Canada (Hopkins, 2002), South Africa (Botha, 2002) and, for a brief period, the United States (also known as performance-based education) (e.g. Evans & King, 1994). Countries around the world have been adopting outcomes-based education as a model for reform in school and post-school education and training systems. The present study undertaken in South Africa's Limpopo province examined the classroom-level and school-level environment developed in line with the education goals of OBE as specified in Curriculum 2005 (C2005; Department of Education, 1996).
Historically, schools have been viewed as organisations, operating similarly to other social groups in that they have their own goals, rules and regulations, roles, hierarchies of authority, forms of compliance, and communication patterns (Dorman, 1998; Dorman, Fraser & McRobbie, 1997). These aspects constitute the school environment which has been linked to teacher self-efficacy, productivity and satisfaction in the workplace (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2009). To date, however, little research has been carried out to help administrators and teachers to assess and improve the environments of their own schools. Studies by Brookover, Schweitser, Schneider, Beady, Flood & Wisenbaker (1978) and Vyskocil and Goens (1979) have shown that the school-level environment could influence student cognitive outcomes, values, personal growth and satisfaction.
Cohen, McCabe, Michelli & Pickeral (2009) used a range of research methods (including historical analysis, review of literature and a policy scan) to examine the relationship between school climate and educational policy, school improvement practice and teacher education. In examining school climate with respect to school improvement guidelines, the research indicates that a range of fields (such as risk prevention and health promotion) have identified aspects of the school environment that promote school success for students (Anderson, Thomas, Moor & Kool, 2008; Cohen et al., 2009).
In two other studies, relationships between the school-level and classroom-level environment were investigated. Fraser and Rentoul (1982) used a sample of 34 teachers to obtain data on their perceptions three school environment dimensions (affiliation, professional interest, achievement orientation) and five dimensions of the classroom-level environment (personalization, participation, independence, investigation, and differentiation). The study revealed that links between the two environments do exist. In contrast, a second study by Dorman, Fraser and McRobbie (1995) concluded that the school-level environment does not necessarily transmit to the classroom environment.
In the light of these previous studies, we undertook a study of whether teachers' perceptions of the school-level environment influence the learning environments that they create in their classrooms.
Freiberg's (1999) book, School Climate, identifies numerous instruments and a range of alternative measures that can be used to assess the school-level environment. One such instrument, the School-Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ, Fisher & Fraser, 1991a; 1991b) was designed to assess school teachers' perceptions of psychosocial dimensions of the environment of the school. Versions of the SLEQ have been used successfully in Nigeria (Idiris & Fraser, 1997), South Africa (Aldridge, Laugksch & Fraser, 2006a), Rwanda (Earnest & Treagust, 2001a; 2001b), the US (Johnson & Stevens, 2006; Johnson, Stevens & Zvoch, 2007) and Taiwan (Huang & Fraser, 2008).
Past research on school-level environment has involved school improvement (Fisher & Fraser, 1991a; Templeton & Jensen, 1993), patterns of transition during middle school (Chung, Elias, & Schneider, 1998), teachers' perceptions of their work environment (Fisher & Grady, 1998), teacher morale (Young, 1998), gender differences (Huang et al., 2008), effects on student outcomes (Anderson, Thomas, Moore & Kool, 2008; Johnson & Stevens, 2006) and evaluating school-based interventions (Fraser, Williamson & Tobin, 1987; Wahyudi & Fisher, 2006). The SLEQ was selected as a starting point for the development of a questionnaire, designed specifically for use in South Africa (Aldridge et al., 2006a). This questionnaire and its validity are described below.
There has been very limited learning environment research conducted in Africa in general, and in South Africa in particular. In fact, learning environments research in Africa has only been conducted in Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. For the sake of completeness, all of these few studies are summarised below.
In Nigeria, Idiris and Fraser (1997) developed an instrument to investigate associations between the classroom environment and student outcomes in agricultural classes. Agriculture, a compulsory subject for junior secondary school students, is the main revenue source for the country. Administration of the questionnaire to 1,175 students in 50 classes from 20 schools revealed a low level of student centredness, negotiation and differentiation. The study also indicated that Nigerian learners would prefer low levels of each of these scales in their learning environment (Idiris & Fraser, 1997).
In the second study carried out in Nigeria, the Socio-Cultural Environment Scale (SCES) was used in investigating the perceptions of 328 distance-education learners (Jegede, Agholor & Okebukola, 1995) in terms of the socio-cultural climate of non-western science classrooms. This study also included a student sample from the Caribbean and Asia. The results revealed a significant difference between the perceived and the preferred classroom climate in each of the regions.
Earnest and Treagust's (2001a; 2001b) study of school-level environment in Rwanda involved assessment of four dimensions of school environment. A sample of 125 teachers perceived a limited amount of work pressure, a lack of resources, low affiliation between staff members, and a great deal of staff freedom.
During the 1990s, research in South Africa commenced with the work of Adams (1996; 1997) on laboratory classroom learning environments. Since that time, there have been only a handful of studies related to the field of learning environments that have been conducted in South Africa (Aldridge, Fraser & Ntuli, 2009; Aldridge, Fraser & Sebela, 2004; Marjoribanks & Mzobanzi, 2004).
Marjoribanks and Mzobanzi (2004) examined whether family background moderated relationships between learning environments, goal orientations and students' interest in music. The sample included 210 student from rural communities in the Eastern Cape and 415 students from metropolitan Cape Town. All were black students with a mean age of 17.7 years and whose main language was IsiXhosa. The results indicated that students of parents with lower aspirations had significantly less interest in music than did students with high-aspiration parents. The results also showed that the learning environment had significant associations with students' interest in music.
Aldridge et al. (2004) investigated how teachers could use feedback based on students' perceptions of the learning environment in conjunction with reflective journals to assist teachers to become reflective practitioners. A sample of 1,864 learners in 43 classes was used in investigating whether the instruments involved in the study were valid and reliable. During a 12-week intervention phase, two teachers used profiles (based on students' feedback data) to assist them to develop strategies aimed at improving the constructivist orientation of their classroom learning environments. It was found that teachers were able to use feedback from students to guide changes in their pedagogical practices. Also, reflective journals were found to be useful for teachers as they implemented strategies aimed at enhancing the learning environment.
A study by Aldridge et al. (2009) involved the administration of a learning environment instrument to the primary school students (N = 1,077) of 31 distance-education primary school teachers who used feedback about discrepancies between learners' actual and preferred learning environment to guide changes in their classroom practice. During a 12-week intervention phase, qualitative information was collected to provide in-depth insights into and descriptions of three case-study teachers. The results indicated that, to varying degrees, the teachers were successful in their attempts to improve the learning environment.
In our study, we collected classroom-level environment data from 2,638 Grade 8 science students from 50 classes in 50 secondary schools in Limpopo province, South Africa, to coincide with the first implementation of an outcomes-based curriculum in the secondary phase.) In addition, the 50 science teachers of each of these classes responded to a school-level environment questionnaire. Of the 50 schools, 37 were rural schools, nine were township schools and four were urban schools. These schools can be considered to be a representative sample of the range of schools located in this part of South Africa.
1. Examining the Curriculum 2005 and national and international literature on outcomesbased education (OBE) to identify dimensions central to the educational philosophy of OBE.
2. Conducting interviews with science curriculum advisors and with Grade 8 science teachers to ensure that the scales were considered salient to contemporary educational reforms and the school context.
3. Selecting and developing scales that would cover the dimensions that are consistent with Moos' (1979) scheme for classifying the dimensions of any human environment: (i) Relationship dimensions (measuring the degree of people's involvement in the environment and the assistance given to each other); (ii) Personal Development dimensions (measuring the kind and strength of the personal relationships in the environment); and (iii) System Maintenance and System Change dimensions (measuring the degree of orderliness, control and responsiveness to change in the environment).
4. Relevant dimensions and items for the actual form were adopted and adapted from widely used general classroom environment questionnaires such as the What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire (Aldridge, Fraser & Huang, 1999), Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (Aldridge, Fraser, Taylor & Chen, 2000; Taylor, Fraser & Fisher, 1997) and Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire (Fraser, 1990).
5. For the student questionnaire, items and instructions were translated into Sepedi (or North Sotho), the local vernacular, and provided alongside the English version as English is the second language for the majority of students in the Limpopo Province.
6. Finally, both questionnaires were field-tested, and subsamples of students and teachers were subsequently interviewed about the clarity and readability of the items. Respondents were asked to indicate during the completion of the questionnaire any possible misunderstanding by underlining unfamiliar words or phrases used in the items. After the completion of the questionnaires, a number of respondents were chosen at random and interviewed. These interviews were aimed at understanding the possible difficulties that respondents may have had with the instructions and the items on the questionnaires. Students were also asked to what extent the translation of the items and instructions from English to Sepedi helped them to understand the questionnaire.
(a) Permission to conduct research at public schools in Limpopo province was obtained from the Limpopo Department of Education which subsequently addressed a letter to principals and teachers to this effect.
(b) Before administering the questionnaires, detailed instructions were given to the students and teachers. Respondents were also informed that the completion of the questionnaires was confidential and voluntary, and that they had the option to withdraw from participation in the study.
(c) The names of the students, teachers and schools were kept confidential.
Theoriginal (i.e. unmodified) classroom-level instrument, the Outcomes-Based Learning Environment Questionnaire (OBLEQ), has seven scales with eight items per scale. Included in the OBLEQ were scales (from existing instruments) considered to be of relevance to the philosophy of outcomes-based education, as well as a newly developed scale, Responsibility for Own Learning. The seven scales of the OBLEQ are: Involvement (the extent to which students have attentive interest, participate in discussions, do additional work and enjoy the class); Investigation (the extent to which emphasis is placed on the skills and processes of inquiry and their use in problem solving and investigation); Cooperation (the extent to which students cooperate rather than compete with one another on learning tasks); Equity (the extent to which students are treated equally and fairly by the teacher); Differentiation (the extent to which teachers cater for students differently on the basis of abilities, rates of learning and interests); Personal Relevance (the extent to which teachers relate science to students' out-of-school experiences); and Responsibility for Own Learning (the extent to which students perceive themselves as being in charge of their learning process, motivated by constant feedback and affirmation). Students were requested to respond to items of the modified OBLEQ on a five-point frequency scale with the alternatives of Always, Often, Sometimes, Seldom and Never. A listing of the items contained in the final version of the OBLEQ is provided in Table 1.
The relevance of each OBLEQ scale to outcomes-based education, according to Curriculum 2005 (Department of Education, 1997), can be found in Aldridge et al. (2006b). Using OBLEQ data collected from 2,638 students in 50 classes, we conducted principal axis factoring followed by oblique (direct oblimin) rotation (selected because the factors in the set of learning environment scales are expected to be correlated, Coakes & Steede, 2000). At this stage, items were omitted and the two scales of Investigation and Involvement came together, suggesting that this sample of students regarded these two constructs in similar ways. For the remaining items, all items had a factor loading of at least 0.30 on their own scale, and no other scale, with the exception of Items 34 and 35 from (from the Differentiation scale) that did not have a loading of at least 0.30 on their own or any other scale. Table 1 reports the factor loadings for all items in the refined version of the OBLEQ. The percentage of variance varied from 3.13% to 13.66% for different scales, with the total variance accounted for being 35.70%.
The internal consistency reliability (Cronbach alpha coefficient) for the OBLEQ scales ranged from 0.62 to 0.79 with the individual as unit of analysis (see the bottom of Table 1). An analysis of variance (ANOVA), with class membership as the independent variable, was used to determine whether each OBLEQ scale was able to distinguish between the perceptions of students in different classes. The results reported at the bottom of Table 1 indicate that each OBLEQ scale differentiated significantly (p < 0.01) between classes. The eta2 statistic (a measure of the proportion of variance accounted for by class membership) for the OBLEQ ranged from 0.08 to 0.13 for different scales. Overall, results suggest that the Outcomes-Based Learning Environment Questionnaire (OBLEQ) is valid and reliable when used in high school science classes in South Africa.
The School-Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ, Fisher & Fraser, 1990) was drawn on for our study in South Africa. In addition to scales from the SLEQ, two new scales were developed for use in South Africa (namely, Parental Involvement and Familiarity with OBE), as they were considered to be relevant to the successful implementation of OBE by school management teams and teachers. The final version includes seven scales, namely, (1) Parental Involvement (the extent to which parents are involved in their children's education at both an individual and school level); (2) Student Support (the extent to which there is a good rapport between teachers and students and students behave in a responsible and self-disciplined manner); (3) Collegiality (the extent to which teachers can obtain assistance, advice and encouragement and are made to feel accepted by colleagues); (4) Familiarity with OBE (the extent to which teachers have been trained to use teaching and assessment strategies associated with OBE); (5) Innovation (the extent to which teachers discuss professional matters, show interest in their work and seek further professional development; (6) Resource Adequacy (the extent to which the support personnel, facilities, finance, equipment and resources are suitable and adequate); and (7) Work Pressure (the extent to which work pressure dominates the school environment). Teachers were requested to respond to items of the modified SLEQ on a fivepoint frequency scale with the alternatives of Almost Never, Seldom, Sometimes, Often and Almost Always.
Using data collected from a sample of 403 teachers from 54 schools in South Africa, validity statistics for the SLEQ-SA were calculated (Aldridge et al., 2006a). Table 2 provides each item's wording and factor loading and each scale's percentage of variance, Cronbach alpha coefficient and results of ANOVA for school membership differences (the ability of each scale to distinguish between the perceptions of teachers in different schools).
Principal components factor analysis resulted in the acceptance of a revised version of the modified SLEQ-SA comprising 51 items in seven scales. Table 2 shows that, for all scales, the items loaded on their own scale and no other scale, except for Item 80 which had a loading of more than 0.30 with the OBE Familiarity scale as well as with its own scale (namely, Innovation). The percentage of variance varied from 4.5 to 13.6 for different scales, with the total variance accounted for being 45.8%.
The internal consistency (Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient) for each scale of the SLEQSA ranged from 0.69 to 0.92 with the individual as the unit of analysis. To ascertain whether each SLEQ scale was able to differentiate between the perceptions of teachers in different schools, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was calculated for each scale. The ANOVA results indicated that, with the exception of Innovation, each scale was able to differentiate significantly (p < 0.01) between the perceptions of teachers in different South African high schools. Overall, the results of the analysis suggest satisfactory reliability and validity for this version of the SLEQ-SA when used with science teachers in South Africa.
To investigate associations between the environment created at the school level and environment created by teachers at the classroom level, simple correlation and multiple regressions were used. To assess the school-level environment, as perceived by the teachers, the SLEQ-SA was used to assess the seven scales of Familiarity with OBE, Resource Adequacy, Work Pressure, Student Support, Parental Involvement, Collegiality and Innovation. To assess the classroom-level environment, as perceived by the students, the OBLEQ was used to assess the six scales of Involvement/Investigation, Cooperation, Equity, Differentiation, Personal Relevance and Responsibility for Learning. The sample involved 50 science teachers in 50 schools who responded to the SLEQ-SA. For each teacher, the students in one of his or her science classes completed the OBLEQ. The school mean was used as the unit of analysis for the student data to enable matched pairs of student and teacher data to be used.
Table 3 shows that only three of the 42 simple correlations between the six classroom environment scales and seven school environment scales were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Collegiality was negatively and significantly correlated with the classroom environment scale of Differentiation and Innovation was positively and significantly related with the classroom environment scales of Involvement/Investigation and Cooperation. Table 3 also shows that four of the six multiple correlations were significant for the analysis involving students' perceptions of the classroom environment, these being for Cooperation, Equity, Differentiation and Responsibility for Learning.
The standardised regression coefficients were used to identify which of the individual school environment scales were significant independent predictors of a classroom environment dimension; Collegiality (with Cooperation and Differentiation) and Innovation (with Involvement/Investigation, Cooperation, Equity, Differentiation and Responsibility for Learning. All significant correlations were positive with the exception of Collegiality with Differentiation. The results suggest that schools in which teachers were encouraged to be more innovative also had classroom environments that emphasised involvement/investigation, cooperation, equity, differentiation, and responsibility for learning. Schools in which teachers were more collegial had classroom environments that emphasised cooperation, equity, and responsibility for learning. It was interesting to note, however, that schools in which there was increased collegiality, there was less classroom differentiation.
This is the first study in South Africa that has attempted to bring together the fields of classroom environment and school environment. The two instruments were developed to ensure that scales were appropriate for use in South Africa and in line with Curriculum 2005 (Aldridge et al., 2006a; 2006b). The scales in the two instruments exhibited satisfactory factorial validity and internal consistency reliability and were able to differentiate between classrooms and schools.
This study revealed some interesting tentative relationships between specific school and classroomenvironment dimensions. For example, the correlation involving teacher perceptions of school environment and student perceptions of classroomenvironment revealed asignificant positive relationship between the extent to which the school encouraged teachers to be innovative and the extent to which students perceived a classroom environment that includes pedagogy that is more outcomes-based (including Involvement/Investigation, Cooperation, Equity, Differentiation and Responsibility for Learning). Similarly, a school environment in which teachers perceived positive relationships with other teachers (Collegiality) was linked with students' perceptions of classroom emphasis on aspects of outcomes-based pedagogy (Cooperation, Equity and Responsibility for Learning). It is interesting to note, however, that teachers' perceptions of greater Collegiality were associated with less classroom Differentiation as perceived by students.
Despite these specific results, the present research suggests overall that the school environment is not a strong influence on what happens in classrooms. Although some past research has suggested a link between the school-level environment and student outcomes (Anderson et al., 2008; Brookover et al., 1978; Cohen et al., 2009; Vyskocil & Goens, 1979), the weak relationships found in our study replicate those of Dorman et al. (1997) who found that the classroomwas somewhat insulated from the influence of the school-level environment.
In this study, the questionnaires were administered as teachers were grappling with the implementation of outcomes-based curriculum in South Africa. Research indicates that teachers who are resistant to change are unlikely to modify their behaviours despite the introduction of a new curriculum (Fink, 1999). If teachers are indeed resilient to change, then the research reported in this article suggests that a top-down approach (as mandated by Curriculum 2005 in South Africa) might not lead to changes in teachers' existing patterns of behaviour.
Not only is the school environment an integral aspect of the curriculum change process (e.g. Dora, 2005), but much research in the field of learning environments has shown a consistent relationship between the learning environment and student outcomes (Fraser, 2007). However, the results of this research suggest that what happens at the classroom level could be largely insulated against changes at the school level.
Although the organisational climate of a school (as assessed using the SLEQ-SA) is important during the implementation of a new curriculum and for school improvement, our results suggest that it is unlikely that these factors will influence changes in an individual teacher's behaviour. In conclusion, therefore, the relatively weak associations between the school-level and classroom-level environments possibly could suggest that successful implementation of OBE might rest more on the professional development of individual teachers in a bottom-up approach.
Jill Aldridge is Associate Professor at the Science and Mathematics Education Centre at Curtin University of Technology, Australia. Her research focuses on teaching and learning, especially the use of teacher professional development and action research as meaningful tools for improvement.
Barry Fraser is Professor and Director of the Science and Mathematics Education Centre at Curtin University of Technology, Australia. He is Editor of Springer's Learning Environments Research: An International Journal.
Rüdiger Laugksch is Associate Professor and Director of the School of Education at the Universityof Cape Town. His research interests include science teacher development, learning environments, and teaching and learning in science. | 2019-04-24T10:31:38Z | http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002011000100010&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en |
Perry Anderson’s books include Lineages of the Absolutist State and American Foreign Policy and Its Thinkers.
On New Year’s Day 1994, Europe – the metonym – changed names. The dozen nations of the Community took on the title of Union, though as in a Spanish wedding, the new did not replace but encompassed the old. Was anything of substance altered? So far, very little. The member states have risen to 15, with the entry of three former neutrals. Otherwise things are much as they were before. What is new, however, is that everyone knows this is not going to last. For the first time since the war, Europe is living in anticipation of vast but still imponderable changes to the part that has stood for the whole. Three dominate the horizon.
The first is, of course, the Treaty of Maastricht. We can set aside its various rhetorical provisions, for vague consultation on foreign policy and defence, or ineffectual protection of social rights, and even ignore its mild emendations of the institutional relations within the Community. The core of the Treaty is the commitment on the part of all the member states save Britain and Denmark to introduce a single currency, under the authority of a single central bank, by 1999. This step means an irreversible move of the EU towards real federation. With it, national governments will lose the right both to issue money and to alter exchange rates, and will only be able to vary rates of interest and public borrowing within very narrow limits, on pain of heavy fines from the Commission if they break central bank directives. They may still tax at their discretion, but capital mobility in the single market can be expected to ensure more or less common fiscal denominators. European monetary union spells the end of the most important attributes of national economic sovereignty.
Secondly, Germany is now reunited. The original Common Market was built on a balance between the two largest countries of the Six, France and Germany – the latter with greater economic weight and slightly larger population, the former with superior military and diplomatic weight. Later, Italy and Britain provided flanking states of roughly equivalent demographic and economic size. This balance started to break down in the Eighties, when the European Monetary System proved to be a zone pivoting on the Deutschmark, as the only currency never to be devalued within it. A decade later, Germany’s position has been qualitatively transformed. With a population of over eighty million, it is now much the largest state in the Union, enjoying not only monetary but increasingly institutional and diplomatic ascendancy. For the first time in its history, the process of European integration is now confronted with the potential emergence of a hegemonic power, with a widely asymmetrical capacity to affect all other member states.
The third great change has followed from the end of Communism in the countries of the former Warsaw Pact. The restoration of capitalism east of the Elbe has further transformed the position of Germany, both by reinstating it as the continental Land der Mitte which its conservative theorists always, with reason, insisted it would once again become, and – a less noticed development – by reducing the significance of the nuclear weapons that France or Britain possessed and it lacked. Yet more significant, however, is the currently expressed desire of virtually all the East European countries, and some of the former Soviet lands, to join the EU. As things stand, the total population of these candidates is about 130 million. Their inclusion would make a community of half a billion people, nearly twice the size of the United States. More pointedly still, it would approximately double the membership of the European Union, from 15 to some thirty states. A completely new configuration would be at stake.
Historically, these three great changes have been interconnected. In reverse order, it was the collapse of Communism that allowed the reunification of Germany that precipitated the Treaty of Maastricht. The shock-wave moved from the east to the centre to the west of Europe. But causes and consequences remain distinct. The outcomes of these processes obey no single logic. More than this: to a greater extent than in any previous phase of European integration, the impact of each is quite uncertain. We confront a set of fundamental indeterminacies that, adopting a Kantian turn of phrase, might be called the three amphibologies of post-Maastricht politics. They pose much more dramatic dilemmas than is generally imagined.
The Treaty itself offers the first. Its origins lie in the dynamism of Delors’s leadership of the Commission. After securing passage of the Single Market Act in 1986, Delors persuaded the European Council two years later to set up a committee largely composed of central bankers, but chaired by himself, to report on a single currency. Its recommendations were formally accepted by the Council in the spring of 1989. But it was the sudden tottering of East Germany that spurred Mitterrand to conclude an agreement with Kohl at the Strasbourg summit in the autumn, which put the decisive weight of the Franco-German axis behind the project. Thatcher, of course, was implacably opposed.
he seemed to have a positive aversion to principle, even a conviction that a man of principle was doomed to be a figure of fun. He saw politics as an 18th-century general saw war: a vast and elaborate set of parade-ground manoeuvres by armies that would never actually engage in conflict but instead declare victory, surrender or compromise as their apparent strength dictated in order to collaborate on the real business of sharing the spoils. A talent for striking political deals rather than a conviction of political truths might be required by Italy’s political system and it was certainly regarded as de rigueur in the Community, but I could not help but find something distateful about those who practised it.
Andreotti’s judgment of Thatcher was crisper. Emerging from one of the interminable European Councils sessions devoted to the British rebate, he remarked that she reminded him of a landlady berating a tenant for her rent.
The increasing role of Italy as a critical third in the affairs of the Community was a significant feature of these years. The Report on Economic and Monetary Union that laid the basis for Maastricht was drafted by an Italian, Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, the most trenchant advocate of a single currency, and it was also an Italian initiative – Andreotti again – which at the last minute wrote an automatic deadline of 1999 into the Treaty, to the consternation of the British and of the Bundesbank. Nevertheless, the final shape of the bargain reached at Maastricht was of essentially French and German design. The central aim for Paris was a financial edifice capable of replacing the unilateral power of the Bundesbank as the de facto regulator of the fortunes of its neighbours, with a de jure central authority over the European monetary space in which German interests would no longer be privileged. In exchange Bonn received the security system of ‘convergence criteria’ – in effect draconian conditions for abandonment of the Deutschmark, which Italian theorists of a single currency had always rejected – and the fixtures and fittings of ‘political union’.
The diplomatic origins of the Treaty are one thing. Its economic effects, if implemented, are another. What is the social logic of the monetary union scheduled to come into force by the end of the decade? In a system of the kind envisaged at Maastricht, national macro-economic policy becomes a thing of the past: all that remains to member states are distributive options on – necessarily reduced – expenditures within balanced budgets, at competitive levels of taxation. The historic commitments of both social and Christian democracy to full employment and traditional welfare services, already scaled down or cut back, would cease to have any further institutional purchase. This is a revolutionary prospect. The single obligation of the projected European Central Bank, more restrictive even than the charter of the Federal Reserve, is the maintenance of price stability. The protective and regulative functions of existing national states will be dismantled, leaving sound money as the sole regulator, as in the classical liberal model of the epoch before Keynes.
It is clear that such agreement will be limited in inverse proportion to the homogeneity and the similarity of outlook possessed by the inhabitants of an area. Although, in the national state, submission to the will of a majority will be facilitated by the myth of nationality, it must be clear that people will be reluctant to submit to any interference in their daily affairs when the majority which directs the government is composed of people of different nationalities and different traditions. It is, after all, only common sense that the central government in a federation composed of many different people will have to be restricted in scope if it is to avoid meeting an increasing resistance on the part of the various groups it includes. But what could interfere more thoroughly with the intimate life of the people than the central direction of economic life, with its inevitable discrimination between groups? There seems to be little possible doubt that the scope for regulation of economic life will be much narrower for the central government than for national states; and since, as we have seen, the power of the states which comprise the federation will be yet more limited, much of the interference with economic life to which we have become accustomed will be altogether impracticable under a federal organisation.
On this reading, Maastricht leads to an obliteration of what is left of the Keynesian legacy that Hayek deplored, and most of the distinctive gains of the West European labour movement associated with it. Precisely the extremity of this prospect, however, poses the question of whether in practice it might not unleash the contrary logic. Confronted with the drastic consequences of dismantling previous social controls on economic transactions at the national level, would there not soon – or even beforehand – be overwhelming pressure to reinstitute them at supranational level? That is, to create a European political authority capable of re-regulating what the single currency and single-minded bank have deregulated, to avoid an otherwise seemingly inevitable polarisation of regions and classes within the Union? Could this have been the hidden gamble of Jacques Delors, author of the plan for monetary union, yet a politician whose whole previous career suggests commitment to a Catholic version of social-democratic values, and suspicion of economic liberalism?
The incredible lacuna in the Maastricht programme is that while it contains a blueprint for the establishment and modus operandi of an independent central bank, there is no blueprint whatever of the analogue, in Community terms, of a central government. Yet there would simply have to be a system of institutions which fulfils all those functions at a Community level which are at present exercised by the central governments of the individual member countries.
Perhaps because he feared just such arguments, Hayek himself had changed his mind by the Seventies. Influenced by German fears of inflation if the Deutschmark was absorbed in a monetary union, he decided that a single European currency was not only a utopian but a dangerous prescription. Certainly, it was more than ever necessary to take the control of money out of the hands of national governments subject to electoral pressure. But the remedy, he now saw, was not to move it upwards to a supranational public authority, it was to displace it downwards to competing private banks, issuing rival currencies in the marketplace.
Even on the principled right there have been few takers for this solution, which Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, perhaps with a grain of malice, commends in L’Europa verso l’Unione Monetaria as the only coherent alternative to his own. But misgivings about what the kind of single currency envisaged by the Treaty of Maastricht might mean for socio-economic stability are widely shared, even among central bankers. With nearly twenty million people currently out of work in the Union, what is to prevent huge permanent pools of unemployment in depressed regions? It is the Governor of the Bank of England who now warns that, once devaluations are ruled out, the only mechanisms of adjustment are sharp wage reductions or mass out-migration; while the head of the European Monetary Institute itself, the Belgian-Hungarian banker (and distinguished economist) Alexandre Lamfalussy, in charge of technical preparations for the single currency, pointedly noted – in an appendix to the Report of the Delors Committee, of which he was a member – that if ‘the only global macroeconomic tool available within the EMU would be the common monetary policy implemented by the European central banking system’, the outcome ‘would be an unappealing prospect’. If monetary union was to work, he explained, a common fiscal policy was essential.
Given, however, that budgets remain the central battleground of domestic politics, how can there be fiscal co-ordination without electoral determination? The ‘system of institutions’ on whose necessity Godley insists is only conceivable on one foundation: a genuine supranational democracy, embodying for the first time a real popular sovereignty in a truly effective and accountable European Parliament. It is enough to spell out this condition to see how unprepared either official discourse or public opinion in the member states is for the scale of the choices before them.
What, secondly, will be the position of Germany in the Europe envisaged at Maastricht? It wasn’t merely the hopes or fears of bankers and economists that accelerated monetary union. Ultimately more important was the political desire of the French Government to fold the newly enlarged German state into a tighter European structure in which interest rates would no longer be regulated solely by the Bundesbank. In Paris the creation of a single currency under supranational control was conceived as a critical safeguard against the reemergence of German national hegemony in Europe. At the same time, even sections of the German political class and public opinion, somewhat in the spirit of Odysseus tying himself to the mast to protect himself from temptation, inclined – at any rate declaratively – to share this view. On both sides, the assumption was that a European monetary authority would mean a reduction in the power of the nation-state that was economically strongest – namely, the Federal Republic.
Germany was in favour of the recognition of Croatia and Slovenia. The rest of the Community was against, and the United States strongly so. Faced with such an apparently powerful ‘Western consensus’, on any such matter, the old pre-1990 Bundesrepublik would have respectfully backed away. The united Germany simply ignored the United States and turned the Community around. Germany recognised the independence of Croatia and Slovenia, and the rest of the Community followed within a few days. The reversal of the Community position was particularly humbling for the French ... The new republics are now part of a vast German sphere of influence to the east. German economic hegemony in Europe is now a fact of life, to which the rest of us Europeans must adjust as best we can. To press ahead with federal union in these conditions would not ‘rein in’ the mighty power of united Germany. It would subject the rest of us to German hegemony in its plenitude.
Just this fear, of course, was the mobilising theme of the campaign against ratification of Maastricht in the French referendum a few months later. The French electorate split down the middle on the issue of whether a single currency would reduce or enhance the power of the strongest nation-state in the continent. The majority of the political élite, led by Mitterrand and Giscard, in effect argued that the only way to neutralise German predominance was monetary union. Their opponents, led by Séguin and de Villiers, retorted that this was the surest way to bring it about. The dispute was fought out against the background of the first monetary tempest set off by the raising of the German discount rate in June, which ejected the lira and the pound from the ERM in the final week of the campaign. A year later it was the turn of the franc to capsize in waves of speculation whipped to storm-height by the line of the Bundesbank.
We now have a vivid inside account of these events in Bernard Connolly’s book The Rotten Heart of Europe. The coarseness of its title and cover are misleading: signs more of self-conscious encanaillement on the part of smart publishing than of authorial quality. The book suffers from an occasional lapse of taste, and a liking for melodrama. But for the most part it is a highly literate and professional study. Indeed, piquantly so. A crypto-Thatcherite at the highest levels of the Community’s financial apparatus in Brussels, Connolly is at the antipodes of Thatcher’s bemusement in the field of European politics. His book displays an unrivalled mastery of the nexus between banking and balloting in virtually every member state of the EC: not just France, Germany, Italy or the UK, but also Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland are covered with dash and detail. (The only significant exception is the Netherlands, whose ambivalence between liberal economics and federal politics is consigned to an exasperated footnote.) Chauvinist convictions have produced a cosmopolitan tour de force.
Connolly’s standpoint is based on a principled hostility, not merely to a single currency, but to fixed exchange rates between different currencies: in his eyes, a dangerous and futile attempt to bridle the operation of financial markets, which can only stifle the economic freedom on which the vitality of a disorderly economic system depends. ‘Western capitalism contained is Western capitalism destroyed,’ as he puts it. When he describes the dogfights of 1992-3 inside the ERM, his sympathies are with the most adamant German opponents of concessions to their neighbours’ concerns over interest rates, above all the crusty figure of Helmut Schlesinger, then Chairman of the Bundesbank. But the sympathy is strictly tactical: Schlesinger is applauded for an intransigence whose effect was to undermine any prospect of stability in the ERM, so exposing in advance the unviability of EMU. It involves no idealisation of the Bundesbank, the myth of whose ‘independence’ of political influence Connolly punctures effectively; its policies have corresponded with remarkable regularity to the needs of the CDU/CSU in the electoral arena.
Today the German political class, in which nationalist reflexes are no longer dormant, is having second thoughts about monetary union, as the prospect of a single currency has come to look ambiguous on their side of the Rhine too. Could it be that Germany received shadow rather than substance in the bargain at Maastricht? In chorus, Waigel for the ruling coalition and Tietmeyer for the Central Bank have been upping the ante for monetary union, with stentorian demands for ‘strict compliance’ with the convergence criteria appended to the Treaty (public debt no higher than 60 per cent and public deficit 3 per cent of GDP, inflation within 1½ and interest rates within 2 per cent of the three best performers in the Union) and a ‘stability pact’ beyond them. This orchestrated clamour has no legal basis, since in the text signed at Maastricht the convergence criteria are not unconditional targets to be met, but ‘reference values’ to be moved towards; and whether or not sufficient movement has been achieved is for the Commission alone to decide. These provisions were the work of Philippe Maystadt, Foreign Minister of Belgium, a country with good reason to insist on flexibility, and certain memories. In its disregard for legal niceties, or small neighbours, the tone of current German diplomacy has become increasingly Wilhelmine.
Nevertheless it is a striking fact that so far this ‘Teutonic tirading’, as Adorno once called it, has met no rebuff. Paris, far from reacting, has been eager to accommodate. For Connolly, this is only to be expected. Since Mitterrand’s capitulation in 1983, the attitude of the French élite has been a Vichy-like subservience to German economic power. In its pursuit of a franc fort requiring punitive interest rates to maintain alignment with the D-mark at the cost of massive unemployment, it has committed treachery against the French people. Noting the widespread alienation from the political class evident in every recent poll, and recalling with relish the country’s long traditions of popular unrest. Connolly – who describes himself as a Tory radical – looks forward with grim satisfaction to another revolutionary explosion in France, when the population realises the price it is paying for monetary union, and rises up to destroy the oligarchy that sought to impose it.
Premonitions of this kind are no longer regarded as entirely far-fetched in France itself. For the moment the prospect is less dramatic, but still fraught enough. The Maastricht referendum revealed the depth of the division in French opinion over the likely consequences of a single currency: would it lead, in the stock question, to a Europeanised Germany or to a German Europe? The victory of Jacques Chirac in the subsequent Presidential elections guarantees that the tension between antithetical calculations will continue to haunt the Elysée. For no French politician has so constantly oscillated from one position to the other, or opportunely reflected the divided mind of the electorate itself. Clambering to power on a platform challenging the bipartisan consensus of the Rocard-Balladur years – la pensée unique – that gave higher priority to a strong franc than to job creation, Chirac in office – after a few mis-starts – has frantically reverted to financial orthodoxy. The Juppé Government is now administering even tougher doses of retrenchment to force the deficit down to Maastricht levels.
Yet even the tightest budgetary rectitude is no guarantee of a franc fort. The ‘convergence criteria’, as Connolly rightly insists, are completely unrealistic in their exclusion of growth and employment from the indices of a sound economy. Designed to reassure financial markets, they satisfy only central bankers. The markets themselves are not mocked, and will sooner or later mark down any currency where there is widespread unemployment and social tension, no matter how stable the prices or balanced the public accounts – as the French Treasury discovered in the summer of 1993. The current domestic course of the Chirac regime can only tighten already explosive pressures in the big cities at the cost of its electoral credibility, on which that of its exchange rate also depends. The massive street protests of this winter could be a harbinger of worse double to come. The regime’s slump in the opinion polls is without precedent in the Fifth Republic. An image of zealous compliance with directives from the Bundesbank involves high political risks.
Chirac’s resumption of nuclear tests can be seen as a clumsy attempt to compensate for economic weakness by military display – demonstratively flexing the one strategic asset the French still possess and the Germans do not. The result has been merely to focus opprobrium on France. Partial or hypocritical though much of this reaction has been (how many pasquinades have been written against the Israeli bomb?), Chirac’s experiments remain pointless. Forcible-feeble in the style of the man, they can scarcely affect the political balance of Europe, where nuclear weapons are no longer of the same importance. At a moment when French diplomacy ought to have been engaged in winning allies to resist German attempts to harden the Treaty of Maastricht, for which its immediate neighbours Italy, Belgium and Spain were more than ready, it was gratuitously incurring a hostile isolation. On present performance, Chirac could prove the most erratic and futile French politician since Boulanger.
Nevertheless, contrary to received opinion, in the end it will be France rather than Germany that decides the fate of monetary union. The self-confidence of the political class in the Federal Republic, although swelling, is still quite brittle. A cooler and tougher French regime, capable of public historical reminders, could prick its bluster without difficulty. Germany cannot back out of Maastricht, only try to bend it. France can. There will be no EMU if Paris does not exert itself to cut its deficit. The commitment to monetary union comes from the political calculations of the rulers, and the world of classical statecraft – where a foreign policy designed to uphold French and check German national power goes without saying. The socioeconomic costs of the franc fort have been borne by the population at large. Here there is an absolutely clear-cut conflict between external objectives and domestic aspirations of the kind that the principal historian of the Community, Alan Milward, would banish from the record of earlier integration. How much does it matter to ordinary French voters whether or not Germany is diplomatically master of the continent again? Are not the creation of jobs and growth of incomes issues closer to home? In France the next years are likely to offer an interesting test of the relative weights of consumption and strategy in the process of European integration.
Meanwhile the pressures from below, already welling up in strikes and demonstrations, can only increase the quandaries above. On the surface, the French political class is now less divided over Maastricht than at the time of the referendum. But it is no surer that the single currency will deliver what it was intended to. Germany bound – or unbound? In the space of the new Europe, the equivocation of monetary union as an economic project is matched by the ambiguity of its political logic for the latent national rivalries within it.
Finally, what of the prospects for extending the European Union to the east? On the principle itself – it is a striking fact – there has been no dissent among the member states. It might be added that there has also been no forethought. For the first time in the history of European integration, a crucial direction has been set, not by politicians or technocrats, but by public opinion. Voters, of course, were not involved. But editorialists and column-writers across the political spectrum – before the consequences were given much consideration – pronounced with rare unanimity any other course unthinkable. Enlargement to the east was approved in something of the same spirit as the independence of the former republics of Yugoslavia. This was not the hard-headed reckoning of costs and benefits on which historians of the early decades of European integration dwell: ideological goodwill – essentially, the need to recompense those who suffered under Communism – was all. Governments have essentially been towed in the wake of a media consensus. The principle was set by the press; politicians have been left to figure out its applications.
Here the three leading states of Western Europe have divided. From the outset Germany has given priority to the rapid inclusion of Poland, Hungary, the former Czechoslovakia and, more recently, Slovenia. Within this group, Poland remains the most important in German eyes. Bonn’s conception is straightforward. These countries, already the privileged catchment for German investment, would form a security glacis of Catholic lands around Germany and Austria, with social and political regimes that could – with judicious backing for sympathetic parties – sit comfortably beside the CDU. France, more cautious about the tempo of widening and mindful of former ties to the countries of the Little Entente – Romania, Serbia – has been less inclined to pick regional favourites in this way. Its initial preference, articulated by Mitterrand in Prague, was for a generic association between Western and Eastern Europe as a whole, outside the framework of the Union.
Britain, on the other hand, has pressed not only for rapid integration of the Visegrad countries into the EU, but for the most extensive embrace beyond it. Alone of Western leaders, Major has envisaged the ultimate inclusion of Russia. The rationale for the British position is unconcealed: the wider the Union becomes the shallower it must be, for the more national states it contains, the less viable becomes any real supranational authority over them. Once stretched to the Bug and beyond, European union will evolve in practice into the vast free-trade area it should – in the eyes of London – always have been. Widening here means both institutional dilution and social deregulation: the prospect of including vast reserve armies of cheap labour in the East, exerting downward pressure on wage costs in the West, is a further bonus in this British scenario.
Which outcome is most likely? At the moment the German design has the most wind in its sails. In so far as the EU has sketched a policy at all, it goes in the CDU’s direction. One of the reasons, of course, is the current convergence between German calculations and Polish, Czech and Hungarian aspirations. There is some historical irony here. Since the late Eighties publicists and politicians in Hungary, the Czech lands, Poland and more recently Slovenia and even Croatia have set out to persuade the world that these countries belong to a Central Europe that has a natural affinity to Western Europe, and is fundamentally distinct from Eastern Europe. The geographical stretching involved in these definitions can be extreme. Vilnius is described by Czeslaw Milosz, for example, as a Central European city. But if Poland – let alone Lithuania – is really in the centre of Europe, what is the east? Logically, one would imagine, the answer must be Russia. But since many of the same writers – Milan Kundera is another example – deny that Russia has ever belonged to European civilisation at all, we are left with the conundrum of a space proclaiming itself centre and border at the same time.
Perhaps sensing such difficulties, an American sympathiser, the Spectator’s former deputy editor Anne Applebaum, now of the Standard, has tacitly upgraded Poland to full Occidental status, entitling her – unfailingly disobliging – inspection of Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine in Between East and West.[*] Another way out of them is offered by Miklos Haraszti, who argues that while current usage of the idea of Central Europe may make little geographical sense, it does convey the political unity of those – Poles, Czechs, Magyars – who fought against Communism, as distinct from their neighbours who did not. More Romanians, of course, died resisting in 1989 than in all three countries combined over many years. Today, however, the point of the construct is not so much retrospective as stipulative: originally fashioned to repudiate any connection with Russian experience during the Cold War, it now serves to demarcate superior from inferior – i.e. Romanian, Bulgarian, Albanian etc – candidates for entry into the EU.
It is, however, rare for geopolitical concepts to escape their origins altogether. Mitteleuropa was a German invention, famously theorised by Max Weber’s friend Friedrich Naumann during the first World War. Naumann’s conception remains arrestingly topical. The Central Europe he envisaged was to be organised around a Germanic nucleus, combining Prussian industrial efficiency and Austrian cultural glamour, capable of attracting satellite nations to it in a vast customs community – Zollgemeinschaft – and military compact, extending from ‘the Vistula to the Vosges’. Such a unified Mitteleuropa would be what he called an Oberstaat, a ‘super-state’ able to rival the Anglo-American and Russian empires. A Lutheran pastor himself, he noted regretfully that it would be predominantly Catholic – a necessary price to pay – but a tolerant order, making room for Jews and minority nationalities. The union it created would not be federal – Naumann was an early prophet of today’s doctrine of subsidiarity, too. All forms of sovereignty other than economic and military would be retained by member states preserving their separate political identities, and there would be no one all-purpose capital: different cities – Hamburg, Prague, Vienna – would be the seat of particular executive functions, rather like Strasbourg, Brussels and Frankfurt today. Against the background of a blueprint like this, it is not difficult to see how the ideological demand for a vision of Central Europe in the Visegrad countries could find political supply in the Federal Republic.
Given, however, that a widening of some kind to the east is now enshrined as official – if still nebulous – policy in the Union, is it probable that the process could be limited to a select handful of former Communist states? Applications for admission are multiplying, and there is no obvious boundary at which they can be halted. Europe, as J.G.A. Pocock once forcibly observed in these pages, is not a continent but an unenclosed sub-continent on a continuous land-mass stretching to the Bering Straits (LRB, 19 December 1991). Its only natural frontier with Asia is the strip of water once swum by Leander and Lord Byron. To the north, plain and steppe unroll without break into Turkestan. Cultural borders are no more clearly marked than geographical: Muslim Albania or Bosnia lie a thousand miles west of Christian Georgia or Armenia, where the Ancients set the dividing-line between Europe and Asia. No wonder Herodotus himself, the first historian to discuss the question, remarked that ‘the boundaries of Europe are quite unknown, and no man can say where they end – but it is certain that Europa’ – he is referring to the beauty borne away by Zeus – ‘was an Asiatic, and never even set foot on the land the Greeks now call Europe, only sailing’, on her bull, ‘from Phoenicia to Crete’. The irony of Herodotus perhaps still retains a lesson for us. If Slovakia is a candidate for entry into today’s Union, why not Romania? If Romania, why not Moldova? If Moldova, why not the Ukraine? If the Ukraine, why not Turkey? In a couple of years, Istanbul will overtake Paris to become the largest city in what – however you define it – no one will contest is Europe. As for Moscow, it is over two centuries since Catherine the Great declared in a famous ukaz that ‘Russia is a European nation,’ and the history of European culture and politics has enforced her claim ever since. De Gaulle’s vision of a Europe ‘from the Atlantic to the Urals’ will not lightly go away. All the stopping-places in current discussion of the widening of the EU are mere conveniences of the ring of states closest to what was once the Iron Curtain, or of the limits of bureaucratic imagination in Brussels. They will not resist the logic of expansion.
Writing here four years ago, Pocock remarked that ‘“Europe” is once again an empire in the sense of a civilised and stabilised zone which must decide whether to extend or refuse its political power over violent cultures along its borders but not yet within its system: Serbs and Croats if one chances to be Austrian, Kurds and Iraqis if Turkey is admitted to be part of “Europe”, These are not decisions to be taken by the market, but decisions of the state.’ But as Europe is not an empire in the more familar sense of the term – a centralised imperial authority – but merely (as he put it) ‘a composite of states’, with no common view of their borderlands, it is not surprising that the limites have yet to be drawn by the various chancelleries. Since he wrote, however, there has been no shortage of expert opinion to fill the gap.
For example, Timothy Garton Ash, one of the first and keenest advocates of a fast-track for Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, has recently adjusted his sights. ‘Having spent much of the past fifteen years trying to explain to Western readers that Prague, Budapest and Warsaw belong to Central not Eastern Europe, I am the last person to need reminding of the immense differences between Poland and Albania,’ he writes in the Times Literary Supplement, ‘but to suggest that there is some absolutely clear historical dividing line between the so-called Visegrad group and, say, the Baltic states or Slovenia, would be to service a new myth.’ Instead, the dividing-line must be drawn between a Second Europe numbering some twenty states whom he describes as ‘set on a course’ towards the EU; and a Third Europe that does not share this prospect, comprising Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and – a cartographical nicety – Serbia.
A dichotomy so evidently instrumental is unlikely to be more durable than the mythical distinction it has replaced. At the end of his Orchestrating Europe, a capacious and strangely zestful guide through the institutional maze and informal log-rolling of the Union, Keith Middlemas looks out on a somewhat broader scene. Europe, he suggests, is surrounded by an arc of potential threat curving from Murmansk to Casablanca. To hold it at a distance, the Union needs a belt of insulation, comprising a ‘second circle’ of lands capable of integration into the Community, shielding it from the dangers of the ‘third circle’ beyond – Russia, the Middle East and Black Africa. In this conception the respective buffer zones logically become Eastern Europe, Cyprus and Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Maghreb. Middlemas, however, explains that while the first two are ultimately acceptable into the Union, the third is not. ‘The countries of the Maghreb,’ he writes, ‘are irrelevant as a barrier to sub-Saharan Africa, which presents no threat except via small numbers of illegal immigrants.’ On the contrary, ‘the threat comes from North Africa itself.’ If this is a more ecumenical approach than that of Garton Ash, who pointedly excludes Turkey from Europe, it traces the same movement, common to all these tropes – a slide to aporia. Every attempt so far to delimit the future boundaries of the Union deconstructs itself.
For the moment, it is enough to register that ‘Europe Agreements’, formally designated as antechambers to entry, have been signed by six countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria; and that four more are impending (Slovenia and the Baltic states). It is only a matter of time before Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and what is left of Bosnia, join the queue. Does this prospect – we might call it an inverted domino effect, in which the pieces fall inwards rather than outwards – mean that the British scenario will come to pass? Harold Macmillan once spoke, with a homely national touch, of his hope that the Community, when exposed to the beneficent pressure of a vast free-trade area, would ‘melt like a lump of sugar in a cup of tea’. Such remains the preferred vision of his successors. Their calculation is that the more member states there are, the less sovereignty can practically be pooled, and the greater is the chance that federal dreams will fold. How realistic is this?
There is no doubt at all that enlargement of the Union to some two dozen states would fundamentally alter its nature. The most immediate effect of any extension to the east, even of modest scope, would be a financial crisis of heroic proportions. The cost of integrating the Visegrad quartet alone would mean an increase of 60 per cent in the current Union budget – rising to nearly 75 per cent by the end of the century. There is no chance of the existing member states accepting such a burden, at a time when every domestic pressure is towards tax reduction. That leaves only two other possible ways out: either decimating current support to farming communities and poorer regions within these countries, composed of voters with the power to resist, or abandoning the acquis communautaire altogether to create a second-class membership for new entrants, without benefit of the transfers accorded to first-class members.
Perhaps predictably, the result is a loftier castle in the air than any folly of the Commission: in place of economic integration through monetary union in Western Europe, political embrace of the whole of Eastern Europe under the guidance of Nato, with power-sharing from Albania to Ireland, and ‘qualified minority acting’ for the UK and its peers. This, as Garton Ash puts it in another native image, would be to jump off ‘the wrong bus’ and catch the right one. If the leap is not made in time, he adds, Europe will be engulfed in another world war. The euphoric construction needs an apocalyptic conclusion – why otherwise take it seriously? The conviction that EMU and Eastern enlargement are incompatible, on the other hand, is entirely reasonable. It is shared from the opposite standpoint by the unlikely figure of Jacques Attali, who regards the single currency as a valid but now lost cause, and enlargement as a German project that will lead away from a federal Europe, for which most of the national élites, mesmerised by American culture, anyway have no appetite. ‘L’Europene s’aime pas,’ he glumly observed at the end of the Mitterrand Presidency.
Maastricht is unlikely to evaporate so easily. But the hazards of enlargement do not just lie in the economic pitfalls it poses for new or old members. Even if derogations of various kinds – from the common agricultural policy, from the structural funds, from the single currency – were to be made for what were once the ‘captive nations’, a still more fundamental difficulty would remain, of a purely political nature. To double its membership would cripple the existing institutions of the Union. Already the original balance of the Six or the Nine has been thrown out of kilter in the Council of Ministers. Today the five largest states – Germany, France, Italy, Britain and Spain – contain 80 per cent of the population of the Union, but command only just over half the votes in the Council. If the ten current ex-Communist applicants were members, the share of these states would fall even further, while the proportion of poor countries in the Union – those now entitled to substantial transfers – would rise from four out of 15 to a majority of 14 out of 25.
Adjustment of voting weights could bring the pays légal some way back towards the pays réel. But it would not resolve the most intractable problem posed by enlargement to the east, which lies in the logic of numbers. Ex-satellite Europe contains almost exactly as many states as continuously capitalist Europe (at the latest count, 16 in the ‘East’ to 17 in the ‘West’, if we include Switzerland), with a third of the population. Proliferation of partners on this scale, no matter how the inequalities between them were finessed, threatens institutional gridlock. Rebus sic stantibus, the size of the European Parliament would swell towards eight hundred deputies; the number of Commissioners rise to 40; a ten-minute introductory speech by each minister attending a Council yield a meeting of five hours, before business even started. The legendary complexity of the existing system, with its meticulous rotations of commissarial office, laborious inter-governmental bargains and assorted ministerial and parliamentary vetoes, would be overloaded to the point of paralysis.
In such conditions, would not widening inevitably mean loosening? This is the wager in London, expressed more or less openly according to venue, from the FO to the TLS. In the long term, the official line of thinking goes, expansion must mean defederalisation. Yet is this the only logical deduction? Here we encounter the final amphibology. For might not precisely the prospect of institutional deadlock impose as an absolute functional necessity a much more centralised supranational authority than exists today? Co-ordination of 12 to 15 member states can just about operate on a basis of consensus. Multiplication to 30 practically rules this out. The more states enter the Union, the greater the discrepancy between population and representation in the Council of Ministers will tend to be, as large countries are increasingly outnumbered by smaller ones, and the weaker overall decisional capacity will become. The result could paradoxically be the opposite of the British expectation: not a dilution, but a concentration of federal power in a new constitutional settlement, in which national voting weights are redistributed and majority decisions become normal. The problem of scale, in other words, might force just the cutting of the institutional knot the proponents of a loose free-trade area seek to avoid. Widening could check or reverse deepening. It might also precipitate it.
Each of the three critical issues now facing the European Union – the single currency, the role of Germany and the multiplication of member states – thus presents a radical indeterminacy. In every case, the distinctive form of the amphibology is the same. One set of meanings is so drastic it appears subject to capsizal into its contrary, giving rise to a peculiar uncertainty. These are the political quicksands on which the Europe to come will be built.
[*] Macmillan, 314 pp., £10, 21 April 1995, 0 333 64169 8.
In his stimulating though also amphibologous essay on Europe (LRB, 25 January) Perry Anderson several times takes issue with the argument I made in another place (TLS, 5 May 1995). The first of his objections is based on a wilful misunderstanding. Anderson sets me up to be arguing that a clear ‘dividing-line must be drawn’ between what I describe as a second Europe of some twenty states (15 of them post-Communist) more or less set on course for EU-rope, and a third Europe comprising Russia, its adjunct Belarus, Ukraine and (my words) ‘perhaps also’ Serbia. He contrasts this with my previous – but in fact continued – advocacy of rapid extension of EU and Nato membership to the new Central European democracies, starting with Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Anyone who goes back to my TLS essay will see that I am very far from arguing that a ‘dividing-line must be drawn’. In fact, Anderson rightly quotes me as objecting to an instrumentalisation of the notion of ‘Central Europe’ to draw an ‘absolutely clear historical dividing-line between the so-called Visegrad group and, say, the Baltic states or Slovenia’. (Incidentally, it’s another canard to suggest that East Central European ideas of Central Europe all go back to Friedrich Naumann and the Germans. What about Palacky or Masaryk, to name but two non-German progenitors?) I do suggest that there is currently a significant difference between, on the one hand, the large array of mainly small post-Communist states, with a strong desire for membership of the EU among their political élites and a majority of public opinion, varying historical, political and economic qualifications for membership, and acceptance of their theoretical claim to membership by the political leaders of the EU, and, on the other hand, a smaller number of states, two of them large, where those conditions do not apply.
Does Anderson really think Russia or Serbia currently wants to join the EU, is set on a course to qualify for membership, or would find a claim to membership accepted, even in principle, by the political leaders of the EU? But identifying real differences (not least, between democracy and dictatorship) is a very different thing from insisting that a clear geographical ‘dividing-line must be drawn’. Indeed, I explicitly go on to envision ‘the longer-term possibility of a democratic Serbia re-oriented towards Europe’. The important point is precisely that one thing will lead to another, and EU-rope therefore has to start thinking now about how to make a functioning community of not just twenty but thirty member states.
Here comes his second objection, this time to my central argument for the importance of enlargement – especially at a time when the great gamble of monetary union seems increasingly likely to fail – and for the radical thinking about the structure and priorities of the Community that enlargement necessarily entails. Anderson argues that ‘the cost of integrating the Visegrad quartet alone would mean an increase of 60 per cent in the current Union budget.’ But that is only true if the applicants enter on the current terms of membership. Precisely because this is economically almost impossible for them, and unacceptable to influential constituencies in Western Europe, I argue that we have to give priority to rapid political membership – reverting to the original first purpose of the founding fathers of the European Community – combined with long economic transition periods, while at the same time trying to reform the bad system of the Common Agricultural Policy and structural funds, in which, for the time being, the new members might not participate. To characterise this project as ‘political embrace of the whole of Eastern Europe, under the guidance of Nato’ (‘guidance’ – where on earth does that idea come from?) ‘with power-sharing from Albania to Ireland’ is simply a caricature.
Most enjoyably but also most misleadingly, he conflates my views with those of the FO, the TLS, and what he calls ‘the wisdom of London’. The ‘wager in London’, he avers, is that widening will lead to loosening of the Community, and an end to federalism. This then enables him to pull an apparent rabbit out of his rhetorical hat. The ‘final amphibology’, he says, is that enlargement could actually lead to the opposite: a strengthening of Union powers in a new constitutional settlement. But that rabbit has already been skinned. This is exactly what I argued: ‘it would require more sharing of power and sovereignty; both in the form of Qualified Majority Voting, without which an EU of twenty or more member states would simply not work, and in the rather different procedures for what one might call Qualified Minority Acting … which is what is needed in foreign, security and defence policy.’ Others have made the same point. A British advocate of enlargement is not necessarily a Thatcherite. In the house of ‘London’ are many mansions.
I freely admit that, to use terms which will be familiar to Perry Anderson, the project I propose is a radical one. By contrast, Anderson’s argument seems curiously conservative.
Timothy Garton Ash (Letters, 8 February) protests amiably, but still too much. In the New York Review of Books of 24 October 1991 he published a ringing appeal, under the title ‘Let the East Europeans In!’, co-signed by one of Kohl’s aides, for the speedy admission to the EC of just three countries: Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. This should start, he argued, with their immediate co-option into the foreign policy counsels of the Community, and continue with their participation in elections to the European Parliament in 1994. Economic aid should also, he argued, be concentrated on this trio. ‘To give priority to these countries’, he wrote, was ‘realistic when we consider the available resources of the present EC’. Meanwhile other and poorer candidates, not on the shortlist, would presumably have to fend for themselves.
About the same time, the American political scientist Ken Jowitt, a specialist on Romania, was warning of the dangers of dividing Eastern Europe into two zones – an Orange County and Watts. A few months later, fires duly started in the Balkan ghettos. Might a less one-sided distribution of journalistic energy in the Eighties, and diplomatic generosity in the Nineties, have helped to avoid the Yugoslav disaster? The practice of picking favourites does not benefit Eastern Europe, which needs collective rather than selective treatment from Western Europe. Even in the trinity of intended privilege, there are those, like George Konrad, who could see this.
Since the war in Bosnia, Garton Ash has extended his attention south of the Danube. But he still wants a shortlist. The new one is composed of states ‘not on course’ for entry into the EU – Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Belarus, Ukraine. These states are excluded because they are too large, or they are ambivalent about Nato, or ‘the political leaders of the EU and Nato’ do not want them, or they are undemocratic. About this it might be said that Turkey is a member of Nato, Serbia a small country, Russia more democratic than Croatia, and the preferences of EU leaders regularly discounted by Garton Ash himself, when they don’t coincide with his own. To round matters off, he gamely concedes that consignment to an excluded Third Europe is ‘probably unfair to Ukraine’. The criteria are a jumble of ad-hockery that unravels itself.
For the included Second Europe – i.e. all other former Communist countries – Garton-Ash advocates top-speed entry into an EU that has shed the misguided goal of a single currency, although Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary are still to occupy the front row. He argues that this design should not be confused with Conservative policies towards Europe, since it envisages ‘more sharing of power and sovereignty’ in the Union than at present. But since his recipe for a new constitutional settlement on the one hand excludes East European members from the Common Agricultural Policy and structural funds, pending the dissolution of this acquis communautaire, and on the other, reserves to a West European triumvirate (UK, France and Germany) the power to act as they please in ‘foreign, security and defence policy’, its effect must be to weaken rather than strengthen the cohesion of the Union. Decently veiled, it is a formula for dis-integration.
A scheme like this for scotching the single currency is music, if not from, certainly to the Foreign Office. From Thatcher’s speech at Bruges to Douglas Hurd’s recent leading article in the Financial Times. Conservative strategy has consistently sought to thrust Eastern Europe as a spoke in the wheels of the ‘ever closer union’ intended by the Treaty of Rome. Garton Ash is, of course, a writer with a mind of his own. It would be surprising if the advice he gave Thatcher back in 1990 chimed exactly with that of Trevor-Roper or Stone, when she conferred with them at Chequers over German unification. So, too, his current design for enlargement to the East, more capacious than any official proposals, is undoubtedly distinctive. After originally describing his scheme as ‘sceptical, empirical and pragmatic’, he now strikes a rather different note, explaining that ‘my project is a radical one.’ The claims are contradictory. There is no doubt the latter is more accurate. But the question remains: how realistic is this kind of radicalism, bent on undoing what the Union has so far done?
Lastly, a historical point. Garton Ash complains that it is a canard to trace ideas of Central Europe principally to Friedrich Naumann and his German predecessors. He asks: what about Masaryk? Indeed. The answer is suggestive. Masaryk commented only briefly and weakly – a few lines – on Naumann’s Mitteleuropa in 1916. In his own writing of this period, ‘The Problem of Small Nations in the European Crisis’ and The New Europe, composed in 1917, he accepted that there was a ‘striking difference between the East and West of Europe’ and argued that the principal problem of the First World War was ‘the political reconstruction of Eastern Europe on a national basis’. In that battle, ‘the Czech and Slovak nation is the anti-German vanguard of all the nations of Eastern Europe.’ At times Masaryk spoke of a ‘central zone’ stretching from Norway to Greece, but he distinguished it from the ‘vague term’ of Central Europe, which occasionally surfaces but never organises his thinking about the continent. In 1918, in exile in the United States, he could patronise a ‘Mid-European Democratic Union’ embracing even Armenians and Ukrainians, not to speak of Zionists, but he had no illusions about the association, nor the metaphysics of middleness. Masaryk was a much more considerable mind than Naumann. But on this subject there is no comparison between the contributions of the two. The idea of Central Europe could never acquire the salience for a Czech patriot aspiring to national independence that it had for a German contemplating regional dominance. Has the field of force behind that difference so greatly changed today?
There is a danger of diminishing intellectual returns from my exchange with Perry Anderson (Letters, 8 February and Letters, 22 February). So let me be unamphibologous. Anderson is now reduced to travesty. Roughly half the October 1991 New York Review of Books article to which he refers was devoted precisely to the consequences for the rest of post-Communist Europe of giving priority to East Central Europe. Michael Mertes, Dominique Moisi and I argued: ‘The politics of inclusion are not necessarily the politics of exclusion. The contrary has been the case in the history of the EC. Including new members has always strengthened the case for including still more new members’ (emphasis added for speed-readers).
‘Might a less one-sided distribution of journalistic energy in the Eighties,’ Anderson asks, ‘and diplomatic generosity in the Nineties, have helped to avoid the Yugoslav disaster?’ Does this mean that I’m partly responsible for the war in Bosnia because I wrote about Poland and Czechoslovakia, or what?
My point about German and non-German ideas of Central Europe was simply that there has been much serious and independent non-German thinking about it. In the Eighties, for example, the idea was revived by Czechs, Hungarians and Poles, not by Germans. If in 1917 Masaryk was reacting to Naumann, in 1987 Peter Glotz was reacting to Kundera and Konrad.
But rather than continue the list of small points, let me restate the large ones. First and foremost, the major division on this question in Europe today is not between those who favour or exclude particular countries or groups of countries, but between those who are serious about the enlargement of the EU to include post-Communist countries and those who are not. That was the real issue in 1991, and, alas, that is still the real issue in 1996. Our article then was trying to get the EC to do something for post-Communist Europe at the inter-governmental conferences which culminated in Maastricht. It failed. Now we approach another inter-governmental conference, and the danger is still the same: more internal fiddling while post-Communist Europe burns.
If you’re serious about enlargement you must have criteria for membership. Some European countries will meet them sooner than others. If you’re serious, you have to make an assessment of which countries are likely to do so, in what time-frame, so as to judge the scale of the task. That – and not drawing any eternal lines of European division – is what I was about.
The claim that I am ‘bent on undoing what the Union has so far done’ simply ignores my clear and repeated statements to the contrary. It is also fatuous. Why waste time trying to get new democracies into a Union which is good for nothing?
If Perry Anderson thinks there is a contradiction between being pragmatic and being radical, that only tells us something about his notion of radicalism. Anyway, rather than continuing to attack my project of enlargement with a ragtag army of nit-picking, misrepresentation and amphibologies, wouldn’t his time be better spent coming up with a better one?
1. Was it sensible or equitable in 1991 to urge that EC aid be reserved for the three best-off East European countries – Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary – and that they be rapidly inducted, ahead of all others, into the Community? Garton Ash points out that he and his fellow authors did not exclude other countries receiving comparable treatment later on, and defends their proposal on grounds of urgency: ‘Our article was trying to get the EC to do something for post-Communist Europe’ at a time when there was a danger of ‘more internal fiddling’ while ‘post-Communist Europe burnt.’ But why should poorer countries be put to the back of the queue for help – like worse-off citizens under Thatcher and Reagan, promised ultimate benefits from immediate hand-outs to the well-off; and what was the only region of Eastern Europe where the fuse was lit in late 1991? To call for emergency care to be rushed to the Visegrad states within a few months of the conflagration in Yugoslavia, can, without misrepresentation, be described as myopic.
2. What is the effect of Carton Ash’s current proposal that the European Union jettison a single currency and abandon the acquis communautaire, in favour of wide-scale enlargement to the East and differential categories of membership without any uniform rights or obligations? Affinities between this scheme and long-standing Conservative objectives are fairly plain, and it is puzzling that Garton Ash should be reticent about them. On the other hand, the balance of motives behind each is not quite the same. For Conservative leaders, the strategic aim is to dilute integration in Western Europe: the Eastern card, notwithstanding genuine pride in the pupils of privatisation, is a tactical means to that end. For Garton Ash the opposite holds. A passionate champion of countries and causes in East Europe, in the tradition of R.W. Seton-Watson, for him it is rapid enlargement that is the essential goal: disposing of monetary union and unwinding the acquis communautaire are simply seen, with good logic, as conditions of it. Once foreign editor of the Spectator, Garton Ash is unlikely ever to have warmed to European federalism, but concern with Brussels has never been a primary preoccupation. Perhaps this explains why he seems disconcerted that his proposals could be thought inimical to the Union. But he is mistaken if he thinks that the principle of the acquis communautaire, instinctively disliked but little understood in London, was anything other than central to the architects of integration.
3. Still, he asks, what is wrong with his plan for redesigning Europe in the sceptical but radical spirit of the British genius? The answer is straightforward. Garton Ash proposes to scrap the architrave of the institutional unity that the Community, with all its limitations, has historically achieved, in order to extend a status to former Communist states in the East that would, he makes clear, include no share in either CAP or the structural funds, let alone the privilege of ‘qualified minority acting’ reserved for Britain, Germany and France. What they would receive, however, is honorific promotion to the West. The order of priorities here was candidly indicated by Garton Ash in 1991, when he urged that Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia should participate in elections to the European Parliament without even being members of the Community – ‘this would be a powerful symbol,’ he wrote, ‘although the exact status of their Euro-MPs would have to be worked out.’ such blitheness is not pragmatic. It answers to a politics of gesture, in which not institutional reality but symbolic satisfaction is at stake.
It would be wrong to hold Garton Ash responsible for this. There is a deep craving in much of Eastern Europe for such solace, to which his new scheme can be seen as a generous reaction. Yet in these societies themselves, local wits can already be heard likening the fixation with quick membership of the EU, no matter how second-class, to a cargo cult. The real needs of the region lie elsewhere. Today, cancellation of the heavy burden of debt left by their former rulers would be of much greater material benefit to the populations of Eastern Europe than any number of native politicians sitting in on the Council of Ministers. So far only Poland, as the enfant doré of German-American goodwill, has been favoured with a serious reduction of its liabilities. Impartial and general relief, to ease fiscal pressures and stimulate employment, would be preferable. A steady job and a square meal are worth more than a mere glimpse of the high table. Much to his credit, Garton Ash has criticised the politics of personal prestige, even in the leaders – Havel and Walesa – he has most admired. Mutatis mutandis, there is a lesson for national welfare, too. It is not speed but solidity of construction that a less spatially and socially divided Europe requires.
Perry Anderson (Letters, 21 March) obviously doesn’t want to let this one rest. I think the time has come to do just that. However, I must briefly respond to what remain – however genially expressed – misrepresentations of my position. Taking his numbered points: 1. I certainly never argued the ludicrous proposition that ‘EC aid be reserved’ for Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. 2. I have never argued that the EU ‘jettison a single currency and abandon the acquis communautaire’. 3. I have never argued that what I call ‘qualified minority acting’ in foreign and security policy be ‘reserved for Britain, Germany and France’. On the contrary, other interested and capable European countries should participate in such ‘coalitions of action’ wherever possible.
While feeling honoured by the comparison with R.W. Seton-Watson, I don’t accept the implicit disqualification that I’m only seeing this from an East European point of view. Anderson himself argues that I’m also seeing it from a British point of view. Add the German one, and that makes, I think, a pretty good stab at a European view. After all, we all come from somewhere.
His final paragraph about the cancellation of debt raises an important point, but what post-Communist Europe needs above all is more access to our markets. Not aid but trade.
Perhaps Professor Anderson and I could now continue this discussion personally, in Oxford or Florence, over a plate of lightly braised amphibologies. | 2019-04-19T23:08:44Z | https://www.lrb.co.uk/v18/n02/perry-anderson/the-europe-to-come |
Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies in America. If you have a garden, and you love to take care of it, I think that a lawn mower may be an essential tool in your house. It is a very important tool in lawn care and is one of the main parts of gardening. But currently, there are many types and brands of lawn mower on the market. If you would like to buy a best lawn mower, you may get tired of choosing between brands and types of them.
Don’t worry. We are here to help you make your choice easier. In this article “Best Lawn Mowers 2019: The Ultimate Buying Guide And Reviews”, we would like to introduce some tips for you to choose a best lawn mower for yourself, as well as recommend some outstanding products of each type. We believe that after reading this article, you will be able to choose a suitable lawn mower for yourself; therefore, your shopping will become much easier.
How to Choose the Best-rated Lawn Mower 2018?
How to Choose the Best-rated Lawn Mower 2019?
First, I would like to talk about the concept of the “best lawn mower”. Actually, only you can define what is the best lawn mower for yourself because it is related to your garden, your hobbies, your habits, your budget. I will recommend a three-step process to identify the best lawn mower for yourself, and it is quite simple.
First, you should learn how to categorize all types of lawn mowers on the market, as well as learn about the features of them.
Secondly, assess each type of lawn mower, compare it with your circumstance (for example: the size of your garden, your height and strength, your budget) to identify what type of lawn mower is suitable for you.
Finally, consider the advantages of each model to choose the best lawn mower for yourself. You can see that this process is very simple, and I would like to describe it step by step below with hope that this article, “Best Lawn Mowers 2019: The Ultimate Buying Guide And Reviews”, will help you to make your choice correctly. So, keep reading!
Based on the operation mechanism, we can categorize lawn mowers into five main types: push mowers, self-propelled lawn mowers, riding lawn mowers, robotic lawn mowers and manual lawn mowers. We would like to describe the features and the advantages of them, so that you will be able to understand them clearly. Therefore, you can make the decision easier.
The name of this lawn mower has already told us about the most important feature of it. It can propel itself, and the users only have to use the handlebar to guide it.
The advantage of this lawn mower type is the convenience. The users will not be tired of pushing it; therefore, this type of lawn mower is especially suitable for a large garden and uphill terrain.
This type of lawn mower looks very similar to the self-propelled lawn mower, but the difference is it cannot propel itself. The push mowers have the engine, like electric push mowers, gasoline push mowers. But even if it has an engine we still need to push it to make it go ahead. The advantage of this lawn mower is the cheap price of it, and that is the reason why it is very popular. This type of lawn mower is especially suitable for you if you have a small garden, and you would like to save your money.
Let's find out which is the best push mowers with us!
This is the most expensive type of lawn mower; however, it is the fastest and the most productive one. Riding lawn mowers are usually used to mow the very large yard. You can sit on it and ride it like riding a car. Also, the mowing speed of it is quite impressive. So, if you feel your yard is too large to walk around to mow it, then a riding lawn mower may be the best choice for you although its price is quite expensive.
Imagine having a gооd tіmе relaxing on a reclining chair with footrest alongwіth уоur fаmіlу, wіthоut having tо ѕроіl your Sundау! Wіth a rоbоtіс mоwеr, уоu саn turn уоur relaxing dream into аn есо-frіеndlу rеаlіtу. An аutоmаtіс rоbоt will tаkе аll thе pain and dо the jоb for you.
A rоbоtіс mower іѕ a bооn whеn уоu аrе tіrеd оf pushing your lаwn guzzler аnd can nоt juѕt waste уоur wееkеndѕ аnуmоrе.
Unlіkе conventional lаwn mowers, іt ѕіmрlу cuts your grass through grаѕѕсусlіng. This іѕ hеlрful for your grass bу рrоvіdіng clippings whісh аrе dіѕtrіbutеd аll оvеr. Thеѕе clippings quісklу dесау аnd release іmроrtаnt nutrіеntѕ and hуdrаtе уоur lаwn, рrоduсіng a better-looking lаwn & thus, promoting аn есо-frіеndlу mеаnѕ. With grasscycling, now еnѕurе a deeper аnd ѕtrоngеr root ѕуѕtеm ѕо that your lawn is ѕаfе frоm bеіng barren аnd thе hаrmful insects. Alѕо, іt decreases thе volume оf water уоur lawn wаntѕ by аѕ muсh аѕ 85%.
Thе drеаm ѕіtuаtіоn of thе rоbоtіс mоwеr tаkіng over аnd dоіng all thе wоrk fоr us ѕtіll ѕееmѕ tо bе ѕоmеtіmе іn the future. Thе expense of thе еxіѕtіng Rоbоt Lаwn Mowers іѕ ѕtіll considered bу mаnу реорlе to be tоо соѕtlу compared with реtrоl аnd еlесtrісаl Lаwn Mowers. Another hugе dоwnѕіdе іѕ thаt to bе trulу еffісіеnt thе Robot Lаwn Mоwеr has tо have a nеаr реrfесt lаwn аrеа tо wоrk on. Thе lаѕt thіng anybody wаntѕ tо do іѕ purchase a robot thеn hаvе to bаbуѕіt іt while it does its task.
Hоwеvеr, as robotics іmрrоvе аnd соѕtѕ соmе dоwn соnѕіdеrаblу, the Rоbоt Lаwn Mоwеr will certainly bесоmе аnоthеr bіg рlауеr in the fіеld or on thе lаwn!
In thеѕе mоdеrn tіmеѕ, whеrе сhаnnеl surfing іѕ rapidly bесоmіng the trеnd, ѕоmе mіght want tо return tо a simpler tіmе wіth a hаnd рuѕh rееl mоwеr. Such a hаnd-ореrаtеd mower wіll consume lеѕѕ роwеr & соnѕеrvе еnеrgу ѕоurсеѕ lіkе gasoline, oil, еtс. Alѕо, this mower уоu wіll gеt a tіmе tо exercise, іmрrоvіng both thе uѕеr'ѕ lаwn аnd саrdіоvаѕсulаr health. What more? You can ѕаvе оn your fuel expenses аnd switch tо nаturаl fеrtіlіzаtіоn оf your lawn. Thіѕ hаnd рuѕh mower provides bеѕt rеѕultѕ when uѕеd on grаѕѕеѕ nо lоngеr thаn 3 tо 4 inches hіgh. Regular lubrісаtіоn of thе bеаrіngѕ and blades with WD-40 оr a ѕіmіlаr spray lubrісаnt рrоmоtеѕ thе ѕuссеѕѕ of a hаnd-ореrаtеd mоwеr.
Pеtrоl Lаwn Mоwеrѕ bеgаn replacing the manual designs bеtwееn 70 and 80 уеаrѕ аgо, аnd hаvе continued to bе thе mainstay of lawn саrе untіl relatively recently. It wаѕ rеаllу hаrd tо imagine anything еvеr rерlасіng the lоud, ѕmоkу mасhіnе that every uѕеr lоvеd tо hаtе. All this ѕtаrtеd сhаngіng a fеw years аgо, аnd people now hаvе the сhаnсе to соmраrе аltеrnаtіvеѕ to the Pеtrоl Lawn Mower.
Onе of the mоѕt dramatic сhаngеѕ in сuѕtоmеrѕ' рrеfеrеnсеѕ іn lаwn саrе is thе іnсrеаѕіng rеquіrеmеntѕ for еlесtrісаllу роwеrеd systems. Tурісаllу, the electric powered mоwеrѕ аrе considerably quieter thаn the standard реtrоl-роwеrеd ѕуѕtеmѕ while another substantial аdvаntаgе іѕ they never produce аnу smoke. They аrе frequently deemed tо bе vеrу ѕtаblе рrіmаrіlу bесаuѕе thеу dо nоt еxреrіеnсе problems ѕіmіlаr to thе реtrоl еngіnе, such аѕ difficulty starting, leaking hоѕеѕ, fuеl blосkаgеѕ аnd аlѕо insufficient fuеl before thе jоb іѕ fіnіѕhеd.
Thеrе іѕ a lаrgе vаrіеtу оf Elесtrісаl Lawn Mоwеrѕ, both in роwеr аnd іn addition tо thе wіdth of the сut. The only disadvantage оf uѕіng an Electric Lawn Mower is getting fаmіlіаr with hаvіng the extension соrd connected and nоt trірріng оvеr іt оr сuttіng іt wіth thе blаdеѕ. Nеvеrthеlеѕѕ, whеn уоu bесоmе fаmіlіаr with this mасhіnе, you are unlikely tо еvеr wаnt tо switch to аnуthіng еlѕе.
Cоrded lawn mowers vs battery lаwn mоwеrѕ?
If уоu аrе рlаnnіng tо рurсhаѕе fоr a соѕt-еffесtіvе solution fоr lawn mоwіng thаt is ѕаfе, stress free as wеll environmental frіеndlу then a cordless electric lаwn mower саn bе аn appropriate оnе fоr уоur nееd. A substitute to уоur сuѕtоmаrу lawn mowers роwеrеd by gаѕоlіnе, thеѕе lаtеѕt lаwn mоwеrѕ are run bу thе еlесtrісіtу, either еlесtrіс соrd or dіrесtlу аnd a bаttеrу unіt that is rechargeable.
The exact size of уоur уаrd іѕ оnе оf thе іmроrtаnt factors you must соnѕіdеr. In case you have a ѕmаll ѕіzеd or regular size оf уаrd, rіght fоr еxаmрlе 500 sq ft, thеn thе uѕuаl еlесtrіс mоwеr is perhaps gоіng tо be аррrорrіаtе for уоur mowing needs. In thе event thаt you hаvе a lаrgе оr асrеаgе уаrd thеn thе соrdlеѕѕ еlесtrіс lаwn mоwеr that comes with ѕоmе еxtrа bаttеrіеѕ саn be thе perfect сhоісе. If you сhооѕе fоr corded mowers, then уоu might bе limited bу thе еlесtrіс cord’s length as well as thе ассеѕѕіbіlіtу of thе роwеr оutlеtѕ within your уаrd. Exсерt іf thе ѕіzе of уоur yard іѕ a ѕmаll, mоwеr whісh is bаttеrу operated іѕ muсh mоrе supple орtіоn аѕ thеrе іѕ nо nееd іn worrying regarding drаggіng аlоng a mоwеr еlесtrіс cord when mowing.
Fоr the cordless electric lаwn mоwеr types thаt рrоvіdе rеmоvаblе bаttеrу, уоu wеrе gіvеn the сhоісеѕ оf buying еxtrа bаttеrіеѕ so thаt уоu mіght juѕt replace the flat bаttеrу wіth the one that іѕ fullу charged іn оrdеr tо continue уоur mоwіng task. Another bеnеfіt оf mower wіth rеmоvаblе battery іѕ bеіng a handy most еѕресіаllу іn сеrtаіn instances thаt you don’t hаvе the ѕоurсе of роwеr іn thе ѕhеd оr anywhere уоu kept your mоwеr. You can еаѕіlу tаkе the unit оf the battery аnd сhаrgе іt whеrеvеr mоrе соnvеnіеnt.
Hоwеvеr, the problem іѕ thаt ѕuсh mоwеrѕ ѕtоrе lesser роwеr & thе bаttеrу mіght run out whіlе mоwіng. Mаkеrѕ are соntіnuоuѕlу updating аnd еnhаnсіng thеіr рrоduсtѕ wіth mоrе powerful mоtоrѕ аnd long lasting batteries, ѕо the lаtеѕt bаttеrу powered mоwеrѕ hаvе mоѕtlу соnquеrеd thеѕе іѕѕuеѕ.
After categorizing the lawn mowers on the market and understanding the features and advantages of each type, let’s start comparing all of them with your circumstances. Then you will be able to identify the most suitable type of lawn mower for you. The criteria you should consider in this step are presented below.
This is a very important criterion, and it will significantly impact the type of lawn mower you should choose. If your yard is too large to walk around, I suggest you buy a powerful and high capacity riding lawn mower. Or if you have a small garden, then a compact design and eco-friendly push mower may be a better solution for you.
Please relate your height and strength to the dimension and the weight of the lawn mower when considering it. Some lawn mowers have a heavy weight, and they are totally not suitable for women or children. Even if you are a strong man, you should also consider the weight of the lawn mower if you have a large garden. It is much better to buy and use a light weight lawn mower instead of a heavy one because it will help make your mowing task easier and more enjoyable.
If your garden has a complex terrain, you should choose the type of lawn mower that has a compact and flexible design so that you can maneuver it easily. Or, if your garden has uphill terrain, a self-propelled lawn mower may be a good solution to help you mow your lawn easier. So, we can easily see that with a complicated terrain garden, your efficiency will be increased significantly, and you may feel more comfortable if you pick the right type of lawn mower.
I always believe that the best lawn mower must have a reasonable price, and its price must be equal with its features. So, to choose the best lawn mower, please do not forget to compare the price and the features of it. In other words, compare between the benefits that you will earn and the amount of money you will have to pay. Besides that, please identify your budget for a lawn mower clearly the first time. A good budget plan will help you identify the proper range of price that you can afford with a lawn mower.
The dimension of your storage space will be a very important criterion if you have a small house. Some lawn mowers have small dimensions and are light weight, so that you can store it easily just by hanging it on the wall or behind the door of your warehouse. It’s such a great idea for saving space, right? So, before you decide to buy a lawn mower, please take a look at its dimensions, and consider if it is suitable for your warehouse or not.
Whіlе many реорlе thіnk that the heavier the product, thе mоrе lоng lаѕtіng іt is, thіѕ іѕ a mуth when іt comes to mowers. Let uѕ brеаk thе lоrе. In рrасtісе, оnе of thе bеѕt fеаturеѕ оf a lаwn mоwеr іѕ thе lіghtwеіght, mаkіng it easy to mаnеuvеr and рuѕh. It fіtѕ thе bill as fаr as сuttіng is соnсеrnеd. A lіghtwеіght mower іѕ designed tо ѕаvе уоu time and effort over the lоng tеrm.
A best lawn mower cannot be a noisy machine, right? So, you should choose a lawn mower, which can work quietly. Therefore, you will never have to worry about the complaint from your neighbours.
After going through the two steps above, I believe that you are able to identify what type of lawn mower will be the best solution for you. For example, if you have a small garden and limited budget, then you may realize that a push mower with a cheap price and compact design will be the best lawn mower for you. But there are thousands of brands and models of push mowers on the market, and you will have to choose one of them. It doesn’t sound easy at all. But do not worry. Please follow the list below to assess and filter through the push mower models on the market and choose which one can best fit your needs. That is the best lawn mower for you.
The best lawn mower may not always be the most expensive one. Instead, the best lawn mower should have a reasonable price. That means the price of the lawn mower should be equal to the features and the quality of it. So, when choosing a lawn mower, please pick which one has high quality, useful features, and a reasonable price.
When talking about efficiency, I am talking about the ability to perform a task with high speed and high quality. The best lawn mower should have broad cutting width because lawn mowers with a long mower blade will help you finish your task faster. So, please remember to consider the length of the mower blade carefully before choosing.
Besides that, please do not forget to check the design of the cutting deck also. A lawn mower with a good designed cutting deck will help you mow easier. You just need to push it through one time, and all of the grass in that area will be cut precisely. This feature will contribute significantly to the quality of your task.
Ease of use is always an important criterion. It will help you feel more comfortable when working with your lawn mower. This criterion can be presented in many ways. For example, the lawn mower with a convenient starting button, instead of a pull cord, or a useful rear bag, can be assembled easily. Sometimes, they are just very small additional features, but they can bring good experiences to their users.
This criterion is related directly to the cost of use of the lawn mower. An energy saving lawn mower can help you save a large amount of money for fuel cost per month. That is the reason why this criterion is as important as the price of the lawn mower. So, when choosing the best lawn mower, please consider the energy saving feature carefully if you want to cut down the cost.
With some people who really care about the health of their family, this criterion is one of the priorities. If you also want to buy a lawn mower that will not harm the environment around your house, please do not choose a gasoline lawn mower. Instead, we recommend to think about an electric lawn mower or a manual push reel lawn mower. Either one will be the perfect choice without any toxic emission.
In general, a good mower muѕt іdеntіfу thе оbѕtасlеѕ, аnd ореrаtе silently without dіѕturbіng уоur nеіghbоurѕ. In саѕе уоur storage area is premium, орt fоr the mоwеr wіth роrtаblе hаndlе that саn fоld dоwn еаѕіlу. Thіѕ will lеt уоu to ѕtосkріlе thе mower vertical or in tiny, соmрrеѕѕеd spaces. Mowers lасkіng thіѕ kіnd оf fеаturе саn accommodate a surprising tоtаl of space.
Exаmіnе thе warranty сhоісеѕ available. Bеѕt mоwеrѕ provide wіth a warranty оf thе mаnufасturеr for twо уеаrѕ. It is possible that аnу dіffісultіеѕ уоu might face with thе mоwеr will happen within the period of six mоnthѕ up tо оnе/twо уеаr (whаtеvеr іѕ gіvеn), whісh means thаt it уоu have thіѕ wаrrаntу that ѕhеltеrѕ уоu уоndеr this initial uѕаgе реrіоd, thіѕ can be a grеаt аddіtіоnаl bоnuѕ.
After reading through “the 3-step process to choose the best-rated lawn mowers 2019” above, I am pretty sure that you are able to choose the best lawn mower by yourself. But in order to make your first time shopping become easier and more convenient, we would like to recommend the most outstanding models of the three lawn mower types: push mower, self-propelled lawn mower and riding lawn mower. We will introduce two representatives of each type, and both of them got high assessment reviews from their users on the Amazon website. Let’s take a look.
I had used a gas lawn mower before, and I was disturbed a lot by its flue gas. But with GreenWorks 25022, I feel it really is a “green” machine, with an electric engine, I did not encounter the pollution issue anymore.
Besides that, the steel cutting deck, with 20 inch mowing blade is another highlight of this model. The steel cutting deck creates a stable and reliable performance, and the 20 inch mowing blade helps us do this task effectively. One more thing I should tell you is the special design of it, with 10 inch rear wheels, I can use it as a leverage to lift the front wheels up, then I can turn it around easily, or even move it to a higher position without lifting it up.
Finally, the 3-in-1 feature of this machine was impressed me a lot, because it is very flexible and I have more options when using it. But there was an issue when I used it as a bagging push mower, the grass-catcher bag of it did not fit well with the machine. So sometimes I feel a little annoyed with the shooting grass. Anyway, with all of the advantages above, I think that GreenWorks 25022 deserves a position in the list of best lawn mowers under 300 in 2019.
With 3-position adjustment feature of Sun Joe MJ401E Mow Joe 14-Inch, you just need to adjust the height of it from 1.18 inches to 2.52 inches, according to the height of the grass, then use it to clean up your garden easily. I think Sun Joe MJ401E Mow Joe 14-Inch is very suitable for women, because it is a super light-weight machine with only 28 pounds. Besides that, a convenient start button will help you to start this machine much easier than using a pull cord like the other types of push mowers.
Finally, Sun Joe MJ401E Mow Joe 14-Inch has a top grass catcher to prevent the clipping grass from shooting out, so if you used Sun Joe MJ401E Mow Joe 14-Inch, you will never be annoyed by the shooting grass anymore. There is only one thing you should consider, that is the compact design of Sun Joe MJ401E Mow Joe 14-Inch is one of the best lawn mowers for small yard, but with a large area, this machine may be too small, and you may have to spend more time and effort if using it. In my opinion, the current price of it is very suitable for such a best lawn mower under 200 like this.
Long-lasting 5.0AH rechargeable battery with the run time up to 70 minutes.
More reliable in mowing with durable steel cutting deck and Smart Cut ™ load sensing technology.
The company does not have a support team who will come to your house and fix this machine if there is any issue. Instead, you will have to bring it to their depot to get the repair service.
Sometimes, the motor becomes stuck by the grass.
GreenWorks is a well-known lawn mower brand with many best-selling models of lawn mowers on Amazon. They are famous with efficiency and reliability, and this model of lawn mower is no exception. The most impressive feature of this self-propelled lawn mower is the reliable brushless motor which has the equal performance to a 160cc gas engine. Besides that, the cutting deck of GreenWorks Pro MO80L510 80V 21-Inch, which was made with durable steel, also contributes significantly to the stable performance of it.
The efficiency is another highlight of this lawn mower. The 21 inch cutting width of this machine will provide a larger affected radius to the users, and the strong brushless motor will help you mow faster. All of features are the perfect combination to improve the efficiency of this machine.
GreenWorks Pro MO80L510 80V 21-Inch also brings great experiences to the users. With the cordless design, we can maneuver it easily in every area in our garden without any restriction. The additional battery of this machine is up to 4.0Ah, which will allow us to work over 1 hour. Finally, the 3-in-1 function include mulching, rear bag and side discharge provides us more option during use.
With all of the advantages above, there is no surprise when it appears in the list of best lawn mowers 2019.
The most impressive feature of Honda HRX217K5VKA 187cc Gas 21 in. 4-in-1 is the micro cut twin blade which will help to perform a precise and fine cut in mulching and bagging mode. It will help to improve the quality as well as the speed of your mowing task because you will be able to cut properly in only one turn.
Convenience is another advantage of Honda HRX217K5VKA 187cc Gas 21 in. 4-in-1. It has an impressive 4-in-1 function, include mulching, bagging, side discharge and shredding leaves. This feature gives the users more options, so you can use this machine for various purposes. That is the reason why this self-propelled lawn mower is used popularly.
Reliability is also a highlight of this machine. Thanks to the GCV 190 engine and the cutting edge, which was made of resistant material, Honda HRX217K5VKA 187cc Gas 21 in. 4-in-1 will provide a stable and reliable performance for a long time.
Finally, I would like to talk about the efficiency of Honda HRX217K5VKA 187cc Gas 21 in. 4-in-1. With the powerful engine and the 21-inch cutting deck, it can improve your mowing speed significantly. That is the reason why the price of Honda HRX217K5VKA 187cc Gas 21 in. 4-in-1 is not cheap, but we still put it in the list of best honda lawn mowers, because it is a very reasonable price for such an useful machine like this.
This model of riding lawn mower has a compact design compared to the other ones. With the dimension around 64 x 24 x 26 inches, and the 18-inch turning radius, we can maneuver it easily in small areas. So, Troy-Bilt 420cc OHV 30-Inch is very suitable for people who have a small garage.
Even though Troy-Bilt 420cc OHV 30-Inch is smaller than others, the speed of it can be up to 4.25 miles per hour because of the 30-inch cutting deck and the 420cc Single Troy-Bilt Engine. That is the reason why Troy-Bilt 420cc OHV 30-Inch still has a high efficiency performance.
The flexibility is one of the most impressive feature of Troy-Bilt 420cc OHV 30-Inch. You can choose a proper mowing speed easily with the 6-speed transmission system of this machine. Besides that, you can also can choose a suitable cutting height for the grass in your garden by adjusting the cutting deck. There are 5 adjustable height options, and you can swap between them easily.
Advanced feature with 46 inch removable fabricated deck which was designed to optimize the vacuum, mulch and discharge.
The most impressive advantage of this machine is the multifunctions of it. It can perform as a riding lawn mower, a power generator or even a multi-purpose vehicle. This is a very useful machine for farm work. We can save a large amount of money by buying one, instead of three separate machines. There are too many benefits we can earn by purchasing it, and I was totally convinced by the flexibility of this riding lawn mower.
Besides the flexibility, the efficiency is another highlight of this machine. With the powerful 420cc gasoline engine, the 46 inches cutting deck and the movement speed is up to 17 mph, I can say that these technical numbers have already told us everything about the amazing capacity of Raven MPV7100. If you are looking for a powerful lawn mower for a large yard, I think this machine may be the best lawn mower for you.
The last thing I would like to mention is the ability for Raven MPV7100 to maneuver well. The dimension of this machine is around 85 x 44 x 50 inches, so we can say that this is not a small machine. But the turning radius of it is very amazing, only 14 inches to be exact. This feature helps you to ride Raven MPV7100 easier in narrow areas like a small warehouse. This point contributes significantly to the relaxing and comfortable experience of using Raven MPV7100.
If you own a small lawn, then a GreenWorks 25302 may be the best lawn mower for you. With two lithium-ion batteries (a fully-charged battery can run this cordless mower for up to 60 minutes), they were more than adequate to mow my small lawn. Even if your lawn is large, the dual-battery feature of GreenWorks 25302 G-MAX 40V Twin Force 20-Inch will allow you to use both batteries at the same time to finish the mowing without having to change the battery.
The GreenWorks 25302 also features a 20-inch cutting width and offers two cutting options: rear bagging or mulching. With 5-position cutting height adjustments (from 1-1/4 inch to 3-1/8 inch), you can easily adjust the blade height by using its single-lever mechanism. Besides that, depending on the thickness of the grass, the mower can adjust its run time and power, thanks to the innovative Smart Cut technology.
One more plus point of this cordless mower that I want to mention is that it is very lightweight. Without the batteries, it weighs only 42,5 pounds. I was able to maneuver it with ease, even on rough terrain. The handle was also easy to grip and control as it is equipped with a foam grip. It’s easy to push GreenWorks 25302 G-MAX 40V Twin Force 20-Inch around, even for a 13-year-old kid. Moreover, GreenWorks 25302 G-MAX 40V Twin Force 20-Inch is very quiet, so that you can mow anytime you want without disturbing your neighbors.
There were two weak points of the GreenWorks Twin Force 20-inch that I noticed. Firstly, the mulching function only works well on thin grass. When you mow the thick grass, the machine cannot perform any better than gas-powered lawn mowers. Many people say that’s normal for most cordless mowers. Anyway, I prefer rear bagging, so this minor issue didn’t matter to me at all. The machine can do perfect bagging and it is super easy to remove and empty the bag. The other issue I was concerned about was the non-waterproof electrical system of this mower. Without being able to use a hose, it was a bit inconvenient to clean it. But that’s how they were able to minimize the weight of the mower.
Even though it has some flaws, GreenWorks 25302 G-MAX 40V Twin Force 20-Inch is still, in my opinion, one of the best lawn mowers available. If you are looking for a reasonably priced cordless lawn mower with extra run time, that’s lightweight and super quiet, then this GreenWorks model is a perfect choice for you.
While they don’t seem lіkе оvеrlу dаngеrоuѕ ріесеѕ of equipment, there are ѕоmе rіѕkѕ аnd injuries associated wіth uѕіng a Lawn Mоwеr thаt саn bе еаѕіlу prevented. Thеѕе ѕаfеtу tips mау be juѕt whаt уоu’rе аftеr іn еnѕurіng safe Lawn Mоwіng hоmе.
Rеаd the mаnuаl: It is important tо rеаd the mаnuаl оr mаnufасturеrѕ bооklеt that соmеѕ wіth уоur Lawn Mоwеr, еvеn іf you hаvе оwnеd one before. Nеwеr models mау be equipped wіth different tесhnоlоgу and new ѕаfеtу features thаt уоu may nеvеr hаvе ѕееn before. Familiarize уоurѕеlf with thеѕе things bеfоrе uѕе.
Chесk thе grаѕѕ: Bеfоrе using Lawn Mowers, it іѕ very іmроrtаnt tо first check оut уоur grass. Are there any rocks оr tоуѕ оr аnуthіng ѕіmіlаr lying around? Thеѕе ѕhоuld be rеmоvеd immediately іf thеу get саught up and flung оut bу уоur Lаwn Mоwеr, debris саn саuѕе serious іnjurу.
Kеер сhіldrеn аnd pets аwау: When уоu wіѕh tо cut уоur grass, соnѕіdеr dоіng it when уоur сhіldrеn and pets аrе іnѕіdе оr аwау frоm the hоuѕе. Dоn’t lеt your children operate thе Lаwn Mower until thеу аrе ѕtrоng аnd responsible еnоugh to dо so safely. Evеn thеn, you should nеvеr lеt them uѕе thе Lawn Mower unѕuреrvіѕеd juѕt іn саѕе ѕоmеthіng gоеѕ wrоng.
Avoid hіllѕ аnd ѕlореѕ: It саn be vеrу dаngеrоuѕ to uѕе a Lawn Mоwеr on a hіll or ѕlоре, еѕресіаllу іf it is оn the steep ѕіdе. They аrе known to flip over оr fоr thе operator to lоѕе соntrоl, ѕо thе bеѕt solution іѕ to uѕе ѕоmе other kіnd оf grоund cover оn hіll areas. If this іѕ not an option, bе sure to рuѕh уоur Lawn Mower across thе hіll, nоt uр аnd down, to ensure it іѕ bеіng used as ѕаfеlу аѕ possible.
Wеаr proper shoes: Thе body раrt mоѕt оftеn іnjurеd frоm Lаwn Mоwеr ассіdеntѕ іѕ thе feet, ѕо іt is еѕѕеntіаl tо mаkе сеrtаіn you are wеаrіng еnсlоѕеd ѕhоеѕ whіlѕt mоwіng уоur lаwn. Dо not operate a Lаwn Mоwеr whіlѕt wеаrіng ѕаndаlѕ, and dо nоt еvеn consider dоіng so wіth bаrе feet. Make sure уоu refuel a cold mоtоr, Muсh thе ѕаmе аѕ рuttіng oil into a car, уоu ѕhоuld nеvеr rеfuеl уоur Lаwn Mоwеr whіlѕt іt іѕ runnіng оr hоt. A bасkѕрlаѕh of hоt fuel can саuѕе ѕеrіоuѕ burnѕ tо thе operator оr ѕоmеbоdу ѕtаndіng сlоѕе bу.
Mаkе sure the grass is dry: Grаѕѕ should оnlу be cut whеn іt is drу. Wet grаѕѕ ѕtісkѕ to thе Lаwn Mоwеr аnd hаѕ been known to саuѕе mесhаnісаl dіffісultіеѕ thаt соuld rеѕult іn іnjurіеѕ.
While іt is nоt hard to use a Lаwn Mоwеr in a safe and саrеful mаnnеr, fоllоwіng the аbоvе safety tірѕ wіll ensure thе ѕаfеtу of уоu аnd уоur fаmіlу when uѕіng a Lаwn Mоwеr at уоur home. A wеll-lооkеd after аnd ѕаfе Lawn Mоwеr is оnе thаt lasts.
After reading this article “Best Lawn Mowers 2019: The Ultimate Buying Guide And Reviews” I think that you understand the fundamental knowledge of the 3-step process in choosing the best lawn mowers. I have tried to describe in detail each step of this process, so that even you still can get it, and apply this knowledge in real life situations. Just apply this process step by step, and be confident in yourself. You are totally able to choose the best lawn mowers for yourself. If you are still confused, why don’t you take a look at the 7 best lawn mowers I have just recommended above on the Amazon website? Maybe one of them is the best solution for you. Good luck!
I always though “self-propelled” lawn mowers and “push mowers” were the same. Do you think a standard self propelled gas powered mower would be good enough for an acre of lawn or would I really need something a bit bigger and more powerful? I don’t want the huge expense of a riding mower. | 2019-04-22T07:06:53Z | https://mygreenerylife.com/best-lawn-mowers-for-sale-reviews/ |
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CHESTER, Va. – After dedicating his life and career to public service, David Farmer has realized his dream of owning his own business. A former U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, David is the new owner of the Minuteman Press design, marketing, and digital printing franchise located at 4100 W Hundred Rd. in Chester, Virginia.
David reflects on his journey to Minuteman Press: "I am a retired firefighter/ paramedic with over 30 years of public service. I also served 11 years in The United States Marines Corps Reserves. I was honored to serve 18 months of active duty post 9/11. My latest career path prior to entering the Minuteman Press family was as an emergency manager for HCA."
Today, David provides the community of Chester with high quality products and services that are provided by the trustworthy team he is happy to have in place. He says, "Minuteman Press in Chester is a Veteran-owned small business that offers a wide range of services to assist your business, organization or team reach their goals. We are a full-service print shop that produces excellent products along with an endless variety of promotional items, marketing items, graphic design and website creation. We want to assist you in completing projects, delivering your marketing messages and promoting your efforts."
While David is new to business ownership, he has a unique understanding of his customers' needs because he used to be a client himself. He explains, "I chose Minuteman Press because of the positive experiences that I have with the company. I utilized the services of the Chester store on numerous occasions and for different organizations. I was impressed with the ability of the store to assist me in creating my projects. The franchise seemed to care about each customer and worked hard to satisfy my needs."
David elaborates on Minuteman Press in Chester's unique ability to serve such a diverse group of clients: "We serve a wide variety of clients in the Chesterfield area. Our largest client is a local trash collection company. They request several large projects per month. We also serve several churches, schools, restaurants, charities, and sports teams. One of my favorite groups to work with is a paralyzed Veterans organization. Another of my favorite clients is a local preacher. He brings such a positive vibe to the shop while he's there due to his friendliness, eagerness to serve others, and his desire to always improve his sermons."
KENT, Wash. – For Dawn and Jeff Brown, buying a newly converted Minuteman Press franchise in Kent, Washington simply made sense. Dawn says, "We chose Minuteman Press International for a few reasons. The first was that their core values aligned with our own. Minuteman Press is still a family-owned franchise business and that appealed to us. It had that small-town feel, but with the resources of an international company. We also liked how as franchisees we had a full support system behind us as owners." Jeff and Dawn have been married for over 25 years and are excited to own their business together. Prior to franchising with Minuteman Press, Jeff worked in software development for over 20 years. He and Dawn have five children and they enjoy volunteering, camping, and spending time with their family. While raising their children, Dawn enjoyed philanthropy work for several non-profit organizations and she returned to college to finish her degree in Communications.
Franchise Marketing Systems is entering its 7th consecutive year of exhibiting with National Events franchise expositions. The National Event shows have consistently been high-performing shows for the franchise marketplace and have historically been some of the franchise industry’s most premium and professional franchise shows. Franchise Marketing Systems is a franchise development and franchise consulting group who works with new and existing businesses to develop, promote and market franchise concepts to scale brands into new markets. The National Event shows are held on a relatively frequent basis in markets across the U.S. and Canada and are excellent venues for meeting and interacting face to face with other franchise industry professionals and franchise brands.
One of the reasons that Franchise Marketing Systems chooses to exhibit at all National Event shows is the size of the exhibits. There is a sense of coziness and intimacy with the franchise expositions where with 60-100 franchise exhibitors almost every exhibitor is able to interact with each attendee that visits the franchise expo. These shows will generally bring one to two thousand attendees and are held in both primary and secondary markets allowing franchisors to promote their brand in areas that are generally underserved by larger franchise expositions. The shows are held in convenient locations in and around metro areas which serve not only the local city, but also the region.
Franchise Marketing Systems has found the shows to be professionally managed, well attended and consistently marketed to drive traffic and awareness in the markets they are held. The staff at National Events is always attentive and makes the experience of marketing a service or franchise model through them efficient and easy. In addition, National Event has provided a variety of franchise industry professionals the opportunity to speak and conduct workshops on their area of expertise free of charge to attendees. These workshops are valuable, interactive and always serve as great venues for people considering franchising to learn more about the business and the franchise practice.
Franchise Marketing Systems works closely with a wide array of new franchisors who are bringing their system to market and working to promote their brand in order to attract the first franchisees. The investment to market at the National Event shows are reasonable enough to make the shows work incredibly well for new franchise brands with somewhat limited marketing budgets. Even with the transition to digital marketing and advertising in franchising, the franchise expo model has proven to be remarkably effective for franchise brands which proves that nothing will replace the value of a face to face meeting with a handshake.
Franchise Marketing Systems has signed up for the balance of the franchise shows in 2018 and committed to the full schedule of shows for 2019.
FREDERICK, Md. – Minuteman Press International is proud to welcome John Prinkey and Kate Cusato as the new owners of the established Minuteman Press design, marketing, and printing franchise located at 917A West 7th Street in Frederick, Maryland. John says, "Kate and I completed our franchise training at Minuteman Press headquarters in Farmingdale, NY in October 2017 and were up and running the first week of November. We were fortunate to have purchased an existing location that had been family run for 30 years and well cared for."
Together, John and Kate are a dynamic father-daughter franchise duo; they help other businesses grow and provide a positive workplace culture for their employees and each other. Kate says, "Working with my dad has really been a dream come true. My parents were always supportive and kind and I am very lucky."
Backed by continued research and development of the latest printing technology, each Minuteman Press franchise meets the design, marketing, and printing needs of today's business professionals.
We Are The Modern Printing Industry™ is designed to raise awareness about how Minuteman Press International has embraced the advancements in print technology in order to print on more products than ever before. The marketing campaign also speaks to the ability of each Minuteman Press franchise to meet the design, marketing, printing, and promotional needs of today's business professionals.
Bob Titus, Minuteman Press President and CEO, reflects on the history of Minuteman Press International and its current position as the modern printing industry. He says, "For our first 30 years, we thrived on ink on paper. We had vendors and suppliers in place over those years to produce promotional products, plaques, awards, and banners. Our biggest vendors were 3M and Multigraphics. Today, our vendors include companies such as Xerox, Konica Minolta, HP, Epson, BIC Graphic, SanMar and Vantage Apparel. We have always been full-service and it is really amazing at how the industry has grown and enabled our franchise owners to bring a lot of this technology in-house."
ENCINITAS & SORRENTO VALLEY, Calif.—Gabriel and Marcia Rebelo arrived in the U.S. from Johannesburg, South Africa in 2012. Their American Dream came true when they purchased the Minuteman Press design, marketing, and printing franchise located at 1538 Encinitas Blvd. in Encinitas, California. Matthew Rebelo joined the family business in 2016, following in his parents' footsteps and coming to the U.S. himself after working as an attorney for 10 years. Today, Matthew is now the co-owner of his second Minuteman Press printing franchise in Sorrento Valley with Shaun Peebles, a skilled manager, graphic designer, digital printing specialist that has worked with the Rebelo family since the beginning.
RAMMP Hospitality Brands Inc. (RAMMP) the parent company behind Canadian restaurant franchise MR MIKES® SteakhouseCasual (MR MIKES®), is proud to announce the opening of the franchise’s first location in Ontario. The restaurant will open its doors in Welland on November 21, 2017 and marks the first Eastern Canada location for MR MIKES® in its nearly 60-year history.
Recognizing Ontario’s strong economy and favourable business conditions, RAMMP saw an opportunity to grow the national franchise in Eastern Canada. The expansion into Ontario is a reflection of RAMMP’s ongoing commitment to bring MR MIKES® casual dining environment and comfort food favourites to Canadians from coast to coast. MR MIKES® Welland marks 37 locations for the national franchise, which currently boasts 36 locations across B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
After working for major companies like Google and General Motors, Joe Safadi was looking to own a business. With International Minute Press in Plymouth, Joe Safadi brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to his customers as he comes back home to where he grew up.
The Latest Video from Minuteman Press International Highlights the Importance of Building Relationships as a B2B Franchise Owner; Video is Available on Minuteman Press Franchise Review YouTube Channel.
Criteria for HowMuch.net rankings included company size, financial strength, startup costs (initial investment), brand reputation, and franchise growth potential.
For Bryan Agnello, running a business he operated with his late wife Jenna motivates him to keep growing while building on her legacy.
When her job in web development and graphic design was downsized, Juanita Glenn decided she wanted to be her own boss. After doing her due diligence, Juanita opened a new Minuteman Press franchise in Upper Marlboro, MD, which offers essential printing, marketing, and branding solutions that meet the needs of today's business professionals.
Mom and Entrepreneur: Minuteman Press Franchisee Renee Mansour Increases Gross Sales by 341 Percent, Celebrates Two Years in Business in Bend.
In February 2015, Renee Mansour bought an existing Minuteman Press franchise for sale in Bend, OR. Since then, she has worked hard on behalf of her growing customer base, followed the Minuteman Press program for success, and has increased gross sales by 341 percent.
Don Krieger became a Minuteman Press franchise owner in Napa, CA in 1993 and is now celebrating 24 years in business. His daughter Leigh used to help out on summer breaks when she was younger, and she officially joined the business eight years ago. Don and Leigh share their insights on working together, what they've learned from each other, and how to run a successful family business.
TYLER, Texas—Mark and Darrie Daniels own the new Minuteman Press design, print and marketing franchise in Tyler, Texas. At their recent grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony organized with the Tyler Chamber of Commerce, Mark and Darrie welcomed community members, colleagues and friends to their center located at 322 E SE Loop 323, Suite 130.
January 9, 2017… FARMINGDALE, N.Y.—Franchise Business Review, a leading franchisee satisfaction research firm, identified Minuteman Press International as one of its 2017 Top Franchises after surveying its franchisees.
Minuteman Press Franchise in Cherry Hill, NJ Celebrates 24 Years in Business; Frank Bittner, Jr. Shares His Insights as Second-Generation Owner. Frank Bittner, Jr. started his career in the printing industry when he was just 18 years-old working alongside his father Frank, Sr.; he has certainly learned a lot along the way. Today, Frank is the second-generation owner of Minuteman Press in Cherry Hill, NJ, which is celebrating 24 years in business as part of the world's largest digital printing, design, and marketing franchise.
In Mikey Wetzel’s calculation, the fast casual burrito frontier might be a competitive and crowded place, but it is far from cramped. And when he says calculate, he isn’t overstating. Wetzel didn’t dream up his restaurant as much as he programmed it. Since 2013, the former video-game developer has been refining and polishing Go Burrito in Salisbury, North Carolina, the home of legendary soft drink Cheerwine, with his sights set on the future. In that time, while Wetzel says he hasn’t reinvented the wheel, he does think he’s fostered a concept capable of sharing the table with the Moe’s, Chipotles, and Qdobas of the world.
Taking advantage of the ever-growing home improvement industry, Closets by Design have grasped the concept that home owners are looking to add comfort, style and value to their homes. One of the most common upgrades people make is to add better storage, whether it be in their bedrooms, kitchen, laundry, garage or home office.
Every iconic franchise began somewhere. Every one started with a single store opening its doors to a public that had never heard of it and didn’t know what to expect. These entrepreneurs had no idea what they were launching—and no inkling that their concept would take the world by storm. What did these original outlets look like? What do they look like now? Some of the world’s biggest chains have preserved their first stores so customers can get a look.
The issues of wage fraud occurring across multiple industries last year and more recently alleged in the Caltex franchisee network are unacceptable. Depriving employees of their entitlements is illegal and immoral.
Brad Griswold’s Pennsylvania planning firm didn’t intend to specialize in serving franchise business owners, but when Griswold agreed to a strategic partnership with a local accounting firm some 15 years ago, the practice started moving in that direction. The accounting firm had relationships with a number of McDonald’s franchisees. One client led to the next. Now Concannon Wealth Management works with McDonald’s franchisees in 11 states. This niche accounts for about 25% of the firm’s $425 million in assets under management.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Franchise Association -- the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising globally – announced its main-stage speakers today for #IFA2017. Celebrated Anytime Fitness co-founders, Dave Mortensen and Chuck Runyon, and New York Times best-selling author and leading business consultant, Marcus Buckingham, will speak at IFA's 57th Annual Convention. #IFA2017 will take place Jan. 29 – Feb. 1, 2017, at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. Anytime Fitness Co-Founders Dave Mortensen and Chuck Runyon will share how they developed 3,500 franchised units and 36 company-owned locations in 50 states and 30 countries in just 15 years. The company has been ranked #1 on Entrepreneur's Top Global Franchise list for two consecutive years, making them the fastest-growing co-ed fitness franchise in the world. Mortensen and Runyon credit Anytime Fitness' success to the well-trained franchise development teams and franchisees that have worked alongside them to grow, strengthen and successfully take the brand to the height of the franchise fitness world. Attendees can learn more about these essential foundation-building tools and how to develop a passionate and loyal customer base when the duo speaks on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at the 8 a.m. Super Session.
PAOLI, Pa.--The Minuteman Press franchise in Paoli, Pennsylvania recently held its grand opening and is open for business at 1776 E. Lancaster Ave., Unit 13. Owners Barry and Philip Kitain are the latest father and son franchise team to get started with Minuteman Press International, the world's largest design, print, and marketing franchise.
DOVER — Mark and Kelly Eckels, owners of Office Pride of Dover, won the “Franchise of the Year” and “Standards of Excellence” awards at the company’s recent annual retreat and awards ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky. Office Pride, a national franchise, is a full-service commercial cleaning and total-floor care company.
It's a good time to open a restaurant franchise, even if Arizonans just voted to hike the minimum wage.
Larkin Frazier of Nashville, Tennessee, started his military career right out of college. He went in as a commissioned officer for the armed forces, serving from 2000 to 2004, including a deployment to Iraq as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Frazier has transitioned from the military to civilian life and corporate America, cutting his teeth in the healthcare sector.
Newport Beach, CA (RestaurantNews.com) Ruby’s Franchise Systems, Inc, the creator of Ruby’s Diner and America’s favorite burgers, fries and shakes, today announced the continued expansion of the company’s unique non-traditional store concepts in key U.S. growth markets. Two new franchise locations are set to open including Ruby’s Diner Concession Kiosk at Valley View Casino Center in Point Loma, California and Ruby’s Express at Outlets at Anthem in Phoenix, Arizona. Ruby’s Franchise Systems, Inc plans to open additional locations through the end of the year, with three new Ruby’s Diners slated to open in Southern California in December 2016.
About 50 vendors hoped to engage with Calgarians at a franchise expo this weekend — and with the Alberta economy in a downturn, some say it's an option to consider.
Minuteman Press has released the latest infographic in their series – Print is Everywhere! – that uses the backdrop of a football field to demonstrate how businesses can score big with promotional products. Minuteman Press International is the world's largest design, print, and marketing franchise.
Primrose Schools, a leading early childhood education and care franchise, has identified metro-Philadelphia as a key growth market with increasing demand for high-quality education and care services. To meet this need, the franchising company is actively seeking entrepreneurs with a passion for educating the next generation of leaders at The Franchise Expo on Jan. 15-16 at Hall C of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
OK Franchise Group adds OK Can Cleaning Service franchise concept to its Franchises4Veterans program.
Canada's Largest, Fastest-Growing Build-Your-Own Pizza And Baked Panini Concept Is Coming To The Greater Toronto Area!
After opening 9 highly successful locations across Quebec, Pannizza is introducing its original build-your-own pizza and baked panini concept to Ontario, launching its first location in Mississauga this November.
CPR Cell Phone Repair warmly welcomes Robert Zlock to the network with the opening of his new franchise store located in Dover, DE.
The Entrepreneur's Source®, was recently ranked one of the top ten "Best Business Consulting/Coaching" brands in an independent rating survey published by FranchiseRankings.com.
This limited offer extends to any qualified candidates looking to open a traditional Planet Beach or a Planet Beach located inside of an LA Fitness.
Becoming owners of a fun coffee and smoothie franchise concept has a Missouri couple excited for the future.
Premier preschools help children develop the right foundation for future learning and life.
Dawn Kroeger has been promoted to marketing and communications director of its company headquarters in Lansing, Mich.
Sport Clips Haircuts Ranked by FORBES as "Best Franchise to Buy"
Sport Clips Haircuts, the nation's leading men's and boys' hair care provider, is ranked by FORBES as a top 10 "Best Franchise to Buy."
The innovative group fitness programming and cutting-edge training offerings, looks to continue to spread its 'No Judgments' philosophy through the San Diego area with the grand opening of Crunch Vista.
More than 225 Express Employment Professionals offices from California to North Carolina to Canada came together at local food banks and pantries across North America to help fight hunger.
Landis clayton is enthusiastically welcomed to CPR's rapidly expanding network wtih the opening of his new franchise store in Charleston, SC.
As of June 1, the company has sold 250,000 policies and one of its agencies has now written more than 10,000 policies.
Backyard Hacks To Reduce Mosquito Population And Keep Your Family Comfortable And Bite Free.
Canada´s leading pizza chain, has announced the opening of its first restaurant in Beamsville, Ontario.
Liberty Tax, Inc. (NASDAQ: TAX), parent company of Liberty Tax Service, announced today that it will report its earnings for fiscal 2015 before the market opens on Thursday, June 18, 2015.
Franchise Enterprise Grows to $50MM in Less Than 6 Years with Zero Debt or Private Equity Investment.
Judgement Free Zone® opens 1,000th club and celebrates by offering a free day of fitness at all locations nationwide, a special sale of $10 down and $10 a month and more.
Wayback signed an additional 62 new agreements in the first quarter of 2015, bringing their total to over 350 stores in development world-wide. | 2019-04-24T20:10:19Z | http://www.franchiseshowinfo.com/exhibitor/franchise-news/ |
Sporulation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a developmental process in which a single cell is converted into four haploid spores. GIP1, encoding a developmentally regulated protein phosphatase 1 interacting protein, is required for spore formation. Here we show that GIP1 and the protein phosphatase 1 encoded by GLC7 play essential roles in spore development. The gip1Δ mutant undergoes meiosis and prospore membrane formation normally, but is specifically defective in spore wall synthesis. We demonstrate that in wild-type cells, distinct layers of the spore wall are deposited in a specific temporal order, and that gip1Δ cells display a discrete arrest at the onset of spore wall deposition. Localization studies revealed that Gip1p and Glc7p colocalize with the septins in structures underlying the growing prospore membranes. Interestingly, in the gip1Δ mutant, not only is Glc7p localization altered, but septins are also delocalized. Similar phenotypes were observed in a glc7–136 mutant, which expresses a Glc7p defective in interacting with Gip1p. These results indicate that a Gip1p–Glc7p phosphatase complex is required for proper septin organization and initiation of spore wall formation during sporulation.
Sporulation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a developmental process in which a single diploid cell is converted into an ascus containing four haploid spores. Diploid cells subjected to nitrogen starvation in the presence of a nonfermentable carbon source undergo two meiotic nuclear divisions, meiosis I and II, and packaging of the four resulting haploid nuclei into spores. Spore formation occurs in a series of well-defined steps (Lynn and Magee, 1970; Moens, 1971; Moens and Rapport, 1971; Neiman, 1998; Kupiec et al., 1997). Late in meiosis I, the spindle pole body (SPB)* undergoes a structural change and its outer plaque becomes enlarged. As cells enter meiosis II, secretory vesicles coalesce on the cytoplasmic surface of each outer plaque to form a novel intracellular membrane, termed the prospore membrane. The prospore membranes extend out as double membranes from the SPBs and engulf the adjacent nuclear lobes. After the completion of meiosis II, nuclear division gives rise to four haploid nuclei. At the same time, the ends of each double membrane meet and fuse with themselves, encapsulating the haploid nuclei to form prospores. Membrane closure triggers the final step of spore morphogenesis, spore wall formation. Spore wall materials are deposited in the luminal space between the two membranes derived from the prospore membrane.
The spore wall consists of four layers. The two inner layers are composed of glucan and mannan, components of the vegetative cell wall (Klis, 1994). The third layer is composed largely of chitosan, a glucosamine polymer, produced by the combined action of the chitin synthetase, Chs3p, and chitin deacetylases (Briza et al., 1988; Pammer et al., 1992; Christodoulidou et al., 1996; Mishra et al., 1997). The outermost layer consists largely of cross-linked dityrosine molecules (Briza et al., 1986). Dityrosine precursors are synthesized in the spore cytosol by the enzymes encoded by DIT1 and DIT2 (Briza et al., 1990, 1994). These genes are induced specifically around the time of prospore membrane closure. The chitosan and dityrosine layers are specific to spores, and provide much of the spore's resistance to environmental stress. Several mutants and genes related to spore wall formation have been isolated and characterized. Among these are genes coding for protein kinases, SPS1, SMK1, CAK1, and MPS1, and a gene encoding a nuclear protein, SWM1, raising the possibility that signal transduction pathways might regulate the spore wall formation (Friesen et al., 1994; Krisak et al., 1994; Wagner et al., 1997; Ufano et al., 1999; Straight et al., 2000).
Septins are a conserved family of proteins characterized by a central core domain and P-loop nucleotide-binding motif (Longtine et al., 1996; Kartmann and Roth, 2001). Most of them also contain a coiled-coil domain that could be involved in their assembly into filaments. In vegetatively growing yeast cells, septins localize to the bud neck and function as a scaffold interacting with a variety of proteins (DeMarini et al., 1997; Longtine et al., 2000). There are seven septin genes in S. cerevisiae, four of which are transcriptionally upregulated during sporulation: SPR3 and SPR28 are sporulation specific, and CDC3 and CDC10 are induced more than tenfold (Kaback and Feldberg, 1985; Chu et al., 1998; De Virgilio et al., 1996; Fares et al., 1996; Primig et al., 2000). During spore development, septin localization is different than that seen in vegetative cells (Fares et al., 1996). No septin localization to the cell periphery is seen. Rather, the septins appear in early meiosis II as four ring-like structures around each SPB. As the prospore membrane extends, septins disappear from the SPB region and display an extended band-like pattern underlying the prospore membrane. After closure of the prospore membrane, the septins become diffusely localized in the spore periphery (Fares et al., 1996). Surprisingly, disruption studies have revealed only modest sporulation defects in septin mutants; spr3Δ spr28Δ homozygous diploids and cdc10Δ diploids sporulate well (De Virgilio et al., 1996; Fares et al., 1996). Although no strong sporulation phenotype has been observed in septin mutants, their expression profile and specific localization suggest that they have some function in sporulation.
Protein phosphatase type 1 (PP1) is a highly conserved phosphoserine-/phosphothreonine-specific protein phosphatase that plays important roles in a variety of cellular processes including cell cycle progression, glycogen metabolism, glucose repression, and sporulation (Mumby and Walter, 1993; Depaoli-Roach et al., 1994; Shenolikar, 1994). In S. cerevisiae, PP1 is encoded by the essential gene GLC7 (Feng et al., 1991). Consistent with the multiple functions of Glc7p, the localization of this protein is dynamic throughout the cell cycle. In addition to a predominant nuclear localization, it is also observed at the SPB, bud neck, and actomyosin ring at distinct times in the cell cycle (Bloecher and Tatchell, 2000). The localization and substrate specificity of Glc7p are thought to be regulated by interaction with different targeting or regulatory subunits. For instance, bud neck localization of Glc7p requires the septin-binding protein Bni4p (unpublished data), and Gac1p is required to localize Glc7p to glycogen particles (Francois et al., 1992; Stuart et al., 1994). As in vegetative cells, there are multiple points at which GLC7 is required during sporulation, including premeiotic DNA synthesis and passage through meiosis I (Ramaswamy et al., 1998; Bailis and Roeder, 2000).
GIP1 encodes a potential developmentally regulated targeting subunit of Glc7p. GIP1 was isolated as a GLC7 interacting gene in a two-hybrid screen (Tu et al., 1996). This interaction was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation (Tu et al., 1996). GIP1 is a sporulation-specific gene and diploid strains homozygous for a deletion of this gene are blocked in sporulation and fail to induce SPS100, one of the very late sporulation genes (Tu et al., 1996). Additionally, several glc7 mutant alleles defective in sporulation have been isolated, and in most instances sporulation efficiency correlates with the strength of the two-hybrid interaction between the glc7 mutant protein and Gip1p (Baker et al., 1997; Ramaswamy et al., 1998). These previous reports raise the possibility that GIP1 dependent regulation of Glc7p might be important for sporulation.
In this study, we examine the roles of GIP1 and GLC7 in sporulation. Cytological analyses of mutant strains revealed that GIP1 and GLC7 are required for spore wall formation. Both proteins are found to colocalize with septins and are required for septin assembly during sporulation. These results suggest that GIP1 and GLC7, and perhaps the septins, participate in a signal transduction pathway necessary to monitor prospore membrane growth and initiate the synthesis of the spore wall.
To investigate the essential role of GIP1 during sporulation, we examined where in the process of sporulation gip1Δ cells are defective. First, a homozygous gip1Δ mutant strain, NY501 (Table I) , was constructed in the rapidly sporulating SK1 background (Kane and Roth, 1974), and the progression of meiosis was monitored using the DNA-binding dye DAPI. In wild-type and gip1Δ mutant cells, the number of nuclei seen in each cell increased from one to two, then to four, with nearly identical kinetics (Fig. 1). This indicates that meiosis I and II proceed normally in the gip1Δ mutant, and suggests that the sporulation defect in gip1Δ mutants must be due to a failure in some aspect of spore packaging.
Meiotic progression is normal in the gip1Δ mutant. At each time point, aliquots of strains AN120 (GIP1/GIP1, thin line) and NY501(gip1Δ/gip1Δ, thick line) were removed from sporulation medium, stained with DAPI, and analyzed for meiotic progression. Percentage of mononucleate (▪), binucleate (▴), and tetranucleate (•) cells are shown. At least 200 cells were counted at each time point.
To examine this possibility, EM analysis of sporulating wild-type and the gip1Δ mutant cells was performed. In wild-type cells, prospore membranes capturing each nucleus were observed (Fig. 2 A), and at later stages, spore walls were seen between each of the inner and outer membrane surrounding the spore nucleus (Fig. 2 B). In gip1Δ cells, prospore membranes resembling those in wild-type cells were also observed capturing nuclei (Fig. 2, C and D). Yet strikingly, no spore walls were observed in the mutant cells. The inner and outer membranes derived from each prospore membrane remained closely apposed, suggesting that no spore wall material was deposited. The gip1Δ cells also displayed a proliferation of darkly staining material around the ascal surface (*, Fig. 2, C and D). Accumulation of similar material has been observed in some spore wall defective mutants (Christodoulidou et al., 1999; Wagner et al., 1999). These data suggest that GIP1 is required to initiate spore wall formation.
Thegip1Δ mutant fails to form spore walls. EM analysis of GIP1 (NH144, A and B) and homozygous gip1Δ mutant (AN103, C and D) cells at a late stage of sporulation. Prospore membranes (PrM); spore walls (SW); and nuclei (N) are indicated. *, Darkly staining material formed in the ascal cytoplasm of gip1 mutants. Bar, 500 nm.
Although the EM study indicated a lack of spore wall material in the gip1 mutant, we could not rule out the possibility that there are some components or layers of spore wall deposited that are not clearly visible by EM. Dityrosine-containing macromolecules can be observed by their natural fluorescence (Briza et al., 1990). Thus, to examine whether the dityrosine layer is formed in gip1Δ mutant, we assayed the sporulated gip1Δ mutant for dityrosine fluorescence. Dityrosine fluorescence was absent in the gip1Δ mutant (unpublished data), indicating that no dityrosine is produced in this mutant.
The DIT1 gene is required for the synthesis of dityrosine and expression of DIT1 is induced in sporulation before SPS100, but after middle genes such as GIP1 or SPR3 (Briza et al., 1990; Chu et al., 1998; Primig et al., 2000). GIP1 is required for expression of the late gene SPS100 (Tu et al., 1996). This previously described effect of gip1Δ mutation on SPS100 expression, as well as the lack of dityrosine fluorescence, led us to examine DIT1 expression in the gip1Δ mutant. A DIT1–lacZ fusion gene was introduced into wild-type and gip1Δ mutant strains. As a control, a lacZ fusion to SPR3 was used. Whereas SPR3–lacZ was induced with the same kinetics in the isogenic wild-type and gip1Δ diploids, no induction of DIT1–lacZ was observed when GIP1 was absent (Fig. 3). Thus, the absence of dityrosine staining in the gip1Δ mutant can be explained by the failure to transcribe DIT1.
DIT1–lacZ is not induced in gip1Δ cells. Sporulating cultures of AN120 (GIP1/GIP1, ▵) and NY501 (gip1Δ/gip1Δ, □) carrying either (A) SPR3–lacZ or (B) DIT1–lacZ were analyzed at various time points for β-galactosidase activity. β-galactosidase activity is given in Miller Units.
To examine the formation of spore wall layers other than the dityrosine layer, a series of fluorescent markers was used. The mannan layer was visualized using the mannose-binding lectin concanavalin A coupled to FITC. A monoclonal antibody directed against β1–3Glucan was used to identify the glucan layer, and the chitin-binding dye Calcofluor white was used to visualize the chitosan layer. The use of secondary antibodies conjugated to a red fluor to localize the glucan antibodies allowed all three markers to be used simultaneously. As shown in Fig. 4, the staining patterns of wild-type asci varied according to the stage of spore development. After counting and classifying these asci, we ordered the patterns as follows (Table II) : when cells are in the stage of the prospore membrane formation and extension, those membranes are stained only with FITC-ConA (Class 2). Approximately 30% of cells showed this pattern at the seven hour time point. Subsequently, a population of cells appears that is positive for both FITC-ConA and anti-β1–3Glucan (Class 3). At the 7- and 8-h time points, ∼20% of the cells showed staining with anti-β1–3Glucan in the spore precursors. After a transient period of triply positive staining (Class 4), the ascus loses anti-β1–3Glucan staining (Class 5). At this point, the FITC-conA staining pattern changes to stain only the spore periphery. Finally, Calcofluor white no longer stains the spore wall (Class 6). Therefore, these markers allow all the major spore wall polysaccharides to be visualized during the course of spore wall formation and suggest that these components are deposited in a specific sequence: mannan before glucan before chitosan.
Analysis of spore wall formation in wild type and gip1Δ mutant. (A–O) Samples were removed from sporulating culture of AN120 (GIP1/GIP1) at 6-, 7-, 8-, and 9-h time points, subjected to the immunofluorescence analysis of spore walls as described in Materials and methods. Classification of the cells are described in Results. (A, D, G, J, and M) FITC-ConA staining; (B, E, H, K, and N) Anti-β-glucan staining; (C, F, I, L, and O) Calcofluor white staining. (P–R) NY501 (gip1Δ / gip1Δ) was sporulated and subjected to the immunofluorescence analysis of spore walls. (P) FITC-ConA staining; (Q) Anti–β-glucan staining; (R) Calcofluor white staining.
To examine the spore wall defect of gip1Δ, we applied this method to gip1Δ mutant cells. As in wild-type cells, the developing prospore membranes stained with FITC-ConA (Fig. 4, P–R). However, the gip1Δ mutant cells never progressed to show anti-β1–3Glucan or Calcofluor white staining. Taken together with the lack of the dityrosine layer, these results indicate that the prospore wall in gip1Δ mutants contains only those mannoproteins present during prospore membrane formation. No additional spore wall material is deposited at the completion of prospore membrane synthesis.
To examine where in the cell Gip1p functions, the Gip1 protein was localized by immunofluorescence analysis. COOH-terminal–tagged versions of Gip1p were nonfunctional (unpublished data). Therefore, targeted integration was used to fuse the hemagglutinin (HA) epitope to the 5′ end of the GIP1 gene. To preserve the sporulation-specific expression of GIP1, the fusion gene was under the control of SPO20 promoter. SPO20 is a sporulation specific gene (Neiman, 1998) with a similar expression profile to GIP1 (Chu et al., 1998). When NY509 (in which both copies of the genomic GIP1 genes are replaced with the fusion gene) was sporulated, the efficiency of sporulation was similar to wild-type cells (82% asci). However, only 26% of the asci were tetrads, with the remainder predominantly dyads and triads, suggesting that the fusion gene is not completely functional. When the fusion gene was cloned into a multicopy vector and introduced into the homozygous gip1 deletion strain, NY501, NY501 produced tetrads at a comparable level (>60%) to the wild-type strain. This strain carrying multicopy HA-GIP1 was therefore used for examination of Gip1p localization.
Gip1p localization during sporulation was examined by immunofluorescence analysis using anti-HA antibodies. HA–Gip1p appears initially in sporulating cells as four rings during meiosis II, and then localizes to the region of extending prospore membranes following the leading edge (Fig. 5). At this stage, parallel bar-like structures were observed. After completion of meiosis II, round structures surrounding the four nuclei were seen. Identical results were obtained when the integrated HA–GIP1 was examined, indicating that the localization is not a consequence of overexpression (unpublished data). This localization pattern of Gip1p resembles the reported localization of septins during sporulation. Therefore, we examined whether Gip1p colocalizes with septins. Gip1p–HA and Spr28p–green fluorescent protein (GFP) were expressed in wild type cells and their localization during sporulation was compared. The distribution of the two proteins overlapped extensively with each other (Fig. 6, A–D). These results indicate that Gip1p colocalizes with septins during spore formation.
Localization of HA-Gip1p in sporulating cells. NY501 (gip1Δ / gip1Δ) carrying 2 μ HA-GIP1 was sporulated and analyzed by immunofluorescence. (A–E) Anti-HA antibody staining is shown. (F–J) Staining of the same cells with DAPI.
HA-Gip1p colocalizes with septins and GFP-Glc7p. (A to D) AN120 carrying both pCEN-SPR28-GFP and 2μ HA-GIP1 was sporulated for 7 h and analyzed by staining with anti-HA antibodies. (A) GFP fluorescence. (B) Anti-HA staining. (C) Merge of A and B. (D) DAPI staining of the same cell. (E to H) AN120 carrying both GFP-GLC7 and 2 μ HA-GIP1 was sporulated for 7 h and analyzed by staining with anti-HA antibodies. (E) GFP fluorescence; (F) Anti-HA staining; (G) Merge of E and F; (H) DAPI staining of the same cell.
To determine if the bar-like pattern of Gip1p represents a section through a more complicated structure, image stacks were collected and three dimensional renderings made. Quicktime movies displaying the resulting images are available at http://www.jcb.org/cgi/content/full/jcb.200107008/DC1. The results indicate that the Gip1p-containing structures are actually pairs of parallel sheets that appear as bars when optically sectioned.
Because GIP1 encodes a potential Glc7p targeting protein, we examined Glc7p localization in sporulating cells. GFP–GLC7 was introduced into the wild-type strain and the localization of the fusion protein was observed by GFP fluorescence (Fig. 7). Early in sporulation, cells displayed a predominant nuclear staining with a bright nucleolar dot as observed in vegetative cells (Bloecher and Tatchell, 2000). In early meiosis II, in addition to the nuclear staining, four dots were observed near the nuclear periphery suggesting some Glc7p is localized to the SPB. At later stages of meiosis II, Glc7p clearly displayed a bar-like pattern that resembles those of Spr28p and Gip1p. Finally, in postmeiotic cells, Glc7p was again found predominantly in the spore nucleus. These observations indicate that the localization of Glc7p is dynamic during sporulation, and that Glc7p displays a similar localization pattern to Gip1p and Spr28p during meiosis II.
Localization of GFP-Glc7p during sporulation. AN120 carrying GFP-GLC7 was sporulated and GFP fluorescence was observed. (A–F) GFP fluorescence; (G–L) DAPI staining of corresponding cells in A–F.
To confirm this last point, colocalization of Gip1p and Glc7p was examined directly. GIP1–HA and GFP-GLC7 were expressed in AN120 and the localization of the proteins was analyzed. The distribution of the two proteins showed extensive overlap (Fig. 6, E–H), indicating that Glc7p colocalizes with Gip1p. Taken together with the immunofluorescence analysis of Gip1p and Spr28p, these results demonstrate that Gip1p and Glc7p colocalize with septins during meiosis II.
By analogy to other Glc7p targeting proteins, Gip1p might be a targeting subunit that recruits Glc7p to the septins at the prospore membrane. To test this hypothesis, we examined the localization of Glc7p in the gip1Δ mutant. In this strain, Glc7p did not show a septin-like staining pattern in meiosis II. Instead, it often showed cytosolic staining with four discrete dots, which may indicate SPB localization (Fig. 8 C). Thus, localization of Glc7p to the prospore membrane is dependent on GIP1.
Localization pattern of GFP-Glc7p and Spr28p-GFP are altered in the gip1 mutant. AN120 (GIP1/GIP1) and NY501 (gip1Δ / gip1Δ) carrying either GFP-GLC7 or pCEN-SPR28-GFP were sporulated and analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. (A) GFP-Glc7p localization in AN120. (B) DAPI staining of cell in A. (C) GFP-Glc7p localization in NY501. (D) DAPI staining of cells in C. (E) Spr28p-GFP localization in AN120. (F) DAPI staining of cells in E. (G and I) Spr28p-GFP localization in NY501 (H and J) DAPI staining of cells in G and I, respectively.
Similar to their function at the bud neck of vegetative cells, the septins may serve as a scaffold to which Gip1p recruits Glc7p. Alternatively, recruitment of Glc7p might be important for the organization of the septins themselves. To address these possibilities, we examined Spr28p localization in the gip1Δ mutant. We found that Spr28p is delocalized in many of the mutant cells (Fig. 8, G and I). In postmeiotic cells, ∼20% of the mutant cells showed a ring-like pattern surrounding four nuclei, indicating localization to the periphery of the prospore. The majority of cells showed only a uniform cytosolic staining pattern. Importantly, in cells in meiosis II, a pattern of bars like those in wild-type cells was only rarely observed (<1%). Similar results were obtained using antibodies to a second sporulation-specific septin Spr3p (unpublished data). Thus, Gip1p does not serve simply as a targeting subunit to connect Glc7p to the septins; rather, GIP1 is required for proper septin organization and the failure of Glc7p to localize to the prospore membrane in gip1Δ cells may reflect the absence of septin structures.
DON1 encodes a coiled-coil protein that localizes to a ring-like structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane, and this structure is distinct from the septin bars that underlie the prospore membrane (Knop and Strasser, 2000). To examine whether the effect of gip1 deletion is specific to septins or is perhaps a more general effect on prospore membrane–associated structures, we examined the localization of Don1p in the gip1Δ mutant. DON1-GFP was introduced into wild type and gip1Δ cells, and the localization of the fusion protein was observed using anti-GFP antibodies. In both wild-type and gip1Δ cells, ring-like structures were observed at the lip of the prospore membranes (Fig. 9). Thus, assembly of the Don1p ring is not affected by gip1 deletion, suggesting that the effects of gip1Δ are specific to assembly of the septin complex.
Don1p ring is formed normally in the gip1Δ mutant. AN120 (GIP1/GIP1) and NY501 (gip1Δ / gip1Δ) carrying DON1-GFP were sporulated and analyzed by immunofluorescence using anti-GFP antibodies. (A) Don1p-GFP localization in AN120. (B) DAPI staining of cell in A. (C) Don1p-GFP localization in NY501. (D) DAPI staining of cell in C.
To determine whether the phenotypes of the gip1Δ mutant are caused by a failure to properly localize Glc7p or a second function of the Gip1 protein, we examined the sporulation phenotype of a strain carrying the glc7–136 allele. The glc7–136 mutant causes a sporulation defect (Baker et al., 1997), and the protein is defective in interaction with Gip1p (unpublished data). Thus, if the sporulation defect of the gip1Δ mutant is due to altered localization of Glc7p, the glc7–136 mutant should display similar phenotypes. EM analysis of SB247, a glc7–136 mutant in the JC482 background (Baker et al., 1997), was performed. The cytological phenotype of glc7–136 was more heterogeneous than gip1Δ, probably due to the leaky sporulation defect of the mutant (2% asci). Nonetheless, a significant fraction of the cells (50%) displayed prospores with no apparent deposition of spore wall material (Fig. 10 A), similar to the gip1Δ mutant (Fig. 2). Thus, glc7–136 mutant cells display a block to spore wall deposition similar to that seen in the gip1 deletion strain.
glc7–136 mutants show a similar phenotype to the gip1Δ mutant. (A) SB247 (glc7–136/glc7–136) at a late stage of sporulation was analyzed by transmission EM. Prospore membranes (PrM) and nucleus (N) are indicated. (B–I) NY527 (glc7–136/glc7–136) harboring either pCEN-SPR28-GFP or 2 μ HA-GIP1 was sporulated and analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. (B and D) anti-GFP staining; (C and E) DAPI staining of cells in B and D, respectively; (F and H) Anti-HA staining; (G and I) DAPI staining of cells in F and H, respectively. Bar, 500 nm.
To examine the localization of Spr28p and Gip1p in the glc7–136 strain, the glc7–136 mutation was introduced into the same SK1 strains used for the gip1 analysis. As in the JC482 background, the glc7–136 mutant is leaky in SK1, giving 5% asci. SPR28-GFP and HA–GIP1 were introduced into NY527, and the proteins were localized by immunofluorescence. Most of the cells expressing SPR28-GFP displayed uniform cytosolic staining. In ∼30% of the cells, staining of the spore periphery was observed, as is the case with septin localization in the gip1Δ mutant (Fig. 10, B and D). HA–Gip1p displayed similar localization defects to Spr28p-GFP in the glc7–136 strain (Fig. 10, F and H). Thus, as with the spore wall, the glc7–136 mutant shows similar septin organization defects to the gip1Δ mutant. Further, Gip1p and Glc7p are interdependent for localization; interaction of the two proteins is required for either to localize to the prospore membrane. Taken together, these data indicate that Gip1p and Glc7p function together to promote both organization of the septins and spore wall formation.
Strains deleted for GIP1 display two clear phenotypes, a block to spore wall formation and delocalization of the septins from the forming prospore membrane. The spore wall phenotype of GIP1 mutants is a discrete arrest at the initiation of spore wall formation. In wild-type cells, deposition of spore wall material is never seen until after the closure of the prospore membrane (Lynn and Magee, 1970). Consistent with this cytological observation, expression of the DIT1 gene appears to occur after prospore closure (Briza et al., 1990). These observations suggest that the cell must have some mechanism to trigger spore wall formation in response to prospore membrane closure. Given their colocalization with septins, the Gip1p–Glc7p holoenzyme would be ideally located to participate in this process. Though we favor the idea that this phosphatase complex acts as a monitor to signal the closure of the prospore membrane, we cannot at present rule out the possibility that the Gip1p–Glc7p phosphatase is required for membrane closure itself. A defect in either membrane closure or the ability to sense that the membrane has closed would result in a failure to initiate spore wall formation.
CHS3 encodes the chitin synthase responsible for the synthesis of the chitosan layer. In contrast to DIT1, the CHS3 gene is not transcriptionally induced during sporulation (Pammer et al., 1992). Therefore, the failure of gip1Δ mutants to produce chitosan suggests that GIP1 may be required for posttranslational regulation of this enzyme. In vegetative cells, Chs3p activity is controlled in part by regulated recycling through an endosomal compartment (Ziman et al., 1998). It will be of interest to examine the localization of Chs3p in sporulating wild-type and gip1Δ cells.
Previous studies have shown that Calcofluor white transiently stains the chitosan layer of the developing spore (Briza et al., 1990). The loss of Calcoflour white staining in mature asci is due to maturation of the overlying dityrosine layer blocking access of the dye to its ligand (Briza et al., 1988, 1990). We interpret the transient staining of spores with the anti–β-glucan antibody in the same way. That is, spores are positive for staining until the overlying chitosan layer forms and obscures access of the antibody to the glucan layer. Surprisingly, staining with FITC-ConA is not lost as spores mature, even though the inner mannan layer should also be obscured as the outer layers form. However, at the same time that β-glucan staining is lost, the appearance of the FITC-ConA staining changes markedly. This change probably reflects a loss of access to the mannan layer of the inner spore wall, but residual staining of mannoproteins present in the outer prospore membrane or ascal cytoplasm condensed around the spores. Thus, our immunofluorescence assay of spore wall formation suggests a definitive order of spore wall assembly. Mannoproteins are deposited as the prospore membrane forms. After prospore membrane closure, the glucan layer forms, followed by the chitosan layer and finally the dityrosine layer.
Surprisingly, the layers are deposited from innermost to outermost, with respect to the spore cytoplasm. This suggests that precursors to the chitosan and dityrosine layer must be able to pass through the glucan and mannan layers before assembling. Alternatively, some of the spore wall layers may be constructed from precursors introduced from the ascal cytoplasm rather than the spore cytosol. This possibility has been suggested previously based on specific localization of some sporulation-induced transcripts to the ascal cytoplasm (Kurtz and Lindquist, 1986), and is also consistent with the accumulation of darkly staining vesicles in the region of the ascal cytoplasm surrounding the prospores that is seen in gip1Δ (Fig. 2) and other spore wall–defective mutants (Christodoulidou et al., 1999; Wagner et al., 1999).
Relationship of GIP1 to other spore wall synthesis genes.
Our data indicate that not only is spore wall deposition coordinated with respect to prospore membrane closure, but also a temporal order of deposition, glucan before chitosan before dityrosine, must be maintained. Previously reported spore wall–defective mutants fall broadly into one of two categories: those such as dit1 or chs3 that remove specific spore wall layers (Briza et al., 1990; Pammer et al., 1992), or those such as smk1 and swm1 in which individual spores within an ascus display heterogeneous wall defects (Krisak et al., 1994; Ufano et al., 1999). The heterogeneous spore wall defects seen in these latter mutants could result from an inability to coordinate the timing of deposition within individual spores.
SMK1 is particularly interesting in this regard. Though deletion of SMK1 causes a heterogeneous spore wall phenotype, point mutations produce more homogeneous arrests (Wagner et al., 1999). In the most severe allele, smk1–4, this arrest appears similar to gip1Δ. Further, it has been reported that formation of the glucan, chitosan, and dityrosine layers requires increasing levels of Smk1p activity, respectively (Wagner et al., 1999). As this matches the temporal order of deposition of these layers, SMK1 activity might provide a mechanism to control the timing of synthesis of the different layers. Gip1p–Glc7p phosphatase could control the initiation of spore wall synthesis, at least in part, by regulating the activation of Smk1p.
The Gip1p–Glc7p complex colocalizes with the septins during prospore membrane growth and the first evident phenotype of the gip1Δ mutation is not the spore wall defect, but a failure to organize the septins onto the prospore membrane. However, at times after prospore closure, in a fraction of the gip1Δ mutant cells the septins can be found in the spore periphery as in wild-type cells. These results indicate a specific requirement for the Gip1p–Glc7p phosphatase to organize the septins into structures associated with the growing prospore membrane. Whether this effect is mediated by direct dephosphorylation of the septin proteins or some other modifier of septin organization is not yet known. In vegetative cells, mutation of several different protein kinases has effects on organization of the septin ring (Bouquin et al., 2000; Longtine et al., 2000). For instance, mutation of GIN4 leads to the arrangement of the septins as a series of parallel bars (Longtine et al., 1998a). It has not yet been reported whether any of the septin proteins are direct substrates of any of these kinases. Nonetheless, taken together with our results, it seems likely that phosphorylation and dephosphorylation regulate septin architecture.
The fact that septins are lost from the prospore membrane in the gip1Δ mutant but that the prospore membrane nonetheless forms, indicates that the septins are not required for membrane assembly or growth. One possibility is that the septins function to keep Gip1p–Glc7p associated with the prospore membrane. In this instance, mutation of the septin genes might cause a similar spore wall phenotype to the gip1Δ mutation. However, no significant sporulation phenotype has been reported in septin mutants (De Virgilio et al., 1996; Fares et al., 1996). Therefore, it remains to be determined whether the spore wall and septin phenotypes of the gip1Δ mutant are linked, or whether they represent two independent aspects of Gip1p–Glc7p function.
In higher cells, as in yeast, septins are found at sites of cytokinesis (Neufeld and Rubin, 1994; Kinoshita et al., 1997). However, in contrast to mitotic yeast cells, the septins of higher cells exhibit dynamic localization and are often found in association with regions of active membrane growth (Fares et al., 1995; Kinoshita et al., 1997; Hsu et al., 1998). Thus, the behavior of septins during sporulation is similar to that in higher cells. Our results indicate that the Gip1p–Glc7p complex is required to organize the septins onto the prospore membrane. Given the high degree of conservation of PP1, it will be of interest to learn if septin organization is also regulated by this enzyme in higher cells.
Bailis and Roeder (2000) have reported that GLC7-dependent dephosphorylation of the synaptonemal complex component Red1p is required for progression through the meiotic pachytene checkpoint. In contrast to our findings, this study reported that gip1Δ mutants arrest in pachytene. Further, GIP1 was required for the localization of Glc7p to meiotic chromosomes and overexpression of GLC7 suppressed the gip1Δ sporulation defect. From these results it was suggested that the function of Gip1p is to target Glc7p to meiotic chromosomes. We found no evidence of a meiotic arrest in gip1Δ in two different strain backgrounds, SK1 (Fig. 1) and JC482. Additionally, overexpression of GLC7 does not relieve the spore formation defect of gip1Δ mutants in our strains (unpublished data), as was observed in the BR strain background (Bailis and Roeder, 2000). The reason for the differing phenotypes of gip1Δ in different strain backgrounds remains unclear; however, our results clearly demonstrate roles for GIP1 and GLC7 in postmeiotic events.
In sum, our data suggest a model in which Gip1p is induced during sporulation, binds to Glc7p, and the Gip1p–Glc7p complex then organizes the septins onto the prospore membrane. The Gip1p–Glc7p complex remains associated with the septins during meiosis II, and this places the phosphatase in a position to act as a monitor of prospore membrane growth. Upon closure of the prospore membrane, we propose that Gip1p and Glc7p initiate a signaling cascade that triggers events leading to the synthesis of the spore wall. This includes the induction of DIT1 as well as the activation of chitin and β-glucan synthases. Further work will be necessary to elucidate the nature of this intracellular signaling pathway.
S. cerevisiae strains used in this work are listed in Table I. AN103 was created by selection of 5-fluoroorotic acid–resistant derivatives of MCY3259 (Tu et al., 1996). To construct NY501, AN117–4B and AN117–16D (Neiman et al., 2000) were transformed with PvuII-digested pJT26-HIS3 (Tu et al., 1996) to produce NY1 and NY2, respectively. For this and all other integrations, proper arrangement of the genomic locus was confirmed by PCR. These strains are mated to create diploid NY501. To create a strain carrying NH2 terminally HA-tagged GIP1 under control of the SPO20 promoter, pFA6a-His3MX6-prSPO20-HA was subjected to PCR with HT1 (5′-CTATTTTCTTCCTCCTTGCCTATTCGTTTGGTGGCTTTCTTTATAATTCGGAATTCGAGCTC-GTTTAAAC-3′) and HT2 (5′-CTTTTCAAAGACTCAAATGGTCTAGCCTTTGGCTGCAAAATAGTTTCCATTTTGTATAGTTCATCCATGC-3′), and the product was used to transform AN117–4B and AN117–16D to obtain NY13 and NY14, respectively. These strains were mated to create diploid NY509. To create the DON1–GFP fusion gene in yeast, pFA6a-GFP (S65T)-His3MX6 (Longtine et al., 1998b) was amplified with HT15 (5′-AAGATGAAAAAAAGCAGGTTCATCCATCTAGCAAGAATTAAGTTTTACGCGGATCCCCGGGT-TAATTAA-3′) and HT16 (5′-AAAGGCAAATAAGCGCAGAAGAAGCAATGGTGGTGTCTGTTCATTGCGAGGAATTCGAGCTCGTTTAAAC-3′), and the product was used to transform AN117–4B to create NY17. To construct NY527, the his5+ gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe was amplified from pFA6a-His3MX6 (Longtine et al., 1998b) with HT28 (5′-AACTGGGGAGAGGAAAGCAGATTACCACAATATACATTCAAATTAAAGAACGGAT-CCCCGGGTTAATTAA-3′) and HT29 (5′-TAATAAGTATTTTCCTTTTTAAACTTTGATTTAGGACGTGAATCTATTTAGAATTCGAGCTCGTTTAAAC-3′), and the product was used to transform AN120 to create the glc7 heterozygous deletion strain, NY523. NY523 was then transformed with pSB14 to create NY525, which has glc7–136 integrated at the ura3 locus. NY525 was sporulated and dissected. Progeny that had both the glc7 deletion and the glc7–136 integration were identified and mated to produce NY527. Unless otherwise noted, standard media and growth conditions were used (Rose et al., 1990).
To create pFA6a-His3MX6-prSPO20-HA, the promoter sequence of the SPO20 gene was amplified directly from yeast genome using ANO195 (5′-CCTTGAGATCTAAGTCTAGGCGCTTTCAAC-3′) and ANO201 (5′-CCTTGTTAATTAAAGACATTATATATCTAAAAATGGC-3′). The PCR product was then digested with PacI and BglII and used to replace GAL1 promoter region of pFA6a-His3MX6-PGAL1-3HA (Longtine et al., 1998b). To clone the prSPO20-HA-GIP1 fusion gene, genomic DNA from NY13 was subjected to PCR with ANO195 and HT6 (5′-CAGTTGCCTACCAATGTTTC-3′). The product was cloned into SmaI sites of pRS424 and pRS426 (Christianson et al., 1992) to create pSB5 and pSB6, respectively. pNC160-GFP-GLC7 (Bloecher and Tatchell, 2000) was used to express GFP-tagged version of Glc7p. pSB7 was created by excising the SPR28–GFP fusion gene from YEplac181-SPR28-GFP (De Virgilio et al., 1996) with EcoRI and BamHI and cloning it into pRS314 (Sikorski and Hieter, 1989). To clone DON1–GFP into plasmid, genomic DNA prepared from NY17 was subjected to PCR using HT10 (5′-AAACAGATCTATATTACCCTG-3′) and HT19 (5′-GAAGAATTCGATATAGCTCTGAACAATTC-3′). The product was digested with EcoRI and BglII and ligated into similarly digested pRS314 to create pSB8. To integrate glc7–136 at the ura3 locus, the glc7–136 gene was cut out from pSB56 (Baker et al., 1997) with HindIII and SacI, and cloned into pRS306, creating pSB14. pSB14 was linearized with PstI before transformation to target integration to the ura3 locus. The plasmids pHindIII-DIT1-lacZ, a gift of J. Segall (University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada), and pGK16 (Holaway et al., 1987) carrying the DIT1–lacZ and SPR3–lacZ reporters, respectively, were used to monitor gene induction.
For analysis of meiotic progression, cells were sporulated as described (Neiman, 1998). At intervals, aliquots were removed and fixed with 3.7% formaldehyde at 4°C overnight. Cells were collected and mounted in medium containing DAPI (Molecular Probes). EM was performed as described (Neiman, 1998). Samples were analyzed using a JEOL 1200EX transmission electron microscope at the Stony Brook University Microscopy Imaging Center (Stony Brook, NY).
For immunofluorescence analysis, cells were sporulated and fixed with 3.7% formaldehyde for 2 h, collected, resuspended in SHA buffer (1 M Sorbitol, 0.1 M Hepes, pH 7.5, 5 mM NaN3) and stored at 4°C. Immunofluorescence analysis of proteins was performed as described previously (Gao and Dean, 2000). Monoclonal anti-HA antibodies (12CA5) were provided by N. Dean (SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY), and affinity-purified anti-GFP antibodies, a gift of N. Davis (Louisiana State University Medical Center, Shreveport, LA), were used at a 1:10 and 1:200 dilution, respectively. Anti-Spr3p antibodies (Fares et al., 1996) were used at a 1:10 dilution. Alexa Fluor 488 goat anti–mouse IgG conjugate, Alexa Fluor 488 goat anti–rabbit IgG conjugate, Alexa Fluor 546 goat anti–rabbit IgG conjugate, and Texas red goat anti–rabbit IgG conjugate (Molecular Probes) were used as secondary antibodies at a 1:400 dilution.
Immunofluorescence analysis of spore walls was performed as follows. Fixed sporulating cells were suspended in Zymolyase solution (27 μg/ml Zymolyase and 0.2% β-mercaptoethanol in SHA buffer) and incubated at 30° for 1 h. Cells were then treated 5 min with SHA buffer containing 0.1% Triton X-100, and 10 min with SHA buffer containing 0.2 mg/ml Calcofluor white (Sigma-Aldrich), washed twice with SHA buffer, and adhered to wells of a polylysine-coated slide. Cells on the slide were treated with methanol for 6 min, followed by acetone for 30 s, and then dried. After blocking with WT buffer (50 mM Hepes, pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl, 1% Milk, 5 mg/ml bovine serum albumin), cells were incubated with a monoclonal anti–β-1,3 glucan antibody (Biosupplies) (Humbel et al., 2001) at a 1:300 dilution in WT buffer overnight. Wells were washed with PBS-BSA (7 mM Na2HPO4, 3 mM NaH2PO4, 130 mM NaCl, 5 mg/ml bovine serum albumin) and incubated with PBS-BSA containing 1:400 diluted Alexa Fluor 546 goat anti–mouse IgG and 0.1 mg/ml FITC-ConA (Sigma-Aldrich) for 2 h. Finally, wells were washed with PBS-BSA and covered with mounting media. For detection of native GFP fluorescence, cells were fixed with 3.7% formaldehyde for 10 min, washed once with PBS, and mounted with mounting media containing DAPI or processed for immunofluorescence.
Immunofluorescence images were acquired using a Zeiss Axioskop with attached SPOT camera (Diagnostic Instruments) and Adobe Photoshop 5.0, or on a Zeiss Axioplan 2 microscope with a Zeiss Axiocam and Zeiss Axiovision 3.0.6 software. Figures were prepared using Adobe Photoshop 6.0 and Canvas 5.0 (Deneba Software).
Natural fluorescence of the dityrosine molecules was observed as described previously (Briza et al., 1990). DIT1–lacZ and SPR3–lacZ were separately introduced into both AN120 and NY501. The resulting cells were sporulated and aliquots were collected at each time point and subjected to β-galactosidase assay as described (Stern et al., 1984).
To create three-dimensional projections of Gip1 immunofluorescence, cells carrying HA–GIP1 were prepared after 7 h in sporulation medium, and stacks of images were collected with a Bio-Rad Radiance 2000 confocal microscroscope (25mW Arlaser, Nikon TE300, 100 X Plan Apo objective 1.4 NA). Images were collected at 0.2-μm intervals in the Z-axis at 1.5% laser power, pinhole aperture at 2.6, Kalman filtration of four images. Three-dimensional projections were created using Bio-Rad Lasersharp2000 software. Projected images were tilted at angles of −45°–45° at 1°-intervals.
The authors are grateful to J. Pringle (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC), N. Dean (SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY), and N. David (Louisiana State University Medical Center, Shreveport, LA) for antibodies, and to H. Friesen and J. Segall (University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada) and N. Hollingsworth (SUNY Stony Brook) for reagents. A.M. Neiman is grateful to R. Sternglanz (SUNY Stony Brook) for material support during the early phases of this work. The authors are also grateful to N. Hollingsworth and J. Engebrecht for comments on the manuscript, and to members of the Neiman Lab for discussions during the course of this work.
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants GM62184 to A.M. Neiman and GM47789 to K. Tatchell.
↵* Abbreviations used in this paper: GFP, green fluorescent protein; HA, hemagglutinin; PP1, protein phosphatase type 1; SPB, spindle pole body.
A. Bloecher's present address is Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, Seattle, WA 98109.
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When John Ruskin penned the above words in the mid-nineteenth century he laid a challenge before a society plunging toward material wealth. Industrialization, empire, and capitalism had enabled Victorian Britain to become the first modern industrial society to enjoy a standard of living that we now associate with middle-class existence. But Ruskin saw that these wonders were producing wealth but also strangling certain aspects of life. In response, he advanced a string of ideas that would become the basis of the modern state: minimum wage, graduated income tax, universal free education, and old age pensions.
A quotation from Ruskin’s Unto This Last still hangs on the wall of the room at Sevagram Ashram that was home to Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi built upon Ruskin’s understanding. Gandhi’s quest went beyond political independence, offering people the means to many freedoms: poverty, caste, gender discrimination, illness, and illiteracy. Gandhi showed his people not what they needed, but what they could do with what they already had. While Ruskin was a man of large ideas and grandiose abstractions, Gandhi’s genius lay in simplicity with a priority also on addressing the marginalized––salt, diet, homespun cloth, the act of nonviolent refusal––and in the process gave people a means for societal transformation that scaled up not only to one-fifth of humanity, but also set the assumption of independence for the great movements of the 1950s and 60s. On a traditional village spinning wheel, Gandhi wove the fabric of a new nation, a truth ensconced in the constitutional stipulation that the Indian flag be woven of khadi (homespun cloth).
Gandhi argued that the true forces that bring change in the lives of people come not from the marketplace, not from armies, not from a religion, not from political process, but from knowledge of Truth that is internalized and adhered to so that it continually corrects action. These forces that begin inside each individual then redefine society to bring authentic help to all people. Freedom grown in this manner is not ever totally achieved—but it always can be made closer by a Truth-centered quest. Indeed, recognizing the importance of Truth as process rather than a state, Chathanatt, notes, “Like Plato, Gandhi considered the search for Truth to be more important than Truth as such.” Gandhi’s pursuit of independence was a step in the quest for Truth. Gandhi was a man of process.
His spinning wheel visibly conveyed this message, freedom through the work of village hands. Each individual turning his or her wheel gave evidence of self potential and direction. The act of spinning used resources grown in that place (swadeshi/self-sufficiency), locally-grown cotton, locally-grown wood that made the wheels. When people wore khadi cloth they showed proof that a becoming life could be made by them. As Gandhi said often to news reporters, “The song of our spinning wheels is the song of freedom—the freedoms we are making in our own lives.” The quest he was pushing all toward was first to rise from within, self-reliance against outside control; his confrontation was not animus against power. Such truth out of the products of people was stronger than guns; it defined the quest rather than being the focus of argument. Done collectively, homespun khadi showed that India could weave the warp and woof of a new life, threads of local resources from one direction, massive energy of the villages from the other. Actually wearing this flag of self-reliance as they marched, not a flag carried but clothes of their self-making, India’s people gave evidence that they were dressing in a new way, their way. In evident-to-all contrast to the control commanded by economic giants embodied by belching factories, this was one person and a wheel on a mud floor, evidence from millions of villages across the land of new processes of production. Do that, and from that other freedoms will grow. Such is the deepest freedom. Swaraj was to strengthen India with tightly wound new fiber to pull apart deep forces of oppression: caste, poverty, ignorance, fear of leprosy, and gender discrimination.
Today, as military powers send soldiers to distant lands to free people and label the liberators “peacemakers,” and as corporations are freed to cross the world for cheap labor arguing that they create local development by creating jobs that bind people to global labor imbalances, the question must be asked (even if it cannot be answered): what is freedom? While freeing people from oppression and providing jobs are both freedoms, going toward freedom in the way that “peacemakers” and corporations pursue misses a core principle that guided Gandhi: that truth was in the process, the never-ending journey faithful to the operating principles. Freedom is not given to people. Freedom is when people come together as communities to rule themselves. Or, freedom might equally be people moving together for their mutual benefit.
interlinked global system. SEED-SCALE is an analytical frame grounded in complexity theory where results are recognized “to emerge” from processes rather than be controlled by inputs.
“What features do all these systems share? In the simplest terms, they solve problems by drawing on masses of relatively stupid elements, rather than a single, intelligent “executive branch.” They are bottom-up systems, not top-down. They get their smarts from below. In a more technical language, they are complex adaptive systems that display emergent behavior. In these systems, agents residing on one scale start producing behavior that lies one scale above them: ant colonies, urbanites create neighborhoods; simple pattern-recognition software learns how to recommend new books. The movement from low-level rules to higher-level sophistication is what we call emergence….
But,…we stopped analyzing emergence and started creating it. We began building self-organizing systems into our software applications, our video games, our art, our music. We build emergent systems to recommend new books, recognize our voices, or find mates. For as long as complex organisms have been alive, they have lived under the laws of self-organization, but in recent years our day-to-day life has become overrun with artificial emergence: systems built with a conscious understanding of what emergence is, systems designed to exploit those laws the same way our nuclear reactor exploit the laws of atomic physics.” (With in social domains similar results of massive energy generation; now in human energy generation).
“The hallmark of emergence is this sense of much coming from little. This feature also makes emergence mysterious, almost paradoxical, phenomenon smacking of “get rich quick” schemes. Yet emergence is a ubiquitous feature of the world around us. Mundane activities such as farming depend on rules of thumb for emergence—for example, knowing the conditions that influence the germination of seeds….
How do humans, with their limited capacity for tracing out complexities, manage to select interesting rules and mechanisms? How does the scientist select the “laws” that are so effective at uncovering unexpected phenomena in the world?
The whole process of constructing rule-based model starts when our attention is attracted to some complex patter in the world—the movement of armies in battle, or the patterns of the “wanderers” (planets) in the night sky? At this point we do not have the benefit of the hindsight provided by years of study of the candidate rules. We could could attempt to derive some of the deeper consequences of different rule choices before making a selection, but do to so would consume inordinate amounts of time….
Each example, in one way or another, models the world….
Each model consists of multiple interacting copies of a limited number of pieces, particles, or components (types)….
The configuration of the model’s components changes as time elapses. With careful modeling, the particular configuration of the components at any time fully determines what can happen next….
Somesh Kumar Methods for Community Participation: A Complete Guide for Practitioners (Warwickshire: Intermediate Technology Publications, 2002).
“The widespread adoption of the rhetoric of participation in development is welcome for the legitimacy and space it accords to those who genuinely want to practice it. In parallel, the phenomenal spread of practices described as PRA (originally Participatory Rural Appraisal, now sometimes Participatory Reflection and Action) has shown practical ways in which participation can be made real, and has inspired and provided opportunities for many. These successes have brought many benefits. Among the best have been the empowerment of poor people through their own analysis and action, and new insight gained by professionals into their realities and priorities.
“The discovery here has been that local people have capabilities of which outsiders have been largely, or totally, unaware. In learning what local people could do, it is as thought a succession of dominoes has fallen.
First, local people have shown a far greater ability to map, model, observe, list, count, estimate, compare, rank, score and diagram than most outsiders had supposed. Much of this is through visualization, the physical expression and sharing of knowledge, judgement and analysis: people make maps, models, lists, matrices, and diagrams; they walk transects and observe; they investigate and interview; they present information; they analyze and plan. In consequence, they are more in command of the process, they own and retain more of the information, and they are better placed to identify their priorities for action, and to determine and control that action….
“The second insight here has been the importance of outsiders’ behaviour and of relaxed rapport established early in the process…. Rapport is a key to facilitating participation. Relaxed rapport between outsiders and local people, and some measure of trust, are minimum conditions for PRA….Empirically, though, the recurrent finding with PRA has been that if the initial behaviour and attitudes of outsiders are relaxed and right, and if the process can start, the methods of PRA themselves foster further rapport….
“The third discovery here is the popularity and power of participatory diagramming and visual sharing. Diagramming and visual sharing are common elements in much PRA. With a questionnaire survey, information is transferred from the words of the person interviewed to the paper of the questionnaire schedule. The learning is one-off. The information becomes personal and private, unverified, and processed and appropriated by the interviewer. In contrast, with visual sharing of a map, model, diagram, or units (stones, seeds, small fruits, etc.) or lengths (stick, etc.) used for counting, estimating, ranking, scoring, and comparing, it is open to all who are present to participate. Different people add details, and crosscheck and correct each other.
(The) “needs” map determines how problems are to be addressed, through deficiency-oriented policies and programs. Public, private and nonprofit human service systems, often supported by university research and foundation funding, translate the programs into local activities that teach people the nature and extent of their problems, and the value of services as the answer to their problems. As a result, many lower income urban neighborhoods are now environments of service where behaviors are affected because residents come to believe that their well-being depends upon being a client. They begin to see themselves as people with special needs that can only be met by outsiders. They become consumers of services, with no incentive to be producers….
To create a wall between lower income communities and the rest of society—a wall of needs which, ironically enough, is built not on hatred but (at least partially) on the desire to “help” .… They think of themselves and their neighbors as fundamentally deficient, victims incapable of taking charge of their lives and their community’s future….
The Alternative path, very simply, leads toward development of policies and activities based on the capacities, skills and assets of lower income people and their neighborhoods.
In addition to the problems associated with the dominant deficiency model, at least two more factors argue for shifting to a capacity-oriented emphasis. First, all the historic evidence indicates that significant community development takes place only when local community people are committed to investing themselves and their resources in the effort. This observation explains why communities are never built from the top down, or from the outside in….
The second reason for emphasizing the development of the internal asssets of local urban neighborhoods is that the prospect for outside help is bleak indeed. Even in areas designated as Enterprise Zones, the odds are long that large-scale, job-providing industrial or service corporations will be locating in these neighborhoods. Nor is it likely, in the light of continuing budget constraints, that significant new inputs of federal money will be forthcoming soon….
Creative neighborhood leaders across the country have begun to recognize this hard truth, and have shifted their practices accordingly. They are discovering that wherever there are effective community development efforts, those efforts are based upon an understanding, or map, of the community’s assets, capacities and abilities. For it is clear that even the poorest neighborhood is a place where individuals and organizations represent resources upon which to rebuild. The key to neighborhood regeneration, then, is to lcocate all of the available local assets, to begin connecting them with one another in ways that multiply their power and effectiveness, and to begin harnessing those local institutions that are not yet available for local development purposes….
“Empowerment is not a new concept. Every society has local terms for autonomy, self-direction, self-confidence, self-worth. What is new is the attempt to measure empowerment in a systematic way.
The Voices of the Poor study conducted in 60 countries showed that voicelessness and powerlessness are pervasive among the poor, affecting every aspect of their lives. ((Narayan, Patel, et al Can Anyone Hear Us?; Narayan, Chambers, et al Crying Out for Change; Narayan and Petesch, From Many Lands) Trapped in poverty and barred from opportunity, poor people live with little expectation that tomorrow will bring anything good, despite their arduous work. In recognition of these realities, the World Bank has identified a two-pronged strategy to reduce poverty on a large scale. The strategy focuses on improving the overall investment climate in developing countries and on empowering people by investing in their assets.
An empowering approach to poverty reduction is grounded in the conviction that poor people themselves are invaluable partners for development, since they are the most motivated to move out of poverty. Nobody has more at stake in reducing poverty than poor people themselves. A growing body of evidence points to linkages between empowerment and development effectivness at both the society-wide scale and at the grassroots level. (Narayan Empowerment and Poverty Reduction: A Sourcebook, 2002) Empowerment approaches can strengthen good governance, which in turn enhances growth prospects. When citizens are engaged, exercise voice, and demand accountability, government performance improves and corruption is harder to sustain. Citizen participation can also build consensus in support of difficult reforms needed to create a positive investment climate and induce growth. In addition, the empowerment agenda supports development effectiveness by promoting growth patterns that are pro-poor. This involves reducing inequalities by investing in poor people’s capabilities through education and access to basic health care, as well as by increasing their access to land, financial capital, and markets.
Experience also demonstrates that empowerment can improve development effectiveness and pro-poor impact at the individual project level. Under certain conditions, grassroots community involvement is a powerful tool for the production, monitoring, and maintenance of local public good such as water supply, sanitation, schools, health clinics, roads, and forests, which in turn increases the development effectiveness of investments. Empowerment strategies at the project level are supported by civil liberties in society. Evidence shows that projects in countries with strong civil liberties—particularly citizen voice, participation, and accountability—significantly outperform projects in countries with weak civil liberties.
However, despite this widespread interest in and support for empowerment, work has only recently begun on construction of an analytical framework on empowerment that can be used to guide state reform and action. The World Bank’s Empowerment and Poverty: A Sourcebook provides an outline of such a framework. (Narayan, 2002). It views empowerment broadly as increasing poor people’s freedom of choice and action to share their own lives. It identifies four key elements that can change power relations between poor people and powerful actors: access to information, inclusion and participation, social accountability, and local organizational capacity.”….
In order to measure and monitor empowerment, it is important to have a clear definition of the concept and to specify a framework that both links empowerment to improved development outcomes and identifies determinants of empowerment itself.
Empowerment is the expansion of assets and capabilities of poor people to participate in, negotiate with, influence, control, and hold accountable institutions that affect their lives.
This definition can be applied to understand and track changes in the unequal relationship between poor people and the state, markets, or civil society, as well as gender inequalities, even within the household.
Moving from this broad definition, with its emphasis on institutions and interaction between poor people and more powerful actors, figure 1.1 outlines a conceptual framework that is helpful in understanding the key factors that facilitate or constrain poor people’s efforts to improve their own well-being and also affect boarder development outcomes.
· The problem is not exclusively technical and requires behavioral or/and social change.
· The problem is “intractable”—other solutions haven’t worked.
· Positive deviants are thought to exist.
· There is a sponsorship and local leadership commitment to address the issue.
· The community must own the entire process.
· The community discovers existing uncommon, successful behaviors and strategies.
· The community reflects on these existing solutions and adapts them to their circumstances.
· The community designs ways to practice and amplify successful behaviors and strategies.
· The community creates its own criteria for success and monitors progress.
Gandhi saw three types of swaraj nested inside each other: at the individual level, where one learns to control oneself in nonviolent life; control of the collective where the individual lives (gram swaraj); and the nation that practices nonviolent policies and the dignity of all.
This examination of Gandhi, is particularly interesting, looking at him as a theoretician and practioner of liberation: John Chathanatt, Gandhi and Gutierrez: Two paradigms of liberative transformation, (New Delhi, India: Decent Books, 2004.) p.230. | 2019-04-25T14:13:36Z | http://seed-scale.org/literature/conceptual-roots |
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