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Survey of current attitudes of pediatric hospitalists related to transition of care.
We developed and piloted a survey that was validated by an expert on transition. It was introduced it to the AAP/Pediatric Hospital Medicine Listserv using Survey MonkeyTM. Any participant who agreed to the informed consent was included in the survey.
Patients aged 16–17 with chronic medical conditions were taken care of by pediatric hospitalists 70% of the time. Patients aged 18–20 were cared for by pediatric hospitalists 36.8% of the time. Advantages of hospitalist participation in healthcare transition include improved continuity of care and quality of care. The biggest impediments might be lack of time and resources. Most surveyed would be interested in a web based educational module to develop their understanding of healthcare transition.
The importance of healthcare transition also resonates with pediatric hospitalists. The results of a 1988 National Health Survey revealed that 4% of all children with SHCN were hospitalized, and 2% of those with severe chronic conditions accounted for 27% of all hospital bed days.5 Or, stated differently, a small percentage of patients are admitted most frequently and stay the longest in the hospital. Further, transition for those with significant cognitive delay was more difficult, because of the lack of adult‐oriented providers who are willing to care for the patient and work collaboratively with the family.6 This has a significant implication for pediatric hospitalists, because it increases the likelihood that a severely affected 21 to 25‐year‐old patient will be admitted to the pediatric hospitalist service having not yet made a successful transition to an adult‐oriented provider.
Clearly, transition of care should have its roots in the outpatient medical home; however, often a patient with a chronic medical condition will spend extended periods of time in the hospital and away from their identified medical home. Although not a widely accepted concept, some may consider the pediatric hospitalist service to be an extension of the medical home for inpatients. The pediatric hospitalist is often the physician who cares for inpatients with SHCN because of their complexity. There are components of the transition process that specifically deal with hospitalization. Pediatric hospitalists should understand transition and their role in it, so that the process does not stop when patients are hospitalized.
Our hypothesis is that pediatric hospitalists are well poised to provide inpatient transition services, but insufficient understanding of the concepts and practical processes related to transition limit involvement. Through this exploratory survey, we hope to understand current attitudes and knowledge about transition. We survey the degree to which pediatric hospitalists want to participate in the process, the level of support that healthcare transition services receive from the institutions in which pediatric hospitalists practice, and potential barriers and benefits of their participation.
After a review of current literature, we developed an exploratory survey for pediatric hospitalists that was approved by our institutional review board, and was reviewed for content and face validity by a qualitative expert on transition of care. Using Survey Monkey, the survey was piloted with a small group of pediatric hospitalists for feedback regarding the clarity of the survey questions before it was introduced to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)/Pediatric Hospital Medicine Listserv. The Listserv is available to any pediatric hospitalist that joins. The exact number of pediatric hospitalists is unknown. A reasonable approximation of Listserv members at the time the survey was introduced is 1800. A fraction of that number is active on the Listserv, as defined by multiple postings during the course of an academic year. Pediatric hospitalists were the targeted group because of their expertise in the care of the adolescent and, often, young adult, with SHCN. The survey was voluntary and anonymous, and was reintroduced 3 times to capture as many participants as possible. The purpose of the survey was to gauge the interest, attitudes, and understanding of healthcare transition in a cross section of pediatric hospitalists.
This questionnaire contained 33 items and included a mixture of open‐ended questions, yes and no questions, and questions with responses that used a modified Likert scale. The survey questions were not adapted from another study or survey; they were developed in conjunction with 2 well‐published experts on the subject of transition. The demographic questions were used to help determine whether patterns related to transition services and knowledge could be detected based on age, gender, or type of practice, whether academic or community. The survey content included several areas: 1) Who is responsible for the care of young adults and adolescents; 2) Hospital‐based transition services; 3) Benefits or challenges for pediatric hospitalists who become involved in health care transition (HCT); 4) Knowledge of HCT and education opportunities. Informed consent was the first page; if consent was obtained, the participant could move forward in the survey (Table 1).
Who is primarily responsible for inpatient care of patients 16‐21?
Please rate your knowledge of healthcare transition.
Are there healthcare transition services in your hospital?
How old are patients when they first receive inpatient‐oriented healthcare transition services?
How beneficial are these services to the patient and the provider if available?
Does your hospital have a policy that mandates the age by which an adolescent/young adult patient must be transferred from Pediatrics to adult providers and facilities?
What factors determine age of transfer?
How big a problem is it transferring adolescent/young adult patients from Pediatrics to adult providers and facilities?
How prepared are adolescents and young adults in your institution for transition to adult services?
Should pediatric hospitalists be involved in providing healthcare transition services and supports to patients with chronic healthcare conditions in the inpatient setting?
How often have you been asked by a subspecialist to provide healthcare transition services and supports to patients with chronic health conditions in the inpatient setting?
Who is best qualified to provide healthcare transition services?
What are the biggest impediments and benefits to hospitalist involvement in healthcare transition services?
If there was an online educational training module about healthcare transitions, would you take it?
There were 131 participants who consented to participate in, and completed, the survey.
Of all participants, 42.5% identified their primary practice site as a pediatric hospital; 40.8% identified their primary practice setting as a children's hospital within a general hospital, and 15.8% identified their primary practice setting as a general hospital with pediatric beds but no designation as a children's hospital. The participants came from nearly every state in the United States; 69.2% were women and 30.8% were men. The ages ranged from 27 to 67, with the majority of participants in their mid‐30s and 40s. Most were boarded in Pediatrics and/or Internal Medicine with some subspecialties such as Physical Medical and Rehabilitation, Cardiology, Critical Care, Pulmonology, and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics represented. Although the sample size is small, it is representative of the larger population of pediatric hospitalists. There were no patterns detected based on demographics relative to the knowledge or participation in healthcare transition (Table 2).
Which Groups of Physicians Are Caring for Adolescent and Young Adult Patients?
Establishing whether pediatric subspecialists, adult providers, or pediatric hospitalists are the primary caregivers for adolescents and young adults with SCHN is important to determine whether the pediatric hospitalist is really well poised to deal with transition issues. If the pediatric hospitalist does not care for these patients, then developing modules to educate them about healthcare transition may not be necessary. As expected, pediatric hospitalists believe they care for adolescent and young adult patients with special healthcare needs in the vast majority of cases. Table 3 illustrates in more detail who is specifically responsible for their care.
Table 3. In Your Hospital, Who Is Responsible for Inpatient Care of the Majority of Patients Aged 16‐17 and Aged 18‐20?
Percentage indicates the number of times that answer was chosen by the respondents.
Participants in the survey were provided definitions of healthcare transition; they were asked to rate their knowledge of healthcare transition on a modified Likert scale, given the definition provided. The results can be seen in Figure 1.
Of all participants, 60.9% did not know if their hospital had inpatient‐oriented healthcare transition services. Another 27.8% only had informal or unstructured services for some patients with a chronic condition, and less than 1% of all respondents said they had a formal or structured program at their institution for inpatients with any chronic medical condition. Eighty percent thought transferring adolescent or young adult patients from pediatric to adult providers was a moderate to major problem.
Of those who responded to the survey, 97.6% feel that inpatient‐oriented healthcare transition services would be beneficial to adolescent and young adult patients, and 92.2% felt that these supports would be beneficial to pediatric providers. This is consistent with the data from another question in which respondents felt that only 1% of patients were quite a bit prepared for transition to inpatient adult providers, and that over half were only a little bit or not at all prepared.
Nearly 40% of institutions have a mandated age by which adolescent and young adult patients must be transferred to adult providers and facilities. Additionally, only 5.2% of those institutions have a written procedure or protocol that describes how these pediatric patients will be transferred to adult providers and institutions.
Sixty‐eight percent of respondents believe that the patient's primary care provider is the most qualified to discuss healthcare transition issues, followed by their pediatric subspecialists. However, more than 75% of respondents agree or strongly agree that pediatric hospitalists should be involved in providing healthcare transition services and supports to inpatients with chronic health conditions. Please refer to Table 4. Despite this, 58% of pediatric hospitalists are rarely, if ever, asked to participate in healthcare transition by their subspecialist counterparts.
Table 4. To What Extent Do You Agree or Disagree With the Statement Pediatric Hospitalists Should Be Involved in Providing Healthcare Transition Services and Supports to Patients With Chronic Healthcare Conditions.
The survey participants were given a list of potential barriers to participation in healthcare transition and were asked to rank 3 of the choices in order of significance, with 1 being the biggest perceived impediment and 3 being the least significant. Seventeen percent ranked lack of familiarity with healthcare transition resources as the biggest barrier in their setting. Thirteen percent indicated that lack of support from pediatric and adult subspecialists is the major barrier, and 13% felt that insufficient time to provide transition services and supports would be the most significant barrier to their participation in transition. Interestingly, billing and reimbursement issues were not seen as obstacles (see Supporting Information 1/Table 5 in the online version of this article).
The participants were given a set of potential benefits that might result from the pediatric hospitalist participation in transition of care. They were asked to rank 3 of the choices in order of importance, with 1 being the most important positive outcome to 3 being a lesser, but still positive, outcome. Twenty‐three percent of respondents ranked improved communication between pediatric and adult providers and facilities as being the most significant advantage. Twenty‐one percent ranked both better continuity of care in the inpatient setting, and better quality of care for adolescents and young adults with chronic healthcare conditions, as the most important potential advantages of pediatric hospitalist involvement in healthcare transition. However, most felt that improved cost effectiveness would not be an important result (see Supporting Information 2/Table 6 in the online version of this article).
If an educational module was offered, over half of the respondents would definitely or probably take the training, and another 22% might take the training.
This is an exploratory study which is limited by the small number of participants. Although the demographics of the participants include both young and experienced hospitalists, as well as academic and community institutions, it is difficult to determine whether the results are truly representative of the larger pediatric hospitalist population. The survey was also too long which may have deterred participation. Given the lack of experience and literature on pediatric hospitalist involvement in transition of care, it is difficult to construct a concise survey that addresses all of the concerns of the diverse hospitalist population. This is a new area of exploration for pediatric hospitalists, and ideally new questions will arise out of these preliminary findings, despite the limitations in the survey. Future surveys should focus on singular issues related to transition, and every attempt should be made to increase participation in the survey.
The survey demonstrates that the majority of the pediatric hospitalists believe providing transition services is important, but that transition programs are, for all practical purposes, nonexistent. Hospitalists believe the primary care doctor or the subspecialists should direct the transition process, but most clearly believe that their participation in the process would be beneficial for their patients, as evidenced by a 97.6% positive response to that question in the survey. Transition of care should be handled predominantly in the medical home.1 At this point, there is no literature that describes a pediatric hospitalist service as an inpatient medical home. However, pediatric hospitalists, not pediatric subspecialists, care for the majority of patients with SHCN in the transition age range while they are hospitalized; therefore, continuing the transition discussion while a patient is hospitalized may be a key component to its success. Better quality and continuity of care for the inpatient with SHCN is a potential advantage, as is coordination of services. Having the support of the pediatric subspecialists and the pediatric primary care provider is not only important, but it is critical in successful transition. Further, most pediatric hospitalists identify transfer of pediatric patients to adult providers as a major problem, and the perception is that only 1% of patients are adequately prepared for this transfer of care. Few institutions have a formalized process by which patients are transferred to adult care providers; however, many institutions have a mandated age at which they expect transfer of care to occur.
Other key issues that would be important for the pediatric hospitalist to address are the adolescents' understanding of his/her disease, current treatments, long‐term complications, and the impact of healthy and unhealthy behaviors.9 Because these issues can directly affect his/her hospitalization, the pediatric hospitalist should play a role in discussing these issues and reaffirming their importance in the overall health of the patient. This affirmation will also support the process of transition, and will give further confidence to the patient and family that the patient is becoming a responsible member of the healthcare team.
Many of the strategies espoused by experts in transition are part of what the pediatric hospitalist does regularly. The pediatric hospitalist is a resource for patients, families, and subspecialists, because of their comfort and expertise managing complex pediatric patients and because of their understanding of the hospital and how it functions. The process of transition of care should be part of what pediatric hospitalists are prepared to teach, because of the numbers of adolescent and young adult patients that are in their care. The current knowledge base for most pediatric hospitalists seems to be a basic understanding of what transition of care means, but little knowledge about how to go about engaging in the process. More and more transition is relevant to primary care doctors and hospitalists, as the medically complex patient survives into adolescence and adulthood.
The survey provides a snapshot of the current attitudes and beliefs of pediatric hospitalists relative to involvement in healthcare transition. This article addresses what we believe to be important questions for the pediatric hospitalist to ask, prior to becoming involved in healthcare transition. Our hypothesis, that pediatric hospitalists are well poised to provide inpatient transition services but are limited by lack of understanding of the concepts and process, is supported by the responses in the survey which show that pediatric hospitalists are interested in participating in healthcare transition but feel impeded by time, support, and understanding of the process of transition. A larger sample size is needed to strengthen the data and lend support to these observations. Additionally, more research to compare current models of transition services and a hospitalist model could be important in realizing the potential positive outcomes predicted in this survey. Education and resources for transition of care are inadequate. Targeted educational modules might provide a foundation for pediatric hospitalists to build their scope of practice to include transition services. The next step for interested pediatric hospitalists might be developing a web‐based module that addresses the unique needs of the inpatient provider and the chronically ill pediatric patient who spends a great deal of time as an inpatient. The measurable outcomes for such an intervention might well be the feeling of preparation that the family and patient have as they move into the adult provider world.
A consensus statement on health care transitions for young adults with special health care needs.Pediatrics.2002;110(6 pt 2):1304–1306.
Anthony SJ,Martin K,Drabble A,Seifert‐Hansen M,Dipchand AI,Kaufman M.Perceptions of transitional care needs and experiences in pediatric heart transplant recipients.Am J Transplant.2009;9(3):614–619.
Lotstein DS,Ghandour R,Cash A,McGuire E,Strickland B,Newacheck P.Planning for health care transitions: results from the 2005–2006 National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs.Pediatrics.2009;123(1):e145–e152.
US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau.The National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs, Chartbook 2005–2006.Rockville, MD:US Department of Health and Human Services;2008.
Gurvitz MZ,Inkelas M,Lee M,Stout K,Escarce J,Chang RK.Changes in hospitalization patterns among patients with congenital heart disease during the transition from adolescence to adulthood.J Am Coll Cardiol.2007;49(8):875–882.
Reiss JG,Gibson RW,Walker LR.Health care transition: youth, family, and provider perspectives.Pediatrics.2005;115(1):112–120.
Reiss J,Gibson R.Health care transition: destinations unknown.Pediatrics.2002;110(6 pt 2):1307–1314.
Saidi A,Kovacs AH.Developing a transition program from pediatric‐ to adult‐focused cardiology care: practical considerations.Congenit Heart Dis.2009;4(4):204–215.
Scal P.Transition for youth with chronic conditions: primary care physicians' approaches.Pediatrics.2002;110(6 pt 2):1315–1321. | 2019-04-19T12:28:40Z | https://www.journalofhospitalmedicine.com/jhospmed/article/126923/pediatric-hospitalist-role-transition |
A series of combos and boxing techniques to help you setup your left hook. Many boxers know how to throw a great left hook but for some reason never learned how to set it up. Read on to learn how throw dangerous left hooks without getting countered.
Below are a list of boxing tricks and punch combinations for you to try. They’re all ring-tested for maximum assurance. Practice on the bag to get the rhythm and then slow-spar in the ring to get use to throwing them in an effective rhythm. Some fighters like to throw on a perfect beat while other boxers like to fight on an offbeat to catch their opponent when they least expect it. Either way try everything below and let me know what worked for you! Good luck!
Jab first, then slip left outside of the opponent’s right hand counter, and throw a hard left hook to the body or the head.
If you’re being chased, just reverse the last combo: do a retreating jab (like a jab with a backstep instead of a frontstep), and then step and slip left, and then throw a counter left hook to his head or body.
Throw a left hook after any right uppercut. The right uppercut picks up his head, the left hook knocks it sideways.
Throw 2 left hooks. Throw a quick light one to the body, and then throw a big one upstairs. The first one could even be just a fake or just barely touch his elbow. Or you can also try a left hook and then do the 1st combo listed above.
When you are being overwhelmed along the ropes or your opponent is overly aggressive, you can bend at the waist and lean down so that your head is pointed somewhat in his direction and then using your back as a spring, you quickly pop up and throwing a lunging left hook. This is a great knockout counter. Be careful that you don’t get countered yourself.
Use angles. A left hook doesn’t always have to be parallel to the ground. Throw it at a weird diagonal angle so it’s kind of a left hook but also kind of an uppercut.
Don’t always aim for the head and ribs, try the solar plexus or the chest. If your opponent moves a lot, aim for his shoulders or his fist if he likes to duck forward a lot.
Aim for the other boxer’s gloves. A left hook is dangerous and the damage can be felt through the gloves. You might even be able to make him stab himself in the eye with his own glove and give you more time to punch him.
Many people don’t throw the left hook because they are afraid of getting countered by the right hand. If you ever want to become a great boxer, you must be able to do what I like to call “Overcoming the Left-Hook Right-Cross Stalemate”. There are several ways to throw a left hook without getting countered.
The easiest way to throw a left hook without getting countered is to throw it shorter to stop it from over-rotating. Too many boxers like to throw a left hook that goes “through” their opponent. What happens is that if they miss, they over-rotate their body and leave themselves open to a counter. What you do instead is just stop the hook at where it would have stopped anyway. This also makes for snappier left hooks but we’ll leave that for another article.
The next way to throw a left hook without getting countered is to learn how to throwing a pivoting left hook. In other words, your feet do not stay in one place when you throw that left hook. Instead, your body turns clockwise as your spin on your left foot. Your right foot is sweeping behind you as your whole body turns with the hook. What this does is allow you to left hook your opponent but if he throws the right hand at you, it will pass right through you. What many fighters will do is throw a hard left hook to the body and then throw a pivoting left hook to the head so that they’re safe from their opponent’s counters.
Watch Miguel Cotto! Study his fights and see how he manages to get away throwing multiple left hooks without getting countered! Copy his foot movement, timing, and overall body movement.
hey i emailed you earlier.I realy like the idea of whipping the punch since im south paw and it will give it more range.Also becouse it doesn’t rotate my body as much,which then brings me to the pivot left hook.Will it work if its being thrown from a south paw position?
The pivot left hook is definitely meant for a right-hander. If you are a southpaw what you can do instead is step to your left as you slap down your opponent’s right-hand punch and then throw a left hook or even a straight left.
In order, it’s a quick step to the left as you slap away his punch with your left hand. As soon as your left foot hits the ground, you anchored it and throw a big left hand counter-punch. Let me know how that feels. It should feel smooth.
Im having trouble with the left hook becouse my left hand is still a bit too weak for my liking.Is being a right handed south paw a good idea?would you recomend it?everyone i run into doesn’t seem to think so but it feels natural to me.
Ive been meaning to ask you where i can post my questions on how to improve peripheral vision cos i find that im very vulnerable to the left hook coming from the blind side,ivfe heard thet playing video games helps.
Forget about the guides and rules. Rules should be used as guides to help you reach maximum results. If you perform better in a way that goes against the rules, go ahead and use it. As for being a right-handed southpaw, that’s the same as the common practice of left-handed orthodox fighters – like Oscar De La Hoya is a converted left hander. The advantages are that you’ll have a big left hook (or in your case, a big right hook) and also a very powerful jab. For many people, the “weak” hand is still very useful since it has less muscle and moves faster. In any case, use what works and feels the best and forget about what other boxers tell you.
Peripheral vision in boxing has to do with a form of trained reflexes. While playing video games improve your response time, it won’t help your peripheral vision. If anything, video games will train your eye to become even more lazier since you’re always looking in the same spot.
The best way for you to overcome your “slow peripheral vision” is to slow-spar. Ask your opponent to move slower to the point where you can train your eye to see the left hooks coming. Once you feel comfortable at the slow speed, start picking up the pace and box at higher speeds. You should stop and slow down if you find yourself getting hit by them again. Practice makes perfect – good luck!
Dude you should really tell me where to post my questions cause i got lots.
Id like to know when it is a good idea to go for the body and how do you fight a south american style boxer.I live in south africa and whenever a south american fighter comes here he’s always a handfull for our local boxers cause they always come forward with a square stance and seem to be invulnerable to body shots.
Very nice information. I have just began training, but I’ve always noticed even since street fights my left hook is very powerful, considering I snapped my left arm clean inhalf when I was a child, and ever since then it’s been my weakest hand. I am a righty so I stand orthodox, but I also like to use my right hand as a jab so I switch to southpaw sometimes.
I like the info on the different types of hooks, and I will practice them.
Where should I throw most of my left hooks? Wheres the most effectiveness? Face or body?
I tend to work the body more than the head but I’ve learned to mix it up more. I just breathe the philosophy, destroy the body and the head dies with it.
um so I have a question….. u know how u say that we shouldn’t “punch through” the target. well I have saw video of freddie roach coaching pro boxers and he teaches them to punch through the target. He tells them to follow through with the elbow when throwing a hook.
@Anonymous – great question! I have a guide (coming soon) explaining this in full detail but here is the short answer: you want to punch THROUGH the surface of the target but not let yourself over-swing. The moment you know your punch has penetrated, you should prepare for the next punch. If you’re throwing a double hook, then you’ll have to stop it early. If you’re throwing a right cross next, then perhaps swinging it through will load up your right hand. One of my trainers also taught me to throw the boomerang hook. When you swing the hook out, let it swing all the way but once it passes the target, you begin to close your arm so that the hand returns back to your chin (like a boomerang). This way, the hand is still swinging through the target but also returning back to you.
Now I have a question about your article on the perfect stance.
In the stance that u showed as being the good one (the first one), is the distance between your toes the same as the distance between your heels? In other words, are the feet parallel? It doesn’t seem like it and I don’t think it should be parallel but I wanted to make sure.
And also another thing is that, the last stance shown on your article is what I feel like I see most fighters using. Or am I wrong?
@Anonymous – you’re correct. The feet are not perfectly parallel. Now this is going to be a very small nitpicky detail but I will explain it if you care to know. The feet may or may not be parallel. If your feet is parallel, it will be for smoother footwork movement, IMO. If the toes are spread wider, that will allow the right foot more room to pivot into a stronger right cross. If the toes are pinched inwards more, that allows the body a more defensive wobble. Bernard Hopkins is a big fan of pointing the toes a little more inwards, he’s a big fan of turning the knees inwards and “protecting your balls”. I do agree with him to some point. Pinching the toes inwards compacts your stance and points your leg strength inwards into each other for more support instead of outwards where you might be more easily pushed off balance. It’s hard to explain but you’ll just have to use whatever feels best for you.
The wide stance is definitely more commonly used. And I would advise you not to pay attention to those guys. The wide stance is for the athletic guys that always jump around. Ignore them. Watch the boxers with great footwork like De La Hoya, Pacquiao, Mayweather, Hopkins. Etc. You will see that their feet are under them more and not spread out so wide. It takes a bit of practice but will help you in mobility.
@Johnny N – so for an orthodox stance the front left foot should not be pointed straight ahead but a little to the right? and by widening the stance do u meaning stepping your feet out farther from each other or pointing your toes outward away from each other?
@Anonymous – the left foot should be pointed slightly to the right. This way you can step the left foot forward quickly without striking your heel against the ground. And by “widening the stance”, I meant that your feet are stepped out further from each other.
@Johnny N – I know u said in your article abut the perfect stance that widening the stance doesn’t give u balance but is it really so? I mean I know exaggerating your stance to much is bad but generally isn’t it that the closer the feet the less the balance? like if my feet are closer than shoulder width, it will be like a upside down pyramid where the base is smaller or closer together than the top, which would be bad for balance. but if my feet are wider, then it will be like a normal pyramid where the base is big and the weight on top is supported and is within the area of the base. aren’t those the reason why when stepping front u move your front feet out/wide first and then drag the back foot in and the opposite when moving back, so that your feet are never close together than like shoulder width?
or is it that balance is at peak when the feet are shoulder width apart and balance starts decreasing as we go wider or closer?
and btw whats wrong with the heel hitting the ground? bad for the knees?
@Anonymous – definitely your feet should not be closer than shoulder width. The perfect width is about slightly wider than shoulder width. While it’s true that spreading your feet much wider can give you a better base but it will affect your mobility.
There’s nothing wrong with the heel hitting the ground, many karate practitioners stand with their front foot facing forward. My opinion about facing the front foot straight forward is that it makes your body more square with your opponent as you move around. It also makes your heel strike the ground which slows down the speed at which you can move forward. You will have to experiment moving forwards and backwards and you will see what I mean.
@Johnny N – ok now that I think more about it, I think you’re right.
Now about lateral or side to side balance and mobility. When I use the “good stance” from your article it feels like I have less lateral balance and slower lateral mobility than maybe I am trying to get. It seems to me that using the third stance (too square) in your perfect stance article gives the most lateral balance and mobility, but I understand that it will make me more square and a larger target area for my opponent. and also, I agree that using that stance, it is a little slower moving front and back. So is there a way to improve lateral balance and mobility without sacrificing balance and mobility front and back or being too square?
reason I want to improve lateral balance and mobility is b/c it seems that a left hook is the most likely punch to push me off balance when using the good stance (btw I use orthodox stance). and also it is hardest to regain balance when I lose balance to the left side (my body leaning to the left). idk if I explained it properly. I think it is because since both my heels are pointing more to the left than right and the toes pointing more to the right. so like if I a lean to the right I can push off my right toe and regain balance but if I lean to the left there is only the heels to push off and I don’t that is effective. if I push off my toes when leaning left it will only push me more left. so only way to regain balance on left side is to step out left and sometimes a few steps to fully get balance if I get knocked off balance badly, like even if the left hook lands on my arm or glove and my opponent is powerful I can be pushed to the left and if I don’t step out quick I will lose my balance and will stagger a bit before I regain balance. so how can I fix that?
@Anonymous – I think you have to check and see if you’re standing up straight. Also when you punch, make sure you drop your body weight down and not swing your upper body forward into the punch. Your knees should always be slightly bent when you’re standing. It also seems to me like you might be standing with too much weight on your left leg. Try putting more weight onto your back leg and moving around to see if that fixes it.
@Anonymous – OOOHHHHHH ok. Sorry for misunderstanding. What you should do is drop your weight (slightly relaxing & bending the knees) as you block the left hook. It may also help to roll your upperbody slightly to the left as you roll with the left hook.
I’m a new boxer n I’m having trouble with my left strikes. Hw 2 make it better??????
i love the hook, it can be SO versatile. ortho to ortho, your left hook can be your jab, your body breaker, your one shot KO your combo KO or your accumlation KO. even if its not clean it creates chances. and new guys arent told that in the gyms at least in my days. im glad the internet is there for your newbies with people like you coach. thumbs up.
now you wrote everything great in the article, but boxers, if you got a good left hook, opponents will NOT give you once you have a name. this doesnt happen with jabs, or crosses or uppercuts or overhand rights. but theres a special set of moves boxers use to escape the left hook.
my comment is about how to counter the defensive stance taken against hook specialists.
4 things kill your chance to throw a hook: a guy always thinking about it, that bloody right glove (i love southpaws) stuck to the chin, a fighter moving to the right and someone who doesnt want to throw their cross. so setting it up means finding a way to not make them think about the hook, to get them to stop move for a second to the right, to get that right glove down. actually that 3rd one includes getting the glove down. bobbers dont escape the set-up left hook.
if you want the left hook, you gotta work for it. unless the opponent is a moron and a hands down fighter or crab who isnt roy jones or floyd. so jab with the step in, and fake fake fake. i say keep them busy with the fakes so they HAVE to stop thinking left hook. i know many dont have power but everyone can learn to feint. fake up go down. fake up go up. fake up go down with a hook. mixed in with jabs, if you land a few, you got a guy constantly thinking which of the 5 is he gonna do ? get him to try and beat you to the punch to try and throw over your jab. you got his right hand down moving now. the pivot jab will stop boxers thinking then can just keep going to your right. and you got body shots going which means he needs to defend down as well as up.
@cozy – are you having problems throwing them with good techniques? Or problems landing them in real combat?
@saber khan – once again, real advice from a true competitor.
What about a hook by putting the left arm like a right angle and quickly striking with the hips? is that another way to throw a hook? and is the lunge hook the same as a lead left hook?
Hooks are usually thrown with the left arm at a right angle or as close to a right angle as possible. What’s most important is that you hit your opponent with a solid punch. There are so many ways to throw a hook that I couldn’t define outright the different between a lead left hook and a lunging left hook. Both could be the same thing depending on how you throw it.
a little addendum J-just checked and on most forums theyre calling every single lunge hook a lead left hook. one can do a lead left going forwards, standing their ground or going backwards (if its the first punch its called the lead hook). the lunging hook means youre back foot has to move forward to punch and you either land on the front foot or turn southpaw due to the turning effect.
hi johnny, how I can strengthen my left hook?
hey johnny i got a problem. Whenever i hit a 1-2-3 combo the 1-2 land but my opponent keeps stepping backward and out of range for my left hook. He is constantly moving all the time so cant hit him with a left hook and if i lunge in for the left hook he always counters it so that is also not an option. Do u have any advice about what i should do?
C’mon now. You can’t treat your opponent like a heavy bag. Different guys are vulnerable to different combos. If your 1-2 lands, try doing a 1-2-1. Or 1-2-1-2b. Or get closer before you throw punches. My advice for you is to stop trying to do something that doesn’t work. Guys that constantly move backwards are not easy to hit with short punches like hooks.
JHONNY, WHICH OF THE LEFT HOOK 4 DANNY GARCIA LAUNCHES? | 2019-04-21T04:55:21Z | https://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-techniques/punch-techniques/setting-up-the-left-hook |
PRESIDENT Hugo Chavez of Venezuela routinely blames foreign conspirators for any opposition to his plans to turn his country into a socialist paradise. Yet his latest attempt to rewrite the constitution to allow him to remain in office indefinitely has brought the opposition closer to home: his critics now include his ex-wife.
Marisabel Rodriguez, the mother of Chavez’s nine-year-old daughter Rosines, has startled Venezuelans by plunging into a fierce battle over today’s constitutional referendum with a warning that her ex-husband is bent on “an absolute concentration of power”.
Rodriguez, who married Chavez in 1998 and left him four years later, is one of a growing number of people who have dared to criticise the Venezuelan leader’s plans, at a time when his personal popularity has appeared unassailable among the beneficiaries of his oil-financed welfare programmes.
Yet growing unease at what one senior general has described as “a constitutional coup d’état” has sparked revolt on the streets of Caracas and outspoken criticism from former Chavez allies such as Rodriguez. She said she became disillusioned with her husband’s politics at an early stage and divorced him rather than become “a wife of convenience, a wife of appearance”.
Riding the wave of an energy boom, Chavez is promising to transform Venezuela into a people’s republic where a strong president can ensure that buoyant oil revenues are spent primarily on the poor. “Capitalist Venezuela is entering its grave,” he said earlier this month.
Yet proposed reforms abolishing presidential term limits, weakening private property rights and centralising administrative powers have provoked unexpectedly fierce opposition. Tens of thousands of people protested at the proposals in marches through Caracas last week.
Opinion polls suggest the race may be closer than the president had expected, but it would still be a shock if Chavez, who controls all the levers of government, failed to produce a “yes” vote by the end of today.
For the western governments gloomily monitoring Chavez’s antics, no early respite seems likely from the loud-mouthed populist who variously refers to President George W Bush as a devil, a donkey, a coward, a murderer and, in one particularly colourful outburst, as “more dangerous than a monkey with a razor blade”.
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, facing a close vote in a referendum tomorrow to change the constitution, stepped up attacks against the U.S., Spanish banks and the media in an offensive aimed at winning over voters.
Chavez told tens of thousands of supporters in Caracas he is prepared to stay in power until 2050 if voters pass his proposal, which includes eliminating presidential term limits. He vowed to seize Spanish banks and expel journalists from the country to defend his goal of turning Venezuela into a socialist state.
By portraying Venezuela’s economic independence and his so- called socialist revolution as being under siege, Chavez is seeking to motivate undecided supporters to approve the referendum, said David Scott Palmer, a professor of political science and international relations at Boston University.
“Chavez sees a tightening electoral situation for Sunday and this explains the invective and the increase in conspiracy theories involving various foreign actors,” Palmer said in a telephone interview.
Today, Chavez said he would shut down oil exports to the U.S. if it interferes in tomorrow’s vote. That would send the price of oil to $200 a barrel, he told foreign journalists at a Caracas press conference.
Chavez’s rhetoric may tone down with a victory on Sunday, while a defeat may provoke him to make good on pledges to nationalize banks controlled by Spanish lenders, said Miguel Octavio Vegas, executive director of Caracas-based brokerage Bbo Servicios Financieros.
Chavez, who was first elected in 1998, says modifications to the constitution are needed to further his socialist revolution, which he says will transfer power to citizens and help redistribute income from soaring oil prices. The proposed changes include cutting the workday to six hours from eight, nationalizing the gas and coal industries, and ending central bank independence.
The proposal has divided Venezuelans, and some pollsters say the outcome of the referendum is too close to call a year after Chavez won re-election with 63 percent support.
About 100,000 opponents of the referendum rallied in Caracas on Nov. 29, according to estimates by opposition leaders including the First Justice political party. Estimates of the turnout by Chavez’s supporters last night weren’t immediately available.
Chavez said the U.S. had written a plan to destabilize the country during and after this weekend’s referendum. He didn’t give details. Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said earlier this week he may kick out a U.S. embassy worker over the document.
Chavez said he’ll shut down local news channel Globovision and expel foreign journalists if they “break rules” in their coverage of the referendum.
Spanish King Juan Carlos can prevent Chavez from moving against Spanish investments in Venezuela by apologizing for remarks made last month, Chavez said. The king told Chavez to “shut up” during the Ibero-American summit in Santiago on Nov. 10.
After his threat to nationalize private banks last night, Chavez went to an event where he used money from public-sector banks to offer low-interest loans and mortgages to business owners and renters.
Venezuelans were alienated by sales of state assets to foreign companies in the 1990s and may be won over by Chavez’s pro-nationalization speech, HSBC’s Hernandez said. In January, Chavez nationalized the oil and electricity industries and the country’s biggest phone company.
Cesar Aristimuno, a Caracas-based banking analyst, said a seizure of the units of Banco Santander SA and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA, Spain’s two biggest banks, might fulfill Chavez’s goal of using credit to spread his socialist revolution more rapidly in low-income urban and rural communities.
BBVA’s Banco Provincial SA and Santander’s Banco de Venezuela SA make up for a third of the system’s profits and 20 percent of outstanding loans, according to government data.
In a Nov. 29 report, Moody’s Investors Service said Chavez’s constitutional plans may pave the way for a nationalization of the industry, which has posted record profits in the three of the past four years.
Madrid-based spokesmen for Santander and BBVA declined to comment on Chavez’s remarks.
An entire continent is sliding unremarked into dictatorship. That continent is South America, traditionally treated by the British press as a byword for dullness. In a famous competition among sub-editors at The Times to find the most boring headline, the winner, by a comfortable margin, was “Small earthquake in Chile: not many dead”.
Well, a tremor is now pulsing through the entire region, throwing down parliament after parliament. Please, before your eye skips on to the next article, pause to consider how swiftly, and with what enthusiasm, constitutional government can be overturned.
Ten years ago, every country in South America, with the arguable exception of my native Peru, was a liberal democracy. Not any more.
Venezuelans are voting today on whether to grant their strongman, Hugo Chavez, untrammelled powers. Whatever the result, the fact that such a Caligulan notion can be put to a referendum is telling.
Nor is Venezuela alone. Bolivia’s Evo Morales and Ecuador’s Rafael Correa have, like Chavez, sacked their supreme courts, dissolved their legislatures and summoned constituent assemblies to “refound” their republics on socialist principles.
With the exception of Colombia, every country in the region is now in the hands of the authoritarian Left.
Not all South America’s socialists are autocrats, of course. Some – Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chile’s Michelle Bachelet – are comparative moderates. But the moderates have more in common with the caudillos than is often supposed.
Democracy will be made to seem responsible for the lagging economy, the scarcity and uncertainties. The very concept of democracy could then be brought into question and allow for the seizure of power.
– “The First Global Revolution” (1991) published by the Club of Rome. Members of the Club of Rome include: Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, Bill Gates, George Soros and author of the Kyoto Protocols Maurice Strong.
Pubs are likely to pump hundreds of thousands of tons of additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as a result of the smoking ban.
Policy advisers predict that emissions from patio heaters in pubs and restaurants will increase from 22,200 tons of greenhouse gases a year to up to 282,000 tons – the equivalent of flying a jumbo jet 171 times around the Earth.
Heaters will be used for more than 237 days a year, when outdoor temperatures are lower than 15C, says the report, from Market Transformation. A further 80,000 tons of carbon dioxide will be produced next year by patio heaters in private gardens, according to an earlier study by the Energy Saving Trust.
Environmentalists say the heaters must now be banned if Britain is to meet carbon dioxide emission targets.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has stepped up the use of torture against political opponents, civil rights protesters and students in an attempt to clamp down on dissent ahead of next year’s elections.
A Sunday Telegraph investigation has revealed how torture methods that were once used only by the feared Central Intelligence Organisation, Zimbabwe’s internal security agency, are now routinely employed by uniformed police officers. Victims report that electric shock torture is being used simply to spread indiscriminate terror.
They have given vivid testimony of life behind the barbed-wire fences of Fairbridge camp, a sprawling police detention centre in dusty bushland 15 miles outside Zimbabwe’s second biggest city, Bulawayo. It backs up claims by Zimbabwe’s opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), that the government has stepped up its campaign of intimidation despite the continuing talks between the two sides mediated by South Africa’s president, Thabo Mbeki.
The revelations from former camp inmates also raise further concerns about the decision by Portugal, which holds the presidency of the European Union, to invite Mr Mugabe to next weekend’s EU Africa summit in Lisbon. The invitation has prompted the Prime Minister Gordon Brown to boycott the event, saying he will not share a table with a man guilty of “oppression and repression”.
Fairbridge, which houses a feared police unit known as the “Black Boots”, acts as a regional interrogation centre for students and protest leaders arrested in southern Zimbabwe, where support for the MDC is strongest. Its bloodstained cells have been full in recent months as Mr Mugabe seeks to quell protests over the country’s 8,000 per cent inflation rate and chronic food and fuel shortages.
Accountancy student Velathi Ncube, 25, was among 30 taken there after taking part in a protest over a 400 per cent increase in fees at Bulawayo’s National University of Science & Technology. “They put us all in one room and told us to lie on the floor on our stomachs, then they started beating us randomly,” he said.
“They said ‘we’ll teach you not to rebel against the authorities, we’ll show you who has power now’. They took us one by one to another room for questioning.
The next day, he and the other students were dumped in the bush 45 miles away.
Another victim, 33-year-old Mandla Nyathi, a Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions activist, told how he and five other union members were taken to Fairbridge after being arrested during a demonstration. “When we arrived we were taken into a room whose walls were covered with blood, and the floor was strewn with broken bottles and odd shoes,” he said.
When he still refused to give them any information, police officers took out whips and started lashing him.
Some of the worst alleged abuses by police have been carried out upon members of the civil protest group Woman of Zimbabwe Arise, most of whom are ordinary mothers. Of 397 members interviewed in a recent survey, 40 per cent said they had been tortured by police, and 26 per cent needed medical treatment for their injuries.
One activist, Angela Nkomo, revealed how she was taken to Fairbridge after taking part in a demonstration in Bulawayo early this year.
According to the latest monthly report on political violence produced by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, during the first nine months of this year there were 776 cases of assault and 526 cases of torture – almost twice as many as over the same period last year.
Tendai Chabvuta, head of the forum’s research unit, linked the increase in torture to the forthcoming congress of Mr Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party next month. It is expected to ratify Mr Mugabe as its presidential candidate for elections due in March.
“It’s quite clear that 2007 is the worst year for human rights in terms of politically motivated violence against opposition forces and human rights activists,” said Mr Chabvuta.
Behind bars: Mr Trepashkin accused the FSB, the main successor to the Soviet KGB, of being involved in a series of bombings that killed nearly 300 people in 1999.
A former Russian secret service official claims to have evidence pointing to Moscow’s involvement in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.
Mikhail Trepashkin, who used to be in Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), said a colleague told him in 2002 that a group was being set up to “take out” Mr Litvinenko, the former Russian agent who died of radioactive poisoning a year ago.
An associate of Boris Berezovsky, the exiled oligarch who is a vocal critic of president Vladimir Putin, Mr Litvinenko died after ingesting polonium 210, a rare radioactive isotope, at a hotel in Mayfair, London.
“I had a meeting with an FSB officer in August, 2002, who said there had been a very serious group formed that would wipe out all those linked with Berezovsky and Litvinenko and take them out too,” said Mr Trepashkin, who once wrote to Mr Litvinenko warning him that his life was in danger.
“It is clear that this group was made up of employees and agents of the FSB. The FSB are people who only work on the orders of those higher up,” he said.
Mr Trepashkin was speaking hours after being released from a prison in the Ural mountains, where he had been held since 2004 after being convicted by a military court of disclosing classified information.
He was accused of passing secrets to MI5 through Mr Litvinenko and Mr Berezovsky. But he claims the evidence against him was fabricated as revenge for his whistle-blowing.
Mr Litvinenko and Mr Trepashkin were among a group of FSB officers, some wearing ski masks to conceal their identity, who told a news conference in Moscow in 1998 they had been given an order to kill Mr Berezovsky.
Mr Trepashkin later accused the FSB, the main successor to the Soviet KGB, of being involved in a series of bombings that killed nearly 300 people in 1999. Officials blamed Chechen militants for the attacks.
“I have a feeling of euphoria. Finally I have been able to pull myself out of that hell,” he said.
An FSB spokesman declined to comment on the allegations. Moscow has previously said that claims of its involvement in Mr Litvinenko’s death are being used by its enemies in order to discredit it.
In a letter which Mr Litvinenko’s associates claim he wrote as he lay dying in a London hospital, he accused Mr Putin of being responsible for his death.
Moscow (PTI): Thiry thousand former KGB officials and retired employees of the Soviet era law enforcement bodies have been mobilised by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) to thwart possible rigging of ballots during tomorrow’s poll to the State Duma.
They will monitor the polls to the lower house to thwart rigging of ballots in favour of President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, which has been widely using its administrative resources during the campaign that ended midnight on Friday night, KPRF leader Gennady Zyuganov said.
According various opinion surveys, KPRF, the only potent opposition to the pro-Kremlin party, is poised to get at least 10 per cent votes threshold for its proportional representation in the 450-strong State Duma.
Zyuganov said his observers will monitor counting of ballots in at least 30,000 polling stations spread over 11 time zones and their reports would be used for projecting a true picture of the polling.
Kremlin insiders said, a decisive win for United Russia can give Putin, who will step down in March 2008, a mandate to pull the strings of power, even without holding any government post.
According to Chairman of Election Commission Vladimir Churov, political parties would send an estimated 1.5-2 million observers to some 96,000 polling stations across the country and in all about 350 international observers will be monitoring the elections.
For the Russians living abroad, 360 polling stations would be set up in the Russian diplomatic missions in foreign countries, including in India.
Over 350,000 police officers and para-military forces have been deployed to avert terror strikes, local media reported. | 2019-04-20T03:08:40Z | https://aftermathnews.wordpress.com/2007/12/02/ |
In response to the concern expressed by Episcopal Conferences throughout the world, a study on the presence and activity of “sects,” “new religious movements,” [and) “cults” has been undertaken by the Vatican Secretariat for Non- Believers and the Pontifical Council for Culture. These departments, along with the Secretariat of State, have shared this concern for quite some time.
As a first step in this study project, a questionnaire (cf. Appendix) was sent out in February, 1984, to episcopal Conferences and similar bodies by the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity in the name of the forementioned departments of the Holy See, with the aim of gathering reliable information and indications for pastoral action, and exploring further lines of research. To date (October, 1985), many replies have been received by Episcopal Conferences on all continents, as well as from regional Episcopal bodies. Some replies included detailed information from particular dioceses and were accompanied by copies of pastoral letters, booklets, articles, and studies.
It is clearly not possible to summarize the vast documentation received, and which will need to be constantly updated as a basis for a constructive pastoral response to the challenge presented by the sects, new religious movements, and groups. The present report can only attempt to give a first overall picture, and is based on the replies and documentation received.
2. Reasons for the spread of these movements and groups.
3. Pastoral challenges and approaches.
5. Invitation from the 1985 Synod.
6. Questions for further study and research.
1.1 What are “Sects”? What Does One Mean by “Cults”?
It is important to realize that there exist difficulties in concepts, definitions, and terminology. The terms sect and cult are somewhat derogatory and seem to imply a rather negative value judgment. One might prefer more neutral terms such as new religious movements, new religious groups. The question of the definition of those movements or groups as distinct from church or legitimate movements within a church is a contentious matter.
It will help to distinguish sects that find their origin in the Christian religion from those which come from another religious or humanitarian source. The matter becomes quite delicate when these groups are of Christian origin. Nevertheless, it is important to make this distinction. Indeed, certain sectarian mentalities and attitudes, i.e., attitudes of intolerance and aggressive proselytizing, do not necessarily constitute a sect nor do they suffice to characterize a sect. One also finds these attitudes in groups of Christian believers within the churches and ecclesiastical communities. However, these groups can change positively through a deepening of their Christian formation and through the contact with other fellow Christians. In this way they can grow into an increasingly ecclesial mind and attitude.
For practical reasons, a cult or sect is sometimes defined as ‘any religious group with a distinctive worldview of its own derived from, but not identical with, the teachings of a major world religion. As we are speaking here of special groups which usually pose a threat to people’s freedom and to society in general, cults and sects have also been characterized as possessing a number of distinctive features. These often are that they [groups] are often authoritarian in structure, that they exercise forms of brainwashing and mind control, that they cultivate group pressure and instill feelings of guilt and fear, etc. The basic work on these characteristic marks was published by an American, Dave Breese, Know the marks of Cults (Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1985).
Whatever the difficulties with regard to distinguishing between sects of Christian origin and churches, ecclesial communities or Christian movements, the responses to the Questionnaire reveal at times a serious lack of understanding and knowledge of other Christian churches and ecclesial communities. Some include among sects churches and ecclesial communities which are not in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Also, adherents of major world religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) may find themselves classified as belonging to a sect.
1.2 However, and apart from the difficulties mentioned, almost all the local churches do see the emergence and rapid proliferation of all kinds of “new” religious or pseudo-religious movements, groups, and practices. The phenomenon is considered by almost all responses as a serious matter, by some as an alarming matter; in only a very few countries does there not seem to exist any problem (e.g., in predominantly Islamic countries).
In some cases the phenomenon appears within the mainline churches themselves (sectarian attitudes). In other cases it occurs outside the churches (independent or free churches; messianic or prophetic movements), or against the churches (sects, cults), often establishing for themselves church-like patterns. However, not all are religious in their real content or ultimate purpose.
1.3 The phenomenon develops fast, and often quite successfully, and often poses pastoral problems. The most immediate pastoral problem is that of knowing how to deal with a member of a Catholic family who has been involved in a sect. The parish priest or local pastoral worker or advisor usually has to deal first and foremost with the relatives and friends of such a person. Often, the person involved can be approached only indirectly. In those cases when the person can be approached directly in order to give him or her guidance, or to advise an ex-member on how to reintegrate into society and the Church, psychological skill and expertise is required.
The most vulnerable groups in the church, especially the youth, seem to be the most affected. When they are “footloose,” unemployed, not active in parish life or voluntary parish work, or come from an unstable family background, or belong to ethnic minority groups, or live in places which are rather far from the Church’s reach, etc. they are a most likely target for the new movements and sects. Some sects seem to attract mainly people in the middle-age group. Others thrive on membership from well-to-do and highly educated families. In this context, mention must be made of university campuses which are often favorable breeding grounds for sects or places of recruitment. Moreover, difficult relations with the clergy, or an irregular marriage situation, can lead one to break with the church and join a new group.
Very few people seem to join a sect for evil reasons. Perhaps the greatest opportunity of the sects is to attract good people and good motivation in those people. In fact, they usually succeed best when society or Church have failed to touch this good motivation.
1.5 The reasons for the success among Catholics are indeed manifold and can be identified on several levels. They are primarily related to the needs and aspirations which are seemingly not being met in the mainline Churches. They are also related to the recruitment and training techniques of the sects. They can be external either to the mainline Churches or to the new groups: economic advantages, political interest or pressure, mere curiosity, etc.
An assessment of these reasons can be adequately done only from within the very particular context in which they emerge. However, the results of a general assessment (and this is what this report is about) can, and in this case do, reveal a whole range of “particular” reasons which as a matter of fact turn out to be almost universal. A growing interdependence in today’s world might provide us with an explanation for this.
The phenomenon seems to be symptomatic of the depersonalizing structures of contemporary society, largely produced in the West and widely exported to the rest of the world, which create multiple crisis situations on the individual as well as on the social level. These crisis situations reveal various needs, aspirations, and questions which in turn call for psychological and spiritual responses. The sects claim to have, and to give, these responses. They do this on both the affective and cognitive level, often responding to the affective needs in a way that deadens the cognitive faculties.
These basic needs and aspirations can be described as so many expressions of the human search for wholeness and harmony, participation and realization, on all the levels of human existence and experience, so many attempts to meet the human quest for truth and meaning, for those constitutive values which at certain times in collective as well as, individual history seem to be hidden, broken, or lost especially in the case of people who are upset by rapid change, acute stress, fear, etc.
1.6 The responses to the Questionnaire show that the phenomenon is to be seen not so much as a threat to the Church (although many respondents do consider the aggressive proselytism of some sects a major problem), but rather as a pastoral challenge. Some respondents emphasize that, while at all times preserving our own integrity and honesty, we should remember that each religious group has the right to profess its own faith and to live according to its own conscience. They stress that in dealing with individual groups we have the duty to proceed according to the principles of religious dialogue which have been laid down by the Second Vatican Council and in later Church documents. Moreover, it is imperative to remember the respect due to each individual, and that our attitude to sincere believers should be one of openness and understanding, not of condemnation.
The responses to the Questionnaire show a great need for information, education of believers, and a renewed pastoral approach.
Crisis situations or general vulnerability can reveal and/or produce needs and aspirations which become basic motivations for turning to the sects. They appear on the cognitive as well as on the affective level, and are relational in character, i.e., centered upon “self’ in relations with “others” (social), with the past, present and future (cultural, existential), with the transcendent (religious). These levels and dimensions are interrelated. These needs and aspirations can be grouped under nine major headings, although in individual cases they often overlap. For each group of “aspirations” we indicate what the sects seem to offer. The main reasons for their success can be seen from that point of view, but one must also take into account the recruitment practices and indoctrinational techniques of many sects (cf. below 2.2).
The fabric of many communities has been destroyed; traditional lifestyles have been disrupted; homes are broken up; people feet uprooted and lonely. Thus the need to belong.
Terms used in the responses: belonging, love, community, communication, warmth, concern, care, suppor4 friendship, affection, fraternity, help, solidarity, encounter, dialogue, consolation, acceptance, under- standing, sharing, closeness, mutuality, togetherness, fellowship, reconciliation, tolerance, roots, security, refuge, protection, safety, shelter, home.
The sects appear to offer: human warmth, care and support in small and close-knit communities; sharing of purpose and fellowship; attention for the individual; protection and security, especially in crisis situations: resocialization of marginalized individuals (for instance, the divorced or immigrants). The sect often does the thinking for the individual.
In complex and confused situations people naturally search for answer, and solutions. The sects appear to offer: simple and ready-made answers etc) complicated questions and situations; simplified and partial versions of traditional truths and values; a pragmatic theology, a theology of success, a syncretistic theology proposed as “new revelation”; ‘new truth” to people who often have little of the “old” truth; clearcut directives; a claim to moral superiority; proofs from “supernatural” elements: glossolalia trance, mediumship, prophecies, possession, etc.
Many people feel that they are out of touch with themselves, with others with their culture and environment. They experience brokenness. They have been hurt by parents or teachers, by the church or society. They feel left out. They want a religious view that can harmonize everything an( everybody; worship that leaves room for body and soul, for participation, spontaneity, creativity. They want healing, including bodily healing (African respondents particularly insist on this point).
Terms used in response: healing, wholeness, integration, integrity harmony, peace, reconciliation, spontaneity, creativity, participation.
The sects appear to offer. a gratifying religious experience, being saved, conversion; room for feelings and emotions, for spontaneity (e.g., ii) religious celebrations); bodily and spiritual healing; help with drug or drink problem; relevance to the life situation.
This aspect is very closely linked with the previous one. In many Third World countries the society finds itself greatly dissociated from the traditional cultural, social, and religious values; and traditional believers, share this feeling.
The main terms used in the responses are: inculturation/incarnation, alienation, modernization.
The sect appears to offer: plenty of room for traditional cultural/religious heritage, creativity, spontaneity, participation, a style of prayer and preaching closer to the cultural traits and aspirations of the people.
People feel a need to rise out of anonymity, to build an identity, to feel that they are in some way special and not just a number or a faceless member of a crowd. Large parishes and congregations, administration-oriented concern and clericalism, leave little room for approaching every person individually and in the person’s life situation.
Terms used in response: self-esteem, affirmation, chances, relevance, participation.
The sects appear to offer: concern for the individual; equal opportunities for ministry and leadership, for participation, for witnessing, for expression; awakening to one’s own potential, the chance to be part of an elite group.
Research suggests that a surprisingly large proportion of the population will, if questioned, admit to having some kind of religious or spiritual experience, say that this has changed their lives in some significant way and most pertinently add that they have never told anyone about the experience … Many young people say that they have frequently known difficulty in getting teachers or clergy to discuss, let alone answer, their most important and ultimate questions.
Terms used in the responses: transcendence, sacred, mystery, mystical, meditation, celebration, worship, truth, faith, spirituality, meaning, goals, values, symbols, prayer, freedom, awakening, conviction.
The sects appear to offer: the Bible and Bible education; a sense of salvation, gifts of the Spirit; medication; spiritual achievement.
Some groups not only offer permission to express and explore ultimate questions in a “safe” social context, but also a language and concepts with which to do so, as well as the presentation of a clear, relatively unambiguous set of answers.
There may be a lack of parental support in the seeker’s fancily or lack of leadership, patience, and personal commitment on the part of church leaders or educators.
Terms used: guidance, devotion, commitment affirmation, leadership, guru.
The sects appear to offer: guidance and orientation through strong, charismatic leadership. The person of the master, leader, guru, plays an important role in binding the disciples. At times there is not only submission but emotional surrender and even an almost hysterical devotion to a strong spiritual leader (messiah, prophe4 guru).
The world of today is an interdependent world of hostility and conflict, violence and fear of destruction. People feel worried about the future; often despairing, helpless, hopeless, and powerless. They look for signs of hope, for a way out. Some have a desire, however vague, to make the world better.
Terms used: vision, awakening, commitment, newness, a new order, a way out, alternatives, goals, hope.
This aspect is closely linked with the previous one. Many seekers not only feel the need of a vision in the present world society and toward the future; they also want to participate in decision making, in planning, in realizing.
The sects appear to offer: a concrete mission for a better world, a call for total dedication, participation on most levels.
By way of summary, one can say that the sects seem to live by what they believe, with powerful (often magnetic) conviction, devotion, and commitment; going out of their way to meet people where they are, warmly, personally, and directly, pulling the individual out of anonymity, promoting participation, spontaneity, responsibility, commitment …. and practicing an intensive follow-up through multiple contacts, home visits, and continuing support and guidance. They help to reinterpret one’s experience, to reassess one’s values and to approach ultimate issues in an all-embracing system. They usually make convincing use of the word: preaching, literature, and mass media (for Christian groups, strong emphasis on the Bible); and often also of the ministry of healing. In one word, they present themselves as the only answer, the ‘good news’ in a chaotic world.
However, although all this counts mostly for the success of the sects, other reasons also exist, such as the recruitment and training techniques and indoctrination procedures used by certain sects.
Some recruitment, training techniques, and indoctrination procedures practiced by a number of the cults, which often are highly sophisticated, partly account for their success. Those most often attracted by such measures are those who, first, do not know that the approach is often staged and, second, who are unaware of the nature of the contrived conversion and training methods (the social and psychological manipulation) to which they are subjected. The sects often impose their own norms of thinking, feeling, and behaving. This is in contrast to the church’s approach, which implies full-capacity informed consent.
Young and elderly alike who are at loose ends and are easy prey to those techniques and methods, which are often a combination of affection and deception (cf. the “love bombing,” the “personality test,” or the ‘.surrender”). These techniques proceed from a positive approach, but gradually achieve a kind of mind control through the use of abusive behavior-modification techniques.
–Subtle process of introduction of the convert and his gradual discovery of the real hosts.
–Overpowering techniques: love bombing, offering “a free meal at an international center for friends,” “flirty fishing” technique (prostitution as a method of recruitment).
–Ready-made answers and decisions are being almost forced upon the recruits.
–Requirement of unconditional surrender to the initiator, leader.
–Isolation: control of the rational thinking process, elimination of outside information and influence (family, friends, newspapers, magazines, television, radio, medical treatment, etc., which might break the spell of involvement and the process of absorption and feelings and attitudes and patterns of behavior.
–Processing recruits away from their past lives; focusing on past deviant behavior such as drug use, sexual misdeeds; playing upon psychological hang-ups, poor social relationships, etc.
–Consciousness-altering methods leading to cognitive disturbances (intellectual bombardment); use of thought-stopping cliches; closed system of logic; restriction of reflective thinking.
–Keeping the recruits constantly busy and never alone; continual exhortation and training in order to arrive at an exalted spiritual status, altered consciousness, automatic submission to directives; stifling resistance and negativity; response to fear in a way that greater fear is often aroused.
–Strong focus on the leader; some groups may even downgrade the role of Christ in favor of the founder (in the case of some ‘Christian” sects).
A breakdown of traditional social structures, cultural patterns and traditional sets of values caused by industrialization, urbanization, migration, rapid development of communication systems, all-rational technocratic systems, etc., leave many individuals confused, uprooted, insecure, and therefore vulnerable. In these situations there is naturally a search for a solution., and often the simpler the better. There is also the temptation to accept the solution as the only and final answer.
They suffer a loss of direction, lack of orientation, lack of participation in decision making, lack of real answers to their real questions. They experience fear because of various forms of violence, conflict, hostility: fear of ecological disaster, war and nuclear holocaust; social conflicts, manipulation.
They feel frustrated, rootless, homeless, unprotected; hopeless and helpless and consequently unmotivated; lonely at home, in school, at work, on the campus, in the city; lost in anonymity, isolation, marginalization, alienation, i.e., feeling that they do not belong, that they are misunderstood, betrayed, oppressed, deceived, estranged, irrelevant not listened to, unaccepted, not taken seriously.
They are disillusioned with technological society, the military, big business, labor, exploitation, educational systems, church laws and practices, government policies.
They might have learned to want to see themselves as conscientious “doers,’ not worthless drifters or self-seeking opportunists, but often do not know what to do or how to do it.
They are at a loss at various ‘in-between” times (between school and university, between school and work, between marriage and divorce, between village and city).
In summary, one could say that all these symptoms represent so many forms of alienation (from oneself, from others, from one’s roots, culture, etc.). One could say that the needs and aspirations expressed in the responses to the questionnaire are so many forms of a search for “presence” (to oneself, to others, to God). Those who feel lost want to be found. In other words, there is a vacuum crying out to be filled, which is indeed the context in which we can understand not only the criticisms toward the church which many responses contain, but foremost the pastoral concerns and proposed approaches. The replies to the questionnaire point out many deficiencies and inadequacies in the actual behavior of the church which can facilitate the success of the sects. However, without further insisting on them, we will mainly emphasize the positive pastoral approaches which are suggested or called for. If these are acted upon, the challenge of the sects may prove to have been a useful stimulus for spiritual and ecclesial renewal.
Almost all the responses appeal for a rethinking (at least in many local situations) of the traditional parish-community system; a search for community patterns which will be more fraternal, more “to the measure of man” more adapted to people’s life situation; more basic ecclesial communities; caring communities of lively faith, love (warmth, acceptance, understanding, reconciliation, fellowship), and hope; celebrating communities; praying communities; missionary communities; outgoing and witnessing; communities open to and supporting people who have special problems; the divorced and remarried, the marginalized.
The responses put string emphasis on the need for evangelization, catechesis, education and ongoing education in the faith – biblical, theological, ecumenical – of the faithful at the level of the local communities, and of the clergy and those involved in formation. (One reply advocates” reflective courses” for teachers, youth leaders, clergy, and religious.) This ongoing process should be both informative, with information about our own Catholic tradition (beliefs, practices, spirituality, meditation, contemplation, etc.) about other traditions and about the new religious groups, etc., and formative, with guidance in personal and communal faith, a deeper sense of the transcendent, of the eschatological, or religious commitment, of community spirit, etc. The church should not only be a sign of hope for people, but should also give them the reasons for that hope; it should help to ask questions as well as to answer them. In this process there is an overall emphasis on the centrality of Holy Scripture. Greater and better use should be made of the mass media of communication.
People must be helped to know themselves as unique, loved by a personal God, and with a personal history from birth through death to resurrection. “Old truth” should continually become for them “new truth” through a genuine sense of renewal, but with criteria and a framework of thinking that will not be shaken by every “newness” that comes their way. Special attention should be paid to the experiential dimension, i.e., discovering Christ personally through prayer and dedication (e.g., the charismatic and born again” movements). Many Christians live as if they had never been born at all! Special attention must be given to the healing ministry through prayers, reconciliation, fellowship, and care. Our pastoral concern should not be one-dimensional; it should extend not only to the spiritual, but also to the physical, psychological, social, cultural, economic, and political dimensions.
The question of inculturation is a fundamental one. It is particularly stressed by the responses from Africa, which reveal a feeling of estrangement from Western forms of worship and ministry which are often quite irrelevant to people’s cultural environment and life situation. One respondent declared.
Africans want to be Christians. We have given them accommodation but no home … They want a simpler Christianity, integrated into all aspects of daily life, into the suffering, joys, work, aspirations, fears, and needs of the African … The young recognize in the independent churches a genuine vein of the African tradition of doing things religious.
Some suggest a rethinking of the classic Saturday evening/Sunday morning liturgical patterns, which often remain foreign to the daily life situation. The word of God should be rediscovered as an important community-building element. ‘Reception” should receive as much attention as ‘conservation.’ There should be room for joyful creativity, a belief in Christian inspiration and capacity of “invention,’ and a greater sense of communal celebration. Here again, inculturation is a must (with due respect for the nature of the liturgy and for the demands of universality).
Many respondents insist on the biblical dimension of preaching; on the need to speak the people’s language; the need for careful preparation of teaching and liturgy (as far as possible done by a team, including lay participation). Preaching is not mere theorizing, intellectualizing, and rnoralizing, but presupposes the witness of the preacher’s life. Preaching, worship, and community prayer should not necessarily be confined to traditional places of worship.
Most respondents are aware of the growing shortage of ordained ministers and of religious men and women. This calls for stronger promotion of diversified ministry and the ongoing formation of lay leadership. More attention should perhaps be given to the role that can be played in an approach to the sects – or at least to those attracted by the sects – by lay people who, within the church and in collaboration with their pastors, exercise true leadership, both spiritually and pastorally. Priests should not be identified mainly as administrators, office workers, and judges, but rather as brothers, guides, consolers, and men of prayer. There is too often a distance that needs to be bridged between the faithful and the bishop, even between the bishop and his priests. The ministry of bishop and priest is a ministry of unity and communion which must become visible to the faithful.
In conclusion, what is to be our attitude, our approach to the sew? Clearly it is not possible to give one simple answer. The sects themselves are too diverse; the situations – religious, cultural, social – too different. The answer will not be the same when we consider the sects in relation to the “unchurched,” the unbaptized, the unbeliever, and when we are dealing with their impact on baptized Christians and especially on Catholics or ex-Catholics. Our respondents are naturally concerned mainly with this last group.
Clearly too, we cannot be naively irenical. We have sufficiently analyzed the action of the sects to see that the attitudes and methods of some of them can be destructive to personalities, disruptive to families and society, and their tenets far removed from the teachings of Christ and his church. In many countries we suspec4 and in some cases know, that powerful ideological forces, as well as economic and political interests, are at work through the sects, which are totally foreign to a genuine concern for the “human” and are using the “human” for inhumane purposes.
It is necessary to inform the faithful, especially the young, to put them on their guard and even to enlist professional help for counseling, legal protection, etc. At times we may have to recognize and even support appropriate measures on the part of the state acting in its own sphere.
We may know too from experience that there is generally little or no possibility of dialogue with the sects; and that not only are they themselves not open to dialogue, but they can also be a serious obstacle to ecumenical education and effort wherever they are active.
And yes, if we are to be true to our own beliefs and principles – respect for the human person, respect for religious freedom, Nth in the action of the Spirit working in unfathomable ways for the accomplishment of God’s loving will for all humankind, for each individual man, woman, and child, we cannot simply be satisfied with condemning and combating the sects, with seeing them perhaps outlawed or expelled and individuals “deprogrammed” against their will. The “challenge” of the new religious movements is to stimulate our own renewal for a greater pastoral efficacy.
It is surely also to develop within ourselves and in our communities the mind of Christ in their regard, trying to understand “where they are” and, where possible, reaching out to them in Christian love.
We have to pursue these goals, being faithful to the true teaching of Christ, with love for all men and women. We must not allow any preoccupation with the sects to diminish our zeal for true ecumenism among all Christians.
5.1 The extraordinary synod of 1985 called to celebrate, assess, and promote the Second Vatican Council, gave certain orientations concerning the renewal of the church today. These orientations, which address themselves to the general needs of the church, are also a reply to the needs and aspirations which some people seek in the sects (3.1). They underline the pastoral challenges and the need for pastoral planning.
5.2 The final report of the synod notes that the world situation is changing and that the signs of the times must be analyzed continually (11, D7). The church is often seen simply as an institution, perhaps because it gives too much importance to structures and not enough to drawing people to God in Christ.
5.3 As a global solution to the world’s problems, the synod’s invitation is to an integral understanding of the council, to an interior assimilation of it, and putting it into practice. The church must be understood and lived as a mystery (11, A; cf. 3.1.6) and as communion (11, B; cf. 4.1; 4.6). The church must commit itself to becoming more fully the sign and instrument of communion and reconciliation among men (1, A2; cf. 4.1; 3.1.6). All Christians are called to holiness, that is, to conversion of the heart and participation in the trinitarian life of God (11, A4; cf. 3.1.1; 3.1.5). The Christian community needs people who live a realistic and worldly holiness. Since the church is a communion, it must embody participation and co-responsibility at all levels (11, C6; cf. 4.6; 3.1.9). Christians must accept all truly human values (11, D3) as well as those specifically religious (IL DS) so as to bring about enculturation, which is “the intimate transformation of authentic cultural values through their integration in Christianity and in the various human cultures” (11, D4; cf. 3.7.4; 4A). ‘The Catholic Church refuses nothing of what is true and holy in non-Christian religions. Indeed, Catholics must recognize, preserve, and promote all the good spiritual and moral, as well as socio-cultural, values that they find in their midst (11, DS). “The church must prophetically denounce every form of poverty and oppression, and everywhere defend and promote the fundamental and inalienable rights of the human person” (11, D6; cf. 3.2).
5.4 The synod gives some practical orientations. It stresses spiritual formation (11, A5; cf. 3.1.7; 4.2), commitinent to integral and systematic evangelization, and catechesis to be accompanied by witness which interprets it (11, Ba2; cf. 3.1.8; 3.1.3) precisely because the salvific mission of the church is integral (H, D6; cf. 4.3) securing interior and spiritual participation in the liturgy (H B6; cE 3.1.9; 4.5); encouraging spiritual and theological dialogue among Christians (fl, C7) and dialogue “which may open and communicate inferiority”; fostering concrete forms of the spiritual journey such as consecrated life, spiritual movements, popular devotion (IL A4; cf 3.1.7), and giving greater importance to the word of God (U, Bal), realizing that the Gospel reaches people through witness to it (U, Ba2).
N.B. Where possible, the study and research should be undertaken in ecumenical cooperation.
a) The different types of sect in the fight of Lumen Gentium, No. 16, Unitatis Redinlegratio and Nostra Aelaie.
b) The “religious” content of ,esoteric,, and “human potential” sects.
c) Christian mysticism in relation to the search for religious experience in the sects.
d) The use of the Bible in the sects.
b) The ministry of healing in the early church and in the sects.
c) The role of the prophetic and Charismatic figures (during their lifetime and after their death).
(It is in this field that most work seems to have been done already).
a) Recruitment techniques and their effects.
b) After-effects of sect membership and deprogramming.
c) Religious needs and experiences of adolescents and young adults and their interaction with sexual developnien4 in relation to the sea.
d) Authority patterns in the se= in relation to the lack of a need for authority in contemporary society.
c) The Possibility or impossibility of “dialogue” with the sects.
b) Family breakups or irregular family status in reaction to the attraction of the sects.
c) Sect membership and the solidity of the fancily; family pressures on children of sect members.
d) Family patterns and conjugal morality in the sects.
opportunities for self-expression and responsibility (cf., sects founded by women).
inferior position of women in different types of sect: Christian fundamentalist groups, Oriental sects, African sects, etc.
6.6 Acculturation and inculturation of sects and their evolution in different cultural and religious contexts: in traditional Christian cultures, in recently evangelized cultures, in totally secularized societies or those undergoing a rapid process of secularization (with its diverse impact on Western and “non-Western” cultures). Migration and the sects.
6.7 A comparative historical and sociological study of youth movements in Europe before World War 11 and youth membership in contemporary cults and sects.
6.8 Religious freedom in relation to the sects: ethical, legal, and theological aspects. Effects of government action and other social pressures. Interaction between political, economic, and religious factors.
6.9 The images of sects in public opinion and the effect of public opinion on sects.
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* This report, originally released on June 11, 1986, is reprinted with permission from the Vatican Secretariat for Non-Christians. Text in italic type reflects emphases in the original. | 2019-04-21T02:20:03Z | https://culticstudies.org/the-vatican-report-sects-or-new-religious-movements-csj-3-1/ |
With about two weeks to go until the winter transfer window slams shut, this is the second part of our comprehensive transfer round-up featuring the bottom eight teams from last season’s Super League. All transfers are accurate as of February 13th – don’t miss part one which went out yesterday.
By far the biggest transfer movers at the bottom half of the table, Shenhua made international headlines with the signing of veteran Australian Tim Cahill from New York Red Bulls. There is more on the former Everton man’s potential impact here and here and plenty of evidence that, at 35, he’s still got it here. Cahill will be joined at Hongkou by a pair of international centre backs in the shape of Stoppila Sunzu and Avraam Papadopoulos. Zambian African Cup of Nations winner Sunzu arrives from French side Sochaux, while the Greek defender has been acquired from Trabzonspor in Turkey.
Defender Li Jianbin and goalkeeper Geng Xiaofeng arrive from Guangzhou Evergrande and Shandong Luneng, respectively after loan periods with Shenhua over the last couple of years. 29-year-old winger Lv Zheng has followed Geng from Jinan and he will be accompanied at Hongkou by Zhang Lu and Wang Yun. Neither of that pair are highly regarded, but both finished as the top scorers at their respective clubs Henan Jianye and Shanghai Shenxin last season. Some idea of how all these new signing may mesh together can be found in Steve Crook’s North Terrace news 2015 Shenhua preview.
Hongkou’s exit door has been quieter than in recent years with foreign trio Cho Byung-Kuk, Paolo Andre and Lucas Viatri leading the way out. Aged veteran Xu Liang called time on his career at 33 and the most recent departure is that of Taiwanese international Chen Po-liang who was allowed to leave for Hangzhou Greentown after failing to establish himself in 2014 during his only season with Shenhua.
It’s been and uneventful winter for last years’ tenth place finishers. Young Olympic team forward Yang Chaosheng will remain with the squad after extending his six month loan from Guangzhou Evergrande for another year, but that’s the sum of Liaoning’s transfer activity with just two weeks of the window remaining.
Foreign forwards Kevin Oris and Aleksander Jevtic have both been shipped out following disappointing debut seasons, while reserve goalkeeper Shi Xiaotian has moved to Beijing Guo’an on a one year loan. Otherwise, six fringe players who didn’t appear in 2014 have departed for near neighbors Shenyang Zhongze and goalkeeper Zhu Zilin has made last season’s loan to Inner Mongolia Zhongyou permanent.
In comparison to their two noisy neighbours, Shenxin’s transfer window has been very low key with a heavy dependence on recruitment from the lower leagues. The club took advantage of Yanbian Changbaishan‘s relegation brief hiatus from League One to acquire their captain, Chi Zhongguo, and right winger Cui Ren. The ethnic Koreans are both in the mid-twenties and, particularly in the case of the former, have been courted by Super League teams for quite some time.
Goalkeepers Zhang Xunwei and Zhang Yinuo both join from last season’s League One with the former arriving from Shenzhen FC following a wage dispute with the Guangdong club and the latter coming from Chengdu Tiancheng who have sadly been dissolved following their relegation from the second tier.
International Olympic team striker Chen Hao arrives on a year long loan from Shandong Luneng and he will be joined in the attacking unit by Nigerian Daniel Chima who has been drafted in from Norway. The 23-year-old cost 1.2 million Euros from Molde where he won three league titles in five seasons.
Shenxin’s biggest losses have been 2014 top scorer Wang Yun and first choice goalkeeper Liu Dianzuo. Wang will remain in the city with Shenhua, while Liu had an impressive 2014 and has already made his competitive debut for new side Guangzhou R&F.
Elsewhere, full back Ge Zhen has been granted a move to Hangzhou Greentown after losing his status as a regular first teamer in 2014 and Brazilian Jailton Paraiba was released after three years with the club, but will remain in China after being picked up by the aforementioned Yanbian Changbaishan. Finally, defender Zhao Zuojun follows the familiar pattern of joining Inner Mongolia Zhongyou on a permanent deal after helping them get promoted from League Two while on loan.
It’s been a pretty tumultuous summer in Zhejiang where the arrival of veteran French Head Coach Phillipe Troussier precipitated a major upheaval in the playing staff. The club’s most important signing was one that almost looked like it wasn’t going to happen – the permanent capture of last season’s 16 goal superstar Anselmo Ramon. After his loan spell ended, the Brazilian returned to Cruzeiro where he looked poised to remain until a $3 million transfer fee convinced the Brazilian champions to allow the 26-year-old to sign a three year contract with Hangzhou.
It is clear that Greentown didn’t expect Ramon to return because they had already filled their 2015 quota of foreign players by the time he signed. A pair of six foot four Tunisians followed Troussier from his previous club, CS Sfaxien, and will play in defence and attack, respectively. Bassem Boulabi is a 30-year-old centre back who has joined Hangzou in a permanent deal, while Imad Louati is a 21-year-old striker who arrives on a one year loan.
Veteran Lebanese midfielder Roda Antar arrives to begin his seventh season in the Super League after five years with Shandong Luneng and a season with Jiangsu Sainty. The final foreign signing is the pleasantly named Gambian striker Steve who comes to Zhejiang fresh from winning his domestic league with Real de Banjul and scooping the country’s golden boot in the process. Unfortunately for the 20-year-old, Greentown have also maintained the services of Ivorian Davy Claude Angan and so the word is that Ramon’s late arrival will force the young Gambian out on loan somewhere.
Domestically, Hangzhou took advantage of the confusion over Chongqing Lifan’s future to poach midfielder Huang Xiyang from Henan Jianye. The 29-year-old, who scored four goals in eighteen appearances last season, looked set to move back to his newly promoted hometown club until its owner balked at the price of competing in the Super League and almost sold it (more on that below). Greentown were able to step into the vacuum and sign Huang up to a two year contract.
Otherwise, Greentown have looked towards Shanghai in order to bolster their squad. Full back Ge Zhen has been recruited from Shenxin while, most recently, Taiwanese international Chen Po-liang has been drafted in from Shenhua. The attacking midfielder didn’t get much of an opportunity at Hongkou after arriving from Shenzhen Ruby last season, and will have a point to prove should he get more playing time in 2015.
Hangzhou’s exit door has been almost as busy as its entrance with several players moving to pastures new. Foreign trio Luka Zinko, Son Dae-Ho and Gilberto Macena have all left the Yellow Dragon Stadium. Of the three, the latter has been the biggest disappointment after a much hyped move from Shandong Luneng at the end of last season. The Brazilian forward managed just four league goals in 25 games, but may still be seen by Chinese football fans this year as his loan move to Thai champions Burriram United means that he will be in the same Champions League group as Guangzhou R&F should they get through next week’s playoff against Central Coast Mariners.
In terms of Chinese players, Hangzhou took two big hits in the departures of Wang Song and Shi Ke, respectively. Wang pulled Hangzhou’s midfield strings for five years, but has moved on to high flying Guangzhou R&F, while Shi, at 22, is the captain of the Chinese Olympic football team. Wang’s departure will be upsetting for Hangzhou fans, but the long term consequences of Shi’s move to Shanghai SIPG may be worse as the young centre back’s exit will weaken an already struggling defence that shipped a league leading 60 goals last season.
Hangzhou have also allowed Tang Jiashu and Jiang Bo to leave for Beijing BG. Full back, Tang, was on loan at Shenxin last season, while Jiang will reprise his role as the League One outfit’s first choice goalkeeper that he first took up while on loan last season under the team’s previous guise of Beijing Baxy.
Domestically, Changchun delighted their fans by signing old favourite Du Zhenyu from Tianjin TEDA, as well as Shao Shuai and Han Deming from relegated Harbin Yiteng. From abroad, Nigerien Moussa Maazou and Hungarian Akos Elek have come in from Maritimo and Diosgyori VTK, respectively, while former Super League golden boot winner Hernan Barcos returns to China from Gremio. Check out James Reeves’ The North East View for the full lowdown on Changchun.
Seven of the domestic squad have been released without finding new clubs, while Liu Weidong and Li Xiaoting have been loaned to Chongqing Lifan and Harbin Yiteng, respectively. Veteran centre back Wang Wanpeng was also let go but he will stay in the northeast after securing a move to Dalian Aerbin. There have also been significant upheaval among the foreign playing staff as, 2014 top scorer, Eninho, Fatos Beqiraj and Walter Iglesias have all been let go.
Jianye, who survived relegation from last year’s Super League by the skin of their teeth, have undergone a great deal of upheaval in an off-season that has seen them introduce three relatively obscure foreign aids and a quartet of players from League One. Eddi Gomes, Mateusz Zachara and Javier Patino are the trio imported from abroad and they come from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Gomes is a Danish centre back who was born in Guinea-Bissau. He arrives from Danish club Esbjerg fB for a fee of 1.5 million Euros. Zachara is a 24-year-old Polish striker who was plucked from Gornik Zabrze in his native land for 500,000 Euros and Patino is a Philippines international who was purchased from Burriram United for 1 million Euros. The 26-year-old striker is half Spanish and has had some degree of success in Thailand having scored 35 times in two seasons on the way to a pair of league titles.
The Zhengzhou side have acquired two goalkeepers in the shape of Guo Chunquan, who started 13 games for Harbin Yiteng in last year’s Super League, and Wu Yan. Wu was one of the stars of Wuhan Zall’s failed promotion chase in 2014 and the 26-year-old has a real shot at following in the footsteps of Evergrande keeper Zeng Cheng who moved from Wuhan to Jianye on his way to becoming one of China’s elite goalkeepers.
Li Zhichao arrives in Zhengzhou on the back of a season that saw him bang in seven goals from midfield for Beijing Baxy BG and 26-year-old Lei Yongchi has departed Shenyang Zhongze after 3 years with his hometown club.
Whoever is responsible for Jianye’s paperwork will have had a very busy winter as the team has parted ways with no less than eighteen members of last year’s first team squad. Foreign players Lee Ji-Nam, Ryan Johnson, Nando Rafael and Marques will all be playing their football elsewhere next season. Of the quartet, versatile defender Lee, who moved back to Korea with Jeonnam Dragons will probably the be the most sorely missed, while Marques, who moves to Palmeiras on loan, will always be remembered for a late run of goals last season that helped keep Jianye up.
Of the domestic losses, 2014 top scorer Zhang Lu‘s will be keenly felt. The creative and sometimes erratic winger scored seven Super League goals last season and has accordingly been snapped up by Shanghai Shenhua. Left back, Li Lei, who was injured for much of last season has moved to Beijing Guo’an, midfielder Huang Xiyang has made his way to Hangzhou Greentown and 29-year-old right back Tan Wangsong has exited for Chongqing Lifan.
Of the ten squad members released without moving directly to another team, seven featured in last seasons Super League while two were regular starters. He Bin, Li Zhaonan, Qiao Wei, Zhang Li and Wang Jia’nan all appeared during the sides’ relegation battle, while Zhou Yajun and Zhu Yifan both started over half of Jianye’s league games. Goalkeeper, Zhou, played every game in the first half of the season before being replaced by Han Feng in the second part of the year, but Zhu’s release is perhaps the biggest surprise. The 26-year-old midfielder had been in Henan for two seasons and after a slow start to 2014, looked very competent in the seventeen games in which he started. The former Guo’an player is likely to be picked up by another team sooner rather than later.
The biggest “in” for Chongqing is the fact that they are in the Super League at all. After securing promotion as 2014 League One champions, chairman Yin Mingshan suddenly balked at the price of participating in the Super League after a four year absence and looked to sell the club. Uncertainty swarmed around the south west for most of the winter as new buyers were sought and it looked as though the team would either switch location or drop out of the league altogether. Finally, on January 29th, two days before the deadline, Chongqing Lifan officially registered for 2015 and so will compete in this year’s Super League.
The backroom furor made it impossible for Chongqing to make any signings and they lost out to hometown midfielder Huang Xiyang as a result. It also appeared as though they were going to miss out on long term target Sun Jihai but, despite strong interest from Dalian Aerbin, Sun showed the kind of patience expected of a man of 37 and made the switch to Lifan after five years with Guizhou Renhe.
The former Manchester City centre back will be joined in defence by Tan Wangsong who arrives from Henan Jianye. Their other two Chinese acquisitions are both loan signings. Attacking midfielder Liu Weidong has made the long trip from Changchun Yatai after failing to appear in the second half of last season and 23-year-old Peng Xinli arrives from Guangzhou Evergrande after two years on loan in the lower leagues.
The most recent signing is that of Brazilian striker Jaja from Metalist Kharkiv. The 28-year-old has been brought in after a second, less successful, spell with the Ukranian club and will join last year’s League One top scorer, Guto, in the Chongqing attack.
While the moratorium on transfer activity allowed Chongqing to fall behind their rivals in terms of buys, it has also allowed them to keep their entire 2014 squad together with two notable exceptions. The Brazilian duo of Elias and Luiz Eduardo were deemed unworthy of the Super League even before the chairman decided he couldn’t afford to be there. Accordingly, they were both cut loose and have since found clubs in their native land.
In comparison to fellow promoted side Chongqing, Shijiazhuang have had an uneventful winter. The only major change has seen them follow the example of many a Chinese student and get themselves an English name. Shijiazhuang Yongchang are now Shijiazhuang Ever Bright and, after a slow start, the Super League new boys have made some astute signings in preparation for their first ever season in the top flight. Importantly, for a team without much of a budget, all of them have been free.
Zambian international striker Jacob Mulenga has been brought in from Turkish side Adana Demirspor while the Hebei outfit have clearly been studying Super League etiquette by getting themselves a South Korean centre back. 31-year-old former international Cho Yong-hyun arrives from Qatari side Al-Shamal after five seasons in the Qatar Stars League.
Domestically, Ever Bright have focused on experience. Veteran centre back Xu Bo comes in after finding himself increasingly marginalised at a Guangzhou R&F club where he spent his entire career, and 30-year-old goalkeeper Guan Zhen arrives on the back of a season which saw him make 13 starts for Jiangsu Sainty. The midfield will also be bolstered by the arrival of the versatile Li Chunyu who featured in eighteen Super League games for Guizhou Renhe last season.
Finally, Shijiazhuang have taken a chance on 28-year-old Beijing Guo’an attacker Mao Jianqing. After bursting on to the scene as a teenager with Shanghai Shenhua, Mao played in the 2007 Asian Cup but, since leaving Shenhua in 2009, his career has gone progressively down hill and he spent last season on loan at League One Qingdao Jonoon where he scored six goals.
Much like fellow promotees Chongqing, Shijiazhuang’s outgoings have been scant, with the one significant loss being Bulgarian Emil Gargorov. The 33-year-old only spent six months in Hebei, but he will be forever remembered by Shijiazhuang fans as the player who both won and scored the last minute penalty that earned them their first ever promotion. Otherwise, Shijiazhuang’s losses amount to six squad members whose contracts were not renewed. | 2019-04-26T00:56:17Z | https://wildeastfootball.net/2015/02/winter-transfer-round-up-part-2-all-the-chinese-super-league-moves/ |
While there are numerous works on the role of Muslim women in jurisprudence (fiqh) and literature, there are also studies on Muslim women in education and in medicine - although on a much smaller scale -, few sources mention the role of Muslim women in the development of science, technology and governance. There are isolated references that mention some of the famous women who had a role in advancing science and who established charitable, educational and religious institutions. Some examples include Zubayda who pioneered a most ambitious project of digging wells and building service stations all along the pilgrimage route from Baghdad to Mecca, Sutayta who was a mathematician and an expert witness in courts, Dhayfa Khatun who excelled in management and statesmanship, Fatima al-Fihriyya who founded the Qarawiyin mosque and university in Fez, along with the astrolabe maker Al-'Ijliya. This is not to mention the rulers and Queens such as Sitt al-Mulk, Shajarat al-Durr, Raziya of Delhi, and Amina of Zaria. In view of the growing importance of the subject of gender and women in society, this report presents what is currently known about some famous Muslim women, in the hope of initiating debate and starting the process of unearthing what could be a most significant find.
In scholarship, there are isolated and scattered references to the famous women who had a role in advancing science and who established charitable, educational and religious institutions. Some examples include Zubayda bint Ja'far al-Mansur who pioneered a most ambitious project of digging wells and building service stations all along the pilgrimage route from Baghdad to Mecca, Sutayta who was a mathematician and an expert witness in the courts, Dhayfa Khatun who excelled in management and statesmanship, Fatima al-Fihriyya who founded the Qarawiyin mosque in Fez, Morocco, which is said to be the first university in the world, and the engineer Al-'Ijlia who made astrolabes in Aleppo.
Figure 1: A famous signed sketch of Hypatia, included as an insert in Elbert Hubbard's pamphlet Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Teachers, vol. 23, no 4, 1908.
Over thousands of years, many women have left a mark on their societies, changing the course of history and influencing significant spheres of life. Since ancient times, women have excelled in the areas of poetry, literature, medicine, philosophy and mathematics. A famous example is Hypatia (ca. 370-415), a philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, and teacher who lived in Alexandria, in Hellenistic Egypt, and who participated in that city's educational community .
In contrast, we find little information on Muslim women's contributions in the classical books of history. New light might arise from the study of not yet edited manuscripts. There are around 5 million manuscripts in archives around the world. Only about 50,000 of them are edited and most of these are not about science . This points to the challenging task lying ahead for researchers into the subject.
For several years, Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi conducted a long term and large scale project to unearth the biographies of thousands of women who participated in the hadith tradition throughout Islamic history. In Al-Muhaddithat: The Women Scholars in Islam , Dr Nadwi summarised his 40-volume biographical dictionary (in Arabic) of the Muslim women who studied and taught hadith. Even in this short text, he demonstrates the central role women had in preserving the Prophet's teaching, which remains the master-guide to understanding the Qur'an as rules and norms for life. Within the bounds of their religion, women routinely attended and gave classes in the major mosques and madrasas, travelled intensively for ‘knowledge', transmitted and critiqued hadith, issued fatwas (rulings), and so on. Some of the most renowned male scholars have depended on, and praised, the scholarship of their female teachers. The women scholars enjoyed considerable public authority in society, not as the exception, but as the norm.
The huge body of information reviewed in Al-Muhaddithat is essential to understanding the role of women in Islamic society, their past achievements and future potential. Hitherto it has been so dispersed as to be ‘hidden'. The information in Dr Nadwi's dictionary will greatly facilitate further study, contextualisation and analysis .
Figure 3: From an adjacent room, women attend the preaching of Shaykh Baha'al-Din Veled in Balkh, Afghanistan. Miniature in Jami' al-Siyar, 1600. MS Hazine 1230, folio 112a, Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul. (Source).
The entries are compiled from a number of sources. Many of the biographical collections devote a section to women, like volume eight of the Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'd and al-Sakhawi's Kitab an-Nisa'. Sometimes references are found within biographies of other references. A number of notable scholars mention their teachers, who included a number of women. Ibn Hajar studied with 53 women, as-Sakhawi had ijazas from 68 women, and as-Suyuti studied with 33 women – a quarter of his shaykhs. Al-Aghani by Abu'l-Faraj al-Isbahani is the major source for singers. An excellent modern source is A'lam an-Nisa' by ‘Umar Rida Kahhala, which consists of five volumes dealing with notable women, and is by no means inclusive" .
Figure 5: Anonymous oil painting portrait, now located at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, of Hürrem Sultan or Roxelana (c. 1510 - April 18, 1558), the wife of Süleyman the Magnificent, known for her charities and engagement in several major works of public building, from Mecca to Jerusalem and in Istanbul. (Source).
The making of astrolabes, a branch of applied science of great status, was practiced by Al-'Ijliyah bint al-'Ijli al-Asturlabi, who followed her father's profession in Aleppo and was employed at the court of Sayf al-Dawlah (333 H/944 CE-357/967), one of the powerful Hamdanid rulers in northern Syria who guarded the frontier with the Byzantine empire in the tenth century CE.
In the development of the art of calligraphy, one woman at least took part. Thana' was a slave in the household of the tutor to one of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mansur's sons. This tutor, Ibn Qayyuma, seems to have been a dedicated teacher, for the young slaves in his household benefited as well as his royal pupil. Of the two whom he sent to be trained by the leading calligraphist of the day, Ishaq ibn Hammad, one was the girl Thana'. His pupils, says Ibn al-Nadim, "wrote the original measured scripts never since equaled ."
Figure 6: Two Andalusian Arab women playing chess, with a girl playing lute (Chess Problem #19, F18R) , from Alphonso X's Book of Games (Libro de los Juegos). The book was commissioned between 1251 and 1282 CE by Alphonso X, King of Leon and Castile. It reflects the presence of the Islamic legacy in Christian Spain. It is now housed at the monastery library of St. Lorenze del Escorial. (Source).
The companion Al-Shifa bint Abduallah al-Qurashiyah al-'Adawiyah had a strong presence in early Muslim history as she was one of the wise women of that time. She was literate at a time of illiteracy. She was involved in public administration and skilled in medicine. Her real name was Laila, however "al-Shifa", which means "the healing", is partly derived from her profession as a nurse and medical practitioner. Al-Shifa used to use a preventative treatment against ant bites and the Prophet approved of her method and requested her to train other Muslim women .
In the field of mathematics, names of female scholars featured in Islamic history such as Amat-Al-Wahid Sutaita Al-Mahamli from Baghdad and Labana of Cordoba, both from the 10th century. Systematic investigation, with the methodology of history of science, will certainly yield more information on other women scholars who practiced mathematics in Islamic history. We know of many women who practiced fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Now, calculations and arithmetic were intertwined with successoral calculations (fara'idh and mawarith), a branch of applied mathematics devoted to performing calculatations of inheritance according to the rules of Islamic law.
Sutayta, who lived in the second half of the 10th century, came from an educated family from Baghdad. Her father was the judge Abu Abdallah al-Hussein, author of several books including Kitab fi al-fiqh, Salat al-'idayn . Her uncle was a Hadith scholar and her son was the judge Abu-Hussein Mohammed bin Ahmed bin Ismail al-Mahamli who was known for his judgements and his talents.
Sutayta was taught and guided by several scholars including her father. Other scholars who taught her were Abu Hamza b. Qasim, Omar b. Abdul-'Aziz al-Hashimi, Ismail b. Al-Abbas al-Warraq and Abdul-Alghafir b. Salamah al-Homsi. Sutayta was known for her good reputation, morality and modesty. She was praised by historians such as Ibn al-Jawzi, Ibn al-Khatib Baghdadi and Ibn Kathīr . She died in the year 377H/987CE.
Sutayta did not specialise in just one subject but excelled in many fields such as Arabic literature, hadith, and jurisprudence as well as mathematics. It is said that she was an expert in hisab (arithmetics) and fara'idh (successoral calculations), both being practical branches of mathematics which were well developed in her time. It is said also that she invented solutions to equations which have been cited by other mathematicians, these include equations which denote aptitude in algebra. Although these equations were few, they demonstrated that her skills in mathematics went beyond a simple aptitude to perform calculations.
In section VII.2 (information on mathematicians, engineers, practitioners of arithmetic, musicians, calculators, astrologers, makers of instruments, machines, and automata), Ibn al-Nadim presents a list of 16 names of engineers, craftsmen and artisans of astronomical instruments and other machines. Al-'Ijliya, of whom Ibn al-Nadim did not mention the first name, is the only female in the list. Several of the experts thus named are from Harran, in Northern Mesopotamia, and probably Sabians, whilst others may be Christians, as it can be concluded from their names. At the end of the list, two entries mentioned Al-'Ijli al-Usturlabi, pupil of Betolus, "and his daughter Al-'Ijliya, who was with [meaning she worked in the court of] Sayf al-Dawla; she was the pupil of Bitolus" (Al-'Ijli al-Usturlabi ghulâm Bitolus; Al-'Ijliya ibnatuhu ma'a Sayf al-Dawla tilmidhat Bitolus) .
The name of Al-'Ijli and his daughter is derived from Banu ‘Ijl, a tribe which was part of Banu Bakr, an Arabian tribe belonging to the large Rabi'ah branch of Adnanite tribes. Bakr's original lands were in Nejd, in central Arabia, but most of the tribe's bedouin sections migrated northwards immediately before Islam, and settled in the area of Al-Jazirah, on the upper Euphrates. The city of Diyarbakir in southern Turkey takes its name from this tribe. The Banu ‘Ijl, mostly Bedouin, located in al-Yamama and the southern borders of Mesopotamia .
From this, albeit too brief, quotation of Ibn al-Nadim, it turns out that Al-'Ijliya, of whom Ibn al-Nadim did not specify the first name, was the daughter of an instrument maker, and like her father, they were members of a rich tradition of engineers and astronomical instrument makers who flourished in the 9th-10th century. Ibn al-Nadim mentioned her in a section on "machines" but in it on astronomical instruments only. Therefore, we do not know if Al-'Ijliya was solely expert in this field. She worked in the court of Sayf al-Dawla in Aleppo (reigned from 944 CE to 967 CE) and was the pupil of a certain Bitolus, who taught her the secrets of the profession. Her father, and several scholars mentioned by Ibn al-Nadim, were apprentices to the same master, who seems to have been a famous astrolabe-maker. We do not know where she was born nor if she learned instrument making in Aleppo or elsewhere. Among the few extant Islamic astrolabes, none bears her name, and as far as the available classical sources can allow us to judge, she is the only woman mentioned in connection with instrument making or engineering work.
Zubayda bint Abu Ja'far, the wife of Harun ar-Rashid, was the wealthiest and most powerful woman in the world of her time. She was a noblewoman of great generosity and munificence. She developed many buildings in different cities. She was known to have embarked upon a gigantic project to build service stations with water wells all along the Pilgrimage route from Baghdad to Mecca. The famous Zubayda water spring in the outskirts of Mecca still carries her name. She was also a patron of the arts and poetry .
Dhayfa Khatun, the powerful wife of the Ayyubid ruler of Aleppo al-Zahir Ghazi, was the Queen of Aleppo for six years. She was born in Aleppo in 1186 CE. Her father was King al-Adel, the brother of Salah al-Din Al-Ayyubi and her brother was King al-Kamel. She was married to King al-Zahir, the son of Salah al-Din. Her son was King Abdul-Aziz. After her son's death, she became the Queen of Aleppo as her grandson was only 7 years of age. During her 6-year rule, she faced threats from Mongols, Seljuks, Crusaders and Khuarzmein. Dhayfa was a popular queen; she removed injustices and unfair taxes throughout Aleppo. She favored the poor and scientists and founded many charities to support them. Dhayfa was a prominent architectural patron. She established large endowments for the maintenance and operation of her charitable foundations .
Figure 9: Front cover of Al-Muhaddithat: The Women Scholars in Islam by Shaykh Mohammad Akram Nadwi (Interface Publications, 2007). This book is an adaptation of the Muqaddimah or Preface to M. A. Nadwi's multi-volume biographical dictionary in Arabic of the Muslim women who studied and taught hadith. The huge body of information reviewed in Al-Muhaddithat is essential to understanding the role of women in Islamic society, their past achievements and future potential.
In addition to her political and social roles, Dhayfa sponsored learning in Aleppo where she founded two schools. The first was al-Firdaous School which specialised in Islamic studies and Islamic law, specially the Shafi'i doctrine. Al-Firdaous School was located close to Bab al-Makam in Aleppo and had a teacher, an Imam and twenty scholars, according to the structure of the educational system at that time. Its campus consisted of several buildings, including the school, a residential hall for students and a mosque. The second school, the Khankah School, specialised in both Sharia and other fields. It was located in Mahalat al-Frafera. Dhayfa died in 1242 at the age 59 and was buried in the Aleppo citadel .
Hürrem Sultan, also called Roxelana, was born in year 1500 to an Ukrainian father. She was enslaved during the Crimean Turks raids on Ukraine during the reign of Yavuz Sultan Selim, and presented to the Ottoman palace. She was the most beloved concubine of Süleyman the Magnificent and became his wife. During her lifetime, Hürrem Sultan was concerned with charitable works and founded a number of institutions. These include a mosque complex in Istanbul and the Haseki Külliye complex, which consists of a mosque, medrese, school and imaret (public kitchen). She also built çifte hamam (double bathhouse with sections for both men and women), two schools and a women's hospital. In addition to this, she also commissioned the building of four schools in Mecca and a mosque in Jerusalem. Hürrem Sultan died in April 1558 and lies buried in the graveyard of the Süleymaniye Mosque .
On the other extremity of the Muslim world and almost in the same time as Shajarat al-Durr, another woman held power, but this time in India. Razia (or Raziyya) Sultana of Delhi took power in Delhi for four years (1236-1240 CE). She was the only woman ever to sit on the throne of Delhi. Razia's ancestors were Muslims of Turkish descent who came to India during the 11th century. Contrary to custom, her father selected her, over her brothers, to be his successor. After her father's death, she was persuaded to step down from the throne in favour of her stepbrother Ruknuddin, but, opposed to his rule, the people demanded that she become Sultana in 1236.
Jealous of her attention to one of her advisors, Jamal Uddin Yaqut (not of Turkish blood), her governor, Altunia, rebelled. Razia's troops were defeated, Jamal was killed in battle, Razia was captured and married to her conqueror in 1240. One of her brothers claimed the throne for himself, Razia and her new husband were defeated in battle where both died .
Figure 10: Front cover of Al-Mu'allifat min al-nisa' wa-mu'allataftuhunna fi al-tarikh al-islami by Muhammad Khayr Ramadhan Yusuf (Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm, 1412 H).
Firishta, a 16th-century historian of Muslim rule in India, wrote about her: "The Princess was adorned with every qualification required in the ablest kings and the strictest scrutinizers of her actions could find in her no fault, but that she was a woman. In the time of her father, she entered deeply into the affairs of government, which disposition he encouraged, finding she had a remarkable talent in politics. He once appointed her regent (the one in control) in his absence. When the emirs (military advisors) asked him why he appointed his daughter to such an office in preference to so many of his sons, he replied that he saw his sons giving themselves up to wine, women, gaming and the worship of the wind (flattery); that therefore he thought the government too weighty for their shoulders to bear and that Raziya, though a woman, had a man's head and heart and was better than twenty such sons ."
She is credited with popularising the earthen city wall fortifications, which became characteristic of Hausa city-states since then. She ordered the building of a defensive wall around each military camp that she established. Later, towns grew within these protective walls, many of which are still in existence. They are known as "ganuwar Amina", or Amina's walls .
Click here to view the previous page. | 2019-04-24T07:53:14Z | http://muslimheritage.com/article/womens-contribution |
Machines useful for wind turbine and ship propulsion purposes include a double-sided generator or motor with two concentric air gaps. In one embodiment, the machine includes a double-sided rotor with an inner rotor side and an outer rotor side; and a stator with an inner stator core and an outer stator core, wherein the double-sided rotor is concentrically disposed between the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
The present invention relates generally to electrical machines and more specifically to wind turbine generators and ship propulsion motors.
Wind is usually considered to be a form of solar energy. Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of the earth's surface, and rotation of the earth, and wind flow patterns are modified by the earth's terrain, bodies of water, and vegetation. The terms wind energy or wind power describe the process by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity.
Typically, wind turbines are used to convert the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power. This mechanical power may be used for specific tasks (such as grinding grain or pumping water) or a generator may convert this mechanical power into electricity. A wind turbine usually includes an aerodynamic mechanism for converting the movement of air into a mechanical motion which is then converted with a generator into electrical power. Power output from the generator is approximately proportional to the cube of the wind speed. As wind speed doubles, the capacity of wind generators increases almost eightfold.
A few wind turbines utilizing direct-drive generators are also commercially available. The large diameters of direct drive generators present formidable transportation and assembly challenges, both at the factories and at the wind turbine installation site. As the wind turbine industry matures and technology improves, larger power ratings will be required to continue the downward push in the cost of energy. Standard power ratings for land-based turbines are expected to push to more than 3 MW in the next few years, and the offshore turbines are expected to be 5 MW or greater.
For the wind turbines to evolve to higher power ratings, conventional approaches increase the direct-drive generator diameter or axial (stack) length. Increasing the diameter is preferred from a purely generator electromagnetic perspective, but is not attractive from the transportation, frame, and assembly perspective, especially for land-based turbines. Increasing the axial length of the generators, while maintaining the diameter to be less than approximately 4.14.3 meters, alleviates the land-based transportation issue, but results in complex and costly frame structures with long axial extents.
It is therefore desirable to provide cost-effective electrical machines of increased power ratings and reduced diameters.
Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a wind turbine is provided. The generator of the wind turbine includes at least two concentric air gaps. The generator comprises at least one double-sided rotor with an inner rotor side and an outer rotor side, and at least one stator with an inner stator core and an outer stator core. The at least one double-sided rotor is concentrically disposed between the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a wind turbine generator is provided. The wind turbine generator includes at least two concentric air gaps. The generator comprises at least one double-sided rotor with an inner rotor side and an outer rotor side, and at least one stator with an inner stator core and an outer stator core. The at least one double-sided rotor is concentrically disposed between the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a ship propulsion motor is provided. The ship propulsion motor includes at least two concentric air gaps. The motor comprises at least one double-sided rotor with an inner rotor side and an outer rotor side, and at least one stator with an inner stator core and an outer stator core. The at least one double-sided rotor is concentrically disposed between the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
FIG. 3 illustrates a three-dimensional view of the double-sided rotor and stator of FIG. 2.
FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary embodiment with the gear box used with the double-sided generator of FIG. 2.
The present invention includes different embodiments for double-sided generators and motors that are particularly useful for direct-drive wind turbines and ship propulsion units. Additionally these embodiments may be beneficial for some geared electrical machines. The different configurations described herein below are based upon a double-sided, radial-flux, synchronous electrical machines. Although permanent magnet (PM) machines are described and shown for purposes of illustration, other electrical machines such as wound field machines can alternatively be used. These configurations contribute towards achieving cost-effective wind turbines of increased power ratings (>2.0 MW) and are especially advantageous for land-based applications where the outside diameter may be constrained by transportation limitations.
Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a sectional view of a wind turbine 10 with an exemplary embodiment of a direct-drive double-sided PM generator 12. The PM generator 12 of the wind turbine 10 includes at least two concentric air gaps (not shown in FIG. 1 and discussed later in reference to FIG. 2), thereby effectively converting the PM generator 12 into two concentric generators. Thus, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that for the same total envelope defined by the outside diameter and axial length, the PM generator 12 can produce considerably more power output than a single-sided generator. In practice, thus a 2 MW single-sided generator might be replaced by a double-sided generator capable of producing 3-3.6 MW for the same total diameter and axial length. Equivalently, a 3 MW single-sided PM generator having a diameter of 6 meters might be replaced with a double-sided generator of the same axial length with only a 4.3 meters diameter, thereby enabling land-transportation of the entire generator as one unit.
One exemplary embodiment of the wind turbine 10, as shown in FIG. 1 includes a double-sided rotor 86 and a stator 88 in the PM generator 12. Stator 88 includes an inner stator core 90 and the outer stator core 92 and these contribute to the at least two concentric air gaps (shown in subsequent figures). Stator 88 is concentrically mounted within the stationary frame 34. The PM generator 12 further includes, in one example, a cooling channel 100 for cooling the inner stator core 90 and the outer stator core 92. In operation, the power output of the stator 88 is fed and controlled by a power converter unit (not shown) capable of full power conversion. The stator 88 is connected to a stationary frame 34, which is further mounted to a main frame 36. The main frame is further mounted to a tower 38 through a conventional yaw bearing and gear drive system (not shown). In a more specific example, cooling channels 100 use wind for cooling the inner stator core 90 and the outer stator core 92.
The wind turbine 10 as shown in FIG. 1, also includes rotor blades 42 connected to a rotor blade hub 44 which has a rotor hub cover 49. The rotor blade hub 44 connects to the double-sided rotor 86 (which comprises a generator rotor) through a rotor shaft 46. Double-sided rotor 86 is connected to a rotating frame 52. Double-sided rotor 86 also attaches to a stationary hub 56. A nacelle cover 50 typically protects the components inside the nacelle. Rotor blade hub 44 is further mounted to a flange 54 on the main rotating shaft 46 (rotor shaft) of a main stationary hub and bearing assembly 56. This assembly 56 connects the rotor blade hub 44 to the main frame 36. Although two main bearings, front main bearing 58 and rear main bearing 60, are illustrated, alternative bearings configurations, including a single main bearing, are possible. Access to the rotor blade hub 44 is obtained through either access ports in the rotating and stationary frames (i.e., between the PM generator 12 and the main bearing assembly 56), or optionally through the main shaft and bearing assembly 56. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that the main bearing and shaft diameters may be sized accordingly with the means for hub access; e.g., larger-diameter main bearings (about 1.5 meters or more outside diameter, for example) would facilitate hub access. The use of lower-cost small diameter bearings less than or equal to about 1.0 meters, for example, would likely require hub access through access port(s).
Assembly of the wind turbine 10 at the installation site is typically done by first lifting the main frame 36, followed by the PM generator 12 (including the main shaft and bearing assembly 56), followed by the turbine rotor hub 44 and blades 42. The nacelle cover 50 is installed as a last step, or as part of the main frame 36.
FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the PM generator 12 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 illustrates the PM generator 12 having the rotor 86 with an inner rotor side 108 and an outer rotor side 110 with the respective permanent magnets 120 and 122, and stator 88 having an inner stator core 90 and an outer stator core 92 with their respective windings, inner stator winding 116 and outer stator winding 118. As illustrated, the inner stator core and the outer stator core contribute towards two concentric air gaps 94 and 96. Also, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a portion of magnetic flux can be beneficially shared between the inner rotor side 108 and the outer rotor side 110 of FIG. 2. FIG. 2 also illustrates cooling channels 100 which in one example, may comprise a first cooling channel 102 passing through an air passage channel 103 in the rotating frame 52, and a second cooling channel 104. As it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the cooling channels 102 and/or 104 may also optionally function as the stator core support 41. Thus in a specific example, the first cooling channel 102 enables the wind-blown cooling air to flow through the cooling channel 102 forming the stator core support 41.
Labyrinth seals 106 may be provided between the air passage channel 103 in rotating frame 52 and the inner cooling channel 102 to provide protection from the environment to the PM generator 12 and also the frame elements. For additional protection from the environment, the PM generator compartment may be pressurized using filtered air.
In the detailed view as shown in FIG. 3, the rotor 86 is shown concentrically disposed between the inner stator core 90 and the outer stator core 92. The outer stator core 92 is inverted with respect to the inner stator core 90, i.e., the air gap surface 96 of the outer stator core 92 faces inwards, while the air gap surface 94 of the inner stator core 90 faces outward. The inner stator core 90 and the outer stator core 92 comprise a respective core stack of laminations 112, 114 as shown in FIG. 3. Stator 88 further includes a plurality of stator windings 116, 118 inserted in slots formed between a plurality of teeth of the inner stator core 90 and the outer stator core 92. The PM generator 12 also includes permanent magnets 120, 122 associated with the inner rotor side 108 and the outer rotor side 110 and disposed proximal to the inner stator core 90 and the outer stator core 92 respectively. In one example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the permanent magnets 120 and 122 associated with each side of the double-sided rotor may be angularly shifted, i.e. these can be configured to be offset, to significantly reduce the net torque pulsation caused by cogging and winding harmonics with only a small reduction in the torque capability of the generator. Alternatively, the permanent magnets 120 and 122 can be angularly aligned and of the magnetization orientation such that magnetic flux flows radially through the rotor core between the inner and outer magnets, thereby creating nearly balanced electromagnetic radial forces in the air gaps and also potentially reducing the amount of rotor core thickness required for structural reasons.
Cooling channels as shown in FIG. 3, in one example, comprise concentric rings 124 of a metallic material. The metallic material, in one example is at least one of steel or aluminum-alloy. Other non-limiting examples for the metallic material include magnesium, titanium, ductile iron, white iron, or grey iron. Carbon fiber may also be used for the concentric rings 124. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the metallic material may be fabricated as a cast material, a formed material, a machined material, or as different discrete pieces.
Cooling channels, in a specific example, further include angled fins 126 disposed between the concentric rings 124. In a more specific example, the angled fins 126 are of the same material as the concentric rings and are inserted and welded between the concentric rings. The angled fins 126 may be extruded angle steel bars. Heat is transferred from the inner stator core 90 and the outer stator core 92 (and respective stator windings) through a respective adjacent ring and then to the angled fins 126. Alternatively, the angled fins 126 and concentric rings 124 may be fabricated via casting. In addition to providing heat transfer to the flowing ambient air, the angled fins 126 also provide excellent stiffness in radial, circumferential, and axial directions, much like a lightweight honeycomb construction. Thus the thickness of the concentric rings 124 may be made substantially thinner and lighter than a single ring for the frame. Furthermore, the stiffness of the cooling channels also reduces deflection (and thereby reduces vibration and noise) caused by the traveling electromagnetic forces in the air gap. In another specific example, cooling channels 100 include radially oriented fins (not shown) extending between the concentric rings 124.
In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the PM generator 12 further includes a heat pipe 128, generally within or surrounding the inner stator core 90 and the outer stator core 92, and a cooling channel 130 disposed generally adjacent to the outer stator core 92. Heat pipe 128 transfers heat from the inner stator core 90 to the cooling channel 130. Heat pipe 128 may be embedded in the core or at the slot bottoms of the inner stator core 90 for efficiently transfer heat from the PM generator 12 to cooling channel 130. The primary advantage of this arrangement is that the ducting and sealing required for wind cooling is less complex, and the plumbing, pumps, heat exchanger, and liquid reservoirs required by liquid cooling are eliminated. It will be well appreciated by those skilled in the art that alternative cooling methods are also possible like liquid cooling.
The double-sided generator 12 as described in different embodiments hereinabove, offers several advantages over single-sided generators for wind turbines. The most significant advantages include a reduction in frame mass for a given power rating, and/or alternatively an increased power rating with a generator that fits within a given transportation envelope or has a more streamlined design. Additional advantages include for example, the embodiment with the double-sided rotor enables sharing of the magnetic flux paths between the two generator rotor sides. This enables the net active material requirements, and hence mass and cost, of the rotor yoke to be potentially reduced. Furthermore, the radial magnetic forces in the two concentric air gaps act in opposing directions, thereby canceling or at least greatly reducing the net radial magnetic force at each circumferential position along the gap. This reduces the radial deflection of the rotor, and also reduces vibration and noise.
Although embodiments of the present invention have been described primarily in terms of wind turbines, the concepts are additionally useful in other applications with one example being ship propulsion motors. FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of a portion of a ship 510 comprising an exemplary double-sided ship propulsion motor 512, a propeller 530, a mounting and bearing assembly 532, and a frame assembly 528. FIG. 6 illustrates a sectional view of the exemplary motor of FIG. 5 wherein the ship propulsion motor 512 comprises at least one double-sided rotor 514 with an inner rotor side 516 and an outer rotor side 518 and at least one stator 520 with an inner stator core 522 and an outer stator core 524, wherein the at least one double-sided rotor is concentrically disposed between the inner stator core and the outer stator core of the ship propulsion motor. Many of the specific rotor construction details are similar to the wind turbine embodiments and are not repeated here. FIG. 6 further illustrates at least one cooling channel 526 for cooling the inner stator core and the outer stator core. In a typical ship propulsion embodiment, cooling channel 526 uses liquid for cooling the stator core. The liquid used is typically at least one of water-glycol and de-ionized water, but any other liquid commonly used for cooling of electric machines may be used. Cooling channel 526 typically comprises a material selected from a group consisting of aluminum, copper, stainless steel and any combination thereof and may use any other material commonly used for cooling of electric machines. A heat exchanger (not shown) may be used to transfer the heat absorbed in the cooling liquid to the ambient air. Such cooling channels of FIG. 6 can also be used in the wind turbine embodiments.
In several applications, as it will be well appreciated by those skilled in the art, a medium speed electrical machine with a gear box may be used for motoring and generating applications. A medium speed generator is one that rotates with a speed between approximately 150 and 1000 rpm. For example, a medium speed generator connected to a gear box with a gear ratio of approximately 10:1 offers potential for wind generators. In such an application it may be desirable to minimize the volume of the gear box and to have a streamlined drive train (assembly including generator and gear box) with low frontal cross section. FIG. 7 illustrates a diagrammatic view of an exemplary electrical machine 700 with the double-sided generator as described in the different embodiments for wind turbine hereinabove, along with a gear box 710. In a specific example, the diameter of the generator 712 matches the diameter of the gear box 710. Typically, for gear ratios less than approximately ten (which could use a simple epicyclic gear configuration), an optimally sized generator diameter for a megawatt wind generator would be significantly larger that the diameter of the gear box. For example the optimal outside diameter of a 2.5 MW wind generator attached to a 8:1 gear box is 2.7 meters, while the 8:1 gear box diameter is less than 2 meters. By utilizing a double-sided generator the outside diameter of the generator can be made to match the outside diameter of the gear box with out a substantial increase in mass of the double-sided generator as compared to an optimally sized direct drive generator. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the above technique has significant advantages over the single sided generators with gear boxes. In order to streamline the design with a single sided generator, the generator diameter would have to be reduced to match the gear box, and consequently the axial length would be increased in inverse proportion to the square of the ratio the optimal diameter to the machine diameter that which matches the gear box. Such a single sided machine would be much heavier and more expensive than an equivalent double-sided machine.
at least one stator with an inner stator core and an outer stator core, wherein the at least one double-sided rotor is concentrically disposed between the inner stator core and the outer stator core of the wind turbine generator.
2. The wind turbine generator of claim 1 wherein the wind turbine generator comprises a direct-drive generator.
3. The wind turbine generator of claim 2 wherein the at least one double-sided rotor comprises a permanent magnet rotor.
4. The wind turbine generator of claim 1 further comprising at least one cooling channel for cooling the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
5. The wind turbine generator of claim 4 wherein the at least one cooling channel uses wind for cooling the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
6. The wind turbine generator of claim 4 wherein the at least one cooling channel comprises a stator core support coupled to a stationary frame.
7. The wind turbine generator of claim of claim 4 wherein the at least one cooling channel comprises concentric rings of a metallic material.
8. The wind turbine generator of claim 7 further comprising angled fins disposed between the concentric rings.
9. The wind turbine generator of claim 4 wherein the at least one cooling channel uses liquid for cooling the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
wherein the at least one heat pipe transfers heat from the inner stator core and the outer stator core to the at least one cooling channel.
11. The wind turbine generator of claim 1 further comprising permanent magnets associated with the inner rotor side and the outer rotor side and disposed proximal to the inner stator core and the outer stator core respectively, wherein the permanent magnets are configured to be offset to reduce net torque pulsation.
12. The wind turbine generator of claim 1 further comprising permanent magnets associated with the inner rotor side and the outer rotor side and disposed proximal to the inner stator core and the outer stator core respectively, wherein the permanent magnets are configured to be aligned.
13. The wind turbine generator of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of magnetic flux is shared between the at least two concentric generator rotor sides.
14. The wind turbine generator of claim 1 wherein the wind turbine generator is driven by a gearbox.
16. The wind turbine of claim 15 wherein the wind turbine generator comprises a direct-drive generator.
17. The wind turbine of claim 16 wherein the at least one double-sided rotor of the generator comprises a permanent magnet rotor.
18. The wind turbine of claim 15 wherein the at least one stator of the generator is concentrically mounted within a stationary frame.
19. The wind turbine of claim 18 wherein the generator further comprises at least one cooling channel for cooling the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
20. The wind turbine of claim 19 wherein the at least one cooling channel uses wind for cooling the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
21. The wind turbine of claim of claim 19 wherein the at least one cooling channel comprises concentric rings of a metallic material.
22. The wind turbine of claim 21 further comprising angled fins disposed between the concentric rings.
23. The wind turbine of claim 19 wherein the at least one cooling channel uses liquid for cooling the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
25. The wind turbine of claim 15 wherein the generator further comprises permanent magnets associated with the inner rotor side and the outer rotor side and disposed proximal to the inner stator core and the outer stator core respectively, wherein the permanent magnets are configured to be offset to reduce net torque pulsation.
26. The wind turbine of claim 15 wherein the generator further comprises permanent magnets associated with the inner rotor side and the outer rotor side and disposed proximal to the inner stator core and the outer stator core respectively, wherein the permanent magnets are configured to be aligned.
27. The wind turbine of claim 15 wherein at least a portion of magnetic flux is shared between the at least two concentric generator rotor sides.
28. The wind turbine of claim 15 wherein the wind turbine generator is driven by a gearbox.
at least one stator with an inner stator core and an outer stator core, wherein the at least one double-sided rotor is concentrically disposed between the inner stator core and the outer stator core of the ship propulsion motor.
30. The ship propulsion motor of claim 29 wherein the ship propulsion motor comprises a direct-drive motor.
31. The ship propulsion motor of claim 30 wherein the at least one double-sided rotor comprises a permanent magnet rotor.
32. The ship propulsion motor of claim 29 wherein the at least one stator is concentrically mounted within a stationary frame.
33. The ship propulsion motor of claim 32 further comprising at least one cooling channel for cooling the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
34. The ship propulsion motor of claim 33 wherein the at least one cooling channel uses liquid for cooling the inner stator core and the outer stator core.
35. The ship propulsion motor of claim 29 further comprising permanent magnets associated with the inner rotor side and the outer rotor side and disposed proximal to the inner stator core and the outer stator core respectively, wherein the permanent magnets are configured to be offset to reduce net torque pulsation.
36. The ship propulsion motor of claim 29 further comprising permanent magnets associated with the inner rotor side and the outer rotor side and disposed proximal to the inner stator core and the outer stator core respectively, wherein the permanent magnets are configured to be aligned.
37. The ship propulsion motor of claim 29 wherein at least a portion of magnetic flux is shared between the at least two concentric motor rotor sides.
ITBZ20010043A1 (en) * 2001-09-13 2003-03-13 High Technology Invest Bv electric generator driven by wind energy.
ES2318963B1 (en) * 2006-05-30 2010-02-04 GAMESA INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY, S.L. Use of grain oriented lamination on a wind turbine generator. | 2019-04-23T13:32:27Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US20060001269A1/en |
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I just recently registered a domain on hosting raja and transferred another domain from another web host. The transferring process was quite expensive but easy. Their basic plans are not so great. I feel that these low cost plans are more of a marketing strategy. I am using one of the gold plans. The cPanel (Control Panel) and other features are easy to use. I used wordpress to create my website. The wordpress application was easy to install. I got my site running in 20 minutes. The chat and ticket based support is good and they seem to be available 24/7. They have promised an uptime of 99.9%. I have been running my site for about a month and I have faced downtime once and they rectified it as soon as i notified them. Overall their service was pretty decent.
Already a Hosting Raja customer? Write a honest & helpful review. | 2019-04-19T07:13:48Z | https://www.hostingcharges.in/hosting-reviews/hosting-raja |
Theme: Joshua J. Mark, "Kingdom of the Ptolemies - Historical introduction"
Egypt had been dominated by a foreign power since it fell to the Persians in 525 BC. When Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire in 331 BC, he founded the city of Alexandria as Egypt’s new capital. After his death, one of his generals, Ptolemy Lagides – afterwards known as Ptolemy I Soter (‘The Saviour’) – took control of Egypt and founded the Hellenistic dynasty that would bear his name. This Ptolemaic Dynasty would last until Egypt was taken under Roman rule in 30 BC.
Source: Michael J. Taylor, "Ptolemy the Pharaoh - The Raphia Decree"
The Battle of Raphia was one of the greatest battles of the Hellenistic world (see Ancient Warfare IV.6). Ptolemy IV, otherwise known as a slothful alcoholic, played an unexpectedly large role, personally rallying his phalanx to smash the Seleucid centre. To celebrate the triumph, a group of senior Egyptian priests, no doubt with the palace’s open encouragement and hearty approval, set up a series of commemorative stelae, written in Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and demotic.
Theme: Matthew Beazley, "Thorakitai - Armed after the Roman fashion"
The Successor kingdoms all carried out military reforms in reaction to external threats. At the end of the third century BC, a new type of soldier appeared in written accounts. These soldiers were referred to as thorakitai (‘cuirassed men’) by ancient writers such as Polybius. They were heavy infantry employed in situations that would have been disadvantageous for a phalangite force.
Theme: Arnold Blumberg, "Stratiotes hos euergetai - Army and temple-building in Ptolemaic Egypt"
During the ca. 300 years the Ptolemies ruled Egypt, the nation’s military played a pivotal role in shaping the kingdom’s economic development, as well as creating an ethnically more integrated society. During the second and first centuries BC, this relationship was marked, among other things, by the funding, building, and dedication of religious temples by officers and common soldiers alike of the Egyptian army.
Theme: Marc G. DeSantis, "Egyptian leviathans - The battle fleet of Ptolemy II Philadelphus"
The fleet of Ptolemy II Philadephus of Egypt (r. 283–246 BC) was an extraordinary assortment of ships. As reported by Athenaeaus of Naucratis in his Deipnosophistae, this remarkable fleet contained some 224 ships in the categories of quadriremes, triremes, and lighter vessels, but what is most arresting about the Egyptian navy is the high number of large, even giant, warships that Ptolemy II possessed.
Theme: Sidney E. Dean, "Road to Antioch - The beginning of the end of Hellenistic rule in the East"
The six Syrian Wars between the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt and the Seleucids of Asia Minor seriously weakened the Hellenistic kingdoms. This benefited Rome, whose intervention to end the final Syrian War in 168 BC left Egypt dependent on the Senate’s protection. Continued inter-Hellenistic conflict in the decades following the Sixth Syrian War ultimately led to the loss of the Seleucid Empire’s eastern satrapies, and paved the way for Roman dominance over Egypt and Asia Minor. One pivotal moment was the 145 BC Battle of Antioch.
Theme: Alex Zakrzewski, "To the barricades! Urban warfare in ancient Alexandria"
In late 48 BC, Julius Caesar arrived in Alexandria in pursuit of his great rival Pompey Magnus. Though he was horrified to learn that the Egyptians had murdered Pompey, he was at the same time intrigued to discover the ruling Ptolemies in the midst of a dynastic civil war. The Alexandrians had no great love for their royal family, but they absolutely hated Roman interference in their affairs. When Caesar announced he was taking sides, the entire city rose up in revolt. The conqueror of Gaul suddenly found himself fighting a costly battle of survival in the streets of one of the ancient world’s great cities.
Theme: Seán Hußmann, "War of words - Rome and Egypt in the age of Mark Antony"
We tend to think of political propaganda as a modern invention, a devious method devised by the Stalins and Goebbels's of the industrialized world to influence the masses, incite them against a common enemy and legitimize their own worldview. Propaganda, however, has been around since humans started to organize in political communities.
Special: Paolo Morisi, "In the name of the Roman Empire - Roman military tombstones in Britain"
Although the Roman army often prevailed, many of its soldiers died by the sword and their butchered bodies dotted the battlefield. Whether Roman soldiers died in battle or of old age they were often buried under colourful tombstones that, along with the remains of forts and artefacts, represent a vital source of information about their war machine. These monuments not only afford us a glimpse of what Roman soldiers looked like, but also help us understand the importance of combat and war in ancient society.
Special: Jeroen Wijnendaele, "Enemy within - Barbarian recruits in the Late Roman Empire"
Generations of historians have often treated the large-scale recruitment of barbarians in the late Roman army as one of the root causes of the decline of the western Roman Empire. But evidence from both the literary and material sources for views on this so-called ‘barbarization’ of the field armies during the fourth century AD has been exaggerated and misinterpreted. On the contrary, the growing presence of barbarians in the Roman war machine did not diminish the Empire’s status as a Mediterranean superpower.
Hollywood Romans: Graham Sumner, "The Roman army on screen, part 4 - The Robe (1953) and Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)"
Hoping to cash in on the success of Quo Vadis, rival studio Twentieth-Century Fox’s entry into the epic genre was The Robe, an adaptation of a bestselling novel written by Lloyd C. Douglas. The Robe was also the first film to be released in the new widescreen Cinemascope process, marketed as “the entertainment miracle you can see without glasses” – a sly comment on the then-current vogue for 3D movies.
The Landsknecht Hellebardiere (Halberdiers) have arrived! Our fourth Kickstarter is all finished up and we're now proudly offering our fifth product up for sale to everyone.
Landsknechte Doppelsöldner armed with halberds were often seen on the front line of pike blocks like their zweihänder armed brethren.
This is a Hellebardiere (Halberdiers) unit of fifteen strips of two figures each (30 figures total). You will recieve one standard bearer/musician strip (ls05a), eight column strips (a mix of ls05b–e) and six line strips (a mix of ls05f–h). Bases are not included.
Sculpted by Bob Naismith and cast by D & D Model Cleaning & Casting in lead free pewter.
A wide-ranging, versatile, durable set of resin tabletop wargame terrain for use in any modern or sci fi game setting in 10 & 12mm scale.
We're gamers, we're fabricators, and we're passionate about work and play. We want to give you the best terrain you've seen, with the most customizable designs, and we want it to last a lifetime.
Our team has been gaming for pretty much all of our lives. We all started out gaming as kids with old school consoles, board games and pen-and-paper RPGs and moved into tabletop gaming and kept that love of games into adulthood. We've become familiar with (or played) countless tabletop games and we bring that knowledge of those games to this project, intentionally designing these for use with as many game systems as possible.
Our team has decades of combined experience in molding and casting, and we are working with other members of the casting industry, as well as 3D modelling, printing and prototyping industry. We are in direct contact with the people and companies to provide the resources to complete this project including fellow designers and casters and our product suppliers to get the ideal materials to bring you the best casts from the best molds possible.
We want to create a wide range of attractive, scenic, and durable terrain for you to use on your tabletop game, spice up your board games, and more.
We want to make them detailed and good looking, but customizable with a hobby knife and a cool paint job.
We also want them to be as modular as we can get them, so that you can create larger and more complex creations by mixing and matching, adding different buildings from all of our ranges to bring variety to your battlefield and creating a style for your game that you love.
We have already been working on this as a 'pet project' for some time now. We have a sizeable library of 3D designs many of which are already in the prototype and pre-mold phases. We initially began this venture as a personal project, just to make ourselves some cool custom terrain for our own gaming tables. People seeing our work began asking when we were going to have them ready for sale. That sparked the idea of going full production on these.
Initially we are releasing these kits for use with any 10mm to 12mm scale (or similar) game, roughly N scale model railroad or any board game that uses pieces of these sizes. If this campaign does as well as we hope, we have plans in place to expand our facility to produce in additional scales such as 6mm and 15mm so gamers in those scales can use our awesome terrain!
Our buildings are designed and cast with hollow interiors. You can cut away wall sections to create damaged buildings with a realistic look. Many have removable roofs, or the floors are stackable, modular sections. Doors, windows, and gates can be cut out. This also reduces weight to allow reasonable worldwide shipping rates. Many are cast as multiple sections that you can assemble in many different ways before gluing them together, or leave them un-glued to change the layout every time you play. You are only limited by your imagination!
AN IMPORTANT NOTE! We have priced our pledges and add-ons at a low price to bring you a better value over waiting until (or if?) we are funded and open our webstore! After the Kickstarter campaign concludes, all prices for terrain in our webstore will be higher than the prices you see in this campaign. There is a definite benefit to getting in early and helping us get funded from the start! Don't wait until it's too late!
Please bear in mind, certain pieces may undergo alterations during the design and prototype process. What we have in mind during the 3D design stage may not be reasonable to produce on a model. What you receive may differ somewhat from the images depicted. Keep up with project updates to see the evolution!
Shipping will be handled at the conclusion of the kickstarter through our survey/pledge manager. We want to be as accurate and affordable as possible, so we won't be lumping everyone into giant categories that overcharge many of you around the world for shipping!
Depending on your country you may be required to pay additional shipping or customs fees, duties, VAT fees or other taxes for items shipped from the US. We are exploring other shipping options to reduce these to keep these sets as affordable as possible for everyone.
These pieces are cast resin some of which have small components. They are not to be used as toys for children, and are not intended for use by any person under the age of 10. Be a responsible gamer, don't let your toddlers chew on your terrain. It's not good for them. The kids that is. Well, or for the terrain either. You know what, just don't let anyone chew on terrain.
Our risks and challenges in this process are minimal. We already have our facility for molding and casting, we already have our 3D printers for prototyping, and we already have experience in creating resin model kits. We even have many of our prototypes already completed!
Our primary risk in this endeavour is underfunding. The mold making, initial casting, and packaging/shipping require significant investment for raw materials. If we are under funded we won't be able to produce multiple copies of molds, leading to drastically slowed production times and higher costs. The better we do, the more materials we can afford, and the faster the process will go!
Labor time also needs to be compensated, another part of the risk in underfunding. Our 3D artist creating stretch goal files, our production team post-processing, and master molds and casts will need to be covered before we can move forward with full scale production.
Another risk is that production will be taking place over prime hurricane season in Florida in the US. In the event of a hurricane there's not much we can do but prepare as best as we can. In the event that we are without power for an extended period of time, understand that our facility requires power to operate (vacuum pumps and pressure pots for casting for example) and we may have to back up the scheduling.
In the event of other unforeseen disasters at our facility we have a secondary resin casting facility available to us.
SOTCW members get back issues at a significant discount – around 80% off! See the latest Journal for details.
This is a back issue of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers (SOTCW) Journal.
The Society was formed in 1989, and since then, members have produced this magazine where they share knowledge, research and ideas about wargaming conflicts from 1900 onwards.
The Spitfire turns 80 on 5 March 2016, and the passion for the RAF's best-loved fighter is running at an all-time high. There are more than 50 Spitfires flying in the world today, and John Dibbs has shot virtually all of them 'on the wing' in his breathtaking style.
This eye-catching book combines a unique collection of stunning photos with poignant first-hand accounts of flying the aeroplane in combat, from some of the most famous aces to ever pilot the Spitfire, and from some of the pilots forgotten by history. Chronicling the history of the most iconic of British aircraft this is a 'must have' purchase for aviation enthusiasts.
Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird is one of the most iconic and famous jets ever built. Assembled in secret at Lockheed's Skunkworks, the Blackbird's vital statistics remain phenomenal decades later. It holds the airspeed record for a manned jet aircraft, operated at an altitude other aircraft could barely touch and was a marvel of technical engineering. Drawing on declassified material, leading SR-71 expert Paul Crickmore reveals the history of the most fascinating of aircraft, accompanied by a range of fantastic illustrations, photographs and facts about the world's most secret spy plane.
The Special Boat Squadron was Britain's most exclusive Special Forces unit during World War II. Highly trained, totally secretive and utterly ruthless, the SBS was established as an entity in its own right in early 1943. Unlike its sister unit, which numbered more than 1,000 men, the SBS never comprised more than 100. Led by men such as the famed Victoria Cross recipient Anders Lassen, the SBS went from island to island in the Mediterranean, landing in the dead of night in small fishing boats and launching savage hit and run raids on the Germans. Through unrivalled access to the SBS archives and interviews with the surviving members of the unit, Gavin Mortimer has pieced together the largely forgotten dramatic exploits of this elite fighting force. In this new and updated edition, featuring a plate section of photographs and additional content including new text, the unit and its members are finally granted the recognition that they so richly deserve.
As the final month of fighting in Europe in 1945 dawned the Allies embarked upon a series of mopping up operations, destroying the last centres of German resistance as the essentially defeated Wehrmacht fought on in increasingly desperate conditions, driven on by the explicit no surrender order issued by Hitler.
Yet at the same time, the Allied alliance was already on shaky ground, as German resistance was crushed the Allies began to eye each other nervously across a battle torn Europe, with the politically driven military decisions to have a huge impact on the future of the continent. This book traces the final operations of the war, from the liberation of Denmark, the Allied drive towards the Baltic straits, incursions in Yugoslavia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and engagements in Eastern and Western Germany, whilst also analyzing how the Allied strategies in the final days of the war were a hint of the future difficulties that would drive the Cold War.
In Operation Totalize, Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds' II Canadian Corps launched an attack from its positions along the Bourguébus Ridge south of Caen, striking south-southeast astride the main Caen-Falaise road toward the high ground that dominated the town of Falaise and the key west-east lateral road that ran through this town. Using sophisticated operational art the initial break-in achieved rapid success; indeed, more tactical success than any previous Allied break-in attack in Normandy.
However, despite this rapid initial success, Totalize did not subsequently secure a decisive operational-level victory. Indeed, Simonds' forces subsequently struggled swiftly to complete the second break-in battle, and to transit into rapid exploitation operations. Had Simond's force been successful the German army may not have been able to extract themselves from the Falaise pocket and would have been surrounded and defeated - possibly bringing about the early end of the war in Europe.
Written by an expert on modern Special Forces units and the operations they undertake, this book explains the evolution of the Rangers' missions in Panama, the first Gulf War, Somalia and the post 9/11 invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. It reveals the training and organizational changes that the unit has undergone and investigates in particular how their doctrine and tactics have changed during the 14-year war in Afghanistan.
At the beginning of the war the Rangers were an elite light infantry unit of picked men tasked with short duration recon raids and securing ground behind enemy lines in support of Special Forces; they have since evolved into a special-mission unit themselves - on the cusp of being assigned to the Joint Special Operations Command.
World War I's defining weapon for many, Germany's MG 08 machine gun won a formidable reputation on battlefields from Tannenberg to the Somme. Although it was a lethally effective weapon when used from static positions, the MG 08 was far too heavy to perform a mobile role on the battlefield. As the British and French began to deploy lighter machine guns alongside their heavier weapons, the Germans fielded the Danish Madsen and British Lewis as stopgaps, but chose to adapt the MG 08 into a compromise weapon - the MG 08/15 - which would play a central role in the revolutionary developments in infantry tactics that characterized the last months of the conflict. In the 1940s, the two weapons were still in service with German forces fighting in a new world war. Drawing upon eyewitness battlefield reports, this absorbing study assesses the technical performance and combat record of these redoubtable and influential German machine guns, and their strengths and limitations in a variety of battlefield roles.
Influenced by the German MP 40 and the British Sten, the .45-caliber M3 "Grease Gun” served as the primary US submachine gun for almost a half-century. Designed to replace the expensive Thompson SMG, the M3 was issued to airborne troops and others during World War II thanks to its compact design with sliding wire stock. An improved variant, the M3A1, was favored by armored crews right up to the beginning of the 1990s, seeing service in 1991's Operation Desert Storm. In Korea and Vietnam, reconnaissance troops and special-operations forces were at times armed with the M3A1 - also available in a suppressed version - and it was the first SMG issued to the US counterterrorist unit Delta Force. Featuring full-color artwork, first-hand accounts, and archive and close-up photographs, this is the engaging story of the M3 submachine gun.
Partizan's first show in the George Stephenson Hall at Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire. It makes up 200 acres of the former RAF Winthorpe Airfield which were purchased in 1964 by the Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society.
And as to the new venue, I thought it was so much better then Kelham Hall plenty of light lots of room for walking around just brilliant.
For a change I didn't really buy anything except for subscribing to the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers Journal which I've been meaning to do for quite a while. The Journal and has its own dedicated Facebook page and forum for discussions. | 2019-04-26T12:49:25Z | https://www.10mm-wargaming.com/2016/05/ |
The EPA Noise Publications listed in this Bibliography are a composite of all materials developed and made available to the public from 1972 when EPA's Office of Noise Abatement and Control was established through 1982 when the Noise Program was phased out and the responsibility for Noise Abatement and Control was delegated back to State and local governments.
The publications are listed in reverse chronological order with 1982 publications listed first.
In some instances, a document is not available from NTIS and another source is given. Names, addresses and telephone numbers of these sources are listed on the following page.
An asterisk indicates the publication is only available on loan from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Headquarters Library, OANR, Washington, D.C. 20460.
The research described in this report was undertaken to evaluate the potential contribution to the overall annoyance of heavy truck noise of the implusive character of exhaust noise created by engine compression-release braking devices. Although growing numbers of trucks are likely to be equipped with these safety devices in the future, current methods for assessing health and welfare effects of traffic noise on residential populations make no specific provisions for annoyance associated with impulsive noise sources.
This plan is intended to serve as a blue print for future research by other organizations. It includes detailed plans across all the health effects categories such as nonauditory physiologic effects, behavioral effects and noise-induced hearing loss, to name just a few.
Existing metrics of environmental noise and its impact on people are reviewed for their suitability in assessing the impact of general aviation (GA) noise on people in airport communities.
Analyses presented in this report are based on the national probability subsample of 6913 adults aged 25-74 who were administered an audiometric test as well as detailed questionnaires and physical examinations dealing with hypertension and a variety of other health conditions.
The purpose of the guidelines proposed in this report is to provide with analytic procedures which can be uniformly used to express and quantify impacts from noise. The quantification methods recommended for impact assessment in these guidelines are further developments of the Fractional Impact Methodology used for assessing the health and welfare effects of a noise environment. Three principal types of noise and vibration environments are considered: general audible noise, special noises, and vibration.
The desk reference contains up-to-date scientific information on the health effects of noise in a "Question and Answer" format, designed for technical or semi-technical audiences, such as State and local officials or the general public.
Topics addressed include a brief description of the nation's growing highway noise problem, the effects of noise on health and welfare and how to reduce noise exposures in the proximity of highways. Easy methods of identifying noise-hotspots are discussed and methods to obtain relief are elaborated upon.
Noise barriers as a possible solution are stressed and guidance is given to initiate action. In addition, case histories and specific technical details are presented to assist those in charge of planning and constructing barriers.
This study was prepared for people suffering from noise, concerned citizens, technical and non-technical state, local and Federal officials involved in the process of solving severe noise problems along interstate highways, as well as planners wishing to avoid high noise exposures through planning.
This study outlines a national strategy to address construction site-noise. After explaining the peculiar nature of construction-site noise and estimating the population exposed to high noise levels, the author presents viable methods to control such noise.
This study projects the noise exposure of the U.S. population from motor vehicles to the Year 2000 and indicates the reduction of such exposures from various new product regulations compared with in-use enforcement programs that concentrate on the removal of a portion of defective motor vehicle exhausts. Along with the benefits, the potential costs of various controls are projected for comparison purposes.
The National Roadway Traffic Noise Exposure Model (NRTNEM) is comprised of a collection of on-line datasets, some containing programs and others containing data. The manual describes the job submission procedures required to run the NRTNEM as it existed on the NCC (EPA'S National Computer Center) in December, 1981, under user ID EPADYN.
The NRTNEM actually consists of two models: The General Adverse Response Model ("GAR"), and the Single Event Model ("SEM"). Only one of them can be executed by a job at a time.
The NRTNEM was designed for and runs on an IBM/370 computer under MVS, with TSO (the Time Sharing Option) and WYLBUR, the latter two being conversational direct-access systems.
The Programmer's Manual describes the NRTNEM system described above in more detail to facilitate program maintenance.
This volume presents an overview of the RYNEM model. The basic philosophy of the model is discussed and the relevant equations used in the computations are presented. This volume is written for those who need to know what the model is like. It does not go into detail of how each computation is done in the program, nor does it teach the user how to run the model. The reader is advised to peruse the Railroad Background document for other terminology used without explanation.
This volume presents a cookbook approach to the execution of the RYNEM model. Its intended audience is those who will exercise the model. It assumes familiarity with Volume I, i.e., the user knows the quantities he inputs, and he knows the quantities printed out. For obvious reasons, the explanations incorporated in Volume I are not repeated. While it does not presume expertise with the EPA IBM computer system, it does assume the user can follow the instructions presented in this volume to the letter.
This volume describes the structure of the RYNEM and the model's program source code. It is not meant to teach the reader how to run the program. Execution of the model is described in Volume II. It assumes the reader has digested the contents of Volume I. The intended audience is the programmer who needs to maintain the program and make changes to the source code. A strong knowledge of standard IBM FORTRAN IV language is assumed.
This volume presents an overview of the RYNEM-S model. The basic philosophy of the model is discussed and the relevant equations used in the computations are presented. This volume is written for those who need to know what the model is like. It does not go into detail of how each computation is done in the program, nor does it teach the user how to run the model. It presupposes some familiarity with the EPA noise terminology, as is covered by the "EPA Levels" document. The reader is advised to peruse the Railroad Background document for other terminology used without explanation.
This volume presents a cookbook approach to the execution of the RYNEM-S model. Its intended audience is those who will exercise the model. It assumes familiarity with Volume I, i.e., the user knows the quantities he inputs, and he knows the quantities printed out. For obvious reasons, the explanations incorporated in Volume I are repeated. While it does not presume expertise with the EPA IBM computer system, it does assume the user can follow the instructions presented in this volume.
This volume describes the structure of the RYNEM-S and the model's program source code. It is not meant to teach the reader how to run the program. Execution of the model is described in Volume II. It assumes the reader has digested the contents of Volume I. The intended audience is the programmer who needs to maintain the program and make changes to the source code. A strong knowledge of standard IBM FORTRAN IV language is assumed.
This document describes the cash flow model used in the financial analysis conducted for the background document to railroad yard noise standards. It first details the purpose of the cash flow model. Next, a derivative to the equations used in the model is presented. Volume II lists the data inputs needed to use the model. Finally, a sample output of the model is shown with notes on how to interpret it.
This volume of the railroad cash flow software documentation describes the use of the railroad cash flow model. It tells how to access the model and how to change the data. Section 2.1 provides a brief overview of the design of the cash flow model and the computing environment it is used in. Section 2.2 describes how to access the computer and run the model. Section 2.3 shows how to change the data. Section 2.4 is a sample output. Appendix A is a sample session with the cash flow model. Appendix B is a list of key commands which can be used on the WYLBUR system. Appendix C explains how to restore files which have been archived.
This manual provides information on how to service the cash flow model. It is written for a user who has some familiarity with standard IBM FORTRAN-IV and the WYLBUR system.
The manual has four sections. The first section discusses the model design through its technical specifications, data requirements and algorithms. The second section defines the data base specifications and defines the data names. The third section is an annotated listing of the program. The fourth section describes verification and test procedures for the model.
This report examines the judicial trends in airport noise litigation by analyzing the decisions from many of the relevant legal cases. The significant issues arising out of these various cases examine this conflict from four viewpoints: 1) who is liable for aircraft noise related damages? 2) what is the scope of airport use restrictions? 3) what are the legal theories and trends in awarding aircraft noise-related damages? 4) what is the effect of land use planning and environmental impact statements on airport control? This extensive case law review indicates that the courts are continuing to hold the airport proprietor liable for aircraft noise-related damages. The judiciary is also expanding the legal theories and granting recovery for noise-related effects on people under the nuisance theory of emotional distress as well as under the traditional inverse condemnation theory for deprivation of property.
The Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 is reviewed. Procedures are provided for: (1) developing a well-defined set of cases for which relocation costs may be estimated; (2) determining the costs in current dollars for each expense item in each relocation case; and (3) determining the frequency of occurrence for each case as applied to specific airports. Total costs for all cases for a hypothetical airport relocation effort are provided. Supporting data and equations used are presented.
This study was conducted to estimate the costs of soundproofing dwellings within the Ldn 65 noise contours at major U.S. commercial airports. To determine the distribution of dwelling types in each region, and to obtain detailed information on local dwelling characteristics that affect noise reduction, field surveys were conducted at one airport in each region. The airports surveyed were selected on the basis that the local dwelling characteristics were representative of the respective region. The information obtained was used to identify the types of modifications most suitable for soundproofing dwellings in each region.
This manual describes an aircraft flight procedures model used to construct aircraft flight paths and performance schedules for specified operational procedures. The computer model algorithms were derived from fundamental aircraft and engine performance relationships or from operational characteristics applicable to specific aircraft types.
The purpose of this study was to identify and collect performance and operational data and information required to construct flight paths and performance schedules for selected commercial aircarrier aircraft types. The information can be used to determine the flight paths and performance schedules for aircraft operating in accordance with specified flight procedures.
This report presents a comprehensive overview of an EPA-sponsored program to demonstrate the technology and costs of reducing the noise of four heavy-duty diesel trucks to 72 dBA. The program comprised engineering development and service evaluation phases. Noise control treatments were developed and installed on each truck to reduce its noise to the target level. The treatments included partial engine and transmission enclosures, exhaust silencing systems, and two-stage engine mounts for 2 of the 4 trucks. Three trucks entered fleet service where they accumulated 230,000 miles. The treatments proved to be durable and effective and did not have an adverse impact on the operation of any vehicle. Maintenance labor time increased by 1.4% because of the need to remove enclosure panels while performing some maintenance procedures.
This report discusses the technology and costs required to reduce the noise of a Ford CLT 9000 heavy-duty diesel truck from 77.1 to 72.3 dBA. The noise control treatment consists primarily of a dual exhaust silencing system and a partial enclosure for the engine and transmission. Wind tunnel tests on the completed truck show that temperatures of engine coolant and oil remain within manufacturer's specified limits. The noise treatment increases the vehicle weight by 397 lb and estimated vehicle price by $1309.
This report discusses the technology and costs required to reduce the noise of a General Motors Brigadier heavy-duty diesel truck from 81.7 to 71.6 dBA. The noise control treatment consists primarily of a dual exhaust silencing system and a partial enclosure for the engine and transmission. The noise treatment increases vehicle weight by 340 lb and estimated vehicle price by $1174. Wind tunnel tests on the completed truck show that temperatures of engine coolant and oil remain within manufacturer's specified limits.
This report discusses the technology and costs required to reduce the noise of an International Harvester F-4370 heavy-duty diesel truck from 81.1 to 72.2 dBA. The noise control treatment consists primarily of a dual exhaust silencing system and a partial enclosure for the engine and transmission. The noise treatment increases the vehicle weight by 332 lb and estimated vehicle price by $1302. Wind tunnel tests on the completed truck show that temperatures of engine coolant and oil remain within generally acceptable limits.
This report discusses the technology and costs required to reduce the noise of a Mack R686 heavy-duty diesel truck from 81.6 dBA to 73.2 dBA. The noise control treatments consist primarily of a partial enclosure for the engine and transmission, an exhaust silencing system, and two-stage engine mounts. These treatments increase the vehicle weight by 398 lb and estimated vehicle price by $1296.
This report describes the field test and operational performance evaluation of a quieted Ford CLT 9000 heavy-duty diesel truck. The noise of the truck had been reduced from 77.1 dBA to 72.3 dBA. The field test showed the noise control treatments to be effective and durable in over 100,000 miles of service. The treatments had no adverse impact on the vehicle's operation and appear to have had negligible effect on fuel consumption. Incremental maintenance time of 2.5 hours was attributable to the treatments' impact on normal annual vehicle maintenance.
This report describes the field test and operational performance evaluation of a quieted General Motors Brigadier heavy-duty diesel truck. The noise of the truck had been reduced from 81.7 dBA to 71.6 dBA. The 12-month field test showed the noise control treatments to be effective and durable, although the noise level of the truck did increase slightly. The treatments did not have an adverse impact on vehicle operation and there was no evidence of payload displacement. The vehicle's fuel economy was better than that of comparison vehicles, but this was not caused by the noise treatments. Incremental maintenance time of 2.25 hours was attributable to treatment removal and interference while performing regular maintenance during the 12-month period.
This report describes the field test and operational performance evaluation of a quieted International Harvester F-4370 heavy-duty diesel truck. The noise of the truck had been reduced from 81.1 dBA to 72.7 dBA. The truck accumulated 36,000 miles in 5 months of service. The treatments were effective and durable, and the noise level of the truck did not increase. The treatments did not have an adverse impact on vehicle operations and there was no evidence that the weight of the treatments displaced payload. The treatments did not have a measurable effect on fuel consumption. The treatments had a minimal impact on maintenance time.
As part of a project to study tire/road, a laboratory roadwheel facility was equipped with replica road surfaces. Moving tests on a flat steel surface were also made. This document compares results from real and simulated surfaces.
As part of a program to develop engineering design tools suitable for the development of quiet tires, a set of theoretical noise models was prepared and evaluated. Near-field noise and vibration measurements were made on a roadwheel facility equipped with simulated road surfaces. Data were also collected on a smooth steel roadwheel, so as to separate tread pattern and pavement texture-associated components. Stationary vibration tests, with electrodynamic shaker input, were performed to obtain response of the tire. Contact patch pressure distributions, required for the noise models, were obtained with an array of miniature transducers. The evaluations lead to the refinement of the noise models. Based on these refinements, the models were finalized and computer programs prepared.
This report reviews the state-of-the-art for diesel engine noise reduction and presents new techniques for reducing engine block vibration and radiated noise. It presents a technique which makes it possible to identify and rank order the sources of noise within the engine.
This report presents the results of an engineering study to design and demonstrate a method of reducing piston-slap noise for an inline, heavy-duty truck diesel engine for a Cummins NTC-350 engine. Modifications were designed to achieve a 5 dBA noise reduction without degrading engine performance, fuel economy or emissions.
This report presents the results of an engineering study to design and demonstrate methods of reducing diesel engine block vibration and radiated noise. The modifications were designed for the Detroit Diesel Allison 6V-92 TTA heavy-duty diesel truck engine so that the noise reduction was achieved without degrading engine performance, fuel economy or emissions.
This report constitutes the proceedings of the three day Second National Conference on General Aviation Airport Noise and Land Use Planning. The attendees at this Conference showed a greater awareness of the general aviation airport noise situation than at the first Conference. The airport operators and the planners have become more knowledgeable in this area, perhaps due, in part, to ANCLUC studies at several general aviation airports.
This report describes a study of present and future exposures of people to noise from airports used by both civilians and military aircraft and predicts how exposure around these airports will be affected by increasingly stringent aircraft noise regulations in the absence of similar regulation of military aircraft.
This study forecasts general aviation airport noise from 1975 to the year 2000. It focuses upon noise due to propeller-driven and business jet airplanes that operate exclusively at general aviation airports. The results of the study, expressed in terms of geographical area and population within day-night average sound levels of 55 decibels and higher, are estimated at five-year intervals covering this study period.
This report documents the actions taken by airports as a result of recommendations made by Airport Noise Control and Land Use Compatibility (ANCLUC) studies funded by the Airport and Airways Development Act of 1970 (ADAP) and as a result of FY 1980 Federal grants authorized by the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act of 1980.
This report presents a discussion of the user requirements and procedures for executing the Demographic Report Generator Program. DEMCOM, a computer program written in FORTRAN IV programming language, uses as input the Aircraft Noise Levels and Annoyance Model (ALAMO) demographic profile reports which are generated for each octant of specified day-night sound level (Ldn) contour band and computes the same variables for the all-octant case. The program also projects selected demographic variables to future years based on historical growth rates for population, households, and per capita income.
This manual provides instructions to the users of a series of programs that calculate fleet noise level (FNL) and airport noise index (ANI). The concept of FNL provides a method for evaluating the noise status of fleets of aircraft. Using FNL, comparisons can be developed between fleets for all airports or subsets of airports. It is an average of acoustical energies. The ANI is a measure that is sensitive to total acoustical energy.
This study provides the methodology used to integrate parameters affecting noise exposure, considers soundproofing and relocation program issues, and presents procedures used to quantify airport residential soundproofing and relocation costs.
This report reviews the progress which has been made in airport noise control and presents a forecast of changes in aviation noise exposure that will occur during the balance of this century. Results are given of an analysis which examines the benefits of noise abatement flight operations, flight procedures, and of restrictions on population encroachment, on residential noise exposure. Cost of residential soundproofing and relocation, based upon in-depth studies, are presented for four air carrier airports which represent four airport categories. While the main focus of the report is on noise exposure above Ldn 65 at air carrier airports, noise exposure around general aviation and joint use civil/military airports is also discussed.
A set of theoretical models has been prepared which describes the noise generated by tire/road interaction. The mechanisms considered are air pumping and carcass vibration. The models begin with a set of thin shell equations describing the motion of the belt of a radial ply tire, as derived by Bohm ("Mechanisms of the Belted Tire," Ingeniur-Archiv, XXXV, 1966).
This study presents a method that can be used to examine and quantify each factor contributing to motor vehicle noise produced by automobile accelerating on city/suburban streets. It is based on data collected in six different jurisdictions subject to a range of noise control programs and was developed to assist State/local jurisdictions to formulate or refine motor vehicle noise control programs.
This study describes the basic components found in four active property line noise control programs and suggests a method for assessing program effectiveness. It is for use by local jurisdictions interested in developing property line noise control or assessing current program completeness.
This report investigates four potential noise control approaches to the control of noise from refuse vehicles. These included: (1) The potential impact of a legislative alternative requiring stationary compactors for all new hi-rise developments; (2) The effect of a collection curfew; (3) The incorporation of noise into an annual inspection program and (4) The impact of taking no local action and allowing federal regulations to serve as the only control.
This report covers a series of potential control strategies for minibike noise which can be used in a metropolitan jurisdiction. Other jurisdictions would gain insight into their minibike noise problems from reading this report. These potential strategies include: a curfew alternative; a specific use area; prohibited use on public land except recreational areas and on private lands with permission of the owner; and an exploration of the possibility of a registration/licensing fee. The study was made in Montgomery County, Maryland, which is a large and wealthy suburban area that is part of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Exploration of the curfew alternative indicates that it is not a particularly effective strategy in controlling minibike noise.
This report, conducted by the National League of Cities, covers public attitude on noise, legislation and enforcement, State and local resources. It provides excellent background to municipalities interest in the State-of-the-art in noise abatement control. This report is an assessment of the principal sources of State and local noise problems across the country, and shows what municipalities are doing to abate and control noise in their own communities.
A partial assessment of the results of a Federally sponsored program conducted in three cities to demonstrate the best available techniques for developing local noise control. Includes an overall summary and focuses on the correlation between attitudinal and acoustical surveys, between actual noise level s and public perception.
This report will provide communities with the procedure for determining the benefits of a building noise code to citizens within that community. The report should be used in conjunction with the Model Building Code and the manual for assessing costs for a building code.
This manual specifically deals with the acoustical impact of building mechanical equipment systems on the exterior environment surrounding a building site. It has been prepared as a training and implementation guide for building officials and engineers whose knowledge and training in acoustics may be limited.
The purpose of this report is to provide technical information to State and local noise control officials on the correlation between stationary motorcycle noise tests and the federal F76 passby noise test.
The purpose of this manual is to provide law enforcement personnel with the necessary technical skills and procedures to enforce State and local motor vehicle noise laws. The manual has been written for use by the police officer charged with the enforcement responsibilities, as well as his supervisor.
This review of U.S. sponsored research on the effects of noise on health is an update of a previous survey which compares present trends in research in different noise effects research categories and by federal agency. The following categories of research are covered: Nonauditory Physiologic Responses; Noise Effects on Sleep; Individual and Community Response; Behavioral, Social, and Performance Effects; Communication Interference; Noise Environment Determination and Exposure Characterization; and Human Response to Noise Concomitant with Vibration.
The number of Americans exposed to various levels of occupational and environmental noise is estimated. Estimates are made for 11 categories of noise producers (e.g., traffic, aircraft, construction) using the Ldn or Leq(24) metrics.
Research from 19 countries, including 168 research projects, is by specific categories of health effects. For each project, an abstract, the name and address of the principle investigator, funding and sponsor data (if available), and citations of available publications are given.
This 3 volume report contains a review of all world literature to date and a critical analysis of existing foreign and domestic epidemiological research on the nonauditory physiological effects of noise. In addition, the scientific literature on hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and general stress are analyzed for its applicability to noise effects epidemiology. Information and recommendations pertinent to a number of substantive and methodological issues related to the design and conduct of future noise effects epidemiology is also provided.
As part of its research effort in the area of noise effects, EPA developed the plan contained in this report to organize research dealing with cardiovascular effects which has been identified by numerous experts as the number one noise effects research priority. The report delineates the current state of scientific knowledge and several planning alternatives for research to aimed at reaching protective human criteria.
This handbook describes procedures for measuring compliance with EPA's Noise Emission Standards, which set limits on the noise of locomotives, rail cars, active retarders, car-coupling impacts, and locomotive load cell test standards.
This report documents the development of a conceptual model, and a computer program for its implementation, for assessing the aggregate impact of noise from household and consumer products on the health and welfare of the national population. The computer program requires input data on population, time utilization, dwelling type, noise isolation in dwellings, product noise emission, and product utilization. From the input data, the "weighted population," corresponding to each of a number of different noise descriptors, is computed. The report describes the assumptions involved in the model, reviews available input data, and documents the computer program.
This document is a compendium of noise regulations in the countries participating in the first Ad Hoc International Meeting of Regulatory Officials on Alignment of Noise Test Procedures. The regulations described in the compendium include those existing, those under development, and those anticipated within five years, and fall into six product categories: Construction Equipment, Domestic Appliances, Miscellaneous, Railroads, Motor Vehicles, and Aircraft.
This document presents the Proceedings of the First Ad Hoc International Meeting of Regulatory Officials on Alignment of Noise Test Procedures. The Ad Hoc Meeting was held in Washington, D.C. on December 9-12, 1980. The Proceedings describes the history and rationale of the meeting, presents the Meeting conclusions, details the Meeting agenda, lists the participants, and summarizes the presentations made at the Meeting and the ensuing discussions.
This study investigated the noise associated with highway construction activities. It involved the identification and examination of associated noise characteristics, availability and demonstration of abatement measures, as well as the development of a computer based model for use as a tool to predict the noise impact of construction activities and to plan mitigation measures. The model was developed for use on the FHWA computer (IBM 360). A total of seven reports were prepared in this study and have been released for public distribution.
This study describes the development of a machinery noise computer model which may be used to assess the effect of occupational noise on the health and welfare of industrial workers. The purpose of the model is to provide EPA with the methodology to evaluate the personnel noise problem, to identify the equipment types responsible for the exposure and to assess the potential benefits of a given noise control action. Due to its flexibility in design and application, the model and supportive computer program can be used by other federal agencies, state governments, labor and industry as an aid in the development of noise abatement programs.
This report contains an evaluation of noise conditions in the sheet metal shop at the Charleston Naval Shipyard in Charleston, South Carolina (CNSY Shop 17). The study was performed during 1978. The evaluation is based on noise exposure data for fulltime workers in Shop 17 and an analysis of noise emissions of the individual machine types used in the shop. Noise emission data are presented for the following equipment types: band saws, friction saws, pneumatic grinders, electric routers, square shears, nibblers, belt sanders Punch presses (manual and numerically controlled), press brakes, cutoff saws, spot welders, drill presses, pneumatic drills and electric drills.
Activities covered ranged from basic research, through technology development and, systems demonstration programs including noise prediction and measurement methodologies.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has identified noise from surface vehicles as a significant noise problem in the United States and noise from tires as a principal contributor to this problem. Moreover, as noise from the other parts of the vehicle is gradually reduced through the application of better technology, noise from tires will become a more significant contributor, when the vehicle is operated at high speeds. This report provides an overview of recently completed, current, or planned foreign tire noise research, development, and demonstration projects, and identifies tire industry developments and developing changes in tire technology which may have a bearing on noise.
The engine cooling fan is a major component noise source in highway trucks. The purpose of this report is to review the current state of the art for quieting of truck cooling system fans. Recent improvements in analytical capabilities and increased understanding of fan noise are reviewed.
Considerable emphasis is devoted to the investigation of the cooling system airflow requirement and an evaluation of alternative cooling system airflow configurations which would yield significant cooling system sound level reductions. Recommendations for actions which would foster the design, development, and installation of quieter fans are made.
Quieting internal combustion engine noise from highway vehicles is currently accomplished by means of acoustical engine enclosures. These enclosures may also have the effect of restricting the cooling airflow traveling through the engine compartment.
The purpose of this report is to describe and discuss engine compartment airflow, establish the framework of a semi-analytical model describing this airflow, review the effect of acoustical engine enclosures on this airflow, and identify and specify additional data required for such a model to be measured. In addition, instrumentation which can be used to monitor truck cooling system performance during in-use operation is specified.
This report reviews the noise control technology available to equipment manufacturers and users of the following machines: automatic screw machines, semi-automatic stamping presses, planes, wood saws, metal saws, crawler tractors, molding machines, spinning frames, and twisters. The study also looks at the reasons for the unavailability of certain control technology. The availability of new quiet machines on the market place is also reviewed.
APUs and GPUs provide essential service to aircraft during ground operations. Sound levels near these devices range from 80 to 87 dBA at 30 m for APUs, 83 to 103 dBA at 10 m for turbine-engined GPUs, and 71 to 80 dBA at 10 m for piston-engined GPUs. Procedures are provided for: (1) estimating community sound levels due to APUs and GPUs, (2) estimating their exposures in terms of day-night sound levels, and (3) assessing the desirability of noise abatement by comparison to recommended levels for acceptability.
The report contains five sections. Section 2 develops a basic perspective on the noise of subsonic and supersonic aircraft and the general relationships between their airframe and engine performance characteristics, noise certification standard, and noise impact. Section 3 summarizes the status of individual elements of noise control technology including engine, aerodynamics, and operational procedures. Section 4 reviews some of the integrated airframe-engine noise integration studies, and Section 5 attempts to summarize where noise and the SST stand with respect to technology. This report is based on information developed and made available prior to Fall 1978.
The study was designed to develop and analyze an aircraft takeoff noise data base consisting of areas and populations, computed as a function of noise level, aircraft type, weight and takeoff flight procedure. Six aircraft, each at typical and maximum weight, were chosen to represent the range of civil transport aircraft and engine types. The data base developed in this report enable an approximate direct translation of results between various operational, procedures and the certification test procedures.
This report contains an update and revision of the estimated noise impact of airport jet air carrier operations in the years 1975 and 2000. These estimates are based on the current takeoff flight procedures, the 1979 FAA fleet forecast, and current definitions of new technology aircraft. They do not assume additional regulatory actions, either in aircraft noise certification or in airport operations, nor do they assume additional noise control efforts on the part of individual airports.
This report deals with the development of noise-control approaches applicable to a mechanical equipment permit scheme for commercial, business, institutional, and residential high-rise buildings.
The report identifies and categorizes mechanical equipment as noise sources. The equipment is classified and rank-ordered on the basis of potential noise impact. A series of worksheets and guidelines are presented for use in performing the calculations necessary to evaluate a given mechanical design for exterior noise impact.
A model municipal noise control code for buildings has been developed. Also included is an implementation manual for this code. The provisions of the code were developed with three objectives in mind. First, they attempt to minimize the adverse health and welfare effects of intruding noise without requiring the construction of economically unreasonable buildings. Proposed standards for the outdoor reduction of noise levels are achievable with existing materials and construction techniques. Secondly, enforcement for the review of plans and for the acceptance of completed buildings are described. Thirdly, this material should help jurisdictions develop a process of administration and enforcement that is compatible with existing building code procedures.
This report provides communities interested in adopting a noise control ordinance with measurement procedures for effective enforcement. The first segment discusses the theory of sound, terminology, and computation methods. Vibration measurement and criteria are also presented.
The second segment of this report presents the current measurement procedures. Noise and vibration measurement procedures are presented for stationary noise sources. These include statistical sampling and steady sound techniques, both weighted and octave band. Both roadway (passby) and stationary sound level measurement methods are provided for automobiles, trucks, and motorcycles. Sound measurement procedures are also included for buses, construction equipment, model vehicles, recreation vehicles, and refuse collection vehicles.
This report deals with the investigation of each of the noise control alternatives for grain dryers in the State of Maryland. The primary objective of this study was to furnish and verify information with recommendations for future approaches to grain dryers noise control which would be of assistance to other jurisdictions, faced with grain dryers noise problems, as well as, references to other studies which may be helpful.
This report details the strategies evaluated and assesses the experience encountered in the investigation of noise from air conditioners and refrigeration condensing units in the State of Maryland. Each is designed to provide guidance for the State and local noise agencies faced with similar noise problems. Hence, emphasis is placed on the practical aspects of attempting to implement innovative approaches.
The objectives, methodology, and results of a national survey of outdoor noise environments in urban residential areas are discussed. The objectives were to determine overall noise levels, source contributions, and patterns of spatial and temporal variation in these areas, along with the effect of three locational factors on these parameters. The survey employed a randomized site selection procedure, a stratified sampling strategy, and a multifaceted measurement protocol to meet these objectives. Results of the survey include a simple model which predicts Ldn in these areas, projections of nationwide noise impact, average source contributions and temporal noise level histories and average variations in noise level at different locations around residential units.
This workbook provides specific instructions for the design and administration of a social survey of community attitudes toward noise. Implementation of a social survey is an exercise in management, but in addition to following the rules and guidelines in the manual, city officials must exercise judgment and "common sense."
This document provides specific instructions for the design and administration of a social survey of community attitudes toward noise. The social survey should be used with the Acoustical Survey and the Community Noise Strategy Guidelines.
This report provides guidelines for the implementation of a telephone survey for determining community attitudes towards noise. The manual provides the survey format and the information required to logistically implement the program.
This report was prepared by EPA, Office of Noise Abatement and Control, in support of its function to provide technical assistance to communities. The Manual provides a comprehensive and computerized system for assessing the noise problems of a community and then planning a noise control strategy for its abatement.
This Manual presents the technical instructions and guidelines needed by municipal authorities to carry out an initial noise survey. This survey will determine average noise levels and major noise sources for the community as a whole. It can be used in planning noise reduction measures to benefit the entire community or a substantial portion thereof.
This report was prepared by EPA, Office of Noise Abatement and Control, in support of its function to provide technical assistance to communities. It is one of nine which comprises the Community Noise Assessment Manual. The Manual provides a comprehensive and computerized system for assessing the noise problems of a community and then planning a noise control strategy for its abatement. This report provides the computerized procedures for running an acoustical survey for a community as described in the report: "Acoustical Survey for a Community."
The purpose of this document is to assist community officials in planning noise control programs. This manual describes how to use acoustical and social survey data to choose an optimum noise control program for a chosen period and budget.
This report was prepared by EPA, Office of Noise Abatement and Control, in support of its function to provide technical assistance to communities. It is one of nine which comprises the Community Noise Assessment Manual. The Manual provides a comprehensive and computerized system for assessing the noise problems of a community and then planning a noise control strategy for its abatement.
This report was prepared by EPA, Office of Noise Abatement and Control, in support of its function to provide technical assistance to communities. It is one of nine which comprises the Community Noise Assessment Manual. The Manual provides a comprehensive and computerized system for assessing the noise problems of a community and then planning a noise control strategy for its abatement. It provides a simplified and manual system for planning the noise control strategy for abating a community's noise problems. It assists communities in determining, in an objective manner, the efficient allocation of funds for reducing the adverse effects of noise in their community.
The purpose of this report is to provide various presentation techniques that will ensure effective communication of noise data to elected officials, administrators, health officials and other local personnel. The principal users of this manual are the city officials entrusted with responsibility for noise control administration.
The purpose of this document is to put the various Federal Agency Land Use policies and guidance packages into perspective. Also this document does not replace the individual Federal agency material it can facilitate the consideration of noise in all land use planning and interagency/intergovernmental coordination process.
This report represents a survey of the most significant studies since EPA issued its first report concerning noise effects on wildlife in 1971. The report has been divided into three main sections: laboratory animals, domestic animals, and wildlife. Reports on each species or taxonomic group are presented in four major categories of noise effects: auditory physiological, masking, nonauditory physiological, and behavioral.
This report contains a limited survey on the existing scientific literature pertaining to the cardiovascular effects of high noise exposure, and places that literature in perspective based on the available knowledge of general cardiovascular effects of stressful stimuli. The authors also discuss conceptual obstacles to progress in cardiovascular disease research, key technical or measurement system obstacles for research, and findings related to noise and suggestions for further research.
This report describes a user oriented computer program that allows investigation and analysis of daily activity profiles from two large existing data bases. The user can examine the relationships between people's primary activities, secondary activities, location and activity duration.
This document presents the technical data and analysis used by EPA in developing the Proposed Noise Emission Regulation for Buses. The information presented includes a detailed discussion of: buses and the bus industry; baseline noise levels for current buses; the noise control technology available; the adverse health and welfare impacts of bus noise and the potential benefits of Federal regulation; the expected costs and potential economic effects of regulation; the measurement methodology; the anticipated enforcement procedures; and existing State, local and foreign noise regulations applicable to buses. A Federal noise regulation has not been issued for buses this document is available for information purposes only.
This document presents all comments received from the public regarding the Proposed Bus Noise Emission Regulation and the Federal government's responses to each comment. The comments include those received during the 90-day public comment period and testimony received at two public hearings. The comments and Agency responses address: health and welfare benefits of the regulation; bus interior noise; school buses; possible economic effects of the regulation; noise control technology; enforcement of the regulation; test procedures; Acoustical Assurance Period and Sound Level Degradation Factor; Transbus; transit malls; and general comments. A Federal noise regulation has not been issued for buses; this document is available for information purposes only.
This document presents an assessment of the expected benefits and impacts of the Proposed Noise Emission Regulation for Buses. The information presented includes a description of the bus noise problem, the statutory basis for the action, a summary of the proposed regulation, State and local programs complementary to Federal noise emission standards for buses, the alternatives considered, the expected benefits of Federal regulation, the potential economic effects of regulation, public comments on the draft environmental impact statement, and conclusions. A Federal noise regulation has not been issued for buses; this document is available for information purposes only.
This document contains copies of the public comments that were received after the first official public comment period, which closed on July 12, 1979 for the April 17, 1979 Proposed Property Line and Source Specific Standards regulation amendment. Also contained are those public comments received during a reopened comment period (January 4, 1980 until April 4, 1980) which followed the publication of certain final rail yard noise source standards on this two-part rulemaking action.
This document presents the technical data and analyses used by EPA in developing the noise emission regulations for motorcycles and motorcycle exhaust systems. The information presented includes a detailed discussion of: the motorcycle and motorcycle exhaust systems industry; baseline noise levels for current motorcycles; the noise control technology available; the adverse health and welfare impacts of motorcycle noise and the potential benefits of regulation; the expected costs and potential economic effects of regulation; and the noise measurement methodology.
This document includes detailed information that supplements Sections 1 through 8 of the Regulatory Analysis. In addition, it includes an analysis of State, local, and foreign motorcycle noise regulations and a summary of the motorcycle national emphasis plan.
This document presents all comments received from the public regarding the proposed noise emission regulations for motorcycles and motorcycle exhaust systems and the Federal government's responses to each comment. The comments include written submissions received during the 90-day public comment period, and testimony received at the three public hearings. The comments and Agency responses address: health and welfare benefits of the regulation; economic effects of the regulation; noise control technology; enforcement of the regulation; test procedures; Acoustical Assurance Period and Sound Level Degradation Factor; labeling; mopeds; and general comments.
This document presents an assessment of the expected benefits and impacts of the final noise emission regulations for motorcycles and motorcycle exhaust systems. The information presented includes a description of the motorcycle and motorcycle exhaust noise problem, the statutory basis for action, a summary of the regulation, State and local programs complementary to Federal noise emission standards for motorcycles and motorcycle exhaust systems, the rationale for regulation, the expected benefits of the regulation, the potential economic effects of the regulation, public comments, the draft environmental impact statement, and conclusions.
The test results presented in this report are the end product of bilateral discussions and technical cooperation between the Commission of the European Communities and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The discussion and joint comparative testing were carried out to assess the potential for alignment of the existing U.S. and the proposed CEC test procedures for the measurement of noise from portable air compressors.
This report includes background information on the impact of construction noise, actions that have been carried out by Federal, State and local governments to control construction equipment and construction site noise, and a forecast of construction activity for the period 1980-1985.
This report constitutes the proceedings of the three-day conference on general aviation airport noise and land use planning. Included are advance copies of the speakers' presentations that were available at the conference, a summary of each of the five panels, a noise bibliography, and a transcription of all discussions including audience participation.
A translation of "Noise: A Health Problem," a pamphlet written for the general public, in layman's language, on the physical, psychological and emotional hazards of excessive noise on health and welfare.
This manual is designed to assist with the implementation of a State and/or local noise control public education and information program. The purposes of the program are: a) To increase the awareness and knowledge levels of the general public with respect to the potentially harmful health effects of excessive noise and the effects of noise on their quality of life; b) To foster and promote locally and individually indicated noise control actions c) To motivate and generate the support of the general public, public/private agencies and organizations, groups and associations for the increased role of State and local governments in noise control and abatement; and d) To encourage citizens to participate in the design and implementation of local noise control efforts.
This report is submitted to Congress in response to Section 8 of the Quiet Communities Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-609) which resulted from Congressional concern that aircraft noise from some airports may impact communities located in another state. The study included three semi-independent programs: (1) Noise Measurement, (2) Noise Modeling, and (3) Community Response. The noise exposure conditions, and the relative effectiveness of alternative noise control actions, were investigated for the existing 1980 operations and for projected 1990 and 2000 operations.
The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance to prosecutors who choose to take legal action against violators of State or local noise regulations; its intent is to assist prosecutors preparing for and conducting a trial--from drafting the complaint to submitting jury instructions.
The purpose of this document is to provide material suitable for use in training State and local police officers to enforce their noise control laws.
The legal memoranda included in this document address some of the more prevalent enforcement issues which have arisen in connection with State and local noise control activities. This collection of legal memoranda is organized according to the following two distinct phases of noise control activities: (1) ordinance drafting; and (2) prosecution.
This publication is intended to promote understanding of EPA's findings about levels of environmental noise that protect public health and welfare. It seeks to clarify the proper use of the 1984 "Levels Document" by interpreting its contents in less technical terms: The manual deals with measurement descriptors of environmental noise. Also addressed are the best understood effects of noise on people (hearing damage, speech interference and annoyance). Protective levels are summarized.
The purpose of this report is to investigate workers compensation for permanent noise-induced hearing loss in 50 States and the federal government. The report examines claims activity, some of the main compensation rules, their scientific support and claims procedures. Finally, the Federal Employee Compensation (FEC) program for hearing loss is studied.
The present report is a continuation of an earlier report by Scharf, Hellman and Bauer (1977). The objectives are (1) to determine whether subjective judgments of particular types of noise, categorized by spectral shape, are better approximated by some descriptors (frequency weightings and calculation procedures) than by others, and (2) to investigate the role of tonal components in these studies and to assess the adequacy of several tone-correction procedures.
This study was undertaken to evaluate subjective and objective aspects of moderate levels of noise from impulsive sources. A detailed review of the literature on the subjective aspects was emphasized. The annoyance and loudness from a wide variety of repetitive impulse noises were evaluated. These results were applied to the evaluation of impulsive noise from a number of specific noise sources.
This report presents results of an estimate of the national exposure to aircarrier aircraft noise through the year 2000. The forecast was carried out to show the effect of two types of noise abatement options. The first consisted of modifications to FAR Part 36 proposed to the Federal Aviation Administration (Notice 76-22) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency which would establish lower noise limits for newly designed aircraft in the years 1980 and 1985. The second type consisted of alternative power cutback procedures (FAA AC 91-39 and two variations of ALPA/Northwest Airlines procedure) coupled with minor variations on approach procedures.
The FAA measured the noise at several communities in the vicinity of JFK International Airport due to the operations of Concorde and subsonic aircraft. This report presents the results of an analysis by the EPA of the FAA noise data which leads to interpretations of the effects of Concorde operations on the public that are different in significant respect from what might be assumed from a cursory reading of the FAA reports.
An existing urban sound propagation model has been applied to the specific problem of estimating the propagation of noise from urban construction sites along street corridors. Discussion summarizes the development of the propagation model and computer programs used to estimate sound propagation. The propagation model has been applied to five different construction site orientations resulting from two city block configurations. For each of the site orientations, the estimated values of attenuation versus distance in the streets surrounding individual sites are presented. Assuming the sound level at the construction site is known, the procedure to be used to determine sound levels in the surrounding streets is also provided.
Development of a county noise program in the southeastern U.S. Discusses the transition from a nuisance to quantitative ordinance based on receiving land use, the administration of the new program, and results.
Comprehensive study of the development of a municipal noise control program with particular focus on motor vehicle noise control. Includes history key program components, and an evaluation of results.
The development of a successful municipal noise control program from initiation by a Task Force and citizen survey through ordinance development and passage to administration and enforcement. Includes public education methods, legal approaches, the philosophy of enforcement and three case studies illustrating the city's implementation of noise control.
The purpose of the investigation was to explore the relationship between hearing level at various audiometric frequencies and speech discrimination in different noise backgrounds. The study was designed specifically to test the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology's (AAOO) selection of a 26-dB average of 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz, as the point above which hearing handicap occurs. The study attempted to see if there were differences among individuals whose hearing was at or better than the low fence, and if so, what factors caused or affected the differences. The AAOO formula adopted the inclusion of 3000 Hz to assess hearing handicap as a result of this study.
This volume has been compiled from the results of a survey on foreign noise effects research from 1975-77. The survey was conducted for the second interagency noise effects research panel. Included in the volume are 211 project descriptions, from twenty-two countries. Projects are reported under the following subject areas: noise-induced hearing loss, non-auditory health effects, psychological and performance effects, noise effects on sleep, communication interference, community or collective response, effects of noise on domestic animals and wildlife, noise environment determination, and noise concomitant with vibration.
The Federal Noise Effects Research Program was documented and reviewed in 1977. At that time, the program had expanded slightly over the previous years, with more agencies participating. The program was reasonably comprehensive and, in general, coordinated with no unjustified overlap of efforts. Research needs to support and justify regulatory and standards requirements were identified by the Panel as being of the highest priority.
This report provides a broad overview of the international research effort in aviation noise abatement and control that was completed or underway during 1976/1977. 116 Research Projects were reported by 8 countries. Reports included: Identification of Program Sponsor, Type of Research, Funding Levels, Program Summary and References. Activities covered ranged from basic research, through technology development and, systems demonstration programs including noise prediction and measurement methodologies.
This report, prepared by the Federal Interagency Aviation Noise Research Panel is a compilation of the research, technology, and demonstration (RT&D) activities of Federal agencies and departments in the area of aviation noise during the period FY 75-78. The report contains qualitative assessments of these activities as well as recommendations for future areas of work. Each Agency's projects are summarized, including levels of funding for each fiscal year. In addition, a bibliography of completed research reports, by Agency, is included. Aviation noise RT&D activities reported are grouped into two types of programs. The first group comprises Research and Technology Programs. It encompasses acoustic fundamentals and noise generation, suppression, transmission, and prediction. The second group is that of Demonstration Programs and Systems Studies. Programs in this group are intended to explore the actual effectiveness and appropriateness of applied technology for aircraft noise abatement with realistic hardware.
This study contains calculations used to assess the potential effectiveness of barriers toward reducing noise exposure from the federal-aid highway system. Noise exposure, in terms of the numbers of people exposed to Ldn greater than 60, 65, 70 and 75 dB, from the primary federal-aid system was computed for present traffic flow and projected traffic through the year 2000. Reductions in noise exposure were computed for several scenarios of constructing barriers along urban interstate highways. It was found that significant reduction of noise exposure would require barriers along most of the urban interstate system. The benefit (in terms of reduction of exposed population) per mile of barrier construction was found to be greatest at high noise levels (Ldn > 75 dB). It was concluded that barriers would not provide a feasible method for abating noise on a national scale. Their main benefit is to provide relief in extremely noisy local applications.
STATUS OF NOISE CONTROL IN U.S.A.
The purpose of this report is to analyze the status of state and local noise control programs in the U.S. Three elements of the programs have been investigated and reported. These include: Public Awareness, Legislative, and Noise Control Implementation.
This document is designed to serve as the basis for a self-contained program of instruction addressing noise in the total environment of the operating engineer. It is designed to be used as an independent program of instruction for operating engineer apprentices, or to be integrated with other components of a complete apprenticeship training program.
A study to determine average speech levels used by people when conversing in different levels of background noise. The non-laboratory environments where speech was recorded were: high school classrooms, homes, hospitals, department stores, trains and commercial aircraft.
The study used 80 male college students divided into high and low anxiety groups. Each subject experienced a household noise profile under a quiet (50 dBA), intermittent (84 dBA) and continuous (84 dBA) noise condition, while performing either an easy or difficult pursuit tracking task. Heart rate, electromyographic potentials, and tracking error responses were evaluated. Results indicated significant (P.01) main effects for task difficulty, noise condition and anxiety level (as measured by the IPAT Self Analysis Form) of subjects.
The report presents the results of a social survey of over 2,000 respondents at 24 selected urban locations throughout the United States. A social survey (coupled with an extensive noise measurement program to acoustically describe the urban environment) was conducted to sample opinion over the entire range of noise exposure and population density characteristic of non rural America. The objectives of the National Urban Noise Survey were to establish relationships between noise exposure and human response as a function of situational and attitudinal variables associated with the life styles of people residing in urban areas away from highways and airports, as well as to establish the outdoor noise levels at which noise becomes the salient factor in the generation of annoyance as a response indicator.
This report presents the results of a detailed examination of 23 studies in which listeners judged either the loudness or acceptability of sound. This investigation compares commonly employed frequency weightings and calculation rating schemes with respect to their ability to predict the subjective effect of sound. These studies included data available from both the laboratory and the field, and encompassed a wide variety of natural and simulated noise stimuli.
A presentation of the questions posed and an assessment of the issues related to the consideration of the amendment to delete deceleration testing from the medium and heavy truck noise regulation (40 CFR 205) is reported. Although noise emissions from engine brake operation are unique in character, it appears that noise control using engine exhaust muffling for the vehicle acceleration mode also reduces engine brake deceleration sound levels. Economic impacts of vehicle deceleration testing using engine brakes appear minimal if engine brakes are installed at the point of manufacture. The report contains EPA Regulatory Docket No. ONAC 77-3 exhibiting all comments submitted by interested parties.
The purpose of the seminar was to help EPA and other government agencies become aware of university noise control sources. Principal investigators of active, industrially-related research programs at universities were invited to present information about work recently completed (during 1975 or 1976), or in progress, or planned for 1977. Papers were solicited on research, development and demonstration projects in all areas of noise control except aircraft noise. Emphasis was placed on industrially sponsored, hardware oriented projects.
An experimental program was conducted to determine the transfer function of quarry blast noise and vibration into typical structures. Four distinct noise and vibration signals are produced inside nearby dwellings. It was determined that due to resonances excited within the dwellings, the noise and vibration excitation was greater inside the dwellings that outside.
The military services within the Department of Defense are currently working to alleviate the noise problem at their airfields. Most of these efforts are grouped in a program entitled the Air Installations Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ). The Noise Control Act of 1972 designated EPA as the coordinator of Federal noise programs to ensure that they are consistent and mutually reinforcing. EPA believes that one way to facilitate coordination is to promote an understanding of other agencies programs by publishing a series of Federal noise program guides. This document covers some important features of DOD's AICUZ program, its problems and relationship to other agencies noise programs.
This report discusses some of the features and problems of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Noise Abatement and Control Policy. Its purpose is to serve as aid to persons concerned with noise abatement and control activities in the Federal Government.
A review and comparison has been conducted of three highway noise prediction models: NCHRP, TSC, and Wyle. The first two are those approved by the Federal Highway Administration; the third was developed for EPA. The elements comprising each model are analyzed in detail, including basic formulation, vehicle noise levels, propagation, treatment of various road geometries, and shielding by barriers. Significant differences among the models were found. A series of charts is presented whereby differences among the models may be estimated for particular input data. Comparison between measured roadside levels and predictions from the three models are also presented.
A manual has been prepared which presents a procedure for reviewing noise impact of proposed highway projects. The manual reviews Federal Highway Administration policy for noise impact, and includes specific steps for reviewing environmental impact statements and noise study reports prepared for proposed highway projects. The noise policy of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and noise levels identified by the Environmental Protection Agency are also reviewed, so that a complete assessment of the impact of expected noise may be made. A noise prediction model, consisting of charts, nomograms, and simple equations, is presented so as to enable an independent check of predicted levels presented in an EIS. The noise model (which includes barriers) is itself suitable for predicting roadside noise levels.
This document discusses the important features of FHWA's noise policy and related environmental procedures. It also identifies associated problems with the policy without attempting to present an "evaluation." No examination of how the policy actually works in the field was undertaken. The purpose of the report is to serve as aid to persons concerned with noise abatement and control activities in the Federal Government.
The report introduces the problem of effective enforcement of noise control requirement in building codes throughout Europe, examines in detail two approaches of special interest and finally proposes a new approach to the endorsement of building code noise requirements.
A review is given of the measurement needs attendant to regulation of the noise generated and emitted by commercial products. The report is divided into three major parts. Part I is a discussion of overall measurement requirements. Part II is designed as a checklist for the evaluation of the suitability of a noise measurement standard for a particular class of products. Part III consists of a series of flow charts depicting the development of appropriate procedures for the measurement of product noise emission.
A method is described for calculating values of Day/Night Levels (Ldn) at a point due to aircraft operations from civil airports. The procedure is to determine distances between the point in question on the ground and the aircraft flight tracks and runway. A series of charts give Ldn values for different types of aircraft in terms of these distance parameters. This method is not suitable for generating noise contours (lines of equal Ldn value) although a method is described for estimating area and size of any given contour.
This document was developed to continue the dialogue on the overall goals of the noise program, the role of government, the role of consumers, and the role of industry in noise control, along with the selection of specific abatement and enforcement activities for EPA. It establishes a general framework for making decisions on the best strategy that EPA can employ to combat noise pollution.
The Model Community Noise Control Ordinance is intended to be a basic tool which communities, both large and small, can use to construct noise control ordinances suited to local needs and conditions.
This document contains the technical, economic, health and welfare analysis and other pertinent data and information utilized by the Environmental Protection Agency in the development of the final Interstate Rail Carrier Noise Emission Regulation.
This report presents an assessment of the environmental noise effort and noise control needs in the 50 states and 235 incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 75,000. The document has been used by EPA as a guide for developing its technical assistance program.
Some issues in conflict regarding the proposed OSHA standards for occupational exposure to noise are examined. These include material impairment, the extent of possible hearing loss, non-auditory effects, and the nature of social and economic costs and benefits of regulation at 85 dBA and 90 dBA exposure limits. A preliminary analysis of the methodology and difficulties in arriving at cost-benefit estimates is included. Regulatory alternatives such as new plant standards, industry-specific standards, variance and abatement agreements, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment are explored.
This document presents and discusses the background data used by the Agency in the development of proposed noise control regulations for promulgation by the FAA in conformance with the Noise Control Act of 1972. The proposed regulations pertain to control of airplane noise at the source and would amend the existing Federal Aviation Regulations PART 36 (FAR 36).
This document summarizes the effects on costs incurred by the public and private sectors as a result of the Noise Emission Regulations for Portable Air Compressors. Included are economic impact estimates, impacts on inflation, environmental improvements, alternatives considered, and impact on materials.
This booklet contains, in layman language, fundamentals of acoustics and noise. A bibliography is provided as well as a glossary for more detailed technical information on specific aspects of this subject.
On March 31, 1976, the EPA issued a regulation governing noise emissions from newly manufactured medium and heavy trucks. That regulation was issued under Section 6 of the Noise Control Act of 1972. This document presents and discusses the background data used by the Agency in setting the standards contained in the regulation. Presented is a comprehensive discussion of the information available in March 1976 on the environmental, testing, technological, and economic aspects of medium and heavy truck noise control.
Potential effects of noise on the public health and welfare are described, limitations and gaps in necessary knowledge of those effects are identified as research needs, and eight categories for analyzing noise effects research are presented. The Federal research programs were summarized for each of the eight health effects categories. The Noise Effects Research Panel through its collective knowledge of the needs and the current research identified specific research areas which needed additional emphasis in order to provide accurate and thorough information on effects of noise. The Panel concluded that the then current programs need continued and in some instances expanded support in order to provide necessary information on the effects of noise.
This document updates NTID 73.1, dated March l, 1973. It provides a summary of state and local noise laws in existence in the U. S. up thru December 1974.
A literature search and study has been made on the following; with special reference to transport category aircrafts: (1) Certification process; (2) Specific types and models certificated since 1969; (3) Recent annual production statistics or estimates.
This program was undertaken for the Office of Noise Abatement and Control, Environmental Protection Agency, to evaluate the nationwide community impact of aircraft noise through the year 2000, considering a number of aircraft/airport noise reduction alternatives. The study was based on the evaluation of operations at three airports - Los Angeles International, St. Louis, and Washington Dulles.
This document contains the technical, economic, health and welfare analyses and other pertinent data and information utilized by the Environmental Protection Agency in the development of the Interstate Rail Carrier Noise Emission Regulation.
In accordance with a recommendation by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration is considering an amendment to Section 91.87 of the Federal Aviation Regulations which would provide noise relief to communities in the vicinity of airports by prescribing a two-segment Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach for civil turbojet engine-powered airplanes.
In accordance with a recommendation by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration is considering an amendment to Section 91.85 of the Federal Aviation regulations which would provide noise relief to communities in the vicinity of airports by prescribing reduced flap setting procedures for civil turbojet powered airplanes.
This report presents the supporting data for a proposed noise certification rule for supersonic civil aircraft. The background information presented shows that supersonic transports are inherently noisier than subsonic jet transports. It is concluded that current designs of SST aircraft cannot comply with FAR 36 but that future designs can at least meet those requirements. In view of these conclusions as well as the other factors discussed, five of the various regulatory options are recommended for further consideration for the development of one or more rules.
Under Section 7 of the Noise Control Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-574), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is authorized to propose to the Federal Aviation Administration aircraft noise regulations. This study provides an overview of aircraft type certification regulations (e.g., original type, supplemental, airworthiness, etc.) through which aviation noise regulations are or could be implemented.
The purpose of this study was to (1) determine the noise levels of current (1973) model motorcycles, (2) evaluate available motorcycle noise reduction technology to determine noise reductions feasible for future new machines, and finally (3) to estimate the increases in manufacturing cost required to achieve these noise reductions.
This document contains information useful for the development of noise emission standards for snowmobiles. Topics covered include information on snowmobile construction, noise characteristics of models currently on the market, and noise reduction techniques and costs necessary to achieve specified noise levels.
This document identifies noise levels consistent with the protection of public health and welfare against hearing loss annoyance, and activity interference as mandated by the Noise Control Act of 1972.
This report summarizes the planning, conduct and results of a noise survey in 100 sites in urban areas across the United States and the use of these results coupled with other existing data, to provide an estimate of the outdoor noise levels experienced in residential areas by the United States population. It concludes that there are more than 90 million people living in areas in excess of 55 Ldn and 1.3 million in areas in excess of 75 Ldn. The summary is contained in Volume I. Volume II contains data from each site.
This document contains information useful for the development of noise emission standards for lawn mowers. Topics covered include information on lawn mower construction, noise characteristics of models currently on the market, and noise reduction techniques and costs necessary to achieve specified noise levels.
The U.S. rail rapid transit systems, car operations, and the car building industry are described in relation to the procurement of quieter cars. The noise environment of passengers in rapid transit cars is discussed and the major noise sources and paths of noise transmission into cars are delineated. For essentially all combinations of car noise-control modifications deemed technically and economically feasible for implementation in new vehicles, estimates are presented of the associated noise reductions, initial costs, and operating costs. It is concluded that significant reductions in in-car noise under typical operating conditions can be achieved at incremental costs that are small percentages of the total car costs.
The numerous data points measured at Dallas-Ft. Worth and Dulles International Airports and plotted as a function of level versus distance show a scatter sometimes exceeding +5EPNdB. Direct comparisons of Concorde and 707 approach noise were possible at Dulles. These few measurements indicate the Concorde noise levels relative to the 707 levels to be less, in general, at 2.6 n.mi. and greater at 3.6 n.mi. from threshold. It would appear that when measured data are compared with the theoretical curves there is no reason to believe that the noise levels measured under FAR 36 or Annex 16 conditions, claimed by the Concorde developers will not be achievable.
This document presents and discusses the background data used by the agency in setting the standards issued in the Interstate Motor Carrier Noise Emission Regulations. Presented is a comprehensive discussion of the information available in October 1974 on the environmental, testing, technological, and economic aspects of interstate motor carrier noise control.
The FAA has been concerned with the noise levels of turbojet (axial flow jet and axiam flow fan) powered airplanes that do not comply with FAR 36 since its promulgation in 1969. Two ANPRMs and one NPRM related to retrofitting operational airplanes to meet the noise levels specified in FAR 36 have been published for public comment. This report examines these three proposed actions in detail and recommends two regulations based upon their best features. The first regulation would be a straight retrofit rule. The second regulation would be a Fleet Noise Level (FNL) rule. The Analysis Section discusses technology options for source noise control including Quiet Nacelles, Refan, and miscellaneous other methods applicable now and in the future to all civil subsonic turbojet engine-powered airplanes. Included in the analysis are estimates of the noise levels and the unit and investment costs for the various retrofit options available to the large transport airplanes and to the smaller business jet airplanes as well. Also included in the Analysis, are discussions of the concepts of Fleet Noise Level (FNL), Day-Night Level (Ldn), and Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF) with numerical examples, which illustrate the pertinent relationships.
A compilation of data is provided, with references to published work, which represents the present state of knowledge concerning the effects of continuous and impulsive noise on hearing. The danger to the ear of both occupational and non-occupational human exposure to noise is considered. Data are included or cited which enable quantitative predictions to be made of the risk to hearing in the American population due to noise exposure in any working or living context. Recommendations are made concerning the need to obtain more definitive data.
In support of the main document, "A Basis of Limiting Noise Exposure for Hearing Conservation", EPA Report 550/9--73-001A, this report compares the relationship of noise exposure of Noise Induced Permanent Threshold Shift (NIPTS) as predicted by the currently available works of Passchier-Vermeer, Robinson, Baughn and Kryter, and the yet unpublished work of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. The works of Passchier-Vermeer, Robinson, and Baughn are selected since these are the only works that completely predict the relationship between NIPTS and noise exposure for various audiometric frequencies, sound pressure levels and population percentiles.
The Noise Control Act of 1972 requires that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develop and publish criteria with respect to noise. These criteria were to "reflect the scientific knowledge most useful in indicating the kind and extent of all identifiable effects of noise on the public health and welfare which may be expected from differing quantities and qualities of noise. This criteria document, therefore, served as a basis for the establishment of the recommended environmental noise level goals to be related to the "Levels Document" called for the Section 5(a)(2) of the Noise Control Act (refer to EPA Report 550/9-74-004).
This report contains all of the papers presented at this conference which covered all areas of the health effects of noise including masking effects, noise induced hearing loss, nonauditory effects, performance, and behavior and community response, and sleep disturbance.
This report provides a summary of noise source regulations encompassed in state laws and local ordinances prior to 1973. Data has been extracted from only those laws and ordinances stipulating specific decibel limits.
The existing legal/institutional structure is described as it relates to the exposure of people to the noise of aircraft. Criteria for the evaluation of legal/institutional arrangements, whether existing or proposed, are then developed. Using these criteria, an evaluation of the existing legal/institutional system is provided in order to illuminate the major constraints and problem areas which exist. Potential alternatives are proposed and discussed as to their relative merits. Finally, recommendations are presented. Appended to this report are a list of the members of the task group (Appendix A), the formal recommendations submitted by member organizations (Appendix B), a list of the master file documents collected by the task group efforts ( Appendix C ), and related reports generated by the task force effort (Appendix D), including both the reports of other task groups and reports resulting from contracted studies.
This report documents the work of an EPA task group on the study of implications of identifying and achieving levels of cumulative noise exposure around airports as mandated by Section 7 of the Noise Control Act of 1972.
This study was designed to display the percent of a population exhibiting greater than certain specified audiometric hearing levels as a function of specified exposure levels and duration of exposures to those levels. Audiometric data from 6,835 employees of an industrial plant were taken during the period from 1960 through 1965. The employees were selected only on the criterion that their noise exposures were reasonably well known. Hearing levels for each of three exposure conditions (78, 86, and 92 dBA) were obtained for the speech (0.5, 1, and 2 kHz) and the 4kHz audiometric frequencies. The data and hearing risk tables are presented.
The Agency has conducted, for the Congress, a technological reassessment of the areas of concern stated in Section 7(a) of the Noise Control Act of 1972. This report provides a summary of the principal findings of the study and of the plans for regulatory proposals to satisfy the further continuing requirements of the Act, not only with reference to Section 7 but as they relate to the larger responsibilities of dealing with the problems of aviation and airport noise in accordance with other authorities of the Act.
This 1971 report presented a basic physical and statistical description of the overall noise problem associated with outdoor noise in the community. Basic measures of noise and the way they vary over 24 hours are presented. Twenty four hour noise surveys were conducted at 18 locations ranging from wilderness to a downtown city. Annoyance and community reaction to noise were recorded. Correlation between physical measures of an intruding noise related factor and community reaction.
This report summarizes the auditory effects and general psychological and sociological effects of noise based on noise effects research through 1970.
This report describes kinds of problems encountered by a person with a hearing loss. Issues such as the sensor of isolation, diminished interest in participation in conversation, and emotional depression are described.
A brief discussion is given of the physical nature of sonic booms, and other impulsive noises, and the parameters, such as overpressure, duration, and mechanical impulse, which are used to characterize booms. This is followed by an overview of the response of structures--particularly buildings--to sonic booms and a review of the damage history observed due to supersonic overflights. The report concludes with a summary of the observed effects of impulsive noise on terrain and natural structures.
A study was undertaken to survey the economic impact of noise. Data available on the entire subject of noise and its abatement were so rudimentary that they do not lend themselves to even the most primitive economic analysis. It was demonstrated that the number of sources of noise in homes, in industry, on the highways, and in the air is growing at a dramatic rate. These noise sources are heterogeneous and transient, and, therefore, a universal solution for abatement of noise at the source was not available. From the economic viewpoint, it was demonstrated that substantial costs were associated with noise and its abatement.
This report can serve as an introduction to noise, including the inter-relationship between physical measures and psychological responses. The basic principles of sound generation and propagation are discussed as well as the measurement of both the physical attributes of noise and the effects of noise on people. The suitability and effectiveness of various noise exposure rating schemes, used to estimate or predict the effects of noise on man, are discussed and critiqued. | 2019-04-26T02:59:18Z | http://nonoise.org/library/bibliogs/bibliog.htm |
When the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) convenes in June, at least two men will be nominated for president: J.D. Greear and Ken Hemphill. Both men are my brothers in Christ and my friends. I love them, and I am extremely grateful for their ministries. I have nothing negative or unkind to say about either one of them.
As we move toward the annual meeting in Dallas, it is important that we have accurate and truthful information about the candidates. Misinformation is never a good thing.
Unfortunately, in recent days, things are being said and written about Greear that are simply inaccurate and untrue.
I am well aware of an ongoing conversation about the role of SBC entity leaders in the discussion of the SBC presidency. As a voting messenger to our convention, I have personal opinions just as many others do. And I am supportive of an open discussion about the future of our convention. But this is not about that.
This is about our discourse and whether or not we speak truthfully about the facts when we share those opinions.
Greear is a two-time graduate of the institution I serve, a visiting professor on our faculty, a pastor who has ministered faithfully in the region in which I live and a longtime friend. I know him well.
So, let me do my best to set the record straight.
Some are saying that Greear neglects and is even dismissive about the work of our state conventions.
Milton Hollifield, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, told me personally when he spoke in chapel at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) that The Summit Church is both active and fully supportive of the work of the state convention. If anyone would know whether Greear is supportive of state convention work, Hollifield would be that person.
Some are saying The Summit Church, where J.D. serves as pastor, does not support well the financial work of our state convention and the SBC at large.
The Summit has led North Carolina Baptists the last two years in Cooperative Program (CP) giving. In 2016, Summit gave $553,103, according to the state convention. In 2017, they gave $503,396. They are on target to lead the state again in 2018, and Greear tells me his church has no plans to do anything but continue to give more to the CP.
In 2017, 19 percent of Summit’s budget went to Great Commission Giving. In addition to their CP giving, they gave $275,000 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and $100,000 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. They also are helping fund an endowed chair at SEBTS specifically for training church planters. That is simply amazing. The data shows a very cooperative Southern Baptist church.
Some are saying Greear is a Calvinist, and therefore he would lead the SBC to be anti-evangelistic and anti-missionary.
Regarding their position on missions, Summit currently has 158 of its members serving with the International Mission Board. Summit has also planted 40 churches in partnership with the North American Mission Board.
When it comes to discussing an individual’s theological positions, it is always best to talk to one another, not about one another. Greear, without any hesitation whatsoever, affirms the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. When it comes specifically to the doctrine of salvation, he and I hold the exact same position.
In a personal conversation, Greear told me he believes God is sovereign and humans are free. This is a divine mystery taught in Scripture and we should rest in that.
He also believes that we should never take away from God’s sovereignty or the moral responsibility and freewill of human beings to repent and believe the gospel. Anything that lowers the temperature of a hot heart for evangelism and missions is not in the Bible and it is not of God.
Greear is not a classic Calvinist, and he has made no secret of his soteriological position both in writing and in speech. I think we should allow him to speak for himself and take him at his word.
He is happy to fellowship and serve with Calvinists and non-Calvinists alike. Bottom-line: if you love Jesus, the Bible, the gospel, the Church and the lost, he wants you on his team!
This is the J.D. Greear I have come to know, love and respect. This is the J.D. Greear I am proud to have in the classroom teaching seminary students. This is the J.D. Greear who has the support of Jack Graham, James Merritt, Bryant Wright, Johnny Hunt, Ronnie Floyd and Steve Gaines.
And, even though Steve Gaines and J.D. agree that the current president of the SBC should not nominate a candidate, Gaines told the Biblical Recorder earlier this year that if Greear is elected and decides to seek a second term, he would be willing to nominate him for re-election in 2019.
J.D. Greear, if elected, would serve Southern Baptists well.
Does this mean other leaders would not? No. We can talk about issues without tearing one another down, and certainly without spreading information that is untrue.
We are followers of Jesus, and the gospel frees us to interact in full transparency. This a conversation we have at least every two years, and it is vital that we pursue it with integrity.
The world is watching and our mission is too important. Our opinions can differ, but our discourse must reflect our witness. We are better than this.
I appreciate BRNow allowing us ro republish this. With the deceptive voter’s guides and false accusations out there, truth is refreshing.
Found it disturbing that the voter guide article had comments turned off. All of the Hemphill information was from his website and the Greear information was from as far back as 2008. One would think they would at least try to look like they had some integrity in creating that guide.
Yeah, I have no doubt all the quotes were accurate, but they were clearly mashed up to clearly cast Greear in the most negative possible light. This whole campaign is becoming more distasteful with each passing day.
I started to respond about 7 times and deleted them all. Maybe just amen?
There were no losers in the 2016 election because no one won the election.
No. The outcome was a result of the two candidates’ actions. The tire slashers didnt have a chance to mess it up.
No, the outcome was the result of the Lord’s actions. Pray tell, Brother Thornton, who among your fellow messengers were the “tire slashers” in 2016? Those who voted for Crosby? Those who voted for Gaines? Or those who voted for Greear? And who are the “tire slashers” of 2018?
I really don’t have a dog in this fight, my church is a SBC member church, but mostly in name only.
I enjoy both blogs voices/today and will watch with great interest how this all plays out.
The traditionalists I know say when JD had the epiphany to remove summit from the Acts 29 network, that was disingenuous, at best.
And secondly, and it is something I hear people talking about, but I don’t see it mentioned much on either blog, is his quote about summit members speaking in tongues in their prayer closet.
You lose a lot of ground, and you end up getting your hands dirty….
Please pass the popcorn, not many blogless days until June..
I wonder if the Lord views slander, disunity, and back-biting as a good show to watch.
I see this as one who far too often turns my head to watch a train wreck instead of bowing to pray.
Everyone is doing what is right in their on eyes, me thinks…..
I know I read that somewhere…..
I appreciate Dr. Akin’s words and approach here.
He set the record straight and was able to do so without disparaging either candidate.
While commending both candidates, Dr. Akin seems to be making the case for electing J. D. Greear for SBC president, even pointing out his endorsements.
And there is no doubt which candidate SBC Voices is for. How many posts are there now, that at least lean in favor of Greear? The comment about Hemphill taking naps seems a pretty good put down, as well as a previous comment here about his being a good leader of a previous generation.
Today Rick Patrick has answered this article well at SBC Today. But I know you don’t allow links from here to there. Of course SBC Today is for Kenneth Hemphill, but they do not claim to be a voice of all Southern Baptists.
The problem many of us have articulated is not with endorsements – the problem is with lying, voter guides that are intent on disparagement of the “other” guy , and the marshaling of state convention mechanisms and resources for one candidate over another.
Dr. Akin didn’t do any of that.
As a messenger and an SBCer Akin is free to endorse, defend, “campaign” or whathaveya – just as other messenger/SBCer entity and state convention leaders are (yes, including Hankins). That’s not the issue here.
For clarification – I’ve also never seen where Voices claimed to be the voice of southern baptists…it’s a place where southern baptists are given opportunity to speak. Perhaps you have actual evidence for the accusation that Voices claims to be anything other than a platform for SBCers to have “voice”?
The voter guide article is deceitful, possibly even slanderous, toward Greear.
Greear’s quotes are cherry-picked from as far back at 2008, cobbled together, and taken out of context. While Hemphill’s quotes are cited verbatim from an article he wrote as a candidate less than a month ago.
At the time Hemphill was employed by NAMB and promoting EKG. He was on the record supporting the GCRTF report, and endorsed the “restructuring both our denomination and the local church to give priority to the kingdom advance.” He agreed with Greear that the relationship between the local church and state convention needed to change.
State conventions have gone through significant changes since the GCRTF report. So it appears 2010 Hemphill agreed with 2010 Greear’s quote, and 2018 Greear agrees with 2018 Hemphill’s quote. The voter guide deceitfully conflates the two quotes and implies disagreement.
Jim B. – I don’t think the representation of JD’s in the ‘voter guide’ is slanderous. If he made the statements, he needs to own them and clarify how they no longer represent his views. That said, I appreciate that you took the time to show how the ‘voter guide’ needs some clarification of its own.
Allow me the grace to vent for a moment. The last year has given me great concern, about my future as a Southern Baptist. I wasn’t raised as one, I chose to be Southern Baptist because it aligned with my conviction of scripture. Yet, the emergence of the Connect 316 group has caused me to question who Southern Baptist really are. How big is their following? It seems that every pastor in my area is in step with their views. I’m actually hesitant to comment because of how they will come against me and the church I pastor. Their views are somehow gaining leverage with the people I pastor as well. I am so grateful for the wisdom of the BFM because it allows for differing viewpoints while maintaining doctrinal conviction. It seems that if this group is as large as it seems and wins this election, they will seek to amend the BFM 2000 and remove anyone who does not hold their specific viewpoints. I have lost dear friends over the last few months, because I am willing to cooperate with calvinistic brothers. I was told that I was a heretic for doing so. Are my concerns and fears valid or am I simply overthinking this?
Hello Concerned. I would say that you are not alone in your viewpoints and as someone who try’s to keep his ear to the ground…much of the pockets of those who hold an affirmation of the “traditionalist view” and align with Connect 316 May be verbal but do not seem to be as active in participation when it comes to being in the room at the Annual Meeting. Now this could change…but I have seen more that hold to a middle ground view point in soteriology (middle ground being that they affirm both the sovereignty of God, The freewill Of man, & the mystery of grace). I could be wrong…but remember, those who want to have a voice must be those in the room in June.
I don’t think it’s anything to be concerned about. There are only 1,300 signers of their defining document, and about 15-20% of the signers come from just 4 churches. Altogether, only about 400 SBC churches (of 47,000+) are actually represented by the group.
And yet they claim to represent the majority of Southern Baptists, so at least in their view they have been in control of the SBC since the Conservative Resurgence, and they’ve made no moves to narrow the BF&M after nearly 20 years in power.
And after the public scandal regarding the website, and now the public awareness of the falsehoods contained in the voter guide, it looks more and more like Dr. Hemphill may drop out before the convention in June.
Hi Concerned. The Traditionalist faction is more of a political party than a doctrinal view. There are many, many non-Calvinists in the SBC but only a little over a thousand traditionalists. I have no doubt some in their group would do the things you fear, but others wouldn’t. Their rhetoric has become more divisive in recent years but I think in the end the rank and file Southern Baptists will continue to cooperate as they always have.
“I have lost dear friends over the last few months, because I am willing to cooperate with calvinistic brothers. I was told that I was a heretic for doing so.” And again, here is the huge difference in my opinion. “Calvinists” and that includes those who are accused of being Calvinists like J.D. Greear or anyone else but this small group of Traditionalists, would lose you as a friend for cooperating with Traditionalists. We may disagree but they have a right to voice their opinion no matter how void of actual facts and they have a right to be a part of the SBC. You have just hit on the one reason not to be concerned, “Concerned”.
that should be would not lose you as a friend or co-partner.
I think it’s wrong when this is taken so far to the right that one is willing to drop years of friendship for what? That to me is manipulation from those who say they believe in free will. Free will should be for more than just salvation. It’s cruel and it’s just wrong.
I think C316 is a small group – I am told most of their angry mob is actually NOT SBC. But we will find out. They are going all out with deceptive campaign tactics, abandoning integrity to adopt the secular style of politics to elect Hemphill. If they fail, we know.
Who among the ones we know aren’t SBC?
I guess I just assumed they were.
I don’t know if this is the same people Dave has heard about, and I haven’t kept up with the website or facebook group in a long time, but back in 2016 Rick was cited in several articles from Baptist News Global for his criticism of Calvinism and Dr. Moore. That publicity led to several angry former-SBC moderates joining the C316 fray. Strange bedfellows and all that. I’m not sure if they’re still interacting with the group.
My point about endorsements is that Dr. Akin mentions those who endorsed J. D. Greear; he did not mention anyone who endorsed Ken Hemphill.
The article is 99% advocacy for Greear; 1% advocacy for Hemphill. He basically says Hemphill is a good man, then spends the rest of the time telling how great Greear is. That is his right, but it is not an unbiased, equal article.
As I’ve said before, I don’t really have much problem with Akin or Mohler endorsing Greear; or David Hankins, Rick Patrick, Richard Land endorsing Hemphill. Just be fair to both sides.
I should have made my reference to SBC Voices more clear. My point is that SBC Voices claims to be diverse voices of the SBC; SBC Today claims advocacy of the Traditionalist point of view. So, in that sense there is a distinct difference between the two.
As far as those condemning the “Voter Guide,” I would just challenge anyone with questions to go to SBC Today and read the Voter Guide article for yourself, as well as the post today by Rick Patrick, “Joining Danny Akin in Setting the Record Straight.” They are very informative. Patrick points out they are not the ones doing what Akin criticizes in Akin’s article.
Haven’t figured out this new system for commenting.
Don’t know why it runs my paragraphs and sentences all together.
I think after a certain number of characters, it condenses a comment and puts a “read more” link. When the reader clicks that, it expands into the paragraphs you wrote.
Wow, you could write for Stephen Cobert with that one liner!
Are you serious? Do you believe that?
Funny considering how on the question on Calvinism, they ignore an unambiguous statement supporting unlimited atonement Greear tweeted a month ago, and instead dredge up an anecdote from an article from 5 years ago.
And then there’s the comment “Jared Wilson calls JD a Calvinist.” The most charitable thing I can call that is a bald-faced lie.
My understanding is not that JD is a calvinist but that since he isnt a Traditionalist and works okay with Calvinists, he wont be promoting the agenda of Traditionalism. If I remember correctly, they hve declared ‘war’ on Calvinism, and JD isn’t on their side so they promoted Dr. Hemphill and they disparage JD.
I believe you’re correct about the stated agenda of at least some of the Traditionalist leaders. Did you happen to see Greear’s tweet from Feb. 6? It was an explicit affirmation of unlimited atonement.
But that section of the voter guide isn’t about what either man believes about Calvinism. it’s about “transparency” of their position. The quote from Greear is an anecdote used to illustrate his point. It’s literally in quotations in the original article, not a statement of his position. But of course there is no mention of the context.
any C other than myself, but you are a little off in your understanding of Calvinism. The word ‘world’ does not equate necessarily to every human being that ever lived. In fact, outside of a certain soterilogical viewpoint, it rarely if ever does.
Thus most consistent calvinists would not say Jesus died for all people. ‘All people’ unless the context dictates otherwise is just that: all people. But ‘all people’ does not equate to ‘world’. Thus the word ‘world’ is a general term not used to denote the complete set of individuals, while the phrase ‘all people’ is more specific and could mean in context, every person who lived, is living, or will live.
So in 1st John 2;2 as well as in John 3:16, the word ‘world’ does not mean all people without distinction, nor would any holder of Limited Atonement think that the word ‘world’ in those verses means as much. Those that hold to Limited Atonement, generally, believed Jesus died for a distinct people. yes, He died for the world, but not for every individual in the world. That is what the “stock” Calvinist understanding is.
I dont study John Calvin. Calvinism describes a certain set of doctrines, and most C’s I know of do not follow Calvin, but the Bible. John C was also a paedobaptist. So in reality,it matters not one whit what John C believed. What really matters is speaking the truth in love and adgereing to the basic Gospel message: that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived a perfct life and was crucified for the sins of others and rose again fro the dead and is King and Lord of all, andHe is the omly way, through faith in Him, to recieve forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
How one understands election and the extent of the atonement are secondary issuea that should not divide brothers.
Rick Patrick denies many things, unfortunately those denials ring hollow in the face of truth.
Serious question: Is there any real danger of someone with a vote in the upcoming election going to SBC today, reading the “voter guide”, and having their opinion changed?
Matthew Clark: That depends. It has happened. The point is not will it change minds, but is it truthful? The Bible is clear on the subject of bearing false witness. The internet spreads things like wild fire without checking and as Christians are we not committed to honesty and truthfulness no matter the cost?
I agree, but I just think the voter guide is hilarious. To the level of those chain emails from ten or fifteen years ago. I can’t imagine anyone outside the echo chamber taking it seriously. Which, I suppose a lot of Christians took those chain emails seriously too.
It’s not about changing minds, it’s about stirring up the base. They’re trying to paint Hemphill as a CP-loving guy who wants everyone saved and Greear as a scary Calvinist with a faulty gospel who will destroy the CP and cooperation with state conventions.
They’re using that narrative to try to flood Dallas with a traditionalist majority.
That’s why the LBC, which is basically the traditionalist home base via Hankins, is running this as a secular political campaign. That’s also why the executive director of Missouri, who was previously in the LBC, sent out an email to pastors urging us to take a full slate of messengers via reduced price bussing and participate in presidential voting in a historic, direction-setting election year (to be fair, in the email he didn’t urge us to vote for one over the other, but he’s publicly supported Hemphill so it’s clear who he has in mind).
It’s a page out of the CR handbook, trying to create a TR (traditionalist resurgence), as they believe they are the silent majority: Get a bunch of messengers who support you and change the direction of the convention.
And that is very frightening. The SBC being reduced to these political tactics is shameful. Yes, the CR did get political. I attended most of those conventions and they did get rancorous. However, the intentional misinformation and false information being handed down now did not occur anywhere near that level during the CR. W.A.’s “A skunk by any other name still stinks,” and the judge’s “going for the jugular were strong words, but they were fighting “The Curse of Liberalism” (Criswell, SBC, 1988).
I suspect much of this battle is about money using doctrine as a cover. Many newer churches and pastors are giving more CP directly to SBC and bypassing the state conventions and that scares the state conventions to death. It is possible that all of this politicizing may have the opposite affect of what they hope. We’ll see.
In your opinion how do you think the percentages fall in the SBC today, as to members affirming as Calvinistic or non C ?
Benny, it depends on several things, including “what classifies a Calvinist”? Is that line drawn at 5 points, 4 points, 3 points, affirming certain aspects of the “tulip” etc.
Obviously, 5-pointers are going to be very much the minority, no one argues that.
But “non-cal” also does not equal “traditionalist”. I’d say that as a movement the traditionalists are also very much a small minority.
Most SBCers exist on a spectrum in between those two poles, and most don’t seem to care very much about the fight. Which is what makes what Hankins/Patrick are doing such a shame.
Greear and Hemphill are two godly men who live in that “in between”. Granted Greear is clearly closer to the Cs and Hemphill to the Ts, neither (at least publicly that I’ve seen) identify as either.
So… Let the two lay out their vision. Let the two present the merits of their vision to the SBC.
But, to engage in secular-like politicking, in which one is constantly painted by the “other side” as something he’s not for the sake of stirring up a voting block, that’s flat out unchristian.
I think you have hit on an important part of this issue, the fear of the unknown, the NON C’s that I know, would only affirm the “P”, after that they feel that TULI has distorted the gospel, and that the other pedals, tuli are so inter linked that they can’t be seperated..
I will say this, I do think Eric Hankins is correct in saying that the SBC needs a full airing of the issue, and in my view this would help the sincere people try to fully understand where the Calvinist camp is coming from.
I am of the opinion that the Trads are defining the cals. Those who will not research the heart and belief of those like JD – and others such as Akin, Mohler, Pratt… to see their heart to reach the nations will vote out of misinformation and fear of what they have been told.
There seems to be a large contingency of SBCers who are not interested in learning the truth in this. That we can work together and Mohler and Akin are not trying to take over the SBC. There is no Cal takeover.
If I were to offer guidance to those with a voice for Calvinists in the SBC, I would promote people like A Rogers… J. Vines… and all the heroes of the CR and let them know how these godly men knew the importance of working together for the Kingdom of God is vital and must continue. I would promote the demand that CP percentages are what needs to be the factor as wrong and that to make it such is to belittle the heroes of the CR.
They are absolutely defining the cals. Remember when non-Calvinists would admit they agreed with a few of the 5 points? No more. Now anyone with even a hint of doctrine that remotely resembles Calvinism is automatically a Calvinist, for the purposes of determining who is acceptable and who is not.
That’s interesting. I hadn’t really though about that, but aren’t the Trads shooting themselves in the foot by “rounding up” theological points?
The 2010 Lifeway study revealed 10% of SBC pastors are 5-point Calvinists. By the same criteria, 0.9% of SBC pastors are Traditionalists. The implication would be the other 89% are somewhere in between.
But if they use a broader definition of Calvinism to include Greear and Akin, who would probably affirm three or four points, then the number goes way up. Perhaps the 2016 presidential election results would indicate more of a 50/50 split? Based on my experience with the SBC pastors I know personally, I’d guess it’s closer to 60-80% Calvinistic(ish).
Yep, Bill Mac. That’s a concerted and intentional (and deceptive) strategy. Eric Hankins laid that strategy out clearly in his “loyal opposition call to war” strategy speech at the Connect316 banquet that took place at the 2016 (or was it 17?) convention.
The transcript of that speech can be found in various places throughout the inter-webs.
Nothing frightening to me, that’s simply the American way.
Whoever gets the most votes in Dallas wins.
This was done a couple of years ago with the SBC Pastor’s Conference.
I plan on going to SBC convention for first time EVER and there lots of others like me. My vote will be for the candidate who has supported the CP and the SBC in a way which I think is presidential.
It’s odd to me that people like you are just NOW engaging in the work of the convention by attending NOW the annual meeting. Where were you last year, the year before, or however many years you’ve been a Southern Baptist? Why is it important to you now and not before? That’s what I don’t understand.
I have been faithfully leading my church to give 13.5% of our budget to the CP and local association. So your telling me that the thousands/ millions of SBC people who have not attended the convention were not engaging in the work of the convention. We were paying for that microphone (to quote Ronald Reagan). What is important now 1) presidential election.2) the ELRC and its drift as I see it.
It is odd to me that someone who wants to be president of the SBC had to announce to his church they were in fact SBC (EVEN IF IT WAS SAID IN JEST).
Summit Church has over 10,000 members and adds hundreds of new converts to their church membership each year via baptism. It doesn’t seem odd that many of them would be unfamiliar with something as esoteric and which church planting and missions networks their church leaders partner with.
On the other hand, I’m sure the thousands of Summit pastors, ministry leaders, church planters, IMB missionaries, and resident SEBTS students are familiar with their SBC membership. But Greear’s comments likely weren’t directed toward them.
Jim, certainly there are some people at Summit (with 10,000 members) who are out of touch. However, in the past, most (if not all) SBC churches had “Baptist” in the name. A church can be named anything the congregation wants, but there is a responsibility (or at least a thought) that if you don’t have Baptist in the name, you might need to announce, put into the literature, on the website, or through Social Media what you are affiliated with. Even if Baptist was in the name, people might not (in certain places) understand the church is connected to the Southern Baptist Convention, but they wouldn’t be in the dark that they are connected to Baptists. Part of the movement of naming SBC connected churches names without “Baptist” in them was started because church planters and leaders didn’t want people (in general) to not come if they had preconceptions about “Baptists”. Nevertheless, ultimately if you want your people to know who you really are, you will have to acknowledge this. Some, perhaps many, of the Mega-churches don’t really do that. Summit Church may very well be one that does, but Church Names can tend to disguise rather than express Partnerships.
Considering the precipitous (edit: gradual) decline in membership, baptisms, and personal evangelism that has defined the SBC over the last 2-3 decades (under the watch of one single generation of conservative SBC presidents, 8 of whom are signers of the Traditionalist Statement), I can’t blame Summit and a host of other churches for not wanting to be “in touch” with the SBC.
The SBC won’t survive if we keep electing the same group of people using the same (failing) methodologies to reach the ever-changing culture. The days of SBC homogeneity are over because our churches are too diverse…because their neighborhoods are too diverse.
Precipitous is an overstatement. We plateaued, then started a slow decline. It us troubling, but facts are our friends.
Dave, I corrected my comment using the flashy new edit button. I actually added the word at the last minute because of a stat I found on this website of a 71% single year decline in baptisms, which sounds precipitous. But upon further reading, the change came from a different method of counting baptism, not an actual decline. I apologize. You know how much Southern Baptists love numbers.
This is a great piece by Dr. Akin. What the other blog published is trash and the majority of their articles are a mashup of misquotes and false narratives that they’ve come to believe. Rick needs to repent of his slanderous lies and his misdirection and misleading comments. | 2019-04-26T12:51:05Z | https://sbcvoices.com/reprint-from-brnow-org-setting-the-record-straight-an-exercise-in-brotherly-love-by-danny-akin/ |
Based on time series gene expressions, cyclic genes can be recognized via spectral analysis and statistical periodicity detection tests. These cyclic genes are usually associated with cyclic biological processes, for example, cell cycle and circadian rhythm. The power of a scheme is practically measured by comparing the detected periodically expressed genes with experimentally verified genes participating in a cyclic process. However, in the above mentioned procedure the valuable prior knowledge only serves as an evaluation benchmark, and it is not fully exploited in the implementation of the algorithm. In addition, partial data sets are also disregarded due to their nonstationarity. This paper proposes a novel algorithm to identify cyclic-process-involved genes by integrating the prior knowledge with the gene expression analysis. The proposed algorithm is applied on data sets corresponding to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Drosophila melanogaster, respectively. Biological evidences are found to validate the roles of the discovered genes in cell cycle and circadian rhythm. Dendrograms are presented to cluster the identified genes and to reveal expression patterns. It is corroborated that the proposed novel identification scheme provides a valuable technique for unveiling pathways related to cyclic processes.
The eukaryotic cell hosts several cyclic molecular processes, for example, cell cycle and circadian rhythm. The transcriptional events in these processes can be quantitatively observed by measuring the concentration of the messenger RNA (mRNA), which is transcribed from DNA and serves as the template for synthesizing the corresponding protein. To achieve this goal, the microarray experiments exploit high-throughput gene chips to snapshot genome-wide gene expressions sequentially at discrete time points. The sampled time series data present three main characteristics. First, most data sets present small sample size, for example, no more than 50 data points. Obtaining large sample size data sets is not financially affordable, and besides, in the long run the cell culture loses synchronization and the data become meaningless if they are sampled much later on. Second, the data might not be evenly sampled, and many time points could be missing. In order to capture critical events with minimal cost, biologists usually conduct microarray experiments and make measurements when these events happen. Third, the data are highly corrupted by experimental noise, and a robust stochastic analysis is desired.
Based on time series data, various approaches have been proposed to identify periodically expressed genes, which are sometimes believed to be involved in the cell cycle. Assuming the cell cycle signal to be a simple sinusoid, Spellman et al. and Whitfield et al. performed Fourier transformations on the data sampled with different synchronization methods, Wichert et al. applied the traditional periodogram and Fisher's test, while Ahdesmäki et al. implemented a robust periodicity test assuming non-Gaussian noise. In , Giurcǎneanu explored the stochastic complexity of detecting periodically expressed genes by means of generalized Gaussian distributions. Alternatively, Luan and Li employed guide genes and constructed cubic B-spline-based periodic functions for modeling, while Lu et al. employed up to third harmonics to fit the data and proposed a periodic normal mixture model. De Lichtenberg et al. compared the approaches [1, 6, 7] and proposed a new score combining the periodicity and regulation magnitude. Interestingly, the mathematically more advanced methods seem not to achieve a better performance compared with the original Spellman's method that relies on the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) method. As an important observation, notice that the majority of these works deal only with evenly sampled data. When data points are missing, in general for the adopted methods, the vacancies are usually filled by interpolation in time domain for all genes, or the genes are disregarded if there are more than 30% of data samples missing.
The biological experiments generally output unevenly spaced measurements. The change of sampling frequency can be attributed to missing data. Besides, the measurements are usually event-driven, that is, more observations are recorded when certain biological events happen, and the observational process is slowed down when the cell remains quiet or no event of interest occurs. Therefore, the analysis based on unevenly sampled data sets is practically more desirable and technically more challenging. Notice that in the case of uneven sampling, the harmonics exploited in the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) are no longer orthogonal. Lomb and Scargle demonstrated that a phase shift suffices to make the sine and cosine terms orthogonal again, and consequently a spectral estimator can be designed in the presence of uneven sampling. The Lomb-Scargle scheme has been exploited by Glynn et al. in analyzing the budding yeast data set. Notice also that a number of alternative schemes were proposed recently to cope with missing and/or irregularly spaced data samples. Stoica and Sandgren updated the traditional Capon method to cope with the irregularly sampled data. Wang et al. designed the missing-data amplitude and phase estimation (MAPES) approach, which estimated the missing data and spectra iteratively through the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm. Although Capon and MAPES methods aim to achieve a better spectral resolution than Lomb-Scargle periodogram, for small sample size, the simpler Lomb-Scargle scheme appears to possess better performance in the presence of realistic biological data .
Most of the algorithms proposed in literature identify cyclic genes by exploiting mathematical models to explain the gene's time series pattern. Employing these models and statistical tests, the periodically expressed genes are normally identified. Finally, the detected genes are compared with the genes that had been experimentally discovered to participate in specific processes like cell cycle. Notice that these practically verified cycle-involved genes only serve as a golden benchmark to evaluate the performance of the proposed identification algorithms. They are not fully exploited in the implementation of the identification algorithm. Notice also that most of the existing algorithms fail to utilize all the available data information. For example, the elutriation data provided in was usually discarded when performing the spectral analysis. In other experiments, some data sets were also disregarded due to either loss of synchronization or nonstationarity. Herein, we propose a novel algorithm to detect periodically expressed genes by integrating the gene expression analysis with the valuable prior knowledge offered by all available data. The prior knowledge can consist of two data sets, that is, the set of genes involved in a cyclic process and the set of noncycle-involved genes recognized in biological experiments. The cycle-involved genes are used to initialize the proposed algorithm, and the noncycle-involved genes are employed to control the false positives. The expression analysis is composed of the spectral estimation technique and the computation of gene expression distance. The underlying approach relies on the assumption that genes expressing similarly with genes of a process of interest are also likely to participate in that process. This assumption is actually exploited to apply the clustering schemes on the microarray measurements in order to partition genes into different functional groups. The proposed algorithm identifies potential cyclic-process-involved genes and guarantees that the verified cycle genes will be included with 100% certainty into the output gene set, and at the same time the verified noncycle-involved genes are removed from the derived set with 100% certainty. Although most of the existing power-spectra-based algorithms can be crafted into the proposed algorithm seamlessly, herein we are using the Lomb-Scargle periodogram due to its simplicity and good performance. The proposed algorithm will also lay a ground for the following cycle pathway research.
The proposed algorithm is composed of a spectral density analysis and a gene distance computation based on the time series microarray data. All existing spectral analysis schemes can be incorporated into the proposed algorithm. However, the Lomb-Scargle periodogram is recommended here due to its convenience of implementation and excellent performance for small sample size. The nonparametric Spearman's correlation coefficient is accepted to construct the measure of distance between two genes.
Microarray measurements usually have a large portion of missing data points. Besides, the sampling frequency is tuned to adapt to nonuniformly occurring events. Lomb-Scargle periodogram appears as an excellent candidate for analyzing these irregular data .
A rejection of the null hypothesis based on a -value threshold implies that the power spectral density contains a frequency with magnitude substantially greater than the average value. This indicates that the time series data contain a periodic signal, and the corresponding gene is cyclic in expression.
where ( ) stand for the rank pair of the measurements of genes and . The parameter counts the number of sampling points where both gene and gene present available observations. This distance measure always assumes values between 0 and 1.
The proposed algorithm is formulated as Algorithm 1. Lines 1 to 9 accept inputs and initialize the target cyclic gene set with the spectral analysis results and the prior cycle-involved genes. Inside them lines 4 to 8 exclude genes whose peak periodicity, , is in contrast with the prior knowledge of the frequency range of the researched phenomenon. Lines 10 to 17 represent the iterative accumulation part. They iteratively insert into the potential cyclic gene set the genes expressed similarly as the genes within that set. Lines 18 to 25 stand for the false positive control part, which constructs the control set iteratively to suppress the potential false positives by using the prior knowledge. Line 26 subtracts the control set from the established target set and finalizes the cyclic gene set. The simulation results on the yeast data set showed that the iterative accumulation part controls the false positives pretty well.
Algorithm 1: Identifying cyclic process involved genes.
The algorithm will surely converge to a set. This is because in each iteration of the accumulation and false positive control part, there have to be new members added into the target gene sets. The number of set members keeps increasing, and the set in the previous iteration is a subset of the later set. However, this increase is upper-bounded by the full gene set that contains all the measured genes. Therefore, both the iterative accumulation part and false positive control part converge, and the proposed algorithm also converges.
Usually some general idea about the phenomenon of interest can be used to determine the two bounds and of the frequency range. For example, the circadian rhythm has a periodicity around 24 hours, which can be somehow compressed or prolonged by experimental protocols. If no prior knowledge exists, the set can be used. The other two thresholds are to be specified. The first is the threshold for the periodicity test. To effectively control the false alarm rate, multiple testing correction can be applied and a -value threshold can be specified. In practice, can be chosen around 0.15. This threshold can also be decided by comparing the spectral analysis results with the prior knowledge. Such an approach is more attractive when the proposed algorithm is combined with other periodicity detection methods. We are inclined to use a more stringent threshold, which also represents a trade-off between the number of conserved genes and the number of experimentally verified genes. The second threshold is the distance threshold . It keeps decreasing along the iteration. For example, the initial value is assigned to be 0.25, which means high correlation according to Cohen's rule of thumb . Each iteration decreases this threshold by 0.05 until it reaches 0.1, then it remains constant at 0.1. This technique in practice helps to prevent the amplification of false positives.
The proposed algorithm was applied on the data sets provided by unicellular Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) and multicellular Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), respectively. The in silico results are discussed briefly here. The full list of identified potential cell cycle genes is presented in the additional files.
Although various time series data sets have been available, including the experiments on human cells , the yeast data set published by Spellman et al. is still among the most popular research targets or benchmarks of computational biology, since this data set excels in its large size of samples and the simplicity of the genome. The mRNA concentrations of nearly 6200 Open Reading Frames (ORF) were measured for the yeast strains synchronized by using four different methods, that is, factor, cdc15, cdc28, and elutriation. The data set contained in total 73 sampling points for all genes, while there existed missing observations for some experiments. The detected periodicity matched the yeast cell cycle. Our prior knowledge was derived from two sources: Spellman et al. revised 104 cell cycle genes that were verified in previous biological experiments, while de Lichtenberg et al. summarized 105 genes that were not involved in the cell cycle.
Spellman et al. designed a periodicity metric, namely, CDC score, based on the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of three experiments factor, cdc15, and cdc28. The observations of elutriation were discarded due to a computation obstacle. Although later a bunch of other methods were proposed to identify the cell cycle genes, for example, [3, 6, 7], de Lichtenberg found that Spellman's FFT-based method still excelled in testing power and detected the most verified cell cycle genes . However, as admitted in , the selection of the number of conserved genes was fairly arbitrary. As Figure 1 illustrates, when the number of conserved genes increases, the number of verified genes increases at a decreasing rate. Actually, after 400 genes have been identified, the curve becomes relatively flat. Therefore, we conserved the 400 genes with top CDC scores as the initialization set in the proposed algorithm. This means a more stringent test threshold for the spectral analysis part.
Performance of Spellman et al.'s CDC score on Saccharomyces cerevisiae data. A specified number of genes are conserved as periodically expressed genes. These genes are compared with the published 104 cell cycle involved genes. The matched genes are counted. Most experimentally discovered cell cycle genes possess high periodicity scores. When the number of conserved genes is greater than 400, Spellman et al. method's identification ability degenerates, as shown by the flat tail of the curve.
Figure 2 compares the simulation results with the 800 genes identified by Spellman et al. . Before the running of the false positive control, the proposed algorithm identified 725 genes, in which 104 genes were from the prior experimental knowledge, and 400 genes were from Spellman et al.'s spectral analysis method. These two sets overlapped in 84 genes. We identified 199 genes that were neither identified by Spellman et al.'s method nor reported in the prior knowledge of the 104 genes. The false positive control removed 3 genes and left 722 genes marked as potential cell cycle involved genes. The identified genes are provided in the additional files in MS Excel format.
Venn graph of identified Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes. The proposed algorithm identified 722 genes as potential cell cycle genes. 725 genes were identified before running the false positive control procedure. False positive control removed 3 genes, which are marked within the parenthesis. Various sets are differentiated by their colors.
As an example of a gene detected by the proposed algorithm, Figures 3(a)–3(d) plot time series data for two genes CWP2 (YKL096W-A) and CCW12 (YLR110C). These two genes indicated a strong correlation, with the correlation coefficient 0.19, in their expressions for all four experiments. Both genes are annotated to encode cell wall mannoprotein. CWP2 is cell-cycle regulated at the S/G2 phase . It was assigned a CDC score of 2.031, which ranked 478 in all ORFs. Therefore, it was selected in Spellman et al.'s 800 genes. A stringent CDC score threshold, for example, 2.37 that conserves 400 genes, will make CWP2 discarded from cell cycle genes. CCW12 was not selected in Spellman et al.'s 800 genes because its CDC score was 0.297, which was very low and ranked 4092 in all genes. It has been found that the cell wall accounts for around 30% of the cell dry weight, and its construction tightly coordinated with the cell cycle . Smits et al. summarized that among 43 discovered cell wall protein encoding genes, in which CCW12 was not included at that time, more than half of them were verified to be cell-cycle regulated. In other words, cell wall proteins are highly likely to be involved in the cell proliferation process. Based on the similarity between the expressions of CWP2 and CCW12 in the cell cycle arrest experiments, we hypothesize that CCW12 is also cell cycle regulated at phase S/G2.
YKL096W-A(CWP1) and YLR110C(CCW12) time series expressions in four datasets. Both CWP1 and CCW12 are cell wall protein encoding genes. CWP1 has been verified to be involved in the cell cycle experiment.
All the detected 722 genes are hierarchically clustered in Figure 4. The hierarchical clustering was selected mainly because it was convenient for visualization, and it avoided to specify the number of desired clusters. It is worthy to note that more advanced methods, for example, self organizing map (SOM) could achieve a better clustering performance. Most clusters indicate a strong periodicity pattern, as can be discerned by the red and green regions which are positioned alternately. There is an exotic cluster, which exhibits fast oscillation in the cdc15 experiments. This cluster contains 130 genes that are illustrated in Figure 5. By examining the existing annotations for these genes, we found that most of them either encode nucleolar proteins or are involved in ribosome biogenesis. It has been verified that ribosome biogenesis consumes up to 80% of proliferating energy, and it is linked to cell cycle in metazoan cells. However, in yeast, the ribosome biogenesis is not regulated by the cell cycle in the same manner as in advanced organisms due to the closed mitosis of the yeast . Defects in nucleolar genes halt the cell at the Start checkpoint . The ribosome biogenesis controls the growth of the size and inhibits the cell cycle until the cell has reached a satisfiable size .
Clustering analysis of identified Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes. Gene expression levels are indicated by the heatmap. There are 722 genes identified by the proposed algorithm to participate in the cell cycle. Most genes exhibit strong periodicity, as indicated by alternately positioned red and green regions.
The exotic clustering of identified Saccharomyces Cerevisiae genes. Gene expression levels are indicated by the heatmap. This cluster contains 130 genes. The gene expressions in the cdc15 experiment oscillate between low and high levels. Most of these genes are nucleolar genes.
In order to measure valid time series samples, the cell culture has to be synchronized. In other words, all cells within the culture should be homogeneous in all aspects, for example, cell size, DNA, RNA, protein, and other cellular contents. Cooper in [26, 27] argued that the ideal synchronization is an impossible mission because different dimensions, like cell size and DNA content, could not be controlled at the same time. Therefore, current popular synchronization methods, like serum starvation and thymidine blocking, are only one-dimensional synchronization methods and fail to achieve a complete synchronization. It is fully possible that the discovered periodicity is completely caused by chance or by the specific synchronization method. Based on the Spellman et al.'s spectral analysis with CDC scores, it is obvious that the most experimentally verified cell cycle genes exhibit top CDC scores. Hence, the spectral analysis is still highly valuable. However, due to the loss of synchronization and nonstationarity, the choice of threshold for the periodicity test has to be much more stringent in order to suppress false positives. When the cell culture is not ideally synchronized or stationary, the spectral analysis may fail for some data sets, such as the elutriation data set. However, the proposed algorithm is still capable to identify a set of genes which are closely correlated to the verified cell cycle genes based on all the available data. The exploitation of the prior knowledge, consisting of experimentally verified cell cycle genes and noncell-cycle genes, can help to improve the detection accuracy and combat the negative effects induced by the loss of synchronization and nonstationarity.
The multicellular Drosophila melanogaster serves as a good prototype for the research of mammalian diseases because it has only 4 pairs of chromosomes, on which are located abundant genes with mammalian analogs. Our in silico experiments are performed on the Drosophila melanogaster data set published by Arbeitman et al. . With the usage of cDNA microarrays, the RNA expression levels of 4028 genes were measured, and these stood for about one-third of all found fruit fly genes. The synchronization of the cell culture was yielded by the Cryonics method. In Arbeitman et al.'s experiments, 75 sequential sampling points were observed, starting right after fertilization and through embryonic, larval, pupal, and early days of adulthood. There were 134 experimentally verified cycling circadian genes . Among these 134 genes, 52 were measured in Arbeitman's experiment . We did not locate the set of noncell-cycle genes in the Drosophila literature. Therefore, the false positive control procedure was not performed. The least time interval between any two sampling points was 30 minutes, which was much larger than the Drosophila's cell cycle period. However, the pupal data set had sufficient sampling points to provide insights into the circadian rhythm.
The spectral analysis was accomplished by applying the Lomb-Scargle periodogram on the nonuniformly sampled pupal data. We found that cyclic genes concentrated most of the power spectral density at the frequency band with the period of tens of hours. By posing a q-value threshold at 0.1, 50 genes were preserved for the initialization of the proposed algorithm. Then, there were 344 genes identified by the proposed algorithm. A dendrogram for these genes is illustrated in Figure 6. The top and bottom parts constitute two complementary groups. Most of the experimentally verified genes (46 out of 52) are located in the bottom part, exhibit a transition from the repressed level to the induced level around the time of 11 hours after fertilization.
Clustering analysis of identified Drosophila melanogaster genes. Gene expression levels are indicated by the heatmap. There are 344 genes identified by the proposed algorithm to be involved in the circadian rhythm. The dendrogram can be split into the top and bottom groups, respectively, which are complementary in their expressions.
Two most extensively studied genes involved in the Drosophila circadian rhythm are and . In Arbeitman's experiment, showed relatively prominent periodicity in the pupal stage. However, the period was prolonged to be more than 24 hours. This was due to the fact that the synchronization method slowed down the biological process. Unfortunately, was not measured in the experiment. A large portion of identified genes have been verified to participate in metabolism, a process closely controlled by circadian rhythm. A cross-species knowledge might be valuable. However, special precautions must be considered when the two organisms are too different, like the yeast and fly. The yeast is a unicellular organism with closed mitosis while fly is multi-cellular with open mitosis. The difference between multicellular organisms is less prominent. Therefore, we hypothesize that the prior knowledge of the Drosophila might be valuable for the identification of more advanced species, for example, Homosapiens. The complete list of identified genes is provided in the supplementary materials .
A novel algorithm is proposed to identify the cyclic-process-involved genes through the incorporation of microarray data analysis with the prior knowledge of genes participating in the cyclic process. The in silico experiments were conducted based on the data sets corresponding to the unicellular Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the multicellular Drosophila melanogaster. The potential cell cycle and circadian rhythmic genes were identified and compared with the existing computational results. It is corroborated that the proposed algorithm is capable to exploit all the available data and propose potential cycle-involved genes. | 2019-04-23T18:14:20Z | https://bsb-eurasipjournals.springeropen.com/articles/10.1155/2009/683463 |
This week, as Philip Levine was named the 18th U.S. Poet Laureate, I went back through my stack of Wild Duck Reviews (most of which exist in hard copy, not digital). I was looking for Issue #2, published late 1994, to see how our interview had stood the test of time. Pleased, I quickly decided to re-type it for these archives.
Casey Walker: To begin, will you describe your new book, The Simple Truth, and the writing of it?
Philip Levine: Well, The Simple Truth was a very difficult book for me to write. I’m not exactly sure why. My previous book, What Work Is, had so much unity to it. It was all clustered around the central image of work, and I didn’t want to do that again. These new poems had a certain wackiness to them and an unusual degree of inventiveness.
Also, I like books with variety. My first book lacked variety. It had one funny poem in it. My second book didn’t have any funny poems. I began finding myself bored by books I had liked when I was younger, bored because each had a single nerve tone. It was like hitting one tone and keeping it up for seventy pages. I wanted more variety. In this book, for example, there are lots of family poems—and it’s the first book I’ve published with family poems since 1933, which was made almost entirely family poems.
‘Family’ such as you described in The Bread of Time, Toward an Autobiography, and as in your imagined, peasant mother in “I Was Born in Lucerne”?
The truth of the matter is that “Listen Carefully” is really about my relationship with a particular person, which is very much like a brother and sister relationship, except the woman was not my sister. She was older than I was, and we lived together for a while, but it was very much a brother and sister relationship. One of the ways of intensifying that truth is to make her into a sister and one of the ways of disguising her is to make her into a sister. So that’s what I’m doing a lot of the time. My poetry is not confessional and I get a little uneasy, a little tired, frankly, with confessional poetry.
There is no defense against a literal reader.
No. That’s right. But, poetry is not like medicine. I mean, I know a doctor has to defend himself against his patients. Otherwise, they’ll sue him from here to kingdom come. But being misread, being misunderstood is no big deal. I mean, you’re misread or misunderstood all the time. You get goddamned used to it—I mean, you get used to it when you’re at the supermarket, you get used to it talking to your children, or your parents or your wife or your husband or your girlfriend or your boyfriend. You’re always misunderstood.
The great charm is to be understood. And, I suppose, if you’re understood by a third of the people who read you, it’s kind of terrific. And, people have understood me. There was a poem that I was very uncertain about putting it into my second book because it was so private. A year after it came out, a long article appeared by a critic from Chicago who had analyzed the poem. He understood it perfectly. There were all these references that I thought were too obscure, but he figured them all out. He’s a person who’d never met me and knew nothing about me personally, but he knew everything about me from my poetry.
When you write so frequently of a waking dreaming, of shifts in lighting, about rain, do you think it forces the reader to play along with you against a literal and fixed world?
Rain was both a blessing and a curse. I mean, I’d walk to school and I’d get soaked—I lived a mile and a half from school. All day long, I’d sit in class in wet wool, smelling like a dog, hating myself, and thinking everybody else hated me. But, I also gardened and when the rain came, things happened in the yard. You had to pray for it. In Michigan, in the hot summers when it would rain, we’d put on bathing suits and go out, walk in the streets. It was terrific.
In The Bread of Time, in reference to anarchy, you wrote of prizing spontaneity over authority and prizing real people in real lives over abstract ideas. What does this mean to you, for your poetry?
You know, the poetry I read in school meant nothing to me. I was in junior high and we read such rubbish. We didn’t understand it. But, when I was about eighteen, when I fell in love with poetry, one of the things I began to notice was that nobody like anyone I knew could be located in a poem. Occasionally, there would be a glimpse of somebody hanging out of a window, as in “Prufrock.” But, Yeats….He raised people up to mythic figures. He didn’t let them just be. I was thinking, what about the jerks that I know? Jerks, like me, who take the bus? Well, then, I thought, of course: If you’re going to put ladies and gentlemen on horseback, you’re not going to have jerks like me.
So, rather than regret the fact that the people that I knew were not in poetry, I thought there had to be a better answer, which was sort of a blessing. It gave me a whole arena in which to work. I mean, there was an unwritten poetry here. I was in my mid-twenties when I realized, “Wow, what an enormous gift I have. I have a whole world of experience that I know—and now I am 26, 27—and I have known it for quite awhile. Nobody has written about it. It just wasn’t there. It wasn’t even in much of our fiction.
You returned to the blue-collar workers of Detroit, the people you’d grown away from, the people you now saw, as you wrote in The Bread of Time, as “…men and women of enormous sensitivity, delicacy and consideration. We spoke to each other from the deepest centers of our need and we listened.” Will you speak to the return you were making?
Up until my thirties, I thought that I was paying an enormous penalty for being a lower middle-class guy who went to a second-rate university, who did factory work, who couldn’t get published, who didn’t have any connections, who had to wait forever to find out that the hell he wanted to do, and then to do it right. It was like I’d been saying to myself, “Oh, nuts. I am up to bat and I have two strikes on me.” But, then, I began to see it all very differently. As if I was up to bat and had already hit a double: I already had all these gifts from people in my past. Instead of regret, I suddenly began to rejoice. Absolutely rejoice—even when the poems are dark.
In a way, I began realizing how much gift giving I had received. I don’t know that others don’t receive it. I mean, I don’t know what other people experience, if they get what I got—that much generosity, that much hope, that much vision, that much inspiration. Maybe they do and they don’t know how to write about it. But, I suddenly began to see that I was one lucky guy.
How did this realization happen?
When I was a kid, I’d go into a factory job with a friend, or sometimes my brother, and I would joke. I would have this little spiel: “Little did he know, that slender, Jewish boy from the Westside of Detroit, that someday all of this vastness would be his.” I would start up this Horatio Alger persona. All these guys would say, “Oh, shut up. Stuff it, Levine.” In a way, I didn’t transform that work into money or that kind of success, but I did transform it into a different kind of work and, I think, meaningful work. There I was, working for others, and I was being exploited.
In your essay on studying with poet John Berryman, you describe the day he held up the New York Times during the McCarthy era and called politicians, ‘”Fools who will rule for a while then be replaced by other fools.” Next, he held up Keats’s “Ode to a Nightingale,” and declared, “It will be with us for as along as language endures.” When is political poetry not foolish?
I think that for some people it is a tool. I think there are people who approach poetry with—and I have no problem with this—very precise agendas of what they want to do and the ways they want to affect other people. To some degree, they have to fool themselves into thinking that by the time they come into all their gifts they will have audiences of millions.
I read the other day, for example, that Adrienne Rich has sold a million copies of various books. In the last twenty-some years, Adrienne has had an agenda, or several. She’s not kidding herself that she is read worldwide and that she has changed the lives of maybe a million people. I know poets and critics who scorn her attitude, but I don’t scorn her at all. First, I think she’s managed to be a terribly good poet at the same time that she has an agenda, politically. I have no problem with this at all.
There are others, say a poet like Richard Wilbur, who doesn’t seem to have the slightest political agenda. I don’t mind that. His stuff’s gorgeous. One of the things I like is the immense variety of poetry in America today.
I think it’s just fabulous. I like it. When I grew into poetry, it was the 1950s, before the Beats emerged. Official poetry was way too narrow. There was a kind of ‘Eastern Establishment’ that approved poetry, and the great poet was T.S. Eliot. Even Stevens hadn’t quite made his mark yet, and Williams was still thought of as a crank. Crane wasn’t being read as much as he should have been. Ginsburg and Snyder hadn’t emerged yet. And, Robinson Jeffers was not in the mainstream. He was almost lost already. I remember trying to talk about Jeffers in college classes and being scoffed at. Poetry was way too narrow.
Now, poetry is going off in every direction. We still have neo-formalists, who write formal poetry rather badly compared to the old formalists, like Hecht and Wilbur, who wrote it brilliantly. But, we still have people who cannot go to breakfast without rhyme. The whole tradition of Williams and Olsen and Pound, of experimental poetry and free verse, is very much alive. Some of our best poets are born out of it, like Denise Levertov. And, it deeply influenced others, like Thom Gunn. Then, there are poets like Ashbery, who are extraordinarily polished, brilliant, difficult, and obscure. He clowns around. He’s an immensely gifted poet. There was nothing like that on the scene then. The whole New York School, which emerged with Kenneth Koch and O’Hara and Ashbery, could not have been predicted by the poetry I grew up with. The Beats are still with us, too. They’ve aged, but they’ve written some marvelous stuff.
Which poets do you read now and admire?
Of my generation, if I were just talking about today, I would have to say that the poets I admire most are Adrienne Rich and W.S. Merwin. Both have managed to write so well for so damn long. Merwin’s last book, Travels, I thought was maybe his best book. And, he was 65-66 years old when this book was published. I just think that is amazing. It is a fabulous book. Adrienne’s last book, An Atlas of a Difficult World, I also felt was her best book. She published it when she was 63. She has gone through so many different styles, so many different manners. And, she’s been brave enough to master a voice and master a style and then, when she is done or tired of it, to throw it away and search for something else. Merwin has done much the same.
Galway Kinnell’s earlier work, especially from his first book, What a Kingdom It Was, had great poetry. “The Avenue Bearing the Initial of Christ into the New World,” was a great poem and there were many others in Body Rags, and in The Book of Nightmares.
Gary Snyder, one of the poets of my generation, is another poet I admire the most. I think he found—using a number of poets I love, such as Pound, Williams, Rexroth—a voice that was conversational, musical, and enormously elegant, without ever talking down to an audience. And, he did it very quickly. The first public reading I ever gave, I gave with Gary Snyder.
In San Francisco, around 1956. He read very well. I had never read before and was scared out of my mind. I had never read him, and he had never read me. RipRap was published. I got a copy of it the next day. I was really knocked out by the book. I thought, this guy is doing something. I’ve got to find out how he’s doing it.
How does a poet sustain a voice throughout a lifetime, and not get stuck in his or her original, cultural milieu?
I think the hardest thing to do is to change a voice or to abandon a voice that held you in good stead. For example, Dylan Thomas. Perhaps that’s why he practically stopped writing—he had written everything out of that vision and that voice, and exhausted it. He imitated himself for a while, and then went on to drink himself to death. I could go on, naming poets of my generation who didn’t last, who weren’t willing to get middle-aged and then to get old, but I’m not going to name them.
But, if you read a poet like Wordsworth, for example, he’s so middle-aged by the age of 28 that he has nowhere to go. There’s sort of a middle-aged, wise man contemplating birth, and life, and death. He knows death is waiting for him and the sun is fading, and he gets worse and worse and worse and worse. I could almost say that he wrote all of his best poems before he was 35. I’ve been re-reading them and I’m startled by how mature he sounds in his twenties. At first, I was envying the hell out of him. I’m thinking, “Boy, I didn’t write like that. He’s a genius and I’m not.” I didn’t write like that, with that kind of mastery and adult voice when I was in my twenties. But, then I didn’t have to imitate myself when I was in my forties.
I enjoyed your observation of watching students and asking, “What did my college education not take away from me?” Would you say that we too often lose our playfulness, our childishness?
I would call it ‘childness’—keeping alive the child who is in you. Everything conspires to define what adulthood is. Adulthood is coming to terms with the commercial facts of your existence and bowing to them. And, to be serious, especially for a man. A man is supposed to be manly on certain occasions, to take command. He’s supposed to seem terribly adult. Maybe women feel the same thing, but I didn’t get their lessons. I got my lessons and I did not like them. I thought they were stupid. From a very early age, I loved playfulness. And, I began to see my grandfather, who, because my father died when I was so young, was one of the male figures in my life. He was a very—a terribly playful man. He loved gambling. He loved taking me out. We would go drink and fool around and have a good time and laugh our heads off. He was a man in his sixties and was smoking and drinking and living the life people lived back then. Of course, he had had a hard life. He was born in Russia and came over to the United States in his twenties to escape the draft. He was poor and worked his way to middle class. But, he never forgot the fact that he was damn lucky, that most of his relatives were probably dead. I just saw in him something quite wonderful in his ability to keep playing.
Yeah, a real levity—a continual acknowledgement of the blessing of his existence. I said to myself, “To let that go is a real mistake—especially for a kind of pose which looks so grown up, the way a man ought to be so grown-up, like Henry Kissinger, in your three-piece suit, and just, oh, so wise.” Berryman had a line, “I was so wise I had my mouth sewn shut.” I always think of that when I hear people pontificating.
And you’re all you have?
That gave me all the time in the world. I didn’t have to hurry. If it took another 20 years to write a poem in my life what would be the difference? What would I do anyway? Be a schmuck like those jerks over there?
Would you say you are coming full circle now by returning to family when you think of the qualities that have sustained your life?
Yes. The family book that I wrote called 1933, which I published in 1974, was a very painful book to write. It was the first time I just sat down and looked at these people and saw who they were and tried to live with them again. I found it difficult. I found it difficult for a number of reasons I didn’t understand then and I don’t understand now. It included death. My father died when I was very young. My grandfather had died recently, and my grandmother. I was trying to get close to these people again.
There was a lot of grief?
Yeah, but those poems were written in 1970. Now, all these years later, I am their age. Now, I am the age my grandfather was.
There is a new kind of peer-ship?
Exactly. I am much older than my father was when he died. So, I can look back on it with a sense of, ‘it won’t be too long and I’ll be with you.’ I am no longer grieving for them. I am getting ready to join them. It doesn’t seem that bad to me. The deaths of other people horrify me and deprive me of things, but my own doesn’t seem that horrific. I’ll be joining my family again and the ones that were lost.
Also, the humor that I got from those people is now in these new poems. Some of these poems are outrageous. Some are quite somber, but some are quite outrageous. I will be reading some of these in The Simple Truth in Nevada City on December 8th.
in 1931. How new the world is, you say.
even in large bills would be impossible.
flower beds of houses I’ve never seen.
My father rises now and goes to the closet.
to you out of all the details we lived.
the stars always say about the ordinary.
the book open to a page no one reads.
beside my bed until I fell asleep.
how close the moon, how utterly silent the piano. | 2019-04-20T00:18:06Z | https://wildduckreviewarchives.wordpress.com/pieces/ |
Praised for her blend of "action, suspense, and...erotically charged romance" (Booklist), New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan presents the story of Sarah, the eldest of the extraordinary -- and magical -- Drake sisters.
"Sarah's coming home." Ever since Damon Wilder sought refuge in Sea Haven, he's heard the same breathless rumor pass the lips of nearly every local in the sleepy coastal town. Even the wind seems to whisper her name -- a reverie so powerfully suggestive that it carries the curious Damon to Sarah's clifftop home, and seeks to shelter him there.
Sea Storm includes two Drake Sisters stories: Magic in the Wind (the new, expanded edition) and Oceans of Fire.
This version of Magic in the Wind has been rewritten and expanded, in a very special collector's edition.
Includes: Magic in the Wind by #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan; Hot August Moon by international bestselling author Katherine Sutcliffe; After Midnight by #1 New York Times bestselling author Fiona Brand; and Only Human by #New York Times bestselling author Eileen Wilks.
I have to admit this was a book of the heart. Seven sisters interacting, all magical and capable of extraordinary things. A town filled with wonderful people seen, first through the eyes of a stranger who can't accept them, and then seen through the eyes of one who loves them for all their differences. This is book of magic, of love and tolerance. . . well, with a bit of suspense and action thrown because that's the way my mind works!!!!
Magic in the Wind was originally released in an anthology called Lover Beware. The newer books include a new bonus chapter.
"Sarah's back. Sarah's come home."The whisper was overly loud and tinged with something close to fear. Or respect. Damon Wilder couldn't decide which. He'd been hearing the same small town gossip for several hours and it was always said in the same hushed tones. He hated to admit to curiosity and he wasn't about to stoop to asking, not after he had made such a point of insisting on absolute privacy since he arrived last month.
As he walked down the quaint narrow sidewalk made of wood, the wind seemed to whisper, "Sarah's back." He heard it as he passed the gas station and burly Jeff Dockins waved to him. He heard it as he lingered in the small bakery. Sarah. The name shouldn't carry mystery, but it did.
He had no idea who Sarah was, but she commanded such interest and awe from the townspeople he found himself totally intrigued. He knew from experience the people in the sleepy little coastal town were not easily impressed. No amount of money, fame, or title earned one deference. Everyone was treated the same from the poorest to the richest and there seemed to be no prejudice against religion or any other preferences. It was why he had chosen the town. A man could be anybody here and no one cared.
All day he had heard the whispers. He'd never once caught a glimpse of the mysterious Sarah. But he'd heard she once climbed the sheer cliffs above the sea to rescue a dog. An impossible task. He'd seen those crumbling cliffs and no one could climb them. He found himself smiling at the idea of anyone attempting such an impossible feat and few things amused him or intrigued him.
The grocery store was the center of town and most of the gossip originated there and then spread like wildfire. Damon decided he needed a few things before he went home. He hadn't been in the store for more than two minutes when he heard it again. "Sarah's back." The same hushed whisper, the same awe and respect.
Inez Nelson, owner of the only grocery store held court, spilling out gossip as she normally did, instead of ringing up the groceries on the cash register. It usually drove him crazy to have to wait, but this time he lingered by the bread rack in the hope of learning more of the mysterious Sarah who had finally returned.
"Are you sure, Inez?" Trudy Garret asked, dragging her four-year-old closer to her and nearly strangling the child with her hug. "Are her sisters back too?"
"Oh, I'm certain, all right. She came right into the store as real as you please and bought a ton of groceries. She was back at the cliff house she said. She didn't say anything about the others, but if one shows up the others aren't far behind."
Damon rolled his eyes. Everyone always annoyed the hell out of him. He thought moving to a small town would allow him to find a way to get along to some extent but people were just plain idiots. Of course Sarah was still Sarah. Who the hell else would she be? He let his breath out in a rush of impatience. Sarah was probably the only one with a brain within a fifty-mile radius so they thought she was different.
"What could it mean?" Trudy asked. "Sarah only comes back when something is going to happen."
"I asked her if everything was all right and she just smiled in that way she has and said yes. You wouldn't want me to pry into Sarah's business, now would you dear," Inez said piously.
Damon let his breath out in a hissing rush of impatience. Inez made it her life's work to pry into everyone's business. Why should the absent Sarah be excluded?
" She trailed off and glanced around the store and lowered her voice to a conspirator's whisper. "Old Mars at the fruit stand said Penny told him Sarah ..."
"Trudy, dear, you know Mars is totally unreliable in the things he says. He's a dear, sweet man, but he sometimes makes things up," Inez pointed out.
Old man Mars was crotchety, mean and known to throw fruit at cars if he was in a foul enough mood. Damon waited for lightning to strike Inez for her blatant lie, but nothing happened. The worst of it was, Damon wanted to know what Old Mars had said about Sarah, even if it was a blatant lie. And that really irritated him.
Trudy leaned even closer, looked melodramatically to the right and left without even noticing he was there. Damon sighed heavily, wanting to shake the woman. "Do you remember the time little Paul Baily fell into that blow hole?"
"I remember that, now that you say. He was wedged in so tight and no one could get to him, he'd slipped down so far. The tide was coming in."
"I was there, Inez, I saw her get him out." Trudy straightened up.
"Penny said she'd heard from her hairdresser that Sarah was working for a secret agency and she was sent to some foreign country undercover to assassinate the leader of a terrorist group."
"Oh, I don't think so, Trudy. Sarah wouldn't kill anything." The store owner's hands fluttered to her throat in protest. "I just can't imagine."
Damon had enough of gossip. If they weren't going to say anything worth hearing, he was going to get the hell out of there before Inez turned her spotlight on him. He plunked his groceries down on the counter and looked as bored as he could manage. "I'm in a hurry, Inez," he said, hoping to facilitate matters and avoid the usual match-making she always tried.
"Why Damon Wilder, how lovely to see you. Have you met Trudy Garret? Trudy is a wonderful woman, a native of our town. She works over at the Salt Bar and Grill. Have you ever been there to eat yet? The salmon is very good."
"So I've heard," he muttered, barely glancing at Trudy to acknowledge the introduction. It didn't matter. They'd all made up their minds about him, making up the history he refused to provide. He felt a little sorry for the returning Sarah. They were making up things about her as well. "You might tell me about that beautiful old house on the cliffs," he said, shocking himself. Shocking Inez. He never gave anyone an opening for conversation. He wanted to be left alone. Damn Sarah for being so mysterious.
Inez looked as if she might faint and for once she was speechless.
"You must know the one I'm talking about," Damon persisted, in spite of himself. "Three stories, balconies everywhere, a round turret. It's grown over quite wild around the house, but there's a path leading to the old lighthouse. I was walking up there and with all the wild growth, I expected the house to be in bad shape, dilapidated like most of the abandoned homes around here, but it was in beautiful condition. I'd like to know what preservatives were used."
"That's private property, Mr. Wilder," Inez said. "The house has been in the same family for well over a hundred years. I don't know what they use in the paint, but it does weather well. No one lurks around that house." Inez was definitely issuing a reprimand to him.
"I was hardly lurking, Inez," he said exasperated. "As you well know the sea salt is hard on the paint and wood of the houses. That house is in remarkable condition. In fact, it looks newly built. I'm curious as to what was used. I'd like to preserve my house in the same way." He made an effort to sound reasonable instead of annoyed. "I'm a bit of a chemist and I can't figure out what would keep a house so pristine over the years. There's no sign of damage from the sea, from age or even insects. Remarkable."
Inez pursed her lips, always a bad sign. "Well I'm certain I have no idea." Her voice was stiff as if she were highly offended. She rang up his groceries in remarkable time without saying another word.
Damon gathered the bags into his arm, his expression daring Inez to ask him if he needed help. Leaning heavily on his cane he turned to Trudy. "The hairdresser's dog walker told the street cleaner that he saw Sarah walk on water."
Trudy's eyes widened in shock, but there was belief on her face. Inez made some kind of noise he couldn't identify. Disgusted, Damon turned on his heel and stalked out. Ever since the first whisper of Sarah's name he had been unsettled. Disturbed. Agitated. There was something unfamiliar growing inside of him. Anticipation? Excitement? That was ridiculous. He muttered a curse under his breath at the absent Sarah.
He wanted to be left alone, didn't he? He had no interest in the woman the townspeople gossiped about. Sarah might not walk on water but her house was a mystery. He saw no reason why he shouldn't pay her a neighborly visit and ask what preservatives were used in the wood to achieve the nearly impossible results.
Damon Wilder was a man driven to the edge of sanity. Moving to the tiny town on the coast was his last effort to hang onto life. He had no idea how he was going to do it, or why he had chosen this particular town with all its resident eccentrics, but he had been drawn here. Nothing else would do. He had stepped on the rich soil and knew either this place would be home or he had none. It was hell trying to fit in, but the sea soothed him and the long walks over million year old rocks and cliffs occupied his mind.
Damon took his time putting his groceries away. The knowledge that this town, this place, was his last stand had been so strong he had actually purchased a house. His home was one of the few things that gave him pleasure. He loved the working on it. He loved the wood. He could lose himself in the artistry of reshaping a room to suit his exact needs. For hours the work occupied him so nothing else could invade his brain and he was at peace for a time.
He stared out his large bay window, the one that looked out over the sea. The one that had an unobstructed view of the house on the cliff. Damon had spent more hours than he cared to think about staring up at the dark silent windows and the balconies and battlements. It was a unique house from another century, another time and place. There were lights on for the first time. The windows shone a bright welcome.
His leg hurt like hell. He needed to sit and rest, not go traipsing around the countryside. Damon stared at the house, drawn to the warmth of it. It seemed almost alive, begging him to come closer. He went outside onto his deck, intending to sit in the chair and enjoy his view of the sea. Instead he found himself limping his way steadily up the path toward the cliffs. It was nearly a compulsion. The path was narrow and steep and rocky in places, almost no more than a deer trail and overgrown at that. His cane slipped on the pebbles and twice he nearly fell. He was swearing by the time he made it to the edge of the private property.
He stood there staring in shock. Damon had been there not two days before, walking around the house and the grounds. It had been wildly overgrown, the bushes high and weeds everywhere. The shrubbery and trees had drooped with winter darkness on the leaves. A noticeable absence of sound had given the place an eerie, creepy feeling. Now there were flowers as if everything had burst into blossom overnight. A riot of color met his eyes, a carpet of grass was beneath his feet. The gate was open as if in welcome. He could hear the insects buzzing, the sound of frogs calling merrily back and forth as if spring had come instantly.
The gate, which had been securely locked, stood open in welcome. Everything seemed to be welcoming him. A sense of peace began to steal into his heart. A part of him wanted to sit on one of the inviting benches and soak in the atmosphere.
Roses climbed the trellis and rhododendrons were everywhere, great forests of them. He'd never seen such towering plants. Damon started up the pathway, noting every single weed was gone. Stepping stones led the way to the house. Each round of stone held a meticulously carved symbol. Great care had been taken to etch the symbol deep into the stone. Damon leaned down to feel the highly polished work. He admired the craftsmanship and detail. The artisans in the small town all had that trait, one he greatly respected.
As he neared the house, a wind rose off the sea and carried sea spray and a lilting melody. "Sarah's back. Sarah's home." The words sang across the land joyously. It was then he heard the birds and looked around him. They were everywhere, all kinds of birds, flitting from tree to tree, a flutter of wings overhead. Squirrels chattered as they rushed from branch to branch. The sun was sinking over the ocean, turning the skyline into bright colors of pink and orange and red. The fog was on the far horizon, meeting the sea to give the impression of an island in the clouds. Damon had never seen anything so beautiful. He simply stood there, leaning on his cane and staring in wonder at the transformation around him.
Voices drifted from the house. One was soft and melodious. He couldn't catch the words but the tone worked its way through his skin into his very bones. Into his vital organs. He moved closer, drawn by the sound and immediately saw two dogs on the front porch. Both were watching him alertly, heads down, hair up, neither making a sound.
Damon froze. The voices continued. One was weeping. He could hear the heartbreaking sound. A woman's voice. The melodious voice soothed. Damon shifted his weight and took a two-handed grip on his cane. If he had to use it as a weapon, he'd have more leverage. Concerned as he was with the dogs, he was more centered on the voice. He strained to listen.
"Please, Sarah, you have to be able to do something. I know you can. Please say you'll help me. I can't bear this," the second voice said.
Her sorrow was so deep Damon ached for her. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt someone's pain. He couldn't remember how to feel anything but bored or frustrated. The dogs both sniffed the air, and as if recognizing him, wagged their tails in greeting and sat down, hair settling to make them appear much more friendly. Keeping one eye on the dogs, he strained to catch the words spoken in that soft lilting tone.
"I know it's difficult, Irene, but this isn't something like putting a Band-Aid on a scraped knee. What do the doctors say?"
There was more sobbing. It shook him, hurt him, tore up his insides so that his gut churned and a terrible weight pressed on his chest. Damon forgot all about the dogs and pressed his hand over his heart. Irene Madison. He recognized the voice, knew from Inez at the grocery store that her fifteen-year-old son, Drew was terminally ill.
"There's no hope, Sarah. They said to take him home and make him comfortable. You know you can find a way. Please do this for us, for me."
Damon edged closer to the house wondering what the hell she thought Sarah could do. Work a miracle? There was a small silence. The window was open, the wind setting the white lacy curtains dancing. He waited, holding his breath. Waited for Sarah's answer. Waited for the sound of her voice.
" The sobs were choking Damon. The pain was so raw in the woman.
"Irene, get up! What are you doing? Stop it."
"You have to say you'll come to see him. Please Sarah. Our mothers were best friends. If not for me, do it for my mother."
"I'll come by, Irene. I'm not promising anything, but I'll stop by."
There was resignation in that gentle voice. Weariness. "My sisters will be coming in a day or so and as soon as we're all rested we'll stop by and see what we can do."
"I know you think I'm asking for a miracle, but I'm not, I just want more time with him. Come when you're rested, when the others have come and can help." The relief Irene felt spilled over to Damon and he had no clue why. Only that the weight pressing on his chest lifted and his heart soared for a moment.
The voices were traveling toward him. Damon waited, his heart pounding in anticipation. He had no idea what to expect or even what he wanted, but everything in him stilled.
The door opened and two women emerged to stand in the shadow of the wide columned porch. "Thank you, Sarah. Thank you so much," Irene said, clutching at Sarah's hands gratefully. "I knew you would come." She hurried down the stairs, straight past the dogs who had rushed to their mistress. Irene managed a quick smile for Damon as she passed him, her tear-stained face bright with hope.
Damon leaned on his cane and stared up at Sarah. | 2019-04-21T22:33:37Z | https://www.christinefeehan.com/drakesisters/magic_in_the_wind_novella.php |
Shhh…dear blog readers, I’m going to tell you a secret. Don’t tell anyone, this is just between me and you, so I’ll whisper. You’re not gonna tell anyone, right? Good.
You know that whole Messianic Judaism thing? Yeah. This “Messianic movement” thing? Right. This Torah & Messiah faith? Well, by some estimates, it’s now 80% gentile.
Similar to how Messiah’s original followers were all Jews, only to be overwhelmed by a massive gentile following in the decades after, the same has been true in Messianic Judaism. Initially almost entirely comprised of Jewish believers in the 1970s, Messianic Judaism has attracted a large number of gentiles who are fed up with the church and wish to return to the faith of Messiah and the disciples.
Naturally, this has re-opened those aged theological questions of the 1st century. Questions like, how much of the Torah is applicable to gentiles? Is Torah required for salvation? Can gentiles become part of Israel? Should Jews be distinguished from gentiles in a congregation and should they be treated differently? Is it a problem that we’re dominated by gentiles? Do gentiles need to formally convert? And what do we do with all these crazy gentiles?!
“[Back in the 1970s] God, as I see it, was moving the hearts of Jews not only to follow Jesus as the long-promised Messiah, but also to identify as Jews and eventually to return to Judaism.
Increasingly, however, in the 1980’s and 1990’s, Messianic Judaism became a haven for non-Jews looking to find a restoration of a perceived early church or some alternative to a church that had grown soft on Biblical practice and strong on revivalist tradition.
Derek then suggests certain gentiles ought to leave the Messianic movement and “form their own movement” distinct from the Messianic movement.
“We are a family friendly community of Jews and Intermarrieds. There is a place for some Gentiles in a Messianic Jewish congregation (besides the intermarried), but … how does such a person help us to honor our identity and achieve our goals? Gentiles who are not helping us get these jobs done serve as a hindrance to their accomplishment.
Do you believe in the basic legitimacy of the Church, in its many varieties, when it confesses the historic creeds; that its celebrations and sacraments are legitimate?
Do you believe that Gentiles have a different relationship to the Torah than Jews and are not responsible as Jews for the Jewish patterns of life within the Mosaic revelation but only responsible for the universal ethical teachings of Torah as also expressed an applied in New Covenant teaching?
Do you believe that as a Gentile believer in Yeshua, joining a Messianic Jewish congregation, you have a special calling to the Jewish people but reject the view that the Messianic Jewish congregation is a more ideal form of congregational life for all?
I’m certain God loves Rabbi Dauermann deeply and that God is using him in numerous ways, so I don’t wish to attack this brother in Messiah or the way God is using him. (Thank you, Lord, for Rabbi Dauermann!) One can be used by God and still have bad theology. (Isn't that true for all of us?) In this particular instance, I find Dauermann’s theology shameful.
No, Rabbi Dauermann, I do not believe in the basic creeds of the church, many of which are thoroughly anti-Jewish and ought have no place in the life of a Messiah-follower. And yes, gentiles grafted into the commonwealth of Israel should hear God’s Torah preached in the synagogues every sabbath, follow what they can, join Israel and become first-class citizens in God's kingdom.
A human policy which treats Jews and gentiles differently invariably leads to mistreatment and racial discrimination. It’s the 1950s policy of separate-but-equal, only with a religious twist.
We were allowed, reluctantly I think, to attend, but never to do music, have any kind of leadership position, speak in front of the congregation. Basically, sit in the back and be cheerleaders. Be seat-fillers and money-givers.
Please, come speak to our congregation.
Please, will you lead music?
Please, be on our board of directors.
It was as if we were blacks in the 1950s US who suddenly woke up one morning with white skin.
The Ephesians 2 “wall of hostility” is very much alive. Efforts to create a purely-Jewish Messianic Judaism invariably create this wall, intended or not. Don’t get me wrong; I understand the need to preserve Jewish culture and Jewish expression of faith, but surely this “Jews here, gentiles there” approach isn’t the right way to do this!
So what do we do with this fact that MJ synagogues are 80%+ gentile?
Look at Messianic Judaism bigger than “Jews following Yeshua”. While some look at it that way, and it indeed encompasses that, as for me, I look at Messianic Judaism as God’s move to restore Israel. I include gentiles in the Commonwealth of Israel. I do not see gentiles in MJ synagogues as a hindrance to this goal, but as a part of God’s overall plan. Just as God is drawing Jews to Yeshua, who’s to say it isn’t God drawing the gentiles into Messianic congregations? Such a thing is hard to swallow for those in favor of a purely-Jewish Messianic Judaism, but maybe, just maybe, it is God at work.
Gentiles in the Messianic movement? I believe this is God at work. Rather than arguing how to “fix” the issue of gentiles in the Messianic movement, I say we ought to be rejoicing that God has brought Jews to Yeshua and gentiles to walk more righteously, more in-line with His commandments. The idea that we need a congregation made up entirely of Jews at the exclusion of gentiles is one not supported in the apostolic Scriptures, a fact ignored by proponents of an exclusively Jewish Messianic Judaism.
Fine blog readers, what do you think? Is it a problem that Messianic Judaism has become inundated with gentiles? Should gentiles be treated differently than Jews in a Messianic congregations? Should gentiles go back to the church; is Messianic Judaism just for Jews? Or is this Messianic movement something bigger?
Judah, like yourself, I read with interest the various comments on the blogs you mentioned over the past few days. I refrained from saying anything as my thoughts would likely be drowned out in the sea that still has not calmed--and I've seen this all before.
The vision of Messianic Judaism has not changed since my parents and our family were first involved in 1995. They were told that they were only at [MJ congregation name withheld] to provide financial support for its Jewish mission. After a few years, we left. The difference is that today in 2009 is that Messianic Judaism is not the only "Messianic" expression on the market anymore. Hate to bring the Dow Jones quotient into it...but such is reality.
My own personal view of the independent Messianic movement is that it needs to be as close as possible to mainline Messianic Judaism--itself a mirror of Conservative Judaism--with equality emphasized for all people. Jewish custom and tradition must be respected and honored, while at the same time our evangelical Christian heritage should likewise not be discounted. We should allow the Holy Spirit to mold us into a Commonwealth of Israel that can be used as God's missional community for the world. When the Lord moves me from the Orlando area in the next few years and our ministry does plant a congregation, such will be our focus.
If I disagree with Messianic Judaism over anything, it is that its vision seems rather limited. But such is freewill.
On a more positive front, send me an e-mail and I can link you to some rare Star Trek soundtracks from the TV shows. These are MP3s that were never produced on CD. Something for you to listen to as you blog!
"As one who was asked to resign from my local Reform Synagogue, after I finally plucked up the courage to confess that I am a Jew who believes that Yeshua is our promised Moshiach, I have mixed feelings about anyone who chooses to attend in a mainstream synagogue. Of course I understand the reasons and I deeply empathize with anyone who struggles with this issue. On the other hand, it raises as many questions as it answers.
I like that kind of thinking.
I appreciate those thoughts as well, as we have met many sincere Messianic Jews over the years who are true to their faith in Yeshua, and are also willing to recognize that it what we do that is more important than who we are.
Yet rather than get dragged into this debate once again, I think it is more beneficial that we just do the work of the Kingdom and let the chips fall where they may. Eventually, you can get so caught up on what someone else does (or does not do), that you fail to do the work God has given to you.
And as you know--I have a lot of work to do!
I really appreciate hearing your thoughts on all of this as I've been reading through Derek's (and others) blog(s), as I've been left in a state of distress. I've found a bit of solace in your post here (first found on Derek's blog).
A bit of background on me: My parents joined the MJ movement when I was about 3. Both Gentile.
Being a gentile who has grown up in the MJ movement(i don't remember anything before) leaves me in an odd place.
I feel like an abomination of sorts(in light of what i've read in other blogs)...A gentile essentially raised as a jew (not a strictly observant jew, mind you)...However, apparently (according to some) I am now "ok" because I am an "intermarried".
HOW IS THIS? How can I go from being a tolerated 'guest' at 1 moment to suddenly being welcomed with open arms the next?
I agree with your take on the "separate but equal" notion. Thankfully, the community that I am apart of (for 25 years) has never had these particular issues, though I've run into them as I've traveled out of my immediate area.
My question would be: Is MJism such that we must treat it as an endangered species? To weed out the impurities (we're talking about people, mind you) in hopes of a more pure movement?
Don't worry - Gentiles are and will still be welcomed in Messianic Judaism. Not to mentioned than many Jews are married to Gentiles. Which means that this has nothing to do with "race" (and since from the looks of it Jews nowadays come from just about all races and ethnicities, color and shades, it's a mute point normally raised only by anti-semites).
1) Christianity-haters: yes, all those who hate Christians and churches and view them as pagans. Your kind should not pollute Messianic Jewish congregations - you hate your own brothers and thus guilty of their "murder".
2) One-Law Judaizers - those who wish to turn Gentiles into Jews by condemning those Gentiles who are not "Torah-observant". These tend to call Christians "pagans" (thus, heathen and not "saved"). Don't tell me you're not Judaizing and it's not about salvation - by calling Christians pagans and Christianity a "pagan religion" you are giving your true colors away.
3) Two-House "Israelites" - those who spread the myth that just about any Jesus-believing Gentile is actually a physical "lost Israelite". They sow confusion in the Body.
4) Those who are in love only with Jewish customs, love claiming to be "Jews" when they are not, come only for the "feasts" or traditions, and come with their own self-serving agendas, instead of being in love with the Jewish nation (like Ruth was).
It's my prayer that all three types (and most of them are interchangeable to a large degree) with repent and move on.
Messianic Judaism is not the restoration of the "first church" - we have moved on. Rather, its primary goal is the restoration of the Jewish people (specifically) to the faith of their fathers, restoration of the their faithfulness to the covenants which G-d has made with Israel with Yeshua as the center. Those Gentiles that join us MUST share that vision - is that racist?
BTW, there were Gentile congregations composed of Gentiles (read Romans 16:4).
Keep in mind, my finalized thoughts have not yet been made known. They are, in fact, still in development.
I plan to try my hand at a theology of Gentiles in MJ in the near future, but I am not there just yet.
And it is important for you, as a passionate believer in Israel's restoration, to not just complain "apartheid" but also deal with the question: how can Israel be revived if its revival movement gets hijacked by people with their own selfish agenda?
That is the real question. What percentage of Gentiles involved in MJ are really interested in being part of Israel's renewal would you say? What percentage are there for other reasons (alternative to church, inferiority complex, Adventist type theologies, etc.)?
"BTW, there were Gentile congregations composed of Gentiles (read Romans 16:4)."
If this is directed towards what I said: There definitely were. I'm not purporting that there weren't.
Derek: I believe these are questions that need to be answered, though first they must be asked with a measure of dimplomacy.
So what of Judah's personal example though? One moment he was there as a gentile...maybe for any of the reasons you listed...but the very next his presence was instantly validated. But what of those questions? Couldn't the motivation be same regardless of heritage? Is a jew with those motivations 'ok' while a gentile with them not?
Are the people who ultimately are turned away, diminished or relegated to a lesser role considered unavoidable yet regretable collateral damage? Are they of less import than the "target audience"?
Also, could I get your working definition of "Israel's renewal"?
Thanks for provoking thought and all the questions. haha, I know they are a bit rapid fire and off the cuff...forgive me for that.
"After my dad found our Jewish ancestry, it made a world of difference. As a teen at the time, I remember it well. Suddenly, we were treated as first-class citizens in MJ synagogues: Please, come speak to our congregation. Please, will you lead music? Please, be on our board of directors."
I am curious, what did your father do - did he take advantage of his new-found "Jewish privileges", or turned down all the offers in solidarity with his slighted Gentile brethren?
Here's the deal, without going into all the details.
For a gentile to accept HaRav Yeshua, he becomes betrothed to HaShem instead of being "without hope and without Elohim". He is "saved" (from Torahless-ness) at this point.
Now, the Nazarene Sanhedrin under Ya'aqov HaTsadiq gives the ruling from this point.
In Acts 15, HaTsadiq lists the Noahide Laws which are not assumed to have been already kept by the gentiles of that day and region.
It is ruled this way in order not to throw the Torah upon them all at once; and says that the gentiles will hear the Torah preached in the syangogues every Shabbat - therefore obviously, they will learn and understand more year by year.
After the 3 year cycle of weekly Torah readings (as it was read universally in those days), the gentile would have heard all the Torah and would now be obligated to either marry HaShem (which would make him now an Israelite) by circumcising himself and taking the whole yoke of Torah upon himself - or he can annul his betrothal and go back to Torahless-ness, thus walking away from salvation.
So it would only be natural for only Israelites to be in power in a faith that is called Judaism. There should be no gentiles in leadership. If they have become Israelites and are no longer gentiles - they're no longer gentiles. That distinction must be made.
But I would also like to add that a Jew who is not Torah observant shouldn't be in leadership either.
While being Jewish is an ethnicity as well as a religion, in this case it is the religion/observance/faith that counts, and not merely ethnicity. A ethnic gentile can be a Jew/Israelite by conversion; and it is his observance that makes him such, not his ethnicity, obviously.
I appreciate some of the critical remarks that have been made about what is going on. Without them, those of us who believe that all of God's people should follow His Instruction, would not be able to refine what we believe is important. I abhor all of the negativity issued about our Christian spiritual heritage, anti-Semitism expressed toward mainline Jewish tradition--and don't even get me started on the whole Sacred Name issue!
One of the things that we have to keep in mind is that there is a whole slew of people who are getting their teaching and spiritual instruction from the Internet. This includes people in Messianic Judaism, various indpendent Messianics, and people in normal churches. No one group is entirely innocent. Going to the proverbial "billybob.com/bible" site and being instructed, and then passing that on to a congregation or fellowship giving it your own spin, is beyond irresponsible. Yet this is a great deal of what we are confronting today.
The independent Messianic groups also have a tendency to promote a great deal of conferences. What these conferences breed is the need for various speakers to produce sensationalistic, hypey messages so they can get attention. No progress on theology, spirituality, or in people conducting real research is ever conducted at these events. Opportunists and charlatans run rampant.
As I have requested in past postings, if given time the extremists will minimize themselves, and reasonable voices will emerge that focus on the Scriptures and in exegeting them properly. But that will assume that we can all give one another some space, and the time we need to do the work we feel is important. We can't get our theology from who talks the loudest on blogs, but from the Bible and by properly employing the diligence of all those who have preceded us in faith.
J.K. McKee, that's absolutely true about all the sensationalist, hyped-up people who lack lots of real research and knowledge and instead cling to their hard-held views without any room for discussion or civilized debate, since they're right and the others are dead wrong.
There's a big difference between seeing things black and white and being one of the above mentioned; the other problem are some of those who are always arguing for civilized behavior, that they will sometimes mistake one for the other. This is not much surprise since the tone of things and the intentions are not always well conveyed through the internet.
What we need to do is to discuss, and disagreements should never lead to sectarianism. Nazarene Judaism, my religion should not be separate from similar faiths which are based upon the Torah so much. We should view it as if each group has a local Beit Din, a status quo of halakha they adhere to. Even if there are lots of differences, as long as they are based on some key, foundationary teachings, some sort of cohesiveness should be found.
Nice post, very well thought out and presented. I appreciate your willingness to bring up and discuss a difficult subject. Well, difficult at the human level anyway.
if someone really thinks that being "Jewish" or "Gentile" means more than being a son or daughter of YHVH through faith in Messiah, I can only hope that one day soon they see the real reason why Yeshua came here to this earth. Because as long as this type of argument continues the reality of our relationship with our Heavenly Father will be blurred, just out of reach.
It would be a sad commentary for us here at the end of the age, with the destruction of the nations and His soon return just around the corner, if the final days were spent trying to figure out where everyone fits based on their physical lineage. We should be past this by now.
The gathering of the people of YHVH is a work of His Spirit, regardless of where our parents came from. How we walk with Him will not be defined or improved by any committee of men trying to sort out Torah or anything else. It did not work before and it will not work now.
I know it seems a safe harbor for many who want someone to tell them what to do and when and how to do it, but it doesn't work that way. Not if we are following Him by His Spirit within us. I can't define someone else's faith for them nor they for me.
If our fellowship is not in Him, then we will not have true fellowship. We will only have separate gatherings where people happen to agree on some thing or another.
And of course there are Jews who want "Jews only" fellowships. No one gets too upset about that, it has always been that way. But let a "Gentile" fellowship say that Jews are not welcome and you will hear the shouting all the way across town. Probably across the world these days.
"It would be a sad commentary for us here at the end of the age, with the destruction of the nations and His soon return just around the corner, if the final days were spent trying to figure out where everyone fits based on their physical lineage. We should be past this by now."
I am not trying to figure out anything. I know who I am and where I fit in. You're are the one pushing your Two-House Israelite identity myth. My choosing to worship primarily (but not exclusively) with my own people and living as a Jew should be none of your concern - concentrate on your own walk.
"If our fellowship is not in Him, then we will not have true fellowship. We will only have separate gatherings where people happen to agree on some thing or another."
Efrayim, you mean I can often find you hanging out and worshiping with the Baptists or Presbyterians at a church service Sunday mornings? Or is that a bit too pagan for you?
"And of course there are Jews who want "Jews only" fellowships. No one gets too upset about that, it has always been that way. But let a "Gentile" fellowship say that Jews are not welcome and you will hear the shouting all the way across town. Probably across the world these days."
In the name of our Messiah Yeshua, I would like to wish you all a blessed Shavuot this day, and that the Lord's favor would be on your remembrance! May we all be filled with the presence of the precious Holy Spirit, and demonstrate the temperance that the Spirit should bring to each one of our lives.
Thank you, J.K. - many blessings to you as well.
Well, hey there Gene. You seem a little grumpy today. Perhaps it escaped your attention that I didn't mention you personally in my post.
So for you to respond with a personal attack on me, or others you think may be like me, comes across as petty and vindictive, and goes a long ways towards proving the very thing that Judah was explaining in his original post.
Your opinion is well known here as is mine. Could we simply address the subject at hand without the vitriol?
If YHVH was determined to keep the two people groups separate (Jews and Gentiles), then why send His Son to remove the wall of partition that had been erected?
Does scripture support that partition? If so, someone please show me the verses. Because after almost 40 years of reading that book I haven't come across them yet.
Shalom and have a blessed Shavuot.
btw, Gene, you completely missed the point of my post.
Maybe you could take stab at responding to what I actually said instead of what you think was being indicated.
Does scripture support that partition? If so, someone please show me the verses. Because after almost 40 years of reading that book I haven't come across them yet."
I am not sure what wall of partition you're talking about. I am fellowshipping with my Christian [Gentile] friends almost daily. I pray with them, I worship with them, I party with them. They are my brothers and sisters in Messiah. I love them just as much if not more than my Jewish friends.
But if by "wall" you mean that I purposely refuse to preach to my Gentile friends that they need to abandon their "pagan churches", that they need reclaim their lost "Israelite identity", or that they need to start living a "Torah Observant" lifestyle and adopt Jewish customs and traditions, or that their "churches" are somehow inferior to our "synagogues" - then yes, I am guilty as charged.
In reality, others are building some type of a wall to divide the Gentile followers of Yeshua. Some are trying to separate Gentile believers into "Torah observant" and into "Pagan Christians".
Blessed Shavuot to you as well.
The partition wall that is mentioned by Sha'ul in Ephesians is the one I was referring to, not anything you are doing personally.
It sounds to me from what you said that you are part of the solution, not part of the problem.
May others be so inclined as yourself. Then I'm sure much could be accomplished.
I think a little forebearance might be necessary if we intend to fairly discuss the issues at hand.
There is a huge amount of variance not only within groups, fellowships, and ministries that fall into the classifications of One Law and Two-House, but even Messianic Judaism. The broad Messianic movement is no different than any other religious movement that has preceded it.
I agree with Gene, that much of the anti-Christian "paganism" rhetoric seen in the One Law and Two-House groups is appauling. It is not Yeshua, it is not Torah, and there is no way it can be the future. I have spoken against it many times, and have made various people angry at times for doing so.
At the same time, when I peruse Gene's own website, I see a kind of Messianic Judaism presented that is not like the standard Messianic Judaism I was introduced to back in 1995. His congregation does not represent a style of Messianic Judaism consistent with the Conservative-Reform Synagogue, but something that is much more fundamental in approach and closer to the Chabad. While we may have some disagreements about the applicability of the Torah for God's people, as well as what the end-time restoration of Israel specifically involves, I would probably sit to the Left of Gene on many issues.
Interestingly enough, though, Gene has reproduced an article that endorses Theistic Evolution. Even though I abandoned a 6,000 year chronology a while back, I still absolutely believe that Adam and Eve were created by Divine fiat. I know Gene's position on the creation of humanity might not sit well with many in his own Messianic Jewish circles.
So as you can see, there are plenty of things that separate us that we can really make an issue of. Every single one of us can improve our attitude and approach to a variety of issues. Blogging can be good for dialogue and networking, but it is no substitute for actually examining the Holy Scriptures, and doing the work every teacher and leader is called to do.
From Toddd: I also refrained from commenting on Derek's but thought the posts were interesting. Ironically, though a Catholic, I generally tend to agree with Gene's views on these matters. Because I care about the Jewish nation, I am interested in the MJ movement. The problems are real and thorny and I don't have any answers. By the way, Jewish Catholics struggle with some of the same issues raised in the comments on Derek's blog about passing on Jewish identity etc.
I just love a good debate. But, more than that I love Yeshua...although when HE saved me from a self-destructive life-style and years of wandering, I knew Him as Jesus.
It's amazing that the flesh goes from pit-dwelling pauper to Prince(ss) to self-righteous Legalist so quickly. I'm in recovery for that. Yeshua said the world would know us by our ACTIVE LOVE for another, not our positions and acquired knowledge.
And as this Gentile girl struggles to learn, love, and teach the Word that changes hearts, to my Gentile group of women who, yes, are tired of the rhetoric and lack of both Truth and Love in our churches, I exhort them to NEVER forget that our purpose is to glorify God by bearing MUCH Fruit (then others will see and put their trust and confident reliance in the LORD- Psalm 40/John 15:8).
If my relationship with Yeshua has been reduced to what I know or what position I've managed to attain, RATHER than Who He is in me, then I've 'missed the mark' entirely.
Isn't Yeshua's prayer that 'they may be completely one (just as We are one), and the world thus realize that You sent Me'?
I see it EVERYWHERE I look, God's people refusing to become one...and meanwhile the sheep remain blind, deaf, dumb...and starving to death to eat the bad theology of false teachers.
I don't expect my 11 year old son to act like he's a 35 year old man. Here's where we can all learn to give others the space, grace, and time to grow. HE gives the increase, afterall...we just sow and water.
But this is just one Gentile girl's perspective who remains strongly concerned for the Sheep...all of them.
I hope I've expressed myself well...if not, I'm blaming it on my four little blessings runnin' around me just now (I've only played referee five times during the writing of my comment)!
Shalom Bro, and thanks for always a thought-provoking, delectable post...yum!
You expressed yourself VERY well, Carmen, as has Judah. It sure would be wonderful if this "ugly duckling" (me) could find a swan pond to swim in someday, somewhere. I just got banned from another forum for posting the treatise that appears on my blog, "Israel's New Covenant." I was banned for preaching "another Jesus" when it is these antinomian hyperdispensationalists that are preaching "another jesus." And some of you want to send non-Jewish Messianics back to the churches?! There's got to be a place for us somewhere, but even in cyberspace we are disfellowshipped on blogs and forums and can find no like-minded fellowship.
Check out the views at this forum (link below) where I have been booted. Maybe it will inspire "messianic leaders" to double their efforts to provide at least some type of online forum fellowship for those of varying views to "sharpen iron" .....through fruitful and respectful discourse.
Judah, I very much appreciate your blog and the tone that you take in your discussions of these issues. You strike a balance between kind-hearted diplomacy and boldly "telling it like it is."
Thank you for this post Judah, your concern and insight are refreshing.
I am new to the messianic movement, I am a Gentile and have been blessed with a deep love, appreciation and respect for the people of Israel. I am so grateful for this.
I didn't know the concern that many of our Jewish brothers/ and sisters have expressed in these forums existed, but I do understand. And I personally want to support Israel wherever and however I can, and if I should ever be asked to take a step back, or leave, or whatever, I would do so gladly, and respectfully.
I have been visiting a MJ synagogue for the past year and am praying about rather or not to join. I have been shown overwhelming love and support and truly feel home there.
But if, for some reason it is brought to my attention that its best I not be there, I would understand.
just my two cents, much love to everyone on here. I am so grateful to be a part of this, these are amazing times, and we are all so greatly blessed.
Danny... you'd be welcomed in our synagogue any time. People like you need not step back one inch.
The issue is not at all that our non-Jewish brothers and sisters want to worship or fellowship together with us. The real issue and the problem discussed here is that SOME non-Jews who are attracted to Jewish Torah observance, or have an unjustified inferiority complex and self-hatred of their G-d given (British, German, Hispanic...etc.) identity, or have cultivated a hatred of Christianity, have been deceived by theories, myths and misinterpretation of scripture by countless false teachers.
Prompted by these teachings (but lacking any physical evidence), they have decided to claim a Hebrew/Israelite identity of the Ten "Lost" tribes for themselves. This has been causing an identity crises among Gentiles in the "messianic" movement for the last 15 or so years and much frustration among the Jewish believers in Messianic Judaism. Look up info on British Israelism/Armstrongism. Many today teach that Gentiles should observe Mosaic Law to be pleasing to G-d (new "Galatians").
Thank you for your love for Israel and her people.
Was the ancient issue in Galatians really non-Jewish Believers being convinced that they had to add Torah observance to their salation experience? Or, was the issue in Galatians how one was to be reckoned a member of God's covenant people? "Works of law" (sectarian halachah) or "faith"?
At the very least, you can see that there is another approach out there regarding this letter, that simply reading the English in bits and pieces will not give you.
"Gene, I know you are not going to take the time to read through my almost 200-page Galatians commentary..."
I'll try to skim through it when I get some time.
Thank you so much for your kind words. That means a lot.
Shalom, Judah. As long as the MJ community leads with its head instead of its heart, we are never going to see it worked out. You do very well at keeping your focus on the Messiah. I pray that as you continue to use this site to grow the kingdom that you don't lose that focus.
The bottom line is that Torah is a standard HaShem holds Israel to, and this includes both Jews, and proselytes, but not the Gentiles; although eternal life is equally available to all who come to faith in Messiah Yeshua.
Uncircumcised Gentiles are welcome to receive the blessings of Torah obedience, provided they submit to Jewish halacha (no more tzitzit on the belt loops), but if they want to go beyond this, to receive the mission HaShem gives Israel in order to teach Torah to the nations as a kingdom of priests, then they must commit themselves to the Covenant through formal conversion and so be held accountable to the Covenant on a higher level of expectation, just as HaShem holds his leaders to a higher standard of behavior (ie the people rebelling against HaShem in the incident with the spies, compared to Moses striking just the rock; the result: both lose entering the Land in their lifetimes).
Yet just because conversion to Judaism is offered doesn't mean Torah-observant Gentiles should be pressured to convert. In fact, Gentiles shouldn't be pressured to keep Torah either, let alone convert; but neither should the Jewish community within Messianic Judaism wholly deny the opportunity, nor deny the congregation of united fellowship Jews and Gentiles all have in Messiah Yeshua.
Yes, the ultimate role model is for the Jew, who is held accountable to G-d for not keeping Torah more so than a Gentile, to be the one responsible for setting the standard in keeping Torah. We should not ignore that "to the Jew much advantage is there, they are the keepers of the oracles of G-d," to which Stephen in Acts says is the "Torah handed down" by Moses.
Jews in MJ need to take the responsibility to teach Torah to the Gentiles, and they also need to offer conversion when they and HaShem determine that a Gentile is ready for that lifelong commitment. Like Abram, being told to get circumcised is something HaShem approaches every Gentile on the way to conversion, individually. And like Abraham, therefore, the Covenant is made before the actual legal recognition of that fact (conversion).
In order for Messianic Judaism to move to the next level, we need to go beyond where the early congregations in the 1st and 2nd Centuries fell behind in: Jewish education, and recognition of the special calling upon the Jewish people, and only offering Jewish conversion to Gentiles that would be converting for the right reasons. At the same time, a singular, equal level love for each other must be fostered based on our shared need for Messiah Yeshua, whether Jew or Gentile.
The Gentiles need to recognize their responsibility to such love, and not cause their Jewish brothers to sin; and likewise Jews need to recognize their responsibility to love, and show mercy and grace to such Gentiles who do not wish to walk in the fullness of Torah, let alone consider conversion and thus greater accountability to Torah.
This, I believe, is the right way forward.
Indeed how are Messianic Jews to be a light to the nations while discouraging those very same "nations" from becoming a part of their congregation?
Fantastic article. Thanks for sharing it. | 2019-04-25T18:56:20Z | https://blog.judahgabriel.com/2009/05/gentiles-in-messianic-movement.html |
Summary: Will Japan finally move toward acquiring offensive strike capabilities for the first time since World War II?
As North Korea demonstrates new advances in missile technology and continues developing nuclear weapons, U.S. policymakers must ask themselves: Will Japan finally move toward acquiring offensive strike capabilities for the first time since World War II? Should Washington welcome such an effort?
Occasional surfacing of the so-called enemy base strike (teki kichi kōgeki) debate in Japanese political circles often produces alarmist headlines and predictions of a remilitarized Japan, but in fact this strike debate has been percolating for decades and is still rooted in Japan’s defensive military politics.
The following article and timeline explain the context and evolution of this strike capability discussion. It is an important defense policy initiative for the U.S.-Japan alliance to consider, even if it is less sensational than is frequently portrayed.
Japan’s debate over the constitutionality of enemy base strikes dates back to a 1956 statement made on behalf of then prime minister Ichirō Hatoyama. It said that striking enemy missile bases should be permissible within certain limits: Japan can take only the “minimum measures unavoidably necessary” when “no other measures” of self-defense are available in the face of an “imminent illegal invasion.” This statement became the bedrock of all future debates that sought to clarify Hatoyama’s interpretation, as part of a broader process to reconcile Japan’s exclusively defense-oriented policy (senshū bōei)—which prohibits the procurement of certain offensive weapon systems—with pressures caused by the continuing evolution of modern warfare. The strike debate began as a hypothetical exercise but became increasingly concrete from the late 1990s with a growing North Korea threat.
Three main components make up the strike debate: When exactly can Japan use force overseas for self-defense? How should “no other measures” be defined? How are strike capabilities for self-defense reconcilable with the general belief that Japan’s constitution prohibits offensive war-waging weapons? The historical timeline (see below) of statements by senior Japanese officials helps answer these questions.
As alarm over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s 2006 base strike comments showed, many non-Japanese journalists continue to commonly mistake enemy base strikes as potentially “preemptive.”1 However, the record shows that Japanese officials have consistently rejected the concept of preemptive strikes (sensei kōgeki).2 Part of this confusion stems from the vagueness of language and translation, but some inconsistent remarks made by Japanese lawmakers have also contributed.
Japan’s term for preemptive strikes (literally translated as “head start attacks”) does not account for the subtle nuance in English forms of “preventive,” “preemptive,” or “first” strikes, though it is generally understood to mean attacking before a conflict erupts (as opposed to preemptively hitting a target after a conflict has already started). The earliest explanations provided by Japanese leaders were clear that “convenient” attacks for self-defense were not permissible and that only “the minimum measures unavoidably necessary” would be allowed. Later comments in 1999 and 2003 on the timing of strikes seemed to broaden this understanding, suggesting that Japan could strike enemy missile bases “at launch” or even before launch, if for example Japan observed North Korea erecting a missile on a launcher while verbally threatening Japan. But this theoretical hairsplitting about when an attack is under way soon receded in favor of more practical matters.
By 2009, the discourse had shifted more clearly toward only considering strikes against the enemy after Japan was hit by a missile, in order to stop subsequent barrages. North Korea’s introduction of road-mobile missiles and progress with solid-fuel technology makes “strike at launch” practically impossible in normal times. Moreover, Japan’s fielding of missile defenses from 2005 has provided it with more capacity to address initial missile threats without resorting to the early use of force. As a result, the term “counterattack” (hangeki) has become a more accurate description of what capabilities Japan might consider, and this was reflected in the most recent Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) study panel on the topic (in March 2017). In addition, Japanese defense white papers continue to rule out the constitutionality of weapons that cause “mass destruction” (kaimetsu-teki na hakai), such as long-range strategic bombers or attack aircraft carriers, so any future Japanese counterattack capability will be limited in scope and restricted in its use.
A frequent catalyst for recurring strike debates are major milestones in North Korean nuclear and missile testing. The first official ruling LDP study panel on strike capabilities directly followed North Korea’s Taepodong-1 missile test in 1998, while all subsequent LDP panels and spikes in Diet strike discussions have centered on later nuclear tests.3 As North Korea presses ahead with these programs, Japan’s counterattack capability discussions will likely intensify, especially now that Japan is developing its next five-year plan for defense procurement and revising its National Defense Program Guidelines.
Other factors, such as the policy leanings of government leadership, do play a role—the four LDP panels pushing strike debates in the Diet all occurred under the conservative Junichirō Koizumi and Abe administrations. In addition, some hedging against U.S. regional disengagement can be a factor. While Japan still clearly sees U.S. forces in the offensive role for their spear-and-shield defense relationship, in recent years Japanese officials have sought more comprehensive domestic capabilities as a way to strengthen deterrence independently and contribute more to the alliance so that Washington sees value in staying committed.
While North Korea’s missile progress since 2016 has put Japan further on edge and prompted a fourth LDP panel on strike capabilities, Prime Minister Abe’s weakened public approval in 2017 has made it hard for him to push aggressively for such a sensitive security policy change in the near term. The 2005 public outcry over the revelation of a secret 1994 strike study, as well as more recent protests on new security legislation in 2015 and related measures, is a reminder that the Japanese public has strong pacifist leanings and will oppose perceived overreach on this issue. Additionally, Abe will want to spend his dwindling political capital on his long-held goal of constitutional revision, and a bold move on strike would undermine this effort. Tight budget limitations and other pressing defense needs also work against major new investments in offensive systems.
Still, Abe and his team—including his new defense minister, Itsunori Onodera—think Japan should have some increased strike capacity, as do many in Japan’s foreign and defense ministries. The Abe administration has laid the rhetorical groundwork for such steps, highlighting North Korea’s military gains as a “new level of threat” (aratana dankai no kyōi) to Japan and the region. With the Ministry of Defense now preparing its five-year procurement plan and continuing discussions with U.S. officials on complementary roles, missions, and capabilities in the alliance, this is a good time for Japan to introduce modest policy steps for developing strike. The government is already studying issues related to equipping its new F-35 stealth fighter jets with air-to-surface missiles, and Japan is prioritizing new investments in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance that would be necessary for supporting enemy base strikes. All of this suggests an emerging goal of developing limited counterattack capabilities, albeit incrementally and over the long term.
The United States should be receptive to Japan taking on a wider range of security roles, including adopting limited strike capabilities. It would contribute to more effective alliance interoperability and therefore enhance deterrence. It cannot be a substitute for U.S. offensive power in the region but can supplement U.S. forces if deterrence fails. At the same time, the allies need to coordinate closely with regional partners like South Korea to abate anxieties of remilitarization stemming from Japan’s colonial past. Given the fiscal and possible diplomatic costs, Washington should encourage Japan to consider measured investments in strike capabilities that can be deployed within the existing alliance framework and leave room for—and complement—other necessary defense acquisitions by Japan.
1 As described in more detail in the timeline, the supposed Abe quote supporting first strikes on enemy bases is actually a misattribution by non-Japanese newspapers—though Abe did discuss his hopes for a formal study on base strikes generally.
2 See former defense head Hosei Norota’s 1999 statement explicitly calling preemptive strikes unconstitutional and then prime minister Tarō Asō’s 2009 Diet statement differentiating preemptive strikes from enemy base strikes.
3 The main exception is the spike in strike discussions in 2015, due to deliberations on the 2015 Security Legislation (although this also took place amid a stepped-up pace of North Korean missile testing).
The 1956 Hatoyama statement sets the foundation for future debate on enemy base strike capabilities, outlining the key constraints to any strike acquisition. As the first official government statement, it highlights three conditions for a constitutional strike: 1) there must be an “imminent illegal” attack on Japan, 2) all Japanese capabilities must be below the threshold of “minimum measures unavoidably necessary” for protection, and 3) strikes are only permitted if “no other measures are available” to defend Japan.
Citation: Hearing before the Cabinet Committee in the House of Representatives, 24th Diet (1956) (statement by Ichirō Hatoyama, delivered by Foreign Minister Naka Funada, February 29, 1956), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/024/0388/02402290388015a.html.
Ino parses the Hatoyama statement from the Japanese constitution’s restrictions against possessing weapons that can “offensively threaten” neighboring countries. Rather than directly address how base strike capabilities can avoid being offensively threatening, Ino instead argues that it is an improbable hypothetical scenario for Japan to have no assistance from the UN, the U.S.-Japan alliance, or other forms of external help when under attack—thus relying on the “no other available measures” clause to avoid contradiction between contemporary constitutional interpretation and the Hatoyama statement.
Citation: Hearing before the Cabinet Committee in the House of Representatives, 31st Diet (1959) (statement by JDA Director General Shigejiro Ino, March 19, 1959), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/031/0388/03103190388021a.html.
In the midst of ballistic missile defense (BMD) discussions in 2005, the Sankei Shimbun published an article revealing that the JDA conducted an enemy base strike study in 1994 that was never disclosed to the public. The study simulated using F-4 fighters to carry out strikes against missile bases, but concluded that Japan alone does not possess the capabilities to reliably conduct successful strikes and that Japan must depend on the United States for such missions.
The revelation by Sankei Shimbun caused a minor uproar among the Japanese public, leading then JDA director general Yoshinori Ōno to hold a press conference clarifying both the constitutionality of base strikes and the current lack of Japanese capability to conduct such strikes. It also supported the general opinion of U.S.-Japan role-sharing, in which the United States is the offensive “spear,” backed by Japan’s “shield” role.
“While we possess the capability to bomb [enemy] bases, it cannot be said that we can reliably conduct systematically effective strikes with JASDF’s [current] information collection and electronic combat capabilities. . . .
Hearing before the Security Committee in the House of Representatives, 162nd Diet (2005) (statement by Yoshinori Ōno, to questions from Representative Sato Shigeki, April 15, 2005), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/162/0015/16204150015007a.html.
North Korea tests the Taepodong-1 medium-range ballistic missile for the first time (traversing over Japan into the Pacific Ocean).
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) creates a crisis management project team, led by former Defense Agency chief Fukushiro Nukaga, to consider countermeasures for a possible second missile launch by North Korea. The team debates the possible role of Japanese offensive strike capability but does not recommend a policy change on that point.
Kyodo News, “LDP sets up crisis management project team,” January 27, 1999.
After North Korea’s 1998 Taepodong-1 test, the Diet renewed debate on enemy base strikes, with February discussions bringing a sharper focus on the limitations of such strike capabilities. In answering questions posed by opposition member Seiji Maehara on reconciling strike capabilities with Japan’s spirit of “nonaggression,” various speakers, including Moriya, reaffirmed that any base strike capabilities must be limited such that Japan cannot inflict “catastrophic” or devastating damage on any country. This reaffirmed Japan’s nonaggressive focus on self-defense in the face of new technological threats.
Citation: Hearing before the Security Committee in the House of Representatives, 145th Diet (1999) (statement by JDA Director General Takemasa Moriya, February 9, 1999), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/145/0015/14502090015002a.html.
At this pivotal moment after North Korea’s test, Norota seems to adjust the “imminent danger” clause of the 1956 statement by interpreting an “armed attack” against Japan as beginning at the moment when an aggressor nation “undertakes” (chyakushu) an attack. This might permit Japan to use force before receiving damage from an aggressor, although the “no other measures” limitation still applies. While he addresses the issue of striking enemy aircraft or warships in this quote, later in the Diet hearing he confirms that this interpretation of “imminent danger” also applies to enemy missile base strikes.
Citation: Hearing before the National Security Committee in the House of Representatives, 145th Diet (1999) (statement by JDA Director General Hosei Norota, March 3, 1999), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/145/0015/14503030015003a.html.
In the context of the strike capabilities debate, Norota explicitly differentiates between preemptive attacks and enemy base strikes for self-defense, in order to emphasize the constitutional limitations of such capabilities.
Citation: Hearing before the Budget Committee in the House of Councillors, 145th Diet (1999) (statement by JDA Director General Hosei Norota, March 16, 1999), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/sangiin/145/0014/14503160014015a.html.
North Korea withdraws from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, while resuming short-range missile testing in February and March.
Citation: Kelsey Davenport, “Chronology of U.S.-North Korean Nuclear and Missile Diplomacy,” Arms Control Association, July 2017, https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/dprkchron#2003.
Building from Norota’s 1999 statements, Ishiba presents a hypothetical situation that could meet the conditions for a constitutionally legal act of self-defense vis-à-vis enemy base strikes. In the scenario, Ishiba argues that if North Korea raised a missile on a launch pad while declaring an intent to attack Tokyo, Japan could interpret the situation as North Korea having started to launch an attack—thus under the Hatoyama interpretation, Japan could strike North Korea’s missiles at-launch, before Japan received damage. Note that later, as North Korea continued to improve its missile technology, this hypothetical is quietly discarded in favor of a hypothetical where Japan counterattacks North Korea only after being struck by a first wave of missiles.
“In short . . . imagine if every possible diplomatic effort has been used to avoid such a situation, but unfortunately such a situation becomes reality.
Citation: Hearing before the Budget Committee in the House of Representatives, 156th Diet (2003) (statement by Minister of State for Defense Shigeru Ishiba, January 24, 2003), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/156/0018/15601240018004a.html.
Maehara questions the contemporary “shield and spear” role division between the United States and Japan, earlier noting how despite the Hatoyama statement, Japan continues to be exclusively the shield in the relationship. Raising questions about trust in the U.S.-Japan relationship, Maehara introduces discussion on hedging on the relationship with the “minimum necessary defense capabilities” (saishōgen hitsuyō no bōeiryoku). In particular, he argues that with various new threats (cyber, missile, terror, and so on), the assumptions under the spear and shield system no longer hold, since the system was developed in the Cold War era to fight off land invasions and other outdated threats.
“While enemy base strikes are within the bounds of self-defense and the constitution in the event of a ballistic missile strike—as determined in 1956—the current way of thinking so far is that Japan will rely on the United States based on the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty. . . .
Citation: Hearing before the Budget Committee in the House of Representatives, 156th Diet (2003) (statement by Representative Seiji Maehara, March 3, 2003), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/156/0018/15603030018020a.html.
As prime minister, Koizumi reaffirms the existing government interpretation that enemy strike capabilities are compatible with Japan’s traditionally exclusive defense policy. In particular, he defends Ishiba’s answers on striking enemy missile bases “at-launch” as falling within the bounds of the Hatoyama statement.
“The terminology ‘exclusive defense’ is a passive defense strategy posture that captures the spirit of the constitution—such as in situations when we exercise defense capability after having received an armed attack from an enemy in a manner limited to the minimum necessary for self-defense, or also limiting the possession of defense capabilities to the minimum necessary for self-defense—and is our nation’s fundamental defense policy. I acknowledge that this terminology is repeatedly used in Diet discussions.
The government has traditionally made public the opinion that, ‘In the event that an urgent, unjust invasion/violation is carried out against our country, and if this violation is an attack on our country’s soil through guided missiles, I cannot believe that it is the constitution’s intention for us to sit and wait for our own destruction. In such an event, I think that taking the unavoidably minimum measures in order to protect against such attacks—such as attacking missile bases in order to defend against missile attacks if no other measures are available—is legally within the scope of self-defense and should be considered a possibility.’ . . . And Defense Agency Director General Ishiba’s answer in the House of Representatives Budget Committee on January 24, 2003, repeats this traditional opinion. I do not think that this opinion . . . and the “nonaggressive defense policy” way of thinking contradict each other.
Citation: Junichiro Koizumi, “Sending a Written Reponses for the Inquires Submitted by Representative Esei Itō on the Cabinet Legislation Bureau’s Authority and Interpretations Right to Self-defense,” House of Representatives, July 15, 2003, http://www.shugiin.go.jp/internet/itdb_shitsumon.nsf/html/shitsumon/b156119.htm.
In an English-language interview, Ishiba confirms that Japan has the constitutional right to attack missile sites at-launch, before Japan receives any damage. Still, this only addresses the “imminent illegal” attack on Japan condition and not the “no other measures” for defense or “minimum measures” for defense limitations. On this latter point, Ishiba claimed in 2005 that procuring Tomahawk cruise missiles “may remain within the confines of the minimum necessary force for self-defense” due to their targeting accuracy, and he revealed that the Cabinet Secretariat debated this issue back in 2003 before deciding against pursuing Tomahawk acquisition.
Nao Shimoyachi, “Japan Mulled Buying Cruise Missiles for Pre-emptive Self-Defense: Ishiba,” Japan Times, January 25, 2005, http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2005/01/25/national/japan-mulled-buying-cruise-missiles-for-pre-emptive-self-defense-ishiba/#.WYjiE02Wzct.
Prime minister-selected panel recommends consideration for acquisition of strike capabilities.
Citation: David Pilling, “Japan Call to Reshape Defence Capabilities,” Financial Times, October 5, 2004.
Ōno emphasizes that regardless of the introduction of ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems to Japan, the legal perspective on enemy base strikes does not change.
Ōno touches upon a key dichotomy between what he frames as the legal versus policy differences of enemy base strike capabilities. Beginning with how enemy base strikes have been interpreted as legal, Ōno also highlights the current Japanese policy showing offensive restraint as long as alternative means to addressing conflict exist, such as diplomacy, U.S. intervention, or BMD. Since Japan has always had alternative methods besides enemy base strikes even before BMD, the fundamental interpretation does not change: Japan can legally possess strike capabilities, though operationalizing such systems into policy is an entirely different matter.
“First, I believe this is a question on what exactly can be considered ‘measures’ in terms of [the Hatoyama statement’s clause on] situations where there are no other measures.
I can think of various means that can be considered ‘other measures.’ For example, I believe there is the issue of deciding which other measure to use, such as diplomatic responses, or the issue of role-sharing in the U.S.-Japan alliance system, or [official development assistance]. Among these other options, BMD has recently resulted from progress in science and technology—so how are we to continuing thinking about this matter? Based on this series of events, even up until now we have always had alternative means [from an enemy base strike]. How will we think of this?
I do not fully know whether policy and legal discourses have been confounded or not, in that [some argue] while the legal world permits a strike on enemy bases after a defensive launch order, Japanese policy argues that restraint should be shown in cases where there are other alternative measures. [I cannot confirm] whether Japan has always possessed alternatives [to base strikes, such as diplomacy, U.S.-Japan alliance, and so on], or whether the interpretation [on the constitutionality of striking bases] varies by case.
Citation: Hearing before the Security Committee in the House of Representatives, 162nd Diet (2005) (statement by JDA Director General Yoshinori Ōno, April 15, 2005), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/162/0015/16204150015007a.html.
As part of a larger LDP-wide push for more concrete discussions on strike capabilities, then cabinet secretary Abe holds a press conference pushing for the LDP to hold an intra-party study on whether to acquire strike capabilities.
“It is important that we always consider and research what we should do to protect the nation, Japan’s citizens, and territories. . . . First, we would like to discuss this as a party. . . .
Citation: “Shift in Administration”: The Trajectory of Abe’s Ascendance to Prime-Minister—Complete Data [in Japanese], (Tokyo: Jiji Press, 2006), 120.
North Korea tests its first nuclear weapon.
While acknowledging its constitutionality, Councillor Tokunaga describes the technical obstacles that Japan faces in conducting an enemy base strike. In particular, Tokunaga highlights North Korea’s mobile launchers and underground tunnel systems as major barriers to effective strikes, in addition to Japan’s limited intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) abilities. Tokunaga also argues that the difficulty of differentiating between a regular missile test and a missile aimed at Japan during the “at-launch” stage makes any at-launch enemy base strikes questionable.
Citation: Hearing before the Accounting Committee in the House of Councillors, 171st Diet (2009) (statement by Councillor Hisashi Tokunaga, April 24, 2009), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/sangiin/171/0015/17104240015005a.html.
Prime Minister Asō publically pushes for possibly including an official statement on enemy base strike capabilities in the National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG) revision in 2009. A statement in the NDPG would have opened the doors for an official government study—beyond the intra-party study panels organized by the LDP—and would have been a major step forward for strike capability acquisition.
Asō emphasizes the difference between base strikes and preemptive attacks, while also falling back to the official government stance that Japan currently does not possess strike capabilities and must depend on the U.S.-Japan alliance, reaffirming the importance of the United States in Japan’s defense plans. Asō’s quote below hints at the challenge of the overall strike issue for Japan, as he urges further study.
“I acknowledge that, as we currently continue to revise the NDPG, a discussion is being carried out on whether we should incorporate the possession of so-called ‘enemy base strike capability.’ Currently we have held several meetings related to discussions on security and defense, and received many arguments. I believe that from hereon, there will be many opinions on the NDPG revision put forth, but after seeing these arguments, I think that we need to study this issue again.
[Citing the 1956 statement,] to stay in line with the oft-said, traditional statement, it is essential to differentiate [enemy base strikes] from preemptive strikes in situations when no armed attack is undertaken.
Citation: Hearing before the Budgetary Committee in the House of Councillors, 171st Diet (2009) (statement by Prime Minister Tarō Asō, May 29, 2009), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/sangiin/171/0014/17105280014026a.html.
The LDP explicitly supports initiating an official government study on strike capabilities in their proposed version of the NDPG. While acknowledging the importance of the United States’ offensive role in the U.S.-Japan alliance, the LDP draft discusses reevaluating this role-sharing, framing strike capabilities as a credible way to strengthen the allies’ and Japan’s own deterrence. Such language points to how hedging and increased independence act as two factors driving the LDP’s desire for strike capabilities.
“Furthermore, from the viewpoint of strengthening the credibility of allies’ extended deterrence, [we] should initiate a study to quickly achieve a conclusion on the previously constitutionally permitted possession of ‘enemy strategic base strike capabilities’ by the SDF, while taking into account the development and deployment of nuclear and ballistic weapons by neighboring countries.
Citation:“Proposal for the Formulation of the New ‘National Defense Program Guidelines’,” Liberal Democratic Party, June 4, 2013, https://www.jimin.jp/policy/policy_topics/pdf/pdf106_2_1.pdf.
In contrast with the LDP draft, the official NDPG offers a vaguer recommendation, calling for a general study on ways to respond to the ballistic missile threat without specifying offensive strike. Arguably, the language of the NDPG also deemphasizes the elements of hedging and independent deterrence capabilities, focusing on the importance of the “appropriate” role-sharing between the United States and Japan. The LDP’s more pacifist ruling coalition partner, the New Kōmeitō party, had a role in modifying this language.
Citation: “National Defense Program Guidelines for FY 2014 and beyond,” Japan Ministry of Defense, December 17, 2013, http://www.mod.go.jp/j/approach/agenda/guideline/2014/pdf/20131217_e2.pdf.
As Abe and the LDP discuss reinterpreting Article 9 of the Japanese constitution in 2014, various LDP officials seek to clarify that the official government position on enemy base strikes would not change. Drawing from the “three conditions” necessary for use of force under the original Article 9 interpretation, Onodera differentiates preemptive strikes from enemy base strikes by arguing that preemptive strikes fail to fulfill the first condition of “imminent illegal invasion”—wording that is built into the Hatoyama statement on enemy base strikes.
With a backdrop of the 2014 collective self-defense debates, Mutō argues that enemy base strikes fall solely under the provision of individual self-defense, and that no clear geographic limitations have been officially set due to lack of tangible discussion on operationalization. Such language both affirms the LDP’s push for an official study and acknowledges the uncertainties surrounding operationalizing strikes for real threats.
Onodera: “The government has traditionally interpreted that the invocation of the right to self-defense is restricted to situations where the previously discussed ‘three conditions’ apply.
Mutō: “The current constitutional interpretation recognizes the right to individual self-defense, and there have been no detailed discussions related to its scope.
Citation: Hearing before the Diplomatic Defense Committee in the House of Councillors, 186th Diet (2014) (statements by Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshiya Mutō, April 1, 2014), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/sangiin/186/0059/18604010059007a.html.
With the NDPG revision coming into effect in 2014, Abe pushes for not only prioritizing improvements on BMD but also introducing an official government study on independent deterrence capabilities, implying enemy base strike capabilities as one of them. In response, several opposition members have cited the 1959 Ino statement on avoiding threatening neighbors, as well as a 1972 prime ministerial statement on “exclusive defense,” as the cornerstone of Japanese policy.
While the new NDPG did encourage a study for a “response capability” against missile threats, Bureau of Defense Policy Director Shuzo Tokudachi later responded in a May 22 Diet session that such an investigation did not necessarily mean base strike capabilities were the only explicit option on the table.
“Based on the progress of North Korea’s ballistic missile capabilities, we have planned in the new defense guidelines to comprehensively improve our nation’s coping capabilities against ballistic missile strikes.
hearing before the Diplomatic Defense Committee in the House of Councillors, 186th Diet (2014) (statement by Bureau of Defense Policy Director Shuzo Tokudachi, May 22, 2014), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/sangiin/186/0059/18605220059017a.html.
Throughout the security legislation bill debates in the summer of 2015, various Japanese politicians raise the question of how aspects of the new bill concerning the new three conditions for self-defense would impact the strike capabilities debate. While the three new conditions allow for Japan to engage in collective self-defense, Minister Nakatani emphasizes that enemy base strike capabilities fall into the realm of individual self-defense. Other officials, such as Cabinet Legislative Bureau Director Yusuke Yokobatake, confirm on June 3 that even with the constitutionality of enemy base strikes, Japan cannot strike another country under the pretense of collective self-defense.
Additionally, in August 4 and August 24 Diet sessions, Nakatani and Yokobatake reject the notion that Japan has the capabilities to conduct enemy base strikes before an enemy damages Japan, instead emphasizing the prevention of “successive launches” at Japan vis-à-vis enemy base strikes. Thus, the strike debates in 2015 reinforce the official government interpretation expressed by Nakatani on August 26, which again emphasizes the nonpreemptive nature of a hypothetical base strike and the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance to Japanese security.
hearing before the Budgetary Committee in the House of Councillors, 189th Diet (2015) (statement by Cabinet Legislative Bureau Director Yusuke Yokobatake, August 24, 2015), http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/sangiin/189/0014/18908240014020a.html.
North Korea conducts its fifth nuclear weapons test.
The launch of the latest LDP panel on strike capabilities was reported shortly after North Korea’s fifth nuclear test in September 2016, with the public conclusions of the panel being released the following spring. While emphasizing the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance, the findings also highlight the importance of enemy base strikes. The Japanese and English versions of the findings use the words “counterattack capability” (hangeki nōryoku), placing it in line with the recent emphasis on striking after Japan receives damage from a missile attack. Additionally, the report explicitly mentions cruise missiles as a possible option for strike capabilities. This appears to bear some promise as recent news reports on an official Japanese F-35 study mention possibly acquiring Tomahawk cruise missiles for enemy base strikes.
1st. Rule of Modern War: Never underestimate your opponent! 2nd. Rule of Modern War: You can't bomb radiation, you just spread it! | 2019-04-25T22:42:29Z | https://carnegieendowment.org/2017/08/14/five-things-to-know-about-japan-s-possible-acquisition-of-strike-capability-pub-72710 |
Today, there appears to be a sudden bevy of headlines that Obama is now lambasting his opposition as being controlled by Wall Street. It buggers the imagination that Mr Obama, who has been celebrated as rather savvy in our press sewers for going hat in hand to the mega speculator George Soros for his blessing and imprimatur before he began to run for President on the tired motto of hope and change, has the smarmy effrontery to now pretend he's for the little man (the same one that the chairman of British Petroleum belittled so notoriously.) How touching...All I have to say to him (in keeping with the sentiments of the majority of my perhaps too lately enlightened fellow citizens) can be confined to two words: Bow Wow!
This morning, in my daily perusals, this headline came across my screen: "Queen tried to use state poverty fund to heat Buckingham palace." Unfortunately, it has been my lot to experience (and hear of) much of this same sort of nefarious activity of the privileged set among us. For instance, it was reliably related to myself that one fine day W. Averell Harriman, erstwhile Secretary of Commerce, while attending some function with Manhattan Borough president Hulan Jack, stole dinner roles from the tables of the hotel where that event was taking place. Why would the wealthy scion of railroad baron, employer of George H.W. Bush's father Prescott (himself a director of the Nazi war machine's Thyssen's Union Bank,) founder of Wall Street investment bank Brown Brothers Harriman & Co, and breeder of thoroughbred race horses (much like the Queen) act in such a manner? Perhaps there is something seemingly almost genetically predisposed in such unfortunately commonplace sorts of character flaws in this privileged set. The figurative stepping on the heads of one's underlings is to be seen ever and anon, as it were...The Queen (cousin of aforementioned Prescott Bush) is married to Phillip, who after all, along with Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands was an avowed admirer of Hitler's Nazi Party. Phillip, who so hates humanity that he wishes to be reincarnated as a deadly virus in order to cull the herd down.
So really, this morning's headline in The Independent is far from surprising to me, but rather in keeping with my experience and all of a piece, so to speak.
"The New England Complex Systems Institute is at the forefront of this field. We develop new mathematical approaches and apply them to systems of scientific and social importance, such as biodiversity, altruism, ethnic violence, the economic crisis, and the healthcare system.
"We use quantitative foundations from physics, mathematics, and computer science, and apply computer simulations and high dimensional data analysis, to characterize the patterns of behaviors in the world around us. Further, we can describe how complex systems arise through evolutionary processes, and how systems become capable of achieving their goals.
"Through its research, NECSI is expanding the boundaries of knowledge and reframing social problems as scientific ones. NECSI is an academic non-profit organization working with government agencies and other organizations to solve problems of science and society."
To see the truth about the functioning of terrorism it is necessary to see that the disruption of peace between nations is part and parcel of the strategic goals of an empire. It is in keeping with what was known as the "great game" of divide and conquer of the British East Indies company in their eastern empire.
Now we shall come directly to the case referenced in the title of this blog. It was deemed in the interests of the British empire to foment civil war in the United States after they failed to defeat us militarily in the War of 1812. Radical movements were ginned up back then called Young Europe leading to orchestrated pan European revolutions of 1848. John Mitchel was one of the journalistic leaders of the Young Ireland branch of terrorists, much admired by Poe's antagonist Thomas Carlyle. After his part in the 1848 failed uprising in Ireland landed him in penal colonies in Bermuda and Australia, he escaped (or was perhaps allowed to escape) and landed on American shores. And what part did this dangerous revolutionist play in pre-civil war America? Why, he supported the confederates plot to dismember the Union! This whole episode can only be understood if we see terrorism as the design of a would be "invisible hand" of Adam Smith repute for what it is, i.e. the working out of an imperial design to disrupt and destroy the anti colonialist mission of the United States. The pseudoscience of emergent chaos theory/systems analysis venerated at Harvard is not only not a means to combat terrorism. It is an instrumentality of its controllers.
Terrorist networks are complex. Now, a mathematical analysis of their properties published this month in the International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, suggests that the best way to fight them is to isolate the hubs within the network rather than trying to destroy the network as a whole through short-term battles.
According to Philip Vos Fellman a Lecturer at Suffolk University, Boston, and member of the New England Complex Systems Institute, USA, tools used to analyze complex systems can also be used to study terrorist networks with a view to undermining them.
Vos Fellman explains how terrorist networks are "typical of the structures encountered in the study of conflict, in that they possess multiple, irreducible levels of complexity and ambiguity."
"This complexity is compounded by the covert activities of terrorist networks where key elements may remain hidden for extended periods of time and the network itself is dynamic," adds Vos Fellman, an expert in mathematical modeling and strategy. The nature of a dynamic network is akin to the robust Internet but contrasts starkly with the structure of the armed forces or homeland security systems, which tend to be centralized and hierarchical.
Vos Fellman has used network analysis, agent-based simulation, and dynamic NK Boolean fitness landscapes to try and understand the complexities of terrorist networks. In particular, he has focused on how long-term operational and strategic planning might be undertaken so that tactics which appear to offer immediate impact are avoided if they cause little long-term damage to the terrorist network.
Vos Fellman's computer simulations of terrorist networks suggest that isolation rather than removal could be the key to successfully defeating them.
"The results which these simulation and dynamical systems modeling tools present suggest that quite literally sometimes less is more," says Vos Fellman, "and that operational objectives might be better directed at isolation rather than removal." He also points out that the simulations show that soft, or easy, targets of small cells within a network are, for the most part, not worth pursuing. Instead efforts should be focused on the hubs around which the network hinges. "If you are not focused on the top problems, then considerations of opportunity cost suggest that it may be better to do nothing rather than to waste valuable resources on exercises which are doomed to fail," he says.
Riemann wrote a refutation of Helmholtz' reductionist and mechanistic theory of hearing and the functioning of the ear in a short, unfinished paper entitled "The Mechanism of the Ear." What Riemann succinctly points out is that in scientific investigation we must not deviate from focusing on the problem of what hearing actually accomplishes. Thus the wild suppositions of Helmholtz that the mechanisms of the ear somehow break down primary tones into components that are processed by various structures and sent to the brain are rejected. Today we have ascertained that the uncovering the physiology of hearing must resolve the issue of amplification of sound on the order of 4 x 10 ³. Currently there is no known mechanism that can account for this gain. But per Riemann the method of asking the question of how this is accomplished is the right way toward its resolution. Therefore the following investigation and hypothesis is to be commended.
The new study will be published in the 17 September issue of the journalScience. Science is published by AAAS, the nonprofit science society.
It remains unclear, however, how this relationship between introspection and the two different types of brain matter really works. These findings do not necessarily mean that individuals with greater volume of gray matter in that region of the brain have experienced—or will experience—more introspective thoughts than other people. But, they do establish a correlation between the structure of gray and white matter in the prefrontal cortex and the various levels of introspection that individuals may experience.
"Take the example of two patients with mental illness—one who is aware of their illness and one who is not," said one of the study's authors, Stephen Fleming from University College London. "The first person is likely to take their medication, but the second is less likely. If we understand self-awareness at the neurological level, then perhaps we can also adapt treatments and develop training strategies for these patients."
Fleming and the researchers designed the task to be difficult, so that participants were never completely sure if their answer was correct. They reasoned that participants who are good at introspection would be confident after making correct decisions about the patch, and less confident when they were incorrect about the patch. By adjusting the task, the researchers ensured all of the participants' decision-making abilities were on par with each others'—only the participants' knowledge of their own decision-making abilities differed.
"It's like that show, 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'" said Weil. "An introspective contestant will go with his or her final answer when they are quite sure of it, and perhaps phone a friend when they are unsure. But, a contestant who is less introspective would not be as effective at judging how likely their answer is to be correct."
These findings, however, could reflect the innate differences in our anatomy, or alternatively, the physical effects of experience and learning on the brain. The latter possibility raises the exciting prospect that there may be a way to "train" meta-cognitive abilities by exploiting the malleable nature of these regions of prefrontal cortex. But, more research is needed to explore the mental computations behind introspection—and then to link these computations to actual biological processes.
"We want to know why we are aware of some mental processes while others proceed in the absence of consciousness," said Fleming. "There may be different levels of consciousness, ranging from simply having an experience, to reflecting upon that experience. Introspection is on the higher end of this spectrum—by measuring this process and relating it to the brain we hope to gain insight into the biology of conscious thought."
There is no debate over solar energy technology that is anything other than blather. The simple fact is that humanity requires technologies that consume ever increasing energy flux densities in order to survive and progress. Solar is good for plants. We could use some more plants in the deserts by building water projects like the North American Water an Power Alliance plan engineered by Parsons way back when. But humanity requires power that will come from energy dense plasmas in the future. Some from power stations that colonists will build on the moon.
The turning point in the last British attempt to militarily defeat the United States was fought on this day in 1814. David Poe Sr. at 71 fought in that battle. He was the grandfather of Edgar Allan Poe. During the Revolutionary War, David Poe Sr. was the Assistant Quartermaster General of Baltimore. He lent $40,000 to the cause. The Continental Congress never repaid him. General LaFayette noted that Poe sent him $500 for the clothing and feeding of his troops. His wife Elizabeth helped sew clothes for the troops. LaFayette visited the grave of his friend Poe in Baltimore on October 23rd, 1824. This visit of LaFayette impelled the Congress to provide an annual pension for his impoverished widow Elizabeth of $240. In that same year, LaFayette visited Richmond, Virginia, where Edgar at age fourteen was a lieutenant in the honor guard of a volunteer company called the Junior Morgan Riflemen which was chosen to guard the general.
Currently, the mass media is deliberately provoking a typical British "intelligence" gang countergang, divide and conquer religious warfare. The watchwords talking heads like Chris Matthews use of toleration versus extremism is a fraudulent misdirection away from the underlying principle that the Abrahamic religions (and others) share. That principle is behind the Pilgrims' mission to build a City on the Hill. It is simply the Mosaic injunction that the oligarchy wants to kill: Be fruitful, multiply and take dominion over nature. This principle put into practice is the only basis upon which future generations can ever secure a lasting peace.
Lately, news has surfaced of a DARPA funded research upon ultrasound neurological modulation effects. The author of this research has a well developed hypothesis of possible wave mechanical effects on extracellular cerebrospinal fluid.
This evokes a further refinement of what I have lately termed the Leonardo project. The field of physical geometry initiated by Gauss known as conformal mapping theory comes into relevancy here. After all, the mind is a type of Riemannian multi-dimensional conformal mapping process that has a physical brain substrate which is provably fluidic both in the sense above as well as electromagnetically. The wonderful studies of solitonic disruptions in the aorta akin to hurricane formation surely correspond to epileptic seizures. The phenomenon of hippocampal neurogenesis was hypothesized by Riemann in what are referred to as his philosophical fragments. Importantly here is that Riemann explicitly states that ideation itself has a directed physical effect. Ideas generate what he termed geistesmassen or thought mass.
I believe that there are some further avenues that need to be explored here. One is the holographic or gestalt nature of the brain mind function. This directly brings into focus the Gauss mapping of extended topological curvature onto a unit sphere. That is a model for this gestalt principle. If that mapping process is then expanded to include a sort of multi-dimensional connectivity into relevant facets (i.e. art, science, metaphysics, et al.) of thought then what emerges is a conceptual model for noetic processes.
The second avenue is that the nature of shockwave-like hypothesis generation alters the medium of thought transmission via successive technological breakthroughs. The importance of Riemann's working through of hypersonic shockwave phenomena in his seminal paper from 1860 is relevant here. The kernel of that paper is that when the speed of sound or pressure goes beyond the bounds of transmissability for a medium the production of shockwave ensues. This continuously alters the curvature of transmission from positive to negative curvature. Likewise, there are classes of hypotheses regarding nature that alter the relations of physical production for humanity. There is a sort of revolution in the underpinning of the physical mode of production. Viewing that mode of production as a medium for transmission of technology, what has occurred is a type of shockwave has swept over societal relationships. Then that shockwave has been annealed by adopting the said technology and society has acquired a new basis for a medium of transmissability of technology. I believe that this foregoing principle must find its parallelism in the functioning brain probably via neurogenesis and plasticity.
Tsk, tsk. The dunce takes the prize once again. This time it is for effort at rewriting history. You see since he is one of the worshipers at the alter of Mammon, otherwise known as monetarists. He so tries to foist the lie that WWII was nothing more than a big instance of monetary stimulus. Anyone who deserves to be denominated as sane should clearly comprehend that the building of weapons is a pure waste, albeit sometimes a necessary evil. It was rather the transformation of the physical economy that was the correlative of that tragic war (also the case in the civil war) that propelled lasting benefit to our economy. The Manhattan project is salient in this regard.
But if you believe in some inherent power in the mere manipulation of money supply like Mr Krugman then you simply cannot understand any of this at all, because you reside in some weird Never Never Land where the gnomes run amok.
Is It Racist To Be Against Obama?
Not to be a contrarian, but when I look at Obama it’s not his race I see that I dislike so much, but rather his peculiar similarity to George W. Bush.
What Exactly Bounds the Universe?
Today a new controversy is swirling among the cosmological theorists. The fine structure constant actually varies continuously getting larger going from the northern to the southern universal hemispheres. Likewise, the polarization of electromagnetic propagation, or birefringence, has an axis in space.
However, looking here and there for anisotropies that characterize our universe brings to mind the principle of Poe's purloined letter. For the evidence that our universe undergoes continuous stages of structured development in ever more perfect states is staring us collectively in the face. The workings of the human mind to transform a given state of nature over time via successive scientific revolutions is proof of this. This is the bounding principle of the universe. This is what Dante Alighieri saw at the pinnacle of creation. It is how Edgar Alan Poe ended his lecture called Eureka. It is the solution to Plato's Parmenides paradox. It is Nicholas of Cusa's principle of the Non Other. It is the Necessary Existent of Ibn Sina. It is Leibniz' Monadology. It is LaRouche's Non Entropic principle.
The verdict is in. The undermining of cherished beliefs of the rulers that be is an offense to themselves. Socrates was guilty of such it is true. But there was no crime. Rather, there was a blessing and a promise to futurity.
The belief in magic--today known as information--is what lead Newton to infamously abjure hypothesis. The refrain from a pied piper of rock: "nothing's gonna change my world" is the low church way to put it. Information is being had as the victims of delusion huddle chained to their chairs in the movie theater... But what kind?
“We think we have finally figured out how cancer really works - and this reverses 85 years of dogma, upon which current cancer research and therapy is based,” says the study’s senior investigator, Michael P. Lisanti, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of Jefferson’s Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine. | 2019-04-23T06:14:02Z | http://thingumbobesquire.blogspot.com/2010/09/ |
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After a long working day, every one of us deserve a good relaxation – like a foot massage to pamper tired feet. Investing in a foot massager is much cheaper than getting a foot massage daily at any foot spa.
A foot massager is specially designed to concentrate on the acupuncture pressure points to reduce the tension in muscles, relax the nerves, improve blood circulation and calm your entire body.
With a foot massager at home, you can relax at any time of your convenience.
Not sure which foot massager to purchase…?
The first product from our list is developed and marketed by JSB Healthcare. With over 30 years of experience, this brand has maintained the quality, genuine price and assured after sale service.
JSB foot massager is specially crafted to provide electric stimulation on necessary pressure points. The massaging principles programmed in this product are based up on age old techniques (acupuncture and reflexology) which are known for easing tensioned muscles.
This massaging device is integrated with 3 speed levels which lets the user control the speed of the massage as required and manipulate the tension in and around the leg and foot. With integrated rubber kneading pads, this product can squeeze your tired feet after a long tiresome day.
It also features a reflexology foot plate that helps to improve energy flow throughout the body and relieve foot pain. The massager comes with a durable rubber padding which makes it all the more comfortable.
The massager has an auto shut-off feature that gets activated after 15 minutes of use so you can fall asleep while using the massager without any worries. The massager can recline up to 45 degrees so the user can use it while sitting or reclining.
This product consumes minimal amount of electricity which makes it environmental friendly. The manufacturer offers 1-year warranty on the product.
Lifelong is actually a new brand in the market with just 3 years of experience. But their exclusive range of kitchen, household and personal care appliances have been crafted with latest technology and highest quality.
The LLM99 calf and leg massager from Lifelong pampers yourself feet in the most beneficial way. It works on legs, calves and foot points to relieve stress and improve blood circulation. With flexible rubber kneading pads, you can experience a professional spa-like experience.
The specially developed massaging techniques, use heat and vibration to provide ultimate massaging experience like no other. It provides electronic stimulation on the necessary pressure points and helps you unwind the stress.
It contains 3 auto-programs and 3 personal preference programs. This product comes with 4 customizable massage nodes that include rolling, vibrating, kneading and heating programs. It has a 15-minute auto shut-off feature so the user can relax and fall asleep while using the massager without worrying.
Lifelong LLM99 comes with copper motor and copper wiring which makes this product more energy efficiency, superior performance and prolonged motor life. This product is designed with premium quality skin friendly ABS plastic and TPR material for strength and durability.
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Agaro is another new brand specializing in personal care products. The foldable foot massager is specially designed to massage feet, ankles and calves at the same time.
Combination of kneading and vibratory actions is what makes this product worthy enough. This combination penetrates deeply into the tired muscles and soothe away the soreness which often build-up in the lower legs after a long tiresome day.
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Another amazing feature of this product is – you can use for both legs and hands. The touch display will provide easy access to operate the device. The detachable fabric cover helps in easy cleaning and good hygiene.
Auto shut-off feature present in the massager activates after 15 minutes of use. Warranty period of 1-year is provided for this product.
Dr. Physio is one of the world’s best brand for developing restorative and individual personal care products. They have a research and development team at NY who ensure every product they develop is of high quality, innovative and accessible to all people.
This product can massage your calf and foot at a time. And apart from that, it can scrub off the plantar on your feet. 3 massaging modes and several massaging functions that include kneading, acupoint, air pressure, scraping, rolling and calf massage help to relieve the tension and stress in the muscles.
The strategically located buttons on the digital control switch panel enables you to operate the massage function with ease. The combination of heating and vibration is what people have been loving this product. You will experience ultimate comfort with Dr. Physio foot massager.
It comes with speed and auto on/off control – so you can set the timer and relax without worrying for anything else. You can also adjust the speed as per your requirement and handling capacity.
The anti-slip rubber bottom enhances the grip on any kind of surface. You can either use it indoors or outdoors, so that you will not experience any accident or injury. You will get only 6-month warranty from the manufacturer.
This is a high-end electric foot and calf massager from Robotouch that comes with some useful features such as heating function and sole rollers. This massager makes use of 4 flexible kneading discs to provide professional level massage to your feet, ankles and calves at the same time.
It features a synergetic combination of kneading and vibratory action for a relaxing and revitalizing massage experience. It comes with 3 different kneading massage programs and 3 vibration modes that you can choose from.
The heating function stimulates blood circulation and helps to relieve sore and painful muscles. The massager is equipped with easy-to-locate buttons and switch panel that allows easy and simple functioning.
Auto shut-off feature present in the massager activates after 15 minutes of use. The massager comes with zip-out fabric liner that can be washed periodically to maintain proper hygiene. The manufacturer offers 1-year warranty on the product.
With latest innovations and technologies, even foot massagers have undergone a tremendous change and advancements. Some models just vibrate to loosen up the feet muscles while some of them are particular programmed to concentrate on pressure points.
So, picking up a foot massager is not as simple as it used to be. This buying guide of foot massager is very helpful in narrowing down the options for you. Read carefully understand each factor and take an informed decision.
1. What is the purpose of purchasing a foot massager?
Do you pain in the feet or calf muscles as well?
Are you experiencing pain after sitting/standing for several hours?
Do your toes feel stiff after a long working day?
Are you looking for a massager that relieves pain caused by serious issues like arthritis?
Answering these questions help you understand which model suits your needs. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, then ask your doctor to advise appropriate one. Because using a wrong one can worsen the situation.
2. How many types of foot massager are available?
Based on their mode of functioning, foot massagers are categorized into three types that include – manual, electric and spa.
Manual foot massagers – Manual foot massagers are often made from natural material such as wood and it has to be manipulated manually by the user. Manual foot massagers have a small and compact design and they look like spiked rollers that can be rolled under the feet. These types of foot massagers are extremely economical.
Electric Foot Massagers – Electric foot massagers operate on electricity and use rollers and balls to massage the foot. Electric foot massagers use vibration and kneading technique to massage the feet.
Spa Massagers – Spa massagers are a type of electric foot massager that uses water and heat to enhance the therapeutic benefits. Spa massagers are larger and heavier that regular electric foot massagers.
3. What is the appropriate size?
This the first factor that you should consider while choosing a foot massager. Make sure that the foot massager has enough space to accommodate your feet comfortably. Foot massagers that come with calf massage feature are comparatively larger and heavier compared to manual massagers.
4. How many massaging modes does it have?
It is important to consider the massaging action because it has a direct impact on the effects of the massage. Here are some of the common massaging modes available in foot massagers for home use.
Vibration: It helps to loosen up the muscles more quickly. Gentle vibration is also easy on painful and sore muscles.
Kneading: This action provides deeper impact on the muscles and calves.
Shitasu: This traditional Japanese massage method uses similar pressure experienced by hand massage. In some cases, this type of massaging modes include heat as well for better relief.
Compression: In this mode, pressure is directly applied to the painful areas for relaxation and rejuvenation of muscles. This massaging mode also dilates the capillaries which in turn improve the blood circulation issues.
Infrared: The invisible infrared rays will penetrate into the muscles deeply to provide relief and other health benefits. These rays elevate the surface temperature in order to relax the stiff muscles and increase the blood circulation. This functionality is combined with other massaging modes to provide maximum relief.
Hydrotherapy: This massaging mode uses water pressure to relax the muscles, relieve pain, release knots and increase circulation. Some Foot Spa massagers use water jets and bubbles to massage the feet and relieve pain and tension. In some cases, the water may be heated for added benefits. The jet speed of the water can be adjusted as per preference.
5. Does it contain heat functionality?
Some electric foot massagers are equipped with heaters that apply heat to various parts of the foot that enhances relaxation and improve blood flow. Heat helps to relieve aches and pains. The heating action may be limited to the bottom of the foot or the entire foot.
6. How many speed setting does it have?
Most foot massagers come with three different speed settings, but some can have more than three speed options. The speed control allows the user to customize the speed of the massage as per preference.
7. Are the controls easy to operate?
Choose a foot massager with easy controls so that you can use it without any complications. Most foot massaging device have in-built controls present on the body of the massager and some come with a remote. If you find it difficult to bent down and use the controls on the foot massager, then opt for a massager with remote control.
8. How much comfortable is the surface of foot massager?
Most electric foot massagers come with a comfortable cushion surface where the users place their foot. It provides greater comfort to the user and supports the contours of the user’s foot. It also creates a non-slip surface so that the foot does not slip while massaging.
9. Is the product durable enough?
Purchasing a foot massager for home use is not a small investment. So, make sure the materials used for the device are of high quality. Low quality materials cannot withstand the regular wear and tear, so they don’t last long.
Actually, our feet have less blood circulation than other body parts. But massaging regularly improves blood circulation even to most lower extremities.
Regular foot massage improves the strength of muscles and tendons present in the ankles and feet. This in turn reduces muscles soreness and pains.
Foot massagers are designed to concentrate on the pressure points (according to acupuncture) which are known to alleviate migraines and headaches.
Using foot massagers regularly can helpful in alleviating certain conditions that include flat feet, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, bunions, PMS symptoms, lower back pain and others. It can help to relax and release stress of your entire body.
Getting foot massage from 10 minutes every day is known to improve mood, decrease blood pressure and reduce anxiety.
Using foot massager before going to bed can unwind all the stress after a long tiresome day and ensure good night’s sleep as well.
People who have to sit or stand for longer periods of time often experience fluid retention in the feet. This can be reduced by using a foot massager.
If you are suffering from any serious health conditions, then ask your doctor whether you are suitable for using a foot massager or not.
Check the manufacturer’s precautions and warnings beforehand as these devices are not appropriate for some people.
Always limit your foot massaging time (especially if you are using electric one). Too much of good thing is also bad for your health. Most of the foot massagers come with auto-shut off feature – which will stop massaging after certain period of time. Usually, this limit is between 15 – 30 minutes.
1. Do foot massagers really work?
As per many research and studies, our foot has several nerve endings. Through massage, you relieve the stress and tension in these nerve endings, leading relief and relaxation of your entire body. As per many user reviews, using a foot massager daily for 10 minutes has shown tremendous improvement in mood, reduced anxiety and lowered blood pressure.
2. I heard that foot massagers are good for neuropathy. Is it true?
Neuropathy is actually a common side effect of diabetes. This situation can be handled through foot massager as it helps in stimulating and improving blood flow in the feet. Electric foot massagers are the best way in easing the symptoms caused by neuropathy.
3. Do foot massages make you sleepy?
A relaxing and soothing foot massage will improve blood circulation, reduce the tension in the muscles, and relax the nerves. This change can relax your mind, causing sleepiness. And moreover, our feet contain certain acupuncture points, when pressure is applied on these points, sleep can be induced.
4. Are foot massages supposed to hurt?
Usually, foot massages will not cause any pain. However, if you have pain in the ankles or muscles due to any health condition or injury, then you may experience pain.
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When it comes to foot massagers, there are several products that fit into any budget requirement. They can range from few hundreds to thousands depending on their functionality.
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If you still have any queries or doubts, then feel free to write them in the comment section below. We will reply to them as soon as possible. Also feel free to share your experience and choice regarding foot massagers. | 2019-04-22T13:14:33Z | https://homezene.com/best-foot-massagers-india/ |
Hi Ray I belive with most of what you are saying.HOWEVER I would sure love to see anyone ( let alone a student ) doing 50 takoffs and landings in an hour.
I said 50 take-offs and landings/touch-n-goes per hour of stick time. On a typical training flight of 30 minutes duration, most touch-downs are touch-n goes, simply because it takes too long to come to a full stop, taxi back, and then take off again. Each flight ends with a dead stick landing which does stay on the ground and rolls out to a full stop.
And 500 flights before they solo.
You must have some real bad students if it takes them 500 flights to solo.
I don't think a student is good or bad if it takes them 500 trips around the airport trafic pattern to solo, just typical or average. Some students solo after just 300 times around the pattern. Others require over a thousand. My job is to make sure each touch down is a good one and that the airplane is not damaged. My student's job is to learn, (by sense of touch), what to do with the sticks to bring the airplane down without needing me to assist. It is not really so important that the student solo at any certain time, just whatever time it takes them individually. The important thing for them is that they learn how to get the plane down with confidence and precision so they can build additional flight time on their own, as solo pilots.
I have a question, What did you do to become this, and I quote, "Professional R/C Flight Instructor" as there aren't any accredited schools that offer such a course, degree or diploma.
Amateur - a person who engages in any art, science, study, or athletic activity as a pastime rather than a profession...receiving no monetary compensation.
Professional - a person who receives pay for their services.
By these definitions, no matter how good someone is at a service, if they are not paid for their time/service, they are defined as "amateur". Also, no matter how bad at a service someone is, if they get paid for their time/service, they are defined as "professional".
Notice, these definitions say nothing about the quality of the service, either amateur or professional. There are probably some pretty good amateur golfers, for instance, who might make some money in the pro ranks, if they tried. There are also probably a few pro golfers who are just barely getting by and perhaps should consider finding a more financially rewarding way to make a living.
Bottom line...I am paid to teach people to fly model airplanes, and that makes me a professional at it.
As far as certification goes, I considered myself "self-certified" as a professional R/C Flight Instructor after I completed teaching (and documented with awarding of solo certificates), 100 individuals to fly with virtually no damage to their trainer aircraft in the process.
AMA in the US or MAAC in Canada don't recognize the "professional instructor" but do recognize instructors qualified through a club that is sanctioned by them and have met certain criterial.
I am not too concerned with recognition as a professional by the AMA or MAAC. My main concern is that my students recognize that they learned to fly without damaging their equipment and were happy to pay my fees to do it.
I think we are getting into the "...chicken or egg..." argument when we ask these professionals how they became professionals. These guys are obviously pioneers and as such there will not be anyone to endorse them as qualified "professionals." The only certification they have is happy customers.
I agree. The only certification I am interested in is the "happy customer" certification, and I haven't had a displeased customer/student yet.
If the concept catches on, there will undoubtedly develop some sort of certification. In the mean time, these pioneers are the same as any flight instructor at a club as far as the AMA and others are concerned. However, as pointed out above, they offer better service than most club based free instructors.
Thank you for that asknowledgment. It means a lot to me.
Personally, I had a very good club experience for free and if I started off knowing I had to pay additional money to learn, I may not have started in the hobby at all.
Nobody is saying you must pay additional money to learn. Professional flight training is just an option, which, in my opinion people should be allowed to choose, or not choose.
However, I was frustrated at times because my schedule and instructors schedule did not always mesh.
I hear that story nearly every day from potential students who have contacted me to talk about learning to fly model airplanes.
I don't know if Ray is going to respond, but I know from his previous discussions that the 50 take offs and landings are in an hour of actual flying time, which obviously takes more than a clock hour to accomplish. Ray's planes have to come down and be re-fueled just like ours and his students need rest. But, from what I understand, his students basically take off, get their bearings, and set up for landing, over and over. With that in mind, one landing per minute is not unreasonable.
You are correct. Typical training flights are 30 minutes in duration and include at least 25 (typically 30 or more) touch-n-goes with an intentional dead stick landing at the end of the flight. A solo certificate is awarded to the student as soon as they can demonstrate three circuits around the field with taxi back to the pilot's station after the final roll out.
I paid for my flight instruction... Yep, each crash of the ARFs I was trying to learn with cost about $100... occasionally more, if I wrecked the engine and some radio parts) and that was for one (short!) flight. By the time I finally got a trainer kit and some help, I had already turned at least $500 or more worth of models into landfill. That same $500 would have paid for a LOT of instruction.
Get a good trainer model, and get some help. It will save you a lot of money, frustration, and possible law suits. Whether you pay or not probably isn't so important. And don't forget to HAVE FUN! That's why we're all here, right?
Some very interesting posts about instruction...let me quickly toss in my 2 cents. I got tired of watching 'instructors' crash my Trainer 60! Took my plane home, ordered a copy of RealFlight and it's been blue skies ever since. Sure, I've planted a couple of planes, but I've done it attempting pretty nasty stuff.
My biggest hurdle was training my hands and mind to use the sticks on my radio to control the airplane at any attitude or orientation...without having to think about it...Once you nail that, the airplane just becomes an extension. My advice? Buy a copy of RealFlight...check eBay for deals. It's expensive but you can crash it over and over while trying that new move...hit the spacebar and there you are...sitting on the runway, waiting to take off again.
Good luck all and happy flying.
I hear what you are saying. However most instructors whoget payed to teach don't ususly wipe out planes. Especialy if you are learning on theirs.
I have used real flight. I think it's great.
Check out this site to show the difference between being trained for free from a club and a proper way a commercial RC flight school should be run.
The main difference is, that as opposed to clubs, not that clubs don't do the best they can, the beginner is the paid instructor's only priority.
Sorry but advertising for an Instructor/Paid Instructor for a hobby that the Instructor was probably taught for free anyhow is B.S.
95% of these so called Paid Instructors were taught for free. 100% of all of the R/C Pilots in America were taught for free prior to this get rich Generation your a part of!! We see it every darn day people sueing for B.S. like getting burnt by coffee etc.
Lets get back to reality, You've bee given an opportunity to give something to your community why not provide a little instruction in flying or building. Instead you paid instructors sit there dreaming up more schemes(Now how can I make some more Money of this Kid and his Father)..
The purpose of posting the url for that flight school was to show the difference between what free instructors offers and what a paid flight instructor offers and not meant as advsertisement.
Now if you can match what the school offers for free, then you got a case. I think beginners are smart enough to make a choice, at least now they have a choice. Place an ad in any magazine offering the public free instruction and be prepared to teach a lot of people. Apparently, you are not aware of the enormous number of beginners who are ready to pay for the extra help they can't get in their clubs. A paid instructor might teach 60 people per year. How many does the one free instructor teach?
I was taught for free and went through 4 airplanes and 3 years before I could fly on my own. Why it took so long was that instructors were always hard to fly. If I had the choice, (which I didn't at the time) I would've gladly paid to learn in less than a week. All and all, with paid instruction, I would've saved a few hundred dollars and many trips back and forth to the flying field. BTW, I only crashed one of those planes. I have my free instructors to thank for the other pilot error crashes.
I was taught by ScorpionJack (without a BB) who would be a so called "amateur" instructor by those who would term themselves "professional". I am currently ranked 30th worldwide flying F3A precision aerobatics, boy sure hurt me to have an "amateur" teach me. Do you "pros" really think you can offer better instruction than the "amatuers", I doubt it. Its the quality of the instruction that counts not the quantity.
On another point, I cannot understand how you can call yourself a professional? Who granted you that designation? As an engineer I must work 4 years write a test get recommended etc etc before I can use the designation "professional engineer". Using that designation without any qualifications is a crock.
Provide solid concrete proof that "pro" instructors are better.
Not all of us are as lucky as you to have such a talented instructor on hand. Like I suggested, place an ad to teach the world for free, like an...ok, commercial instructor does.
Beginners are always asking me why those who already know how to fly has such a personal problem with the concept of paid instruction. 2 of the instructors who helped me could barely fly themselves, but since they were the only game in town, I had no choice.
Well, I guess there are those who have their mind made up the paid instruction is wrong, wrong, wrong and no amount of logic will change that. So be it.
I don't think any of the paid instructors here are saying that volunteer instructors can't do a good job. Obviously, many do and excellent job and their work is responsible for the vast majority of fliers today. What they are offering is AVAILABILITY and guarenteed stick time. Which is something that MOST volunteer instructors can't always provide despite their best intentions.
I have read with interest all of the Comments, some quite Nasty.
i can speak from experience as i in fact Travelled from New Zealand to Ray Smith's Flight Training School in Monterey in Jan -Feb 2001.
The Training Method does work, and in fact is very Student Orientated and Ray a Very Capable Instuctor.
The reason i went to Ray's School is that i found that most of the Members of any Club are Stuck-Up, Self Interested Individuals who do not like you on "Their Patch" as also appears from the Attitude of some of these Vitriolic Comments so far.
When i was being trained we in fact had 1 from New Foundland,[Self Employed}and a Doctor from Switzerland so the comments "as being thick' is a Bit Rich from some of the subscribers.
Also Ray is assisting the American Economy, we all Hired Cars, stayed in Motels, ate out , purchased things,spent a lot in your local communities and returned with 7 more bags than we left with and made Friends which we still have to this day.
This time we are returning to the USa to revisit our friends, and travel, Spending more and bringing and additional visitor, and Yes i will be meeting up with Ray to do some more Flying.
So i suggest before anyone else "Puts Their Foot in Their Mouth"go see Ray, Fly and Try then you can make an Informed Comment instead of what we call "Shooting Your Mouth Off'.
By the way i Own My own Company.
I don't think any of the paid instructors here are saying that volunteer instructors can't do a good job. Obviously, many do an excellent job and their work is responsible for the vast majority of fliers today. What they are offering is AVAILABILITY and guarenteed stick time. Which is something that MOST volunteer instructors can't always provide despite their best intentions.
As I discussed in my first post on this thread, there are two more dimensions to flight training at the professional level besides AVAILABILITY (showing up) and GUARANTEEING STICK TIME (dedicating time to teaching). Most people do arrive at my school thinking these first two are the most important things they will be receiving at my school. The other two things, GUARANTEEING EVERYTHING (as in taking full responsibility for any damage which might occur during training) and USING A TRUELY HELPFULL TRAINING TECHNIQUE (not the buddy box) which allows them to actually feel the correct inputs needed to fly, (and especially land) with precision, become quite big parts of their overall appreciation of what I do only after they have started their flight training. They quickly realize, (after landing more than 100 times their first day of training), that they can "see the light at the end of the tunnel", and that they will actually achieve what they came to me to do (become solo pilots) in just a matter of days at my school (typically 4 to 6).
In other words, at the professional level of R/C flight training, showing up and dedicating yourself to training your students is only half of what you are expected to do. The other half (which volunteers seem, quite often to be lacking), is taking full responsibility for the safety of the airplane and putting the student into many landings, right from the start so that they will be able to demonstrate solo proficiency (and earn their solo certificates) in the minimum possible time frame.
Re: Beginners Forum Subject ??
If what you're getting at is that this subject has been beat to death in this thread... then I certainly agree.
I was taught by ScorpionJack (without a BB) who would be a so called "amateur" instructor by those who would term themselves "professional". I am currently ranked 30th worldwide flying F3A precision aerobatics, boy sure hurt me to have an "amateur" teach me.
Your instructor is not responsible for how well you do with flying R/C model airplanes after you solo, you are. There is no substitute for stick time, but it is hard to build stick time if you can't land the airplane. It doesn't really matter how you get to the point of soloing, just that you get there so you can realize your potential as a pilot.
Do you "pros" really think you can offer better instruction than the "amatuers", I doubt it. Its the quality of the instruction that counts not the quantity.
I agree that quality of instruction is very important, in that you will solo sooner with better training. Again, it's up to you to reach your own potential as a pilot, after you solo.
On another point, I cannot understand how you can call yourself a professional? Who granted you that designation?
As I said earlier in this thread, I considered myself "certified" as a professional flight instructor after I documented 100 solo pilots trained without damage to their equipment in the process, and was paid to do it.
As an engineer I must work 4 years write a test get recommended etc etc before I can use the designation "professional engineer". Using that designation without any qualifications is a crock.
I am also an engineer, now retired, (Aeronautical Engineer, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, 1968.) I received a salary for my work as a flight test engineer at Edwards Air Force Base and I was a member of the SFTE (Society of Flight Test Engineers) for many years. As a professional flight instructor, I guarantee all aspects of my training, and I receive compensation for my work. I think that is enough to consider myself "professional" at what I do now.
One-hundred-sixty-two solo certificates (so far) awarded to students who completed training with me. I think that is fairly "concrete" proof, but that's just my thoughts on the matter.
I read ALL the post's and there's been nothing new said since page one. How about closing this before the flames get out of control?
Now we're getting into major posturing... IMO... it's time to give this subject a rest.
By all means, close this thread. I am sure that the 1722 viewers are aware of the situation, of whom, many must be disillusioned beginners. It would've been nice if those beginners could've spoken for themselves, but I realize that they must of thought it better that they didn't.
For those who have a problem with paid instruction, they should add their names to AMA's instructor list. There is a page for instructors to do so, be they volunteers or otherwise.
If this page was inundated with volunteer instructors, this would make it all but impossible for anyone to get paid to teach. I will check on that page now and then to see how many volunteers add their names to that list, especially those who posted their thoughts on this thread.
Please put an end to this discussion immediately, as you said, it isn't helping beginners at all.
What we need now is people who can teach new modelers how to build, cover, install equipmment and properly set up any model to fly.
Talk to you guys later, Im going out to fly. | 2019-04-21T04:35:43Z | http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/beginners-85/28722-paying-flight-insrucrtion-4.html |
An arrangement for determining radio coverage provided by a telecommunications system to a user of a mobile device is disclosed. In the case of a GSM or UMTS mobile device, if the device is in the idle mode (step A) and if a paging operation is not scheduled (step B), the mobile device records and stores on the mobile device a characteristic of the radio coverage provided when the mobile device is at each of a plurality of locations visited by the user of the mobile device (step C). The arrangement also enables retrieval of the recorded and stored characteristic so that radio coverage provided to the device for the user at the locations can be evaluated. If the telecommunications system includes a plurality of networks, the mobile device will record and store the characteristic for each of the plurality of networks. The arrangement then enables the radio coverage provided by the respective networks to be evaluated, and an informed choice as to the best network for that particular user can be made.
The present invention relates to a method of determining radio coverage provided by a telecommunications system to a user of a mobile device. The present invention also relates to a device for determining radio coverage provided by a telecommunications system.
More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a method of providing subscriber guidance for network service provider selection based on the radio coverage provided by candidate telecommunications systems, actual subscriber usage patterns and available operator tariff structures; and also relates to a device for determining radio coverage provided by a telecommunications system without interfering with the normal subscriber operation and usage of the device.
Currently, if a potential user of a mobile network wishes to determine whether that network will provide satisfactory radio coverage for their usage requirements, the user must consult publicly available coverage maps provided by mobile network operators (MNOs), and typically available on MNO websites. The network coverage of the information provided by network operators is typically derived from propagation prediction tools and is often for outdoor service levels. The coverage maps often do not reflect the quality of radio coverage actually available in specific locations and/or in buildings. The lack of granularity and accuracy in publicly available network coverage maps make it difficult for customers to make informed decisions about network choice. Often potential subscribers to a network either have to switch network operators to gain accurate information and real coverage quality or seek anecdotal advice from customers of other networks which may not accurately reflect the performance of their own device or be relevant for the locations frequented by that user.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,392,017 discloses an arrangement for assessing wireless network quality. When a user of a mobile device makes a request for service from an information service provider this request is sent to the information service provider including information about the device and its location (for example using GPS). The arrangement determines network quality by measuring the number of attempts that are required to successfully transmit data between the mobile device and the information service provider. The system does not measure network quality at the mobile device.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,158,790 discloses an arrangement where a mobile device reports signal quality measurements to a network. The network stores the signal quality measurements together with the location of the device (obtained, for example, by GPS). The mobile device generally sends measurements as they are received to the network. However, when the network quality is insufficient to allow the mobile device to transmit the data immediately to the network, the mobile device stores quality and location data. These data are subsequently transmitted to the network when a connection of sufficient quality becomes available. The network analyses the quality and location data provided by many mobile devices to estimate the location of “dead zones” within the network service area.
It would be desirable for a potential customer of a mobile network to accurately determine the radio coverage quality in the important geographical areas specifically for that customer, including deep in-building locations, and preferably from all network operators based on actual radio measurements.
In one aspect the present invention provides a method of determining radio coverage provided by a telecommunications system to a user of a mobile device, wherein the telecommunications system includes a plurality of networks, the method including operating the mobile device to record and store on the mobile device a characteristic for the plurality of networks of the radio coverage provided when the mobile device is at each of a plurality of locations visited by the user of the mobile device, and enabling retrieval of the recorded characteristic to evaluate the radio coverage provided at the locations by the respective networks to the device for the user.
In the embodiments to be described below, by recording and storing network quality data on the mobile device, and enabling retrieval of the recorded and stored characteristic of the radio coverage to evaluate the radio coverage provided to the device for the user at the locations, the user of the device is able to determine how the telecommunications system will perform for them at the locations that they visit and using their particular device. Compared to known arrangements, the embodiment provides information about the radio coverage of the telecommunications system specific to a particular user and device, and is therefore more accurate than the information that can be provided by the known arrangements. The quality of the radio coverage is not estimated but is measured in each of the relevant locations.
In the embodiment to be described the telecommunications system includes a plurality of networks, and the operating step includes recording and storing the characteristic for each of the plurality of networks. The enabling step then enables the radio coverage provided by the respective networks to be evaluated. For example, the telecommunications system may comprise a plurality of cellular telecommunications networks (PLMNs). Often in a particular geographical area (such as a country) several PLMNs, which are owned by different operators, are potentially available to users. In the embodiment, by enabling the radio coverage provided by each of the respective networks to be evaluated, the user can determine which network provides the best coverage for their particular needs.
The characteristic of radio coverage recorded and stored may be signal strength and/or quality.
The method may include the step of retrieving the characteristic recorded at each of the locations and presenting radio coverage analysis to the user. By such an arrangement the recorded and stored data can be provided to the user in a convenient form that is easily understood—for example as a personalised coverage map.
The method may include retrieving the recorded characteristic of each of the locations and calculating which of the networks provides the best radio coverage for the user at the locations visited by the user.
The mobile device may also be operated to record and store on the mobile device telecommunications services used when the mobile device is at each of the plurality of locations visited by the user of the mobile device. The method may then optionally include calculating the cost of services and recommending a network based on both radio coverage quality and cost. In the embodiment to be described in detail below, a recommendation engine application is implemented on the mobile device which records services used and radio coverage quality. This information and network tariff information is used to calculate a recommendation for the user of the best network according to quality and cost criteria that the user may set. The user is then able to make an informed decision about the choice of network based on coverage quality, usage patterns and tariff structures. This empowers the user to select a network that is best for their particular usage patterns and cost/quality preferences. For example, some users may be willing to make some compromise in network coverage quality if this results in significant cost savings.
The telecommunications system may be a cellular telecommunications system such as a 2G (GSM), 3G (UMTS) or 4G (LTE) telecommunications system. The characteristic of the telecommunications system that is recorded and stored may relate to a cell broadcast channel of the cellular telecommunications system. The mobile device may be operated to store and record the characteristic of the radio coverage while the mobile device is in an idle or inactive communication state, the operating step being interrupted when the mobile device is required to operate in an active communication state, such as when a voice call is made or when user data is sent/received between the mobile device and the network. Preferably, the operation of the mobile device to record the characteristic of radio coverage is scheduled during the idle or inactive communication mode so that it does not interfere with or conflict with paging operations between the telecommunications system and the mobile terminal that also occur during the idle or inactive state. Such paging operations allow the telecommunications system to determine the location of the mobile terminal. By recording the characteristic of the telecommunications system during the idle or inactive communication state, and when paging operations are not being performed, the embodiment provides for recordal of the telecommunications characteristic without interfering with or compromising other tasks normally performed by the mobile terminal. No modification to other elements of the telecommunications system is required for the mobile device to record the characteristic data. Advantageously, the embodiment makes use of the times during which the mobile device is otherwise not performing useful activity to collect information about the telecommunications system for use by the user.
The invention also provides apparatus as defined in the independent claims.
FIG. 3 is an information flow chart, describing the discrete information collections which are combined in order to derive recommendation suggestions to the mobile user.
In the drawings like elements are generally designated with the same reference sign.
Key elements of a mobile telecommunications network n, and its operation, will now briefly be described with reference to FIG. 1.
Each base station (BS) corresponds to a respective cell of its cellular or mobile telecommunications network and receives calls/data from and transmits calls/data to a mobile terminal in that cell by wireless radio communication in one or both of the circuit switched or packet switched domains. Such a subscriber's mobile terminal (or User Equipment—UE) is shown at 1. The mobile terminal may be a handheld mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop computer equipped with a datacard, or a laptop computer with an embedded chipset containing the UE's functionality.
In a GSM (2G) mobile telecommunications network, each base station subsystem 3 comprises a base transceiver station (BTS) 2 and a base station controller (BSC) 4. A BSC may control more than one BTS. The BTSs and BSCs comprise the radio access network.
In a UMTS (3G) mobile telecommunications network, a radio network controller (RNC) 13 may control more than one node B 6. The node B's and RNC's form base station 7 and comprise the radio access network.
Corresponding elements are provided in an LTE (4G) mobile telecommunications network: The eNodeB of an LTE network replaces the BTS/NodeB and also incorporates the BSC/RNC functionality.
Conventionally, the base stations are arranged in groups and each group of base stations is controlled by one mobile switching centre (MSC), such as MSC 2 for base stations 3,4 and 5, and MSC 6 for base stations 7,8 and 9. In practice, the network will incorporate many more MSCs and base stations than shown in FIG. 1.
Each subscriber to the network is provided with a smart card or SIM which, when associated with the user's mobile terminal, identifies the subscriber to the network. The SIM card is pre-programmed with a unique identification number, the “International Mobile Subscriber Identity” (IMSI) which is not visible on the card and is not known to the subscriber. The subscriber is issued with a publicly known number, that is, the subscriber's telephone number, by means of which calls to the subscriber are initiated by callers. This number is the MSISDN.
The network includes a home location register (HLR)/home subscriber server (HSS) 10 which, for each subscriber to the network, stores the IMSI and the corresponding MSISDN together with other subscriber data, such as the current or last known location of the subscriber's mobile terminal. The HSS is the master database for the network, and while logically it is viewed as one entity, in practice it will be made up of several physical databases. The HSS holds variables and identities for the support, establishment and maintenance of calls and sessions made by subscribers.
When the subscriber wishes to activate their mobile terminal in a network (so that it may make or receive calls subsequently), the subscriber places their SIM card in a card reader associated with the mobile terminal (terminal 1 in this example). The mobile terminal 1 then transmits the IMSI (read from the card) to the base station 7 associated with the particular cell in which the terminal 1 is located. In a traditional network, the base station 7 then transmits this IMSI to the MSC 6 with which the BS 7 is registered. In a network using the functionality described in 3GPP TS 23.236, the base station follows prescribed rules to select which MSC to use, and then transmits this IMSI to the selected MSC.
MSC 6 now accesses the appropriate location in the HLR/HSS 10 present in the network core (CN) 12 and extracts the corresponding subscriber MSISDN and other subscriber data from the appropriate storage location, and stores it temporarily in a location in a visitor location register (VLR) 14. In this way, therefore the particular subscriber is effectively registered with a particular MSC (MSC 6), and the subscriber's information is temporarily stored in the VLR (VLR 14) associated with that MSC.
When the HLR 10 is interrogated by the MSC 6 in the manner described above, the HLR 10 additionally performs an authentication procedure for the mobile terminal 1. The HLR 10 transmits authentication data to the MSC 2 in “challenge” and “response” forms. Using this data, MSC 6 passes a “challenge” to the mobile terminal 1 through base station 7. Upon receipt of this data, the mobile terminal 1 passes this data to its SIM and produces a “response”. This response is generated using an encryption algorithm on the SIM and a unique Ki on the SIM. The response is transmitted back to the MSC 6 which checks it against its own information for the subscriber which checks it against information that it has obtained for that subscriber from the HLR 10 in order to complete the authentication process. If the response from the mobile terminal 1 is as expected, the mobile terminal 1 is deemed authenticated. At this point the MSC 6 requests subscription data from the HLR 10. The HLR 10 then passes the subscription data to the VLR 14.
The authentication process will be repeated at regular intervals while the mobile terminal 1 remains activated and can also be repeated each time the mobile terminal makes or receives a call, if required.
Each of the MSCs of the network (MSC 6 and MSC 2) has a respective VLR (14 and 11) associated with it and operates in the same way as already described when a subscriber activates a mobile terminal in one of the cells corresponding to one of the base stations controlled by that MSC.
When the subscriber using mobile terminal 1 wishes to make a call, having already inserted the SIM card into the reader associated with this mobile terminal and the SIM has been authenticated in the manner described, a call may be made by entering the telephone number of the called party in the usual way. This information is received by the base station 7 and passed on to the MSC 6. The MSC 6 routes the calls towards the called party via the MSC 6. By means of the information held in the VLR 14, MSC 6 can associate the call with a particular subscriber and thus record information for charging purposes.
The MSCs 6 and 2 support communications in the circuit switched domain—typically voice calls. Corresponding SGSNs 16 and 18 are provided to support communications in the packet switched domain—such as GPRS data transmissions. The SGSNs 16 and 18 function in an analogous way to the MSCs 6 and 2. The SGSNs 16, 18 are equipped with an equivalent to the VLR for the packet switched domain. GGSN 19 provides IP connectivity for the CN 12, for example to Packet Data Network 20 (such as the Internet).
The network of FIG. 1 includes two Radio Access Technologies (RATs): 2G (GSM) and 3G (UMTS). A telecommunications system may comprise a plurality of telecommunications networks (and each of those networks may include more than one RAT). Each of the networks may be under separate legal ownership. Roaming of user from one network to another network may be allowed in some cases and may be forbidden in other cases.
From the description above, it will be understood that the coverage area of a mobile telecommunications network is divided into a plurality of cells, each of which is served by a respective base station.
Mobile networks such as 2G (GSM) or 3G (UMTS) telecommunications networks have an active state of communication with their mobile terminals and an inactive/idle state of communication with their terminals. When in the active state, as the mobile terminals move between different cells of the network, the communication session is maintained by performing a “handover” operation between the cells. In the inactive/idle state, as a mobile terminal moves between different cells of the network the mobile terminal performs “cell reselection” to select the most appropriate cell on which to “camp” in order that the mobile terminal can be paged by the network when mobile terminating data is destined for that mobile terminal.
Calculations to determine whether to perform a handover from one base station to another base station are performed by the network, whereas calculations whether to perform cell reselection are performed by the mobile terminal.
In a mobile network operating in accordance with the 3G (UMTS) Standards, a mobile terminal device (UE) has a so-called “RRC (Radio Resource Control) state” which depends on its state of activity. In the respective RRC states different functions for mobility are executed. These functions are described in technical specification 3GPP TS 25.304/25.331.
For 2G and 3G, a mobile terminal is in active communication when it has a CS (Circuit Switched) connection established.
In 2.5G, GPRS PS (Packet Switched), active communication can be defined as the GPRS Ready state. In 3G UMTS PS, active communication can be defined as the RRC connected mode state that is CELL_DCH, and thus excluding CELL/URA_PCH RRC connected mode states.
In 3G UMTS PS, CELL/URA_PCH and CELL_FACH can be defined as inactive states. In GPRS, the Standby state can be regarded as an inactive state.
Either one or both of the CS and PS active communications may occur in the mobile terminal.
The RRC states will now briefly be described.
A dedicated physical channel is allocated to the UE in uplink and downlink.
Dedicated transport channels, downlink and uplink transport channels and a combination of these transport channels can be used by the UE.
No dedicated physical channel is allocated to the UE.
The UE continuously monitors a FACH (forward access channel) in the downlink.
The UE is assigned a default common or shared transport channel in the uplink (e.g. RACH) that it can use anytime according to the access procedure for that transport channel.
The position of the UE is known by UTRAN on cell level according to the cell where the UE last made a cell update.
No dedicated physical channel is allocated to the UE. The UE selects a PCH (paging channel) with the algorithm, and uses DRX for monitoring the selected PCH via an associated PCH.
No uplink activity is possible.
The position of the UE is known by UTRAN on cell level according to the cell where the UE last made a cell update in CELL_FACH state.
No dedicated channel is allocated to the UE. The UE selects a PCH, and uses DRX for monitoring the selected PCH via an associated PCH.
The location of the UE is known on UTRAN registration area (URA) level according to the URA assigned to the UE during the last URA update in CELL-FACH state.
In the CELL_DCH state a network-driven handover is performed when necessary, as described in 3GPP TS 25-331. In this state a mobile terminal scans the pilot channels of up to 32 intra-frequency cells neighbouring its current cell. The mobile terminal forms a list of the best cells for possible handover based on the received signal strength and/or quality (i.e. the error rate in the received signal). The information in this list is passed to the UTRAN RNC on an event-driven basis, e.g. when the signal strength or signal-to-noise ratio of one of the cells exceeds a threshold. The information list is used by a handover algorithm implemented in the UTRAN RNC. The algorithm that determines when handover occurs is not specified in the GSM or UMTS Standards. The algorithms essentially trigger a handover when the mobile terminal 1 provides a measurement of a neighbour cell received signal at the mobile terminal 1 below a predetermined quality received threshold, which typically has a relation to the quality of the received signal from the serving cell (e.g. better quality by some margin).
In the “CELL_FACH”, “CELL_PCH”, “URA_PCH” or “idle mode” the mobile terminal controls its own mobility independently and starts a cell switch (reselection) when a neighbouring cell has a better quality than the current cell, as described in 3GPP TS 25.304. A similar procedure is also used in GSM/GPRS mobile networks, as described in technical specification 3GPP TS 05.08 (UE-based cell reselection).
In general, a mobile terminal in “idle mode” states and in RRC connected mode (inactive) states “CELL_FACH”, “CELL_PCH” and “URA_PCH” performs periodic measurements of its own as well as of a series of neighbouring cells—typically of the BCCH or other cell broadcast channel transmitted on the RF carrier of each base station. The broadcast control channel (BCCH) is the downlink channel that contains parameters needed by a mobile in order that it can identify the network and gain access to it. Typical information includes the Location Area Code (LAC) and Routing Area Code (RAC), the MNC (Mobile Network Code) and the BA (BCCH Allocation) list. The measurements are not made continuously, as this would be wasteful of battery power. Instead, these measurements are performed at a frequency determined by a Cell Measurement Cycle Length (CMCL). Information about the neighbouring cells is broadcast in the system information block 11 (SIB11) or system information block 12 (SIB12) of the broadcast channel (BCH) as described in 3GPP TS 25.304 and 3GPP TS 25.331.
A switch from the current cell to a neighbouring cell generally takes place in the aforementioned idle/inactive states when a neighbouring cell is technically better than the current cell. It is thus ensured that a mobile terminal is generally located in the cell of a mobile network in which it needs the lowest possible transmitting power in order to contact the closest base station (NodeB) and/or has the best reception conditions.
When a calling party (whether a subscriber within the mobile telecommunications network or outside it) attempts to call a mobile terminal within the network, that mobile terminal must be paged. Paging is a process of broadcasting a message which alerts a specific mobile terminal to take some action—in this example, to notify the terminal that there is an incoming call to be received. If the network knows in which cell the mobile terminal is located, it is only necessary to page in that cell. However, if the mobile terminal is moving within the network (that is, cell reselection has been performed), the precise cell in which the mobile terminal is located may not be known. It will therefore be necessary to perform paging in a number of cells. The greater the number of cells in which paging must occur, the more use of valuable signalling capacity within the network.
However, if the HLR/HSS 10 is to always have an up-to-date record of the cell in which each mobile terminal is located so that the current cell which is occupied by a terminal is always known, this will require a large amount of location updating signalling between the mobile terminal and the HLR/HSS 10 in order that the HLR/HSS 10 has up-to-date records of the cells occupied by each mobile terminal. This is also wasteful of valuable signalling capacity.
As indicated above, the HLR/HSS 10 is updated each time a mobile terminal moves from the coverage area of one MSC to another MSC and from one SGSN to another SGSN. However, typically the area covered by a single MSC and SGSN is large, and to page all the cells covered by a single MSC and SGSN would require a significant amount of paging signalling.
The problems of excessive use of signaling capacity by paging a multiplicity of cells or performing a multiplicity of frequent location updates is solved in a to known manner in 2G and 3G networks by dividing the coverage area of the mobile telecommunications network into a plurality of location areas (LAs) and into a plurality of routing areas (RAs).
A location area relates to a particular geographical area for communications in the circuit-switched domain. Typically, although not necessarily, a location area is larger than the area of a single cell but is smaller than the area covered by one MSC. Each cell within the network broadcasts data indicative of the identity of its location area (LAI). The mobile terminal uses this data to determine when it has moved into a new location area. The terminal stores its last known location area on its SIM. This information stored on the SIM is compared with the location area information broadcast by the local cell. The identities of the two location areas are compared. If they are different, the mobile terminal determines that it has entered a new location area. The mobile terminal then gains access to a radio channel and requests a location area update (LAU). The request includes the now out-of-date LAI. If the MSC/VLR is the same for the new and old location areas, the network can immediately authenticate the mobile terminal and note the change of location area. However, if the mobile terminal is moved to a different MSC/VLR, the MSC/VLR addresses a message to the HSS/HLR. The HSS/HLR notes the new location and downloads security parameters to allow the network to authenticate the mobile. It also passes on subscription details of the user to the new VLR and informs the old VLR to delete its records. The new MSC/VLR allocates a new TMSI to the mobile.
A routeing area relates to a particular geographical area for communications in the packet-switched domain. Typically, although not necessarily, a routeing area is larger than the area of a single cell but is smaller than the area covered by one SGSN. A routeing area is typically, although not necessarily, smaller than a location area. There may be many routeing areas within one location area. Each cell within the network broadcasts data indicative of its routeing area (RAI) in addition to the data mentioned above indicative of the identity of its location area. The mobile terminal uses this received data to determine when it has moved to a new routeing area. The terminal stores the last known routeing area on its SIM. The information stored on the SIM is compared with the routeing area information broadcast by the local cell. The identities of the two routing areas are compared. If they are different, the mobile terminal determines that it has entered a new routeing area. The mobile terminal then gains access to a radio channel and requests a routing area update (RAU). The routeing area is updated in the same manner as the location area, as discussed above.
The mobile terminal listens for pages from the network only periodically—at a frequency defined by the “DRX cycle length”.
DRX (discontinuous reception) is a technique that allows the mobile terminal to power down significant amounts of its internal circuitry for a high percentage of the time when it is in the idle or inactive mode while enabling the mobile terminal to be is aware of when page requests for it may be transmitted. The technique works by dividing the mobile terminals within a cell into a set of groups. The group in which a mobile terminal resides is then known locally at both the mobile terminal and the base station. All paging requests to each group are then scheduled and sent at a particular time, which is derived in conjunction with the IMSI of the mobile terminal and some BCCH (Broadcast Control Channel) transmitted data. Thus both the base station and the mobile terminal know when relevant page requests will be sent and the mobile terminal can power down for the period when it knows that page requests will not occur.
In addition to the page requests mentioned above, repeated (or global) paging operations may be performed by the network (typically every two to ten seconds). The mobile terminal is configured to be activated to listen for such repeated (or global) pages at the required time intervals.
Typically a mobile device is associated with a SIM that is issued under the control of a particular PLMN. This PLMN is the “home” network. The user will have a contract with the home network for the provision of telecommunications services. The identity of the PLMN is stored on the SIM.
Conventionally, a mobile device is arranged to retrieve the home PLMN information from the SIM (that is pre-stored on the SIM) and to monitor RF carriers for BCCH for the home network (only). When radio coverage is available from the home network, this allows the mobile device to select the best cell within the home network on which to camp. The home network may comprise a plurality of radio access technologies (such as 2G and 3G). When the network is so arranged, BCCH for all the radio access technologies of the home PLMN will be monitored.
The home network is identified on the SIM and in the BCCH by its mobile network code (MNC). The SIM may also include a list of PLMNs (identified by their MNC) with which the home network has a roaming agreement. Such a roaming agreement allows the user having a contract with the home network to obtain telecommunications services from a visited network when they are roaming in the coverage area of that network. Agreements between the respective networks allow the visited network to be reimbursed by the home network for telecommunications services used by the visiting mobile device. A home network will typically have roaming agreements with networks that cover different geographic areas to the home network, typically networks located in a country different to the country that the home network serves. The SIM may also store a user defined list of networks, i.e. networks that are preferred by the user.
The SIM may also store a list of PLMNs to which the home network forbids access.
Upon power on or after a period where no network coverage is available, the mobile device will select a PLMN. Conventionally, a mobile device will initially try to select the network with which it was last registered, the identity of which is stored on the SIM. Usually, this will be the home network.
To expedite registration on the last selected PLMN, the mobile device uses information that it has stored about the last selected PLMN, such as the carrier frequencies and/or the list of neighbouring cells. On each stored RF carrier frequency, the mobile device searches for the strongest signal cell and reads its system information to verify the PLMN to which the cell belongs. It also reads the system information for PLMN identity, which includes the MMC. The mobile terminal then decides whether the chosen cell is acceptable or whether at least one acceptable cell belonging to the network exists. If an acceptable cell for the PLMN is available, the mobile terminal attempts registration.
If there is no stored last selected network, or if that network is unavailable, the mobile device searches for all other available networks using either the automatic mode or the manual mode, and then selects one of those networks.
2. Each network in a user defined network list stored on the SIM, if present, in order of priority.
3. Each network in a list of networks defined by the home network and stored in the SIM, in order of priority.
4. Other networks, according to a quality criterion, in random order.
5. Other networks that do not fulfil the quality criterion in order of decreasing signal strength/quality.
In the steps above the availability of the networks in each of the available radio access technologies is determined.
The quality criterion referred to in items 4 and 5 above may be the Received Signal strength Code Power (RSCP) being above a particular predetermined value on the Common PIlot CHannel (CPICH). For example, this predetermined value might be greater than or equal to −95 dBm for UMTS and −85 dBm for GSM.
If the mobile device cannot register on any PLMN identified in items 1 to 3 above, it then attempts to register on other PLMNs identified in items 4 and 5 above. If registration on a network is not possible, then an available network is nevertheless selected by the mobile device and only a limited service is available. The mobile device will then enter a “limited service” state in which it is possible to make emergency calls (to designated emergency numbers) only.
The manual selection mode is different in that the mobile device displays all networks that it finds by scanning all frequency carriers. This scanning will identify both allowed and non-allowed networks (non-allowed networks being those on which registration is not possible). All the networks are displayed to the user, and the user makes a manual selection from the networks. The mobile device then attempts registration on the selected network even if that network is not listed as an available network in the SIM. If the user selects an available network in the forbidden network list, generally the network will reject the attempt to register on that network. If an attempt to register on a network is rejected then the network is nevertheless selected by the mobile device and the “limited service” state is entered in which it is possible to make emergency calls (to designated emergency numbers) only.
The procedures mentioned above for selecting a PLMN are described in 3GPP TS 43.022, 25.304 and 45.008, all of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.
From the above discussion it will be understood that mobile terminals operating in accordance with the known Standards are capable of monitoring signal quality/strength data from a plurality of PLMNs.
The embodiment of the present invention advantageously uses this existing functionality to determine the radio coverage provided by one, or more than one, telecommunications network/PLMN.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart which shows the steps performed to determine the radio coverage provided by a plurality of cellular telecommunications networks/PLMNs. The steps of the flow chart may, for example, be performed by an application that is run by a processor of the mobile device. The application interacts with the firmware of the mobile device and uses the existing capability to measure the radio coverage provided by a plurality of PLMNs—which is described above.
To configure and schedule the execution of the measuring process, a scheduler can be implemented, combining information such as location, time of day and battery status. The user could then simply activate the process and leave it running or choose to customise when the process is run based on a location change event, or time of day. Also the scheduler may take into account the battery status to prevent completely draining the battery.
For example, a user might run the application on their mobile device during a normal day so that the quality of various networks is measured at their home, on their journey to work and on their journey home again.
At step A the scheduler determines the location of the mobile device 1. The location may be provided by GPS, cell triangulation mobile device locating techniques or any other suitable mobile device location technique. It is then determined if the location of the mobile device 1 is within a range set by the user. If the location is not in the range set by the user, the procedure ends (and the process may be restarted after a predetermined time period). The user might set a location range if they are only interested in the coverage in a particular area (for example, an area that they frequent). The user might not be interested in coverage in an area that they visit only once.
At step A the scheduler also determines the current time. The time may be provided by a clock on the mobile device, which is synchronised with the network. It is then determined if the time is within a range set by the user. If the time is not in the range set by the user, the procedure ends (and the process may be restarted after a predetermined time period). The user might set the time range so that measurements are not made during periods that the user will not be moving around—such as when sleeping at home or when at a fixed place of work. Making measurements at these times may not yield any useful information and would waste device battery power.
At step A the scheduler further determines the power supply status of the mobile device. If the device is running on battery power, and the battery is in depleted state (e.g. with less than 20% capacity remaining), the procedure ends (and the process may be restarted after a predetermined time period).
At step B it is determined whether the mobile device is in its idle mode/inactive state or in its active state. In the example of a 3G mobile device, the mobile device will be in an active state if it is in the CELL_DCH state discussed above. Such a terminal will be considered to be in the idle mode or in active state if it is in the CELL_FACH, CELL_PCH or URA_PCH states mentioned above. In different radio access technologies, the definitions of the active and idle/inactive states will be different, but the same principle applies.
If the mobile device is in the active state, the radio coverage measurement procedure is not performed.
If the mobile device is in the idle state/inactive state, it is then determined whether a paging operation of the types discussed above is scheduled at step C. Whether or not a paging operation is scheduled may be determined, for example, with reference to the DRX cycle length value discussed above, or any other suitable mechanism. If a paging operation is scheduled, the radio coverage measuring procedure is not performed.
If a paging operation is not scheduled, then, at step D, the mobile device records a characteristic of the radio coverage provided by the current cell and neighbouring cells of all available PLMNs. It will take coverage measurements and statistically analyse the coverage quality of all the available network operators. The scan will not be limited to the network operator who supplied the operation SIM card in the device. This is achieved through configuring the device to scan and list all alternative operators and poll through them while in idle mode to assess the quality through the signal strength and quality of their cell broadcast channels (e.g. GSM, BCCH). The characteristic for that location is stored in a table in the mobile device. Data indicative of the location is recorded together with the radio coverage characteristic data. The location information may be provided by GPS, cell triangulation mobile device locating techniques or any other suitable mobile device location technique.
After the recording/scanning operation is completed the algorithm returns to step A. Further, during the recording/scanning operation, it is detected whether the user initiates an operation, such as making a voice or data call, which would result in the mobile device leaving the idle mode and entering the active mode. If this occurs, the recording/scanning operation is stopped and the algorithm returns to step A, and the recording/scanning operation is not continued until the mobile device enters the idle mode again.
The application runs autonomously on the mobile device and does not need a continuous network connection to the home PLMN. As indicated above, the application is configurable by the user to adjust the interval between which the characteristic of the radio coverage is recorded. The application may also be configured to record the characteristic of radio coverage when the mobile terminal is at particular geographic locations.
The stored data may be accessed by the user (or another party) to evaluate the radio coverage provided at the locations visited by the user. The data may be presented in various forms. For example, the data may be presented as a table, showing the signal strength measured for each PLMN at a particular time and/or location. Alternatively or additionally, the data may be presented as a map, showing pictorially the signal strength at each location. For example, the signal strength recorded could be indicated by a particular colour or shading.
The radio coverage provided by the different PLMNs may be indicated in separate maps or in a single map, with the radio coverage provided by the respective networks indicated by a different colour or shading. The data may be displayed to the user using the display of the mobile device. Alternatively, the data may be transferred from the mobile device to another device, such as a personal computer to allow analysis of the data by the personal computer and display on the more powerful graphical user interface of the personal computer. The data may be transferred to the personal computer by a wireless connection via the home network or by another wireless connection such as Bluetooth or infra-red, or by a cable connection, for example.
The map may also highlight the location of particular places that are of significance to the user, such as their home, place of work and travelling route to work. This will enable the user to determine in a simple manner whether sufficient radio coverage is available at the places that are important to the user.
The map may allow the user to determine which network provides the best coverage at the places that are significant to the user. A user may select a network which provides high quality coverage at the home and place of work and may be willing to select a network that perhaps does not provide coverage for a small portion of their journey on the way to or from work.
As an optional enhancement of the embodiment of the invention, the application which performs the steps described above in relation to FIG. 2 may be enhanced to include a subscriber recommendation engine. The functions performed by the subscriber recommendation engine will now be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 3.
At step a the recommendation engine is configured. Time periods at which the network characteristics should be measured are set. The locations at which the network characteristic should be measured are set. A battery charge criteria for permitting measurement of the network characteristic are set. These aspects may be set manually by the user or may be configured automatically using data obtained from a remote source that is obtained by the mobile device 1 from the Internet via the network core 12 and the base station of the network with which the mobile device is registered. Alternatively, the settings may be default settings provided by the engine.
In addition to the settings discussed above, particular networks (Mobile Network Operators, MNOs and Mobile Virtual Network Operators, MVNOs) may be specified for which radio quality measurements will be made. Thus, the engine may be configured to exclude from the measurements some networks. This may be advantageous if a user knows that a network cannot not meet their requirements, or if the user has some other reason not to use a particular network.
At step b the engine obtains details of the tariffs of the networks in which the user is interested, as specified in step a. These tariff details may be pre-stored on the mobile device 1, or may be retrieved by the engine from a database via the Internet, network core 12 and the base station of the network with which the mobile device is currently registered. For example, the tariff information may include the cost of a voice call of a predetermined length, the cost of sending an SMS message and the cost of downloading a predetermined amount of data for each of the networks in which the user is interested.
At step c radio coverage quality measurements are made in accordance with the procedure described in relation to FIG. 2. These measurements are made when the time, location and battery criteria specified in step a are satisfied.
At step d during the period that radio coverage quality measurements are made (i.e. when the time, location and battery criteria set in step a are satisfied), the engine records the usage of the mobile device by the user. For example, the type of service used is recorded, such as voice call, SMS transmission or data download. The location at which the service is used is also recorded (which may be particularly useful if a network has differential charging at different locations). The time at which the service is used is also recorded (this can be particularly useful if the network has differential charging at different times of day). The quantity of the service used is also recorded (services such as voice calls are typically measured in terms of seconds, whereas services such as data download are typically measured in terms of data quantity). Typically, these services will always be obtained from a single network—the user's home network.
At step e the engine calculates the recommendations for the user. That is, the engine at step e uses the information captured at steps b, c and d to calculate the best network for the user at the times and locations specified, and for the network specified. This recommendation may be based on the recorded radio coverage quality at the times and locations specified. The engine will determine which network provides the best coverage quality and will recommend that network. Alternatively, at step e, the engine may recommend the network which has the lowest cost for the service types used, as recorded at step d. The engine may consider both radio coverage quality measurements and the cost of the services on each network and make a recommendation based on both quality and cost. The user may specify the relative importance of cost and coverage quality, and the engine may take this into account when making a network recommendation. Although network coverage quality is important to many users, a significant proportion of users may choose a network with slightly lower coverage quality if this results in significant cost savings. The engine may be configured by users to take into account their individual cost/quality preferences when making its recommendations.
The calculations performed by step e of the engine may be performed continuously as the data is gathered in steps b, c and d. Alternatively, the calculations performed at step e may be performed at a particular time, for example when measurement periods specified in step a ends.
It should be understood that steps b, c and d are not necessarily performed in alphabetical order. Steps b, c and d may be performed concurrently.
From the above discussion it will be apparent that the present invention provides a self-contained single user device that measures all the available networks.
In the embodiment described the telecommunications system comprises a plurality of cellular telecommunications networks (PLMNs). The invention is also applicable to a telecommunications system comprising other types of telecommunications networks, such as WiFi and other wireless technologies. The telecommunications system may comprise a plurality of different types of telecommunications networks.
The application run on the mobile terminal described in the embodiment provides a user with a convenient, accurate and personalised assessment of the coverage quality provided by different network operators based on the users particular geographic requirements. Advantageously, the application uses existing hardware capabilities of the mobile device which allow the mobile device to scan all available networks and determine the signal strength/quality thereof.
whereby the particular user can determine which of the plurality of networks provides the best coverage for his or her particular needs, and is provided with a personalized assessment of the coverage quality provided by different network operators based on locations that the particular user visits.
2. The method of claim 1, including retrieving the recorded characteristic of each of the locations and presenting a radio coverage analysis to the particular user.
3. The method of claim 1, including retrieving the recorded characteristic of each of the locations and calculating which of the networks provides the best radio coverage for the particular user at the locations visited by the particular user.
4. The method of claim 3, including operating the particular mobile device to record and store telecommunications services used when the particular mobile device is at each of a plurality of locations visited by the particular user of the particular mobile device.
5. The method of claim 4, including calculating the cost of the services, and recommending a network based on both radio coverage quality and cost.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications system is a cellular telecommunications system and the characteristic relates to a cell broadcast channel of the cellular telecommunications system.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating step is scheduled to allow paging to be performed.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, including a retriever the recorded characteristic of each of the locations and to a present radio coverage analysis to the particular user.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, including a calculator to calculate which of the networks provides the best radio coverage for the particular user at the locations visited by the particular user.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the recorder is operable to record and store telecommunications services used when the particular mobile device is at each of a plurality of locations visited by the particular user of the particular mobile device.
12. The apparatus of claims 11, including a calculator to calculate the cost of the services, and to recommend a network based on both radio coverage quality and cost.
13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the telecommunications system is a cellular telecommunications system and the characteristic relates to a cell is broadcast channel of the cellular telecommunications system.
14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the recorder includes a scheduler to record the characteristic according to a schedule so as to allow paging of the device to be performed.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes determining the radio coverage provided by the telecommunications system specifically for the particular user of the mobile device.
16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus determines the radio coverage provided by the telecommunications system specifically for the particular user of the mobile device.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes generating a personalized coverage map that highlights the location of particular places that are of significance to the particular user.
18. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the recorder generates a personalized coverage map that highlights the location of particular places that are of significance to the particular user.
Combined Search and Examination Report issued on corresponding application No. GB1007510.9 from the Intellectual Property Office of Great Britain (8 pages).
Extended European Search Report issued on corresponding application No. 11275075.7 dated Aug. 11, 2011(11 pages). | 2019-04-18T13:51:21Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US8538428B2/en |
The most pleasant city to visit in Ethiopia is Harar. Bahir Dar and Melee are both very nice, and most places have their charm, but in my humble opinion Harar is the best. It has a wonderful history, lots to see, a pleasant climate, attractive countryside surroundings, and is relatively hassle free. There is an undefinable atmosphere about the place. The women are carefully and colorfully garbed. The architecture, including many government buildings, use the characteristic Harar style of medieval Moorish castles. It's nice. The first place to see is the old town inside the walls. There are a couple of guides, one of whom will materialize at your elbow within moments of your walking into the old town (if you're a fearing!). My favorite guide is a cheerful baseball cap wearing Adder (native of Harar). For whatever price you want, which means 50 birr per person he will walk you through old Harare on a customized tour. Tell him how long you've got and he'll give you a tour to fit. I think I've done Abdu's Harar tour 5 times (and the other guide once). Every time I go to Harar with someone new for myself on the tour. The tours range from a hurried 40 minutes to a leisurely 3 hours. Above photo by Karen Hoffman is of Rimbaud House in Harrar.
Within Harar are a bustling 33,000 or so Hararis or Adaris (other groups don't live within the walls) in a square km or two. Despite the numbers, most streets aren't crowded and it is quite relaxed. Just wandering through the narrow pathways bracketed by high whitewashed walls is worth the visit. The special sites in Harar are the House of Arthur Rimbaud, the French poet and arms dealer, the ancient mosque of Abul Bakir, and the gates of the city. There is unfortunately dilapidated mansion in which the Emperor Haile Selassie grew up as well.
The House of Rimbaud is being renovated with the help of UNESCO, making slow but impressive progress until it was recently stopped by a shortage of funds. It is a great two storey affair with plenty of Indian woodwork and art deco wallpaper. It has a wonderful indoor balcony at the top. From the windows you can almost see all four directions over Harar. On the first floor through another entrance you can see the restoration underway on the old library. While this is styled as Rimbauds' House, the other story is that it was a French school at which Rimbaud taught. Regardless it is fantastic. It brings to mind the period of French ascendancy in Ethiopia, which is still highly visible. The French connection here is strong, the language is quite common and even the all pervasive 'Ferengi' for foreigner is an Amharic corruption of 'French'. French support for Ethiopia from the 1880s to World War I included the building of the railroad and the useful supply of arms. French arms, provided through intermediaries such as Rimbaud, helped the Ethiopians to defeat the Italian invasion in 1896.
The mosque of Sheikh Abul Bakir reminds you of the Moslem heritage of Harar (there are 87 mosques in Harar). Abul Bakirí's mosque is built on ancient remains which reputedly date back 1000 years. It is a holy site for the Moslem population, who visit in large numbers, attended by the current descendant Sheikh. There are seven gates to old Harar, and AABD will show you them all if you give him the time. The most famous is the one you drive through coming into the old town, which apart from anything else is depicted on the label of Harar beer. Many of the others have been bricked in or replaced by modern roads.
One gate ourguide will show you is the one through which the explorer Richard Burton passed in 1855. He was reputedly the first European to come to Harar, which was a closed and holy city for the Moslems. Foreigners or infidels would be executed. In his lively but dated account he wrote about how he dressed as an Arab and through his fluent Arabic he managed to fool the Adaris during his several week stay. The Adaris politely infer that his identity as a foreigner and infidel was known all along, but they tolerated this interesting guest. No doubt the sense of danger and derring-do with which Burton wrote his text helped to sell the copies which helped finance his later explorations.
There are plenty of other sights in the city. The large church of Mikael - the largest Christian church, is reasonably impressive. There is also an old Roman Catholic church, run by an amiable Maltan priest, which dates from the turn of the century. Abdu's tour not only includes historical sites, it also includes the daily life of Adaris. It is a bit disconcerting when he leads you in through a gate, apparently randomly, into someone's house. They are always welcoming, and of course I now realize that AABD has a well trodden route prepared, with connections or finance involved.
Adaris are justifiably proud of their houses, which are all solid and square, behind walls in a small compound. They have a large sitting area for socializing over coffee or chat (more on this later). They have loads of colorful baskets and Chinese platters on the walls. They are focused on marriage - there is a rack over the front door which holds a valuable rug or rugs which are the dowry for the eligible young lady in the house. They have a room near the entrance which is kept for newlyweds, who are expected to get acquainted through being kept there for a week after their marriage. A small opening is used to pass in food and other necessities. I always wondered how they went to the toilet.
Apart from the regular houses, AABD will show you places which sell the famous Harar baskets and jewelry. The baskets are a bit pricey, but very nice. No foreign resident of Ethiopia should leave without them as souvenirs. There is an odd shaped tubular basket which they use for covering candles. I rudely call them a Harar condom. They also do nice silver bracelets and earrings. The Adder are amongst the most prosperous and educated of Ethiopian peoples. They are traders. They suffered under the Communist Dergue. They are prospering again. There are also a lot of Amhara people in Harar, but much of the town and all of the surrounding countryside is Oromo.
Outside of the old town, there is still a lot to see in Harar. There are the buildings of the Harar Military College. There are numerous public buildings and churches. My favorite stop, however, is the Harar beer factory. I had planned to go to the beer factory for a long time before I got around to it. Through AABD we arranged a tour of the Czech assisted plant finished in 1984 (months before the Ethiopian famine broke into the world headlines). Harar beer is my personal favorite in Ethiopia. Both it and the Hakim stout I adore are unfortunately not readily available outside of the East and South. After a surprisingly interesting tour of the plant we got down to the real business - tasting the new draft beer. We had a lively conversation with our hosts, who disconcertingly continued to refill the five liter beaker of draft beer for the five of us. I'd rather not reveal how many beakers were consumed, but during the time we were there a little counter showed that 40,000 bottles of beer were produced by the factory. We couldn't keep up.
We staggered out of there unable to fully enjoy the nightlife, which is lively. I am mystified that the predominantly Moslem cities of Harar and Jijiga seem to have the best bars in the country. I once spent 5 hours with a jovial English consultant moving from one drinking establishment to another. We were having a contest, where one of us would tell a joke, then the other. We kept it up for the 5 hours. I think I won because he was reduced to dirty limericks. I've traveled through the surroundings of Harar quite a lot for work, and I've visited some interesting but difficult to get to places. If you're not going on work, I'm not sure many of them are worth it.
Dire Dawa is a natural stop, as you fly there to go to Harar. Many people like Dire Dawa better than Harare There are a few places to see, like the old Chemin de Fer (Railway Station). Dire Dawa styles itself the little Paris, and it does have a few good cafes, and some outdoor markets where the variety and prices are amongst the best in Ethiopia. I was quite taken by the Christian graveyard, which includes recently renovated markers for the Commonwealth soldiers who died fighting the Italians in 1940-41. There was a big ceremony there when Princess Anne visited a few years ago. All of the graves are of Africans from present day Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Ghana and so on, except for three British airmen. It's fitting to remember that many of the 'British' troops who helped liberate Ethiopia were Africans.
The other direction from Harare is Jijiga, the capital of Somali Region. Unfortunately the road to Jijiga is frequently unsafe, so it is advisable to fly. When you do drive, you find fantastic rock formations in Babile, and an elephant reserve which has no apparent elephants, although the Director of National Parks assures me that there are over 50. Many foreigners have been based in Jijiga, especially a few years ago when there were large refugee camps, and many loved the place. It has a few nice bars and plenty of nice people but not to much to see. It is a bit fascinating to travel East to the frontier with Somaliland, and gaze across into an area which has no government recognized by any country. Under the circumstances, smuggling or informal trade thrives, and apparently satellite dishes and almost anything else you can name go for very reasonable prices. Don't be tempted - it is illegal to transport anything like that!
To the North of Harare is a terrible road which leads to the sightly and interesting birthplace of Haile Selassie. Given the subsequent illustriousness of the prominent son of Ejarso Goro village, the place itself remains very humble. I couldn't help but be struck by the neglect of the mud walled community by their Emperor. The only exception is the church, which is quite large and elaborate but very neglected. It was moved to this site by Haile Selassie in 1953 Ethiopian calendar (about 1960 European calendar), to put the place of his birth on holy ground. The head priest, Mamhere Mengiste Tagene, showed us the site. The church is fairly large and disconcertingly orange. There is a place on the front where the plaque commemorating the birth of Haile Selassie was unceremoniously ripped off by agents of the Dergue government.
Although the grounds are neglected and overgrown, the priests can show you the main points. A circle of rocks marks the place where Haile Selassiesí father, Ras Makonnen, built his country house. He picked a nice spot. The hills rise steeply from Harare, which is already at a respectable altitude. One can see how Makonnen, as a Shoan highlander, would want to find the highest and coolest place available to escape his town house in Harare. The other specialty of the grounds is a small tree stump which takes some effort to separate from the undergrowth. This, we are told, is a tree planted the day Haile Selassie was born, and which died the day he died.
The church does not suffer from an excess of foreign visitors. In the previous year they had three. The year before that was big, they had five. Most of them were Jamaicans, presumably Rastafarians keen on the birthplace of the revered Haile Selassie. The small local Christian congregation of about 150 lacks the resources to maintain the church. The mosque across town is well tended by comparison. The Mamhere told us that a fund raising committee had been set up to sponsor repairs. We weren't able to see the inside of the church to assess the need ourselves. As sometimes happens in Ethiopia, the elusive fellow with the key was not to be found.
One interesting side story occurred during my visit to the area during the World Cup of soccer. One enterprising fellow in Ejarso Goro had purchased a satellite dish, large television set and generator (there is no electricity in the area), and was showing World Cup games to large and appreciative audiences for two birr a person. Based on the cheaper prices on the black market in the East, we estimated that the entrepreneur was going to recover his investment in about 10 days of the World Cup, based on two sittings of 200-300 people per day.
South of Harare is a large expanse of lush highlands. The main road cuts south about 25 km West of Harare, to Kurfa Challe, Gurawa, and Gole Ode areas. This is the area of the awesome Garamuletu ridge. The rolling hills covered by the endemic chat of the area are attractive, but I was unprepared for the spectacular Garamuletu. It rises at first in the distance, then you find yourself skirting the edge of the steep rise until you turn a corner and are presented with the best view. The ridge rises rapidly, and on the day I was there disappeared fetchingly into clouds at the top. The sides were forested and graced with impressive rock formations. Horses wandered across the road from one patch of trees to another. It was nice.
Of historical interest is the jailhouse which was the final resting place for the deposed Emperor Iyassu at Gurawa. This can be found 10 kilometers down the road which branches off just as you reach the spectacular corner at Garamuletu. The prison is on a wonderful plateau overlooking the town. It is a very nice site. We were accompanied by a very helpful local official, as well as a number of soldiers stationed at the prison. Although Iyassu's prison is not in use and is predictably dilapidated, it adjoins an active prison. This mars the site somewhat, in particular because photographs were disallowed. Apart from that inconvenience, the site was marvelous and not so old that it has fallen apart. It is a solid stone structure with iron bar windows. Two tall walls, about 3 meters high (10 feet for the unconverted) surround a courtyard with a large prison house. The house was very comfortable. It has two large rooms, each with a fireplace. On the side is a smallish windowless cell, which apparently was the deposed Emperor's bedroom. Behind the main house are some other structures, including a building with a large cellar. It is said that Iyassu was locked there when he became too agitated. That would have been unpleasant.
The conditions under which Iyassu was kept are confusing. Servants quarters are on the compound and he apparently had his own attendants and cooks. A smooth section of the wall is said to have been used as a screen for movies. Servants are also said to have procured willing maidens from the town for Iyassu's entertainment. On the other hand, there is the small, cell-like bedroom with its little window and the cellar. There is also a tale that the cruel jailors would hire local maidens to parade naked out of reach of the understandably frustrated Iyassu behind his iron bars. One the complaints against Iyassu had been his inordinate sexual appetite.
The local interpreters were not very helpful with dates and historical specifics. They argued with each other. I had to look it up. According to Bahru Zewde in "A Modern History of Ethiopia", Iyassu effectively ruled from 1911-16, replacing his grandfather Menelik II. He was overthrown in a coup by Ras Teferi (later Haile Selassie) and his allies, but managed to flee. He was captured five years later and imprisoned in Fiche, near Debre Libanos northwest of Addis, until 1932. After an abortive, or perhaps alleged, prison escape he was transferred to Gurawa. He died around 1936, with the juiciest explanation that he was executed by Haile Selassie to prevent the possibility that he would become a puppet Emperor of the invading Italians. It is a nice place to visit - scenic and interesting and less than 2 hours from Harare.
One local custom in the Harar area which the somewhat adventurous may wish to try is the chewing of chat. It is a mild narcotic popular in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and an increasingly wider area. It is probably the biggest cash crop for Harar, which is renowned for the quality of its chat. Although it is popular as an acceptable stimulant for Moslems, its popularity increasingly crosses religious and ethnic lines.
Chat is a bush. You chew the small, tender leaves. They taste like a bush. Like many stimulants it is an acquired taste. The sophisticated chat chewer keeps the remnants of the leaves in a ball in his cheek. In my amateurish experiments, my leaves all dissolved. I didn't really swallow them, they just went down. The proper chat ceremony is a relaxed affair where you lean on couches and drink coffee or tea while chewing and chatting with your friends and family. It lasts several hours. I found that after a few attempts the chat loosened my tongue considerably. To the dismay of my friends, this made me even more talkative than usual. Rather than coffee, I prefer to sip on a beer between branches of chat. The bad side of chat can be seen on almost any roadside around Harar, where crazed older men with unattractive green teeth and balls of leaves in their cheeks exhibit their madness in various ways. I assume there is a causative relationship - too much chat over too long a period drives at least some people mad. Like all stimulants, chat should be taken moderately if at all.
Editor's Note: We met Mr. Graham at Le Petit Paris, a charming French Restaurant in Addis Ababa. A Canadian working in a key area of relief, John is very enthusiastic about his work in Africa. | 2019-04-24T22:22:48Z | https://www.africa-ata.org/harar.htm |
Aphorism 341 -- from Nietzsche's "The Joyful Wisdom"
The greatest weight. — What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you: "This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your life you will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence—even this spider and this moonlight between the trees, and even this moment and myself. The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with it, speck of dust!"
Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: "You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine." If this thought gained possession of you, it would change you as you are or perhaps crush you. The question is each and every thing, "Do you desire this once more and innumerable times more?" would lie upon your actions as the greatest weight. Or how well disposed would you have to become to yourself and to life to crave nothing more fervently than this ultimate eternal confirmation and seal?
To say that I do not regret anything in my life, anything that ever happened to me, is not to say that I live my life without learning from it. To refuse to regret anything from one’s life is different from recognizing that one has made poor decisions in the past that one can then learn from, and not repeat in the future. What this does prevent one from doing is worrying over something that happened in the past. There are no more "I wish I’d never done that." Instead, there is "Well, I did it, and I have seen the repercussions from it, and I don’t want to do that again in the future." The first one is negative, the second one is positive. The first one denies the value of the experience. The second one affirms the value of the experience – and properly treats it as a learning experience.
Yet, when I have told people that I regret nothing from my life, I have gotten looks of terror. I do not exaggerate. People have looked at me as if I were some terrible, terrifying monster. How could you not have any regrets? Do you not have a conscience? Of course I have a conscience. This is not an issue of conscience. This is an issue of what attitude one has toward one’s life – which is to say that it is an issue of what attitude one has toward life. Do you affirm or deny life? Your life? Do you live a life of "quiet desperation" as Thoreau would have it? Or do you live a life of quiet joy? I choose joy over desperation. When faced with such a person, how would you expect them to react? I am no monster, but having once been the person they now are, I can understand why they may misunderstand and think that someone who lives a life with no regrets could be a monster. People are filled with awe at both the awesome and the awful. I claim to be neither, but I do understand how someone who does not know me can think of me as being potentially awful for living a life of no regrets.
In aphorism 341 of The Joyful Wisdom (also known as The Gay Science), Nietzsche gives us in the demon’s offer a chance to affirm life as such through affirming our lives in particular. In other words, he asks us how we would react if a demon should offer us eternal recurrence. How would you respond? Would you be crushed by the idea? Would you curse the demon? Or has there ever been something in your life so wonderful that you would want to repeat your life in every detail so you could relive that moment – and become the person you are at the moment of the offering – over and over again? For those who would reject the offer – thus accepting Schopenhauer’s view that no rational person would wish to relive their lives over exactly as it was (World as Will and Representation, 324) – Nietzsche has nothing more to say. But for those who would accept it, Nietzsche offers, "Incipit tragoedia" and Thus Spoke Zarathustra, the further development of the tragic, recursive geometry of time introduced in the demon’s offer – an offer which Oedipus accepted at the end of "Oedipus tyrannus," providing the model for the tragic view of time. Only those who can say "Yes" to the offer are ready to hear what is to follow – Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
In The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, Milan Kundera shows the consequences of this Schopenhauerean rejection, with the fictional example of Mirek (the individual) and the nonfiction example of communist Czechoslovakia (the country/society/culture) of attempting to erase their pasts – the most active rejection of Nietzsche’s demon’s offer one can undertake. Mirek thought he could control his destiny by erasing (forgetting) his past – just as the Communists thought they could do the same for the destiny of Communism. He wanted to "destroy his own hated youth" just as the people of Bohemia "rebelled against their own youth" (18), resulting in Prague Spring, which, as a "bad memory" is not even remembered, having been "carefully erased from the country’s memory" (19).
By attempting to erase people "from the country’s memory," the Communists showed us how dangerous is the desire to forge, to erase our memory and our youth. But this is only a natural response, as Schopenhauer recognized, when he said "perhaps at the end of his life, no man, if he be sincere and at the same time in possession of his faculties, will ever wish to go through it again," since "everything excellent or admirable is always only an exception," and "as regards the life of the individual, every life-history is a history of suffering, for, as a rule, every life is a continual series of mishaps great and small" (WWPI, 324). But, natural as this response may be, we can see that it is also a tragic response, resulting in people being imprisoned or killed and erased from photographs and history books. Those who would refuse to go through it again are saying No to their lives – and if they are in power, this No-saying can turn deadly.
Unless we affirm our lives, whether that be our own individual lives, or the life (history) of a nation or a people, the consequences can be tragic. This is, in one sense, ironic, considering that Oedipus’ life is precisely terrible and, therefore, tragic, because Oedipus, in the end, would have accepted the demon’s offer, knowing full well what that would entail. This is what makes Oedipus both wonderful and terrible, truly awe-ful. But at the same time, this is what makes one’s life beautiful, this affirmation, as it now gains a certain depth – of time. Since it is unlikely one is going to actually encounter such a demon, one can take this idea metaphorically, and chose memory over forgetting. Of course, this too is tragic, though perhaps a considerably less bloody tragedy, at least for people other than oneself, as we see with Hölderlin’s idea of tragedy being connected to memory, with memory’s failure over time. As Dennis Schmidt points out in On Germans and Other Greeks, in discussing Hölderlin’s novel Hyperion for Hölderlin, "A separation in time cannot be overcome . . . since such a separation is the province only of the past. . . . Separation in time can only be suffered" (131).
The problem with forgetting is that it is "absolute injustice and absolute solace at the same time" (Kundera, The Art of the Novel, 130) – and often the former is used in hopes it will lead to the latter. But both of these point to precisely why forgetting is tragic – it is an attempt by a finite creature to attain infinity (the absolute). In attempting to forget, we attempt to overstep our bounds, as defined by physis (we are a remembering being, and as such, we overstep out bounds by trying to make ourselves forget – we try to make ourselves other than human). The attempt to deny the past is the attempt to deny tragedy. And it is the attempt to deny ourselves.
Heraclitus says that "to God all things are beautiful and good and just, though men suppose that some are just and others unjust." Do you understand what this means? The affirmation of your life also means the affirmation of all of life – of everything that ever happened in the world. If your life as it is could not be where it now is without everything that happened in it, then this is equally true of everything in the world – even of the universe. Think about it: everything had to have happened exactly as it did in the world in order for you to have even been born. Thus, to affirm your own existence, you have to – to take an extreme example – affirm the existence of Hitler and the extermination of the Jews in the Holocaust. That does not mean you have to like, approve, or promote such behavior – but it does mean you have to recognize that the world as a whole – all things – are beautiful and good and just. If you have ever had a great moment you would want to experience once more, then you have affirmed the existence of Hitler. And rather than denying what he did, or pretending that what he did was another generation’s fault or problem, we have to come to terms with what happened, and learn from it, and learn how to avoid something like it happening again. We have to also come to recognize all the good that came out of what happened. Good? you ask? If you cannot see the good, you are refusing to look hard enough – and you are negating your very existence, and the beauty of life itself. In other words, we have to do something eminently Christian: we have to forgive Hitler. That’s right, we have to forgive him. For only in forgiving him can we heal ourselves. Only in forgiving him can we affirm our lives, our existence, and life itself.
In an odd sort of way, many will find it easier to forgive Hitler than to forgive those closest to them – those we have to forgive the most. Our lives are full of resentment toward others – and the easier our lives have been, it seems the more resentment we build up against others. Especially those closest to us. People just barely surviving do not have the luxury of resentment -- they actually have to live physically. Resentment is a luxury. It comes from idleness and boredom. And there is nothing more destructive to ourselves than resentment. With it we separate ourselves from others, especially those closest to us, and barricade ourselves not just from them, but from others. We sever social bonds, and in severing such bonds, we sever ourselves from much happiness. We are a social species, and our bonds of family and friends are so very important to us for us to live healthy lives. Resentment cuts those bonds. Resentment only makes us bleed – it does little if any harm to those we resent. Resentment is the knife we use to cut ourselves, to watch ourselves bleed. It fogs our sight as the blood runs in our eyes. We stumble and fall, and then blame those we resent.
What I am going to propose will undoubtedly be objected to on the basis that it is elitist, exclusionist, and possibly even racist. Well, it is certainly the first two, by my own admission. The fact that something is elitist and exclusionist, and even creating of a new kind of hierarchy, is no argument against something. In fact, for all too long, there have been arguments for too many things on this basis, particularly in the arts, that are in fact elitist. Picasso is not appreciated by the vast majority of people in the world, but only by those properly educated to understand him and appreciate what he did. That makes Picasso an elitist artist – which is no argument either for or against his work.
But this is not an essay on art, but on citizenship, on what citizenship is and should be. Presently, we have an egalitarian view of citizenship – all you have to be is born in the United States, and you are automatically a citizen, with all the freedoms our country recognizes and privileges it bestows. Everyone is automatically a citizen – and as a result, we have a country full of very bad citizens. We do not appreciate those things which we do not earn. An artist who gives his art away will soon discover that his art is not appreciated in the least – the artist who sells his art finds that those who are willing to pay for it appreciate it greatly, and display it proudly and prominently. The same is true of citizenship. Since we get it without earning it, we do not appreciate what we have. The percentage of people who vote – one of the few duties of being a citizen of the United States, a duty which is entirely voluntary – drops each year. It is argued that the reason is due to the lack of worthy men and women to vote for. But rather, it is due to the fact that no one takes seriously something that is not appreciated, something you are born into – the same way a person born into wealth is less likely to appreciate his riches than is someone who earn that wealth during their lifetime, through hard work.
When someone immigrates to the United States, they have to live here for a while, and then take a citizenship test to become a citizen. To pass this test, they have to prove fluency in the language, and a knowledge of both our political system, and our history. But if they were born in this country, they would not have to know any of these things to become a citizen. Some may make the egalitarian argument that we should thus eliminate this requirement for naturalization – but this would be a terrible idea. People should know the language, political system, and history of the country they are a citizen of. That being the case, we should rather require that all residents of the United States pass a citizenship test in order to become a full citizen.
Naturally, this requirement should only be implemented for those who are getting ready to become full citizens: eighteen year olds, who are now of the age to vote. I pick this age precisely because it is the age at which we are first able to vote. We can either allow seniors in high school to take their citizenship test when they turn eighteen, or have them take it toward the end of their senior years, making them eligible, if they pass, to vote in the Fall election, if it is an election year. By passing the citizenship test, they will earn the right to vote, having proven that they know enough about our history and political structures to make educated, intelligent choices. Further, as citizens, they will also have certain duties. But before we discuss those, we need to differentiate between a citizen and a resident, since those who either choose not to take the test, or happen to fail the test, will only remain a resident of the United States, and will not be a citizen.
Under such a system, the resident would not have the right to vote, though they would still have to pay taxes, since they would necessarily be receiving many of the services of the country, such as roads and schools. It is only logical that all residents should be able to receive public education, since all students younger than eighteen are by definition only residents, and cannot be citizens. However, there would be certain services that would not be available to residents, as they would be privileges earned by being a citizen – such things as welfare and food stamps, which are by definition not available to everyone equally anyway (those who make too much money can get neither service). Residents would of course be able to receive any service they pay for, and receive the kinds of government services that are available to everyone equally, such as miliary protection, police protection, and fire department services. However, only citizens could fill these jobs, since only citizens could hold civic jobs.
One of the benefits of only being a resident, however, is that you would not have to fulfill your civic duties as a citizen. With this model of citizenship, the citizen would have to volunteer two years to the state, whether it be in the miliary or what would essentially be a militarized peace corps, in order to fulfill a requirement of the citizen serving his country for a year overseas. There would be a year’s training, followed by a year serving the country in either a miliary or service capacity overseas. The reason for this is that a good citizen should have a broader awareness and understanding of the world, which can only be achieved through experiencing the world in person. Thus, the citizen understand both his own place, and the place of his country, in the world. The citizen would also then be able to see what does, and what does not, work in other countries – and thus be able to take those lessons back to his home country. After this, the citizen would then be required to serve his country for a year at home through policing, the fire department, or social work, to help his fellow citizens and residents. Having fulfilled that civic duty, he would then be free to pursue his own interests, which may include work, college, or even civic careers, such as the military, police work, etc. For fulfilling the duties of the citizen, the citizen would also have the privileges of the citizen, in being able to vote, run for office, or even receive public benefits, should they run into hard times. Things such as unemployment benefits could be done separately, in conjunction with businesses, to help the temporarily unemployed resident.
But what about people who choose not to become a citizen when they are eighteen, but then change their minds when they are, say, seventy? Such a person should still have to fulfill the duties of being a citizen, even if it is in a reduced capacity. The laws should reflect the fact that people of different ages will become citizens, and the requirements should be different for people of different ages and with differing abilities. But this does not change the general idea, that each of these groups of people should nonetheless fulfill some sort of civic duty in order to gain the privileges of citizenship. Retired people can work at soup kitchens.
I am certain there are those who would object that this sounds like the kinds of tests that kept African-Americans from voting in the South prior to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The first thing I would note is that this is a completely different time and culture, with completely different attitudes. If we cannot acknowledge that there has been a great deal of change since then, then there is nothing we can discuss rationally, anyway. But more, this is designed to ensure that our schools teach our children how to be good citizens, no matter what those students’ race, creed, or color. And this would be a federal program, since it would allow people to become citizens of the United States, and not of individual states. Thus, the federal government would ensure that the tests are administered freely and fairly. And more, it would allow minority groups to be truly included, as anyone who passed the citizenship test would be a citizen, no matter their race, creed, color, religion, etc. A citizen would have pride of place, they would be the kind of people who have decided that they want to make a civic difference. And they would have earned their place. They would not have been born into it – and thus would not be an aristocracy – but rather, having earned it, they would be part of a meritocracy. Having earned their citizenship, they will have earned the right to complain – but also, they will have taken on the duty to enact change themselves. It will be their civic duty to do so. | 2019-04-25T20:37:00Z | http://zatavu.blogspot.com/2006/02/ |
Jeff Sessions, the president’s earliest and most fervent supporter in Congress, stepped down as attorney general Wednesday after brutal criticism from the president, bringing an abrupt end to his controversial tenure as the nation’s top law enforcement officer.
President Trump wrote on Twitter after a marathon press conference at the White House that Sessions was out and that his chief of staff, Matthew Whittaker, would serve as an acting replacement.
Of course, there is that Russia thing.
With Sessions out, Trump may attempt to limit or end the probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign and whether the president himself obstructed justice.
But for today, smoke ’em if you got ’em Colorado! We’ll update with local reactions.
Registered To Vote? Weed Discount!
A Boulder-based dispensary chain is offering customers a stinky reason to get involved in the upcoming midterm elections.
Five Terrapin Care Station stores across Colorado will offer a 10 percent discount on purchased products if customers show proof of voter registration.
You’ll never get an easier discount on your ganja than by registering to vote in Colorado, since we have some of the most accessible voting laws in the country providing for same-day Election Day registration–and mail-in ballots as long as you’re registered before October 29, so you don’t even have to get off the couch.
With that said, please do vote responsibly! All those little bubbles tend to run together after a few tokes.
.@WalkerStapleton was booed at the #COGov debate last night for making a strange comment about his opponents children.
That, gentle readers, is the face of the guy who never gets the joke, never tells the joke right, and never understands why nobody else is laughing. If it seems like every time these two candidates meet Walker Stapleton has some kind of bizarre highly embarrassing on-camera gaffe or meltdown, it’s because that’s exactly what’s happening.
Again, maybe it’s a Bush thing.
Is Trump Coming For Colorado’s Weed Or Not, Cory Gardner?
Colorado’s system for regulating marijuana has too many loopholes that disguise illegal activity and jeopardize public safety, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday, detailing his motivation for boosting scrutiny in the first state to broadly allow cannabis sales.
U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer said he is particularly concerned with how companies that grow marijuana account for damaged product and the state’s system allowing people to grow a certain number of plants at home for medical use. He said both situations create an opportunity for marijuana to be sold on the black market and require federal prosecutors to take a closer look at Colorado’s regulated marijuana industry.
In 180-degree contrast to Gardner’s assurances, supposedly after talking to the President himself about the situation, that Colorado’s marijuana industry was not in danger of federal prosecution, this flat-out statement from U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer that marijuana businesses in compliance with state law are at “increased risk of federal prosecution” is deeply chilling–and not in the pleasant sense that follows a nice indica bong hit.
So what happens next? The industry isn’t reacting with public alarm, at least not yet. Cory Gardner has been silent so far on Troyer’s comments, with the high drama over Brett Kavanaugh’s embattled Supreme Court nomination hogging the spotlight. If the federal government’s interest here is merely to prevent black market diversion and not shut down the legal marijuana industry entirely, that would be one thing. But who can say that with confidence knowing how Jeff Sessions feels about the devil weed?
As it stands now, everyone from individual tokers to investors with millions committed to this business should be worried–and Gardner’s assurances are looking awfully hollow.
Grady Nouis, the Republican candidate for an Arvada area statehouse seat in the Colorado legislature, talks a lot about crime. He’s primarily concerned that so-called “sanctuary cities” endanger residents, because undocumented immigrants who may live in these cities commit crimes, particularly drug crimes.
In the summer of 2005, Nouis was arrested and charged with felony manufacturing of hallucinogenic mushrooms. He ultimately pled guilty to “maintaining a drug house” and possession of marijuana.
According to court records, Nouis was initially charged with one felony count of “manufacture of psilocybin,” and one misdemeanor count of “possession of marijuana.” A plea bargain reduced the felony manufacturing charge to another misdemeanor, “maintaining a drug house.” Nouis was sentenced to three years of probation and paid fees and fines totaling $1,660.
Isn’t this what Sen. Cory Gardner, the “Trump whisperer” on all matters marijuana, should be saying?
Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, remains “confident” President Donald Trump will keep his promise not to meddle with state marijuana policy despite a report that the White House asked federal agencies to compile statistics and stories that paint the drug in a negative light.
“There seems to be a lot of interest in these storylines going around about how staff are trying to manipulate the president or to work around his firmly held policy positions – including the position he’s held since the campaign that marijuana policy is best left to the states …,” Gardner spokesman Alex Siciliano said.
The storyline comes from an article first published Wednesday by BuzzFeed News about The Marijuana Policy Coordination Committee. It reportedly asked 14 federal agencies and the Drug Enforcement Administration to provide “data demonstrating the most significant negative trends” about marijuana and how it might threaten the country. The reported purpose behind amassing all these data points was to brief the president.
Not to worry, says Sen. Gardner, who received a large helping of credit for “saving” Colorado’s marijuana industry from the threat of a crackdown by Attorney General Jeff Sessions after he interceded with Trump earlier this year. But setting aside the strange bedfellows of a conservative Republican championing the marijuana business, an act of political expediency that Gardner has reportedly had to explain to a great many unhappy fellow conservatives, there’s the larger problem that Gardner really has no control over the capricious decisionmaking of the Trump administration. Just like North Korea or any other matter on which Gardner has tried to run cover for Trump, he’s at the mercy of Trump’s inconsistency.
Which means that, well, sure. If Trump decides it’s in his best political interests to crack down on weed despite it all, you can expect Cory Gardner will be left flapping in the breeze without even a moment’s consideration. In that event, we can only hope that the voices who praised Gardner so loudly for protecting their reefer last time will realize that a counterintuitive friend is oftentimes a fair-weather friend, too.
Hickenlooper turned down legislation that would have added autism to the list of conditions eligible for medical marijuana, allowed for pot “tasting rooms” and opened up the cannabis industry to investment by public companies.
Walker and others also slammed the timing of the veto at the very end of the day Tuesday, right before Hickenlooper left town Wednesday.
Politically this unexpected series of vetoes of marijuana bills appears to be backfiring, with much more negativity about the vetoes in press coverage than discussion of Hickenlooper’s defenses offered in his veto letters. In the case of the autism bill, this anger at least partly results from Hickenlooper’s contradictory statements about the reasons–that there wasn’t enough data, then claiming flippantly that the bill could encourage youth marijuana use.
In all cases these were bills intended to resolve legitimate issues, crafted with stakeholders on all sides, and supported by legislative coalitions that spanned the ideological poles. Vetoing these bills, especially with a record as governor of only very rarely vetoing legislation passed with bipartisan support, leaves a permanent blemish on Hickenlooper’s image with no political upside we can see.
If that looks different by 2020, we’ll let you know. As of now it looks like a huge mistake.
UPDATE: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis weighs in–and says he would have signed them both.
Currently, there are no legal places in Colorado to consume marijuana outside of a private home, making it difficult for renters, out-of-state tourists, and parents with young children to enjoy dispensary purchases. It’s possible that contributed to a 471 percent increase in citations for public cannabis consumption in the first three quarters of 2014, as Colorado Public Radio reported. Westword also reported that between the time of legalization in 2014 and 2017, Boulder saw a 54 percent climb.
The bill would have limited purchases in tasting rooms to 10 milligrams active THC in an infused product or one-quarter gram of marijuana concentrate. In compliance with the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, customers would not have been allowed to smoke. Products would have had to be consumed on business premises.
The bill passed the Senate in late April with a 22-12 vote, and the House in early May with a 57-8 vote.
The governor’s stated reason for vetoing this legislation is the “concern” that allowing consumption of marijuana anywhere other than a private residence could lead to “additional impaired or intoxicated drivers on our roadways.” Notwithstanding the legal limbo that the absence of a legal place to consume marijuana leaves tourists in who come to our state to partake, creating a major policy conflict–by Hickenlooper’s logic, no one should ever be granted a liquor license again! After all, more places to drink would logically result in “additional impaired or intoxicated drivers on our roadways.” Right?
But our brewery owner governor doesn’t see it that way. And that’s not a good look.
Before Hickenlooper’s decision, parents of children with autism gathered outside the governor’s office at the state Capitol.
One mother brought prescription bottles to show what her child has taken. She came in hopes of legalizing marijuana for autism.
For the families of autistic children who pleaded with the governor to sign this bill, and who won the public’s sympathy this spring with a high-visibility media campaign highlighting what their families go through and how marijuana has helped, this high-handed sermonizing about the message to “young people” is a shocking insult. This bill was not about enabling drug use by kids, it’s about treating a serious disorder on par with any of the qualifying conditions for medical marijuana today. That’s why the bill passed by a lopsided 53-11 margin in the House and near-unanimous 32-3 in the Senate.
Along with other recent lurches to the right like Hickenlooper’s endorsement of a work requirement for Medicaid and lip service to re-criminalizing marijuana entirely, these vetoes seem to be political moves to “sanitize” himself politically for a possible run for higher office. We don’t know exactly who is giving Hickenlooper the advice to take these actions, but it’s exactly the wrong way for him to be moving politically. Undoing any good will with the proponents of the autism bill by dismissing their concerns as an attempt to promote adolescent drug use, and punting the huge unresolved issue of legal marijuana consumption, is not how a governor shows leadership.
It’s how you prove you don’t deserve to be President.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he regretted choosing Jeff Sessions as attorney general, a continuation of the President’s frustrations over Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.
…Trump has frequently criticized Sessions over his recusal, which paved the way for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to appoint special counsel Robert Mueller to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Trump, according to The New York Times, has said he needs an attorney general to protect him.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ bellicose threats against legal marijuana have given the rapidly-growing industry in Colorado the most stress they’ve endured since legalization in 2012, but it does appear that he lost the battle for President Donald Trump’s blessing to carry out the crackdown he so badly wanted. That’s the local angle of relevance in this story–Sessions’ lack of favor with Trump being a positive development for Colorado’s marijuana industry–though obviously, Sessions’ recusal from the investigation into involvement by Russian nationals in the election of Trump is the factor driving the day.
Will Sessions survive in his position long enough to headline the Western Conservative Summit in Denver in less than two weeks? We’ll all have to find out together.
One significant policy change Stapleton would seek would be a crackdown on the roughly 150,000 state residents who still carry medical-marijuana cards, which allows them tax-free purchasing of the drug, the ability to grow their own plants and the ability to consume the weed at age 18. Moving all but medically necessary card holders into purchasing legalized retail marijuana would increase state tax revenues on the drug by two to three times and ensure that they couldn’t distribute home-grown cannabis to friends, creating a new stream of revenue for transportation and other needs, he said.
That’s right, folks! The state of Colorado has never had 150,000 medical marijuana cardholders, and since the passage of Amendment 64 legalizing recreational marijuana in 2012, the number of patients on the state’s medical marijuana registry has steadily declined. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s latest report on Medical Marijuana Registry Program, in April of 2018 there were a total of 88,946 Coloradans with an active medical marijuana card.
For those of you lacking a handy calculator, that’s 59.3% of Stapleton’s claim.
Obviously this has a big negative impact on the utility of Stapleton’s proposed “crackdown” on the medical marijuana registry, since the amount of revenue that could be extracted from medical marijuana patients who were “cracked down on” is directly proportional to the total number of such individuals. Because there have never once been the number of people with medical marijuana “red cards” that Stapleton asserted “still carry” them, we really have no idea how to reconcile this discrepancy.
Unless we already did, in the title of this post.
We are proud to announce that the 84th Attorney General of the United States Jeff Sessions will be speaking Friday afternoon, June 8, 2018, at the Western Conservative Summit!
On illegal immigration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has returned our country to a rule of law.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions joins our nation’s top conservative leaders in Denver, Colorado including: Attorney General Ed Meese, 2nd Amendment advocate Dana Loesch, Rep. Steve King, Rep. Ken Buck and the House Freedom Caucus, U.S. Senator Cory Gardner, Christian movie star Kirk Cameron, author Matt Walsh, Fox and Friend’s Ainsley Earhardt, YouTube sensations Diamond and Silk, Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens, Parkland shooting survivor Kyle Kashuv, the Colson Center’s John Stonestreet, many of Colorado’s gubernatorial candidates, Alliance Defending Freedom’s President Michael Farris, Heritage Foundation’s Jennifer Marshall, former U.S. Navy Seal Chad Williams, and many others.
Sessions is the biggest name on the confirmed speakers list now, which is sure to impart a very special character to this year’s Western Conservative Summit. It’s interesting that this announcement makes no reference to Sessions’ infamously dim view of marijuana legalization, a view strongly shared by the Centennial Institute’s director Jeff Hunt. As we’ve recently discussed, support for marijuana legalization both locally and across the nation is strong enough to make Sessions’ buzzkill threats against pot a significant political liability for Republicans in this already-challenging election year.
So needless to say, we’re excited to see what Sessions has to say when he arrives in the vanguard state of the wave of legalization sweeping America! The protest outside Sessions’ speech should be a memorable event, at least for those watching from a distance. Protesters toking up en masse in Jeff Sessions’ honor might have a fuzzier recollection.
But if you’re a marijuana smoker anywhere near Denver on June 8th, toking up in Jeff Sessions’ honor will be something akin to a religious obligation.
Jared Polis: The Governor Colorado’s Weed Industry Needs?
After ten years in Congress, vocal cannabis reform advocate Jared Polis is now looking to become the Governor of Colorado. Polis, currently a representative for Colorado’s second district, is running on an ambitious campaign to provide the state with 100% renewable energy by 2040 as well as implement a single-payer health care plan. But as governor of the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, he would also preside over a cannabis market which has set the tone for the rest of the country.
The solution, Polis has suggested, is a commission of lawmakers, citizens, and industry professionals to audit the effectiveness of Colorado’s current regulations. It’s no doubt that Polis will be missed among reform advocates in Congress, but if he’s able to smooth out the kinks in his state’s cannabis industry, he could still have an impact nationwide by setting a precedent for all the states looking to legalize in the next two years.
When Colorado became the first state to legalize the sale and use of marijuana by adults without any license or medical prescription, it was risky territory for the state. The initial reaction from Gov. Hickenlooper and many other local political leaders in both parties was one of caution, with great doubt over whether the federal government would ever allow the legal retail sale of marijuana to begin.
Six years after Amendment 64, Colorado’s nervous foray into legal marijuana sales has become a model that other states have followed–most prominently the state of California, whose retail marijuana operations began at the beginning of this year. Today, the rush of larger states to legalize marijuana has taken the pressure off Colorado as a petri dish for an uncertain experiment. The explosive growth and maturation of the marijuana industry has unquestionably validated the wisdom of legalization in 2012, and makes Gov. Hickenlooper’s recent well-publicized fumbles on the issue seem terribly out of touch.
In the first post-Hickenlooper gubernatorial election, it will be very interesting to see how much influence the marijuana business wields. Whatever Hickenlooper says from day to day, public support for legal weed remains strong–so we don’t see Republicans campaigning in 2018 on a Reefer Madness platform of recriminalization. That means candidates will be jockeying to be the industry’s friend–and Polis has the bonafides here.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has two facts in front of him: Since 2014 crime has been rising in his state, outstripping the national trend, and since 2014 recreational use of marijuana has been legal.
Whether the two are connected is hotly debated — and if they are, then what? For the first time publicly, Hickenlooper told CNN he doesn’t rule out recriminalizing recreational marijuana, even if that’s a long shot.
Yes, there are two sides to every story, and two sides to every coin, yada, yada, yada. But if Hickenlooper is going to have another act in his political future, it would behoove him to present himself as more of a leader and less of a mediator.
Ten years ago, this was a photo to end a political career–especially a Republican’s.
Today, it’s just Sen. Don Coram of Montrose in a marijuana bush.
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner is dropping his holds on certain Justice Department nominees “as an act of good faith” amid ongoing conversations with the deputy U.S. attorney general and the acting U.S. attorney for Colorado.
Because obviously, the best way to negotiate is to give up your most valuable bargaining chips.
Colorado’s Republican U.S. senator says there’s been enough progress on negotiations over marijuana with the Trump administration that he will stop blocking nominees for some jobs in the Justice Department.
Cory Gardner used his power as a senator to freeze department nominations last month after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions revoked Obama-era protections for states that have broadly legalized marijuana.
Gardner said Sessions needed to re-establish protections for the industry. Gardner told The Associated Press on Thursday that recent talks make him confident the department won’t change the way it enforces federal laws in Colorado and other states that allow adults to use cannabis recreationally.
News reports as recently as yesterday documented the continuing impasse between Sen. Cory Gardner and Attorney General Jeff Sessions over rescinding the Obama-era Cole Memorandum dictating a hands-off policy toward legal marijuana states. Gardner specifically stated in a Senate floor speech that he would hold Justice Department nominees until the Cole memorandum was reinstated.
Since that time, however, pressure from law enforcement groups and conservative supporters of Sessions has built on Gardner to release his DOJ holds. On Tuesday, Jeff Sessions went public with criticism of Gardner’s actions, complaining that the holds were hampering his ability to fill critical positions.
And today, Gardner announced he would release the DOJ holds for which he earned nationwide thanks from marijuana advocates. Without getting what he demanded. The Cole memo has not been reinstated, nor will it be now. The revised guidance from Sessions to U.S. Attorneys that provoked widespread fears of a marijuana crackdown remains operative. The industry has no real assurance other than Sessions’ apparent word to Gardner–which Gardner already blasted Sessions for breaking in the past.
Anybody who is surprised by Gardner’s lack of courage down the stretch, please raise your hands.
Nobody should be raising their hands.
The members of the Fraternal Order of Police are disappointed and very frustrated by the vow made by Senator Cory S. Gardner (R-CO) to hold up all nominees for vacant posts in the U.S. Department of Justice following the decision to rescind the Cole Memo and restore discretion to our nation’s U.S. Attorneys on investigations into violations of Federal drug laws involving marijuana.
Senator Gardner has come out swinging to defend the pot industry in his State. However, the fact that he believes Colorado can profit from the sale of this illegal drug does not give him the right to hold up or delay the appointment of critical personnel at the Justice Department. How can he justify putting at risk the public safety of all 50 States to advance the interests of the pot industry in his own?
The FOP has repeatedly made our concerns about current vacancies in the Justice Department and other key Administration posts known. Senator Gardner does a real disservice to the nation as a whole and we urgently ask him to reconsider his rash and ill-advised obstructionism.
Policy differences should be worked out by a dialogue and not turn into hostage situations. The ability of the Justice Department to carry out its nationwide mission should not be compromised by a single Senator trying to make it easier for business in his State to sell marijuana—an illegal drug as far as the Federal government is concerned.
It’s usually a friend to the GOP, having endorsed Donald Trump for president in 2016, but the Fraternal Order of Police, the nation’s largest law-enforement [sic] labor union, has come out swinging at Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner. What’s the beef? Gardner’s vow to hold up nominees to the many vacant posts in the U.S. Justice Department after the Trump administration announced it was giving the department more leeway to crack down on pot-legalizing states like Colorado.
With Sen. Gardner’s support in polls quickly declining, perhaps most critically with base law-and-order Republicans who are generally speaking not big fans of the devil-weed, pressure on Gardner to fold on his nominee holds could become an interesting predicament for him. With Colorado’s U.S. Attorney having disarmed fears of an immediate crackdown on the retail marijuana industry following Sessions’ change of policy, though with plenty of uncertainty about the long term under the Trump administration remaining, Gardner may have taken an position that burns him no matter what he does next.
But remember, the promise Gardner made was not to the cops.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions wasn’t swayed to immediately change his mind about his decision to rescind the Cole Memo after Wednesday’s meeting with Sen. Cory Gardner despite the Colorado Republican’s threat to withhold Justice Department nominees.
Sessions agreed to meet with Gardner Wednesday after Gardner loudly balked at the decision to rescind the 2013 memo that protects states where marijuana is legal from extraneous federal enforcement.
As of today, Blair reports, Gardner’s Justice Department holds remain–but this last statement signals clearly that Gardner’s holds either won’t last long or won’t matter. For all the praise Gardner received after making his bellicose threats last Friday, that would be a sheepish end that should get at least as much press attention.
Because as it turns out, maybe he really didn’t deserve all that praise.
With that said, it would be a mistake to rule out entirely the possibility that legislation to tie the Justice Department’s hands in legal marijuana states will come about as a result of Sessions’ threats. As of now, Gardner has paid only lip service to the protection of Colorado’s marijuana industry–and without the kind of confrontation marijuana supporters hoped Gardner would lead against Sessions last week, the most likely outcome now is an uneasy status quo that may well outlast Sessions’ tenure as Attorney General.
We’ll say it again and again: talk is cheap. And just like when Mike Coffman dropped his bid to force a discharge petition to vote on legislation to protect undocumented DREAMer students, Cory Gardner is getting credit that the facts of the situation do not appear to warrant.
If and when that changes, we’ll gratefully acknowledge it. But it hasn’t happened yet.
Learning about Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to rescind the Obama-era protections at the Justice Department that allowed individual states to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use, Sen. Cory Gardner flew into a rage from the well of the U.S. Senate last week–threatening in explicit terms to hold up every nominee for the Department of Justice unless the Cole Memorandum is reinstated as the operative guidance for U.S. Attorneys on marijuana prosecutions.
The specifics of what Gardner are said are very important, since he is reportedly meeting with Sessions tomorrow to discuss the situation. After which, depending on how that meeting goes, Gardner will either lift his hold on Justice Department nominees or allow them to stand pending Sessions reconsidering his position.
GARDNER: I agree with President Trump, that this decision should be left up to the people of Colorado and othere states. And I call on Attorney General Sessions to explain to me why President Trump was wrong in 2016 and what changed their minds. And that they reverse their decision to withdraw and rescind the Cole memorandum. And that they reimplement and reinstate the Cole memorandum. [Pols emphasis] And until that happens, I think I am obligated by the people of Colorado to take all steps necessary to protect the state of Colorado. And their rights.
And that’s why I will be putting today a hold on every single nomination from the Department of Justice. Until Attorney General Jeff Sessions lives up to the commitment that he made to me in my confirmation–my pre-confirmation meeting with him, the conversation we had that was specifically about this issue of state’s rights and Colorado. Until he lives up to that commitment, I will be holding all nominations to the Department of Justice. The people of Colorado deserve answers. The people of Colorado deserve their will to be respected.
Madam chair–Madam President–I yield the floor and not the absence of a quorum.
Now, you can read this statement as Gardner laying out very precisely what Sessions needs to do to see Gardner’s nominee holds released: reinstating the Cole memo. The only problem is that Gardner, being an infamously crafty crafter of weaselly statements, separated his specific comments about the Cole memo from his announcement that he will hold up Justice Department nominees. You could, in a strained but literal reading, see Gardner only promising to maintain the holds until Sessions lives up to some unspecified “commitment.” Was that commitment specifically to preserve the Cole memo?
It all gets kind of, you know, weaselly.
The reason we’re asking these specific questions is simple: the chances that Sessions will actually reverse course and reimplement the Cole memo after meeting with Gardner seem very slim, but the odds that Gardner will come out of his meeting with Sessions tomorrow with those holds intact are even slimmer. Much like Rep. Mike Coffman’s abortive threat to force a vote on protections for undocumented students last summer, the most likely outcome here is, after receiving lavish praise for “standing up” to the Trump administration, Gardner folds without actually accomplishing anything.
And if that’s what happens, those who issued said lavish praise should do a follow-up.
In another edition of our long-running series, “At Least He’s Not Your Legislator,” we take you to Kansas, where a Republican lawmaker adds a racist tone to a conversation about legal marijuana.
During Saturday’s Legislative Coffee session at St. Catherine Hospital, State Rep. Steve Alford, R-Ulysses, made an ostensibly racist comment when citing domestic Jim Crow-era drug policies.
“Basically any way you say it, marijuana is an entry drug into the higher drugs,” Alford said. “What you really need to do is go back in the ’30s, when they outlawed all types of drugs in Kansas (and) across the United States.
No word on whether or not Alford is friends with Colorado State Sen. Vicki Marble, who thinks African-Americans eat too much chicken.
As we noted last week, Sen. Cory Gardner’s outrage over the decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to rescind Obama-era protections against a federal crackdown on marijuana in states that have legalized cannabis left un–or at least under–stated something very important: the fact that Gardner, alone among Colorado’s representatives in Washington, cast a key vote to confirm Sessions. This puts Gardner is a much more directly responsible position for Sessions’ actions than anyone else in the state.
Gardner is right about Sessions’ mendacity, of course, although we think it’s a little late in the day to wake up to that fact. And the junior senator’s outsized outrage is highly suspicious. Like most of the state’s prominent politicians, he opposed marijuana legalization. And while his sudden devotion to states’ rights is interesting, it’s not particularly persuasive.
…According to the website fivethirtyeight.com, Gardner has voted with Trump 94.6 percent of the time, despite the fact that Colorado delivered its electoral votes to Hillary Clinton, not Trump, in 2016. So much for his fealty to the will of Colorado voters.
Without the endless benefit of the doubt Gardner is afforded by the Post and other members of the local pundit class, this is a much more accurate–if less flattering–examination of Gardner’s record. Anecdotal moments of “standing up to Trump” as Gardner went through the motions of with legal marijuana last week cannot erase the fact that Gardner votes with Trump almost all the time–including the highest profile votes of 2017 on repealing health care reform and slashing taxes on the wealthiest Americans. Not to mention Gardner’s vote to confirm Jeff Sessions.
As frustrating as it may be to watch Gardner get credit he doesn’t deserve for what amounts to token CYA statements, this editorial sums up very well what Gardner should be afraid of when that finally stops working. As the saying goes, anecdotes do not equal data. And the record shows clearly, from Gardner’s condemnation of the Trump-energized racist right after Charlottesville to his faux outrage over Jeff Sessions, that Gardner has enabled the very things he decries.
Anything less than a full acknowledgement of this, every time, is a disservice to the facts.
Hopefully these words don’t come back to bite her (see below).
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rescinding the Obama-era policy that had paved the way for legalized marijuana to flourish in states across the country, including in Colorado, according to two sources.
While Sessions has been carrying out a Justice Department agenda that follows Trump’s top priorities on such issues as immigration and opioids, the changes to pot policy reflect his own concerns.
Trump’s personal views on marijuana remain largely unknown.
This reported action directly contradicts what Attorney General Sessions told me prior to his confirmation. With no prior notice to Congress, the Justice Department has trampled on the will of the voters in CO and other states.
The rub here of course is that Sen. Gardner, alone among Colorado’s delegation in Washington, cast his vote to confirm Sessions as Attorney General–meaning that Gardner is left holding the proverbial bag in this case more than anyone else in our vanguard legalization state. For all the noise Gardner is making in defense of Colorado’s marijuana industry now, he can’t escape at least partial responsibility for Sessions’ actions.
Obviously we’ll be watching this developing story for updates, since Sessions’ next steps on marijuana will have a major effect on Colorado’s economy. Stay tuned.
The “Hot mess” from California just got owned by Joy Reid.
The 12/23/17 AMJoy Show featured Jen Kerns attempting to distract from the Russian collusion scandal by rehashing the Uranium One “scandal”. This was round two – after Jen Kerns U1 talking points were dissected by Reid on October 30.
In Colorado, we’re used to Kerns lying, just making stuff up – and getting away with it, for the most part.
In 2013, Jennifer Kerns emerged as the spokesperson for the recall effort against Senators Giron and Morse. The recall, ostensibly for the Senators’ so-called “anti-gun” votes, almost shifted control to Republicans in the Colorado Senate.
Colorado Christian U To GOP: Hands Off Weed Money!
Ernest Luning of the Colorado Springs Gazette follows up on one of the week’s more curious local political stories, a fundraiser for the GOP’s Senate Majority Fund 527 attended by members of the budding (pun) marijuana industry–an interesting change-up for a party that includes Attorney General Jeff Sessions, far and away the biggest threat to legalized marijuana in its short history.
“It has come to our attention that state legislators are accepting campaign donations from the marijuana industry. As educators and researchers, we hope this is not the case. Marijuana has devastated Colorado by nearly every metric and we are particularly concerned about marijuana’s health impact on youth,” CCU President Dr. Donald Sweeting and Centennial Institute director Jeff Hunt wrote.
“Colorado Christian University asks that you audit your donations for any money given by the marijuana industry and donate those funds to marijuana youth prevention and recovery organizations. We are happy to meet with you to discuss marijuana’s devastating impacts on Colorado. We look forward to your leadership on this issue and your work to make Colorado a better state for its citizens and especially its young people,” they concluded.
As you can see, the question is not morally ambiguous to Jeff Hunt of CCU’s Centennial Institute like it appears to be with Senate President Grantham. For Hunt, taking money from the marijuana industry is little different from taking money from an organized crime cartel. But could you imagine Grantham saying it’s “up to individual members” whether they want to take money from Al Capone?
With all of this in mind, might the Senate Majority Fund think twice about spending that freshly-raised marijuana cabbage? And if they don’t…will they answer to a higher authority?
No wedge issue here. We’re not happy with any government official taking money from the marijuana industry. Republican or Democrat.
Time for a conference call.
Senate Majority Leader Chris Holbert (R).
All the progress that legalized marijuana has made in Colorado is nothing compared to what is about to happen on Wednesday.
The Republican group co-hosting the event at Denver’s Capitol Hill Tavern is the Senate Majority Fund, a political group that uses its money to support GOP candidates for the Colorado Senate, primarily through advertising.
The group’s aim is to make sure Republicans maintain their majority in the 35-member Senate, even if it’s only the one-vote lead it currently holds.
It’s important to note that, although elected officials on both sides were generally unsupportive of 2012’s Amendment 64, the vote in 2013 in the Colorado General Assembly on the legislation that enabled the constitutional amendment to take effect–House Bill 13-1317–was split closely along party lines in the House. GOP lawmakers like now-Sen. Chris Holbert, who is quoted in Ashby’s story saying Amendment 64 is the law and of course Republicans are duty-bound to uphold the will of the voters, actually voted against the legislation to let said voters’ will take effect.
Certainly we understand the marijuana industry’s desire to cultivate support (pun intended) on both sides of the aisle, so don’t mistake this for criticism of their efforts here–or the money they raise tomorrow night for Republican Senate candidates. The real question will be whether the substantial wing of the Republican Party that remains, in some cases fanatically, opposed to marijuana legalization is willing to tolerate Colorado Senate Republicans taking marijuana money. | 2019-04-19T06:34:03Z | https://www.coloradopols.com/diary/category/marijuana |
A morphogen gradient of Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling patterns the dorsoventral embryonic axis of vertebrates and invertebrates. The prevailing view in vertebrates for BMP gradient formation is through a counter-gradient of BMP antagonists, often along with ligand shuttling to generate peak signaling levels. To delineate the mechanism in zebrafish, we precisely quantified the BMP activity gradient in wild-type and mutant embryos and combined these data with a mathematical model-based computational screen to test hypotheses for gradient formation. Our analysis ruled out a BMP shuttling mechanism and a bmp transcriptionally-informed gradient mechanism. Surprisingly, rather than supporting a counter-gradient mechanism, our analyses support a fourth model, a source-sink mechanism, which relies on a restricted BMP antagonist distribution acting as a sink that drives BMP flux dorsally and gradient formation. We measured Bmp2 diffusion and found that it supports the source-sink model, suggesting a new mechanism to shape BMP gradients during development.
Before an animal is born, a protein called BMP plays a key role in establishing the difference between the front and the back of the animal. Cells nearer the front of the embryo contain higher amounts of the BMP protein, whilst cells nearer the back have progressively lower levels of BMP. This gradient of BMP ‘concentration’ affects the identity of the cells, with the level of BMP in each cell dictating what parts of the body are made where.
The prevailing view among scientists is that the BMP gradient is created by an opposing gradient of another protein called Chordin, which is found at high levels at the back of the embryo and lower levels near the front. Chordin inhibits BMP and the interaction between the two proteins establishes the gradients that create order across the embryo.
Zinski et al. used computer models to investigate how the BMP gradient is created. Several possibilities were considered, including the effect of Chordin. Comparing the models to precise experimental measurements of BMP activity in zebrafish embryos suggested that a different mechanism known as a source-sink model, rather than the opposing Chordin gradient, may be responsible for the pattern of BMP found in the embryo. In this model, the BMP is produced at the front of the embryo and moves towards the back end by diffusion. At the back of the embryo, BMP is mopped up by Chordin, resulting in a constant gradient of BMP along the embryo.
Many other processes that control how animals grow and develop rely on the formation of similar protein gradients, so these findings may also apply to other aspects of animal development. Understanding how animals grow and develop may help researchers to develop strategies to regrow tissues and organs in human patients.
Morphogen gradients pattern axonal pathways, the neural tube, the dorsal-ventral (DV) and anterior-posterior (AP) embryonic axes, as well as multiple organ systems (Bökel and Brand, 2013; Briscoe and Small, 2015; Cohen et al., 2013; Rogers and Schier, 2011; Rushlow and Shvartsman, 2012; Sansom and Livesey, 2009; Schilling et al., 2012; Tuazon and Mullins, 2015). Morphogens are defined as factors that form a spatially non-uniform distribution spanning multiple cell-lengths that instructs different cell fates at distinct levels. Their importance in specifying multiple cell fates in a gradient has spurred decades of research deciphering how they work. In 1970, Francis Crick proposed that such a gradient could be formed by a source of morphogen flowing to a sink that destroyed it (Crick, 1970). We now know that the mechanisms by which morphogen gradients are established are diverse and complex, and that understanding these mechanisms is paramount to understanding developmental biology (Briscoe and Small, 2015; Müller et al., 2013; Rogers and Schier, 2011). Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) act as morphogens repeatedly during development, including in patterning the embryonic DV axis, the neural tube, and the Drosophila wing disc (Bier and De Robertis, 2015; Briscoe and Small, 2015; Rogers and Schier, 2011).
BMP morphogen systems are established by a network of extracellular regulators (Dutko and Mullins, 2011). A crucial class of these regulators is the BMP antagonists, defined by their ability to bind BMP ligand with high affinity, thereby blocking ligand-receptor interaction (Brazil et al., 2015). During axial patterning in zebrafish and Xenopus, three antagonists, Chordin, Noggin, and Follistatin play key roles in inhibiting BMP signaling to promote dorsal cell fate specification (Dal-Pra et al., 2006; Khokha et al., 2005; Schulte-Merker et al., 1997). These antagonists bind to the BMP ligand, preventing BMP from binding its receptors (Iemura et al., 1998; Piccolo et al., 1996; Zimmerman et al., 1996). In both zebrafish and frogs, Chordin differs from Noggin and Follistatin in its expression domain, its phenotype, and its interaction with the metalloprotease Tolloid (Tld). Chordin is expressed in a larger domain than Noggin and Follistatin (Dal-Pra et al., 2006; Khokha et al., 2005). While the loss of Chordin ventralizes the embryo (Hammerschmidt et al., 1996; Oelgeschläger et al., 2003), the depletion of Noggin or Follistatin alone or together does not (Dal-Pra et al., 2006; Khokha et al., 2005). Unlike Noggin and Follistatin, Chordin can be cleaved by the metalloprotease Tolloid, releasing bound BMP ligand and allowing it to signal (Blader et al., 1997; Piccolo et al., 1997).
Previous studies in Drosophila show that the Drosophila ortholog of Chordin, Sog, can act as both a BMP agonist and as an antagonist during DV patterning. To act as an agonist, Sog binds to and moves BMP ligand via facilitated diffusion to regions of Tolloid activity (Figure 1A). Tolloid then cleaves Sog, which releases BMP thus increasing peak BMP levels, a process altogether known as shuttling (Figure 1A) (Eldar et al., 2002; Marqués et al., 1997; Holley et al., 1996; Peluso et al., 2011; Shilo et al., 2013; Shimmi et al., 2005; Umulis et al., 2010). The shuttling mechanism is essential to Drosophila DV patterning, where Sog shuttles BMP ligand from lateral regions to dorsal regions (Figure 1A) (Eldar et al., 2002; Marqués et al., 1997; Holley et al., 1996; Peluso et al., 2011; Shilo et al., 2013; Shimmi et al., 2005; Umulis et al., 2010). This shuttling mechanism is required to steepen the BMP signaling gradient and specify the dorsal-most cell fates in the Drosophila embryo (Eldar et al., 2002; Marqués et al., 1997; Holley et al., 1996; Peluso et al., 2011; Shilo et al., 2013; Shimmi et al., 2005; Umulis et al., 2010). The shuttling of BMP ligand by Chordin has also been suggested to play a role in DV patterning in Echinoderms (Lapraz et al., 2009) and Nematostella (Genikhovich et al., 2015).
Potential Mechanisms of BMP Morphogen Gradient Formation.
(A) Cross-sectional view of the Drosophila embryo depicting Sog shuttling Dpp (the fly BMP ligand) dorsally. (B) Lateral view of the zebrafish embryo depicting Chordin (Chd) shuttling BMP ventrally. (C) Counter-Gradient: Chd diffuses ventrally to form a counter-gradient repressing BMP. (D) Shuttling: BMP bound to Chd is shuttled ventrally, where it is released by Tolloid cleavage. (E) Transcriptional: BMP stays where it is produced, mirroring the bmp expression gradient. (F) Source-sink: BMP diffuses from its source of ventral production to a sink of dorsal Chd.
It is unclear whether Chordin shuttles BMP in patterning vertebrate tissues. In Xenopus, the shuttling of a particular BMP ligand, ADMP, by Chordin was reported to play a role in DV axial patterning in the scaling of embryos (Ben-Zvi et al., 2008; Reversade and De Robertis, 2005). In the mouse, Chordin has been suggested to shuttle BMP ligand from where it is expressed in the intervertebral disc to its site of signaling in the vertebral body (Zakin et al., 2010). Mathematical models of zebrafish and Xenopus DV patterning have predicted that Chordin could shuttle BMP ligand (Ben-Zvi et al., 2008; Zhang et al., 2007). The transcriptional profiles of zebrafish BMP components at the onset of gastrulation resemble that of the Drosophila embryo (Dutko and Mullins, 2011; O'Connor et al., 2006). In Drosophila, sog is expressed ventral-laterally while the BMP ligand dpp is expressed dorsally (Figure 1A). Vertebrates have undergone a DV axis inversion with respect to arthropods (De Robertis and Sasai, 1996; Gerhart, 2000; Lacalli, 1995; Sander and Schmidt-Ott, 2004), thus chordin is expressed dorsally while bmp ligands are expressed ventrally (Figure 1B). However, whether Chordin acts as a BMP agonist by shuttling BMP ligand during DV patterning in zebrafish or other vertebrates has not been determined (Figure 1B).
In vertebrates, the mechanism by which the BMP ligands and antagonists shape this gradient is unclear. Several potential mechanisms have been proposed: 1) an inverse gradient of BMP antagonists imparts the shape of the BMP signaling gradient (Figure 1C) (Blitz et al., 2000; Connors et al., 1999; Little and Mullins, 2006; Thomsen, 1997), 2) BMP antagonists generate the peak BMP signaling levels by shuttling BMP ligand to these regions (Figure 1B,D) (Ben-Zvi et al., 2008; Shilo et al., 2013; Zhang et al., 2007), 3) the gradient shape mirrors the shape of the bmp expression domain (Figure 1E) (Ramel and Hill, 2013), and 4) the gradient is generated by BMP diffusing from its ventral source to a dorsal sink of BMP antagonists (Figure 1F). These mechanisms are not mutually exclusive and multiple may act in combination.
To identify the mechanism of BMP signaling gradient formation in the zebrafish embryo, we established a robust quantitative imaging method to directly measure the BMP signaling gradient. We integrated the results with a mathematical modeling approach, using the experiments to inform our model selection. The modeling then provided information on key parameters to measure to identify the mechanism by which the BMP signaling gradient is formed. We used phosphorylated Smad5 protein as a direct read-out for BMP signaling in both wild type (WT), chordin mutant, and chordin heterozygous embryos. We quantified nuclear phosphorylated-Smad5 (P-Smad5) fluorescent intensity across the entire embryo at single-cell resolution at different stages of development. Combining the P-Smad5 data with a computational screen of mathematical models showed that shuttling of BMP during DV patterning does not shape the gradient, and that a gradient of bmp transcription cannot account for the gradient of BMP signaling activity. From these results, we conclude that the signaling gradient patterning the vertebrate DV axis is generated by either a source-sink or counter-gradient mechanism. To discern between these mechanisms, we developed and measured the diffusion rate of a BMP2-Venus fusion protein in the zebrafish blastula and found that it is relatively mobile, which supports a large number of source-sink simulations, but far fewer counter-gradient simulations. Our results suggest that significant differences exist between the biophysical parameters of conserved proteins in zebrafish and Drosophila DV patterning. Through quantification and modeling, we present a new view of the mechanism that the BMP antagonists and ligand use to establish the BMP signaling gradient patterning the DV axis in zebrafish.
To measure the BMP signaling gradient, we quantified the levels of the BMP signal transducer P-Smad5 across the entire embryo at single cell resolution. Smad5 is directly phosphorylated by the BMP type I receptor in response to BMP signaling, and P-Smad5 concentration has been shown to linearly correlate with the concentration of BMP ligand in the Drosophila wing disc and S2 cells (Bollenbach et al., 2008; Serpe et al., 2008). Fixed embryos were whole-mount immunostained for P-Smad5 and imaged using a Line Scanning Confocal Microscope (Figure 2A–E). We developed a mounting and imaging protocol that minimized photo-bleaching, light scattering, and refractive index mismatch (see Materials and methods). We wrote a Matlab algorithm to identify all 8000 + nuclei centerpoints in each embryo in three dimensions, to remove populations unresponsive to P-Smad5 such as yolk syncytial nuclei and dividing cells (see Materials and methods), and to extract the P-Smad5 intensities associated with each nucleus (Figure 2A’–E’). Embryos were aligned by coherent point drift to a reference embryo to create ensembles of embryos suitable for statistical analysis (Myronenko et al., 2010a) (see Materials and methods). We used a band of cells around the margin of the embryo (Figure 2F’) to plot profiles from the dorsal-most to the ventral-most points to compare P-Smad5 gradient profiles between stages and between wild-type and mutant embryos (Figure 2F).
Dynamics of the WT P-Smad5 gradient across head and trunk patterning.
(A–E) Animal views of maximum projections (MP) of P-Smad5 stained individual embryos. (A’–E’) Animal views of nuclear intensities of all nuclei from the embryos shown above. (F) Average marginal intensities for 4.7–6.7 hpf (4.7: N = 3, 5.3: N = 4, 5.7: N = 13, 6.3: N = 11, 6.7: N = 4). Error bars indicate standard deviation. (G) Slope of the P-Smad5 gradients shown in panel F. Dotted line separates high slope (>0.5 a.u./deg) regions from low slope regions. (H) Change in cell number versus (vs.) developmental time of embryos fixed from a single cross and nuclei stained with Sytox Orange. (I) Cell number varies between different crosses of WT fish fixed at 5.7 hpf. (H,I) Gray dots are individual embryo cell counts. Red lines show the mean number of cells at a given time point, red boxes show 95% confidence interval, blue boxes show one standard deviation.
Our quantitative analysis revealed that the BMP gradient during DV patterning is quite dynamic. BMP signaling patterns prospective head and rostral trunk DV axial tissues during late blastula to mid-gastrula stages at ~5 to 7 hr post fertilization (hpf) in the zebrafish (Hashiguchi and Mullins, 2013; Kwon et al., 2010; Tuazon and Mullins, 2015; Tucker et al., 2008). We quantified the BMP signaling gradient at 30 min intervals across this period. We found that the ventral-most 30˚ undergoes about a 2-fold intensification from 4.7 to 6.7 hpf (Figure 2F). This is accompanied by a 3 to 5 fold increase in the slope of the gradient in ventrolateral regions of the embryo (0–75 degrees) over this 2 hr period (Figure 2G). Moreover, the lateral region encompassing the high slope (>0.5 A.U./degree) expands from a size of 20˚ to 75˚, meaning that by 6.7 hpf, nearly half the embryo falls within this high slope region. This contrasts with Drosophila DV patterning, where an initial broad, low-slope distribution of P-Mad is refined into a steep peak of BMP signaling covering only the dorsal-most 8% of the embryo (11 cell lengths) (Sutherland et al., 2003; Wang and Ferguson, 2005). This intensification of P-Mad is very rapid in Drosophila DV patterning, where P-Mad increases about three fold in the 30 min (min) between stages 5 and 6 (Ross et al., 2001; Sutherland et al., 2003; Wang and Ferguson, 2005), a process that we found is much slower in the zebrafish embryo: a 2-fold increase over a 2 hr period.
We then sought to determine if changes in cell number could account for the observed changes in the P-Smad5 gradient. We counted the number of cells in each embryo from a single timecourse and observed an approximately 70% increase in cell number from 4.7 to 6.7 hpf (Figure 2H). Cell nuclei do not change significantly in size during this time (Keller et al., 2008). The increase in cell number occurs throughout the embryo and is not restricted to a particular DV region, while the change in gradient amplitude (Figure 2F) and slope is restricted to the ventral third of the embryo (Figure 2G). Thus an increase in cell number does not account, via an unknown mechanism, for the increase in amplitude or slope. Additional support that cell number has little effect on gradient shape stems from the observation that the absolute number of cells at a given time point can vary by as much as 20% between different embryos within the same cross or between crosses (Figure 2I) with no detectable change in gradient shape or phenotype.
We then performed a computational screen of mathematical models to investigate which gradient-forming mechanisms (Figure 1C–F) fit the WT P-Smad5 gradient profiles (Figure 2). To do so, we first needed to determine the expression domains of bmp, chordin, noggin, and tolloid to use for the mathematical model. We based the domain sizes on our own measurements (Figure 3), as well as published in situ hybridizations for bmp (Fürthauer et al., 2004; Ramel and Hill, 2013), chordin (Miller-Bertoglio et al., 1997), tolloid (Connors et al., 1999), and noggin (Dal-Pra et al., 2006). In animal-pole views of wholemount in situ hybridizations, we measured the chordin and noggin expression domain sizes to be 75 and 40 degrees in width, respectively (Figure 3A–C). We estimated the size of the bmp expression domain via wholemount in situ hybridizations (Figure 3D), however, bmp2b expression appeared graded and not as easily measured as chordin and noggin. We instead measured the bmp2b expression gradient at 5.7 hpf via fluorescent in situ hybridization on cross-sections of the DV margin (Figure 3F–H). We quantified the relative intensity of the fluorescent bmp2b in situ (Figure 3I black line) and used it to estimate the BMP production domain in our model (Figure 3I, blue line).
Measuring the bmp2b, chordin, and noggin expression domains.
Animal pole views of wholemount in situ hybridizations of the expression of (A) chd (N = 25), and (B) nog (N = 8) in WT embryos. (C) Measured domain size of chd and nog domains via wholemount in situ hybridization in WT and chd mutant embryos. (D–D’’’) bmp2b in chd ± embryos at 4.7 (N = 10), 5.3 (N = 15), 5.7 (N = 20), and 7 hpf (N = 16), and (E–E’’’) bmp2b expression in chd -/- embryos at 4.7 (N = 6), 5.3 (N = 16), 5.7 (N = 13), and 7 hpf (N = 12). (F–H) Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) signal of bmp2b from a marginal slice at 5.7 hpf with a DAPI nuclear stain. Scale bars = 100 μm. (I) Quantification of FISH of bmp2b expression from ventral to dorsal (black line, N = 5) compared to the BMP production gradient used in the mathematical model (blue dotted line). Error bars indicate standard deviation.
We then developed a system of partial differential equations to model the interactions of BMP, Chordin, Noggin, and Tolloid (Supplementary Figure 4—figure supplement 4 and 1A). BMP, Chordin, Noggin, BMP-Chordin, and BMP-Noggin were modeled as diffusible species, while Tolloid was treated parametrically according to its domain of expression (Figure 4A). The zebrafish gastrula was reduced to a 1-dimensional (1D) half-circumference with a length of 700 µm. We selected a 1D description at the margin for simulation, since the inputs to the system based on gene expression are distributed symmetrically across the embryo, so a 1D model should largely reflect one in 3D, and the faster simulation time of a 1D model allowed us to explore far greater parameter space computationally, increasing our ability to discern biophysical constraints that distinguish between the mechanisms. Domains of production of BMP, Chordin, and Noggin were estimated as described (Figure 3, Figure 4D). The dissociation constants for BMP-Chordin and BMP-Noggin were set to 1 and 0.1 nM respectively, based on previously reported analysis (Piccolo et al., 1996; Troilo et al., 2014; Zimmerman et al., 1996). All remaining parameters (ie. the diffusion coefficients, production rates, decay rates, on and off binding rates) were varied over 4 orders of magnitude encompassing all biologically feasible values (Table 1).
List of the parameter ranges used in the computational model-based screen.
Values range between the upper and lower bound. Note that the dissociation constant of BMP-Chd and BMP-Nog was held constant, but the on- and off- rates were allowed to vary.
Creation of a mathematical model of BMP gradient formation.
(A) Depiction of the species and binding possibilities modeled. (B) BMP distributions of 10 individual model solutions (black dotted lines) plotted against the WT 5.7 hpf P-Smad5 gradient (blue line). Error bars indicate standard deviation. (C) Flow-chart of model mechanism classification. (C’) BMP mass balance from model labeled to indicate which terms contribute to the source-sink, counter-gradient, and transcriptional mechanisms at each point. (C”) Shuttling mechanism was defined by a 20% decrease at the ventral-most point in chd LOF compared to WT. (D) Expression domains of bmp (blue), tld (purple), chd (red), and nog (yellow) used in the model. (E) Expression domains of bmp (blue), tld (purple), chd (red), and nog (yellow) used for the alternative scenario where the bmp expression domain mirrors the measured P-Smad5 gradient. (D’, E’) Pie chart showing how many parameter combinations fit the WT data (blue) and how many failed to do so (grey). (D”, E”) Pie chart showing how many parameter combinations were classified to have a source-sink (blue), counter-gradient (red), transcriptional (orange), or shuttling (green) mechanism.
The equations were solved for the developmental window from ~3.5 hpf to ~5.7 hpf, since bmp and chordin are first expressed shortly after the mid-blastula-transition at 3 hpf (Koos and Ho, 1999; Leung et al., 2003; Shimizu et al., 2000; Solnica-Krezel et al., 2001). The equations were simulated 1,000,000 times, each time with a different combination of randomly selected parameters. Each parameter combination was then re-simulated without Chordin or Noggin to predict the BMP signaling gradient in a chordin or noggin loss-of-function (LOF) scenario. We then selected simulations that generated BMP profiles that fit our measured P-Smad5 gradient at 5.7 hpf with a normalized root mean squared deviation of 8% or less (Figure 4B). We also eliminated simulations that had significantly different BMP profiles when Noggin production was set to 0, since the loss of Noggin does not affect DV patterning in zebrafish or Xenopus (Dal-Pra et al., 2006; Khokha et al., 2005).
All simulation results that fit our data were classified into categories based on the biophysical process that dominated formation of the gradient shape: shuttling, source-sink, counter-gradient, or transcriptional (Figure 4C). We discerned between source-sink, counter-gradient, and transcriptional mechanisms by examining the balance of binding, diffusion, decay, and accumulation processes in the partial differential equation for the BMP species (Figure 4C–C’’). If 80% of the BMP ligand was degraded where it was produced or accumulated there, the simulation was classified as transcriptional (Figure 4C,C’). If the majority of BMP diffused away from its site of production rather than being bound by Chordin, the simulation was considered a source-sink mechanism (Figure 4C,C’). Conversely, if the majority of BMP was bound at its site of production by Chordin, the simulation was classified as a Chordin counter-gradient mechanism (Figure 4C,C’). We classified a simulation as shuttling if the ventral-most point in the predicted chordin-/- BMP profile was at least 20% lower than in WT, as shuttling by the antagonist leads to a net accumulation of ligand in the ventral-most region (Figure 4C,C’’). By comparison, shuttling in Drosophila accounts more significantly to the peak level, with a 50% decrease in the peak P-Mad level when the chordin homolog sog is deficient (Mizutani et al., 2005; Peluso et al., 2011; Sutherland et al., 2003). Shuttling of 20% is about one standard deviation greater than our measured embryo-to-embryo variability for peak P-Smad5 signaling levels (Figure 4B).
Multiple classes of mechanisms generated simulations fitting our WT data, including an antagonist counter-gradient, source-sink, and shuttling. Of the 1,000,000 randomly picked parameter combinations, 15,142 fit the experimentally measured WT signaling gradient (Figure 4D’). Among those that fit, 13,382 were classified as source-sink, 1710 as counter-gradient, and 50 as shuttling (Figure 4D”). Notably, no transcriptional simulations were found, because our measured bmp expression profile (Figure 3I) did not match our measured WT BMP signaling gradient (Figure 2), and therefore BMP must diffuse from its site of production or be bound by Chordin to fit our measured signaling gradient.
The mean of our bmp2b expression profile did not reflect the P-Smad5 gradient at 5.7 hpf (Figures 2F and 3I), however, the bmp2b expression profile displayed variability from embryo to embryo. To account for the possibility that the bmp expression profile reflects the WT P-Smad5 gradient, which fell within one standard deviation of the mean (Figures 2F and 3I), we simulated the mathematical model 250,000 additional times with a bmp expression input matching the WT P-Smad5 gradient (Figure 4E). We found that the transcriptional mechanism was the most abundant mechanism among the simulations, comprising 83,747 of the simulations (Figure 4E’,E’’). Surprisingly, no counter-gradient solutions were found when bmp expression matched P-Smad5. This is because Chordin binding to BMP would interfere with the shape of the BMP protein gradient, causing it to no longer match the measured BMP signaling gradient. Thus the transcriptional and counter-gradient mechanisms are incompatible with each other.
Each mechanism required specific biophysical parameters to fit the experimentally measured DV signaling gradient. The source-sink mechanism required BMP to have a high diffusion rate, so BMP could diffuse to a dorsally-localized sink of antagonists (Figure 5A). The counter-gradient mechanism required Chordin to have a high diffusion rate, so Chordin could diffuse ventrally to generate an antagonist gradient (Figure 5B). When either BMP or Chordin had moderately high diffusion rates (e.g. near 1 um2/s), decay rates were low to allow each more time to diffuse dorsally or ventrally, respectively. When BMP and Chordin range are plotted on the same axis, the segregation of the source-sink and counter-gradient mechanisms based on range is readily apparent (Figure 5C). The shuttling mechanism required that BMP-Chordin have a high diffusion rate and low decay rate in order to diffuse ventrally where Tolloid cleaves Chordin, which then releases BMP (Figure 5D). Noggin diffusion and decay was not constrained in any of the three mechanisms (Figure 5E).
Biophysical values of individual simulations that fit the WT P-Smad5 gradient.
(A–L) Scatter plots comparing biophysical parameters of 1000 randomly selected solutions classified by mechanism that fit the WT data. Combinations that failed to fit the WT P-Smad5 gradient are small grey dots. We plot solutions as large circles colored according to their mechanism, which is based on definitions outlined in Figure 4C: counter-gradient (red), source-sink (blue), transcriptional (orange), or shuttling (green). We plotted additional shuttling solutions in order to better illustrate trends. (A–F) Simulations using domains displayed in Figure 4D. (G–L) Simulations using domains displayed in Figure 4E. (A,G) BMP diffusivity vs. BMP decay rate. (B,H) Chd diffusivity vs. Chd decay rate, which includesthe rate of Chd cleavage by Tld. (C,I) Range was estimated as sqrt(diffusivity/decay). (D,J) Diffusivity of BMP bound to Chd vs. decay rate of BMP bound to Chd. (E,K) Range of Nog protein. (F,L) Chd and BMP-Chd cleavage rate by Tld.
For the simulations performed where the bmp expression domain matched the signaling gradient, distinct biophysical requirements were also observed for each mechanism. The source-sink mechanism required BMP to have a high range, while the transcriptional mechanism required BMP to have a lower range (Figure 5I). The source-sink mechanism required either high diffusivity with predominantly high decay rates or low diffusivity with low decay rates, while the transcriptional mechanism filled a near complementary parameter space with progressively higher BMP diffusivity necessitating higher decay rates (Figure 5G), which allows the P-Smad5 gradient to match the bmp expression profile. Neither of these mechanisms constrained Chordin range (Figure 5H,I). Although only four shuttling mechanism solutions were identified, they required both BMP-Chordin range to be high and its decay rate to be low (Figure 5J). The shuttling solutions also required BMP range to be high (Figure 5G,I), because if Chordin moved ventrally to bind BMP in this scenario, it would interfere with the bmp expression gradient matching the BMP signaling gradient. In these simulations BMP moves dorsally to form the BMP-Chordin species that ultimately is shuttled back ventrally. The remaining parameters required for shuttling were similar for the two simulations (Figure 5E,F,K,L).
To determine whether Chordin shuttling of BMP ligand plays a functionally relevant role in generating the ventral P-Smad5 peak in zebrafish, as it does in Drosophila, we quantified the P-Smad5 gradient of chordin mutant embryos over a developmental time series (Figure 6A,B). If it does play a role, then we expect the ventral P-Smad5 peak to be reduced in chordin mutants compared to WT embryos. We found that the P-Smad5 gradient in chordin mutants showed a statistically significant increase in lateral regions of the embryo at the four time-points examined from 4.7 to 6.3 hpf (Figure 6C–F, Figure 6—figure supplement 1A). Importantly, no decrease in P-Smad5 was observed in the ventral region of chordin mutant embryos or in any region of the gradient. These results indicate that, unlike the Drosophila homolog Sog, Chordin plays no significant BMP shuttling role during zebrafish DV patterning. It is worth noting that in many simulations, small amounts of BMP ligand are shuttled short distances but do not impact the gradient significantly, and thus are not classified as shuttling. The P-Smad5 gradient in chordin mutants shows that this is minimal in zebrafish.
Effect of Chd on gradient shape and ligand shuttling.
(A,B) Animal views of average intensities from each time-point in (A) WT (4.7: N = 3, 5.3: N = 4, 5.7: N = 13, 6.3: N = 11) and (B) chd mutant (4.7: N = 3, 5.3: N = 5, 5.7: N = 11, 6.3: N = 9) embryos. (C–F) Average marginal intensities for WT (blue) and chd mutant (red) embryos from 5.7 to 6.3 hpf. (G) Average marginal intensities for WT (blue, N = 4) and bmp2/7 RNA injected embryos at 5.7 (grey, N = 4) and 6.3 hpf (black, N = 5). Error bars indicate standard deviation. (H,I) Fully ventralized (V5) embryos injected with 6 pg of bmp7a RNA and 12 pg of bmp2b RNA vs uninjected WT siblings. (J) WT (N = 9) vs chd+/- (N = 10) at 5.7 hpf.
Interestingly, the loss of chordin did not cause an increase in the ventral-most P-Smad5 peak level either (Figure 6C–F,S1A), suggesting that Chordin does not actively block BMP signaling there. However, Smad5 or another signal transducing component could be limiting in the ventral-most cells of WT embryos, rendering them unresponsive to further increases in free ligand. To investigate this possibility, we overexpressed Bmp2/7 ligand in WT embryos at a level that fully ventralizes (V5) them at 24 hpf (Figure 6H,I). We quantified P-Smad5 at 5.7 and 6.5 hpf and found that the gradient showed a significant increase in signaling embryo-wide over WT siblings, including in the ventral-most region (Figure 6G). These results indicate that BMP signaling in ventral regions is not saturated in WT embryos and that Chordin does not regulate the peak P-Smad5 levels by promoting or inhibiting signaling at these stages.
We next tested whether the P-Smad5 gradient is robust to heterozygosity of chordin. The Drosophila P-Mad gradient shows some small changes in sog heterozygotes (sog is the chordin homolog) compared to WT (Eldar et al., 2002; Umulis et al., 2010). In zebrafish chordin heterozygotes do not show any DV patterning phenotype at 24 hpf (Hammerschmidt et al., 1996). Consistent with this, we found that the chordin heterozygous and WT BMP signaling gradients were indistinguishable at 5.7 hpf (Figure 6J). Therefore, the BMP signaling gradient in zebrafish is robust to chordin heterozygosity and to a potential 50% decrease in Chordin levels, but not to the complete loss of Chordin.
We then constrained the mathematical model-based computational screen with the WT, the chordin mutant and heterozygote P-Smad5 gradients at 5.7 hpf, assuming that heterozygotes have half the Chordin level of WT. We determined which mechanisms and simulations remained compatible with these new results (Figure 7A,B). We eliminated simulations that deviated by more than 8% from the chordin heterozygous or homozygous P-Smad5 gradients (Figure 7C–D). Many mathematical model simulations that fit the WT BMP signaling gradient no longer fit our chordin heterozygous and homozygous mutant data. Of the 15,142 simulations that fit the WT gradient alone, only 4059 fit the WT, chordin +/-, and chordin mutant gradients (Figure 7E–E’). Of those, all were either source-sink or counter-gradient mechanisms (Figure 7E’). All simulations classified as shuttling had chordin LOF BMP distributions that deviated from the measured chordin mutant P-Smad5 gradient by more than 17% (Figure 7C). Many, but not all, simulations classified as counter-gradient deviated by more than 8% in their BMP distributions from the measured chordin heterozygous P-Smad5 gradient (Figure 7D). Fitting the chd LOF and chd heterozygous data eliminated more counter-gradient than source-sink solutions, with 28% of the source-sink solutions remaining but only 15% of the counter-gradient solutions remaining.
Biophysical values of individual simulations that fit both the WT and chd LOF P-Smad5 gradients.
(A) BMP distributions of 5 individual modeling solutions (WT: black dotted lines, chd LOF: grey dotted lines) plotted against WT (blue line) and chd LOF (red line) 5.7 hpf P-Smad5 gradients. Error bars indicate standard deviation of experimental P-Smad5 intensity. (B) BMP distributions of 5 individual modeling solutions (WT: black dotted lines, chd +/-: grey dotted lines) plotted against WT (blue line) and chd +/- (green line) 5.7 hpf P-Smad5 gradients. Error bars indicate standard deviation of experimental P-Smad5 intensity. (C,D,F–J,L, M) 1000 randomly selected parameter combinations capable of fitting both the WT data, chd +/-, chd LOF data classified by mechanism. Larger circular points fit the WT P-Smad gradient and are colored based on their mechanism according to the definitions outlined in Figure 4C: counter-gradient (red), source-sink (blue), transcriptional (orange), or shuttling (green). Combinations that failed to fit the WT P-Smad5 gradient are small grey dots. (C–D) Normalized Root Mean Squared Deviation (NRMSD) between the measured P-Smad5 and the model BMP distributions. Black dotted lines mark the 8% threshold. (C) Comparing WT and chd LOF. (D) Comparing WT and chd +/-. (E) Parameter combinations that fit both the WT and chd LOF data (blue) and those that failed to do so (grey). (E’) parameter combinations were classified to have a source-sink (blue), counter-gradient (red), or shuttling (green) mechanism. (F–J) Simulation using the bmp expression domain displayed in Figure 4D. (L,M) Simulation using the bmp expression domain displayed in Figure 4E. (F,L) BMP diffusivity vs. BMP decay rate. Green dotted line marks the BMP diffusivity we measured using FRAP (4.4 µm2/s). (G,M) Range was estimated as sqrt(diffusivity/decay). (H) Chd diffusivity vs. Chd decay rate plus the rate of Chd cleavage by Tld. (I) Rate of Chd cleavage by Tld vs rate of BMP-Chd cleavage by Tld. (J) BMP-Chd diffusivity for source-sink and counter-gradient simulation solutions. (K) Pie chart showing the parameter combinations that fit the WT data (blue) or failed to do so (grey) for the alternative scenario where the bmp expression domain mirrors the measured P-Smad5 gradient (Figure 3I). (K’) Pie chart of the solutions that had a source-sink (blue), counter-gradient (red), transcriptional (orange), or shuttling (green) mechanism.
The remaining mechanisms required different and specific combinations of biophysical parameters. The source-sink solutions required a high BMP range of 60+ µm with a diffusivity above 1 µm2/s (Figure 7F,G). The counter-gradient mechanism required a lower BMP range, less than 60 µm, a high Chordin range above 40 µm with a diffusivity above 2 µm2/s (Figure 7G,H). Consistent with this, very high rates of Chordin cleavage by Tolloid restricted Chordin range and therefore was not compatible with the counter-gradient mechanism (Figure 7I). While BMP diffusivity needed to be high in source-sink solutions, BMP-Chd diffusivity was not restricted in either the source-sink or counter-gradient solutions (Figure 7J).
We then tested whether the transcriptional mechanism could also fit the chordin mutant data. We used the simulation in which the bmp expression profile matched the WT P-Smad5 gradient (Figure 4E). Of the 148,646 simulations that fit the WT data alone, 227 fit the WT, chordin heterozygous, and chordin mutant gradients, all of which were source-sink (Figure 7K,K’). These source-sink simulations required a high BMP diffusivity and range (Figure 7L,M), similar to what was observed in the simulation with the measured bmp expression profile (Figure 7F,G). However, while 83,747 simulations fit a transcriptional mechanism with the WT data alone, none fit the WT, chordin heterozygous, and chordin mutant gradients (Figure 7K,K’). This is because only a change in the bmp expression domain in the chordin mutant allows a transcriptional mechanism to fit both the WT and chordin mutant data.
The bmp expression domain is known to become responsive to BMP signaling, creating a positive feedback loop during gastrulation (Hammerschmidt et al., 1996; Nguyen et al., 1998; Schmid et al., 2000). Gastrulation begins in zebrafish at 6 hpf. While the initial bmp expression domains are established independently of BMP feedback, a BMP feedback loop becomes active with reported onset times ranging from ~5.5 to 6.5 hpf (Kishimoto et al., 1997; Miller-Bertoglio et al., 1999; Ramel and Hill, 2013; Schmid et al., 2000). To test whether the bmp expression domain changes in chordin mutants at 4.7 to 5.7 hpf, we compared the bmp2b domain size in sibling chordin-/- and chordin +/- embryos (Figure 3D,E). chordin heterozygotes display a WT phenotype (Hammerschmidt et al., 1996; Miller-Bertoglio et al., 1999) and we found that they also display a WT P-Smad5 gradient (Figure 6J). There was no discernable difference in the bmp2b domain size at 4.7, 5.3, or 5.7 hpf (Figure 3D,E), indicating that bmp transcriptional feedback is not active before 5.7 hpf. Similarly, the noggin expression domain size did not change in chordin mutants before 5.7 hpf (Figure 3C). Therefore, the increase in BMP signaling activity observed already at 4.7 hpf in chordin mutants (Figure 6A–C) precedes a change in bmp expression, showing that the transcriptional mechanism cannot account for the P-Smad5 gradient profiles prior to 5.7 hpf. We observed a change in bmp2b expression by 7 hpf, consistent with previous findings that bmp transcriptional feedback activates after gastrulation begins (Figure 3D’’’,E’’’) (Kishimoto et al., 1997; Miller-Bertoglio et al., 1999; Ramel and Hill, 2013; Schmid et al., 2000).
The combination of WT and chordin mutant P-Smad5 gradients limits the number of computationally-derived model simulations and, importantly, reduces the number of mechanisms to two: source-sink and counter-gradient. We and others have largely purported the counter-gradient mechanism as acting in vertebrate DV patterning (Blitz et al., 2000; Hama and Weinstein, 2001; Little and Mullins, 2006; Sasai and De Robertis, 1997; Thomsen, 1997). To our surprise, the source-sink modeling simulations emerged more frequently within our computational screen than the counter-gradient simulations (Figure 7E’). To test the source-sink mechanism further, we investigated BMP ligand diffusivity, a biophysical parameter that must be high in this mechanism (Figure 7F). To test if BMP diffusivity excludes or supports the source-sink mechanism, we measured the effective diffusivity of the Bmp2b ligand using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP).
We tagged Bmp2b by inserting the coding sequence of the fluorescent protein Venus between the pro- and mature coding domains of bmp2b. When mRNA of bmp2b-venus was injected into 1-cell stage zebrafish embryos, we detected both the pro- and mature domains of Bmp2b-Venus protein on a western blot (Figure 8A, black arrows, n = 3). We did not detect protein with a molecular weight equal to Venus alone in the embryos injected with bmp2b-venus, indicating that the Venus tag was not cleaved from Bmp2b during post-translational processing (Figure 8A, red arrow). The Venus tag did not interfere with Bmp2b activity, since the injected mRNA significantly ventralized WT embryos (Figure 8B, Row 1). To further assess the activity and range of the Bmp2b-Venus chimera, we tested if Bmp2b-Venus could rescue embryos deficient in Bmp2b. As previously reported for bmp2b RNA (Nguyen et al., 1998), we could rescue Bmp2b deficient embryos to a WT phenotype by injecting bmp2b-venus RNA (Figure 8B, Rows 5–7).
Measuring Bmp2b-Venus diffusivity via FRAP.
(A) Detection of Bmp2b-Venus and secreted Venus proteins by western blot. Embryos were injected with bmp2b-venus mRNA (250 pg) or secreted-Venus mRNA (200 pg) at the one-cell stage. Protein lysates were prepared at late blastula stage. In the Bmp2b-Venus overexpression sample, two major protein bands were detected by Venus antibody (black arrows). The larger molecular weight protein is the pro- and mature domains of Bmp2b with Venus protein (669 amino acids (AA),~74 KDa). The smaller protein is the mature domain of Bmp2b with Venus protein (376 AA,~41 KDa). The secreted Venus protein (248 AA,~27 KDa) is also detected in the secreted-Venus overexpression sample (red arrow). β-actin was used as a loading control. (B) 24 hpf phenotypes of embryos injected with the bmp2b-venus construct used for FRAP experiments, controls, and rescue. Dorsalization was classified as C5: Loss of all ventral structures; C4-C3: Loss of, or truncated tail; C2-C1: Loss of ventral tail fin. Ventralization is classified as V1: reduction is eye size; V2-V3: the eyes, notochord, and anterior brain are partially or completely absent; or V4-V5: complete loss of all dorsal structures. Fluorescent BMP-Venus (C) or Venus (D) recovery after photobleaching for 20 min. (E–G) Plots of fluorescent intensity recovery in the extracellular region. Bold lines are mean curves, thin lines are raw intensity data. (H) BMP diffusivity vs. BMP decay rate for simulations that fit WT, chd +/-, and chd -/- P-Smad5 profiles and were within 2 µm2/s of 4.4 µm2/s. Large blue circles are simulations classified as source-sink, red are counter-gradient, and small grey dots failed to fit the measured P-Smad5 profiles. (I) The mean BMP and Chd concentrations in all solutions that fit the WT, chd-/-, and chd +/- P-Smad5 data and within a diffusivity of 2.4 and 6.4 µm2/s that are also robust to uniform Chd production.
To perform the FRAP, we injected bmp2b-venus mRNA into a single blastomere at the 8 cell stage (Figure 8B, Row 3) and then photobleached a 160 µm cube of cells in 4.3 hpf embryos (Figure 8C). We then measured recovery of fluorescence over one hour. To ensure we only recorded extracellular Bmp2b-Venus, we photobleached a region away from the cells producing Bmp2b-Venus. The bleached region recovered fluorescence to its initial level in ~30 min (Figure 8C,E), corresponding to a measured Bmp2b-Venus effective diffusivity of 4.4 ± 0.4 µm2/s (SEM (standard error of the mean), n = 5). To ensure that we were only measuring the diffusivity of Bmp2b-Venus alone and not Bmp2b-Venus bound to Chordin, we repeated the FRAP experiment in Chordin deficient embryos (Figure 8B, Rows 3–4). Again, the bleached region recovered fluorescence to its initial level in ~30 min (Figure 8F), corresponding to a measured Bmp2b-Venus effective diffusivity of 4.0 ± 0.5 µm2/s (SEM, n = 5). To determine the extent to which Venus limited Bmp2b diffusion, we measured the diffusivity of Venus alone. The bleached region recovered fluorescence much more rapidly, and neared its initial level in 5 min (Figure 8D,G), corresponding to a measured Venus effective diffusivity of 16.3 ± 2.2 µm2/s (SEM, n = 5). This faster rate of Venus diffusion indicates that it per se does not reduce BMP2 diffusion.
A measured BMP diffusivity of ~4 µm2/s fits a large portion of the source-sink modeling simulations. In fact, 1421 source-sink simulations have diffusivities within 2 µm2/s of our measured diffusivity (Figure 8H). In contrast, only 31 counter-gradient simulations were within 2 µm2/s of our measured diffusivity, and these simulations have very high BMP decay rates (above 10−3/s) (Figure 8H). A decay rate of that magnitude would cause the half-life of BMP ligand in the embryo to be very short, <10 min for decay rates above 1 × 10−3/s. We can infer the BMP lifetime in the embryo based on our previous studies. We found previously that a pulse of injected BMP ligand protein in a bmp deficient embryo sustains P-Smad5 for at least 1.5 hr after injection (Little and Mullins, 2009). In another study, we found that P-Smad5 can persist for a maximum of 40–60 min in the absence of BMP signaling (Tucker et al., 2008). Thus, P-Smad5 persistence 1.5 hr after a BMP protein pulse indicates that the ligand remains for at least 30 to 50 min after injection, if P-Smad5 can persist for 40–60 min in the absence of signaling. A BMP ligand lifetime of 30 to 50 min is inconsistent with the low BMP half-lives required for the counter-gradient simulations, but consistent with the BMP half-lives of source-sink simulations (Figure 8H), suggesting that the source-sink mechanism much more likely establishes the BMP signaling gradient patterning the zebrafish DV axis.
Finally, we asked whether the source-sink and counter-gradient mechanisms are robust to uniform chordin expression. Uniformly expressing chordin by mRNA injection into one-cell stage chordin mutant embryos has been used to rescue chordin mutant embryos to adulthood (Fisher and Halpern, 1999), including in our study here. We simulated the system with ubiquitous Chordin production and determined that 426 of the 1452 solutions that fit our WT, chordin-/-, and chordin +/- data with a BMP diffusivity within 2 um2/s of our measured 4.4 um2/s retain a WT BMP gradient when Chordin is uniformly produced. We did not titrate the Chordin production rate, but had we done so, more simulations may have fit. Interestingly, the 426 remaining solutions are all source-sink mechanisms with gradients of Chordin that are high dorsally and low ventrally (Figure 8I).
Our results show that the BMP signaling gradient patterning the zebrafish DV axis is markedly different from the one patterning the Drosophila DV axis. The zebrafish BMP signaling gradient is broad, reaching half of its maximum at ~40% of the total DV axis length (Figure 2F). In contrast, the Drosophila gradient is incredibly steep, reaching half of its peak at only ~10% of the total embryo DV axis length (Figure 9A) (Peluso et al., 2011; Sutherland et al., 2003). Similarly, the loss of the main BMP antagonist in either organism, Chordin or Sog, causes markedly different effects on the BMP signaling gradient (Figure 9A) (Mizutani et al., 2005; Peluso et al., 2011; Sutherland et al., 2003).
Comparing Zebrafish and Drosophila-like solutions.
(A) Depiction of the BMP gradients patterning the Drosophila and zebrafish DV axis. The Drosophila DV axis has been flipped to match the zebrafish. Solid lines are WT. Dotted lines are chd or sog LOF. (B) List of homologous proteins involved in DV patterning of zebrafish and Drosophila. (C–F) Solutions able to fit WT and chd LOF zebrafish data (blue) vs. solutions capable of fitting Drosophila-like WT and Drosophila-like sog LOF gradients (red). Parameter combinations that failed to fit either are represented as small grey dots. (C) Chd diffusivity vs. Chd decay rate, which includes the rate of Chd cleavage by Tld. (D) Diffusivity of BMP bound to Chd vs. decay rate of BMP bound to Chd. (E) Range was estimated as sqrt(diffusivity/decay). (F) Cleavage rate of Chd and BMP-Chd by Tolloid. (G) BMP diffusivity vs. BMP decay rate.
Zebrafish and Drosophila DV patterning differ in both length-scale and time-scale. The Drosophila embryo has a 250 µm half-circumference, while the zebrafish embryo has a 700 µm half-circumference. The zebrafish gradient is established gradually in ~2–3 hr and maintained for several hours (Ramel and Hill, 2013; Tucker et al., 2008), whereas the Drosophila BMP signaling gradient is established and patterns DV tissues in ~1 hr (Dorfman et al., 2001; Wang and Ferguson, 2005). Given these differences, we sought to determine if Drosophila-like shuttling simulations could exist with zebrafish time- and length-scales, and if so, how the biophysical parameters of the components would differ from those consistent with the WT and chordin mutant P-Smad5 gradients (Figure 7).
In the 1,000,000 random simulations tested, we found many simulations that could generate a steep gradient with extensive shuttling in zebrafish. Simulations were considered to be Drosophila-like if their WT gradient reached its half-maximum <10% of the total embryo circumference and the ventral peak of the chordin mutant was 50% lower than the ventral peak level of the WT curve (Mizutani et al., 2005). We found 251 simulations that fit the Drosophila-like WT and chordin mutant signaling gradients. We also excluded simulations with excessive BMP-Noggin interaction, as Drosophila does not possess noggin homologs (Figure 9B).
The Drosophila-like simulations required a very mobile Chordin and BMP-Chordin species. Drosophila-like simulations required Chordin to have a high range to move to encounter the BMP in the ventral region (Figure 9C,E). Similarly, BMP-Chordin needed to have a high range so it could be shuttled a sufficient distance towards the ventral-most region of the embryo (Figure 9D,E). The cleavage of free Chordin by Tolloid needed to be low to allow Chordin range to remain high (Figure 9F). Conversely, the cleavage of bound Chordin needed to be high to release the BMP from Chordin (Figure 9F). Chordin range must be high to allow the formation of a counter-gradient to block signaling in the lateral regions of the embryo (Figure 9E). Conversely, BMP range was relatively unrestricted in Drosophila-like simulations, as the shuttling mechanism relies more on BMP-Chordin mobility than BMP mobility (Figure 9G).
Here we have quantified the BMP signaling gradient in WT and chordin zebrafish mutants by measuring with high precision the P-Smad5 immunofluorescence level in all ~8,000 + nuclei of an embryo, with high reproducibility within and between embryos at multiple developmental stages. We then used these data to inform a computational model-based screen of over 1,250,000 combinations of biophysical parameters of the major extracellular BMP modulators. We defined mathematical criteria to distinguish between four widely proposed mechanisms to set up the BMP signaling gradient. Our computational model-based screen excludes the shuttling and transcriptional mechanisms as possibilities for establishing our measured WT and chordin mutant P-Smad5 profiles, providing compelling evidence that the BMP signaling gradient patterning the zebrafish DV axis is established by either a counter-gradient or source-sink mechanism. We further determined that the effective diffusivity of the BMP ligand in the zebrafish embryo is relatively fast, consistent with 1421 source-sink simulations but only 31 counter-gradient ones (Figure 8H). Comparison of models that satisfy zebrafish or Drosophila-like gradient profiles suggests that the range of BMP-Chordin differs between zebrafish and Drosophila-like DV patterning mechanisms (Figure 9E), and the Drosophila-like patterning mechanism requires restricted Tolloid degradation rates for BMP-Chordin and Chordin, which were not observed for the zebrafish patterning mechanism (Figure 9F).
The shape of the BMP signaling gradient differs greatly between Drosophila and zebrafish DV patterning (Figure 9A). The parameters that drive the most significant difference between the Drosophila-like and zebrafish simulations are the mobility and processing rates of BMP-Chordin (Figures 7I and 9D,F). For shuttling to be possible in a system with a broad peak of signaling, as it is in zebrafish, the BMP-Chordin cleavage rate needed to be low enough to allow BMP-Chordin to move farther and distribute BMP over a larger region (Figure 5F,L). For shuttling to be possible in a system with a tight peak of signaling as it is in Drosophila, BMP-Chordin cleavage needed to be rapid to release BMP-Chordin over a smaller region (Figure 9F). We show that a shuttling mechanism is not functioning in zebrafish, indicating that this delicate balance of BMP-Chordin mobility and Tolloid cleavage has been lost or did not emerge in vertebrate DV patterning.
Sog and its vertebrate homolog Chordin differ in how they are processed by the metalloprotease Tolloid depending on whether it is bound to BMP ligand. Chordin can be cleaved by Tolloid whether bound to BMP ligand or not (Piccolo et al., 1997), while Sog is only cleaved when bound to BMP (Marqués et al., 1997). Interestingly, when Sog is mutated to allow it to be processed by Tolloid regardless of BMP binding, the shuttling of BMP-Sog complexes in flies is greatly reduced (Peluso et al., 2011), suggesting that this attribute of Sog is necessary for effective shuttling. However, surprisingly, we found numerous shuttling simulations in our zebrafish modeling-based screen with the opposite properties, high Chordin cleavage rates and low BMP-Chordin cleavage rates (Figure 5F,L). The requirement for preferential cleavage of BMP-Chordin by Tolloid only emerged when we screened for Drosophila-like simulations, in which shuttling was generating a tight peak of BMP signal (Figure 9A,F). This suggests that the preferential processing of BMP-Sog by Tolloid seen in Drosophila is not an inherent requirement of the shuttling mechanism, but may instead be a result of both the requirement to facilitate shuttling and to generate a steep gradient.
In Drosophila DV patterning, the BMP signaling gradient is so steep that its base falls well within the region of bmp expression, far from the sog/chordin expression domain (Figure 9A) (Francois et al., 1994; Holley et al., 1995). To suppress lateral BMP signaling and form the Drosophila-like simulations seen in our mathematical model-based screen (Figure 9A), Sog/Chordin needed to have a high range to diffuse far from its site of expression to inhibit BMP signaling over most of the bmp expression domain (Figure 9C,E). Therefore, the degradation of free Sog/Chordin by Tolloid needed to be low (Figure 9F). However, to generate a narrow peak of BMP signaling (Figure 9A), BMP-Chordin cleavage by Tolloid needed to be high (Figure 9F). Therefore, the requirement to preserve the range of action of free Chordin, combined with the requirement to rapidly cleave BMP-Chordin to generate a steep peak of signaling may explain why the preferential cleavage of BMP-Sog by Tolloid is needed for shuttling in Drosophila.
While the shuttling mechanism relies on the movement of the bound BMP-Chordin complex, the source-sink and counter-gradient mechanisms rely on the movement of unbound BMP and Chordin. The source-sink mechanism relies on BMP diffusing dorsally to bind Chordin. Conversely, the counter-gradient mechanism relies on Chordin diffusing ventrally to bind BMP. Consistent with this, we found that the majority of simulations consistent with the source-sink mechanism require a high BMP range and a high BMP diffusivity (above 1 µm2/s), while the counter-gradient mechanism requires a high Chordin range and high Chordin diffusivity (above 1 µm2/s) (Figures 5 and 7).
To illustrate the distinct manners by which a source-sink and counter-gradient mechanism would generate the zebrafish BMP signaling gradients observed, we graphically display in Figure 10 the relative contributions of BMP and Chordin diffusion and BMP-Chordin binding to gradient formation for the median simulations that fit our WT, chordin mutant, chordin +/-, and Bmp2b-Venus FRAP data. The primary differences between the source-sink and counter-gradient mechanisms manifest in the relative amount of Chordin protein that diffuses ventrally into the bmp expression domain and the primary role of Chordin in forming the BMP gradient. A counter-gradient mechanism leads to higher levels of Chordin that extend over a greater region of the ventral bmp expression domain compared to a source-sink mechanism (Figure 10A). Counter-gradient and source-sink mechanisms also differ significantly in where Chordin binds and inhibits BMP ligand activity along the DV axis, which is consistent with the distinct Chordin protein distributions (Figure 10A). In a counter-gradient mechanism Chordin binds BMP in a broader domain, extending over a much greater extent of the DV axis than in a source-sink mechanism (Figure 10B,C). In a source-sink mechanism, Chordin binds BMP largely in dorsal regions and extends little ventrally, effectively generating a driving force for the movement of BMP (Figure 10B,C). This dorsal sink of Chordin leads to a diffusive flux of BMP ligand down its concentration gradient (Figure 10C) that largely shapes the BMP signaling profile in a source-sink mechanism (Figure 10C).
How the source-sink and counter-gradient mechanisms shape the gradient.
(A) The mean BMP and Chd concentrations in all source-sink and counter-gradient solutions fitting WT, chd LOF, and chd heterozygous P-Smad5 data and within a diffusivity between 2.4 and 6.4 µm2/s. (B) The diffusive flux divided by the decay [(DBMP/decBMP)*(d[BMP]/dx)*(1/[BMP]max)] of BMP (blue) with units of 103*µm and rate of binding of BMP to Chd (kon*[BMP]*[Chd]) (red) with units of 3.6*10−2*sec−1 for representitive (B) Counter-Gradient and (C) Source-Sink solutions fitting WT, chd LOF, and chd heterozygous P-Smad5 data and within a diffusivity between 2.4 and 6.4 µm2/s (Figure 8).
Importantly, gradient formation by either of these mechanisms need not be exclusive, and instead characteristics of each can contribute to some extent in shaping sectors of the other’s gradient. In the source-sink simulation in Figure 10A,C, Chordin forms a small counter-gradient partially contributing to the gradient shape in this region. Thus, in some source-sink simulations, Chordin shaped the gradient by simultaneously binding ligand to block signaling in lateral positions and by establishing a sink that serves as a driving force for the diffusive flux of ligand from ventral positions dorsally towards the regions of higher Chordin. Though each solution is classified by the dominant mechanism, many share some aspects of both the source-sink and counter-gradient mechanisms.
We measured BMP diffusivity for the first time in vertebrates. Using FRAP, we show that BMP can diffuse relatively freely with a diffusivity of 4.4 ± 0.4 µm2/s (Figure 8E), about 4-fold less than secreted Venus diffusion in the zebrafish blastula (≈16 µm2/s) (Figure 8G). Our measured BMP diffusivity is comparable to the diffusivity of Squint (Ndr1, D = 3.2 µm2/s), another TGF-β ligand in the zebrafish blastula that acts as a long-range mesoderm inducer (Müller et al., 2012). This high BMP diffusivity is consistent with previous BMP heterodimer protein injections into the extracellular space of BMP-deficient embryos, which could extend throughout the embryo and restore the WT P-Smad5 gradient within 1.5 hr, suggesting the BMP ligand can move rapidly (Little and Mullins, 2009).
Our computational screen found hundreds of simulations with a BMP diffusivity near 4.4 µm2/s. The vast majority of those simulations were classified as having a source-sink mechanism. The remaining few are classified as having a counter-gradient mechanism. This paucity of counter-gradient simulations is a reflection of the fine-tuning needed for this mechanism to work as compared to the source-sink mechanism. The counter-gradient mechanism requires a specific balance of Chordin diffusivity and decay as well as Tolloid degradation, while the source-sink mechanism does not (Figure 7H,I). Together, this suggests that the source-sink mechanism is more robust to changes in biophysical parameters than the counter-gradient mechanism, but does not rule out the counter-gradient mechanism entirely.
The recent observation that bmp2b and bmp7a are expressed in a graded manner in WT embryos has lead to the hypothesis that the BMP signaling gradient may largely reflect the bmp expression gradient (Ramel and Hill, 2013). We sought to determine if the BMP signaling gradient in zebrafish is predominantly established by matching the bmp expression gradient. Three results do not support this hypothesis. First, the relative shape of the bmp2b expression domain (Figure 3) did not precisely match the P-Smad5 gradient (Figure 2). Second, we mathematically defined a gradient established by a transcriptional mechanism as one where 80% of the BMP accumulates or is degraded where it is produced, as opposed to binding antagonists or diffusing away. When we performed a mathematical model-based computational screen using a bmp expression profile that reflected the P-Smad5 WT gradient, no tested parameter combination fit both our measured WT and chordin LOF P-Smad5 gradients. For the transcriptional mechanism to work, the bmp expression domain would have to change in the chordin mutant condition to fit the mutant gradient profile.
Finally, we showed that feedback by BMP signaling on bmp expression does not begin until after 5.7 hpf. This is likely because the initial bmp expression domain is established by maternal factors and repression from Bozozok, a transcription factor activated by maternal Wnt signaling (Koos and Ho, 1999; Langdon and Mullins, 2011; Leung et al., 2003; Solnica-Krezel et al., 2001). FGF (Fibroblast Growth Factor) and Nodal signaling also repress bmp expression dorsally (Fürthauer et al., 2004; Kuo et al., 2013; Maegawa et al., 2006; Shimizu et al., 2000; Varga et al., 2007). Importantly, BMP signaling does not play a role in the initial establishment of the bmp and chordin expression domains at 4 hpf, as both are unchanged prior to ~6 hpf in BMP pathway mutants (Kishimoto et al., 1997; Miller-Bertoglio et al., 1997; Schmid et al., 2000). At or after ~6 hpf, the bmp expression domain begins to respond to changes in BMP signaling levels, as bmp expression decreases in BMP pathway mutants and increases in BMP antagonist mutants (Kishimoto et al., 1997; Miller-Bertoglio et al., 1999; Nguyen et al., 1998; Ramel and Hill, 2013; Schmid et al., 2000). We show that the bmp2b expression domain does not begin to shift in response to the loss of chordin until after 5.7 hpf (Figure 3), while the P-Smad5 gradient shifts as early as 4.7 hpf (Figure 6).
While we show that the transcriptional mechanism cannot entirely account for the measured P-Smad5 WT, chordin +/-, and chordin -/- profiles, the shape of the transcriptional gradient does still contribute to gradient shape. Four-fold more individual solutions fit the WT, chd +/-, and chd -/- P-Smad5 profiles when the bmp expression input matched our measured bmp2b level (0.4%) than when bmp expression was set to match the P-Smad5 profile (0.1%) (Figure 7E,K). Counter-gradient solutions only appeared when the bmp expression input was broader than the P-Smad5 profile (Figure 7E’,K’). More source-sink solutions were present when the bmp expression input was broader because BMP did not need to travel as far or fast (Figure 7F,G vs. Figure 7L,M) to reach the dorsal sink. Together, these effects show that the shape of the bmp expression domain contributes to BMP gradient formation even if it does not entirely account for it, similar to that found for the bicoid transcript and protein gradients that pattern the Drosophila AP axis (Little et al., 2011).
Although we and most others in the vertebrate field have contended that a Chordin (or BMP antagonist) counter-gradient drives formation of the BMP activity gradient in DV patterning, our studies here, intriguingly, suggest that an alternate source-sink mechanism may prevail. While the source-sink gradient mechanism is also modulated by Chordin, Chordin instead acts in a distinct manner as a sink, binding BMP ligand predominantly in dorsal regions, thus allowing a BMP diffusive gradient to form throughout most of the ventral half of the embryo. Key to deriving this alternate model was the integrated approach used that combined quantitative experimental analysis with computational modeling. Importantly, a role for Chordin in establishing a sink that drives gradient formation would not have been revealed to us had we not performed the mathematical model-based computational screen. By narrowing the compatible simulations successively with the WT, chordin +/-, and then chordin mutant P-Smad5 profiles, 15-fold more source-sink simulations than counter-gradient simulations perdured (Figure 7E’). Furthermore, the computational modeling also illuminated the BMP diffusivity parameter as one to further test the source-sink mechanism. Significantly, our measured Bmp2 diffusivity further supports the source-sink mechanism of gradient formation. Thus the seamless integration of quantitative experimental analysis with mathematical model-based computational screens has proved to be a highly successful approach to elucidating mechanisms of BMP gradient formation. Future studies will be required to definitively determine the mechanism and further test the source-sink and counter gradient models of BMP gradient formation.
WT zebrafish embryos were injected with mRNA at the 1-cell stage. bmp2b and bmp7a RNA were made using the SP6 MMessage Machine kit (Life Technologies AM1340). bmp2b or bmp7a cDNA in a pBluescript II KS-construct was linearized with NotI. To overexpress BMP, 6 pg of bmp7a RNA and 12 pg of bmp2b RNA were injected. Resulting embryos had a V5 fully ventralized phenotype at 24 hpf (Figure 6H,I).
Whole-mount in situ hybridizations were performed using RNA DIG probes as described using, chordin (Miller-Bertoglio et al., 1997) and noggin1 (Dal-Pra et al., 2006). RNA probes were generated using the Roche DIG RNA labeling kit (11277073910). Embryos were cleared in glycerol, and photographed using a Leica IC80 HD. Images were processed using ImageJ and MATLAB. In situs were stained with Anti-DIG-Alkaline Phosphatase (Roche 11093274910) and developed using BM Purple (Roche Life Sciences).
The sizes of the chordin and noggin expression domains were determined by image processing with MATLAB. Centerpoints of animal views of each embryo were determined by thresholding. The boundaries of the noggin and chordin expression domains relative to the center of the animal view were determined by a second threshold. These points were connected by line segments and the angle was measured (Figure 3A,B).
Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed on fixed cryosections using a RNAscope Fluorescent Multiplex Kit (Advanced Cell Diagnostics (ACD)). Embryos were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS at 4°C overnight. Embryos equilibrate in 30% sucrose until they sink and incubated in fresh 30% sucrose for 3 days at 4°C. Cryosections (20 μm) at the marginal region were collected on slides, followed by air drying for 30 min at −20°C. In situ hybridization was performed according to the manufacturer’s instructions (ACD). A custom C2 probe was designed for bmp2b (#456471-C2). bmp2b probe was used at 1:10 dilution. Sections were stained for DAPI and images were acquired at 63 × oil objective using a Zeiss 800 upright confocal.
Relative intensity quantification of mRNA levels was performed on maximum intensity projections of 20 μm sections. Marginal cells were grouped into 10 degree intervals along the marginal circumference. Average intensity was quantified in each section using the MATLAB image analysis toolbox. Averaged bmp2b mRNA levels in 2.5 hpf embryos were used to measure background. We found equivalent intensity levels and distributions in the 2.5 hpf embyros and the dorsal bmp2b signal in Wt 5.7 hpf embryo suggesting limited to zero bmp2b expression in the dorsal region. For each cross-section, the right and left side of the distributions were averaged into a single ventral to dorsal profile.
Embryos were fixed overnight in 4% paraformaldehyde at 4°C, blocked in NCS-PBST (10% fetal bovine serum, 1% DMSO, 0.1% Tween 20 in PBS), and probed overnight with a 1:100 dilution of anti-phosphoSmad1/5/8 antibody (Cell Signaling Technology, #9511, discontinued), followed by a 1:500 dilution of goat anti-rabbit Alexa Fluor 647-conjugated antibody (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Rockford, IL; Cat# A-21244, RRID:AB_2535812). Embryos were mounted in BABB (benzyl alcohol (Sigma B-1042) and benzyl benzoate (Sigma B-6630), 1:2 ratio) and scanned using a Zeiss LSM 710 confocal microscope with a LD LCI Plan-Achromat 25x/0.8 Imm Corr DIC M27 multi-immersion lens. The oil-immersion setting was used to reduce Mie scattering distortion, spherical aberrations, and chromatic aberrations by minimizing refractive index (R.I.) mismatch between the lens oil (R.I. = 1.518), the coverslip, BABB (R.I.≈1.56), and the light scattering particles in the embryo (R.I.≈1.56). Fluorophore bleaching was greatly reduced by precise embryo orientation, reducing sample thickness, and by high scan speeds using a Zeiss LSM 710 confocal microscope. Nuclei were visualized with Sytox Orange (Molecular Probes) or Sytox Green (Molecular Probes).
Immunostained P-Smad5 embryos were processed and imaged as described above. We observed minimal photo-bleaching and spherical aberration (Figure 11A–C). We wrote a Matlab algorithm capable of identifying all 8000 + nuclei centerpoints in each embryo in 3D, removing populations unresponsive to P-Smad5 (such as yolk syncytial nuclei and dividing cells), and extracting the P-Smad5 intensities associated with each nucleus (Figure 11D–L). The resulting individual digital embryos (Figure 2A’–E’) from each condition were averaged together to generate large datasets from which embryo-wide P-Smad5 levels could be quantified in WT and mutant conditions (Figure 6A–B).
Quantifying nuclear P-Smad5 intensities embryo-wide.
(A) Marginal P-Smad5 intensity from a chd LOF embryo imaged twice. (B) Average P-Smad5 intensity drop-off from photo-bleaching of all nuclei in embryos imaged twice (N = 5). (C) There is minimal intensity drop-off due to spherical aberration, as shown by the average intensity of the nuclear DNA stain (Sytox Orange) versus distance from the coverslip (4.7: N = 3, 5.3: N = 4, 5.7: N = 13, 6.3: N = 11, 6.7: N = 4). (D) Maximum projection of an animal view of a single embryo. (E) Nuclei centerpoints (red dots) identified from the sytox nuclear stain (blue). (F) Measured centerpoint nuclear intensities displayed as a heatmap. (G) P-Smad5 is absent in dividing cells (red stain, yellow arrows). Dividing cells have bright condensed chromatin (green stain, yellow arrows). (H) Bright condensed chromatin was used to identify dividing cells. Cells with a 40% elevated DNA stain over the mean (red line) were eliminated from the analysis. (I) Lateral view of a single embryo. (J) Sparse Yolk Syncytial Layer nuclei below the margin are eliminated. (K) Single lateral slice depicting the elimination of remaining yolk syncytial layer nuclei and enveloping layer nuclei by subtracting the outer 15% of all nuclei (filled in circles) to leave only deep cell nuclei (open circles). (L) Lateral view of embryo after outer 15% has been eliminated.
Nuclear intensities of P-Smad5 were extracted from the stacks of images generated using Matlab algorithms (source code in Supplementary files 1).
The centerpoints of all the nuclei were located using the Sytox DNA stain. The ‘.lsm’ files were converted to ‘.tif’ files using ImageJ, and then imported into Matlab as 1024 × 1024 X Z multidimensional arrays. XY pixels were 0.55 um, Z pixels were 2.3 um. The images were then smoothed using a 9 × 9×3 kernel (most nuclei are 10 × 10×4 pixels large). Local minima and maxima were removed using the ‘imhmax’ and ‘imhmin’ functions. The remaining maxima were found using the ‘imregionalmax’ function on the entire 1024 × 1024 X Z array. Maxima closer together than six pixels were assumed to be in the same nucleus, and were combined. The remaining maxima were assumed to be the centerpoints of the nuclei (Figure 11E).
These centerpoints were used to extract P-Smad5 intensities on the P-Smad5 channel. P-Smad5 distribution in each nucleus was approximately uniform, so a small sphere within each nucleus was averaged to attain the P-Smad5 intensity. On the P-Smad5 channel, pixels within a spherical 6 × 6 × 3 kernel of each maxima were averaged.
Cell types unresponsive to Bmp signaling were removed. P-Smad5 appears to be uniformly distributed throughout the cytoplasm during cell division, making measurement impractical (Figure 11G). In dividing cells, chromatin condenses making DNA stains such as Sytox concentrated and bright. Cells with a bright DNA fluorescence staining above 140% of the mean DNA fluorescence were considered dividing and eliminated from the analysis. Extra-embryonic cells such as the Enveloping Layer (EVL) and the Yolk Syncytial Layer (YSL) did not appear to respond to BMP ligand the same way as the deep cells. These cell types are not patterned along the DV axis by BMP, and were eliminated from our analysis. To do so, sparse EVL cells located below the vegetal margin were eliminated by hand (Figure 11J). Next, the inner and outer layer of approximately 15% of the total cells was eliminated (Figure 11K,L). The remaining cells were assumed to be non-dividing deep cells.
Embryos of similar stages were then aligned and conformed to a template embryo of the same stage using Coherent Point Drift (CPD) (Myronenko and Song, 2010b). Embryos were aligned in the AP direction by fitting them to a sphere, finding a plane that spanned the marginal region, and rotating until that plane was aligned with the XY axis. Embryos were aligned in the DV direction using the embryonic shield as a morphological marker. Before 6 hpf, when the shield is not present, the embryos were aligned in the DV direction by fitting a polynomial regression to the P-Smad5 gradient around the margin and rotating until the max peak was ventral. Next, embryos were all aligned to a template using an affine CPD (Myronenko and Song, 2010b). This corrected for any distortions in embryo shape that may have occurred during fixation and staining.
Embryos from the same set were subjected to no normalization. Embryos stained and imaged on different days with different settings were normalized by multiplying the entire set by a single scalar value. To determine this normalization scalar, control WT embryos were always imaged in conjunction with each experimental condition. The scalar normalization value was determined by minimizing the sum of the error between the control WT embryos imaged on different days.
To generate marginal profiles, a 40 um thick band of cells around the vegetal margin was chosen for each embryo. Cells within that band were grouped into 10 degree intervals and averaged together to form 36 individual points. The left and right side of the gradient were averaged together into a single ventral to dorsal profile. For 3-D embryo-wide averages, all nuclei were projected onto a sphere fitting the embryo. The sphere was then divided into 4800 approximately equilateral triangles. All nuclei falling within each triangle were averaged together. Slopes were obtained by fitting a lowess fit to the averaged 3-D data’s spherical coordinates phi and theta using the ‘fit’ function in Matlab. To determine if the marginal gradients of WT and chordin mutant embryos were significantly different, two-tailed T-Tests were performed with a rejection of the null hypothesis at the 5% significance level (Figure 6, Figure 6—figure supplement 1A).We observed a difference in WT vs. chordin mutant embryos that was much larger than our observed embryo-to-embryo variability (Figure 6). Our t-tests confirmed that our sample sizes are sufficient to discern differences between the WT and chordin mutant embryos (Figure 6, Figure 6—figure supplement 1A).
For each set of parameters defined in the parameter vector, we solved the five non-linear partial differential equations (PDEs) for BMP ligand, Chordin, Noggin, and the complexes of BMP-Chordin, BMP-Noggin in MATLAB (Figure 4, Figure 4—figure supplement 1A). Equations were solved on the half-circumference, with ‘symmetry’ boundary conditions imposed on the first and last node-point in the spatial discretization. The half-circumference was discretized into 36 node points with equidistant spacing and the second order spatial derivative is discretized via the finite difference method. The production regions of BMP ligand, Chordin, Noggin, are specified along the nodes by mapping the spatial position to subsequent node position (Figures 3 and 4D,E, Table 1). Tld is treated parametrically as a function of position according to its domain of expression (Figure 4D,E,Table 1). Time-stepping of the simulation is handled by the adaptive solver ode15s with a relative tolerance set to 1e-9. The model is solved for the developmental window that spans from 3.5 to 5.7 hpf and all measurements of model error are calculated at 5.7 hpf.
For each model iteration, parameters were selected from a uniform distribution in log space that covered four orders of magnitude within the physiological range for each parameter. Each parameter was selected independently of the remaining parameters. Adaptive and subsampling methods that increase parameter selection in regions with high variance in model output were not used in our parameter selection for a number of reasons. Firstly, a parameter matrix is produced that is then subdivided across distributed computers to solve the PDEs to produce a stored file of model solutions and parameter vectors associated with the stored solution. For each parameter vector, the PDE system is converted into a set of 180 ordinary differential equations after discretization and dynamically solved for WT, chd−/−, nog−/−, and chd+/- conditions using the implicit solver ode15s. Ode15s is well suited to problems with numerical stiffness that arise during numerical screens with random parameters. Thus, for an ensemble of 1 million parameter vectors, the system of differential equations are solved four times to simulate the wt and mutant conditions, increasing the total model evaluations to 4 million. Following calculation of the model solutions for each parameter vector, post processing, sorting, and calculation of model fitness against the data is handled by a separate program that operates on the stored solutions. The separation of model evaluation from model analysis allows for much greater flexibility, the total number of simulation results, and an ability to add additional simulation results to existing simulations that have previously been computed. If a job is interrupted, the index and solutions up to the parameter index are stored and simulation jobs can be restarted at the last iteration point.
Random sampling is not susceptible to the ‘curse of dimensionality’ that is common to regular grid spacing methods allowing for more efficient estimation of the NRMSD landscape in Figure 7(C,D), and random points fill in the parameter space more evenly than regular grid spacing that forces evaluations of the model within the same parameter hyperplane (Caflisch et al., 1998). Figure 7C,D demonstrates the dense coverage and sampling to estimate the NRMSD values and dense coverage in regions with acceptable NRMSD values. Random sampling of the biophysical parameters is common to these types of problems (Eldar et al., 2002; von Dassow et al., 2000).
For each parameter vector, the model is initially solved against WT conditions and subsequent simulations for mutant conditions are carried out for the same parameter vector by setting the corresponding production rates for the mutant to zero and re-simulating. Error between the model results and the fluorescent data are calculated via a two-step process. First, the amplitude of the P-Smad5 fluorescent-intensity data and model peak levels for free BMP are normalized as commonly done when calculating a residual with fluorescent intensity data (Hengenius et al., 2014; Pargett and Umulis, 2013). This approximation is valid considering that (1) BMP ligands are not saturating receptors and (2) Smad5 activity is not saturated (Figure 6G). The scaling parameter determined for model-fitness against P-Smad5 was then applied to the remaining model results to capture any changes in BMP levels in the mutant simulations. Residuals were calculated for WT and mutant conditions independently and simulations were scored for passing the WT and mutant conditions independently as opposed to using an aggregate residual. Simulations were classified as transcriptional, source-sink, counter-gradient, or shuttling.
Sequence encoding fluorescent protein Venus was amplified from pBSK12-her1:Ub2-Venus (a gift from Sharon L. Amacher, Ohio State University, OH) (Delaune et al., 2012). This sequence was inserted between the pro- and mature domains of Bmp2b, two amino acids downstream of the proprotein convertase (PC) cleavage site (REKR) with a GSTGTTGGG linker separating the prodomain and the fluorescent protein and a GS linker (GGGGSGGGGS) separating the fluorescent protein from the mature domain. This fusion construct was modified from pCS2(+)-HA-Bmp2b (Little and Mullins, 2009). Sequences encoding Venus protein were also fused to the pro-domain of Bmp2b two amino acids downstream of the proprotein convertase (PC) cleavage site (REKR) with a GSTGTTGGG linker, to generate the secreted-Venus plasmid that lacks the mature Bmp2b ligand domain.
Capped mRNA was synthesized using the mMessage mMachine Kit (Ambion) with SP6 RNA polymerase according to the manufacturer's protocol. Vectors were linearized by digestion with NotI. mRNA encoding the Bmp2b-Venus or secreted-Venus, was injected into one- or eight-cell stage embryos. For rescue experiments, 1 ng of bmp2b MO2 (GTCTGCGTTCCCGTCGTCTCCTAAG) was injected along with 9 pg of bmp2b-venus RNA from a different needle (Imai and Talbot, 2001). To perform FRAP in the absence of Chordin, we injected embryos at the 1 cell stage with 1 ng of chordin MO1 (ATCCACAGCAGCCCCTCCATCATCC) (Nasevicius and Ekker, 2000). Next, bmp2b-venus RNA was injected into a single blastomere at the 8-cell stage. Associated phenotypes are shown in Figure 8B.
Zebrafish embryos were lysed in Pierce RIPA buffer (89900, Thermo Scientific) supplemented with Halt Protease Inhibitor Cocktail (1862209, Thermo Scientific) and Phosphatase inhibitor Cocktail (1862495, Thermo Scientific). Protein samples mixed with Laemmli sample buffer (Bio-rad) were denatured by incubation for 5 min at 98o, and resolved by SDS-PAGE using Mini-PROTEAN TGX Gels (10%, Bio-rad) and transferred to PVDF membranes (Bio-rad). The membranes were blocked with 5% non-fat milk (Bio-rad) in PBST for 1 hr at room temperature, and incubated with primary antibodies in 2% BSA (Sigma) in PBST at 4°C overnight. After that, the membranes were incubated with HRP-coupled secondary antibodies for 1 hr at room temperature. Chemiluminescence was detected using Clarity Western ECL Substrate (Bio-rad) to obtain the image. Using stripping buffer (46430, Thermo Scientific), the membranes were reused to detect β-Actin as loading controls.
Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) mRNA encoding the Bmp2b-Venus fusion protein (50 pg) was injected at the one-cell stage to test the activity of the mRNA in a ventralization assay. Embryos used for FRAP were injected in one cell at the 8-cell stage. Embryos were mounted in 1% low melting point agarose (Sigma) in glass bottom microwell dishes (MatTek Corporation). FRAP experiments were performed using a LSM 800 confocal microscope (Zeiss) with a W Plan-Apochromat 20×/1.0 objective (D = 0.17 M27 75 mm). Photobleaching in a square region (160.4 μm × 160.4 μm) was performed through the depth of the blastoderm with 100% laser power for ~10 min. In the secreted Venus FRAP (Figure 8D), some recovery occurred at the t = 0 time point at the periphery of the bleached region. Recovery of fluorescence was monitored every 10 s in the same imaging plane.
From the 8-cell stage injected embryos, regions lacking Bmp2b-Venus producing cells (visualized by high intensity signal throughout the cytoplasm) were identified. Cells displayed characteristic higher intensity signals in the intercellular space and no signal was detected intracellularly in the non-producing cells. Images are taken before the FRAP experiment commences, and saved every 10 s during acquisition. All files are exported in lossless TIFF format for subsequent quantification in MATLAB. To measure the recovery, all TIFF files are imported into MATLAB and the FRAP region is identified for subsequent measurements. Internal FRAP region is scaled from 8-bit [0 255] to [0, 1] and an extracellular mask is generated by removing background with a minimum threshold level set at 1% of the image maximum value. This excludes the intracellular compartments from biasing the average intensity calculations for the extracellular recovery. With background removed, recovery is calculated as the average fluorescence intensity of the extracellular fluorescence within the masked region.
The FRAP region is modeled using a finite-difference equation for diffusion in the FRAP region. Diffusion was estimated by measuring model recovery starting from zero initial conditions and constant concentration boundary conditions. Masked region dimensions for measurement were mapped directly to node-points and distances in the finite difference model to compare and optimize recovery in the mask region. A steepest-descent optimizer with multiple starts was used to estimate the diffusion coefficient for each FRAP experiment. We did not explicitly model the occlusion and tortuosity of the diffusion process caused by the arrangement of cells, nor did it account explicitly for binding and unbinding to HSPGs and other immobile binding components. The impact of binding and the role of occlusions in the diffusion path are very well known (Cussler, 2009; Garnett, 1904). Therefore our measured diffusion coefficients are the effective diffusion coefficients in zebrafish and not an intrinsic measurement of the diffusion coefficient in a free environment.
All listed replicates in the figure legends are biological replicates.
For chordin and noggin domain size, all biological replicates are reported in Figure 3C, while representative images are shown in Figure 3A–B. All biological replicates were from a single cross stained with different probes. All embryos were reported with no elimination of outliers. For bmp2b expression profile, representative images are displayed for each condition and developmental stage. Biological replicates were taken from two experiments.
All biological replicates are indicated and averaged in Figure 2 and Figure 6 and associated legends. Biological replicates from the 4.7 and 5.3 hpf timepoints for the WT and chordin mutant embryos in Figure 2 and Figure 6 were from a single experiment. The 5.7 and 6.3 hpf timepoints were collected from 3 and 4 experiments respectively. The 6.7 hpf (WT-only) timepoint was collected from two experiments. In all cases, only embryos that were clearly damaged during the process were eliminated from the analysis. Mean intensities at each point were an average of a subset of the 8000 + nuclei present in each embryo. The XYZ coordinates and P-Smad5 values of all nuclei in all embryos used is attached as a supplemental file.
All biological replicates are shown in Figure 8E–G. No outliers were eliminated.
The ‘Image Analysis’ folder in Supplementary file 1 contains all files used to identify nuclei, align, and extract P-Smad5 intensities from the ‘.lsm’ files generated by confocal imaging. A Read-Me is included with details on how to use the scripts. A conceptual description can be found above in the materials and methods section. All raw XYZ coordinates and P-Smad5 intensities are included in the ‘P-Smad Intensities’ folder. Each embryo is represented as a five by n array, where columns 1–3 are XYZ coordinates, column four is nuclear stain intensity, and column five is P-Smad5 intensity.
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Thank you for submitting your article "Systems biology derived source-sink mechanism of BMP gradient formation" for consideration by eLife. Your article has been reviewed by three peer reviewers, and the evaluation has been overseen by a Reviewing Editor and Robb Krumlauf as the Senior Editor. The reviewers have opted to remain anonymous.
The authors use quantitative imaging and modeling to come to the conclusion that a source-sink mechanism underlies the BMP/Chordin patterning system. This is novel as formation of a BMP gradient by a source-sink mechanism is distinct from previously reported models such as transcriptional, shuttling, or counter-gradient mechanisms. The measurement of BMP2 diffusion in vivo is novel. The topic is not only of broad interest but also quite controversial, and this study brings some much needed clarity to the field. The main weakness is the limited attempt to minimize the parameter space used for the modeling. Some of the measurements are difficult but there are several key measurements that need to be made. The computational and experimental analyses are incomplete, and some details of simulations have not been provided. For their model to be made more convincing a variety of concerns/comments should be fully addressed.
1) The source-sink model is puzzling in light of previous reports showing that zebrafish and Xenopus chordin mRNA injections at the one-cell stage can fully rescue zebrafish chordino mutants (Fisher and Halpern, 1999; Schulte-Merker et al., 1997). In these embryos, injected chordin mRNA is present throughout the embryo and yet, the rescued mutants develop normally to adulthood (and presumably form a normal BMP gradient). The mRNA rescue experiments also call into question the notion that the transcriptional pattern is critical for BMP gradient formation. The authors should discuss the various models in light of these reports.
2) Relevant to the above, did the authors measure the effective diffusion of BMP2 by FRAP in chordin mutant embryos? This will provide experimental evidence to test the models.
3) Cell numbers increase substantially between 4 and 7 hpf, when the authors report a steep increase in the BMP gradient. How does the change in cell number in the zebrafish gastrula (between 4-7 hpf) compare to that during fly DV patterning? To what extent does this account for the increase in gradient slope in zebrafish?
4) The authors state "The equations were simulated 1,000,000 times".
Table 1 lists 15 free parameters; therefore each parameter can, in principle, only take ~2.5 different values when combined randomly (2.52^15 is ~10^6). However, the plots in Figure 4 suggest that many more values have been chosen for individual parameters. The authors should clarify how the parameters were varied in the simulations.
5) The authors state "To our surprise, there are greater than 50 times the number of source-sink to counter-gradient modeling solutions (Figure 6B'), suggesting that the source-sink mechanism predominates." However, the number of different parameter combinations that can explain the data cannot be taken as a measure of support for a specific modelling solution. Different parameter combinations can result in similar solutions simply because the model is not identifiable or because it is difficult to find a unique solution when trying to fit the data directly.
6) If the authors already have or are making a BMP-destabilized GFP/degradFP fusion, precise measurement of BMP2 decay rates would be useful to distinguish between the models. If these are available it would be useful but not essential for the paper.
7) Why were the equations solved for the developmental window from 3.5 to 5.7 hpf and not from 4.7 to 6.7 hpf, when the pSMAD intensities were measured?
8) The authors presumably solved the equations in 1D in order to sample parameter space in a reasonable amount of time. I think it would add to the paper if the authors showed that the same parameters found to satisfy the 1D case would also set up the 3D P-Smad gradient when solving the equations in the hemispherical geometry of the zebrafish embryo as in Zhang, Lander, and Nie, J. Theor. Biol., 2007.
9) Can the P-Smad5 gradient of the chordin heterozygotes be included? Why are they "not shown"? Does the model fit the chordin heterozygote P-Smad5 gradient?
10) The pSmad5 measurements are impressive but the models ultimately rest on the BMP transcript and (active and inactive) protein expression profiles. I understand that there are no good antibodies to detect BMP but minimally, the authors need to use now standard quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization approaches to measure BMP transcript distribution.
11) The BMP FRAP experiment goes a long way to reduce parameter space but why not also measure BMP diffusion in the presence of Chordin? This experiment seems trivial but would greatly help to test the shuttling model.
12) The characterization of the bmp2-venus chimera is too superficial. Does it have the same range and activity as wild-type bmp2?
The manuscript has been improved but there are some remaining issues that need to be addressed before acceptance, as outlined below. In the absence of measurements of BMP diffusion in the presence of chordin or Chordin protein expression, the alternate model Zinski et al. suggest for BMP gradient formation cannot be substantiated. To support their clams, it is crucial that the authors:i) determine how the BMP gradient forms in the presence of uniform chordin ii) show expression of tagged BMP / Chordin proteins at early gastrula stages in mutants injected with RNA. iii) clarify how random sampling was done.
1) In response to how BMP diffuses in the absence and presence of chordin (previous review comments 2 and 11), in the revised Zinski m/s, the authors examined BMP diffusion without chordin. However, they did not examine BMP diffusion with uniform chordin. This is a crucial test of the model which is missing.
2) In their explanation of how their data and preferred model can explain the previous reports of rescue of chordino mutants with uniform chordin injections, Zinski et al. contend that chordin RNA injections likely do not generate uniform Chordin protein expression in embryos. But no evidence is provided to support this view – either experimentally or in their simulations. (The triple morphant is not relevant to the comment).
3) Regarding how parameters were varied in their simulations, the authors state that they prefer random sampling as opposed to a regular grid.
Did the authors refine sampling depending on the outcomes? If solutions did not change in a region in parameter space, did they increase the sampling density?
The ubiquitous expression of chordin RNA, which can rescue chordin mutant embryos, likely does not generate a ubiquitous distribution of Chordin protein due to the presence of Tolloid and Bmp1a, two ventrally expressed metalloproteases that degrade Chordin protein. The rescue of embryos lacking Chordin, Tolloid, and Bmp1a using chordin RNA injection at the one-cell stage has not been attempted as it is a difficult experiment to execute, but we hypothesize that it would not be effective. We agree that the chordin expression domain is likely not critical to BMP gradient formation.
We have now repeated our FRAP experiments in Chordin deficient embryos and have added it to the main text of the paper and Figure 8F. The effective diffusivity of Bmp2b-Venus in chd deficient embryos matched the effective diffusivity we had measured in WT embryos. This new experiment validates our previous assumption that the majority of BMP-Venus observed in our WT FRAP experiments was not bound to Chordin, as expected due to the ventralized embryonic phenotype at 24 hpf (Figure 8B row 2). However, performing the FRAP experiment in chd deficient embryos assures that 100% of Bmp2b-Venus observed is not bound to Chordin, removing the potential impact of a subpopulation of Chordin-bound Bmp2b-Venus on the FRAP measurements in WT embryos.
Fly DV patterning takes place during stage 5. Mitosis is paused during stage 5 until gastrulation begins at stage 6. Cells do not divide at this time, but nuclear localization of P-Mad increases from nearly none to a steep gradient in less than 1 hour from early stage 5 to early stage 6 when gastrulation begins. Thus, in this context while there are no changes in nuclei density, the gradient of PMad starts broad and refines to a higher amplitude and sharper profile . However, in the context of patterning the embryo termini in Drosophila via Torso RTK signaling, the nuclei are present in a syncytium in the absence of cell membranes, where the nuclear density plays a role in shaping the gradient of phosphorylated ERK at the termini . The nuclei density doubles with each successive division providing an increase in nuclear trapping of dpERK at the most terminal positions, resulting in a steeper gradient with higher peak amplitude and reduced gradient extent or length over time. The zebrafish embryo is not a synctium, so this same nuclear trapping mechanism could not occur. Moreover, the gradient DV length is constant over this time period, also inconsistent with this type of mechanism (Figure 2).
From our cell counts in embryos from a single timecourse (Figure 2H), we observe an approximately 70% increase in cell number from 4.7 to 6.7 hours post fertilization (hpf) and a 100% increase in nuclear P-Smad5 amount. Cell nuclei do not change significantly in size during this time . The increase in cell number occurs throughout the embryo and is not restricted to a particular DV region. So half of the 70% increase in cell number occurs in lateral and dorsal regions, where the slope does not change over this time period (Figure 2G). The increase in slope observed during the 2 hour period occurs over the ventral half of the embryo, which accounts for 35% of the increase in cell number, while the gradient peak doubles in amplitude. Thus an increase in cell number, via an unknown mechanism, could not account for the increase in slope. Additional support that cell number has little effect on gradient shape, we observed that the absolute number of cells at a given time point can vary by as much as 20% between different embryos within the same cross or between crosses (Figure 2I) with no detectable change in gradient shape or phenotype.
For each model iteration, parameters were selected from a uniform distribution in log space that covered four orders of magnitude within the physiological range for each parameter. Each parameter was selected independently of the remaining parameters. We prefer the coverage offered by this method, as opposed to a regular grid wherein each parameter has a set of discrete values and coverage at those values is complete. Random sampling is not susceptible to the “curse of dimensionality” that is common to regular grid spacing methods allowing for more efficient estimation of the NRMSD landscape in Figure 7(C,D), and random points fill in the parameter space more evenly than regular grid spacing that forces evaluations of the model within the same parameter hyperplane . Random sampling of the biophysical parameters is common to these types of problems [5, 6].
We agree with this point and have changed the sentence so it now reads: "To our surprise, the source-sink modeling solutions emerged more frequently within our computational screen than the counter-gradient solutions (Figure 7E'). "
We agree it would be useful, but these constructs are not currently available.
While dorsal-ventral cell fate for the head and trunk is largely specified from 4 to 7 hours post fertilization [7-10], bmp and chordin are first expressed after the mid-blastula transition (MBT) at 3 hpf [11-14]. We started our simulation at 3.5 hpf to account for the time needed for these proteins to be translated, folded, and secreted. We have now added that rationale to the manuscript.
We agree that this would add to the paper and the development of data-driven three dimensional models continues to be an effort of our work. We have made progress in developing data-driven 3D models and this is being worked on but not achievable within the timeframe of the revision. The primary scope of the modeling effort herein focused on broad coverage of potential mechanisms to provide an unbiased view of data-consistent mechanisms. At this time, the screen and scope of our study is only achievable with models with one space dimension. Moreover, the inputs to the system based on gene expression are distributed symmetrically across the embryo, so a 1D model should largely reflect one in 3D. We added the rationale for performing a 1D model now to the manuscript.
Thank you for the suggestion. We have now added a comparison of WT to chordin heterozygotes to the manuscript (Figure 6J). There is no significant change in the P-Smad5 gradient or embryonic phenotype between WT and chordin heterozygous embryos (Figure 6J). We also now required mathematical model solutions to fit our chordin heterozygous data, when the Chordin production rate was set to 50%. Forcing the model to fit our chordin heterozygous data decreased the overall number of solutions, but did not eliminate all solutions of either the source-sink or counter-gradient mechanism. The mathematical model in Figure 7–8 and associated text have been updated to include chordin heterozygous data.
bmp2b expression is now quantified by RNAScope fluorescent in situ hybridization and included in Figure 3. We have adjusted our BMP production gradient in our mathematical model to fit the measured bmp2b expression gradient and simulated the mathematical model an additional 1,000,000 times. The adjusted BMP production gradient increased the overall number of solutions, but did not modify our conclusions about the mechanisms. All modeling figures and data displays (Figure 4,5,7,9) have been updated incorporating the new data.
While we agree that measuring the diffusivity of BMP bound to Chordin would be very useful for further testing the shuttling model, the experiment is not feasible without extensive overexpression or the development of additional tools. To see Bmp2b-Venus, we must moderately overexpress it. To ensure all Bmp2b-Venus is bound to Chordin, we would need to heavily overexpress Chordin. Chordin has been shown to interact with Tsg , Bmper [16-18], Ont1 , and HSPGs . By overexpressing both BMP and Chordin, these interacting factors, which may limit BMP-Chordin diffusion could be diluted out, causing FRAP to overestimate the diffusivity of the BMP-Chd complex. Since we do not have time to develop more sophisticated tools to test this, we think it is best not to include a double overexpression experiment.
To assess whether Bmp2b-Venus is properly processed and remains attached to the Venus tag, we performed a Western Blot for Venus on embryos injected with venus or bm2b-venus RNA. We have added this experiment to the paper (Figure 8A).
To further assess the activity and range of the Bmp2b-Venus chimera, we rescued embryos lacking Bmp2b with bmp2b-venus RNA. It has been previously reported that embryos lacking Bmp2b can be rescued using bmp2b RNA . We were able to rescue embryos to a WT phenotype by injecting bmp2b-venus RNA (Figure 8B, rows 5-7). This result has been added to the text (Figure 8). However, a direct comparison of bmp2b RNA activity and bmp2b-Venus activity is not possible, as RNA activity can vary from synthesis reaction to synthesis reaction. In addition to this we have now measured secreted Venus diffusion rates with our approach and added additional measurements for Bmp2b-Venus diffusion in chordin MO-injected embryos (Figure 8).
At this time we are unable to compare the range of Bmp2b to that of Bmp2b-Venus. Range has two components: diffusivity and decay rate. Measuring diffusivity via FRAP requires the protein in question to be tagged fluorescently. While decay rates of Bmp2b and Bmp2b-Venus could be measured and compared by injecting Bmp2b and Bmp2b-Venus protein and performing a western blot time-series, previous estimates of Tgf-β decay rates have relied exclusively on tagged proteins .
We presume that by requesting that we measure BMP diffusion with uniform chordin that the reviewers are asking us to measure bound BMP-Chd diffusion. We do assert that the Shuttling mechanism requires high diffusivity of BMP-Chordin (Figure 5D x-axis), however, our chordin-/- mutant data already exclude the Shuttling mechanism (Figure 6). However, when discussing the Source-Sink versus the Counter-Gradient mechanism in Figure 7, we omitted an important plot of BMP-Chd diffusivity in our latest submission, which addresses the reviewers’ point. We thank the reviewers for making us aware of this. A plot of BMP-Chd diffusivity shows that possible values of BMP-Chd diffusivity over the 4 orders of magnitude tested in our simulations does not distinguish between the Counter-Gradient and Source-Sink mechanisms. Both of these mechanisms are compatible with BMP-Chd diffusivities over 4 orders of magnitude from nearly immobile (10-2 µm2/s) to free diffusion (102 µm2/s). Therefore, measuring BMP-Chd diffusivity would not help discern between the two remaining models, Counter-Gradient and Source-Sink. We added this BMP-Chd diffusivity plot now to the manuscript to clarify this important point (Figure 7J).
In comment 1 of the previous review, the reviewers asked us to discuss the rescue of chordino mutants with uniform chordin RNA injections. We address this point now by simulating the system with ubiquitous Chordin production. We found that 426 of the 1452 solutions that fit our WT, chordin-/-, and chordin+/- data and BMP diffusivity (within 2 um2/s of our measured 4.4 um2/s) retain a WT BMP gradient when Chordinis uniformly produced. The 426 remaining solutions are all source-sink mechanisms with steep gradients of Chordin that are high dorsally and low ventrally. The results of the simulations show that the BMP gradient is generated by Tolloid degrading Chordin ventrally. We include these simulation results that show how uniform chordin RNA can rescue a chordin mutant in the Results section of our paper, as a new panel Figure 8I. We thank the reviewers for the suggestion, as it provides further support for the source-sink mechanism.
For each model iteration, parameters were selected from a uniform distribution in log space that covered four orders of magnitude within the physiological range for each parameter. Each parameter was selected independently of the remaining parameters. Adaptive and subsampling methods that increase parameter selection in regions with high variance in model output were not used in our parameter selection for a number of reasons. Firstly, a parameter matrix is produced that is then subdivided across distributed computers to solve the pdes to produce a stored file of model solutions and parameter vectors associated with the stored solution. For each parameter vector, the PDE system is converted into a set of 180 ordinary differential equations after discretization and dynamically solved for wt, chd-/-, nog-/-, and chd+/- conditions using the implicit solver ode15s. Ode15s is well suited to problems with numerical stiffness that arise during numerical screens with random parameters. Thus, for an ensemble of 1 million parameter vectors solved, the system of differential equations are solved 4 times to simulate the wt and mutant conditions, increasing the total model evaluations to 4 million. Following calculation of the model solutions for each parameter vector, post processing, sorting, and calculation of model fitness against the data is handled by a separate program that operates on the stored solutions. The separation of model evaluation from model analysis allows for much greater flexibility, the total number of simulation results, and an ability to add additional simulation results to existing simulations that have previously been computed. If a job is interrupted, the index and solutions up to the parameter index are stored and simulation jobs can be restarted at the last iteration point.
Random sampling is not susceptible to the “curse of dimensionality” that is common to regular grid spacing methods allowing for more efficient estimation of the NRMSD landscape in Figure 7(C,D), and random points fill in the parameter space more evenly than regular grid spacing that forces evaluations of the model within the same parameter hyperplane (Caflisch et al., 1998). Figure 7C, D demonstrates the dense coverage and sampling to estimate the NRMSD values and dense coverage in regions with acceptable NRMSD values. Random sampling of the biophysical parameters is common to these types of problems (Eldar et al., 2002; von Dassow et al., 2000).
We have added this explanation to the Materials and methods section as further clarification.
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We thank the UPenn Microscopy Core, especially Andrea Stout and Xinyu Zhao; undergraduate students Samantha Warrick and Dan Zhao; funding from NIH grants T32 HD08318, R01GM056326, R01HD073156, and an NSF Graduate Fellowship; editing help from Francesca Tuazon; and Caroline Hill, Sharon Amacher, Bernard Thisse, and Christine Thisse for reagents.
Animal experimentation: This study was performed in strict accordance with the recommendations in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the National Institutes of Health. All of the animals were handled according to approved institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) protocols (#803105, #804931) of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
© 2017, Zinski et al.
During vertebrate embryogenesis, dorsal-ventral patterning is controlled by the BMP/Chordin activator/inhibitor system. BMP induces ventral fates, whereas Chordin inhibits BMP signaling on the dorsal side. Several theories can explain how the distributions of BMP and Chordin are regulated to achieve patterning, but the assumptions regarding activator/inhibitor diffusion and stability differ between models. Notably, ‘shuttling’ models in which the BMP distribution is modulated by a Chordin-mediated increase in BMP diffusivity have gained recent prominence. Here, we directly test five major models by measuring the biophysical properties of fluorescently tagged BMP2b and Chordin in zebrafish embryos. We found that BMP2b and Chordin diffuse and rapidly form extracellular protein gradients, Chordin does not modulate the diffusivity or distribution of BMP2b, and Chordin is not required to establish peak levels of BMP signaling. Our findings challenge current self-regulating reaction-diffusion and shuttling models and provide support for a graded source-sink mechanism underlying zebrafish dorsal-ventral patterning. | 2019-04-23T08:17:58Z | https://elifesciences.org/articles/22199 |
Welcome to the August 17, 2009 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for IT professionals three times a week.
Researchers have demonstrated how to get engineered "DNA origami" to self-organize on silicon, which could enable semiconductor manufacturers to create chips with significantly closer components, leading to smaller devices and faster computers. The DNA origami can be designed to serve as a scaffold for electronic components only six billionths of a meter apart, about eight times better than existing technology. Several research efforts have demonstrated that DNA can be used to store or manipulate data and to solve simple computational tasks, but the new demonstration leverages the ability to design DNA strands into regular shapes such as triangles. The computer industry would like to use next-generation materials with favorable electronic properties, such as carbon nanotubes or nanowires, but these structures are minuscule and difficult to manipulate. However, the chemical groups attached to DNA helices could be used as anchor points for these structures. This technique is particularly useful because the regular shapes of DNA origami enable them to fit precisely into the shaped pits the researchers made in silicon or carbon using standard techniques. "The combination of this directed self-assembly with today's fabrication technology eventually could lead to substantial savings in the most expensive and challenging part of the chip-making process," says IBM Almaden Research Center's Spike Narayan. IBM says it could take up to 10 years to implement the new technique.
Russian hackers stole U.S. identities and software tools for use in a cyberattack against Georgian government Web sites during the war between Russia and Georgia in 2008, according to a new report by the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit. The report says that Russian hackers converted Microsoft software into a cyberweapon and collaborated on popular U.S.-based social-networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, to coordinate attacks against Georgian sites. Although the cyberattacks were closely examined following the war, the connections to the United States had remained hidden until this year. Personal and credit card information stolen from U.S. citizens was used to register Web sites that launched the botnet attacks, and once the attacks started, Facebook and Twitter were used to exchange attack code and encourage others to join the attack. Experts say the study shows how cyberwarfare has outpaced military and international agreements, which do not account for the possibility of using U.S. resources and civilian technology as weapons. Identity theft, social networking, and modifying commercial software are all common attack strategies, but combining these strategies raises the attack to a new level, says former U.S. Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity chief Amit Yoran. White House officials are now studying how laws of war and international obligations need to be adjusted to account for cyberattacks. The U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit says the Georgian attacks were perpetrated by Russian criminal groups, and had no clear link to the Russian government, but the time of attacks, which started only hours after the military invasion started, suggests the Russian government may have at least indirectly coordinated with the cyberattackers.
The advent of the Internet era is shrinking the role of corporate research and development (R&D) laboratories in the innovation process, according to experts. Michael Schrage with the Center for Digital Business at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology forecasts that the idea-production process will continue its migration from large corporate labs' centralized model and toward "populist innovation." He says that a great deal of traditional corporate R&D has been subsidized by profits that face more and more Internet-era economic pressures. Corporate R&D's best option at this point is to embrace a federated model that takes advantage of all the work by outsiders in learning institutions, startups, business partners, and government labs, with the corporate lab functioning as an innovation coordinator and integrator, Schrage says. The federated strategy has been taken up by Hewlett-Packard (HP), with HP Labs devoting greater resources to fewer projects, while also systematically seeking outside ideas via an annual contest that solicits grant proposals from universities across the globe. "We are tapping the collective intelligence, selectively, of leading academics around the world," says HP's Prith Banerjee. One such academic is University of Southern California electrical engineer Alan E. Willner, whose project with HP Labs is an attempt to reduce power consumption and raise data-transmission speeds between computers in data centers and eventually even within chips. Although a federated approach works for certain problems, experts say corporate lab R&D is unmatched when focused on multidisciplinary challenges in projects soon going to market.
A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Carnegie Mellon University, and Akamai indicates that an Internet-routing algorithm that tracks electricity price fluctuations could save major Internet companies millions of dollars each year. Such an algorithm could reduce energy use by as much as 40 percent by rerouting data to locations where electricity prices are the lowest for that particular day. MIT Ph.D. student Asfandyar Qureshi first outlined the concept of a smart routing algorithm capable of tracking electricity prices in a paper in October 2008, and this year Qureshi and colleagues approached Akamai researchers to obtain the real-world routing data needed to test the concept. The researchers analyzed 39 months of electricity pricing data for 29 major U.S. cities and noted a surprising amount of volatility, even among geographically close locations. The team then created a routing scheme to take advantage of daily and hourly fluctuations in electricity costs around the country, creating an algorithm that compares the physical distance needed to route information, which also increases cost, against the likely cost savings from reduced energy consumption. The routing scheme was tested on nine Akamai servers over 24 hours, and the researchers found that in the best scenario a company could cut energy use by 40 percent.
Researchers at Germany's Leipzig Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging in London have developed a mathematical model that could significantly improve computers' ability to automatically recognize and process spoken language. The researchers say their new language processing algorithm could eventually imitate brain mechanisms and help machines perceive and understand the world around them. The researchers created a mathematical model that was designed to imitate, in a highly simplified manner, the neuronal processes that occur during human speech comprehension. The neuronal processes were described by algorithms that processed speech at several temporal levels. The model was able to recognize individual speech sounds and syllables and was able to process accelerated speech sequences. Additionally, the system had a brain-like ability to predict the next speech sound, and if the prediction was incorrect because the speaker made an unfamiliar syllable out of familiar sounds, the system could detect the error. "The crucial point, from a neuroscientific perspective, is that the reactions of the model were similar to what would be observed in the human brain," says the Max Planck Institute's Stefan Kiebel.
The recent ACM SIGGRAPH conference offered a video demonstration of Control of Remotely Interfaced Systems using Touch-based Actions in Living spaces (CRISTAL), a multitouch tabletop display that acts as a universal remote. Australian researcher Christian Muller-Tomfelde, who is currently writing a book on research in tabletop displays, says CRISTAL is easy to use. "It is a clever use of the tabletop as a 'world-in-miniature' interface to control room elements," he says. CRISTAL uses a camera to deliver a streaming video view of the room, including the TV, radio, DVD player, lamps, and digital picture frames, on the tabletop. The video image of a device acts as the interface, so the user could make a sliding motion on the TV to adjust the volume. The user also could drag the image of the cover of a movie on the multitouch screen and drop it on the image of the TV to watch it. The team behind CRISTAL says such a tabletop remote could cost $10,000 to $15,000, and could reach consumers in a few years if it is combined with Microsoft's Surface multitouch display. "We wanted a social aspect to activities such as choosing what to watch on TV and we wanted to make the process easy and intuitive," says the University of Waterloo's Stacey Scott, who worked on the CRISTAL project.
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is adding a community college component to its Open Learning Initiative, which gives about 300 classrooms around the world access to software-enhanced, college-level online course material in a variety of subjects. Human-computer interaction specialists will team up with software engineers, scientists who study how people learn, and community college faculty experts to develop courses for the Community College Open Learning Initiative. The Open Learning Initiative makes use of digital environments that are capable of tracking the progress of students, providing feedback, and notifying professors about the specific areas of struggle for students. CMU hopes to improve the completion rates for courses by 25 percent. The community college version of the Open Learning Initiative will make use of a hybrid model that combines online teaching with time in a traditional classroom. CMU has secured $4.5 million in funding for the project, which could reach 40 community-college partners within three years.
A Harvard University-led, multidisciplinary team of computer scientists, engineers, and biologists have received a $10 million National Science Foundation Expeditions in Computing grant to develop small-scale robotic devices based on the biology of a bee and the insect's hive behavior. The researchers hope to advance the field of miniature robotics and the design of compact, high-energy power sources, as well as create new ultra-low-power computing and smart electronic sensors, and improve coordination algorithms to manage multiple, independent machines. "Nature has bred astonishing solutions to complex real-world challenges," says Harvard professor Robert Wood, the principal investigator of the project. "This research aims to understand the biology of bees and use this understanding to advance multiple topics in computer science and engineering." Wood and his colleagues say that nature-inspired research could lead to the development of novel methods for designing and building an electronic surrogate nervous system capable of sensing and adapting to changing environments, and advance the field of small-scale flying mechanical devices. The five-year project could lead to technological advances in robust, bio-inspired computer systems that coordinate complex behavior using input from multiple independent parts, smart materials, and novel, miniature power sources that could be used in a variety of devices. The researchers also will work with the Museum of Science in Boston to create an interactive exhibit to educate and inspire future scientists and engineers.
A system that fights highly infectious computer viruses by embedding defense mechanisms in key parts of the Internet has been developed by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researcher Scott Coull and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute professor Boleslaw Szymanski. The modus operandi of computer worm infection is malware scanning the Internet for vulnerable computers and transferring itself to those systems. Coull and Szymanski say the isolation of worms entails coaxing the Internet's core computers or autonomous systems to collaborate, and each system is managed by an Internet service provider (ISP). In their model, the researchers imbued each system with the ability to spot a compromised computer, which may announce itself by making a series of random requests to link to other computers, the majority of which will fail. Once a threat within the autonomous system's network is detected, the system stops receiving and forwarding messages from the infected computer, and also notifies its peer autonomous systems about the identity of the threat. Upon the recognition of a genuine threat, all autonomous systems can contain the compromised computer or computers and halt the worm's spread. Coull and Szymanski's model indicates that the viability of this strategy depends on cooperation between about 30 percent to 35 percent of the autonomous systems in the Internet. Collaboration and trust between the ISPs running the systems would be essential, Coull says.
The National Science Foundation's Expeditions in Computing program has awarded the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science a $10 million grant to work on a new technology called domain-specific computing. The technology could revolutionize medical imaging and hemodynamic simulation by providing a more cost-effective, energy-efficient, and customizable computing option for preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures. The new UCLA Center for Domain-Specific Computing (CDSC) will oversee the research. CDSC director Jason Cong says domain-specific computing holds significant advantages. He says domain-specific computing uses a customizable architecture and custom-oriented, high-level computer languages especially designed for a particular application or domain. "The broader impact of our work at the CDSC will be measured by the new digital revolution enabled by customized computing," Cong says. "We will demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of the proposed research in the domain of health care, given its significant impact on the national economy and quality-of-life issues." He says CDSC's work will enable physicians to see inside the brain to assist in real-time surgery, and to perform preventive procedures much faster using automatic analysis and diagnosis of MRIs and CT scans. "Much of the work that relies on people today may take hours or days to complete with existing computing technology, but with the domain-specific customizable technique, the work can be done in minutes," he says.
Computer science and humanities researchers at Israel's Ben-Gurion University (BGU) have partnered to decipher historical Hebrew documents, using a unique algorithm to ascertain wording by uncovering similar handwriting patterns that help determine author and date. One of the project's challenges is that many of the original Hebrew texts have been scratched off and overwritten with Arabic text. BGU professor Klara Kedem says the document base is comprised of "100,000 medieval Hebrew codices and their fragments [that] represent the book production output of only the last six centuries of the Middle Ages." She notes that foreground and background lettering are difficult to segregate given the documents' deterioration, so the algorithm covers the text in a dark gray hue that highlights lighter colored pixels as background space and identifies the darker pixels as delineating the original Hebrew lettering. Few documents have survived fully intact, and "we are trying to piece them together like a big puzzle," says Uri Ehrlich, director of BGU's Prayer Research Project. The algorithm has been presented by Kedem to other universities and research centers to aid in the deciphering of a large number of texts.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab graduate student David Merrill has co-invented Siftables to facilitate more natural and tangible interaction with digital media in a field he refers to as embodied media. "Embodied media offers a new point in the interaction design space between tangible and graphical user interfaces," Merrill says. "It combines elements of both paradigms--physically embodied manipulatives that can be grasped and moved by hand, and screens that can show visual information." Merrill says the graphical display is a central feature as it permits the interactive roles and content assignments to manipulatives to be visually understandable to the user and dynamically assigned at runtime. Siftables came out of an investigation Merrill conducted with Jeevan Kalanithi on how human-computer interaction might be enabled by manually manipulating a body of minuscule active, computational objects. Merrill describes Siftables as a hybrid platform that combines concepts from tangible interfaces, pervasive computing, and sensor networks with the flexibility of pixels that defines graphical user interfaces. In their current incarnation, Siftables are small interactive computers equipped with a graphical display, neighbor and motion sensing, a rechargeable battery, and wireless communication. Merrill says each Siftable's size is primarily dictated by the display. The present display is big enough to show an image thumbnail or symbol such that it is easily recognizable from across a tabletop. | 2019-04-22T17:24:44Z | https://technews.acm.org/archives.cfm?fo=2009-08-aug/aug-17-2009.html |
These are the many names for the sealed enclosure. The explanation of the latter names is simple. Because the box is air tight, the air inside the cabinet acts like a spring. When the speaker moves, it pushes against the “spring” and then it is pushed by the “spring”, similar to a suspension, hence the term acoustic suspension Logically, if the volume of the box is smaller, the “air spring” is stiffer. Inversely, if the volume gets bigger, the “air springs” effectiveness diminishes.
Increasing the volume too much, will lead to denying the effect of the spring, and the enclosure is an infinite baffle. Actually, the term infinite baffle is exactly what it sounds like, a baffle that extends indefinitely. This will lead to no resonances, no diffraction and other benefits. But in the real world, we can convene that the infinite baffle is just an oversized sealed box.
Cms – The compliance of the suspension (the spider and the surround, to be exact). If the suspension is stiff, the driver is not compliant. So, the easy it is to move the speaker, the more compliant it is. Cms is measured in m/N.
Vas – The air inside the cabinet has its own compliance. If the box is small, the air is less compliant and if the box is larger, the air is more compliant. Vas describes the volume of the air inside the cabinet (measured in liters), where the compliance of the speaker matches the compliance of the air inside the box.
If (volume of the enclosure) < (Vas) then it’s an acoustic suspension enclosure.
If (volume of the enclosure) >= (Vas) then it starts to become an infinite baffle.
Example : If Vas = 30L and I make a box of 29L or lower, the air inside the box starts to act like a suspension and I just made an acoustic suspension. I just like to keep it simple like that. Because if you want to get really technical, the term acoustic suspension is valid only when the compliance of the driver is 3 times (or more) larger than the compliance of the box.
Why choose a sealed enclosure ?
Roll-off is about 12 db / octave. This is compared to other enclosures, like bass-reflex, which has a steep roll-off of about 24 db / octave. You can see from this graph, the frequency response of the driver. Blue is for sealed and red is for bass-reflex. Let’s consider, for argument’s sake, that they both play linear till 60 Hz, and then they start to roll-off. While the bass-reflex will play louder than the sealed counterpart, when it has reached the resonance frequency, it starts to roll-off quickly, while sealed will keep playing even the lowest notes (at an increasingly lower output, of course). You can see from the graph, that sealed plays louder at 30 Hz than bass reflex, because of this smooth roll-off. Please understand that this graph exists just to make a point, in real life things aren’t so perfect.
This means that the speaker is very “lively”. It can play with little effort short term sudden sound waves, like drums, for example. For a good transient response, the speaker needs to start and stop exactly when it needs to. The internal air “spring” that acts like a suspension, helps with achieving these good transients. Also, the fact that it has a gentle roll-off slope of 12 db / octave, helps as well.
The difficulty of construction is very easy.
You just have to make sure that the box doesn’t leak air, and you are pretty much set. The only thing you need to calculate beforehand is the internal volume of the box. Now, there is no particular best volume for each speaker. You just have to understand what you are using it for, what are your tastes in sound, and then you can calculate the volume of the box. Meddling with the volume affects another T/S parameter (called Q).
We will talk about Q in a second and how does it affect the frequency response. Besides the fact that it is easy to build, if you get the volume wrong after you made the box, it’s not that big of a deal. Let’s say you wanted a 25 L sealed enclosure, and after it’s done, because of some building errors, it has 28 L. It will still sound good even with the 3 L extra. For a band-pass enclosure these kinds of errors are disastrous for the end result. You can even buy prefab boxes, since the only variable is the volume.
The major negative point for the sealed enclosure is the low efficiency. To make a comparison with bass-reflex : you would need a 200 W amplifier to drive a certain woofer in a sealed box, at the same output, you would only need 100 W, to drive the same woofer in a bass reflex box. Sealed will sound tight and deep, but not loud (unless you are pumping some serious watts). If you want loud, there are certainly better options out there.
The whole point is to separate the waves generated by the front of the speaker from the ones generated by the back. It is obvious that absorbing some of the back waves will do some good.
Placing absorbent material on the walls of the enclosure, ensures low resonances. The thickness of the damping material is important, if you need to absorb sound waves of certain frequencies. The back panel is the one who needs this damping the most, because back waves reflect of the back panel, come back towards the speaker and come out through the speaker.
This is a bit harder to understand, but the technical term is isothermal propagation. Pressure and temperature are correlated (for example if pressure goes up, temperature goes up). In our case, we talk about sound pressure. Now, when we add dampening material into the mix, it creates this isothermal environment to some degree. This material, although not a good temperature conductor, it conducts temperature better than air. In this case the pressure drops, which means the velocity of sound drops, which means the compliance of the box rises, which is the exact same thing as making the box bigger. Adding stuffing to your box will translate into 15 % – 25 % volume increase. We are talking about the effects, that happen when increasing the volume, because obviously the physical box size will remain the same.
If the damping of the box is done right, you are looking at up to 15% efficiency increase. Here is how a bag of poly fill looks like.
When people talk about Q, they are trying to describe the damping of the driver, or the whole driver/box configuration. In reality, Q is a composite term, it takes into factor all the mechanical, electrical and pneumatic properties of the speaker/cabinet and describes how it affects resonance. So it actually describes damping in a reverse way. It is referred to as quality factor, but generally accepted that it describes damping.
When Q goes down => damping goes up.
When Q goes up => damping does down.
Qms : Mechanical Q. It describes the damping made by the suspension of the driver : the surround and the spider of the speaker.
Qes : Electrical Q. It describes the damping made by the coil – magnet assembly. When the coil moves through the magnetic field it generated a current which opposes this motion (hence the electrical damping).
Qts : Total Q. This is the number you will need when establishing the desired volume of the box: The formula is : 1/Qts = 1/Qms + 1/Qes.
Qtc : This describes the total Q when you take into consideration the damping of the box as well.
When Volume of the box goes up => Qtc goes down.
When Volume of the box goes down => Qtc goes up.
Qtc = 0.707 : This is the number most people try to reach for, as it gives good transients and flat response with minimum cutoff.
Regarding the value of Qtc, you can strive to get the 0.7 value, and you can’t go wrong. You can go a little up, like 0.8 – 0.9, to get a little more fun sound, which will translate into a few db more on the bass notes (at the expense of transient response). Going towards to Qtc of 1.2 is pushing it, and should do that only if space is an important factor and you need a small box. You should avoid going beyond 1.2, because you will end up with a “one note woofer”. This means it will play a very narrow frequency range, loud (see the graph), and it will overpower the rest of frequency spectrum.
If EBP around 50 or less, then the woofer is suited for sealed.
If EBP > 100 then the woofer is suited for bass reflex.
If EBP is between 50 and 100, then it is good for either closed or bass reflex.
The length of the voice coil is something to consider also, because in a sealed enclosure, the woofer will have a longer excursion than the equivalent bass reflex.
For small woofers (6″ – 8″) Xmax should be 2-4 mm.
For larger woofers (10″ – 12″) Xmax should be 5-8 mm.
When you are building the enclosure, you should really focus on making the box air tight. You can ensure this by applying silicone sealant to all of the joints. If you do this, make sure you don’t place the speaker just yet, because the fumes from the fresh silicone will “attack” the speaker. Make sure you let it rest for at least 12 hours before placing in your speaker.
After figuring out which Qtc you want to hit for, you can find out the volume of the box. Take into consideration that after you calculated the net volume of the box, you should add the volume dislocated by the back of the driver (magnet assembly) , crossovers, bracing etc, so you get the gross volume of the box. Also, if you add stuffing, this will effectively increase the volume of the box, so keep that in mind also. If you are building your first speaker box, then the sealed enclosure is probably the safer bet.
Hello, thank you for your article, very insightful.
However, it is not clear to me how Vas and Vc are different, as according to this article both seem to denote the box volume?
Can you pls. elaborate a bit?
A speaker has a certain compliance or Cms. This is given by the suspension of the driver. Cms is measured in meters/newton. Vas expresses the same compliance of the speaker in terms of volume. Imagine a syringe without the needle. Close up the nozzle with your finger. If you try to push the plunger, you will encounter resistance from the air trapped inside the tube. This amount of air has a certain compliance. If the syringe is bigger (higher volume of air), the air is easier to compress, therefore, higher compliance. So having a high Vas number means that the speaker is more compliant.
Very interresting article thank you! Sealed it is!
Well, the answer is actually inside the article. If you take a closer look at the Qtc comparison chart all shall be revealed :). As you increase the volume of the box, Qtc will go down (0.7 , 0.5 etc). By doing this, you make the “frequency response line” very smooth. It reaches the very low-end of the spectrum. Very good transient response, but not very impressive on the output department. As you lower the volume of the box, you will start to get a peak in the response (as you are increasing the Qtc). Anything with a Qtc above 0.7 will have a peak in the frequency response. The transient response starts to degrade, and the frequency response doesn’t extend as low. However, you get a boost in output. If you keep decreasing the volume, the peak gets so large, that it basically plays only that frequency (“one note subwoofer” as they call it). You will see subwoofer manufacturers which opt for a 0.8 – 0.9 Qtc, because it results in a slight peak in the response, and people appreciate the extra output (and they are more commercially successful). Audiophiles aim for 0.7 because it offer the maximally flat response.
Awesome thank you very much Marius! Now I see it much clearer! I can now read/understand your diagram indeed! Have I calculated correctly, that for my dayton audio 18″ (for my home made 3 way active system, for the lowest flat “audio phile” base in a sealed and stuffed box) I need a volume of 100 liters to reach Qtc of 0.7 at Fs 60Hz? Of course I would love to get a lower Fs of 30Hz but how? Using a pro equaliser? Thanks!
Your calculations are correct. If you want to go lower, you will have to opt for a bass reflex design. A volume of 186 liters and tuned to 34 Hz will result in an f3 point of 39 Hz (f3 is 3 dB below linear response). To tune it to 34 Hz use a 150 mm diameter pipe with a length of 140 mm. Good luck!
Excellent article, thank you! I’m curious, how do these calculations change in a sealed speaker cabinet with multiple drivers? For instance a 2×12 or 4×12 guitar cabinet compared to a 1×12. Thank you!
When working with more than 1 speaker, all of the variables remain the same except for Vas. If you have 2 speakers, multiply Vas by 2. If you have 4 speakers, multiply Vas by 4.
As an amateur, I will humbly add that when calculating internal volume, you have to consider the volume of the driver itself, and possibly subtract this from the calculated internal volume. Big drivers have a considerable volume, and if you start adding several drivers this certainly becomes a factor in the calculations.
This Debu From New Delhi India .
I have a query , when you deal with speakers less then 50 mm cone size how do you then calculate the Vc , as in small units like Amazon Echo Dot etc.
I am designing a small table top Bluetooth Enabled speaker using PUI AS 04004 PR-P driver .
the enclosure for the speaker is on the base side down firing with vents/slots all around .
Dia 82mm x rear height of speaker enclosure is 35 mm. can you give some guidance on this.
First of all, it doesn’t matter the size of the speaker. The T/S parameters dictate the enclosure design. Secondly, you are asking about the volume of a closed box and you are describing a bass reflex. To be honest, when dealing with portable speakers (small boxes), the low amount of air inside the box demand a very long port, and there is not enough room. I don’t know the actual size of yours, and it might work. However, you will find that for most portable speakers, passive radiators are popular choice (instead of bass reflex ports). They do not add more size to the enclosure (like a port does for bass reflex) and they do not blow annoying air.
I intend to build two sealed baffles for professional application using a 21inches woofer.
The internal dimension is 22inWx28inHx22D.
I intend to use the followin….
Can’t find the thiele small parameters of these speakers. Can you provide them?
I don’t even know how to thank you !!!!
Excellent article for Diy beginners like me. Thanks a lot !!!
I like 10¨ guitar speaker that has the following parameters: fs 82.4 Hz; Vas 26 liters; Qts 0.58; Qes 0.5 etc.
Obviously, according to your reasoning expressed in this article, it is not suited for sealed enclosure (guitar speaker) since EBP is around 168. But, I would like to make a sealed enclosure since I really do not care much about bass performance since cut-off below 100 Hz in guitar cabinets are actually desirable. I like good, very good transients, but would not like the cabinet to be too big. Your calculations with chosen favorite Qtc of 0.7 give me a nice, rather small enclosure of 53 liters. Would that work fine? Also, if I go little higher with speaker cabinet volume, say around 60 liters, would that improve transients substantially that it merits increasing the size-weight of the cabinet (I do not like to carry around heavy speaker boxes, that is why I chose a Neodyimium 10¨ guitar speaker in the first place, Jensen Jet Series Tornado 10¨!). Also, if Width of cabinet is given, at 0.43 meters inner width, do other two dimensions have to follow certain rule for proper acoustic behaviour of this speaker cabinet (I used to read something about standing waves and such… )? ANY ASSISTANCE IS VERY APPRECIATED. Sincerely, Sven B.S.E.E. … more importantly, a guitarist… In other words, HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A GUITAR SPEAKER CABINET WITH THESE PARAMETERS AVAILABLE?
Adding polyfill will increase the perceived volume so it will compensate with the volume displaced by the speaker. And yes, in a sealed enclosure +/- 5% volume is not gonna be a noticeable difference.
This is my third question, but it is needed… hope you see that… there is an issue, a controversy of sorts, but a big one indeed, with speaker data given by manufacturer (Jensen Company) of my speaker of choice (Jensen Jet Series Tornado 10¨ Neodymium guitar speaker), as compared to the formula in your article of getting the speaker Total Q (Qts) from Qms and Qes. Namely, when I use manufacturer’s numbers for Qms and Qes given on their Web page (see the link below), in the simple formula that you have in your article (1/Qts = 1/Qms + 1/Qes) to get Qts, I get result Qts of 0.495. But manufacturer states that Qts of this speaker is 0.58! Now, which Qts should I use? Manufacturer’s Qts makes it work, the other one does not make it work, seems to me (I get Volume of the cabinet of 26 liters, which is not too likely?). Where is the catch? Is the manufacturer’s data faulty? Since I wish to use your article as my DEFINITE GUIDE to actually build me a cabinet, it is plainly obvious that I MUST use the correct number for Qts in order to make this build a success… Kindly assist. Thanks!
Well yeah, there is an error in the manufacturer spec sheet. Problem is you don’t know which one is incorrect. For example, Qts might be correct and Qes incorrect, or some other combination.
I know this will be a silly question but, How would you get close to a suitable box design for a driver that did not have required T/S parameters listed? Could you get close by magnet weight for the size of the driver, suspension material ( foam or accordian) etc.
Thank you for the excellent articles and work 🙂 I enjoy reading through them very much!
The real question here is how much stuffing should I have inside and in which shape or form shall I apply it? I’ve got pieces of white polyglass or fiberglass but I’m not sure how much of it and how to apply it inside the box?
1. What’s the recommended ratio of filling relative to the box volume? like 50% of the volume, less or more?
2. Do I need to dampen (line) the box walls internally with some other material that I can stick onto the internal walls (like the standard grey acoustic insulating foam)? Or is this not needed as it’s only required if it were a ported box? Will it muffle the mid-range if I do?
3. Do I need to fluff the white polyglass with my hands rather than it being condensed when I put it in, so it takes up more volume and being more loose?
I appreciate your efforts, thank you in advance.
You will probably have minimal improvements with sound dampening material. Don’t stress too much on the details, just add 50% stuffing and you are good to go. The Qtc will go down a bit, but that’s fine.
Excellent article and website ! I have a question about the stuffing please.
We convene that in a bass reflex box, port losses are negligible and since dampening material is not popular in bass reflex boxes, Qa is minimal as well. Therefore Qt = Qb (Total losses = box losses equal to whatever leakage the box has).
You won’t find Qa in soundeasy but you will find the Qb parameter, which might as well stand for all 3. So if you want to modify Qa, you might as well fiddle with Qb instead. | 2019-04-25T12:26:32Z | http://audiojudgement.com/sealed-enclosure-closed-box/ |
Here’s a full transcript of the first episode of Shedunnit. Click here to listen to it now in your app of choice.
Caroline: Every age has had a different way of describing a woman who exists alone, rather than as part of a couple. Today, she might just call herself “single”, but at different times in the past people might have referred to her, often with contempt, as an “old maid”, a “bachelor girl”, a “spinster”, or a “singleton”.
For most of history, this has been considered to be a pitiful state, against the natural order of things, as if a woman without a man — because until the very recent past it would have been thought that it was a man she needed, of course — was somehow incomplete and lesser.
After the First World War, there was a great flowering of female independence as more women chose to live single lives. This change, and the backlash to it, is all there to be found in the murder mysteries of the period, if you just dig a little below the surface. From self-contained, professional women like Mary Whittaker in Dorothy L Sayers’ Unnatural Death to dear, fluffy Miss Marple, there are a multitude of single women’s lives to discover.
But let’s go back to the beginning. This particular story starts with the surplus women.
Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton.
In 1921, the British government published the results of a census. It recorded that there were just over 44 million people in total in the country, an increase of around two million from a decade before, despite the loss of life during the First World War. The figure that attracted the most attention at the time, though, was a striking disparity between the numbers of men and women. For every 1,000 men, there were 1,100 women, or “an excess that amounts to 1,906,284”, as one newspaper put it at the time.
At this point, the First World War had been over for three years. 700,000 British men had been killed. The casualties were disproportionately young, unmarried and from the middle or upper classes. Another 250,000 people in the UK died in the global Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 and 1919. In the decades before the 1920s, there had been campaigns luring young unmarried men to emigrate to British colonies like Australia and India with promises of far greater wealth and luxury than could be obtained by staying at home.
Given all of this, it shouldn’t have been very surprising that in 1921 the country contained more women than men. Many women found themselves single either because fiancés and sweethearts had died in the trenches, or just because all the casualties meant that there was no one left in their circle to pair up with. Some characterised these women as ‘imaginary widows’, unmarried yet mourning the husbands they should have had. A socialite named Isie Russell Stephenson, whose husband died in 1918 from his war injuries, recalled many years later how she went to a party in 1919 and thought it was a women-only affair until she spotted a single suit among all the evening frocks. “It was as if ever man you had ever danced with was dead,” she said.
Helen Parkinson’s great aunt, Mary Shallcross, was another woman who lost the man she might have married to the war.
Helen: Certainly not affianced or anything like that but somebody she was fond of, and then that’s it. She led a solitary life other than being ‘aunty’ and things after that.
Caroline: Mary was a factory worker who worked variously in munitions and confectionary plants throughout her life. She never married, or to Helen’s knowledge even came close.
Helen: She was very shy. I would imagine if the pool of available men was much reduced there’d be other people possibly her younger sister, thinking about it, who’d be better at nabbing what was left.
But for all that she’d lost someone important to her, Mary was happy — at least as far as Helen knows she was.
Helen: She was actually she took content in small things. Because my granny certainly ran round my grandad all her life doing exactly what he wanted. So maybe Auntie Mary was quite glad she didn’t have to.
Mary Shallcross was just one of thousands of women who found their circumstances irrevocably altered by the First World War, but refused to give into spinsterhood and despair. Yet even before the 1921 census confirmed Britain’s gender disparity, the plight of those like her had become the focus of much outrage and indignation.
A medical doctor named Murray Leslie had given a widely-reported lecture to the London Institute of Hygiene in February 1920, in which he warned that women would soon be scrapping like cats over “the scared and elusive male”. This in turn would lead to a lowering of moral standards, more infidelity and clandestine sexual relationships — which in his view, would result in a national crisis. Reporting on his talk, a Leeds Mercury newspaper writer linked Britain’s post-war economic depression directly to the terrible behaviour caused by the mere existence of these extra females. “No wonder the value of the pound has become so depreciated abroad,” he mourned.
Of course, women wrote in to these newspapers, often anonymously, to point out that they were, in fact, also human beings with a right to their own lives. In response, men penned opinion pieces proposing solutions to this supposed problem such as increased female emigration, and special care for that scarce commodity, male infants.
Throughout all of this fuss, one phrase was repeated more than any other. Surplus women.
Rosemary: The phrase surplus women came about in the press in the early 1920s in response to the 1921 census.
Caroline: This is Rosemary Cresswell, a senior lecturer in global history at the University of Hull.
It isn’t just as simple as to say that the First World War unbalanced the population, she says.
Rosemary: The trend in there being more women than men in British society goes back to the Victorian and the Edwardian period and some factors around that are emigration to Empire but also that infant mortality was higher amongst boys than amongst girls.
Caroline: The reductive idea that everyone in the nation was supposed to pair off, boy girl, boy girl, is fraught with problems — not least because not everyone is straight. Male homosexuality was a criminal offence at this point in history, although of course gay and lesbian people existed and had relationships in spite of prejudice and the need for secrecy. Part of the reaction against the so-called surplus women is connected to this, as women would often set up house with their female friends, causing alarm among those who hated the idea that they might love each other, rather than a man. We’re going to talk much more detail about how the private lives of queer people find their way into detective stories in a future episode, so listen out for that.
Rosemary Cresswell first started researching the surplus women as part of her work on the Overseas Nursing Association, an agency that recruited British nurses who wanted to work abroad. Large numbers of women were applying to do this in the early 1920s, a trend that could well be a result of so-called surplus women wanting to seek their fortune abroad, as an alternative to remaining in a Britain that regarded them superfluous.
Rosemary: I would think there if they did want to marry and hadn’t found somebody in Britain, there would be this awareness that there’s more men — more choice in Empire. But also I think it is an adventure to go overseas so there’s more to it I think than just seeking marriage. I think it’s about independence, autonomy, a different lifestyle to that which you had had in Britain.
Caroline: During the First World War, the number of women in the workforce had increased by nearly a million. Women had stepped into traditional male roles in factories, on farms, in hospitals, and in offices, and many had found it to their liking. In 1918, British women received partial suffrage for the first time, when the Representation of the People Act gave the vote to women over the age of 30 who met certain minimum property standards. When the war was over and there was pressure to step aside so that returning soldiers could have their jobs back, many women were reluctant to relinquish the independence and autonomy that their new working lives had provided. Being labelled as “surplus” was just an additional insult, along with the lack of equal pay or proper pension provision.
Rosemary: If you got married and you were a teacher, for example, then you would have to leave your job. This was a trend that started after the first world war, because there were men coming back with demobilisation who needed employment, so there was much more emphasis that women could not work if they got married. So if people wanted a career, if they wanted to be a teacher and become a headteacher, if they wanted to be in nursing and become a matron and progress up, then it could be a choice not to get married and in the civil service it was the same as well. It was legal to do this at that time, to force women to resign their job if they married.
Caroline: In many cases, these marriage bars were informal — just an unspoken understanding that married women wouldn’t work, as opposed to an actual rule or law. It worked though: 90 per cent of women gave up their jobs when they got married. If you were someone who wanted a career, therefore, it was in your interests to remain unattached.
It’s always been the case that women with any degree of power or autonomy become objects to be feared or dismissed as “unnatural”, and the scaremongering in the 1920s around the idea of “surplus women” only exacerbated this existing prejudice. There are plenty of examples from other literature of the time — Vera Brittain, who had lost her fiancé in the war, wrote a poem titled “The Superfluous Woman”, in which she described them as “ghosts crying down the vistas of the years”. Her friend Winifred Holtby, another post-war single woman with whom Brittain lived, wrote several novels with characters who struggled with the loneliness and futility of their lives. There are loads more works like this too, and together they suggest that Britain was stuffed full of maiden aunts, a tragic lost generation of British womanhood.
This literary stereotype of the spinster is one manifestation of the many ways in which independent women have been stigmatised down the years. Even as society has become more tolerant and fair, that caricature remains.
Camilla: I know that we’ve tried to retrieve spinster as a word to try and sort of flip it on its head but it still it retains that kind of connotation. To me it’s a pernicious kind of a word. . . It’s a word that’s hard to reclaim.
Caroline: This is Camilla Nelson, an associate professor of writing at the University of Notre Dame Australia. She’s made a study of all the ways in which single women are portrayed in literature. And she’s found that some of the most sympathetic and positive versions exist in the detective novels of the 1920s and 30s.
Camilla: What’s wonderful about many of those stories like Miss Marple or Miss Lemon or Miss Climpson is that they’re stories about women who are leading full and satisfying lives, who are working, who aren’t reliant on men, who are characters in novels who aren’t just sort of a satellite of the male character or a conduit to their husband, and who are leading full lives which are separated or divorced from marriage and romance.
Caroline: In her 1927 novel Unnatural Death, Dorothy L Sayers explicitly addresses this notion of the surplus women. In chapter three, which is entitled “A Use for Spinsters”, her aristocratic sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey, invites his Scotland Yard chum Inspector Parker to visit a “little flat in Pimlico” with him, where there’s a woman Wimsey wants him to meet. Parker, surely a proxy for the 1920s reader here, immediately jumps to the conclusion that this is Wimsey’s lower-class mistress, housed at a comfortable distance from the luxury of Piccadilly for his lordship’s convenience.
Sayers then pulls the rug out from under us by introducing the woman herself — a single middle aged woman called Miss Climpson, who Wimsey is employing as a kind of private enquiry agent. “She is my ears and tongue and especially my nose,” he declares to his friend. Although Miss Climpson is very smart and sharp, she is very good at giving the impression that she’s merely a gossipy middle aged lady. As a result, if Wimsey sends her in to a delicate situation to ask questions, it doesn’t arouse suspicion the way a man doing the same would. More than that, it’s expected that she will be nosy. He’s taking advantage of the way society looks down on her — it’s like she’s in permanent disguise. For Miss Climpson, being a spinster is a kind of superpower.
Wimsey congratulates himself on having found this “use for spinsters” as stealthy private detectives. The nation should erect a statue to him, he says, with an inscription that reads “To the Man who Made Thousands of Superfluous Women Happy without Injury to their Modesty or Exertion to Himself”. In subsequent Sayers novels like Strong Poison, Miss Climpson appears as the head of a bureau of surplus women, who are deployed by Wimsey in roles like secretaries, companions, nurses and governesses in ways that will help solve his cases.
What makes the novels of Dorothy L Sayers stand out particularly in this regard, I think, is the wide variety of single woman characters she includes in her plots. They’re not just maiden aunts or elderly companions, but academics, nurses, socialites and revolutionaries. Her spinsters are real people, beyond the negative stereotype of a shabby, grumpy old maid.
Camilla: I think that what makes her Miss Marple a stand-out is that she’s pink cardigan on the outside but she’s got a mind like a steel trap and the men in the books around her actually respect her. The policemen defer to her. The policemen can tell that she is a woman who is intelligent, who is rational, who is not hysterical who doesn’t imagine things which makes her an interesting, quite a unique character particularly for that for that period where more usually a spinster character is a prattling character or is a sour or desiccated character.
Caroline: In creating Miss Marple, Christie turned all of the unfavourable assumptions about spinsters on their head. Miss Marple is very nosy and gossipy, and deeply interested in the lives of her servants and everyone in her village. But in these novels that’s a good thing — she cares about people and is empathetic. Again and again in the books, she finds the solution to the puzzle when nobody else does because she pays attention to tiny domestic details like the toppings of a trifle, or how a curtain was hung. Because she’s so involved in the village life of St Mary Mead, there’s not much about human nature that she doesn’t know.
Both Sayers and Christie lived relatively unconventional lives for women of their period. In her 20s, Sayers had affairs with men she didn’t marry, and even had a child out of wedlock. She later married a divorced man and continued to work full time as a copywriter and author. Christie got married to her first husband in 1914, but divorced in 1928 after he was unfaithful to her. She later went travelling in the Middle East on her own, eventually marrying an archeologist who was 14 years younger than her. These experiences made their single women characters more nuanced, Camilla Nelson says.
Camilla: You wonder if the life experience of writers like Christie was divorced or Dorothy Sayers as well for her Miss Climpson and that she married much later in life and of course she worked as an advertising copywriter and you wonder if that struggle of doing a job and living a life and wanting to live a full life really comes through in that fiction. I do think that if Agatha Christie hadn’t divorced that maybe Miss Marple may not have grown in the way that she did.
Caroline: We might like to think that today’s society is free of prejudice towards single women, but it isn’t quite that simple.
Camilla: What’s interesting about some of these characters is that when they’ve been adapted to television recently — Miss Marple, ITV gave her a romantic backstory which I think was was ludicrous because it sort of ruined the character but it’s almost like the way we think about story and plots seems to involve the way you round out a female character seems to be that you marry them or you make them unhappy in love.
Caroline: We might not talk about “surplus women” anymore, but society still struggles sometimes with viewing single women as whole beings, independent and self sufficient. Single friends who have travelled in more remote parts of the world have told me that it’s sometimes easier to wear a fake wedding ring than face endless questions about their lack of a husband. Female celebrities are still asked about their love lives and their children in a way that men rarely are. Unmarried women are still asked by relatives and colleagues when they’re going to ‘settle down’.
Perhaps there are still spinster sleuths among us, even now.
This episode of Shedunnit was written, narrated, and produced by me, Caroline Crampton. My thanks to Rosemary Cresswell, Camilla Nelson and Helen Parkinson for their contributions. For more information about the subjects discussed and links to all the books mentioned, visit shedunnitshow.com/surpluswomen, where you can also find a full transcript. If you enjoy the podcast and you’d like to do me a good turn, consider telling a friend who likes mystery stories about it, whether that’s in person or on social media. You could also tell a stranger by leaving a review on iTunes. I’ll be back in two weeks with another episode, so make sure you’re subscribed.
Next time on Shedunnit: Crippen. | 2019-04-25T04:26:36Z | http://shedunnitshow.com/surpluswomentranscript/ |
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The depth resolution achieved by a continuous wave time-of-flight (C-ToF) imaging system is determined by the coding (modulation and demodulation) functions that it uses. We present a mathematical framework for exploring and characterizing the space of C-ToF coding functions in a geometrically intuitive space. Using this framework, we design families of novel coding functions that are based on Hamiltonian cycles on hypercube graphs. The proposed Hamiltonian coding functions achieve up to an order of magnitude higher resolution as compared to the current state-of-the-art. Using simulations and a hardware prototype, we demonstrate the performance advantages of Hamiltonian coding in a wide range of imaging settings.
Probing vibrational modes of molecules by Coherent Raman Scattering (CRS) provides a non-invasive, label free and chemically sensitive imaging modality that is of a large interest for the study of biological systems. Stimulated Raman Scattering and Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering provide quantitative imaging of the density of resonant vibrational modes within a focal volume. However, those modes are also sensitive to the incident polarization of light, which can give additional insight into the structural order and orientation of molecular assemblies. Accessing such sub-diffraction molecular order information opens ways to understand the interplay between organization and function in biological systems, as well as its alteration in the progression of diseases. A limiting factor of polarized-CRS imaging so far was the long acquisition times due to a slow step wise rotation of the incident polarization state, leading to image acquisition times of 100x100 μm field of views in the minute time scales. In this work, we use electro-optic modulation to fully rotate the incident polarization state at rates of 100 kHz. Coupled with lock-in detection, we show that one can obtain order and orientation parameters of molecular vibrations down to sub-seconds time scales per image. Additional incident intensity modulation permits to access simultaneously molecular density information, with no compromise in signal to noise conditions. Using this method, we demonstrate real-time deformation and dynamics of model membrane systems (multilamellar vesicles). Moreover, we show the sensitivity of the technique down to one single lipid bilayer as present in red blood cell ghosts.
Detection of circulating tumor cells with image cytometry is limited by the sensitivity and specificity of the biomarker panel. We collected confocal images of ~100,000 cells labeled for DNA, lipids, CD45, and Cytokeratin on a model system of MCF7 and WBCs representing disease positive, D+ and disease negative, D- populations. We computed spatial image metrics and performed multivariable regression and feature selection, increasing the separation of the D+ and D- populations to 7 standard deviations with detection limit of ~1 in 480. In conclusion, simple regression analysis holds promise to improve the separation of rare cells in cytometry applications.
Methods for imaging of excised tissue specimens that obviate manual and time-consuming histology processing steps including wax-embedding, sectioning, and separate staining hold considerable promise for improving our ability to render time- and cost-efficient diagnoses. They also could potentiate the clinical adoption of machine learning tools dependent on routine production of digital histology data. A known limitation of point scanning-based ex vivo imaging technologies that precludes ready adoption for clinical use is imaging speed. We have recently described the development of an approach for multiphoton microscopy capable of imaging un-sectioned and un-embedded human tissue samples at millimeter depths with sufficient quality for primary diagnostic interpretation and at speeds more than 30-times faster than a traditional galvanometer-based system. Incorporation of a polygonal mirror combined with stage scanning in an optically efficient geometry yielded significant speed gains, beyond those possible with resonant galvanometers, and without sacrificing image quality. We hypothesized that further gains in speed, with maintenance of image quality, would be attainable by incorporating pulsed laser excitation with a repetition rate beyond the typical 80 MHz speed of standard Ti-Sapphire lasers. In this analysis we describe the use of a newly produced 250 MHz ultra-fast laser in a polygon-based microscope with stage scanning and demonstrate multiphoton human tissue imaging at speeds on par with the fastest whole slide imaging systems and with resolution, contrast, and coloration that matches physical slides but without any of the principal artifacts associated with slide scanning.
Recent advances in imaging cytometry enable high-resolution analysis of single-cell phenotypes (both physical and biochemical) at high throughput with the overall aim of revealing the phenotypic variability within an enormous and heterogeneous population of cells. However, analysis of large-scale high dimensional single-cell image data is computationally intensive and soon becomes unscaleable from both a memory and run time perspective. To address this challenge, we develop Accelerated Pheno-Tree (APT) – an unsupervised clustering algorithm tailored for analyzing large-scale high dimensional single-cell image-based data. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, we adopt APT in time-stretch quantitative phase imaging (TS-QPI) – an ultrahigh-throughput label-free imaging technique that allows large-scale single-cell biophysical phenotyping. APT allows fast unbiased clustering and visualization of high-dimensional datasets of above 1 million single cell TS-QPI - bypassing the need for prior knowledge of the data as well as data down-sampling which are common in the existing clustering methods. Integrating two key computational steps, i.e. accelerated non-linear dimension reduction (LargeVis) of the TS-QPI data followed by the graph-based and data-driven agglomerative clustering (based on accelerated minimum spanning tree construction), APT successfully distinguishes multiple cell types (e.g. 7 lung cancer cell lines, and sub-types of PBMC cells) entirely based on their intrinsic biophysical phenotypes (up to 30 dimensions) quantified from label-free TS-QPI (total cell count: 1.1 million cells). We anticipate that APT could be particularly useful in ultralarge-scale single-cell analysis and facilitates exploration of the heterogeneity within cell populations based on single-cell biophysical features with high accuracy.
The real-time characterization of fast-evolving processes with sub-cellular resolution is crucial to unveil biological mechanisms as relevant as brain function or intracellular diffusion. Optical microscopes are optimal tools for 2D imaging of living organisms, but the need for z-focus translation significantly constraints volumetric imaging speed. In this talk, I will show how an acoustic optofluidic lens enables z-focus scanning at rates as high as 1 MHz. Such unsurpassed speed opens the door to novel strategies in 3D confocal and light-sheet systems in which the temporal and spatial resolution can be user-selected based on application, well-beyond the limits of traditional microscopes.
Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) enables both sensitive and rapid volumetric imaging, from single cells to multicellular organisms. Nevertheless, LSFM faces technological and physical limitations on the volumetric acquisition speed. We have realized that there are certain geometrical arrangements that allow lossless parallelization of the LSFM acquisition process. Thereby the volumetric acquisition rate can be increased without inducing higher amounts of phototoxicity or requiring faster detector technologies. We present two implementations of parallelized light-sheet microscopy and discuss applications that either benefit from the increased acquisition speed or improved sensitivity of these systems.
Studying neuronal connections and activities in vivo is critical for understanding the brain. Optical microscopy, with the capability of specific fluorescent labeling and sub-cellular spatial resolution, has become an indispensable tool in neuroscience. However, the major limitation of optical imaging is penetration depth and imaging speed to capture neural signal dynamics in deep brain regions. Recently, by applying adaptive optics, high-energy laser, or long wavelength lasers for nonlinear imaging, penetration depth around 1mm has been achieved in living mouse brains. Nevertheless, this depth barely pierces through the mouse cortex and is far from reaching the bottom of the centimeter-thick mouse brain. For studying deeper regions of the brain, brain slice is one possible approach, yet it is invasive and cut away many neuron connections. In this study, a home-built two-photon microscope is integrated with both a gradient refractive index (GRIN) lens and a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens. The GRIN lens serves as a micro-endoscope which extends the imaging depth to a centimeter while minimizing the invasiveness, and the TAG lens provides ~100kHz axial scanning which enables high-speed volumetric imaging of neuronal response. This novel high-speed volumetric endoscopy system offers an unprecedented opportunity towards studying three-dimensional neuronal dynamics in deep brains regions of a living mouse.
Fast, volumetric imaging over large scales has been a long-standing challenge in biological microscopy. To address this issue, we developed a variant of confocal microscopy that provides simultaneous multiplane imaging over large field of view and at video rate. Our apparatus, called multi-Z confocal microscopy, differs from a conventional confocal microscope in both its illumination and detection parts. First, axially elongated illumination is achieved by under filling the back aperture of the microscope objective. The resulting low NA provides an axial extent of the illumination of the order of 100 µm. The light from the sample is then collected by the same objective, now taking advantage of the full NA which ensures high collection efficiency, and send to the detection unit. The latter is comprised by four reflecting pinholes axially distributed in the image plane such that they are conjugated to different depths within the sample. Each detection channel spans a probe volume at a different depth and volumetric imaging is obtained by simply combining the four channels. In our current configuration, each imaging plane covers a field of view of 1.2 mm and the distance between two planes is equal to 25 µm. In other words, we image 1200x1200x100 µm3 at 30Hz. We first demonstrated the applicability of our technique by imaging entire C. elegans in vivo with a cellular resolution. Secondly we applied our technique to image multiple layers of neurons in mouse brain. We were able to record the activity of 550 neurons, with 100-150 neurons present in each imaging plane.
We demonstrate a 512 x 16 CMOS single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) line sensor with per-pixel on-chip histogramming for video rate spectral fluorescence lifetime imaging (sFLIM). On-chip histogramming provides 32-bin histograms per pixel with 11bit/bin dynamic range. In addition, bin widths in time can be programmed from 51.20 ps to 6.55 ns, providing a histogram range from 1.64 ns to 209.72 ns to suit a wide range of fluorescence decays. At the end of a user defined exposure time, the full histogram data (i.e. 32-bins/pixel and 512 pixels) is first transferred to a FPGA in 84.48 μs via 64 data I/O pads at a 33.33 MHz I/O rate. The sensor data is then binned into two user defined spectral bands to provide spectral separation between different fluorophores, before being transferred to a PC via a USB3 connection for further processing. Fluorescence lifetimes for each spectral band are then rapidly estimated in software by applying the Centre-of-Mass Method (CMM), providing two 128 x 128 size spectral lifetime images in 1.384 s (i.e. with a frame rate of 0.72 fps). The frame rate can be increased by reducing the number of bins, reaching a maximum frame rate when only 2 bins are used with the Rapid Lifetime Determination (RLD) algorithm. In this paper we study the lifetime accuracy vs frame rate trade-offs by varying the number of histogram bins while carefully adjusting the bin widths for maximum bin counts. We validate the results using a Rhodamine 110 and Rhodamine B mixture solution which we separate them spectrally by their fluorescence lifetimes.
The Flamingo is a modular, shareable light sheet microscope suited to a new model of scientific collaboration. Each microscope is customized for a given application, equipped to travel from lab to lab and providing widespread access to advanced microscopy. It is a compact selective plane illumination microscope (SPIM) that can be turned upright for multi-view imaging of hanging samples or turned on its side for samples in a dish. Rapid multi-color imaging is achieved via sCMOS cameras and several possible laser lines. With its selective sheet illumination, the Flamingo is well suited for fast and gentle imaging of developing organisms.
The capability of Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) to detect photons with picosecond timing precision and shotnoise limited performance has given rise to a range of biological and biomedical applications, from Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) to Raman Spectroscopy and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). The use of SPAD sensors has also been successfully demonstrated in Single-Molecule Localisation Microscopy. Traditionally implemented as point detectors, recent advances in SPAD technology, such as compact, binary pixels and back-side illuminated, 3D-stacked architectures, have led to 2-D imaging arrays of increasing resolution and fill factor. Combined with high frame rates (in the kFPS range), and negligible read noise, the sensors offer an exciting prospect for capturing fast temporal dynamics in life science cellular imaging. The work in this paper considers the application of SPAD imaging arrays to widefield fluorescence lifetime imaging of high-speed particles in microscopy. We demonstrate, using a time-gated binary SPAD array, that by tracking particles, and spatially re-assigning the underlying photon counts accordingly, lifetime estimates for fast-moving objects are possible. Moreover, we give the first demonstration of FLIM using a SPAD imaging array with on-chip histogramming of photon arrival time, with potential frame rates of several 100FPS. Both FLIM techniques are illustrated using experimental results based on fluorescent microspheres undergoing Brownian motion. The results pave the way towards applications in live-cell microscopy, such as the monitoring of the fluorescence lifetime of highly mobile cell structures, with a view, for example, to study molecular interactions using Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) measurements.
We present an achromatic confocal laser scanning system capable of recording spectrally resolved fluorescence lifetime images (sFLIMs) at a rate of >8 frames per second (FPS) for a 128 x 128 image. This frame rate was achieved by optimizing the processing of lifetime calculations from previous results which demonstrated >4 FPS sFLIM imaging. The imaging system is achromatic for a spectral range of 400 - 900 nm, achieved by using reflective optics instead of a transmissive lens system, except for the primary objectives. Two excitation sources have been integrated into the system, 485 nm and 640 nm laser diodes with a pulse width of <70 ps and <90 ps respectively. Imaging is performed via a galvanometric mirror system which scans the laser beam over the sample with the ability to change the Field of View (FOV) on the fly. The collected fluorescence signal is focused into a multimode fiber via a second objective and recollimated onto a transmissive grating for spectral dispersion onto a novel complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor single photon avalanche diode (CMOS SPAD) line array sensor. This sensor can perform lifetime histogram generation on-chip and process over 16.5 Giga events/s enabling fast lifetime data acquisition. High speed sFLIM is demonstrated through imaging of convallaria majalis sections.
Using Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) for the purpose of fluorescence lifetime measurements is often limited in speed due to pile-up and dead-time artifacts. This is particularly critical in fast imaging applications. With modern instrumentation this limitation can be lifted by reducing the dead-time of the TCSPC electronics to the absolute minimum imposed by the speed of the electrical detector signals. Another, complementing approach to speedy image acquisition is parallelization by means of simultaneous, time tagged readout of many detector channels. This of course puts high demands on the data throughput of the TCSPC system. Here we present a new integrated design, providing up to 8 independent input channels, an extremely short dead-time, very high time tagging throughput over USB 3.0, and a timing resolution of 80 ps. Apart from design features and benchmark results of the instrument as such, we show application results from spectrally resolved (sFLIM) and high speed confocal fluorescence lifetime imaging (rapidFLIM). We put special focus on life science applications, paving the way to monitor sub-second dynamics in live cell imaging, including lifetime based Förster Resonant Energy Transfer (FLIM-FRET) imaging. We furthermore show how the inevitable pulse-pile-up occurring in the detector signals at high photon flux can be corrected for and how this data acquisition scheme excels in terms of photon collection efficiency in comparison to other approaches.
In this talk, I introduce high-throughput intelligence-powered image-activated cell sorting or an “imaging” version of fluorescence-activated cell sorting [Cell 175, 1 (2018)] that realizes real-time image-based intelligent cell sorting at an unprecedented rate of ~100 events per second. This technology integrates high-speed cell microscopy, focusing, and sorting methods on rapid hybrid software-hardware data-management infrastructure, enabling real-time automated operation for data acquisition, data processing, decision-making, and actuation. I present two unique applications in microbiology and hematology enabled by the technology and discuss how technology enables machine-based scientific discovery in diverse biological and medical sciences.
While fluorescence imaging flow cytometry is a promising method for high-throughput single-cell analysis, it has not been suitable for analysis of large populations of cells (e.g., blood samples) due to its low imaging sensitivity at a high cell throughput. Here we present fluorescence imaging flow cytometry with an ultrahigh imaging sensitivity, which is enabled by virtual motion freezing. In this method, we prepare a wide-field imaging system with a CMOS camera and scan images of flowing cells by a scanning device, such as a polygon scanner, equipped in the imaging system so that the motion of the cells is canceled in the imaging plane, thus significantly extending the exposure time of the camera without suffering from motion blur. Additionally, we scan a loosely focused excitation beam during the exposure time of the camera in the direction opposite to the cell flow using a beam scanner such as an acousto-optic deflector, which significantly reduces motion cancellation errors caused by the image distortion of the imaging system and hence allows further extension of the exposure time. Consequently, our method improves imaging sensitivity by a factor of ~1,000 compared with a conventional wide-field excitation method, enabling acquisition of microscopy-grade images of fast flowing cells. As a proof-of-concept, we obtained fluorescence images of nuclei of murine white blood cells stained by SYTO16 at a flow speed of 1 m/s (corresponding to a cell throughput of 10,000 cells/s assuming the 100-μm cell spacing) and determined the population of nuclear lobulation from the high-signal-to-noise-ratio images obtained.
Continuing development of image-based bioassay is mainly hampered by the lack of throughput to systematically screen a large cell/tissue population under extensive experimental conditions; and the overwhelming reliance on biochemical markers, which are not always effective, especially when there is poor prior knowledge of the markers. Here we demonstrate ultralarge-scale, high-resolution “on-the-fly” quantitative phase imaging (QPI) of single-cells and whole-tissue-slide on a spinning-disk assay platform at an imaging rate of at least 100-times faster than current assays – mitigating the imaging throughput limitation hindered by the fundamental space-bandwidth-product limit of classical optical imaging. The concept takes advantage of the high-speed spinning motion, which naturally provides imaging at an ultrafast rate (<10MHz) that can only be made possible with time-stretch imaging. To demonstrate the capability of the system, we imaged both label-free adherent cells and tissue slices, prepared on the functionalized digital versatile discs (DVDs), across a giga-pixel-FOV exceeding 10mm2 at a resolution of ~ 1μm. Both bright-field and QPI images are generated in real-time with this FOV at a spinning speed of <1,000 rpm. In contrast to the vast majority of current QPI modalities, our platform requires no interferometry and no computationally-intensive iterative method for phase retrieval, favouring continuous high-speed QPI operation in real-time. More importantly, this spinning imaging platform allows generation of a catalogue of label-free biophysical phenotypes of cells/tissues, e.g. cell size, dry mass density, morphology as well as light scattering properties, which could enable a new generation of large-scale in-depth label-free image-based bioassays.
Hyperspectral Stimulated Raman scattering (hsSRS) microscopy has recently emerged as a powerful non-destructive technique for label-free chemical imaging of biological samples. In most hsSRS imaging experiments, the SRS spectral range is limited by the total bandwidth of the excitation laser to ~300 cm-1 and spectral resolution of ~25 cm-1. Here we present a novel approach for broadband hsSRS microscopy based on parabolic fiber amplification to provide linearly chirped broadened Stokes pulses. This novel hsSRS instrument provides >600 cm-1 spectral coverage and ~10 cm-1 spectral resolution. We further demonstrated broadband hsSRS imaging of the entire Raman fingerprint region for resolving distribution of major biomolecules in fixed cells. Moreover, we applied broadband hsSRS in imaging amyloid plaques in human brain tissue with Alzheimer’s disease.
Nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) exposure to cells causes a myriad of bioeffects with great potential to translate into beneficial technology. However, a general lack of fundamental knowledge of how the field is interacting with the cell limits the advancement of predictive models and maximal exploitation. Despite 30 years of research, this same dearth of mechanistic understanding remains for longer pulse exposures. Fundamental to determining what is occurring as these strong electric fields are applied to cells is measuring the induced change in membrane potential on the time scale of the exposure. Such measurements are critical to validating commonly used electric circuit-based continuum models for electroporation, but have remained elusive due to limits in signal-to-noise and fluorescent reporters. In a previous publication, we described a high-speed fluorescent imaging modality that combined a streak camera and a high power laser source termed a high speed streak camera microscope (SCM) to resolve membrane charging during a single nsPEF. In this paper, we use the SCM to quantify changes in membrane potential in CHO-K1 cells exposed to unipolar and bipolar 600ns PEF within the context of the recently discovered “bipolar cancellation” phenomenon. Immediately after a unipolar pulse exposure, we see a prolonged “depolarization” of the cell that is roughly 50-100mV in amplitude. Such a prolonged depolarization is not seen in bipolar exposures nor is it predicted by membrane charging models. We postulate that this lasting membrane depolarization, seen only in unipolar pulse exposure, is either the cause of later uptake of impermeable ions or signifies the acute (during the pulse) breakdown of the plasma membrane (nanoporation). The lack of lasting depolarization in bipolar pulse exposures may be fundamental to “bipolar cancellation” and explain why uptake of ions is substantially reduced as compared to unipolar pulse exposures.
It is not difficult to be able to get a machined immersion grating in the market, and to obtain high spectrum-resolution (λ/Δλ > 200,000) in the middle infrared (3~5 micrometers) any longer. This wavelength region is a part of the molecule fingerprint region and is a very important wavelength region for the analysis of human / living activities. Compared with FT-IR in popular use, the spectrum by such classic device is an important means to a high-speed spectrum. However, although the dispersing potential of an immersion element is excellent, in offer of a device only, it does not mean in practical use for the researcher and the developer who want to use a high-performance spectroscope. So, in this paper, the high-resolution (λ/Δλ ~ 30,000 at 3-5 micrometer) spectrum unit which used Germanium (Ge) immersion grating is proposed. The optical plane size in this spectrum unit is about 200mm x 100mm, it is almost same as the iPad/mini4 (203.2mmx134.8mm) of the Apple Inc. It has fitted in less than 1/10 size compared with the reflected type spectroscope. This means dramatic improvement in the chance of an opportunity using a high-resolution spectroscope including ultrafast application. A large diversion is obtained in smaller beam size according to the refractive index of material in the immersion grating. In this paper, it introduces about the practical design of the high distribution immersion spectroscope. Especially, we introduce in detail about the manufacture of Ge immersion grating as the key device.
Endoscope size is a major design constraint that must be managed with the clinical demand for high-quality illumination and imaging. Existing commercial endoscopes most often use an arc lamp to produce bright, incoherent white light, requiring large-area fiber bundles to deliver sufficient illumination power to the sample. Moreover, the power instability of these light sources creates challenges for computer vision applications. We demonstrate an alternative illumination technique using red-green-blue laser light and a data-driven approach to combat the speckle noise that is a byproduct of coherent illumination. We frame the speckle artifact problem as an image-to-image translation task solved using conditional Generative Adversarial Networks (cGANs). To train the network, we acquire images illuminated with a coherent laser diode, with a laser diode source made partially- coherent using a laser speckle reducer, and with an incoherent LED light source as the target domain. We train networks using laser-illuminated endoscopic images of ex-vivo, porcine gastrointestinal tissues, augmented by images of laser-illuminated household and laboratory objects. The network is then benchmarked against state of-the-art optical and image processing speckle reduction methods, achieving an increased peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of 4.1 db, compared to 0.7 dB using optical speckle reduction, 0.6 dB using median filtering, and 0.5 dB using non-local means. This approach not only allows for endoscopes with smaller, more efficient light sources with extremely short triggering times, but it also enables imaging modalities that require both coherent and incoherent sources, such as combined widefield and speckle ow contrast imaging in a single image frame.
To overcome the drawbacks of the commonly used lookup table inverse models, we propose a novel custom OpenCL™- accelerated artificial neural network inverse model for spatial frequency domain imaging (https://bitbucket.org/xopto /rftroop). Utilizing a mid-range graphics processing unit, the proposed inverse model can estimate high-definition (1920 × 1080) maps of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients and two scattering phase function related quantifiers at a rate of more than 50 frames per second. We show that the artificial neural network inverse model can be seamlessly extended to estimate multiple optical properties independently, thus providing a versatile framework that allows introduction of new quantifiers.
Image delivery through multimode fibers (MMFs) suffers from modal scrambling which results in a speckle pattern at the fiber output. In this work, we use Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) for recovery and/or classification of the input image from the intensity-only images of the speckle patterns at the distal end of the fiber. We train the DNNs using 16,000 images of handwritten digits of the MNIST database and we test the accuracy of classification and reconstruction on another 2,000 new digits. Very positive results and robustness were observed for up to 1 km long MMF showing 90% reconstruction fidelity. The classification accuracy of the system for different inputs (phase-only, amplitude-only, hologram intensity etc.) to the DNN classifier was also tested.
Since confocal laser microscopy (CLM) can acquire a high-contrast three-dimensional image, it is widely used in the field of bio-imaging. However, CLM is based on point measurement, it is necessary to mechanically scan the focal spot while keeping the conjugate relation between confocal pinhole and focal spot on the sample. Since such a mechanical scanning is vulnerable to environmental disturbance such as vibration, it needs a stable measurement environment like the active anti-vibration table. Also, for imaging of living samples, CLM cannot visualize clear image because of motion blur due to the difference in scanning time, thus it is limited to get only fixed sample images. We here propose a dual optical comb microscope combining dual optical comb spectroscopy (DCS) and two-dimensional spectral encoding (2D-SE). This combination enables one-to-one correspondence between optical frequency comb (OFC) modes and image pixels. Image information is superimposed on the mode-resolved OFC spectrum waveform by 2D-SE. Simultaneously, the confocality of all the pixels is given in parallel by a single confocal pinhole. The frame rate is limited by the data acquisition time of the interferogram, imaging rate over 1000 frames/s is possible. In this paper, we demonstrate the fast confocal phase imaging of a living paramecium.
Photonics based imaging is a widely utilised technique for the study of biological functions within pre-clinical studies. It is a sensitive and non-invasive technique that is able to detect distributed (biologically informative) visible and nearinfrared light sources providing information about biological function. Compressive Sensing (CS) is a method of signal processing that works on the basis that a signal or image can be compressed without important information being lost. This work describes the development of a CS based hyperspectral Bioluminescence imaging system that can be used to collect compressed fluence data from the external surface of an animal model, due to an internal source, providing lower acquisition times, higher spectral content and potentially better tomographic source localisation.
Hyperspectral imaging is a useful tool for characterization of human tissue. However, the vast amount of data created makes it challenging and tedious to manually select spatial regions of interest for further processing. In this study, a random forest-based method was evaluated on basis of its ability to segment human skin regions from the background. The method was compared to the performance of two alternative methods, spectral angle mapper (SAM) and a K-means clustering-based method. The methods were tested on hyperspectral images of ex vivo and in vivo human skin in the wavelength range 400-1000 nm. The random forest approach was found to be robust and perform well regardless of image type. The method is simple to train, and requires minimal parameter tuning for good skin segmentation results.
Spectroscopy is an important tool having already been applied in various research fields, but still limited in observation of dynamic scenes. In this paper, we propose a video rate spectroscopy via Fourier-spectral-multiplexing (FSM-VRS) which exploits both spectral and spatial sparsity. Under the computational imaging scheme, the hyperspectral datacube is first modulated by several broadband bases, and then mapped into different regions in the Fourier domain. The encoded image compressed both in spectral and spatial are finally collected by a monochrome detector. Correspondingly, the reconstruction is essentially a Fourier domain extraction and spectral dimensional back projection with low computational load. The encoding and decoding process of the FSM-VRS is simple thus can be implemented in a low cost manner. The temporary resolution of the FSM-VRS is only limited by the camera frame rate. We demonstrate the high performance of our method by quantitative evaluation on simulation data and build a prototype system experimentally for further validation. | 2019-04-25T02:50:55Z | http://spie.org/Publications/Proceedings/Volume/10889?SSO=1 |
Phytochemical investigation of the CH2Cl2/MeOH (1:1) extract of the roots of Lannea rivae (Chiov) Sacleux (Anacardiaceae) led to the isolation of a new alkenyl cyclohexenone derivative: (4R,6S)-4,6-dihydroxy-6-((Z)-nonadec-14′-en-1-yl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one (1), and a new alkenyl cyclohexanol derivative: (2S*,4R*,5S*)-2,4,5-trihydroxy-2-((Z)-nonadec-14′-en-1-yl)cyclohexanone (2) along with four known compounds, namely epicatechin gallate, taraxerol, taraxerone and β-sitosterol; while the stem bark afforded two known compounds, daucosterol and lupeol. Similar investigation of the roots of Lannea schweinfurthii (Engl.) Engl. led to the isolation of four known compounds: 3-((E)-nonadec-16′-enyl)phenol, 1-((E)-heptadec-14′-enyl)cyclohex-4-ene-1,3-diol, catechin, and 1-((E)-pentadec-12′-enyl)cyclohex-4-ene-1,3-diol. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was established by quantum chemical ECD calculations. In an antibacterial activity assay using the microbroth kinetic method, compound 1 showed moderate activity against Escherichia coli while compound 2 exhibited moderate activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Compound 1 also showed moderate activity against E. coli using the disc diffusion method. The roots extract of L. rivae was notably cytotoxic against both the DU-145 prostate cancer cell line and the Vero mammalian cell line (CC50 = 5.24 and 5.20 μg/mL, respectively). Compound 1 was also strongly cytotoxic against the DU-145 cell line (CC50 = 0.55 μg/mL) but showed no observable cytotoxicity (CC50 > 100 μg/mL) against the Vero cell line. The roots extract of L. rivae and L. schweinfurthii, epicatechin gallate as well as compound 1 exhibited inhibition of carageenan-induced inflammation.
From the CH2Cl2/CH3OH (1:1) extract of the root bark of Millettia micans, a new pterocarpan, (6aR,11aR)-3-hydroxy-7,8,9-trimethoxypterocarpan (1), named micanspterocarpan, was isolated. Similar investigation of the CH2Cl2/CH3OH (1:1) extract of the root bark of Millettia dura gave a further new pterocarpan, (6aR,11aR)-8,9-methylenedioxy-3-prenyloxypterocarpan (2), named 3-O-prenylmaackiain, along with six known isoflavones (3-8) and a chalcone (9). All purified compounds were identified by NMR and MS, whereas the absolute configurations of the new pterocarpans were established by chriptical data analyses including quantum chemical ECD calculation. Among the isolated constituents, calopogonium isoflavone B (3) and isoerythrin A-4′-(3-methylbut-2-enyl) ether (4) showed marginal activities against the 3D7 and the Dd2 strains of Plasmodium falciparum (70–90% inhibition at 40 μM). Maximaisoflavone B (5) and 7,2′-dimethoxy-4′,5′-methylenedioxyisoflavone (7) were weakly cytotoxic (IC50 153.5 and 174.1 μM, respectively) against the MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line. None of the tested compounds showed in-vitro translation inhibitory activity or toxicity against the HEK-293 human embryonic kidney cell line at 40 μM.
The CH2Cl2/MeOH (1:1) extract of the aerial parts of Tephrosia subtriflora afforded a new flavanonol, named subtriflavanonol (1), along with the known flavanone spinoflavanone B, and the known flavanonols MS-II (2) and mundulinol. The structures were elucidated by the use of NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The absolute configuration of the flavanonols was determined based on quantum chemical ECD calculations. In the antiplasmodial assay, compound 2 showed the highest activity against chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum reference clones (D6 and 3D7), artemisinin-sensitive isolate (F32-TEM) as well as field isolate (KSM 009) with IC50 values 1.4–4.6 μM without significant cytotoxicity against Vero and HEp2 cell lines (IC50 > 100 μM). The new compound (1) showed weak antiplasmodial activity, IC50 12.5–24.2 μM, but also showed selective anticancer activity against HEp2 cell line (CC50 16.9 μM).
A new isoflavone, 8-prenylmilldrone (1), and four new rotenoids, oblarotenoids A–D (2–5), along with nine known compounds (6–14), were isolated from the CH2Cl2/CH3OH (1:1) extract of the leaves of Millettia oblata ssp. teitensis by chromatographic separation. The purified compounds were identified by NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analyses, whereas the absolute configurations of the rotenoids were established on the basis of chiroptical data and in some cases by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Maximaisoflavone J (11) and oblarotenoid C (4) showed weak activity against the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 with IC50 values of 33.3 and 93.8 μM, respectively.
Antiplasmodial potential of traditional antimalarial phytotherapy remedies used by the Kwale community of the Kenyan Coast.
Kenya Medical Research Institute, P.O. Box 54840, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: [email protected].
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In Kenya, 22 million people are at risk of malaria, 70% of them are in rural areas and most of these people use traditional plant based medicines to treat malaria. The aim of the study was to escalate documentation, from an earlier study of medicinal plants, traditionally used to treat malaria by the Digo community of Kwale County, taking cognizance of their pharmacological information by evaluating their antiplasmodial efficacies.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out in Kwale County at Shimba Hills Game Reserve and adjoining part of Kinango. Traditional health practitioners (THP) were interviewed with a standard questionnaire to obtain information on medicinal plants traditionally used for management of malaria. Group interviews were also held among THPs and members of the community. The plant samples collected were tested for antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine sensitive (D6) and resistant (W2) Plasmodium falciparum using the ability of extracts, prepared from the plant species, to inhibit the incorporation of [G-3H] hypoxanthine into the malaria parasites.
RESULTS: Fifty seven (57) species in forty eight (48) genera and thirty (30) families were documented and evaluated for in vitro antiplasmodial activity. Apocynaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Rubiaceae families had each about 12% of the plant species reported as antimalarial remedy and represented the species that are most commonly used. Twelve species (21.1%) showed antiplasmodial efficacy of IC50<5µg/ml and these were Boscia salicifolia, Cissampelos mucronata, Clerodendrum myricoides, Commiphora schimperi, Flueggea virosa, Maytenus undata, Maytenus senegalensis, Maytenus putterlickioides, Vernonia amygdalina, Warburgia stuhlmannii, Zanthoxylum chalybeum and Tabernaemontana pachysiphon.
CONCLUSIONS: These results seem to indicate that ethnopharmacological inquiry used in search for new herbal remedies as predictive and could form the basis of an ethnopharmacopoeia and search for new active principles. This is the first report on traditional use of T. pachysiphon for malaria and its antiplasmodial activity.
processing of the herbal medicines.
modern methods in their practice.
11 2015 Rotenoids, Flavonoids, And Chalcones From The Root Bark Of Millettia Usaramensis.
J Nat Prod. 2015 Dec 24;78(12):2932-9. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00581. Epub 2015 Dec 14.
Rotenoids, Flavonoids, and Chalcones from the Root Bark of Millettia usaramensis.
Deyou T1, Gumula I1, Pang F2, Gruhonjic A, Mumo M1, Holleran J3, Duffy S3, Fitzpatrick PA, Heydenreich M4, Landberg G, Derese S1, Avery V3, Rissanen K2, Erdélyi M, Yenesew A1.
Five new compounds, 4-O-geranylisoliquiritigenin (1), 12-dihydrousararotenoid B (2), 12-dihydrousararotenoid C (3), 4'-O-geranyl-7-hydroxyflavanone (4), and 4'-O-geranyl-7-hydroxydihydroflavanol (5), along with 12 known natural products (6-17) were isolated from the CH2Cl2/MeOH (1:1) extract of the root bark of Millettia usaramensis ssp. usaramensis by chromatographic separation. The purified metabolites were identified by NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analyses, whereas their absolute configurations were established on the basis of chiroptical data and in some cases also by X-ray crystallography. The crude extract was moderately active (IC50 = 11.63 μg/mL) against the ER-negative MDB-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line, and accordingly compounds 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 16 also showed moderate to low cytotoxic activities (IC50 25.7-207.2 μM). The new natural product 1 exhibited antiplasmodial activity with IC50 values of 3.7 and 5.3 μM against the chloroquine-sensitive 3D7 and the chloroquine-resistant Dd2 Plasmodium falciparum strains, respectively, and was also cytotoxic to the HEK293 cell line.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2015 Dec 4;175:315-23. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.09.017. Epub 2015 Sep 25.
Antiplasmodial potential of traditional phytotherapy of some remedies used in treatment of malaria in Meru-Tharaka Nithi County of Kenya.
Muthaura CN1, Keriko JM2, Mutai C3, Yenesew A4, Gathirwa JW5, Irungu BN5, Nyangacha R5, Mungai GM6, Derese S4.
Medicinal plants play a major role in many communities across the world, in the treatment and prevention of disease and the promotion of general health. The aim of the study was to escalate documentation from an earlier study of medicinal plants, traditionally used to combat malaria by the Ameru community of Imenti Forest area and Gatunga in Eastern Region of Kenya, and validate their ethnopharmacological claims by evaluating their antiplasmodial efficacies.
The study was carried out in Meru County at Imenti Forest Game Reserve and in Tharaka Nithi County at Gatunga. Traditional health practitioners (THP) were interviewed with a standard questionnaire to obtain information on medicinal plants traditionally used for management of malaria. Group interviews were also held among THPs and members of the community. The antiplasmodial activities of the crude extracts against chloroquine sensitive (D6) and resistant (W2) Plasmodium falciparum were determined using the semi-automated micro-dilution technique that measures the ability of the extracts to inhibit the incorporation of (G-3H) hypoxanthine into the malaria parasite.
Ninety nine (99) species in eighty one (81) genera and forty five (45) families were documented and evaluated for in vitro antiplasmodial activity. Compositae, Fabaceae, Meliceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae and Verbenaceae had the highest number of species mentioned in treatment of malaria in Meru/Tharaka Nithi study area. Twenty four (24.2%) species showed antiplasmodial efficacy of IC50≤5µg/ml and were considered to have potential for isolation of antimalarial compounds. Eight plant (8) species with moderate antiplasmodial activity namely; Cordia africana, Commiphora africana, Elaeodendron buchananii, Gomphocarpus semilunatus, Tarena graveolens, Plectranthus igniarius, Acacia senegal and Ziziphus abyssinica were documented from this region for the first time for the treatment of malaria. The antiplasmodial activity of MeOH root bark extract of Maytenus obtusifolia was very promising (IC50<1.9µg/ml) and this is the first report on traditional use of M. obtusifolia for treatment of malaria and antimalarial activity.
The results seem to indicate that ethnopharmacological inquiry used in search for new herbal remedies as predictive and could be used as the basis for search of new active principles. Eight plant (8) species are documented from this region for the first time for the treatment of malaria. This is the first report on traditional use of M. obtusifolia for treatment of malaria and evaluation of its antiplasmodial activity.
Introduction: worldwide, plant based medicines are increasing in popularity due to perceptions of safety and efficacy. Herbalists in Kenya are widely consulted for the management of many diseases including Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). This study investigated the level of knowledge of the herbalists in management of T2DM.
Methods: purposive sampling was used to identify 4 herbalists working in the urban areas who actively manage T2DM. Key informant interviews were used to gather data about the management of T2DM. It was analyzed using a content thematic approach.
Results: diverse management methods which included both pharmacological and non- pharmacological were noted. Glycemic control was assessed with the help of a glucometer. In addition, presenting signs and symptoms were key in diagnosing T2DM. The herbalists used various herbs, minerals and animals as medicinal sources. The drugs were dispensed as decoctions with excipients being added appropriately. Adverse effects were recorded. The herbalists acknowledged that patients use both herbal and allopathic medicine together. A level of record keeping was observed but patient follow-up was poor. The cost of the herbal drugs was perceived to be excessive.
Conclusion: some similarities exist in the management of T2DM between allopathic and traditional medicine practitioners. Training of herbalists is required to improve the quality of care given to patients.
Novartis initiated a Fellows program for African academic scientists in 2010 in partnership with Seeding Labs, providing a 9 week-long industrial immersion experience at the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR) in Cambridge Massachusetts. Through their scientific projects and activities, the Fellows explored new laboratory techniques and improved their scientific communication and grant writing skills. A primary aim of the program was to influence the Fellows’ time in the NIBR laboratories into promoting research of potential utility to their scientific and teaching activities on returning home to their academic institutions, thus building strength in scientific capacity in Africa. As chemistry is an essential discipline in the drug-discovery process, it has been an area of focus for several visiting African Fellows and their NIBR scientific mentors. In particular, computational chemistry has minimal laboratory requirements and is ideally suited as an area for scientific capacity building in Africa. In addition, extending drug-discovery capabilities in African laboratories to assist natural products research is of interest, particularly concerning development of treatments for malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and, of recent concern, the West African Ebola outbreak. An ACS International Activities Committee Global Innovation Grant, granted in 2012 added financial momentum to this capacity building project, spurring our efforts in capturing a Canadian Grand Challenges award and the pursuit of funding from IUPAC. In 2014, this initiative reached two significant milestones, creation of its first job, a computational chemistry academic faculty position in Kenya, and the launch of an in-silico database of Kenyan natural products named Mitishamba.
Antiplasmodial activity of compounds from the surface exudates of Senecio roseiflorus.
Natural Products Communications: 2013; 8(2):175-6.
From the surface exudates of Senecio roseiflorus fourteen known methylated flavonoids and one phenol were isolated and characterized. The structures of these compounds were determined on the basis of their spectroscopic analysis. The surface exudate and the flavonoids isolated showed moderate to good antiplasmodial activity with 5,4'-dihydroxy-7-dimethoxyflavanone having the highest activity against chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum, with IC50 values of 3.2 +/- 0.8 and 4.4 +/- 0.01 microg/mL respectively.
The dichloromethane/methanol (1 :1) extracts of the roots of Pentas longiflora and Pentas lanceolata showed low micromolar (IC50 = 0.9–3 μg/mL) in vitro antiplasmodial activity against chloroquineresistant (W2) and chloroquine-sensitive (D6) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Chromatographic separation of the extract of Pentas longiflora led to the isolation of the pyranonaphthoquinones pentalongin (1) and psychorubrin (2) with IC50 values below 1 μg/mL and the naphthalene derivative mollugin (3), which showed marginal activity. Similar treatment of Pentas lanceolata led to the isolation of eight anthraquinones (4–11, IC50 = 5–31 μg/mL) of which one is new (5,6-dihydroxydamnacanthol, 11), while three – nordamnacanthal (7), lucidin-ω-methyl ether (9), and damnacanthol (10) – are reported here for the first time from the genus Pentas. The compounds were identified by NMR and mass spectroscopic techniques.
From the stem bark of Platycelphium voënse (Leguminosae) four new isoflavanones were isolated and characterized as (S)-5,7-dihydroxy-2′,4′-dimethoxy-3′-(3″-methylbut-2″-enyl)-isoflavanone (trivial name platyisoflavanone A), (±)-5,7,2′-trihydroxy-4′-methoxy-3′-(3″-methylbut-2″-enyl)-isoflavanone (platyisoflavanone B), 5,7-dihydroxy-4′-methoxy-2″-(2‴-hydroxyisopropyl)-dihydrofurano-[4″,5″:3′,2′]-isoflavanone (platyisoflavanone C) and 5,7,2′,3″-tetrahydroxy-2″,2″-dimethyldihydropyrano-[5″,6″:3′,4′]-isoflavanone (platyisoflavanone D). In addition, the known isoflavanones, sophoraisoflavanone A and glyasperin F; the isoflavone, formononetin; two flavones, kumatakenin and isokaempferide; as well as two triterpenes, betulin and β-amyrin were identified. The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Platyisoflavanone A showed antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the microplate alamar blue assay (MABA) with MIC = 23.7 μM, but also showed cytotoxicity (IC50 = 21.1 μM) in the vero cell test.
As a response to the worldwide alarm of increased resistance of microbes to readily available antibiotics, the stem bark of Zanthoxylum holstzianum (Rutaceae) with no prior phytochemical report was investigated so as to isolate, and elucidate secondary metabolites with likely antimicrobial activities. The plant material was collected from Diani Veminant forest (coastal province of Kenya), dried at room temperature under shade, pulverised and extracted using acetone. The crude extract was subjected to fractionation and purification using a range of separation techniques including, partitioning, Column Chromatography (CC), Preparative Thin Layer Chromatography (PTLC) and crystallization. The structure of the isolated compounds was determined using a combination of spectroscopic techniques such as UV, MS, and NMR.
recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, 2012).
both Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans.
21 2011 Investigation Of Some Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used For Treatment Of Malaria In Kenya As Potential Sources Of Antimalarial Drugs.
Malaria is a major public health problem in many tropical and subtropical countries and the burden of this disease is getting worse, mainly due to the increasing resistance of Plasmodium falciparum against the widely available antimalarial drugs. There is an urgent need for discovery of new antimalarial agents. Herbal medicines for the treatment of various diseases including malaria are an important part of the cultural diversity and traditions of which Kenya′s biodiversity has been an integral part. Two major antimalarial drugs widely used today came originally from indigenous medical systems, that is quinine and artemisinin, from Peruvian and Chinese ancestral treatments, respectively. Thus ethnopharmacology is a very important resource in which new therapies may be discovered. The present review is an analysis of ethnopharmacological publications on antimalarial therapies from some Kenyan medicinal plants.
24 2010 Antimicrobial And Antiparasitic Abietane Diterpenoids From The Roots Of Clerodendrum Eriophyllum.
Machumi F, Samoylenko V, Yenesew A, Derese S, Midiwo JO, Wiggers FT, Jacob MR, Tekwani BL, Khan SI, Walker LA, Muhammad I.; Nat Prod Commun. 2010 5(6), pp. 853-8.
Chromatographic separation of the roots of a Kenyan medicinal plant, Clerodendrum eriophyllum, led to the isolation of ten abietane diterpenoids (1-10), one of which (1) was isolated for the first time from a natural source. Using spectroscopic data, the structure of 1 was determined to be 12-hydroxy-8,12-abietadiene-3,11,14-trione. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra showed that the stereochemistry of compounds 1, 3, and 6-8 belongs to the normal series of abietane diterpenes, which confirmed the absolute stereochemistry of the isolated compounds. Compounds 1-10 were evaluated for their in vitro antiplasmodial, antileishmanial, antifungal and antibacterial activities. Compounds 3 and 7 exhibited potent antifungal activity (IC50/MIC 0.58/1.25 and 0.96/2.5 microg/mL, respectively) against C. neoformans, whereas 3, 6 and 7 showed strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus with IC50/MIC values between 1.33-1.75/2.5-5 and 0.96-1.56/2.5 microg/mL, respectively. In addition, compounds 3 and 9 exhibited potent antileishmanial activity (IC50 0.08 and 0.20 microg/mL, respectively) against L. donovani, while 3 and 7 displayed weak antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum, but 9 was inactive.
25 2010 Neo-Clerodane Diterpenoids From The Leaf Exudate Of Dodonaea Angustifolia.
Leonidah K. Omosa, Jacob O. Midiwo, Solomon Derese, Abiy Yenesew, Martin G. Peter, Matthias Heydenreich.
Muiva, L.M. Yenesew, A., Solomon Derese, Heydenreich, M., Peter, M.G., Akala, H.M., F. Eyase, Waters, N.C., Mutai, C., Keriko, J.M., Walsh, D. Phytochemistry Letters, 2009, pp. 99-102.
From the seedpods of Tephrosia elata, a new β-hydroxydihydrochalcone named (S)-elatadihydrochalcone was isolated. In addition, the known flavonoids obovatachalcone, obovatin, obovatin methyl ether and deguelin were identified. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. The crude extract and the flavonoids obtained from the seedpods of this plant showed antiplasmodial activities. The literature NMR data on β-hydroxydihydrochalcones is reviewed and the identity of some of the compounds assigned β-hydroxydihydrochalcone skeleton is questioned.
28 2006 Two Unusual Rotenoid Derivatives, 7a-O-methyl-12a-hydroxydeguelol And Spiro-13-homo-13-oxaelliptone, From The Seeds Of Derris Trifoliata.
The crude methanol extract of the seeds of Derris trifoliata showed potent and dose dependent larvicidal activity against the 2nd instar larvae of Aedes aegypti. From this extract two unusual rotenoid derivatives, a rotenoloid (named 7a-O-methyl-12a-hydroxydeguelol) and a spirohomooxarotenoid (named spiro-13-homo-13-oxaelliptone), were isolated and characterised. In addition a rare natural chromanone (6,7-dimethoxy-4-chromanone) and the known rotenoids rotenone, tephrosin and dehydrodeguelin were identified. The structures were assigned on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. The larvicidal activity of the crude extract is mainly due to rotenone.
29 2006 Antiplasmodial Activities Of Flavonoids From Erythrina Sacleuxii.
Andrew .W. Andayi, A. Yenesew, Solomon Derese, Jacob O. Midiwo, Peter M. Gitu, Ogoche I. Jondiko, Norman Waters, Pamela Liyala, Hosea Akala, Matthias Heydenreich, Martin G Peter. (2006): Planta medica, 72 (2), pp. 187-189.
31 2005 7a-O-Methyldeguelol, A Modified Rotenoid With An Open Ring-C, From The Roots Of Derris Trifoliata.
7a-O-methyldeguelol, a modified rotenoid with an open ring-C, from the roots of Derris trifoliata.
Yenesew A, Mushibe EK, Induli M, Derese S, Midiwo JO, Kabaru JM, Heydenreich M, Koch A, Peter MG.
From the acetone extract of the roots of Derris trifoliata an isoflavonoid derivative, named 7a-O-methyldeguelol, a modified rotenoid with an open ring-C, representing a new sub-class of isoflavonoids (the sub-class is here named as rotenoloid), was isolated and characterised. In addition, the known rotenoids, rotenone, deguelin and alpha-toxicarol, were identified. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Rotenone and deguelin were identified as the larvicidal principles of the acetone extract of the roots of Derris trifoliata.
32 2005 Antimicrobial Flavonoids From The Stem Bark Of Erythrina Burttii.
Antimicrobial flavonoids from the stem bark of Erythrina burttii.
Yenesew A, Derese S, Midiwo JO, Bii CC, Heydenreich M, Peter MG.
The chloroform extract of the stem bark of Erythrina burttii showed antifungal and antibacterial activities using the disk diffusion method. Flavonoids were identified as the active principles. Activities were observed against fungi and Gram(+) bacteria, but the Gram(-) bacteria Escherichia coli was resistant.
The aim objective of this study consists in isolating the active molecules from plants used in traditional medicine to treat malaria and its symptoms.
197 plants were collected following to the ethnobotanic investigations. Plants were dried, powdered and macerated in a hydroalcoholic solution. Resulting extracts have been assessed for in vitro & in vivo antimalarial and toxicity activities.
For the plants collected in Madagascar: 15 extracts (i.e. 16%) prepared from 91 medicinal plants (of which 57 are antimalarial) present an interesting antiplasmodial activity with a value of IC50 less than 10 μg/mL, their cytotoxicity are weak with a value of IC50 evaluated at more than 50 μg/mL. Two of these extracts have an ED50 lower than 100 mg/kg.
With regard to the Congolese plants: five out of twenty six (i.e. 19%) collected plants would be interesting.
35 2004 Anti-plasmodial Flavonoids From The Stem Bark Of Erythrina Abyssinica.
Anti-plasmodial flavonoids from the stem bark of Erythrina abyssinica.
Yenesew A, Induli M, Derese S, Midiwo JO, Heydenreich M, Peter MG, Akala H, Wangui J, Liyala P, Waters NC.
The ethyl acetate extract of the stem bark of Erythrina abyssinica showed anti-plasmodial activity against the chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and chloroquine-resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum with IC(50) values of 7.9+/-1.1 and 5.3+/-0.7 microg/ml, respectively. From this extract, a new chalcone, 2',3,4,4'-tetrahydroxy-5-prenylchalcone (trivial name 5-prenylbutein) and a new flavanone, 4',7-dihydroxy-3'-methoxy-5'-prenylflavanone (trivial name, 5-deoxyabyssinin II) along with known flavonoids have been isolated as the anti-plasmodial principles. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence.
36 2003 A New Isoflavones From The Stem Bark Of Millettia Dura.
Solomon Derese, Abiy Yenesew, J.O. Midiwo, Matthias Heydenreich and Martin G. Peter. Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop., 2003, 17(1), pp. 113-115.
37 2003 Two Prenylated Flavonoids From The Stem Bark Of Erythrina Burttii.
Two prenylated flavonoids from the stem bark of Erythrina burttii.
Yenesew A, Irungu B, Derese S, Midiwo JO, Heydenreich M, Peter MG.
From the stem bark of Erythrina burttii, a new isoflavone, 5,2',4'-trihydroxy-7-methoxy-6-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)isoflavone (trivial name, 7-O-methylluteone) and a new flavanone, 5,7-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-3'-(3-methylbutadienyl)-5'-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)flavanone (trivial name, burttinonedehydrate) along with three known isoflavonoids (8-prenylluteone, 3-O-methylcalopocarpin and genistein) were isolated. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence.
38 2003 Anti-plasmodial Activities And X-ray Crystal Structures Of Rotenoids From Millettia Usaramensis Subspecies Usaramensis .
The dichloromethane extract of the stem bark of Millettia usaramensis subspecies usaramensis showed anti-plasmodial activity against the chloroquine sensitive (D6) and chloroquine resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Chromatographic separation of the extract led to the identification of a new rotenoid, (6aR,12aS)-2,3-methylenedioxy-9-methoxy-8-(3,3-dimethylallyl)-12a-hydroxyrotenoid (trivial name, usararotenoid C) along with known flavonoids (usararotenoid A, 12a-epimillettosin, 6a,12a-dehydromillettone, barbigerone and 4′-O-geranylisoliquiritigenin) as the anti-plasmodial principles. The structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses. CD and X-ray analyses established absolute configurations.
39 2003 Effect Of Rotenoids From The Seeds Of Millettia Dura On Larvae Of Aedes Aegypti.
A crude chloroform extract of seeds of Millettia dura Dunn (Leguminosae) showed high activity (LC50 = 3.5 microg ml(-1) at 24 h) against second-instar larvae of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti L (Diptera: Culicidae). The rotenoids, deguelin and tephrosin, isolated from the seeds of this plant also showed potent activities, with LC50 values of 1.6 and 1.4 microg ml(-1) at 24 h, respectively. The related rotenoids millettone and millettosin were inactive at 20 microg ml(-1). Saturation at the B/C ring junction and the presence of methoxy groups at C-2 and/or C-3 in deguelin and tephrosin appear to be important for the observed larvicidal activity.
40 2003 Flavonoids And Isoflavonoids With Anti-plasmodial Activities From The Roots Of Erythrina Abyssinica.
From the root bark of Erythrina abyssinica a new pterocarpene [3-hydroxy-9-methoxy-10-(3,3-dimethylallyl)pterocarpene] and a new isoflav-3-ene [7,4'-dihydroxy-2',5'-dimethoxyisoflav-3-ene] were isolated. In addition, the known compounds erycristagallin, licoagrochalcone A, octacosyl ferulate and triacontyl 4-hydroxycinnamate were identified. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. The crude extract and the flavonoids and isoflavonoids obtained from the roots of this plant showed antiplasmodial activities.
41 2002 Bioactive Compounds From Some Kenyan Ethno-medicinal Plants: Myrsinaceae, Polygonaceae And Psiadia Punctulata.
There are several described medicinal plants in Kenya from a flora of approximately 10,000 members. Strong cross-medical information from the 42 ethnic groups points to the high potential of some of these species. The Myrsinaceae are well established ethno-anthelmintics and anti-bacterials. They are harbingers of long alkyl side chain benzoquinones which clearly have a protective function from their histochemical disposition. The main benzoquinone in the sub-family Myrsinodae is embelin while for the Maesodae it is maesaquinone together with its 5-acetyl derivative; the distribution of these benzoquinones by their alkyl side chain length or the presence/absence of a 6-methyl group is in accord with morphological sub-family de-limitation. The benzoquinones showed anti-feedant, anti-microbial, phytotoxic, acaricidal, insecticidal and nematicidal activity. Many other benzoquinones of medium and minor concentration were also isolated and characterised. Some plants belonging to the Polygonaceae which are widely used as ethno-anthelmintics have been studied. The common anthelmintic anthraquinones were obtained from all five Rumex species while the naphthalenic acetogenin derivative, nepodin was more selectively distributed. The leaf of Polygonum senegalense is up to 17% surface exudate; about thirteen non polar flavonoid derivatives (chalcones, dihydrochalcones, flavanones and a flavone) have been isolated from it. From the internal aerial tissues of this plant, the major flavonoids were common flavonoids, quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin and their glycosides. The only unique compound isolated from this plant was 2′-glucosyl-6′-hydroxy-4′-methoxydihydrochalcone whose aglycone, uvangolatin is part of the exudate mixture. Other leaf exudate plants studied include the stomach-ache medicine, Psiadia punctulata (Compositae) from which novel methylated flavonoids, kaurene and trachyloban diterpenes have been found. | 2019-04-19T12:22:34Z | http://cees.uonbi.ac.ke/uon_publications/author/2285 |
When November 6 rolls around, American voters will have only three meaningful choices in the presidential election: We can vote for Barack Obama, we can vote for Mitt Romney, or we can opt out of voting for a president altogether. There will be other presidential candidates on the ballot but there's not a snowball's chance they'll win. If we choose to vote for anyone other than Obama or Romney, it'll have the same effect as not voting at all. That's the reality--that's the way it is.
To this dedicated, lifetime Democrat (yes, I've talked about this before) that's like saying they'll give up being an American until America comes to its senses. Being a member of a major political party--one with power and clout and the potential ability to make real societal change--is not a part-time, fair weather pastime; it's a privilege and an obligation. It requires commitment and hard work. It requires a studious analysis of past and present performance in order to understand our role in strengthening our platform and choosing our stable of potential leaders.
It requires that we honor the heroes of our party and work to keep the fruits of their hard labor relevant, sustained and not in vain. It requires that we vet our candidates, draw out the very best, and support them to the hilt.
As Democrats we've signed on to stand firm against our enemies--the enemies of the people--and form a coalition that can't be broken. It's the only way we can fight against the privateers and build our country back again. So we work to maintain our party and when our leaders disappoint us or go against what our party stands for (not unheard of, sorry to say), we're required to set them straight. We never let up. We make them act like Democrats.
The problem is the Democratic Party has lost touch with the people. What's happening in Wisconsin is a prime example of that. The national party has to be dragged kicking and screaming into a very popular populous movement in recalling the governor. They have given very little support if any to the state party. Kinda reminds me of what happened here when Feiger won the primary and the party didn't support him because he wasn't the establishment candidate.
Kulkuri, the problem is the Democratic LEADERS have lost touch with the party. The people of the Democratic Party are still here, working hard to rescue the poor and re-vitalize the middle class. WE are the Democratic Party. They'll come and go but we'll always be here. That's why it's important that our voices be heard.
Why it took so long for a populist movement among the current Democrats is anybody's guess. It's what we've been known for throughout our history. It's why we're one of only two major parties in the U.S.
Well David Seaton said the exact same thing. (Which I agree) and got trash by a number of progressives.
The left are not happy campers. But they still believe...rightly or wrongly...that they have to take a top down approach.
When working from the bottom is the bes and really the only way.
Yes, Chris, they're working me over at dag tonight, ha ha!
But, as I asked them over there, what good did it do for the Left to howl at the moon for four years? What did they accomplish?
I have my issues with Mr. Obama, but I look at my choices and I don't see a better choice. And voting for second best is just beyond my comprehension. Voting for someone that I despise, someone who has promised to hurt me and my family is totally irrational. No argument can reverse that.
Sometimes I vote in self defense. That's the argument I make to the fair weather Dems. Defend yourself dammit!
I know what you mean, Ralph. The thing is, if we vote to keep the Dems in we at least have a chance to work them over and get them to do what's right. If they're out, we're out, too.
Doesn't seem all that complicated to me.
I do not understand why Obama's entire appointment schedule was not put into force by the 2010 elections.
There is a new movement; a movement so depraved and so lacking in social consciousness that I am fixed in a nauseous fit!
No one can predict the future; unless you are a member of the Wall Street establishment that has the proper software of course!
We might lose in 2012 like we did in 2010.
How many Shamwows might the repubs sell with a billion dollars and no respect for the truth?!
How much angst should be pointed at Baucus when his constituents are ready to lynch minorities?
I still feel that our President is doing the very best he can.
I could go on and on like I normally do but I do know this.
There is an enemy out there.
They call themselves republicans and we are labeled as part of the Democrat party. And they are experts at selling manure to the general public.
And since we are a democracy, shamows win out sometimes!
Richard, my friend, I miss you! How are you?
I don't understand why everyone who is not Right Wing or Republican isn't out there trying to build vast armies to combat that total evil out there. Instead, they waste all their energies lashing out at Obama, practically guaranteeing a loss for the Dems in November.
What do they think is going to happen then? Is life going to be good because Obama is gone? Do they live on the same planet we do?
They are trying to wash us away, they're trying to wash us away.
First comment---great blog! I especially appreciate how you participate in the comments section----that's the sign of a true blogger.
On the subject---I disagree that Democrats saying they will opt out of the election until 2016 is similar to saying that we will opt out as Americans until America comes to its senses. Being Democrat does not mean we owe our vote to whomever the Party nominates.
I believe that Obama is a con man, and WE DEMOCRATS are the marks of his con! It is not a conclusion I have reached lightly. But seriously, the man is no fool. He is a former professor of Constitutional law at Harvard! How can someone with such a background send his AG out to make some ridiculous claim that the Constitution ony ensures "due process," not "judicial process?" (The Constitution actually ensures "due process OF LAW"). There is no way to reconcile such a statement with a man that obviously knows better, unless it is part of a con game.
I haven't exactly made up my mind if I am going to vote for Obama anyway as the lesser of two evils---as Al Gore said, a presidential election is a choice, not a referendum. But I can see something in the argument that rejecting Obama will demonstrate that Democrats will not be conned by their leaders, despite the dreadfulness of the alternative. How else can we make that point? If we reelect Obama, we are simply conceding that Obama can continue to con us. Might it be better for the country in the long run if we demonstrate that we only will tolerate true Democrats, not con men, and suffer through four years of Romney?
"I believe that Obama is a con man, and WE DEMOCRATS are the marks of his con!"
I agree with JosephP completely. I bought Obama's snake-oil about "change" in 2008. I'm not buying it in 2012.
One thing that has astounded me these past 4 years is how the Democrats kept carrying on about what awful shape the country was in after 8 years of George W. Bush. To hear them tell it, it was as bad as the US was in 1932 after 4 years of Herbert Hoover. Yet, when Obama got into office with his Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate, he did nothing except to continue the same policies that the Democrats claimed were failing. Obama was supposed to have been a scholar regarding FDR; yet he acted more like Hoover than FDR.
I personally can not handle 4 more years of Barak Obama. My vote is Mitt Romney's to lose. Maybe if the Democratic Party can purge the Republican wannabes and get some REAL progressives into office, and if it can choose a TRUE Democrat who has the smarts to occupy the Oval Office in 2016, then my vote will be the Democrats' to lose.
I'd rather vote against a REAL Republican, and bring in Progressives in the House and Senate, go for a more Progressive President in 2016.
Or maybe Romney is your kind of Progressive.
JosephP, thanks for your comments. I have to agree that calling Democrats "Fair Weather Friends" probably wasn't my best move. Having said that, equating Democrats threatening to leave the party because the party isn't working for them with Americans leaving America because it's not working for them makes a lot of sense to me.
As a Democrat unhappy with the shenanigans of my party I don't see how it helps to either stand by the Republicans and blast them together or outright leave the party. We build a strong party by working together, just as we have to build a strong country by working together.
I obviously don't agree that Obama is a con man, but you have a right to your opinion. You also have a right to vote for whomever you wish.
I'm addressing Democrats who want to make our party relevant and essential to the people who need a strong party so badly. I'll say it again: Our leaders aren't the main elements of our party--the people are. The leaders can be replaced and they can be "persuaded" until they act like Democrats again, but we can't do it without having majority power.
We can't do anything if we're not in the majority, and that's the issue. We have to win in order to make positive change. Otherwise it's a backward slide until we reach the bottom, and then we're not in a position to help anybody.
So, as you can see, I disagree with almost everything you've said but I'm glad you took the time to comment. Really.
To Unknown: I'm curious about how we'll work to get more Progressives in our party when our party becomes so decimated it no longer functions?
I'm also curious about how it helps us as Democrats to teach Obama a lesson by giving the presidency over to Mitt Romney and the Republicans?
If you personally can't handle four more years of Barack Obama, how do you think you'll be able to handle four years of Mitt Romney? You can't honestly believe it won't be any worse. It will be terrible. Every forward step we've made will disappear. The poor and disenfranchised will be sacrificed to these fits of pique, when the obvious remedy is to work within the party to build a more progressive leadership.
It won't happen overnight but it won't happen at all if the Republicans win.
Also, I would like to say that the headline "Fair Weather Dems will be the Death of Us Yet" is insulting. I am not a "Fair Weather Dem," I am a "Principled Dem." And insisting on our Democratic leaders to actually support those principles, or else they don't get our vote, is not the same as "taking our toys and going home." This is not a petulant reaction---it is a desperate and frustrated one. Not rewarding Obama for his treachery to our principles is perhaps the only way to save the Republic in the long run.
On the left, I have a person who (some feel) hasn't upheld (some? many?) Democratic principles and ideals.
On the right, I have a near-weathervane that, when it does act, it acts directly against my well-being.
A choice between a person trying to help but not always getting there, and a person who is trying to hurt you should not be hard to make.
Certain aspects of the Obama presidency such as the NDAA and the attacks on whistleblowers have been scary. Its hard to endorse someone who in some ways has taken the war on terror and the power of the presidency beyond Bush. We wanted a solid reversal of those policies. I would shudder to think what a Romney would do with this power, now that presidents can execute Americans without due process.
Makes sense to me, Anonymous. Thanks for writing.
JosephP, I'm baffled and disheartened by some of the edicts coming out of the White House, too. I just don't get it, and I applaud anyone who tries to shine light on the motives.
But at the same time, I can't disregard the successes, meager as they may be in the eyes of some. They're not that meager to those without hope, and they may be life-saving in the end. I give Obama credit for working to make some changes that help the poor and middle class. That is isn't enough isn't in dispute. It's not nearly enough, but if we don't work to give him four more years every advance will be lost. We won't be able to start over again, and the people counting on us to keep the momentum going are going to be lost.
We're in such trouble in this country the direction of this election will impact everybody who is not part of the 1%. That's almost all of us.
For that reason I'll work my tail off to make sure the Democrats win. Then let the smacking around begin.
I'd like to suggest to all the Anonymii out there that it's easy to sign up with Disqus and create a username. It gets really confusing when there are more than one commenting on a post. I don't know if I'm still talking to Anon One or if there's an Anon Two out there--or maybe an Anon Three.
I'm not happy with some of the things Obama has done and not done but a vote for Romney or not voting at all means another 2 or possibly 3 Scalias, or Roberts, or Thomases on the Supreme Court.
In addition there are federal judges in the lower courts to be considered.
We progressives just can not allow that.
registered, that point might be more important than anything else we can come up with. We're still waiting to undo the logjam of department heads, as well. We deserve a government that works for us.
I would accuse them of committing 'suicide by principle' except it isn't suicide. Most of the FDL Posse, The Hamster Herself, GG, and Arevosis in particular, are well off. They could lose SS, and there is no reason to imagine they've ever even met someone who personally needed Medicare.
No, it's not suicide but homicide. If Romney and the Republicans are elected, people are going to die from the cutting of the safety net. I can't tell these progressives from the fabled 'religious policemen' in Saudi Arabia who, acting on THEIR prnciples, allowed a school full of teenage girls to burn down rather than to permit the girls to appear in 'religiously inappropriate dress in public.
Jim, FYI, there is a "Contact" button under the banner that gives my email address, but it is ramonasvoices at gmail dot com. I look forward to hearing from you.
You make some excellent points, not least of which is the reason the DNC tends to play safe and stay centrist. I long ago removed FDL from my blogroll when I saw how destructive their rants were, but that doesn't mean I don't wholeheartedly agree that a liberal populist movement with millions of members willing to make their presence known is absolutely essential to any form of Democracy.
I want the Democratic Party to be a leader in the liberal populist movement and I'll keep working to make that happen. When the unions began moving away from the Democrats, not trusting them to put labor first, I knew our work was cut out for us. It's the party leaders who need to be made to understand who we are and what we stand for. And it's up to us to make sure they understand that.
We are Democrats. We are NOT Republicans. Any thought of a merger in any branch or in any office is repugnant and totally unacceptable.
Thanks for this post. I get SO discouraged by the "cut your nose off to spite your face" crowd that I could scream.
I'm sorry to comment as another "Anonymouse" but when I tried to use my WordPress URL I kept getting a message saying it contained illegal characters. I go by Marion in Savannah.
Marion, thanks so much for taking the trouble to comment. I've had problems with the comment section here on Blogger forever. I thought I had it fixed by adding Disqus, but I guess not.
I'll have to see what else I can do to make it easier to comment. No point in having a blog if people can't comment.
Well, it appears that Disqus has disappeared from my blog. Trying to figure out where it went and how I can get it back. Stay tuned.
Heh... It's hard to stop an old fart like me from saying what she wants to! I just love the fact that you're so very responsive to the folks who comment -- even newbies like me. Trust me that you're on my "read every day" list of blogs.
Marion, my doors are always open. I HATE when people walk on by without stopping in. Looking forward to seeing you here. I don't post every day but the bloggers and media folk on my sidebar are very active and come up with stuff by the minute. Come on in and read the noos.
This was a really good post and I, along with a lot of other progressives are very disillusioned by the President. I have had similar conversations with democrats and they will not vote for president Obama again. I have actually been looking at the Green Party, and your probably right, they don't stand a chance.I guess the biggest problem in politics is people run for office with a certain platform, then either do nothing about it or complete reversals. Maybe it's because no one is accountable for their actions any more. And we are not allowed to "look back". Certainly,Romney is a train wreck. I don't know how President Obama is going to convince the people who feel almost betrayed by him, to get out and vote for him again.
Patricia, there are many Democrats going vocal about their feelings of betrayal by President Obama, and much of if is justified.
For the record, Democrats have always felt betrayed by their leaders--going back in my lifetime to FDR, who, while a great president, nevertheless undermined projects that would surely have alleviated intolerable misery for many who were waiting to be saved. His administration put thousands of Japanese-Americans in internment camps. When they were finally released they found they had nothing. Their homes weren't theirs anymore and their belongings had disappeared.
JFK and Johnson had to be pushed hard in order to recognize the need for their input on civil rights.
I'm not making excuses for Obama, just pointing out that even Dem presidents aren't perfect! Still, I'll take a Dem president any day over a Republican.
May Day! May Day! A little help here. . . | 2019-04-26T16:24:53Z | https://www.ramonasvoices.com/2012/05/fair-weather-dems-will-be-death-of-us.html |
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Two months in already - time just flies by. And again we had a big week - five incredible entries for last week's photo!
This week I have gone with a face. It was a struggle to find the creator of this incredible image because their current page on Deviant Art is empty. But two sources confirmed that it is indeed called 'Dragon Incarnate' and was created/copyrighted by LuckyWolf13 (Lauren from the US).
The story I imagined coming out of this picture turned into something else, and refused to change to what I wanted - as stories are often wont to do. And it pushed the Word Count too. But I do rather like it. Hope you do too.
Avilijn sat in front of the mirror watching the tracer work on the intricate design on the left side of her face. She remained stock still as the heat of the needle left behind its black ink creating a depiction of her latest conquest for all to see.
This latest scrollwork made it clear that she wasn’t to be trifled with. It made it clear she was a woman of strength and means. She felt a flush of pride, her mind turning to what she needed to do to have designs on the right side.
Her musing was interrupted by Finnella, who fluttered in behind her in awe and anxiety.
Avilijn pictured Falcroon and his oversized wings. The way he would always flex them whenever a pretty fledgling would go by while still in conversation with another. He thought he was such a hot shot. Would he really dare to come and take her on? She wondered. Would he be vain enough to risk his life? Would pride be his downfall?
The pecking order was strong, and she had to keep them all in place now. Since her father’s demise many had tried to usurp her and turn the skies into chaos, but she was responsible for maintaining peace at all costs – something Hawkseye had found out to his detriment ... and death.
Falcroon was coming to defend his honour. They had always had an intimate alliance: brothers in blood. She’d heard of their comradeship during the War of the Kestrel Marshes, but he had to understand that compliance was going to be the only way, and if that meant bloodshed then so be it. She wasn’t afraid.
A messenger arrived and she waited for Finnella to speak to them. When Finnella turned, the fearful bright eyes that met hers in the mirror told her all she needed to know.
The artist gave her a bob of the head as Avilijn rose to take on her next contender.
Avilijn stretched her turquoise and black wings, the magnificent glint causing gasps from the crowd, who had begun to gather in the archaic atrium since word had spread of the challenge.
Falcroon was more subdued than Avilijn expected. Was he nervous? Or was this something he didn’t want to do? But he was the one who had requested the duel, so it was his choice. She waited for his move.
But he didn’t swoop, instead he spoke.
Avilijn struggled to hide her annoyance. This wasn’t what she wanted. She wasn’t here to grant wishes, or be some kind of public executioner. What game was he playing?
He surprised her by flying low and bowing his head, offering the back of his neck; an act of submission. And one she had to acknowledge.
She flew over him in acceptance, but rather than remaining in position, Falcroon twisted just as her talons crossed over him, stretching his head back and up, exposing his neck. Before Avilijn could react a claw sliced through his skin, sweeping across it – deep. Blood gushed, as his body fell limp to the ground below.
Avilijn circled in shocked dismay. He had manipulated her into granting his wish, but this also placed her in a precarious position of an unwarranted kill, something which could upset the balance of power.
Damn him! He had not only avenged Hawkseye’s death, but achieved Hawkseye’s original intent.
Last week's photo prompt set a record at 5 wonderful entries! Such a diverse range of stories too. I love seeing how people are inspired. I am hoping this image will do the same.
I ummed and arhhed over the choice for this week's photo, as there are just SO many waiting to be used. I want to provide something new and fresh each week, and not the same sort of photo either, as well as a prompt that provides ample possibilities. I'm hoping this one does.
This photo was taken by Sirombo (Luca) from Italy over on Deviant Art.
My tale this week is actually based on the novel I have been working on, which is in the final editing stages. It gives a good outline of it, although it is set 10years on.
Lizzy stooped to pick up the feather stuck in the pebbles on the beach. She ran it through her fingers as she looked out to sea at the setting sun. It was a sign, she knew it.
Feathers had always shown up at significant times in her life: a turquoise one had landed on her windowsill the day before Steve had asked her out; a tiny brown one had been on the dashboard in her car the day he had proposed, and a beautiful white one had fluttered in through the kitchen window the day before her wedding. They had all signified good things. And this one did too. This one signified freedom.
She inhaled deeply, taking in the sea air, something she hadn’t been able to do for over ten years. Instead she had been stuck in a prison cell looking at four grey walls twenty hours a day. It was the penance you paid for losing your mind and taking your husband’s life.
She sighed, still feeling the weight of what she had done deep inside her chest. The last time she’d walked on a beach she’d been with Steve on a holiday they’d taken to try and recover from the loss of their second child. They’d splashed out and gone to the Maldives, a dream destination for Lizzy. With Steve’s modelling career taking off they’d been able to afford it.
It had helped a bit; they’d reconnected a little, although the return home had not gone as well as hoped with his parents forgetting to cancel the delivery of the pram. It had stood there in the entrance hall, taunting her when they’d arrived.
Gosh that all seemed so long ago. Another lifetime. She could recall the feelings but they didn’t cut her like they used to. She had something new to cut herself up about instead; something much bigger. And now she was out, the pain of what she had done was much keener.
In the years running up to the murder her head had become fuzzy, full of angry noise, bitterness and resent. And during her first years inside it hadn’t cleared; it had only become foggier as more negative emotions had swallowed her up: guilt, shame and despair. Now she stood here, finally out, on a beach in the crisp evening air, there was no noise in her head, no anger, there was only sadness and a gratitude at the chance for a fresh start.
Lizzy took in another deep breath and turned her back on the sunset. But before she could begin on that, she had to face the people and the memories from the past, the last part of her penance. But the arrival of the grey feather was a positive sign, and one she clung to as she headed back up the beach.
It seems that last week's challenge was a hit, with 4 wonderful entries. I hope we can eventually top that, but I am very happy it spoke to so many people. I am hoping this image will do the same.
The Chateau de Singes (Castle of Monkeys) is really the Château à Cahaignes (Castle Cahaignes), located in Cahaignes, Eure, Upper Normandy, France. Abandoned in 1976.
This is how it inspired me. I hope it inspires you too.
She could see the cracks of light falling on the floor, so knew that stepping through the door would not lead her into darkness. And she could even see more doors in the distance so she knew it wasn’t a trap, so what held her on the threshold?
It could only be fear – but fear of what? Fear that it would not take her anywhere; that the time and effort to go through and find out it was a dead-end would take too much from her. She had been through so many doors like this, with the light shining in, only to find that they were empty, devoid of the life and connection she sought. She wasn’t sure she could deal with the overwhelming disappointment again.
But standing her on the threshold was no solution; she gained nothing standing here – she knew that. You gained nothing without risk. Sometimes you had to take a leap and hope for the best, and try and not anticipate what might come; try and embrace the moment and have no expectation.
She heard the creak of another door in the distance. She heard the chatter of voices.
Her heart yearned to be a part of them, to join in and feel alive again, feel a part of something. She had been trapped in this place for so long, she could only fantasise what it might be like.
Her toes tingled as the voices drew nearer. Shadows moved further ahead in the corridor she was looking into. They would come round the corner at any moment. They would face her and she would see them. If she could just step forward she could greet them, she could walk with them and hear their conversation properly and not just snippets. But she could not compel herself to do so.
They would be here any second.
Here's my entry for the new Horror Bites challenge, hosted by Laura Jamez. A a photo prompt challenge, where you have to write a horror piece to a set word count.
Mandy rolled a gel ball around between her fingers. She found the motion soothing. She needed soothing after the row they’d just had. He’d stormed out as usual, revved the engine of his motorbike and squealed off up the road.
She didn’t have the luxury of buggering off when things got tough. She couldn’t drive. It’s how he liked to keep her: financially dependent, kids, unable to read, and unable to drive. He’d kept her this way since she was fifteen. He liked the control it gave him – and she knew it.
But he didn’t know she did.
He thought she was dumb, but the older she got the more she understood. And once she’d discovered audio books, she’d understood a whole lot more.
She looked at the gel balls in the glass, how they were clear at the top and grew darker as they reached the bottom – although the ones at the bottom weren’t gel, they were metal.
The doorbell rang. She opened the door a crack and saw two uniformed policemen standing there.
Mandy opened the door and led them into the lounge. They remained standing.
Mandy caught sight of her phone while the PC continued to tell her how her husband hadn’t made it to the hospital alive. She glanced down at it and saw it was still on; the book she had been listening was still playing. It was what had caused the row – him finding out she’d been listening to books.
Fortunately it was a different one to the book she’d been studying the last few weeks. That one had helped her through the difficult bits when tinkering with his motorbike in the garage while he’d been out at work.
Last weeks challenge brought two entries. I had hoped it would inspire more, but maybe it was a little intimidating. Hopefully this week's photo will elicit more.
This week's prompt photo was created by Marcela Bolivar, a digital artist from Columbia. You can check out some of her other wonderful creations on her website here.
This photo provides many different interpretations. I am interested in what others might make of it. This is what I came up with.
He carried the pain around with him as though it was on display. He thought others could see it as though his chest were made of glass and people could see inside, see the damaged darkness where there was once a heart – once a happy healthy heart, full of joy and love and giving. But it was no more. It was now an aching husk of darkness that poisoned his body, draining it of energy, of any desire, of any point of being.
He wanted it to end, but he didn’t have the guts to. He couldn’t quite bring himself to step out of this life. There was guilt at what it might do to those around him, those that felt they were good and close friends. And there were those that flung the word selfish around when people took their lives, which led him back to the guilt. Although he always believed that was a reflection of themselves: how they felt wrong and selfish for not understanding. No one knows the pain another suffers, let alone should judge it.
He imagined being free of this pain; imagined throwing off the shackles of the dead weight it brought to his life. But it did little to change anything. She was gone. She was just a shadow in his heart. She had come, wrought her damage and left. Turned her back and walked away. He could even see her in his mind’s eye, walking away across a field, while he was unable to move or call out and stop her.
It was the risk he had taken; one he would never take again – or so he told himself.
And one more belated entry for Horror Bites, hosted by Laura Jamez, to bring me up to speed, and ready for the new challenge. A a photo prompt challenge, where you have to write a horror piece to a set word count.
Reg frantically rubbed at the inside of the windscreen, but it made no difference, the mist was outside, not in the car. It had come on so suddenly it unnerved him. He hated driving at night as it was. It served him right for taking up tennis in the winter months; driving home in the dark was a given with dusk falling at 4pm. He was a summer person, he hated winter.
He swerved sharply to miss someone standing at the edge of the road. He looked in his rear view mirror but the mist had enveloped them. Who would want to be out in this?
Then there was another. He just spotted them in time, hearing the screech of his tyres as they twisted on the wet road. But as he avoided them another came into view, until all he could see along either side of the road were outlines of people.
In the dim foggy light he couldn’t make out their features, but they didn’t seem to be moving very fast. He slowed down, wondering where they were had come from. Could there be some kind of concert in the area? It was all countryside round these parts, but surely it was too cold for one of them raves.
At the reduced speed some of their features came into view. Reg wondered if he was seeing things; they all seemed to be slack jawed with their mouths hanging open and arms dangling at their sides. And he was so busy staring he didn’t spot the few that had wandered into the road until he felt the thud of a body hitting the bonnet.
He came to a sharp halt, and jumped out, running round to the front of the car to see who he had hit. It was a bad move. He didn’t see them turn towards him as he squatted down to check the pulse of the person on the ground, and as he readied himself to give mouth to mouth resuscitation he didn’t look up.
He was pushed forward onto the body as someone fell on top of him, and when another body fell on top of that he was pinned to body on the ground. He felt the last of the air in his lungs expel when several more dropped on top, and as he lay gasping, all Reg could think was how he planned to have pasta for his tea.
Horror Bites, hosted by Laura Jamez, has started up again, reminding me that I am not up to date with my entries, so here is my entry to #3.
It is a photo prompt challenge, where you have to write a horror piece to a set word count.
When she returned to the seating he was gone; only his empty juice box remained. Maggie ran her hand through her hair as her eyes scoured the platform. He couldn’t have gone far.
Most mother’s would worry someone had snatched their kid, but not Maggie. She knew better. He’d been encouraged to play hide and seek again. She’d tried to teach him that he needed to keep control in public places, but he was still too young, Jake would get the better of him. She sighed and bit her lip. People didn’t take kindly to Jake’s games – they hurt. She’d lost count of the amount of times they’d ended up in the police station.
She caught a glimpse of blond hair as a woman leapt forward suddenly clutching the back of her leg. Maggie moved in that direction, taking her time, acting nonchalant. If Jake thought he had been spotted it could get dangerous. Then she heard a ‘Hey!’ shouted from the other end of the platform.
People were starting to look round, nervous expressions on their faces.
“Where ARE you?” Maggie muttered under her breath. She stood still and saw movement in her peripheral vision. She stuck out an arm behind her and grabbed, catching material. Then she heard a rip and her hand was empty. Damn!
A woman screamed and she heard shouting from a guard. Christ, he was escalating; this could get really bad.
Then the rumble of an approaching train began and people started moving forward to the edge of the platform. Maggie moved backwards even though this was their train. Jake would be weaving through people; it’s what he liked doing best. She would get a better view from behind.
She saw what appeared to be jostling to the right and moved in fast. She needed to grab him now. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if someone ended up pushed onto the platform.
She lunged between two people, startling them, and caught the collar of a coat, yanking a wriggling child back. As she dragged Jake back she ignored the judgmental looks, only registering his eyes rolling, and the dark irises. He turned and bared his teeth at her, snapping at her hands as she firmly took hold of his face and crouched down in front of him.
Alfie took his mum’s hand as they climbed onto the train. | 2019-04-26T12:04:57Z | https://purplequeennl.blogspot.com/2017/04/ |
Traditionally there has been a clear distinction between curriculum based and problem based approaches to accomplish learning. Preferred approaches depend of course on conviction, culture, traditions and also on the specific learning situation. We will argue that it is not a question of either/or but rather both/and. In this paper we describe an approach to design and delivery of online courses in computer science which on the one hand is based on a specified curriculum and on the other hand gives room for different learning strategies, problem based learning being one of them. We discuss the challenges in applying problem based learning strategies in a context where several universities, with different cultures of teaching, collaboratively develop and deliver online courses. We present a pedagogical framework embracing both problem based and curriculum based strategies and show how we used this as a basis for trying out various online learning strategies.
Curriculum and problem based strategies for accomplishing learning is often described in opposition to one another (e.g. Kirschner et al. 2006). Curriculum based strategies, normally designated as teaching, aim at providing the student with a relatively fixed amount of agreed upon knowledge within a domain. Focus is on content, teacher control and instruction. Problem based strategies, normally designated as learning, on the other hand is more aiming at providing the student with abilities to acquire knowledge appropriate to solve problems within the domain. Focus is on learner experience, participant control, learner self-management and guidance. The two strategies here mentioned must of course be seen as an expression of a rather gross simplification, covering many variations in the conception of learning and the use of technology in the learning process. We use it as a way of referring to two different paradigms for using technology in online learning (Barr & Tagg, 1995). One is the “traditional” approach covered by the Instructional Design tradition focusing on transfer of knowledge and teacher controlled organization of the learning process. The other, being a social–constructivist approach, is formulated almost in opposition to the traditional approach of using technology in learning and is characterized by focusing on providing conditions for the students’ construction of knowledge, working with authentic task, and in collaboration with others (e.g Jonnassen, 1994).
In this paper we describe a pragmatic approach to design of online courses in computer science which on one hand is based on a specified curriculum and on the other hand gives room for different teaching strategies including problem based learning. In what follows we describe the Mediterranean Virtual University project in which the design approach were developed and used and our own role herein as responsible for providing project participants with knowledge on learning design and e-tutoring. We explain the design approach and the overall pedagogical model chosen. We present a model of problem based learning, which were our own point of departure, and discuss the challenges involved in applying this in the project. Finally we introduce a broader framework for strategies to accomplish learning and explain how this framework was used to present, test and discuss various aspect of activity based learning.
The Mediterranean Virtual University project (henceforth MVU) was a collaborative venture between institution in the Mediterranean region, the University of Strathclyde in Scotland and Aalborg University in Denmark building a network to collaboratively develop and deliver online courses within the domain of computer science. Thus the aim of the project was to develop and deliver courses which could meet the requirements of industry and individuals, to explore opportunities and advantages afforded by e-learning, and to build capacity among the participating partners in ways that could be cascaded locally and sustained. The project was funded by the EU EUMEDIS1, had duration of two years (2004-2006) and was led by the University of Strathclyde. The project resulted in the development of 40 undergraduate level courses in computer science. Each of the courses was rated at 5 European Credit Transfer Point2 and together they cover all levels of the undergraduate curriculum. Almost half of the courses were delivered in a pilot version to students, mostly to already existing groups of students as part of credit bearing programs. Furthermore the project resulted in a concrete basis for the partners involved for development and use of e-learning both collaboratively and individually.
Our role, as participating in the project from e-learning lab at Aalborg University, was to train participant in learning design and to specify pedagogical models for effective delivery of online courses. The training was delivered by two sets of activities, one for course developers and subject specialist providing them with knowledge on pedagogy and e-learning and another for tutors providing them with knowledge and experience in online teaching strategies (Buus et al 2006, Bygholm et al. 2006).
In the beginning of the project some fundamental decisions were made to structure and guide the development and delivery of courses.
First it was decided to base the development on the recommendation of the Computing Curricula 2001 project (CC2001) - a joint undertaking of the Computer Society of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE-CS) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)3. These recommendations were recognized as the authoritative statement of the educational goals and requirements in the area of computer science and all the partner institution had already been mapped to this standard. The ACM2001 description of computer science curricula made it possible to develop a coherent set of course with a specified relations to one another and no overlaps, making explicit what kind of knowledge were involved in e.g. “object oriented programming” or “databases”. It provided a common language and framework for expressing the course design.
Second it was decided to base the development of courses on the concept of learning activities comprised of learning objects based on the general assumption that people learn better when actively involved in doing something. This learning approach ensue from an understanding of learning based on the idea that knowledge is actively constructed by the learner, not passively received from the teacher. Furthermore the basic understanding of learning in the MVU project involved the assumption that learning is both a social and a situated process, meaning that emphasis should be put on dialog, group work and situated activities.
Third it was decided to use Moodle4 as learning management system (LMS). Moodle was chosen in the beginning as a platform for our training activities with the partners. As open source software Moodle was free to all partners to install, which almost all partners have done during the process of development. Moodle was considered to be very user-friendly by developers and tutors and the common platform also facilitated the interoperability of courses across the consortium.
To guide the design of courses the MVU course design approach was developed and expressed in two diagrams (Everett 2004). A course was based on several modules, and each module was divided into several activities. The activities should respond to learning objectives (as specified in the ACM2001 curriculum). An activity were comprised, as illustrated in figure 2, of different learning objects e.g. a test or explanation to read, live video conference, group work, research, or self-tests like quizzes etc. Furthermore an assessment was attached to each activity.
Also of importance for course design approach was the wish to share smaller elements of courses among the partners. Thus in order to pursue portability and reusability it was decided that design of Learning Objects should be compliant to the learning standard of “Shareable Content Object Reference Model” (SCORM), making it possible to adopt small elements of course material from one course module into other course modules. Using SCORM as the standard for learning objects meant a standard for how content may be packaged into transferable files5, and a possibility to be reused in other modules in a course.
The course design approach provided a framework and in a broad sense ensured a common approach, based on activities, to design and develop courses. There were room for flexibility which e.g. allowed for use of different technologies and techniques in the development of courses, for different ways of organizing the development process and also for different interpretation of the activity based pedagogical approach. Problem based learning was introduced and discussed with the partners, both course developers and tutors, as a way of realizing the meaning of an activity based learning approach.
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has gained a lot of interest since it was launched in established educational settings over 30 years ago in the medical programmes at McMaster University, Canada. Essentially it is a leaning methods based on the principle of using problems as a starting point for learning and it is now used in multiple disciplines. There is many descriptions and definition of PBL but according to the editorial in the first issue of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem Based Learning (launched in 2006) their commonalities define it essence: At its core, a problem-based approach is designed to help students achieve two goals: (1) to acquire a deep understanding of specific content knowledge, and (2) to develop problem-solving and higher-order thinking skills (Ertmer, P.A. & Macklin A.S., 2006).
At Aalborg University we work with Problem Based Learning in a special form designated “The Aalborg PBL model” (Kolmos et al 2004). This model has it historical roots in critical theory and, in particular, in the work of the German philosopher and sociologist Oskar Negt. Negt’s work in the area of learning is linked to his proposal of a renewal of the education program in the trade union, but also connected to the more general concepts of experimental learning and self-regulation (Negt 1971). Negt’s work gained a lot of interest in Denmark and the Problem oriented project based learning was developed under this inspiration. It was implemented as a framework for learning when Aalborg University was established in the beginning of the 1970’s. The study form has also proved to work well, offering high rates of accomplishment at a satisfying level of qualification both in psychical and online setting (Kjærdam et al, 1994, Kolmos et al, 2004, Dirckinck-Holmfeld 2002, Bygholm et al. 1998, Knudsen et al 2005).
To use problems as a starting point for learning means, in the Aalborg model, that the crucial point in the learning process is the problem and not the curriculum. Thus content and focus of the study is not defined solely in terms of disciplinary knowledge but in terms of personal, social, and scientific problems. A problem is an anomaly; something that deviates from ordinary norms of behaviour; something unusual. Other main characteristic of our model is participant control, interdisciplinarity, and project organization. Participant control means that choosing the subject matter in important parts of the study is on the initiative of the students. Thus identifying the problem is a central part of the learning process. Interdisciplinarity means that insights from different scientific disciplines are integrated in the study of specific problems. Project organization means that the work with the problem is organized by a group of student in projects. The members of the group have to learn to work together, to make decisions collectively, to make a division of work, and to coordinate, etc. By making several projects, the students develop qualifications in connection with formulation, planning, management, and evaluation of projects. Besides, the students acquire a number of techniques and methods which are essential in connection with handling information and skills at processing and analyzing problems at different levels.
This model of PBL has a risk of not providing the student with a sufficiently broad subject-area overview. In order to overcome this projects are conducted within the frame of a theme (in the study of computer science a theme is e.g. “development of software”, or “modelling”) and different kind of courses are offered both to support the project work and to provide the students with curriculum knowledge. The organization of the learning process is illustrated in figure 3.
A semester is lasting half a year (5 month approximately) the course work refers to 50 % and the project work to the last 50%. The student’s responsibilities of defining the problem contribute towards a high degree of ownership and engagement in the learning process. Thus this model of PBL is to be seen as a very learner active and collaborative pedagogy, which requires interdependency between participants in the learning situation, together with motivation, support and facilitation from the teachers (Ryberg 2006, Kolmos et al.2004).
For several reasons it was not possible to fully apply the above described PBL model in the MVU project. First it was too big a step for the involved partners who were used to a more traditional university pedagogy building on lectures, distribution of information and teacher controlled organization of the learning process to switch to a problem oriented project based pedagogy where the determination of the content is guided by the problem not by the curriculum, and where the learning process is controlled by the student, based on collaboration and dialogue, and the role of the teacher is to act as a facilitator. The fact that the studies were to take place online gave problems in itself for several of the partners. Thus some of the involved institutions were rather sceptical of the whole idea of online education and hence also hesitating in the accreditation of the developed courses. During the project however most partners succeeded in getting the developed courses accredited at their own institution. Second the commitment to the ACM2001 curriculum with its very specific descriptions of curriculum and objectives (which were practical in order to reach a coherent set of courses) contradicts the basic philosophy of the PBL model described above. The basic idea of a successful result of the learning process differs considerably. To success in PBL is to achieve the competences to solve problems within the area of, in this case computer science, independent of specific curriculum bites, whereas success of the learning process in a curriculum based approach implies a more specified qualification in certain methods and techniques.
The reason for presenting and discussing in detail the PBL model with the partners were to provide them with a concrete understanding of what the application of activity based learning could mean. It turned out during the development of the courses that the activities specified by the partners were rather “passive” like e.g. “reading”, “make a presentation”, “do an analysis”, “make a report” and so forth. Although this is indeed activities we did not feel that it was in line with the commitment made in the beginning of the project that knowledge has to be actively constructed by the learner, situated in real settings and build in collaboration with others. Although it was not possible to fully implement the PBL model it played an important role in the project as a vehicle for getting attentions to issues involved in activity based learning and also as an outset for reflections on possible online strategies.
Realizing that the PBL model was too radical in the context of the MVU project we introduced a broader model focusing on different ways of accomplishing learning. The intention of the model is to embrace the whole spectre from traditional teacher controlled curriculum based approaches to student controlled project based approaches. The model is derived from Richardson (2002) and modified under the inspiration of Goodyear (2001) and Ryberg et al (2006). Basically the model makes a distinction on the horizontal level between a content delivery focus and a focus on experience and practice and on the vertical level between guided navigation and learner self navigation. These distinctions give four qualitatively different ways of accomplishing learning, which are teaching (teacher controlled content delivery focus), studying (participant controlled content delivery focus), and exercises (teacher controlled experience and practice focus) and project (participant controlled experience and practice focus).
The model was used in several ways during the project. First and foremost it was used in the Tutor Course to raise the awareness of and knowledge about different learning and teaching strategies in the organization of online courses. The tutor course introduced key concepts, methods, techniques and tools in teaching online courses. The course involved readings and assignment in parallel with actual testing and experimenting with teaching practice in running pilot modules. The overall issue during the Tutor Course was explaining, discussing and experimenting with different ways to carry out the activity based pedagogical methodology. Thus, techniques for communication, possible resources and assessment techniques were introduced along with main issues in organizing online learning e.g. tutor role, student motivation and teamwork. We attached importance to discuss examples on instructional strategies and explore the possibilities of staging activity based learning under each quadrant in the model. Actually a few of the participant adopted the problem oriented quadrant specifying activities as e.g. “Evaluate an existing interactive system with human-centred criteria and a usability test” (in the HCI course) The model provided a framework for gaining knowledge, for discussions and reflections, for experiments and for sharing ideas and experience.
Secondly we used the model as a guide in the preparation and organization of an online workshop (Buus et al. 2006). The intention of the online workshop was to provide examples of online instructional strategies on the one side and on the other side to give the participant concrete experiences with different strategies as learners. The virtual workshop was also organized to give the participants opportunity to generate experience in the use of different tools and techniques for communicating online in various forms of collaborations. In brief the workshop lasted for five days, had a synchronous session each day (e.g. a talk, a discussion, a presentation) and a small project requiring cooperation between participant from different universities and countries.
The use of the model as a theoretical input in the tutor course and as an organizing principle in the virtual workshop led to many discussions on the concrete understanding of the meaning of participant controlled versus teacher controlled activities and the differences between a focus on content delivery versus a focus on experience and practice. Also the experiments with various tools for communications and collaborations (chat, Flash meeting, wiki, messenger, forums, skype) led to a considerably interest in especially synchronous communication and collaborations tools. Although the partners in the development and delivery of courses preferred the teacher controlled quadrants in the model they adopted strategies for adding communication and collaboration among the students. And as mentioned the use of synchronous communication between students, student and teachers, and students and other external actors in the area, e.g. representatives from companies became highly used. All in all the broader model provided a solid foundation for explicating differences in main pedagogical strategies, for discussion and reflections, and for informed choice of instructional strategies.
In order to manage the gab between curriculum based and problem based learning in the MVU project we applied three main techniques. First the course design approach ensuring a coherent set of course but also leaving room for flexibility and allowing for use of different technologies and techniques in the development of the courses, for different ways of organizing the development process and also for different interpretation of the activity based approach. Second The PBL model functioned as a vehicle for raising awareness on activity based learning and although the model was considered as too radical it fostered many discussions on possible pedagogical strategies. Third the model of multiple learning strategies were used both as frame for discussions and reflections, for informed choice of instructional strategies, and also as a concrete platform for testing various instructional strategies. The project did not succeed to implement radical changes in the pedagogical format among the partners, but the multiple learning strategy and the experimental approach in the online workshop practising PBL and ICT turned out to be very successful with respect to experiencing and explicating differences in main pedagogical strategies, and for discussions and reflections on the choice of pedagogical and instructional strategies.
1 EUMEDIS is a regional MEDA project for the development of the Euro-Mediterranean Information Society which aims at interconnecting through the Internet the Euro-Mediterranean research communities thanks to pilot projects in five priority sectors of intervention, one of them being information and communication technologies applied to education.
Buus, L., Bygholm, A. and Walter, T. 2006, “Documentation of the three courses developed in Work Package 1 – “Training and Knowledge Exchange”. Course documentation report - the MVU Project, E-Learning Lab, Aalborg University.
Everett, J., 2004, Course Quality Framework p. 3., Internal MVU document.
Kirschner, P. A., Sweller, J. & Clark, R. E. 2006, “ Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential, and Inquiry-Based Teaching”. Educational Psychologist, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 75-86.
MVU Technical Annex, approved by the Commission in 2004. Project funded by the European Community under the EUMEDIS initiative, strand 2.
MVU Intermediate Technical Review Report, 2005, Deliverable D0.4 within the MVU-project. Project funded by the European Community under the EUMEDIS initiative, strand 2. | 2019-04-24T19:38:23Z | http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=267&layout=html |
A little while ago, Tim and I again dined at Il Solito Posto (meaning "The Usual Place"), an Italian restaurant entered via a Melbourne laneway. You can read about our first visit here.
It was absolutely scrumptious. I particularly loved the mozzarella balls.
It tasted as wonderful as it looks, with plenty of sauce to flavour the filling.
Il Solito Posto is a terrific place to enjoy good Italian food, but I recommend booking - they always seem to be very busy.
There is a free food newspaper called Gram that is found at various locations aorund Melbourne. Tim always picks up a copy for his Dad. In one recent edition, Tim found a recipe for Pear and Chocolate Cake that he thought I'd like to make, and sent me a copy. The cake was from Florentine by Emiko Davies.
I was also impressed with the sunray pattern on top of the cake formed by the pears - so easy to do yet so effective.
It was a gorgeous cake, and I would definitely make it again.
I own Lola Berry's The Happy Cookbook. It contains some really good recipes for those times when I am trying to eat a little bit more healthily. I have previously made Lola's Paleo Chocolate Celebration Cake and her Fig, Peach and Cardamom Paleo Loaf from this cookbook.
This time, I decided to make one of her savoury recipes, and chose Lola's Beef, Broccoli and Cashew Stir Fry, the recipe for which is online here. This recipe is unlike the stir fries that I normally make because there is no sauce added to it - you just have the juices from the vegetables and meat. I worried that this would make the stir fry a little lacking in flavour, but it surprised me - it was so simple yet so tasty, and no sauce was required.
I would definitely put this stir fry on regular rotation as a light, healthy main meal.
One recent Sunday night, Tim and I were off to the Madonna Rebel Heart Tour concert at Rod Laver Arena. The concert didn't start until 8pm (or had we known at the time, much later), so we started off our evening with dinner.
In keeping with the Italian flavour of the evening, we decided to go to Vapiano, a pizza and pasta restaurant for which I had a discount voucher in the Entertainment Book.
Vapiano is very informal. You can't book, and there is no table service. You choose your own seat, and order and pay for your food at the counter. Once the food is ready, you go and pick it up yourself at the counter.
For pasta, you choose your own pasta and sauce, and whether you want garlic or chilli or both, and they cook it on the spot. It was surprisingly delicious.
There is a bar with a large selection of beers and wines to accompany your meal.
Vapiano became very busy very quickly, so I recommend going early.
I prefer a restaurant with table service, but the food at Vapiano was quite good and reasonably priced. We would go again.
In the Sunday newspaper magazine this week, Adam Liaw had published a recipe for Chocolate and Almond Easter Cake, a cake of Spanish origin known as Mona de Pascua. It looked irresistable, so I decided to make it this week.
The dense chocolatey glaze on top really made it. It was really "the icing on the cake".
This year they are all pink and are flavoured with raspberry flavouring. I also made some little "eggs" in my silicone egg mould.
If you want to make your own bunnies for Easter, the recipe is here.
Our theme for Eating with Ellie this week is Super Soups, chosen by Chaya. Regular readers will know that, scarred by childhood condensed soups, I am very wary of soup. However, I have had some very good soups in the US, and my choice from Weeknight Wonders this week was a US style soup - Curried Pumpkin and Tomato Soup.
I adored this - it had just the right amount of kick to make it interesting, and the flavours melded beautifully.
To see what the others made for Super Soups, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.
You know that autumn is here when the mornings become nippy and dark. We have been having a run of lovely days, but the mornings are a reminder that they won't last.
I have been trying to make the most of the last of the summer fruit, and recently picked up some figs from the supermarket. I had best intentions to make a fig clafoutis tart that I had seen on the SBS website, but when I went to make it, I realised that I didn't have any cream. Instead, I decided to make a fig and frangipane tart for which I had all of the ingredients.
The tart recipe that I chose was this one, but I skipped the raspberry sauce. I also took a shortcut on the pastry - I had frozen the leftover dough from Adam Liaw's Bondi Meringue Pie, and so I used that as the base for the tart.
The resulting tart was just gorgeous - a melt in your mouth, fruity spectacular. The figs had become jammy and soft in the oven, and the buttery frangipane set them off nicely. It was a worthy send-off to summer.
The second March recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie is matcha financiers. I have seen a lot of recipes using matcha, but didn't really know what it was, and I had never tried it before. Matcha is a fine Japanese green tea powder, and it is very pricey - I won't disclose how much I paid for a tiny container of matcha, but it was way too much. I will be trying to make lots of matcha recipes in the future to use it all up, as it is too expensive to waste.
I made a half recipe of financiers, primarily because the full recipe requires 6 egg whites - a rather extravagant use of eggs in my house, especially when the yolks (which don't freeze well) are not required. I knew I had three whites in the freezer from my tiramisu, which lent itself perfectly to a half batch of financiers.
I thought that these financiers were rather tasty, but I can't say that I really noticed the matcha, other than for the green colour it gave the financiers.
To see what the others thought of this recipe and the alternate recipe, Odile's Fresh Orange Cake, go to the LYL section of the TWD website.
Tim likes panettone and tiramisu, so when I saw a recipe for Panettone Tiramisu in The West Australian while on a work trip late last year, I knew I had to make it for him. The recipe was in a special on TV chefs' Christmas recipes, and can be found online here (keep scrolling down until you get to it).
It worked beautifully in this recipe.
I am not sure how many people Tania and Christina were feeding with their tiramisu, but the recipe is massive. I halved everything except the panetonne, for which I used roughly the same quantity (that is, the whole 750g dove cake). My tiramisu still ended up quite massive, so I highly recommend taking the same route of halving everything but the cake.
I was meeting Tim for a Madonna concert (yep, she was fabulous), so I took some tiramisu for both of us in a takeaway container, which we ate before the concert on a public bench tucked in a laneway with plastic forks while we did a spot of people watching. It doesn't have to be fancy to be good!
Because of the panetonne ingredient, this was an expensive version of tiramisu to make, but you can cut down on costs by making your own panettone. Alternatively , you can use that dry old store bought panettone gifted to you at Christmas - this is a perfect way to use it up if you are not a fan of the panettone itself.
I like a good curry, and as a change for work lunches recently, I made Michelle Bridges' Vegetable and Tofu Curry. I got the recipe from her book, Total Body Transformation, but you can find it online here.
The flavours are bold and there is enough body from all of the vegetables in the curry to make it quite hearty. It is also low in calories, so it is a pretty healthy lunch.
It doesn't look that attractive, but if you like curry, this could be a way for you to enjoy it regularly without dialling up the fat and calories.
The Liam Neeson from Doughnut Time with Baileys glaze, caramelised biscuit and shamrocks.
For Eating with Ellie this week, Margaret chose the theme of "Eat More Chicken". Ellie has lots of fab sounding chicken recipes in Weeknight Wonders, so the hardest part this week was choosing just one.
I went for Ellie's Chicken Florentine Roll-ups, mainly because I had goats cheese left over from last week's recipe that I didn't want to waste, and this recipe happened to use it.
These roll-ups were so delicious - they comprised chicken breasts filled with goats cheese, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Seriously good! The chicken was moist and tender because it was braised in chicken broth.
To see what the others made of this week's theme, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.
Recently, a colleague and I went to a function where they served jam drops (or thumbprints, as they are known in the US). The jam drops were a little too flat and pale for my liking. When my colleague indicated that she didn't know how to make jam drops, I was inspired to make a batch of jam drops for her. I never really think about baking the staples that I grew up with because they are interwoven with my identity - they just are. However, I was jolted out of this by my colleague, at least in respect of jam drops.
The recipe that I used was a handwritten one that I copied out of Day to Day Cookery by I M Downes when I first moved out of home. This was my home economics textbook, which my mother commandeered once I had finished with it. I have added a few extra details below, because I M Downes has assumed that people know quite a bit about baking in her recipes.
Beat the butter and sugar to a cream (that is, beat them in a stand mixer until light and fluffy). Add the egg to the mixture and beat well, then add the vanilla extract and beat to combine. Gradually add the sifted flour and salt to the mixture, and mix into a smooth paste.
Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls, place them on a lined baking sheet about an inch apart and make a hollow in each one with your forefinger. Add just enough jam to each hollow to just cover it - don't add too much or it will ooze out during baking.
Bake the biscuits in a moderate oven (that is, 180 degrees Celsius) until golden on top (~12-15 minutes). Remove the biscuits from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet.
In Australia, Wagon Wheels are a chocolate biscuit treat, comprised of two chocolate coated biscuits sandwiched together with raspberry jam and marshmallow. The closest US equivalent that I know of is the Moon Pie, but the Wagon Wheel is a larger and more luscious affair.
When I was at my dentist a couple of weeks ago, the cover of the March 2016 edition of Delicious magazine caught my eye - there on the cover was the most decadent looking Wagon Wheel Slice. However, you cannot judge a book by its cover, and a flick through the magazine revealed that this was a "wholefoods" version of Wagon Wheel Slice, with no flour or chocolate in sight. I bought the magazine to give this slice a go, as I was intrigued by the possibility of a "healthy" version of the Wagon Wheel.
This slice would be quite expensive to make if you didn't already have most of the ingredients - I did, so this aspect was not a problem for me. The finished slice looks the part of a Wagon Wheel, but it tastes quite different. It is not particularly sweet, and the "marshmallow" has no sweetener added to it at all. Everyone remarked that they enjoyed this slice, but if you are expecting the full on sweetness of a Wagon Wheel, you will be disappointed (as I was). It is much more like a health food bar in flavour. If you cannot indulge in treats like Wagon Wheels or your own dietary inclinations won't allow you too, but you secretly enjoy such treats, this slice could be just the ticket for you. For me, I would prefer to indulge in the more decadent versions of Wagon Wheel slice. You'll have to make up your own mind.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease and line a 12cm x 22cm x 5cm deep slice tin.
In a small bowl, combine the almond meal, shredded coconut, rice malt syrup, egg and 80ml of rice malt syrup. Press the mixture into the base of the slice tin. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin.
Make the jam by putting the strawberries, rice malt syrup and vanilla in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until slightly broken up. Remove from the heat and fold through the chia seeds. Allow to cool completely before spreading over the almond meal base. Chill for 30 minutes to set.
Soak the gelatine leaves in water for 5 minutes to soften. Heat the coconut cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Squeeze the excess water out of the gelatine leaves and add to the coconut cream, stirring until melted and combined. (I used powdered gelatine according to the instructions on the tin instead with no problems.) Strain the mixture and allow it to cool to room temperature. Pour the coconut cream over the strawberry jam on the slice base and chill for 3 hours or until set.
Combine the cacao powder and 170g coconut oil in a bowl and stir until smooth. Place the chilled slice over a lined baking tray. Pour the cacao mixture over the top of the coconut cream, then work quickly to spread it evenly over the top of the slice. Allow to set at room temperature for ~ 20 minutes.
Once set, dust with extra cacao powder, and cut into pieces to serve.
One of our regular restaurant haunts is Thai on High in Armadale. I adore Thai food, and Thai on High's versions of well-known Thai dishes never fail to disappoint.
It is a hot evening, so we are warned not to sit at the table near the glass doors so that we are not scorched by the incoming sunlight. We opt for a table in the dark, cool interior of the restaurant.
Rice paper rolls are a favourite of mine with their crisp, clear flavours, and the sweet chilli dipping sauce was a perfect accompaniment.
I chose this option for its light, healthier qualities, while still being delicious.
The fact that he always orders this speaks for itself.
The service at Thai on High is always efficient, with water glasses being refilled regularly without asking and meals coming out promptly.
Thai on High remains one of our favourite restaurants for a meal out.
In the January/February 2016 edition of Taste magazine, there were quite a few Cook It Now! recipes that I literally wanted to cook now. One of them was this chicken curry. Another recipe that I made was Lentil Braised Pork with Olives.
As you can see, it is a bright and colourful dish. It is full of lots of good things, and is only 426 calories per serve, with 15g of fat. It is also tasty. Win, win.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, season the pork with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes in the pan or until browned each side. Put the pork on a plate.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan, cooking until softened. Add the fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer for 2 minutes or until the wine is reduced by half.
Stir in the stock and mustard and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils.
Return the pork to the pan and cook, turning the pork halfway, for 6 minutes or until cooked through. Stir in 1 tbspn lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
In a bowl, combine the parsley, olives and remaining lemon juice. Serve the pork topped with the olive mixture.
Our Eating with Ellie theme this week is Sensational Salads, chosen by Kayte. I chose to make Ellie's Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Hazelnuts and Apricots from Weeknight Wonders.
Ellie states that this is a variation on coleslaw, perfect for a barbecue. I simply served my salad with pan fried fish and steamed sweet potato. I was not sure how this salad would go, but I really enjoyed it. The Brussels sprouts have a slightly peppery flavour which makes the salad a little different to the usual, and the apricots add sweetness, while the hazelnuts add crunch.
To see what the others made for this week's theme, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.
For Tuesday with Dorie this week, I made Odile's Fresh Orange Cake. This is just a lovely, light, spongy orange cake that is moistened with orange syrup.
You could have fancied this up with poached oranges on top, but I have limited time so left out this optional extra.
This is a beautiful cake that is a cinch to make - I'd make it again.
To see what the other Dorie bakers thought of this cake (or the alternate recipe, Matcha Financiers), visit the LYL section of the TWD website.
I recently found a collection of summer fruit recipes on The Mill House Kitchen blog (via Facebook). I would be happy to make all of them, but the one I chose first is the Melt and Mix Summer Fruit Cake (Recipe No. 10). It was the perfect recipe for using up two clingstone peaches in my fruit bowl that were not that nice for eating due to being rather dry.
The cake was beautifully light and moist, and was a wonderful vehicle for the fruit (which might otherwise have been wasted). My cake took 45 minutes, not 30, to bake, but otherwise I had no problems with the recipe.
This cake would also be lovely in winter with poached winter fruits, as the authors suggest.
Our theme for the Melbourne Cake Club meeting this month was March Madness. I loved this theme - there are so many different directions you could take it.
Another new member, Katrina, also came along to check out proceedings.
We had a fabulous night of March Madness. | 2019-04-18T18:16:45Z | http://kitchenlaw.blogspot.com/2016/03/ |
Last weekend I went out treasure hunting, as I've been known to do. I have a running list of things I'm looking for, and then there's the thrill of discovery that comes, because well, you just never know what you might unearth while digging through boxes and piles or sorting through the items buried within the sundry stockpile of belongings laid out like dirty laundry for all who dare to rummage around in it.
To score good junk, you have to be willing to get your hands and clothes dirty and willing to let your backseat get familiar with someone else's discards (the backseat of the car, people!) I came home a mess last weekend, but I sure had a blast.
It's amazing too, all the things I didn't know I needed, but which I obviously do, because they came home with me.
For over a year, I've been hunting for a croquet set. Mind you, I have yet to score one, but, look here... I did find this wonderfully classic horseshoe set for $6.
$6 is over my limit, but I was at a consignment store, in their mancave section, and these were probably the cheapest thing in the whole store. I decided they were worth overspending for because it was a "pay it or forget it" kinda thing. I figured I'll not likely come across a set like this again.
Would you consider these worthy of a $6 price tag? I had no clue if that was a good price, but I really liked them. So, I guess that's what matters. They are heavy and fantastically chipped up. The turquoise is especially fabulous. They are practical as well as beautiful. Everyone needs a set of horseshoes for their backyard get togethers, right?
One of the first garage sales I came to last weekend, was, I kid you not, a spread of grungy wonder. A guy had bought this house with all sorts of stuff left in it by the previous owner. I drove up to the driveway and my eyes went wide. I got that panicky feeling inside, the one that makes you want to jump out of the car while it's still moving before anyone else gets a chance to score something you should've had. I did manage to stop without running over my own feet or even screeching to a halt. I got the car into park, and while presenting a deceptively calm front, sauntered up so as not to give away the fact that someone with a measure of junk insanity was coming their way. I knew right away my other sales would have to wait. There were tables and boxes of pure junk, much that I did not need, but the kind where you know you should take your time and touch and move each item, because you never knowing what you might uncover. (I kick myself for not taking a picture of the spread. It was just a fun sight. Everyone who came up commented about how long it must have taken to set it all out.) So fun to look through.
The man doing the selling was friendly and talkative and helped me search for things I might want. He occasionally brought me my Dunkin Donut coffee cup that I kept setting down while hunting but forgot while I began rummaging in other areas.
I asked about some rusty wire baskets all stacked up under this huge dilapidated workbench and asked how much he wanted for them. He said $0.25/piece. What!? I kept my faux cool, the one that belies the level of excitement within. There were 8 of them and each was full of wood scraps I really didn't think I needed.
Wire baskets were on my list, but not white rusty ones. Did I want them? For a quarter each, I figured I could decide later if they'd work for anything I might want to do. I stacked them up and left them on hold while I continued to look. At one point someone came near them and I had to choke back the desire to yell out "those are mine!" like some of the outwardly crazed yard salers I've come into contact with in days not so long past. I took a deep breath, watched and waited... Truth be told, no one else in their right mind was likely to want them... but my inner reaction when I thought they were threatened told me that I had made the right choice to buy them. You always know how much you really want something as soon as you think someone else wants it. It all becomes VERY clear.
The guy told me I could have the wood too (he wanted all that stuff outta there!) but I didn't really think I wanted to cart all that home and have to store it. He said I could always use it for longburning firewood if nothing else..."just take it!" he begged.
DONE! I have since realized there are several projects for which I can use some of these pieces. The fact that some were already cut into circles was a huge bonus (I don't currently have those capabilities, so the work was already done for me! Hallelujah!) and are going to come in really handy for something I got from a wonderful blog this week. (I hope to start on that project this weekend!) I'm so glad I didn't dump them all out and leave them behind in my quest not to hoard! I would have been kicking myself for sure. Sometimes you have to take stuff when you have the opportunity, because it's a one shot deal. I hate coulda, shoulda, woulda regrets. If you are a project person and think you might someday use it and it's basically free, go ahead and take it. You can throw it out when you get home if you decide later you don't need it.
I could not believe it. I have been looking everywhere for one of these wagons, and there it was, pretty as a picture (an old, rusty and faded picture, but pretty nonetheless). I figured the guy would let it go reasonably. To think I'd almost missed it. It had a piece of wood attached to it with a hose guard on that. Apparently the original owner used the wagon to cart his hose and stuff around the yard. I managed to talk the guy into selling it below my limit, for $3, and one of the young guys there was kind enough to go get some tools and remove the wood thingy for me so I could get it into my car. It took everything within me to act non-chalant about it, but I drove away and whooped it up after I rounded the corner. I intend to either plant flowers in it or use it to haul things around my own yard. Charm...on wheels!
It's been out in the weather already and seen better days, so it's not like I'm gonna ruin it by leaving it out. However, do you suppose I should try to rid it of some of the rust and then repaint and seal it to see if I can stop the decay? Is that even possible? Even if I leave it as is (I kinda like the look), wouldn't it help to polyurethane it or something to keep it from getting worse in the rain? Would that work? If you know, leave me your thoughts. I'd appreciate it.
At another yard sale, I found the cutest little black rubber boots ever! Based on the high prices of things at this yard sale, I didn't even bother asking about them and left. Still, I knew they would be perfect for my nephew, Micah, and couldn't stop thinking about them. So I went back and was able to get them for $1! This picture does not adequately convey their absolute adorability. I can just picture him out in his yard helping his mom and dad in their garden while wearing these! Meanwhile they are keeping my pink boots company by the front door.
These were on my list for a project I want to do sometime. At the same place, I got a bunch of old yard sticks and rulers in a handy home sewn fabric holder for $1. I just never got around to taking a picture of them. This week I discovered some things I may be doing with those in the near future. Woo hoo. Glad to have them.
Cool, junky, rusty, chippy boxes will always come home with me if they are but $1. Call me a sucker or a hoarder, I don't care. Look below at the cool removable box inside.
I got the fish hooks as a bonus! The fishing line was $0.25.
Love this little special latched compartment.
Don't know yet what I'll do with this, but I've needed watchfaces before and didn't have any. Now I'll have one on hand. Love the simple number style. Reminds me of watches my mom wore back in the day. It cost me 50 cents.
This heavy wood stool was free at a yard sale I went to. Fine by me. It's now being used outside as a plant stand between the two metal patio chairs I repainted. Someday I'll probably paint it.
Snagged another small pallet that would fit in my car. I'm now considering making a patio deck out of pallets. See those patio stones underneath it. I long to be rid of them. They are unttractive and the weeds are always having to be pulled. I saw someone create a deck from pallets in a blog somewhere that I'll have to go back and find. I happened to be on the way to the store when I spotted this one in a place that always has pallets. There was a wonderful long one with all the wood slats butting right up next to each other. I was going to stop for it on my way home, because it would have made a great bench seat, but it was gone within the half hour before I got back. Ugh! When will I learn!
Also picked up a full length mirror from someone's trash. I didn't get a shot of it, but it's something Casey's been wanting for a long time. Done!
Since I was looking for simple white dishes for Cally's new place, these caught my eye. It's a full set of Royal Kent China from Poland (6 place settings - 8 cups and saucers) and all of this was $40.00. Seeing as sets that are only a third this size (everyday dishes at Target) are over $60, I figured this was a better deal, and pretty on top of it. There was way more to this set than what was left of the expensive set at the consignment store. There is also a large pitcher just to the right outside of the picture. It's missing the lid, but is really pretty. These place settings include bread plates and there is also a salt and pepper. In addition to the gold edging, there is a slightly raised pattern around the edges of the plates and bowls. Simple yet, pretty. I'm thrilled with it despite a couple of chips and the fact that some of the gold on the dinner plates has worn off. If anyone knows of a paint product that can be used to touch these up, please let me know in the comments!
It was a great day of treasure hunting... wouldn't you say?
Meanwhile, does anyone know of any flea markets or events between Florida and Birmingham, Alabama, going through Georgia somewhere between August 1st and the 6th or 7th? Even if you know some great thrift stores or whatnot, that would be great too. Please let me know!
I hope you have a junky weekend!
I just needed these grass clippers last night!
Now, mind you, if people around here sold vintage relics of the kind many of you seem to score each weekend, I'd be thrilled to find similar antiquities rich with tradition, beautifully chippy, worn and swathed in patina or crusted with rust. However, most of the time, the fare here is a little less exciting. Every now and then I snag a cool relic, but when those are unavailable for the pickin', I'm happy to find joy in useful beauty, especially if it's caked with nostalgia and I can get it for a song. There's nothing quite like having something you need when you need it. So many of the utilitarian items I've found have come in very handy!
Speaking of songs... my love for all things minimal and practical was instilled in me early. I was a TV-obsessed child (even with only 3 channels, one of which was mostly static), and my love of "simple" came by way of commercials such as the one below from Van Camps Pork & Beans. Back then commercials were populated with catchy little jingles that would stick in kids' heads, ensuring that their parents would never be at a loss as to how to spend their money. Those commercials also fairly well defined the times. Sometimes they defined us. They certainly defined me.
To this day, I still sing this one.
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head. Hmmm...I wonder which came first.
This song lolled about in my head, and I have an especially vivid memory of it traveling along with me to my Aunt Vernie's house one Summer. During Summer vacations we took roadtrips to Grand Rapids to visit family and friends we had left behind when we moved to Florida, back when I was two.
There I was on the front porch of Aunt Vernie's (my mom's oldest sister) home taking in the wonder of the new surroundings. I was intrigued because there were steps, which were in short supply in my Florida world! I thought that was so cool...(back then we would have said "Neat!") I was enthralled by the wonder of them, and I developed a fascination for steps and stairs, probably from those youthful trips to the other-world I discovered in Michigan.
Aunt Vernie's house had a walkway leading up a sloped yard that felt like a huge hill to this girl from the flatlands. Steps took us up to her porch. There was what seemed like a magical endless staircase that led to an upstairs apartment she rented out. The wood floors (being as I was from the land of terrazzo and concrete) were utterly foreign to me and produced an odd, hollow sound when we walked across them, unlike the solid floors of home.
It was in some ways like this home I found online here.
Wonder of wonders, there was even a mysterious, shadowy basement (a fascinating unknown in my short life) to which we were led by more steps toward an odd smelling adventure of discovery and the quaint sights one might find in such a captivating place. Mystery abounded. Aunt Vernie's basement came complete with easels, her paintings and odd basement miscellany that brought a beautiful curiosity to everything about that time and place.
This is Aunt Vernie about 20 years later in the late 80's.
In addition, Aunt Vernie's vocabulary was peppered with quirky words that made my sister and I exchange glances and giggle...she said things foreign to us, like "cockeyed" and "cockamamie", and described things as "delightful", which while causing us to smirk as children, endeared her to us as the years stretched on. We absorbed those engaging moments, her brilliant smile, comforting personality and her creativity. They settled in and took root in our hearts, leaving us with sentimental memories of times spent with her.
There I was on her porch, family mingling inside, the boys running about the yard, the breeze - wonderful, the scent in the air, sweet... and it was dinnertime. When I asked (probably hollered) the age old childhood question through the screendoor: "What's for dinner?" and heard the words "baked beans" in the lineup, the Van Camps jingle welled up inside of me, right on cue as prescribed by the advertisers who had planned for just such a time and place for their plot to unfold. This plan, through the years, by way of every form of media, has become more pronounced, more sinister and more effective than formal training could ever be. At the time, however, this particular media voice was benign enough, and it landed in just the right spot to hitch a ride with me for life, finding it's way to both my inner and my vocal voice more often than I could begin to count.
There was a special sense about that front porch moment at Aunt Vernies. There I was singing "Simple pleasures are the best..." feeling as if I belonged in a commercial. I was probably between the ages of 7 and 9, outside on a neat front porch (another anomaly because where I was from, porches were screened and in the back of the house) in an intriguing neighborhood with treelined streets and a sidewalk. It was kind of magical in that summer vacation/freedom way. Some of that sentiment stuck as I absorbed the glory of the carefree place and time and connected those sensibilities to the words of the song.
I remember feeling a little special, perhaps a bit proud of myself because I knew all the words to the Van Camps song. It gave me the impetus to sing with abandon, hoping I'd "accidentally" be noticed for my impressive memorization ability. If not, at least maybe I'd find a good excuse to bring up the fun fact of my prowess for all who would, no doubt, find my talent enthralling.
Somehow, perhaps catapulted from that moment and the ensuing needs that coerced me to make do in years and life to come, I became a lover of all things beautifully uncomplicated. I found my way toward the joy of the humble and useful, even managing to live decidedly content as that little song clicked on in my head, even at the mention of the words "simple pleasures". Each time it did, I was connected to sweet memories and those simpler times when the world was exciting, carefree and full of discovery.
This is me with my two of my brothers, two of my sisters and part of our Florida neighborhood gang where simple pleasures defined our lives and our times. I'm the mostly hidden one who is peeking out from the middle - it's the only old pic I had on my computer. Wouldn't you know my scanner isn't functioning!
Yes, when "beautiful" is in short supply, "useful" does just fine. More than fine sometimes. There is a certain delight there...and maybe that's what takes me on Saturday junk excursions with a longing to unearth treasure and wonder from the discards of another's intriguing life. Today I continue to look for something to connect me to moments as meaningful as those I discovered at Aunt Vernie's house in Michigan where I sang pork and bean jingles with abandon outside on her porch. I was loving life and discovering treasure in "all the little things that make you smile and glow".
Perhaps you'll understand, then, why sometimes the junk I cram into the back seat of my car, or for which I sort through grungy boxes, is often rather unremarkable at first glance, utilitarian in fact, and useful rather than glorious and glamorous.
Yep, I'm still a simple girl at heart, and I'm pretty sure that I have Van Camps and my visit to Aunt Vernie's to thank for it. | 2019-04-23T15:09:35Z | http://imageremix.blogspot.com/2012/07/ |
A disk drive contains an integrally-formed one-piece hub, clamp and rotor housing, which is preferably injection-molded plastic. In the preferred embodiment, the hub includes a hollow cylindrical portion (201) for surrounding a set of bearings mounted on a central shaft, and a flange portion (202) extending from the middle of the cylinder and supporting a single disk (101). Compliant clamping fingers (203) on the upper surface of the flange engage the disk through its central hole. The fingers are inclined slightly outward, and include a pawl at the end of each finger. During assembly, the disk is forced over the pawls of the fingers until they engage the disk. The fingers, being slightly elastic, will deform to permit the disk to slide over the pawls, and then return to lock the disk in place. The fingers automatically center the disk about the hub axis, without the need for centering tools. The ub also serves as a housing for the rotor of a spindle motor which rotates the disk. A back iron ring and permanent magnets are attached to the underside of the flange at its outer edge to form the rotor. An electromagnetic stator assembly surrounds the disk axis in the annular space defined by the flange, the permanent magnets and back iron at the outer edge, and the cylindrical portion of the hub at the inner edge.
The present invention relates to disk drive data storage devices, and in particular to disk and hub assemblies used in disk drive storage devices.
The extensive data storage needs of modern computer systems require large capacity mass data storage devices. A common storage device is the rotating magnetic disk drive.
A disk drive typically contains one or more smooth, flat disks which are rigidly attached to a common spindle. The disks are stacked on the spindle parallel to each other and spaced apart so that they do not touch. The disks and spindle are rotated in unison at a constant speed by a spindle motor.
Each disk is formed of a solid disk-shaped base or substrate, having a hole in the middle for the spindle. The substrate is commonly aluminum, although glass, ceramic, plastic or other materials are possible. The substrate is coated with a thin layer of magnetizable material, and may additionally be coated with a protective layer.
Data is recorded on the surfaces of the disks in the magnetizable layer. To do this, minute magnetized patterns representing the data are formed in the magnetizable layer. The data patterns are usually arranged in circular concentric tracks. Each track is further divided into a number of sectors. Each sector thus forms an arc, all the sectors of a track completing a circle.
A moveable actuator positions a transducer head adjacent the data on the surface to read or write data. The actuator may be likened to the tone arm of a phonograph player, and the head to the playing needle.
There is one transducer head for each disk surface containing data. The transducer head is an aerodynamically shaped block of material (usually ceramic) on which is mounted a magnetic read/write transducer. The block, or slider, flies above the surface of the disk at an extremely small distance as the disk rotates. The close proximity to the disk surface is critical in enabling the transducer to read from or write to the data patterns in the magnetizable layer. Several different transducer designs are used, and in some cases the read transducer is separate from the write transducer.
The actuator usually pivots about an axis to position the head. It typically includes a solid block near the axis having comb-like arms extending toward the disk, a set of thin suspensions attached to the arms, and an electro-magnetic motor on the opposite side of the axis. The transducer heads are attached to the suspensions, one head for each suspension. The actuator motor rotates the actuator to position the head over a desired data track. Once the head is positioned over the track, the constant rotation of the disk will eventually bring the desired sector adjacent the head, and the data can then be read or written.
As computer systems have become more powerful, faster, and more reliable, there has been a corresponding increase in demand for improved storage devices. These desired improvements take several forms. It is desirable to reduce cost, to increase data capacity, to increase the speed at which the drives operate, to reduce the electrical power consumed by the drives, and to increase the resilience of the drives in the presence of mechanical shock and other disturbances.
In particular, there is a demand to reduce the physical size of disk drives. To some degree, reduction in size may serve to further some of the above goals. But at the same time, reduced size of disk drives is desirable in and of itself. Reduced size makes it practical to include magnetic disk drives in a range of portable applications, such as laptop computers, mobile pagers, and "smart cards".
An example of size reduction is the application of the PCMCIA Type II standard to disk drives. This standard was originally intended for semiconductor plug-in devices. With improvements to miniaturization technology, it will be possible to construct disk drives conforming to the PCMCIA Type II standard.
In order to shrink the size of disk drives, every component must be reduced in size as much as possible. Additionally, new designs of existing components must be developed to permit reduced size and make assembly of miniaturized components practical.
One limit on the extent to which a disk drive can be reduced in size is the disk/hub assembly. A conventional disk/hub assembly comprises a cylindrical hub having a flange at the bottom for supporting a disk stack. A motor for rotating the disks is located within the hub. The stack of disks rests on the upper surface of the flange, the hub fitting within corresponding holes of the disks. The individual disks are separated by spacer rings surrounding and adjacent to the hub. A clamping apparatus is attached to the top of the hub and applies a downward force to the disk stack, forcing the bottom disk against the flange and holding the stack in place. Where a disk drive has only a single disk, essentially the same design is used, but the clamping apparatus clamps only the one disk instead of the disk stack. The clamping apparatus is typically a flat steel ring having a formed circular ridge near its outer edge. The flat portion of the ring is attached to the upper surface of the hub with screws, while the ridge portion applies pressure to the disk stack or single disk. Several alternative clamp designs exist, but all involve multiple parts.
The conventional disk drive disk/hub design is not well suited to very small form factor disks, such as the PCMCIA Type II form factor. The hub must be sufficiently large to accommodate the screws. Even where very small screws are used, this requirement adds to the size and weight of the hub. The extremely small parts make assembly difficult. There is difficultly tolerating high mechanical shock of portable applications. The relatively thin disks tend to warp when clamped with sufficient clamping force; even a small warpage can be serious when track widths are being reduced. Finally, although the drive is much smaller, simple scaling down of the size of conventional parts will not result in any significant cost reduction; in fact, it may increase costs. It is desirable to develop an alternative hub/disk assembly which reduces costs and is more suitable to the design requirements of small form factor disk drives.
In an European patent application EP A-0 613 134, a magnetic disk unit which is integrally formed with a sleeve portion of a ball bearing unit, or a spindle of a spindle motor for driving the disk which is mounted on a rotor. But this document aims particularly at avoiding to align the rotor with respect to the rotary axis of the ball bearing unit.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an enhanced rotating disk data storage device.
Another object of this invention is to reduce the cost of a rotating disk data storage device.
Another object of this invention is to provide a small form factor rotating disk data storage device having an enhanced hub/disk assembly.
Another object of this invention is to provide a small form factor disk drive having a reduced cost hub/disk assembly.
Another object of this invention is to provide a rotating disk data storage device comprising a hub/disk assembly having fewer parts.
Another object of this invention is to provide a rotating disk data storage device comprising a hub/disk assembly which is easier to fabricate and assemble.
Another object of this invention is to provide a rotating disk data storage device comprising a hub/disk assembly having greater resistance to mechanical shock.
Another object of this invention is to provide a rotating disk data storage device comprising a hub/disk assembly having reduced distortion of the disk.
A rotating disk data storage device according to the invention as defined in claim 1.
Fig. 8 is a sectional view of an alternate design for a clamping finger and disk.
Fig. 1 shows a magnetic disk drive storage unit 100 in accordance with the preferred embodiment. Disk unit 100 comprises rotatable disk 101, which is rigidly attached to hub 103, which is mounted on disk drive base or housing 104. Hub 103 and disk 101 are driven by a drive motor at a constant rotational velocity. The drive motor is contained within hub 103. Actuator assembly 105 is situated to one side of disk 101. Actuator 105 rotates through an arc about shaft 106 parallel to the axis of disk 101, driven by electro-magnetic motor 107, to position the transducer heads. A cover (not shown) mates with base 104 to enclose and protect the disk and actuator assemblies. Electronic modules for controlling the operation of the drive and communicating with another device, such as a host computer, are mounted on a circuit card 112 within the head/disk enclosure formed by base 104 and the cover. In this embodiment, circuit card 112 is mounted within the enclosure and shaped to take up unused space around the disk in order to conserve space, as would be used for a PCMCIA Type II form factor. However, the card 112 could also be mounted outside the head/disk enclosure, or the base itself could be made as a circuit card for mounting electronic modules directly to it. A plurality of head/suspension assemblies 108 are rigidly attached to the prongs of actuator 105. An aerodynamic read/write transducer head 109 is located at the end of each head/suspension assembly 108 adjacent the disk surface.
Hub 103 is a one-piece, integrally-formed part which also contains clamping means for locking disk 101 in place, and which functions as a rotor housing for the drive motor. By "integrally-formed", it should be understood that hub 103 is a uniform material formed as a single solid mass by molding, casting, extruding, or other means, and may be machined, etched, or otherwise shaped as necessary to the required dimensions; hub 103 is not built up from multiple discrete components attached together. In the preferred embodiment, hub 103 is an injection molded polymeric part. Specifically, it is preferred that the polymer be a polyetherimide (PEI), in particular Ultem 7201, which is commercially available from General Electric Corporation. Ultem 7201 is preferred because its coefficient of thermal expansion is close to that of aluminum, the preferred material for disk 101. However, other suitable polymers may be used. Alternatively, it may be possible to use non-polymeric materials, such as aluminum or ceramic.
Fig. 2 is an isometric view of integral hub, clamp and rotor housing 103 according to the preferred embodiment. Hub 103 preferably includes a hollow cylindrical base portion 201, a relatively flat cylindrical flange portion 202 extending from base portion 201, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced fingers 203 for engaging disk 101 and serving as a clamping means.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view, in the plane of the disk axis, of integral hub, clamp and rotor housing 103 according to the preferred embodiment. As can be seen more clearly in the sectional view of Fig. 3, hollow cylindrical base portion 201 defines a central cylindrical hole 301 for the disk shaft and bearings. Flange portion 202 extends from approximately the middle of base portion 201. A circumferential lip 302 extends downward from the lower surface of flange portion 202, near its outer edge. Lip 302 provides a mating surface and support for a rotor back iron and permanent magnets.
Fig. 4 is a top view of integral hub, clamp and rotor housing 103 according to the preferred embodiment. In the preferred embodiment, hub 103 contains eight equally spaced fingers 203 positioned as shown, it being understood that the number and size of the fingers may vary, and that other integral clamping means may be used within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Fig. 5 shows in greater detail hub 103 and related hardware, including components of the spindle motor, when assembled, in accordance with the preferred embodiment. Fig. 5 is a half sectional view, taken in the plane of the axis of rotation of the disks. While hub 103 and related components on only one side of the axis are depicted in Fig. 5, it should be understood that these are symmetrical about the axis.
Disk shaft 502 is rigidly attached to base 104 of the disk drive. Shaft 502 is preferably steel. Disk axis 501 runs through the center of shaft 502. Hub cylindrical portion 201 is mounted on bearing assembly 504 for rotation about axis 501. Bearing assembly preferably comprises two sets of preloaded ball bearings in sealed bearing races, at opposite ends of shaft 502. However, bearing assembly could alternatively be a fluid (hydrodynamic) or other type of bearing. In another alternative, portions of bearing assembly 504 may be integrally formed with hub 103, as for example by forming a fluid bearing surface on the inner surface of hub cylindrical portion 201.
Flange portion 202 of hub 103 extends outward from cylindrical base portion 201 at approximately the middle of its length. Disk 101 rests on the upper surface of flange portion 202, the flange supporting disk 101 from below. Multiple identical circumferentially spaced fingers 203 protrude from the upper surface of flange 202 to engage disk 101 and lock it in place, thus serving as a clamping means and obviating the need for a separately attached clamp.
Back iron 505 and set of permanent rotor magnets 506 for a brushless DC spindle motor are attached to the underside of flange portion 202 at the outer edge. Back iron 505 is a ring of magnetically permeable material, preferably an Fe-Pb alloy. Back iron 505 may also be a wound series of laminations forming a ring. Magnets 506 are preferably a solid ring of suitable magnetizable material, in which successive arcuate segments are magnetized to alternating magnetic polarity. Magnets 506 thus form a set of permanent arcuate magnets, circumferentially arranged about the disk axis to completely encircle the axis, having alternating polarity.
Circumferential lip 302 provides support for back iron 505 and magnets 506. Back iron 505 is preferably bonded to hub 103 at lip 302 and lower surface of flange 202 using a suitable adhesive. Alternatively, it may be attached to hub 103 during the injection molding process by inserting back iron 505 in the mold cavity and molding hub 103 over back iron 505. Permanent magnets 506 are preferably bonded directly to back iron 505 using a suitable adhesive.
Spindle motor electromagnetic stator 508 is attached to base 104 and positioned underneath flange 202, within the annular space defined by cylindrical base portion 201 at the inner radius and back iron 505 and magnets 506 at the outer radius. Stator 508 comprises a set of circumferentially spaced electromagnets (poles) surrounding the disk axis, each pole comprising a wire coil wrapped around a magnetically permeable core. Stator 508 is connected to motor drive electronics (not shown) on circuit card 112. In operation, the motor drive electronics sequentially pulse different poles of stator 508 to generate a rotating electromagnetic field, as is known in the art. In the preferred embodiment, stator 508 is a 3-phase stator having three poles in each phase (total of nine poles), and rotor magnet set 506 comprises twelve magnetic pole segments. However, the number of stator and rotor poles may vary.
Fig. 6 is a sectional view in the plane of the disk axis of a clamping finger 203, showing the finger in greater detail. Finger 203 is molded with a slight outward inclination to apply a small radial force to the inner hole of disk 101. Preferably, the angle of inclination is approximately 3 degrees, i.e. the angle in Fig. 6 is approximately 87 degrees, it being understood that the optimum angle will vary with the thickness of the finger and type of material selected. Near the end of finger 203 is a pawl 601 for engaging disk 101. Pawl 601 contains chamfered top edge 603 to enable assembly of the disk.
Fig. 7 is a sectional view of clamping finger 203, showing how it clamps disk 101 in place. Disk 101 and finger 203 are shown in cross-section in the plane of the disk axis.
Disk 101 preferably contains chamfered inner edges 711,712, which are chamfered at approximately a 45 degree angle. The chamfers make assembly of disk 101 to hub 103 easier, provide a surface for application of force from pawl 601, and help to center the disk.
Disk 101 is preferably assembled to hub 103 by positioning disk 101 over the fingers and pushing directly downward. When pushing downward, chamfered edge 712 on the bottom surface of disk 101 slides against chamfered edge 603 on the top surface of pawl 601. Because finger 203 is made from an elastic material, finger 203 retracts inward (toward the disk axis) as disk 101 is pushed down upon it, enabling the narrowest part of the disk center hole to clear the pawl. After the narrowest part of the disk center hole clears the pawl, the finger returns to near its original position due to the natural elasticity of the material. When the bottom surface of disk 101 rests upon flange 202, pawl 601 will be positioned as shown in Fig. 7, applying a force to chamfered edge 711.
Pawl 601 applies both a downward axial force and a radial force to chamfered edge 711. The downward axial force pushes disk 101 against the upper surface of flange portion 202, securely clamping disk 101 in place.
Because a plurality of circumferentially spaced fingers, all at the same radius from the disk axis, apply the same radial force to the chamfered inner edge 711 of the disk center hole, the disk is automatically centered about the axis as it is forced over the fingers and into its assembled position on the flange. Thus, there is no need for centering tools.
Preferably, finger 203 makes contact with the non-chamfered portion of the inner edge of the hole in disk 101, applying a slight radial force. Finger 203 acts as a non-linear beam spring. At rest with the disk in place, the radial force is small to avoid warping the disk. However, the radial force imparted by the finger increases at more than a linear rate if the finger is bent back (in the direction toward the disk axis). As a result, a much stronger force will oppose any movement of the disk from its proper position. The hub therefore achieves a high resistance to mechanical shock with a very low cost, simple design.
During drop testing, it was observed that the compliant fingers absorb a substantial part of the energy being transmitted by disk 101 to hub 103, thus preventing damage to the bearing systems. This feature is very desirable for portable media technology.
Warpage of disks is a well known problem in the disk drive art. A conventional clamp must exert considerable axial force on the clamped disk to ensure that the disk does not move. This force tends to warp the disk. It has been observed that the compliant clamping mechanism of the present invention achieves a secure clamping of the disk with virtually no warpage. Unlike conventional clamp designs, which typically use a metal clamp, the hub of the present invention is made from a compliant material which is preferably much softer than the disk itself. The surface of the compliant material deforms at the point of contact (i.e., the upper surface of flange portion 202 and fingers 203) with the disk, providing a relatively higher static coefficient of friction than is usually present with the metal-to-metal contact of a conventional disk clamp. Due to the higher coefficient of friction, the disk can be securely clamped using a smaller axial force. Additionally, because the disk material is substantially harder than the hub material, the hub surface rather than the disk surface deforms at the points of contact. The disk accordingly experiences very little local strain near the inner diameter, resulting in very low warpage as compared to a conventional disk.
The dimensions of finger 203 must be selected for the chosen hub material to provide suitable compliance of the finger, and to simultaneously provide sufficient clamping force when the disk is in place. In the preferred embodiment finger 203 is approximately 0.25 mm wide in the radial dimension, and 1 mm wide in the circumferential direction. The overall height of the finger is approximately 1 mm. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that optimal finger dimensions will vary depending on the qualities of the material. A stiffer hub material may require a thinner finger, and vice-versa. It will further be appreciated that the dimensions will vary depending upon the size and material of the disk itself. The dimensions given above for the preferred embodiment are intended for use with a 1.8" (43.22 mm) disk formed of an aluminum substrate, and having a thickness of approximately .635mm, such as would be used for a PCMCIA Type II form factor.
Fig. 8 is a sectional view of an alternate design for a clamping finger 801 and disk. The alternate clamping finger 801 of Fig. 8 is identical to clamping finger 203 described above and shown in Figs. 1-7, except for the addition of a tab 802 projecting from the side of the finger facing the disk axis. Tab 802 provides a surface for engagement with a disk removal tool (not shown). To remove disk 101, the tool applies a downward force to tab 802, tending to bend finger 801 backward. At the same time, disk 101 is lifted from the flange portion 202 of hub 103. Removal of a disk is sometimes necessary during rework of a disk drive as part of the manufacturing and testing process.
In the preferred embodiment, the clamping means is a plurality of fingers extending from the upper surface of the flange and engaging the disk. However, any clamping means which is integrally formed with the hub may be used within the scope of the present invention defined by the claims. For example, the fingers might extend from some other portion of the hub, such as hollow cylindrical base portion 201. Fingers extending from some other portion, such as the cylindrical portion, might press down on the disk from above. Alternatively, the clamping means could be a deformable ring extending from the upper surface of the flange or from the hollow cylindrical portion, or a deformable ring broken at circumferentially spaced intervals for stress relief.
In the description above, certain features have been referred to as "above" or "below" the flange, and surfaces described as "upper" or "lower". These terms are used only for ease of reference and are consistent with the drawings and the normal orientation used in the art. However, the use of these terms is not meant to imply that the present invention requires the flange to be located below the disk and above the motor. The motor and disk drive of the present invention could just as easily be constructed with the flange located above the disk, or with the axis of rotation oriented horizontally.
characterized in that said hub member also comprises a clamp structure (203) for locking said disk in place.
a flange portion (202) extending outward from said hollow cylindrical portion, said flange portion being said support structure for supporting said disk.
The rotating disk data storage device of claim 1 or 2, wherein said clamp structure of said hub member comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced fingers (203) extending from said flange portion and engaging said disk.
The rotating disk data storage device of claim 2, wherein said hollow cylindrical portion (201) of said hub member surrounds a set of bearings (504) for mounting said hub member to said disk shaft.
The rotating disk data storage device of claim 2, wherein said set of rotor magnets (506) is attached to said flange portion near the outer edge thereof, and said stator (508) is positioned surrounding said disk shaft and between said disk shaft and said rotor magnets.
The rotating disk data storage device of anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein said hub member is an injection molded polymeric part.
The rotating disk data storage device of anyone of claims 1 to 6, wherein said hub member is so shaped that said disk is self-centering upon said hub member.
The rotating disk data storage device of anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein said hub member is formed from a resilient material, said resilient material being substantially more resilient than said disk.
each said finger includes a pawl (601) at one end thereof, said fingers extending through said circular aperture of said disk, said pawls engaging said disk and imparting an axial force to said disk forcing said first surface of said disk against said support surface.
The rotating disk data storage device of claim 9, wherein said aperture of said disk forms an inner surface thereof surrounding said axis of rotation, and wherein said fingers contact said inner surface, each finger thereby imparting a radial force to said disk.
The rotating disk data storage device of claim 10, wherein a pawls engage said disk along a chamfered edge (711,712) surrounding said circular aperture.
The rotating disk data storage device of claim 9, wherein each said finger contains a projecting tab (802) for engagement with a disk removal tool, said projecting tab projecting from a side of said finger facing said disk axis.
NL8700819A (en) * 1987-04-08 1988-11-01 Philips Nv An apparatus for recording information on or reading information from an information disc.
FR2666842B1 (en) * 1990-09-17 1992-11-20 Somfy Winding device has tubular motor for blinds, roller shutters or the like.
Owner name: BRAVI ALFREDO DR. | 2019-04-22T15:27:50Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/EP0786134B1/en |
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Erin, thanks very much.
Good evening, everyone. We have breaking news tonight. Exclusive new details that you will only see on this program about the attack in Libya that killed four Americans, including ambassador Christopher Stevens and two former Navy Seals, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods. They died heroes, we have known that. But until tonight, we had no idea of just how far beyond the call of duty these two men went. And again, you will be learning this right now for the very first time only on "360."
We got new reporting as well on why the assault on the night of September 11th was so deadly to ambassador Stevens and computer technician Sean Smith even though they were holed up inside of what was supposed to be a fortified part of the consulate compound. The attackers we have now learned doused the building's exterior with diesel fuel, killing Smith and Stevens with dense toxic smoke. And there's yet more we're learning about the attack tonight as well as other late developments out of Benghazi. A large pro-democracy march on the headquarters of an extremist Islamic group in Benghazi.
First though, the breaking news about how the two former Seals perished and how far they went to save other American lives.
Joining us now to flesh out her exclusive reporting, CNN contributor and former homeland security advisor, Fran Townsend. Fran currently serves on the CIA external advisory committee and recently visited Libya with her employer, McAndrews & Forbes. Also with us, CNN's Arwa Damon, who has been breaking news all week for us from Benghazi.
So Fran, what have we learned about these two Navy Seals? Initially a former Seals, it was thought they were there to protect the ambassador. That turns out not the case.
FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: That's not the case, Anderson. They are part of this protective security contractor force. These two contractors -- the contractors generally are recruited from elite special forces because of their training and experience. In the case of Glen Doherty, he had served in Iraq and Afghanistan. These were both men who understood very well the dangers, the trouble and how to respond to it appropriately, but they were not -- they were there but not with the ambassador's security detail. They coordinated and de-conflicted with the ambassador's detail. They also coordinated with Libyans. Their presence was not a secret. But they were there, frankly, at the annex with others as part of a much larger team to provide security.
COOPER: And there were two structures, this annex that we're learning about, it seems like there was an ambush there. I mean, the second attack on the annex seemed to have been an ambush.
TOWNSEND: You know, it's not really clear what the parameters of that were. So what happens is, you have to appreciate, you talked about Glen and Tyrone being heroes. They are at the annex, the annex is secure, the perimeter is secure, they're not taking any fire. That's the area of their primary responsibility. They get a phone call that their colleagues over at the consulate are taking fire, that it's chaotic and they need help. They leave the security of their -- the annex compound and they run in the direction of the firefight.
What they do there is they round up all of the consulate staff. That includes Americans, foreign service nationals, it includes everybody working at the consulate. It also included regrettably at that time the body of Sean Smith. They can't find the ambassador but they must he evacuate because they can no longer help defend the consulate and they take all these people to the much smaller annex where they secure them and they are there trying, figuring they are not taking fire there.
It's not clear how the assault begins, what causes it, whether or not they were set up and ambushed or followed there. The sources I have been talking to, it is not -- hopefully that comes out in if investigation.
COOPER: And Arwa, you say that particular attack, the one on the second site, involved even heavy artillery.
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's what we are hearing on the ground here, Anderson. The attack that took place, the second attack was a much more intense attack than what was initially seen at the consulate, although much shorter in duration. Some of the military officials we're talking to here were saying that they were using rocket propelled grenades. One was even saying that they were using mortar fire and that the rounds impacted pretty much immediately and for anyone who knows how mortar calibration works.
It's pretty rare that you would be able to hit your target the first time you do try to attempt to hit it with a mortar. But we are hearing here that the second attack most certainly was more intense and involved more fire power than the first time around and that is why Libyan government officials are saying that they believe that this was a pre-planned strike. Perhaps not necessarily to be timed with September 11th, but that most certainly the extremists that carried out this assault had planned it, perhaps they shelved the plans and then had seen a target of opportunity to strike, and strike they did as we now know.
COOPER: And Arwa, you were talking about the annex. Back to the main compound where the first fighting or gunfire took place, U.S. officials have insisted that the attackers hijacked a protest going on over the anti-Muslim movie. But Libyan witnesses are telling you a very different story. The "New York times" reported today that the front of the compound was completely quiet before the initial attack, no protests. What are you hearing?
DAMON: That's what we heard days ago, Anderson, from a number of witnesses, including one of the guards who was at the main gate to the compound at one of those main gates. He said that the situation was calm, it was quiet, and suddenly he heard voices growing increasingly louder, chanting "God is great" and then he says the attack began simultaneously from three different directions.
Another eyewitness on the scene that we spoke to as well, the gardener, also confirming that report. And a number of other individuals we have been talking to, saying around 9:30, heavily armed men appeared around the compound and that shortly thereafter at around 10:00, the assault itself began, Anderson.
COOPER: And Fran, we have been reporting about differ reports on security at the main compound. Last night we reported that security was actually beefed up there. You're hearing new information as well.
TOWNSEND: That's right. Consistent with the "New York Times" story, Anderson, there were five armed Americans and four armed Libyans. That was the beefed-up presence. You can question whether or not given what the history in that area had been, was that enough, and remember, that does not include the armed personnel, security, professional security personnel at the annex so you would also have had them to fall back on which of course they did have to do.
COOPER: You also have new reporting on diesel fuel, which was apparently poured around the compound where the ambassador was and Mr. Smith was.
TOWNSEND: That's right. Look, any sort of fuel would have caused, you know, accelerated the fire. Diesel was particularly unfortunate -- an unfortunate accelerant because of course what happens there, there's this acrid, thick, very black smoke and we understand that's how they lost sight of the ambassador, they couldn't find him, and probably contributed to the fact that he and Sean smith died of asphyxiation.
COOPER: Rise up before around the compound. That's probably an overstatement. We don't know -- around the consulate, around the structure that the ambassador was in.
COOPER: Arwa, during protests there in Benghazi today, tens of thousands in particular on the streets protesting against the extremist militia some say was involved in the attacks on the compound. Protesters actually stormed the group's headquarters later in the day. What can you tell us about this and what's happening?
DAMON: Well, earlier in the day we had this massive pro- democracy demonstration that did in fact take place and following that at around 10:00 at night, hundreds of these individuals went to the headquarters of a known militant extremist group here. And remember, the Libyan government says that it has detained some individuals from that organization in association with this attack. It was in fact the attack on the consulate that really was the catalyst for these demonstrations but then the catalyst for these individuals to go out and try to retake the compound, and they were saying retake the city from the hands of the extremists.
And at the compound itself, was really quite the sense of euphoria, people saying that they were the ones that began this revolution in Benghazi, that they were going to be the ones who were going to take their city back. They were actually apologizing to America, saying that this is the real Libya. The Libyans who are going out trying to regain control of their own cities, trying to implement the democracy that they fought so hard for.
But then things took a very sinister turn because the second location that they struck, in fact, ended up being the headquarters of a battalion that has been legitimized by the government. The government took to the air waves trying to convince these individuals to back off that and other various compounds saying that it was Gadhafi loyalists trying to capitalize on the euphoria of the crowd to try to move them towards these other units that were in fact under the control of the government, that were in fact loyal to the government in and of itself.
We were at one of these locations, some pretty intense gunfire. We are hearing that over a dozen people were wounded and it just goes to underscore how chaotic and how volatile the situation here really is. And of course, how easily manipulated.
COOPER: Arwa Damon in Benghazi, be careful. Fran, thank you very much.
On Wednesday of this week, we reported that a source familiar with ambassador Stevens' thinking said in the months before his death, ambassador Stevens talked about being worried about what he called the never-ending security threats in Benghazi.
We also reported that the ambassador specifically mentioned the rise in Islamic extremism, the growing Al Qaeda presence in Libya and said he was on an Al Qaeda hit list. The information for that report like all of CNN's reporting was carefully vetted. Some of that information was found in a personal journal of ambassador Stevens in his handwriting.
We came upon the journal through our reporting and notified the family. At their request, we returned that journal to them. We reported what we found newsworthy in the ambassador's writings. A reporter followed up on what we found newsworthy in the ambassador's writings.
Let us know what you think. We're on facebook. You can follow me on twitter @andersonooper. I'm tweeting tonight.
Up next, the attack's political fallout here at home. Has President Obama's handling of it given Mitt Romney an opening? Have governor Romney's statements hurt his caused. Fareed Zakaria, Jessica Yellin and Jim Acosta join us.
COOPER: Welcome back. More on Libya now as our breaking news was unfolding today. New details about the killings in Benghazi and the rioting and chaos that followed a pro-democracy march today in Benghazi. A number of the protesters are burning cars, taking over the headquarters of an extremist militia group that the government suspects of involvement in last week's assault. It began peacefully with marchers outnumbering a much smaller crowd of religious radicals. Many carried pro-America signs including some demanding justice for ambassador Christopher Stevens.
Back home, pursuing that notion has neither been simple, nor easy, nor untouched by election year politics. It began early on with Mitt Romney's late night claim that the administration's first response was to sympathize with the attackers. That was not the case.
But the White House's subsequent line downplaying terrorism as a factor, to many that strained credibility. Late this week the administration backed down from that position while dismissing the notion that they're backing down.
VICTORIA NULAND, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: It's as everybody who has spoken to any of these details has said starting with what we said here, what everybody along the way has said. The information we have given to date is based on initial assessments. We have given you all kinds of caveats, including from here, that the investigation was going to have to tell us the complete and final story.
COOPER: That investigation is ongoing. Yesterday behind closed doors, senior defense intelligence and law enforcement officials briefed members of Congress. Today, though, and for the next month and a half this tragedy is being and will be hashed out as well in the public eye, especially out on the campaign trail.
Joining me now is Fareed Zakaria, hot of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS." He's got Bill Clinton on his program this week. Also Jim Acosta, traveling with the Romney campaign and Jessica Yellin at the White House.
Jessica, let's start with you at the White House. They have been very cautious in dealing with this. Really only one brief statement from the president. It took about a week and a half for them to call the incident in Benghazi a terrorist act. Is there any indication we are going to be hearing more directly from the president about this any time soon?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anderson. I would expect that we will hear from the president on this when he addresses the U.N. general assembly next week, both about the specifics of the attack in Libya and the unrest in the Middle East more broadly.
They don't have a lot to gain to be just crassly political about it. From talking to -- talking too much about it until they have more facts. Because he is going to the U.N. next week, he will have the big world stage so it's a natural opportunity for him to address it. Look for it there.
COOPER: Well I mean, Jessica, is there a caution on talking about it out of not wanting to, you know, is it an understandable desire to gather intelligence, figure out exactly what happened, or is it politics?
YELLIN: Look, it's both. They have had problems in the past when they have jumped too quickly. Remember after Osama bin Laden's raid and they came out with a series of facts and that was a positive scenario for them and the facts in that case weren't exactly right so they've learned get the facts straight before you come out publicly.
On the politics of it, Anderson, they don't really have anything to gain. Mitt Romney has handed them so many openings on this one, he's botched his response on Libya. There's no political upside for the president to weigh in. He just needs to be presidential on this.
COOPER: Fareed, we did see some dip in poll numbers on foreign policy in the wake of this. Do you think, do these attacks hurt the president in terms of foreign policy?
FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, FAREED ZAKARIA GPS: I don't think so, but I think the president is making a mistake if he's entirely silent. As Jessica says, the obvious place would be the U.N. general assembly.
Look, most Americans, much of the world is trying to figure out what does all this mean, and what does it mean for our presence in Afghanistan, what does it mean for outreach to the Muslim world.
The president has an extraordinary opportunity to be as Bill Clinton was during the Democratic National Convention, an explainer, kind of explainer in chief. I think it helps him politically because most crises, Jimmy Carter is the exception, most crises make a president look presidential. He gets the stage, he gets to speak in serious terms, he has all the gravitas. The other guys out there taking pot shots but he is on the campaign trail and the president is the president.
COOPER: Jim, we also have Romney seemed to actually lose ground on the foreign policy issue in the wake of the incident. Is there any sense in the campaign that this is ground the governor has to try to make up in the foreign policy sphere, even though his focus has been on the economy?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I had a chance to talk to a senior Romney advisor about this. And he said about the Benghazi attack and the administration's response to it. But they would like to see what he called more clarity from the administration when it comes to what exactly happened, what led up to the deaths of those American diplomats in Libya. But I think the campaign also acknowledges, Anderson, that they have had a rough couple of weeks, starting with that initial statement on what happened in Libya and Egypt. Mitt Romney clearly spoke before all of the facts came in, and then as you saw what happened this week with his hidden camera video leaked to "Mother Jones," they were put on the defensive over economic issues.
COOPER: Jessica, we did see ambassador Susan Rice at the U.N. saying that -- I mean, indicating, not really talking about this in terms of being a terrorist attack. It was days later the terrorist attack part of this was really discussed.
Is there concern in the Obama campaign this controversy might be providing Republicans some fodder to put a chink in the president's foreign policy armor?
YELLIN: Well, not yet. I mean, not given Romney's response so far, which was not handled well, Anderson. But the larger potential here is that if there is another attack on Americans in another country or in Libya, if this grows in some way, that's the real danger for the president. Because his strength in foreign policy is really about the perception that he is a decisive and clear leader, and that's what voters, it's perceived that voters are responding to. If world events seem to be spinning out of his control, then that leadership quality could erode for him. But we're not at that stage yet and so the campaign is not reflecting any kind of anxiety on that front at this moment.
COOPER: It is interesting, Fareed, that a loss for the president in the foreign policy sphere does not necessarily translate to a victory for the Romney campaign in the foreign policy realm because of the way they've handled all this stuff.
ZAKARIA: But the crucial part is what you said last. Because of the way they've handled it. Generally speaking, a loss for the president does translate into a gain. Think of again Jimmy Carter. Ronald Reagan was seen as wildly inexperienced and kind of somewhat crazy on foreign policy, somewhat radical. Once Carter started having trouble, the Iran hostage crisis, the soviet invasion of Afghanistan, all Reagan had to show was that he was stable, that he was, you know, he wasn't going to blow up the world, and he benefited.
COOPER: I should also point out, Reagan did not politicize that event. He basically put out a statement as I recall, you know, saying we stand behind -- we're all one.
ZAKARIA: Exactly. He could see that bad news was hurting the president. He didn't need to do very much to pile on. I think that in this case, because Romney has been inept, it hasn't really translated much. I agree with Jessica, if something else were to happen, it might change that, but Obama again, if he gets out ahead of it, because really, these have not been events where people feel as though the United States is under attack, under siege. There is a feeling that something is spinning out of control in the Middle East and we need to understand it.
COOPER: Fareed, thank you. Jim Acosta, Jessica Yellin.
Be sure to tune in Sunday night, 8:00 and 11:00. as Fareed has a really fascinating special. Global lessons, putting America to work right her on CNN.
It has been a crucial week for Mitt Romney in the wake of his 47 percent comments. Will the release of his 2011 tax returns help change the conversation.. Has it already? Will it put any question about his finances to rest? James Carville, Mary Matalin spare ahead.
COOPER: What happened aboard Ann Romney's jet and how the crew handled it, ahead in the program.
COOPER: Welcome back. We're all politics now. Mitt Romney's campaign released his 2011 tax returns today. You probably heard that. Showing he made $13.7 million last year in mostly investment income, and paid an effective tax rate of 14.1 percent. Now, the campaign also released a letter from the accounting firm price Waterhouse coopers saying the Romneys paid taxes every year from 1990 to 2009 at an effective tax rate of at least 13.6 percent each year. That information obviously contradicts what Senate majority leader Harry Reid has been claiming about Romney for more than a month now.
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NY), MAJORITY LEADER: The word's out that he hasn't paid any taxes for ten years. Let him prove that he has paid taxes, because he hasn't.
COOPER: Oh, when Harry Reid said the word is out, the thing is that Reid himself was the one who put the word out. He's the one who made the accusation in the first place. Turned out he didn't have any proof of his own. At least he hasn't offered any. He said a source was an investor of Bain Capital, Romney's investment firm, an unnamed source.
Now, you might think that tonight in the face of the letter from Romney's accounting firm, senator Reid might retract his earlier claim. Instead he released this statement. Quote, "the information released today reveals that Mitt Romney manipulated one of two years of tax returns he has seen fit to show the American people and then only to conform with his public statements. That raises the question what else in those returns has Romney manipulated."
Reid is talking about the fact that the Romneys actually paid more taxes than required in 2011. The Romneys' didn't claim all their charitable deductions since 2011 because they wanted to make sure their tax rate didn't fall below 13 percent, the minimum rate that Romney has said he paid over the last decade. You can decide for yourself about the amounts of manipulation.
Joining me is CNN political contributors Mary Matalin and James Carville.
So James, is that manipulation?
JAMES CARVILLE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Look, this is the best day Romney's had all month. Of course it's manipulation and of course he can file after the election and get the refund which is totally legal and he has always said that he paid the minimal amount of taxes so all of a sudden, the milk of human kindness comes from Mitt Romney and he's going to give the federal government money that he doesn't owe. I don't know of any other explanation. Maybe somebody can come up with one.
COOPER: I think Mary might be able to. Mary?
MATALIN: I just want to get this straight. So now what the complaint from my liberal friends is that Romney gave 30 percent of his income last year to charity and over the course of the many, many years that he's paid 100 percent of his taxes in direct contradiction of Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader calling him a felon and a scofflaw and a tax cheat, he's paid 100 percent of his rate, he's been 20 percent of his income over those 20 years to charity, and there's something wrong with that. If they said if he could prove that he could walk on water, they would complain because he couldn't swim.
CARVILLE: Again, I think the point you were making was, is that he didn't take charitable deductions because he said his tax rate was 13 percent and that would have driven it below it and he can do it after. Like I say, this guy has done 13 events in 20 days. He doesn't, you know, he thinks he's above releasing his tax returns like everybody else so this stops the story about the 47 percent of all of those things he's done. So all in all for him, even though the story is bad, it's probably the best story he's gotten all month.
COOPER: So, you think they released it today in order to try to change the narrative?
COOPER: It is a Friday afternoon, though, which is sort of when you do the document dump.
MATALIN: But it was done today, they asked for the extension. He price Waterhouse Cooper, whatever they are, unless you want -- if Harry Reid wants to call them liars, scofflaws, felons and tax cheats, why doesn't he malign and libel everyone in the country.
I think this is a good story. I don't think it's a data dump. I think it's done, it's exactly what he said, it's more generous than anyone - that anybody we know and anyone could have expected. And the real story where people are really concerned about is the Middle East and beyond, is completely melting down and after a week of denying it, this president finally fessed-up that it was a terrorist attack.
We've had a serious terrorist attack and we're less secure than we were. That's what presidential campaigns are going to be about, not Mitt Romney's 20 years of generous charitable giving and complete 100 percent tax completions.
CARVILLE: OK. The fact remains that he did that, he said it was 13. The fact when he ran for governor of Massachusetts said he filed in Massachusetts return and then later had to fess up that he really didn't. I don't believe anything Mitt Romney says on his taxes, to be honest with you.
MATALIN: Are you calling him a liar?
CARVILLE: I don't believe -- he did before when he was filing in Massachusetts, told people he filed in Massachusetts and didn't. He said he paid 13 percent in taxes.
He had to manipulate his tax return to not take charitable deduction to do that. That's his history. I don't think on his taxes he's been very forthcoming. He will only give us two years of them.
COOPER: Mary, critics of Romney will say look, we know, you know, they've released the information that he's given years of money to charities, but not what he's actually paid in taxes over the years. Why is it OK to give, you know, that information on charities and yet not -- why wouldn't he just give out his taxes?
MATALIN: He's released decades of financial disclosure, everything that the law requires. He's paid all his taxes, 100 percent and more than the law requires, which actually I do think is kind of weird.
He's given millions and millions, scores of millions of dollars to charity. We're going to try to make this into a negative? I just don't see how this turns into a negative story unless we're completely detached from reality.
And the reality that is the everyday life of voters who are not voting on Romney's tax returns which are now complete and for them to judge for themselves how charitable and legal he is, or do they want to care about their own taxes which will be going up if this president's re-elected.
COOPER: James, Mary raises a good point. You've seen Harry Reid's response. He says these returns raise more questions about Mitt Romney's finances, but the fact is, the evidence out there suggests the senator was wrong, that Reid was wrong when he claimed that Romney had paid no taxes for 10 years. There's no evidence of that.
CARVILLE: Well, look, he said I'm sure we're going to get this guy's name before it's over, the offshore Cayman Islands, Swiss bank account deal that Romney was in, and that he didn't pay any taxes. That's what he was basing it on.
We only see two years of tax returns, by the way. That's all we see. He's paying 12 percent of the federal tax where a hotel may had paid 15 percent in federal taxes.
So he won't be -- he won't tell us what his tax returns are prior to this. He has a history of putting out false information about tax returns when he ran for governor of Massachusetts.
So I think there are a lot of doubts that are raised here but after you call 47 percent of the people in the United States slackers, there's not much more you can do to sort of hurt yourself, to be honest with you.
MATALIN: It's not what he said. And now they want to libel an iconic American accounting firm, Price Waterhouse Cooper, been around forever. They're just going to libel everybody in their way.
So let's take down all of our big institutions, everything that's iconic in this country in pursuit of Obama's re-election. You sound insane.
COOPER: What is it like living with you two?
MATALIN: Friday night, if we weren't with you, we would probably be having a good stiff drink, which we're about to go do right now.
COOPER: I'll let you go do that. Mary, thank you. James Carville, thank you.
COOPER: I would like to join them.
As we said, it's been a pretty rough week for the Romney campaign and the shots are not just coming from Democrats. In a blog post Tuesday, "Wall Street Journal" columnist Peggy Noonan wrote it's time to admit the Romney campaign is an incompetent one, not big, not brave, not thoughtfully tackling great issues and intervention is in order.
Mitt, this isn't working. Today, she doubled down writing the Romney campaign has to get turned around. This week, I called it incompetent but only because I was being polite. I really meant rolling calamity. Noonan is not alone.
Other high profile Republicans are also calling for a campaign reboot. In the face of all this, not so friendly fire, Ann Romney is now returning fire. Here's Randi Kaye.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ann Romney has a message for what she calls the chattering class Republicans criticizing her husband.
ANN ROMNEY, WIFE OF MITT ROMNEY: Stop it. This is hard. You want to try it, get in the ring. This is hard. You know, it's an important thing that we're doing right now and it's an important election.
And it is time for all Americans to realize how significant this election is and how lucky we are to have someone with Mitt's qualifications and experience and know-how to be able to have the opportunity to run this country.
KAYE: In another interview, she defended her husband over the now famous 47 percent tape.
ROMNEY: You know, I know the guy. I know him really well. I know he cares and that's why we're running. So it's unfortunate when something gets misinterpreted like this or is taken out of context.
It's nonsense. I don't let it sink in. You hear it and then you just let it go right by. And you're used to it, honestly at this point, I'm not surprised by anything.
KAYE (on camera): To those who know her, Mrs. Romney's attitude is nothing new. It has always been Ann to the rescue. In the Romney household, she is often called the trusted advisor and the Mitt stabilizer. But first and foremost, she is the great protector of all things Romney.
(voice-over): Ron Scott, who has known Mitt Romney since 1985 and wrote a book about him, says Ann is no pushover.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last person on earth you would want to cross would be Ann Romney. If you go after one of her kids or after her husband, she's going to be there.
KAYE: She hoped to help America embrace her husband.
ROMNEY: I know this good and decent man for what he is. He's warm and loving and patient. He has tried to live his life with a set of values centered on family, faith and love of one's fellow man. From the time we were first married, I've seen him spend countless hours helping others. KAYE: Yet no matter how much she builds him up, Team Romney can't seem to catch a break. Listen to what she told Neil Cavuto on Fox.
ROMNEY: As you know we always feel like we're getting picked on more than anyone else. It's just what happens.
NEIL CAVUTO, FOX BUSINESS: You think the media's fair to you?
ROMNEY: That is going to get me in trouble if I answer that honestly.
KAYE: With the campaign calendar ticking down, the race may very well come down to the three presidential debates. Ann Romney says she knows the stakes. As she always has, trusts her husband will get the job done. Once again, Ann Romney will be in her husband's corner.
ROMNEY: I feel like my best advice is just to bring peace and calm to him and just trust in him and say I know you can do it.
KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, Atlanta.
COOPER: As we mentioned earlier, Ann Romney had a bit of an airborne scare today. We just got an air traffic control audio from the incident. That's ahead.
Also, police in Colorado find an arrest -- they arrest an alleged bank robber, but end up stopping 19 cars in the process, holding teenagers at gun point, putting a lot of innocent people in handcuffs. Did they go too far? That's the question tonight in "Crime and Punishment" next.
COOPER: Guns pointed at mothers, young children and teenagers as police search for a bank robbery suspect. They say they got their man, but could he get away with it because police went too far in the manhunt? "Crime and Punishment" next.
COOPER: "Crime and Punishment" tonight. A bank robbery case in Colorado is raising serious questions about how far police can go to catch the bad guy.
Now in the process of stopping traffic to find and arrest an alleged bank robber, police also held innocent civilians at gun point. Now the whole case against the alleged robber could be in jeopardy because of it. Ted Rowlands reports.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marci Strandberg stopped at a light on her way home from shopping near Denver, Colorado. Next thing she knew, police had her at gun point.
MARCI STRANDBERG, CAUGHT IN POLICE BLOCKADE: I said I have kids in my car, and that rifle's pointed right at me.
ROWLANDS: Nineteen cars were held at this intersection that Saturday afternoon. Everyone was ordered out of their cars at gun point including children. The boy in the green shirt is 16-year-old Michael Hance.
MICHAEL HANCE, 16-YEAR-OLD: They had rifles, guns and everything pointed at me with shields and a canine dog.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A robbery just occurred with a gun at Wells Fargo.
ROWLANDS: Police were looking for this bank robber seen here wearing a beekeeper's mask and armed with an air horn and loaded gun. He had just made off with $25,000 from a Wells Fargo a few miles away.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Last seen wearing a beehive mask.
ROWLANDS (on camera): Police thought the bank robber was at this intersection because there was a GPS tracking device hidden in with the money. The problem is, they had no idea what car he could be in and because of that beekeeper's mask. They didn't even know what he looks like.
(voice-over): So everyone was treated as an armed and dangerous suspect.
STRANDBERG: We all had to have our hands showing and our arms out the window and we had to keep our arms like this.
ROWLANDS: One by one, police approached each car with guns and shields, nearly everyone was handcuffed. Marci's 4-year-old daughter who you can see she's carrying was asleep for most of the ordeal. Her 8-year-old son, however, was awake.
STRANDBERG: My son was crying and I kept telling him to keep his head down between his legs because I didn't know if open fire was going to happen.
ROWLANDS: That's Crystal Deguzman in handcuffs moments after she watched police take her son, 16-year-old, Michael, away at gun point.
CRYSTAL DEGUZMAN, CAUGHT IN POLICE BLOCKADE: I think any mom would be upset. Not knowing what's going to happen to your kid.
ROWLANDS: Police eventually searched this white expedition. Inside, they found two loaded guns, the money and the beekeeper's mask.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have a suspect in custody.
ROWLANDS: The 45-year-old Christian Pache, a school teacher with no criminal record, was arrested and charged with armed robbery. He's pled not guilty.
Was this a case of good police work, or did they go too far? Federal law gives police some leeway to detain citizens for a reasonable period of time as part of a criminal investigation.
DAVID LANE, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: A little bit of inconvenience, you know, getting cuffed for a minute to see if you're armed, getting detained very briefly to see if there's some probable cause to believe you've done something. You do have to put up with that, but two hours at rifle point, I think that's a little excessive.
CHIEF DAN OATES, AURORA POLICE DEPARTMENT: No question we inconvenienced citizens. We feel badly about that. We apologize to them, but we've made a tough choice here and we arrested a very dangerous armed bank robber.
ROWLANDS: But what police did may have put the entire case in jeopardy. The accused robber's attorney says there was no probable cause to search the vehicle, and that police violated his client's rights by pressuring him to agree to a search after he initially refused.
If a judge agrees, all of the evidence, the guns, the money, the beekeeper's mask, could be thrown out because of the way it was collected, and as crazy as that sounds, some legal experts say they have an argument.
Tim Olson, who was among those handcuffed at the intersection, says that would send a message to police.
TIM OLSON, CAUGHT IN POLICE BLOCKADE: If the bank robber gets away with it, that says you didn't do your job properly.
ROWLANDS: The judge's ruling in the case should indicate whether police were doing their job or if they crossed the line. Ted Rowlands, CNN, Aurora, Colorado.
Some tense moments also in Pittsburgh today, a former U.S. soldier allegedly took a man hostage for several hours. Details on that ahead.
COOPER: A lawsuit over a 4-year-old's playhouse is just ahead on the "Ridiculist." But first, Isha is here with the "360 Bulletin" -- Isha.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have an electrical issue here and we are going to declare an emergency. We will probably need assistance here. We got smoke in the cabin. We're going to see the severity of it. We'll let you know. We're going to request fire trucks, please.
SESAY: As you heard, the cabin filled with smoke during the flight. No one was injured.
Across Syria today, at least 117 people were killed, according to opposition activists. They claimed 15 people died in Aleppo province and they say 17 others were stabbed to death by government troops in a Damascus suburb.
Police say an armed man who took a hostage inside a downtown Pittsburgh office building today surrendered peacefully. The suspect talked to family members as well as negotiators during the standoff. The hostage was not harmed.
A "360" follow, three Saginaw, Michigan police officers punished in their role for the shooting and killing of a homeless man, an incident caught on tape. One officer was demoted. A police official didn't reveal how the other two were disciplined after a ten-week investigation. Prosecutors said they would not pursue criminal charges in the case.
Anderson, the space shuttle "Endeavour" made its final flight today over California atop a modified Boeing 747 jet. The retired "Endeavour" will go on display at the California Science Center in L.A.
SESAY: Very cool. But I have to say, so you weren't here yesterday.
SESAY: Did you hear about this?
COOPER: I did hear a little bit about it.
SESAY: Turned up on the show, had some pretty strong words for you with your whole "Ridiculist" thing. I know you're not just going to take it. He even renamed the "Ridiculist."
COOPER: Yes, what did he call it?
SESAY: The re-blitzulist. COOPER: It doesn't have the same flowing off the tongue. He was annoyed about me saying that he had copied my rad style with the glasses?
SESAY: In the interest of full disclosure, I feel I have to tell you that I did say to him on the air that he looked kind of hot in his glasses.
COOPER: You've called me a geek, you've said I, you know, you made all sorts of disparaging remarks about me in our many years together and yet he's here for one night, and he's hot?
SESAY: Don't be like that.
SESAY: We've got a special thing, you know.
COOPER: We used to. We used to have a special thing.
SESAY: You look kind of hot with your glasses, too.
COOPER: Please. I don't want your sloppy seconds. I want to clean up for Blitzer over here.
SESAY: Fine. Be like that.
COOPER: Time now for the shot, a close encounter with a cheetah in Kenya. The big cat apparently wanted a closer look at a jeep. The tourists inside, she took her time checking it out, hanging out for several minutes, even lying down at one point just inches from the tourist sitting in the jeep. Take a look at this.
SESAY: That is some scary stuff.
SESAY: Constantly calling out Neil.
COOPER: He's intrepid. He gets right in there and the tiger was not happy about it.
SESAY: Not as hot as you, though.
COOPER: Have a good weekend.
Coming up, a homeowners association, got to see this "Ridiculist," that's next. We'll be right back.
COOPER: Time now for the "Ridiculist." Tonight, we are issuing a nationwide plea for a return to sanity, end to the madness once and for all. Now we all know that people like to put stuff in their yards, your garden gnomes, flags emblazoned with professional sports logos, Homer Simpson dressed as Santa Claus, what have you.
But there has to be a limit. When someone puts something undeniably offensive in their backyard there has to be repercussions. That's why I'm proud to report that in Georgia, one very brave and heroic homeowners association has finally, finally taken a stand and filed a lawsuit over this pink playhouse.
I mean, would you just take a look at that thing? Hideous eyesore, party of one, your table is ready. Forget the fact that you can't even see it from the front of the house, you have to peek around the house and into the backyard.
The homeowners association knows it is there and they know it's pink. The first rule of homeowners association, don't talk about homeowners association. The second rule, no unapproved colors on free-standing backyard structures.
That isn't even taking into account the activity that occurs within said structure. Yes, take a look.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Put it in the oven.
COOPER: Yes. That would be 4-year-old, Aubrey. She's probably having a tea party, probably without a permit. Of course, she isn't pulling this off all on her own. No, there's her accomplice slash grandmother, who built the play house as a Christmas present.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought this is ridiculous. There's too much crime and everything else. These lawyers need to be worrying about other things that are way more important than whether or not my granddaughter has a pink play house or not.
COOPER: I want to apologize for using this. I have never done that before. There has been some public outcry about this, but the president of the homeowners association is standing firm. Take it away.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Part of approval is the color. We didn't disapprove the play house. We've disapproved the color.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think the color pink is worth this whole legal mess?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obviously it is. Obviously, I had neighbors that complained about it.
COOPER: OK, you really need to get other things going on in your life. Totally reasonable, though, sounds like the lawsuit would go away if they just painted the play house and why not?
What could possibly be more thrilling for a little girl than to suddenly find the pink play house that she loves magically transformed into a really fun shade of, I don't know, dirt brown?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You like it pink?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: It's my favorite color.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you want your play house brown?
COOPER: I rest my case. The grandmother has two weeks to respond to the lawsuit and it sounds like she is in it for the long haul.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to fight it until the bitter end. I will not paint that dollhouse. I will move first.
COOPER: I think it was John Mellencamp who said it best, isn't that America, home of the free little pink houses for you and me, except for you little Aubrey, sorry. Yours has to look like a shed. So thank you, John Mellencamp, and thank you, homeowners association, for reminding us what really matters on the "Ridiculist."
That does it for us. We'll see you again one hour from now at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, another edition of "360." | 2019-04-19T03:23:46Z | http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1209/21/acd.01.html |
It's almost exactly nine years since a group of zealots, now out of commission, arranged for the charedi Gedolim to issue a controversial ban on three of my books and on the rationalist approach in general. Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, rosh yeshivah of South Fallsburg, leading figure in the American charedi world, and one of the prime forces behind the ban, is now once again on a tirade against rationalist Judaism.
His platform this time is an approbation to a small book published by a disciple of his entitled Sod Liyreyav, which deals with the subject of spontaneous generation and related topics regarding Chazal's statements about the natural world. Rav Elya Ber's approbation, which you can download at this link, is unusually long, stretching nearly three pages. He emphatically states that everything in the Gemara, as well as in the writings of the Rishonim, is factually true in its plain meaning. Rav Elya Ber claims that every single utterance of Chazal was stated by Sinaitic transmission and/or by way of sod Hashem liyreyav (even though if one actually researches the usages of that phrase, one sees very clearly that Chazal believed it to have extremely limited application). Astonishingly, in making this fantastic claim, he refers to Rambam's introduction to the Mishnah; he does not give a specific reference, presumably because Rambam said no such thing and in fact clearly held strongly otherwise. And Rav Elya Ber further claims that science has never attained the slightest insight into the universe compared to the insights that have been obtained from the Torah (alas giving no examples to support this extraordinary claim).
As far as I am concerned, if Rav Elya Ber wants to believe in the existence of mice that grow from dirt and salamanders that grow from fire, along with humanoids that grow from the ground and werewolves, that is his prerogative, and it doesn't bother me. Likewise, if he wants to take a different position than the view of countless Rishonim, Acharonim, and Gedolim (not to mention Chazal themselves), that is fine.
But this is not merely a matter of his personal view. Rav Elya Ber emphatically insists that any other approach is false, evil, and is kefirah, heresy. He further states that his approach is the explicit, well-known and obvious approach throughout the generations. And he adds that alternate views are only presented from sources of dubious authenticity, personal communications to people questioning inappropriately, or long-rejected aberrant views.
When my books were banned, I was under the mistaken impression that to say that Chazal were sometimes mistaken in their statements about the natural world was the legitimate minority view of Rambam, his son Rabbeinu Avraham, and Rav Hirsch. I was wrong on two counts. One is that it is clearly not legitimate in certain sectors, notwithstanding its pedigree. My other mistake was to think that it was a rare minority view. In the nine years that have elapsed since the ban, with many people researching the topic, I have discovered that this view was absolutely mainstream amongst the Rishonim and also had considerable support amongst the Acharonim. I further discovered that every single Gaon and Rishon, bar none, learned Pesachim 94b in accordance with its straightforward meaning, as saying that Chazal believed that the sun doubles back and passes behind the sky at night. Most also held that Chazal were mistaken in this belief.
Rav Elya Ber is entitled to dispute the position of R. Sherira Gaon, R. Hai Gaon, Rambam, R. Eliezer of Metz, Tosafos Rid, R. Avraham ben HaRambam, Semag, Rosh, Ritva, R. Bachya b. Asher, R. Yerucham ben Meshullam, Rabbeinu Manoach, R. Eliyahu Mizrachi, R. Yitzchak Arama, Maharam Alashkar, Radbaz, R. Yosef Shlomo Delmedigo, R. Moshe Cordovero, Lechem Mishneh, Maharsha, Minchas Kohen, Chavos Ya’ir, Pri Chadash, Maharif, R. Yitzchak Lampronti, Maharam Schick, R. Binyamin Musafia, R. Eliezer Lipman Neusatz, R. Dovid Friedman (Karliner), R. Samson Raphael Hirsch, R. Moshe Shmuel Glasner, Ben Ish Chai, R. Herzog, R. Dessler, R. Carmell, and, yibadlu lechaim, R. Shlomo Fisher and R. Ephraim Greenblatt, amongst many others. But to condemn their view as false, evil, and heresy, however, seems out of place - to put it mildly. And to dismiss this approach as never having had a legitimate place in Judaism is an outright perversion of the history of Torah scholarship.
Unfortunately, while many people agree with me - even in the charedi world - nobody has the courage to actually call out Rav Elya Ber on this offensive approach to Geonim, Rishonim, Acharonim and Gedolim. Perhaps someone can ask him to methodically address, for example, all the sources regarding the sun's path at night. In the meanwhile, one cannot help but conclude that Rav Elya Ber has transmitted a clear message about charedi Gedolim and Torah scholarship.
Hey, I love werewolves. I'm looking forward to Parshas Vayechi!
Seriously, the Sinas Chinam from the Chareidi world as in " if your not with us you're against us" has passed the point of nauseating. Keep up the great posts, and remember, most of the Normal Orthodox Jews in the world are behind you. Unfortunately, they seem to hide when you look in your rear view mirror.
I don't see how the Gemara in Pesachim is so relevant, since the Gemara itself conceded that the Chhachomim were wrong. One can argue that only they can say that not us.
1. That is not what R. Elya Ber is claiming. He is claiming that the Chachomim always spoke from ruach hakodesh and were never wrong.
2. To say that only they can acknowledge that they were mistaken in scientific matters, but not us, is a position that makes no sense.
And how much science has he learned that he can make such a claim?
Can you provide a bit more info regarding the book and its author, and/or a copy of at least some snippets of R' E.B.'s approbation?
Is there a link to his approbation?
He is claiming that the Chachomim always spoke from ruach hakodesh and were never wrong.
true the rambam may not agree but that is a minority opinion.
If you're talking about challenging halachic rulings, that's a different matter. If you're talking about scientific statements, then your claim is simply wrong.
so all conclusions of the Gemara are true, but not necessarily all earlier opinions that were rejected by the Chasimas Hashas. Therefore,if the final conclusuion of the Gemara is that the Jewish sages were wrong about the path of the sun,it would not be relevant to our discussion.
But that's not what he's claiming. He's not claiming that only Ravina/ Rav Ashi had ruach hakodesh. He's specifically claiming that absolutely every sentence was uttered with ruach hakodesh.
The first part of your comment at 5.23 pm misses the point. It should, perhaps, read: "Charedi Gadol ignorant of Judaism."
The second part of your comment would then be accurate.
R' Slifkin, maybe next time you should say in your post: "In this post, I'm criticizing one man. Please, commenters, do not generalize to the entire chareidi world."
He's specifically claiming that absolutely every sentence was uttered with ruach hakodesh.
(1)Rabbi ela ber would also say every hava mina was written with ruach hakodesh. does not mean it cannot be challenged.
do you have any others ?
The Rambam in Pirush HaMishna certainly refers to his discussion of the various groups attitude to Aggada. And that the wise understand that it is not nonsense, not literal,rather that the words contain hidden wisdom.
I think the difference of before and after the sealing if the Talmud makes perfect sense. Aggada and science aren't BETTER than Halacha. Just like a Talmudic opinion can be rejected in Halacha inside the Talmud, so to in Aggada. That doesn't give us that right.
"He emphatically states that everything in the Gemara, as well as in the writings of the Rishonim, is factually true in its plain meaning."
Regarding Rishonim, there are Roshei Yeshiva who disagree.
See Josh Waxman's post regarding R Yaakov Kamentesky, the Rambam in Yesodei HaTorah and Neil Armstrong("Important Correction regarding Rav Kaminetzky on the moon, and whether Chazal could be wrong", 6/26/12).
"None of these opinions apply this approach to the words of the Rishonim or Acharonim; only to the Sages. They would not apply as well to passages in the Sages which are allegorical."
"And he adds that alternate views are only presented from sources of dubious authenticity, personal communications to people questioning inappropriately, or long-rejected aberrant views."
"At the moment I do not remember if there is someone who actually argues, or even if there is anyone who is able to argue with them. But it could be that my intent was that since many have given the reason of nature having changed, and did not mention at all the aspect of improvements and increased knowledge in medical methods in our time, therefore I raised the point that it should be written as 'some say'..."
I chose "reality" deliberately. Even had no Gaon or Rishon made statements to the effect that CHaZaL's science was not (always) accurate, anyone with a modicum of understanding of reality would know this anyway.
I believe he has a very good reason to claim why he claims. One of his talmidim once told me that R' Elya Ber told him that he met the famous 5 year old boy who knew kol hatorah and was ten given the potch from the Belzer rebbe above his mouth, and the boy promptly forgot everything he knew. R' Elya Ber said that the five year old boy was able to say over every gemara, rishon, verbatim up to the maharsha which leads R' Elya Ber to believe that it was all al pi ruach hakodesh, as the boy obviously learned it all before he was born.
"I thought besides rambam, his son and some geonim, nearly all the rishonim say chasimas hagemarah was done with ruach hakodesh, and no statements scientific or otherwise can be challenged."
I specifically wrote in the final paragraph that many people in the charedi world agree with me.
In response to: "Unfortunately, while many people agree with me - even in the charedi world - nobody has the courage to actually call out Rav Elya Ber on this offensive approach" ... it may be that most of those who agree with you have absolutely no desire to engage with Rabbis like this, and really no longer care what they say.
I agree with Mark. We are better off ignoring statements like these. I don't think Rav Elya Ber has any impact on the lives of the readers of this blog.
See my post Is סוד ה' ליראיו a reason to believe that Chazal didn't err in science?
If the boy learned it al pi ruach hakodesh, how does it follow that it was the maharsha was given it through ruach hakodesh?
Tanach: A little chumash in elementary school. Maybe shnayim mikra if it's not considered "bittul Torah" (rachmana litzlan). Otherwise, Tanach, and certainly Nach, is krum, the province of Zionists and maskilim.
Mishna: Again, a little in elementary school, and after that only together with Gemara. Anything less if for less intelligent people. Ditto Midrash Aggadah, or any aggadah.
Tosefta, Yerushalmi, Minor Tractates, Midreshei Halakha- really, any Talmudic era work apart from Bavli- and anything from Geonim: really, really krum. For maskilim (and maybe some yechidei segula) only.
Rishonim and Acharonim: Only commentaries on Bavli. Everything else is either krum (e.g., philosophy) or too practical oriented, which is to be avoided unless absolutely necessary (Shulchan Aruch, etc.). The Rambam is fine if learned with Bavli and not treated as a practical work.
With all that, it's pretty able to dismiss all the sources you list.
Temujin greatly respects the aged among us and thus regrets the crass ageism he is committing in suggesting that perchance, a tradition on retirement at a reasonable age needs to develop among the scholars of Israel.
It is a pity that so many great rabbis are, due to misguided interpretations of loyalty among their acolytes, allowed to make tcholent of their reputations because no one in their circle has the wherewithal to detect the subtle signs of the onset of dementia in many of their teachers, and the courage to address this unfortunate reality. One suspects that not only is every utterance of their masters treated as a difficult to understand but sublime and brilliant thought, but that many in that close circle manipulate and exploit cognitively afflicted elder rabbis for their own benefit.
Those of us with ageing parents, in-laws and other family members know the signs; the sharpness of mind in some areas next to episodes of utter confusion, the attempts to mask dramatic lapses in comprehension and judgment, and the unpredictable eruptions of anger and spite over mundane misunderstandings and long-past events. They also know that it is a greater sign of respect to discourage, divert or prevent an old person from doing and saying things they would not have said or done when younger. Temujin hopes that when he reaches old age, may it please the Almighty that he do so, responsible clan members will be at hand to have his war ponies and saddles taken away, his bow unstrung and his quiver of arrows hidden... and to keep him off the blogs. How much more crucial is it for relatives and disciples of great rabbis to prevent their declining teachers from issuing judgments on halacha which affect hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions of Jews. At a time when world Jewry is facing so many dangers, so many centrifugal forces, compromised religious rulings can wreak unpredictable, indeed, unimaginable havoc. The time for solutions is now; the current demographic bulge of thousands of scholars entering their eighties and nineties portends serious risks.
Nachum -- you really gotta get out more. And it also might be a good idea not to slander an entire group of Jews right before RH.
Walk into Lakewood Yeshiva and you will see high level Chaburas on every Misechta in Shas. Mikvaos. Yadayim. All of Zeraim. The BMG publishing arm -- M'Chon Mishnas R' Aaron -- put out new editions of Misechta's in Zeraim, based on the work & research of Chabura's in Lakewood, with comments on the Tosefta, the Rash, Yerushalmi, etc. There are high level Chabura's on Even ha-Ezer and Choshen Mishpat. And numerous ones on Yoreh De'ah and Hilchos Shabbos. Thousands of Talmidim studying these topics.
The only topic on your list that you have a point with is Tanach.
If you would like a tour of Lakewood Yeshiva I can arrange one for you (seriously). Or I can ship you the Chidushey Torah that they put out on all areas of Torah. If interested in either one let me know and we can arrange. You may even be surprised how friendly they are.
Glad to hear Lakewood is learning all that, Yitzi.
my apologies. i was only joking and didn't think you would take me seriously.
greater understanding of the Talmud than the average Haredi kollel man.
Anonymous, Temujin is past the age where he can jauntily toy with modern phenomenological approaches, so he'll interpret things according to older parlance he is more familiar with. He think you're describing scholasticism and its more recent manifestations which have devolved into eclecticism and obscurantism. Both operate under rather arbitrary rules and depend on charismatic "greats" to define parameters of inquiry, discussion, truth and reality. Temujin notes a pattern in the nature of the opposition to Rabbi Slifkin's work; it is not so much the content and conclusions that irritate his opponents, but his rationalist, evidence-based methodology which is foreign to their way of thinking. His rules-based methodology and the systematic laying out of relevant facts and arguments cut through status or honours like a gleaming katana sword through a ripe melon. This is a great affront to many who only understand argument from authority and are aghast at this young upstart who doesn't seem to get the established pecking order.
>… reject the entire idea of facticity as do many post modernists.
To paraphrase a very old line, those who deny empirical reality should be beaten until they admit that being beaten is empirically real.
"They could say it, we can't" has morphed into "They never said it and even if they did they either didn't mean it or it's a forgery".
I've heard one person describe an approach ascribed to the Maharal, that we are essentially in an artificial world like the movie "The Matrix". We think the Earth revolves around the Sun but if we could see how things really are then we would realize it doubles back behind a dome and under the ground at night.
Take the blue pill and it'll all be better!
There are posts that I've read on Rabbi Slifkin's blog (regarding lice eggs, and Aristotle's theory of how lice can have eggs, yet spontaneously generate), and Rabbi Josh Waxman's blog (regarding the source for Chazal's statement that bats lay eggs--he finds a source for it in Pliny or the like) which reach the conclusion that in matters of science, Chazal relied on the science authorities of their time.
Wouldn't that be the same approach of, say, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, who would examine the nuts and bolts of an implement, or consult engineers, in order to determine whether it's permitted to use it on Shabbos?
"Wouldn't that be the same approach of, say, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, who would examine the nuts and bolts of an implement, or consult engineers, in order to determine whether it's permitted to use it on Shabbos?"
Probably, but he backed away by saying minhag should keep the older practice as the norm.
G*3...If my memory is not playing tricks, and old post modernists are worried about these things, Reb Elya Ber hit me with a spitball when we were around five. At the time he wasn't Reb Elya Ber, had I known he would become a gadol I might not have been so upset. As for him he used the same defense, "It's bad to hurt someone, and I try to be good, so it must not have been me." Charedim are willing to deny reality to maintain first principles, as we all now realize.
yes, and that's why he concluded that in reality many electrical appliances should be muttar on shabbat...but since it became normative to assur everything electrical, he didn't want to change "minhag yisroel"
Since they don't study or know history, manuscripts, grammar and languages, etc., their interpretations of Jewish texts cannot be trusted.
Do you happen to know if one can find a copy of the hashkamah you mentioned online? Or does anyone out there have the book to pull it from?
What exactly *is* Ruach Hakodesh, anyone know?
Will Charedim Vote In Their Own Best Interests? | 2019-04-19T07:21:51Z | http://www.rationalistjudaism.com/2013/09/rav-elya-ber-dismisses-geonim-rishonim.html |
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Hello, Thank you for reading my post and any feed back anyone can give. I apologize ahead of time if it's a little all over the place. I recently have had an exposure to gluten and it fully effects my brain function so I am a little all over the place.
Well, I am 29 years old and I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease almost 5 years ago. My processes of discovering I was Celiac positive mostly involved my arthritis in my knees, however, after the diagnosis and removing gluten completely from my diet, I realized how much it affected my brain function. I went from a really depressed, bipolar, suicidal person to someone who is smiling, laughing and truly happy a majority of the time.
The biggest things I have run into after my diagnosis are memory loss or lack of memory, and significant mood changes if exposed for too long, both of which are really hard for me to explain to people, especially friends who may be dealing with my faults directly. Most of the time I am really good about my diet. I try my hardest to not eat out, clean the counters before I make dinner, and avoid all gluten products. I also tend to not eat gluten free products either and I don't drink. So being exposed to gluten for a long enough period of time for my brain to be struggling is a big deal for me and frankly pretty damn scary.
My doctors have done many tests in the past couple days, the most important one for this subject is the scan of the function of my brain, or lack there of. Right now my brain's function has diminished about 25% of normal, some parts are over compensating and other parts are pretty much not working correctly. I am having a hard time fighting my own demons, convincing myself that people believe I am some awful person, when I know for a fact that none of those words have been said to me, especially lately, yet I conjure up that that is what people think.
Anyway, I am in search of some help, mostly people I can talk to that may be experiencing the same thing. How do you explain to people you are struggling with a mental disorder that is controlled simply by what you eat, when you know that they will never truly understand no matter how many different ways it’s explained? How do you explain to people you are sick when your brain can’t function well enough for you to realize it? and How do I not drive myself crazy while my body recovers from my exposure?
If someone can lay some insight as to what is going on that would be so helpful, or even just talk me through it that would be great too.
I am not sure why you think these issues are due to gluten? You say you are eating gluten free? Maybe you should consider that you might have an additional issue besides Celiac? I would hate for you to dismiss a real problem that you might be able to get some help for.
You aren’t alone, I’ve had a huge difference in anxiety and depression since going gluten free, and have since met others like me.
That's all possibilities except this person doesn't eat gluten! I hate to see them not seek help.
I Believe they are saying they experience these symptoms when exposed to gluten. I agree with seeking help and would never dissuade anyone from doing so.
I apologize for the confusion. I do not eat gluten. I am on a very strict gluten free diet. However, I have recently been exposed to it for around a month now and I am not sure how but I am working to fix that and make sure my diet is again completely gluten free.
I’m new to this but have a friend who has inhaled it and has had reactions from shampoo and other topical items. I also read recently that someone had to drink bottled water because their water had wheat in it which I’m thinking must be well water? Could it be one of these things?
Back when I went gluten-free about 5 years ago now, I used to call that mean side of me Mr.Hyde, I was confused all the time and my mind would start looping on the same ideas over and over and I could not move on to a new thought like a broken records....drove me nuts and had me snapping at people and punching walls. Scariest thing in the world is when you own mind does not work.....I did a whole drama post about it years ago. It is a odd aspect of the disease referred to as gluten ataxia. You body will attack the brain/nervous system when gluten is detected in the body by mistake. Yes it causes brain damage....I used to do computer coding, I spent years in college trying to learn it...took me longer then anyone else but got it....stuff no longer makes sense now. I used to be semi fluent in japanese .....no longer...I used to love math....number rearrange on pages now.....yeah it broke me.
Best thing you can do is stay gluten-free, nerve damage is the slowest to heal....like decades/lifetime. I still have nerve issues with my hands and feet they refer to as peripheral nephropathy.
Other things to consider are upping your B-vitamins, alll of them, adding magnesium, and going to a high fat diet with tons of nuts, seeds, fish to promote your brain health. I take some other things to boost my brain. You learn to compensate in odd ways I recently got glutened myself from a CC issue...the brain issue did not get worse this time...but my hands and feet lost most feelings.....I have been posting updates. But it is scary.
...Scare tactic? like crazy...I think your friend is having a reactions to a mineral or something like a mast cell reaction? I have never heard of wheat in tap water....my tap has too much other crud in but I have pipes from the 40s in apartment and been drinking filtered since I moved in here years ago. Shampoos/etc if they contain wheat will get you by you touching your food, lips, etc after using them. Inhaled.....yeah if you inhale flour through the nose it gets washed down your throat with the mucus and that will trigger the reaction when you digest it.
I guess my point is that you seem to think it is gluten, but you are very careful & you don't know where it is coming from.....so maybe it isn't gluten this time.
I was diagnosed in 2014 after experiencing a period of dreadful anxiety (phobias, mind racing in the small hours of the night, a feeling of impending doom etc, inability to function during the day, brain fog).
Dr Tim Cantopher, Depressive Illness, The Curse of the Strong.
I also sought one hour of weekly counselling through a private registered counsellor because all through the diagnosis journey the doctors didn't know what was wrong and thought it might be cancer. It helped me to have a safe place to just vent my fears etc.
In the UK it is difficult to see someone quickly when encountering such mental health issues. I'm sure if I'd had an MRI scan at the time it would have shown some interesting readings, I was not myself at all. But thankfully little by little I got well.
I have however had relapses and that is why I am posting this to you. Is gluten the cause? In my own case I really don't know as I've only just learned that my TTG levels are still quite elevated even after being gluten free for years (or at least I thought I was). But what I do notice is that almost without exception these relapses occurr when I find myself in a stressful situation that I feel I can do nothing about. I think it is adrenaline, with nowhere to go, somehow sparks things off again.
It could well be that it is gluten that is causing this stuff with you. It's never a bad idea to see a doctor at times like this in case you are deficient in something or there is some other root cause. But using the tips I have learned in the books I have read, particularly David and Llardi's books, helps me get back on track.
I'm sorry if this isn't particularly helpful to your situation but I thought I'd share in case.
I am in search of some help, mostly people I can talk to that may be experiencing the same thing.
Eating gluten gives me horrible chest pains where it feels like I'm having a heart attack, crippling back pain that causes constant pain, it causes tics under my eyes and my muscles to twitch uncontrollably, I get rashes on my skin, scales and sores on my scalp, I get constipation/diarrhea, foul smelling wind, stomach cramps that feel like someone reached into my belly and twisted it, it affects my eyesight as I get blurred patches over my vision, and all of these and more physical symptoms are as nothing compared to the despair anxiety and crippling depression it plunges my brain into. That's the real thing I'm scared of when I eat out, that I'm going to feel that way again. I never want to feel that way ever.
How do you explain to people you are struggling with a mental disorder that is controlled simply by what you eat, when you know that they will never truly understand no matter how many different ways it’s explained?
It's difficult. I've drifted away from my old friends because of it. The one thing I did find useful was when I could point to the rash that appeared on my chest and say, this is what it does to me on the outside, but its doing it to me on the inside as well.
How do you explain to people you are sick when your brain can’t function well enough for you to realize it?
Again difficult. Although because I lived so long with the brain fog I did find Id developed coping strategies for it. In fact I decided that I was more a walking collection of coping strategies than a person at one point, because I'd lived with all this internally for so long without any explanation other than it being who I was. Try to control what you do and your environment. Prepare in advance. Have things ready and organised. It helps a little.
and How do I not drive myself crazy while my body recovers from my exposure?
Hold on to the fact that now YOU KNOW what caused it and YOU KNOW that it will pass in time. It's a lot better for me knowing that there's a physical cause and that it will pass in time.
Finally, this site has been very helpful for me, I've learned a lot here. It's a good site with some great people who are very helpful. Hope you find as much advice and support here as I've done.
I want to thank everyone so much for reaching out. I really appreciate it. It's great to know that I am not the only that suffers with these symptoms. So thank you all so much for the insight. I am definitely going to do some more research about alternative things to take to supplement my brain function, like magnesium. I have spoken with my doctors about it all and I've pretty much gotten the "you can try whatever you want, everyone is different and everything reacts different." I will just be keeping a close eye on what is happening to my body and hopefully find somethings to help me out.
Matt, I want to thank you very specifically for this statement. This is something that I am repeating to myself over and over so I remember that this will pass. I am very thankful you reached out and provided me with some sort of strategy to get me through this.
I feel like we all know what we are suppose to do to keep ourself healthy, but sometimes it just doesn't work, and no matter what you try to do fix it, it continues to be broken. So reminding myself that this time will pass and to just keep working to make it better really helps have motivation to continue to want to do better.
Thank you all again so much and I will keep you posted about what's going on. Being young, and uneducated about all of this, and dealing with issues that I feel like most people will never experience is difficult and I am so glad to be able to talk to others that share my situation and can understand me.
Just wanted to point out an alternative viewpoint. I've been gluten-free for 10 years and had depression for 15 or a bit more. About 4 years ago it got changed to a bipolar Dx. Occasionally I have to change the level of my meds. I still don't feel totally great, like I used to over 15 years ago, but I know I'd be awful without the meds. I pray someday to find a balance. Sounds like you are well on your way!
You're most welcome and thank you for your kind words Everyone here has gone through their own, very individual battles and come through the other side. Take strength from that too. I spent a lot of time reading the stories on this forum and learning about some of the weirder manifestations of gluten on the body that I'd not even realised were connected. It's a giant jigsaw puzzle and I still remember the bizarre feeling of triumph when I realised my white tongue or funny shaped fingers were also explained by the dreaded gluten!
Because gluten exposure can cause depression doesn't mean that you're invulnerable to non gluten depression striking. I came to the conclusion following my initial success going gluten free that depression could still strike, although it didnt come with some of the recognisable physical tells of the gluten mediated depression.
I think over time you become more prone to it and so all the good advice about dealing with depression still applies to you even if you're being strict on the diet. This ranges from simple things like eating the right things to getting some sunlight each day, investigating counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy techniques to challenge some of the negative thought patterns that become engrained over time. I also found talking and writing about it helped, if you're having trouble getting to sleep you can read about it here. Basically taking action, exercise, supplementing, talking, writing, mental exercises, and yes, seeing your doctor and maybe taking an anti depressant, can all help, just as staying strict on the diet will also help in time.
Hi - I think some of the issue here may be stemming from confusion about the word "exposed" and the two things in bold above -- while you are very strict about eating gluten, am I right that you've been accidentally eating some and for the past month have accidentally been not-gluten-free? If so, that likely is the cause of your cognitive problems, which I'm sure must be really difficult. It sounds like you're on the right track with trying to make sure you get this accidental gluten ingestion eliminated from your environment. Have you checked all your meds, hand moisturizers, etc. (I don't worry about most care products, but I do care about what goes on my hands)? Dedicated toaster, cutting board, non-stick cooking utensils and pots?
Also, is your thyroid ok? As auto-immune disorders seem to run in packs, it's not unusual to have Hashimotos Hypothyroidism and Celiac together.
As far as communicating the issue to others (your original question), I think it's fair to say to those who know you well that this is a side effect of an accidental glutening, and as for others, I think you can just let it go. Chances are they don't see your struggles as intensely as you feel them. Bringing it to their attention may even make it more of an issue.
Thank you for posting. Your honesty and openness is refreshing. My son is five years old and experiences the same as you, to include hallucinations, insomnia and stereotypies to name a few. His symptoms are all neuro psychological. Have you looked into trying a mild blood pressure med to control the accidental glutening? We were prescribed clonodine. It's not something to take all the time, just if you need to take the anxiety and insomnia levels down. I have only given it to my son during one episode and the first time I gave it to him he said, "finally!" and then fell asleep. He had been suffering from insomnia, anxiety, intrusive and dark thoughts for days. He needed the sleep. (Side note: a lot of meds are made with lactose so you should always ask for dairy free and of course gluten free when filling a prescription).
So my son responds very negatively to the following foods which are considered by some to be cross reactive to gluten.
Our best bet has been to only eat fresh fruits, vegetables, grass fed meat and gluten free nuts. I highly recommend trying an AIP diet.
After a glutening I may give him one or two methylated B12 supplements. Have read studies involving the use of B9 in psychiatric disorders, but haven't tried it.
Let me know if you want to chat or have any questions. I've been dealing with this for about two years now. We can probably learn from each other.
P.s. Just discovered recently that he reacts the same way to coconut as he would to gluten. Eliminated and now we're normal again. If you start feeling like you can't climb out of it then look very closely at your diet. Food logs are easier to make if you're eating very limited whole foods. You can slowly add things back.
Cross reactivity is a bit of a myth type thing, but we do get food sensitivities and intolerance issues that do creep up and they are always different for each person. A food diary and keeping track of what causes symptoms is what you need to do. Here is a true gluten avoidance list and a article on food sensitivities.
I can only guess how hard this has been for the three of you. I hope one day he can get at least some of those back. Have you looked at probiotics?
He is taking Garden of Life for Kids which contains 14 live cultures. I tried giving him coconut kefir, but that backfired on me due to the unknown coconut sensitivity.
I feel like it helps with anxiety. He's had antibiotic exposure while in the womb, and four occasions prior to age four. I believe there is definitely something to it. Have considered and will likely try an at home FMT.
I feel like it helps with anxiety. He's had antibiotic exposure while in the womb, and four occasions prior to age four. I believe there is definitely something to it.
It seems like some strains are more effective than others, but I've yet to put that to the test.
Have considered and will likely try an at home FMT.
From what I've read there's been some very promising results from that. If you go ahead I hope you can post an update here.
Best of luck to you and your son whichever path you choose.
I'd like to say think you for this post and the responses. I have suffered from 2 decades of depression.
Doctors have thrown every med known to man at me and therapy for 10 years. None of it worked. I already know gluten and my body hate each other. The longer I stay away from it, the harder I am hit when I eat it again. I know now that it causes inflammation that aggravates prior injuries or just certain muscles that are tight to begin with. I know it causes GI problems and brain fog. I have no doubt after experimenting these past few weeks. I feel like my own guinia pig.
Since depression for me is treatment resistant, I suspect something else and honestly, I hope after I stop gluten that will improve and maybe go away. I have had to deal with abuse and PTSD along with other life stressors so it isn't the only cause but I highly suspect that it is aggravating the problem.
I'm glad to read about someone who had depression improve after going gluten-free. Can I ask how long it took after going gluten-free for you to improve in that regard? The longest I went was 2 months and it didn't improve depression but other things did improve. I suspect it wasn't long enough because of years of damage as well as mitigating circumstances compounding on my poor mood.
I just need some hope here. Because doctors have failed me left and right. I can't tell you how many times doctors have screwed up other things for me. Prescribing me meds at the same time that interact and almost causing seizures that could kill me. I knew something was wrong, called a trusted doc and he said to stop taking that med because I might seize and die. And I spent over 2 years trying to find a diagnosis for a spinal condition that everyone brushed off. Surgery fixed it and I can walk again for more than 5 minutes. I can walk for over an hour at a time again and it's been less than a year since that surgery. I didn't give up and accept what they said. I wouldn't be walking if I had.
Sorry I rambled. Just wanted to say thank you for giving me hope. I see a new doc in 2 weeks and am asking for a full blood panel to see what is going on with my body. I know there is something off about my thyroid. The last blood test set I got said so. I have kept eating gluten to try to get the celiac test but it's just not friggen worth it to suffer for several more weeks. It may not be accurate either because I've been gluten-free for too long. And even if it isn't celiac, I know gluten is an issue. I just want to know if it is the only issue or if the damage done has to be reversed with other help to fully get better.
I think I'm gonna go gluten free and do an elimination diet for 3 months and see what happens and have my doc run a full blood panel anyway in 2 weeks to see what is going on inside. I read "Whole 30" which is an elimination diet and eliminates most possible triggers for food allergies. I want to implement that immediately and it's also gluten free. Might help someone else in my position. Thanks again. | 2019-04-25T01:54:22Z | https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/120352-help-with-not-feeling-crazy/?tab=comments |
Members commenced their discussion of the global economy by noting that GDP growth in most of Australia's major trading partners had remained above trend. Monetary policy settings had continued to be accommodative in most economies, although a few central banks had become less accommodative as spare capacity was absorbed and inflationary pressures had become more apparent.
Growth in global industrial production had been robust, particularly in the United States, euro area and smaller east Asian economies (that is, excluding Japan and China). Growth in global merchandise trade had eased to around its decade average. Growth in euro area exports, particularly to China, had declined since mid 2017, while export growth had remained strong in smaller east Asian economies. More generally, members observed that there were still significant tensions around global trade policy and that this represented a material risk to the outlook. The United States and China had increased bilateral tariffs further in late August, consistent with earlier announcements. On the other hand, the US and Mexican governments were close to finalising a new trade agreement.
In the advanced economies, spare capacity had continued to be absorbed. In the United States, the strong growth recorded in the June quarter seemed likely to have continued into the September quarter, supported by fiscal stimulus. Survey measures had pointed to further robust growth in investment. In the euro area, GDP growth had eased in most countries over the first half of 2018, but had remained above trend growth. The Japanese economy had expanded in the June quarter, following the small weather-related contraction in GDP in the March quarter. Consumption growth had picked up and continued to be supported by relatively strong growth in labour income. Tight labour market conditions had also been encouraging Japanese firms to invest in labour-saving technology. GDP growth had remained above trend in smaller east Asian economies; although business investment growth had slowed in a few economies, consumption growth in the region overall had remained strong.
Labour markets had continued to tighten in most advanced economies. In the United States, Canada and Sweden, wages growth had been increasing gradually and this had led to a gradual increase in core inflation. In the United Kingdom, the depreciation of the pound had also contributed significantly to inflationary pressures. However, core inflation had remained subdued in the euro area and Japan despite above-trend growth. In contrast, in India inflation had remained above the Reserve Bank of India's medium-term target; in response, monetary policy had been tightened in both June and July.
In China, growth in economic activity had slowed in a number of sectors. Growth in retail sales had been declining and infrastructure investment had been particularly weak. Domestic production of consumer-oriented goods, including white goods and textiles, had declined over time, with members noting that some production had been moved from China to other economies. In contrast, production of steel and glass, which are used extensively in construction, had increased.
The Chinese authorities had responded to the slowing in growth with targeted fiscal stimulus, including the announcement of new rail infrastructure projects and directives to hasten progress on some current infrastructure projects. Growth in total social financing had also increased in recent months, consistent with the authorities' encouragement of bank lending to certain sectors. Demand for housing had remained strong; property sales had increased and there had been a broad-based pick-up in growth in housing prices. The authorities in some cities had responded by strengthening regulatory measures.
The strength in Chinese crude steel production had supported imports of high-quality iron ore and coking coal. In turn, this had supported benchmark steel and iron ore prices, which had remained in a relatively tight range since the end of March, although the premiums for higher-quality iron ore had increased. Members discussed the variation in iron ore prices, reflecting different iron content and different physical characteristics including impurity levels. They noted that proposed replacement mines in Western Australia were expected to contribute to a higher average quality of iron ore product, which would also support prices received for Australian iron ore.
Movements in commodity prices had been mixed since the previous meeting. Benchmark iron ore prices had declined a little after the Chinese authorities announced a new round of environmental restrictions. Coking coal prices had increased over the prior month, but had declined from high levels since the start of the year. Thermal coal prices had remained at a high level, supported by strong demand from Asian economies.
Members began their discussion of the domestic economy by noting that conditions in Western Australia had improved after the decline resulting from the resource investment cycle. Survey-based reports of business conditions in Western Australia, which had previously been well below those reported for the rest of the country, had increased to be above historical averages, although still below the rest of Australia. Average hourly earnings in Western Australia were still around 10 per cent higher than average hourly earnings in the rest of the country, although the differential had narrowed in recent years. Population growth in Western Australia remained well below the national average, after earlier very rapid growth. Members noted that there continued to be net migration from Western Australia to other parts of the country. Conditions in Western Australian housing markets had been weak: dwelling investment and building approvals were stabilising at low levels, while housing prices and rents had continued to fall.
Members observed that the national accounts for the June quarter would be released the day after the meeting. Growth was expected to be above estimates of potential growth in year-ended terms. Members observed that data released since the previously published forecasts suggested there could be upward revisions to the recent history of GDP growth, which would boost measured year-ended growth.
Growth in household consumption was expected to have recovered in the June quarter; retail sales volumes pointed to a solid increase in consumption of goods. Retail sales data for July had been relatively weak, although online sales had continued to grow rapidly.
Dwelling investment was expected to have increased in the June quarter. Work done on both detached and higher-density dwellings had picked up, driven by increases in New South Wales (despite reports of capacity constraints) and Victoria; residential construction work done on new dwellings had continued to drift slightly lower in Western Australia and Queensland. Although residential building approvals had declined from their peak of a few years earlier, the pipeline of work to be done had remained around historically high levels in Sydney and Melbourne. Some sources of demand for new housing had eased somewhat. Notably, information from liaison with developers had indicated that off-the-plan sales of new apartments in the major east-coast cities had declined over the preceding year as a result of weaker demand from domestic investors and foreign buyers.
Established housing market conditions overall had continued to ease. Housing prices had been falling gradually in Sydney and Melbourne, and in recent months price declines had become more widespread across different suburbs and price segments. Although housing prices in Perth had also declined over recent months, prices in other capital cities had been little changed. Rent inflation had remained low.
Private business investment looked to have declined a little in the June quarter, based on partial indicators. Non-mining investment intentions for 2018/19 reported in the ABS Capital Expenditure survey had been revised higher, although firms still expected capital expenditure to be lower than in 2017/18. Mining investment was still expected to trough in late 2018 or early 2019, as the remaining large liquefied natural gas projects are completed. Business conditions more generally had remained well above average, according to a range of surveys, despite easing slightly since earlier in 2018.
Export volumes had increased strongly in the June quarter, led by rural exports. Drought conditions in some parts of Australia were expected to result in lower overall rural production and exports in the period following the June quarter, although members noted that a record crop was expected in Western Australia. The increased probability of an El Niño event suggested that the prospects for rain in drought-affected areas had fallen in the near term, which was likely to increase the magnitude of any fall in output from the farm sector.
Conditions in the Australian labour market had continued to improve. Consistent with above-trend growth in the economy, the unemployment rate had edged slightly lower over 2018, to be 5.3 per cent, which was the lowest rate since late 2012. Members observed that there had been a notable decline in youth unemployment rates in recent months. The level of employment had been little changed in July; growth in full-time employment had been offset by a decline in part-time employment. Leading indicators had suggested that employment growth would be slightly above average in the period ahead. In particular, job vacancies had increased to be at a record high as a share of the labour force. Members noted that labour market conditions had continued to vary across the country. Employment growth had been strong in New South Wales and Victoria and the unemployment rates in these states were around 5 per cent. The share of the population in employment had continued to be highest in Western Australia, despite the unemployment rate in that state increasing to around 6 per cent.
Wages growth had picked up slightly in the June quarter, with a quarterly increase of 0.6 per cent in the wage price index. In year-ended terms, wages growth had edged higher since late 2016 and this pick-up had been quite broadly based across industries, with the notable exception of the retail sector. Information from liaison had continued to point to a modest increase in private sector wages growth in coming quarters. Members noted that the effects of the recent increase in the minimum wage would boost wage outcomes in the September quarter.
Members began their discussion of developments in financial markets by observing that broadly accommodative financial conditions had continued to underpin economic growth globally, and that the low volatility in financial markets in advanced economies contrasted with ongoing financial fragility in a number of emerging market economies.
In the United States, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) was expected to increase the federal funds rate by another 25 basis points in September as the Federal Reserve continued gradually to withdraw monetary stimulus. Although financial conditions in the United States had tightened a little over the prior year, they remained expansionary overall. Market pricing continued to suggest a slower expected pace of policy rate increases than the median projection of FOMC officials. Members noted that in recent years, actual policy changes had been more closely aligned with the FOMC's median projections than with market expectations.
The Bank of England had increased its policy rate in August but was not expected to increase it again for at least another year, while the Bank of Canada had increased its policy rate in July and further increases were expected before the end of 2018. In Japan and the euro area, monetary policy was expected to remain highly stimulatory for some time. In both Australia and New Zealand, where official interest rates had not declined to the same extent as in other advanced economies, adjustments to the stance of monetary policy were also seen by markets as likely to be some way off.
Members noted that over the prior month, bond yields had declined slightly in most major markets and in Australia, and had remained at generally low levels for both sovereign and corporate issuers. However, Japanese bond yields had increased slightly in response to the announcement by the Bank of Japan of a wider trading range for 10-year government bond yields. In Italy, ongoing concerns about the future stance of fiscal policy following the change in government in May had resulted in wider spreads of Italian debt over German Bunds. However, the extent of the widening in spreads had been smaller than had occurred during the European debt crisis earlier in the decade, and spillovers to other markets had been relatively muted. Members noted that the budget plans of the coalition government in Italy, due to be tabled before parliament in late September, would be likely to be an important focus of financial market participants.
Strength in earnings had continued to underpin corporate debt and equity markets in the advanced economies, notably the United States, where the boost to economic activity, sales and profits from the recent tax cuts had contributed to generally positive earnings results. Share buybacks in the United States also had been boosted by recent tax reforms, which encouraged the repatriation of offshore earnings by multinational enterprises. Australian equity prices had been little changed over the preceding month, but accumulation indices (which take account of dividend payments) had continued to increase and the profit reporting period had been relatively positive. Members noted that the sharp decline in Chinese equity prices since the start of the year had occurred in an environment of weaker-than-expected indicators of growth and implementation of measures to contain financial risks, as well as rising trade tensions with the United States.
In foreign exchange markets, the US dollar had been little changed against the other major currencies over the preceding month, having appreciated by around 5 per cent on a trade-weighted basis since the start of the year. Along with other currencies, the Australian dollar had depreciated against the US dollar, and on a trade-weighted basis, but remained within the relatively narrow range of the preceding few years.
Members discussed developments in emerging markets, where capital outflows had continued over the previous month and exchange rates had depreciated, particularly in a few countries that had significant economic, financial and institutional vulnerabilities. In some markets, the authorities had responded to exchange rate depreciation by intervening directly in the foreign exchange market and/or by raising policy rates. In Turkey, rising political tensions with the United States, high inflation and the lack of credible policy responses had contributed to another sharp depreciation of the lira over the preceding month, which was around 40 per cent lower against the US dollar over the year. In Argentina, the peso had also depreciated sharply. The Argentine authorities had been in discussions with the International Monetary Fund to revise the terms of the current financial assistance package, with the potential to bring forward the disbursement of funds to support the exchange rate and shore up the government's financing needs.
Turning to financial market developments in Australia, members noted that interest rates on bank bills and other money market instruments had remained at a higher level compared with the average level of 2017, and that this had placed some upward pressure on banks' funding costs. Higher money market rates had led to a modest increase in overall funding costs, taking account of all sources of funding, including retail deposits, on which rates had remained low and been drifting down of late. Nonetheless, funding costs remained low relative to history, consistent with the low level of the cash rate.
By the time of the September meeting, lenders accounting for around 40 per cent of outstanding housing credit (including one major bank) had announced increases in mortgage lending rates in response to the increase in funding costs. Once they take effect, these increases would imply a small rise in the average outstanding variable housing loan rate, unwinding about half of the decline observed in the average housing loan rate over the preceding year. Members noted that there was evidence that banks had continued to compete strongly for new borrowers for housing, including by increasing discounts on published lending rates. For owner-occupiers, housing credit had been growing relatively strongly at around 7½ per cent annualised over the preceding six months, whereas growth in lending to investors had slowed noticeably.
Financial market pricing implied that the cash rate was expected to remain unchanged for a considerable period.
In considering the stance of monetary policy, members noted that the global economic expansion had continued at a solid pace. Although growth in the Chinese economy had slowed a little, the authorities had eased fiscal and monetary policy in a targeted way to support near-term growth, while continuing to pay close attention to risks in the financial sector. Global commodity prices had generally remained elevated, which had supported Australia's terms of trade in the first half of 2018, but ongoing uncertainty about trade policy had led to volatility in the prices of some commodities. More generally, the direction of international trade policy in the United States continued to be a source of uncertainty for the outlook for the world economy.
Most advanced economies were growing at above-trend rates and were experiencing increasingly tight labour market conditions as well as rising wage pressures. Although core inflation had remained subdued in the euro area and Japan, it had picked up to around central bank targets in the United States and a number of smaller advanced economies. Against this backdrop, a few central banks, including the Federal Reserve, were expected to continue gradually reducing the degree of monetary policy accommodation. This had been reflected in financial market pricing, most notably a broad-based appreciation of the US dollar. This appreciation had raised risks for some economies, particularly the more fragile emerging market economies, but the modest depreciation of the Australian dollar was helpful for domestic economic growth.
Recent data had suggested that domestic growth had been above potential over the year to the June quarter, supported by strong public demand, resource exports, non-mining business investment and steady consumption growth. Business conditions remained positive and recent data on labour market outcomes had been positive. The unemployment rate had declined to 5.3 per cent in July, which was its lowest rate since the peak of the mining investment boom in 2012.
Forward-looking indicators of labour demand, including vacancy rates and survey measures of employment intentions, continued to point to above-average growth in employment in the near term. The unemployment rate was expected to decline gradually towards 5 per cent. Wages growth was expected to increase gradually as spare capacity in the labour market is absorbed. More generally, recent data had not changed members' assessment that GDP growth was likely to remain above potential throughout the forecast period and inflation was likely to increase over time. However, members recognised that there continued to be risks associated with uncertainties from abroad and low wages growth.
National housing prices had fallen moderately. In Sydney and Melbourne, price declines had followed significant growth over preceding years. Housing credit growth overall had declined, mainly because investor demand had slowed noticeably. Lending standards were tighter than they had been a few years previously, partly reflecting APRA's earlier supervisory measures to help contain the build-up of risk in household balance sheets. Some further tightening of lending standards by banks was possible, although competition for borrowers of high credit quality remained strong.
Based on the forecasts and associated risks, members assessed that the current stance of monetary policy would continue to support economic growth and allow for further progress to be made in reducing the unemployment rate and returning inflation towards the midpoint of the target. In these circumstances, members continued to agree that the next move in the cash rate would more likely be an increase than a decrease. However, since progress on unemployment and inflation was likely to be gradual, they also agreed there was no strong case for a near-term adjustment in monetary policy. Rather, members assessed that it would be appropriate to hold the cash rate steady and for the Bank to be a source of stability and confidence while this progress unfolds. Taking account of the available information, the Board judged that holding the stance of monetary policy unchanged at this meeting would be consistent with sustainable growth in the economy and achieving the inflation target over time. | 2019-04-21T06:54:09Z | https://rba.gov.au/monetary-policy/rba-board-minutes/2018/2018-09-04.html |
Described as ‘man’s best friend’ dogs have played an important part in our lives as pets, protectors and working dogs. They were bred for specific roles by breeders throughout England who tended to specialize in specific breeds. Dog fanciers bought or bred their own dogs to show at dog shows hoping for notoriety and recognition bestowed upon them for their prize winning entries.
The first modern dog show was held June 28-29,1859 in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and was an added attraction to the annual cattle show. The first show to include non-sporting breeds was held in Birmingham later in 1859 and was such a success that a year later, the Birmingham Dog Show Society ran the first National Dog Show, for which there were 267 entries, with 30 breeds, judged in 42 classes.
In Tunbridge Wells ,and the surrounding area, there were a number of dog breeders in the 19th and early 20th century and during that time various Canine Societies were formed, among which was the Tunbridge Wells District Canine Society which boasts that it was founded in 1884 and that it is the oldest Canine Society in Britain and which Society holds various events throughout the year. A photo of a 1929 Tunbridge Wells Canine Society medal is shown above.
The earliest mention in the Courier of a dog show being held in Tunbridge Wells was on April 23,1875, which announced an effort to hold a dog show in the town in August of that year. However, the Courier of August 20,1886 announced “The Second Grand Dog Show” that ran for two days starting on August 19th, which show was held at the Agricultural Grounds, in connection with the annual Agricultural show. The first day of the show suffered from dismal weather but it did not dampen the spirits of the entrants and spectators. This show was preceded by a dog show held at Calverley Park August 21-22,1884 which was the first show put on by the Tunbridge Wells Canine Society. The Courier of July 11,1884 announced that schedules and entry forms were “ now available” for the upcoming show.
Although dog shows were not an annual event they took place often. During WW1, like many events in the town, dog shows were suspended for the duration of the war. The Courier of May 16,1913 announced an “Open Dog Show at Tunbridge Wells’ in which there was a large local entry and which show was held at Barn Meadow on Claremont Road. The show was reported to have “ completely exceeded expectations” and that it was organized by the Southern Counties Canine Association. Arrangements for this show were reported in the Courier of April 11,1913 at a meeting of the Southern Counties Canine Association.
The last prewar dog show was held in Tunbridge Wells at Calverley Park in May 1914 which event was put on by the Southern Counties Canine Association. This show was the largest one held up to that date attracting 1,436 entries from all over the country. The earliest local dog show found after the war appears to be that of June 1924 held by the RSPCA in the Calverley Grounds (two images below).
In 1925 a dog show was held at the Agricultural Show grounds by the Tunbridge Wells Canine Society and other shows followed throughout the 20th century and are just as popular today as they have ever been. Shown below left is a photograph taken May 13,1925 at the Tunbridge Wells Dog Shown in which can be seen Miss P. Selkirk Wells with her winning Irish Wolfhounds ‘Cocholainn Lucifer’ and ‘Culverden Doreen’. Shown below right is a photo taken at the Tunbridge Wells Dog Show of 1929 in which can be seen Miss M. Tucker on her way to the show with her sheepdogs ‘Watchers Jim’ and ‘Tenet Peter’.
Shown below from the 1935 show is Mrs Edna Carlton with her prize winning Afghan hound.
In this article I present information about two of these dog shows, as typical examples, namely that of 1884 and 1914. For anyone interested in dogs in general see my article ‘ All About Dogs’ dated May 5,2015.
The first Tunbridge Wells Dog Show was held in the “Calverley Park Gardens” on Thursday and Friday 21st and 22nd August 1884. Although a dog show was held in the town in 1875 the 1884 show was given the distinction of being the “first dog show” for it was arranged by the Tunbridge Wells Canine Society which had been founded that year.
The reference to “Calverley Park Gardens” actually referred to the open greenspace adjacent to Calverley Park at the rear of the Calverley Hotel, before part of these grounds were purchased by Council in the early 1920’s which grounds became known as the “Calverley Grounds”. Shown above is a view of the land below the Calverley Hotel with the hotel shown in the background.
There were 50 classes of Sporting and Non-Sporting dogs - open to all England, and 6 local classes - for residents within a 10 mile radius of Tunbridge Wells. The catalogue showed an entry of over 500 dogs. The main breeds represented were Mastiffs, St. Bernards, Great Danes or Boarhounds, Collies and Sheepdogs, Greyhounds, Pointers, Beagles, Fox Terriers, Spaniels, Setters, Hunt Terriers, Rough Terriers, Black and Tan Terriers, Bulldogs and Pugs. In addition to the breed classes there were also some fun classes.
The show was held over two days. There were promenade concerts and the gardens were decorated with floral displays and arches together with 2500 Chinese lanterns and ornamental lights - all gas of course, as well as balloons and magnesium and coloured lights all donated and supported by local tradesmen. This enabled the displays to be kept open in the evening. There was a grand firework display in the evening on Thursday and the Tunbridge Wells Military Band and Ceylon Band attended on the Friday. Rosettes, medals and cups were presented in various classes by tradesmen and societies in the Kent area and also the Society’s president, the Marquess of Abergavenny who, followed by his nephew and this son, remained Patron until 2000.
T he first announcement about this dog show appeared in the Courier of April 24,1914 as “ Great Dog Show open to all May 13th at Tunbridge Wells”. This show was not confined to residents of the town and some 5,000 schedules for the event were sent to exhibitors all over the country. It was hoped that the event would be supported by a large number of local entries.
The Courier of May 8,1914 announced “Great Dog Show-on Wednesday next May 13th at Tunbridge Wells…1,436 entries. Some 400 pounds in prizes were up for grabs. This event was organized ,as it was in 1913, by the Southern Counties Canine Association of which in 1914 Mr F. Wheatley was the secretary and Sir L. Lindsay-Hogg was President with Mr. R. B. Calderwood as the Hon Secretary of the show.
“Keen interest was also taken in the judging of the Children’s Classes, which, although unfortunately not so well patronized as last year, was very entertaining. The exhibitors with one exception were little girls ,who had all their work cut out to manage the dogs. One little girl, Miss Mary Taylor Marsh, stood only a few inches higher than the Great Dane she was showing but nevertheless managed him capably”.
“The classes of members of the S.C.C.A, and exhibitors residing within 10-20 miles of the show ground were well filled. Two classes were confined to the Borough itself, and in each of these there were six entries. The classes for this district were particularly well supported by Mr B. Newgass of Frant ,who gave three specials in the classes for the Borough, five for the 10 mile radius class, and two for the 20 mile radius class. Mr W.H. Reeves judged all the members and local classes”.
“Tunbridge Wells is unquestionably the finest centre in the South East of England for a dog show, and the success of the open shows in the Borough last year and this has led to a number of the most influential residents in the district to band themselves together into a sort auxiliary of the S.C.C.A. According to Mr Wheatley, the secretary, they realize that the Tunbridge Wells show could be made one of the most important in the country, but it must have more local support”. Residents of this district ,said Mr Wheatley, do not taker nearly enough interest in the show. At Bexhill, our show there is publically patronized by the Mayor and Town Council, and that ought to be the case with the Tunbridge Wells Show. These exhibitions bring hundreds of wealthy people to the town and inevitably popularize the neighbourhoods wherein they are held, provided of course that the centres are possessed of natural attractions the same as Tunbridge Wells undoubtable is. We hope that the little auxiliary of well-known local residents who have banded themselves together for the purpose of working for the show will have the effect of arousing far keener interest in it locally”.
Among the entries at the 1914 dog show in Tunbridge Wells was a champion Old British Sheepdog called ‘Falcon Joe’that won two first prizes and a special which was the pet of Miss Mavis Sarkies, who’s maiden name was given incorrectly in one account as “Markies”. I have shown in this section a photo of her and her sheepdog from a sporting publication of 1914 as well as the front of a press photo showing the same image. The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News of London dated May 23,1914 showed the image of her and her sheepdog presented here stating that the dog was that of Mr Burgoyne.
Mr William Burgoyne was a dog judge and breeder of Old English Sheepdogs and was often mentioned in newspaper accounts of various dog shows held throughout the country. The London Standard of June 5,1910 referred to “Mr. Burgoyne’s sheepdog ‘Falcon Joe” and the Bedfordshire Mercury of August 30,1912 gave “Mr. Burgoyne’s Falcon Joe’ which won a first prize. It appears therefore that Miss Sarkies bought the dog ‘Falcon Joe’ from Mr Burgoyne sometime after 1912 and before the show in Tunbridge Wells in 1914.
Two of Mr Burgoyne’s sheepdogs were found in the champion of champions list of the Old English Sheepdog Club namely ‘Falcon Laddie (1911/1913) and ‘Falcon Bessie’ (1915). Other sheepdogs found in newspaper reports on dog shows owned by Mr William Burgoyne were ‘Falcon Prince’ (1912); ‘Falcon Grove King’ (1916); ‘Falcon Gay Boy’(1916); ‘Calm Weather’ (1908); ‘Falcon Valentin’ (1909); ‘Falcon Blue Boy’ (1917); ‘Falcon Bob’ (1909/1910); ‘Falcon Bessie’ (1916) and others. In 1908-1911 he was living at Clapham Junction and Battersea. In Greater London. Surprisingly, in response to my inquiry, the Old English Sheepdog Club, had no information about the man himself and nothing definitive could be found out about him from any other available sources.
There was a time when Old English Sheepdogs dominated television screens and newspaper comic strips and now its hard to find one beyond a dog show. These dogs which can weigh close to 100 pounds are dropping in numbers as owners have moved towards smaller breeds of dogs. At the height of the breed’s popularity in 1975, when the sheepdog was named best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, nearly 16,000 puppies were registered but 10 years later there were fewer than 5,600 dogs and three years ago just 1,000. London’s Kennel Club, which put the breed on the club’s watch list, registered just 401 sheepdog puppies in 2011.
Returning now to Miss Mavis Sarkies, she was born as Mavis Bladys Christabella Sarklies August 1,1891 and baptised September 16,1898 at Allahabad, Bengal, India, one of several children born to John Carrapiet Sarkies(1856-1937) and Frances Maguritta Adelaide Smelt (1865- 1948), which couple were married at Allahabad December 29,1888. John served with the Indian Medical Service from 1879 to 1910 as a surgeon and the family was well off financially. The Sarkies family were Armenian in origin and John’s father and other relatives lived and worked in India for many years in the 19th and 20th century. In about 1912 Mavis and her parents and some of her siblings left India and settled in London and it was from there that she travelled with her sheepdog ‘Falcon Joe’ to attend the Tunbridge Wells Dog Show.
In the 2nd qtr of 1921 Mavis G.C. Sarkies married Myles Denton Cairn(1884-1963) at Paddington. Myles was a well educated gentleman and was trained and worked as a physician and surgeon. In 1938 Mavis was living with her husband and two servants at Northbank Lodge in Bognor Regis, Sussex. Probate records for Mavis G.C. Cairn gave her of Nortghbank in Bognor Regis, Sussex when she died January 16,1960. The executor of her 519 pound estate was her husband Myles Denton Cairn.
The National Archives has a record for Mavis G.C. Sarkies who served with the Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF)during WW1 (service No. 10495) and that she enrolled May 30,1918, the same year that the WRAF was founded. Quite an interesting women indeed!
J ohn William Harmer was one of four children born to Stephen (a gardener) and Mary Harmer, nee Holman. John was born in Reigate Surrey in 1866 and lived with his parents and siblings until about 1880. His first job was as a grocer’s errand boy in Reigate and decided that being a grocer was the career for him.
While living and working in Reigate he married Mary Upfold in Reigate in January 1890 and with her had five children between 1891 and 1907 but two of them died at birth.
After the marriage John worked as a grocer in Sussex in the early 1890’s and by the late 1890’s was a grocer in Crowborough. In 1900 John and his family moved to Tunbridge Wells where he ran a grocers shop and sub post office at 72 St James Road until the mid 1920’s when he retired from business, which business was taken over by Charles F. Williams who was still there in 1942.
As no directory listings for John were found in Tunbridge Wells after 1922 it appears that he left Tunbridge Wells. His son Ebenezer John Harmer (1903-1963) who was born in Tunbridge Wells, remained in the town; got married; raised a family and was found listed in local directories of 1930-1938 at 47 Albion Road with the occupation of basket and sieve maker. Ebenezer died in Tunbridge Wells in 1963 . John William Harmer, late in life, moved back to Tunbridge Wells and lived with his son Ebenezer. On January 10,1945 John passed away while living at his son’s home at 47 Albion Road. John’s wife died in Tunbridge Wells in 1959. Shown above is a photograph of John’s shop at 72 St James Road taken circa 1914.
John William Harmer was born in Reigate, Surrey in the 2nd qtr of 1866. He was one of four children born to Stephen Harmer (1837-1895) and Mary Harmer, nee Holman (1835-1874).
The 1871 census, taken at Nix Lane Cottage in Reigate gave Stephen Harmer as a gardener. With him was his wife Mary and their children Charles, Sarah, John and Arthur, who were all attending school.
The 1881 census, taken at Bell Street in Reigate Surrey gave John William Harmer as a lodger living with the Edmund Dickson (a master boot maker) and Edmund’s family. John at that time was working as a grocer’s errant boy. From that time on John decided to make the grocery trade his occupation.
In the 1st qtr of 1890 John married Mary Upfold (1866-1959) at Riegate, where Mary was born and lived with her parents and siblings. John and his wife had the following children (1) Hannah Mary Marmer who was born 1891 in Earlswood, Sussex. She later married and had children and died in Uckfield, Sussex in 1963 (2) Esther Caroline Harmer who was born December 19,1893 at Hardcross, Sussex. she alter married and had a family and died 1963 in Crowborough (3) Arthur Charles Harmer who was born and died 1897 in Cuckfield, Sussex (4) Ebenexer John Harmer who was born in Tunbridge Wells in the 3rd qtr of 1903 . He married and had children. He was found in Tunbridge Wells directories from 1930 to 1938 at 47 Albion Road with the occupation of basket and sieve maker. Ebenezer died in Tunbridge Wells in 1963 (5) Edith Emily Harmer who was born and died in 1907 at Sculcoates, Yorkshire while the family were on vacation.
As can be seen from the birth records of John’s children,the family lived in Sussex from at least 1893 to 1897 but had moved to Tunbridge Wells sometime before the 1901 census. While in Sussex John ran a grocers shop.
John and his wife and his two eldest children moved to Tunbridge Wells in about 1900. The 1901 census, taken at 72 St James Road gave John as the proprietor of a grocers shop and sub post office. With him was his wife Mary and their children Hannah and Esther. Also there was Stephen Alfred Harmer, age 15 who was living as a boarder and working for John as a grocers assistant. Also there were two other lodgers.
The 1911 census, taken at 72 St James Road gave John as a grocer and provisioner. With him was his wife Mary ; his daughter Hannah; his daughter Esther who was working as a uncertified teacher; his son Ebenezer who was working for his father as a “clerk to sub-postmaster”. The family were living in premises of 6 rooms and the census recorded that the couple had been married 21 years and of their five children only three were still living.
Local directories of up to and including 1922 list John as a grocer and sub post master at 72 St James Road. As no directories for him after 1922 were found it appears that he retired from business and left Tunbridge Wells. It was noted from a 1930 directory that 72 St James Road was the premises of Charles F. Williams who was a grocer and sub postmaster and that he was still there in 1942.
Late in life John returned to Tunbridge Wells and lived with his son Ebenezer. Probate records show that John William Harmer was of 47 Albion Road when he died January 10,1945. The executor of his 906 pound estate was George White, a farmer. John was buried in the Tunbridge Wells Borough Cemetery. John’s wife died in Tunbridge Wells in 1959 and was buried near her husband.
Edward Joy senior was born 1834 in Brenchley, Kent and was one of nine children born to agricultural worker Alexander Joy (1801-1889) and Sophia Joy, nee Manwaring (1804-1874).
Edward remained in Brenchley throughout the 1850’s but by the time of the 1851 census he was living as a visitor in Wadhurst, Sussex where he was working as agricultural labourer.
In 1858 Edward married Sylvia Baker (1836-1911) and with her had seven children including Edward Joy junior (1869-1949) who is the central figure in this article. All seven or the children were born in Tunbridge Wells between 1859 and 1873. Sylvia Baker had been born in Ticehurst, Sussex on February 25,1836 and was one of ten children born to Richard Baker (born 1812) and Caroline Baker, nee Chantler (1813-1873). Her father was a farm labourer and up to the time of her marriage she was living with her parents and siblings at Rose Cottage in Ticehurst.
Edward Joy senior was a bootmaker and at the time of the 1861 census he and his wife Sylvia and two children were living at Culverden Cottage No. 2 in Tunbridge Wells.
By the time of the 1871 census Edward Joy senior and his wife Sylvia and six of their children were living in Tunbridge Wells at 33 Goods Station Road, where Edward senior was a bootmaker master employing two men. Edward junior at that time was attending school. The family were still living at this address at the time of the 1881 where Edward senior was a bootmaker master employing his son Alexander and one boy. Edward Junior was attending school. Shown opposite is an old postcard view of Goods Station Road.
The 1891 census, taken at 33 Goods Station Road gave Edward senior as a boot and shoe maker. With him was his wife Sylvia; their son Edward who was a stationers assistant; their daughter Harriet who was a pupil teacher and their daughter Kate who was a stationers assistant.
Shown opposite is the front and back a CDV of Edward Joy junior taken at the Grosvenor Studio in Tunbridge Wells, a studio that was the photographic premises of Percy Squire Lancaster. Lancaster had moved to Tunbridge Wells in 1891 and in that year took over this studio from Henry Peach Robinson.
On May 14,1900 Edward Joy senior died in Tunbridge Wells. He was given in probate records as being of 39 Goods Station Road. The executors of his 442 pound estate were his widow Sylvia and son Edward Joy junior who was a stationers manager. Edward was buried in the Tunbridge Wells Borough Cemetery on May 19th. His wife Sylvia died in Tunbridge Wells in the first qtr of1911 and buried near her husband.
Edward Joy was born in Tunbridge Wells on March 16,1869. He lived with his parents and siblings in Tunbridge Wells and by 1891 he was working as a stationers assistant.
On September 2,1894 he married Ellen Kate Jupp (1874-1946) at St Mary’s Church , Rumboldswyke, Chichester, Sussex (image opposite). Ellen had been born February 16,1874 at North Mundham, Sussex and was one of six children born to Henry Jupp junior (1832-1903) and Emily Jupp, nee Parsons (1837-1923).
Edward and Ellen had the following children (1) Lennox Edward Wilson Joy (1895-1967) (2) Phyllis Adelaide Joy (1903-1978) (3) Raymond Hamilton Kimbrey Joy (1905-1971). All of the children were born in Tunbridge Wells, Lennox on June 19,1895; Phyllis on October 23,1903 and Raymond on January 4,1905.
The 1901 census, taken at 49 Stone Street in Tunbridge Wells gave Edward as a stationers accountant. With him was his wife Ellen who was a dressmaker working on own account, and their son Lennox who was in school.
The 1911 census, taken at 22 Mereworth Road in Tunbridge Wells gave Edward Joy (wholesale stationers assistant) with his wife Ellen (a costumer on own account) and their children Phyllis, Raymond and Lennox. The census recorded that they were living in premises of 7 rooms; that they had been married 16 years and that all three of their children were still living. Also living with them at the time was Fanny Fartha Joy, age 52 and listed as “sister” and working for the family as a house servant.
As was the case with Canada and Australia, New Zealand had a need for boys and young men to work on farms. A program was in place run by the Department of Labour in Auckland, New Zealand where passage for the boys was paid by the government and once the boys arrived in Auckland they were assigned to a farm and paid a weekly salary.
Enticed by this program Edward Joy’s son Lennox decided to take advantage of the program and along with 56 other young men (all between the ages of 16 and 20) boarded the steamship AYRSHIRE (image opposite) at Liverpool on November 22,1913. The passenger records note his intended occupation to be farming. Lennox went on to wed Nellie Mary Collier (born 1900) in New Zealand in 1922 and with her had a son Roger Lennox Joy (1928-2013). Lennox died in Auckland New Zealand on May 14,1967.
The next members of the Joy family to emigrate to Auckland was Edward Joy’s wife Ellen and her daughter Phyllis who departed from Southampton on the steamship OLYMPIC (image opposite) arriving at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada July6 4,1918. The passenger list recorded that their intended destination was Auckland. Records for St Albans Vermont USA show that Ellen and her daughter crossed the Canada/USA border where in the USA they boarded a ship to complete their journey. Ellen Kate Joy died in Auckland March 29,1949 . Her daughter Phyllis died in Auckland November 18,1978 as a spinster.
The next members of the Joy family to emigrate to Auckland was Edward Joy junior and his son Raymond. They boarded the SS RUAHINE (image opposite) November 3,1919 and departed from Southampton. The address given for Raymond and his father was 16 Culverden Park Road, Tunbridge Wells and their indented destination was Auckland, New Zealand. Edward Joy junior was given as a manager wholesale stationer and his son was given as a schoolboy.
The joy family remained in Auckland for the rest of their lives. Shown above left is a photograph of Edward Joy junior and his wife Ellen, taken in New Zealand.
Shown opposite left is a photograph of Raymond Hamilton Kimbrey Joy and opposite right is a photo of Raymond and his wife Margaret on the right with Robert and Elsie Blacklock on the left.
On June 4,1927 Raymond married Margaret McIntyre Morrison (1908-2013) in Auckland and with her had two children namely Margaret Phyllis Joy (1934-2001) and Donald Henry Joy (1936-1996). Raymond died in Auckland November 27,1971.
On March 24,1902, Arthur Balfour presented to the House of Commons an Education Bill that attempted to overturn the 1870 Education Act that had been brought in by William Gladstone. It had been popular with radicals as they were elected by ratepayers in each district. This enabled nonconformists and socialists to obtain control over local schools.
The new legislation abolished all 2,568 school boards and handed over their duties to local borough or county councils. These new Local Education Authorities (LEAs) were given powers to establish new secondary and technical schools as well as developing the existing system of elementary schools. At the time more than half the elementary pupils in England and Wales. For the first time, as a result of this legislation, church schools were to receive public funds.
Nonconformists and supporters of the Liberal and Labour parties campaigned against the proposed act. David Lloyd George led the campaign in the House of Commons as he resented the idea that Nonconformists contributing to the upkeep of Anglican schools. It was also argued that school boards had introduced more progressive methods of education. "The school boards are to be destroyed because they stand for enlightenment and progress."
John Clifford (image above) became the leader of the campaign against the legislation. Clifford was opposed to Balfour's bill for three main reasons: (1) the rate aid was being used to support the teaching of religious views to which some rate-payers were opposed; (2) sectarian schools, supported by public funds, were not under public control; (3) teachers in sectarian schools were subject to religious tests.
John Clifford prepared a plan of "Passive Resistance". It was based on the strategy used by John Hampden against Ship Money in 1637 and one of the causes of the English Civil War. "Its tactics were to be those of the old Tithe War: refuse to pay the abhorrent education rate, submit rather to the forced sale of your goods and even of your house; if need be, go to jail!
Clifford argued that people who disagreed with the proposed Education Act should refuse to pay at least that portion of the rate which was to be spent in or on church schools. The National Passive Resistance Committee was set-up with the motto "No Say. No Pay". However, within weeks the Anti-Martyrdom League was formed to pay the rates that the passive resisters withheld.
In July, 1902, a by-election at Leeds demonstrated what the education controversy was doing to party fortunes, when a Conservative Party majority of over 2,500 was turned into a Liberal majority of over 750. The following month a Baptist came near to capturing Sevenoaks from the Tories and in November, 1902, Orkney and Shetland fell to the Liberals. That month also saw a huge anti-Bill rally held in London, at Alexandra Palace.
Despite the opposition to the new Education Act, it was passed in December, 1902. John Clifford, wrote several pamphlets about the legislation that had a readership that ran into hundreds of thousands. Balfour accused him of being a victim of his own rhetoric: "Distortion and exaggeration are of its very essence. If he has to speak of our pending differences, acute no doubt, but not unprecedented, he must needs compare them to the great Civil War. If he has to describe a deputation of Nonconformist ministers presenting their case to the leader of the House of Commons, nothing less will serve him as a parallel than Luther's appearance before the Diet of Worms."
Rate refusals began in the spring of 1903. "What normally happened was that sufficient of their goods should be distrained and auctioned to defray the rate. It was usually arranged for a friend of the refuser should be on hand to buy back the goods." Over the next four years 170 men went to prison for refusing to pay their school taxes. This included 60 Primitive Methodists, 48 Baptists, 40 Congregationalists and 15 Wesleyan Methodists. John Clifford never went to prison but he appeared in court on 41 different occasions over the next ten years.
In August 1903 the tax resistance campaign against the provisions of the Education Act that had allowed for taxpayer funding of sectarian religious education was still ramping up. Nobody knew at the time that the struggle would go on for years.
It was a campaign that would inspire the later tax resistance struggles of the women’s suffragists and of Mahatma Gandhi, and which would associate the term ‘passive resistance’ with nonviolent civil disobedience and with tax resistance in particular.
The tax resistance campaign was reported on widely in newspapers throughout Britain citing hundreds if not thousands of cases where citizens objecting to the provisions of the Education Act refused to pay the complete taxes levied and who withheld a portion of the payment due because of their “conscientious objection to pay for the maintenance of Church Schools”. Rev. J.E. Simon for example, who was the pastor of the Congregational Chapel in Brampton said that “ I am unable to pay that part of the rate which is levied for the support of sectarian schools for by this rate I am required to pay directly for the teaching of Romanism and doctrines of the Established Church which I believe to be untrue. This I, as a Protestant and Non conformist, I refuse to do voluntarily”.
Those not paying the full rates demanded were brought before the magistrates and Distraint Warrants were issued. The issuing of these warrants led to a dispute for since the authorities would not accept partial payment bailiffs were instructed to seize personal property to satisfy the amount of the full payment due and not just the much smaller unpaid portion. The National Passive Resistance Committee on the question of excessive distraint raised the issue and awaited a decision by legal authorities. At Sheffield a K.C. was quoted as saying “ It is beyond question illegal to make an excessive distraint. The bailiffs have no right to remove more goods than are estimated in reason to meet the account of the rate and the cost of distraint. If people are taking part in the passive resistance movement feel that the bailiffs have been unreasonable, they can claim damages in court, and it is for the jury to decide. A vindictive distraint is also illegal. A distraint has been held to be vindictive where valuable goods have been removed against the wishes of the occupier, who has tendered other goods. A bailiff is not necessarily to take what is offered him, but if he takes things that he is requested to leave, he may be convicted of vindictive distraint, and the owner may be awarded damages”. Others stated “ It seems nothing short of monstrous that warrants should be issued and costs imposed for the full amount of the rate, when in reality the defendants have only declined to pay a very small portion thereof. The local authorities who are apparently bent on making matters as unpleasant as possible for the Passive Resisters are unquestionably arousing deep and wide-spread sympathy for those sturdy protestants, even amongst those who do not see eye to eye with them in the course they have taken”.
Liberal politician David Lloyd George capitalized on the opposition to the Education Act to bolster his political standing and to attract new voters to the Liberal party.
Much has been written on this topic and for that reason I do not go into further detail except to report in the following section on the events in Tunbridge Wells about this issue.
In 1903 the police operated from premises at the rear of the Old Town Hall (image opposite) on Calverley Road and remained there until the Civic Centre was built in the late 1930’s on Mount Pleasant Road, following the demolition of John Ward’s Calverley Parade that ran between Crescent Road and Monson Road. The Town Crier in 1903 was Henry Chambers who served in this position for the Borough from the early days of incorporation (1899) until 1927 and who was a familiar figure in civic photographs of this period.
Lot 1.—Silver Cake Basket and Silver Salver.
Lot 4.—Copper Coal Scuttle and Scoop, and Silver Fish Servers, in case.
Each Lot to be paid for and cleared immediately after the Sale.
Immediately following this article was another, featuring many of the same cast of characters, describing a meeting “on the Common in the evening,” and then another, describing an “evening meeting at the Great Hall” that followed. These were rallies that were meant to remind attendees of what was at stake and to encourage them to keep up the struggle to the bitter end, but the reports do not otherwise shed much light on how the campaign was progressing. Shown below is a postcard view of the Commons and of the Great Hall.
One thing I thought was noteworthy was a slideshow that included scenes from that afternoon’s distraint auction. Unfortunately the views in this slide show have not been located to date by the researcher.
A review of newspapers for Kent covering the period of 1903 to 1913 resulted in finding 800 articles about the passive resistance campaign, about 15% of which pertained to Tunbridge Wells. From the Tunbridge Wells articles given in the Courier it was noted that throughout the period of 1903 to 1913 a large number of people joined the passive resistance movement who appeared before the magistrates and who had their property seized and sold. The Courier of March 14,1913 however noted that “the number of passive resisters in Tunbridge Wells has become reduced in scale” but went on to list the names of those who’s property had been seized. The Courier of August 19,1913 reported on further seizures including that of E.J. Strange of the well- known Strange family of Tunbridge Wells. Later editions of the Courier for 1913 noted that the resistance movement had failed for the Education Act they protested against was not changed and that many of those who had protested against it in the town had either given up their protest or moved away.
J ames Mountain (image opposite) was born July 16, 1844 at Leeds, Yorkshire. He attended Gainford Academy near Darlington, Rotherham College, Nottingham Institute, and Cheshunt College.
He then became pastor at Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Leaving the clerical field due to ill health. After his health improved he conducted evangelism campaigns in Britain (1874-82) and worldwide (1882-9).
He is credited as having written some 15 hymns among which were Hymns of Consecration and Faith, and Sacred Songs for Missions, Prayer and Praise Meetings. He also authored the books ‘ My Baptism and What led to it’ and ‘The Triumph of British-Israel’.
In the 2nd qtr of 1891 he married Frances Elizabeth Grogan at Paddington but had not children with her.
Peltons 1891 guide recorded that he was one of several subscribers to the Tunbridge Wells Hospital and Dispensary on Mount Pleasant Road.
Peltons 1896 guide listed him as the minster of the Emmanuel Church (Lady Huntingdon’s) facing London Road on Mount Ephraim.
The 1901 census, taken at 18 St John’s Road, Tunbridge Wells gave him as a Baptist minister. With him was his wife Frances, a sister in law and one domestic servant.
James died June 27, 1933 in Tunbridge Wells and was buried in the Tunbridge Wells Borough Cemetery.
William Henry Charles Palmer was born at 1864 at Hoxon,London and was one of seven children born to William Palmer (1843-1912) and Sarah Ann Palmer, nee Paterman (1844-1917).
At the time of the 1871 and 1881 census he was living with his parents and siblings in London.
On February 7,1886 he married Isabella Sarah Hunt and with her had four children between 1886 and 1890 who were born in Islington.
In 1886 Rev. W.H. C. Palmer became the first minister of the Spa Fields Church and promoted concerts and lectures at the chapel in addition to services.
The 1901 census, taken at the Emmanual Church on Mount Ephraim gave William as minister of this church. Living with him was his wife and four children and one servant.
From 1904 to 1910 Rev. W.H.C. Palmer was the minister of the Warwick Road United Reformed Church.
In 1908 Rev. W.H.C. Palmer attended a meeting of the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital. The ‘Hospital World’ dated May 14,1910 reported “ The death of the Rev. W. H. C. Palmer on April 5,1910, who had been a member of the Committee of the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital, was regretfully alluded to at the April meeting, and the secretary, Mr. J. A. Rudd, has forwarded to Mrs. Palmer and her family an expression of the sympathy of the Committee. The vacancy on the General Committee has been filled by Admiral Bacon”.
William Usher was born April 1848 in Manchester and baptised April 19,1848 at St Simon and St Jude in Landshashire, the son of Henry and Mary Usher.
By 1901 he had moved to Tunbridge Wells and was found in the 1901 census as a Baptist minister and medical doctor living with his wife Emma Mary Usher , one daughter and three domestic servants, at 209 Upper Grosvenor Road. William had married Emma in 1875 and with her had five children who at the time of the 1911 census were all living.
The 1911 census, taken at 38 Woodbury Park Road, Tunbridge Wells gave William as a Baptist minister. Living with him in premises of 6 rooms was his wife Emma and one domestic servant.
Probate records gave William Usher of 62 Upper Grosvenor Road,Tunbridge Wells when he died August 23,1928 at 297 Ditching Road . The executor of his 349 pound estate was his widow Emma. William was buried in the Tunbridge Wells Borough Cemetery.
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You recently got a larger order than you predicted. Should you alter a purchase order, then the buy change requisition needs to be properly used, and then the purchase order number will likewise be changed, thus issuing a new purchase order form.
Sadly, the requirement for the use of KPI s Isn’t as known as it needs to maintain SMEs so therefore aren’t used as frequently as they ought to be. Maximum use of pure light has been produced from the design and also the orientation of the properties. The usage of the purchase order in responding to a vendor’s offer, though, will create the purchase order an acceptance instead to an offer. Examples include increasing the amount of a Line Object or altering the metallurgy of a particular component. There are a few excellent and illustrative examples provided below. There are tons of examples of KPI s but it’s very important to understand they’ll differ from business to business and will be based on the specific objectives of a business at a particular point.
Hire purchase is a means to finance Purchasing a new or used vehicle. Purchases might include buying of raw materials from the instance of a production issue or finished goods from the case of a retail firm. It includes money pruchase as well as credit purchase of goods during the year. As it results in increase in the cost and reduction in assets of the entity, expense must be debited while resources have to be credited. The original purchase must be lowered on the books by the quantity of the allowance. The original purchase has to be lowered on the novels by the amount returned by using the purchases returns and checking accounts.
Purchase is the price of purchasing Stock in a period with the intention of sale from the ordinary path of the company. In case of purchase of goods, it’s normally said to happen when the vendor transfers the risks and advantages pertaining to the asset sold to the buyer. Impulse purchases occur with a wide scope of products. However frugal you are inclined to be, at times it’s hard to resist making an impulse buy.
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The sample purchase order format is what You may utilize to generate any style and any sort of purchase order in a simple method. A lot of people think that it’s a legally binding document, although many think that it may be changed everywhere. 1 exception relates to non-recourse debt, in which the loan documents expressly say that, in case of a lack, the lending company wouldn’t have any recourse against the borrower. Though they include the debtor’s promise to pay off the loan, the creditor cannot take legal action to recoup the deficiency if the loan has been used to purchase the residence. The statement of account isn’t the official statement. The individual’s sudden choice to buy something is the outcome of suddenly seeing the item. You don’t demand a purchase agreement to earn the deal legal.
A model sample is only a Specific Way Of format, which may be used in making order order fashion. The version purchase order sample is what it’s possible to utilize to get a notion of a purchase order style. When it’s crucial to earn a sample of an area buy order for the small business and particular reasons, then here are a couple of practical examples and samples of purchase orders, which you may utilize to get ideas. The automobile purchase order sample is just a buy order sample that company can use to get a vehicle. The software buy order sample is to buy software.
Lots of content becomes created everyday. Purchase intent keywords might also be called underside of the funnel ranks, plus they are an essential part of a search engine marketing strategy. While they’re not the only type you need to use on your PPC campaign, they’re among the most important.
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In case the author presents the topic by Means of an internet page, he or she could also opt to put animations and hyperlinks which might be exceedingly valuable. From time to time, he can get to visit the mill or manufacturing plant to get a product so they can get a better idea how that item is made and how it ultimately works. Through the self-teaching procedure, he anticipates problems that a typical user would confront. The ideal author will have strong technical skills, together with strong communication and writing abilities. A technical writer, after assessing her or his audience, knows what they’re attempting to communicate. You do not have to become a full-time technical writer to gain from the class.
The writing needs to to be as straightforward As possible to be in a position to be sure the reader knows the procedure or schooling. Therefore, the planned readers might fail to find the appropriate information from the easily available on-line articles (Martinez, 2008). Nevertheless, readers of specialized writing should also know that there’s lots of times a significant amount of jargon, or phrases with particular usages specifically fields, that they ought to learn before they can effectively comprehend and place on text.
The value of technical writing can be Observed in a number of programs, both in consumer products in addition to the industrial setting. Thus, it is not just seen in the cash it is helpful to create, but also by the ease and security it creates for readers. Besides the unveiling of new goods, it’s also seen in the use of more traditional products and processes.
Then you install the merchandise or Workplace With them to develop into knowledgeable about the merchandise for a customer is Anticipated to do. On occasion the last product simply comprises a listing of Measures to consider as a means to reach an objective. A Good Deal of people still favor a Printed product, particularly if they aren’t confident with computers and other Kinds of technologies. | 2019-04-24T15:46:37Z | http://penyasportpalamos.com/16-rechnungsmuster-word/ |
2000 local time. MT spoke for 37 minutes 25 seconds and answered questions for a further 10 minutes. She did not follow the press release at all closely. Still less did she adhere to the version published in Alistair Cooke’s The Revival of Britain (1989), pp1-17, which includes material removed from the text after the press release had been distributed - for which see CCOPR 765/75 (15 September 1975, informing editors of the deletion and MT The Path to Power (1995), pp358-59).
However, the rather fatalistic tone of much of what is written about Britain by commentators on both sides of the Atlantic is, I believe, misplaced. So I'm very grateful to the SocioEconomic Institute for giving me a splendid opportunity to try and put one or two things straight.
I think most outside observers have noticed that, amid our very well published difficulties, a new debate is beginning—or perhaps I should say an old debate is being renewed—about the proper role of government, the Welfare State, and the attitudes on which both rest. And may I stress that the attitudes are extremely important? Of course, many of the issues at stake have been debated on countless occasions in the last century or two and some are as old as philosophy itself, but the Welfare State in Britain is now at least thirty years old. So, after a long period in which it was unquestionably accepted by the whole of society, we can now do more than discuss its strengths and weaknesses in the abstract language of moral and political principles. We can depart from theory and we can actually look at the evidence and see how it has worked, what effect it has had on the economy, how we ought now to assess it, before we decide what to go on and do next.
The debate centres on what I'll term, for want of a better phrase, the ‘progressive consensus’. I should perhaps say here that things that are called progressive are not always progressive in practice—but of course some of them are. And the progressive consensus, I think, is the doctrine that the state should be active on many fronts: in promoting equality, in the provision of social welfare, and in the redistribution of wealth and incomes.
Now, that’s the end of the quotation on social justice and the means by which that person proposed to bring it about. It so happened that that was written by a former Labour cabinet minister in 1962, but I’m not particularly interested in party politics tonight, because these views have been held in varying degrees by all political parties, in schools and universities, and among social commentators generally. It’s interesting that they’re now being questioned right across the same broad spectrum.
Now, it’s not that our people are suddenly reverting to the ideals of laissez-faire. Nor are they rejecting the social advances of recent decades. It’s rather that they are reviving a constructive interest in the noble ideals of personal responsibility, because in some respects the concepts of social responsibility have turned sour in practice. And we are making an attempt to identify and eliminate errors and fallacies and to consolidate and retrench before advancing further. And it’s in that constructive spirit, and as a former Secretary of State for Education and Science myself, that I'm speaking to you tonight.
Now, I'll try and concentrate on three broad issues, particularly in view of that quotation which I read to you a short time ago, which you’ll remember had some very strange phrases in it. The three issues I'm going to concentrate on are: What are the facts about the distribution of wealth and incomes? Secondly, to what extent is greater equality desired in Britain today? And thirdly, has the economy been strengthened by the promotion of more equality and the extension of the Welfare State?
Now, what I have to say involves quite a number of statistics, because you’ll realise that, with a mixture of a scientific training and a certain period spent in the revenue bar and on dealing with Treasury matters, one has tried to adduce a mass of evidence to support the case which one is trying to put. But I'll try and put the statistics in as human a way as I can, if that is at all possible.
So let me start with the facts. All of you in either science or law—and the wiser ones in politics—will know always one says, ‘First find the facts.’ Now, most people say that the distribution of incomes in wealth in Britain is highly inequitable, that it’s changed little despite the steps taken by government to even it out. And from that assertion, it’s only a short step to two complementary arguments; either that redistribution would greatly swell the incomes of the average man, or that the wealth of the rich is sufficient to finance the substantial extension of the role of the state. I think both are conducive to the attitude that there is something that you can redistribute to make us better off, or, if the state spends more, it’s not we who pay but somehow it’s the other people—neither of them attitudes which I think we would particularly wish to encourage in the modern state.
Now, fortunately for my purpose tonight, a major study has just been published by the newly created Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth and it gives the first proper statistical picture of the changes that have taken place in Britain between the last war and the year 1972–73, the latest year for which figures are [end p2] available. So may I now quickly tell you its findings? Because these are the facts on the distribution of income and wealth in Britain.
Let’s start with income, and of course the relevant income is income after tax. And we find that, in 1972, incomes after tax in Britain were divided up roughly as follows. At the upper end of the scale, the top one per cent of income earners got four per cent of incomes, or four times the average. If you take the top ten per cent, they had twice the average. And if you take the bottom ten per cent, a bit under half the average. Now, if you look at it, from half the average income at the bottom to four times the average income at the top, is not really a very wide range of incomes. It’s not dramatic by any set of rules. Indeed, research has shown that the distribution of incomes in Britain is surprisingly similar to that in Poland—which is a rather shattering conclusion to reach.
Now, that's where we were in 1972. So let us have a look at the changes over the previous forty or so years. And you find then that, taking account of tax, the share of the top one per cent of earners, which used to be 12 per cent, now has … is now 4 per cent. So it’s come down over forty years from about 12 per cent to about 4 per cent. And the share of the taxable income of the poor has not increased to quite such a great extent, but they're markedly better off in relative as well as in absolute terms than they were before the war. Because by 1972 the tax free benefits in cash and kind added about a half to the pre-tax income of a typical household in a bottom ten per cent, and for poor families with many dependants the gain could be nearer 100 per cent.
Now, those are the income figures. They show quite considerable changes over forty years, but at the moment in Great Britain the range of incomes is not unduly wide.
Now, let’s turn quickly to have a look at wealth. Of course, capital assets have been more unevenly spread than incomes in Britain, and this is so in most countries, and for this reason they have been the chief target of the egalitarian critics. Because in Britain it has become almost an undisputed truth that ten per cent of the population owned 80 per cent or 90 per cent of all the assets. But in fact that is not so, because the Royal Commission has now really set out the actual figures. And you find that the top ten per cent of the population over eighteen own less than half of personal wealth when state pension rights are counted as an asset, as they should be.
As you’ll appreciate, even these figures can be misleading, since wealth is normally unevenly distributed between the old and the young and often unevenly distributed between husbands and wives. If these distorting factors were properly allowed for, the picture could look still less extreme. But as with income, there've been enormous changes over the last forty years. Let me just give you some indication. In 1911, the top one per cent of the population owned 69 per cent of the wealth. By 1938, it had come down to 50 per cent. By 1960, it had come down to 38 per cent. And by 1972, it had come down to 28 per cent and to 16.5 per cent if pension rights are included in wealth holdings. So you have had again an enormous redistribution of wealth over the years.
So, if one looks at that, you find that the facts about economic inequality in Britain are these: that the rich are getting poorer and the poor have so far got richer. It’s due both [end p3] to market forces and the actions of government through the tax system. But if you look at the scope for further redistribution now, there's very little left, because it’s no longer the case that taking further money from the rich will make a significant difference to the wealth of the bulk of the population. We've come to the end of that road. Nor will taxing them more heavily pay for much more government spending. So those are the facts on equality over the years and the redistribution of wealth and income, and most of us believe that we have now come completely to the end of that road. So that is the first section: What are the facts?
Whatever ordinary people actually want, there does remain in Britain a powerful and vocal lobby pressing for greater equality, in some cases even, it would seem, for total equality. And one tries to analyse what is it that impels them to do so. Well, of course, one imp- … one pressure is the ordinary desire to help our fellow men. But often the reasons boil down to an undistinguished combination of envy and what might be called ‘bourgeois guilt’. Envy is clearly at work in the case of the egalitarian who resents the gap between himself and those who are better off, while conveniently forgetting his own obligations to those poorer than himself. Bourgeois guilt is that well-known case of guilt and self-criticism that affects people, not only the very rich, when looking the other way at the position of those poorer than themselves. It’s not for me as an individual to criticise their doubts and worries. But as a politician, I must criticise the attempts of such people to impose on others a programme of impoverishment through the medium of the state. Because that brings happiness to no one, except to those who impose it. Because, in a free society, they can give away as much as they want to, to whom they want to, and whenever they want to. They don't have to say, ‘I will only give mine away, if I can compel you to give yours away too.’ [end p4] In a free society, if they believe in pooling their possessions with others, they're welcome to do so.
Now, the point of this section is that it has been shown there is a far less general desire for equality, as opposed to equity, in Britain today than is often claimed. And that is the end of that section. We've looked at the facts about equality. We've looked about whether the people want it—and they don't appear to want further distribution. They're more interested in growth and the creation of wealth.
Now, can I turn to the third section? A vital one: Is what is called ‘socialising’ the National Income good for the economy? Because we rarely have the evidence to look at. The promotion of greater equality, of course, goes hand-in-hand with the extension of the Welfare State and state control over people's lives. Universal and usually ‘free’—in inverted commas—social services necessarily transfer benefits in cash and kind from the richer to the poorer members of the community. So taken together they define rather well this process of socialising the National Income, which occurred in my first quotation.
Now, how far has that process strengthened the economy? Because, if it hasn't strengthened the economy, you haven't the means to carry on, let alone improve your welfare. And one of the lessons we are learning in Britain is that you must, first of all, have the creation of wealth before you can put so much attention on to its distribution.
Now, of course, the public sector has been a large part of the British economy since the early post-war years. And what's happened has been—and I think the figures will amaze you—the government share of the Gross National Product has steadily got higher and it’s been higher than in Britain than in most other countries and today the state controls well over half our National Income. In fact, this year it is about 56 per cent of the Gross National Product is controlled and spent by the state.
Now, of course, the bill has risen sharply too particularly for the private citizen. And in the later fifties and sixties, the increase in tax and social security payments in effect knocked about one per cent off the growth of private spending each year. This is a characteristic of the massive transfer of resources from the private to the public sector and, corresponding to that, an enormous increase in taxation. And this, we think, has been probably one of the major sources of inflationary pressures, because, if you look at the taxes paid by the average wage-earner, you find that the proportion he's paid to the state—that is, the proportion over the control of which he cannot decide; the state does the spending of his money—the proportion steadily increased.
Let me take a typical earner: a man and wife with two children on average industrial earnings. Typical. You find that since 1963, not very long ago, the state has increased its take from the average salary from a negligible 5 per cent to about 25 per cent today. Now, that's the chap on average industrial earnings. In 1963, he used to pay in taxation, direct taxation, 5 per cent of those average earnings to the state. Now, he pays 25 per cent to the state. And, of course, you can imagine what's happened. He's said, ‘Well, I want to keep my net taxed income intact.’ And therefore it has been [end p5] quite a strong factor in his demanding more wages and salaries to replace what in effect he… has been taken away in tax.
So they've press their employers for ever higher wage increases, and this has lead to a relentless acceleration of cost and price increases since that time, since the mid-1950s, when it was 2 per cent per annum rate of inflation, to now when you told us, Mr President, reminded us that it’s 25 per cent. And so, of course, they have also pressed not only for increased pay but for increased growth sometimes financed by inflationary policies. Because, of course, it’s one thing to have increased government expenditure when you've got genuine increased growth. It’s quite another thing to go on increasing government expenditure when you have got no growth. And this is one of the things which, of course, has put many of our budgets into a very difficult position now.
Now, there are many who regard the desire for private spending as rather irrational and unworthy. ‘After all,’ they say, ‘the taxes have financed a substantial growth in the provision of public goods.’ Any economist will tell one that this is a part of increased living standards, but what you find is, that people want to spend their own money to buy what they want when they want it. And they do not regard the substitution of state provided services as equivalent to spending their own money and in their own way.
In a curious way, the attitudes in calling some things ‘free’ has led to the belief that the state services are really an absolute right and a kind of manna from heaven. Now, we've come to the end of that time. They're not manna from heaven. Government expenditure is private taxation or borrowing for which the citizen has to pay. I know you will find that this has a familiar sound with some of the problems that you have to deal with now.
So that is how the average person has reacted to what is called ‘socialising’ the National Income. And you've got this paradox: please, he expects the benefits to come from somewhere, but he's not prepared to go on paying more for them himself. He'll demand increased wages and salaries and sometimes inflationary financed growth to do so.
Now, we've also had a curious effect on the economy on the labour market. Because, as you have more of the expenditure capacity transferred to government—and remember I said that in Britain government controls 56 per cent of the expenditure of the Gross National Product—so more of your people have moved out of the private sector into the public sector employment. And so, when we have had a period of growth in Britain, we've no longer had a pool of labour for your manufacturing and productive industry to draw on. And this, of course, has also had a great distorting effect on the labour market itself. So you've got the difficult effect of taxation. You've got the distorting effect on the labour market itself.
You've also had very heavy taxation on companies. Companies have suffered from a number of factors. First, their profits have steadily reduced. Secondly, they have had to pay increased corporation tax. You found, therefore, that the entrepreneur has been [end p6] able to get less and less back for his effort, and he's not in fact prepared to put the money into his own company or to risk the money in equity, if he's not going to get the return for his effort.
Now, you're aware in Britain that we have had a great wage inflation. And it has been thought impossible, in fact, ever to put on any form of wage restraint, unless at the same time you put on restraint on profits, restraint on prices, restraint on dividends. That also has had a great effect on the economy. If you put restraint on profits, you found, in fact, that you were not making sufficient profits properly to invest for the future. If you put restraint on prices, as we have also done, the prices were not high enough to enable the companies to make enough profit. And so you consequently come up against the position whereby our companies have not been able to get the prices, because of price control, to make the profits which are necessary to make the investment which is necessary to provide the growth and the jobs tomorrow.
Now, can you see where they cycle's got us to? Taking too much into public expenditure has meant trying to raise extra taxes. People have rebelled against that. They therefore have demanded extra wages. The companies have suffered, because we've had to have a certain amount of wage control, with price control, with profit control, so that companies have suffered also from extra taxes, also from loss of profits.
Now, you've had a third economic factor which I must just refer to briefly. Because government couldn't raise all the money it wanted to from taxation, it’s had to resort to borrowing. Because it’s had to borrow so much, it’s had to compete for limited funds, and the interest rates have gone up. Because people could not get a good return from equities, because of profit, price and dividend control, they have often preferred to put their money into government stock. That has again starved the private sector of money with which to develop.
You might think this is all very economic. Of course it is, because what I am describing is the actual experience of thirty years of concentrating on distribution, too much, really at the price of not putting enough into the growth of the economy and creating wealth. And so you can see that we've had problems really brought about by transferring far too much from the private sector into the public sector.
Now, these factors are there for all to see. There have been a number of other problems. You can imagine that if pension funds and insurance funds have not been able to get sufficient back in dividends, that they are in difficulty with keeping up the pensions with the rate of inflation. And one has to remember that the vast majority of dividends, certainly in my country, don't go so much to private holders of equity as to institutional holders of equity for their insurance and pension funds.
Now, these in fact are the economic effects of what has been happening in Britain. Now, you can't in fact ever carry on improvements—and I as a Secretary of State for Education and Science often wanted improvements, often wanted more money for science, for scientific research—unless in fact you get the growth, unless in fact you concentrate on creating the wealth. And, if you're going to take the heart out of people [end p7] by taking away so much of them [sic] in tax, you will find very quickly that you will not have the incentive to get the extra growth.
There is just one other effect that I would like to refer to in Great Britain about the incentive effect of taxation. It has been particularly damaging on middle and upper management, because we've found that the level of tax—and I must remind you that the top level of tax on earned income in Britain is 83 per cent and on unearned income or savings income 98 per cent—the level of tax has been such, that it’s not been possible for our companies to pay our management as much as they could get in other countries in net taxed income. And so we have found that, supposing you took a manager who is on a net taxed income of some eight thousand pounds per annum, and his company wanted to promote him to a top job and give him a net taxed income of twelve thousand pounds per annum. So you'd take him from a job he's in at the moment to a top job, from eight thousand net to twelve thousand net. How much in Britain would you have to give him extra? The answer would be an extra fifteen thousand pounds per annum. And, of course, it hasn't been on.
What you find is, that if you look across the continent in France, you will find that they've been able to pay their managers less but get a much higher net taxed income. And the result has been that if, in fact, British companies put some of their top managers into Europe or elsewhere on French salaries at French levels of tax, they couldn't get them back because we couldn't in fact pay them a big enough gross salary to give them the net income.
Now, all of these in fact have been the economic effects of pursuing far too much equality, and I think we have very much now come to the end of the road. And, in fact, we find that the persistent expansion of the role of the state, beyond the capacity of the economy to support it, and the relentless pursuit of equality has caused, and is causing, damage to our economy in a variety of ways. It’s not the sole cause of what some have termed the ‘British sickness’ but it is a major one.
Now, what are the lessons then that we've learned from the last thirty years? First, that the pursuit of equality itself is a mirage. What's more desireable and more practicable than the pursuit of equality is the pursuit of equality of opportunity. And opportunity means nothing unless it includes the right to be unequal and the freedom to be different. One of the reasons that we value individuals is not because they're all the same, but because they're all different. I believe you have a saying in the Middle West: ‘Don't cut down the tall poppies. Let them rather grow tall.’ I would say, let our children grow tall and some taller than others if they have the ability in them to do so. Because we must build a society in which each citizen can develop his full potential, both for his own benefit and for the community as a whole, a society in which originality, skill, energy and thrift are rewarded, in which we encourage rather than restrict the variety and richness of human nature.
End of quote. That wasn't written by a quiet capitalist who'd escaped from Czechoslovakia. It was a quotation from the action programme the Czechoslovakian Communist party adopted in the Dubcek days of 1968. Unfortunately, of course, Dubcek went. But the lesson is that even they had learned or were learning that the unbalanced pursuit of equality leads to an insufficiency of resources.
Mr President, nothing that I'm saying tonight should in any way been seen as a diminution of our recognised responsibilities to those people who through physical, mental, or social handicap suffer disadvantages. Rather, it is a consciousness that unless we have incentive and opportunity, we shall not have the resources to do as much as we want to do. And having been a Secretary of State for Education, I am the first to understand that.
Second, our second lesson, we must strike a proper balance between the growing demands and powers of the state and the vital role of private enterprise. Private enterprise is by far the best method of harnessing the energy and ambition of the individual to increasing the wealth of the nation, for pioneering new products and technologies, for holding down prices through the mechanism of competition, and for widening the range and choice of goods and services and jobs.
Finally, we must measure the economic and political demands of some of our people against their consequences, and we must have regard to their effect on our political and social framework. In the coming months in Britain, we shall all be thinking particularly of the achievements of the United States in the two hundred years of it’s existence and of the lessons your country can teach the rest of the world. May I therefore conclude with a modest hope that you will also spare a few minutes to learn from our recent experience? Because it shows how essential it is to escape from the facile arguments, which both our countries have experienced, and to reaffirm before it’s too late those true values which both our countries traditionally have shared. Those values have never been more important than they are today.
How about the rest of the world? What do you think of multi-national corporations? Where does England fit in the rest of the world? I've been saying to my friends that we in the United States are probably down the social road twenty years behind England, and I think this is what we have to face, but I think you've gone so far. And I spent three years at Oxford and I love England. My first wife was English and I have a lot of… I have a number of English clients. But I just don't see where you are going. All you said, Mrs Thatcher, was brilliantly said, was an internal, an internal [end p9] statement about England's problems internally. But England is now faced back, having lost the Empire, to a small island with fifty-five thousand people and where—fifty-five million, I beg your pardon. I think you understood that. But, er, but where are you going individually, assuming that you are only with yourself? And where are you going with respect to the multi-national corporations, the Common Market, and the rest of the world?
Yes, now, Mr Wells, if I've only given you the impression that I've given an account of internal things, I haven't got the message across. Because the message really is twofold and it applies to all democracies. First, that although in the early stages you probably pursue equality to reduce inequality, you've got to balance equality with equality of opportunity. The two are entirely different. Equality is one thing. Equality of opportunity is another. The other thing you've got to balance is the demands of the public sector with the kind of incentives that you've got to give the private sector. Now, those are really universal lessons.
Now, what has happened in Britain, I think, is certainly that we have not balanced the latter two. We've got far too much in the public sector and far too little left in the private sector. You have not gained sufficient incentive in the growth sector, which is the private sector, because in Britain 97 per cent of our exports come from the private sector. You also have gone too far in that you've not given enough attention to equality of opportunity, and you've given too much attention to redistribution of incomes. Now, those are universal lessons.
I've tried to outline the way in which I think we should go to try and get our economy right. We mustn't spend money we haven't got. We have been doing quite a lot of that, and I understand that even in parts of this great country you might have problems in that direction, and there are therefore universal lessons.
So all right, we have problems. We have spirit to get out of them. But in the meantime we have been doing quite a good fair international whack in international negotiations, and we're going absolutely along the right road, both as far as commodities are concerned, as far as conserving the use of commodities is concerned, and on recognising that, as well as a redistribution of wealth within nations, there is also going on a kind of redistribution of wealth between the developed and developing nations. We must recognise that and we must in fact see that it goes at a rate that will satisfy their demands and in fact be acceptable to our own peoples. All international negotiations are a matter of acceptable compromise. Please, we're not doing too badly. All right, Mr Wells? [inaudible response]. Oh, you're a great sceptic! [laughter].
You’ll be the next Prime Minister! [applause].
Please, and then I'll turn to my left.
Ma'am, Mrs Thatcher, I think this has been a perfectly exciting evening. I've enjoyed it enormously and your statement of the problems and the policies have been perfectly wonderful. One thing that you overlooked, and which we've had a great problem in the United States, is the fact that, er, we have these little pressure groups who have changed our whole government. They have asked for more than they were entitled to and been able to receive it. The great majority in America has not been organised. As I listen to you this evening, I hear no evidence that the British people, as great as they are, and I'm sure that the great majority want to have the kind of a world that you're talking of, are not organised. How can we get the majority … the majority over-ruling the pressure groups who have special interests beyond anything else?
Now, I went back very carefully over all the economic speeches of the post-war years and I found that sometimes politicians had been saying the right things ever since the end of the last war—‘You cannot live beyond your means’—and then promptly providing budgets where nations did live beyond their means. And what [end p11] happened was that the people said, ‘Well, you say we can't live beyond our means, but for thirty-five years we have been going on expanding our expenditure.’ And then, all of a sudden, they're quite surprised when fundamental truths do actually turn out to be fundamental truths and when reality arrives. Because over-spending gets cumulative and you are now up against reality.
Now, reality is always the best time for politicians to get sound views across. It is also a thing which neither the politicians nor the people can ignore, because it’s a time when you have to take active steps to put things right. And I think the reality has arrived for us. I think, in certain geographical townships and cityships in the United States, reality might have arrived here too. But, you see, it does mean that we too as politicians—and economists, because economists also have a responsibility. There was a school of economics which said, ‘A little inflation is a good thing. It lubricates business,’ and a little got a little bigger, and a little bigger, and a little bigger, and then it got a lot, and then it got out of hand.
Just have a responsibility to return to your sound financial rules. See that they're practised and see that you do get the growth before you get the rising public expenditure. In the end, it will give a higher standard of living and it will give a much better standard of genuine welfare to those genuinely in need. Of course in the welfare services there are other problems of incentives, and those who are not perhaps necessarily those who are quite so genuinely in need as others, and the problems, the gap between what you can earn if you work and what you get without working, which is a fundamental problem too. | 2019-04-22T10:53:02Z | https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/102769 |
Another week, another top 10!
With “Man of Steel” released recently, I figured now would be as good a time as any to deliver my 10, all-time favourite superhero films. I didn’t want to jump the gun just in case “Man of Steel” managed to crack the list and then have to go back and edit it, that’s why I waited. No doubt a lot of you will not agree with my choices, so let me explain a little before hand. I am a huge fanboy and while that does have its perks, it certainly comes with its own set of disadvantages. Such as being unable to admit a film is subpar due to my misplaced sense of invincibility and obsession. So please, while gazing at this top 10, be gentle :).
I’m getting real close to completing this segment’s header image so please bare with me at least for this week. Inevitably, “Captain America” did not make the list but I felt a powerful need to include him in this post whichever way I could.
Also, guys please follow The Cinema Monster on facebook and twitter. There are links to both on the right side of the page. It would mean a lot to me. I know its a hassle, but I just created them and if no one follows, they bare no purpose. I followed everyone on the blogroll already, so just simply go to your followers and follow me back…please :).
Enough witty banter and self-publicity, let’s start the top 10.
Why?: Easily the best in the trilogy. “X-2” sees the mutants band together to defeat a common foe, and while this may be a comic book cliche, I love when it happens. Also, Wolverine vs Lady Deathstrike is enough on its own.
Why?: I am a huge Thor fan and I feel that he is the best Avenger. I was a little weary of his own full-length feature series, but the original proved me wrong and its sequel “Thor: The Dark World” looks fantastic. And…c’mon…Chris Hemsworth.
Why?: Seeing Tony Stark fight his way out of capture, build a formidable, almost indestructible suit, and destroy Jeff Bridges is enough. Let alone the fact that this film without question has the most heart and believability.
Why?: I’ll admit I am not a huge fan of Raimi’s “Spider Man” trilogy. I did enjoy the first film, but the third and final entry was a complete bust. However, the second film is outstanding.
Why?: Remember when I said I’m a fanboy and essentially go into the cinema with blinders on, well, yeah, that’s why. But seriously, this film was amazing, I don’t understand why it’s taking so much heat. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but it was still epic and utterly captivating.
Why?: Odds are, if you’re not a fan of Christopher Nolan’s introduction to his reboot of the Batman franchise, I don’t much care for you as a person. Just kidding…sort of. Between Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow and the fact that my last name is Falcone, I couldn’t resist.
Why?: Directed and written by the masterful Joss Whedon. “The Avengers” is everything you’d expect it to be, and so much more.
Why:? Many argue that it is the greatest superhero movie of all-time. While it’s hard to argue, I must insist there is one better. Nonetheless, with Heath Ledger’s Joker portrayal, the bat-pod, and everything in between, “The Dark Knight” is down-right perfect.
Why?: Christopher Nolan’s immaculate ending to his epic “Dark Knight” trilogy. Many thought he could never top “The Dark Knight,” but I, like many others, feel he did the job.
If you feel that I’ve overlooked a flick or that a film made the list that shouldn’t have, feel free to comment below. Also, if you are interested in contributing a top 10, please let me know. Have a great weekend!
Despite feeling all too much like a video game and suffering from a lack of ferocity that has made the zombie sub-genre what it is today. “World War Z” is able to, for the majority, overcome its unbalanced nature and numerous setbacks to deliver heart-racing thrills, surprisingly tense sequences, and another masterful, yet effortless performance from Brad Pitt in this piece of blockbuster eye-candy that ultimately works. While those, like myself, looking for a faithful adaptation of the source material will predictably be disappointed. “World War Z” should accomplish what it set out to achieve with its family friendly rating, high-profile names like the aforementioned Brad Pitt and Max Brooks, in addition to a big-budget which is, appeasing die-hard zombie enthusiasts and appealing to the summer crowd without alienating one or the other. Although there is little structure to speak of and that the film itself is practically void of an ending, “World War Z” thrives.
Gerry Lane (Pitt) is a former United Nations employee living in Philadelphia. As him and his family sit in traffic, reports of a rabies outbreak has spread. Soon, Gerry and his family are overrun in chaos and destruction as a pack of these infected humans begin destroying the city and infecting others. Managing to escape with the help of an old colleague, Gerry is thrust back into action and must assist a young virologist in creating a vaccine. Gerry is reluctant, but must proceed in order to secure the safety of his family. Some time after, the infected beings are aptly titled zombies, seeing as they crave flesh and are no longer living. Gerry must seek the help of various nations and shady characters in order to find a cure.
Regardless of how successful “World War Z” performs at the box office or is critically received. In the end, one can’t shake the feeling that a supreme opportunity was wasted here. The film is undeniably fun to watch and offers enough fresh material to rise above the typical summer dribble. Nonetheless, an adaption of Max Brooks best-selling novel should have provided more of what makes the zombie sub-genre so compelling. Brooks consistently tackles this version of an apocalyptic plague with brains just as much as brawn and sadly, this adaptation of his innovative best seller really doesn’t offer an abundance of either. That being said, what “World War Z” utterly lacks in ingenuity, it more than makes up for with undead that are almost super-human, cool CGI, and a fluid story that feels like a video game based on mission-objectives.
From the get-go, “World War Z” plants its foundation firmly in intellect and implies that it will further dissect and depict the scientific and physical aspects of this world-wide plague. However, this set-up tails off significantly into rumours, acts of god, and a series of foreseeable cliches. Although it isn’t enough to completely disparage the film, it is rather distracting and really undermines the intelligence of the viewer. The fact that the final draft of the film was edited and reshot significantly, enough to push back its release six months really is discouraging. Yet, considering all the notions that the film was slapped together and salvaged by numerous writers with varying inputs. “World War Z” contains the right amount of visceral characters, breathtaking action, and a plethora of undead beings to triumph.
In all honesty, the number of supremely talented writers it took to adapt “World War Z” is astounding. Each one is talented, as well as experienced and their track records aren’t filled with lacklustre efforts either. With the likes of Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods), Damon Lindelof (Star Trek Into Darkness, Prometheus), J. Michael Straczynski (Thor), and Matthew Michael Carnahan (State of Play), tackling “World War Z” shouldn’t have been the hassle it turned out to be. Nevertheless, while it may have taken more collaborates than needed, the job got done, with a bit of flare I might add. Director Marc Foster, who prior to “World War Z’s” release was still honing his craft and searching for his masterpiece, in my opinion anyway, directs another slightly above average piece, but is still yet to find his true muse. While there is some impressive camera work and Foster undoubtedly knows what he is doing behind the lens, I feel he is yet to realize his full potential.
As for “World War Z’s” cast, which features Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, and Daniella Kertesz. It’s easy to see how one can argue that their performances are what really saved the film instead of its extensive rewrites. As always, Brad Pitt brings his usual subtle dynamism and visceral style, while continuing to build a sterling reputation. James Badge Dale is still one of the most underrated and underused actors in the industry and his performance in “World War Z” just adds fuel to the fire. Daniella Kertesz does a phenomenal job supporting Pitt and seems to have caught everyone off guard. However, while Kertesz gives an outstanding portrayal, I feel that Mireille Enos really stole the show. She easily provides the most honest and terrified take on surviving the end of the world, especially fearing for her children. Everything about her performance is truly believable and endearing.
Although “World War Z” is missing a vibrancy that results in achromatic visuals. Its fast-moving, large-scale battles with the undead and vast destruction of man-made creations save its colourlessness. The direction and storyline, while missing individualism is passable with some good sequences sprinkled here and there. “World War Z’s” performances are seemingly the only consistency throughout the film and while this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, for a film with so much potential and original criteria to compare it to, its hard to get excited over typical cinematic qualities. All in all, “World War Z” succeeds and even though on the surface it’s rock solid, underneath its superficial traits, there is gooey inconsistencies and not much merit. So, take it for what it is, an enjoyable, brainless blockbuster that’s easy on the eyes and tons of fun.
World War Z: 7 out of 10.
Outlandishly complex, visually mesmerizing, and action-packed. “Inception” is an intelligent blockbuster that bursts forth from the screen with all the spectacle and wonder that makes cinema so riveting. With infinite staying-power fortified by unlimited ingenuity, an empathetic human element, and dynamism. “Inception” is easily one of the best science fiction films to ever be released, if not the best. Written and directed by the distinguished Christopher Nolan. “Inception” is a brilliant addition to his already stellar collection of highly memorable films and adds another layer of superlativeness to his stern and bright reputation. Completed by an all-star cast and an absolutely epic score from the incredibly talented Hans Zimmer. “Inception” is an unparalleled cinematic experience and regardless of its intricate story or the grandness of its heart-stopping scale, should stand the test of time (no pun intended).
Dominic Cobb (DiCaprio) is a skilled thief who is somewhat of a master when it comes to the artistic science of extraction. Simply put, Dom can be inserted into anyones dreams and steal their most valuable secrets and information. After a failed job, Dom and his partner Arthur (Levitt) are hired by Saito (Ken Watanabe), the original target, to convince a rival company’s owner to disband his inheritance. This tactic is officially known as inception. Upon recruiting Eames (Hardy), Ariadne (Page), and a few others, the group begins plotting against their target, Robert Fischer (Murphy), unaware that Dominic is hiding a dark and possibly dangerous secret about his late wife Mal (Cotillard).
Very rarely does a film come along that proves to be a game-changer, and in every sense, “Inception” is one of these films. Whether it is the folding over of an entire city, mind-churning paradoxes, or astoundingly choreographed action sequences, “Inception” is deliciously appealing. Granted, a majority of these magical, majestic, delectable scenes take place in a fantastical realm. However it doesn’t degrade the sheer intellect, talent, and innovation infused into every single one of these miraculous scenes. And while the production value and intricacy of these aspects is enough for them to stand on their own. What truly puts “Inception” at another level is the brains that accompany the brawn. Equally matched intellectually and visually, “Inception” is its own excellent contrast. The mind and eyes receive quite the workout, yet, never has a strenuous effort felt so euphoric.
Talk about easy on the eyes. “Inception” has the outwardly striking, abundantly accomplished, and utterly skilled cast to assist in the completing of this masterpiece. Starring the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cottilard, and Michael Cane, amongst other proficient personnel . “Inception” is undoubtedly the full package with an ensemble that knows no weakness.
Literally appealing to every sense, “Inception” is not to be missed by anyone in existence, cinephile or not…and how about that ending?
Inception: 9 out of 10.
Although somewhat far-fetched, “Mother” is an intriguing, violent, and unsettling thriller that never shies away from the darkness in life. Brilliantly depicting the foremost extent in which the protectiveness of kin reaches and how disconcerting and blind this shielding can be. “Mother” is in no way easy to watch. Granted, this film’s heavy, monstrous ferocity and unpleasantness is incredibly difficult to absorb, let alone grasp. Nonetheless, to deny its morals, heart, and appalling nature is to reject what evidently makes us human. However, do not mistake “Mother” as some sort of typical, excessively gory, and unnecessarily malicious film like most of the genre’s trash, it is nothing of the sorts. While “Mother” does deal with some horrific content, what makes it truly despicable, unnerving material is the subtle and unflinching way it is presented. Usually the most terrifying things aren’t something of substance and complexity, rather common and simple with a unique twist.
Do-joon (Bin) lives in a small town in South Korea with his mother (Hye-ja). Do-joon is shy and slightly amiss and distant, however, he is prone to attack anyone who insults his intellect. One day, a girl is brutally murdered and evidence places Do-joon at the scene and the last one to see her alive. Upon being arrested and sentenced to serve jail-time, Do-joon’s mother is convinced her son didn’t commit the crime and sets out to prove his innocence using any means necessary.
Co-written and directed by Joon-ho Bong, director of critically and universally acclaimed films such as giant monster flick “The Host” and detective thriller “Memories of Murder.” Bong will look to continue his rapid ascent to becoming one of the most revered and visionary filmmakers of our time with his first English-language film “Snowpiercer,” which is set for release sometime in 2013. Bong, utilizes facets that he has compiled over time and inducted into his repertoire so faultlessly. They compliment his style so vigorously that each one leads into the other in such a seamless transition, and “Mother” is no different. His intelligent, clever script is bursting with unbelievable tension, grounded characters, and unparalleled sequences of such honesty and relevance. Not to mention his work behind the camera has never been better. “Mother” is easily one of his best films and an argument could be made that it is his most complete and frightening work to date. “Mother” is an all around immaculate job by Joon-ho Bong.
“Mother” is a film who’s success is heavily reliant, rather, judged on the performance of an individual. If this character is not portrayed infallibly, the entire picture falters. Luckily for Joon-ho Bong and company, they found the perfect lead in Hye-ja Kim. Her take on an over-protective, infinitely loving mother is remarkable to say the least. While there is a dark side to her, a method in her madness so to speak. Kim takes these traits and moulds them into tender, generous tendencies that, when compared to their disgusting, violent nurturing origin, are unrecognizable. Honestly, it is one of the best performances I’ve ever witnessed. As for her son, portrayed by Bin Won, who adds a swiftness and innocence to his characters unbalanced, mischievous ways. Provokes an avalanche of sympathy even though his mindset is corrupt. This is a testament to the power of his persuasive performance.
Mother: 8.5 out of 10.
A film that transcends genre labelling with its innovation, ingenuity, and insanity. “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok” is approximately a romantic comedy, but with dark, at times violent, and bizarre twists, containing moments that differ vastly on the cinematic spectrum. “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok” ranges from deviously psychotic to sweetly honest, impassioned, and comical. Writer and director Chan-wook Park somewhat diverges from his usual business of trifling with the ugliness inside humanity to display a more compassionate, creative, and comedic side to his craft that isn’t all doom and gloom. Although its tone is highly unpredictable, shifting from affectionate and charming to tragic and unrestrained, “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok” shouldn’t be too jarring for the occasional viewer. Charismatic, witty, and undeniably enthralling, Chan-wook Park has proven he isn’t just a one-trick pony.
Young-goon works in a factory constructing radios and believes that she is a cyborg. She is institutionalized after she cuts her wrist, shoves a set of wires inside her forearm, and then plugs the cord into a wall outlet in an attempt to recharge herself. Young-goon refuses to eat and only licks batteries in order to recharge. Il-soon, who is also a patient, becomes infatuated with Young-goon. Il-soon thinks of himself as a master-thief and believes he can steal physical and personal traits of other humans. After a brief stage in which the two form an awkward relationship, the two begin to help one another with insane schemes.
Very rarely does a film come along that is such a genuine hybrid. But it does make sense that it would come from the mind of Chan-wook Park. Who has busted stereotypical cinema on numerous occasions, including drama, horror and thriller. Now, with “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok,” Park tackles perhaps his most difficult challenge to date, the romantic comedy. This film is easily one of the most crazy, obscure, and confusing films I’ve ever come across, but it is also one of the best. I don’t think I’ve ever stumbled upon a film that evokes such emotional diversification as “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok” does. While it may be paced slower than Park’s other outings, it is deliberate. During this screen-time, “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok” stretches the viewer’s brain by provoking countless reactions and striking numerous nerves, a truly unprecedented experience.
Chan-wook Park is one of the most iconic, revered, and important filmmakers of our time and “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok” is a terrific example why. Park brilliantly showcases every single one of his illustrious facets throughout this atypical rom-com. Whether it may be his grounded, elemental framing that captures even the slightest detail and movement of his characters or the disheartening brutality of his dynamic scripts. Regardless, what truly makes Park such a praised figure in the cinematic community is his ability to evolve. After completing the “Vengeance” trilogy and generally sticking to darker pictures with heavy, brooding themes. Chan-wook Park unpredictably chose to unleash this hidden gem. While it remains true to his brute force and unruly material. “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok” touches so many fresh ideals and bursts genre and theme misconceptions.
The cast assembled for “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok” is remarkably put together, as there is not a single weakness. From its two quirky, maladjusted leads down to every patient and caretaker at this unsettling asylum we’ve been invited to take temporary residence in. The supporting characters alone make “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok” worth the watch. They astoundingly portray mental illness accurately but add a comical, yet heartbreaking depth and individuality to each role that generates unlimited sympathy and laughs from the audience. Kudos should also be given to the actors who portray the doctors and nurses in the film who perfectly adapt to their roles.
Nonetheless, “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok” has only two leads and they are Jung Ji-Hoon and Im Soo-jung. Essentially what makes Jung Ji-Hoon and Im Soo-Jung work so well together is their ability to feed off one another’s unbalanced behaviour and lunacy. The two have an undeniable chemistry filled with demented and sociopathic tendencies. Despite these flaws, they manage to portray an eccentric, dysfunctional relationship to full comedic and emotional potential.
From the unparalleled mind of Chan-wook Park comes this incredibly unique experience that should appease just about any cinephile.
I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK: 9 out of 10.
Adding much needed depth and humanity to such an illustrious character, who’s storied and intricate history is as delicate as it is powerful. “Man of Steel” has the action, heart, and nostalgia to satisfy both fanboys and newcomers alike. While it may prove to be too bombastic and interwoven for a few critics and harsh naysayers. This polarization is nothing new to the Superman franchise. Nonetheless, “Man of Steel” is a revival with such exuberance, precision and emotion, that it is nearly impossible to resist its charms. However, having been built-up, collated, and magnified with significant importance and anticipation for close to two years. “Man of Steel” was arguably set-up to disappoint and sadly but inevitably, for some this is the case. Regardless, for die-hards, cinephiles, and inner-children everywhere, including myself. “Man of Steel” was well worth the wait and is a fresh, honest, and mesmerizing take on the world’s most famous superhero.
Krypton and its inhabitants face imminent destruction due to an unstable core. To protect their new-born child, Jor-El (Crowe) and his wife Lara launch a spacecraft carrying their son Kal-El (Cavill) to Earth, in order to secure the fate of their race. Upon arriving at Earth, Kal is found and taken care of by his adopted parents Jonathan (Costner) and Martha (Lane) Kent, who rename Kal, Clark. Because of Clark’s Kryptonian physiology, he inherits superhuman abilities on Earth. Soon, Clark and the entire population of Earth are under attack from another native of Krypton.
Written by the immensely successful “Dark Knight” trilogy scribe’s David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan. Who make sure that “Man of Steel” contains all the wonder and amazement of the cosmic superhero’s intergalactic existence, in addition to the grounded and elemental nurturing that fortified the batman re-imagining. “Man of Steel” has all the makings of another fortuitous endeavour, not only for “DC comics,” but all involved. Nolan, who also produced the flick, oversaw most of the film’s creation and was essentially present for the ideal’s birth from Goyer’s mind. Although, clearly stating that he would not direct another Batman film, or superhero film of any kind, Goyer and company had to look elsewhere for someone to helm this reboot. After a slew of high-profile names fell to the wayside, it was visionary filmmaker Zack Snyder who was officially picked to take the reigns.
Upon witnessing the triumphant boom of the Marvel franchise into multiple blockbusters and countless tangents. DC, simply put, had their work cut out for them. Looking to Christopher Nolan for a spark that would ignite a similar explosion, DC completely entrusted him with their future prosperity…and while it is decidedly easier to simplify Batman with a modern, realistic twist. It is near impossible to humanize and ground a hero who was born amongst the stars and soars through space. Be that as it may, with “Man of Steel,” Goyer and Nolan have managed to transform Superman into a dark and brooding character with a heart and mind just as strong as his physical capabilities. All in all, Nolan has been, and will continue to be the catalyst and made sure that the continuation of DC films not only goes smoothly and successfully, but will continue to thrive.
Having director Zach Snyder’s keen eye for detail and jaw-dropping flare coordinating with Nolan and Goyer’s taste for believability, soul, and consciousness makes “Man of Steel” the most unique and honest take on the superhero to ever hit the big screen. The film has an exquisite blend of fast-paced action, atmospheric imagery, and heartfelt relationships that never cease resonating. Snyder’s vision for “Man of Steel” brilliantly collaborates with Hans Zimmer’s epic, melancholic soundtrack, Nolan and Goyer’s disheartening, but bewildering script making the finished product truly something to behold. If you let critical skepticism, minor blemishes, and transitional inconsistencies tarnish the films reputation or influence your opinion, this might not be the picture for you. Take my word for it, set aside the hype and reviews, appreciate this breathtaking rebirth for what it is.
Obviously, without a cast to perfectly animate these features and hard work, the film would utterly falter, luckily, this is not the case. “Man of Steel” stars Henry Cavill in the title role, Amy Adams as the beautiful but brainy Lois Lane and acting heavyweight Michael Shannon as the blood-boiling villain, General Zod. The film’s supporting cast is equally as impressive, if not more so. Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Laurence Fishburne and the surprising Antje Traue solidify what is an outstanding ensemble.
It’s been a while since Kevin Costner has blown any of his co-stars out of the water. Yet, aside from Cavill and Shannon, Costner is without question the most sublime and really reminds us all of his staggering talent. Diane Lane and Russell Crowe aren’t far behind, preparing Clark for the brash and brutal reality of the world’s he is now apart of. The two are formidable in their supporting roles and add another layer of brilliance to an already astounding story. As for Fishburne, who is his usual, intimidating self. One can’t help but feel letdown by his standard performance, however, his role was extremely limited. If I’m being completely honest, I had never seen Antje Traue in a film prior to “Man of Steel,” but now that I have, I am smitten. She really captures the fearless mentality of Faora and if i might add, looks quite good doing so.
Out of the three leads, I’d say that Amy Adams is the most underwhelming. Albeit, that is in comparison to Michael Shannon and Henry Cavill, so a case can be made that it’s more of a compliment than an insult. Yes, she is sweet, cute, and calm in the face of danger. I’m not implying she performed horribly, I’m stating that Lois Lane in general was somewhat underwhelming. Which should be the case considering “Man of Steel” is dealing with the origin story of the man himself, not her. The severely underrated and tragically underused Michael Shannon finally gets his due as a ruthless, violent, determined villain who’s primary goal is to guarantee the safety of his people. One can tell that Shannon has always had this dark, primal catharsis waiting to be unleashed deep down inside. Now, finally, Shannon has burst into the mainstream and will hopefully stay there. Shannon delivers a powerhouse performance.
Henry Cavill is Superman: the body, the hair, the voice, everything. I don’t know how else to put it. His acting is superlative, he clearly got in incredible shape for the picture, so he obviously invested heavily in the role. Everything about his emotional range, mannerisms, even the way the suit fits him is enough to send chills down your spine.
“Man of Steel” offers a never-ending series of heart-racing action seqeucnes that look anything but contrived or inauthentic. One thing on everyones mind prior to the film was how Cavill would look while flying, and thankfully, these segments look dignified. Snyder should gain a stronger fan-base with “Man of Steel” considering his preceding films left audiences divided to say the least. For those Superman enthusiasts, be sure to look out for a few easter-eggs throughout the film. They’re sort of like subtle nods to the audience, a way of saying thank you and we appreciate you.
Man of Steel: 8.5 out of 10.
Deftly paced, emotionally gripping, and psychologically advancing. “The East” is a socio-political thriller that never mistakes revenge for a lack of heart. Piling on the tension to an almost unbearable extent and performed with graceful precision and a relentless thirst for justice. Co-writers Brit Marling and Zat Batmanglij have once again created a taut character-study oozing with conscientious-awareness and founded upon eco-friendly tendencies. While parts of “The East” may feel somewhat like a retread of the duo’s previous effort “The Sound of my Voice,” any correlation between the two is soon disparaged. Yes, it may deal with similar themes such as infiltration, self-realization, and influence. Nonetheless, “The East” is Marling and Batmanglij’s most complete offering to date and sees their potential continue its rise to an even brighter future.
Sarah moss (Marling), a former FBI agent, is a high-level operative for the private intelligence firm Hiller-Brood. She is commissioned to infiltrate a terrorist organization called The East and report back with the groups next targets. Upon gaining the trust of the charismatic leader Benji (Skarsgard) and next in command Izzy (Page), Sarah begins to unveil intel to her boss. As time passes, Sarah becomes infatuated with the group’s members and ideals.
The first few moments of “The East” strike a strong note of consciousness that resonates throughout the entire film and never disperses or weakens. It is followed with wave upon wave of allegory that inflicts an ocean of inward assessment regarding environmental duty and industrial intoxication. It may leave a bitter taste with its blatancy, unorthodox approach, and alarming nature. Nevertheless, it is a controversial wake-up call that is extremely difficult to look away from. Ultimately, “The East” isn’t easily dismissed upon completion. It acts much like a splinter, stinging and constantly drawing your attention and ire until it is dealt with. I’m not implying that it will force you to drop sanity and necessity to go and save the world. Yet, it will enlighten your point of view and illuminate these troubling matters at hand so one day we can make better, more informed decisions about the planet, and more importantly, our future.
Amongst these immense matters, it would be easy to lose sight of the human element. After all, the safety of our environment directly affects our longevity and its security. It might seem a bit selfish, but the concern about our habitat is based in majority on our dominance of this planet. Amazingly, Marling and Batmanglij have managed to bottle these enormously important topics and infused them with our heart and soul. What good would the preservation of Earth be if we weren’t around to enjoy it? While we are treated to an abundance of vantage points, each one is unique and connects with different people on vastly different levels. Which, evidently makes “The East” an outstanding experience for all involved, cast, crew, and audience.
Perhaps the most beautiful thing about “The East” is its dissection of every facet that compiles our existence. It doesn’t solely focus on saving and bettering our planet. It tackles industry, poverty, indifference, humanity, etc… Everything is entangled and attached in this metaphorical web and each aspect is torn down until its roots are bare. There are a lot of wrongs that need to be righted in our current state and awareness is a huge step that seemingly the majority of us are afraid or unwilling to take. I’m not trying to preach as I am just as clueless and motionless as the next when it comes to eco-preservation. It is simply gratifying to know that some are taking the initiative to better our world. It might sound cliche or corny, nonetheless, it is something that needs to be dealt with in order to fortify our existence and evolution.
I think that is enough of a disembowelment towards our humanity, existence, and the film itself in general. I’ll move on to the technical aspects of the film and its performances. “The East” stars the aforementioned Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard, and Ellen Page. The biggest surprise, well, at least for me anyway, was Alexander Skarsgard’s performance, he easily dominated the entire film. Page and Marling were also incredibly impressive, but not on the same scale. Possibly because I expected them to be terrific and I had no idea what to expect from Skarsgard. Considering the significance of the film, overshadowing the star-power was a concern entering the theatre. However, this turned out to be a wasted worry as the cast, in its entirety, matched the story’s intensity, subtlety, and brilliance. As for Zat Batmanglij, he continues to perfect his craft as “The East” holds, without question his best work from behind the camera.
Tremendously acted, superbly filmed, and just impeccably solid all the way through. “The East” is an immaculate depiction of our society, its flaws, and how we can ultimately correct them.
The East: 8.5 out of 10.
Despite an ending that leaves a bit too much for the imagination to chew on. “Sound of My Voice” is an entrancing thriller with a pair of phenomenal performances from its two leads. Rising above its restricted budget with hauntingly beautiful content and an unsettling hypnotic effect. What is most disturbingly scary about “Sound of my Voice” is the impending vulnerability that is near impossible to resist. As the story progresses, we are forced to abandon this initial feeling of invincibility until it completely trails off into unfamiliarity. Ultimately, we are forced to accept that there are things that we do not know, that we don’t have an answer for. It’s a bittersweet, tingling experience. While the thrilling factor does tail off slightly. It is efficiently replaced with an undistinguishable yearning for answers to the unknown.
Peter (Denham) is a substitue teacher living in Los Angeles with his girlfriend Lorna (Vicius). The two are embarking on their first undercover journalism project. The target is a small cult run by the mysterious and beautifully striking Maggie (Marling). After Peter and Lorna finish the long and excruciating initiation tests, the cult deems them ready to finally meet Maggie. Upon stripping, showering, changing clothes, and being blindfolded. Peter and Lorna are taken in a van with other new recruits to an undisclosed location. Upon completing the final test, which is a secret handshake, Peter and Lorna come face to face with Maggie. She claims to have woken up naked, in a bathtub, with no memories or knowledge of who she is. Eventually regaining her strength and some mental imagery, Maggie concludes she is a time-traveler from the year 2054.
Directed and co-written by Zal Batmanglij. Who appears to have finally broken through after his directorial debut, The Recordist, was slightly subpar. Now, he has arguably one of the most anticipated films of 2013 in “The East” and seems well on his way to making a name for himself. The same can be said for the radiant and mesmerizing Brit Marling. Who not only stars in the film, but co-wrote it as well. Marling is that rare breed of beauty, brains, and brawn and is slowly emerging as one of the top actresses in the business. Marling, best known for her multi-faceted role in “Another Earth,” is garnering more attention from high-profile gigs. After starring alongside Robert Redford and Shia LaBeouf in the recently released, “The Company You Keep.” Marling is set to co-star Batmanglij’s “The East” with Ellen Page and Alexander Skarsgard.
Apart from a jittery, premature, seemingly non-existent final act. “Sound of my Voice” almost plays its indie, low budget characteristics perfectly. Nevertheless, by the time the climax roles around, it’s exceedingly hard to stay mad at Batmanglij and Marling. In the end, these tiny inconsistencies are translucent and easily forgiven. One thing that Marling and company know definitively is that there is a vast difference between seductive and sedating. Which is why they’re able to exploit these exceptional traits. Using them to lure the viewer in and then begin lulling us into a state of defencelessness. Concluding in the audiences inability to conjure up individualistic thoughts and ideals, effectively simulating the main objective of a cult. “Sound of my Voice” and its creators not only know what they’re doing, but are able to do it astoundingly well.
Besides Marling, the cast features Christopher Denham, who is absolutely skyrocketing and the diverse Nicole Vicius. Without question, Marling gives the most illuminated performance as a devious and immaculate cult leader from the future. Her voice carries a depth filled with harmony and pleasure, and for such a transience thing, it has remarkable ambience. Nearly matching Marling’s exquisite portrayal is Denham. His pretentiousness and anger, however misinformed, is totally believable. Heading under cover to infiltrate a dangerous cult. Denham delivers the steady-handed, emotionally vacant goods. Lost in the charisma of Marling and Denham’s performances is Vicius, who does a terrific job in her supporting role. Without her as somewhat of a foundation, the film would helplessly falter.
Unbearably tense and at times vividly horrific. “Sound of My Voice” is an outstanding thriller filled with resonating performances from the entire cast.
Sound of My Voice: 8 out of 10. | 2019-04-26T12:44:18Z | https://thecinemamonster.wordpress.com/2013/06/ |
What does it look like when the Spirit of God is at work in your church?
To answer that question, we’re first going to look at the comparison Paul makes in Ephesians 5:18.
This comparison is basically the setup for the rest of the verse and so if you’re going to understand the rest of the passage, it helps to begin with this comparison. When Paul says “and do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” he’s making a comparison. It’s actually probably better to say he’s making a contrast and it’s a contrast that at first seems a little strange for us.
I understand that we’re not supposed to get drunk with wine and I understand that we’re supposed to be filled with the Spirit but why does Paul mention these two things back-to-back? Why does he say “and do not get drunk with wine” and then in his mind he thinks that is an appropriate contrast to being filled with the Spirit?
The reason Paul mentions these two commands back-to-back as a “put off” and a “put on” is because he’s really describing two radically different kinds of lifestyles. He’s talking about two radically different ways of living. The first way of living, “do not get drunk with wine,” is a foolish lifestyle. If you look down at the text you’ll see how Paul commanded us in verse 15, he says, “Look carefully then how you walk. Not as unwise but as wise.” And then in verse 17 he says, “Therefore do not be foolish.” This way of living that he describes at the beginning of verse 18 is just an expression of how a foolish person lives.
Being controlled by a desire for earthly pleasure is living this life in a foolish way like an animal.They are thirsty, these people, and the thing they look to to satisfy their thirst is earthly pleasure which is why this is such a good place for us to start as a church. When we think about: is the Spirit of God working in this church? here’s the question we need to begin with: where as a church are we looking to for ultimate satisfaction? We’re talking about control.
Is the Spirit of God filling this church? Well, what is it that is really in control of what we do and what we think and the way we live our lives out? Is it the same thing as the world? A desire for pleasure, earthly pleasure? Is our appetite for earthly pleasure what controls us? Is that the center of our lives? Are we controlled by a lust for more? We need to ask that because there’s a lot of religious activity that is trying to use God the same way a drunk uses alcohol. A drunk looks to alcohol and stuffs his face with alcohol because of his passion for pleasure now and that’s the way many people are in terms of their relationship with God. The reason they’re excited about church, the reason they come to church, why they do what they do at church is all about pleasure now. How can I use God to get what I want now?
What happens when we’re controlled by earthly pleasures and not the Spirit, it produces chaos in our lives and in our relationships. Paul says it’s debauchery. It leads to wildness.
It’s kind of like, I think, if you can imagine you enter a room, there’s a lot of people, this is the foolish lifestyle, this is the way many people are living in their life, it’s the opposite of being controlled by the Spirit, but there are many people, and it’s sort of like if you enter a room and you can imagine in this room there are all kinds of instruments, there is a drum, there is a guitar, there is a piano, there is a keyboard, there is a trumpet. And these people enter the room and with the foolish person, the foolish people, it’s like they go into the room and they’re taking these instruments which could make beautiful music but they’re going wild just playing these instruments as loudly as they can with no clue how the instruments are supposed to work and that’s what’s happening in our world. God has filled this world with all sorts of instruments that give him glory and are intended to bring us pleasure but the world doesn’t know how to use them in a way that honors God and so what we hear is chaos, chaos. Loud crazy chaos.
And one of the ways we can tell something is happening in our church is that we are in the process of stopping misusing the instruments God’s placed in this world and as a result that loud crazy chaotic noise is being turned down a bit in our lives and in our relationships. Meaning, more specifically, that the church that is filled with the Spirit has turned and is turning from being controlled by desire for earthly pleasures like alcohol. They’re not foolishly trying to find ultimate satisfaction in things that are not satisfying and instead they’re being driven by a thirst for something that does satisfy, something that does last, something that is more significant than earthly pleasure and that is the gospel, God and the person and work of Jesus Christ.
So, if we want to know if we are filled with the Spirit, the first place to look is at this comparison.
What is controlling you? What is it that controls you?
The days are evil, where do you turn to for satisfaction? Are you stuffing your face with more and more earthly pleasure now, is that what controls you? Well, that’s the opposite of a life that is controlled by the Holy Spirit.
Why is it important to gather as a church week after week?
We are looking at Hebrews 10:19-25 to answer that question.
As you look at verses 22 through 25 you see that after laying the groundwork in verses 19-21, (this is who you are, and this is who Jesus is), the writer of Hebrews draws out three main implications for our life together as a church.
I think those three implications give us a good grid for what’s supposed to be happening when we gather as a church.
The first purpose we get together has to do with God. Obviously.
If we have the right to free access to God and that right has been purchased for us at such a high price, the blood of His Son, then we ought to use it.
Can you imagine if God had said to Adam after he was kicked out of the garden of Eden, that he had the right once again to go back into the garden, where he would enjoy that special access to God, what would Adam have done, of course he would have gone back in? And can you imagine an Israelite, walking around the tabernacle and being told, he could enter into the holy of holies in order to enjoy God’s special presence, what he would have done? He would have been frightened I think, but what a privilege.
And the writer of Hebrews is saying in a sense, that is what God has done for us through Christ, he’s made it possible for us all to enter the special presence of God, through the work of Jesus and of course, with this kind of privilege open to us, we should use it.
We gather together for God-centered reasons. We gather together to commune with God, to approach Him, to worship and pray.
We need this more than we need anything else in our lives, we need to be with God, to draw near, and how we do that, exactly?
A big part of how we do that is through community. That’s why these commands are tied together here. It’s not just drawing near in your prayer closet, though you need to do that, but here it’s us drawing near.
Now, that I hope should be pretty obvious. But, what I like as I look at verse 22, is how the writer gives us some specific instructions on the way we should approach God as we gather.
Let us draw near with a true heart. Let us draw near in full assurance of faith. With our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
In other words, when we gather to approach God, our worship should be sincere.
Draw near with a true heart tells us that we are not gathering together to manipulate or fool God into giving us what we want through our religious activity.
This is a drawing near that should start with a sincere desire for God and a willingness to obey Him.
I would hope that would mark our weekly get togethers, that we are coming to God with people who are done with playing games.
Second, our worship should be confident.
Draw near with full assurance of the faith tells us that we are not gathering together because we are frightened about God’s attitude towards us. This is a drawing near that is motivated by a confidence and certainty that God is for us because of what we know is true from the gospel.
And third, our worship should be based on a genuine, existing relationship with God.
He says, draw near with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water, and honestly that is a little bit of a complicated phrase, what does it mean, but at the very least, notice it is past tense which means it is something that is done and it is imagery, we are talking about people who are forgiven – their hearts have been sprinkled clean and who have been identified as Christians – their bodies have been washed with pure water – which may mean the same thing as hearts sprinkled basically, it could be synonymous, or it could mean they have identified themselves with the body of Christ through baptism.
Obviously, we love if people who aren’t Christians come and join us on Sundays, that is great, they have a chance to hear the gospel, but this gathering, is primarily for Christians; the goal isn’t to get a lot of non-Christians to like what we do on Sundays, we come together as believers to worship God and to be changed by God and we go out from here to share the gospel with the lost and make disciples.
A second purpose of our gathering together is found in verse 23, and it has to do with you.
We as believers, we have this amazing future salvation in store for us, that’s part of our basic confession, but right now, there are a lot of things that can tempt us to lose sight of that hope or give up on that hope. I picture it a little like being in the middle of the ocean hanging on to a plank of wood, waiting for the plane to come rescue us, and we know it’s coming, but sometimes we get tired, treading water out there, and we want to give up and give in, and a big part of the purpose of this book of Hebrews is to encourage us to persevere.
But this persevering isn’t only an individual thing, to keep hanging on to our hope, God’s given us help, and one of the primary helps we have is each other.
This is something the writer says more clearly back in Hebrews 3, verses 12 and 13.
Which is a warning. Take care. Watch out. There is a danger you face.
What is that danger you face?
It is that you develop an evil, unbelieving heart and what will that heart do, it will cause you to fall away from the living God.
How do we take care then? How do we watch out?
Deep, biblical, relationships, that’s how you watch out that you don’t develop an evil, unbelieving heart.
How serious is this though? What happens if you don’t develop these kinds of relationships?
What happens if you are not exhorting one another day after day is that sin lies to you and it lies to you so much that your heart which once might have been soft towards the truth slowly grows harder and harder until you can characterize it as evil and it leads you to fall away from the living God, in other words, you stop holding fast to your confession of hope.
There are some people who think of themselves as really strong spiritually, but if you don’t have regular relationships with other believers, where you are gathering together to remind each other of the truth, then it doesn’t matter how strong you are right now, it’s not going to be too long until you are fairly weak.
I could be the strongest guy in the universe physically, but if I don’t eat for two weeks, you know I am not going to be that strong any longer, and the same is true spiritually, we gather, because you need these gathers if you are going to hold fast to your confession of hope.
A third reason we gather is each other.
When the New Testament talks about why we get together, the primary reason it gives is to help each other grow spiritually. We might think the primary reason is to worship, and of course it is to worship, but we can worship God anywhere, obviously and we need to, one of the specific reasons this gathering is so important is because it is a unique opportunity to grow spiritually as believers.
In other words, one of the primary ways we obey this command to stir up one another to love and good works, is through this weekly gathering that we have. This is how Paul when he talks about spiritual gifts and the way they operate in the church, this is how he saw the purpose of our gatherings.
This is why we do what we do when we gather. It’s for helping each other love God, obey God, and do what’s right.
In fact, this is interesting and I think we sometimes miss it, but this is a big part of why we sing.
You say, why do I sing in church? To praise God. Yeah of course. To encourage myself.
But Paul tells us also, it is to help each other grow.
I think we have all met people whose basic approach to life is that of a taker. Every relationship, their default mode, is to take and they don’t really think outside of that, about how they can serve the other person. And there are people who approach these gatherings that we have as a church like that. This getting together is about them. If they feel like it they come. A good time on Sunday is when they had a good time on Sunday. That was good worship service because it made me feel good. They, what they want, their perspective, it is the lens through which they view everything, they are takers. But that’s not the right way for us to approach this gathering, this is about helping each other, love more, obey better. You come here as a believer for each other.
That’s why I preach and why you should listen, you should be listening so you can learn better how to love God and other people throughout the week. That’s part of why you give so I can study all week long, so I can help you be better at loving God and others. That’s why the guys lead the singing, they are thinking how can we encourage the people who come to hold on to their hope, to see the glory of God, how can we lift them up. That’s why some of us clap our hands when we sing, we are thinking, how can I help this other person focus on God better and feel more comfortable to express their love for God. That’s why many of you get here early, so you can talk to others and get to know them. That’s why some of you have developed the cd ministry and done bulletins, you are thinking how can I help my brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s why some of you try to talk to people who are new here for the first time, that’s why you invite people to your gospel communities, that’s why you stay around for a little while after church because you want to see how you can be an encouragement.
I don’t want you to think of these gatherings on Sunday as a show that you come to watch, because a show doesn’t care about you, if you are there or not, it doesn’t matter, someone is going to fill the seat. Instead, think of these gatherings as a meeting of the family, and so you don’t usually go to family gatherings in order to be entertained or to get your needs met, you go because you love the people, and you want to be of help to them.
Specifically, the writer says you need to consider how to spur one another on.
That’s part of why don’t give up on gathering with your church family.
What he’s saying is you need to have a group of believers, whom you are specifically thinking deeply about helping. That you are so committed to, that you are willing to put yourself out so they can move forward in Christ, and obviously obeying this command is not going to end with our gatherings on Sundays, but it needs to start here.
Why is it important to get together with your local church week after week after week?
We are looking at Hebrews 10:19-25 to try to understand a biblical answer to this question.
We began by looking at what it says about our need for gathering together. Today I want us to think about what it teaches about the reasons for our gathering.
In other words, we are going to take a step back here for a minute and think about the motivations for getting together like this. I know that some of us don’t always like to think about why we do what we do, but we need to, because motivations matter, and what we are after is not just getting together for the sake of getting together or doing what we are supposed to, there are reasons.
If you look at the text, you will notice that the writer is making an argument.
We know that because he begins with the word therefore.
Therefore, these are the implications of what I have just said for the way in which you live.
That’s an argument, that means there’s a reason behind these commands, this is in other word, in light of what I have just said, that’s why this is significant.
And honestly, you know, as we come to this text, I think that word therefore can be a little intimidating because we are in Hebrews 10 and we might wonder how in the world can we gain the argument of the whole book of Hebrews quickly enough to be able to understand what we need to in order to follow the argument and appreciate the implications that we find in these verses before us.
But the good news is as we keep reading these verses we see that the writer of Hebrews helps us by summarizing what we need to know in verses 19 through 21.
You can see how he does that when says, “Therefore brothers, since we have” in verse 19 and then again in verse 21, “and since we have…” and when he uses that word since, it is kind of like he’s quickly drawing our attention to the main points he wants to have in our minds as we think about the exhortations we are going to read about our lives as a church.
And those two main points are, verse 19, one, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is through his flesh.
And two, verse 21, since, we have a great priest over the house of God.
Let us, let us, let us.
So you can sort of see the flow of the passage. It’s two realities, two sinces, and three implications. It’s kind of like here are your privileges as a church and then here are your responsibilities, and what I wanted you to see and this is what I am emphasizing, is that he doesn’t simply tell us our responsibilities, what to do as a church when we gather, he gives us reasons, he helps us understand the significance of our gathering together, he makes an argument.
And that’s important because there are lots of people throughout the world that gather together for lots of different reasons, but when you think about this gathering, the gathering together of the church, there’s a unique kind of reason for it, and it’s important you understand that unique kind of reason because it’s not really all that exciting if you just go to church and attend, but you don’t really understand the gospel reasons behind going. What we are hoping for when we talk about gathering is not just people who come weekly and don’t really know why they are getting together.
Now if you want to know why a lot of people go to church and why they make a priority out of gathering, it is because they think going to church and what they do at church, somehow that activity can make them right with God or get God to like them or keep them right with God.
But that’s not the reasons we gather. The reasons we gather have to do with what God has already done for us and is doing for us through Jesus.
The first reason the writer of Hebrews gives us in verse 19 is because we have the right to come into God’s presence.
He says, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.
Which might sound funny to you because of the word holy place and this talk of a curtain, being Jesus’ flesh. But really what he’s doing when he uses those ideas is trying to help us appreciate what a big privilege we have as a church by connecting the story of our lives to the great story God’s been writing in the universe.
There were these people in the Old Testament, you know them, the Israelites, and God had a unique relationship with them, they were His people, and they had a unique privilege in that God dwelt with them in a special way, in this place that was called the tabernacle and later the temple. This was like God’s house. And in that tabernacle there was a special part, called the holy place and then even beyond that and behind a curtain, there was a place they called the holy of holies, which was like God’s inner sanctuary and of course there were all kinds of rules about how to go into the holy place and approach God’s special presence, and then even who could go into the holy place, it wasn’t just anybody, it was a select group of people, and they had to make all kinds of preparations to do it and then into the holy of holies, only the high priest could go, and he had to take blood, he couldn’t just enter, he had to offer a sacrifice for his sin so that he wouldn’t be consumed when he came close to God.
What the writer of Hebrews is saying here is as he turns from this story in the Old Testament to look at the church is that we as believers, we all have the confidence, and many would actually translate that word authorization, because they don’t think it so much refers to our attitude as it does to something objective, real, and what he’s telling us is, we all have the right to enter the holy places, we all have the right to enter the inner heavenly sanctuary of God.
That’s really the first thing for me that makes this gathering of people so significant; it is that the church is a gathering of people who all have the right to stand in the presence of a holy God. I mean, imagine that. There are all kinds of people all over the world who are gathering together, and they are even groups of people who are gathering together to worship, and they are doing all these things, but it’s of no use, because they are children of wrath, they are enemies of God, they are still in their sins, how is that exciting, but when you are with a group of believers, you are with the people of God, you are with what you might call a set apart or holy priesthood, you are with a group of people, who have absolutely free access to the majestic and holy Creator of the Universe.
And that makes what is going on when those people get together pretty significant, because God looks on it with favor, and we know He does because it’s not based on their efforts, but this authorization or right to come into His presence, is based on the work of Christ, the writer of Hebrews says we have this authorization by the blood of Jesus, and then he explains it further, by the new and living way that he opened up for us through the curtain, that is through his flesh.
When we gather on Sundays, this is not a group of desperate people trying to manipulate God into liking them, this is people who have the right to be before God because of what God’s done for them through Jesus.
And we might add to that, what God’s doing for them through Jesus, because the writer of Hebrews does.
A second way that the writer of Hebrews demonstrates the significance of our privileges as a church is in verse 21, where he says, “since we have a great priest over the house of God” and in saying that, it’s like he’s drawing our attention from each other and this free access we have to the one who is in charge of us and what’s going on, the head of the church, and that’s Jesus and what he’s saying is that Jesus, this one we come to worship, is not dead, he’s very much alive and he is at work, as priest over his house, which is the church.
And honestly if you want to know better what that means, you might just study the book of Hebrews, because there is so much of the book of Hebrews that is written to explain that but for now, what I want you to understand is that as we talk about gathering together as a church, we are not starting with, hey to be a good person and to get God to like you, then you need to do this and go to church every week, instead we are starting with, man look at what you have as believers, you have the right to enter into God’s presence, and you have this glorious Savior who is alive and who is at work, ministering, serving on your behalf, and that reality, those truths aren’t just there to look at, they have implications, they should change you.
I know and you know that there are people who might look at the church gathering together, and ask what is so big about that?
What is so big about that is what these people get to do. They have access to God. And what is so big about that is the One they worship, the One is who in charge of them, it’s the great High priest, Jesus Christ, God’s Son.
That’s the reason for our gathering, it is the gospel. And you know maybe I can add to that, these truths are so important to get right, because they should change the way we gather as well. If we are just coming here without knowing these reasons, we are going to tear each other apart in the long run. But, look, we are coming here confident in Christ, knowing that He’s the purpose, He’s the one who saves us, and that, believing those truths enables us to have real fellowship and community. | 2019-04-19T22:48:54Z | https://joshuamack.blog/tag/church-2/ |
There are 50 pet friendly assisted living facilities in SAN JOSE, California. Call (877) 311-8349. These senior living facilities in SAN JOSE allow various pets, such as dogs, cats and others. Costs and pet policies vary in each of the 50 facilities.
Meridian Manor 2 rcfe provides pet friendly assisted living care in San Jose, California. The senior living facility can provide accommodation to a maximum of 3 pet owners at a time. With a location at 5486 Yale Drive, in the 95118 area code inside Santa Clara county, Meridian Manor 2 rcfe provides assistance and support not only to older adults, but to their pets as well. Meridian Manor 2 rcfe includes assisted living services such as help with taking a bath, getting dressed and individual care plans. This senior care facility accepts Medicare and Medicaid.
Belle's Haven specializes in providing pet friendly assisted living in Santa Clara county, California. Up to 6 seniors can take advantage of its services and choose from multiple assisted apartment layouts. Belle's Haven recognizes the importance of pets in seniors’ lives. Although cats, dogs and other pets are welcome, there are some pet related rules and restrictions. Belle's Haven can provide aid with bathing, dressing and incontinence care to any pet owner senior citizen in San Jose, CA and surrounding areas. Belle's Haven is located at 274 Clearpark Circle, 95136 and supports seniors with Alzheimer's disease.
When looking for an assisted living facility in San Jose, California that allows pets, consider Bonhomie Iii - Lena Drive. This pet friendly assisted living facility is an excellent luxurious senior care option. It has a total of 6 assisted living apartments and includes services such as pet care, walking trails and staff available 24/7. Its license number is 430708594. Bonhomie Iii - Lena Drive provides senior living not only to San Jose older adults, but also to all Santa Clara county pet owners as well.
If you have a cat or a dog and also need help with daily living, Friendship House can help you or your loved one to find the assistance and personal care you need in San Jose, California. Friendship House has a maximum capacity of 6 older adults who want to live with their pets and includes amenities such as on-site café, transportation services and apartment cleaning. Senior dog owners can enjoy the companionship of their pet at Friendship House. There are pet related rules that senior pet owners are expected to follow when staying at Friendship House.
Live@home can accommodate 6 retirees who have a pet and offers services such as monthly doctor visits, regular health checkups and an on-site nurse. This pet-friendly personal care facility is located at 4858 Poston Drive, and it is fully equipped to provide assisted living to San Jose, CA older pet owners. Live@home has certain pet related rules and restrictions in place.
Situated at 4191 Ruby Avenue, inside 95135 zip code area in Santa Clara county, Maharlika's Home provides pet friendly assisted senior living to San Jose, CA cat and dog owners and includes services such as group outings, scheduled picnics with residents and families and numerous entertainment options. Maharlika's Home can house up to 6 older adult pet owners at a time and provides multiple pet amenities and services to San Jose residents.
Located at 1195 Yosemite Ave. , San Jose, California, 95126, Hanchett Park House can help any Santa Clara county pet owner who requires senior living assistance and includes services such as Internet, help with laundry, communal kitchen and more. Hanchett Park House can provide pet friendly assisted living to no more than 6 San Jose residents at once. Hanchett Park House recognizes the positive effect of pets on lives of senior citizens and welcomes pets. Certain pet related rules and restrictions apply. It is licensed by California with license number 435201927.
Retirees looking for senior living communities in San Jose, California that accept pets will find Bonhomie Iv - Willowmont, located at 1583 Willowmont Avenue inside 95118 zip code as a wonderful choice for all of their personal and pet care needs. Bonhomie Iv - Willowmont is pet friendly, so Santa Clara county seniors can continue to enjoy the companionship of their pets while getting all the senior care services they need, such as round-the-clock caregiving, help with moving around and more. Bonhomie Iv - Willowmont is able to care for up to 6 older adults and allows seniors to stay with cats or dogs under certain pet-related rules. California records indicate 430708589 license number for Bonhomie Iv - Willowmont.
Located at 673 N. Monroe Street in Santa Clara county, Monroe Residential Care Home enables pet owners in San Jose, CA as well as those who live in surrounding areas to receive assisted living care. This pet friendly senior living facility includes amenities such as medication set-up and reminders, a wellness center and emergency pendants. Living with a pet at Monroe Residential Care Home is possible for up to 6 San Jose older adults. Monroe Residential Care Home has an official license to provide senior living accommodations for Santa Clara, CA seniors who are dog and cat owners, with license # 435294175.
Seniors with cats who require assisted living in San Jose, California can take advantage of Perlie's Care Home For The Elderly, situated at 3113 Bagworth Court. Perlie's Care Home For The Elderly provides amenities such as on-site hair salons and grooming, daily fitness activities and gourmet dining. Seniors with cats, dogs and other pets are welcome at this facility. Certain pet related rules mentioned in the pet policy apply. Perlie's Care Home For The Elderly is capable of caring for up to 6 senior citizen pet owners from 95148 zip code in Santa Clara county and nearby areas. Perlie's Care Home For The Elderly has an active license to offer assisted living in San Jose, California License number: 435200395.
Parkside Villa Ii provides pet friendly assisted living care in San Jose, California. The senior living facility can provide accommodation to a maximum of 15 pet owners at a time. With a location at 300 South 22nd Street, in the 95116 area code inside Santa Clara county, Parkside Villa Ii provides assistance and support not only to older adults, but to their pets as well. Parkside Villa Ii includes assisted living services such as help with taking a bath, getting dressed and individual care plans. This senior care facility allows Medicare and Medicaid.
Compassionate Eldercare Undajon Rcfe offers pet friendly assisted living in Santa Clara county, California. Up to 6 seniors can take advantage of its services and choose from multiple assisted apartment layouts. Compassionate Eldercare Undajon Rcfe recognizes the importance of pets in seniors’ lives. Although cats, dogs and other pets are welcome, there are some pet related rules and restrictions. Compassionate Eldercare Undajon Rcfe can provide aid with bathing, dressing and incontinence care to any pet owner senior citizen in San Jose, CA and surrounding areas. Compassionate Eldercare Undajon Rcfe is located at 683 Undajon Drive, 95133 and supports Alzheimer's patients.
When looking for an assisted living facility in San Jose, California that allows pets, consider Cataldi Manor Residential Care For The Elderly. This pet friendly assisted living facility is an excellent luxurious senior care option. It has a total of 6 assisted living apartments and includes services such as pet care, walking trails and staff available 24/7. Its license number is 435201652. Cataldi Manor Residential Care For The Elderly provides senior living not only to San Jose older adults, but also to all Santa Clara county pet owners as well.
If you have a pet and also need help with daily living, Lincoln & Pine, Willow Glen can help you or your loved one to find the assistance and personal care you need in San Jose, California. Lincoln & Pine, Willow Glen has a maximum capacity of 6 older adults who want to live with their pets and includes amenities such as on-site café, transportation services and apartment cleaning. Senior dog owners can enjoy the companionship of their pet at Lincoln & Pine, Willow Glen. There are pet related rules that senior pet owners are expected to follow when staying at Lincoln & Pine, Willow Glen.
River Park Homes Ii can accommodate 6 senior citizens who have a pet and offers services such as monthly doctor visits, regular health checkups and an on-site nurse. This pet-friendly personal care facility is located at 3427 Gila Drive, and it is fully equipped to provide assisted living to San Jose, CA older cat owners. River Park Homes Ii has certain pet related rules and restrictions in place.
Situated at 1938 Ensign Way, inside 95133 zip code area in Santa Clara county, Duraliza Care Home provides pet friendly assisted senior living to San Jose, CA cat and dog owners and includes services such as group outings, scheduled picnics with residents and families and numerous entertainment options. Duraliza Care Home can house up to 6 older adult pet owners at a time and provides multiple pet amenities and services to San Jose residents.
Older adults looking for senior living communities in San Jose, California that accept pets will find Atria Willow Glen, located at 1660 Gaton Drive inside 95125 zip code as a wonderful choice for all of their personal and pet care needs. Atria Willow Glen is pet friendly, so Santa Clara county seniors can continue to enjoy the companionship of their pets while getting all the senior care services they need, such as round-the-clock caregiving, help with moving around and more. Atria Willow Glen is able to care for up to 63 older adults and allows seniors to stay with cats or dogs under certain pet-related rules. California records indicate 435200605 license number for Atria Willow Glen.
Located at 771 Pronto Drive in Santa Clara county, Pronto Care Home enables pet owners in San Jose, CA as well as those who live in surrounding areas to receive assisted living care. This pet friendly senior living facility includes amenities such as medication set-up and reminders, a wellness center and emergency pendants. Living with a pet at Pronto Care Home is possible for up to 6 San Jose older adults. Pronto Care Home has an official license to provide senior living accommodations for Santa Clara, CA seniors who are dog and cat owners, with license # 435201251.
Pet owners who require assisted living in San Jose, California can take advantage of Oak Grove Residential Care Home, situated at 5459 Century Park Way. Oak Grove Residential Care Home provides amenities such as on-site hair salons and grooming, daily fitness activities and gourmet dining. Seniors with cats, dogs and other pets are welcome at this facility. Certain pet related rules mentioned in the pet policy apply. Oak Grove Residential Care Home is capable of caring for up to 6 senior citizen pet owners from 95111 zip code in Santa Clara county and nearby areas. Oak Grove Residential Care Home has an active license to offer assisted living in San Jose, California License number: 435294231.
Parkside Villa Iii provides pet friendly assisted living care in San Jose, California. The senior living facility can provide accommodation to a maximum of 6 pet owners at a time. With a location at 319 South 23rd Street, in the 95116 area code inside Santa Clara county, Parkside Villa Iii provides assistance and support not only to older adults, but to their pets as well. Parkside Villa Iii includes assisted living services such as help with taking a bath, getting dressed and individual care plans. This senior care facility accepts Medicare and Medicaid.
Lqc Care Home Ii offers pet friendly assisted living in Santa Clara county, California. Up to 6 seniors can take advantage of its services and choose from multiple assisted apartment layouts. Lqc Care Home Ii recognizes the importance of pets in seniors’ lives. Although cats, dogs and other pets are welcome, there are some pet related rules and restrictions. Lqc Care Home Ii can provide aid with bathing, dressing and incontinence care to any pet owner senior citizen in San Jose, CA and surrounding areas. Lqc Care Home Ii is located at 2991 Faircliff Court, 95125 and helps Alzheimer's patients.
When looking for an assisted living facility in San Jose, California that allows pets, consider Lifeshare Care Home Iii. This pet friendly assisted living facility is an excellent luxurious senior care option. It has a total of 6 assisted living apartments and includes services such as pet care, walking trails and staff available 24/7. Its license number is 435294312. Lifeshare Care Home Iii provides senior living not only to San Jose older adults, but also to all Santa Clara county pet owners as well.
If you have a pet and also need help with daily living, Mertz Care Home Iii can help you or your loved one to find the assistance and personal care you need in San Jose, California. Mertz Care Home Iii has a maximum capacity of 6 older adults who want to live with their pets and includes amenities such as on-site café, transportation services and apartment cleaning. Seniors with dogs can enjoy the companionship of their pet at Mertz Care Home Iii. There are pet related rules that senior pet owners are expected to follow when staying at Mertz Care Home Iii.
Lee's Care Home can accommodate 6 senior citizens who have a pet and offers services such as monthly doctor visits, regular health checkups and an on-site nurse. This pet-friendly personal care facility is located at 5225 Gallant Fox Ave. , and it is fully equipped to provide assisted living to San Jose, CA older pet owners. Lee's Care Home has certain pet related rules and restrictions in place.
Situated at 2389 Brushglen Way, inside 95133 zip code area in Santa Clara county, Mina's Elderly Care Home provides pet friendly assisted senior living to San Jose, CA cat and dog owners and includes services such as group outings, scheduled picnics with residents and families and numerous entertainment options. Mina's Elderly Care Home can house up to 6 older adult pet owners at a time and provides multiple pet amenities and services to San Jose residents.
Located at 1494 Koch Lane, San Jose, California, 95125, Villa Antonio can help any Santa Clara county pet owner who requires senior living assistance and includes services such as Internet, help with laundry, communal kitchen and more. Villa Antonio can provide pet friendly assisted living to no more than 6 San Jose residents at once. Villa Antonio recognizes the positive effect of pets on lives of senior citizens and welcomes pets. Certain pet related rules and restrictions apply. It is licensed by California with license number 435200085.
Retirees looking for senior living communities in San Jose, California that accept pets will find Keene Kare Iii, located at 4629 Royal Forest Court inside 95136 zip code as a wonderful choice for all of their personal and pet care needs. Keene Kare Iii is pet friendly, so Santa Clara county seniors can continue to enjoy the companionship of their pets while getting all the senior care services they need, such as round-the-clock caregiving, help with moving around and more. Keene Kare Iii is able to care for up to 6 older adults and allows seniors to stay with cats or dogs under certain pet-related rules. California records indicate 435294315 license number for Keene Kare Iii.
Located at 3065 Van Sansul Avenue in Santa Clara county, Caring Hearts Senior Care Home enables pet owners in San Jose, CA as well as those who live in surrounding areas to receive assisted living care. This pet friendly senior living facility includes amenities such as medication set-up and reminders, a wellness center and emergency pendants. Living with a pet at Caring Hearts Senior Care Home is possible for up to 12 San Jose older adults. Caring Hearts Senior Care Home has an official license to provide senior living accommodations for Santa Clara, CA seniors who are dog and cat owners, with license # 435294272.
Seniors with cats who require assisted living in San Jose, California can take advantage of Blossoms Elder Care, situated at 5932 Mabie Court. Blossoms Elder Care provides amenities such as on-site hair salons and grooming, daily fitness activities and gourmet dining. Seniors with cats, dogs and other pets are welcome at this facility. Certain pet related rules mentioned in the pet policy apply. Blossoms Elder Care is capable of caring for up to 6 senior citizen pet owners from 95123 zip code in Santa Clara county and nearby areas. Blossoms Elder Care has an active license to offer assisted living in San Jose, California License number: 435294365.
Melanie Biton Residential Care Facility provides pet friendly assisted living care in San Jose, California. The senior living facility can provide accommodation to a maximum of 6 pet owners at a time. With a location at 3271 Stimson Way, in the 95135 area code inside Santa Clara county, Melanie Biton Residential Care Facility provides assistance and support not only to older adults, but to their pets as well. Melanie Biton Residential Care Facility includes assisted living services such as help with taking a bath, getting dressed and individual care plans. This senior care facility allows both Medicaid and Medicare.
Moreland Care Home specializes in providing pet friendly assisted living in Santa Clara county, California. Up to 6 seniors can take advantage of its services and choose from multiple assisted apartment layouts. Moreland Care Home recognizes the importance of pets in seniors’ lives. Although cats, dogs and other pets are welcome, there are some pet related rules and restrictions. Moreland Care Home can provide aid with bathing, dressing and incontinence care to any pet owner senior citizen in San Jose, CA and surrounding areas. Moreland Care Home is located at 4903 Doyle Road, 95129 and helps older adults who need memory care.
When looking for an assisted living facility in San Jose, California that allows pets, consider Glen Manor Rcfe. This pet friendly assisted living facility is an excellent luxurious senior care option. It has a total of 6 assisted living apartments and includes services such as pet care, walking trails and staff available 24/7. Its license number is 435202543. Glen Manor Rcfe provides senior living not only to San Jose older adults, but also to all Santa Clara county pet owners as well.
If you have a cat or a dog and also need help with daily living, Arlen Manor can help you or your loved one to find the assistance and personal care you need in San Jose, California. Arlen Manor has a maximum capacity of 6 older adults who want to live with their pets and includes amenities such as on-site café, transportation services and apartment cleaning. Senior citizens with pets can enjoy the companionship of their pet at Arlen Manor. There are pet related rules that senior pet owners are expected to follow when staying at Arlen Manor.
Life Essence can accommodate 5 retirees who have a pet and offers services such as monthly doctor visits, regular health checkups and an on-site nurse. This pet-friendly personal care facility is located at 1365 Tourney Drive, and it is fully equipped to provide assisted living to San Jose, CA older cat owners. Life Essence has certain pet related rules and restrictions in place.
Situated at 3274 Evco Court, inside 95127 zip code area in Santa Clara county, Evco Care provides pet friendly assisted senior living to San Jose, CA cat and dog owners and includes services such as group outings, scheduled picnics with residents and families and numerous entertainment options. Evco Care can house up to 6 older adult pet owners at a time and provides multiple pet amenities and services to San Jose residents.
Located at 1426 Kingman Avenue, San Jose, California, 95128, Kingman Care Home can help any Santa Clara county pet owner who requires senior living assistance and includes services such as Internet, help with laundry, communal kitchen and more. Kingman Care Home can provide pet friendly assisted living to no more than 6 San Jose residents at once. Kingman Care Home recognizes the positive effect of pets on lives of senior citizens and welcomes pets. Certain pet related rules and restrictions apply. It is licensed by California with license number 435202411.
Senior citizens looking for senior living communities in San Jose, California that accept pets will find Oakmont Of San Jose, located at 917 Thornton Way inside 95128 zip code as a wonderful choice for all of their personal and pet care needs. Oakmont Of San Jose is pet friendly, so Santa Clara county seniors can continue to enjoy the companionship of their pets while getting all the senior care services they need, such as round-the-clock caregiving, help with moving around and more. Oakmont Of San Jose is able to care for up to 92 older adults and allows seniors to stay with cats or dogs under certain pet-related rules. California records indicate 435202551 license number for Oakmont Of San Jose.
Located at 3053 Pavan Drive in Santa Clara county, Rvrj Residential Care Home enables pet owners in San Jose, CA as well as those who live in surrounding areas to receive assisted living care. This pet friendly senior living facility includes amenities such as medication set-up and reminders, a wellness center and emergency pendants. Living with a pet at Rvrj Residential Care Home is possible for up to 6 San Jose older adults. Rvrj Residential Care Home has an official license to provide senior living accommodations for Santa Clara, CA seniors who are dog and cat owners, with license # 435200220.
55+ adults with pets who require assisted living in San Jose, California can take advantage of Blossom Valley Care Home, situated at 4387 Silverberry Drive. Blossom Valley Care Home provides amenities such as on-site hair salons and grooming, daily fitness activities and gourmet dining. Seniors with cats, dogs and other pets are welcome at this facility. Certain pet related rules mentioned in the pet policy apply. Blossom Valley Care Home is capable of caring for up to 6 senior citizen pet owners from 95136 zip code in Santa Clara county and nearby areas. Blossom Valley Care Home has an active license to offer assisted living in San Jose, California License number: 435294278.
Carlton Plaza Of San Jose provides pet friendly assisted living care in San Jose, California. The senior living facility can provide accommodation to a maximum of 183 pet owners at a time. With a location at 380 Branham Lane, in the 95136 area code inside Santa Clara county, Carlton Plaza Of San Jose provides assistance and support not only to older adults, but to their pets as well. Carlton Plaza Of San Jose includes assisted living services such as help with taking a bath, getting dressed and individual care plans. This senior care facility accepts both Medicaid and Medicare.
Juliet Stephen Rest Home offers pet friendly assisted living in Santa Clara county, California. Up to 6 seniors can take advantage of its services and choose from multiple assisted apartment layouts. Juliet Stephen Rest Home recognizes the importance of pets in seniors’ lives. Although cats, dogs and other pets are welcome, there are some pet related rules and restrictions. Juliet Stephen Rest Home can provide aid with bathing, dressing and incontinence care to any pet owner senior citizen in San Jose, CA and surrounding areas. Juliet Stephen Rest Home is located at 909 College Drive, 95128 and supports older adults who need memory care.
When looking for an assisted living facility in San Jose, California that allows pets, consider Olga's Care Home For The Elderly. This pet friendly assisted living facility is an excellent luxurious senior care option. It has a total of 6 assisted living apartments and includes services such as pet care, walking trails and staff available 24/7. Its license number is 435200192. Olga's Care Home For The Elderly provides senior living not only to San Jose older adults, but also to all Santa Clara county pet owners as well.
If you have a cat or a dog and also need help with daily living, Glen Manor Rch can help you or your loved one to find the assistance and personal care you need in San Jose, California. Glen Manor Rch has a maximum capacity of 6 older adults who want to live with their pets and includes amenities such as on-site café, transportation services and apartment cleaning. Senior cat owners can enjoy the companionship of their pet at Glen Manor Rch. There are pet related rules that senior pet owners are expected to follow when staying at Glen Manor Rch.
Harvy's Home Care can accommodate 6 seniors who have a pet and offers services such as monthly doctor visits, regular health checkups and an on-site nurse. This pet-friendly personal care facility is located at 410 Fieldcrest Drive, and it is fully equipped to provide assisted living to San Jose, CA older cat owners. Harvy's Home Care has certain pet related rules and restrictions in place.
Situated at 3258 Evco Court, inside 95127 zip code area in Santa Clara county, Saint Anthony's Care Home For The Elderly provides pet friendly assisted senior living to San Jose, CA cat and dog owners and includes services such as group outings, scheduled picnics with residents and families and numerous entertainment options. Saint Anthony's Care Home For The Elderly can house up to 6 older adult pet owners at a time and provides multiple pet amenities and services to San Jose residents.
Retirees looking for senior living communities in San Jose, California that accept pets will find Foronda Home, located at 714 River Park Drive inside 95111 zip code as a wonderful choice for all of their personal and pet care needs. Foronda Home is pet friendly, so Santa Clara county seniors can continue to enjoy the companionship of their pets while getting all the senior care services they need, such as round-the-clock caregiving, help with moving around and more. Foronda Home is able to care for up to 6 older adults and allows seniors to stay with cats or dogs under certain pet-related rules. California records indicate 435294154 license number for Foronda Home.
Located at 625 Riverside Drive in Santa Clara county, Riverside Residential Care Home enables pet owners in San Jose, CA as well as those who live in surrounding areas to receive assisted living care. This pet friendly senior living facility includes amenities such as medication set-up and reminders, a wellness center and emergency pendants. Living with a pet at Riverside Residential Care Home is possible for up to 6 San Jose older adults. Riverside Residential Care Home has an official license to provide senior living accommodations for Santa Clara, CA seniors who are dog and cat owners, with license # 435294276.
Older adults with pets who require assisted living in San Jose, California can take advantage of Juliette's Gardens rose, situated at 1511 Ilikai Ave. Juliette's Gardens rose provides amenities such as on-site hair salons and grooming, daily fitness activities and gourmet dining. Seniors with cats, dogs and other pets are welcome at this facility. Certain pet related rules mentioned in the pet policy apply. Juliette's Gardens rose is capable of caring for up to 6 senior citizen pet owners from 95118 zip code in Santa Clara county and nearby areas. Juliette's Gardens rose has an active license to offer assisted living in San Jose, California License number: 435202528.
50 Pet Friendly Assisted Living Facilities in SAN JOSE, CA. List of 50 best pet friendly senior living options in SAN JOSE for 2019 that allow dogs, cats and other pets. | 2019-04-21T18:35:53Z | https://www.petfriendlyseniorliving.com/assisted-living/california/san-jose.html |
This article is about the unification of 1871. For the unification of East and West Germany in 1990, see German reunification.
The German Empire of 1871–1918. Because the German-speaking part of the multinational Austrian Empire was excluded, this geographic construction represented a lesser Germany (Kleindeutsch) solution.
The unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm I of Prussia as German Emperor after the French capitulation in the Franco-Prussian War. Unofficially, the de facto transition of most of the German-speaking populations into a federated organization of states had been developing for some time through alliances formal and informal between princely rulers—but in fits and starts; self-interests of the various parties hampered the process over nearly a century of autocratic experimentation, beginning in the era of the Napoleonic Wars, which saw the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire (1806), and the subsequent rise of German nationalism.
Unification exposed tensions due to religious, linguistic, social, and cultural differences among the inhabitants of the new nation, suggesting that 1871 only represented one moment in a continuum of the larger unification processes. The Holy Roman Emperor had been often called "Emperor of all the Germanies"; contemporary news accounts frequently referred to "The Germanies", and in the empire, its members of higher nobility were referred to as "Princes of Germany" or "Princes of the Germanies"—for the lands once called East Francia had been organized and governed as pocket kingdoms since times before the rise of Charlemagne (800 AD). Given the mountainous terrains of much of the territory, it is obvious that isolated peoples would develop cultural, educational, linguistic, and religious differences over such a lengthy time period. Germany, or the Germanies, of the nineteenth century enjoyed transportation and communications improvements tying the peoples into a greater, tighter culture, as has the entire world under the influence of better communications and transportation infrastructures.
The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, which had included more than 500 independent states, was effectively dissolved when Emperor Francis II abdicated (6 August 1806) during the War of the Third Coalition. Despite the legal, administrative, and political disruption associated with the end of the Empire, the people of the German-speaking areas of the old Empire had a common linguistic, cultural, and legal tradition further enhanced by their shared experience in the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. European liberalism offered an intellectual basis for unification by challenging dynastic and absolutist models of social and political organization; its German manifestation emphasized the importance of tradition, education, and linguistic unity of peoples in a geographic region. Economically, the creation of the Prussian Zollverein (customs union) in 1818, and its subsequent expansion to include other states of the German Confederation, reduced competition between and within states. Emerging modes of transportation facilitated business and recreational travel, leading to contact and sometimes conflict among German speakers from throughout Central Europe.
The model of diplomatic spheres of influence resulting from the Congress of Vienna in 1814–15 after the Napoleonic Wars endorsed Austrian dominance in Central Europe. However, the negotiators at Vienna took no account of Prussia's growing strength within and among the German states and so failed to foresee that Prussia would rise up to challenge Austria for leadership. This German dualism presented two solutions to the problem of unification: Kleindeutsche Lösung, the small Germany solution (Germany without Austria), or Großdeutsche Lösung, the greater Germany solution (Germany with Austria).
1797: The French First Republic annexed the Left Bank of the Rhine as a result of the War of the First Coalition.
1802: Previous annexations by France confirmed following its victory in the War of the Second Coalition.
1804: Francis I of Austria declared the new Austrian Empire as a reaction to Napoleon Bonaparte's proclamation of the First French Empire in 1804.
1806: As a result of the War of the Third Coalition, Napoleon I annexed some territories East of the Rhine, replaced the Holy Roman Empire by the Confederation of the Rhine as a French client-state.
1807: Prussia lost one half of its territory following the War of the Fourth Coalition.
1815: After the defeat of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna reinstated the Germanic states into the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire.
1819: The Carlsbad Decrees suppressed any form of pan-Germanic activities to avoid the creation of a 'German state'; the Kingdom of Prussia, however, initiated a customs union with other Confederation states.
1834: The Prussian-led custom union evolved into the Zollverein that included almost all Confederation states except the Austrian Empire.
1848: Revolts across the German Confederation, such as in Berlin, Dresden and Frankfurt, forced King Frederick William IV of Prussia to grant a constitution to the Confederation. In the meantime, the Frankfurt Parliament was set up in 1848 and attempted to proclaim a united Germany, but this was refused by William IV. The question of a united Germany under the Kleindeutsch solution (to exclude Austria) or the so-called Großdeutsch (to include Austria) began to surface.
1861–62: King Wilhelm I became King of Prussia and he appointed Otto von Bismarck on 23 September 1862, Minister President and Foreign Minister, who favoured a 'blood-and-iron' policy to create a united Germany under the leadership of Prussia.
1864: The Danish-Prussian War started as Prussia protested against Danish incorporation of Schleswig into the Kingdom of Denmark. The Austrian Empire was deliberately drawn into this war by Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor of Prussia. The Austro-Prussian victory led to Schleswig, the northern part, being governed by Prussia and Holstein, the southern part, being governed by Austria, as per the Treaty of Vienna (1864).
1866: Bismarck accused the Austrian Empire of stirring up troubles in Prussian-held Schleswig. Prussian troops drove into Austrian-held Holstein and took control of the entire state of Schleswig-Holstein. Austria declared war on Prussia and, after fighting the Austro-Prussian War (Seven Weeks' War), was swiftly defeated. The Treaty of Prague (1866) formally dissolved the German Confederation and Prussia created the North German Confederation to include all Germanic states except the pro-French, southern kingdoms of Bavaria, Baden and Württemberg.
1870: When the French emperor, Napoleon III, demanded territories of the Rhineland in return for his neutrality amid the Austro-Prussian War, Bismarck used the Spanish Succession Question (1868) and Ems Telegram (1870) as an opportunity to incorporate the southern kingdoms. Napoleon III declared war against Prussia.
1871: The Franco-Prussian War ended with Prussian troops capturing Paris, the capital of the Second French Empire. Bavaria, Baden, and Württemberg were incorporated into the North German Confederation in the Treaty of Frankfurt (1871). Bismarck then proclaimed King Wilhelm I, now Kaiser Wilhelm I, as leader of the new, united Germany (German Reich). With the German troops remaining in Paris, Napoleon III dissolved the French Empire and a new republic, the Third French Republic, was created under Adolphe Thiers.
For more details on this topic, see Holy Roman Empire.
Germania, a personification of the German nation, appears in Philipp Veit's fresco (1834–36). She is holding a shield with the coat of arms of the German Confederation (see enlargement below). The shields on which she stands are the arms of the seven traditional Electors of the Holy Roman Empire.
Prior to 1806, German-speaking Central Europe included more than 300 political entities, most of which were part of the Holy Roman Empire or the extensive Habsburg hereditary dominions. They ranged in size from the small and complex territories of the princely Hohenlohe family branches to sizable, well-defined territories such as the Kingdoms of Bavaria and Prussia. Their governance varied: they included free imperial cities, also of different sizes, such as the powerful Augsburg and the minuscule Weil der Stadt; ecclesiastical territories, also of varying sizes and influence, such as the wealthy Abbey of Reichenau and the powerful Archbishopric of Cologne; and dynastic states such as Württemberg. These lands (or parts of them—both the Habsburg domains and Hohenzollern Prussia also included territories outside the Empire structures) made up the territory of the Holy Roman Empire, which at times included more than 1,000 entities. Since the 15th century, with few exceptions, the Empire's Prince-electors had chosen successive heads of the House of Habsburg to hold the title of Holy Roman Emperor. Among the German-speaking states, the Holy Roman Empire administrative and legal mechanisms provided a venue to resolve disputes between peasants and landlords, between jurisdictions, and within jurisdictions. Through the organization of imperial circles (Reichskreise), groups of states consolidated resources and promoted regional and organizational interests, including economic cooperation and military protection.
The War of the Second Coalition (1799–1802) resulted in the defeat of the imperial and allied forces by Napoleon Bonaparte. The treaties of Lunéville (1801) and Amiens (1802) and the Mediatization of 1803 transferred large portions of the Holy Roman Empire to the dynastic states and secularized ecclesiastical territories. Most of the imperial cities disappeared from the political and legal landscape, and the populations living in these territories acquired new allegiances to dukes and kings. This transfer particularly enhanced the territories of Württemberg and Baden. In 1806, after a successful invasion of Prussia and the defeat of Prussia and Russia at the joint battles of Jena-Auerstedt, Napoleon dictated the Treaty of Pressburg, in which the Emperor dissolved the Holy Roman Empire.
For more details on this topic, see French period.
A common language may have been seen to serve as the basis of a nation, but as contemporary historians of 19th-century Germany noted, it took more than linguistic similarity to unify these several hundred polities. The experience of German-speaking Central Europe during the years of French hegemony contributed to a sense of common cause to remove the French invaders and reassert control over their own lands. The exigencies of Napoleon's campaigns in Poland (1806–07), the Iberian Peninsula, western Germany, and his disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812 disillusioned many Germans, princes and peasants alike. Napoleon's Continental System nearly ruined the Central European economy. The invasion of Russia included nearly 125,000 troops from German lands, and the loss of that army encouraged many Germans, both high- and low-born, to envision a Central Europe free of Napoleon's influence. The creation of such student militias as the Lützow Free Corps exemplified this tendency.
The debacle in Russia loosened the French grip on the German princes. In 1813, Napoleon mounted a campaign in the German states to bring them back into the French orbit; the subsequent War of Liberation culminated in the great Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of Nations. In October 1813, more than 500,000 combatants engaged in ferocious fighting over three days, making it the largest European land battle of the 19th century. The engagement resulted in a decisive victory for the Coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Saxony, and Sweden, and it ended French power east of the Rhine. Success encouraged the Coalition forces to pursue Napoleon across the Rhine; his army and his government collapsed, and the victorious Coalition incarcerated Napoleon on Elba. During the brief Napoleonic restoration known as the 100 Days of 1815, forces of the Seventh Coalition, including an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington and a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard von Blücher, were victorious at Waterloo (18 June 1815). The critical role played by Blücher's troops, especially after having to retreat from the field at Ligny the day before, helped to turn the tide of combat against the French. The Prussian cavalry pursued the defeated French in the evening of 18 June, sealing the allied victory. From the German perspective, the actions of Blücher's troops at Waterloo, and the combined efforts at Leipzig, offered a rallying point of pride and enthusiasm. This interpretation became a key building block of the Borussian myth expounded by the pro-Prussian nationalist historians later in the 19th century.
For more details on this topic, see Congress of Vienna.
After Napoleon's defeat, the Congress of Vienna established a new European political-diplomatic system based on the balance of power. This system reorganized Europe into spheres of influence, which, in some cases, suppressed the aspirations of the various nationalities, including the Germans and Italians. Generally, an enlarged Prussia and the 38 other states consolidated from the mediatized territories of 1803 were confederated within the Austrian Empire's sphere of influence. The Congress established a loose German Confederation (1815–1866), headed by Austria, with a "Federal Diet" (called the Bundestag or Bundesversammlung, an assembly of appointed leaders) that met in the city of Frankfurt am Main. In recognition of the imperial position traditionally held by the Habsburgs, the emperors of Austria became the titular presidents of this parliament. Problematically, the built-in Austrian dominance failed to take into account Prussia's 18th century emergence in Imperial politics. Ever since the Prince-Elector of Brandenburg had made himself King in Prussia at the beginning of that century, their domains had steadily increased through war and inheritance. Prussia's consolidated strength had become especially apparent during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War under Frederick the Great. As Maria Theresa and Joseph tried to restore Habsburg hegemony in the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick countered with the creation of the Fürstenbund (Union of Princes) in 1785. Austrian-Prussian dualism lay firmly rooted in old Imperial politics. Those balance of power manoeuvers were epitomized by the War of the Bavarian Succession, or "Potato War" among common folk. Even after the end of the Holy Roman Empire, this competition influenced the growth and development of nationalist movements in the 19th century.
German language area (here including Dutch, Flemish, Frisian, and Luxembourgish) based on 19th century language maps with close German language islands shown with today's European state borders.
Despite the nomenclature of Diet (Assembly or Parliament), this institution should in no way be construed as a broadly, or popularly, elected group of representatives. Many of the states did not have constitutions, and those that did, such as the Duchy of Baden, based suffrage on strict property requirements which effectively limited suffrage to a small portion of the male population. Furthermore, this impractical solution did not reflect the new status of Prussia in the overall scheme. Although the Prussian army had been dramatically defeated in the 1806 Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, it had made a spectacular come-back at Waterloo. Consequently, Prussian leaders expected to play a pivotal role in German politics.
The surge of German nationalism, stimulated by the experience of Germans in the Napoleonic period and initially allied with liberalism, shifted political, social, and cultural relationships within the German states. In this context, one can detect its roots in the experience of Germans in the Napoleonic period. The Burschenschaft student organizations and popular demonstrations, such as those held at Wartburg Castle in October 1817, contributed to a growing sense of unity among German speakers of Central Europe. Furthermore, implicit and sometimes explicit promises made during the War of Liberation engendered an expectation of popular sovereignty and widespread participation in the political process, promises that largely went unfulfilled once peace had been achieved. Agitation by student organizations led such conservative leaders as Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich, to fear the rise of national sentiment; the assassination of German dramatist August von Kotzebue in March 1819 by a radical student seeking unification was followed on 20 September 1819 by the proclamation of the Carlsbad Decrees, which hampered intellectual leadership of the nationalist movement.
Metternich was able to harness conservative outrage at the assassination to consolidate legislation that would further limit the press and constrain the rising liberal and nationalist movements. Consequently, these decrees drove the Burschenschaften underground, restricted the publication of nationalist materials, expanded censorship of the press and private correspondence, and limited academic speech by prohibiting university professors from encouraging nationalist discussion. The decrees were the subject of Johann Joseph von Görres's pamphlet Teutschland [archaic: Deutschland] und die Revolution (Germany and the Revolution) (1820), in which he concluded that it was both impossible and undesirable to repress the free utterance of public opinion by reactionary measures.
For more details on this topic, see Zollverein.
Another institution key to unifying the German states, the Zollverein, helped to create a larger sense of economic unification. Initially conceived by the Prussian Finance Minister Hans, Count von Bülow, as a Prussian customs union in 1818, the Zollverein linked the many Prussian and Hohenzollern territories. Over the ensuing thirty years (and more) other German states joined. The Union helped to reduce protectionist barriers among the German states, especially improving the transport of raw materials and finished goods, making it both easier to move goods across territorial borders and less costly to buy, transport, and sell raw materials. This was particularly important for the emerging industrial centers, most of which were located in the Rhineland, the Saar, and the Ruhr valleys.
By the early 19th century, German roads had deteriorated to an appalling extent. Travelers, both foreign and local, complained bitterly about the state of the Heerstraßen, the military roads previously maintained for the ease of moving troops. As German states ceased to be a military crossroads, however, the roads improved; the length of hard–surfaced roads in Prussia increased from 3,800 kilometres (2,400 mi) in 1816 to 16,600 kilometres (10,300 mi) in 1852, helped in part by the invention of macadam. By 1835, Heinrich von Gagern wrote that roads were the "veins and arteries of the body politic..." and predicted that they would promote freedom, independence and prosperity. As people moved around, they came into contact with others, on trains, at hotels, in restaurants, and for some, at fashionable resorts such as the spa in Baden-Baden. Water transportation also improved. The blockades on the Rhine had been removed by Napoleon's orders, but by the 1820s, steam engines freed riverboats from the cumbersome system of men and animals that towed them upstream. By 1846, 180 steamers plied German rivers and Lake Constance, and a network of canals extended from the Danube, the Weser, and the Elbe rivers.
As important as these improvements were, they could not compete with the impact of the railway. German economist Friedrich List called the railways and the Customs Union "Siamese Twins", emphasizing their important relationship to one another. He was not alone: the poet August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben wrote a poem in which he extolled the virtues of the Zollverein, which he began with a list of commodities that had contributed more to German unity than politics or diplomacy. Historians of the Second Empire later regarded the railways as the first indicator of a unified state; the patriotic novelist, Wilhelm Raabe, wrote: "The German empire was founded with the construction of the first railway..." Not everyone greeted the iron monster with enthusiasm. The Prussian king Frederick William III saw no advantage in traveling from Berlin to Potsdam a few hours faster, and Metternich refused to ride in one at all. Others wondered if the railways were an "evil" that threatened the landscape: Nikolaus Lenau's 1838 poem An den Frühling (To Spring) bemoaned the way trains destroyed the pristine quietude of German forests.
The Bavarian Ludwig Railway, which was the first passenger or freight rail line in the German lands, connected Nuremberg and Fürth in 1835. Although it was 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) long and only operated in daylight, it proved both profitable and popular. Within three years, 141 kilometres (88 mi) of track had been laid, by 1840, 462 kilometres (287 mi), and by 1860, 11,157 kilometres (6,933 mi). Lacking a geographically central organizing feature (such as a national capital), the rails were laid in webs, linking towns and markets within regions, regions within larger regions, and so on. As the rail network expanded, it became cheaper to transport goods: in 1840, 18 Pfennigs per ton per kilometer and in 1870, five Pfennigs. The effects of the railway were immediate. For example, raw materials could travel up and down the Ruhr Valley without having to unload and reload. Railway lines encouraged economic activity by creating demand for commodities and by facilitating commerce. In 1850, inland shipping carried three times more freight than railroads; by 1870, the situation was reversed, and railroads carried four times more. Rail travel changed how cities looked and how people traveled. Its impact reached throughout the social order, affecting the highest born to the lowest. Although some of the outlying German provinces were not serviced by rail until the 1890s, the majority of the population, manufacturing centers, and production centers were linked to the rail network by 1865.
As travel became easier, faster, and less expensive, Germans started to see unity in factors other than their language. The Brothers Grimm, who compiled a massive dictionary known as The Grimm, also assembled a compendium of folk tales and fables, which highlighted the story-telling parallels between different regions. Karl Baedeker wrote guidebooks to different cities and regions of Central Europe, indicating places to stay, sites to visit, and giving a short history of castles, battlefields, famous buildings, and famous people. His guides also included distances, roads to avoid, and hiking paths to follow.
The words of August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben expressed not only the linguistic unity of the German people but also their geographic unity. In Deutschland, Deutschland über Alles, officially called Das Lied der Deutschen ("The Song of the Germans"), Fallersleben called upon sovereigns throughout the German states to recognize the unifying characteristics of the German people. Such other patriotic songs as "Die Wacht am Rhein" ("The Watch on the Rhine") by Max Schneckenburger began to focus attention on geographic space, not limiting "German-ness" to a common language. Schneckenburger wrote "The Watch on the Rhine" in a specific patriotic response to French assertions that the Rhine was France's "natural" eastern boundary. In the refrain, "Dear fatherland, dear fatherland, put your mind to rest / The watch stands true on the Rhine", and in such other patriotic poetry as Nicholaus Becker's "Das Rheinlied" ("The Rhine"), Germans were called upon to defend their territorial homeland. In 1807, Alexander von Humboldt argued that national character reflected geographic influence, linking landscape to people. Concurrent with this idea, movements to preserve old fortresses and historic sites emerged, and these particularly focused on the Rhineland, the site of so many confrontations with France and Spain.
The period of Austrian and Prussian police-states and vast censorship before the Revolutions of 1848 in Germany later became widely known as the Vormärz, the "before March", referring to March 1848. During this period, European liberalism gained momentum; the agenda included economic, social, and political issues. Most European liberals in the Vormärz sought unification under nationalist principles, promoted the transition to capitalism, sought the expansion of male suffrage, among other issues. Their "radicalness" depended upon where they stood on the spectrum of male suffrage: the wider the definition of suffrage, the more radical.
Despite considerable conservative reaction, ideas of unity joined with notions of popular sovereignty in German-speaking lands. The Hambach Festival (Hambacher Fest) in May 1832 was attended by a crowd of more than 30,000. Promoted as a county fair, its participants celebrated fraternity, liberty, and national unity. Celebrants gathered in the town below and marched to the ruins of Hambach Castle on the heights above the small town of Hambach, in the Palatinate province of Bavaria. Carrying flags, beating drums, and singing, the participants took the better part of the morning and mid-day to arrive at the castle grounds, where they listened to speeches by nationalist orators from across the conservative to radical political spectrum. The overall content of the speeches suggested a fundamental difference between the German nationalism of the 1830s and the French nationalism of the July Revolution: the focus of German nationalism lay in the education of the people; once the populace was educated as to what was needed, they would accomplish it. The Hambach rhetoric emphasized the overall peaceable nature of German nationalism: the point was not to build barricades, a very "French" form of nationalism, but to build emotional bridges between groups.
A German caricature that mocks the Carlsbad Decrees, which suppressed freedom of expression.
As he had done in 1819, after the Kotzebue assassination, Metternich used the popular demonstration at Hambach to push conservative social policy. The "Six Articles" of 28 June 1832 primarily reaffirmed the principle of monarchical authority. On 5 July, the Frankfurt Diet voted for an additional 10 articles, which reiterated existing rules on censorship, restricted political organizations, and limited other public activity. Furthermore, the member states agreed to send military assistance to any government threatened by unrest. Prince Wrede led half of the Bavarian army to the Palatinate to "subdue" the province. Several hapless Hambach speakers were arrested, tried and imprisoned; one, Karl Heinrich Brüggemann (1810–1887), a law student and representative of the secretive Burschenschaft, was sent to Prussia, where he was first condemned to death, but later pardoned.
The economic, social and cultural dislocation of ordinary people, the economic hardship of an economy in transition, and the pressures of meteorological disasters all contributed to growing problems in Central Europe. The failure of most of the governments to deal with the food crisis of the mid-1840s, caused by the potato blight (related to the Great Irish Famine) and several seasons of bad weather, encouraged many to think that the rich and powerful had no interest in their problems. Those in authority were concerned about the growing unrest, political and social agitation among the working classes, and the disaffection of the intelligentsia. No amount of censorship, fines, imprisonment, or banishment, it seemed, could stem the criticism. Furthermore, it was becoming increasingly clear that both Austria and Prussia wanted to be the leaders in any resulting unification; each would inhibit the drive of the other to achieve unification.
For more details on this topic, see Revolutions of 1848.
For more details on this topic, see Frankfurt Parliament.
The widespread—mainly German—revolutions of 1848–49 sought unification of Germany under a single constitution. The revolutionaries pressured various state governments, particularly those in the Rhineland, for a parliamentary assembly that would have the responsibility to draft a constitution. Ultimately, many of the left-wing revolutionaries hoped this constitution would establish universal male suffrage, a permanent national parliament, and a unified Germany, possibly under the leadership of the Prussian king. This seemed to be the most logical course since Prussia was the strongest of the German states, as well as the largest in geographic size. Generally, center-right revolutionaries sought some kind of expanded suffrage within their states and potentially, a form of loose unification. Their pressure resulted in a variety of elections, based on different voting qualifications, such as the Prussian three-class franchise, which granted to some electoral groups—chiefly the wealthier, landed ones—greater representative power.
Pre-parliament delegates process into Paul's Church in Frankfurt, where they laid the groundwork for electing a National Parliament.
On 27 March 1849, the Frankfurt Parliament passed the Paulskirchenverfassung (Constitution of St. Paul's Church) and offered the title of Kaiser (Emperor) to the Prussian king Frederick William IV the next month. He refused for a variety of reasons. Publicly, he replied that he could not accept a crown without the consent of the actual states, by which he meant the princes. Privately, he feared opposition from the other German princes and military intervention from Austria or Russia. He also held a fundamental distaste for the idea of accepting a crown from a popularly elected parliament: he would not accept a crown of "clay". Despite franchise requirements that often perpetuated many of the problems of sovereignty and political participation liberals sought to overcome, the Frankfurt Parliament did manage to draft a constitution and reach an agreement on the kleindeutsch solution. While the liberals failed to achieve the unification they sought, they did manage to gain a partial victory by working with the German princes on many constitutional issues and collaborating with them on reforms.
Scholars of German history have engaged in decades of debate over how the successes and failures of the Frankfurt Parliament contribute to the historiographical explanations of German nation building. One school of thought, which emerged after The Great War and gained momentum in the aftermath of World War II, maintains that the failure of German liberals in the Frankfurt Parliament led to bourgeoisie compromise with conservatives (especially the conservative Junker landholders), which subsequently led to the so-called Sonderweg (distinctive path) of 20th-century German history. Failure to achieve unification in 1848, this argument holds, resulted in the late formation of the nation-state in 1871, which in turn delayed the development of positive national values. Hitler often called on the German public to sacrifice all for the cause of their great nation, but his regime did not create German nationalism: it merely capitalized on an intrinsic cultural value of German society that still remains prevalent even to this day. Furthermore, this argument maintains, the "failure" of 1848 reaffirmed latent aristocratic longings among the German middle class; consequently, this group never developed a self-conscious program of modernization.
More recent scholarship has rejected this idea, claiming that Germany did not have an actual "distinctive path" any more than any other nation, a historiographic idea known as exceptionalism. Instead, modern historians claim 1848 saw specific achievements by the liberal politicians. Many of their ideas and programs were later incorporated into Bismarck's social programs (e.g., social insurance, education programs, and wider definitions of suffrage). In addition, the notion of a distinctive path relies upon the underlying assumption that some other nation's path (in this case, the United Kingdom's) is the accepted norm. This new argument further challenges the norms of the British-centric model of development: studies of national development in Britain and other "normal" states (e.g., France or the United States) have suggested that even in these cases, the modern nation-state did not develop evenly. Nor did it develop particularly early, being rather a largely mid-to-late-19th-century phenomenon. Since the end of the 1990s, this view has become widely accepted, although some historians still find the Sonderweg analysis helpful in understanding the period of National Socialism.
This depiction of Germania, also by Philipp Veit, was created to hide the organ of the Paul's Church in Frankfurt, during the meeting of the Parliament there, March 1848–49. The sword was intended to symbolize the Word of God and to mark the renewal of the people and their triumphant spirit.
After the Frankfurt Parliament disbanded, Frederick William IV, under the influence of General Joseph Maria von Radowitz, supported the establishment of the Erfurt Union—a federation of German states, excluding Austria—by the free agreement of the German princes. This limited union under Prussia would have almost entirely eliminated Austrian influence on the other German states. Combined diplomatic pressure from Austria and Russia (a guarantor of the 1815 agreements that established European spheres of influence) forced Prussia to relinquish the idea of the Erfurt Union at a meeting in the small town of Olmütz in Moravia. In November 1850, the Prussians—specifically Radowitz and Frederick William—agreed to the restoration of the German Confederation under Austrian leadership. This became known as the Punctation of Olmütz, but among Prussians it was known as the "Humiliation of Olmütz."
We cannot conceal the fact that the whole German question is a simple alternative between Prussia and Austria. In these states, German life has its positive and negative poles—in the former, all the interests [that] are national and reformative, in the latter, all that are dynastic and destructive. The German question is not a constitutional question but a question of power; and the Prussian monarchy is now wholly German, while that of Austria cannot be.
Unification under these conditions raised a basic diplomatic problem. The possibility of German (or Italian) unification would overturn the overlapping spheres of influence system created in 1815 at the Congress of Vienna. The principal architects of this convention, Metternich, Castlereagh, and Tsar Alexander (with his foreign secretary Count Karl Nesselrode), had conceived of and organized a Europe balanced and guaranteed by four "great powers": Great Britain, France, Russia, and Austria, with each power having a geographic sphere of influence. France's sphere included the Iberian Peninsula and a share of influence in the Italian states. Russia's included the eastern regions of Central Europe and a balancing influence in the Balkans. Austria's sphere expanded throughout much of the Central European territories formerly held by the Holy Roman Empire. Britain's sphere was the rest of the world, especially the seas.
This sphere of influence system depended upon the fragmentation of the German and Italian states, not their consolidation. Consequently, a German nation united under one banner presented significant questions. There was no readily applicable definition for who the German people would be or how far the borders of a German nation would stretch. There was also uncertainty as to who would best lead and defend "Germany", however it was defined. Different groups offered different solutions to this problem. In the Kleindeutschland ("Lesser Germany") solution, the German states would be united under the leadership of the Prussian Hohenzollerns; in the Grossdeutschland ("Greater Germany") solution, the German states would be united under the leadership of the Austrian Habsburgs. This controversy, the latest phase of the German dualism debate that had dominated the politics of the German states and Austro-Prussian diplomacy since the 1701 creation of the Kingdom of Prussia, would come to a head during the following twenty years.
Other nationalists had high hopes for the German unification movement, and the frustration with lasting German unification after 1850 seemed to set the national movement back. Revolutionaries associated national unification with progress. As Giuseppe Garibaldi wrote to German revolutionary Karl Blind on 10 April 1865, "The progress of humanity seems to have come to a halt, and you with your superior intelligence will know why. The reason is that the world lacks a nation [that] possesses true leadership. Such leadership, of course, is required not to dominate other peoples but to lead them along the path of duty, to lead them toward the brotherhood of nations where all the barriers erected by egoism will be destroyed." Garibaldi looked to Germany for the "kind of leadership [that], in the true tradition of medieval chivalry, would devote itself to redressing wrongs, supporting the weak, sacrificing momentary gains and material advantage for the much finer and more satisfying achievement of relieving the suffering of our fellow men. We need a nation courageous enough to give us a lead in this direction. It would rally to its cause all those who are suffering wrong or who aspire to a better life and all those who are now enduring foreign oppression."
In the spring of 1834, while at Berne, Mazzini and a dozen refugees from Italy, Poland and Germany founded a new association with the grandiose name of Young Europe. Its basic, and equally grandiose idea, was that, as the French Revolution of 1789 had enlarged the concept of individual liberty, another revolution would now be needed for national liberty; and his vision went further because he hoped that in the no doubt distant future free nations might combine to form a loosely federal Europe with some kind of federal assembly to regulate their common interests. [...] His intention was nothing less than to overturn the European settlement agreed [to] in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, which had reestablished an oppressive hegemony of a few great powers and blocked the emergence of smaller nations. [...] Mazzini hoped, but without much confidence, that his vision of a league or society of independent nations would be realized in his own lifetime. In practice Young Europe lacked the money and popular support for more than a short-term existence. Nevertheless he always remained faithful to the ideal of a united continent for which the creation of individual nations would be an indispensable preliminary.
The convergence of leadership in politics and diplomacy by Bismarck, left, reorganization of the army and its training techniques by Albrecht von Roon (center), and the redesign of operational and strategic principles by Helmuth von Moltke (right) placed Prussia among the most powerful states in European affairs after the 1860s.
King Frederick William IV suffered a stroke in 1857 and could no longer rule. This led to his brother William becoming Prince Regent of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1858. Meanwhile, Helmuth von Moltke had become chief of the Prussian General Staff in 1857, and Albrecht von Roon would become Prussian Minister of War in 1859. This shuffling of authority within the Prussian military establishment would have important consequences. Von Roon and William (who took an active interest in military structures) began reorganizing the Prussian army, while Moltke redesigned the strategic defense of Prussia by streamlining operational command. Prussian army reforms (especially how to pay for them) caused a constitutional crisis beginning in 1860 because both parliament and William—via his minister of war—wanted control over the military budget. William, crowned King Wilhelm I in 1861, appointed Otto von Bismarck to the position of Minister-President of Prussia in 1862. Bismarck resolved the crisis in favor of the war minister.
The Crimean War of 1854–55 and the Italian War of 1859 disrupted relations among Great Britain, France, Austria, and Russia. In the aftermath of this disarray, the convergence of von Moltke's operational redesign, von Roon and Wilhelm's army restructure, and Bismarck's diplomacy influenced the realignment of the European balance of power. Their combined agendas established Prussia as the leading German power through a combination of foreign diplomatic triumphs—backed up by the possible use of Prussian military might—and an internal conservativism tempered by pragmatism, which came to be known as Realpolitik.
Bismarck expressed the essence of Realpolitik in his subsequently famous "Blood and Iron" speech to the Budget Committee of the Prussian Chamber of Deputies on 30 September 1862, shortly after he became Minister President: "The great questions of the time will not be resolved by speeches and majority decisions—that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849—but by iron and blood." Bismarck's words, "iron and blood" (or "blood and iron", as often attributed), have often been misappropriated as evidence of a German lust for blood and power. First, the phrase from his speech "the great questions of time will not be resolved by speeches and majority decisions" is often interpreted as a repudiation of the political process—a repudiation Bismarck did not himself advocate. Second, his emphasis on blood and iron did not imply simply the unrivaled military might of the Prussian army but rather two important aspects: the ability of the assorted German states to produce iron and other related war materials and the willingness to use those war materials if necessary.
The need for both iron and blood soon became apparent. By 1862, when Bismarck made his speech, the idea of a German nation-state in the peaceful spirit of Pan-Germanism had shifted from the liberal and democratic character of 1848 to accommodate Bismarck's more conservative Realpolitik. Ever the pragmatist, Bismarck understood the possibilities, obstacles, and advantages of a unified state. He also understood the importance of linking that state to the Hohenzollern dynasty, which for some historians remains one of Bismarck's primary contributions to the creation of the German Empire in 1871. While the conditions of the treaties binding the various German states to one another prohibited Bismarck from taking unilateral action, the politician and diplomat in him realized the impracticality of such an action. In order to get the German states to unify, Bismarck needed a single, outside enemy that would declare war on one of the German states first, thus providing a casus belli to rally all Germans behind. This opportunity arose with the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. Historians have long debated Bismarck's role in the events leading up to the war. The traditional view, promulgated in large part by late 19th and early 20th century pro-Prussian historians, maintains that Bismarck's intent was always German unification. Post-1945 historians, however, see more short-term opportunism and cynicism in Bismarck's manipulation of the circumstances to create a war, rather than a grand scheme to unify a nation-state. Regardless, Bismarck was neither villain nor saint: by manipulating events of 1866 and 1870, he demonstrated the political and diplomatic skill that had caused Wilhelm to turn to him in 1862.
From north to south: The Danish part of Jutland in purple and terracotta, Schleswig in red and brown, and Holstein in lime yellow. The Schleswig-Holstein Question was about the status of those territories.
Three episodes proved fundamental to the administrative and political unification of Germany. First, the death without male heirs of Frederick VII of Denmark led to the Second War of Schleswig in 1864. Second, the unification of Italy provided Prussia an ally against Austria in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Finally, France—fearing Hohenzollern encirclement—declared war on Prussia in 1870, resulting in the Franco-Prussian War. Through a combination of Bismarck's diplomacy and political leadership, von Roon's military reorganization, and von Moltke's military strategy, Prussia demonstrated that none of the European signatories of the 1815 peace treaty could guarantee Austria's sphere of influence in Central Europe, thus achieving Prussian hegemony in Germany and ending the dualism debate.
The first episode in the saga of German unification under Bismarck came with the Schleswig-Holstein Question. On 15 November 1863, King Christian IX of Denmark became king of Denmark and duke of Schleswig and Holstein. On 18 November 1863, he signed the Danish November Constitution and declared the Duchy of Schleswig a part of Denmark. The German Confederation saw this act as a violation of the London Protocol of 1852, which emphasized the status of the kingdom of Denmark as distinct from the independent duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. The populations of Schleswig and Holstein, furthermore, greatly valued this separate status. The German Confederation could use the ethnicities of these duchies as a rallying cry: large portions of both Schleswig and Holstein were of German origin and spoke German in everyday life (though Schleswig had a sizable Danish minority). Diplomatic attempts to have the November Constitution repealed collapsed, and fighting began when Prussian and Austrian troops crossed the border into Schleswig on 1 February 1864. Initially, the Danes attempted to defend their country using an ancient earthen wall known as the Danevirke, but this proved futile. The Danes were no match for the combined Prussian and Austrian forces, and they could not rely on help from their allies in the other Scandinavian states because Denmark had nullified its alliance rights by violating the London Protocol. The Needle Gun, one of the first bolt action rifles to be used in conflict, aided the Prussians in both this war and the Austro-Prussian War two years later. The rifle enabled a Prussian soldier to fire five shots while lying prone, while its muzzle-loading counterpart could only fire one shot and had to be reloaded while standing. The Second Schleswig War resulted in victory for the combined armies of Prussia and Austria, and the two countries won control of Schleswig and Holstein in the concluding peace of Vienna, signed on 30 October 1864.
The second episode in Bismarck's unification efforts occurred in 1866. In concert with the newly formed Italy, Bismarck created a diplomatic environment in which Austria declared war on Prussia. The dramatic prelude to the war occurred largely in Frankfurt, where the two powers claimed to speak for all the German states in the parliament. In April 1866, the Prussian representative in Florence signed a secret agreement with the Italian government, committing each state to assist the other in a war against Austria. The next day, the Prussian delegate to the Frankfurt assembly presented a plan calling for a national constitution, a directly elected national Diet, and universal suffrage. German liberals were justifiably skeptical of this plan, having witnessed Bismarck's difficult and ambiguous relationship with the Prussian Landtag (State Parliament), a relationship characterized by Bismarck's cajoling and riding roughshod over the representatives. These skeptics saw the proposal as a ploy to enhance Prussian power rather than a progressive agenda of reform.
The debate over the proposed national constitution became moot when news of Italian troop movements in Tyrol and near the Venetian border reached Vienna in April 1866. The Austrian government ordered partial mobilization in the southern regions; the Italians responded by ordering full mobilization. Despite calls for rational thought and action, Italy, Prussia, and Austria continued to rush toward armed conflict. On 1 May, Wilhelm gave von Moltke command over the Prussian armed forces, and the next day he began full-scale mobilization.
In the Diet, the group of middle-sized states, known as Mittelstaaten (Bavaria, Württemberg, the grand duchies of Baden and Hesse, and the duchies of Saxony–Weimar, Saxony–Meiningen, Saxony–Coburg, and Nassau), supported complete demobilization within the Confederation. These individual governments rejected the potent combination of enticing promises and subtle (or outright) threats Bismarck used to try to gain their support against the Habsburgs. The Prussian war cabinet understood that its only supporters among the German states against the Habsburgs were two small principalities bordering on Brandenburg that had little military strength or political clout: the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. They also understood that Prussia's only ally abroad was Italy.
Prussian Prince Friedrich Carl orders his enthusiastic troops to attack at the Battle of Königgrätz. The Crown Prince and his troops had arrived late, and in the wrong place, but when he arrived, he ordered his troops immediately into the fray. This decisive battle, which the Prussians won, forced the Habsburgs to end the war and laid the groundwork for the Kleindeutschland (little Germany) solution, or "Germany without Austria."
Although several German states initially sided with Austria, they stayed on the defensive and failed to take effective initiatives against Prussian troops. The Austrian army therefore faced the technologically superior Prussian army with support only from Saxony. France promised aid, but it came late and was insufficient. Complicating the situation for Austria, the Italian mobilization on Austria's southern border required a diversion of forces away from battle with Prussia to fight the Third Italian War of Independence on a second front in Venetia and on the Adriatic sea. The day-long Battle of Königgrätz, near the village of Sadová, gave Prussia an uncontested and decisive victory.
For more details on this topic, see North German Confederation.
A quick peace was essential to keep Russia from entering the conflict on Austria's side. Prussia annexed Hanover, Hesse-Kassel, Nassau, and the city of Frankfurt. Hesse Darmstadt lost some territory but not its sovereignty. The states south of the Main River (Baden, Württemberg, and Bavaria) signed separate treaties requiring them to pay indemnities and to form alliances bringing them into Prussia's sphere of influence. Austria, and most of its allies, were excluded from the North German Confederation.
The end of Austrian dominance of the German states shifted Austria's attention to the Balkans. In 1867, the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph accepted a settlement (the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867) in which he gave his Hungarian holdings equal status with his Austrian domains, creating the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Peace of Prague (1866) offered lenient terms to Austria, in which Austria's relationship with the new nation-state of Italy underwent major restructuring; although the Austrians were far more successful in the military field against Italian troops, the monarchy lost the important province of Venetia. The Habsburgs ceded Venetia to France, which then formally transferred control to Italy. The French public resented the Prussian victory and demanded Revanche pour Sadová ("Revenge for Sadova"), illustrating anti-Prussian sentiment in France—a problem that would accelerate in the months leading up to the Franco-Prussian War. The Austro-Prussian War also damaged relations with the French government. At a meeting in Biarritz in September 1865 with Napoleon III, Bismarck had let it be understood (or Napoleon had thought he understood) that France might annex parts of Belgium and Luxembourg in exchange for its neutrality in the war. These annexations did not happen, resulting in animosity from Napoleon towards Bismarck.
For more details on this topic, see Causes of the Franco-Prussian War.
At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Metternich and his conservative allies had reestablished the Spanish monarchy under King Ferdinand VII. Over the following forty years, the great powers supported the Spanish monarchy, but events in 1868 would further test the old system. A revolution in Spain overthrew Queen Isabella II, and the throne remained empty while Isabella lived in sumptuous exile in Paris. The Spanish, looking for a suitable Catholic successor, had offered the post to three European princes, each of whom was rejected by Napoleon III, who served as regional power-broker. Finally, in 1870 the Regency offered the crown to Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, a prince of the Catholic cadet Hohenzollern line. The ensuing furor has been dubbed by historians as the Hohenzollern candidature.
Over the next few weeks, the Spanish offer turned into the talk of Europe. Bismarck encouraged Leopold to accept the offer. A successful installment of a Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen king in Spain would mean that two countries on either side of France would both have German kings of Hohenzollern descent. This may have been a pleasing prospect for Bismarck, but it was unacceptable to either Napoleon III or to Agenor, duc de Gramont, his minister of foreign affairs. Gramont wrote a sharply formulated ultimatum to Wilhelm, as head of the Hohenzollern family, stating that if any Hohenzollern prince should accept the crown of Spain, the French government would respond—although he left ambiguous the nature of such response. The prince withdrew as a candidate, thus defusing the crisis, but the French ambassador to Berlin would not let the issue lie. He approached the Prussian king directly while Wilhelm was vacationing in Ems Spa, demanding that the King release a statement saying he would never support the installation of a Hohenzollern on the throne of Spain. Wilhelm refused to give such an encompassing statement, and he sent Bismarck a dispatch by telegram describing the French demands. Bismarck used the king's telegram, called the Ems Dispatch, as a template for a short statement to the press. With its wording shortened and sharpened by Bismarck—and further alterations made in the course of its translation by the French agency Havas—the Ems Dispatch raised an angry furor in France. The French public, still aggravated over the defeat at Sadová, demanded war.
Emperor Napoleon III (left) at Sedan, on 2 September 1870, seated next to Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, holding Napoleon's surrendered sword. The defeat of the French army destabilized Napoleon's regime; a revolution in Paris established the Third French Republic, and the war continued.
For more details on this topic, see Franco-Prussian War.
Napoleon III had tried to secure territorial concessions from both sides before and after the Austro-Prussian War, but despite his role as mediator during the peace negotiations, he ended up with nothing. He then hoped that Austria would join in a war of revenge and that its former allies—particularly the southern German states of Baden, Württemberg, and Bavaria—would join in the cause. This hope would prove futile since the 1866 treaty came into effect and united all German states militarily—if not happily—to fight against France. Instead of a war of revenge against Prussia, supported by various German allies, France engaged in a war against all of the German states without any allies of its own. The reorganization of the military by von Roon and the operational strategy of Moltke combined against France to great effect. The speed of Prussian mobilization astonished the French, and the Prussian ability to concentrate power at specific points—reminiscent of Napoleon I's strategies seventy years earlier—overwhelmed French mobilization. Utilizing their efficiently laid rail grid, Prussian troops were delivered to battle areas rested and prepared to fight, whereas French troops had to march for considerable distances to reach combat zones. After a number of battles, notably Spicheren, Wörth, Mars la Tour, and Gravelotte, the Prussians defeated the main French armies and advanced on the primary city of Metz and the French capital of Paris. They captured Napoleon III and took an entire army as prisoners at Sedan on 1 September 1870.
The humiliating capture of the French emperor and the loss of the French army itself, which marched into captivity at a makeshift camp in the Saarland ("Camp Misery"), threw the French government into turmoil; Napoleon's energetic opponents overthrew his government and proclaimed the Third Republic. The German High Command expected an overture of peace from the French, but the new republic refused to surrender. The Prussian army invested Paris and held it under siege until mid-January, with the city being "ineffectually bombarded". On 18 January 1871, the German princes and senior military commanders proclaimed Wilhelm "German Emperor" in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. Under the subsequent Treaty of Frankfurt, France relinquished most of its traditionally German regions (Alsace and the German-speaking part of Lorraine); paid an indemnity, calculated (on the basis of population) as the precise equivalent of the indemnity that Napoleon Bonaparte imposed on Prussia in 1807; and accepted German administration of Paris and most of northern France, with "German troops to be withdrawn stage by stage with each installment of the indemnity payment".
18 January 1871: The proclamation of the German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. Bismarck appears in white. The Grand Duke of Baden stands beside Wilhelm, leading the cheers. Crown Prince Friedrich, later Friedrich III, stands on his father's right. Painting by Anton von Werner.
Victory in the Franco-Prussian War proved the capstone of the nationalist issue. In the first half of the 1860s, Austria and Prussia both contended to speak for the German states; both maintained they could support German interests abroad and protect German interests at home. In responding to the Schleswig-Holstein Question, they both proved equally diligent in doing so. After the victory over Austria in 1866, Prussia began internally asserting its authority to speak for the German states and defend German interests, while Austria began directing more and more of its attention to possessions in the Balkans. The victory over France in 1871 expanded Prussian hegemony in the German states to the international level. With the proclamation of Wilhelm as Kaiser, Prussia assumed the leadership of the new empire. The southern states became officially incorporated into a unified Germany at the Treaty of Versailles of 1871 (signed 26 February 1871; later ratified in the Treaty of Frankfurt of 10 May 1871), which formally ended the war. Although Bismarck had led the transformation of Germany from a loose confederation into a federal nation state, he had not done it alone. Unification was achieved by building on a tradition of legal collaboration under the Holy Roman Empire and economic collaboration through the Zollverein. The difficulties of the Vormärz, the impact of the 1848 liberals, the importance of von Roon's military reorganization, and von Moltke's strategic brilliance all played a part in political unification.
For more details on this topic, see German Empire.
The new German Empire included 25 states, three of them Hanseatic cities. It realized the Kleindeutsche Lösung ("Lesser German Solution", with the exclusion of Austria) as opposed to a Großdeutsche Lösung or "Greater German Solution", which would have included Austria. Unifying various states into one nation required more than some military victories, however much these might have boosted morale. It also required a rethinking of political, social, and cultural behaviors and the construction of new metaphors about "us" and "them". Who were the new members of this new nation? What did they stand for? How were they to be organized?
For more details on this topic, see Constitution of the German Empire.
The 1866 North German Constitution became (with some semantic adjustments) the 1871 Constitution of the German Empire. With this constitution, the new Germany acquired some democratic features: notably the Imperial Diet, which—in contrast to the parliament of Prussia—gave citizens representation on the basis of elections by direct and equal suffrage of all males who had reached the age of 25. Furthermore, elections were generally free of chicanery, engendering pride in the national parliament. However, legislation required the consent of the Bundesrat, the federal council of deputies from the states, in and over which Prussia had a powerful influence; Prussia could appoint 17 of 58 delegates with only 14 votes needed for a veto. Prussia thus exercised influence in both bodies, with executive power vested in the Prussian King as Kaiser, who appointed the federal chancellor. The chancellor was accountable solely to, and served entirely at the discretion of, the Emperor. Officially, the chancellor functioned as a one-man cabinet and was responsible for the conduct of all state affairs; in practice, the State Secretaries (bureaucratic top officials in charge of such fields as finance, war, foreign affairs, etc.) acted as unofficial portfolio ministers. With the exception of the years 1872–1873 and 1892–1894, the imperial chancellor was always simultaneously the prime minister of the imperial dynasty's hegemonic home-kingdom, Prussia. The Imperial Diet had the power to pass, amend, or reject bills, but it could not initiate legislation. (The power of initiating legislation rested with the chancellor.) The other states retained their own governments, but the military forces of the smaller states came under Prussian control. The militaries of the larger states (such as the Kingdoms of Bavaria and Saxony) retained some autonomy, but they underwent major reforms to coordinate with Prussian military principles and came under federal government control in wartime.
Germania, also called the Niederwald Monument, was erected in 1877–83 at Rüdesheim.
The Sonderweg hypothesis attributed Germany's difficult 20th century to the weak political, legal, and economic basis of the new empire. The Prussian landed elites, the Junkers, retained a substantial share of political power in the unified state. The Sonderweg hypothesis attributed their power to the absence of a revolutionary breakthrough by the middle classes, or by peasants in combination with the urban workers, in 1848 and again in 1871. Recent research into the role of the Grand Bourgeoisie—which included bankers, merchants, industrialists, and entrepreneurs—in the construction of the new state has largely refuted the claim of political and economic dominance of the Junkers as a social group. This newer scholarship has demonstrated the importance of the merchant classes of the Hanseatic cities and the industrial leadership (the latter particularly important in the Rhineland) in the ongoing development of the Second Empire.
This monument to Kaiser Wilhelm, at Koblenz, where the Moselle River (upper river) meets the Rhine River (lower river), called the Deutsches Eck, or the German corner.
A key element of the nation-state is the creation of a national culture, frequently—although not necessarily—through deliberate national policy. In the new German nation, a Kulturkampf (1872–78) that followed political, economic, and administrative unification attempted to address, with a remarkable lack of success, some of the contradictions in German society. In particular, it involved a struggle over language, education, and religion. A policy of Germanization of non-German people of the empire's population, including the Polish and Danish minorities, started with language, in particular, the German language, compulsory schooling (Germanization), and the attempted creation of standardized curricula for those schools to promote and celebrate the idea of a shared past. Finally, it extended to the religion of the new Empire's population.
For some Germans, the definition of nation did not include pluralism, and Catholics in particular came under scrutiny; some Germans, and especially Bismarck, feared that the Catholics' connection to the papacy might make them less loyal to the nation. As chancellor, Bismarck tried without much success to limit the influence of the Roman Catholic Church and of its party-political arm, the Catholic Center Party, in schools and education and language-related policies. The Catholic Center Party remained particularly well entrenched in the Catholic strongholds of Bavaria and southern Baden, and in urban areas that held high populations of displaced rural workers seeking jobs in the heavy industry, and sought to protect the rights not only of Catholics, but other minorities, including the Poles, and the French minorities in the Alsatian lands. The May Laws of 1873 brought the appointment of priests, and their education, under the control of the state, resulting in the closure of many seminaries, and a shortage of priests. The Congregations Law of 1875 abolished religious orders, ended state subsidies to the Catholic Church, and removed religious protections from the Prussian constitution.
For more details on this topic, see History of the Jews in Germany.
The Germanized Jews remained another vulnerable population in the new German nation-state. Since 1780, after emancipation by the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, Jews in the former Habsburg territories had enjoyed considerable economic and legal privileges that their counterparts in other German-speaking territories did not: they could own land, for example, and they did not have to live in a Jewish quarter (also called the Judengasse, or "Jews' alley"). They could also attend universities and enter the professions. During the Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras, many of the previously strong barriers between Jews and Christians broke down. Napoleon had ordered the emancipation of Jews throughout territories under French hegemony. Like their French counterparts, wealthy German Jews sponsored salons; in particular, several Jewish salonnières held important gatherings in Frankfurt and Berlin during which German intellectuals developed their own form of republican intellectualism. Throughout the subsequent decades, beginning almost immediately after the defeat of the French, reaction against the mixing of Jews and Christians limited the intellectual impact of these salons. Beyond the salons, Jews continued a process of Germanization in which they intentionally adopted German modes of dress and speech, working to insert themselves into the emerging 19th-century German public sphere. The religious reform movement among German Jews reflected this effort.
For more details on this topic, see Historiography and nationalism.
Another important element in nation-building, the story of the heroic past, fell to such nationalist German historians as the liberal constitutionalist Friedrich Dahlmann (1785–1860), his conservative student Heinrich von Treitschke (1834–1896), and others less conservative, such as Theodor Mommsen (1817–1903) and Heinrich von Sybel (1817–1895), to name two. Dahlmann himself died before unification, but he laid the groundwork for the nationalist histories to come through his histories of the English and French revolutions, by casting these revolutions as fundamental to the construction of a nation, and Dahlmann himself viewed Prussia as the logical agent of unification.
Heinrich von Treitschke's History of Germany in the Nineteenth Century, published in 1879, has perhaps a misleading title: it privileges the history of Prussia over the history of other German states, and it tells the story of the German-speaking peoples through the guise of Prussia's destiny to unite all German states under its leadership. The creation of this Borussian myth (Borussia is the Latin name for Prussia) established Prussia as Germany's savior; it was the destiny of all Germans to be united, this myth maintains, and it was Prussia's destiny to accomplish this. According to this story, Prussia played the dominant role in bringing the German states together as a nation-state; only Prussia could protect German liberties from being crushed by French or Russian influence. The story continues by drawing on Prussia's role in saving Germans from the resurgence of Napoleon's power in 1815, at Waterloo, creating some semblance of economic unity, and uniting Germans under one proud flag after 1871. It is the role of the nationalist historian to write the history of the nation; this means viewing that nation's past with the goal of a nationalist history in mind. The process of writing history, or histories, is a process of remembering and forgetting: of selecting certain elements to be remembered, that is, emphasized, and ignoring, or forgetting, other elements and events.
Mommsen's contributions to the Monumenta Germaniae Historica laid the groundwork for additional scholarship on the study of the German nation, expanding the notion of "Germany" to mean other areas beyond Prussia. A liberal professor, historian, and theologian, and generally a titan among late 19th-century scholars, Mommsen served as a delegate to the Prussian House of Representatives from 1863–1866 and 1873–1879; he also served as a delegate to the Reichstag from 1881–1884, for the liberal German Progress Party (Deutsche Fortschrittspartei) and later for the National Liberal Party. He opposed the antisemitic programs of Bismarck's Kulturkampf and the vitriolic text that Treitschke often employed in the publication of his Studien über die Judenfrage (Studies of the Jewish Question), which encouraged assimilation and Germanization of Jews.
↑ See, for example, James Allen Vann, The Swabian Kreis: Institutional Growth in the Holy Roman Empire 1648–1715. Vol. LII, Studies Presented to International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions. Bruxelles, 1975. Mack Walker. German home towns: community, state, and general estate, 1648–1871. Ithaca, 1998.
↑ Robert A. Kann. History of the Habsburg Empire: 1526–1918, Los Angeles, 1974, p. 221. In his abdication, Francis released all former estates from their duties and obligations to him, and took upon himself solely the title of King of Austria, which had been established since 1804. Golo Mann, Deutsche Geschichte des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts, Frankfurt am Main, 2002, p. 70.
↑ Fichte, Johann Gottlieb (1808). "Address to the German Nation". www.historyman.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
↑ James J. Sheehan, German History, 1780–1866, Oxford, 1989, p. 434.
↑ Although the Prussian army had gained its reputation in the Seven Years' War, its humiliating defeat at Jena and Auerstadt crushed the pride many Prussians felt in their soldiers. During their Russian exile, several officers, including Carl von Clausewitz, contemplated reorganization and new training methods. Sheehan, p. 323.
↑ Sheehan, pp. 465–467; Blackbourn, Long Century, pp. 106–107.
↑ (German) Hans Lulfing, Baedecker, Karl, Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB). Band 1, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1953, p. 516 f.
↑ (German) Peter Rühmkorf, Heinz Ludwig Arnold, Das Lied der Deutschen Göttingen: Wallstein, 2001, ISBN 3-89244-463-3, pp. 11–14.
↑ Raymond Dominick III, The Environmental Movement in Germany, Bloomington, Indiana University, 1992, pp. 3–41.
1 2 Sheehan, pp. 610–613.
↑ (German) Badische Heimat/Landeskunde online 2006 Veit's Pauls Church Germania. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
↑ Examples of this argument appear in: Ralf Dahrendorf, German History, (1968), pp. 25–32; (German) Hans Ulrich Wehler, Das Deutsche Kaiserreich, 1871–1918, Göttingen, 1973, pp. 10–14; Leonard Krieger, The German Idea of Freedom, Chicago, 1957; Raymond Grew, Crises of Political Development in Europe and the United States, Princeton, 1978, pp. 312–345; Jürgen Kocka and Allan Mitchell. Bourgeois society in nineteenth-century Europe. Oxford, 1993; Jürgen Kocka, "German History before Hitler: The Debate about the German Sonderweg." Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 23, No. 1 (January, 1988), pp. 3–16; Volker Berghahn, Modern Germany. Society, Economy and Politics in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge, 1982.
↑ World Encyclopedia V.3 p. 542.
↑ For a summary of this argument, see David Blackbourn, and Geoff Eley. The peculiarities of German history: bourgeois society and politics in nineteenth-century Germany. Oxford & New York, 1984, part 1.
↑ Jürgen Kocka, "Comparison and Beyond.'" History and Theory, Vol. 42, No. 1 (February, 2003), pp. 39–44, and Jürgen Kocka, "Asymmetrical Historical Comparison: The Case of the German Sonderweg", History and Theory, Vol. 38, No. 1 (February, 1999), pp. 40–50.
↑ The remainder of the letter exhorts the Germans to unification: "This role of world leadership, left vacant as things are today, might well be occupied by the German nation. You Germans, with your grave and philosophic character, might well be the ones who could win the confidence of others and guarantee the future stability of the international community. Let us hope, then, that you can use your energy to overcome your moth-eaten thirty tyrants of the various German states. Let us hope that in the center of Europe you can then make a unified nation out of your fifty millions. All the rest of us would eagerly and joyfully follow you." Denis Mack Smith (editor). Garibaldi (Great Lives Observed), Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1969, p. 76.
↑ Bismarck had "cut his teeth" on German politics, and German politicians, in Frankfurt: a quintessential politician, Bismarck had built his power-base by absorbing and co-opting measures from throughout the political spectrum. He was first and foremost a politician, and in this lied his strength. Furthermore, since he trusted neither Moltke nor Roon, he was reluctant to enter a military enterprise over which he would have no control. Mann, Chapter 6, pp. 316–395.
↑ The Situation of Germany. (PDF) – The New York Times, July 1, 1866.
↑ A. J. P. Taylor, Bismarck: The Man and the Statesman. Oxford, Clarendon, 1988. Chapter 1, and Conclusion.
↑ Sheehan, p. 906; Geoffrey Wawro, The Austro Prussian War: Austria's War with Prussia and Italy in 1866. Cambridge, Cambridge University, 1996, pp. 82–84.
↑ Wawro, pp. 50–60; 75–79.
↑ Blackbourn, Long Century, pp. 225–301.
↑ David Blackbourn and Geoff Eley. The peculiarities of German history: bourgeois society and politics in nineteenth-century Germany. Oxford [Oxfordshire] and New York, Oxford University Press, 1984. Peter Blickle, Heimat: a critical theory of the German idea of homeland, Studies in German literature, linguistics and culture. Columbia, South Carolina, Camden House; Boydell & Brewer, 2004. Robert W. Scribner, Sheilagh C. Ogilvie, Germany: a new social and economic history. London and New York, Arnold and St. Martin's Press, 1996.
↑ To name only a few of these studies: Geoff Eley, Reshaping the German right: radical nationalism and political change after Bismarck. New Haven, 1980. Richard J. Evans, Death in Hamburg: Society and Politics in the Cholera Years, 1830–1910.New York, 2005. Richard J. Evans,Society and politics in Wilhelmine Germany. London and New York, 1978. Thomas Nipperdey, Germany from Napoleon to Bismarck, 1800–1866. Princeton, New Jersey, 1996. Jonathan Sperber, Popular Catholicism in nineteenth-century Germany. Princeton, N.J., 1984. (1997).
↑ For more on this idea, see, for example, Joseph R. Llobera, and Goldsmiths' College. The role of historical memory in (ethno)nation-building, Goldsmiths sociology papers. London, 1996; (German) Alexandre Escudier, Brigitte Sauzay, and Rudolf von Thadden. Gedenken im Zwiespalt: Konfliktlinien europäischen Erinnerns, Genshagener Gespräche; vol. 4. Göttingen: 2001; Alon Confino. The Nation as a Local Metaphor: Württemberg, Imperial Germany, and National Memory, 1871–1918. Chapel Hill, 1999.
↑ Blackbourn, Long Century, pp. 283; 285–300.
↑ Jonathan Sperber. Popular Catholicism in nineteenth-century Germany, Princeton, N.J., 1984.
↑ Karin Friedrich, The other Prussia: royal Prussia, Poland and liberty, 1569–1772, New York, 2000, p. 5.
↑ Many modern historians describe this myth, without subscribing to it: for example, Rudy Koshar, Germany's Transient Pasts: Preservation and the National Memory in the Twentieth Century. Chapel Hill, 1998; Hans Kohn. German history; some new German views. Boston, 1954; Thomas Nipperdey, Germany history from Napoleon to Bismarck. | 2019-04-25T08:12:21Z | https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Unification_of_Germany.html |
In South Africa in 2014, more than 1,000 white rhinos were poached for their horns—most in famed Kruger National Park. At current poaching levels, white rhinos could become extinct in the wild within 20 years.
What can South Africa's rhino horn trade proponents learn from experiences with the South American vicuña?
Southern white rhinos could go extinct in the wild in less than 20 years.
Conservation efforts saved the species from an earlier brush with extinction. There were no more than 50 white rhinos in South Africa at the end of the 19th century. Today South Africa holds nearly all of Africa's estimated 20,135 white rhinos.
But more than 1,215 were poached for their horns in 2014. A similar number were killed in 2013. The animals are expected to be in net decline by next year.
And yet in the lead-up to the next big meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to be held in Cape Town in October 2016, South Africa is expected to push hard for legalization of trade in the horns of southern white rhinos.
In Vietnam, among other Asian nations, powdered rhino horn is said to treat fevers and cure cancer, although no scientific studies exist to support such beliefs.
A legal trade, proponents argue, would reduce incentives for poaching of wild rhinos and the illegal trade of their horns. People who are pro-trade view rhino horn as a renewable resource because the horns gradually regrow after they're cropped.
The idea is that rhinos would be intensively managed under farmed, or at least semi-captive, conditions, and that the animals would be sedated while their horns are harvested. Profits from the sale of horns would be invested in maintaining "viable, free-ranging" populations in "natural habitat," as South African trade advocate Michael 't Sas-Rolfes and others envision—although they leave the quoted terms "open to interpretation." This overall approach falls under the label "sustainable use."
Many rhino horn trade advocates tout the Andean vicuña—an iconic South American mammal in the camel family that's related to llamas, alpacas, and guanacos—as an example of successful conservation through sustainable use. The vicuña has been valued for thousands of years for its soft, fine wool.
Excessive hunting for European markets drove vicuñas to the brink of extinction in the 1960s. The animals were usually shot and the fleeces sheared off their carcasses.
In the early 1970s, CITES—which regulates the global wildlife trade—and the countries where the vicuñas range in the wild took measures that included a ban on trade in their wool, putting them on a path to recovery. By the 1990s, their numbers had rebounded to more than 200,000 (most of them in Peru), and regulated legal trading in wool resumed.
The wool of vicuñas—found in the Andean highlands of Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile—has been prized for thousands of years. Poaching of vicuñas is on the rise despite a legal trade in their wool.
Back then, ecologist Cristian Bonacic, of Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, in Santiago, was at the forefront of developing best practice guidelines for sustainable, ethical use of vicuñas.
Bonacic, a doctor of veterinary medicine, is a leading expert on South American camelids, the taxonomic group that includes vicuñas, with more than 30 years of research experience on wild populations. Because of his work with Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, vicuña management practices were aimed at reducing stress during capture, handling, and shearing.
Today, wild vicuñas number more than 340,000 in the Andean highlands of Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile, but once again, poaching and illegal trading are threatening them.
Bonacic says that although inherent differences between rhinos and vicuñas mean that "sustainable" management practices of the two species would differ in detail, there are broad parallels between the two—and that lessons learned over the years with vicuñas apply to rhinos.
Speaking from his university office, Bonacic explains his recent shift away from the notion of sustainable use of wildlife, why a legal trade in vicuña wool has led to more—not less—poaching, and why he thinks a legal trade in rhino horn could be catastrophic for the species.
Tell us about the "sustainable use paradigm" and how it shaped your conservation vision more than 20 years ago.
According to the sustainable use paradigm, if wildlife can be used, it can be saved. This means that farming of wild animals and their conservation are explicitly interlinked. The idea was that if you can provide income to local communities from sustainable use of a wild animal, this will exclude illegal poaching. And indeed, the trend in the '90s did prove this approach successful in a number of places with a number of species. In Chile, we followed this paradigm like a religion.
But the world has changed, and many indigenous communities are now much more globalized. There are many more roads, many more exchange routes, including the Internet, which allows you with one click to buy something banned in one country and not in another. The romantic view that local communities can use an animal sustainably is simply no longer feasible in the 21st century.
What was the Vicuña Convention?
Vicuñas nearly went extinct from overhunting in the wild in the 1960s. In response, CITES placed a 30-year moratorium on trade in vicuña wool. From 1960 to 1980, there was no trade, but in the 1990s we reinitiated discussion about sustainable use of vicuñas under the Vicuña Convention—a specific agreement among the countries where the vicuña naturally occurs.
The agreement was for vicuñas to be sheared alive and returned to the wild, with benefits from the sale of fiber going to local communities. This plan required maximum cooperation of government agencies, local communities, and international conservation organizations like the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Importantly, the trade in wool wouldn't reopen until after vicuñas had recovered in the wild. That didn't happen at the same pace in each of the vicuña range countries, or even within each country, with some populations remaining in jeopardy.
This is something that's happening for rhinos and elephants and other wildlife in Africa and presents a major challenge to "sustainable use"—that is, you can't guarantee that by starting a program of trade in a place where the animal is in abundance, you won't drive the animal to extinction through illegal use where they're still in danger.
While the vicuña populations in northern Chile are currently out of danger of extinction, the populations in the south are not.
Vicuñas were hunted to near extinction by the 1960s for their fleeces. Today, humane capture and shearing methods are widely used.
When did trade in vicuña wool begin again?
In 1997 at the CITES 10th Conference of Parties, in Zimbabwe, Peru was authorized to sell three tonnes [3.3 tons] of stockpiled vicuña fiber and develop trade in raw fleece. This marked the reopening of an international trade in wool sheared from live vicuñas.
Tell us about vicuña capture and wool harvesting.
We know from years of research on the stress physiology of vicuñas and guanacos that any human contact can be stressful for a wild animal. From the very onset, I led research and developed management practices to avoid the animals suffering while they were captured and sheared.
Between 2001 and 2005 we initiated a project—through a grant from the European Union—in the north of Argentina to institute sustainable use for the explicit purpose of protecting wild populations of vicuña. If sustainable use could provide a means of generating income in communities, and if these communities could demonstrate that their local vicuña populations had recovered, then they would be entrusted to use wild vicuñas to supply the trade in fiber.
Essentially, our model was based on the traditional chaku, in which wild animals were rounded up and sheared by Inca servants more than 600 years ago, before the Spanish arrived.
We funneled vicuñas into a series of corrals, placing hoods on them and shearing them without sedation—as wouldn't be the case for rhinos when cropping their horns—then released them back into the wild within their same social structure. The system proved to be animal-friendly, with almost no mortality, and easy to implement by local communities on their own.
Chilean ecologist Cristian Bonacic—a leader in developing best practice guidelines for sustainable, ethical use of vicuñas—believes lessons learned from trade in vicuña wool are applicable to the survival of white rhinos in the wild.
Prior to our efforts, Argentina had wild-sourced vicuñas for "farms," much smaller than Peru's "ranches," a pilot initiative that soon failed to prove to be socially and environmentally just. Some of Argentina's farms were established outside the natural distribution of the vicuña, and animals were even given to people who were not members of local communities.
Ranching was Peru's method of corralling vicuñas into large fenced plots, which can best be described as "semi-captive" conditions. This is a euphemism for saying that the animals were restricted in their movement and not really under proper care.
Our training of how to responsibly harvest wool from wild vicuñas was replicated in other communities across Argentina, and also in Bolivia and Chile. However, despite our best efforts, different conditions in different communities across vicuña range countries were instituted in such a way that we couldn't guarantee that animals were properly managed everywhere.
Poor welfare affects the population by adding a new mortality factor, impeding future captures and shearing, and hindering the economic viability of the program.
The concern now is that given low production volumes of wool, there's a shift from wild management—shearing of wild vicuñas as was agreed under the Vicuña Convention—to captive management schemes.
How do vicuñas fare under captive management?
Captive management, or farming, inevitably means artificial selection of certain vicuña traits, higher risk of disease transference—particularly when vicuñas and domestic animals are penned together—even lack of sufficient food because of overgrazing.
Sometimes, people put domestic llamas and alpacas in the same plots with vicuñas, creating hybrids that are not a desirable outcome of using wild animals.
There's impact on vicuña behavior from restricting habitat use, and even higher risk of predation on vicuñas when they're fenced and unable to flee a predator.
In other words, farming—unlike the chaku—leads to domestication, changes in health and behavior, and "genetic improvements," none of which are good for wild vicuñas.
Most of these problems are relevant to rhino farming.
Moreover, it seems to me that even less is known about rhinos than about vicuñas. The life history cycle of a rhino is different from [that of] a vicuña. The product—horn—that would be harvested from rhinos is crucial for their reproduction and behavior. What sort of conditions does a dehorned rhino require? How is it vulnerable without its horn? How is its mate competition and communication affected by dehorning or horn cropping? Can a farmed rhino ever be released into relatively more wild or free-ranging conditions?
We know from years of research that you can't shear vicuñas and then keep them penned, as they'll lose their adaptive response to cold, given that their fleece and mobility are what keep them warm. Isn't weaponry in the form of a horn part of a rhino's adaptive response, and if so, how do they compensate for its lack?
Why has a managed legal trade in vicuña wool not led to a decrease in poaching in the wild?
The availability and affordability of vicuña wool has ultimately not worked to protect wild populations from poaching. In fact, poaching has even increased over the past ten years in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile.
The opening of the vicuña wool industry led to market expansion, which we did not anticipate. Increasing demand in turn led to more poaching, not less. Our worry now is that globalization could increase demand for vicuña wool beyond natural production limits, threatening wild vicuñas yet again. Already, illegal trade in vicuña fiber is creating tensions at the borders between vicuña range countries.
Vicuña poaching is not only increasing, it's also becoming more dangerous. In Chile, there are recent incidents of park rangers being killed by vicuña poachers. We've never had such a situation before. Chilean rangers don't use guns—they never had to.
The trade in vicuña wool also led to "stakeholder dominance," with Italian and Argentinean traders controlling the market. This means that benefits to traders are much greater than those enjoyed by local people of the Andean communities who source and supply the raw product. This gives communities less incentive to protect wild vicuñas.
Furthermore, as vicuñas are highly territorial, this affects how they distribute themselves across the landscape, which can incite poaching in one community's area by members of another community. This raises the complex issue of ownership.
Finally, the product—vicuña wool—is difficult to distinguish from the wool of guanacos and alpacas, which can be the same color as vicuña [wool]. We suspect that illegal trade is made possible by shipping vicuña wool out under the label of baby alpaca or baby llama wool. There's no easy way to verify the authenticity—or legality—of the product, as would also be the case for rhino horn, especially once it's ground up into powder.
Can you discuss other relevant experiences in Chile?
We shouldn't forget the example of the chinchilla, which is endemic to Chile. At the beginning of the past century, when chinchillas were in decline because of overuse for their pelts, someone took several pairs to North America and developed an entire new breed in captivity. Farming did not stimulate care for wild chinchillas, nor did it help avert their current near-extinction in the wild.
RELATED VIDEO: Researchers in Argentina tag a newborn vicuña in 2011 as part of a study to help in the conservation of the animal and one of its predators, the puma.
How can Chile's experience with vicuñas be a cautionary tale for South Africa?
There are a lot fewer wild rhinos than there were wild vicuñas at the start of the trade in their wool. If there's increased rhino poaching following trade legalization—even for a brief period and at a relatively low level compared with the present—this could be catastrophic for rhinos.
How would the profits of rhino horn trade be transferred to wild population recovery, ecosystem conservation, and local communities? How can responsible use of funds be guaranteed, given recent news of misappropriation of money gained from South Africa's elephant ivory sale in 2008?
What are the social benefits of using rhino horn as compared to vicuña wool? Would the world be promoting medical fraud by supporting rhino horn trade and usage?
Moreover, is it ethically acceptable to breed animals for the sole use of their horns for some so-called medicinal purpose? Societies should be prepared to ask themselves whether fashion and folk medicine can be allowed to drive species like vicuña and rhino to what could be their extinction in the wild in the 21st century.
Rhinos have a tremendous potential as a source of income if they're retained in the wild because of their huge tourist appeal. Rhinos attract far more ecotourism than vicuñas do, and are likely just behind elephants in that appeal.
I strongly believe that farming rhinos for horn production will drive the last specimens of a unique species into a scenario where they'll become more tame and less able to be part of the African ecosystem.
When you drive a magnificent animal away from its ecological relationships, you're taking away the whole meaning of wildlife conservation.
Follow Katarzyna Nowak on Twitter. | 2019-04-19T12:45:09Z | https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150106-rhino-poaching-south-africa-animals-conservation/ |
Tom Watson took a stroll on the Old Course the other day. A bitter gale was blowing in off of St. Andrews Bay, and as he squinted into the wind, the cragginess of his face was accentuated; he looked as weather-beaten as any of the stone walls in the auld grey town. Watson had arrived in Scotland 48 hours earlier to do promotional work for Adams Golf, his longtime sponsor, and he had barely slept since. In the Old Course Hotel that morning he looked a bit logy, but as soon as old Tom neared the links, his gait quickened. Next to the 16th fairway is a fence with horizontal wires spaced about a foot apart. Watson, 65, bent over and shimmied through the gap like a boxer entering the ring. "I'm a farm boy. I know my way around a fence," woofed Watson, who was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo., and now makes his home on a ranch outside of town.
Striding across the 16th fairway, he stopped to tap his toe on the ancient earth. "This turf!" he said, voice rising. "There's nothing like this turf anywhere in the world. Isn't it something?" It might sound funny for a man to grow misty over a glorified lawn, but for Watson, walking the ground where golf was born is understandably spiritual.
When he reached the tee at 17, the Road Hole, Watson fixed a hard gaze on the famous OLD COURSE HOTEL sign. Just like that, he was back in 1984. "You want to drive it over the R," he said, "but I left mine out to the right. I wasn't sure it was even inbounds." He was 34 then and at the tail end of one of the most dominant stretches in golf history. In the preceding 8½ years he had won 35 tournaments, including a U.S. Open, two Masters and the five British Opens that define his legacy. Along the way he dusted Jack Nicklaus so often that the Bear once told Watson, "I'm tired of giving it my best shot and not having it be good enough."
By the '84 British, Watson felt an indefinable funk eroding his game. In the final round he was in a dogfight with Seve Ballesteros, then 27. The swashbuckling Spaniard—convention demands the adjective—was as fearless as Watson once had been. They were tied as the action moved to the 71st hole.
"It's over here somewhere," Watson said, scouring the Road Hole fairway. The terrain of the Old Course is as alive as the ocean, pitching this way and that, heaving up and crashing down. Watson was doggedly looking for a ripple of turf where his drive had settled 31 years earlier. A sprinkler marked 184 offered a clue. Nearby he found a round, ankle-high bump. "Yes, this is the one," Watson said. The specificity of a golfer's memory always amazes, but it is idiosyncratic—Nicklaus recalls his victories in forensic detail but almost nothing about the losses, while Watson retains the tiniest particulars of his most bitter defeats. "If it had been a flat lie," he continued, "I would have played a more conservative shot to the very front of the green. That's where Jack always aimed. But with this little upslope I knew I could get my 2-iron up in the air, and I could use the wind too. It was into me, which would help the ball land softer. So I took an aggressive line."
In these pages Dan Jenkins described the shot as "a semishank, half-flier, out-of-control fade-slice that wanted to go to Edinburgh." Watson's ball flew the green and settled near the stone wall at the edge of the property. He did well to chip to 30 feet. As he studied the par putt, the Old Course shook; ahead at 18, Ballesteros had rolled in a 15-footer for birdie and celebrated with a series of fist pumps, an image that would become iconic. Watson had once been the most feared putter in golf, but he was past the point of being able to will the ball into the hole. He missed, and that one confidence-eviscerating bogey dropped the curtain on the Watson era: He would win only twice in the next 12 years. The vacuum was filled by Ballesteros, who begat a European invasion led by Nick Faldo, who had usurped Greg Norman, who had been the favorite player of a kid growing up in Cypress, Calif. Tiger Woods reached the PGA Tour in 1996, the same year Watson, with a rebuilt swing, won Nicklaus's Memorial Tournament. His career reaches its denouement this week when he plays in his 38th and final British Open, at the Old Course. "It's starting to hit me," Watson says. "I'm a little melancholy. It's like the death of a loved one: There's sadness, of course, but you're left with so many wonderful memories. It's those memories that sustain you."
It’s hard to believe now, but Watson was once considered too soft to close out tournaments. There was a jauntiness about him during his early years on the PGA Tour, accentuated by the freckles and the red hair. Herbert Warren Wind captured Watson perfectly in 1981 when he wrote, "It is easy to picture him sucking on a stem of grass as he heads for the fishing hole with a pole over his shoulder."
By 1975, Watson's fifth season, he had only one victory and was probably best known for losing the '74 U.S. Open, when he had the 54-hole lead but bled out with a 79 on Sunday in the so-called Massacre at Winged Foot. Two months before the British Open he played in the Byron Nelson Classic, during which he forged a lasting friendship with the host, another farm boy who had gone on to big things. Nelson imparted simple swing thoughts and homespun advice on golf's inner battle; duly inspired, Watson went out and won the tournament. He carried the momentum into his first British Open, at Carnoustie, the most demanding of the courses in the rota. On his first day in Scotland, Watson drove to Carnoustie with Hubert Green and John Mahaffey for a practice round, but they were turned away, told that the course was closed for maintenance. (Can you imagine?) They wound up on the humble locals' links in the town where they were staying, Montifieth.
On the opening hole there—Watson's first swing in Scotland—he ripped a drive down the center of the fairway but couldn't find his ball. He searched and searched before dropping another and playing on. As he walked toward the green, Watson was dismayed to discover his drive had been sucked into a tiny, unseen pot bunker on the edge of the fairway, some 60 yards from where he had been looking. "I remember thinking very clearly, If this is links golf, I don't like it," he says.
Watson had grown up at the Kansas City Country Club, a stuffy, conservative enclave. He learned the game from his father, Ray, a stern, exacting figure and a strong player. Little wonder that Watson "had a specific, even Catholic idea of how golf should be played," Joe Posnanski wrote in his recent biography, The Secret of Golf. "Good shots were to be rewarded. Bad shots were to be punished." The vagaries of the linksland challenged Watson's worldview, but he couldn't help but be stimulated by it all. "I didn't care for Carnoustie, but I set about learning how to play it," Watson says.
The weather was calm during the first three rounds, and after scores of 71-67-69, Watson was in fourth, three shots off the lead. He was the beneficiary of two fortuitous events before he teed off on Sunday. At his rental home there was a knock at the door, and a young girl presented him with a sprig of white heather wrapped in foil, saying it was for good luck. There is a mythic quality to the story, which makes sense since it's informed by a Celtic folk tale: The warrior Oscar is wounded in battle, and in his final, dying moment he picks a sprig of purple heather and asks it to be taken to his love, Malvina; her tears turn the heather white, and she offers the prayer, "May the white heather, symbol of my sorrow, bring good fortune to all who find it." Watson isn't a sentimental guy, but beginning that day he carried the heather in his golf bag for more than a year.
Then, just before he teed off on Sunday, he crossed paths with his mentor Nelson. In the past when he was around the lead, Watson had played aggressively to the point of recklessness. Nelson advised him that because of the howling wind, any score around par would give him a chance at winning. Watson replayed those words in his mind throughout the round and competed with the patience and resolve that would become his hallmarks. He was even par for the day playing the 72nd hole, where a big drive and clutch 9-iron set up a birdie that ultimately got him into an 18-hole playoff against Jack Newton. The next day the two were all square playing the par-5 14th hole when Newton pitched it stone dead for a birdie. All Watson did was hole his ensuing chip for an eagle and then play flawlessly coming home. After the victory, Jenkins wrote, "Another authentic American hero was born," but Watson felt differently. "I still hadn't really learned to win," he says. "But that was an important part of the building process of steeling myself and being able to win under the most intense pressure."
Watson likes to talk a lot about the process. He is analytical by nature. During a walk through the cemetery in St. Andrews, he engaged a slightly dazed stonemason in a long discussion about his craft. If a professional photographer is using Nikon instead of Canon, Watson wants to know why. Debating politics is blood sport for him. At the highest level, golf is largely metaphysical; trying to grasp the unknowable is what has kept Watson inspired and engaged for all of these decades. With his breakthrough at Carnoustie the search had just begun, for he still had a flaw in his swing that could lead to a violent hook. Late in the next year, at an otherwise meaningless pro-am in Japan, Watson had a hanging lie on a steep slope, so he concentrated on keeping the clubface square to the ball a bit longer on the backswing. The purity of the strike was a revelation that led him to transform his action.
At the outset of the '77 season, he won back-to-back at Pebble Beach and San Diego, setting tournament scoring records at both stops. But the process remains never-ending. In the run-up to the Masters, he hooked a ball into the water on the 72nd hole to lose the Players, and a week later at Hilton Head he coughed up a four-stroke lead on Sunday. Whether Watson's new swing—and his psyche—could hold up was the big question as he took a share of the lead into the final round at Augusta, with Nicklaus lurking. Big Jack threw seven birdies at Watson and moved into a tie for the lead, but the young challenger never flinched. On 17, Watson holed a nasty 18-footer for a birdie to go back ahead. Nicklaus was in the 18th fairway when the roar washed over him like a tidal wave, forcing him to back off his shot. As he told Posnanski, "That's the only tournament in my life when I got flustered and couldn't regroup." He dumped his approach in the greenside bunker and made bogey. Watson had felled the champ.
This was the backdrop for the Duel in the Sun three months later at Turnberry, the best and most mythologized golf ever played. Watson and Nicklaus both opened with scores of 68-70-65, leaving the field behind. In the final round Nicklaus made two quick birdies to lead by three strokes after four holes. His advantage was still two with six holes to play. Watson, drawing on his Midwestern stoicism, was undeterred. "Nothing ever fazed him," says Scott Simpson, who outdueled Watson to win the 1987 U.S. Open. "He was a fighter. He hits the shot, he marches on, and then hits the next one. He had a great attitude, especially for the major championships."
Indeed, Watson holed a tricky 13-footer at the 13th hole to pull within one, and at 15 he buried a 60-footer to pull even. The pressure was suffocating, so imagine Nicklaus's surprise when he saw Watson standing on the 16th tee with an impish grin. "This is what it's all about, isn't it?" Watson said.
"You bet it is," came the reply.
They were still tied playing the par-5 17th when Watson hit what he calls "one of the best 3-irons of my life," leaving 20 feet for eagle. Straining to match him, Nicklaus missed the green with a 4-iron and couldn't get up and down. Watson's tap-in birdie gave him the lead, and after a perfect drive on the 72nd hole he had 180 yards left, the distance he usually hit his 5-iron. His caddie, a barroom brawler named Alfie Fyles, handed his man a 7-iron, saying only, "The way your adrenaline's pumpin', Mister." Watson followed with an utterly ruthless shot, to 2½ feet. Nicklaus, as the script demanded, rolled in a 50-footer for birdie, making Watson's gimme a little less so. He rapped in the putt and once again had taken down Big Jack, 65 to 66.
Watson had worked as hard at the game as anyone since Ben Hogan, propelled by a fear of failure born from a father who was impossible to please. It was at Turnberry that Watson at long last felt like a champion. All these years later he says, "That was the most significant victory of my career because that was when I finally believed I could play with the big boys. I played against the best, with the best, and I beat the best."
Watson’s third claret jug came in 1980, on perhaps the most venerated course in the rota, when he had rounds of 68-70-64-69 for a then Open-record total of 271. It was the best performance of what he calls his best season, but for him the unquestioned highlight came when hardly anybody was watching, on Tuesday afternoon.
"I had just finished my practice round," Watson says. "A bunch of us [players] were staying at Greywalls"—a lovely hotel that sits just behind Muirfield's 10th tee—"and in the library there we'd often gather for a beer. In walks Arnold Palmer and Jerry Pate and Andy Bean and I forget who else. They had just finished their practice round, and Jerry was pretty chatty. He had beaten Arnold out of $300. He was all over Arnold. All Arnold says is, 'Give me a beer.' Jerry is still ragging on Arnold, and you could see the steam coming out of his ears, and finally Arnold says, 'C'mon, Tommy, let's go play these so-and-so's.' So we went and played an emergency nine.
"We started on number 10, and Arnie and I drove it in the rough. I had to lay up short of the cross bunkers, and he, well, he wound up in his pocket. I'll never forget it: Jerry hit a beautiful drive right down the middle and this beautiful second shot with a 5-iron right at the hole, and he yells, 'Get in!' He's posing and preening, and it almost did go in. I hit my chip about 25 feet past the hole and then stepped up and made the putt, and whaddya know, Jerry misses his little one.
"By the time we get to the 16th tee his partner, Andy Bean, says, 'I'm not pressing these guys anymore.' We got Arnie's money back and then some because I made every putt. And I kept making them all the way through till Sunday. But to play 27 holes on Tuesday of the Open Championship week? That's a love for the game."
It’s a curious sidenote that Watson won his first three Opens without feeling any romance for the linksland; the tempestuous winds and unpredictable way the ball rode the turf still offended his sense of justice. In 1981 he began to see the light. Ahead of that year's Open he barnstormed across Scotland and Ireland with Sandy Tatum, who at 95 remains one of the game's grand old men. Tatum was the 1942 NCAA champion at Stanford (Watson's alma mater) and later the president of the USGA, and he has the soul of a poet. "Basically, Sandy helped me understand that accepting a bad bounce, and recovering from it, is one of the game's great challenges," Watson says. "And I've always loved a challenge."
Watson arrived at the '82 Open still flying high from his U.S. Open victory a month earlier, at Pebble Beach, where he famously chipped in on the 71st hole. Vanquished again, Nicklaus told him afterward, "You little sonofabitch, you're something else."
At Troon, Watson never had his best stuff, but he delighted in grinding out solid rounds on the first three days. "Anyone can shoot a good score when they're playing well," Watson says. "But to post a good score when you're struggling with your game—when you have to fight hard for every par—that's the ultimate satisfaction." He was five strokes off the lead when he made the turn on Sunday, but the leader, 25-year-old Nick Price, was already looking shaky. Troon's 11th is the celebrated Railway Hole, a 481-yard par-5 that was playing into a punishing wind. Now two shots back, Watson smote a 3-iron to three feet for an eagle that tied him for the lead. Watson methodically parred his way to the clubhouse while Price bogeyed three of the last six holes. "I never felt like I was going to win that one," Watson says. "Some tournaments you take, some are handed to you."
Did you deserve to win it?
"Deserve has nothing to do with it. I shot the lowest score. End of story."
If an entire tournament can be distilled into one swing, it happened at the '83 Open. Watson came to the 72nd hole leading by one over Bean and Hale Irwin, who had whiffed on a two-inch putt the day before. Birkdale's final hole is a macho 473-yard par-4 that plays between towering sand hills. Watson split the fairway and had 213 yards to the hole, with a strong wind quartering off the left. He pulled out his 2-iron.
"I can still feel that shot in my body," he says. "I can see the ball in the air. I can see it coming down right at the flag, but then the crowd just engulfed the fairway, running under the gallery ropes, so I couldn't see how close it was. The cheer from the crowd told me it was pretty close, but I guess I knew that already. I look back at all my Open Championship victories, that 2-iron is the shot I probably remember the most. Tough club to hit, wind in my face, and everything on the line. It's the shot I'm most proud of." The ball had settled 15 feet from the hole, and two putts later Watson had his fifth Open title.
Live by the 2-iron, die by the 2-iron. It was the following year at the Old Course that Watson made a mess of the Road Hole and lost to Ballesteros. The defeat was crushing for a couple of reasons. It was a golden opportunity to tie Harry Vardon's record of six Open victories. There was also a sense of unfinished business with the Old Course. In 1978, Watson had taken the lead into the final round, but he made four straight bogeys on the front nine and was run over by Nicklaus, who won an Open at St. Andrews for the second time. Nicklaus's obsession with winning on the Old Course was imbued in him by Bobby Jones, who took the Open there in 1927. Says Nicklaus of his boyhood hero, "He always said that a golfer's record—a great golfer's record—is never complete unless he wins at St. Andrews. There are a couple of places in the game of golf you want to win. I think [the Old Course] is probably the most special place of all to win a golf tournament."
Watson has been listening to this for nearly 40 years now, but he refuses to take the bait: "Sure, winning one in St. Andrews would've been nice. But I won more than my share."
Following the loss to Ballesteros, Watson's game declined rapidly, to the point that he says, "I hated golf." It's a startling admission because no one has ever seemed to love the game more. In 1994 he discovered on the driving range at Hilton Head what he calls "the secret": By taking the club back far to the inside and then dropping it to the outside on the downswing, he had a move that repeated without fail. A few months later he returned to Turnberry and says he had the best ball-striking week of his life. But Watson's putting was typically awful, and Price surpassed him on the back nine on Sunday, payback for 12 years earlier. That night Watson was moping in his hotel room when Nicklaus cajoled him into playing on the pitch-and-putt course in the shadow of the Turnberry Hotel. Along with their wives they stayed out there until dark, a treasured memory for them all.
As crazy as it sounds, you can't count out Watson for this year's Open. Because the Old Course plays so firm and fast, long hitters will be using irons off many tees, negating the old man's distance disadvantage. Watson's most important tune-up came at last month's U.S. Senior Open, where he damn near shot his age, posting an opening 66 en route to a tie for seventh. No track in the world rewards local knowledge quite like the Old Course, so Watson will enjoy a home field advantage similar to Turnberry, where he lost in a playoff in 2009 at age 59, one of the more remarkable feats in golf history.
Watson had arrived on the 72nd hole needing only a par to win. After a perfect drive he had 164 yards to the front of the green, 189 to the hole. With the wind at his back he was torn between an 8- and a 9-iron. You could practically hear Alfy Files whispering from the grave—The way your adrenaline's pumpin', Mister—but Watson went with the stronger club. His ball landed exactly where he was aiming, on the front edge, but it caught a tiny downslope and took a hard bounce forward. "Maybe the ghost of Harry Vardon was blowing on it," Watson cracks. The ball trickled across the putting surface and over the back.
Now Watson faced another choice: chip or putt? The pin was cut tight to the back of the green, just beyond a waist-high swale. Using the wedge would give Watson a better chance to knock it close, but it also brought into play the horrifying possibility of leaving the chip short and having the ball roll back to his feet, costing him the tournament. The young, fearless Watson would surely have chipped it, but now he acceded to his nerves and went with the putter, knocking it eight feet past. The par putt never had a chance; the stroke was a nervous jab. He had nothing left for the ensuing four-hole playoff and went meekly against Stewart Cink.
Afterward Watson was again holed up in his room in the Turnberry Hotel, inconsolable. He refused to take any calls until Nicklaus, who had been glued to his television at home in Palm Beach, Fla., got through to Watson's wife, Hilary. Jack gave his old friend a no-nonsense pep talk: With the whole world watching, Watson had hit a perfect drive and basically a perfect approach shot, and even after a bad bounce had the clarity to choose the right club for his third shot. As for the putt, well, Nicklaus joked that Watson had merely struck it like the old fart he was. What meant the most to Watson was Nicklaus's affirmation that he had played the right shot from behind the green. "Jack Nicklaus always made the correct decision on the golf course," Watson says. "His saying I made the right play instantly took away a lot of the anguish."
"Tom is very traditional," Nicklaus continues. "He has a great respect and appreciation for the history of the game. Those things mean a lot to him. It will be very emotional for him to end his career at St. Andrews."
It's no surprise that Watson frowns at such talk. "I'm not going there to have fun," he says. "I'm going there to compete." Same as it ever was. | 2019-04-21T01:11:53Z | https://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/tom-watson-says-farewell-british-open-where-his-memories-good-and-bad-remain-vivid |
There has been a great deal of debate regarding Taylor rules recently. The U.S. House of Representatives recently proposed a bill that would require the Federal Reserve to articulate their policy in the form of a rule, such as the Taylor Rule. This bill created some debate about whether or not the Federal Reserve should adopt the Taylor Rule or not. In reality, the bill did not require the Federal Reserve to adopt the Taylor Rule, but rather used the Taylor Rule as an example.
In addition, John Taylor has been advocating the Taylor Rule as a guide to policy recently as well as attributing the recent financial crisis/recession to the deviations from the Taylor Rule. While it should not surprise anyone that Taylor has been advocating a rule of his own design and which bears his name, he has faced criticism regarding his recent advocacy of the rule and his views on the financial crisis.
Let me begin with a mini history of monetary policy in the United States during the past 50 years. When I first started doing monetary economics in the late 1960s and 1970s, monetary policy was highly discretionary and interventionist. It went from boom to bust and back again, repeatedly falling behind the curve, and then over-reacting. The Fed had lofty goals but no consistent strategy. If you measure macroeconomic performance as I do by both price stability and output stability, the results were terrible. Unemployment and inflation both rose.
Then in the early 1980s policy changed. It became more focused, more systematic, more rules-based, and it stayed that way through the 1990s and into the start of this century. Using the same performance measures, the results were excellent. Inflation and unemployment both came down. We got the Great Moderation, or the NICE period (non-inflationary consistently expansionary) as Mervyn King put it. Researchers like John Judd and Glenn Rudebush at the San Francisco Fed and Richard Clarida, Mark Gertler and Jordi Gali showed that this improved performance was closely associated with more rules-based policy, which they defined as systematic changes in the instrument of policy — the federal funds rate — in response to developments in the economy.
But then there was a setback. The Fed decided to hold the interest rate very low during 2003-2005, thereby deviating from the rules-based policy that worked well during the Great Moderation. You do not need policy rules to see the change: With the inflation rate around 2%, the federal funds rate was only 1% in 2003, compared with 5.5% in 1997 when the inflation rate was also about 2%. The results were not good. In my view this policy change brought on a search for yield, excesses in the housing market, and, along with a regulatory process which broke rules for safety and soundness, was a key factor in the financial crisis and the Great Recession.
This deviation from rules-based monetary policy went beyond the United States, as first pointed out by researchers at the OECD, and is now obvious to any observer. Central banks followed each other down through extra low interest rates in 2003-2005 and more recently through quantitative easing. QE in the US was followed by QE in Japan and by QE in the Eurozone with exchange rates moving as expected in each case. Researchers at the BIS showed the deviation went beyond OECD and called it the Global Great Deviation. Rich Clarida commented that “QE begets QE!” Complaints about spillover and pleas for coordination grew. NICE ended in both senses of the word. World monetary policy now seems to have moved into a strategy-free zone.
This short history demonstrates that shifts toward and away from steady predictable monetary policy have made a great deal of difference for the performance of the economy, just as basic macroeconomic theory tells us. This history has now been corroborated by David Papell and his colleagues using modern statistical methods. Allan Meltzer found nearly the same thing in his more detailed monetary history of the Fed.
My reading of this suggests that there are two important points that we can learn about Taylor’s view. First, Taylor’s view of the Great Moderation is actually quite different than the New Keynesian consensus — even though he seems to think that they are quite similar. The typical New Keynesian story about the Great Moderation is that prior to 1979, the Federal Reserve failed to follow the Taylor principle (i.e. raise the nominal interest rate more than one-for-one with an increase in inflation, or in other words, raise the real interest rate when inflation rises). In contrast, Taylor’s view seems to be that the Federal Reserve became more rule-based. However, a Taylor rule with different parameters than Taylor’s original rule can still be consistent with rule-based policy. So what Taylor seems to mean is that if we look at the federal funds rate before and after 1979, it seems to be consistent with his proposed Taylor Rule in the latter period, but there are significant deviations from that rule in the former period.
This brings me to the second point. Taylor’s view about the importance of the Taylor Rule is one based on empirical observation. What this means is that his view is quite different from those working in the New Keynesian wing of the optimal monetary policy literature. To see how Taylor’s view is different from the New Keynesian literature, we need to consider two things that Taylor published in 1993.
The first source that we need to consult is Taylor’s book, Macroeconomic Policy in a World Economy. In that book Taylor presents a rational expectations model and in the latter chapters uses the model to compare monetary policy rules that look at inflation, real output, and nominal income. He finds that the preferred monetary policy rule in the countries that he considers is akin to what we would now call a Taylor Rule. In other words, the policy that reduces the variance of output and inflation is a rule that responds to both inflation and the output gap.
Thus, as we can see in the excerpt from Taylor’s paper, the reason that he finds this particular policy rule desirable is that it seems to describe monetary policy during a time in which policymakers seemed to be doing well.
Indeed, Taylor’s views on monetary policy do not seem to have changed much from his 1993 paper. He still advocates using the Taylor Rule as a guide to monetary policy rather than as a formula required for monetary policy.
However, what is most important is the following distinction between Taylor’s 1993 book and Taylor’s 1993 paper. In his book, Taylor shows using evidence from simulations that a feedback rule for monetary policy in which the central bank responds to inflation and the output gap (rather than inflation itself or nominal income) is the preferable policy among the three alternatives he considers. In contrast, in his 1993 paper, we begin to see that Taylor views the version of the rule in which the coefficient on inflation is 1.5 and the coefficient on the output gap is 0.5 as a useful benchmark for policy because it seems to describe policy well between the period 1987 – 1992 — a period that Taylor would classify as good policy. In other words, Taylor’s advocacy of the conventional 1.5/0.5 Taylor Rule seems to be informed by the empirical observation that when policy is good, it also tends to coincide with this rule.
This is also evident in Taylor’s 1999 paper entitled, “A Historical Analysis of Monetary Policy Rules.” In this paper, Taylor does two things. First, he estimates reaction functions for the Federal Reserve to determine the effect of inflation and the output gap on the federal funds rate. In doing so, he shows that the Greenspan era seems to have produced a policy consistent with the conventional 1.5/0.5 version of the Taylor Rule whereas for the pre-1979 period, this was not the case. Again, this provides Taylor with some evidence that when Federal Reserve policy is approximately consistent with the conventional Taylor Rule, the corresponding macroeconomic outcomes seem to be better.
This is best illustrated by the second thing that Taylor does in the paper. In the last section of the paper, Taylor plots the path of the federal funds rate if monetary policy had followed a Taylor rule and the actual federal funds rate for the same two eras described above. What the plots of the data show is that during the 1970s, when inflation was high and when nobody would really consider macroeconomic outcomes desirable, the Federal Reserve systematically set the federal funds rate below where they would have set it had they been following the Taylor Rule. In contrast, when Taylor plots the federal funds rate implied by the conventional Taylor Rule and the actual federal funds rate for the Greenspan era (in which inflation was low and the variance of the output gap was low), he finds that policy is very consistent with the Taylor Rule.
…if one defines policy mistakes as deviations from such a good policy rule, then such mistakes have been associated with either high and prolonged inflation or drawn-out periods of low capacity utilization, much as simple monetary theory would predict. (Taylor, 1999: 340).
Thus, when we think about John Taylor’s position, we should recognize that Taylor’s position on monetary policy and the Taylor Rule is driven much more by empirical evidence than it is by model simulations. He sees periods of good policy as largely consistent with the conventional Taylor Rule and periods of bad policy as inconsistent with the conventional Taylor Rule. This reinforces his view that the Taylor Rule is a good indicator about the stance of monetary policy.
Taylor’s advocacy of the Taylor Rule as a guide for monetary policy is very different from the related New Keynesian literature on optimal monetary policy. That literature, beginning with Rotemberg and Woodford (1999) — incidentally writing in the same volume as Taylor’s 1999 paper, which was edited by Taylor — derives welfare criteria using the utility function of the representative agent in the New Keynesian model. In the context of these models, it is straightforward to show that the optimal monetary policy is one that minimizes the weighted sum of the variance of inflation and the variance of the output gap.
…if you take a modern macro model and work out what is the optimal Taylor Rule – tune the coefficients so that they maximise social welfare, properly defined in model terms, you will get very large coefficients on the term in inflation. Perhaps an order of magnitude greater than JT’s. This same result is manifest in ‘pure’ optimal policies, where we don’t try to calculate the best Taylor Rule, but we calculate the best interest rate scheme in general. In such a model, interest rates are ludicrously volatile. This lead to the common practice of including terms in interest rate volatility in the criterion function that we used to judge policy. Doing that dials down interest rate volatility. Or, in the exercise where we try to find the best Taylor Rule, it dials down the inflation coefficient to something reasonable. This pointed to a huge disconnect between what the models were suggesting should happen, and what central banks were actually doing to tame inflation [and what John Taylor was saying they should do]. JT points out that most agree that the response to inflation should be greater than one for one. But should it be less than 20? Without an entirely arbitary term penalising interest rate volatility, it’s possible to get that answer.
I suspect that if one brought up this point to Taylor, he would suggest that these fine-tuned coefficients are unreasonable. As evidence in favor of his position, he would cite the empirical observations discussed above. Thus, there is a disconnect between what the Taylor Rule literature has to say about Taylor Rules and what John Taylor has to say about Taylor Rules. I suspect the difference is that the literature is primarily based on considering optimal monetary policy in terms of a theoretical model whereas John Taylor’s advocacy of the Taylor Rule is based on his own empirical observations.
Nonetheless, as Tony pointed out to me in conversation, if that is indeed the position that Taylor would take, then quotes like this from Taylor’s recent WSJ op-ed are misleading, “The summary is accurate except for the suggestion that I put the rule forth simply as a description of past policy when in fact the rule emerged from years of research on optimal monetary policy.” I think that what Taylor is really saying is that Taylor Rules, defined generally as rules in which the central bank adjusts the interest rate to changes in inflation and the output gap, are consistent with optimal policy rather than arguing that his exact Taylor Rule is the optimal policy in these models. Nonetheless, I agree with Tony that this statement is misleading regardless of what Taylor meant when he wrote it.
But suppose that we give Taylor the benefit of doubt and suggest that this statement was unintentionally misleading. There is still this bit about the financial crisis to discuss and it is on this subject that there are questions that need to be asked of Taylor.
In Taylor’s book Getting Off Track, he argues that deviations from the Taylor Rule caused the financial crisis. To demonstrate this, he first shows that from 2003 – 2006, the federal funds rates was approximately 2 percentage points below the rate implied by the conventional Taylor Rule. He then provides empirical evidence regarding the effects of the deviations from the Taylor Rule on housing starts. He constructs a counterfactual to suggest that if the Federal Reserve had followed the Taylor Rule, then then housing starts would have been between 200,000 – 400,000 units lower each year between 2003 and 2006 than what we actually observed. He also shows that the deviations from the Taylor Rule in Europe can explain changes in housing investment in for a sample that includes Germany, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, France, Spain, Greece, and Ireland.
Taylor therefore argues that by keeping interest rates too low for too long, the Federal Reserve (and the ECB by following suit with low interest rates) created the housing boom that ultimately went bust and led to a financial crisis.
2. John’s rule was shown to deliver pretty good results in variations on a narrow class of DSGE models. The crisis has cast much doubt on whether this class is wide enough to embrace the truth. In particular, it typically left out the financial sector. Modifications of the rule such that central bank rates respond to spreads can be shown to deliver good results in prototype financial-inclusive DSGE models. But these models are just a beginning, and certainly not the last word, on how to describe the financial sector. In models in which the Taylor Rule was shown to be good, smallish deviations from it don’t cause financial crises, therefore, because almost none of these models articulate anything that causes a financial crisis. How can you put a financial crisis in real life down to departures from a rule whose benefits were derived in a model that had no finance? There is a story to be told. But it requires much alteration of the original model. Perhaps nominal illusion; misapprehension of risk, learning, and runs. And who knows what the best monetary policy would be in that model.
3. In the models in which the TR is shown to be good, the effects of monetary policy are small and relatively short-lived. To most in the macro profession, the financial crisis looks like a real phenomenon, building up over 2-2.5 decades, accompanying relative nominal stability. Such phenomena don’t have monetary causes, at least not seen through the spectacles of models in which the TR does well. Conversely, if monetary policy is deduced to have two decade long impulses, then we must revise our view about the efficacy of the Taylor Rule.
Thus, we are back to the literature on optimal monetary policy. Again, I suspect that if one raised these points to John Taylor, he might argue that (i) his empirical evidence on the financial crisis trumps the optimal policy literature (which admittedly has issues — like the lack of a financial sector in my of these models), (ii) his empirical analysis suggests that a Taylor Rule might be optimal in a properly modified model, or (iii) regardless of whether the conventional Taylor Rule is optimal, the deviation from this type of policy is harmful as evident by the empirical evidence.
1. Suppose that Taylor believes that point (i) is true. If this is the case, then citing the optimal monetary policy literature as supportive of the Taylor Rule in the WSJ is not simply innocently misleading the readers, it is deliberately misleading the readers by choosing to only cite this literature when it fits with his view. One should not selectively cite literature when it is favorable to one’s view and then not cite the same literature when it is no longer favorable.
2. As Tony Yates points out, point (ii) is impossible to answer.
3. Regarding point (iii), the question is whether or not empirical evidence is sufficient to establish the Taylor Rule as a desirable policy. For example, as the work of Athanasios Orphanides demonstrates, the conclusions about whether the Federal Reserve following the Taylor principle (i.e. having a coefficient on inflation greater than 1) in the pre- and post-Volcker era are dependent upon the data that one uses in their analysis. When one uses the data that the Federal Reserve had in real-time, the problems associated with policy have more to do with the responsiveness of the Fed to the output gap than they do with the rate of inflation. In other words, the Federal Reserve does not typically do a good job forecasting the output gap in real-time. This is a critical flaw in the Taylor Rule because it implies that even if the Taylor Rule is optimal, the central bank might not be able to set policy consistent with the rule.
In other words, if the deviations from the Taylor Rule have such a large effect on economic outcomes and it is very difficult for the central bank to maintain a policy consistent with the Taylor Rule, then perhaps this isn’t a desirable policy after all.
4. One has to stake out a position regarding where they stand on models and the data. Taylor’s initial advocacy of this type of rule seems to be driven by the model simulations that he has done. However, his more recent advocacy of this type of rule seems to be driven by the empirical evidence in his 1993 and 1999 papers and his book, Getting Off Track. But the empirical evidence should be consistent with the model simulations and it is not clear that this is true. In other words, one should not make statements about the empirical importance of a rule when the outcome from deviating from that rule is not even a feature of the model that was used to do the simulations.
5. In addition, the Taylor Rule lacks the intuition of, say, a money growth rule. With a money growth rule, the analysis is simply based on quantity theoretic arguments. If one targets a particular rate of growth in the monetary aggregate (assuming that velocity is stable), we have a good idea about what nominal income growth (or inflation) will be. In addition, the quantity theory is well known (if not always well understood) and can be shown to be consistent with a large number of models (even models with flexible prices). This sort of rule for policy is intuitive. If you know that in the long run money growth causes inflation then the way to prevent inflation is to limit money growth.
It is not so clear what the intuition is behind the Taylor Rule. It says that we need to tighten policy when inflation rises and/or when real GDP is above potential. That part is fairly intuitive. But what are the “correct” parameters? And why is Taylor’s preferred parameterization such a good rule? Is it solely based on his empirical work because the optimal monetary policy literature suggests alternatives?
6. Why did things change between the 1970s and the early 2000s. In his 1999 paper, Taylor argues that the Federal Reserve kept interest rates too low for too long and we ended up with stagflation. In his book Getting Off Track, he implies that when the Federal Reserve kept interest rates too low for too long we ended up with a housing boom and bust. But why wasn’t there inflation/stagflation? Why was there such a different response to having interest rates too low in the early 2000s as opposed to the 1970s? These are questions that empirics alone cannot answer.
In any event, I hope that this post brings some clarity to the debate.
Sometimes while you are proctoring exams, you realize that an episode of Seinfeld can be understood as an optimal stopping time problem and you write a short paper about it. Enjoy.
The conventional way of discussing monetary policy is by referencing the interest rate target of the central bank. This is also the way that monetary policy is communicated in the basic New Keynesian model. The idea is that the transmission of monetary policy is primarily through the interest rate. I would like to argue in this post that this is a problematic way of thinking about monetary policy and that the transmission mechanism of policy is unclear.
In the New Keynesian model, the real interest rate affects the time path of consumption through the consumption Euler equation. In particular, when the real interest rate falls, the household would want to save less and therefore would want to consume more. This increases real economic activity in the current period. If we add capital to the model, a lower interest rate encourages a greater investment in capital. Thus, if monetary policy can affect the real interest rate in the short run, then the interest rate target of the central bank can be used as a stabilization tool.
This investment mechanism, however, is questionable. It ignores how investment is actually done in the real world. We can illustrate this lesson with a simple example.
Assuming that (i.e. the optimal time to invest is not immediately), it is straightforward to see that when the real interest rate declines, it is beneficial to put off the investment further into the future.
We can understand the intuition behind this result as follows. In a standard model with capital, the marginal product of capital (net of some adjustment cost) is equal to the real interest rate. Thus, when the real interest rate falls, the firm wants to increase its investment in capital, but because it is costly to adjust that capital, it takes time for the capital stock to reach the firm’s desired level. In contrast, the framework presented above suggests that investment is an option and the firm has to decide when to exercise that option. In that case, a lower the real interest rate means that the future is more important (all else equal). But if the future is more important, then that increases the opportunity cost of exercising the option today. So the firm would want to wait to exercise the option.
So which way is best to think about interest rates and investment? The empirical evidence on the issue (albeit somewhat dated) seems to suggest that price variables, like the real interest rate, are not particularly useful in explaining investment (at least compared to other variables). So is this really the mechanism that should be emphasized in the conduct of monetary policy? | 2019-04-24T16:05:50Z | https://everydayecon.wordpress.com/2015/05/ |
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After more than a decade of providing high quality shade and skirting materials, EZ Snap has thousands of happy customers. Here are some reviews that we have received from all over the USA,Canada, and Australia.
I live in Idaho so I had to get ready for the long winter! It has worked out very well for me!
Thank you EZ SNAP for a great product!
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for your positive feedback and photo Mr. Ball.
I absolutely love my skirting!
My son and I were able to install it in one afternoon and my family loves the results!
We bought a brand new 42 foot 5th wheel a few months ago and our biggest complaint was the lack of insulation, even though the underside is sealed.
After installing the EZ Snap skirting, we are much happier living in our RV during the winter because the heat stays inside whereas before the skirting, the wind would blow under the trailer and take all of the heat with it.
We purchased the kit and the optional 5th wheel cover, to enclose the front section, and it really completes the package. If you elect to use the adhesive snaps, be sure to completely prep the surface before installing to get the best results.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for your order... and sending photos Robert!
Thank you for sending my EZ Snap as you promised.
I am a retired widower so my son in law installed the EZ Snap by himself on my 44ft Cyclone Toyhauler.
He only cut it twice, then installed it with 2 long pieces. I have 2 sewer dump lines and he cut those out and made flaps for them.
It took him all day, by himself, but he got it done.
I live in New Mexico and it does get down to the 20’s at night in the winter. He just installed it in November and it keeps my RV 8-10 degrees warmer.
I am very pleased with your product and so is my son in law.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks Carole... happy to hear EZ Snap is keeping you warmer in New Mexico!
Overall, I was extremely pleased with the EZ Snap product.
I would not say it was easy and quick to do, but most things that are worth it are not! The product is very easy to work with and to be done right must not be rushed. It was definitely a 2 person project.
We wrapped the bottom of my 24 by 10 tiny house on wheels. The added challenge was that it is on a slight slope. One end is about 12" off the ground and the other end about 30" off the ground.
The plan was to attach the skirting to the trailer but we quickly realized that was not practical so we ended up placing the snaps on the siding, not my first choice. We decided to start at a corner. The wheel wells were actually not an issue and covered easily, a major reason we could not attach to the trailer.
It was a challenge around the heated hose, the heat pump mount, and making sure the instant water heater gas vent was easy to keep clear, as well as the water outtake. Because they are close to each other, we were able to Velcro ( what a great tool) a seam so that it can be unsnapped when house in use.
Last real challenge was the lower end and getting [around] the trailer hitch where the propane platform is mounted on the hitch. This of course has to be accessible.
Well we did it! Am I going to unsnap to remove during the summer season? I doubt it. Will probably just unsnap some small sections for air flow.
All in all it was a well spent 8 hours. I'm anxious to see the winter goes.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for your tiny house skirting review and photo. Nice work Judy!
First time living in my camper over the winter. Not going to lie I was quite nervous for freezing pipes, cold drafts, and an uncomfortable camper to live in.
I order the skirting kit for my camper within 2 hours I had it all up and my camper is draft-less, I’ve had zero issues with freezing, and the most important thing is, I’m comfortable.
Thank you to you guys for providing a product that allows me to live in my camper year round!
EZ Snap® Team - 2 hour installation is one of that fastest we've heard about. Thanks for letting us know Nathan.
The kit and additional accessories arrived in great condition and quickly. The kit was installed on a 27 foot pull trailer.
As others have indicated, you have to plan ahead on the installation and as always measure twice and cut once. After formulating a plan, installation took only a few hours.
The skirting was used on two hunting trips where the night temps were in the teens. The installation once at our camp site went fairly quickly for both trips.
Overall, I am very happy with the skirting.
I had questions from a few other hunters as to where I got the skirting, so hopefully you will get a few more buyers.
EZ Snap® Team - We are happy to hear that your EZ Snap Skirting is working well for you.
EZ snap arrived in one box with great instructions.
We were able to secure all the snaps and let them cure for a few days before tackling the skirting.
My only caution is to people who have arthritis. It is pretty hard to secure the snaps.
To remove the skirting is pretty easy for travel. The snap removal tool broke while removing the second snap, but a butter knife works great!
The skirting looks good and works at keeping your rig warmer.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for sending your review.
I have 38' 5TH wheel I received my EZ snap in good condition, Went to EZ snap site and watched installation video and 8 hours later I was done.
EZ snap went on the RV rather simple just make sure to give it some pre thought.
I would recommend EZ snap to anybody skirting their RV.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for your review and photos. Very nice installation!
We really have put our EZ Snap Skirting to use.
It was easy to install and we used the adhesive tabs.
We have since had to screw on a few of them because we put blocks underneath and I think we put them too tight and it pulled too much on the tabs, but it has so far held very well.
The Velcro doesn’t stick great but we started when it was rather cold out so I think that was a problem also.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for your review. As you have learned, it is important not to place heavy weights on the bottom of your Skirting (since it will pull the 3M Adhesive off). We recommend using a 3/4" plastic pipe frame with weights placed in behind for best results. Installation temps for 3M and Velcro are MIN 60 F for a few days and nights.
Looks like we had it made professionally.
It did not take long to do.
Material is high quality and durable.
EZ Snap® Team - Glad to hear you are happy with your EZ Snap RV Skirting.
These work great. We live in a very windy region & they continue to perform very well.
I used the skirting on a 30' travel trailer following the directions, along with the helpful hints. It was installed in what we call the high desert in Eastern WA.
I installed the PVC frame and added 3 cross braces. After the complete installation I added concrete blocks on all the corners including the pop out.
I believe it increased the inside temperature of the trailer about 10 degrees or so. I am pleased so far. See what happens through the winter.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for sending us your review.
First and foremost I want to tell you, GREAT WORK in designing an awesome RV skirting system!
I live in Wyoming and have for many years. Up until recently I was traveling all over the US working as a traveling Flight Paramedic. I got tired of being away from home and decided to change jobs to a paramedic job closer to home. I now work as a paramedic here for a County Emergency Medical Services, but it’s still two hours from my house. When I got the job my wife and I decided that I would need to get a new camper of some sort, to stay in, when I am in between my 24 hour ambulance shifts. We traded in our small 18’ travel trailer toy hauler and bought a used 40’ fifth wheel toy hauler.
This all went down over the summer and I really hadn’t thought about skirting.... that was until one night in September when the temperature dropped down into the 30’s! That night I really started thinking “this is gonna get BAD”! So I started looking around immediately for a skirting solution.
After a ton of research and some extremely scary pricing, I found your product. Initially I thought it wouldn’t be worth it, as there would be no way it could hold up to our winds and cold temperatures! I then did a ton of research and started to realize that not only would it work, but it also wouldn’t break the bank.
I sized out my RV on your website and ordered everything I needed. I also ordered the optional fifth wheel skirting kit with the trailer skirting.
I was really looking forward to getting it and installing it, because winter weather was coming! So when I got it delivered I was stoked!
Delivery was really fast and it only took like 5 days for me to get it. I followed the video instructions and installed all of the hardware first. I ordered the snaps with the adhesive and the screws, because I figured they would be the best for our insane winds here in Wyoming. This turned out to be the case, but I’ll go into that more in a minute. I was only able to get the hardware installed when I had a day off work, so I had to wait a day to install the trailer skirting.
On the day that I installed the trailer skirting it was a beautiful day with no wind. I got the the skirting sized and installed, however I didn’t have time to install the pvc pipes and pipe clamp system. I thought this wouldn’t be a big problem, because I was gonna finish it up two days later when I was off work. However.... not so much luck.
The day after I installed the skirting and was sitting at work, a sting cold front pushed through and the winds picked up to 70+ mph. I figured I was in big trouble. I figured this stuff had no chance of being attached still, because without the pipe system it would be flapping so bad that it break the pins. But there was nothing I could do but hope because I can’t leave work and leave an ambulance uncovered.
When I got back to the trailer I was floored! Only a very small section had come loose and as it turned out, it wasn’t the pins or snaps that broke but I fact a few caps had come loose. This allowed the material to come off of those pins in the wind. I don’t however believe this to be the fault of the product, I actually think I didn’t have the pins in the caps all the way. I reinstalled the ones that were missing and secured everything with the pipe and pipe clamp system it’s cement blocks behind it.
Now the thing is totally skirted in and with a small electric heater underneath the trailer running on low, the ambient temperature under the trailer is normally at least 30 degrees warmer than the outside temperature! I also use about a quarter the amount of propane every two weeks that I was using before. The trailer stays way warmer than it did before and there’s no drafts from the undercarriage!
I highly recommend the product to anyone looking for skirting that you can install yourself! It looks great, works great and is easy to install. Just make sure you don’t do what I did. If your gonna start the install , FINISH THE INSTALL. That way you don’t have to do things twice.
Thanks for the great product, that works excellently and as advertised! Bring on winter!
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for feedback Jeremy.
This is a great product. I received my order very fast. EZ Snap fasteners are amazing.
I did not want to drill holes in my brand new camper so this was a game changer.
I followed the direction to the letter and had a flawless installation. Two people to install is a must; my son kept tension on the vinyl and aligned with our mark while I pushed it onto the studs.
They also included a vinyl trim tool with the kit that made trimming excess much easier than using a razor blade. I used a razor knife to ‘flare’ the bottom so it would fold under on the corners properly and the vinyl was difficult to cut which told me it is very durable, high quality material.
We built a frame with 3/4” PVC around the bottom and used the pipe clamps to secure it and it makes for a very clean, professional looking finished product.
I will recommend this kit to everyone!
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for your positive review Mr. McKillip.
Our EZ Snap skirt arrived undamaged, no missing parts/pieces and on time.
The steps were very simple explained, the steps easy to follow, and the installation easy to complete. This was done with a two person team (my wife and I).
The total time was approximately 6-8 hours. We installed the skirt in the great state of Washington, just toward the end of the summer season.
The skirt has now been up for just a little less than a month, has been holding up well, and doing what it was designed to do.
EZ Snap® Team - Great feedback, thanks Derrick.
I am happy overall with the final result. I did paint my clips black so they matched. Everything else you can get different colors except the pipe clamps.
However it did take longer than advertised due to the amount of preplanning that you need to do in order to install correctly. The actual install only took a few hours but figuring out how to go around steps, bumpers, tongues and slide outside takes a while. Also pre plan where the snaps are going and where you want to double up for overlap and cut outs.
If you want to put your snaps closer together then the 10" max you will probably need to order more with your initial purchase... we have a lot of wind so I wanted them every 8".
EZ Snap® Team - Thank you Mr. Rusk for your review and photos. Very nice installation.
The folks at EZ snap were wonderful. They took great care of me and I received the exact kit I needed plus more. I couldn't have asked for a better transaction.
I'm looking forward to the winter to see the difference in my heating cost. For the last 2 years I've just about frozen to death in 20 degree weather for weeks on end.
All reviews told me it was good for negative 40 degrees so I'm hoping for the best.
The product quality was good and the ease of installing was pretty good. All of the agents were very good to lead me into the right direction of what I needed.
EZ Snap® Team - Happy to help. Thank you for your review Debra.
Thanks again for the wonderful product. Absolutely great quality and easy instructions... Would definitely recommend your product and next spring will be ordering your window shades.
EZ Snap® Team - You're welcome... thanks for your positive review.
Now, if you follow the video that’s on their website, you’ll be just fine doing this. My son and I did mine. I have a little arthritis so I used pliers to put the pins on. The rest was fairly easy.
I’m very happy with this skirting!
I spent approximately, $840 on the whole project. That’s including the pvc pipe. If you have a skirting company come and do this for you, it will cost upwards of $2300 or more!
We’re not professionals, but I think it’s just fine.
Thank you, EZ SNAP for your product and your support.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for sending us your review and photos Tamara. Nice installation!
... Looks very nice after skirt was in place and my brother spent some extra time cutting and hanging the skirt around the stairs.
I live in trailer full time.
EZ Snap® Team - Great feedback, thank you Judy.
The guys were great and full of information on how to have a successful install. Super helpful.
Well a few weeks later I got to installing the studs to the trailer. I elected to use the adhesive type and had a warm day to install. All went well. I left the them to cure for a week or so. I was given the info that if you can leave the studs to cure for at least 3 days they would have better strength of adhesion. I also used the primer pen on all the locations which increases adhesion.
I got busy so the skirt install didn't happen for a couple more weeks. I watched the video and this sure helped on installing the skirt.
We laid out the material and measured the first section to start with. We elected to do the install in 5 sections plus the fifth wheel section. I have 2 slide outs and they each had one section of the 5. We over lapped the sections so as to not have any open joins. This was a good plan and will only need short pieces of velcro to hold the sections together.
The biggest question was to how to go around the stairs as I have 4 steps added out of wood as I am not using the trailer stairs. Well with some thought and slow cutting we figured how to do it within a section and not have to piece meal in pieces.
Last but not least, we did the fifth wheel section and this went very fast even with placing the door having been sewn into the section. We moved the skirt around a bit to get the right placement so it was fully accessible.
Thank you to EZ Snap for the kit and their help. Very happy with the result and the look.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks Nick!
We are new to the EZ Snap family and excited to have finally found the product we have been needing!
The two of us did the install in one day, which was made interesting by a quilter's measuring methods and a Highway tech's design haha! Measuring tape to t-square, and a lot of "eye-balling" to level the line made for some entertainment for the passers by, curious what we were up to.
They shared their stories of ice cold RV's with frozen gel foam mattresses to frozen water pipes and we told our memories of -4 camps with wind and snow far from any civilization, trying to keep thawed and warm. That camp spurred our motivation to keep saving up for what we knew we needed.
Each phone call and email to staff at EZ Snap was so helpful and the advice well taken. Certainly made the job go smoother!
While we have just installed our skirting and will not use it until October, we are convinced we will have the coziest camp ever and are really excited to have this addition to our camping adventures - thank you EZ Snap!!
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for sending us your review and photos. Hoping you stay toasty and warm this winter!
The skirting was fairly simple to install. It took my son and husband about 5 hours from snaps to skirting completion. The only issue we had was the snaps kept falling off in the heat, it was about 80 degrees, the ones in the shade stuck though. We had to buy superglue and glue one side back on.
Received the EZ Snap kit and extra snaps as ordered.
While it did come in "2" pieces (as advised it might for the length ordered), it was professionally seamed together with the velcro strips and did not hamper the installation.
The drill in snaps worked perfectly and I am happy with the quality and easy of installation.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for your positive review and photo Dennis. Nice installation!
Winter had already set in by the time I could afford the skirting for my 5th wheel trailer, so I went with the screw in snaps instead of the stick on style. Then when it arrived, I got sick before I could install it so it was another couple weeks before I got started. By then it was early January.
Once I got started, the installation went quite smoothly, despite the below freezing temperatures.
Had it been warmer I likely would have had it done in a day, but since I had to keep stopping to warm my hands, it took me 2 days.
The first day I screwed in all the snaps. Then the second day I installed the vinyl skirting.
I did it all by myself. I just unrolled about 10 – 15 feet of skirting at a time and worked on small sections. I cut around obstacles (stairs, awning mounts etc.) as I got to them.
I put snaps underneath each of the compartment doors that got covered, as well as along the top of the skirting, so that I could make a cut along the bottom and sides of each compartment door, creating a flap that I then held down with a couple small strips of Velcro to prevent flapping in the wind. This let me drop the flap down while my tanks were draining, which helped keep the cold out from around the valves and the tanks.
As there was already skirting around the higher fifth wheel section to create a storage area, I used the Velcro strips to attach the new vinyl to the old.
To hold the bottom down, I went with pvc piping from the local hardware store, and the clips from EZ Snap to attach the vinyl to the pipe. As my trailer is 30 ft. long, I included 2 cross pieces for added stability, as well as the cross piece at the front and back.
Where the sewer line connects, I stretched the skirting out over the sewer line to protect it, rather than tucking it under the RV. Then I just used a few cement blocks to hold it from blowing in the wind.
I noticed a big difference, as soon as I was done. It was warmer inside, there was no more cold draft, and the furnace didn’t have to run nearly as often.
All-in-all, I am very happy with my purchase and would gladly recommend EZ Snap to anyone looking for easy to install, affordable RV skirting.
EZ Snap® Team - Nice to know the RV Skirting kept you warmer Bill!
Very simple and easy to install... just needed a cordless driver, pencil, tape measure and a pair of scissors.
I was able to install skirting around my 33 foot RV with 3 slides in under 2 hrs.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for your positive review Harvey.
I have been delighted with my propane bill. I am very warm. The cat likes the skirt too. She guards the underside of my trailer from pests in warmth too.
We completed the job just as a major snowstorm blew in.
EZ Snap® Team - Happy to hear that you are saving on propane, warm, and comfortable.
We received our EZ Snap order without a hitch.
Very impressed with the service and quick delivery on our product.
We will definitely be using you again and will recommend you to our RV community.
Thanks again for your fabulous service.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks Debbie... we appreciate the compliments.
My newly-wed daughter and my new son in law live in a 5th wheel on our property to save money to buy a house. This is their second NW Montana winter in their 5th wheel and they decided to put up ez-snap vinyl siding. It was easy to install and looks wonderful. Immediately they noticed they were using less propane and their house is staying warmer. The truly amazing part though is that 2 days ago we got hit with a tremendous wind storm boasting up to 90mph winds. Tin ripped off the roof of the house next door, 3 trees fell on the other neighbor's roof, but the vinyl siding survived like a dream. One snap came off and was lost. That's it. We're eager to see how well it helps the rest of the winter!
Thank you for your superior product!
EZ Snap® Team - Thank you for Sharing your wind storm experience Kristen. When the EZ Snap pipe clamps & pipe frame are installed correctly, it makes a big difference to the wind performance.
We knew we would need extra protection for the winter for our new fifth wheel that we parked in Tennessee. My husband did some research and found the EZ Snap camper skirting solution so we ordered it in October.
It only took three days for the order to be processed and shipped out. We were installing the skirting by November 4th, 2017.
We used a large woodworking square to help us measure evenly to place the 3M technology push pin bases. We also found that using a chalk line was helpful, especially when skirting around the front cap.
Our lovely 1.5 year old assistant Evie provided plenty of support, along with surprise supervision from a toad!
The installation was easy and went well, taking about a half day. My husband used the special tool that EZ Snap sent us to slice off some excess skirting in a few places and with the exception of securing the bottom and adding some more custom Velcro and snaps around access doors, we were done!
The first week of 2018 has proven that our EZ Snap skirting has played a crucial part of our survival this winter, considering that we had temperatures under freezing for over a week and did not have any trouble keeping warm nor any frozen pipes!
EZ Snap™ Team - Thanks for the great review Emilee!
It was very easy to install it took less than one day to have all the screw in snaps all installed and skirting hanging.
I have a 42 foot 5th wheel, within a weekend I had all of it completely installed with pipe.
The price point was good and shipping was very fast.
I opted in for the heavy duty sewed in zipper... Its very heavy duty.
Also ordered the Velcro for the seams and it has stuck on and stayed in place through heavy wind and rain storms.
It is a very good product and I would recommend it to anyone who needs RV skirting.
EZ Snap™ Team - Thanks for the great review Ian. Much appreciated.
Great product only took one day to install around 42ft toy-hauler. And looks great also!
EZ Snap™ Team - Thanks Steven!
Very surprised at how well it keeps the cold out.
Live in colorado has been hitting single digits at night 7 degrees. Have yet to freeze up.
Cost was low compared to other products.
Glad i found EZ Snap. Would use it again.
EZ Snap® Team - Glad you are keeping warm! Thanks for the review.
Installation of the skirt on our Airstream (Betty) couldn't have been easier.
Cleaning the side of the trailer before attaching the adhesive fasteners took the most time and was my least favorite part of the process. After cleaning it was a straightforward and satisfying process.
I purchased both grey and black fasteners. I used the black for the on the black section of the trailer and grey for silver sections, this way you don't notice the fasteners when the skirt is not attached. I was glad to have this option.
Hanging the skirt for the first time required two people to ensure it is hung straight. This went much more quickly than I expected.
The total time to get all tasks done was around 6 hours. We are very happy with the tidy and professional looking result.
EZ Snap™ Team - Very nice installation. Well done Jeff. Thanks for the Airstream skirting photos.
I ordered the snaps and clips to put on our travel trailer for this winter as our daughter is back home and is living in the trailer. We wanted to add a tarp around the bottom to help during the winter.
I did a lot of research and these were the best ones we found that we could use with our tarp.
They were easy to install and have already proven their adhesion as we had a wind storm come through with 55 mile gusts and everything stayed attached.
I am very pleased with the products to anyone and will definitely order more if needed.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for your review.
The skirting is very high quality, it is pretty easy to install in the fall and disassemble in the springtime.
Also purchased the clips to hold the skirting in place and bought some PVC pipe and created a skeleton around the base of the trailer.
Even with high winds it held up to the winter conditions.
EZ Snap® Team - Thanks for your review Jason. | 2019-04-22T08:57:38Z | https://ezsnapdirect.com/about-ez-snap/testimonials/ |
A cassette deck is a type of tape machine for playing and recording audio compact cassettes. Consumer electronics formerly used the term deck to distinguish them from a tape recorder, the "deck" being part of a stereo component system, while a "tape recorder" was more portable and usually had a self-contained power amplifier (and often speakers).
Although the two terms became interchangeable, a recorder is typically thought of as a low-fidelity portable device, while a deck is considered a high fidelity component.
The first consumer tape recorder to employ a tape reel permanently housed in a small removable cartridge was the RCA tape cartridge, which appeared in 1958 as a predecessor to the cassette format. At that time, reel to reel recorders and players were commonly used by enthusiasts, but required large individual reels and tapes which had to be threaded by hand, making them less-accessible to the casual consumer. Both RCA and Bell Sound attempted to commercialize the cartridge format, but a few factors stalled adoption, including lower-than-advertised availability of selections in the prerecorded media catalog, delays in production setup, and a stand-alone design that was not considered by audiophiles to be truly hi-fi.
The "compact cassette" (a Philips trademark) was introduced by the Philips Corporation at the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin in 1963 and marketed as a device purely intended for portable speech-only dictation machines.[citation needed] The tape width was 1⁄8 inch (actually 0.15 inch, 3.81 mm) and tape speed was 1.875 inches (4.8 cm) per second, giving a decidedly non Hi-Fi frequency response and quite high noise levels.
Early recorders were intended for dictation and journalists, and were typically hand-held battery-powered devices with built-in microphones and automatic gain control on recording. Tape recorder audio-quality had improved by the mid-1970s, and a cassette deck with manual level controls and VU meters became a standard component of home high-fidelity systems. Eventually the reel-to-reel recorder was completely displaced, in part because of the usage constraints presented by their large size, expense, and the inconvenience of threading and rewinding the tape reels - cassettes are more portable and can be stopped and immediately removed in the middle of playback without rewinding. Cassettes became extremely popular for automotive and other portable music applications. Although pre-recorded cassettes were widely available, many users would combine (dub) songs from their vinyl records or cassettes to make a new custom mixtape cassette.
In 1970, the Advent Corporation combined Dolby B noise reduction system with chromium dioxide (CrO2) tape to create the Advent Model 200, the first high-fidelity cassette deck. Dolby B uses volume companding of high frequencies to boost low-level treble information by up to 9 dB, reducing them (and the hiss) on playback. CrO2 used different bias and equalization settings to reduce the overall noise level and extend the high frequency response. Together these allowed a usefully flat frequency response beyond 15 kHz for the first time. This deck was based on a top-loading mechanism by Nakamichi, then soon replaced by the Model 201 based on a more reliable transport made by Wollensak, a division of 3M, which was commonly used in audio/visual applications. Both featured an unusual single VU meter which could be switched between or for both channels. The Model 200 featured piano key style transport controls, with the Model 201 using the distinctive combination of a separate lever for rewind/fast forward and the large play and stop button as found on their commercial reel to reel machines of the era.
Most manufacturers adopted a standard top-loading format with piano key controls, dual VU meters, and slider level controls. There was a variety of configurations leading to the next standard format in the late 1970s, which settled on front-loading (see main picture) with cassette well on one side, dual VU meters on the other, and later dual-cassette decks with meters in the middle. Mechanical controls were replaced with electronic push buttons controlling solenoid mechanical actuators, though low cost models would retain mechanical controls. Some models could search and count gaps between songs.
Cassette decks soon came into widespread use and were designed variously for professional applications, home audio systems, and for mobile use in cars, as well as portable recorders. From the mid-1970s to the late 1990s the cassette deck was the preferred music source for the automobile. Like an 8-track cartridge, it was relatively insensitive to vehicle motion, but it had reduced tape flutter, as well as the obvious advantages of smaller physical size and fast forward/rewind capability. A major boost to the cassette's popularity came with the release of the Sony Walkman "personal" cassette player in 1979, designed specifically as a headphone-only ultra-compact "wearable" music source. Although the vast majority of such players eventually sold were not Sony products, the name "Walkman" has become synonymous with this type of device.
Cassette decks reached their pinnacle of performance and complexity by the mid-1980s.[citation needed] Cassette decks from companies such as Nakamichi, Revox, and Tandberg incorporated advanced features such as multiple tape heads and dual capstan drive with separate reel motors. Auto-reversing decks became popular and were standard on most factory installed automobile decks.
As a part of the Digital Revolution, the ongoing development of electronics technology decreased the cost of digital circuitry to the point that the technology could be applied to consumer electronics. The application of such digital electronics to cassette decks provides an early example of mechatronic design, which aims to enhance mechanical systems with electronic components in order to improve performance, increase system flexibility, or reduce cost. The inclusion of logic circuitry and solenoids into the transport and control mechanisms of cassette decks, often referred to "logic control," contrasts with earlier "piano-key" transport controls and mechanical linkages. One goal of using logic circuitry in cassette decks or recorders was to minimize equipment damage upon incorrect user input by including fail-safes into the transport and control mechanism. Such fail-safe behavior was described in a review by Julian Hirsch of a particular cassette deck featuring logic control. Some examples of fail-safe mechanisms incorporated into logic control decks include: a mechanism designed to protect internal components from damage when the tape or motor is locked, a mechanism designed to prevent the tape from being wound improperly, among others. Some logic control decks were designed to incorporate light-touch buttons or remote control, among other features marketed as being convenient. In the car stereo industry, full logic control was developed with the aim of miniaturization, so that the cassette deck would take up less dashboard space.
The Dolby B noise reduction system was key to realizing low noise performance on slow, narrow, cassette tapes. It works by boosting the high frequencies on recording, especially low-level high-frequency sounds, with corresponding high frequency reduction on playback. This lowers the high frequency noise (hiss) by approximately 9 dB. Enhanced versions included Dolby C (in 1980) and Dolby S types. Of the three, however, only Dolby B became common on automobile decks.
Bang & Olufsen developed the HX Pro headroom extension system in conjunction with Dolby Laboratories in 1982. This was used in many higher-end decks. HX Pro reduces the high-frequency bias during recording when the signal being recorded has a high level of high frequency content. Such a signal is self-biasing. Reducing the level of the bias signal permits the desired signal to be recorded at a higher level without saturating the tape, thus increasing "headroom" or maximum recording level.
New tape formulations were introduced. Chromium dioxide (referred to as CrO2 or Type II) was the first tape designed for extended high frequency response, but it required higher bias. Later, as the IEC Type II standard was defined, a different equalization settings was also mandated to reduce hiss, thus giving up some extension at the high end of the audio spectrum. Better-quality cassette recorders soon appeared with a switch for the tape type. Later decks incorporated coded holes in the shell to autodetect the tape type. Chromium dioxide tape was thought to cause increased wear on the heads, so TDK and Maxell adapted cobalt-doped ferric formulations to mimic CrO2. Sony briefly tried FerriChrome (Type III) which claimed to combine the best of both; some people, however, stated that the reverse was true because the Cr top layer seemed to wear off quickly, reducing this type to Fe in practice. Most recent decks produce the best response and dynamic headroom with metal tapes (IEC Type IV) which require still higher bias for recording, though they will play back correctly at the II setting since the equalization is the same.
A variety of noise reduction and other schemes are used to increase fidelity, with Dolby B being almost universal for both prerecorded tapes and home recording. Dolby B was designed to address the high-frequency noise inherent in cassette tapes, and along with improvements in tape formulation it helped the cassette win acceptances as a high-fidelity medium. At the same time, Dolby B provided acceptable performance when played back on decks that lacked Dolby circuitry, meaning there was little reason not to use it if it was available.
The main alternative to Dolby was the dbx noise reduction system, which achieved a high signal-to-noise ratio, but was essentially unlistenable when played back on decks that lacked the dbx decoding circuitry.
Philips developed an alternative noise reduction system known as Dynamic Noise Limiter (DNL) which did not require the tapes to be processed during recording; this was also the basis of the later DNR noise reduction.
Dolby later introduced Dolby C and Dolby S noise reduction, which achieved higher levels of noise reduction; Dolby C became common on high-fidelity decks, but Dolby S, released when cassette sales had begun to decline, never achieved widespread use. It was only licensed for use on higher end tape decks that included dual motors, triple heads, and other refinements.
Dolby HX Pro headroom extension provided better high-frequency response by adjusting the inaudible tape bias during the recording of strong high-frequency sounds, which had a bias effect of their own. Developed by Bang & Olufsen, it did not require a decoder to play back. Since B&O held patent rights and required paying license fees, many other manufacturers refrained from using it too.
Other refinements to improve cassette performance included Tandberg's DYNEQ, Toshiba's adres [ja] and Telefunken's High Com, and on some high-end decks, automatic recording bias, fine pitch adjustment and (sometimes) head azimuth adjustment such as the Tandberg TCD-330 and TCD-340A.
By the late 1980s, thanks to such improvements in the electronics, the tape material and manufacturing techniques, as well as dramatic improvements to the precision of the cassette shell, tape heads and transport mechanics, sound fidelity on equipment from the top manufacturers far surpassed the levels originally expected of the medium. On suitable audio equipment, cassettes could produce a very pleasant listening experience. High-end cassette decks could achieve 15 Hz-22 kHz±3 dB frequency response with wow and flutter below 0.022%, and a signal-to-noise ratio of up to 61 dB (for Type IV tape, without noise-reduction)[citation needed] . With noise reduction typical signal-to-noise figures of 70-76 dB with Dolby C, 80-86 dB with Dolby S, and 85 - 90 dB with dbx could be achieved. Many casual listeners could not tell the difference between compact cassette and compact disc.
Some companies, such as Mobile Fidelity, produced audiophile cassettes in the 1980s, which were recorded on high-grade tape and duplicated on premium equipment in real time from a digital master. Unlike audiophile LPs, which continue to attract a following, these became moot after the Compact Disc became widespread.
Almost all cassette decks have an MPX filter to improve the sound quality and the tracking of the noise reduction system when recording from a FM stereo broadcast. However, in many especially cheaper decks, this filter cannot be disabled, and because of that record/playback frequency response in those decks typically is limited to 16 kHz. In other decks, the MPX filter can be switched off or on independently from the Dolby switch. On yet other decks, the filter is off by default, and an option to switch it on or off is only provided when Dolby is activated; this prevents the MPX filter from being used when it's not required.
A key element of the cassette's success was its use in in-car entertainment systems, where the small size of the tape was significantly more convenient than the competing 8-track cartridge system. Cassette players in cars and for home use were often integrated with a radio receiver, and the term "casseiver" was occasionally used for combination units for home use. In-car cassette players were the first to adopt automatic reverse ("auto-reverse") of the tape direction at each end, allowing a cassette to be played endlessly without manual intervention. Home cassette decks soon added the feature. In-car cassette players are preferred by some particularly for their cheaper cost and serviceability.
Cassette tape adaptors have been developed which allow newer media players to be played through existing cassette decks, in particular those in cars which generally do not have input jacks. These units do not suffer from reception problems from FM transmitter based system to play back media players through the FM radio, though supported frequencies for FM transmitters that aren't used on commercial broadcasters in a given region (e.g. any frequency below 88.1 in the US) somewhat eliminates that problem.
Cassette equipment needs regular maintenance, as cassette tape is a magnetic medium which is in physical contact with the tape head and other metallic parts of the recorder/player mechanism. Without such maintenance, the high frequency response of the cassette equipment will suffer.
The heads and other metallic components in the tape path (such as spindles and capstans) may become magnetized with use, and require demagnetizing (see Cassette demagnetizer).
Isopropyl alcohol and Denatured alcohol are both suitable head-cleaning fluids. (Rubbing alcohol may contain oil which is not suitable.) Head cleaning fluid is a relatively expensive way to buy isopropyl alcohol.
Analog cassette deck sales were expected to decline rapidly with the advent of the compact disc and other digital recording technologies such as digital audio tape (DAT), MiniDisc, and the CD-R recorder drives. Philips responded with the digital compact cassette, a system which was backward-compatible with existing analog cassette recordings for playback, but it failed to garner a significant market share and was withdrawn. One reason proposed for the lack of acceptance of digital recording formats such as DAT was a fear by content providers that the ability to make very high quality copies would hurt sales of copyrighted recordings.
The rapid transition was not realized and CDs and cassettes successfully co-existed for nearly 20 years. A contributing factor may have been the inability of early CD players to reliably read discs with surface damage and offer anti-skipping features for applications where external vibration would be present, such as automotive and recreation environments. Early CD playback equipment also tended to be expensive compared to cassette equipment of similar quality and did not offer recording capability. Many home and portable entertainment systems supported both formats and commonly allowed the CD playback to be recorded on cassette tape. The rise of inexpensive all-solid-state portable digital music systems based on MP3, AAC and similar formats finally saw the eventual decline of the domestic cassette deck. Tascam, Marantz, Yamaha, Teac, Denon, Sony, and JVC are among the companies still manufacturing cassette decks in relatively small quantities for professional and niche market use. By the late 1990s, automobiles were offered with entertainment systems that played both cassettes and CDs. By the end of the late 2000s, very few cars were offered with cassette decks. The last vehicle that played cassettes is the 2010 Lexus SC 430. As radios became tightly integrated into dashboards, many cars lacked even standard openings that would accept aftermarket cassette player installations.
Despite the decline in the production of cassette decks, these products are still valued by some. Many blind and elderly people find the newest digital technologies very difficult to use compared to the cassette format. Cassette tapes are not vulnerable to scratching from handling (though the exposed magnetic tape is vulnerable to stretching from poking), and play from where they were last stopped (though some modern MP3 players offer savestating electronically). Cassette tapes can also be recorded multiple times (though some solid-state digital recorders are now offering that function).
^ Cook, Diana; Morton, David. "RCA Cartridges: 1958 - 1964". A History of Magnetic Audio Tape. Diana Cook. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
^ Mourning and Celebrating 50 years of Compact Cassette - SoundBlog, 23 March 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
^ van Amerongen, Job (2005). "Chapter 12: The Role of Controls in Mechatronics". In Bishop, Robert H. Mechatronics: An Introduction. CRC Press. p. 12.1. ISBN 978-1-4200-3724-1.
^ United States 3347996 A, Goji Uchikoshi, "Control system for a magnetic recorder", published 1967-10-17 "By the provision of a logical circuit in the control circuit for a magnetic recorder, even when the keys of the key board are actuated in any desired sequence, the magnetic recorder and its associated devices can be promptly and precisely controlled without causing any damages thereon."
^ Hirsch, Julian (May 1979). "Eumig 'CCD' Cassette Deck" (PDF). Popular Electronics. pp. 39–44. Retrieved 18 Dec 2017. The transport controls are fully logic operated through solenoids. Any transport control button can be touched while the machine is running in any mode without risking damage to tape or deck. Even the button for the cassette compartment door can be operated while the tape is running.
^ Takahata, Masato; et al. (1991). "Logic Controlled Cassette Deck Mechanism "DK-76"" (PDF). FUJITSU TEN Technical Journal (4): 52–60. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
^ Hirsch, Julian (May 1979). "Aiwa Model AD-6900 cassette deck" (PDF). Popular Electronics. pp. 28–31. Retrieved 18 Dec 2017. There was a slight "clunk" from the solenoids as they operated, but the buttons themselves required almost no activating pressure, and the control logic appeared to be as foolproof as claimed.
^ Takai, Kazuki (1985-02-01). "Ultra-Compact, Full-Logic Cassette Mechanism". SAE Technical Paper 850024: 20. doi:10.4271/850024. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
^ Sutherland, Sam (26 Sep 1981). "Better Cassette Quality Urged". Billboard. 93 (38): 3, 6. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
Audio Asylum Tape Trail – A discussion forum of interest to those involved in cassette technology.
Vintage Cassette Decks - A collection of Vintage cassette decks of all brands. | 2019-04-24T06:01:32Z | https://wiki2.org/en/Cassette_deck |
The term ‘Steering Cognition’ was coined by the researcher Simon P. Walker who discovered consistent, replicable patterns of attention and corresponding response through repeated cognitive tests between 2000 and 2015, in studies with over 15,000 individuals.
Working with his colleague Jo Walker, he was able to show that these patterns correlated with other cognitive attributes such as mental wellbeing, social competency and academic performance. Together, Walker and Walker conjecture that Steering Cognition is a central mechanism by which people self-regulate their cognitive, emotional and social states.
Secondary school environments which focus on accelerating pupil progress against narrow academic targets have been shown to impede the development of pupils’ ability to regulate their Steering Cognition, correlating with some potentially increased mental health and welfare risks.
A large 2014 study showed that Boarding school education results in better pupil ability to regulate Steering Cognition across social situations than Day school education. This so-called ‘Tribe Effect’ is conjectured to lead to continued social advantages beyond school, such as access to future in-group benefits in work and wider society.
Steering Cognition can be improved through training, coaching and more carefully structured and supportive environments. Steering Cognition is susceptible to both internal and external constraint and direction, equivalent to both teaching a person to drive AND improving the quality of the road signs.
Steering Cognition is a model of executive cognitive functions which contribute to how we regulate our attention and coordinate our corresponding responses.
Steering Cognition is a way of explaining how the brain biases attention toward specific stimuli whilst ignoring others, before coordinating responsive actions which cohere with our past patterns of self-representation. Steering Cognition enables us to use our limited cognitive resources to make sense of the world that we expect to see. The analogy of the car is sometimes used to explain Steering Cognition. As the ‘controls of our mind’, Steering Cognition regulates its direction, brakes and gears. Studies have shown that it is distinct from the ‘engine’ of our mind, sometimes referred to as ‘algorithmic processing’, which is responsible for how we process complex calculations.
Regulating our Steering Cognition involves conscious effort; much like driving off-road, we particularly need to regulate our Steering Cognition when we are facing unpredictable and varied situations and stimuli. Failing to do so can result in cognitive, affective and social biases. The state of our Steering Cognition at any time is influenced by the priming effect of the surrounding environment. Studies have shown that environment biasing of our Steering Cognition can contribute to non-conscious in-group behaviours, e.g. an increased likelihood of group-think or emotional contagion.
Studies have shown that during adolescence individuals develop more fixed patterns of steering. By adulthood, these patterns become recognisable as mental traits, behaviours and social attributes. There is some evidence that people with more flexible Steering Cognition are advantaged in jobs which require greater social or cognitive dexterity. Steering Cognition has been shown to depend on our ability to mental simulate, or imagine ourselves performing tasks and functions. As such, Steering Cognition requires the capacity to self-represent, associating memories of our past and possible future selves. Steering Cognition has been shown to implicate our emotional (affective), social and abstract cognitions.
The term ‘Steering Cognition’ was coined by the researcher Simon P. Walker who discovered consistent, replicable patterns of attention and corresponding response through repeated cognitive tests between 2000 and 2015, in studies with over 15,000 individuals. Working with his colleague Jo Walker, he was able to show that these patterns correlated with other cognitive attributes such as mental wellbeing, social competency and academic performance. Together, Walker and Walker conjecture that Steering Cognition is a central mechanism by which people self-regulate their cognitive, emotional and social states.
Why is Steering Cognition important in education?
Steering Cognition has the potential to explain previously unquantified effects of education which have significant consequences for pupil learning and welfare.
The importance of Steering Cognition lies in its explanation of human behaviours which lead to either risks or advantages for individuals and collective groups. A car driver with poor control will increase risks for himself and others. Similarly, individuals with poor Steering Cognition may increase risks for themselves and others whilst those with better steering travel further and more safely. Importantly, the ability to regulate one’s Steering Cognition is unrelated to IQ or rational group behaviour, so measuring Steering Cognition offers an explanation of behaviours and events not currently detected by traditional metrics and models.
Poorly regulated Steering Cognition has been shown to correlate strongly with increased mental health and welfare risks during adolescence. A study in 2015 showed that pupils with certain fixed biases in their Steering Cognition were four times more likely to exhibit self-harm, be bullied or not cope with school pressures.
Secondary school environments which focus on accelerating pupil progress against narrow academic targets have been shown to impede the development of pupils’ ability to regulate their Steering Cognition, leading to some potentially increased mental health and welfare risks READ ARTICLE.
Closed group environments have been shown to result in collective biases in Steering Cognition, which increase in-group defensiveness, cognitive blindness and potential prejudice. This suggests that, at a cognitive level, radicalisation may involve the biasing of individuals’ Steering Cognition, through closed environmental priming effects, which in turn lead to hostile attitudes and actions.
The ability to regulate your Steering Cognition has been shown to account for up to 15% of academic outcomes at secondary school. Unlike IQ, Steering Cognition can be improved through coaching and specific teaching approaches, providing a potentially untapped educational dividend for schools.
Employers have been shown to seek employees for higher-level roles such as management and leadership who have better, more flexible Steering Cognition.
A detailed publication of empirical methods and findings from a wide 15 year research programme describing our central claims: the cognitive, social and mental health implications of the self-regulation of Steering Cognition.
Publication of our 2015 study involving nearly 4,000 pupils across 20 UK secondary schools which answered the question: Model. Do pupils at schools which show Motorway Model characteristics exhibit narrower cognitive abilities than pupils at schools which show less of those Motorway characteristics? If so, what might the consequences be for employability beyond school?
Publication of our 2015 study involving more than 6,000 pupils across 16 UK secondary schools which answered the question: Is there a link between schools exhibiting the characteristics of the Motorway Model and increased pupil mental health risks?
Working paper reporting findings from a 6 month study seeking to improve academic outcomes amongst first year UK undergraduates by improving the self-regulation of their Steering Cognition.
Early studies evidencing that the self-regulation of Steering Cognition was distinct from IQ-like algorithmic cognition and contributed to academic outcomes at secondary school.
Early studies evidencing that the self-regulation of Steering Cognition is ecologically influenced by secondary school environment and is teachable.
Paper describing the theoretical, empirical and statistical evidence for AS Tracking as a measure of pupil Steering Cognition. Describes studies evidencing the validity, reliability and norms of AS Tracking as an instrument.
What literature underpins Steering Cognition?
Steering Cognition is a model of social and cognitive executive function. It is explains a functional governor mechanism by which the mind coordinates attention and executes responsive action.
Steering Cognition is an explanatory mechanism of some phenomena of affective, cognitive and social self-regulation. It describes effortful control processes which exhibit depletion after strain.
Steering Cognition has been repeatedly shown to implicate the mind’s mental simulation circuitry. As such, it is associated with functional neural circuits involved in projective and retrospective memory, self-representation, associative processing and imagination.
Steering Cognition provides an account of the transitioning process from non-conscious, or automatic, to conscious processing that occurs in the mind (see Dual Process Theory).
According to the Steering Cognition model, dual process System 1 functions as a serial cognitive steering processor for System 2, rather than the traditionally understood parallel system. In order to process epistemically varied environmental data, a Steering Cognition orientation system is required to align varied, incoming environmental data with existing neural algorithmic processes. The brain’s associative simulation capacity, centered around the imagination, plays an integrator role to perform this function (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_process_theory#Dual_Process_and_Steering_Cognition).
In the cognitive steering model, a conscious state emerges from effortful associative simulation, required to align novel data accurately with remote memory, via later algorithmic processes. By contrast, fast unconscious automaticity is constituted by unregulated simulatory biases, which induce errors in subsequent algorithmic processes. The phrase ‘rubbish in, rubbish out’ is used to explain errorful Steering Cognition processing: errors will always occur if the accuracy of initial retrieval and location of data is poorly self-regulated.
Steering Cognition provides an explanation of how the mind is nonconsciously influenced by the environmental cues, or primes, around it. Steering Cognition studies have produced data of attentional bias and blindness best explained by environmental priming.
Steering Cognition has been shown to rely upon associative rather than algorithmic cognitive processing and is best understood as heuristic in purpose- guiding the direction of our mind. Steering Cognition conceptualises the relationship between these algorithmic and associative functions as serial rather than parallel pathways. Our Steering Cognition guides our attention prior to algorithmic data processing.
A specific data model, Human Ecology Theory, underpins the Steering Cognition findings to date. Walker conducted variatiants of the same cognitive test with more than 11,000 candidates between the ages of 8 and 60 between 2002 and 2015. Using Principle Component Analysis, Walker was able to identify 7 latent largely independent ‘heuristic substitution’ factors which he labelled S, L, X, P, M, O, T . Subsequent exploratory factor analysis confirmed a largely orthogonal factor analysis structure. In 2014 Walker referred to this 7 factor model as the Human Ecology model of CAS state – cognitive affective social state . Also that year, Walker J. described four of the factors in greater detail (S, L, X and P) elucidating the relationships of the factors to affective-social self-regulation literature.
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“I love that video, not only because it introduces our topic of prayer today but also because also reminds me of the first time I ever prayed out loud in front of other people… I was going into my senior year of high school when someone invited me to attend a Bible Study… and I thought I’d give it a shot.
Now if this is a scene that is unfamiliar to you, this is a time where folks will go around and share some things that are happening in their life that they’d like other people to be praying for. And so someone shared, and after each person shared the leader would say, “Is there someone who volunteer to pray for that?” And then someone would volunteer… and they kept sharing and sharing. And then the last person who shared was this gentleman just a couple seats away from me and he shared something that I could kinda relate to and so I said, “Sure… I’d be happy to pray…” but thinking, I’d be more than willing to pray for this guy sometime alone…. that week (LAUGHTER).
So the leader says, “Let’s pray”. The leader started leading us in a short prayer and the next person prayed, and I thought “Wait a second, that’s what they volunteered to pray for”… and then the next person prayed, and then the NEXT person.. then I realized EVERYBODY’S PRAYING OUT LOUD for the thing they volunteered to pray for and IT WAS COMING TO MY TURN… (laughter).
It’s amazing what anxiety can do to the physical body… I mean it just shut down completely.. the amount of anxiety I had.. and I have no idea what I actually ended up saying, but it probably looked a lot like the scene in the video clip. (laughter). I doubt that I impressed very many people with that prayer.
Well we do want to talk about prayer today… something specific with regards to prayer… my hope and desire is to point out to you from James Chapter 5, this last passage in our series through the Book of James together… I hope to point out to you the 3 occasions in which James clearly says we ought to pray.
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
The first occasion of 3 which James tells us we ought to pray, he says from the very beginning, “If anyone is in TROUBLE he should pray”. Now James is using a word for the word “trouble” that is intentionally ambiguous and generic… and essentially what he’s saying is, “Through any of life’s hardships or misfortunes… the only thing he DOESN’T have in mind here is like medical or physical things that might happen to us… he’s going to cover that in the next verse… but through any of life’s hardships or misfortunes we ought to be conditioned to pray IMMEDIATELY when those things happen. He’s basically saying, “Look, if your marriage is struggling… PRAY; if you’re having a hard time raising your kids.. PRAY about that; if you’re having a difficult time financially… PRAY; if you’re having a hard time at work.. PRAY; if you’re having a hard time finding out what direction you should go in your life.. PRAY about that.
God in this passage, right off the bat is inviting us to embrace the idea that in times of distress or hardship in our life, whether they’re personal, whether there with regards to our circle of friends or our immediately family, or our church family… the BEST and the FIRST recourse always should be prayer. It doesn’t mean that it’s going be the only recourse.. right?
He’s saying, “We might have to act, or we might NOT have to act.. but either way what we do and what we DON’T do in the midst of a hardship is it should be grounded in time by our prayer FIRST… we need to be conditioned… the Scripture is telling us to be trained to pray immediately when we begin to experience distress or hardship in our life.
We don’t have to look too far elsewhere in Scripture to see that MAYBE God has something else in mind when we’re going through a hardship than just taking it away from us.
Why would James write those words and then a few chapters later say, “Oh, if you’re in the middle of a test, if you’re in the middle of a hardship, just PRAY about it and God will take it away”… I don’t think that’s what he’s suggesting we pray. Instead I think what he’s suggesting is when we’re in the midst of a hardship the first thing we ought to do is yes pray, but pray that we have the strength from God to endure that hardship.
Some of you might say, “That’s insensitive to say.. you have no idea the hardships that I’ve been through; it’s insensitive of you to ask for merely the strength to go through it instead of asking God to remove it. What about a widow who simply doesn’t have enough food, for instance… right?
What, is she supposed to just endure… her hunger… is she simply to just ask God for the strength to endure it? .. Well let’s just think about the Lord’s Prayer… did Jesus say something about food somewhere in there.. “Give us this say what… our DAILY bread.
Now, let’s just think about “daily bread” from our context here in America. If you had to wake up every morning wondering and relying and trusting upon God for where you were going to get food for that day… would you not consider yourself to be in some form of hardship?
You would qualify for every government assistance program in our country. And yet God simply says, NOT pray for your weekly food, not pray for your monthly food, not pray for a $500 Walmart card… just “our daily bread”.
Even his suggestion in there is not a prayer for the ability to have the hardship removed, it’s more like the strength to endure the hardship… isn’t it.
The Scripture says, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering becoming like him in His death”.
What if Jesus had prayed in the midst of His hardship the way that we are so inclined to pray? What if in the Garden Jesus said, “Ya know.. it’s about to get really rough, ya know… I think I’m gonna bail on this”.
He was honest, he said words such as “if there’s any other way Father that you can accomplish what I’m here to accomplish.. other than by dying on the cross.. then OK, but if not I’m willing to endure… I’m praying for the strength to endure what it is that you’ve asked me and called me to do.
So we have a God who LOVES us and CARES for us, who’s WILLING to suffer on our behalf; and so when we ourselves are suffering He’s inviting us to TRUST in Him and allow Him to treat us as He would treat us.
Friends, we can’t forget in the midst of our hardship and the temptation to complain against God, that He is preparing, right now as we speak, a place for us for all of eternity that is more glorious than we can possibly imagine. Can we not allow Him to treat us here on earth the way that he needs to treat us, EVEN if it involves suffering and hardship.
Affliction, like a Spiritual Gymnasium… so that when we pray that God immediately remove the hardship from us it may not necessarily be what God has in mind, or what’s BEST for us.
Well, some might ask, “What’s singing have to do with prayer?” I would ask you, “Are they really that different?” Aren’t they actually two different ways of doing the exact same thing? I mean when we pray we are talking to whom? … GOD. And when we sing we are talking to whom? …. GOD.
There are different ways of speaking to Him, of communicating to Him. And I think the key to understanding why James would include the thought of PRAISING in the midst of this topic of prayer is to realize he’s not talking about a happiness that’s sort of circumstantial, he’s talking about a HAPPINESS with a sense of PEACE, a sense of JOY that comes when someone realizes the blessing of having a relationship with Jesus Christ.
You see friends there comes a point where when we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ we understand and begin to grasp the full measure of what He has done for us on the Cross–that He has paid the FULL-price for our sins… how much He loves us, how much He desires to have a relationship with us.
We begin to have inside of us affections for HIM… emotions and passions for Him, convictions for Him that cannot merely be SPOKEN, as we think of it, in NORMAL PRAYER. So He gives us the JOY OF SONG to take the opportunity to SING our convictions and our emotions to Him, which is another way of speaking and talking to Him but we do it through song.
We’ve had the blessing today of having our family from Louisiana here with us; we’ve got my wife’s sister Cathy and her husband Nicholas, her three wonderful kids who are here… they drove up yesterday morning; got up at like 3 in the morning and got here around dinner time. And like at breakfast time our kids started asking, “Are they here yet?” … ya know. And then after several “are they here yets” we finally said, “Well you’re not allowed to say that anymore, and then they would say things like, “When are they going to get here?” (LAUGHTER)… and we say, “well you can’t say that either”.
And we went through a whole series of those… and they were just so excited and full of anticipation about them coming… and at one point in time I look over to the front door and one of our kids had taken the stool that was folded up, like a little step-ladder stool.. that was folded up and behind the fridge; and they had pulled it out, they opened it, they drug it over to the front door and they set it up against the front door to they could climb up and look out the peep hole thing (soft laughter).
…and I think what James is saying is “Look, there’re emotions that we experience for God that MERELY SPEAKING those words to Him DOESN’T SUFFICE. And so He gives us the idea of PRAISE where we can SING those emotions and passions and convictions to Him.
…but, when we start thinking of it, when we start thinking of it, just like we might put on the screen, we might put the Lord’s Prayer up there and we would all SAY THAT together… and then we put a song up there, where we all SING that to God together… and it changes our attitude whether we are musically inclined or not, the only prerequisite is for someone to realize that you have an emotion for Jesus that is so great and strong because of what He’s done for you on the Cross… you want to participate in that time because it’s the best opportunity for you to communicate that emotion back to Him.
James has now given us both ends of the spectrum.. right? What do we do when there’s a HARDSHIP; and what do we do when we’re HAPPY and we’re praising; and then he gives us our final occasion for which he mentions specifically THAT we ought to pray… and he gets more specific about HOW we should pray as well.
Ya know this word “sick”, it’s a very interesting choice that James used here… it’s the exact same word that Paul used; some of you remember this passage; it was the Apostle Paul who used this word in the Bible in the Book of 2nd Corinthians chapter 12, verse 7, Paul writes about this with his experience.
For that reason a lot of people think that Paul’s thorn in the flesh must’ve been physical, and it might have been physical but what’s clear is that JAMES is talking about a PHYSICAL, MEDICAL AILMENT of some kind.
There’s a lot of skepticism when it comes to the whole idea of healing people physically through prayer. We’ve all seen the TV guy.. right? We’ve seen people walk up the aisle, and they have a limp, or they have something going on, and then the person on TV just puts their hand on their head says, “BE HEALED” and then the person walks away, and then, for $19.99 you can subscribe to his healing ministry… or whatever.
I mean, we’ve ALL SEEN that kind of thing and we’re sort of trained to be skeptical, many of us, towards that type of ministry; but this is NOT THE PICTURE THAT JAMES IS CREATING. What he’s talking about is far more than the individual power of prayer. Instead he’s creating an image where we see the elders of the church coming together, trusting NOT in their individual spiritual gifting, but in the Power of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Jesus Christ in the compassionate heart of God the Father.
And here we see that there are aspects of prayer life that are connected to just how connected to a church we are… that God DRAWS us beyond a personal relationship with Him into a community of faith by not granting our every individual need apart from that community of faith.
I mean perhaps if you’re here this morning and your prayer life is struggling in its QUANTITY or in it’s QUALITY, perhaps it’s because God is inviting you to experience the power of prayer within the context of a community of faith.
Being here at church, this is just the first level of how you could do that. You could certainly experience some of the increased power of prayer in a community of faith by coming to church; but I mean you can only get SO personal.. right? … at a Sunday morning church service; and so we have things like Bible Studies, and Small Groups where people are invited to come to, where we love to have you participate, where you got to know a group of people who you are willing to connect with further and share with deeper and PRAY TOGETHER AT ANOTHER LEVEL.
There’s this idea that he wants to draw us so deep into a community of faith that we know somebody who we’re willing to CONFESS and ask to PRAY for us our deepest sin. And I don’t know about you, but I think that a small group is too big for that. I think he invites us beyond even that to RELATIONSHIPS within the church community with one or two other people with whom we are willing to share our deepest needs.
NOTE: Here he pauses because it looks like one of the members is ill and may need help… they’re getting up to leave but indicate they will be OK. A few weeks earlier a man had a mild heart attack at the very end of the service as we were leaving; 911 was called and fortunately there were 2 doctors and an RN in the congregation.
… umm just how matter-of-fact the healing is in this passage. If you read this passage, James comes along and he says, “Is somebody sick? … just pray for them and they’re gonna be healed”… and I don’t know about you, but I find that troubling… because that hasn’t always been my experience in my life.
Of course my response was, “Where’s the senior pastor?” (LAUGHTER). “Senior pastor is nowhere to be found; we can’t get ahold of him.” OK… alright and I start driving, and the hospital is about half an hour away; I called my father-in-law up, I’ve got him on the phone; he’s now a retired EPC minister, and I said to him, “Look, I don’t think we talked about this in seminary, I really don’t know what to do.” …and so he gave me some advice.
We got there got there and we all agreed we wanted to go into the hospital room and there was probably 5 or 6 of us laying our hands on this man as he was fighting for his life; and we were praying for him; and NEVER BEFORE in my life had I been so intent and focused in prayer. Just envisioning, just imagining the power of God and the Holy Spirit going through me, through my hand right into this person’s body.
And he would move a few times in our time of prayer and I thought, “That was it…” …his body sort of waking up, his body sort of waking up, the Spirit’s working through him; at any moment all this beeping and all the noise from the machines is gonna stop he’s gonna wake up and be fine and say, “What happened?” … ya know.
And 2 days later… he passed away.
And when I read, “Is any one of you sick, lay hands on and pray for him and he’ll be healed”… it makes me feel kinda lousy about myself. It feels like, “Do you just LACK faith Dan?” … “Is that why you’re not one of those pastors who just prays for people and they’re healed?
Did Paul just lack faith? Was that his problem too? Was he not a man of utmost faith whom God the Father had other plans for as far as healing him in this moment?
Truth be told… sometimes, right? …God brings incredible miraculous healing to people when people lay hands on them. I don’t think that James is trying to say that this is something that we should expect to have happen ALL OF THE TIME.
But God is inviting us to take all of the “THING” to Him… on ALL OCCASION, to prayer.
And that might seem burdensome for some of you. For some of you’ve been taught that the time you pray is that window of time in the morning that you carve out; and now the pastor is giving you the idea that you should be praying MORE… which means you’re going to have to set your alarm earlier.. ok? Who wants to hear that?
But I thing the only way to possibly accomplish what James is after here is to develop the idea of just talking to God throughout the day. I’m not saying there’s nothing beautiful or important about having a time in your day that you set apart. God is Holy and pure and deserving at times of our undivided attention. And there are certain things that you can only accomplish through those moments. But there are also those things that you can only accomplish in prayer by developing an ONGOING prayer life throughout your day.
Ya know, when I think of this passage and how it applies to Kirkmont (pause).. I was talking to someone the other day about this idea that Kirkmont over the last 20 years has had a numerical downward trend in it’s attendance… there’s been some exceptions, but overall for 20 years or so the attendance has been on a downward spiral.
And we were just having a very practical discussion about the idea that we have a passion and desire to see Kirkmont be a thriving and growing place that’s reaching the community for Jesus Christ.
Of course that when I encounter a situation like that my first instinct is to think of all kinds of practical lists to make about how we could make things different… right? And I have those lists (LAUGHTER).
And we may want to implement some of those things.. (more laughter)… but it’s a passion of mine and a desire of mine that should that day come, and should someone ask ANY of you the question, “How did you turn things around”?. That the first answer that comes from all of us is… “WE PRAYED”.. we might of had to DO somethings after we prayed, but PRAYER WAS THE ROOT of everything that we did–all of the things that we DID do and all of the things that we DIDN’T do was because of our time spent in prayer… GOD IS THE ONE WHO MADE THIS HAPPEN.
Now maybe you’re not most burdened by Kirkmont as a church as a whole, maybe you have another burden of some kind in your life… the solution and the application is the same: HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH IT? … how did it get turned around? … WE PRAYED. | 2019-04-25T08:08:01Z | https://evansthoughtsonlife.com/2015/03/29/james-all-things-to-god-the-prayer-of-faith/ |
Environmental heterogeneity, emerging pathogens and limited access to financial and agricultural inputs prevent farmers from producing consistent crop yields in many developing countries. Yield instability impedes establishment of processing and export industries, thereby inhibiting economic development. Modern varieties offer significant increases in yield stability.
A deeply collaborative, multi-national germplasm trialing network was established in West Africa to identify tomato varieties well adapted to each country and mobilize those varieties into local seed distribution networks alongside an integrated pest management program. Research partners in seven West African countries evaluated over 100 tomato varieties for resistance to tomato leaf curl disease (ToLCD). Using biotechnology, the identity and distribution of the key viruses (begomoviruses) causing ToLCD in these countries were identified, and a vector-independent inoculation method (agroinoculation) was developed. The trials identified a set of high-performing varieties with resistance. Agroinoculation with the three prevalent begomoviruses confirmed resistance.
These trial results fulfill the new Economic Community of West African States harmonized seed regulation policy, which requires at least 2 years of national performance trials prior to commercialization of a tomato variety. To compete with a rapidly expanding canned tomato import industry, West African growers need to increase productivity and processing capacity; therefore, we also assessed processing and export trade data for fresh and processed tomatoes from each of the seven countries.
Vegetable farmers in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa (SSA) face many constraints to agricultural productivity. South of the Sahara Desert, north of the humid Guinean region, the Sudano-Sahelian zone presents difficult environmental conditions including poor soil fertility , extreme heat and insufficient or unpredictable water supply , all of which have only become more precarious due to climate change . Biotic stresses create additional losses, with newly emerging plant diseases and pests causing decreased yields and serious reductions in produce quality [4–6]. In the developed world, these challenges can often be managed by technologies such as drip irrigation or pesticides. Farmers in West Africa, however, often lack the financial means or physical access to technical solutions that can mitigate their risks. Furthermore, improved seed is minimally available on a commercial basis in West Africa. This is particularly true for vegetables [7, 8]. High-yielding, adapted vegetable varieties with resistance to pathogens are even more important for smallholder farmers, especially given the high incidence of nutritional deficiency and malnutrition in the region [8, 9]. Technology adoption is dependent on available assets; therefore, technologies that require fewer assets will be more readily adopted . Infrastructure constraints also play a major role in limiting the success of smallholders in West Africa post-harvest [9, 11]. In West Africa, lack of climate-controlled shipping, roads in poor condition and few operational processing facilities limit farmers’ capacity to successfully move their products to market [12, 13].
West African farmers, particularly smallholders, need the means and opportunity to improve both their actual yields and the predictability of their yields to ensure a consistent supply of vegetables. Improved diagnostics and management of diseases and pests, as well as access to inputs and irrigation, will be necessary to provide consistent production of quality produce in unpredictable markets. Studies have shown that fresh tomato prices in Ghana and Burkina Faso can fluctuate as much as 80% , making grower income extremely unpredictable. Investments in infrastructure, including roads, electrification, cold chain and processing plants, must increase dramatically to ensure that farmers can access necessary inputs, transport their produce safely and efficiently, and process it into value-added products that can either be exported or stored . Increased yield potential, stability and quality are in turn likely to attract additional investment, giving farmers access to inputs and improving infrastructure for transportation, processing and export.
In West Africa, smallholder farmers producing tomatoes have small plots (e.g., 0.5 hectares) that are hand cultivated and watered by a variety of methods by furrow, flood, gravity, drip irrigation, or sprinklers. Typically, these growers plant a range of determinate open-pollinated varieties (e.g., pear-shaped processing types to round fresh market types), purchased in small quantities or seed saved from year to year, and having few or no resistance genes. In some cases, seed of hybrid varieties may be utilized, but this may be more expensive or difficult to find, and are expensive, especially for smallholders in rural areas [7, 8, 16]. Fields are established with transplants produced in seed beds, and varying levels of fertilizer is used depending on the availability. The yields are modest, and the price depends on seasonal availability. There are also examples of commercial tomato production, often associated with canneries (e.g., in Senegal). Here hybrid seed is used as well as larger fields and more modern technologies, e.g., use of tractors for cultivation, application of fertilizer and pesticides and drip irrigation. However, this type of tomato production in West Africa remains relatively uncommon.
Tomato growers in West Africa are faced with a number of disease and pest problems. Soil-borne diseases include bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum and Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici; foliar diseases include bacteria spot caused by Xanthomonas spp., late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans and Septoria blight caused by Septoria lycopersici; and mosaic viruses, such as Tomato mosaic virus and Cucumber mosaic virus, can cause yield loss and produce damage. Pests include worms, such as the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), nematodes, mining insects, thrips, various aphid species, and mites, e.g., spider mites (Tetranychus urticae). Recently, outbreaks of the tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) have caused substantial damage to tomato crops in some West Africa countries [17, 18]. However, in recent years, tomato growers throughout West Africa have struggled with an emerging viral disease known generically as tomato leaf curl disease (ToLCD) [4, 19, 20]. ToLCD in West Africa and other parts of the world is caused by a complex of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)-vectored begomoviruses and betasatellites [4, 21]. Begomoviruses (genus Begomovirus) are in the family Geminiviridae, characterized by a circular single-stranded DNA genome encapsidated within twinned isometric virions [22, 23]. ToLCD has become the most serious constraint to tomato production in several West African countries over the last decade, in some cases causing up to 100% yield losses [4, 24, 25]. In West Africa, ToLCD has caused such devastating losses that in many cases, farmers have abandoned tomato production entirely . This paper describes a project spanning seven countries that aimed to improve both the quantity and the quality of West African tomatoes and tomato seed and minimize the impact of ToLCD.
Three years of in-country trials of over 100 tomato varieties led to the selection of tomato varieties for commercialization in the region. Variety performance in the trials was based on adaptation to the local environment, resistance to ToLCD, good fruit type and taste according to preferences in the target market(s). This project established an extensive field trialing network with the capacity to evaluate performance under West African conditions of modern germplasm generated anywhere in the world. The trialing network identified the most appropriate varieties for each environment, collaborating with local farmers in a participatory approach. At the same time, the begomoviruses associated with ToLCD in these countries were characterized and a vector-independent method (agroinoculation) for screening tomato varieties for resistance to these viruses under controlled laboratory conditions was developed. Finally, the selection trials satisfied the recently established ECOWAS seed certification policy [27–30], allowing the seed companies and institutions that donated successful varieties to the project to sell their seed in the region. The governments of seven West African countries collaborated to achieve this goal, as well as several US academic and government institutions, AVRDC—The World Vegetable Center, and many seed companies and public breeding institutions from around the world.
The origins of this project trace to an initiative by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program (IPM-CRSP, currently known as IPM Innovation Lab) to improve tomato production in Baguineda, Mali. Outbreaks of ToLCD in the early 2000s had prevented farmers from cultivating tomatoes in this irrigated rice–vegetable production system. To reduce the impact of ToLCD in Baguineda, the IPM-CRSP project worked with local extension officers to implement a 3-month host-free period preceding the primary growing season (September–April). During the host-free period, the primary host species of the virus (tomato) was not grown by any farmers in the area, and an extensive sanitation program was implemented to eliminate old plants from previous crops and volunteers. The host-free period results in a reduction in viral inoculum, including that carried in the local whitefly population, as the life cycle of the whitefly is ~30 days and virus is not transmitted through the eggs of the insect, i.e., transovarially . This can be highly effective at reducing levels of initial inoculum of the virus, reducing populations of the whitefly vector and slowing spread of the virus [19, 32]. A second key aspect of revival of tomato production in Baguineda was the provision of seeds of early maturing, high-yielding hybrids. To assess the relative resistance of these hybrids to ToLCD, a vector-independent method (agroinoculation) was developed that allowed for screening of tomato germplasm for resistance to the predominant begomoviruses associated with ToLCD in West Africa. The tomato host-free period continues to be implemented Baguineda and Kati, Mali.
In March 2004, a workshop of government agricultural researchers from many West African nations selected tomato as the highest priority crop. The increasing incidence of ToLCD was identified as a major constraint requiring immediate attention. The demonstrated need for improved tomato germplasm, and the decision by the consortium of West African governments to focus their efforts on tomato coincided with the initiation of the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSPII) in the USA, a project supported by Cornell University and USAID [33, 34]. The ABSPII research team was assembled from two US universities, Cornell and University of California Davis, the AVRDC, and the national agricultural research services (NARS) of Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo was tasked to address the ToLCD epidemic and to improve the quality of germplasm available in West Africa. The project had four main goals: identify and commercialize ToLCD-resistant tomato germplasm well suited to each country; develop an understanding of begomoviruses causing ToLCD in West Africa and a capacity to screening tomato varieties for resistance with a vector-independent method; develop a self-sustaining system that could work with any crop; and most importantly, establish protocols and research connections that could continue to function after donor support was removed. In the best circumstances, improved seed is inconsistently available in West Africa [7, 8, 16]. For those varieties that performed well, the project could demonstrate the commercial potential for the seed companies and public institutions donating to the project.
The new ECOWAS seed regulations establish unified seed quality control and certification in ECOWAS member countries [27–30]. The regulations require that at least 2 years of variety trials are conducted at multiple locations by an official quality control and certification service, or any other accredited private body [27–30]. Certification also requires laboratory analysis of the seed to ensure standards are met, such as germination . If the national variety release committee determines that a variety surpasses quality standards in one country (e.g., it surpasses the performance of a check variety in the trials), it is placed in the West African Catalogue of Plant Species and Varieties (WACPSV) and can be grown and sold anywhere in the ECOWAS region [27–30]. The old system did not require variety trials take place at multiple locations, or by an accredited entity. Previously, an individual, typically the breeder or a seed company representative would submit a variety to the National Certification Authority. Certification was provided as long as the 3 years of data were submitted. This system allowed a company or individual submitting the variety to make the determination that the variety should be commercialized. Whereas the old system was simple and more similar to that used in the developed world, the new system will require that trials are completed by independent agronomists in order to determine whether the variety performs well enough to be commercialized in a given environment. Ideally, this change will ensure that high-quality seed reaches the marketplace and will not deter companies from entering this already underdeveloped market.
Over 100 varieties that were previously unavailable in the region were distributed to a network of agricultural researchers brought together through this project. At each location, the local team of researchers was provided the same tools to conduct ToLCD resistance trials. Through results obtained in this trialing network, we have identified varieties with high levels of resistance to the viruses that cause ToLCD and that have the greatest promise for improving tomato yields in West Africa.
Tomato varieties evaluated during the 3 years of variety trials came from a wide range of multi-national seed companies and public breeding institutions (Table 1) with the understanding that if a variety performed well, that company would consider an arrangement to bring that variety to market in the region. All varieties included in the trials shared the common feature of reported begomovirus resistance (mostly to the invasive Old World monopartite begomovirus Tomato yellow leaf curl virus [TYLCV]), which in most cases is derived from one or more of three genes known as Ty-1 , Ty-2 and Ty-3 . Originally identified in accessions of wild relatives of tomato such as Solanum chilense, S. peruvianum, and S. habrochaites, these genes have all been introgressed into tomato varieties by breeding. In selecting varieties for inclusion in the trials in West Africa, preference was given to materials bred for semiarid tropical climates, but no other criteria were used so as to avoid limiting the germplasm included in the trials. Seed was donated by 11 private seed companies and five research institutions (Table 1). The 40 tomato varieties selected for the preliminary trials were selected from a range of resistance sources including S. chilense, S. peruvianum, S. habrochaites and S. pimpinellifolium and were predominantly hybrid varieties. Trials were conducted from 2005 to 2008 in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Senegal, Benin and Togo . The trials were established and maintained by NARS partners at agricultural research stations or in commercial fields in collaboration with local farmers. The 3 years of trials were completed in a total of 22 different locations: eight in Mali, four in Togo, three in Ghana, three in Niger, two in Benin, one in Senegal and one in Burkina Faso. Some trials were repeated in the same locations over the 3 years, while others were relocated to ensure more appropriate climatic conditions and proximity to tomato growing regions to increase ToLCD disease pressure . The first year of the project, the 2005–2006 growing season, saw the systematic evaluation of over 40 begomovirus-resistant tomato varieties in each of the participating countries. Designated as preliminary screens by the partners, these evaluations consisted of non-replicated trials at 11 locations, in which 26 plants of each variety were planted on agricultural research stations and evaluated for disease resistance according to a ToLCD symptom severity scale with 0 = no symptoms, 1 = mild leaf curling, 2 = leaf curling, light green to yellow discoloration and vein purpling; 3 = stunting, distorted growth and strong upward leaf curling and vein swelling and purpling; and 4 = severe stunting and distorted growth, upward leaf curling and vein purpling . Natural levels of virus inoculum, delivered via indigenous populations of whiteflies, were relied upon for disease development in these trials. The regionally popular variety ‘Roma VF’ (Tropicasem) was always used as a susceptible check. Partners encountered a range of problems in the first year, including insufficient disease pressure, poor seed germination and inconsistent trial management practices across countries. Despite these issues, sufficient data were generated to select 11 promising varieties. The 11 varieties were ‘HA 3060’ (Hazera Genetics Ltd.), ‘Atak’ (Enza Zaden Benelux B.V.), ‘Bybel’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.), ‘Chenoa’ (Enza Zaden Benelux B.V.), ‘GemPride’ (Seminis Inc.), ‘Industry DR 10403’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.), ‘Lety F1’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.), ‘Ponchita’ (Enza Zaden Benelux B.V.), ‘Realeza’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V,), ‘Thoriya’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.), ‘Yosra’ (Enza Zaden Benelux B.V.). ‘Roma VF’ was always included as a control. The selected varieties were chosen based primarily on demonstrated ToLCD resistance, but also based on yield, resistance to other diseases, or any other horticultural traits.
De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.
Harris Moran Seed Company Inc.
In the second year of the project, the 2006–2007 growing season also included 11 locations, but four sites were moved closer to tomato growing regions. The three trials in Ghana, Togo and Benin were moved from the South to North, and the single trial in Niger was moved West, all to be closer to the tomato growing regions. Over 70 varieties were trialed. These included the 11 varieties selected in the first year (advanced trials), as well as over 60 new varieties that were trialed in preliminary screens. These preliminary screens were conducted similarly to the advanced trials, but without replication. In these trials, most of the varieties with resistance to TYLCV showed moderate to high levels of resistance to ToLCD (ratings of 0–2 and good yields), whereas the susceptible check ‘Roma VF’ showed obvious and strong symptoms (ratings of 3–4 and low yield). Of the more than 60 new varieties tested, many showed substantial levels of ToLCD resistance, and 20 were selected by at least one of the collaborators from the participating countries for inclusion in the third year of the project. Having learned from the mistakes of the previous year, the project partners developed a detailed trialing protocol for the second year in order to resolve inconsistencies among locations and to ensure the statistical relevance of the data. Specific practices related to site selection, seedling nursery establishment, and field management strategies including pesticide and fertilizer applications were standardized across locations. Entries were transplanted into 6.0 m by 1.5 m plots, each having 36 plants arranged in three rows of 12 plants. Three replicate plots of each variety were planted, for a total of 108 plants per variety. The plot design was a randomized complete block. Trials were maintained as if for commercial production, with pesticide applications being used to control diseases and pests other than whiteflies. In addition, attempts were made to plant the trials in areas known to be free of other important regional pathogens, such as root-knot nematode, Fusarium wilt, and bacterial wilt. Only the middle 10 plants in each plot were evaluated for resistance to ToLCD to eliminate edge effects. Plants were evaluated at flowering, fruiting, and first harvest with the ToLCD symptom severity scale. In addition, three randomly selected plants from each plot were evaluated for yield, which was extrapolated to tons per hectare, and for various other traits, such as fruits per plant, average fruit weight, and average fruit size. Overall, the results of the second year’s trials were outstanding. The trials showed a marked improvement in quality over the previous year, indicating the value of hands-on experience in the development of germplasm trialing capacity. With few exceptions, the trials showed significant improvements in yield over typical tomato yields in the region. At the end of the second season, the four top varieties based on ToLCD resistance, yield and farmer preferences were selected for the third year of trials. Collaborators from each country also selected two additional varieties based on local performance and preferences. In several locations, NARS trial coordinators solicited farmer opinions on the varieties being evaluated. Farmers were very enthusiastic about the new varieties and provided helpful guidance for fruit type selection, typically showing a preference for medium-sized firm fruit that stood up well to shipping. In Mali, farmers ranked the varieties from highest to lowest preference as: ‘Industry DR 10403’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.), ‘HA 3060’ (Hazera Genetics Ltd.), ‘HMX 4810’ (Harris Moran Seed Company Inc.), ‘Cheyenne E448’ (Syngenta AG) and ‘GemPride’ (Seminis Inc.).
The third year of trials (2007–2008) included multi-location trials of top performing varieties evaluated under conditions encountered in commercial production at 10 locations. The varieties used for this trial were selected by each NARS partner submitting a list of the top four varieties from the advanced trials that they wanted to be included in the multi-location trials of the third year. Most of the NARS partners selected the same top four varieties for inclusion in the multi-location trials: ‘Atak’ (Enza Zaden Benelux B.V.), ‘Bybal’ (Enza Zaden Benelux B.V.), ‘GemPride’ (Seminis Inc.) and ‘Industry DR 10403’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.). Unfortunately, De Ruiter Seeds did not have a sufficient supply of ‘Industry DR 10403’ for inclusion in the trials. As a result, ‘Yosra’ (Enza Zaden Benelux B.V.) was selected to replace ‘Industry DR 10403’ as the fourth variety in the trials at each location, with the exception of Mali, also due to limited availability of seed. In addition, each NARS partner was given the option of including at least two more varieties in their multi-location trials. Selected varieties included ‘HA 3060’ (Hazera Genetics Ltd.), ‘HMX 4810’ (Harris Moran Seed Company), ‘Lety F1’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.), ‘Ponchita’ (Enza Zaden Benelux B.V.), ‘Realeza’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.) and ‘Thoriya’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.). The trials began in November 2007.
Multi-location trials were conducted with similar protocols to those used in the advanced trials. However, they were conducted on rented plots on commercial farms (rather than at NARS stations) and in at least two of the major tomato production areas (preferably in different agroecological zones) of each of the seven participating countries. The trials had two goals: to confirm the performance of the selected varieties in the less forgiving environment of farmers’ fields and to publicize the varieties to producers in many regions throughout West Africa. These trials offered an opportunity to evaluate germplasm within the context of actual vegetable production areas and according to the customs of the farmers in the region, rather than in the more controlled environment of an agricultural research station, providing a more realistic view of the potential performance in a production setting. These multi-location trials also served as the bridge between germplasm evaluation and variety distribution. Situated among the fields of commercial tomato producers, these trials served as demonstration plots for these new materials, helping to spread the word about modern varieties and diminishing some of the risk associated with adoption of the new varieties by allowing farmers to learn from others . The trials demonstrated that the selected tomato cultivars could perform significantly better than ‘Roma VF’ both on agricultural research stations and on farmers’ fields. In all locations, all selected cultivars had lower symptom severity scores than ‘Roma VF,’ and in Benin and Mali, tested cultivars had very low symptom severities or even remained symptomless . Farmers who witnessed the trials were uniformly enthusiastic about the new varieties, and many expressed interest in gaining access to seeds. In all trial locations, visiting farmers expressed interest in all the trialed varieties, except for one. ‘Atak’ (Enza Zaden Benelux B.V.), ‘Bybal’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.), ‘Lety F1’ (De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V.) and ‘Yosra’ (Enza Zaden Benelux B.V.) were mentioned frequently by farmers. ‘GemPride’ (Seminis Inc.) was not preferred by farmers because it produced softer fruit under these conditions; they preferred hard fruit for durability during shipping.
In both the advanced trials and the multi-location trials, the top four varieties selected had lower average ToLCD symptom severities and higher average yields than ‘Roma VF,’ demonstrating lower levels of ToLCD susceptibility and greater yield potential across countries (Table 2). It is notable that average ToLCD symptom severity on ‘Roma VF’ did not change significantly between year 2 and year 3, implying that there was no change in overall ToLCD pressure (Table 2). However, the cultivars under evaluation, ‘Atak,’ ‘Bybal,’ ‘GemPride’ and ‘Yosra,’ did show approximately twofold increases in ToLCD symptom severity and twofold decreases in yield in the switch from the advanced trials to the multi-location trials. This is likely a reflection of the change in environment. While the advanced trials were conducted on research stations with relatively controlled environments and relatively advanced management practices, the multi-location trials were conducted on farms with uncharacterized soils and unknown local disease pressures. While the change to a less-controlled environment had a significant impact on the performance of the selected cultivars, it had an even greater impact on the performance of ‘Roma VF,’ which saw a fourfold decrease in yield for the same transition. While performance varied from one environment to the next, the selected ToLCD-resistant varieties consistently outperformed the regionally popular ToLCD susceptible variety. This is crucial in the heterogeneous, often degraded environments of West Africa where farmers have limited access to inputs and therefore limited control over their environments. By offering consistently higher yield potential in all environments, the selected varieties promise farmers more predictable returns and thus more consistent livelihoods.
Protocols were developed to detect and identify begomoviruses and betasatellites associated with ToLCD in field-collected leaf tissue samples, and to screen tomato varieties for resistance to the predominant begomoviruses identified with the vector-independent agroinoculation method. Samples of tomato leaves with symptoms of begomovirus infection (e.g., stunting, erect and distorted growth and leaf curl and yellow leaf curl) were collected during a survey of West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger and Togo) conducted in February 2007 and by NARS collaborators from these countries in 2007–2008. Leaf disks from these samples were squashed onto nylon membranes, which were brought to UC Davis and analyzed for the presence of begomovirus DNA by squash blot (SB) hybridization with a general begomovirus probe . Samples positive for begomovirus infection were further analyzed by SB-PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and DNA sequencing to identify the specific begomovirus(es) and betasatellites involved . This involved using a combination of degenerate and species-specific primers, followed by sequencing of PCR-amplified fragments [19, 42]. Taken together, these studies revealed three locally evolved monopartite begomoviruses cause ToLCD in these West African countries: Tomato leaf curl Mali virus (ToLCMLV), Tomato yellow leaf curl Mali virus (TYLCMLV) and Pepper yellow vein virus (PepYVMLV, also known as Tomato yellow leaf crumple virus). An unusually severe symptom phenotype was shown to be due to a mixed infection of TYLCMLV and Cotton leaf curl Gezira betasatellite. A subsequent study revealed an additional monopartite begomovirus associated with ToLCD in Ghana and Togo, Tomato leaf curl Ghana virus, and two additional betasatellites (Tomato leaf curl Togo betasatellite and Tomato leaf curl Ghana betasatellite) [4, 43].
In general, the majority of samples collected during the survey of West African countries and provided by the NARS partners were positive for begomovirus infection, whereas betasatellites were detected in a relatively small number of plants (~5–10%). Based on SB-PCR tests with specific primers for TYLCMLV, ToLCMLV and PepYVMLV and sequencing of selected PCR-amplified fragments, all three viruses were commonly detected in tomato plants with ToLCD symptoms. The relative prevalence of these viruses in different countries varied (Table 3). All three viruses were detected in four countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali and Togo), two viruses were detected in two countries (Benin and Senegal), whereas only PepYVMLV was detected in Niger. In some countries, especially Ghana and Togo, evidence of other begomoviruses associated with ToLCD was found (i.e., some samples that were PCR-positive with degenerate primers were negative with the virus-specific primers). Subsequent studies have confirmed this additional genetic diversity in begomoviruses causing ToLCD in West Africa [4, 43, 44]. Because of the important role of these three viruses in ToLCD in West Africa, a disease resistance breeding program for ToLCD in West Africa should involve all three viruses; in contrast, betasatellites do not need to be included because of their low incidence and nonessential role in ToLCD in West Africa.
Full-length infectious clones were generated for TYLCMLV, ToLCMLV and PepYVV. Agroinoculation systems were generated for each virus by inserting multimeric copies of the genome into the Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Upon introduction of an A. tumefaciens strain carrying a begomovirus multimeric clone into a tomato plant, e.g., into the stem just beneath the shoot apex with a hypodermic syringe, the viral DNA is delivered directly into the nuclei of wounded cells, where it initiates the infection cycle without needing to have been introduced by the whitefly vector . This method is extremely efficient (infection rates are typically ~100%) and reproducible. Using agroinoculation systems generated for TYLCMLV, ToLCMLV and PepYVMLV, tomato varieties were screened for resistance in a controlled environment chamber at UC Davis. A total of 41 tomato varieties, including the 11 that performed best in the multi-country variety trials and susceptible control ‘Roma VF,’ were individually screened with each of the three viruses with this vector-independent method (Table 4). The response of the varieties was classified as susceptible (disease ratings of 3–4 and detection of a high level of viral DNA by semiquantitative PCR), moderately resistant (rating of 2 and detection of a high to medium level of viral DNA), resistant (rating of 0–1 and detection of high to medium level of viral DNA by PCR) and highly resistant (rating of 0 and detection of a low level or no viral DNA by PCR). For all the varieties and each of the viruses, replicates of 5–10 plants were agroinoculated and the experiment was repeated three times. The response of the varieties to the three viruses was similar. Therefore, a general response for all viruses tested is presented. ‘Roma VF’ showed the expected susceptible response in all of the nine experiments (three replications for each of the three viruses), indicating that the agroinoculation technique was successful. In general, most of the tested varieties showed some level of resistance: 20% were moderately resistant, 34% were resistant and 24% were highly resistant (Table 4). This indicates that most of the materials provided for this trial did have some resistance to these viruses. Moreover, as most of the resistance in these materials had been identified based on screening against TYLCV, this appears to be a reliable indicator that a material will be resistant to the monopartite begomoviruses causing ToLCD in West Africa. This is also consistent with the observation that the same genes (e.g., Ty-1, Ty-2 and Ty-3) confer resistance to most Old World monopartite tomato-infecting begomoviruses. Importantly, the 11 preferred materials selected in the multi-country trials based on disease resistance and horticultural traits also showed responses of moderate resistant (‘Industry DR 10403’ and ‘HA 3060’), resistant (‘Atak,’ ‘Bybal,’ ‘HMX 4810,’ ‘Lety F1,’ ‘Ponchita’ and ‘Thoriya’) or highly resistant (‘GemPride,’ ‘Realeza’ and ‘Yosra’). This revealed an agreement between the results of the resistance screening in the field in West Africa and under controlled conditions at UC Davis and provided further support for a begomovirus etiology for ToLCD is West Africa. Finally, this is a good example of how a vector-independent disease resistance screening method can be developed with the tools of biotechnology, and how the results can provide practical information to help manage an applied problem, e.g., an outbreak of a serious disease.
Biotechnology played an important role in characterizing the tomato-infecting begomovirus complex and betasatellites associated with ToLCD symptoms in West Africa. However, many of these protocols could not be conducted in West Africa due to a lack of equipment and expertise. To initiate the development of a self-sustaining biotechnology research program in West Africa, considerable efforts were invested to transfer molecular biology research capacity to the project’s West African NARS partners. A week-long intensive molecular biology and genetics training workshop was held in Bamako, Mali, in August 2007 for over 20 participants from the seven partner countries.
The multi-location trials conducted in the last year of the project (year 3) allowed for the identification of varieties that performed best in each location. Results of the vector-independent screening confirmed the resistance in these varieties to the predominant viruses involved with the ToLCD. Upon completion of the project, variety performance reports were provided to all the seed donors. Given many of these companies and institutions had yet to enter the West African market, the development of distribution capacity from the ground up will be required. This is not a trivial task, as the commercial seed distribution sector in West Africa is severely underdeveloped . Seed distributed through commercial outlets needs to be adapted to the region, including resistance to important pests and pathogens. Varieties such as the commonly available ‘Roma VF’ are becoming increasingly undesirable as disease pressures intensify. NARS partners provided updated information on seed availability and the incidence of ToLCD (Table 5). Two varieties from the trials are widely available including ‘GemPride’ (Seminis Inc., now Monsanto) and ‘Nadira’ (Tropicasem). Monsanto is currently selling ‘GemPride’ in Ghana and Senegal, and also recently starting selling the TYLCV-resistant variety ‘VL-642’ in West Africa . ‘Lety F1,’ another Monsanto variety included in these trials, is not a commercial variety in West Africa . The Tropicasem variety ‘Nadira’ is widely available in many, if not all of the countries included in this project.
In Benin, collaborators from INRAB (Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Benin) indicated that ‘TLCV15’ (AVRDC) and ‘Nadira’ (Tropicasem) are currently sold in the region. ‘LetyF1’ (De Ruiter Seed Group B.V., now Monsanto) was sold in pre-extension trials, but collaborators found that it was rejected by farmers due to fruit size. As noted above, Monsanto is currently not selling ‘Lety F1’ in West Africa; therefore, available ‘Lety F1’ seed in the region would be the result of on-farm multiplications rather than the hybrid included in the trials. The most popular varieties in the region are all susceptible to ToLCD. These include ‘Tropimech,’ ‘Petomech,’ ‘Caraibo,’ ‘Mongal F1,’ as well as three local varieties, ‘Tounvi,’ ‘Akikon’ and ‘Kekefo.’ Once popular variety ‘Roma VF’ has been abandoned, it is very susceptible to ToLCD. In Southern Benin, growers sometimes grow ‘Nadira’ (Tropicasem), which was included in the trials, but it is not well adapted to Southern Benin. Additionally, farmers reported to INRAB that the ‘Nadira’ seed is very expensive. ‘TLCV 15’ (AVRDC) is grown in limited locations in urban and peri-urban areas of Cotonou and Ouidah. The variety is popular with producers, consistent with experimental results obtained at the INRAB research station. ‘TLCV 15’ is the only variety of the trials that INRAB multiplied for sale and registered in the national catalog of vegetable species. There are many tomato varieties that are available in Benin; however, there are few high-quality improved varieties available because the seed distribution chain is not well organized. Due to a lack of improved tomato seed, many farmers grow local varieties of pepper and onion. The only well-known seed distributor in Benin is Benin Semences (formerly Tropicasem/Technisem). During the rainy season from August to November in the South, and August to October and December to February in the North, there is an over production of tomatoes. A new tomato-processing facility has been established in Southern Benin, making year-round production stability even more important.
In Ghana, ToLCD causes significant losses during the dry and fresh market season. There is a lack of improved tomato varieties on the market. In fact, a number of areas still grow landraces rather than improved varieties . Local collaborators reported that ‘GemPride’ from Monsanto and ‘Nadira’ from Tropicasem are sold in Ghana; however, the most popular varieties are ‘Pectomech,’ ‘Pectofake,’ ‘Power Rano,’ ‘Burkina’ and ‘Ada Lorry Tyre,’ local landraces susceptible to ToLCD. A lack of improved tomato varieties has caused farmers to grow other vegetable crops, most commonly chili pepper. Currently, most to all tomato production is fresh market because the cost of production is too high for the processing companies to survive. Due to this underproduction, Ghana imports tons of processed tomato from Italy, China and the USA. Surveys of tomato farmers in Ghana found that cost of seed, management practices and familiarity with the variety, and shelf life due to skin thickness were extremely important . This supports the importance of local variety trialing, as well as our results which indicated a preference for varieties that stand up well to shipping. In June 2015, a workshop was held in West African Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI) called Workshop on Tomato Value Chain in Ghana, which included tomato producers as well as representation from the Tomato Traders and Transporters Association . The workshop brought together participants from WACCI, the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA), the Australian International Food Security Research Centre (AIFSRC/ACIAR), Crawford Fund (CF), the University of Queensland (UQ), and local stakeholders in the tomato industry. Whitefly-transmitted viruses such as those that cause ToLCD were cited at this meeting as among the most important pathogens in the region.
In Mali, our collaborators from IER (Institute d’Economie Rurale) indicated that the most popular tomato varieties are all susceptible to ToLCD: ‘Roma VF,’ ‘UC-82’ and ‘Rossol VF.’ The Tropicasem variety ‘Nadira’ is available; however, this variety is not the most popular, but farmers who know its tolerance to ToLCD prefer it. After the trials, farmers who had conducted trials or visited trials were asking for ‘Atak’ and ‘Bybal’ (Enza Zaden Benelux B.V., now Enza Zaden), ‘Cheyenne E448’ (Syngenta AG, now Syngenta), and ‘HA 3060’ (Hazera Genetics Ltd., now Hazera); however, none of these varieties are currently available for commercial sale in the region. A similar situation exists for the early maturing hybrids ‘Shasta’ (Harris Moran, previously Campbell) and ‘H8804’ (Heinzseed) introduced to Baguineda as part of IPM-CRSP (now IPM Innovation Lab). Currently, there are not major shortages of tomato; however, if tomato-processing plants became operational, this may cause a shortage. Recently developed open-pollinated cultivars ‘OPB 149’ and ‘OPB155’ produce good yields under ToLCD pressure. These varieties were developed and distributed to farmers in Kati, Baguineda and Niono by IER in collaboration with IPM Innovation Lab.
Collaborators in Senegal report that Monsanto variety ‘GemPride’ is very popular with farmers. The Harris Moran variety ‘HMX 4810’ was also very popular, but again, seed distribution was a bottleneck. ‘Nadira’ is also very popular. NARS collaborators from INRAN (Institute National de Recherche Agronomique du Niger) indicated that of all the ToLCD-resistant varieties that were included in the trials, only ‘Nadira’ was available. ‘Nadira’ is recommended for cultivation in the rainy season and is readily available from local agricultural retailers. ‘RomaVF’ is currently on sale and is still very popular. In Togo, AVRDC variety ‘TYLCV 15’ had been extremely popular with farmers, but current seed availability was uncertain at the time of this publication.
An examination of tomato exports showed a steady increase in fresh tomatoes exports from Senegal and Burkina Faso from 2003 to 2012 (Table 6). An increase in fresh tomato exports was not observed for the other five countries in this project during this time period, or for any other type of tomato product. Despite this increase in fresh tomato exports in Senegal and Burkina Faso, imported tomato paste dramatically increased starting in the early 2000s and has continued to increase in the region . In Ghana, there was an increase in canned tomato exports in 2006, but this dramatically decreased in 2007 and has continued to fall in an equally dramatic manner. This was most likely due to the common practice of bulking (typically imported) paste and repackaging prior to selling it . In 2003, a factory was established in northern Ghana by Trusty Foods Ltd, an Italian company, to supply West Africa with tomato paste . However, this company primarily imports the paste and repackages it at the factory; just 7% of its product come from tomatoes grown in Ghana . The Ghana export strategy allows the company to benefit from lower tariffs on products from the region . Given the dramatic fall in exports from Ghana in 2008, it is possible that this loophole has been closed. Nigeria is one of the major importers of tomato paste from Ghana, and it may have introduced barriers that resulted in the decline .
For tomato, improved seed sold in the region is either inconsistently available in the marketplace, is not adapted to climatic and disease constraints, or the seed has been repeatedly multiplied on-farm causing the loss of key traits such as disease resistance. Mechanization in any form, including irrigation pumps and tractors, is exceedingly rare and only available on larger, export-oriented farms or in contract farming where processors develop contracts with farmers [12, 13]. Imported canned tomatoes have become increasingly available due to reduced import tariffs and an absence of import quotas . The low price of imported tomato paste and the relatively high cost of locally produced tomatoes make production costs too high for processing companies to make a profit in the region . For example, in 1992 import quotas were abolished in Ghana and tariffs were reduced to 20% . These factors undoubtedly contributed to the closure of tomato-processing plants in the country, and subsequent reluctance to reopen as the prevalence and low cost of foreign tomato paste make it very difficult for local processing companies to break even . In order to compete with foreign paste from China, growers would need to harvest approximately 30 tons per hectare; however, yields have been estimated well below ten tons per hectare, and agricultural input costs are too high to be competitive . Poor quality has also been cited by processors as a restraint to purchasing locally . Fresh tomatoes are typically sold locally for higher prices, or can be sold around the country or internationally to Cote D’Ivoire, Togo, or Burkina Faso . Improved seed will increase yield and quality, which are essential to becoming competitive in the processed tomato market.
The establishment of a West African germplasm trialing network and the introduction of modern high-yielding virus-resistant hybrid tomato varieties address the larger goal of improving livelihoods in West Africa. The continued incidence of ToLCD in the region may cause seed companies to start selling their resistant varieties in the region, particularly given that the additional requirements of ECOWAS seed certification have been completed [27–30]. Theoretically, increased and stabilized tomato yields and improved produce quality will attract investment in the infrastructures necessary to make the tomato industry in West Africa a serious player in the local or even global market. A major goal of this project was to forge connections between the West African seed industry, global and regional seed companies and public plant breeding institutions to develop outstanding varieties, which is extremely important in the region [48, 51].
The trialing network established by this project provides a model for a thorough and efficient means of evaluating breeding materials and for applying biotechnology tools to address a major production constraint (ToLCD). Having access to the trialing network will streamline the breeding process and hasten the establishment of breeding capacity in the region. The participatory nature of the trialing network, with direct farmer input and involvement, promises to make varietal selection more accurate and appropriate for local farmer preferences. This trialing network provides an easily accessible strategy for international seed companies to enter the marketplace via the trialing network and connect into distribution channels for the dissemination of selected varieties to farmers. In Burkina Faso, trial data from this collaboration were used by a local cannery to inform variety selection for contract growers. The future of the vegetable industry in West Africa depends heavily on the introduction of new high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties that will allow the region to compete successfully in globalized markets. The newly established variety trialing network takes one step in that direction by enabling West African governments to evaluate the pool of available germplasm and select the most optimal varieties for the region. It is our hope that this capacity will serve as the foundation for poverty reduction as a host of complementary industries develop to translate better yields of vegetable crops into better livelihoods for producers and consumers. Improved tomato production in West Africa might benefit not only farmers, whose livelihoods would increase due to increased sales, but also those employed in downstream industries including regional or local canning or drying operations, truck drivers, exporters and merchants. Studies of the downstream effects of the adoption of high-yielding rice varieties during the Green Revolution in India found that higher earnings in the agricultural sector led to greater off-farm expenditures, resulting in widespread economic growth .
Kari Perez and Jeffrey S. Froikin-Gordon are co-first authors.
MMJ, RLG, KP, JF-G conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, and wrote and edited the manuscript. KP, JF-G, IKA, VL, AAA, AM, OB, BH, FA-K, AAM, MN, LCO, LO, KTG, FS, RLG, MMJ participated in the design and/or execution of the variety trials in Africa, as well as compiling the post-trial tomato seed availability and tomato-processing information. RG, TK and MRR conceived and completed the begomovirus characterization work. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
We gratefully acknowledge Loren Puette for his work in trade analysis featured in Table 6 and acknowledge the seed companies in Table 1 that donated seed to this project. We thank Mary Kreitinger, George Moriarty, Nicole Moskal, Michael Weinreich, Greg Inzinna, Emilda Gomez, Brynda Beeman, Maryann Fink, John Jantz, Nick Vail, Scott Anthony, William Mulhern and B.B. Perez for their critical support and technical assistance, and acknowledge the inspiration and guidance of Eva Wieltzien and Fred Rattunde, and their colleagues in Bamako, Mali, in setting up this collaboration.
The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the USAID-ABSPII (GDG-A-00-02-00017-00), USAID IPM-CRSP, Cornell University, and for collaboration with The World Vegetable Center-AVRDC and ICRISAT. Jeffrey Froikin-Gordon was supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, and Kari Perez was supported by the SUNY Minority Fellows Scholarship and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Plant Genome Research Program Award DBI-0218166.
ABSPII. Agricultural biotechnology support project II, supporting agricultural development through biotechnology. 2015. http://www.absp2.cornell.edu/.
The Monsanto Company, Personal Communication. 2016. https://seminis.co.za/product/vl-642/691.
West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement. WACCI launches Vegetables Innovation Lab (VIL) to boost tomato production in Ghana. 2015. http://www.wacci.edu.gh/content/wacci-launches-vegetables-innovation-lab-vil-boost-tomato-production-ghana. | 2019-04-24T00:24:41Z | https://agricultureandfoodsecurity.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40066-017-0118-4 |
Find the best car key replacement locksmiths in Bath for when you have lost you car keys and need a new one.
Find the best emergency car locksmiths in Bath for when you need an auto locksmiths that can help you quickly 24 hours a day.
Find the best car opening locksmiths in Bath for when your keys are locked inside your car and it needs opening.
Find the best car key duplication locksmiths in Bath for when you only have one key and need a new thats works perfectly.
We can also help when you need, auto, commercial or residential locksmith in Bristol, Weston-Super-Mare, Swindon, Gloucester, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Poole, Bournemouth, Eastleigh, Southampton or right here in Bath, Somerset.
If you have misplaced your vehicle keys and are locked out of your vehicle, Auto Locksmiths are quick to reach you.
Not in an urgent situation? No problem, we can book an appointment time that works for you.
• Fast key replacement – The majority of vehicle keys may be produced and programmed within minutes. This means that you will never miss a business meeting or consultation as a result of a lost key.
• No towing needed – Our team travel to you, saving you the potential towing fees, and making the general experience far more easy.
• Low costs – our rates are truly very competitive and easier given that we travel you.
A huge amount of people might harbour the notion that in this day and age, with sophisticated technology and new developments every day that an extra vehicle key is not really required. Well, it’s certainly not needed up until the moment you lose your car key or become locked outside your vehicle! Unfortunately, you will understand the value of an extra vehicle key in the hardest possible moment – whenever you have a very important appointment, or must visit the hospital for an emergency and find that your vehicle keys are lost.
At Bath Auto Locksmiths we always recommend that there really should be 3 vehicle keys at minimum; one that you use on a regular basis and the remaining two securely kept in your property, in a spot that you can easily recall. Our team have encountered tons of situations where this has saved the day for the vehicle owner.
Nevertheless, our team are always right here to assist you 24 HOURS A DAY should you end up in any of the scenarios listed below where you require a replacement vehicle key.
This happens with startling frequency when you are in a relaxed and carefree mood like on a road trip or enjoying a weekend away. You forget to be vigilant, and consequently the vehicle key goes astray. There’s no need to fret, look no further than Bath Auto Locksmiths as your trustworthy 24/7 emergency vehicle locksmith. We are the answer to misplaced cars keys because our experts have the ability to cut a copy key for you right away.
This ordinarily happens over a long period with consistent use, as the stress and exertion of unlocking the vehicle with a key begins to tell. Even though car keys are tougher than normal keys, they do snap, so it is smart to contact our ROUND THE CLOCK customer support line so they can get a service technician to you quickly.
This is yet another situation when you will desperately be in need of the services of our emergency vehicle unlocking technicians who can cut an additional key for you in just minutes.
So as to avoid further stress and anxiety, always remember to save our number in your phone for these sorts of unlucky predicaments.
Transponders are complicated bits of equipment which are infamously really expensive to repair at car garages. Using an auto locksmith to repair your transponder is actually a much quicker and affordable option. Our technicians can configure new vehicle keys, erase data from older ones which may have been snatched, and even add new car keys to the vehicle’s system if you would like additional keys.
Our company understand that you may not be very conversant with the most up-to-date vehicle technological advances. That’s why we try to explains things for you to make sure that you have an idea of the problem you are dealing with.
A transponder key is similar to your ordinary car key EXCEPT that it contains a small high-tech chip within it which upgrades the safety and security of the vehicle. Every single chip in each vehicle key will contain a particular identification number assigned and programmed in it from the time it was produced. The transponder key pairs with the receiver in the ignition of the vehicle in order to function. The moment you come close to the vehicle and activate the transponder key, the receiver matches the unique number and only if it is a perfect match, will the vehicle open automatically.
Being highly specialized in auto locksmith emergency situations, we must inform you that this safety and security function is at times a double-edged sword. This is due to the fact that if any element of your transponder key fails to function, the ignition won’t fire, and you are stranded with your car.
– Transponders can become scrambled by others and may all of a sudden stop working or set off an immobilizer. These kinds of situations can be very annoying and call for professional help.
– In case you lose or damage your transponder then there is no other option other than to reprogram a blank key to work with your car.
– Sometimes something unusual may happen to your vehicle; lights will flash, the alarm system will set off, the steering wheel may possibly lock or perhaps the car just won’t start. Often this is due to an issue with the transponder and ECU.
And so, if ever you’re suffering from a transponder issue, don’t delay in getting in touch with our expert team. We leave no stone unturned to find an effective solution making use of our professional vehicle key programming practices.
If you have misplaced your vehicle keys, or had them taken our company can offer the answer. Our auto locksmith technicians working all over Bath have the ability to cut and reprogram keys to your car even without having a functioning key present.
By utilizing the newest technology, our skilled service technicians are able to decipher vehicle pins to gain access to the ECU and make a brand-new car key for you, regardless of where you are. For your peace of mind our experts can remove any old keys from the vehicle’s memory so no one can start your vehicle if they have the old set.
It is pretty common for the teeth of the vehicle key to get worn to the point that it no longer fits the ignition slot properly. Or maybe, it works only after multiple, annoying tries. This is a red alert, and you should phone our team to make sure that you are one step ahead.
Our exceptionally trained specialists are equipped with modern gadgets to extract stuck or broken off vehicle keys at the roadside.
We advise that you don’t tug or yank at the key yourself, purely because you would most likely end up aggravating the issue. Leave it to our specialists who have years of expertise. We promise quick results at affordable prices and see to it that you acquire a replacement car key right away.
In the event that your vehicle keys have been taken off you, or they have gone missing some place, our experts are able to usually reach you in less than 30 minutes. Our experts cut key replacements right in front of you, program replacement fobs, and also transponder keys.
If somebody has been tampering with the lock of your vehicle to break into it, the lock could be broken. Our experts will ascertain the situation to see if the lock is faulty or the key, and go from there.
Whenever you find yourself needing a car key replacement, you only really have 2 options that you can choose from.
You can search for a tow truck, have your vehicle towed to your nearby car dealership, then wait until they can make you a brand-new set of keys. Typically, this approach takes between three days to a few weeks depending on the sophistication of the locksmith security system installed. If you urgently needed to use the car, you could be forced to hire another car.
The second option is switching on your phone and getting in touch with Bath Auto Locksmiths. When our team receive your phone call, we aim to ensure that we have a car locksmith with you in no more than 30 minutes depending on your location. These locksmiths come with all the necessary gadgets and equipment, hence you can be certain that your issue will be taken care of there and then. You will never need to wait for days before you are able to use your vehicle once again.
A boot lockout can easily happen to anyone at all and for a variety of reasons, for instance leaving the keys in the boot of the vehicle, a damaged key, a key caught in the boot lock, or perhaps a defective boot lock. At Bath Auto Locksmiths, we are proud to be affiliated with the Auto Locksmith Association therefore you can feel assured in the quality of service our experts provide anytime of the day or night, and no matter what your location.
We offer 24 HOURS A DAY emergency vehicle unlocking assistance for people locked out of their car. Our experts have saved the day for customers on more occasions than we care to recall. This is precisely why we have amazing customer ratings and reviews and we are the company to depend on when you’re in any sort of car lock crisis situation.
Never Try Do It Yourself Methods!
Whenever a car boot lockout happens, people have a tendency to get nervous and annoyed, and even embarrassed to get help. We recommend you not to attempt opening the trunk of the vehicle for the reason that the DIY methods you use more often than not leave the vehicle lock far more busted than previously, and will certainly cost you when the vehicle is sent for repairs.
Alternatively, contact Bath Auto Locksmiths where emergency help for people locked out of their car is delivered quick and competently at the hand of our mobile auto locksmiths. Our experts possess all the expertise and tools needed to fix the deadlock in the fastest possible time. We are well known for our quick response times and equipped to take on whatever the make and model of your car, van, SUV or pickup may be. Our experts have the means to apply complex methods to provide fast resolutions.
Car Boot lockouts are usually resolved using our vehicle unlocking and emergency services that are readily available 24 hours a day, and regardless of where your location in Bath may be. We can easily rush an auto locksmith to you within a very short time.
Our team are conscious that with the quick pace of life, you cannot afford to lose out on time. A large number of situations happen where you just need to move. It might perhaps be your employer calling you on a Sunday regarding some critical work which can’t wait, or the kids need to be collected from school. On these occasions you definitely will appreciate the haste and punctuality in which our company specialize in. Your neighbourhood 24/7 emergency auto locksmith will show up rapidly and we designate the exact same high priority to every one of our phone calls.
Equally, quick and effective service does not need to result in expensive call out fees. Our emergency vehicle unlocking service is truly very competitive and the prices are on par with the best in the industry. Our well-staffed and experienced team means that you can go on with your trip uninterrupted, with our budget-friendly auto locksmith rates not even pinching your wallet.
Here at Bath Auto Locksmiths, we have the skill and expertise to repair any type of broken or cracked vehicle key and key fob. Ranging from cracked key blades to the car key buttons not functioning, we will certainly have no trouble mending it.
Supposing that we find that your vehicle key blade is actually badly damaged beyond repair, that’s not a problem either. Our technicians can effortlessly move your details from the broken key to a brand-new key. We promise that our specialist auto locksmiths’ approach and skill are terrific and exactly the high quality you need.
The vehicle keys that come with push buttons can be easily repaired also. If your buttons keep delaying or they do not work altogether, contact us and our experts can take care of it there and then. Our auto locksmiths can repair almost all vehicle key buttons in less than one hour and we do not hurry it.
Do you have a broken car key cover? Our technicians can mend or replace it, if badly broken, without touching anything inside the vehicle key. We are experts in this!
All of our staff at Bath Auto Locksmiths are devoted to providing 100% customer satisfaction therefore don’t delay in telephoning us today on [number].
• Regular vehicle keys (that do not control the central locking system).
• Various other varieties of vehicle keys (like truck and motor homes vehicle keys).
On the occasion that our team of auto locksmiths uncover that your transponder key is actually damaged or faulty, our service extends to having the vehicle key repaired with the help of key programming, which we are able to fix very quickly. This is specialized work, and not your traditional key cutting, but we offer reasonably priced and very competitive prices.
If you by accident damage or crack the vehicle key, call us as our team will have the required key part in our supply. The chip within the damaged vehicle key will be expertly taken out and then inserted in the new, cut key.
In these situations our customer service staff will send a service technician to re-cut the key to the actual, original specifications, and utilize the immobilizer chip in the old transponder key to put in the newly cut key.
Our 24/7 emergency call out service will ensure a specialist will be with you fast to accurately determine if the issue lies with the ignition barrel or the key itself. In the event of a snapped off key, we can remove the damaged part and provide you with a new set of car keys.
In case you are in need of a car door lock mending or replacing, please talk to us for guidance. Most car door locks may be repaired and actually don’t be in need of replacing. Even so, if ever you do need a brand-new lock, our company can provide a variety of choices from our inventory.
Our team have no problems working on any type of door lock, including car door locks, van door locks and mobile home door locks. Phone us if you’re having any issues with your vehicle door locks and we will definitely do our absolute best to overcome it in no time at all. Our company use a selection of different specialist devices that will absolutely do the job and repair that car door lock of yours.
If your door lock is ever broken please don’t have a go at doing something by yourself because you may end up making the situation a whole lot worse. Our recommendation is to contact us since our team are skilled and competent auto locksmiths who are committed to fixing your car lock. Our company can help you if your vehicle door lock is lodged or trapped, damaged or busted and if you have broken or malfunctioning car door latches.
Our experts generally tend to take out the defective door locks in order to repair them then afterwards fit them back into your vehicle doors. The locks will then be totally working and fixed. All of this for a good rate plus the whole process will actually be done quicker than you would think.
At times your door lock can become badly damaged. Daily usage as well as inclement weather take their toll on car door locks, and with time they can be worn down. Equally, if a carjacker or a robber unsuccessfully attempts to break into your vehicle, the lock could possibly become damaged then. Similarly, our technicians have experienced vehicle locks being damaged when owners unsuccessfully attempt to pick the locks when they find they have actually locked themselves from their car!
We will try to initially use our original technique of taking off the vehicle lock, mending it and placing it back into the door. However there may well be an instance in which our experts can’t repair the vehicle lock therefore we will need to replace it. But there is no need to worry if this is necessary, because this is routine. You won’t need to have any new keys because the new replacement lock can be fitted with your existing key and all of you locks will definitely function properly without you getting any issues. Rest assured our company give you a good rate in exchange for a terrific service in a short time.
Our company not only offer affordable auto locksmith services, but also 24 HOURS A DAY emergency services for whatever make or model of car, camper van, pickup or mobile home you own. Our technicians have the ability to repair or change the locks on them with ease and to your complete satisfaction.
Have you ever had a time when you’ve found yourself in a remote area with a defective ignition frantically checking the internet asking “where is there an emergency auto locksmith close to me?” Worry no longer because Bath Auto Locksmiths are your nearby 24 HOURS A DAY emergency mobile auto locksmith who service all your ignition difficulties, be it fixing or replacing.
Here at Bath Auto Locksmiths, our company strongly believe in providing a premier auto locksmith service at an honest and attractive cost. Be it a major job or small, our skilled auto locksmiths provide top quality workmanship as well as first-rate customer support as standard. You can surely rely on us to look after all your auto locksmith requirements.
Our tremendously experienced service technicians can easily reach you quickly, and have extensive knowledge dealing with ignition matters. They reach every job prepared with the most advanced tools tailored for the job and can deal with any sort of make and model of vehicle. By using a mobile team of qualified auto locksmith technicians all over the country, we are never too far away.
We commit ourselves to service the ignition issues of your vehicle, whether it’s a car, trailer, wagon or a motor home, and our auto locksmith prices are really economical. As a matter of fact, you will certainly be amazed at how economical our emergency car locksmith fees are, given the location of your car as well as the complexity of the job at hand.
Anytime the vehicle keys crack and get jammed in the ignition, our experts will extract the key out and ascertain what caused it to get caught. A lot of times it is an issue with the key as opposed to the ignition, and our properly trained auto locksmiths can fix this issue for you.
Our company can replace the ignition switch of your vehicle within a really short time. Once our experts reach you, they analyze the issue, and then remove the nuts and bolts which secure the ignition.
When they’re finished changing the ignition switch with a brand-new one, the service technician will replace the ignition cover using the utmost caution, making certain all bolts, plastic covers and components remain in the correct position.
Thanks to the practical experience we possess, this task will take at max. 30 minutes, and you can take back control over the vehicle.
Sometimes, the ignition can come to be firmly locked and refuse to turn over despite numerous attempts. Our quick response technicians will examine the problem, and formulate a working method.
On occasion, there’s a complication concerning the ignition lock cylinder which our technicians can easily remove and change in a manner that is cost effective and competitively priced.
Regardless of what the ignition issue, contact us today and one of our knowledgeable specialists can be with you to assist well before you know it.
Don’t worry, this actually happens to a lot more people than you can imagine, and now, help is here! At Bath Auto Locksmiths, we are your 24 HOURS A DAY emergency auto locksmith professionals with respect to all makes and models of vehicle. Our experts provide many years of expertise in the auto locksmith industry and no auto lock system is a challenge for us. Our experts can work with a whole range of vehicles and so you can be confident in our car locksmith services.
We service all of Bath and our swift auto locksmith specialists are guaranteed to arrive at the spot of the incident within a matter of minutes. Our company pride ourselves on our quick response times when it comes to vehicle unlocking.
Our specialist technicians will turn up armed with the latest gadgets and tools to unlock your car to ensure that you don’t run late for that meeting or consultation.
We are proud to be affiliates of the Auto Locksmith Association and take our track record as emergency auto locksmiths most seriously. This is mirrored in our high customer ratings so you can be confident in the knowledge that each telephone call for help is a top priority for our company.
Each and every car is different in its very own way and requires a specialized technique to unlocking. Our expert locksmiths are well versed in every vehicle make and model, and have all the equipment and devices required to unlock your vehicle.
Our experts are able to utilize professional lock picking, prying of vehicle doors and duplicating car keys, and many more solutions to gain access to the vehicle. Our experts fervently advise you not to have a go at these approaches by yourself because your inexperience will most likely cause damage and can result in hefty repair work bills.
We receive a lot of calls from people who have attempted to wedge open the vehicle lock using DIY tactics, which wind up damaging the door lock.
If your vehicle’s locking system has been broken, the technician will usually have the ability to remove the defective lock and repair it so it carries on working with the other locks on your vehicle. If the car lock happens to be broken past repair, a replacement lock can be installed matching your current keys so you do not require any new car keys.
This actually happens more often than you would believe. If you’ve lost your vehicle keys and don’t own a spare set, one of our experts can help you simply by creating an extra key or alternatively, configuring a remote car key.
Our vehicle key replacement service includes releasing car boots, where a surprising number of people leave their car keys when carrying lots of shopping from the grocery store.
Our company are trained in coaxing open the boot of your car and retrieving the key, without any damage to the boot lock. Teamed with our truly affordable prices means we are a quick and affordable choice for your emergency auto locksmith call out.
Exited your vehicle having left the keys still in the ignition? Got a youngster in the car who has played with the lock and left you helpless outside with the windows wound up? In the very busy and fast paced lives that we lead, it may not be surprising to find out that this is truly a very common scenario that may happen to anybody at any time.
Don’t fret, there’s no need to look further than to contact, one of Bath’s most counted on emergency auto locksmiths who come with the skill-set and the resources to rescue you from any distressing situation, be it day or night, with our 24/7 emergency call out. Our team are always there for you when ever you need us the most, and we will pay back your trust in us with our fast services.
Our experts are in fact trained frequently to respond in the quickest possible time to your call for help and they are on standby round-the-clock to be certain that you do not need to go through a difficult time or panic.
Our company treat every single job with the exact same intensity, be it a large-scale truck stranded on the roadside or your girlfriend’s car in the garage. Our work ethics are on par with the very best in the field and our firm offer competitive, economical automobile locksmith services.
Even though this situation may cause you to panic, with adrenaline streaming throughout your body, we strongly suggest not to have a go at any fancy DIY methods for example forcing the door open, or smashing a window to get to the car keys. The reason our experts encourage being levelheaded and calling us is because you will probably fail in your well-intended attempts because cars are in fact made to be safeguarded against burglaries with incredibly sturdy and sophisticated electronic locking systems.
You are most likely to make the situation worse for yourself by your fraught attempts and end up having to pay your car garage huge amounts of cash to repair the ruined door and locks.
Instead, you should calmly call our around-the-clock emergency hotline. In doing this, Bath Auto Locksmiths’ response staff will be by your side right away. Exceptionally skilled auto locksmiths carrying all the state-of-the-art tools will get your car opened and vehicle key replaced without any fuss whatsoever.
With many different models and makes of vehicle on the roads, it is a calming thought that we, at Bath Auto Locksmiths, can deal with every make of vehicle. Ranked highly amongst our clients, our company have you covered whenever you need us. Our emergency assistance service is truly cheap and competitive, and yet never compromising on our relentless quality of service.
Everyone who owns a motor vehicle has at some point or another misplaced or lost their vehicle keys and you find that it always comes about at the most inconvenient possible moment – the second you’re in a massive hurry! Please do not begin to freak out! Just simply look up Bath Auto Locksmiths and with one phone call, our experts will be at your side before you know it to replace your vehicle key swiftly.
Our experts can easily unlock the vehicle for you by using our sophisticated zero destruction entry methods, cut you a brand-new vehicle key and program it to ensure that it works exactly like the old key did. This service even includes remote fobs and transponder keys. Naturally, our experts may also erase or block the old vehicle key code so it won’t work any longer.
Don’t worry if you have been advised that only a main car dealer has the ability to do the job, or it can’t be done without having a key code or a security code. By using our equipment our experts can make vehicle keys other individuals can’t, even when all your vehicle keys are lost, or it is a ”special order” key.
There are a few helpful things that you should do while you get ready for one of our professional auto locksmiths to show up.
In the past, what type of vehicle key you had was a very clear-cut question. You just owned a standard car key whose teeth was consistent to the lock of your vehicle. Unfortunately, nowadays, keys are generally not generic and you must be certain what kind of vehicle key you have, to make sure that our technicians can quickly and correctly replace your car keys. Affording us with this information while on the phone will certainly help us take action in a far more efficient manner.
1. Transponder key: Your vehicle manufacturer supplies you with configured transponder keys alongside a remote to allow keyless unlocking. The advantage is that they offer high safety and security capabilities; the disadvantage is that they’re more complex to duplicate.
2. Smart keys: These are a mark above transponder car keys and possess numerous benefits. They are exceptionally secure because they feature changing security codes rather than set codes to protect against car thefts. Replacement of these particular keys is a bit more pricey than a more traditional vehicle key, but our competitive auto locksmith services can do this at a good value price for you.
3. Conventional vehicle keys: These particular keys are the absolute best to misplace, for the reason that they are the simplest to replace! The explanation being that the digital angle to locking a car is absent in these car key types.
These can easily all be found on the vehicle registration records as well as the insurance cards relating to the car.
As soon as you provide these, kick back and take a breather and our car locksmith will be right with you on a top priority basis.
Supposing you’re at home and the alarm system has gone off in the dead of night, not just waking you up but the neighbours also. To make matters worse yet, the car security capabilities have kicked in preventing you from gaining access to the vehicle. We all understand how frustrating that can be!
Conversely, have you ever driven all over the country and decided to take a pit stop, only to go back to your vehicle to find that a skulking burglar has tried to make off with it? Your vehicle alarm system trips and the burglar scoots off leaving you struggling to disable the car security system. Without disabling it, you’re essentially locked out of your own car plus stranded miles away from home.
Here at, Bath Auto Locksmiths, we understand your irritation. That’s the reason why our team operates countrywide and our AROUND THE CLOCK auto locksmith professionals can easily get to you within minutes to deal with the dilemma for you. All you will have to do is talk to us on [number].
Not a lot of people consider that they will ever need the help of an emergency auto locksmith, however, here at Bath Auto Locksmiths our company always preach preparedness. As useful as it is to have saved the number of a local plumber when you move into your new house, knowing the number of a nearby auto locksmith company is crucial if you own a car.
Our professionals arrive armed with their very own mobile service units, which are fully stocked with all the gadgets and components needed to fulfill any one of the many car locksmith services our firm offer day or night. You can be sure that when you call upon our services you without a doubt won’t be disappointed.
In the event that you are searching for a “24 Hour Auto Locksmith Near Me?” why not give Bath Auto Locksmiths a ring to get instant results.
• Our team have the ability to mend the locks and alarm systems of any type of model and make of vehicle.
• Our first priority is undoubtedly exceptional customer support so you can feel reassured that we’ll never leave you stranded.
• We offer very competitive fees compared to other businesses in the Bath region.
• Our company take your car security very seriously, which is precisely why our specialists embark on periodic training and development.
Nobody is able to predict the future so you will most likely never know at what moment an emergency auto locksmith problem will hit you, rendering your car useless and leaving you stranded. But if you already have the number of Bath Auto Locksmiths’ programmed into your phone, our experts are just a short telephone call away. | 2019-04-25T00:35:15Z | http://www.locksmiths-directory.co.uk/car-locksmith/bath/ |
Background To date, delirium prevalence and incidence in acute hospitals has been estimated from pooled findings of studies performed in distinct patient populations.
Objective To determine delirium prevalence across an acute care facility.
Design A point prevalence study.
Setting A large tertiary care, teaching hospital.
Patients 311 general hospital adult inpatients were assessed over a single day. Of those, 280 had full data collected within the study's time frame (90%).
Measurements Initial screening for inattention was performed using the spatial span forwards and months backwards tests by junior medical staff, followed by two independent formal delirium assessments: first the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) by trained geriatric medicine consultants and registrars, and, subsequently, the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R98) by experienced psychiatrists. The diagnosis of delirium was ultimately made using DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) criteria.
Results Using DSM-IV criteria, 55 of 280 patients (19.6%) had delirium versus 17.6% using the CAM. Using the DRS-R98 total score for independent diagnosis, 20.7% had full delirium, and 8.6% had subsyndromal delirium. Prevalence was higher in older patients (4.7% if <50 years and 34.8% if >80 years) and particularly in those with prior dementia (OR=15.33, p<0.001), even when adjusted for potential confounders. Although 50.9% of delirious patients had pre-existing dementia, it was poorly documented in the medical notes. Delirium symptoms detected by medical notes, nurse interview and patient reports did not overlap much, with inattention noted by professional staff, and acute change and sleep-wake disturbance noted by patients.
Conclusions Our point prevalence study confirms that delirium occurs in about 1/5 of general hospital inpatients and particularly in those with prior cognitive impairment. Recognition strategies may need to be tailored to the symptoms most noticed by the detector (patient, nurse or primary physician) if formal assessments are not available.
Delirium prevalence in the acute hospital has, to date, been estimated from pooled findings from many studies within individual units. The main focus of this study was to ascertain the point prevalence of delirium collectively across almost an entire tertiary referral centre.
Additionally, we sought to evaluate the rates of delirium detection by medical and nursing staff and to describe which features alerted staff members to the presence of delirium.
Delirium is a very common problem in the acute hospital setting, with a point prevalence of approximately 20%.
Advancing age and pre-existing cognitive impairment were independently associated with a higher prevalence of delirium, in keeping with previous studies.
Medical and nursing staff detect different delirium features, which has clear implications for staff education and training: nursing staff notice inattentiveness, lability of affect and delusions, whereas medical staff tend to detect delirium in the presence of short-term memory impairment in addition to inattention.
This study is the first to collectively assess the point prevalence of delirium across an acute hospital, which was largely consistent using three different diagnostic methods.
Confusion Assessment Method assessors were vigorously trained in its use and Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria were applied by highly experienced delirium researchers.
In order to ensure the feasibility of the study, we adopted a screening process (including tests of attention, a core delirium component) and only those who screened positive went on to have formal delirium assessment. Our high rate of participation indicates that our methods were acceptable to patients and hence may be appropriate for routine screening on the ground.
The true hospital-wide point prevalence of delirium is likely to be slightly higher than our figure of 20.7%, given that those who were excluded from the study would be expected to have higher rates of delirium overall (patients in intensive care unit, Burns unit, stroke with aphasia).
Delirium is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome, commonly encountered across all healthcare settings, and associated with adverse outcomes including more prolonged hospitalisation, institutionalisation and increased mortality, independent of age, prior cognitive functioning and comorbidities.1 ,2 In a recent study, mortality was shown to increase by 11% for every additional 48 h of active delirium, highlighting the need for timely detection and treatment.3 However, delirium is misdiagnosed, detected late or missed in over 50% of cases across healthcare settings.4 This under-recognition, along with increasing evidence regarding delirium treatment,5 emphasises the importance of understanding the factors that relate to accurate identification.
A meta-analysis of 42 studies reported delirium to be prevalent on admission in 10–31% of medical inpatients, and to occur in the hospital in 3–29%.6 However, these estimates are based on pooled findings from multiple studies within individual services or units, rather than a more complete study of a single hospital, and are limited by terminology differences and diagnostic tool heterogeneity. Thus, a definitive and accurate determination of inhospital delirium prevalence, using standardised delirium instruments, is needed. We report the first hospital-wide point prevalence study of delirium in a large acute hospital within a 24 h period using three methods of detection. We also compared the delirium prevalence across ward types, between specific patient groups, describing the ‘footprint’ of delirium. Finally, we explored the delirium features that alerted the attending medical and nursing staff to the presence of delirium as compared to what the patients noticed.
The study was conducted at Cork University Hospital, a tertiary referral, level-one trauma centre in Southern Ireland with 407 acute adult inpatient beds (excluding psychiatry), serving a population of 500 000 people. All adult inpatients on 15 May 2010 were to be eligible for inclusion, excluding patients in the emergency department (ED), intensive care units (ICU) and isolation rooms on the Haematology/Burns Isolation Unit, leaving a possible eligible population of 358 patients. To be able to detect with 95% power a 10% difference in prevalence in our hospital from the previously reported prevalence in hospitalised patients (10–31%, Siddiqi et al6), a sample size of 267 would be required. Thus, it seemed feasible to recruit sufficient patients to perform this study. On the day of the study, patients were excluded if they were severely aphasic, comatose, dying or deemed too unwell for interview by nursing staff; or refused to participate. All included patients were screened for delirium within a 6 h period in three phases of assessment, as follows.
Junior staff questioned the patient as to whether they felt currently or recently confused (‘have you felt muddled in your thinking, or confused, since you came into hospital?’). Nursing staff were interviewed using standardised questions (see box 1). Medical notes were reviewed for reports of delirium, or the presence of two proxy terms, ‘confusion’ or ‘agitation’.
I have just interviewed__ and I wonder if you could help me form an opinion as to whether he/she has been experiencing delirium or confusion.
How many days approximately have you been looking after __?
Do you think he/she is delirious or acutely confused?
Has there been a sudden change in __'s mental state since coming into hospital?
If so, when did you notice this change?
Do you think he/she is able to focus well when you are talking to him/her or does he/she tend to ramble off the point?
Does he/she seem better at any period in the day compared to other times?
Has__ ‘s level of consciousness been altered at all—has he/she been drowsy or not interacting, or perhaps hyperaware at times?
Any patient with inattention on either test, or who had subjective, nurse-identified or case-note documented confusion, was then formally tested for delirium using the sensitive, short form of the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) by geriatric medicine consultants and senior trainees on the research team. All had undergone specific training sessions based on the original training manual,12 including online case scenario self-assessment sessions (total training time=8 h).
Although the CAM is the most commonly used delirium-detection tool,13 recent validation studies suggest that the sensitivity varies considerably between populations and between assessors.14–16 Thus, all patients who had CAM assessment were also independently assessed by one of four psychiatrists on the research team with specific expertise in delirium detection, using the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R98). This is a well-validated,17–19 diagnostically precise tool that rates symptoms over the previous 24 h. It has high inter-rater reliability, validity, sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing delirium from mixed neuropsychiatric conditions including dementia and depression.18–20 It is a 16-item scale with 13 severity items (rated 0–3) and three diagnostic items (rated 0–2 or 0–3); total score possible is 0–46. For this general hospital population, in consultation with the DRS-R98 developer (PTT), and based on the literature, a total score of 0–6 was taken as normal; 7–11 represented subsyndromal delirium (SSD); and ≥12 points represented full syndromal delirium (FSD).
The presence of delirium was ultimately determined by consensus agreement among the psychiatry panel using gold standard DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) criteria.19 ,20 This was based on all available data (attention tests, CAM items, DRS-R98 data, collateral, medical and nursing notes), including the data collected during directly observed DRS-R98 assessment by senior psychiatrists. However, for each individual case, the psychiatrist who performed the DRS-R98 assessment was not involved in the consensus discussion for that particular patient.
It was presumed that many patients would not have capacity to give informed written consent, and so, owing to the non-invasive nature of the study, ethics committee approval was given to augment patient assent with proxy consent from next of kin (where possible) or a responsible caregiver, in accordance with the Helsinki Guidelines for Medical Research involving human subjects. The study objectives and procedures were explained to all patients and those who declined to participate were excluded.
In all patients with delirium, the medical case notes were reviewed for a diagnosis of preceding cognitive impairment or dementia made by a suitably trained physician. If this was absent, premorbid cognition was determined by telephone interview using the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly-Short Form (IQCODE-SF), a validated screening tool for detecting cognitive impairment.21 ,22 In patients without delirium less than 65 years of age, if there was no dementia documentation in the case notes, the patient was presumed not to have the condition. As dementia is more common and is known to be under-diagnosed in older people, potentially dementia diagnosis may have been under-reported in the charts. Thus, a random sample of older patients without delirium (n=40) also had baseline preadmission cognition assessed using the IQCODE-SF. Other older people were excluded from analyses involving prior cognitive status.
Screening investigators also collected data on medication use, blood results (sodium, glucose, thyroid-stimulating hormone, calcium, urea, C reactive protein, white cell count and albumin level). Current and previous alcohol history was recorded where available in the charts, and the Charlson comorbidity index23 was calculated.
All data were analysed using the Statistical Analysis Software program (SAS V.9, SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina, USA). Pearson χ2 tests and Fisher's exact test examined the relationship between categorical data. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) examined group differences between continuous variables. Unadjusted models were used to examine the effect of various factors on delirium presence (age, gender, medical speciality, baseline cognitive impairment, alcohol excess, Charlson Comorbidity Index, period of ICU stay, number of ward transfers, total medication number, metabolic abnormality, evidence of inflammatory/infective process, hypoalbuminaemia). Variables with p<0.25 were included in a multivariate logistic regression model. The final models were assessed using the Hosmer–Lemeshow (CHL) Test24 for goodness of fit, and fitted the data well (P>0.05). The coefficient of determination (adjusted R2) estimated the proportion of variation explained by each model.25 Multicollinearity with the independent variables was investigated using condition number,26 with no evidence of departures observed. The predictors of delirium recognition by patients, nurses and in case notes were similarly explored by logistic regression analyses using age, gender, pre-existing cognitive state, medical specialty and delirium symptoms measured on the DRS-R98 as possible predictor variables.
There were 358 adult inpatients on the study day, excluding the ICU, ED and Haematology/Burns isolation unit. As it was a weekend day, all 5-day wards were closed.
Of these 358 inpatients, 5 refused participation; 23 were excluded owing to coma or severe aphasia; 6 were actively dying; 5 had a language barrier; 3 patients were in isolation on a general ward; 3 were undergoing a procedure and 2 were discharged before assessment. Thus, 311 patients were recruited, constituting 86.9% of the eligible population (figure 1).
Excluded patients, screened patients and assessment tools used with subsequent consensus opinion regarding DSM-IV status. CAM, Confusion Assessment Method; DRS-R98, Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98; DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition.
Patient demographics are outlined in table1. The median age of included adult inpatients was 69 years (range 17–100) and 51.1% were female. 57.8% were over 65 years (n=180), 24% were over 80 years (n=75). 51.1% of patients were under medical care. The median length of hospital stay on the study day was 7 days interquartile range (IQR) 15, and 56.3% had undergone at least one ward transfer.
Of the 311 patients that underwent screening, 162 patients (52.1%) either (1) demonstrated inattention using one or more screening tools (n=142) and/or (2) self-reported confusion (n=41) and/or (3) were identified as confused by nursing staff (n=52) and/or (4) had ‘confusion’ documented in the case notes (n=29). Of these 162 patients, 147 underwent CAM evaluation (90.1%). CAM omission was due to either patient discharge, transfer to ICU/ isolation, becoming gravely unwell or researcher error (n=5). Of the 296 patients who underwent phase 1 assessment and subsequent CAM, if indicated, 17.6% (n=52) were CAM positive (figure 1).
Formal evaluation by DRS-R98 and consensus DSM-IV diagnosis was conducted on 133 patients which is somewhat less than the 147 patients who underwent CAM assessment. This was due to similar factors as the CAM omissions. Thus, the complete study protocol was followed in 280 patients. Of these, 19.6% (n=55) were deemed to have delirium by DSM-IV criteria. Using the total DRS-R98 score to delineate delirium into FSD (DRS-R98 score ≥12) or SSD (score 7–11), 20.7% (n=58) had FSD, while an additional 8.6% (n=24) had SSD, with 21 of the SSD patients not meeting DSM-IV criteria for delirium.
Because not all 311 patients completed the full screening process, we estimated the prevalence of delirium in those who did not undergo delirium testing following a positive screen for inattention/reported confusion (n=31). If these patients were presumed to have a similar prevalence of DSM-IV-diagnosed delirium, we would expect an additional nine delirium cases and a total prevalence of 20.7% using DSM-IV criteria (figure 2).
DSM-IV delirium prevalence, including the estimated delirium prevalence in the 31 patients that did not undergo delirium assessment following initial screening. CAM, Confusion Assessment Method; DRS-R98, Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98; DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition.
A wide variability in delirium prevalence was observed between wards (figure 3, n=280). The prevalence was highest on the geriatrics ward (53.3%; 8/15), lowest on general surgical wards (7.2%; 6/83) and intermediate on general medical wards (22%; 29/131) and the orthopaedic ward (28.6%; 6/21). Capacity issues within the healthcare service can lead to some patients being admitted to wards that are not designated for their clinical presentation. The prevalence of delirium was therefore also assessed according to the specialty of the designated clinical team. The prevalence of delirium among all medical patients in the hospital was 24.2% (39/161) whereas that of all general surgical specialities was 7.7% (6/78). High-risk surgical patients (orthopaedic and neurosurgical) had prevalence rates equal to medical patients at 24.4% (10/41). The adjusted OR for delirium in a general surgical patient relative to a medical patient was 0.11 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.41, p<0.001, table 2).
The prevalence of delirium on each unit. GER, geriatric medicine ward (n=15); MED, medical wards (n=131); ONC/RT, oncology and radiotherapy ward (n=12); GEN SURG, general surgical wards (n=83), including cardiothoracic, vascular surgery and urology wards; NEURO SURG, neurosurgical ward (n=18); ORTH, Orthopaedic ward (n=21) (Total n=280).
Among those diagnosed with delirium using DSM-IV criteria (n=55), 28 (50.9%) had pre-existing cognitive decline, primarily identified through IQCODE-SF telephone interview (only five had case notes documentation of dementia). An IQCODE-SF was also carried out on 40 age-matched non-delirious inpatients for comparison and nine had cognitive impairment (22.5%). Using data from all younger patients and only from those older patients in whom cognitive status was definitely known, as explained in the methodology (total n=203), prior cognitive impairment was an independent predictor of delirium (adjusted OR 15.3; CI 5.2 to 45.4, p<0.001) (table 2).
Of the 55 patients with delirium using DSM-IV criteria, 17 (30.9%) were aware of their cognitive deficit, 35 (63.6%) were recognised as confused by nursing staff, and 24 (43.6%) had delirium or one of its synonyms documented in the case notes. Combining these approaches, 43 cases were identified by at least one of these groups (even if the exact term ‘delirium’ was not used). Logistic regression analyses (table 3) showed that significant independent predictors of delirium documentation in the case notes were severity of inattention and short-term memory impairment and being under medical care. For nurse recognition, independent predictors were the presence of delusions, and the severity of affective lability, inattention and long-term memory impairment. For patient self-recognition, acuity of onset and presence of disorientation were predictors, while sleep–wake cycle disturbance was negatively associated with recognition.
To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the point prevalence of delirium in almost an entire hospital rather than extrapolating from selected cohorts or combining data from several studies, and indicates that approximately 20% of inpatients have delirium at any one time. This prevalence is largely consistent using two different diagnostic tools (CAM, DRS-R98) and gold standard DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, range 18–21%, indicating that it is a robust figure. In the study, though the CAM performance was lower than DSM-IV or the DRS-R98, it had been administered by rigorously trained geriatricians/senior trainees. The DRS-R98 was independently conducted by psychiatrists with delirium expertise and DRS-R98 training, with ultimate delirium diagnosis determined by independent consensus opinion using DSM-IV criteria. This methodology minimises the short-comings of either diagnostic tool, and the similar overall prevalence of delirium using either tool or DSM-IV criteria (although there was not case-to-case diagnostic concordance) increases the validity of our study outcome. The high level of participation (only five patients refused) supports the generalisability to patients seen in daily clinical practice though the formal methods we employed may not be. A percentage of CAM and DRS-R98 assessments were not conducted in patients who were initially screened, owing to time constraints. An estimation of delirium prevalence among these patients added approximately a further 1% to the final prevalence figure.
The ‘footprint’ of delirium in the hospital shows a predilection for older patients especially those with prior cognitive impairment, consistent with the literature that elderly are at the highest risk for delirium, where those over 80 had nearly 35% prevalence and those under 50 less than 5%. Higher rates were found in medical, neurosurgical and orthopaedic patients, compared to low rates in general surgical patients (corrected OR in surgical versus medical patients is 0.11 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.41, p<0.001).
This study has clear implications for healthcare provision in the acute hospital. First, as expected, there was a linear increase in delirium prevalence with increasing age. As the ‘oldest old’ segment of the population rapidly expands and hence accounts for a larger proportion of the acute hospital population, hospital delirium rates may increase even further. Our ‘footprint’ of delirium in the hospital (figure 3) indicates the high-risk wards and patient groups for delirium, and thus the priority areas for staff education and greater access to delirium specialist consultants. Over half of the patients with delirium had pre-existing cognitive impairment (OR 15.3; 95% CI 5.2 to 45.4, p<0.001), a known independent risk factor for delirium.32 Franco et al33 found that for each point decrement in Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score on admission to the hospital, the DRS-R98 score increased by 0.4 points during the course of the hospitalisation.33 However, medical chart review indicated that the responsible medical team did not generally appear to be aware of or have specifically tested for cognitive impairment, consistent with previous reports.34 Thus, if we overly focus delirium screening on patients with known cognitive impairment, we may miss cases unless practices for detecting cognitive impairment also improve.
We found 63.6% of patients with delirium were recognised to be confused or delirious by nursing staff, whereas 43.6% had confusion documented in the medical case notes. Even if some recognised, but undocumented, delirium cases occurred, it suggests that delirium is not a high diagnostic and therapeutic priority, despite its treatability and relevance to outcomes, especially for poorer prognosis in the elderly. The multidomain assessment within the DRS-R98 provided a more detailed phenomenological understanding as to which symptoms are noticed by whom. Both medical and nursing staff detect delirium by noticing inattentiveness, though nursing staff may rely more heavily on unusual behaviours or communications (lability of affect and delusions), possibly reflecting their more prolonged patient contact and higher social engagement during caring tasks. Prior cognitive impairment is associated with higher rates of nurse detection. This may indicate that nurses recognise the frequency of delirium occurrence in dementia and the overlap between these syndromes, but it may also indicate that the nurses were actually recognising cognitive impairment when they were asked if the patient was ‘delirious or acutely confused’, without explicitly recognising delirium. Inouye et al16 previously reported that hypoactive, inattentive delirious patients are least likely to be detected by nursing staff. Other researchers feel that nurses over-rely on orientation in assessing delirium.35 Medical staff were more likely than nursing staff to detect delirium in the presence of short-term memory impairment and inattention. This may reflect the focus of the medical round: brief, direct questioning of patients, which may unmask attention and cognitive deficits. It may also indicate that doctors regard lability of affect as a separate mood disturbance rather than a delirium feature. Interestingly, patients themselves seemed to equate ‘confusion’ with disorientation, sleep-wake cycle change and recent deterioration in cognitive function (acuity of onset)—they may not be able to describe what happened but they are aware of a major shift (figure 4).
Delirium prevalence stratified by age group.
A limitation is that this study was not primarily designed to ascertain staff detection competencies. Nurses were asked, ‘Do you think this patient is delirious or acutely confused?’ as part of standardised questioning in the screening phase (box 1). This is not a validated tool for determining staff detection of delirium. Our analysis of medical team recognition relied on documentation in the medical charts, which is a relatively insensitive technique.
Other limitations of this study relate to feasibility to facilitate this ambitious study. We used an initial screening phase so that CAM and DRS-R98/DSM-IV assessments were only performed on patients who had evidence of impaired attention or subjective/objective ‘confusion’. Thus, it is possible that some patients with delirium were missed. However, inattention is a cardinal, mandatory feature for delirium, and patients without inattention cannot, by definition, have CAM-defined or DSM-IV-defined delirium, so our screening policy is unlikely to have missed any significant number of cases. Only 86.9% of inpatients underwent initial screening assessment. Reasons for exclusion, such as stroke-related aphasia or imminent death, suggest that delirium prevalence would be higher in excluded patients. Similarly, patients in the ICU and burns isolation unit were specifically excluded for infection-control purposes. Previous work suggests that delirium prevalence is up to 80% in ICU patients.36 ,37 Thus, the true point prevalence of delirium was likely to be in excess of 20% for the whole hospital.
Finally, as well as the 20% of patients who met DSM-IV criteria for delirium, a further 10% had some delirium features using the DRS-R98 defined as SSD by score range. Some of these may have been recovering from or about to develop FSD, or indeed may never have reached full diagnostic criteria. Considering that SSD accounted for one-third of all inpatients that exhibited delirium features, further work on the significance of SSD is warranted, namely greater clarification of specific diagnostic criteria, temporal course, phenotype presentation and, particularly, associated mortality risk. Studies show that outcomes in SSD are intermediate between having no delirium and FSD.38 This means that we have identified approximately 30% of the hospital inpatient population who, if undetected and untreated, may incur significant morbidity and mortality.
Thus, delirium is a common problem in hospitalised patients, as demonstrated robustly in this study, regardless of the diagnostic test used. The ‘footprint’ across the hospital patient population confirms the high-risk patient groups and hence the particular targets for enhanced staff training in delirium prevention, detection and treatment.
The authors would also like to acknowledge Professor William Molloy for advising on study methodology.
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. Adverse outcomes after hospitalization and delirium in persons with Alzheimer disease. Ann Intern Med 2012;156:848–56.
. Impact of delirium on short-term mortality in elderly inpatients: a prospective cohort study. Psychosomatics 2009;50:234–8.
. Delirium detection in clinical practice and research: critique of current tools and suggestions for future development. J Psychosom Res 2008;65:255–9.
. Diagnosis, prevention, and management of delirium: summary of NICE guidance. BMJ 2010;341:c3704.
. Occurrence and outcome of delirium in medical in-patients: a systematic literature review. Age Ageing 2006;35:350–64.
. Functional equivalence of WAIS-III/WMS-III digit and spatial span under forward and backward recall conditions. Clin Neuropsychol 2002;16:322–30.
. The utility of the spatial span in a clinical geriatric population. Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn 2011;18:56–63.
. A comparison of neuropsychiatric and cognitive profiles in delirium, dementia, comorbid delirium-dementia and cognitively intact controls. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2010;81:876–81.
. The confusion assessment (CAM): training manual and coding guide. New Haven: Yale University School of Medicine, 1991.
. Clarifying confusion: the confusion assessment method. A new method for detection of delirium. Ann Intern Med 1990;113:941–8.
. Validation of the confusion assessment method in the palliative care setting. Palliat Med 2009;23:40–5.
. Validity of the confusion assessment method in detecting postoperative delirium in the elderly. Int Psychogeriatr 1999;11:431–8.
. Nurses' recognition of delirium and its symptoms: comparison of nurse and researcher ratings. Arch Intern Med 2001;161:2467–73.
. Further analyses of the Delirium Rating Scale. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 1995;17:75–9.
. Validation of the Delirium Rating Scale-revised-98: comparison with the delirium rating scale and the cognitive test for delirium. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 2001;13:229–42.
. Concurrent validity of two instruments (the Confusion Assessment Method and the Delirium Rating Scale) in the detection of delirium among older medical inpatients. Age Ageing 2005;34:72–5.
. Is delirium different when it occurs in dementia? A study using the delirium rating scale. J Neuropsychiatr Clin Neurosci 1998;10:199–204.
. A short form of the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE): development and cross-validation. Psychol Med 1994;24:145–53.
. The Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE): a review. Int Psychogeriatr 2004;16:275–93.
. Applied logistic regression. 2nd edn. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2000.
. A note on a general definition of the coefficient of determination. Biometrika 1991;78:691–3.
. Biological data analysis. A practical approach. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
. Delirium in elderly individuals with hip fracture: causes, incidence, prevalence, and risk factors. Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2006;61:35–40.
. Acute confusional states in elderly patients treated for femoral neck fracture. J Am Geriatr Soc 1988;36:525–30.
. A simple model for predicting postoperative delirium in older patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery. J Am Geriatr Soc 1995;43:175–8.
. Risk factors and prediction of postoperative delirium in elderly hip-surgery patients: implementation and validation of a medical risk factor model. J Am Geriatr Soc 2006;54:817–22.
. Reducing delirium after hip fracture: a randomized trial. J Am Geriatr Soc 2001;49:516–22.
. Delirium in elderly patients and the risk of postdischarge mortality, institutionalization, and dementia: a meta-analysis. JAMA 2010;304:443–51.
. Relationship between cognitive status at admission and incident delirium in older medical inpatients. J Neuropsychiatr Clin Neurosci 2010;22:329–37.
. Nursing documentation versus standardized assessment of cognitive status in hospitalized medical patients. Appl Nurs Res 2000;13:29–36.
. Benzodiazepine and opioid use and the duration of intensive care unit delirium in an older population. Crit Care Med 2009;37:177–83.
. The prognostic significance of subsyndromal delirium in elderly medical inpatients. J Am Geriatr Soc 2003;51:754–60.
DJR and NAO contributed equally to this study.
Contributors All the authors substantially contributed to study conception and design, data collection, statistical analysis and interpretation, drafting the initial manuscript and subsequent critical revision of the manuscript and final approval. KO performed statistical analysis, contributed to drafting the original manuscript, performed critical revisions and has approved the final manuscript. PTT had a major contribution to study design and interpretation of data made critical revisions to the manuscript and approved the final version. MO, JM, ST and ML majorly involved in data acquisition, critical revisions and final approval of the manuscript.
Reproducible Research Statement Study protocol: Available from Dr. Niamh O'Regan (see above). Data set: unavailable. Requests for single reprints: Dr. Niamh O'Regan (see above).
Competing interests PTT is a full-time salaried employee and minor shareholder at Eli Lilly and Company. PTT holds the copyright for the Delirium Rating Scale—Revised-98 but does not charge a fee for a not-for-profit use. No other authors have competing interests to disclose.
Ethics approval Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Cork Teaching Hospitals. | 2019-04-18T17:56:47Z | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/3/1/e001772.full |
Netsuite is a complex whole-operations package from Oracle. It includes customer relationship management (CRM) software combined with powerful related enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools. However, it is expensive and more feature-rich than what many small businesses need, therefore, we’ve compiled a list of the top six Netsuite’s competitors, and their benefits, to consider as alternatives.
The beauty of the cloud-based Netsuite CRM is its customization, so you can make the program work the way you do, rather than having to adapt too much. However, Netsuite’s CRM solution can be pricey once you get all the modules you want or need to be added on, and customization may cost you as well. The user interface/user experience (UI/UX) leaves something to be desired, and it can be difficult for new users to adjust to it. Small businesses may find the cost hard to justify as well.
After taking all the criteria into consideration, we determined that Zoho CRM is the best overall alternative to Netsuite CRM for small businesses. It’s easy to use, affordable and includes many integration options.
Zoho CRM offers a full-featured CRM solution that is, even at its top tier, more affordable than Netsuite CRM, and it includes functionality that seems ahead of the curve. If the future is artificial intelligence, then Zoho CRM is already there with Zia, its sales assistant that’s powered by artificial intelligence. Think of it like Amazon’s Alexa for your CRM.
Zia’s also making it easier to use CRM for lead tracking and scoring, reports and more. The flexibility, integrations and customizability of this program pit it against giants in the CRM industry. Zoho CRM’s accessibility to small businesses makes this a terrific Netsuite alternative.
Zoho CRM has a free edition, but it’s only available for up to three users. To get more functionality, bump up your subscription to Standard for $12 per user, per month — even that low amount gets you access to custom fields, scoring rules and sales forecasting, which is far more affordable than Netsuite CRM. The Professional level costs $20 per user, per month and gives you additional features to help with sales automation, marketing and social CRM tools. To get access to Zia, you’ll have to look at the top tiers, which cost $35 and $100, respectively, per user, per month.
The Free edition of Zoho CRM allows up to three users on the same plan to use a variety of features. You get contact and lead management, basic customer support, call logs, notes and opportunities to use. Plus, you can rename tabs in the program for better organization, and you can customize pages. The workflow management and analytics are severely limited as is the marketing automation. Of course, the free version is going to be limited, but it packs a surprising amount of functionality for a microbusiness that isn’t quite ready to go with a full-fledged CRM.
The Standard plan of Zoho CRM gives a small business basic features you’d expect of a CRM. In addition to the features that you get with the free version, you also get upgraded customer support, sales forecasting and email insights. This is the plan where you start getting features, such as scoring rules, custom fields, a small amount of AI functionality for automation and 100 custom reports. Reporting is still limited, but you’ll have access to custom dashboards and key performance indicator (KPI) reporting. The marketing automation is fleshed out a bit more for this plan too, including mass emails and marketing campaigns. For a small business that’s adjusted to using a CRM, this is a good upgrade to dip toes into the more advanced features that can help your sales and marketing teams do what they do best.
The Professional version of Zoho CRM offers quite a bit more program at an affordable $20 per user, per month. You’ll now have the option of adding on premium customer support, but you’ll have to pay extra for it. Access to macros and custom links are available at this level too. Workflow management opens up a little more with assignment rules, which is a big timesaver. It’s at this level of plan that you’re also going to get access to process management, so you can create the sales processes that work for your business to help keep everyone on the team on the same page. This plan includes a lot more, and it’s a good fit for a small business that’s rapidly expanding its sales staff and marketing efforts.
There’s a good reason the Enterprise level for Zoho CRM is the most popular choice, according to the company. The amount of features and level of customization you get with this plan is so much more than the other plans. In fact, you’re getting most of what Zoho CRM offers, with only a few limitations. You’ll still have to pay extra for premium customer support, but you’re getting every feature that’s listed with this plan. From development tools and integration with Zoho Creator to data encryption and territory management, this is a plan that’s best suited for a large business or even a mid-sized business that’s on the verge of spilling over into enterprise level.
One more plan exists for Zoho CRM, and this level — Ultimate — includes everything all the other plans offer but mostly without limitations. Premium customer support, which is available to you 24/7 and provides an answer to you within an hour, is available at no added cost. You’ll also get automation suggestions, a dedicated database cluster and data enrichment with the help of Zia, your personal AI assistant, which comes at no additional charge. At $100 per user, per month for the Zoho CRM Ultimate plan, it’s still more affordable than most of this CRM’s competitors.
Zoho CRM’s customer support options for new teams are a bit lacking. We think if Zoho offered more personal training for even the lower plans, it would help the user immensely. This is a highly customizable CRM, and if that’s what you’re looking for, then it’s great. However, it can be overwhelming if you have a small business new to CRM, and you don’t even know what you don’t know. For more support from your CRM provider, consider Freshsales.
From reading user reviews, one of the biggest complaints about Zoho CRM is the poor quality of customer support. Reporting bugs seemingly go unnoticed or unchecked, some said. There’s a bit of a wait for someone to get back to you from the support team. Because Zoho CRM is changing constantly, adding new features and technology, it can be difficult to find current documentation to help you navigate the new waters.
Who Is Zoho CRM for?
As far as Netsuite competitors go, Zoho CRM takes the top spot for small businesses. Even at its lowest-tier plan, Zoho CRM can help you manage your customer relationships effectively. As your business grows, there’s a new plan that’s full of features and customization options that make sense for you. Try the free option, if that’s all you need for now. However, Zoho CRM also offers a free trial of its full program, so you can decide for yourself what you need to level up your business.
Freshsales is relatively new compared to some of the founding CRMs out there, so that could be why it’s one of the more affordable options available. It manages to fit plenty of features into its five plans, however. At the higher tiers, it offers enough customization and advanced features to make it a good Netsuite CRM competitor. It’s also easy to adopt, even if you’ve never used a CRM system. Plus, even at the top tier of the paid plans, Freshsales still doesn’t break the bank at less than $100 per user, per month.
Freshsales gives you the choice of using a free plan called Sprout that offers the bare minimum of CRM features with a bonus phone dialer and lead scoring, but there are no email options. Bump up a level to the Blossom plan for $12 per month per user, and you’ll get access to standard reporting, all the built-in phone features and email options, but there are still limits. Unlock more features and allowances with the upper levels, which range in price from $25 to $70 per user, per month, which is still more affordable than the starting prices from Netsuite CRM.
The Sprout plan is a good introduction to how Freshsales works, and it’s a free yet limited CRM solution. You can manage contacts, leads, accounts and deals with this version. It also includes a search function and web-to-lead capture. Compared to other free plans, it seems like you’re getting bonuses with Freshsales, such as the built-in phone dialer that allows you to track phone calls within the program. If all your small business needs right now is contact and lead management, the Sprout plan could be a good choice, but you’ll be missing out on many of other options your business could likely use.
Upgrading to the Blossom plan will cost $12 per user, per month, and it opens up several more features in Freshsales. You’ll be able to create up to 100 custom fields, two workflows and file storage is available to you. Marketing automation becomes possible at this level with all the email features from Freshsales, and you can send up to 250 bulk emails per day. You are limited to two sales campaigns, however. Reporting is a bit restricted at this level, with access only to standard reports, which might not be sufficient for your business. A small business that’s just starting to explore CRM for their sales and marketing teams might find this plan is a good fit.
The Garden plan comes in at $25 per user, per month and offers all the features as the previous plans, plus some helpful options for teams that have grown and need a bit more organization. Nearly every available salesforce automation feature is present, including lead assignment rules and multiple sales pipelines. Your mass emails are increased to 500 per day, and campaigns are bumped up to a max of five. Territory management is made available at this level, and if you need this feature, you’ve likely grown from small to medium-sized at least. The Garden plan is that middle-of-the-road option for small- to mid-sized businesses that want flexibility and control of the CRM but are just short of needing advanced security and support.
At $49 per user, per month, the Estate plan is one of the most affordable options for almost any size business. You’re going to get Freshsales as a complete CRM with all the features it offers, including custom sales activities, an increase to 300 custom fields, 25 workflows, up to 1,000 mass emails per day allowance and all the lead scoring options, including by web and app activity. Some of the most helpful features you’ll get at this level are behavior tracking analytics, so you can see what your customers do and click on your website. Plus, it’s at this level that you get all the integrations Freshsales offers. It almost seems as though the Estate plan was designed for small businesses that are acting as enterprises, and it could work well for your teams if that sounds familiar to you.
The Forest plan is Freshsales highest tier offering at $79 per user, per month, and it includes everything that’s in all the previous plans, plus a few more features that could be helpful. The workflow allowance is increased to 50, and you can send up to 2,000 bulk emails per day. You’ll get 25 sales campaigns to use, and you’ll have the option of more security by way of internet protocol whitelisting, and you’ll get an end-user computing (EUC) data center, which should help mitigate any sluggish response as you use the CRM. Perhaps one of the best reasons to upgrade to the Forest plan is the dedicated account manager you’ll get with your subscription. This plan is a good choice for your business whether you have a small, medium or large business that needs all the features of Freshsales, along with customization, extra security and personalized support.
Freshsales gets great marks all around as one of the best Netsuite alternatives, but it could stand to self-edit the interface — or allow users to edit the interface at lower-tiered plans. If you don’t use some fields, they remain, which adds clutter to the UI. The mobile app is serviceable, but it could benefit from being as customizable as the desktop client. Also, the dialer is an excellent feature, but you cannot send texts from the platform. If you want one of the best UI available for CRM, take a look at Salesforce.
Overall, from submitted user reviews, it seems as though those who are using Freshsales as their CRM of choice are happy with the pick. It’s easy to learn and use, even for CRM newbies. Although extensive training and support aren’t needed, when users have had to contact customer service, the responses are generally swift and helpful. The biggest issue Freshsales customers seem to have is the slow processing of the program at times.
Freshsales throws its hat into the ring as a great Netsuite competitor with customization, flexibility, responsive customer support and a platform that’s easy to use without much training needed. The free plan might be enough for you if you’re starting out with your business but, once you need more features, you’ll have four other affordable paid plans from which to choose. You can try out any of the plans free for 30 days, so you can make an informed decision.
Salesforce is CRM that offers a complete out-of-the-box solution for small- to enterprise-level businesses. It has an easy-to-use dashboard, so teams that use Salesforce should be able to use it without much trouble, but training may be necessary. Salesforce manages and tracks leads well with its contact management system, and it has the ability to integrate with thousands of third-party apps made specifically for the Salesforce engine. Its customizability is on par with that of Netsuite’s CRM, but it comes in at a slightly more affordable cost that’s easier for small businesses to handle.
Salesforce offers four distinct plans for businesses with varying needs and at different sizes. The most affordable plan, Lightning Essentials, bundles lead management, lead capture, email templates, reporting and case management, among other features for $25 per user, per month. The other more feature-filled plans range from $75 to $300 per user, per month. While Salesforce can be pricey, its plans are on par with or slightly more affordable than Netsuite CRM.
The Lightning Essentials plan gives small businesses a great starting point for CRM at only $25 per user, per month. It includes what you need to help capture and nurture leads, drive sales and support your customers. Salesforce’s lowest-tiered plan lets you customize forms for landing pages to nab leads’ information, and you have access to email templates for personalized campaigns. You can use this plan to help track tasks and opportunities. The case management feature keeps everyone across your teams on the same page and helping the common denominator: your customers.
What this bare-essentials plan doesn’t offer, however, is campaign management, mass email ability or billing features. This is still a good CRM starter for a microbusiness that’s just starting out or a small company that isn’t quite ready to reach out with bigger marketing campaigns.
When you need a little more functionality out of your CRM, there’s Salesforce’s Lightning Professional plan, which comes in at $75 per user, per month. It makes it a little easier for a small team to work together with lead assignment, lead scoring based on rules, campaign management, Google Apps integration and mass emails. Billing features are included, so you can send quotes, contracts and track and manage orders.
If you’re looking for territory management or AI-powered lead scoring and other insights, this isn’t enough CRM for you. As long as your business hasn’t quite reached the enterprise level and your sales and marketing team are satisfied with the third-party apps to help with some automation, then this could be the plan for you.
At $150 per user, per month, the Lightning Enterprise plan for Salesforce is one of the most popular plans for larger businesses. You’ll get all the features you’d expect of a robust CRM, including customer opportunity fields in forecasting, territory management and the choice of adding on AI-powered insights and lead scoring. You also get access to the Lightning Platform, which allows you to customize Salesforce further, and you can do it easily or hire someone who can code.
You’ll have to move up a plan to access to more customizing and coding features, full support without paying for each option, and access to premier resources for apps and accelerators, which are meant to help you solve specific issues within Salesforce. The Lightning Enterprise plan should be enough for almost any size business that wants to do a fair amount of customization of its CRM.
You’ll pay twice as much as the Enterprise edition for the Lightning Unlimited plan — it costs $300 per user, per month, but you’ll get every feature offered by the other plans, plus a handful of extras. For example, you’ll get access to a full sandbox and a developer pro sandbox, which allows you to develop and test outside of your Salesforce deployment, so nothing changes until you’re ready for it to change. You also get access to all the support Salesforce offers without any added costs.
There are still some add-on features that will cost you extra if you need them, such as any of the AI-powered insights, a sales analytics app, and the Lightning dialer, which allows you to click to call anyone from the CRM — it’s available as an add-on for any plan. Businesses that have large teams that need to work seamlessly together and require a customized CRM will want to consider this plan.
Although Salesforce goes head to head with Netsuite CRM when it comes to customization, you’ll have to opt for the higher-priced plans to make use of the sandboxes to ensure a change won’t break the system. Also, it’s a good idea to hire a consultant or developer who is intimately familiar with Salesforce to make it work seamlessly for your company. Salesforce could benefit from having a user-friendly click-based developing app to make it easy for anyone to customize the product. Zoho CRM offers a customizable product that’s easier to adapt for your business, so you may want to consider it.
In user reviews, it’s clear Salesforce zealots are all about the newer interface, which is far more user-friendly than it was in recent years. The options of third-party apps might be overwhelming, but it simply means you have many choices because Salesforce occupies so much of the market share that it seems everyone develops for the platform. The flexibility of this CRM is often touted as one of its best features, so you can customize the program to work to your business’ specifications.
An apples-to-apples comparison of Salesforce to Netsuite CRM might be fair if you pick the higher-tier plans of Salesforce. The Salesforce CRM is, on the surface, more affordable, but if you plan to integrate customizations with the help of a professional, your costs may stack up. Take the Salesforce CRM for a test spin with a free trial before you make your decision.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 could be considered one of the most obvious Netsuite alternatives, but it’s geared toward larger businesses, which is why we didn’t choose it as the best overall alternative. Part of the reason it is a good comparison is how similar in structure the two CRMs are, but also because of the level of customization you get. Microsoft’s answer to CRM is robust in its offerings, even at the lowest-level plan. Also, it comes close to Netsuite’s costs, but slightly lower, when you consider all the added fees. You can make it work for small to mid-sized businesses, as you can adapt the CRM to the way you work, but it’ll cost quite a bit.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM comes in two packaged plans, and then you can add on features a la carte as you need them, which means even the pricing plans are customizable, unlike Netsuite CRM. The Customer Engagement plan costs $146.50 per user, per month, which sounds pricey, but it gives you the sales, service, field service, marketing, and social engagement platforms, which is more functionality than you’ll find in most entry-level plans of other CRMs. The Dynamics 365 plan costs $267.47 per user, per month and includes enterprise resource planning software (ERP) features.
The Customer Engagement plan bundles some of the most popular Microsoft Dynamics 365 applications, such as sales, customer service and marketing, all of which would be vital for any small business on its way up. The sales app includes features, such as tracking customer behavior with emails, tapping into the social sentiment of customers, and it gives you the ability to send relevant content to leads.
You’re also going to get sales processes, pipelines, and a solid mobile app. The customer service and marketing apps help keep everyone in your various teams on the same page with aligned goals. Field service includes options for scheduling and inventory management. A business that has a lot of different needs could get a lot out of this plan from Microsoft Dynamics 365.
It’s a good idea to choose this higher-tier plan if you need to cover every aspect of your manufacturing, retail, field service, or other business, as the Dynamics 365 plan includes enterprise resource planning (ERP) functionality too. If you need more features, you can purchase those separately or as add-ons, such as adding team members for an additional $10.20 per user, but they’ll have limited access to the CRM.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 gets updated on a regular basis, which could be considered a plus, but it can expose bugs or even break customization, so having better quality assurance would be welcome. The mobile app needs to be optimized as it’s a bit slow right now. It would also be helpful if Microsoft added an easy-to-use tool for customization by admins, rather than needing a professional to do the work. Freshsales is an easy-to-customize CRM comparatively.
When it comes to integration, users who reviewed the CRM said Microsoft Dynamics 365 does a fantastic job of working well with the Microsoft family of software as it should. The customization is often mentioned by users who like this CRM. However, users also note that this is not an intuitive program, and it takes quite a bit of training to get up to speed. The reporting and marketing options leave much to be desired as well.
Who Is Microsoft Dynamics 365 for?
Microsoft Dynamics 365 can be used, depending on which plan you choose by every department in your small to enterprise-level business. If you opt for the Customer Engagement plan, you’ll be getting a mostly complete CRM to help with sales, marketing and customer service. The customization makes this a useful program as long as you have the talent that can make it all work for your business. To try Microsoft Dynamics 365 free, you can sign up for a trial, but only if you’re already using Office 365.
Netsuite CRM can be tweaked and formed into the customer relationship tool you want it to be with the help of a professional who can handle all the back-end programming. Having more than simple administration may be too costly for small businesses, which is why we recommend Zoho CRM. It’s a highly customizable CRM without requiring too much behind-the-scenes heavy lifting — use a handful of the many integrations available, and you’ll get similar functionality. Not only is it easy to use but it also has a user-friendly price point too. | 2019-04-23T07:58:14Z | https://fitsmallbusiness.com/netsuite-competitors/ |
Three years ago was my first FETC trip and I had no idea what to expect and only knew a few people who were attending. I have been to many different conferences, but none quite like FETC. At first I was nervous about not really knowing a lot of people there, and figured that I would just figure it out and see what opportunities popped up. I was fortunate to have connected with Jaime Donally and then met up with Mandy Froehlich and Rodney Turner. We were building our friendship, connecting our friends together, and starting what would become an important part of each of our lives. Our group, called #my53s.
FETC draws in people from all over the country and from around the world. A conference that can seem so large, with people moving in every direction, traveling quickly between the North and South but yet at times seems so small, when you find yourself running into the same people in different areas of such a large event space. It has so much to offer, that it is hard to do it justice by trying to summarize it or simply writing about one aspect of it. So I thought I would start with what I consider to be the biggest takeaway every single time: Relationships.
From that first trip to Orlando for FETC until now, I have seen our friendship grow and the impact it has on each of us. What I have learned is that when it comes to conferences, it really doesn’t matter what you decide to do, how you set up your schedule, whether or not you know anyone, because no matter what decision you make you can’t go wrong. Honestly. There are no “wrong” or “bad” choices because opportunities are everywhere. Sticking to a schedule can be tough, and if you stress about what sessions to attend or how to plan for every minute, you will miss out on what I think is the best learning experience at any conference. Time spent with PLN and your edufriends.
Conferences are a place for building relationships and making connections above anything else. So if you want to learn what FETC is about let me start by telling you about the relationships and why they matter.
These are relationships that started through Social Media. Specifically through Twitter, which I never wanted and never understood.
At conferences like FETC, meeting your “#eduheroes” finally F2F is a possibility. Even though we all feel like we already know each other, after many Twitter chats and social media interactions, especially on Voxer, it is nice to be together and talk (about technology) without the technology.
Having core groups to connect with is something I highly recommend. All it takes is one or two people and you can build your entire group, so at no point do you feel alone during the conference. One of Rodney’s messages from years ago was to be on the lookout for people you notice sitting alone. Take a moment to go over and start a conversation, invite people to join you. At conferences like this, the “vibe” is that people want to connect, to share, to be a part of a conversation. Even if only for a few moments. It is those moments that matter the most. Be open to those opportunities and better yet, create them.
So, how can you prepare for FETC next year or the next conference?
Maybe the best plan is to not have a plan. Maybe just have an idea. A focus. Time passes by so quickly and there are so many choices that it can be overwhelming, especially for a first time attendee. Not everybody can make the same decision about what would be the best session or event to attend. You have to make your own decision and even though there is comfort in attending with somebody you know, it is equally if not more beneficial to go your own way, interact with other educators and create new relationships. You can then come back to that core group with new ideas and new friends, and you never know, it’s such a small world sometimes that you might find that you all know the same people.
A little over a year of connecting and growing with this unconventionally formed PLN, I love being part of the #4OCFPLN, a group that started through a book study on Voxer. I already knew a few of the members but we were able to build new relationships, strong connections and become a real learning family. So much anticipation of meeting face-to-face at conferences like FETC, which has been amazing. It’s funny at times because we realize that some people just don’t understand how you can become such close friends with people you’ve never officially “met” in the same physical space. I don’t know either but it just happens. You can build connections and foster supportive relationships and really get to know other educators. We “see” them based on the way they speak, through the passion they have for the work that they do, the personal experiences they share within the group and so much more. Even if you only have a few quick moments to say hello, to give a hug and to take a photo, it adds so much more to those connections. You already know one another it provides an extra element of realizing that yes in fact these people are real!
Bad Uber rides, overpriced moderately tolerable food (not from a chain), ridiculously funny games that result in companies like Platypus Help and Obnoxious Waffles, narrowly avoiding dinosaurs and then some scary rides at night. Sharing awkwardly funny moments, inside jokes, random thoughts, peculiar traits and fun facts, and growing closer each day. We know each other so well and continue to strengthen our bond with every day that passes. And because of this group, I am stronger and braver than I ever thought I could be.
We live in different states, and in different countries, but even with such great distances between us, we manage to stay closely connected. We know we are there for one another, and the only thing that could make it better would be if we got to spend more time in the same space. But there are always opportunities and if the whole group can’t be together, when even a few of us can be, we all share in the excitement and joy of that time together.
Share your thoughts and experiences and photos, we would love to hear from you! Next up, a focus on some of the FETC events and takeaways. Once I return from TCEA, I will share some other takeaways from the wonderful experience of FETC. Of course, depending on the time spent with Jaime, Jennifer, Mandy and Marialice, I may need to share that first!
385 feet hight, four minutes, 50 mph! and only $12!
One of the most important roles for educators today is that of being a mentor. As educators, we are often called upon to mentor the students in our classroom, as well as colleagues in our school. Throughout our lives, we have all had at one time or another a person who has served as a mentor, whether they have been selected for us or it is a relationship that simply formed on its own. Take a moment and think about the different mentors that you have had in your life. How many of them were teachers? How many of them were other adults, such as family friends or perhaps even coaches? How many of your own mentors have been the colleagues in your building or members of your PLN (Personal or Professional Learning Network)?
There may be a few that come to mind immediately, both because you remember having a specific time that was set aside to work with your mentor, maybe during your first-year of teaching or as a teacher who needed some guidance while working through some of the challenges of teaching. There is probably a mentor that comes to mind because you credit them with some aspect of personal and or professional growth. For myself, I have been fortunate to have some supportive mentors that have helped me to grow professionally and taught me what it means to be a mentor. These relationships are so important because it is through mentorships that we continue to learn and grow and become a better version of ourselves. In the process, we also develop our skills to serve as a mentor to someone else and continue the practice promoting growth.
Take a moment and think about your classroom or your school and the types of programs which may be already in place in your building. Are there specific times set aside for teachers to act as mentors for students? To their colleagues? In my school district, Riverview, we implemented a homeroom mentoring program a few years ago, as part of our RCEP (Riverview Customized Educational Plan) which we were making available for our students. A few years prior to that, we began with the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, and our school was among the first schools in the United States to achieve national/state recognition for bully prevention. Through the program, we implemented a variety of learning activities, with the goal of engaging students in learning and collaboration, to promote a positive school climate and to create opportunities for students to build positive and supportive peer relationships.
For our Homeroom Mentoring Program, small groups of students in grades 9 through 12, are assigned to a homeroom, with a mentor. By having these smaller groups, the teachers are able to serve as a mentor for each student, working with them closely, to not only support them during their high school experience but also to prepare them for their future after graduation. It is a way to provide a more personalized learning approach for each student and for each student to know they have support available to them. These mentoring homerooms meet on a regular basis, providing ongoing opportunities for the teacher and students to interact in team-building and work on fostering peer relationships. During these homeroom meetings, some of the activities include pride lessons, goal-setting discussions, career exploration surveys and job shadowing, community service experiences and other topics which come up throughout the year. It is a good opportunity for the students to have a small group to work with and to develop critical skills for their future, such as communicating, collaborating, problem-solving, and developing social and emotional learning skills as well.
In addition to the planned activities, a key part of our mentoring program is the creation of a “portfolio” which includes samples of student work, a job shadow reflection, resume, list of volunteer experiences and additional artifacts that students can curate in their portfolio. The past few years, students have organized these materials into a binder, which has been kept in the mentoring homeroom. The materials become a part of their required senior graduation project. This year, we have started creating an e-portfolio, using Naviance, a program that promotes college and career readiness. Students begin by creating their online profile and sharing their activities and interests. Using the program, students can take surveys to learn more about their own skill areas and interests, learn about colleges which might match their interests, and also continue to build their digital citizenship skills. According to one of our guidance counselors, Mrs. Roberta Gross, the mentoring program was implemented to help students make transitions toward post-secondary goals and plans, and moving to the e-portfolio is creating more opportunities for students to explore their own interests and create their online presence.
There are many benefits of having students create an e-portfolio. Moving to an e-portfolio makes it easier to access the information for each student, it can be shared with parents and it opens up more conversations between the students and the mentor teacher. It is important to prepare our students for whatever the future holds for them beyond high school graduation, and working with them as they grow, in these small groups, really promotes more personalized learning experiences and authentic connections.
As a final part of this program, our seniors take part in a senior “exit interview”, a simulated job interview with a panel of three teachers, a mix of elementary teachers and high school teachers. It truly is a great experience to have time to see the growth of each student, learn about their future plans and to provide feedback which will help them continue to grow and be better prepared for their next steps after graduation. And for students, being able to look through their portfolios, reflect on their experiences, self-assess and set new goals, knowing they have support available, is the purpose of the mentoring program.
There are many resources available that can provide some direction for getting started with an official mentoring program.
The “Adopt a class” program, founded by Patty Alper, who also wrote a book on mentoring called “Teach to Work: How a Mentor, a Mentee, and a Project Can Close the Skills Gap in America.” Alper talks about the impact of mentoring and how her view of it is towards an “entrepreneurial” mindset, preparing students for the future, with the skills they need. Alper breaks down the process into practical steps, with examples and encouragement for those new to the mentoring experience.
The national mentoring partnership “MENTOR”, offers a website full of resources and ways to connect with other mentoring programs. MENTOR even held a Mentoring Summit in Washington, D.C., this January, where professionals and researchers gathered to share ideas and best practices for starting a mentoring program. Be sure to check out their monthly themes and presence on Twitter.
The National Mentoring Resource Center offers a collection of different resources for mentoring include manuals, handouts and a long list of additional guidelines for different content areas, grade levels, culturally responsive materials, toolkits and more. The website has most of the resources available as downloads.
I would recommend that you think about mentors that you may have had at some point during your life. What are some of the qualities that they had which made them a good mentor and why? For me, I felt comfortable talking with my mentor, being open to the feedback that I would receive, and I knew that my mentor was available to support me when I needed. Another benefit is that we learn how to become a mentor for others, and when we have these programs in place, our students will become mentors for one another. I have seen the positive effects in my own classroom, and many times, these new mentorships have formed on their own.
A phenomenal mentor that taught me what it means to be an educator.
I wrote this about a month ago…time flies when you’re spending it with your PLN! #iste18 #RealEDU #USMSpark #ST4T #tlap #FETC Connecting is everything!
One of the many benefits of being part of a PLN (Personal or Professional Learning Network) is having a constant system of support. Because of my PLN, I have access to new ideas, tools, methods at any time. Being “connected” means having a personal and professional support system, whenever you need it and wherever you are. We can connect in person with colleagues at our schools or during conferences, but at times this can be difficult because of the availability of time or based on location. The solution? Technology. We can connect virtually through the numerous forms of social media and web tools that promote anytime collaborating, communicating and conferencing. We become “connected” by connecting.
Gone are the days where educators have to scour the Internet for resources, search through books, or even travel for professional learning. We don’t even have to leave our homes to participate in professional development. (Although it is nice to get out and meet our PLN F2F). And when it comes to our teaching practice, we don’t necessarily need to create all of our own materials or wait in line at the copier. (if we are in the habit of making packets, but that is another conversation entirely #paperless).
We have access to support and thousands of resources instantly, simply by connecting through our devices and reaching out into our “network.” The power of connecting and collaborating. Sharing our own ideas and gathering new ones, building on our strengths and honing in on areas in which we need to grow. Through our PLN, we have these opportunities and whatever we need, available to us at any time. It just takes one tweet, one post, one Vox, and the connecting begins and the support is available.
Sometimes we just happen to become part of a PLN, or a PLF (Personal or Professional Learning Family). The same can be said for mentoring. Sometimes we make these connections, develop relationships that grow into something powerful and life-changing, without even realizing it as it is happening. When I first heard about the “power of a PLN”, I really didn’t get it. I thought it was the same as being a “colleague” or having “work friends” as they are often called. But I have learned that I was way off about this, and I am glad to know that I was wrong (again). I have become “connected” through several PLNs, that have also somehow interconnected with one another. It has become a super PLN, or mega PLN. And it evolved through Social Media, which I was so wrong about the value for education.
My first true PLN is referred to as the “53s”. A group that grew from a Facebook group of ISTE goers, created by Rodney Turner, that then evolved into a Voxer group. Rodney’s message was to make connections, see someone sitting alone, ask them to join in. As a group, we met face to face at ISTE 2016 in Denver. There are also a few members of this group that I met through Twitter chats and then met in person at other conferences, and had time to spend with them learning in the same physical space. We welcomed our friends into the group and continued to build a core PLN. We have come together to be the 53s, a name significant to us. A name which evolved after our initial core group grew. A group based on trust, transparency, empathy, kindness, pushback, fun and passion for education and the power of learning. And most importantly, true friendship.
These people, my friends, are my source of inspiration and the ones that I rely on heavily each day. We are a unique group that spans the United States and Canada. I am so fortunate to be a part of a core PLN that I know will be there for me no matter what. The only thing I wish I could change is our geographical locations. We are from different states and a different country, and so time together does not happen that often. But when it does, it truly is the best time ever. #singoff #booksnaps #carpoolkaraoke. LOVE our times at FETC, Summer Spark, ShiftinEDU and ISTE and more to come!
I am not sure where I would be without my 53s. The times we have shared are so special, and I am so thankful for this group and wish for everyone to have a core PLN like this: Evan Abramson, Jarod Bormann, Jennifer Casa-Todd, Jaime Donally, Mandy Froehlich, Tisha Richmond and Rodney Turner. Add to that our awesome Snapchat singing group which also includes Tara Martin, Andrew Easton and Mandy Taylor. They are an amazing group of educators, who would drop everything to be there to support you. I am proud and honored to call them my friends.
I am also fortunate to be connected with two other tremendous groups (my PLF) and cannot wait to meet more of them in person. The #4OCFPLN and Edugladiators! Loved the adventures trying to meet up in Chicago!
I had read the book “Four O’Clock Faculty” by Rich Czyz and was part of a Voxer group doing a book study. Once the book study ended, many members of the group stayed connected and kept the conversation going. A group that stayed together and continued to connect and grow long after the book study had ended. We have become a real PLF and I enjoy learning new things from this group every day and knowing that they are there when I need them. “We” have had our picture taken with many authors and we have stickers and our own hashtag even #4OCFPLN. And stickers too! Shirts on the way.
There are so many great conversations, a lot of laughs and fun that happens within this group every day. I love knowing that I can reach out to this group at any time. It is a very supportive and fun group with a lot of diverse perspectives and a bond that continues to grow and get better. Laughs, inside jokes, challenges, pushback, inspiration and amazing connections. REAL connections. We know more about each other and learn and push boundaries of learning every day.
Love meeting up with my #4OCFPLN, Fellow #Edugladiators Core Warriors, Edumatch PLF, Buncee Family, Future Ready PLN, the Women in EdTech and of course, the 53s.
And a tremendous surprise having one of my students be in Chicago during ISTE. That may have been the best part! Sharing some of the awesomeness of ISTE and the people there.
During the last couple of weeks as the school year was winding down, the demands on my time were increasing exponentially. While this may seem a bit exaggerated, there really is no other way to describe it. Granted, I take a lot of extra things on personally and professionally, when most people meet me, they ask if I sleep. I do, some. So why do I, or educators take on so much? For me, the reason is because I truly am a lifelong learner. I don’t want to miss opportunities, especially when that might mean I miss out on creating opportunities for others. I don’t want to say no to someone that needs my help, because I realize that for some people, asking for help required that they be vulnerable and step out of their comfort zone. So I will always try to help someone else, even if it means delaying my own goals or veering from some path that I am on. And I am good with that, but I also realize that there is only so much that I can do.
Being self-aware means you recognize your strengths and weaknesses, emotions, thoughts, and have a deeper understanding of what motivates you, at least this is my way of defining it. I can somewhat identify my strengths, but it is uncomfortable to openly admit my weaknesses. I have no problem admitting mistakes and failures in front of my students. The more that I can do this with them, will help to dispel that misconception that failure is final. Personally or among friends, for me, admitting weakness is tough, but the first step in trying to improve is acknowledging that there is a something to improve upon. I’m well aware that I have certain areas that I need to devote some time to in order to become more effective and consistent and possibly attain some level of balance. If balance is really a thing. Maybe it is because I set demands on myself that are too high or overly ambitious, but I have reached a point in my career and my life, where I feel I need to engage in activities that I am passionate about being involved in. Even while I was in law school, my friends would often laugh at my ability to multitask and my methods of over-preparation for class. I did then what I try to discourage my own students from doing now. I would take notes on the computer, write notes on paper, listen to the lecture and grade papers all while sending text messages throughout the class. And somehow while doing all of that I still managed to answer a question when called upon. I survived the four years of teaching full-time and four nights a week of law school. When I think back and compare schedules of then and now I feel so much more out of balance now than I did back then. It just does not make sense.
But lately, I have not felt as productive as I would want to be. Yes I’ve made lists, checked items off as I completed them, kept up with email only to have two or three emails pop in as soon as one is sent. I have opened Voxer to find four or five hundred messages waiting and many other notifications from other forms of social media. So how does one find balance? How does one keep focus when surrounded by and consumed by so much “connectedness.” In the pursuit of learning, how much is enough and how much is too much?
What I mean is I think as educators we need to involve ourselves in a variety of learning possibilities. We no longer need to leave our homes to go out for professional development, nor be limited to that which we have at our schools. There are so many options available that meet our needs as far as goals and time and passions. But it seems that more and more time is consumed by social media like Voxer or Twitter, just for a few examples. Don’t get me wrong, these are tremendous tools for becoming a connected educator, for breaking away from the isolation that can happen. But how do we keep up with everything and everyone? If you know, please share.
It is tough “keeping up” lately. I read a lot of blogs, books and stay active through Twitter and Voxer, and have a pretty good routine for keeping up-to-date with information. Reading has never been a problem for me. The area in which I need to improve is with my own writing. Some days I feel like I just can’t keep up. I feel like I’m falling behind, that I’m not meeting the goal, not pushing myself enough to accomplish things. But today I had a moment to pause and think, and it came after reading some of the The Path to Serendipity , by Allyson Apsey and also “What School Could Be,” by Ted Dintersmith. After reading these, it occurred to me that I am doing the exact same thing that I try to stop my students from doing which is push myself so hard, judge myself so critically, to the point where my desire to work and to get things done becomes consumed as soon as my eyes focus on that ever-growing list of goals. I put up a wall and that inner voice tells me that I will never get things done. The inner voice convinces me that I can’t, so I don’t even try. And then I remember the quote “the only thing standing in your way is you,” so I need to get out of my own way.
My list is full of things which are not part of my daily work as a teacher, but rather tasks that I have voluntarily pushed myself into becoming a part of. Maybe it’s my fear of missing out, maybe it’s my drive to keep doing better, to keep pushing myself to do one more thing, take one more step, to see how much I can handle and how much I can learn. But in recognizing this, I realize that my students do this as well. I’ve seen them push themselves and worry that they won’t finish something in time, that they won’t get into the college that their parents want them to, that they won’t get the highest grade, that they won’t be as smart, as quick or as good as somebody else in the class. Pressure.
How many times this year I have said to them “You don’t need to worry about anybody else. You only need to worry about yourself because you aren’t in competition with anyone else but yourself.” I came across an anonymous quote a while ago that said “I’m in competition with no one but myself.” The power of this quote really hit me. These are the reminders that I give to my students, but yet are ones that I have failed to be cognizant of within myself.
In reading “Path to Serendipity”, so much of what Allyson says resonated with me, especially when thinking back to when I first started teaching. And in reading “What School Could Be,” I am thinking about the structure of school, the “game” of school and all of the pressure that exists. Pressure which is placed on students whether by the school system itself, the testing, parents, teachers or the students themselves. How do we break this cycle? Wanting the best for someone should be more about supporting them with whatever decision they make, and being there if they find out that it was not the best decision to be made. That’s the risk we take when we step out of our comfort zone, when we go against the grain and do something that is different, that may not be the traditional way to do something but it’s the way that we want, it’s personal to us, it’s our passion.
And I know I have derailed a bit in this, maybe more than a bit, but sometimes it’s good for me to just sit with my computer, and thanks to the voice to text, I can close my eyes and talk through what has been going through my mind, and then edit the writing. Lately it’s been that I just can’t get enough things completed. Countless presentations, proposals, webinars you name it, I am doing and experiencing the same thing that many other educators are experiencing as well. However the difference is that my perception of others is that there are no struggles. Blogs are being published, podcasts are being recorded, books are being written, speeches are being given, and my question is where do you find the time? How can I find a time? And I am so impressed and inspired by the work of my friends and my colleagues who share their stories and seem to have a lot of balance, but then again how do I really know? My perception is not necessarily their reality.
A good friend of mine Mandy Froehlich has written a book which just came out today, called “The Fire Within”, in which she shares personal stories as well as stories of educators who talk about the different struggles that they’ve gone through. We don’t often hear of the struggles and the negative experiences that we as educators may have, but there are a few things that I’m sure of. We need to start with relationships. We need to be open and vulnerable. We have to tell our stories. It is from these stories, whether they are stories of great innovations or epic failures, where we can connect and provide the inspirational redirection that someone else may greatly need. And while telling our story makes us vulnerable, there is great power in vulnerability. Vulnerability does not mean weakness, as defined by Brene Brown in her book “Daring Greatly”. It is “uncertainty,risk and emotional exposure.” My favorite quote from Brown is that vulnerability is “the courage to show up and be seen even when you have no control over the outcome.” This quote is one I read last summer, and I kept in the back of my mind while preparing for different events in which I felt completely out of control. I didn’t think I had the courage and was ready to back down, but this served as a reminder to me that it was better to try and fail, than to never try at all. The interesting part about this book is that she came up with the title after reading a quote by Teddy Roosevelt from 1910, where he spoke about the man who enters into battle valiantly, and at best he has success and at worst he errs while daring greatly.
So there is nobody pushing me to get things done but me. Nobody adding more items to the list but myself. And there is nobody that I’m in competition with. I have to accept that I will accomplish the things that I need to accomplish in my own time and in my own way. Pushing the publish button on this was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I’ve been thinking a lot and decided to put my thoughts out there.
***This is the first in a series of posts about the benefits of social media tools for education, and how I learned the value of them for becoming more connected.
I was not always into social media and cannot say that I truly saw the value of what each platform might have to offer. Part of this is my fault because I did not take time to learn about Twitter or Facebook and the others, and I had some misconceptions about what each social media platform was being used for. The other part is that I relied on the comments and experiences of others to judge the value and the benefit of trying any of these for my own use.
I love technology. Ever since I was a child, I have been interested in trying new things, spending time learning and working with all things tech. I was fine with communicating through email, text messaging, and the occasional phone call. I held off on creating a Facebook account because I thought that it was just a way to tell people what you were doing on a daily basis, “status updates”. I had the perception it was just about updating everyone on the basic chores and daily life habits that we all take part in. I also did not consider using Twitter because I thought it was simply a way to keep up with what celebrities were doing and I had other ways to do that. Being an avid reader of publications like People magazine or US for many years, I kept up with what was going on in the celebrity world. Enough anyway.
So for me, I didn’t really think about or see any benefit personally, nor professionally, for having either of these social media accounts. So what led to the change? Class reunion planning. I had the task of locating classmates for an upcoming high school class reunion. I graduated with nearly six hundred people, and knew it would be a very tedious task. My options were to spend time looking online or flipping through the pages of a telephone book, assuming that people still lived in the area or that I could easily locate their information using these methods. The possibility of Facebook had not entered my mind until a friend suggested it. So I gave in, created my Facebook account and little by little, sure enough, I began finding some of my classmates, friends from childhood and college and even making new connections.
Once I started using Facebook more, I realized that I had been mostly wrong. I found out that not everyone used Facebook as I had thought. It really was a way to locate classmates, reconnect with friends and I started seeing that Facebook could be valuable and not at all what I had thought.
I found different learning communities and groups to join through Facebook. It became a great platform for sharing information, adding resources and amazingly, not that I thought this years ago, has the capability of being a tremendous tool for learning and professional growth. It is a way for people to connect instantly with anyone throughout the world, at any time and can be used as a system of support. You can keep up with friends, family, colleagues, and see how people live in other places of the world by sharing photos or going “live”.
So I discovered that I was wrong. I had this idea of Facebook and its uses in my mind and actively stayed away from it for years. So what is the lesson I learned? I learned that in order to really understand the benefit and use of something, you have to investigate it yourself. You have to take that chance, take a step, take a risk and look into something before making a judgment about its value. (A lesson for life as well). But the flip side is that you can’t just start using something because everybody else is, or you “heard” that it was the best way or best method of doing something. Everybody is different and everything affects people in different ways. I’ve always said that we can all read the same book but get a different story. And that’s the case with Facebook.
Thank you Facebook for being the means through which I have been able to reconnect with friends, join new learning communities and keep up with family and members of my PLN who I do not get to see very often. It is a means to share good news and bad, but the main point is that it is a way to become connected and we all need to be connected to someone and something.
So I was wrong about the power of social media….and that’s okay, because I know the possibilities now and learned the lesson of keeping an open mind, judging for myself, and then reflecting.
Thank you EduCal for sharing!
ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) is a conference that draws in people from all over the world and all levels of education and technology. With an estimate of close to 20,000 people from 70 countries in attendance, this year’s conference was tremendous. An event so large but yet at times seems so small, when you find yourself running into the same people in different areas of such a large event space. It has so much to offer, that it is hard to do it justice by summarizing or simply writing about one aspect of it. So I thought I would highlight a few of the biggest takeaways that I had, and ones which I gathered from others.
Going to ISTE? What can you expect?
There are a lot of discussions and questions leading up to the conference. For people attending for the first time, the most common questions are: What sessions should I choose? What type of clothing is appropriate? What items should I carry in my bag? What should I expect? What are the “must do” events? and many more questions like this. Simply put, where do I begin?
I myself was a first-time attendee last year and had absolutely no idea what to expect. I had been to many different conferences, but none as large as ISTE. I was nervous about not really knowing a lot of people there. I was fortunate to have just gotten involved with PAECT (Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology) and two of the ISTE networks (MLN and Games & Sims). Being involved with these organizations helped because I knew some people and had some events lined up, but I figured the chances of seeing them with all of our different schedules, were not too likely.
I tried doing some research, asking questions on social media, reading through and studying the ISTE website to learn as much as I could. I think I studied the program multiple times every day, each week leading up to my travels to Philadelphia. I had a nice schedule planned out, my favorites marked and areas that I wanted to focus on, so it seemed like I was ready to go. But as I quickly learned last year, and definitely felt the same this year, is that it really doesn’t matter what you decide to do, what schedule you set up to follow, whether or not you know anyone, because no matter what decision you make you can’t go wrong. Honestly. There are no “wrong” or “bad” choices because there are opportunities everywhere. Even if you have a schedule, it is really tough to stick to it. And if you are traveling alone for the first time, don’t worry about being alone. It is a place for building relationships and making connections above anything else. So if you want to learn what ISTE is about let me start by telling you about the relationships and why they matter.
I had to conquer a big fear this year: my fear of flying. Last year, I traveled by Amtrak to Philly, and it was no problem. I don’t mind traveling alone, I use the time to read, participate in Twitter chats, catch up on work, and enjoy the trip. But this year, preparing to travel to Denver, with my fear of flying, something I have not done in 21 years, was a bit difficult. I have avoided air travel, preferring to drive or take a train any distance. However with Colorado being a bit far of a drive, bus ride or travel by train, I was not left with much in the way of options. So that meant flying. Fortunately, I had a good friend providing me with the support to help me get to the airport, get on the plane and get to Denver without worry. At least not too much. I just kept thinking about the week ahead.
My support for the travels started with another conference. Karyn and I met at a Keystone Technology Innovator Summit in Pennsylvania a few years ago. I was also fortunate that at Karyn had another friend traveling with us, Chris, so I had two amazing companions to ease my nerves and it really made a huge difference during the flight and throughout the conference.
He started each day with a Vox, a countdown to ISTE, an inspiration and a story. He brought a bunch of people together, a group of connected educators, who became friends, excited to meet F2F after developing these relationships. Becoming friends through technology. I could hardly wait to meet the members of this group, officially, because we had already learned so much about each other. And we even had t-shirts and stickers made for our group, thanks Mike Jaber.
And at conferences like ISTE, meeting your “Tweeps” and #eduheroes finally F2F is a possibility. Even though we all feel like we already know each other, after many Twitter chats and social media interactions, it is nice to be together and talk (about technology) without the technology.
Having these core groups to connect with is something I highly recommend. All it takes is one or two people and you can build your entire group, so at no point do you feel alone during the conference. One of Rodney’s messages was to be on the lookout for people you notice sitting alone. If you see someone sitting alone, go over and start a conversation, invite people to join you, be welcoming, and it worked. We had our “VoxUp” in the Bloggers Cafe on Sunday before the Keynote, and what a great experience that was. There were lots of hugs, laughs, smiles and excitement. This was truly a defining moment. In looking around, people joined in this group, new connections were made, the excitement and power of this PLN was contagious. All it took was joining in a group, taking that step and becoming part of something, and having a support system already in place. Looking around the Bloggers Cafe, there were a lot of small groups of people, gathered to listen to the Keynote, take pictures, make new connections, network and just to absorb everything that was going on. No matter where you looked, you could see the energy and excitement. The energy was so high and it was just the starting point for what would be a phenomenal 3 day event.
So, what should your plan be?
Well, maybe the best plan is to not have a plan. Maybe just have an idea. A focus. Time goes by so quickly and the choices are so numerous that it can be overwhelming, especially for a first time attendee. Not everybody can make the same decision about what would be the best session or event to attend. You have to make your own decision and even though there is comfort in going to a session with somebody you know, it is equally if not more beneficial to go your own way, interact with other educators and create new relationships. You can then come back to that core group with new ideas and new friends, and you never know, it’s such a small world sometimes that you might all know the same people. And by going to different sessions and different events, there are more stories and experiences to be shared. So the learning possibilities are even greater. And friends made along the way become part of different groups but connected into one.
Having these different groups really added to the experience. We shared ideas, attended events together, grabbed early coffees at Coffee Edu, and so much more. Even if you weren’t at ISTE, you could join in virtually and be a part of the ISTE community as well. The idea behind attending conferences like ISTE is to make new connections, gain new knowledge, to grow professionally, and to explore. I can’t think of a better way to start doing this than by focusing on relationships. It is where I start each school year and it is where I focus for conferences like ISTE.
Share your thoughts and experiences and photos, we would love to hear from you! Next up, focus on some of the ISTE events and takeaways.
I am a teacher and when people find this out, one of the first things they say is “it must be nice to have your summers off.” Yes, thank you, it is nice to have a more relaxed schedule over the course of the summer break. But in all honesty, I would be fine if I taught year round. And there are a lot of teachers who don’t really have the whole summer “off” because their school operates on a different type of school calendar. And like I said, I love summer, not because it means that I don’t have to go to work. I enjoy being in the classroom and working with students. I look forward to each day and what it brings. I love the routine, the new challenges each day, and more than anything, working with the students and learning from them. However, the main reason I look forward to the summer is because it is an opportunity to seek out new learning experiences that will enable me to return to my classroom refreshed, with new ideas and hopefully improved skills that will help me to provide the best learning experiences for my students.
Another great thing about summer is that it is a time to connect with other educators. And I have been fortunate to meet a lot of educators over the past few years, but even more so this summer because I had the opportunity to be involved in several tremendous conferences and learning experiences including Summer Spark, ISTE 2016, and EdCampUSA. So yes, it is nice to be a teacher and to have those breaks throughout the year and especially during summer, but I bet if you ask some of your friends who are teachers or even if you meet someone new who is a teacher, if they really have their summers “off”, I bet almost all of them will tell you no, and maybe even follow up with a laugh. And here is why.
Summer is a time for a lot of things. One of the nice things about being in education, in my role as a classroom teacher is that I do have the summers off. But we all know the reality of it is that we don’t really have the time off. Teachers have time of course for some of the normal summer things like sleeping in late, catching up with friends and family, going on vacations and not worrying about setting the alarm. But it is also valuable time for teachers to do even more, on a personal and professional basis. Time to think about their practice and take advantage of the opportunities that are out there for professional development and growth.
Teachers devote most of their time during the school year, focusing on students’ skills and needs, their interests and providing a supportive, positive, meaningful, engaging learning environment for their students. For some of our students, school is the safe place to be. Each teacher’s classroom is unique and offers an opportunity for the teacher to create a whole new world, for lack of a better phrase, to immerse their students in learning, to draw them into new experiences and help each student develop their skills, to become reflective, to have choice and voice in their learning. In addition to striving to provide this for our students, we work to be a constant source of support and guidance for each student each day.
And contrary to the “school day schedule”, when the school day ends, these tasks, jobs, responsibilities do not end with the ringing of the bell. We may leave our work on our desk in our classroom, but these other parts of our work continue 24 hours a day every day. The impression that we make on our students and the atmosphere that we create for them, the guidance we provide have an impact that does not end when they leave our classroom nor when they leave the school for the day. Each student takes something unique away from the classroom when they leave us. Whatever our connection is with each student, the relationships that we build and that continue to grow throughout the year, in some way help each student. There is something created unique to each teacher-student relationship, that forms the foundation for the learning to occur. We are their teachers, but also their mentors, providing more than just a lesson in the classroom. We don’t just teach. We give ourselves and our support to our students.
And it is exhausting, in a good way. And if you leave your classroom at the end of the day, and you are not exhausted when you get home, then something is wrong. There is more work to be done.
Teachers put a lot of time in outside of the classroom and that time is not evident to the rest of the world. The hours at night at home or on the weekend grading papers, making parent phone calls, preparing lessons, attending conferences, are not factored into how people view the time and place of the job of the teacher. And I do not see this as negative, it’s just the reality that because school is perceived as an 8 hour day experience, that is where the work ends. And maybe in the past it would be viewed in that way because technology did not exist to enable emails or other collaboration to occur beyond the school day. But the work involved and the personal investment was and still is the same.
Getting back to some of the reasons I love summer. Each summer gets better and better, and it’s not because I traveled and spent hours on beaches, or to the contrary, kept idle. It is because I have used the time to learn more, to read, to connect, to reflect and to prepare for the next year. My summer goal is to work so I can start stronger and be better than I was the year before. This summer has been an unbelievable period of growth for me and I knew at the end of the school year that it would be exhausting but a well worth it kind of exhausting.
I have been fortunate to travel to different conferences throughout the country, to confront some fears such as flying and speaking in front of many people, to challenge myself more each day. And no worries, I am enjoying some time sleeping in and also sitting outside on the deck with my cup of coffee, but the computer, a book or a magazine are always there. The Voxer groups I join are part of each day, listening and learning. I use the time I have because I want to learn, to connect, to develop skills so I can be the best teacher and mentor that I can be for my students. I will do whatever it takes to make that happen. And this summer I have met a lot of inspirational role models, leaders in education, Eduheroes, people I have known through Twitter chats,Voxer groups or Google communities. These are things which two years ago I would not have even thought possible. But learning from these different groups and developing a new awareness and new perspectives and facing new challenges, has really given me pause. To be among some of the great educators and benefit from truly amazing professional development experiences, has served to make me want to use every moment of this summer “break” to take in and learn as much as I can. Does this sound like you?
Some things that I think are important to do in the summer. I think you have to give yourself some freedom and flexibility with your schedule. So that means if you want to go to bed early and get out of bed late, that’s fine. If it means that you then spend the majority of your day working and reading, or doing nothing at all, that’s okay too. You have to make time for friends and family, connect with people that are important and that matter and that maybe throughout the school year you don’t have as many opportunities to spend time with. Once the school year starts, schedules become very hectic. That is the nice thing about being a teacher in some sense, is that your availability is more open in the summer but then again people with year-round jobs aren’t as available as you. You should find conferences or webinars, join in book studies or Voxer groups, or try connecting with some different learning communities. Get involved in a Twitter chat, whatever it is during the school year that just doesn’t seem to fit as part of your routine, make it part of your summer routine.
There are lots of opportunities out there and while there is not time for everything, there can be time for a little bit of everything. So decide what is best for you. Do you want to be in one Voxer group or join one book study ? Then make that your focus. Or maybe you want to participate in writing tips for a blog or website. It’s up to you, because it is your time to decide how to spend your summer break.
Personally I stay in good practice during the summer because I keep my schedule as chaotic as possible because it’s better prepares me for the school year. The first day or two of summer break I feel a bit out of it because of that absence of routine, the lack of students waiting to hear from me, but I soon develop my summer plan and get started right away. On Monday. | 2019-04-23T00:23:09Z | https://rdene915.com/tag/plc/ |
I have actually been obsessed with landing page contractors lately as you distinguish my newest messages over the last few months.
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I really did not have any experience with Stripe until I checked it with ClickFunnels, however I found that it’s an exceptionally simple means to take credit report card repayments.
Once you have created your Red stripe account, simply comply with the easy instructions to connect it to your ClickFunnels account and you’re ready.
Whenever anybody goes through the Order Page type of your funnel, it will instantly be made use of to gather payment from your consumer.
In enhancement to helping you develop each of the pages in your sales funnel, ClickFunnels additionally assists you track just how each web page in your funnel does.
On top of each web page, you can see in real-time the complete number of visitors for each and every web page in the channel, how several site visitors clicked on the next button of the page, as well as the conversion rate.
If you click in the Split Test tab, you could see the statistics of all your existing split tests. Plus you will certainly see the button to develop a New Split Test.
Establishing a new split examinations is quite very easy. The most effective means is to duplicate an existing page and after that fine-tune it from there.
Unfortunately, ClickFunnels does not have a great deal of innovative split screening includes that I’ve seen implemented in other products like Thrive Leads.
As an example, there doesn’t seem to be a way to instantly revolve your split tests. As well as I would enjoy to see ClickFunnels select a “winning” divided examination after a statistically substantial amount of information has actually been accumulated.
When it was initial released, ClickFunnels was everything about producing … well funnels. Yet Russell had also larger passions for the product and that’s exactly how Actionetics and Knapsack happened.
Actionetics aims to be a substitute for your favored email solution supplier.
With Actionetics, you could see everybody that has opted right into your checklists through your ClickFunnels in the Contact Profiles web page.
Just what’s cool is that each of your leads is given an Activity Rating, which is based on recency, regularity, financial worth and social scores. It essentially offers you a concept which leads are more probable to get from you.
You can use Actionetics to send out email programs and also the e-mail builder enables you to design wonderful looking e-mails. And Activity Funnels are Actionetics means of producing autoresponders with some limited advertising automation attributes.
While a few of its features are intriguing, Actionetics still can’t take on a complete fledged e-mail service carrier like ActiveCampaign, Drip or ConvertKit. Directly, I just prefer a standalone solution where I’m not linked right into an all-in-one service.
One of the best methods to boost the sales of your product is to have a wonderful affiliate program that brings in some leading associates.
That’s just what Backpack can do for you. It’s essentialy a full associate platform for ClickFunnels that you could affix to any one of your developed funnels.
Inside Knapsack, you can add everything you require for associates to promote your item including associate links, email swipe copy, and banner ads. You can additionally configuration your associate payments and also see how well each of your associates is executing.
There’s even sustain for 2nd rate commissions which is an exceptionally effective motivation.
Over time, ClickFunnels has actually advanced their pricing strategies. At first, they had 3 different pricing rates, but its currently been consolidated right into 2.
The most inexpensive ClickFunnels plan is $97 a month. On this strategy you obtain accessibility to all the channel development devices, yet you are restricted to producing 20 funnels, 100 pages and 20,000 site visitors. Unfortunately, you don’t obtain accessibility to Actionetics and Backpack with this plan.
For that, you’ll need to select the Etison Suite plan. It consists of everything, consisting of Actionetics and Knapsack. You also obtain endless funnels, pages and also site visitors. Nevertheless, this will certainly run you $297 a month which is fairly steep.
Both strategies additionally have a 14 day cost-free test so you could check points out before you purchase.
If you are reviewing this testimonial, you are probably wondering how ClickFunnels compares to LeadPages.
At this present time, LeadPages is the dominant leader in this touchdown web page contractor room.
You could quickly see who is using LeadPages due to the fact that their themes are so well-known. Given that it is so well understood, a number of the leading marketers are utilizing the solution.
Russell is gearing ClickFunnels to become his flagship item, so exactly what you see currently is simply a preference of exactly what the item is going to resemble in the future.
The toughness of ClickFunnels is it’s very easy to utilize editor. It is much more flexible compared to the LeadPages editor although Leadpages has actually captured up with their new drag as well as drop editor.
Restricting versatility is not always a bad point. Due to the fact that it makes building web pages fast! Which’s where LeadPages truly shines.
One of the most reliable technique for growing your e-mail list now is making use of content upgrades. By creating targeted lead magnets to your most popular blog posts you can obtain optin conversion prices that much surpass your standard popup.
Nonetheless, some people desire even more control to produce web pages to their precise specs. That’s the power that ClickFunnels provides you. The price of the power is added complexity. ClickFunnels certainly has a greater understanding curve than LeadPages.
The other major advantage is that ClickFunnels produces total sales funnels for you. And also all your stats through each phase of your funnel are tracked.
With LeadPages, you could only produce single pages. So developing that first sales web page is easy.
Yet what concerning adding on an order type? Upsells and also downsells? LeadPages can’t do that, while ClickFunnels can.
If you don’t mind the knowing contour as well as desire an all-in-one solution to sell your very own product and be able to tailor every step of your funnels then ClickFunnels is definitely worth a look.
In the end, I would just suggest trying ClickFunnels to see how you like it. They provide a 2 Week totally free test, so you can examine out all the features as well as see exactly how it benefits you.
I have been stressed with touchdown page builders recently as you inform from my newest articles over the last number of months.
I have actually been using it for even more compared to a month on a customer task of mine, and also I am beginning to think of it as LeadPages on steroids.
With its ability to produce total sales funnels and also its easy to utilize and powerful editor, ClickFunnels supplies a clear difficulty to LeadPages’ area as the finest landing web page builder.
That’s not to state that it’s best, and in this Clickfunnels promo online coupons 30 off testimonial I’m going to show you how I have actually been utilizing it and just how it as compares to Leadpages and SamCart.
By showing you the staminas and also weaknesses of each, I hope it will certainly aid you make the most effective decision for which one to adopt in your very own business.
ClickFunnels is now a relatively fully grown solution developed by Russell Brunson and his group. It’s now been up and also running for greater than 3 years at the time of this review.
As a fast aside, I found out about ClickFunnels through Russell’s new book DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online. If you wish to learn ways to market products, after that I highly suggest it.
Unlike competitor products which permit you create solitary standalone web pages, ClickFunnels is all regarding developing different types of advertising funnels.
A funnel is basically a collection of pages your site visitors experience to reach a particular goal and also it could appear like this.
An easy Lead Capture Funnel could consist of 2 web pages which accumulates a site visitor’s e-mail address and after that sends them to a Thank you page when registering.
Or you could have more sophisticated sales funnels which are comprised of several web pages which sell to a visitor through each step of the channel.
Optin/Lead Capture Funnels– Used to capture email addresses of your site visitors as well as grow your newsletter.
Sales Page Funnels– Create this to sell product or services, with the capacity to add any type of upsells/downsells to your sales procedure.
ClickFunnels comes with its own distinctive set of layouts for each and every of the various funnel types it enables you to develop.
Or you could go back to square one and also build web pages directly making use of the ClickFunnels editor.
It enables you to easily put with each other various pages in your channel with a very easy factor and click user interface.
ClickFunnels offers you fairly a little bit of adaptability in creating your pages. For instance, you can easily move elements around and also put them where you desire, which is something the Leadpages editor does not allow.
I was right away excited by the ClickFunnels on-boarding procedure. They do a really smart thing where they use you a cost-free ClickFunnels tee shirt simply for viewing the introduction training videos.
It takes around 10 minutes, as well as the the training video clips do provide you a great introduction of exactly how ClickFunnels works.
Developing your first funnel is very easy. Click the Add Funnels switch and you are taken to a screen showing all the funnel kinds offered.
If you are vague with exactly what each channel does, there’s an embedded video you can see which explains just how it works.
Pages can be gotten rid of from the funnel by hovering as well as clicking the gigantic ‘X’ beside the page.
For each and every page in your channel, you can select from the available templates. Each theme is skillfully created as well as there is a great selection to select from. And also, more are being included regularly.
If you do not see a design template that matches your current vision, I have actually located that it’s just as very easy to begin from scrape. This can be done by choosing any kind of design template and after that swiftly removing each of the areas on the web page.
The fundamental building block of a ClickFunnels page is an area. A normal funnel might have a header section, an above the fold material area as well as a footer section.
A lengthy kind sales page might likewise have a section for highlighting details features or an area for reviews.
Sections are after that further split into column rows. You could choose from a solitary column to as much as 6 columns as well as any type of number in between.
Basic widgets consist of Headline, Photo, Text, Switch, Input types and also Video clip elements.
As you mouseover any type of section, row or component, it will get highlighted and clicking slide in the contextual editor from the best hand side where you could alter its properties.
Background shades, margins, font styles, placement could all be changed as well as element particular buildings like a specific picture url for the Image element.
It’s all quite user-friendly to utilize as soon as you’ve experimented with things a little bit.
I’ve been rather amazed by the editor as it strikes a great balance in between adaptability and also ease of usage.
If you are marketing a product, after that you wish to incorporate with a repayment cpu.
if you don’t use any one of those solutions, after that I advise making use of the Red stripe integration given that it is free to signup for and utilize.
I didn’t have any kind of experience with Red stripe up until I tested it with ClickFunnels, yet I discovered that it’s an extremely easy means to take charge card settlements.
When you have developed your Red stripe account, just comply with the simple instructions to link it to your ClickFunnels account and you’re all set.
Whenever any individual experiences the Order Page type of your channel, it will immediately be used to accumulate payment from your client.
In enhancement to helping you develop each of the web pages in your sales funnel, ClickFunnels additionally assists you track exactly how each web page in your channel carries out.
At the top of each web page, you can see in real-time the total number of visitors for every page in the funnel, the amount of site visitors clicked on the following switch of the page, and also the conversion rate.
Split screening is additionally baked right into ClickFunnels which is necessary for helping you optimize the conversion rate of your funnels.
If you click in the Split Examination tab, you can see the statistics of all your existing split tests. Plus you will certainly see the switch to develop a New Split Test.
Setting up a new split tests is fairly simple. The most effective means is to duplicate an existing web page and after that fine-tune it from there.
Unfortunately, ClickFunnels does not have a great deal of advanced split screening showcases that I’ve seen carried out in various other products like Thrive Leads.
As an example, there doesn’t appear to be a method to instantly revolve your split examinations. As well as I would like to see ClickFunnels pick a “winning” divided examination after a statistically considerable quantity of data has been gathered.
When it was initial released, ClickFunnels was everything about producing … well funnels. But Russell had also bigger passions for the product and that’s how Actionetics as well as Backpack happened.
With Actionetics, you can see everybody that has opted right into your checklists with your ClickFunnels in the Call Accounts page.
What’s cool is that each of your leads is offered an Action Rating, which is based on recency, regularity, financial value and also social ratings. It primarily offers you a concept of which leads are much more likely to purchase from you.
You could use Actionetics to send out e-mail broadcasts and also the e-mail contractor allows you to create nice looking emails. And Action Funnels are Actionetics method of creating autoresponders with some minimal advertising automation features.
While a few of its attributes are fascinating, Actionetics still cannot take on a complete fledged e-mail company like ActiveCampaign, Drip or ConvertKit. Directly, I just like a standalone service where I’m not connected into an all-in-one remedy.
Among the most effective means to enhance the sales of your item is to have a terrific associate program that attracts some leading associates.
That’s exactly what Backpack could do for you. It’s essentialy a total associate platform for ClickFunnels that you could connect to any one of your developed funnels.
Inside Backpack, you can include every little thing you need for affiliates to advertise your product including affiliate links, email swipe duplicate, and also banner ads. You could additionally arrangement your affiliate payments as well as see exactly how well each of your associates is performing.
There’s even sustain for 2nd tier compensations which is a very powerful reward.
Gradually, ClickFunnels has developed their pricing plans. Initially, they had 3 different prices tiers, however its now been consolidated into 2.
The most inexpensive ClickFunnels strategy is $97 a month. On this plan you get access to all the channel production devices, yet you are restricted to developing 20 funnels, 100 pages and also 20,000 visitors. Unfortunately, you don’t obtain accessibility to Actionetics as well as Knapsack with this plan.
For that, you’ll have to choose the Etison Suite strategy. It consists of every little thing, consisting of Actionetics as well as Backpack. You also get unlimited funnels, pages and also site visitors. Nevertheless, this will run you $297 a month which is quite high.
Both plans additionally have a 2 Week free test so you can examine points out before you get.
Russell is tailoring ClickFunnels to become his flagship product, so exactly what you see currently is simply a taste of just what the product is going to look like in the future.
The strength of ClickFunnels is it’s easy to make use of editor. It is much more flexible compared to the LeadPages editor although Leadpages has actually caught up with their brand-new drag and decline editor.
Restricting adaptability is not necessarily a poor point. Due to the fact that it makes constructing pages quickly! As well as that’s where LeadPages truly radiates.
One of the most efficient approach for growing your email listing right currently is using material upgrades. By producing targeted lead magnets to your most prominent articles you can obtain optin conversion prices that far surpass your basic popup.
Nonetheless, some individuals desire even more control to create web pages to their precise specs. That’s the power that ClickFunnels gives you. The expense of the power is added intricacy. ClickFunnels certainly has a higher learning curve than LeadPages.
The various other main advantage is that ClickFunnels develops complete sales funnels for you. As well as all your stats through each phase of your channel are tracked.
With LeadPages, you could only create solitary web pages. So creating that initial sales web page is basic.
Yet what about adding on an order kind? Upsells and also downsells? LeadPages cannot do that, while ClickFunnels can.
Which method you go need to rely on the requirements of your organisation.
If you do not mind the learning curve as well as want an all-in-one service to market your very own product as well as be able to tailor every step of your funnels after that ClickFunnels is certainly worth an appearance.
In the long run, I would simply advise experimenting with ClickFunnels to see exactly how you like it. They use a 14 day cost-free trial, so you can test out all the features as well as see just how it works for you.
I have been stressed with landing page contractors lately as you tell from my most current articles over the last number of months.
I have actually been utilizing it for even more compared to a month on a customer task of mine, and I am beginning to consider it as LeadPages on steroids.
With its capacity to produce full sales funnels and its easy to utilize and effective editor, ClickFunnels gives a clear challenge to LeadPages’ place as the very best landing web page builder.
That’s not to state that it’s best, as well as in this Clickfunnels promo online coupons 30 off evaluation I’m going to reveal you just how I’ve been using it and also exactly how it compares to Leadpages as well as SamCart.
By revealing you the toughness and weak points of each, I hope it will assist you make the most effective decision for which one to adopt in your very own organisation.
ClickFunnels is currently a rather mature solution developed by Russell Brunson and his group. It’s now been operating for greater than 3 years at the time of this testimonial.
As a quick apart, I discovered regarding ClickFunnels through Russell’s new publication DotCom Keys: The Underground Playbook for Expanding Your Business Online. If you intend to discover ways to offer products, after that I highly recommend it.
Unlike rival products which enable you create single standalone pages, ClickFunnels is all concerning building various kinds of marketing funnels.
A channel is primarily a collection of pages your visitors undergo to reach a specific objective and it might appear like this.
A basic Lead Capture Funnel could include 2 pages which accumulates a site visitor’s e-mail address and after that sends them to a Thank you web page when signing up.
Or you might have extra innovative sales funnels which are composed of multiple web pages which offer to a visitor through each action of the funnel.
Optin/Lead Capture Funnels– Made use of to record e-mail addresses of your visitors as well as expand your mailing listing.
Sales Web Page Funnels– Develop this to market services and products, with the capability to add any type of upsells/downsells to your sales process.
Subscription Websites– Create a repeating income by developing a complete blown membership website.
ClickFunnels comes with its own distinct set of themes for each of the different funnel kinds it allows you to produce.
Or you could start from scrape and also construct web pages straight utilizing the ClickFunnels editor.
It allows you to easily assemble different web pages in your funnel with a simple point and also click interface.
ClickFunnels gives you a fair bit of flexibility in creating your web pages. For instance, you can easily move elements around as well as put them where you want, which is something the Leadpages editor does not enable.
I was instantly impressed by the ClickFunnels on-boarding process. They do a really clever thing where they offer you a complimentary ClickFunnels tee shirt just for seeing the introduction training videos.
It takes around 10 minutes, as well as the the training videos do provide you a great review of just how ClickFunnels functions.
Producing your first funnel is simple. Click the Include Funnels button and also you are required to a screen revealing all the channel types available.
If you are unclear with just what each channel does, there’s an ingrained video clip you could watch which discusses exactly how it works.
Select the Funnel you desire and click the Develop Funnel switch. You will certainly be asked to give your funnel a name.
Pages could be gotten rid of from the channel by floating and clicking the large ‘X’ beside the page.
For each page in your channel, you could choose from the available design templates. Each theme is properly developed as well as there is an excellent choice to select from. And also, even more are being added constantly.
If you do not see a layout that matches your existing vision, I have actually discovered that it’s just as simple to go back to square one. This can be done by picking any type of design template and then rapidly removing each of the sections on the page.
The standard foundation of a ClickFunnels web page is a section. A typical funnel could have a header section, an above the fold content section and also a footer area.
A lengthy kind sales web page might likewise have an area for highlighting details functions or an area for testimonials.
Areas are after that additional split into column rows. You could select from a single column to up to 6 columns and also any type of number in between.
Fundamental widgets consist of Heading, Image, Text, Button, Input forms as well as Video clip aspects.
As you mouseover any kind of area, row or element, it will certainly obtain highlighted and also clicking slide in the contextual editor from the ideal hand side where you could alter its residential properties.
Background colors, margins, font styles, positioning could all be changed along with component particular residential properties like a certain photo url for the Picture aspect.
It’s all fairly intuitive to make use of when you’ve experimented with points a bit.
I have actually been quite impressed by the editor as it strikes a great balance in between flexibility and also simplicity of usage.
if you don’t utilize any of those services, after that I recommend making use of the Stripe assimilation because it is cost-free to signup for as well as make use of.
I really did not have any experience with Stripe till I evaluated it with ClickFunnels, however I found that it’s an extremely straightforward method to take bank card payments.
Once you have produced your Red stripe account, simply adhere to the straightforward instructions to connect it to your ClickFunnels account as well as you’re ready.
Whenever anybody experiences the Order Page type of your channel, it will automatically be utilized to accumulate settlement from your customer.
Along with assisting you produce each of the web pages in your sales funnel, ClickFunnels additionally assists you track just how each page in your funnel performs.
On top of each web page, you could see in real-time the overall number of site visitors for each web page in the funnel, exactly how several site visitors clicked the next switch of the web page, as well as the conversion price.
Split screening is additionally baked into ClickFunnels which is vital for assisting you enhance the conversion price of your funnels.
If you click in the Split Test tab, you can see the statistics of all your existing split tests. Plus you will certainly see the button to produce a New Split Examination.
Establishing a new split tests is quite easy. The most effective means is to clone an existing page and afterwards modify it from there.
However, ClickFunnels does not have a great deal of innovative split testing features that I’ve seen carried out in other products like Thrive Leads.
As an example, there doesn’t seem to be a method to automatically turn your split examinations. And also I would enjoy to see ClickFunnels choose a “winning” divided examination after a statistically substantial quantity of information has been collected.
When it wased initially released, ClickFunnels was all regarding producing … well funnels. But Russell had even larger passions for the product which’s how Actionetics and also Backpack came around.
Exactly what’s cool is that each of your leads is offered an Action Rating, which is based on recency, frequency, financial value as well as social scores. It essentially offers you an idea of which leads are most likely to buy from you.
You could use Actionetics to send out e-mail programs and also the e-mail contractor permits you to make nice looking e-mails. And Action Funnels are Actionetics way of producing autoresponders with some restricted advertising automation attributes.
While some of its features are intriguing, Actionetics still cannot compete with a complete fledged email company like ActiveCampaign, Drip or ConvertKit. Directly, I simply like a standalone service where I’m not tied right into an all-in-one service.
Among the very best means to increase the sales of your item is to have a wonderful associate program that draws in some top associates.
Inside Knapsack, you can include every little thing you require for associates to advertise your item including associate links, email swipe copy, and banner advertisements. You could additionally arrangement your affiliate payments as well as see how well each of your associates is doing.
There’s even sustain for Second rate commissions which is an incredibly effective motivation.
Over time, ClickFunnels has evolved their rates strategies. In the start, they had 3 different rates tiers, but its now been settled right into 2.
The most inexpensive ClickFunnels strategy is $97 a month. On this plan you obtain access to all the channel production tools, yet you are restricted to producing 20 funnels, 100 web pages and also 20,000 visitors. Sadly, you don’t obtain access to Actionetics as well as Knapsack with this strategy.
For that, you’ll should select the Etison Suite strategy. It includes everything, consisting of Actionetics as well as Knapsack. You likewise obtain endless funnels, pages as well as site visitors. However, this will run you $297 a month which is quite high.
Both strategies likewise have a 2 Week cost-free trial so you could examine points out prior to you get.
At this existing moment, LeadPages is the leading leader in this touchdown page building contractor space.
You could easily see who is making use of LeadPages since their design templates are so well-known. Considering that it is so well known, numerous of the leading marketing professionals are making use of the service.
Russell is gearing ClickFunnels to become his flagship product, so what you see currently is simply a taste of just what the product is going to look like in the future.
The strength of ClickFunnels is it’s easy to make use of editor. It is much more flexible than the LeadPages editor although Leadpages has caught up with their brand-new drag and decline editor.
Restricting versatility is not always a bad point. Because it makes creating pages quick! As well as that’s where LeadPages really shines.
One of the most reliable technique for growing your e-mail listing right now is using material upgrades. By developing targeted lead magnets to your most preferred posts you can obtain optin conversion prices that far surpass your conventional popup.
However, some individuals want more control to produce pages to their specific specs. That’s the power that ClickFunnels gives you. The cost of the power is added complexity. ClickFunnels certainly has a greater discovering contour than LeadPages.
The other major advantage is that ClickFunnels develops total sales funnels for you. And all your statistics through each stage of your funnel are tracked.
With LeadPages, you could just create solitary web pages. So developing that preliminary sales page is straightforward.
However just what regarding additionaling an order type? Upsells as well as downsells? LeadPages can’t do that, while ClickFunnels can.
If you don’t mind the understanding curve as well as want an all-in-one remedy to sell your very own item and also have the ability to tailor every action of your funnels then ClickFunnels is certainly worth an appearance.
Ultimately, I would certainly just suggest experimenting with ClickFunnels to see just how you like it. They provide a 2 Week totally free trial, so you could check out all the attributes as well as see exactly how it helps you. | 2019-04-18T12:29:14Z | http://maruwa-f.com/clickfunnels-promo-online-coupons-30-off/ |
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The Maplewood Township Environmental Advisory Committee has announced that a cleanup of the East Branch of the Rahway River will take place this Saturday, May 4. Those interested in volunteering to help clean up to river should come to the committee table on Dunnell Road near the bridge to the Civic House between 11:00am and 3:00pm. Interested volunteers should bring footwear suitable for walking in the river. Gloves and bags will be provided.
The event occurs on the same day as South Orange River Day, which will be taking place near the Duck Pond in South Orange. A river cleanup will also be taking place in Millburn.
Police in West Earl Township, Pennsylvania report that a South Orange woman struck and killed a man while driving on a state highway on Thursday, April 24. LancasterOnline.com reports that community leader John O. Rineer, Jr., of Ephrata, Pa., was driving a vehicle which was pulling a trailer on Route 222, when a sign fell out of the trailer. Police said that Rineer pulled over to the side of the highway, and then walked onto the highway to retrieve the sign. While he was attempting to remove the item, a 60 year old South Orange woman allegedly struck Rineer. The incident happened at approximately 8:20pm.
The driver then called 911 to report what happened. Rineer was pronounced dead at Lancaster General Hospital later that evening. No charges have been filed.
South Orange Police report that a 2006 Dodge was broken into overnight on April 22. According to the SOPD website, a Center Street resident reported that an unknown actor(s) removed change from the vehicle, which was parked in the resident's driveway. There were no signs of forced entry.
SOPD also reported that a 27 year old Brooklyn woman was arrested on April 26 at approximately 1:30am. The SOPD website said that "officers responded to a call of a possible crime involving a motorist on Valley St. Upon arrival it was discovered that the above subject had been operating her vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The subject was arrested at the scene without incident and processed accordingly".
In addition, two 15 year old males and one 17 year old male were charged on April 27 after allegedly being in possession of CDS. The SOPD police blotter reported that "officers responded to a residence on Waverly Pl. on a call of three suspicious juveniles in the rear yard of a dwelling". According to SOPD, the three juveniles were hiding in the yard when they were allegedly found with CDS, and were transported to police headquarters and processed accordingly.
Send us your news: [email protected].
The Jersey Animal Coalition (JAC) is breaching their lease with the Townships of Maplewood and South Orange Village, according to a letter sent by Village Administrator Barry R. Lewis, Jr to Ruth Perlmutter, who is the founder and president of JAC.
"JAC is in breach of the Lease as the Township of South Orange Village is unable to bring its strays to the JAC facility", Lewis wrote. "The result is that the village is incurring expenses to bring strays to Associated Humane Society (in Newark) as an alternative". The letter continued to say that "the Village will look to the JAC for reimbursement for all additional costs and expenses that the Village is incurring during this closure".
In the letter, Lewis also requested that Perlmutter provide the Village with a current copy of JAC's fee schedule, proof that the shelter is "competent to care" for the animals, proof that the shelter is licensed by the state, proof that the shelter is in compliance with state and village licensing requirements, certificate with proof of workers' compensation insurance, proof of fire and extended coverage, proof of liability insurance, and certified financial statements from the last three years in order for JAC to be reissued a license to operate the shelter.
In addition, according to a notice issued on April 21 by South Orange Code Enforcement and Inspections director Anthony Grenci, JAC is in violation of the New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code Act. The notice said that JAC installed a shed without a building permit or zoning approval, and will not be issued a certificate of occupancy or approval until the violation is corrected. Plus, JAC must pay a fine of $2000.
Another letter was sent by South Orange Village health officer John Festa to Dr. Michael Santiago, the JAC Veterinarian of Record on the same day. Festa told Dr. Santiago that the shelter is under quarantine because of an order by the South Orange Department of Health, but is closed because of an unsatisfactory rating given to the shelter after an inspection by the village and state health departments. Festa explained this by saying that even if the quarantine was lifted, the shelter would remain closed until the shelter receives a conditional or satisfactory ranking during a re-inspection.
Festa said that in order for the quarantine to be lifted, JAC must have cats who were showing signs of ringworm tested to confirm whether or not any of the cats have the disease. In the tests show that any of the cats are infected with ringworm, proper written isolation and treatment protocols must be prescribed and supervised by the veterinarian of record. In addition, the veterinarian of record must "create and maintain documentation on daily treatment logs, of the medication that the animals are receiving, including the prescription and instructions for the use of the medication and duration of treatment as described by the veterinarian. Such records must be created for each of the animals determined to have ringworm".
The letter also said that at the time of the inspection, there were no written disease prevention protocols, disinfection procedures, or healthcare programs for each animal, "all of which are required to be created, maintained and supervised by the Vet of Record". Plus, Festa wrote that "it is noted that the entire facility shares a ventilation system, and that bedding for animals throughout the facility was supplied from the laundry room where the suspected ringworm infected cats were housed. Thus, every animal in the entire facility will require treatment as they have been exposed".
According to the letter, other requirements needed for the quarantine to be lifted include that the staff members must have received in service training and are following the orders of Dr. Santiago, carpeted cat furniture in the cat rooms must be disposed of and replaced with nonporous furniture, all bedding must be disinfected, the entire facility and all enclosures must be decontaminated, and an isolation room must be created solely for the purpose of holding animals with signs of communicable disease. In addition, staff members should wash their hands thoroughly after handling animals in the isolation rooms.
In the letter, Festa told Dr. Santiago that when the village does lift the quarantine, it will only be on a conditional basis, and he would be expected to provide monthly reports regarding the progress being made to implement the issues listed above. Festa concluded his letter by telling Dr. Santiago that "the Village expects you, as vet of record, to create, facilitate, supervise, and certify. Many of these requirements will require you to be onsite and hands on, and cannot be fulfilled remotely".
The violations and letters were obtained after a public records request was filed by Nancy Schetelick, a former JAC volunteer coordinator.
The South Orange Police Department reports that three people were arrested for allegedly being involved in a Lenox Avenue house burglary on April 12. According to the SOPD website, "detectives were able to recover a vast majority of the jewelry that had been stolen from the residence". A 23 year old, 16 year old, and a 17 year old, all from Irvington, were taken into custody on April 15 following an investigation by the SOPD Detective Bureau. The SOPD is still continuing their investigation.
First on Essex County Place: The Jersey Animal Coalition (JAC), which operates South Orange and Maplewood's only animal shelter, pled not guilty to over 50 charges on Tuesday at South Orange Municipal Court in Maplewood. The shelter was placed under quarantine by the South Orange Department of Health following an inspection by village and state health officials on March 12. JAC president and founder Ruth Perlmutter, who was not present at the hearing, had also been facing two separate charges dating back to February. However, South Orange Municipal Court Judge Jonathan H. Rosenbluth dismissed those charges in court. Judge Rosenbluth said that Perlmutter will now be considered an officer of JAC in court, and therefore faces no personal liability.
When asked in court by Judge Rosenbluth, attorney William Strazza, who is representing JAC, said the animals who live at the JAC Shelter are being cared for. Several former volunteers who appeared at court were doubtful of that statement. One former volunteer, who asked that she not be named, told Essex County Place that "they (JAC) said that the animals are doing good. Unless they've doubled their staff in six weeks, the animals aren't doing good". The former volunteers said that the shelter has been closed multiple times before, but never for this long. "We're concerned about the animals", said Roslyn Dreydoppel, "it is a filthy shelter".
Some of the former volunteers claimed that the village knew about the alleged problem and had not taken sufficient action until now. "The town ignored it for years...the state was tipped off", said a former volunteer, who asked that she not be identified, "It should have been closed years ago".
South Orange Municipal Prosecutor Gracia Robert Montilus spoke to a few of the former volunteers after the hearing. One of the former volunteers called the not guilty plea "a disgrace". Montilus said that the charges are "extremely egregious", and said that he is planning a meeting for volunteers who say that they have witnessed the alleged violations.
Judge Rosenbluth said that these are "very serious charges...(with)...very serious consequences". The case will now enter the discovery stage. JAC must respond by May 13, and the prosecution must respond by June 17. Judge Rosenbluth said that a conference will be held on June 17 to discuss "issues as to the operation (of the shelter)".
The JAC Shelter remains under quarantine, however the former volunteers stressed that the shelter is in need of donations, especially food, towels, litter, and cleaning supplies.
The South Orange Police Department reports that a carjacking took place on Saturday, April 19 on Irving Avenue.
"A Montvale resident stated that on Saturday 4-19-14 at approximately 11:30pm he was pulling into a driveway on Irving Ave. when he was robbed at gunpoint by two masked actors. The victim stated that he was about to exit his vehicle (2009 Mercedes) along with his female friend when the actors approached the vehicle on foot in the driveway and demanded their property and the vehicle. After obtaining the victim's property the actors fled in the stolen vehicle east on Irving Ave. An Officer observed the carjacked vehicle along with another suspect vehicle on Centre St. and engaged in a pursuit of same into the city of Newark. The pursuit lasted a short period of time before terminating same. The actors are both being described as black males wearing ski masks and approximately 6'0" in height and believed to be in their 20's or early 30's. The Detective Bureau is investigating the incident".
The SOPD also reported that a Lenox Avenue house was broken into, and a vehicle was stolen.
"A Lenox Ave. resident stated that on Saturday 4-19-14 at approximately 4:40am he awoke to find an actor in his hallway. The victim stated that it appeared the actor was holding a weapon possibly a handgun however, the actor fled the scene upon seeing the victim and in doing so removed the victim's vehicle (2002 Lexus) from the driveway. The actor was wearing dark clothing and a ski type of mask covering his face. The Detective Bureau is investigating the incident".
South Orange's annual River Day Celebration is scheduled to take place this year on Saturday, May 4 from 11:00am to 4:00pm. According to the River Day website, "South Orange River Day is an annual community gathering to clean up the South Orange section of the Rahway River, celebrate South Orange as a great place to live, and promote environmental education and awareness".
There will be a volunteer cleanup of the East Branch of the Rahway River during the event. According to the South Orange Environmental Commission, those interested in volunteering should complete this form, bring waterproof boots or old sneakers, and "curiosity and a sense of community".
Other activities include a wild edibles walk, ecology walk, and bike rally. There will also be a performance of the Rejuvenary River Circus from the Arm-of-the-Sea Theater, in addition to performances by guitarist Jonathan Fritz and the MapleBurn Quartet. The AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors Program and the South Orange Greenway/Bikeway will each have displays at the event. Other exhibitors at River Day include the South Mountain Conservancy, South Orange Environmental Commission, Jersey Buzz Honey Cooperative and Farrell Field Park Association.
Activities will take place at the Skate House near the Duck Pond off of Mead Street in South Orange. A full schedule of events is available at www.SORiverDay.org.
Columbia High School in Maplewoood held its annual CHS-In-Action Night on Wednesday, April 16th. Hundreds of community members and local students attended the event, which featured many of the sports and clubs at Columbia High School. There were performances by CHS Band, Magic Club, Color Guard, Special Dance Company, Improv Club, Shakespeare Festival Club, Guitar Club, Step Team, and Friday Night Live (FNL) Club. There were also fencing demonstrations and tours of the Columbia Cable Network/SOMATV Studios. Visitors were also able to visit the CHS Science Fair.
The event was presented by the CHS Club Council.
Jersey Animal Coalition (JAC) officials are now due in South Orange Municipal Court next Tuesday, April 22, at 3:00pm on over 50 charges. JAC operates an animal shelter at 298 Walton Avenue in South Orange. The charges were issued to JAC on March 12 and March 25 following an inspection conducted by both village and state health officials.
Ruth Perlmutter, the president and founder of the Jersey Animal Coalition is also due in court on two separate charges dating back to February. A statement from Perlmutter was posted on the Jersey Animal Coalition website today. In the statement, Perlmutter says "For those of you reading this who know me, you know that I have dedicated nearly a lifetime to the care and protection of animals. That lifetime passion, and my genuine belief that we are all God’s creatures, eventually led me to the world of animal rescue, which then led me to my work to help establish a no-kill animal shelter in South Orange through the Jersey Animal Coalition. After a lifetime of dedication to animal welfare, I handed my role to a new President. However, it came to the Board’s attention earlier this year that the person who took my place did not share the same passion and the same views for the protection of our animals. Therefore, our board had no choice but to remove that individual from office. I am proud to say that the board showed its faith in me by re-electing me as president. All this said, many of you, no doubt, have heard or read that in my absence, the shelter has come under severe scrutiny. At the moment, our shelter is under quarantine. In addition, the South Orange Department of Health has filed numerous charges against us for various health violations. Please know this….as the Jersey Animal Coalition President, neither I nor the board have no intention of dealing with these important issues through the press or by responding to false and slanderous internet postings and rumors. The Jersey Animal Coalition, through counsel, has denied all the charges against it, and will wage that battle in the appropriate forum – in court. As to the one thing which truly matters – our animals – know that the board and I are personally dedicated, as ever, to their health and well-being. And know that we are spending every waking hour fighting to get our doors re-opened – so that the Jersey Animal Coalition can continue to serve the community and provide salvation for these beautiful animals who all deserve a chance at life".
Perlmutter had originally agreed to speak to Essex County Place regarding the shutdown of the shelter, but did not return our questions.
South Orange Municipal Court is housed in the Maplewood Police and Municipal Court building at 1618 Springfield Avenue in Maplewood.
South Orange and Maplewood's only animal shelter has now been closed for over a month. The Jersey Animal Coalition shelter on Walton Avenue in South Orange was shut down by the South Orange Village Department of Health in March following an inspection conducted by village health officer John Festa and Linda Frese from the New Jersey Department of Health on March 12.
The inspection report said that the shelter was allegedly violating multiple state laws, and their were several other issues at the facility causing the shelter to be shut down. The report said that "the fire inspection unification posted at the facility showing evidence of a satisfactory inspection had expired" in 2013, "(paper) towels were not provided at several of the hand washing sinks located in the animal rooms and at the sink in the food preparation area", and dog crates were being used as "primary enclosures to house dogs in various locations throughout the facility". According to the report, four of these crates, which were constructed of an "inconsistent gauge wire to provide safe containment of the animals", were located in the education room, and intended for aggressive dogs. Furthermore, the report said that the crates "wobbled and started to tip when the dogs jumped on the sides of the enclosures". The report also said that one dog was being housed in the staff break room.
Other findings from the inspection included pieces of dog treats on the floor, walls with water damage, a hole in the laundry room ceiling, a phone jack outlet without a cover plate in a free-roaming cat room, and dangling electrical cords, according to the report. The report also said that the village health inspector found dog feces throughout the parking area and outside grounds, in addition to a bag of dog feces "melting into the snow". There was an "excessive amount of clutter", and unlocked cabinets with medical supplies inside, the report continued. Plus, the report cited insufficient ventilation, animals showing signs of illness being kept in the same room as other animals, dogs being placed in previously inhabited enclosures without the enclosures being cleaned first, lack of records, feeding pans not being cleaned daily, and no evidence of sick or injured animals receiving "prompt basic veterinary care to alleviate pain and suffering". The report cited dozens of additional violations, including that "many of the animals" not being identified. Also mentioned in the report was that a sign on the front door indicated that the shelter was closed on Mondays, but the report said that the shelter is required to be open for public access for at least two hours every business day.
Other animal shelters in Northern New Jersey are reacting to the shutdown. Suzanne Roman, the Executive Director of the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter in East Hanover, said that "Mt. Pleasant is saddened by the situation with JAC and hopes their problems can be addressed, then monitored to ensure the best possible care for the animals entrusted to them". Roman said that the JAC shutdown has caused minimal impact to the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter. A representative for the Proud Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of Montclair said "we lost our shelter at the end of 2008 so I think we know how they (JAC) feel, we took all our animals with us when we closed and now we are a foster network". Lisa Esak of the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge shelter said the the JAC shutdown "does not have a tremendous affect on us other than that there is always an overwhelming number of homeless animals and people looking to surrender animals and a shortage of places for them to go regardless. That unfortunately doesn't seem to change."
Regarding how the village has been impacted by the shutdown of the shelter, South Orange Village President Alex Torpey told Essex County Place that "the day-to-day services which the residents receive have not been affected. The Village has contracted with Associated Humane in Newark." The Jersey Animal Coalition shelter was where stray animals found in both South Orange and Maplewood were delivered before the shelter was shut down.
The president of the Jersey Animal Coalition, Ruth Perlmutter, originally agreed to comment for this story, but then did not return our questions. A statement on the JAC website says the the coalition is "working diligently to ensure that (the shelter) will reopen in a timely manner...as always, the health and safety of the animals in our care is our primary concern". The statement also says that "over the last few months, rumors, both real and perceived, have been flying about the shelter’s operations and future. Please be assured that the JAC Board is aware of everything, has been conducting its own ongoing investigation and is taking action. As a result, we took significant steps last month to rectify the source of many of these problems. We are looking forward to working closely with the State and the Village of South Orange so that together we can bring the Shelter back to its pre-eminent role as a community resource, and as one of the very few 100 percent no-kill shelters in the Tri-state area. Community support matters more now than ever. We thank you for your past, present and future support of JAC in keeping no-kill a reality in NJ." The coalition says that donations are needed now "more than ever, since...adoptions have been stopped".
When Essex County Place visited the shelter on April 14, a man who identified himself as a volunteer said that the shelter is in desperate need of donations. "Because of the vindictiveness of some of the volunteers, the only ones who really got hurt (by the shutdown) were the animals", said the volunteer, who said he is not employed by the coalition. According to the volunteer, the animals who live in the shelter have been locked in cages since the shelter was shut down. Pointing to a dog who he was bringing out of the facility, he said that many of the animals have become "very aggressive" because of this. The volunteer declined to give his name, but claimed that there were some volunteers who "weren't walking the dogs properly", and therefore were terminated by the coalition. "People found reasons to pick on the shelter", the volunteer said, alleging those volunteers reported the shelter to the village for various violations.
South Orange Deputy Administrator Adam D. Loehner told Essex County Place that "under the quarantine, no animals should leave the facility (shelter grounds). As for volunteers it is up to the vet of record to determine who needs to be there to ensure the animals are well cared for. The Village has asked the shelter to only walk animals on their property to ensure each animal is getting enough exercise time to maintain good health".
Donna Leusner, the director of communications for the New Jersey Department of Health told Essex County Place that "the Department (of Health) provided technical assistance to the South Orange Health Officer during the inspection. The New Jersey Department of Health does not have jurisdiction over animal cruelty situations but we were informed by the South Orange Health Officer that he notified the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA) of the conditions under which the animals were held at the facility".
The Jersey Animal Coalition is due in South Orange Municipal Court in Maplewood tomorrow at 3:00pm on 51 charges. Ruth Perlmutter, JAC president, faces two different charges dating back to February. Perlmutter has pleaded not guilty, and JAC did not file a plea.
According to a press release from Essex County Public Information Officer Anthony Puglisi, the $30 Million renovation of the South Orange Avenue 'S-Curves" is the "largest road improvement project undertaken by Essex County in the last generation". The release said that the project will "flatten the curves in the road, enhance motor vehicle safety and storm drainage, and make the road meet modern traffic design standards". Although the construction is expected to last for the next two years, lane closures are not anticipated, according to the county.
"The public relies on our network of County roads to travel to work, school and conduct their daily lives, and South Orange Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare. While stretch of road through Essex County South Mountain Reservation offers some picturesque views, the sharp turns and lack of shoulders on the side of the road create hazardous driving conditions and are prone to flooding", Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr. said in the release, mentioning that federal money will be used as part of the project. DiVincenzo added that the "Federal Highway Administration identified this section of South Orange Avenue as being dangerous over a decade ago".
French and Parrello Associates received a $1.6 million contract to design the roadway improvements, the release said. New Prince Concrete Construction from Hackensack was awarded a publicly bid contract for $25,915,389.50 to perform the construction. The Essex County Public Works Department is monitoring the project to ensure delays are avoided.
· The roadway will be re-aligned to reduce the sharpness of the curves.
· The roadway will be widened so that a shoulder can be created in the eastbound direction.
· Traffic signal equipment at the intersections of Brookside Drive/Cherry Lane in Millburn and Glenview Road in South Orange will be modernized.
· Retention swales along the side of the road will be constructed to address flooding and reduce water runoff from the road into the reservation.
· Guide rails and lighting will be installed to enhance safety. The new lights will include traditional overhead cobra-head street lights and decorative gas-lamp style lamps.
· A new pedestrian bridge over the roadway near the Girl Scout Camp and an existing pedestrian and equine bridge will be reconstructed. The two bridges will be designed with stone facing to complement the natural area of the reservation.
· Turnoff and parking areas will be upgraded to improve sight lines and make it easier to exit and enter the roadway. This will enhance access to walking trails that start or pass by these parking areas.
· More than 3,600 trees and additional landscaping will be planted to replace the 430 trees that were cut down. In addition, areas in the reservation that were affected by Hurricane Sandy will be replanted.
The Maplewood Department of Public Works is asking that Maplewood commuters complete a brief survey on the township website regarding the Maplewood Jitney service.
"Being that people can pay $1.00 to ride the bus instead of purchasing a pass, it is hard to an accurate count of how many people use this service", Maplewood DPW director Eric Burbank told South Orange Maplewood Place.
The survey asks questions regarding how often residents use the jitney, which jitney route and train they use, and whether or not the jitney is usually on-time.
"The commuters should take the survey so I can have better feedback and make adjustments where needed so to provide them with the best service possible", said Burbank.
The survey will be available until 9pm on Sunday, April 13. Only one survey may be completed per Jitney user.
The Board of Directors of the Maplewood Village Alliance have approved the current design of a proposed mixed-use building at the site of the main Maplewood Post Office in Maplewood Village. According to a statement on the Maplewood Township website, "This approval came after a collaborative process of almost 20 hours of meetings and negotiations between the developers, the Village Alliance's Post Office Design Review Sub-Committee and the Township".
Part of the project plan includes for the Maplewood Post Office will be torn down and relocated, and a new building with residential and retail space to be built.
According to the statement, "the developer's selection of final construction materials and signage will similarly need approvals by the Village Alliance". The developer for the project is L&M Development Partners of Westchester County, NY.
The Maplewood Village Alliance is the non-profit management agency of the Maplewood Village Special Improvement District.
The Columbia High School Club Council has announced that the 2014 CHS-In-Action Night will be on Wednesday, April 16th from 6:30PM to 9:30PM.
An email to middle school and high school parents said that "Columbia’s Student Council is cordially inviting the entire South Orange-Maplewood community, especially middle school students and their parents, to come and see what CHS is all about".
The Special Dance team, Shakespeare Festival club, and Step Dance team will each be performing at CHS-In-Action Night, in addition to the Columbia High School Band, State Champion Fencing team, and Acapella Choir.
"Every group and organization present will have representatives eager to speak to the community members and introduce 8th graders to our CHS family", said the email, "CHS-in-Action (Night) is a great way for middle school students and their parents to see and get excited about all of the amazing activities going on at CHS".
Attendees will be able to climb to the Astronomy Club observatory at the top of the clock tower, and take a behind-the-scenes tour at the Columbia Cable Network (CCN) studios. Attendees can also visit the Columbia High School Science Fair.
Columbia High School is located at 17 Parker Avenue in Maplewood.
First on PlaceNJ.com: Changes may be coming to the parking lot at the Maplewood Women's Club. According to the agenda for the Maplewood Township Planning Board Meeting tonight, the Planning Board will discuss "parking lot improvements to reconfigure lot and to create additional parking. Improvements include an underground detention system, new curbing, pavement, striping, landscaping, lighting and fencing".
Several Maplewood residents have already voiced opposition to the project. "Given the controversy over storm water runoff remediation in the (South Mountain) reservation, we shouldn't be blatantly contributing to the problem by paving over more land", Maplewood resident Jonathan Poor told South Orange Maplewood Place. "Even if parking is a legitimate problem...this is way too high a price to pay".
New Jersey American Water, the water supplier for Maplewood and Millburn. has announced that crews from NJAM will be working on Wyoming Avenue in Maplewood and Millburn from on/around April 10th to November as part of a $4.2 million water service improvement project.
"Nearly 22,000 feet of six-inch, unlined cast iron water mains will be cleaned of the minerals and sediment that has built up over time along the inner walls, and then the water mains will be lined with a cement coating", said Richard G. Barnes of NJAM in a press release.
According to the release, the current water mains have served Maplewood and Millburn residents, and this project will give the water mains "a new lease on their usefulness". NJAM crews will be working on Wyoming Avenue between Sagamore and Ridgewood, Claremont Avenue, and Linden Street from 7:30am to 5pm.
NJAM says that "while the work is ongoing, there will be minimal water service disruption for customers. The water services connected to the mains being cleaned and lined will be temporarily relocated to above ground, bypass mains".
Barnes told Essex County Place that the work will not require NJAM to close entire streets, but there are areas where traffic will be reduced to one lane during working hours. According to Barnes. traffic will go back to multiple lanes when the work is suspended for the evening hours.
The former South Orange Rescue Squad headquarters on Third Street in South Orange was torn down on Friday. Construction workers demolished the building to make way for Third and Valley, a new residential and retail development. The rescue squad is temporarily operating out of an apartment and garage at 13 4th Street, but will eventually move to a new building next to the South Orange Fire Department. The Jonathan Rose Companies, the developer for the Third and Valley project, donated $1.1 million to the rescue squad in order to help pay for the new building.
Third and Valley is expected to be completed in late 2015, and will be home to 215 apartments, 3,000 square feet of retail and office space, and a new parking garage.
A new bakery and internet cafe is set to open on Springfield Avenue on Saturday. Called 'The Rack Cafe and Chill Spot', it will serve soups, sandwiches, panini, coffee, and various baked goods. Owner Omosede Ayinde says she decided to open a cafe on Springfield Avenue because she "likes the area" and that fact that it is convenient to public transportation.
"We found a location that is perfect for what we're looking to do", said Ayinde. "There's nothing much like our cafe in that neighborhood".
The Rack will hold a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting with Maplewood Mayor Vic DeLuca and other township officials on Saturday, April 5th at 10:00am. From 10:00pm to 1:00pm, everything on the menu will be 10% off. There will be a free cookie giveaway for children while supplies last, and free samples of most baked goods.
The Rack is located at 1844 Springfield Avenue in Maplewood between Oberlin and Yale Streets. | 2019-04-22T06:54:18Z | https://www.placenj.com/2014/04/ |
Parrikar has broken a tradition of sphinx-like silence, wherein his two UPA predecessors rarely acknowledged the existence of India’s nuclear deterrent or even mentioned the ‘N’ word.
Raksha Mantri (RM) Manohar Parrikar’s seemingly wayward remarks about India’s nuclear posture may have stirred a hornet’s nest in the media, but if they are indicative of a new-found interest in security matters amongst decision-makers, this occurrence needs to be lauded. Given their preoccupation with electoral politics, it is worrying to see how little time and mental space our political leaders devote to national security. Nowhere is this neglect more worrisome than in the area of higher defence management and the existential complexities of our nuclear deterrent. Even if he was expressing personal views, which may or may not be in consonance with state policy or media perceptions, Parrikar has broken a tradition of sphinx-like silence, wherein his two UPA predecessors rarely acknowledged the existence of India’s nuclear deterrent or even mentioned the ‘N’ word. The RM’s off-the-cuff remarks will serve a useful purpose if they trigger a debate on nuclear issues that include India’s hastily made commitments to no-first-use (NFU), a “minimal” arsenal and the self-imposed moratorium on testing. After all, the BJP’s 2014 election manifesto had promised to”study in detail India’s nuclear doctrine, and revise and update it, to make it relevant to challenges of current times”.
WHERE IS INDIA IN CHINA’S WILD ARMS RACE?
India is rapidly arming its Defence forces. The latest media reports suggest that the Modi Government has cleared Defence acquisition projects worth Rs 82,000 crore, which would include purchase of 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) for the Air Force, a total of 464 T-90 Russian tanks and raise six regiments of Pinaka missiles for the Army, 15 Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) and Japanese US-2i long-range amphibious surveillance aircraft for the Navy. These acquisitions come on the heels of purchase of 36 French Rafel fighter jets and a second Akula class nuclear submarine at a cost of $2 bn from Russia.
Lt. Gen. Sinha was very much an old-world aristocrat in the truest sense of the word, calm and collected under all circumstances.
I had the privilege of knowing Lt. Gen. Srinivas Kumar Sinha, PVSM (Retired), but not his full name until quite recently. He was an “officer and a gentleman” of the old school whose character and moral values sprang from his undoubtedly privileged family background from an established landowning Bhumihar family of Bihar which was politically influential and well connected. Lt. Gen. Sinha was very much an old-world aristocrat in the truest sense of the word, calm and collected under all circumstances, just, fair, at the same time strict and even handed in all matters. He was endowed with a personal sense of honour and the most impeccable integrity. I was aware of his advanced age, and I knew the end had to come sometime, but nevertheless I was indeed sad when the news arrived of his passing.
Remembering Indira Gandhi in her birth centenary year is necessary for more than sentimental or partisan reasons. She gave self-confidence to a nation in times of self-doubt caused by the humiliating defeat of 1962, the growing severity of the food crisis and failures of state-guided development. She also gave a complacent polity a taste of the authoritarianism that could easily eclipse democracy. She personified dignity in the face of political defeat and adversity and exhibited grit as well as an acute sense of the political in her re-entry into the portals of power. In her lifetime, she graduated into folklore; in her death, she became a martyr.
One cannot help but appreciate Mr. Modi’s sense of timing for the dramatic. Following the raids inside POK subsequent to Pakistan’s Uri misadventure, we have chaos heaped in big measure with the surprise move to demonetize high value currency notes. On the aftermath of the precision raids against militant launch pads while everybody and their uncle was holding forth on its efficacy or otherwise, those at its receiving end maintained an uneasy silence, prevalent even to this day similar to the Mafia’s code of Omertà.
Stone pelting too, which appears to be motivated more by cash transfers than any actual grievance against the local Administration is also likely to be greatly impacted by Mr. Modi’s action to switch off unaccounted for funds.
We now see a similar reaction on Mr. Modi’s strike against the corrupt, with politicians of all hues loudly proclaiming their opposition to the move on behalf of the common man. This is despite the fact that the average man or woman on the street, inspite of the inconvenience faced, appears to have reacted positively to this initiative. There can be little doubt that politicians have been greatly impacted, personally and politically, especially given the role of money power in elections, which interestingly finds little mention.
All of this, including Trump’s unexpected success at the American Presidential hustings, has pushed the question of the ongoing situation along the LOC into the background, which in itself is not a bad thing. We can certainly do with lowering of tensions, something impossible to achieve in the face of an aggressive and ultra-nationalistic media that continues to view Indo-Pakistan relations through the prism of a zero sum game.
Given the onset of winter in the coming weeks, the Kashmir Valley is slowly settling down to its usual bout of somnambulism. The attempts by radical elements to burn down schools, while their own kith and kin get the benefits of education elsewhere, has not gone down well with the affected population and is leading to increasing disenchantment with Separatists and their disruptive agenda. Stone pelting too, which appears to be motivated more by cash transfers than any actual grievance against the local Administration is also likely to be greatly impacted by Mr. Modi’s action to switch off unaccounted for funds.
*** Come the Revolution Winning the war leads to the inevitable problem of running the country.
Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking all have something in common: All three have gone on the record sharing their concerns and fears about artificial intelligence and robotics.
While these technologies hold a great deal of promise, and will have a real impact on our future, it’s important for us to understand the ramifications they could have for all of us, particularly in terms of labor.
The growing sophistication of computer criminals can be seen in the evolution of attack tools like the widely used malicious program known as Blackshades, according to Mr. Goodman. The author of the program, a Swedish national, was convicted last year in the United States.
The system, which was sold widely in the computer underground, functioned as a “criminal franchise in a box,” Mr. Goodman said. It allowed users without technical skills to deploy computer ransomware or perform video or audio eavesdropping with a mouse click.
Nonviolent resistance has been a surprisingly effective method of political change and its use has spread around the world. In this brief, Erica Chenoweth highlights some of the recent developments in this form of defiance, including a puzzling and sudden decline in the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance since 2010, and the surprising lack of state support for such campaigns.
This article was originally published by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) in 2016.
Nonviolent resistance has been a surprisingly effective method of political change. Moreover, it is becoming an increasingly common practice around the world. This policy brief highlights some key trends in nonviolent resistance–including a puzzling sudden decline in the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance since 2010, an increase in the number of violent flanks within otherwise nonviolent uprisings, and the surprising lack of direct state support for such campaigns. The brief concludes with implications for policymakers concerned with human rights and democracy assistance.
Nonviolent resistance is on the rise, even as violent forms of resistance are on the decline.
Nonviolent mass uprisings can be swift, effective, and extremely difficult to predict.
However, nonviolent resistance has declined in its effectiveness since 2010, even as it has become a more widely adopted technique. Activists need skills, knowledge, protection from repression, and an engaged and prepared civil society to mobilize effectively.
Never before have the relations of India and Japan relation been calibrated by a third country factor. The recent November summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Japan, and the deals between the two countries are the reflections of the concerns of India and Japan with respect to China’s assertiveness for Asian hegemony and muscle flexing in South China Sea.
The success of six year tug-of-war Civil Nuclear deal against China’s intransigence for anti-NGS stance and Japan’s sale of US-2 amphibious planes to the Indian Navy, pledging for Defense Framework Agreement and Joint Working Group for defense equipment and cooperation, joint cooperation for development of Chabahar Port in Iran and reiteration of commitment for maintenance of peace in South China Sea in the Joint Statement, all reflect the new directions of the India-Japan relations with a focus on China in Asia.
There was a paradigm shift in India-Japan relations from economy to defense. Never before has defense gained prominence over the economy. In the Joint Statement, the economic focuses were preceded by defense commitment. A new twist in the India-Japan relation was observed in the aftermath of Japan introducing new defense guidelines in December 2013. Under the guidelines, Japan identified a number of areas in which it would like to strengthen cooperation with India.
The era of India–Japan defense cooperation began with MR Modi’s first visit to Japan as Prime Minister in September 2014. The summit made a turnaround in the bilateral relation focusing on defense cooperation after Japan lifted the ban on six Indian entries, including HAL (Hindustan Aeronautical Limited) – the only Indian company producing Indian defense aircraft – in the hope of selling US-2 amphibious planes. Thus, India became the first country in the world after World War II to acquire military systems from Japan.
Despite the chilling brutality of the Islamic State (ISIS), the harsh laws of Sunni Saudi Arabia and the hate speeches of mullahs from Tehran to Islamabad, the more extremist strains of radical Islam receive less criticism than they deserve.
Few want to meet the fate of the journalists and cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo, murdered by Islamist terrorists, or Kamlesh Tiwari, still languishing in jail nearly a year after his allegedly derogatory comments on the Prophet.
Islamaphobia is rightly condemned. Hinduphobia though is acceptable in living rooms across upper middle-class urban India where secular poseurs are many in number.
In India it's kosher, even fashionable among the nouveau elite, to be anti-Hindu.
We'll come to the pathology of this curious phenomenon in a bit but first a look at The Economist's story on Muslims in India whom it calls 'An Uncertain Community'.
International law requires the consent of all parties, but China and the US reject when decisions cross short-term strategic interests.
Flutter over the surprise visit to China by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte may soon fade. But his abrupt and public dismissal of the United States in favor of China has weakened the argument that international rule of law could underpin a changing world order.
The issue in question was the long-running dispute between China and the Philippines over sovereignty of Scarborough Shoal, situated 800 kilometers southeast of China and 160 kilometers west of the Philippines mainland, well inside the United Nations–defined Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone.
Despite a court ruling and Duterte’s cap in hand during his October mission to Beijing, Philippine fishing vessels still only enter the waters around Scarborough Shoal at China’s mercy.
The dispute erupted in April 2012, when China sent ships to expel Filipino fishing crews and took control of the area. The standoff became a symbol of Beijing’s policy to lay claim to 90 percent of the South China Sea where where it continues to build military outposts on remote reefs and artificially created islands in waters claimed by other nations. Lacking military, diplomatic or economic muscle, the Philippines turned to the rule of law and the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. A panel of maritime judges ruled China’s claim to Scarborough Shoal invalid in July this year. China refused to recognize the tribunal from the start and declared the decision “null and void,” highlighting the complex balance in the current world order between national power and the rule of law.
Beijing’s response mirrored a 1986 US response to Nicaragua’s challenge in the International Court of Justice. The court ruled against the United States for mining Nicaragua’s harbors and supporting right-wing Contra rebels. The United States claimed the court had no jurisdiction.
With these stands, both China and the United States weakened a crucial element of international law – consent and recognition by all parties.
China-US collaboration on infrastructure projects in Asia could reduce extremism, improve relations and help companies.
With Donald Trump’s election, China and the United States could be on a collision course. The US president-elect promised during the campaign to label China a currency manipulator, instruct the US trade representative to bring trade cases against China in the World Trade Organization, and threaten 45 percent tariffs if China does not renegotiate trade agreements with the US. Meanwhile, China pursues a military buildup in the South China Sea designed to diminish US influence in Asia.
As Trump addresses trade and the other issues on the US-China agenda as president and not candidate, he may find it useful to look for areas where the two countries could work together. One opportunity ready to be explored is the vision promoted by both Beijing and Washington of the need for more economic and infrastructure connections between East Asia, South and Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Two concepts are in play: China’s One Belt One Road, or OBOR initiative, a multibillion dollar program to build ports, railways, roads, power plants in and around 60 countries and the more modest, but still important, the American New Silk Road initiative, or NSR.
In July 2011, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke in India about the benefits of linking Central Asian economies with those in South Asia, with Afghanistan and Pakistan in the center. Increased regional economic connectivity, she argued, would promote sustainable economic growth, a crucial part of the effort to defeat extremism. In September, the United States convened a New Silk Road ministerial meeting in New York and China expressed enthusiasm for the project. Turkey hosted the “Heart of Asia Conference” in November 2011, and supported by the United States and China, the concept became a touchstone for regional cooperation.
On Tuesday, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chaired the 15th Joint GCC Defense Council meeting in Riyadh, which was attended by the defense ministers of the GCC states. During the meeting the deputy crown prince called for greater GCC military cooperation. All these events point toward a greater urgency among the GCC states to close their ranks in view of the changing scenario in the wider region.
The GCC states — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman — are the most prosperous, secure, stable and homogeneous states in the world. The GCC countries enjoy stability in an area known for its volatility. For many years, the Arabian Gulf states managed to deal with, and overcome, many challenges. After achieving great feats together, the people of the GCC states want to take the cooperation between their respective countries to a new level by forming the United Gulf States.
The region is facing many challenges and they should be countered with more plans for security as well as for more economic and political unity. The Gulf region is blessed with natural resources, which require protection from any military or terrorist threats. The “Arabian Gulf Security One” exercises held in Bahrain successfully achieved the desired results. Different forces showed professionalism in coordinating a variety of operations. The large number of personnel who participated in the exercise and the sophisticated equipment used in the drill showed the readiness and ability of the GCC to counter any threat coming from any country or any terrorist organization.
These solutions are faulty. As a recent research trip to Iraq confirmed to me, while ethno-sectarianism persists in Iraq, its influence on post-ISIL stabilization should not be overdetermined. Important shifts have occurred in Iraqi politics and society since the ISIL onslaught in Mosul in June 2014, rendering state partition along ethnic and sectarian lines even less likely today than a decade ago. Instead, the Iraqi state has broken down into hyper-fragmented entities with their own militias, all of which seek recognition, economic benefits, self-rule, and self-protection within the Iraqi state. ISIL’s consequences include demographic shifts, re-ordering of internal boundaries, and pacts and divisions within and across communities. Any successful plan to stabilize Iraq must address these developments. At minimum, both policy and plans should enhance Iraqi sovereignty and focus on local governance and security arrangements in official territorial units, rather than particular ethnic and sectarian group interests.
Imagine if Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi had nuclear weapons in 2003. The invasion of Iraq may not have been possible, and states would have been much more reluctant to bomb Libya in 2011. The Middle East would be a very different place today. As it happens, both leaders had sought nuclear weapons for decades, but neither got the bomb. Why?
In fact, Iraq came close to the nuclear weapons threshold. If Saddam hadn’t invaded Kuwait in the summer of 1990,Iraq would most likely have acquired nuclear weapons during the mid-1990s. In contrast, Libya’s program failed, over and over again, for three decades before the Gaddafi regime ultimately abandoned the program in late 2003.
In my new book, Unclear Physics: Why Iraq and Libya Failed to Get Nuclear Weapons, I present a history of the nuclear programs in both states. Armed with new evidence, collected in archives and fieldwork over the past decade, I tell the story of these nuclear programs from the contemporary perspectives of decision-makers, scientists and managers. By exploring these programs from the bottom up, as well as from the perspectives of regime elites, I shed new light on why these programs failed, and how much Saddam and Gaddafi actually knew about how these programs were doing at different stages. My findings also challenge important aspects of the conventional wisdom about how these regimes worked: They were not efficient machines, as they appeared from the outside. Seen from the inside, these regimes were frequently chaotic and inefficient.
While dictators with weak states can easily decide that they want nuclear weapons, they will find it difficult to produce them. Why? Personalist dictators like Saddam and Gaddafi weaken formal state institutions in order to concentrate power in their own hands. This helps them remain in power for longer, but makes their states inefficient. Weak states have fewer instruments to set up and manage complex technical programs. They lack the basic institutional capability to plan, execute, and review complicated technical projects. As a result, their leaders can be led to believe that the nuclear weapons program is doing great while, in fact, nothing is working out. In Libya, for example, scientists worked throughout the 1980s to produce centrifuges, with zero results.
The election of Donald Trump has prompted a flood of commentary on the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), President Barack Obama’s signature achievement. Trump repeatedly described the JCPOA with Iran as the “worst agreement ever” and promised to “dismantle” it. As is well known, the JCPOA, as a multinational agreement, cannot be abrogated by the United States alone. It is not even clear whether Trump, who, in his customary contradictory manner, also complained that sanctions hurt American chances of doing business with the regime, would attempt to kill it. Vice President–elect Mike Pence, a Tea Party supporter and an evangelical Christian, has been more consistent, vowing numerous times to rip up the accord.
Overlooked in the speculations about Trump’s future decisions is the dominant role that Congress would play in shaping American policy toward the JCPOA. In 2015, in conjunction with the government of Israel and the Israel lobby in Washington, congressional Republicans mounted an unprecedented but ultimately an unsuccessful campaign to derail the deal. Still, the lobby and its congressional patrons have not abandoned their effort to limit the economic benefits of the deal to Iran. One effective tool is new sanctions-generating legislation. Lawmakers from the House Republican Israel Caucus introduced several bills which would, among others provisions, extend the Iran Sanctions Act due to expire in December 2016, block the sale of eighty Boeing planes to Iran and prohibit the Export-Import Bank from financing business with Iran. Unlike President Obama, President-elect Trump is not expected to veto the anti-Iran legislation, setting a relatively low bar for its passage.
This article was originally published by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on 9 November 2016.
ISIS has organized a number of external attacks worldwide in the past year, some of which have been thwarted. ISIS’s global network is still operating and is poised to continue conducting external attacks in late 2016. The U.S. must recognize that the campaign to recapture Mosul and Raqqa will not defeat ISIS. Rather, any military success in Iraq and Syria must be the first phase of a campaign to counter ISIS globally, whether through military or non-military means.
ISIS has been planning an external attack from Raqqa, Syria. The U.S. and its partners in the counter-ISIS coalition are assisting the major operations to recover Raqqa and Mosul, ISIS’s main urban hubs. ISIS is conducting counter-offensives inside Iraq to divert Coalition attention from these main efforts. Similarly, ISIS will direct its global network to launch additional counter-offensives across its global footprint. Coalition partner nations face a high risk of attacks by ISIS on their homelands and their populations abroad while the offensives to recapture Mosul and Raqqa progress. The attack threat emanating from Raqqa highlights that ISIS-linked militants across the world still receive direction from ISIS in core terrain.
ISIS’s global attack network consists of two known campaigns: a general call for individuals to conduct attacks in the name of ISIS; and specific discrete attacks that are planned, coordinated, and executed by organized groups or cells of ISIS members. The specific external attack threat emanating from Raqqa falls in the latter category, over which ISIS exerts more control. Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, ISIS’s former spokesman and director of external operations, may have masterminded this two-pronged strategy and its execution. But his death on the battlefield in Aleppo Province on August 20, 2016 did not eliminate ISIS’s ability to design and coordinate such attacks. ISIS’s global network is still operating within the campaign framework defined by Adnani and other high-ranking ISIS militants and is poised to continue external attacks in late 2016.
While there is “a new dawn for global cooperation on climate change”, greater efforts are required to mobilize funding to address climate change, especially to support developing countries, according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Russia revealed on 15 November that it has K-300P Bastion-P (SSC-5 ‘Stooge’) coastal defence systems deployed in Syria, and that its P-800 Onyx (SS-N-26 'Strobile’) anti-ship missiles have a land attack capability.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) it fired some of these missiles against rebel land targets in Syria on 15 November. At least two missiles appear to have been fired from two different Bastion-P launchers, based on the footage release by the MoD.
The strikes came as part of the launch of a Russian air offensive against rebel forces in Syria that also included the firing of Kalibr missiles from the Russian Navy Project 11356M frigate Admiral Grigorovich. The Russian air offensive is believed to be linked to a Syrian ground offensive in the Aleppo area.
Based on analysis by IHS Jane’s , one of the Bastion-P launchers seen in the Russian MoD footage was deployed at a Syrian P-14 early warning radar site 30 km inland from the coastal city of Baniyas in Tartus province (35.165798 N, 36.262310 E).
The Syrian government also operates Bastion-P systems, with the first deliveries reported in 2011. These are generally referred as Yakhont systems after the name for the export version of the P-800 missile.
The general outlines of Trump’s foreign policy vision suggest that we should prepare for a sharp break from the past. Trump seems uninterested in pursuing either the energetic liberal internationalism or the aggressive interventionism that have defined post-Cold War American grand strategy. Instead, Trump appears ready to redefine American commitments around the world – to regional security, to free trade and to alliances.
Trump’s success, however, will depend on whether he wins the tug-of-war with his foreign policy advisers. Most are likely to be wedded to the very strategies Trump attacked during his campaign. The reason is simple: there are simply no senior foreign policy hands – on either the Republican or Democratic bench – who support Trump’s mélange of unorthodox positions on international issues.
The names floated to date — Newt Gingrich, John Bolton, Gen. Michael Flynn, Senator Jeff Sessions, Senator Jim Talent and the like — all have greater inclinations toward American engagement in the world, and military intervention in particular, than Trump. All of them supported the war in Iraq that Trump famously purports to have opposed and now calls a huge mistake. Gingrich and Bolton have both called for military strikes to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. Most of these cabinet candidates also break with Trump on the issue of Russia and Vladimir Putin and support more aggressive measures to confront China. And on the question of the Islamic State, though Trump has called for “smashing ISIS” and other tough counterterrorism measures, he has also made it very clear that he has much less interest than his potential advisors do in getting more involved militarily in Iraq and Syria. If Trump’s top advisors win the tug-of-war, American foreign policy will look very different from the one Trump sketched during the campaign.
The $64 thousand question then is who will win the tug-of-war? Both logic andscholarly research suggest a president as inexperienced as Trump is very likely to rely heavily on the counsel of his advisors. After all, Trump doesn’t just lack foreign policy experience – he has never held any government office and remains unfamiliar with the rhythms of the federal government and U.S. foreign policy.
Who Cares What the Neocons Think?
George Orwell once famously observed that Western intellectuals, more often than not, harbor a dirty secret. For all their pious talk about democracy or equality, their true temptation is to “usher in a hierarchical society where the intellectual can at last get his hands on the whip.” Orwell was talking about James Burnham, who went from being a prominent Trotskyist in the 1930s to a columnist at National Review espousing the rollback of Soviet Communism. But the force of his dictum applies to today’s neoconservatives, and perhaps to none better than Eliot A. Cohen.
Cohen, who is the Robert E. Osgood professor of strategic studies at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, was, of course, among the foremost proponents of the Iraq War. His forthcoming book The Big Stick: the Limits of Soft Power & the Necessity of Military Force, as the title suggests, is not the work of someone who has had any serious second thoughts. On the contrary, it is an unabashed plea for a revival of American militarism. As Talleyrand remarked about the Bourbons, Cohen has learned nothing and forgotten nothing.
Perhaps, then, it should not be surprising that Cohen has been at the forefront of the “Never Trump” campaign. Cohen is not a traditional conservative but a crusading neocon. Writing in the American Interest, heobserved, “The Republican Party as we know it may die of Trump. If it does, it will have succumbed in part because many of its leaders chose not to fight for the Party of Lincoln.” Then, after Trump won, Cohen apparently changed his mind. He suggested that younger conservatives might consider serving in the new administration.
Iran exercised vigilance to settle the nuclear dispute and got approval of the UN Security Council revoking the sanctions, so that the US government cannot change the situation.
The official Iranian news agency IRNA reported the comments by President Rouhani and Foreign Minister Zarif on the same day that reports appeared in the Western press alleging Iranian violations of the JCPOA. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—the United Nations agency charged with monitoring Iranian compliance under the JCPOA—”expressed concerns” about a technical breach related to Iran storing heavy water in excess of the amount permitted under the JCPOA. It is the second time since the JCPOA went into effect on 16 January 2016 that inspectors found Iran in breach of the heavy water stockpile threshold. | 2019-04-21T09:06:43Z | http://strategicstudyindia.blogspot.com/2016_11_19_archive.html |
The Swinging Bass Quartet has played at the Mill Arts centre, Banbury, for a 30th Wedding Anniversary. It was a fantastic event, the room was decorated, the guests were well catered for and in the party mood.
We played background music while the chatted and enjoyed the buffet, then the band stepped up a gear, the guests came onto the floor and we saw some fantastic dancing!
This entry was posted in 1920s, 1940s music, 1950s, Anniversary, Celebration, Covers, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Kidderminster, Live Band, Michael Buble, Parties, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Swing Band, Weddings and tagged 1950's, Birmingham, birthday party, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Huntingdon Conservative Association, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Michael Buble, Midlands, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, parties, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, The Swinging Bass Band, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, weddings, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on December 28, 2017 by admin.
The Swinging Bass Trio to play at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Soluhull.
The Swinging Bass Trio (sax, keyboard & double bass) has been booked to play at a Rotary Club evening at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Solihull.
It was great to play at the National Trust’s Packwood House in the summer. A guest at that event has asked the trio to play for the Rotary Club evening.
The trio will play, as we always do, quiet background music allowing guests to meet, chat and enjoy the evening.
Looking forward to the evening!
This entry was posted in 1920s, 1940s music, 1950s, Celebration, Covers, Future Events, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Live Band, Packwood House, Parties, Rat Pack, Rotary Club, Sinatra, Swing Band, Wedding Band and tagged 1940's, 1950's, background Music, Birmingham, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Huntingdon Conservative Association, Jazz, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Michael Buble, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, Swinging Bass Trio, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, warwickshire, weddings, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on November 24, 2017 by admin.
The band has recently played at the Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire, for two summer parties – one for the volunteers and one for the village and parish. They were a lovely summer evenings.
Here is the band playing At Last.
This entry was posted in 1940s music, 1950s, Celebration, Corporate Event, Covers, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, National Trust, Parties, party, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Summer Party, Swing Band, Weddings and tagged 1940's, 1950's, Birmingham, birthday party, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Huntingdon Conservative Association, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Live band, Michael Buble, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, Red Lion Whittesford, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, The Swinging Bass Band, Vintage Themed Events, warwickshire, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on August 30, 2017 by admin.
There have been two amazing Summer Parties at Lacock Abbey that The Swinging Bass Band has recently played at. One was for the National Trust Volunteers and the other for the village and parish. We played a mix of jazz & swing, with Sinatra & Nat King Cole hits.
The weather was perfect, the sun was out, not a drop of rain, and great to see so many people there!
This entry was posted in 1920s, 1940s music, 1950s, Covers, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, National Trust, Parties, party, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Summer Party, Swing Band, Wedding Anniversary, Weddings and tagged 1940's, 1950's, Anniversary, background Music, Birmingham, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Huntingdon Conservative Association, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Live band, Michael Buble, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, parties, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, The Swinging Bass Band, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, warwickshire, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on August 16, 2017 by admin.
The Swinging Bass Band is playing at the National Trust’s Upton House & Gardens Summertime Jazz Night on Saturday 29th July 2017 from 7.00-9.00pm. Lots of music composed in the 1920′s and with the 5-piece band and you can join a short jazz taster dance class too.
Enjoy an evening of jazz music in the open air. Bring a picnic, treat yourself to a drink from the bar and relax on the grass on a lovely summer evening.
This entry was posted in 1920s, Anniversary, Celebration, Country Wedding, Covers, Future Events, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, National Trust, Parties, party, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Swing Band, Upton House and Gardens, Wedding Band and tagged Birmingham, birthday party, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Dorridge Village Hall, Huntingdon Conservative Association, in concert, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Live band, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, parties, Pop Covers, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, swing Music, The Swinging Bass Band, Vintage Themed Events, weddings, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on July 26, 2017 by admin.
The Swinging Bass Band has played at Upton House’s 1920′s weekend!
The band has played at Upton House and Gardens’ fantastic 1920′s weekend. We played a mix of 1920′s and 1930′s jazz compositions.
What an amazing National Trust property!
This entry was posted in 1920s, Anniversary, Celebration, Covers, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, National Trust, Parties, Summer Party, Swing Band, Upton House and Gardens, Wedding Band, wedding Entertainment and tagged 1920s, 1940's, Birmingham, birthday party, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Dorridge Village Hall, Huntingdon Conservative Association, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Live band, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, parties, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, The Swinging Bass Band, Upton House and Gardens, Vintage Themed Events, warwickshire, weddings, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on May 22, 2017 by admin.
The Swinging Bass Band is at the National Trust’s Upton House & Gardens this weekend May 20th & 21st!
SWINGING JAZZ WITH A 1920′s THEME.
The Swinging Bass Band is joining Upton House & Gardens near Banbury to celebrate the 1920′s this weekend. Catch the band each afternoon between 12.30 and 4.00pm.
This entry was posted in 1920s, Celebration, Covers, Future Events, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, National Trust, Parties, party, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Swing Band, wedding Entertainment, Weddings and tagged 1920s, 1940's, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Huntingdon Conservative Association, in concert, Jazz, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, Oxfordshire, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, The Swinging Bass Band, Upton House, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, warwickshire, weddings, Worcestershire on May 17, 2017 by admin.
The Swinging Bass Quartet has played at the Mill Arts Centre, Banbury, for a 30th Wedding Anniversary. It was a fantastic event, the room was decorated, the guests were well fed and ready to party.
We played background music while the chatted and enjoyed the buffet, then the band stepped up a gear and the guest came onto the floor and we saw some fantastic dancing!
This entry was posted in 1920s, 1940s music, 1950s, Anniversary, Celebration, Covers, Future Events, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, Parties, party, Pop Covers, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Swing Band, Wedding Anniversary, Weddings and tagged 1940's, 1950's, background Music, Birmingham, birthday party, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Dorridge Village Hall, Huntingdon Conservative Association, in concert, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Live band, Michael Buble, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, parties, Pop Covers, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, The Swinging Bass Band, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, warwickshire, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on April 13, 2017 by admin.
The Swinging Bass Band booked to play for a wedding at Ansty Hall, Warwickshire.
It’s great that The Swinging Bass Band will be back again at Ansty Hall, Warwickshire, and so close to Coventry, to play for a wedding.
Featuring the some of the best Rat Pack, swing music, jazz and pop covers. On hand will be our vocalist Roy Forbes to work his magic and some of the best musicians from across the Midlands.
Looking forward to a great wedding reception!
This entry was posted in 1920s, 1940s music, 1950s, Celebration, Covers, Future Events, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, National Trust, Parties, Pop Covers, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Swing Band, Wedding Band, wedding Entertainment and tagged 1940's, 1950's, Birmingham, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Coventry, Derbyshire, Huntingdon Conservative Association, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicester, Leicestershire, Live band, Michael Buble, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, Pop Covers, Red Lion Whittesford, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, swing Music, The Swinging Bass Band, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, warwickshire, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on April 7, 2017 by admin.
The Swinging Bass Trio is to play for a 30th Wedding Anniversary at Naomi’s Cafe Bar, Banbury.
The Swinging Bass Trio, (sax, keyboard & double bass) will be playing for a 30th Wedding Anniversary at Naomi’s Cafe Bar in April.
An excellent intimate venue. The sort of place which we love to play in. Intimate music, adding to the mood, and without disturbing the conversation – that’s our thing!
This entry was posted in 1920s, 1940s music, Anniversary, Celebration, Covers, Future Events, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, Parties, party, Pop Covers, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Swing Band, Wedding Anniversary, Wedding Band, wedding Entertainment and tagged 1940's, 1950's, background Music, Birmingham, birthday party, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Dorridge Village Hall, Huntingdon Conservative Association, in concert, Kettleby Foods, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Live band, Michael Buble, Midlands, Naomis Cafe Bar, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, parties, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, The Swinging Bass Band, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, warwickshire, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on February 18, 2017 by admin.
The Swinging Bass band has recently played at an informal evening at the Regent Jazz Club, Leicester.
The band played a great mix of Sinatra, Rat Pack, Swinging Jazz and Michael Bublé. People in the audience were saying that it was the best band they had ever heard! We had some of the audience dancing too – at a jazz club!
This entry was posted in 1920s, 1940s music, Bloodwise, Celebration, Corporate Event, Country Wedding, Covers, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, National Trust, Parties, party, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Summer Party, Swing Band, University, Wedding Anniversary, Wedding Band, wedding Entertainment, Weddings and tagged 1940's, 1950's, Birmingham, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Huntingdon Conservative Association, in concert, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Lindy Hop, Live band, Michael Buble, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, parties, Pop Covers, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, swing Music, The Swinging Bass Band, Vintage Themed Events, warwickshire, weddings, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on January 29, 2017 by admin.
Photo Memory 8: Corporate Event at Stapleford Hall.
The Swinging Bass Trio played background music during the summer drinks and meal for the Cambridge and Counties Bank, Leicester.
This entry was posted in 1920s, 1940s music, Anniversary, Celebration, Corporate Event, Covers, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, National Trust, Parties, party, Pop Covers, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Summer Party, Swing Band, Wedding Band, wedding Entertainment, Weddings and tagged 1940's, 1950's, background Music, Birmingham, birthday party, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Huntingdon Conservative Association, in concert, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Live band, Michael Buble, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Pop Covers, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Staffordshire, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, warwickshire, weddings, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on January 2, 2017 by admin.
Photo Memory 7: Hollywood Themed Night at De Montfort University. Leicester.
The Swinging Bass Trio was invited to play at the Hollywood themed night for De Montfort University Students Union.
The Swinging Bass Trio played many of the great titles from the Hollywood area.
This entry was posted in 1940s music, Anniversary, Black Tie, Corporate Event, Covers, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, National Trust, Parties, Pop Covers, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Swing Band, University, Wedding Band, wedding Entertainment and tagged 1940's, 1950's, Birmingham, birthday party, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Dorridge Village Hall, Huntingdon Conservative Association, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Live band, Michael Buble, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, parties, Pop Covers, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, swing Music, The Swinging Bass Band, Vintage Themed Events, warwickshire, weddings, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on December 31, 2016 by admin.
Last September The Swinging Bass Band played at an amazing 1920′s themed Birthday Party and all the guests entered came dressed for the night!
This entry was posted in 1940s music, Anniversary, Birthday Party, Black Tie, Celebration, Corporate Event, Covers, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, National Trust, Parties, Pop Covers, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Summer Party, Swing Band, Wedding Band and tagged 1940's, 1950's, background Music, Birmingham, birthday party, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Huntingdon Conservative Association, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Live band, Michael Buble, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, parties, Pop Covers, Red Lion Whittesford, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Staffordshire, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, warwickshire, weddings, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on December 30, 2016 by admin.
The Swinging Bass Band played at a fantastic 1920′s themed wedding in Leicestershire. Everyone certainly enjoyed getting into the spirit of the event!
This entry was posted in 1940s music, Anniversary, Black Tie, Celebration, Country Wedding, Covers, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, National Trust, Parties, Pop Covers, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Summer Party, Swing Band, Wedding Band and tagged 1920s, 1940's, 1950's, background Music, Birmingham, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Dorridge Village Hall, Huntingdon Conservative Association, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Live band, Michael Buble, Midlands, National Trust, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, parties, Pop Covers, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, Swinging Bass Trio, The Swinging Bass Band, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, warwickshire, weddings, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on December 30, 2016 by admin.
Another photo from the Birthday party at the Case Restaurant, Leicester that the band played at.
This entry was posted in 1940s music, Anniversary, Birthday Party, Celebration, Corporate Event, Country Wedding, Covers, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, National Trust, Parties, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Swing Band, Wedding Band, Weddings and tagged 1940's, 1950's, background Music, Birmingham, birthday party, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Huntingdon Conservative Association, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Live band, Midlands, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, parties, Rodbaston Hall, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Staffordshire, The Swinging Bass Trio, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, warwickshire, weddings, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on December 29, 2016 by admin.
The Swinging Bass Band playing Happy Birthday at a party at the Case Restaurant, Leicester.
This entry was posted in 1940s music, Anniversary, Birthday Party, Celebration, Christmas Party, Corporate Event, Covers, Glenn Miller, Hollywood, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Live Band, Michael Buble, National Trust, Parties, Pop Covers, Rat Pack, Sinatra, Swing Band, Weddings and tagged 1940's, background Music, Birmingham, birthday party, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, corporate events, Derbyshire, Dorridge Village Hall, Huntingdon Conservative Association, in concert, Jazz, Kettleby Foods, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Michael Buble, Midlands, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, outside music, parties, Pop Covers, Rodbaston Hall, Rutland, Samworth Brothers Quality Foods, Sinatra, Solihull, Swinging Bass Trio, The Swinging Bass Band, Vintage Themed Events, vintage themed wedding, warwickshire, weddings, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire on December 28, 2016 by admin. | 2019-04-24T10:03:27Z | http://www.theswingingbass.co.uk/category/parties/ |
P-TEFb phosphorylates RNA polymerase II and negative elongation factors to stimulate general transcriptional elongation. It is kept in a functional equilibrium through alternately interacting with its positive (the Brd4 protein) and negative (the HEXIM1 protein and 7SK snRNA) regulators. To investigate the physiological significance of this phenomenon, we analyzed the responses of HeLa cells and murine erythroleukemia cells (MELC) to hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA), which inhibits growth and induces differentiation of many cell types. For both cell types, an efficient, albeit temporary disruption of the 7SK-HEXIM1-P-TEFb snRNP and enhanced formation of the Brd4-P-TEFb complex occurred soon after the treatment started. When the P-TEFb-dependent HEXIM1 expression markedly increased as the treatment continued, the abundant HEXIM1 pushed the P-TEFb equilibrium back toward the 7SK/HEXIM1-bound state. For HeLa cells, as HMBA produced only a minor, temporary effect on their growth, the equilibrium gradually returned to its pretreatment level. In contrast, long-term treatment of MELC induced terminal division and differentiation. Concurrently, the P-TEFb equilibrium was shifted overwhelmingly toward the 7SK snRNP side. Together, these data link the P-TEFb equilibrium to the intracellular transcriptional demand and proliferative/differentiated states of cells.
The elongation stage of eukaryotic transcription is a highly regulated process crucial for not only generating the full-length mRNA transcripts but also coupling transcription with pre-mRNA processing (24). Central to the elongation control is the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb), which stimulates the processivity of RNA polymerase II elongation and antagonizes the effects of negative elongation factors (1, 10, 20). The predominant form of P-TEFb in many human cell types consists of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) and its regulatory subunit cyclin T1 (CycT1) (20). It phosphorylates the carboxy-terminal domain of the largest subunit of polymerase II as well as the negative elongation factors DSIF and NELF (1, 10, 20). These phosphorylation events are crucial for the transition from the abortive to the productive phase of transcriptional elongation. For this reason, P-TEFb is considered a general transcription factor essential for the expression of a vast array of protein-coding genes (4, 22).
Recent evidence indicates that nuclear P-TEFb is kept in a functional equilibrium through alternately interacting with its positive or negative regulators (13, 29). For negative regulation, the associations with the HEXIM1 protein and 7SK snRNA sequester P-TEFb into a kinase-inactive 7SK-HEXIM1-P-TEFb snRNP (17-19, 30, 31). Within this complex (termed the 7SK snRNP), HEXIM1 inhibits the CDK9 kinase activity, whereas 7SK stabilizes the HEXIM1-P-TEFb interaction (17, 18, 31, 32). Besides HEXIM1 and 7SK, P-TEFb also binds to the bromodomain protein Brd4 to form a separate complex (13, 29). The association with Brd4 forms the transcriptionally active P-TEFb and recruits P-TEFb to cellular promoters. It is believed that the abilities of Brd4 to bind to acetylated histones and the transcriptional Mediator complex may facilitate the recruitment of P-TEFb to chromatin templates (13, 29).
In HeLa cells under normal growth conditions, about half of nuclear P-TEFb is sequestered into the 7SK snRNP, whereas the other half probably binds to Brd4 (13, 17, 29-31). However, treatment of cells with certain stress-inducing agents, particularly those that can globally interrupt transcription, such as actinomycin D, DRB (5,6-dichloro-1-β-d-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole), and UV irradiation, causes a rapid disruption of the 7SK snRNP and enhanced formation of the Brd4-P-TEFb complex (19, 30, 31). Furthermore, treatment of cardiac myocytes with conditions that cause cardiac hypertrophy has also been shown to induce the disruption of the 7SK snRNP and activation of P-TEFb (21). Because P-TEFb activity is limiting in normal cardiac myocytes, the activation of P-TEFb leads to a global increase in cellular RNA and protein contents and consequently the enlargement of heart cells, which is the cause of hypertrophy (21).
Despite demonstrations that P-TEFb can interact alternately with its positive and negative regulators and that the 7SK snRNP can be converted quantitatively into the Brd4-P-TEFb complex under certain conditions, the physiological significance of the P-TEFb equilibrium remains largely unknown. Moreover, only the conditions that can cause the disruption of the 7SK snRNP and enhanced formation of the Brd4-P-TEFb complex have been described so far (5, 19, 29-31). It is not clear whether there may exist reagents that can shift the P-TEFb balance in the opposite direction to increase the sequestration of P-TEFb into the 7SK snRNP.
Here, we addressed these two issues by analyzing the effects of hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA), a hybrid bipolar compound, on both P-TEFb activity and growth of human HeLa cells and murine erythroleukemia cells (MELC). Whereas HMBA retarded HeLa cell growth only weakly and transiently, it is by far the best-characterized suppressor of growth and inducer of terminal differentiation of MELC (15). Our studies have revealed intricate regulations of P-TEFb activity throughout the course of HMBA treatment. For both cell types, an efficient, albeit temporary disruption of the 7SK snRNP and activation of P-TEFb-dependent transcription were observed during the initial phase of the treatment. When the P-TEFb-dependent HEXIM1 expression was markedly elevated as the treatment progressed, the abundance of HEXIM1 caused the P-TEFb equilibrium to shift back toward the 7SK snRNP direction. For HeLa cells, the equilibrium quickly returned to the pretreatment level. In contrast, significantly more P-TEFb was sequestered into the 7SK snRNP in HMBA-treated MELC than in untreated cells. Together, our data indicate that the functional P-TEFb equilibrium is tightly regulated to accommodate the overall transcriptional demand as well as the growth or differentiated states of cells.
Materials.HeLa and 293T cells were purchased from the American Type Culture Collection (Manassas, VA). MELC were a generous gift from the laboratory of Alan C. Sartorelli. HIV LTR-luciferase cells are a HeLa-based cell line stably transfected with a luciferase reporter construct driven by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat (LTR) (30). F1C2 cells are a HeLa-based cell line stably expressing Flag-tagged CDK9 (CDK9-f) (30). Rabbit anti-CDK9 and -CycT1 antibodies were purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa Cruz, CA). Rabbit immunoglobulin G, FLAG peptide, mouse anti-FLAG antibody, and anti-FLAG antibody conjugated to agarose beads were obtained from Sigma. Rabbit anti-HEXIM1 and anti-Brd4 antibodies were described previously (29, 31). Buffer D contained 20 mM HEPES-KOH, pH 7.9, 15% glycerol, 0.2 mM EDTA, 0.2% NP-40, 1 mM dithiothreitol, 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, and various concentrations of KCl as indicated below. All other chemicals were from Sigma unless otherwise noted.
HMBA treatment.Fresh stocks of HMBA prepared in tissue culture medium were used for all experiments. HeLa cells or MELC were treated for the indicated time periods with either 5 or 10 mM HMBA as specified in Results. For growth rate assays, HeLa cells and MELC were treated with HMBA for the indicated periods, diluted in fresh media without HMBA at 1 × 105 per well in six-well plates, and allowed to grow for 2 or 4 days. Cell counts were determined using a hemacytometer.
Luciferase assay.HIV LTR-luciferase cells were seeded at 1.5 × 105 cells per well in six-well plates 1 day before the HMBA treatment and treated with HMBA. Luciferase activity was measured 48 h later with an assay kit from Promega.
Affinity purification of CDK9, CDK9-f, and their associated factors.CDK9-f and CDK9 and their associated factors were isolated by anti-Flag or anti-CDK9 immunoprecipitation from nuclear extracts (NEs) of the indicated cell lines. For most experiments, NEs prepared in buffer D containing 0.35 M KCl were used. For Brd4 detection, however, the extracts were dialyzed against buffer D containing 0.15 M KCl. After incubation at 4°C for 2 h, the immunoprecipitates were washed extensively. The Flag peptide-eluted (for anti-Flag immunoprecipitates) or sodium dodecyl sulfate-eluted (for anti-CDK9 immunoprecipitates) materials were analyzed by Western blotting with the indicated antibodies and Northern blotting using the full-length 7SK antisense RNA as a probe. The signals of HEXIM1 and CDK9 in the NEs or immunoprecipitates were quantified using an Innotech AlphaImager 2200.
Transcription assay.In vitro transcription reactions with mixtures containing NE from untreated or HMBA-treated HeLa cells and an HIV-1 template were carried out as described previously (34). G-less RNA fragments derived from in vitro-transcribed HIV-1 transcripts were isolated after RNase T1 digestion and analyzed on 6% polyacrylamide sequencing gels.
RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis.Total RNA from HMBA-treated or untreated cells was isolated using TRIzol (Invitrogen). Twenty micrograms of total RNA was resolved on a 1% formaldehyde gel, transferred to a nylon membrane, and analyzed by Northern blotting. 32P-labeled ([α-32P]dATP or [α-32P]CTP) cDNA probes for HEXIM1 and luciferase were generated using a Stratagene Prime-It random primer labeling kit. The 7SK antisense RNA probe was generated as previously described (30). For reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), DNA contamination was eliminated using DNA-free DNase treatment and removal reagents (Ambion). First-strand cDNA synthesis was carried out using Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase as instructed by the supplier (Promega).
Chromatin immunoprecipitation.HIV LTR-luciferase cells (30) (2 × 106) were seeded into a 15-cm dish 1 day prior to HMBA treatment. Cells were treated with HMBA for 0 or 3 h, harvested, and subjected to a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay as described recently (29). After DNA purification, PCRs containing α-[32P]dCTP (800 Ci/mmol) were carried out for 20 cycles, and the products were analyzed on a 6% polyacrylamide-urea gel. Input and immunoprecipitated chromatin were analyzed first in pilot experiments to ensure that PCRs occurred in the linear range of amplification.
siRNAs.HeLa cells were cotransfected in a 1:10 ratio with pBabe-puro empty vector and pSuper-based constructs expressing small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) specific for the indicated proteins. To deplete CycT1, a CycT1-specific siRNA called siCycT1 was expressed from the pSuper vector containing a short hairpin sequence, 5′-CTCGTGTCCCTCATTCGAAACGCTTCCTGTCACGTTTCGAATGAGGGACACGAG-3′ (with the central hairpin region underlined). For Brd4 depletion, a Brd4-specific siRNA called siBrd4 was derived from a short hairpin sequence, 5′-GAACCTCCCTGATTACTATAAGCTTCCTGTCACTTATAGTAATCAGGGAGGTTC-3′. At 24 h posttransfection, untransfected cells were killed by the addition of 1.5 μg/ml puromycin into the culturing media. NEs were prepared at 48 h posttransfection. For HEXIM1 depletion, siRNA530 and siRNA562 (31), with the numbers referring to the positions of the beginning nucleotides of two separate 20-nucleotide regions within the HEXIM1 open reading frame, were employed. Two independent stable transfectants for each siRNA were selected with and maintained in 1.5 μg/ml puromycin and used in the experiment.
HMBA induces transcription from the HIV-1 promoter.We previously reported that HEXIM1 expression could be induced by HMBA in a variety of cell lines, including HeLa cells (33). Given HEXIM1's important role as an inhibitor of P-TEFb, we asked whether treatment of HeLa cells with HMBA and the consequent induction of HEXIM1 would have a negative effect on transcription. A stable HeLa-based cell line containing an integrated luciferase reporter gene driven by the HIV-1 LTR (30), which is known to be highly sensitive to P-TEFb (4, 9, 30), was used. Surprisingly, rather than causing an inhibition of transcription, HMBA induced expression from the reporter construct by several hundred-fold over an 8-h time period (Fig. 1A). Northern blot and semiquantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed that this increase occurred at the luciferase mRNA level (Fig. 1B). However, no increase was detected for the expression of the cellular gene encoding either the GAPDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) protein or the 7SK snRNA. Finally, NE prepared from HMBA-treated HeLa cells caused a significant increase in transcription from the HIV-1 promoter compared to NE from untreated cells (Fig. 1C), indicating that the HMBA-mediated increase in HIV-1 gene expression could be attributed directly to an activation of transcription.
HMBA stimulates transcription from the HIV-1 promoter. (A) HMBA induces expression of the luciferase reporter gene driven by the HIV-1 LTR. A stable HeLa-based cell line containing an integrated HIV-1 LTR-luciferase reporter construct was treated with 10 mM HMBA for the indicated time periods. The level of induction (n-fold) in luciferase activity compared to that in untreated cells is shown. (B) The HMBA-induced increase in luciferase activity occurs at the mRNA level. Semiquantitative RT-PCR and Northern blot analyses were performed to detect luciferase mRNA from among total RNA isolated at various time points of a continuous HMBA treatment. The levels of the GAPDH mRNA and 7SK snRNA were also analyzed as internal controls. (C) NE from HMBA-treated HeLa cells significantly increases HIV-1 transcription in vitro. Reaction mixtures contained the transcription template HIV+TAR-G400 and NE prepared from cells treated with HMBA for 0 or 3 h. RNA fragments transcribed from a G-less cassette inserted into the template at a position ∼1 kb downstream of the HIV-1 promoter are indicated.
HMBA disrupts the 7SK snRNP.To seek an explanation for this dramatic increase in HIV-1 transcription, we examined whether, like certain stress-inducing agents and hypertrophic signals, HMBA could induce the disruption of the 7SK snRNP, thus releasing P-TEFb for transcriptional activation. Indeed, treatment of F1C2 cells, a HeLa-based cell line stably expressing FLAG-tagged CDK9, with HMBA caused a significant reduction in the amounts of HEXIM1 and 7SK associated with the immunoprecipitated CDK9-f (Fig. 2A). In contrast, the CDK9-CycT1 heterodimer formation was completely unaffected. The peak 7SK snRNP disruption occurred approximately 2 h after the treatment commenced (Fig. 2A, lane 8). Interestingly, a prolonged incubation with the drug (with fresh changes every 4 h) actually led to a gradual recovery of the 7SK snRNP (Fig. 2A, compare lanes 9 and 10 with lane 8), a point that will become clear later.
HMBA treatment of HeLa cells disrupts the 7SK snRNP and enhances the binding of P-TEFb to the HIV-1 chromatin template. (A) Treatment of HeLa cells with HMBA induces the dissociation of HEXIM1 and 7SK from P-TEFb. F1C2, a HeLa-based cell line stably expressing CDK9-f, was treated with HMBA for the indicated numbers of hours. CDK9-f, CycT1, HEXIM1, and 7SK present in NEs (lanes 1 to 5) and the anti-FLAG immunoprecipitates (αFLAG IP) (lanes 6 to 10) were detected by Western and Northern blotting. The presence of endogenous CDK9 (endo. CDK9) in NEs was revealed by anti-CDK9 Western blotting. (B) HMBA enhances the binding of P-TEFb to the HIV-1 chromatin template. The HeLa-based cell line with the integrated luciferase reporter gene driven by the HIV-1 LTR was treated with HMBA for 0 or 3 h. ChIP with anti-CDK9 antibody was performed. Three regions corresponding to the promoter region, interior region, and 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) of the integrated HIV-1 LTR-luciferase gene, as well as an interior region of the endogenous GAPDH gene, were PCR amplified from the precipitated and purified DNA. Numbers in parentheses indicate nucleotides. Amplified signals from 10% of the input chromatin are also shown.
HMBA-induced disruption of the 7SK snRNP causes more P-TEFb to bind to the HIV-1 chromatin template.We next performed a ChIP assay to determine whether the HMBA-induced release of P-TEFb from the 7SK snRNP would result in the association of more P-TEFb with the chromatin template containing an integrated HIV-1 LTR-luciferase reporter gene, thus causing activation of transcription. Quantification of the data shown in Fig. 2B revealed that treatment of the HeLa-based cell line with HMBA for 3 h indeed increased the binding of P-TEFb to the HIV-1 promoter region by 6.5-fold. In addition, the treatment also caused 2.5- and 1.5-fold more P-TEFb to bind to the interior of the luciferase gene as well as the 3′ untranslated region, respectively. In contrast, HMBA did not result in the association of more P-TEFb with the coding sequence of the GAPDH gene, in agreement with the observation that the expression of this gene was unaffected by HMBA (Fig. 1B, upper panel).
Prolonged treatment of HeLa cells with HMBA leads to reformation of the 7SK snRNP.The above-described partial restoration of the 7SK snRNP detected at 8 h of the HMBA treatment (Fig. 2A) prompted us to investigate the long-term effect of this drug on the formation of this complex. Quantification of the amounts of HEXIM1 associated with the immunoprecipitated CDK9-f at different time points since the commencement of HMBA treatment (with fresh changes of the drug every 4 h) confirmed that the HMBA-induced disruption of the 7SK snRNP was transient (Fig. 3A). By 15 to 18 h into the treatment, the amount of the 7SK snRNP present in the treated HeLa cells was restored almost to the pretreatment level and remained this way until the end of the 72-h incubation period.
Transient disruption of the 7SK snRNP, formation of the Brd4-P-TEFb complex, and activation of HIV-1 transcription in HMBA-treated HeLa cells. (A) Prolonged treatment with HMBA leads to reformation of the 7SK snRNP. HeLa cells were incubated with HMBA for the indicated time periods. Levels of HEXIM1 associated with the immunoprecipitated CDK9 derived from NEs were detected by Western blotting, quantified, and normalized to CDK9 levels, and they are shown as percentages relative to the pretreatment level, which was set to 100%. (B) HMBA transiently induces luciferase mRNA synthesis. Results are from Northern blot analysis of luciferase mRNA transcribed from the HIV-1 LTR in HeLa cells treated with HMBA for the indicated time periods. As a loading control, 7SK snRNA in total RNA samples was also examined. (C) Transient induction of luciferase activity in HMBA-treated cells. The level of induction (n-fold) in luciferase activity, expressed from the integrated HIV-1 LTR-luciferase reporter gene, was measured with a HeLa-based cell line treated with HMBA for the indicated time periods. pHIV, HIV-1 promoter. (D) P-TEFb alternately interacts with HEXIM1 and Brd4 throughout the course of HMBA treatment. NEs were prepared from HeLa cells treated with HMBA for the indicated durations and subjected to immunoprecipitation with anti-CDK9 antibody (αCDK9) (lanes 5 to 7) or, as a negative control (cntl.), anti-CDK4 antibody (lane 4). Brd4, HEXIM1, CycT1, and CDK9 present in the immunoprecipitates (IP) and NEs were examined by Western blotting.
Consistent with this observation, the luciferase mRNA transcribed from the HIV-1 promoter also showed a transient increase, peaking around 6 h after the treatment began, but was hardly detectable 72 h after the treatment began (Fig. 3B). Similarly, the HMBA-mediated induction of luciferase activity peaked around 12 h and then started to decline (Fig. 3C). A combination of factors such as the rates of mRNA processing, export, and degradation coupled with the time required for protein synthesis and maturation may contribute to the apparent 6-h delay in the accumulation of peak luciferase activity relative to the peak mRNA level. Furthermore, the relatively high stability of the luciferase protein may result in the detection of a considerable amount of its enzymatic activity in HMBA-treated cells even after the nuclear 7SK snRNP returns to the pretreatment level.
P-TEFb alternately interacts with its positive and negative regulators throughout the course of HMBA treatment.We have shown previously that the treatment of HeLa cells with certain stress-inducing agents, such as actinomycin D, DRB, and UV irradiation, causes a quantitative conversion of the HEXIM1-7SK-P-TEFb snRNP into the Brd4-P-TEFb complex (29). To determine whether HMBA could also shift the balance between these two P-TEFb subpopulations, the amounts of Brd4 and HEXIM1 bound to the immunoprecipitated CDK9 at 0, 6, and 24 h into a continuous HMBA treatment were analyzed by Western blotting. In contrast to its effect on the HEXIM1-P-TEFb binding, which decreased dramatically at the 6-h time point and returned to the pretreatment level at 24 h as described above (Fig. 3A), HMBA produced the opposite effect on the binding of Brd4 to P-TEFb by significantly enhancing it at 6 h and restoring it to the pretreatment level at 24 h (Fig. 3D). It has been proposed that P-TEFb is normally maintained in a functional equilibrium through alternately interacting with its positive (Brd4) and negative (HEXIM1 and 7SK) regulators (13, 29). The observation that P-TEFb switched back and forth between these two functional states during the course of HMBA treatment suggests that HMBA caused an initial, transient shift of the P-TEFb equilibrium toward the active, Brd4-bound state. However, over a more extended period of time, the treatment did not produce any long-lasting effect on the relative concentrations of the two P-TEFb subpopulations, as the equilibrium soon returned to the pretreatment level.
HMBA induces HEXIM1 expression in a P-TEFb-dependent manner.What might have caused a rapid resequestration of P-TEFb into the 7SK snRNP after the initial response to HMBA, a possible stress-inducing agent to HeLa cells, had subsided? One potential clue came from the observation that sometime between 6 and 12 h after the HMBA treatment started, the HEXIM1 expression began to increase significantly and its nuclear concentration remained four to five times higher than the pretreatment level for at least 72 h (Fig. 4A). It is possible that this major increase in HEXIM1 concentration coupled with a constitutively high level of 7SK snRNA (Fig. 1B and 3B) (27) might have pushed the P-TEFb equilibrium back toward the HEXIM1/7SK-bound state.
P-TEFb-dependent induction of HEXIM1 expression by HMBA. (A) HMBA treatment of HeLa cells increases HEXIM1 expression. HEXIM1 levels in NE of HMBA-treated cells were detected by Western blotting at various time points of the treatment. The HEXIM1 signals were quantified and normalized to those of CDK9 for each time point, and they are shown as percentages relative to the pretreatment level, which was set to 100%. (B) P-TEFb is required for HMBA-induced HEXIM1 mRNA synthesis. HeLa cells transfected with either the empty pSuper vector (−) or vectors expressing the CDK9- and CycT1-specific siRNAs (siCDK9 and siCycT1, respectively) were treated with HMBA for 0, 6, or 24 h. Total RNA was isolated and subjected to Northern blot analysis to detect the major 2.5-kb and minor 4.0-kb HEXIM1 mRNA. The 18S and 28S rRNA present in total RNA were stained with ethidium bromide and used as loading controls. (C) CycT1- and Brd4-dependent production of the HEXIM1 protein. Western blotting was performed to examine the levels of Brd4, CycT1, HEXIM1, and CDK9 in NEs prepared from HeLa cells transfected with either the empty pSuper vector or the indicated siRNA-expressing pSuper constructs at 48 h posttransfection.
Next, we asked how the HMBA-induced HEXIM1 expression was accomplished. We noticed that the onset of this induction occurred soon after the HMBA-mediated disruption of the 7SK snRNP and activation of P-TEFb. To determine whether P-TEFb was required for the HMBA-induced HEXIM1 expression, we performed Northern analysis to measure HEXIM1 mRNA levels in HeLa cells that expressed the siRNAs specific for CDK9 and CycT1. Indeed, compared to an empty vector, the siRNA-mediated depletion of P-TEFb caused a drastic reduction in levels of the HMBA-induced HEXIM1 mRNA at both 6 and 24 h of the treatment (Fig. 4B). Notably, the HEXIM1 mRNA was quite stable in the absence of the siRNAs, as its level remained relatively high at 24 h (Fig. 4B, lane 5), when the freshly liberated P-TEFb had been recaptured by 7SK/HEXIM1 (Fig. 3A).
The P-TEFb-dependent HEXIM1 gene expression was further confirmed by Western analysis (Fig. 4C), which showed that the CycT1-specific siRNA reduced the expressions of not only its intended target, CycT1, but also HEXIM1. Moreover, introduction of a siRNA specific for Brd4, the positive regulator of P-TEFb, also caused the codepletion of both Brd4 and HEXIM1 (Fig. 4C). Because these two proteins act in opposite directions to control the activity of P-TEFb, their coregulation implicated the existence of a cellular mechanism to maintain a balance between the two P-TEFb subpopulations for proper cell growth (see below). In summary, the observed strong dependence on P-TEFb for HMBA-induced HEXIM1 expression may explain why the P-TEFb equilibrium was shifted transiently toward the Brd4-bound active state during the initial phase of HMBA treatment, which in turn produced abundant HEXIM1 to eventually drive the P-TEFb equilibrium back to the pretreatment level.
HMBA exerts only a minor, short-term effect on HeLa cell growth.To understand why HeLa cells would want to resequester P-TEFb into the inactive 7SK snRNP once HEXIM1 gene expression was induced, we examined the effect on HeLa cell growth by either a 6- or a 24-h treatment with HMBA. Compared to results with untreated cells, whose numbers were artificially set to 100%, incubation with HMBA for 6 h had no detectable effect on cell numbers, which were counted at 2 and 4 days after the removal of the drug and are presented as percentages relative to those of untreated cells (Fig. 5A). Similarly, the 24-h HMBA treatment slowed cell growth only temporarily by about 30% measured at 2 days posttreatment, and the cell numbers returned largely to normal after another 2 days (Fig. 5A). Thus, despite the demonstrations that HMBA induced a transient disruption of the 7SK snRNP and induction of HEXIM1 expression, it apparently had only a relatively minor, short-term effect on HeLa cell growth. It is likely that this lack of a major, long-lasting effect by HMBA led to the resequestration of P-TEFb into the 7SK snRNP and restoration of the complex to its original level. Notably, the human embryonic kidney cell line 293T displayed exactly the same responses as HeLa cells to the HMBA treatment in terms of the kinetics and degrees of 7SK snRNP disruption/reformation as well as the growth rates (data not shown).
HeLa cells strive to maintain a constant level of nuclear 7SK snRNP for optimal growth. (A) HMBA suppresses HeLa cell growth only mildly and temporarily. Cells were either untreated or treated with HMBA for 6 or 24 h. After removal of the drug, cells were placed in fresh media at low but equal concentrations and allowed to grow for 2 or 4 days. Cell counts were determined and are shown as percentages relative to those of untreated cells, which were set to 100%. (B) Diversion of free HEXIM1 into the 7SK snRNP in HeLa cells expressing the HEXIM1-specific siRNAs. NEs were prepared from HeLa-based cell lines either containing the empty pSuper vector or expressing the indicated HEXIM1-specific siRNAs and examined for their HEXIM1 and CDK9 levels by Western blotting (lanes 1 to 5). Two independent cell clones (denoted by -1 and -2 after the siRNA designations) for each siRNA were analyzed. The NEs were also subjected to immunoprecipitation with either anti-CDK4 (αCDK4) (lane 6) or anti-CDK9 (lanes 7 to 11) antibody, and the indicated factors present in the immunoprecipitates (IP) were examined by Northern and Western blotting.
HeLa cells strive to maintain a constant amount of 7SK snRNP for optimal growth.The observations discussed above raised an intriguing possibility that the intracellular concentrations of 7SK snRNP may define and even help establish the growth states of cells. According to this hypothesis, when cells are not ready to undergo a major alteration of their growth state, they strive hard to maintain their nuclear 7SK snRNP at levels appropriate for the overall transcriptional demand of that particular state. Besides the P-TEFb homeostasis observed with HMBA-treated HeLa and 293T cells, additional evidence in support of this notion came from studies involving several HeLa-based cell lines that stably expressed the HEXIM1-specific siRNAs. It is known that in normal log-phase HeLa cells, a major portion of nuclear HEXIM1 exists outside of the 7SK snRNP and probably in free forms (3, 18, 31). Interestingly, when the total HEXIM1 levels in NEs were markedly reduced as a result of the expression of the HEXIM1 siRNAs (Fig. 5B, left panel), the amounts of HEXIM1 associated with 7SK/P-TEFb were barely affected (Fig. 5B, right panel). It is important to point out that the growth rates of these siRNA-producing cells were reduced only slightly and that we were able to establish and propagate them as stable cell lines without much difficulty. Thus, there was apparently an effort by these cells to compensate for the loss of HEXIM1 by mobilizing virtually all of the remaining free HEXIM1 into the 7SK snRNP in order to avoid a major perturbation of the P-TEFb equilibrium.
Enhanced sequestration of P-TEFb into the 7SK snRNP during HMBA-induced MELC differentiation.Despite the demonstration that HMBA displayed no long-term effect on HeLa cell growth, the above-described behavioral changes of P-TEFb during the course of HMBA treatment have nevertheless revealed an interesting connection between the functional P-TEFb equilibrium and the overall growth state of cells. To further test the hypothesis that nuclear 7SK snRNP levels are intimately associated with the critical cellular decision between growth and differentiation, we turned our attention to the effect of HMBA on MELC. It has long been recognized that HMBA is a highly effective and the best-characterized inducer of terminal differentiation (including terminal division) of MELC, which serves as a model for examining the control of erythroid differentiation (15, 16). In contrast to HeLa cells, whose growth was affected only mildly by treatment with either 5 (Fig. 6A) or 10 (Fig. 5A) mM HMBA, MELC were severely growth arrested when treated with 5 mM HMBA for 72 h (Fig. 6A) and, moreover, underwent efficient terminal differentiation under these conditions (15, 16; data not shown). At 10 mM HMBA, a significant portion of MELC was led to apoptosis after a prolonged incubation (23; data not shown).
Enhanced sequestration of P-TEFb into the 7SK snRNP and elevated expression of HEXIM1 in HMBA-treated MELC. (A) HMBA treatment of MELC severely inhibits cell growth. HeLa cells and MELC were either untreated or treated with HMBA for 72 h. Upon removal of the drug, cells were placed in fresh media at low but equal concentrations and allowed to grow for 2 days. Cell counts were determined and are shown as percentages relative to those of untreated cells, which were set to 100%. (B) NEs were prepared from MELC treated with HMBA for the indicated time periods and subjected to anti-CDK9 (αCDK9) immunoprecipitation. HEXIM1 associated with the immunoprecipitates (IP) or present in NEs were detected by Western blotting. The HEXIM1 signals were normalized to those of CDK9 for each time point and are shown as percentages relative to the pretreatment levels, which were set to 100%. (C) Diagram depicting the regulation of P-TEFb activity during the course of HMBA treatment. The 7SK snRNP is proposed to contain two copies of P-TEFb and HEXIM1 and one copy of 7SK (14). During the first several hours of HMBA treatment, the 7SK snRNP was converted into the Brd4-P-TEFb complex, which stimulated P-TEFb-dependent HEXIM1 gene expression. The elevated HEXIM1 levels then pushed the P-TEFb equilibrium back toward the 7SK snRNP direction during a prolonged HMBA treatment. For details, see Discussion.
Quantification of the amounts of HEXIM1 associated with the immunoprecipitated CDK9 indicated that the initial response of MELC to either 5 or 10 mM HMBA was a swift disruption of the 7SK snRNP (Fig. 6B), reminiscent of the situations seen with HeLa and 293T cells. However, unlike the last two cell lines, in which 7SK snRNP returned almost to the pretreatment level after a prolonged incubation (Fig. 3A; data not shown), MELC produced up to 2.9-fold more 7SK snRNP than was produced in the untreated cells as the treatment proceeded further (Fig. 6B, left panel). Moreover, the HMBA-mediated induction of HEXIM1 expression in MELC (11- to 14-fold) (Fig. 6B, right panel) was significantly higher than that in HeLa and 293T cells (4- to 5-fold) (Fig. 4A; data not shown), which could be responsible for the enhanced sequestration of P-TEFb into the 7SK snRNP in these HMBA-treated MELC, which were undergoing terminal division/differentiation. Taken together, our analyses of HeLa and 293T cells and MELC yielded consistent data which revealed a strong correlation between nuclear 7SK snRNP concentrations and the growth/differentiated states of cells.
Despite the demonstrations that P-TEFb is maintained in a functional equilibrium through alternately interacting with its positive and negative regulators (13, 29), the physiological significance of this phenomenon has not been demonstrated clearly. In this study, we analyzed the responses of HeLa cells and MELC to HMBA treatment in aspects such as growth properties, associations of P-TEFb with its regulators, and nuclear P-TEFb activities. Our data strongly support the notion that the functional P-TEFb equilibrium is tightly and dynamically regulated to reflect and accommodate the intracellular transcriptional demand as well as the proliferative or differentiated states of cells. Furthermore, among all of the agents that are known to affect the P-TEFb equilibrium (5, 18, 19, 30, 31), HMBA has been identified as the only one that can shift the P-TEFb balance toward the HEXIM1/7SK-bound state to increase the formation of the inactive P-TEFb complex in MELC.
As indicated in the diagram shown in Fig. 6C, the initial responses of both HeLa cells and MELC to HMBA are an efficient, albeit temporary disruption of the 7SK snRNP and liberation of P-TEFb. Since transcription from the HIV-1 LTR is known to be exquisitely sensitive to P-TEFb (4, 9, 30), the HMBA-induced activation of P-TEFb provides a molecular explanation for the previously described stimulatory effect of this drug on expression from the HIV-1 LTR, which has been characterized as independent of the NF-κB binding sites and other enhancer elements within the LTR (26). The HMBA-induced dissociation of HEXIM1/7SK from P-TEFb is also reminiscent of the situations seen with HeLa cells treated with certain stress-inducing agents that globally disrupt transcription and suppress cell growth (5, 18, 19, 30, 31). Since HMBA is able to inhibit the growth of both MELC and HeLa cells, albeit only transiently in the latter case, the induced shift of the P-TEFb equilibrium toward the active, Brd4-bound state could simply be an instinctive cellular response to this growth-arresting and stressful event. One conceivable consequence could be the activation of various stress-responsive genes. In addition, the activation of P-TEFb in MELC could lead to elevated expression of genes that play key roles during the commitment and establishment of the differentiated state (15, 16).
It remains to be determined how many genes can be activated directly by P-TEFb during the initial phase of HMBA treatment, what they are, and what roles they may play in the subsequent differentiation process of MELC. Nevertheless, we now know that there exists at least one gene, namely, the HEXIM1 gene, whose elevated expression is indeed caused by the HMBA-induced P-TEFb activation (Fig. 4). It is conceivable that accumulation of abundant HEXIM1 during a prolonged HMBA treatment is able to push the P-TEFb equilibrium back toward the 7SK/HEXIM1-bound state (Fig. 6C). After that, the intrinsic differences between HeLa cells and MELC in their responses to HMBA determine the final states of their nuclear P-TEFb equilibriums. For HeLa cells, since the treatment with HMBA produces no long-lasting effect on their growth, the P-TEFb equilibrium quickly returns to the pretreatment level. In contrast, MELC undergo terminal division and differentiation once they have passed through the commitment stage, which occurs as early as 10 to 12 h after commencement of the treatment (6). As a result, the P-TEFb equilibrium is shifted overwhelmingly toward the inactive 7SK snRNP side to accommodate an altered transcriptional demand in these cells that can no longer divide. Despite the implication of P-TEFb in this process, it is important to stress that we actually cannot tell at this stage whether the increased formation of the inactive P-TEFb complex in HMBA-treated MELC is a consequence of or a contributor to growth arrest and terminal differentiation of these cells.
Nevertheless, the tight coupling of the P-TEFb equilibrium with the global control of cell growth and differentiation agrees well with the demonstrated growth-regulatory functions of the P-TEFb-associated factors. For instance, as a negative regulator of P-TEFb activity, HEXIM1 has been shown to display an antigrowth function in cardiac myocytes, where the deletion of the mouse HEXIM1 (CLP-1) gene causes the enlargement of heart cells, reminiscent of a pathological condition known as hypertrophy (12). Interestingly enough, hypertrophic agents that induce the disruption of the 7SK snRNP also cause the same disease (21). In both cases, the deletion of the HEXM1 gene or dissociation of HEXIM1 from P-TEFb achieves the same goal of activating P-TEFb, which provides the necessary means to deal with an increased transcriptional demand under these highly proliferative conditions. As with its role in cardiac myocytes, HEXIM1 has been recognized as an inhibitor of breast epithelial cell proliferation, as its expression is down-regulated by estrogens and decreased in breast tumors (28). Finally, a recent report indicates that ectopic expression of HEXIM1 causes growth inhibition and promotes neuronal differentiation (25).
In contrast to HEXIM1, Brd4, the positive regulator and recruitment factor for P-TEFb, has been implicated to play a growth-stimulatory role. While mice lacking both alleles of the Brd4 gene are embryonic lethal, Brd4-heterozygotic mice display pre- and postnatal growth defects associated with a reduced proliferation rate (11). In addition, Brd4 is required for the proper progression of the cell cycle, as heterozygotes display a significantly reduced number of mitotic cells compared to wild-type tissues (11).
The opposing effects on cell growth exerted by Brd4 and HEXIM1, both of which target P-TEFb but produce antagonizing results, further support the idea that controlling the activity of the general transcription factor P-TEFb, which affects expression of a vast array of genes, is critical to the cellular decision between growth and differentiation. Besides its role in MELC, P-TEFb has been implicated to play a role in regulating the differentiation programs of several other cell types, including skeletal muscle cells, monocytes, lymphocytes, and neurons (2, 7, 8). However, only the expressions of CDK9 and CycT1 have been monitored in these studies. Future investigation of the P-TEFb equilibriums and their control by Brd4 and HEXIM1 in these cells will be very informative toward the understanding of the general roles of P-TEFb and transcriptional elongation in the global control of cell growth and differentiation.
We thank Rieko Nishimura for experiments involving the HEXIM1 siRNAs and Vivien Lee for technical assistance. We also thank Dalibor Blazek and Matija Peterlin for providing us with good-quality HMBA.
This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (AI41757) and the American Cancer Society (RSG-01-171-01-MBC) to Q.Z.
Returned for modification 15 June 2006.
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By closely analysing the contributions of such theorists as More, Hobbes, Vico, Montesquieu, Ferguson and Millar to the emergence of sociology in its original form, this book follows the discursive construction of sociology in the context of the society-wide early modern practical discourse about violence and rights. Parallels with the nineteenth- and twentieth-century discourse on poverty and justice, and the contemporary discourse of risk and responsibility, allow the author for a reflection not only on the generation of knowledge through discourse but also on the role that sociology itself plays in this process.
This book examines a number of important contemporary environmental issues. The topics covered include sewage treatment, eutrophication, air pollution, acid rain, global warming and pollution from farming. A particularly valuable section of the book describes a range of tests that can be carried out on various environmental parameters. The procedures require relatively simple equipment and they have been pre-tested in a school laboratory.
The work explores the spread of French science and culture beyond the borders of France, and focuses on the deliberate measures enacted by successive French governments to make such dissemination as effective as possible. This well-established French tradition is explored over time particularly since the closing years of the twentieth century. There is a very full description of the institutions, both former and current, established by France in the many locations worldwide. Soft power is redefined and contrasted with the more familiar hard power across the arts-to-science spectrum. The propagation of ideas and practices abroad is demonstrated in terms of a diplomatic push through varying and differing means and channels. Francophone initiatives are underscored, including the roles of French-speaking countries both as receptors and generators of French culture. The 2011 New Start is highlighted, reorienting action for the arts and for science and university diplomacy, particularly those aspects receiving increasing attention. International cooperation, both linguistic and educational, is seen as key to government involvement through the organization and implementation of French cultural and scientific activities abroad, and these are described in later chapters. Philippe Lane steers us through a myriad of acronyms for which he provides a very useful list.
W. E. Gladstone towers over the politics of the nineteenth century. He is known for his policies of financial rectitude, his campaigns to settle the Irish question, and his championship of the rights of small nations. He remains the only British Prime Minister to have served for four separate terms. In 1998, an international conference at Chester College brought together Gladstone scholars to mark the centenary of his death, and many of the papers presented on that occasion are published in this volume. Covering the whole of the statesman's long political life from the first Reform Act to the last decade of the nineteenth century, they range over topics as diverse as parliamentary reform and free trade, Gladstone's English Nonconformist supporters, and his Irish Unionist opponents. The collection forms a tribute, appreciative but critical, to the Grand Old Man of British politics.
The first edition of this book included essays from Senator George J. Mitchell, Sir David Goodall, Sir George Quigley, Lord Owen, and Niall O'Dowd among others, and demonstrated the evolution of peace in Ireland, culminating in the Good Friday Agreement. It has now been updated with new essays to ensure that this vital resource for students, scholars, politicians, and the interested general reader continues to illuminate the peace process through the words of some of its pivotal figures. The essays all relate to the nature of peacemaking as a process rather than an event signalled by the signing of an agreement. The significant role of ‘third party’ diplomacy is touched on by many contributors, as is the need for pragmatism, compromise, and a recognition that it is those people at the polar extremes of any dispute that have to be drawn in if a lasting agreement is to be achieved.
The MacBride Principles contained nine affirmative action proposals aimed at eliminating religious discrimination in the employment practices of United States corporations with subsidiaries in Northern Ireland. The weapon used by the MacBride campaigners was the federal constitution of the United States. States and cities in the Union could pass their own corporate legislation incorporating the MacBride Principles and use their pension fund investments to table shareholder resolutions seeking the Principles' inclusion in employment policies. Later developments saw their application to US and foreign firms supplying goods and services to states and cities. Using devolved legislation, the MacBride Campaign broke the stranglehold on the discussion of Irish issues maintained by the US, UK and Irish governments in the Congress. It was debated in state legislatures and city councils. Irish-America was motivated to participate in a nonviolent campaign to achieve social justice in Northern Ireland. Supported by the United States government, there was a fierce reaction by the British government to the Principles. Its attempts to suppress them were unsuccessful.
For almost a hundred years, the academic study of migration concentrated on evolving standardised models of migration behaviour based on data from censuses or the registration of births, marriages and deaths. More recently, it has been realised that such models fail to take into account the decision-making behind migration and that better understanding will come from study of the behaviour of individuals as well as aggregate numbers. In this book the imaginative use of alternative sources – for example, apprentice books, guild and craft records, legal and court documents, diaries and biographies – gives fresh insights into the processes of movement to reveal much more complex circulatory behaviour than the standard models derived from census and registration sources alone have suggested. The first chapter confronts the issue of rural mobility in post-famine Ireland and is followed by a study centred on Alpine rural families that built impressive networks across pre-industrial Western Europe. Two chapters focus on the particular characteristics of worker groups: mining families of south Lancashire during the period of rapid increase in coal production in the eighteenth century; and the organised mobility of skilled labour in nineteenth-century central Europe. Next, a rigorous deployment of the techniques of family reconstruction and record linkage embracing a variety of sources (vital event registers, wills, port books, apprentice records) teases out the migration histories of those who settled in eighteenth-century Liverpool.
Modern philosophical thought has a manifold tradition of emphasizing ‘the moment’. ‘The moment’ demands questioning all-too-common notions of time, of past, present and future, uniqueness and repetition and rupture and continuity. This book addresses the key questions posed by ‘the moment’, considering writers such as Nietzsche, Husserl, Benjamin and Badiou, and elucidates the connections between social theory, philosophy, literary theory and history that are opened up by this notion.
National-level spatial planning in democratic countries has been all but ignored by researchers in urban and regional planning since the reconstruction years following World War II. Being synonymous for many with repressive regimes and coercive government practices, national-level planning also fell into some disrepute. A set of specially commissioned papers from leading researchers has produced this comprehensive study of current national-level planning in ten countries of the developed world. Challenging common assumptions, this comparative international study finds that there seems to be a modest trend whereby, on the threshold of the twenty-first century, national-level planning has grown in importance in democratic, advanced-economy countries.
This book is an assessment of the ideological and organizational development of Provisional republicanism since 1985. It explores how the Republican movement has changed from an anti-state insurgency to a potential partner in governing the state it was pledged to destroy, and, in particular, attempts to consider the origins of what has become known as ‘New Sinn Féin’.
This book is a study of the constitutional and political development of the Isle of Man. It analyses three broad aspects of twentieth-century political development: constitutional progress towards self-government, elections and public policy and the changing role of the state in Manx society. One of the most important political changes the study addresses is the gradual ascendancy of the directly elected House of Keys in Manx politics. The book concludes with a look at the final two decades of the century, a period of population growth and unprecedented prosperity for the small offshore island.
Policing in Northern Ireland : Delivering the New Beginning?
The Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, headed by Lord Patten, concluded in its 1999 report: ‘A new beginning for democratic accountability is key to a new beginning for policing and to involving the community as a whole in the delivery of policing. We recommend that an entirely new Policing Board be created …’ This book is about the delivery of that new beginning for policing, achieved at a time when most commentators considered the Policing Board was itself likely to fragment along traditional community lines. The story of the Policing Board, from its establishment in 2001 through to the reconstitution of the membership in 2009 is in many ways an inspirational one, showing what can be done by politicians and community representatives working together to bring about a fundamentally different way of policing that better meets the needs of the whole community. The book offers valuable lessons and contemporary insights for law enforcement officers, accountability ‘bodies’ and academics world-wide, in key areas, including the need for a police service’s composition to reflect the community that it serves, promoting public confidence in policing and policing with the community; upholding human rights in the context of policing civil unrest and terrorism; how to hold a police service to account while providing the support it requires; and dealing with the legacy of inter-communal violence with over 3,500 deaths.
J. T. Murphy was one of the most important worker-intellectual figures in the history of labour in early twentieth-century Britain. Using material from the Communist Party of Great Britain's archives and the Russian Centre for the Preservation and Study of Recent History in Moscow, this book not only tells the story of Murphy's political trajectory, but also provides a critical re-examination of the historical and social significance of the early British revolutionary movement in which he played such a prominent role.
Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism continues to be one of the most influential texts in the sociology of modern Western societies. Although Weber never produced the further essays with which he intended to extend the study, he did complete four lengthy Replies to reviews of the text by two German historians. Written between 1907 and 1910, the Replies offer a fascinating insight into Weber's intentions in the original study, and the present volume is the first complete translation of all four Replies in English.
The question of religion, its contemporary and future significance and its role in society and state is currently perceived as an urgent one by many and is widely discussed within the public sphere. But it has also long been one of the core topics of the historically oriented social sciences. The immense stock of knowledge furnished by the history of religion and religious studies, theology, sociology and history has to be introduced into the public conscience today. This can promote greater awareness of the contemporary global religious situation and its links with politics and economics and counter rash syntheses such as the ‘clash of civilizations’. This volume is concerned with the connections between religions and the social world and with the extent, limits, and future of secularization. The first part deals with major religious traditions and their explicit or implicit ideas about the individual, social and political order. The second part gives an overview of the religious situation in important geographical areas. Additional contributions analyse the legal organization of the relationship between state and religion in a global perspective and the role of the natural sciences in the process of secularization.
This collection of essays explores the character and quality of the Holocaust's impact and the abiding legacy it has left for social theory. The premise which informs the contributions is that, ten years after its publication, Zygmunt Bauman's claim that social theory has either failed to address the Holocaust or protected itself from its implications remains true.
The debate on varieties of modernity is central to current social theory and research, and this book explores the theme in relation to the culture and society of Turkey. It focuses on the Kemalist project to create a modern Turkish nation-state, analysing its historical background, the role of the concepts of ethnicity and nation, and the configurations of state, society and economy in the new Turkish republic. The author then moves on to examine the relations between Islam and modernity, arguing that both must be understood as open to multiple interpretations rather than seen as monolithic and as diametrically opposed. He considers the rise of Islamism in Turkey and looks in particular at the paradoxical role of women activists within the Islamist movement, ultimately arguing that Islamism must be understood as a modern movement, albeit a paradoxical one, rather than simply as a return to ‘tradition’.
This is a translated edition of five of the nine papers and the responses presented at the first conference of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziologie (DGS) that was held in 1910. These are seminal contributions by some of the founders of classical German sociology and social theory, including Max Weber, Georg Simmel, Ferdinand Tönnies, Ernst Troeltsch and Werner Sombart. A substantial introduction discusses the lives and works of the five thinkers, placing them in the context of Germany in the early twentieth century and discussing their personal and societal connections. The works are a testament to the developing thought of key scholars. The year 1910 was a defining year for German sociology. There were still no sociology schools, departments or even professorships, but a significant number of important thinkers had published crucial sociological works. Through such publications Tönnies, Simmel, Weber, Troeltsch and Sombart had founded considerable reputations, and by 1909 the first three had banded together with other scholars to form the DGS. The works show German sociology at a decisive moment, when these thinkers were at their prime and were engaged in building a new society devoted to investigation of social reality based upon sound scholarly principles and free from biased social dogmatics. The topics continue to have relevance and the exchanges provide a lively dimension, one that is not found simply by reading the books of these five founders of sociological thinking.
This book is a detailed analysis of the attempt by Britain and Spain since 1980 to solve their dispute over the future of Gibraltar. Spain wants the restoration of her territorial integrity, whereas the Gibraltarians have never shown any interest in becoming part of Spain. Britain had ignored UN calls for negotiations, but following the restoration of Spanish democracy and with Spain due to become a fellow member of both NATO and the European Community, Britain felt an obligation to try to resolve the dispute. The book examines the events which have taken place following the signing of the Lisbon Agreement between Britain and Spain to discuss the differences between them on this issue. It traces the effect of the Falklands war in 1982 on the Gibraltar negotiations, and shows that events in the South Atlantic did not prevent an explicit commitment in the Brussels Declaration of 1984 to discuss the thorny issue of the sovereignty of Gibraltar. Since that time, although communications and cooperation between Spain and the Rock have improved, little progress has been made towards resolving the question of sovereignty. | 2019-04-21T22:11:14Z | http://liverpool.universitypressscholarship.com/browse?t1=OSO%3ApoliticalScience |
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Artemis grew up in Brisbane, Australia, and is the daughter of an accountant and a scientist. She also became a scientist, working for the Australian Parks and Wildlife Service and helping to protect Australia’s landscape. When she was 24, she moved into the arena of personal development, studying many wellness modalities.
After attending a businesswomen’s networking meeting and listening to a free cassette on essential oils, her interest was piqued. She finds that working with Young Living essential oils fits right in with her life goal to transform the world for the better. Artemis’s greatest joy is developing leaders and sharing her passion about the products for both humans and animals alike.
Hailey comes from a family of essential oil enthusiasts, including family members who have reached Young Living Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond ranks. After her introduction to Young Living, Hailey enrolled to get her own essential oil collection, eventually becoming an active business builder. Jeremy has always been supportive and loves the oils, regularly hosting business meetings to help get other men involved in the opportunity.
After dating for several years in college, Hailey and Jeremy got married three years ago. Hailey is a college graduate who completed midwife school in 2013, the same year that she was introduced to Young Living. In addition to sharing essential oils, she’s passionate about being a midwife.
Hailey and Jeremy relish the opportunity to do what they love with their family. Together, Hailey and Jeremy set goals and follow a daily to-do list to stay on track and focused as a team. By setting quarterly goals, aiming high with big objectives and ideas, and consistently re-evaluating their lives, the Aliffs feel like they can accomplish anything they put their minds to.
Nicole Barczak never saw herself becoming involved with essential oils or network marketing. However, following her experiences with Young Living products and the satisfaction of sharing them with others, Nicole has worked to join the top ranks of Young Living leaders. She enjoys every part of her leadership role, including learning about alternative wellness solutions, connecting with old and new friends, and helping others.
When she isn’t sharing her passion for Young Living and training her team, Nicole is a teacher who mentors struggling readers and works to instill a love for books in her students. Nicole married her high school sweetheart, and she and her husband are parents to two children. The family has two dogs and two cats.
Nicole defines herself as a planner—very organized and sometimes bossy. Her hobbies include photography, scrapbooking, sewing, house projects, and gardening.
Verick and Crystal Burchfield began their Young Living journey when Crystal became a casual Young Living member. When she ordered her first Starter Kit, she simply felt too busy to stay on top of orders and run a business. A year later, however, Crystal found herself sharing what had become a passion for essential oils and, quite unexpectedly, growing her business. At the encouragement of her upline, she spoke at an essential oils class, and not long after she was hosting online discussions and conference calls. In 2014 Verick was able to retire and join Crystal full time.
Now the couple uses their lifestyle and abundance to add hope and meaning to their lives and the lives of others. They’ve worked as a team to homeschool four children ranging from kindergarten to high school while living on a hobby homestead where they care for bees, chickens, and an organic garden. Additionally, the Burchfields have worked to raise awareness and support for victims of worldwide human trafficking, and they support missionaries in Guatemala who run a home for at-risk children.
Through it all, Crystal and Verick strive to find balance between faith, family, and purpose. They put their trust in their belief system and strive to seek after success that glorifies their faith. Their hard work, dedication, and concern for others has helped them build genuine relationships that further their happiness and success.
Before she joined Young Living, an acquaintance invited Courtney Critz to a class about using essential oils.The wellness-focused lifestyle discussed in that class was already familiar to Courtney. She had spent years working on her family’s diet and removing harsh chemicals from their lifestyle. She felt that Young Living was a beautiful fit that took her hard work to a whole new level.
She started sharing because she was passionate about wellness and quickly saw that Young Living was far easier to share than all the companies she had tried in the past. When she saw how many lives were changed through the products and business opportunity, her passion for helping people motivated her to see how many she could take along on her incredible journey.
Courtney is highly goal-oriented and kept constant goals in front of her as she built her business. Now her goals are mostly for the leaders and members in her team. “I want them all to achieve all that they dream of,” she says.
Shauna Dastrup and her late husband, Richard, have created a memorable story. The Dastrups grew up in central Utah and met in high school where they became sweethearts. Their marriage in 1965 kicked off a new chapter in their lives that included college, starting businesses, and establishing a beautiful family.
Following a move to St. George, Utah, Shauna and Richard were introduced to Young Living in 1995. Soon after, they decided to make a career change from their successful floor covering business and an overall lifestyle change through Young Living. Having no experience with network marketing, the Dastrups relied on their entrepreneurial spirits to build their Young Living business and found success through their leadership and business know-how.
The Dastrups have four children—all of whom are Young Living members—fifteen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Some of Shauna’s favorite memories include her family’s summer retreat where they spend precious time together. Shauna continues to serve others and live her life by example.
A longtime child sponsor through the Young Living Foundation, Dannette Goodyear has been instrumental in organizing successful fundraising events that generate thousands of dollars to support the philanthropic work of the foundation.
Danette is an inspiring example of selfless generosity to her team and community and embodies a loving and giving spirit. She is well-known in her community for her efforts to volunteer her time and talents in assisting many service organizations.
Patricia Gwee has found her stride in Young Living. She’s been sharing her passion, enthusiasm, and love for the products and lifestyle and doesn’t plan on pulling back anytime soon. Her goal is to transform as many lives as possible through the power of pure essential oils and service with the underprivileged.
After receiving her Bachelor of Commerce degree with a major in marketing, Patricia started her first job in marketing research. She then became a recruiter, worked in human resources, and started collecting a range of skills working with people. Due to ongoing health concerns, Patricia quit her traditional career. She then began studying natural wellness.
Patricia was first introduced to Young Living after exhaustively searching for products that were naturally derived and effective for her and her family. She fell in love with Young Living and the versatile products that were quickly helping to support her family’s wellness goals.
In 2015, while juggling the demands of her family and a growing Young Living organization, she became a certified Integrative Health Coach after an intensive, year-long program with New York’s Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
Drawing from her wellness training and her deep belief in the power of naturally derived wellness solutions, Patricia continues sharing her zeal and passion for holistic wellness. She has found that Young Living’s products support her goal of helping others discover greater wellness in a remarkable way.
When she’s not sharing Young Living, Patricia enjoys music, art, and spending time with her family.
Mary joined Young Living in 1995 after listening to D. Gary Young lecture on the power of essential oils. Gary’s teachings answered many of the questions that she had about natural wellness. The lecture gave her the opportunity to experience the power of oils in her life and share that power with others.
A graduate of Western Michigan University, Mary taught physical education for 20 years. However, in 1980 she quit teaching, due to a prolonged illness. She decided to study natural healing and earned a PhD in Homeopathy and Nutrition from the Missouri College of Naturopathic Physicians in 1985. She continued to research natural healing until joining Young Living five years later.
It is Darren and Sera Johnson’s mission to help families take control of their wellness. As Young Living members and leaders, they actively educate people on essential oils, traveling around the country to speak at events like fairs and conventions.
Of all Young Living’s products, Kathy is particularly passionate about Valor® and Joy™ essential oil blends and uses them daily. She loves seeing Young Living’s products and business opportunity change people’s lives and the passion and excitement that follow.
The Kouwe’s Young Living lifestyle has allowed them to enjoy their 94-acre property, travel to places they had never even dreamed about, and meet hundreds of wonderful people around the world whom they now call friends. Besides their Young Living business, the Kouwe’s are passionate about faith, family, and riding their motorcycles.
Prior to joining Young Living, Diane Mora worked for the Xerox Corporation for 25 years. Over the years she had learned a lot about health and network marketing and even tried joining a few other companies. However, she was completely smitten the first time she saw Gary Young speak in Denver in 1993. He was so dynamic and was an instant hit with everyone at the meeting. Many people enrolled that night, but Diane waited until June of 1995 to enroll with the sponsor of her choice, Marie Bustos, who Diane found was an excellent teacher and mentor.
She could see the company’s potential because of both Gary’s charisma and the wealth of excellent information about essential oils. She started traveling to teach with a member of her downline and found that everyone they spoke with was very receptive.
Despite not having any previous network-marketing experience, Jessica and Nathan Petty have risen to the top ranks of Young Living membership through their passion for the people and the products. Their desire for natural wellness solutions for themselves and their family led them to Young Living, and they quickly fell in love with the power and purity of essential oils. In fact, Jessica left her 14-year-old financial advisement practice to build her Young Living business full time just two months after she became a member!
The Petty’s favorite Young Living products are Peace & Calming®, Frankincense, and Thieves®. Even though they’ve accomplished so much already, the Petty’s have many more things they want to achieve. They’re focused on helping many more of the members of their organization succeed in their goals and dreams.
When they’re not engaged in sharing the Young Living lifestyle with others, the Petty’s love spending time with their four children. Nathan loves to play the drums, surf, and do photography. Jessica is passionate about reading, meditation, and yoga.
When the Poepping’s first experienced Young Living essential oils, they felt that the benefits were phenomenal and felt obligated to share the oils with others. Just a few short years later, they have reached one of the company’s top ranks and have positively influenced hundreds of thousands of people across the world.
Melissa’s favorite Young Living product is Believe™ essential oil blend, which she diffuses every morning in her family’s home to help them achieve new dreams, goals, and believe in their highest potential.
Melissa believes that she has an unstoppable group of leaders on her team with a contagious passion for sharing Young Living, and her organization’s immense success is a result of team effort. Melissa and Wayne are the proud parents of three children and love the freedom and time with their family that the Young Living lifestyle has given them.
When Doug and Jordan Schrandt were introduced to Young Living, they saw it as a catalyst to transform their family’s life. As Young Living leaders, they are committed to teaching people how to clean, eat, and live cleaner. The Schrandts are people-focused and are committed to helping others live happy, wellness-focused lives.
Callie Shepherd grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, with wonderful parents who showed her how to live with joy and contentedness despite tight financial times. She heard her first Young Living presentation in Duncan, Oklahoma, and was so impressed that she ordered her first kit. Callie knew that there were several young mom friends back in her hometown who would be interested in these naturally derived products.
Callie especially loves developing leaders and has created online business training with videos and tools that are free to the business builders on her team. These tools empower even the most unlikely person to take building a Young Living business by the horns!
Sharnael Wolverton loves public speaking, as well as training and coaching various groups of individuals who want to focus on their wellness. She uses Young Living products every day and has a strong conviction that they have changed her life and those of many others around her.
Kelli Wright attributes her drive to work hard and be her best self to her father’s example. Before joining Young Living, Kelli channeled this drive into the unique occupation of restoring, painting, and selling furniture. She was also an avid blogger in the DIY industry and a rep for her friend’s milk paint line for the state of Alabama. Young Living represented a completely different path for her.
After discovering how essential oils impacted their family, Kelli became dedicated to sharing the products with others. It is her deepest passion to help fulfill Young Living’s mission of bringing pure, authentic essential oils to every home.
Dietfried Wruss grew up in Graz, a town in southern Austria. After his strict upbringing and years in the army, he pursued an education in economy and law. However, he longed for the independence that comes from owning a business, and he felt the need to help others find a better life. When Young Living came along, he discovered that everyone can find freedom, balance, and abundance—and he couldn’t wait to share it.
Since starting his Young Living journey, Dietfried’s life has changed drastically. He met his sweetheart, Alexandra, at an Austrian Young Living event in 2008. The two hit it off right from the start, and their relationship has only continued to deepen and grow. Dietfried says that Alexandra is much more than a spouse, partner, and good friend; to him, their relationship is more beautiful than anything he could have dreamed of. Although he frequently travels, Dietfried is always grateful to spend time at home with Alexandra and their children.
Dietfried loves that at Young Living’s foundation is the opportunity for individuals to live a better life, and when he’s sharing Young Living, he looks for people who are ready for make their dreams come true. His best advice to people who are just beginning their journey? Remember that your business starts with you, so discover who you are and never stop growing. Once you realize that life has unlimited potential, you can find true success doing what you love with passion and freedom.
Proud parents of three children (two toddler sons and one newborn daughter), Myra and Ernie Yarbrough thrive on creating a healthy, happy home and sharing their love of wellness with everyone they meet. After being introduced to Young Living by Alyssa Francis nearly four years ago, Myra and Ernie have found their passion for Young Living.
While they initially joined with no plan to build their Young Living business, the Yarbroughs created an incredible story—and the best part is they aren’t stopping anytime soon. So what’s their next chapter? Royal Crown Diamond with the ultimate goal of helping all of their team members rank up!
The Yarbroughs have overcome huge fears and obstacles in their lives through Young Living’s personal and professional development. Myra attributes a lot of their success to the high-quality products and company culture. | 2019-04-19T11:10:12Z | https://www.youngliving.com/en_NZ/opportunity/recognition/diamond-leaders/crown |
In this post we will discuss how to generate a sine wave modulated from different PWM signals. These technique it helps us to make pure sine inverters or to generate sine signals with different frequencyes.
As we know(from previous posts) some pins of arduino can generate PWM signals at high frequencies, so we will utilize this and adapt for sine equation. Let’s assume our frequency is 50Hz mean the time period is 20ms. So 10ms is half cycle period. In those 10ms we need to have many pulses with different duty cycles starting with small duty cycles, in the middle of the signal we have maximum duty cycles and finish also with small duty cycles.
To generate a sine wave we will use two pins one for positive half cycle and one for negative half cycle. In our post for this we use pins 5 and 6 that means Timer 0.
For a smooth signal we choose phase correct pwm at a frequency 31372 Hz-see previous post.
One of the biggest problem is that how we calculate the necessary duty cycle for each pulse. So, because our frequency is f=31372Hz the period for each pulse is T=1/31372=31.8 us, so number of pulses for a half cycle is N=10ms/31.8us=314 pulses. Now to calculate the duty cycle for each pulse we have y=sinx, but in this equation wee need degrees so half cycle has 180deg for 314 pulses.
For each pulse we have 180/314=0.57deg/pulse. That means for every pulse we move forward with 0.57deg.
Because it’s unpleasant to calculate each duty cycle by hand below it’s a small program that calculate the duty cycle between 0 and 90 deg( on serial monitor) and between 90 and 180 deg is in the mirror.
First value is 1 because we want to reduce the dead time betwen half cycles of sine signal.
To write the duty cycles we will use OCR0A and OCR0B for timer 0(pins 5 and 6), that means for one half cycle OCR0A will be equal with every component of vector myPWM and for other half cycle OCR0B will do that-see the post with Timer 0.
With the program below we generate phase correct signal at a 31372 Hz and 100 duty cycle(is between 0 and 255 on Timer 0).
But we want to alternate pins for each half cycle and make a variable duty cycle for each pulse. For this thing we use another timer(Timer 1) in CTC mode with interrupts. We generate a signal with the same frequency as frequency of pins 5 and 6 and after each pulse we change the duty cycle(values from the vector) with an interrupt. At the end of the vector we change pins(half cycle period) and start over.
An interrupt is a part of a program that pause the loop function and execute another part of a program at a very specific time and after that start from where it was.
For this application we use a interrupt that is enabled when Timer 1 match with the OCR1A value. To change the duty cycle at every pulse on pins 5 and 6 we must generate interrupts with a 31372Hz (to enable one interrupt at the same time with an pulse on pins 5 and 6).
To generate that interrupt at every pulse we must set Timer 1 in CTC mode and for that we use TCCR1B register to make WGM12 =1 and CS10=1(no prescaling), OC1A must be set in toggle mode in TCCR1A register(COM1A1,COM1A0,COM1B1,COM1B0)see waveform generation mode bit description for Timer 1.
Now we must calculate the value for OCR1A to generate a 31372Hz signal. For that we use the formula from the datasheet with a smal modification, number 2 dissapear fOC1A=fclk/N(1+OCR1A). Explication is that the formula with number 2 is for pwm and to have a frequency to a signal, the signal must be high and low and we wait two counts until compare match, one count before signal became low and one count before signal became high again(picture below). At interrupts when timer hits the compare match value the interrupt is generate, so number 2 dissapear.
The value of OCR1A is determined from OCR1A=(fclk/fOC1A*N)-1 and OCR1A=509.
So Timer 1 start counting until reach OCR1A=509 then activate the interrupt with a frequency 31372Hz.
To enable interrupts we need to set the OCIE1A=1 in TIMSk1 register and use ISR(TIMER1_COMPA_vect) (more details about interrupts here and here).
To be sure there is no problem with interrupts we will use cli() ( stop interrupts) and sei()(enable interrupts).
In ISR function we set the OCR0A and OCR0B with duty cycle values and change this values according to vector, also at the finish of each crossing of vector we change the enabled pin.
Before sine wave we must see if it is everything ok so we have alternate the pins at a stable duty cycle OCR0A and OCR0B equals with 128.
As you can see we have in vector 314 elements and the program only 313 because at last we have the transition between pins, and on the oscilloscope we have a better frequency.
This image from oscilloscope has 5ms/div, so you can see that each signal has a 10ms period.
As you can see the output signal is a pwm signal with variable duty cycle and after the low pass filter(R=47ohms and C=22uF) appear a half sinus form.
To have a full sine wave you need to use a H bridge and command it with these two signals (before filter).
we obtain a full sinus wave like from a H bridge.
In the image above the red signal is from pin 5 , yellow signal is from pin 6 and the green one is the “minus operation” between the other two.
Again, with the program above(with a variable duty cycle) and a mathematichal function we have obtain the signal above but with a H bridge you can obtain a pure sine wave and you can use it in pure sine inverters.
At last the frequency on this application is between 49.94 and 50.02 Hz, in the image below is only on channel 1 because the software of the oscilloscope can’t display the frequency of the “math signal”.
To make an update to this post next is a 60Hz signal.
Before the main program below is the program to generate values for duty cycle(with some differences from the first-it will generate all the values from zero to zero).
Now the main program will consist 260 elements because at last we have the transition between pins, and on the oscilloscope we have a better frequency.
The green signals are the others two combined.
In this picture is presented only a half cycle because i have used only one low pass filter(i had only one capacitor) and you can see that the resulting frequency is 60.02 Hz.
The result are better than in the previous example because i have used film capacitor(1uF) and not electrolitic for the low pass filter ( R=220 ohms).
On my oscilloscope i have obtained a frequency at 49.9 Hz.
Hi , thank you for this very very good tutorial , if I want to put the frequency of 60 Hz which should be the value of OCR2A ?? Thank you in advance.
When we calculate the number of pulses we have N=10ms/31.8us=314pulses for 50Hz.For 60 Hz the period of this signal is 16.6ms and for half duty cycle is 8.3ms.
Now N=8.3ms/31.8us=261pulses, so the only thing you need to change is the number of pulses and the duty cycle of them. In the vector you should have 261 elements(with different values from the our example) and in the ISR where appear 313 you must have 261(or 260 if give you an more precise frequency).
Thank you sir for your reply, is what it is inside of these braces I have to put the 261 Elements ??
Yes but i repead with your values. You can use the first program and change x=x+0.57; with x=x+0.83; because 180/216=0.83 and from serial monitor obtain the half of this values other half is in mirror.
Sir if I make a UPS 120V 50 Hz, is that the 50 Hz will be a problem because the frequency is 60 Hz for 120 v and 50 Hz for 240V ????
Yes you must have the same specification as the machines you want to power or the grid. Be aware that is a danger voltage i don’t have any responsibility if something go wrong!!!
Try to understand all the aspects of the project.
I’ve uptated the article and in the bottom you will find the program for 60Hz(at results is only a half cycle because i have had only one low pass filter).
Again i have no responsability if something go wrong!!!
When you finish the project maybe you’ll share the experience and the results.
Around 1uF(i have had three in paralel with small capacities(total 1.02 uF)) and a 220 ohms resistor.
Be aware that for transistors you should use the pwm signal not filtered!
In the H bridge the input signal must be pwm, the filter is mounted after the H bridge, i repeat i haven’t build such a device, search more information about SPWM inverters!
And for this project is more suitable a LC low pass filter.
Why not, i see it work for that project.
Hello sir. thank you for share this knowledge. I try this soft with an arduino mega 2560 and only work using the pins 4 and 13. I try also with a attiny85 but it does not compile. Can it work with the attiny85? or just can’t? Thanks.
I haven’t worked with attiny but from specifications it has the Timer 1 with just 8 bit and OCR1A in the program has a 509 value a lot higher than 255 max value for a 8 bit timer, so i don’t think it will work on attiny.
Recently i have updated the post with a program for pins 9 and 10 which use OCR0A=63. You can try this program for your attiny85 to see if it is working.
Hi sir i can try to upload this coding in ARDUINI UNO.campiling is good but not upload in aurduino.
i can simulate arduino uno with coding in proteous but no any change in pin5, and pin 6 both pin still neutral and pin 12 change only.
so you can’t upload the program to arduino uno???
and for proteus i’ve an oscilloscope on pins 5 and 6 and they work perfectly.
Thank You very much for a helpfull toturial!
To create 1*KHz sine wave , Which capasitor and resister can be used in the LP. filter .
I can now create the PWM pulse put can’t get a fine sine wave! How can we know which RC Circuit is the best to the frequency.
For the capacitor and resistors values i used an online RC low pass filter calculator or, there are formulas for this kind of filters.
Hope that help and sory for late response!
Thanks a lot for sharing this with us.I need a 1KHZ sine wave with Arduino.How can I do this? Thanks in advance.
First of all sorry for late response.
In the second for this frequency arduino is a little to slow and maybe you will not be satisfied by result.
If in the program from post i’ve used phase correct pwm here i’ve used fast pwm for 62500Hz. Also the array contain only 31 elements so the resolution is not great.
Also beacause arduino can’t generate negative voltage you must know that, with this signals you must enter in a hbridge to obtain a sine wave.
The filter in this case is a RC with R=470ohms and C=0.1uF polyester.
i am making dc to ac inverter. am is this sinewave is ok to fed to the gate of h bridge.
Yes, but you must move the filter after the h bridge. In the bridge must enter an pwm signal.
Sir, How to generate on pin 9 and 10?
At the end of the article i have posted (before the video) a program with a sine wave at 50Hz from pins 9 and 10.
What you mean “to control the voltage”???
I mean that, if the DC input voltage decrease or increase this will lead to decrease or increase the RMS output voltage of the inverter and also if the output Load decrease or increase this will lead to increase or decrease the RMS output voltage of the inverter because the look up table only at one case. May question is that how can you adjust or regulate the output voltage regardless the input voltage and load variation.
It is a very good question but i don’t have the answer(i don’t know). I would let the sine part unmodified and on the input of the inverter you can mount an regulated dc-dc convertor or if you use the pull-push technology maibe there you can control the output voltage(again i don’t know about push-pull technology).
Thank You very much .But I need just one stage (Inverter) to produce sinusoidal output voltage for reducing the size and cost.
a) look up table 1 for output voltage 180V to 190V.
b) look up table 2 for output voltage 190V to 200V.
2) Is it possible to use sine function instead of using look up table especially when using Atmega such as Atmega238p (Arduino Uno) or Atmega2560 (Arduino Mega).
can this work on digispark? can it have variable frequency 25-100hz?
I see that this digispark use attiny85 and i have never use this device. I know that attiny has only 8 bit register(OCR1A=509 and 8 bits=255) so with the first program won’t work, but i have updated the post with a program for pins 9 and 10(on arduino uno) which use OCR0A=63 and this maybe will work on attiny.
I have created a single phase sine wave. But how to feedback output 220v used adc. Can you help me? Send me sample code?
From what you wrote i don’t understand what you want.
Please give me more details about what you want to do to see if i can help you!
I used H bridge PWM to generate sine waves. I want to change the amplitude of the sine wave (50hz constant frequency). How do I change the ?
i am not doing the H-Bridge, i like have a full sine wave PWM modulation at the one pin reference GND, How does this code modify to?
Keep the circuit configuration as same as what you did. Could you modify the CODE make both of PIN 5, PIN6 as full sine wave instead of half wave, one of them has 90 degree phase shift?
To generate a full sine wave on a pin you must generate a negative voltage for the negative half duty cycle of the sine wave.
I don’t know if something like that is possibile with arduino.
Sorry i couldn’t help you!
Could you move X Axis from 0 to middle of 5V, cycle positive from 2.5V to 5.0V, negative from 2.5V to 0V, this whole picture will be full wave.
Sorry, I am afraid this topic is suitable here. However I did read your ?site, the technology and your skill seems fully opening.
May I ask you? Is this site representing research agency? School? Manufacturing? forum?
It’s a small blog with electronic projects that are in my area of knowledge.
can you explain where does the “63” come from?
Like in the first example when the interrupt is triggered by timer 1 and it has a 31372Hz frequency, OCR1A is 509.
For the example where timer0 is for interrupt i have used the same formula OCR1A=(fclk/fOC1A*N)-1, where instead of OCR1A appear OCR0A.If the OCR1A was equal with 509, beacause the timer 0 has only 8 bits it’s maximum is 255 so i have used a prescaler N=8.
So if you make in the formula OCR0A=63 and N=8 the frequency obtain is 31372 as we want.
does this equation is mentioned in the source code? or can we calculate it with the code above?
sorry for being a newbie here..
Thanks for the posting, it was awesome!
Could you add another code which is soft start. In other word the sine wave frequency increases slowly from 1Hz to 50Hz(60Hz) few seconds?
sir, i wat to make the frequecy adjustable by plugin in variable potensio meter(analogread)..how to modify this code?
For the moment i can’t help, and i say tht because i have tried to do this but the result are not good enough. To modify the frequency is necessary to modify the values from the array and this will affect the output sine wave. Sorry this thing is over my knowledge.
Is there a way code can maintain output supply for a given battery voltage range?
Can anyone please help me, with what I have to change, if I want a 10 Hz, sine?
I`ve calculated the new sine values (and these are a lot).
Hi. As I understand your concept is working with fixed tables for generating the frequency – as explained above, e.g. 261 elements for 50Hz, 314 elements for 60Hz. Do you see a chance to work with variable freqencies, and in doing so having the possibility to fine tune the frequency lateron (e.g. with a potentiometer)? I would very much appreciate your comments and / or some example code.
To create such a project arduino must calculate the values from array very fast and i’m afraid that uno is a bit slow for that and also generate the pulses. I don’t know if an arduino due can do this.
Sorry i couldn’t help you because it is a bit hard that it seems.
hello sir, your articles really helps me a lot.
but whenever i tried to simulate all the codes that uses pin 5 and 6 output in proteus, i get no single pulse other than a straght line, except the code that uses pin 9 and 10 as output that gave me the half sine pulse. pls what can i do sir? as it needs to work before i can place it in pcb layout.
i don’t know what is the problem in proteus but the images from the post are from an oscilloscope and in my case worked very well.
How can we get OCR1A=509?
Hey Man, thank you for the good work this is really helpful. I am having a problem though with using this code on the Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560). I tried the same code as the one above but I can’t see anything on the oscillioscope.
Hello! First, I love your post!
Second, I have designed and built a tripple H-Bridge circuit which is controlled by an Arduino Nano. (Atmega328) I use all the PWM pins – 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 to control hi & low of each phase. I can vary the frequency, but outputting a square wave makes the motor very choppy.
Now I would like to adapt your code to generate the sin waves exactly as you have above, but with three phases that are 120 deg apart from each other. I’m not expecting to vary the frequency at this point. 50 or 60 Hz is fine initially. I’m just wondering if there’s an easy way to generate the same signal 120 deg and 240 deg offset from the signal you’ve already created on two of the PWM pins.
I did the full sine wave output on one pin with this code!
Can this code upload to ATTiny44?
Hello sir, thank you for sharing this article.
Is there any way in which you can control when to start the generation of pulses. I am doing an inverter and I need to adjust the phase of the grid to the phase of my inverter therefore the best way to it is to start the PWM parallely with the grid . | 2019-04-21T00:08:04Z | http://www.eprojectszone.com/how-to-generate-a-sine-wave-from-arduino-or-atmega-328/ |
The town of Bentrock, Montana (located in Mercer County) in 1948 has a population of less than one thousand people. It is bordered on the west by the Fort Warren Indian reservation, a piece of land that is barely farmable and basically worthless and inhabited by members of the Sioux tribe. The roads are unpaved and the climate is difficult—residents must deal with extreme changes in temperature and never-ending wind. David guesses that the harsh and demanding climate keeps people so busy they can rarely find time to make trouble—this is why Mercer county is so peaceful.
We can glean right away that the inequality built into the fabric of this small-town society—the Sioux are relegated to some of the worst land in the state. This fact is almost glossed over, however, suggesting the degree to which the young David doesn’t question why the Sioux land is so bad. David mentions that the residents of Bentrock endure difficult weather conditions—which, while true, is ironically positioned in this section, following as it does the mention of the poverty on the reservations. Tellingly this narration refers to Mercer County as “peaceful”: in this way, the author David is embodying and communicating young David’s naiveté about the reality of his town.
The relief over the end of World War II is still palpable in Mercer county. Many men had been in combat—though not David’s father Wesley, who has a bum leg due to a kick from a horse—and now they only want to settle in with their families and tend their farms.
Again the picture being painted is one that will be systemically torn down by the events of the story: this postwar small town America is not nearly as idyllic as it seems, and its war heroes are not so heroic.
This tranquility makes for easy work for Wesley Hayden, who is the Mercer County sheriff. As a general rule, being the Sheriff of Mercer county doesn’t require great strength or courage. Young David is disappointed in this fact, and wishes his father’s job were more exciting. He notes that his father doesn’t even look like a western sheriff. He wears a shirt and tie and does not wear boots or a cowboy hat. He owns a small Italian made handgun but never carries it—which is just as well, David thinks, considering the gun is puny and doesn’t look the part. David’s toy guns look more real to him.
The question of identity is raised: we learn that Gail and Wesley construct identity differently. Gail believes Wesley’s profession prevents him from being his “true” self, and Wesley has clearly resisted her. The book will continue to wonder about what makes (or breaks) a person’s identity and sense of self. The difference between lawyer and sheriff also calls attention to the difference between law and justice.
David tries to explain his mother’s thinking. Grandpa Julian Hayden (Wesley’s father) had once been Sheriff of Mercer county for many terms, along with his deputy, Len McAuley. (David, as an adult, wonders why his grandfather wanted to be sheriff. He concludes it is because his grandfather wanted and needed power.) When Grandpa Hayden finally retired, he turned the post over to Wesley, keeping the Hayden name in office. This is why Wesley is trying, as David puts it, to “turn two ways at once.” Grandpa Hayden wants him to be a Hayden, and Gail wants him to simply be himself—something that is impossible in Grandpa Hayden’s presence.
Wesley, it is revealed, is torn between two loyalties. His father wants him to keep the Hayden name in office, but his wife (ostensibly for his sake) wishes he could move away from Grandpa Hayden, so that he no longer felt the pressure of his name. Grandpa’s corruption is also hinted at in this section. His desire to keep one family in charge is anti-democratic and betrays a love of power and prestige over a love of law. Wesley’s desires are notably absent from this description—his decision-making is entirely informed by the wants of his family.
Another reason David’s mother wants them to leave Montana is that she fears for her son’s development. David does not enjoy or understand living in a community—the rules and requirements intimidate him, and he prefers to be out in the countryside alone. He flees the town and its laws and regulations as often as possible, and Gail worries this is stunting his personal and social growth. But David is happy here—he rides his horse, Nutty, and goes fishing, hiking and hunting. He feels that out in the country is the only place where he can be his true self, free of the pressures of human society.
David’s isolation worries his mother because it is perhaps inhibiting his growth. This is yet another ironic kind of gesture—by the end of this story, the idea that the countryside could protect David from the realities of adulthood is almost laughable. David’s childhood naiveté is accompanied by a kind of naiveté on the part of his mother, who will eventually realize nothing can prevent David from growing up. The realities of the external world will find him even in his isolation.
David’s mother works as a secretary, so they have hired a housekeeper, a Sioux woman named Marie Little Soldier. She is a large, beautiful woman with a big personality to match, who likes to tell tall tales and jokes. David loves her (in a 12-year-old’s chaste way) because she is beautiful and unconventional, and because she cares for him.
David’s love for Marie exists on a kind of boundary: he believes he is “in love” with her but he is in fact recognizing and appreciating that Marie takes care of him, that she is like family. David’s sexuality is just starting to emerge, but he is still a boy. Note also how he loves Marie unreservedly, without any sense of prejudice, and focuses on her personality. Many of the older white characters don’t see Marie as a “person” in this way.
Marie has a boyfriend named Ronnie Tall Bear, whom David worships. Ronnie is perhaps the most accomplished athlete to ever graduate from Bentrock high school and was a star in every sport he tried. Young David never wonders, as a child, why Ronnie does not go to a top-notch school on a football scholarship—he simply accepts that “college is not for Indians.” As an adult however, David understands Ronnie could never have been accepted to college as a Native American in 1948.
David is blissfully unaware, as a child, of the injustices that Native Americans like Ronnie face. Though he admires and even “worships” Ronnie for his athletic prowess, he does not question it when Ronnie does not go to college. It is not until he is an adult that he recognizes prejudice for what it was—and Ronnie’s story takes on a darker and more complicated quality.
Marie stays in a servant’s room on the ground floor of the house, even though there is a spare bedroom upstairs. One day David passes the door and hears horrible coughing. When Gail returns for her lunch break, David tells her he thinks Marie is sick. Gail is alarmed and investigates, quickly determining that Marie has a fever. Marie is only wearing a nightgown, and David is reminded of the time he accidentally saw her naked getting out of the shower. Gail gives Marie extra blankets and tells her to stay in bed until evening, when they can ask Dr. Hayden (Wesley’s brother) to come over. Marie protests, saying she doesn’t need a doctor, but Gail ignores her and tells David to keep an eye on her.
Though David and the rest of the family love Marie in an almost familial way, she is still made to sleep in a servant’s room—presumably because custom dictates Native American servants do so. Though she is “like” family, her race and position prevent her from being treated as such. Marie’s sickness brings out certain dynamics in the house: David is made uncomfortable, but also intrigued, by Marie’s exposed state. His mother treats Marie like a child, ignoring her wishes and insisting on care.
David checks in on Marie frequently. She sleeps fitfully and mumbles deliriously. Once she calls David in and makes him promise to keep the doctor away from her. David protests that it’s just his Uncle Frank. Marie coughs violently and David rubs her back and feels that she is shaking all over. When he promises to keep Frank away, she seems to relax.
Marie’s weakness and fear begins to hint at the terrible reality (one of racial prejudice and abuse) lurking under the picturesque surface in Bentrock. The reader can begin to see that Frank is not “just” Uncle Frank—there’s something more to his identity.
David first learned of his father’s racism when he was about seven or eight. He received moccasins as a birthday gift from some extended family member and Wesley had refused to let him wear them, complaining they’d make him “flat-footed and lazy as an Indian.” David admits his father was not as hate filled as other bigots—in fact Wesley probably never considered himself prejudiced—but he held Native Americans in low regard and believed they were, with very few exceptions, lazy, superstitious, and irresponsible. David, when he is grown, puts on a pair of moccasins every day after work, as a small act of defiance.
Wesley is for the most part a good man—but the book emphasizes that even good, small town Americans are capable of certain evils. Part of David’s journey to adulthood involves reconciling his love and respect for his father with his father’s bigotry—which was undeniable, even if it was comparatively mild. His adult rebellion (in the form of wearing moccasins) demonstrates that he continues to grapple with these realities even as a grown-up.
Wesley tells Frank that Marie is sick, and warns him she does not want to be treated by him. Frank asks why and Wesley says he doubts she’s ever been seen by a “real” doctor. When he hangs up he jokingly tells Gail that Frank has agreed to do a little dance around the bed and bang on some drums—Gail doesn’t laugh and goes back to be with Marie.
Wesley and Frank bond over their mutual disdain for Native American beliefs and traditions—a trait that seems to have been passed down though the family. Gail’s displeasure is evident. She clearly cares more for Marie than she does for Frank.
When Frank arrives David is struck by how handsome and charismatic he is. He feels sorry for his father, who seems to him a less attractive and less impressive version of Frank, who was a star athlete in high school and a heroic doctor in WWII. Wesley is dull in comparison to Frank, who is favored by everyone in town including Grandpa Hayden, who sometimes speaks of Frank as though he is his only son. David remembers Grandpa Hayden giving a speech at a town celebration, praising Frank’s wartime accomplishments while Wesley limped around picking up litter.
The complicated dynamic between the Hayden boys and their father is fleshed out. Frank’s charisma, his accomplishments, his local fame—these all make him “more impressive” in David’s young eyes. David even feels sympathy, almost pity, for his somehow inferior father. Grandpa Hayden’s favoritism is also made evident. He has chosen Frank over Wesley before and will (as the reader will eventually discover) do so again.
Uncle Frank asks for a drink and Wesley offers him some of Ole Norgaard’s homebrewed beer. Frank says he might have some after he treats Marie. Frank goes into Marie’s room and shuts the door behind him. Almost immediately Marie begins screaming for Gail. Gail goes to knock on the door ask asks if everything is okay. Frank tells her, with disgust in his voice, that Marie insists Gail stay in the room.
The gravity of the situation becomes increasingly clear. Marie’s screams elicit disgust from Frank, disinterest from Wesley (who is more interested in promoting Norgaard’s beer), and concern from Gail. The family begins to split apart even in this early moment, foreshadowing the more dramatic fractures to come.
Wesley tells David to come wait outside on the porch. They hear muffled shouts of “no” coming from Marie’s room. Wesley ignores them. Finally Frank comes out and asks Wesley for a beer. Wesley leaves and David notices he feels uncomfortable alone with Uncle Frank. When Wesley returns he asks Frank why Marie had been upset. Frank says it’s just because she’s used to being treated by a “medicine man.” Wesley remarks that Native Americans will never make it in the 20th century unless they give up their old fashioned superstitions. Frank agrees, and says Marie might have pneumonia.
David’s discomfort around Frank suggests that he has already started to rethink Frank’s identity. Frank’s status and prestige no longer impress David, who is suddenly fearful of his uncle. Wesley remains unflinchingly on his brother’s side, sharing a beer and gossiping about Marie and her (in their opinion) inferior worldview. Once again their racism against Native Americans is apparent and, in Wesley’s case, makes him blind to what is going on.
Wesley asks if Marie should be in a hospital. Frank responds that Marie would probably never agree to go. At this moment Gail comes outside and confirms that Marie will be staying at home with them. David notices that his mother seems angry. Though she has never been a huge fan of Uncle Frank, she has never seemed blatantly hostile towards him, as she does now. Frank puts down his unfinished beer and makes an excuse to leave.
David is perceptive enough to notice that his mother is unusually unhappy with Uncle Frank. Uncle Frank’s quickness to leave suggests that he has an idea why Gail is angry—his guilt is already being hinted at. Again we can see Wesley at the center of a familial conflict—his wife is against Frank and he is with him (at least for now).
Gail tells David to go into the house. Instead of doing so, he tracks around the side of the house so he can eavesdrop on his parents’ conversation—he remarks that if he hadn’t done this, perhaps his childhood would have lasted longer. He hears his mother take a deep breath and tell his father what Marie has told her: that Uncle Frank has been molesting Native American girls—his patients—for years.
David here makes one of several decisions that apparently bring his childhood to an end. But the idea that David’s innocence could have endured this conflict—that he could have remained blissfully unaware—is perhaps a childish notion in and of itself. Frank’s crime is finally revealed, exposing the bigotry and abuse he conceals under his charm and social status.
Wesley frantically tries to rationalize, presumably because Frank is brother, and he desperately wants this information to be untrue. Gail will not allow it though, and renders Frank’s crimes to Wesley in harsh language. This startles David, whose conception of his mother is challenged by her use of these words. Wesley’s response is strange, even to David, who expects that he will respond more emotionally to this news.
Gail doesn’t understand the question. Wesley asks if she’s telling him because he is Frank’s brother, because he is her husband, because he is Marie’s employer, or because he is the sheriff. Gail says “I’m just telling you.” They are quiet for some time, and then Wesley asks if Marie has been a victim of Frank’s assault before. Gail says yes, but she hasn’t seen the worst of it. Wesley wonders if Marie will talk to him and Gail says she thinks so. Wesley claps his hands and gets up to go inside.
David quickly runs back in the house so his parents won’t know he’s been eavesdropping. They say nothing to him and go straight to Marie’s room. While they are gone, David examines Uncle Frank’s fingerprints on his beer bottle. He realizes he is already beginning to think of Uncle Frank as a criminal—handsome, charming Uncle Frank is gone forever.
David is coming to terms with the malleable and shifting nature of identity himself—he inspects Frank’s fingerprints, a tellingly childish imitation of criminal investigation—we can imagine he learned about it on television. But he has grown in his understanding of Uncle Frank—who is more, and more sinister, than his charming exterior.
Wesley’s first move in his investigation is to talk to his deputy (who was also his father’s deputy) and ask Gail to talk to Daisy to gage how much gossip about Frank has already gotten out. This move highlights that Wesley’s job as sheriff involves social maneuvering. The way the law operates is affected by the small town politics in Bentrock. It turns out Daisy has already heard Frank has been abusing Native American patients—though she uses euphemistic language to say so (to prevent David from understanding, but also, we imagine, to avoid facing the reality herself).
Later that night, Gail goes in to check on Marie one more time. When she comes out she looks exhausted and frail. Wesley is eating some chocolate cake that Daisy brought over, and casually asks Gail how Marie is doing. Gail cannot believe he has an appetite after all that’s happened. David realizes she is seeing his father differently: not as her husband, but as a brother to a pervert, a brother to a man who abused his power and authority to take advantage of women. David knows this because he is seeing Wesley the same way—he can hardly stand to look at his father, because he sees Frank’s features on his dad’s face.
Wesley’s status as Frank’s brother, as a blood relative of a heinous, sexually abusive criminal, begins to dawn on both David and his mother. David is disgusted by his father’s resemblance to his uncle, and Gail lashes out as well. The book wonders about the meaning of biological relation. Does Wesley carry some of Frank’s evil and perversion in him simply because he is Frank’s brother and shares his blood? What do the actions of our family members say about us?
Wesley tells Gail he doesn’t want this all over town, reminding her that they have no proof of anything yet. David sees a familiar disagreement between them: his father, touting proof and evidence, his mother relying on feelings and faith. Gail notes that rumors have already started spreading, and Wesley clarifies that he doesn’t want it getting back to his father. David notes that in many ways Wesley had nothing left to praise God with because he used up all his faith and loyalty on his “earthly father,” Grandpa Hayden.
Where Gail is concerned with justice (and follows abstract ideals) Wesley is concerned with procedure, with law. Yet Wesley’s loyalty to law is perhaps also shield that lets him also be loyal to his father. The law is more complicated than justice. David’s remark about his father’s resistance to religion is telling: Wesley’s devotion to his biological family is almost dogmatic. Wilson, the novelist, is warning against such blind devotion to biological ties.
Gail emphatically asserts that David will never be treated by Frank again. David is nervous about being addressed, and hopes he doesn’t give away the fact that he’s been eavesdropping. Wesley tells Gail not to bring David into this. She asks him again why he won’t say he believes Marie. David expects his father to insist Marie is either confused or lying, but instead he says nothing. David realizes his father doesn’t doubt Frank’s guilt—he knows his brother as well as anyone, and he knows his brother has committed these crimes.
A troubling new fact comes to light—Wesley does not doubt Frank’s guilt. David must now contend not only with the reality of his Uncle’s crimes, but with his own father’s willful tolerance of those crimes. Wesley has been resisting action not because of doubt, but because of devotion to the “Hayden” name. David must comes to terms with the fact that his father is capable of such moral shortcoming.
Winner, Kathryn. "Montana 1948 Chapter 1." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 17 Jun 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Winner, Kathryn. "Montana 1948 Chapter 1." LitCharts LLC, June 17, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2019. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/montana-1948/chapter-1. | 2019-04-22T05:02:38Z | https://www.litcharts.com/lit/montana-1948/chapter-1 |
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9.3. Failure of the Buyer to comply with these conditions will constitute irrevocable acceptance of the Goods.
9.4. Within thirty (30) days after the receipt of such notice, the Seller will investigate the claim of shortages, defects or damage, inform the Buyer of its findings, and upon acceptance of a claim the Seller will pay shipping expenses for the return of the damaged or non-conforming Goods and will provide a suitable credit to the Buyer.
10.1. All Goods are sold on a non-return basis, expect as provided herein the Seller may, at its own discretion and determination, accept the return of unsold Goods if authorized by a company representative, under the following conditions: i) shipping expenses are paid by the Buyer, ii) the aforementioned Goods are still produced by the Seller and have not been discontinued; iii) the returned Goods are in saleable and undamaged condition.
10.2. The Seller will provide credit to the Buyer only for undamaged returned Goods.
10.3. If the Buyer complies with the conditions stated herein and upon verification and acceptance of the returned Goods by the Seller, the Seller will provide credit to the Buyer for the value of the returned Goods. Under no circumstances will the credit for the returned goods exceed the cost paid by the Buyer for those Goods.
11.1. Title in the Goods shall not pass to the Buyer until the Seller has been paid in full for the Goods, less any credits or discounts applied by the Seller to the Buyer’s account.
12.1. In the event that, in the State of destination of the Goods, are in force particular regulations and obligations regarding the conformity requirements of the Goods themselves, the Buyer shall provide all the relative information in advance and in writing to the Seller, so that the latter can proceed promptly with the correct preparation and shipment of the order.
12.2. Seller guarantees the performance of the Goods of its manufacture only and exclusively when the Goods are used in suitable environment and for suitable applications in compliance with techical specification forwarded by the Seller.
12.3. SELLER MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF ANY KIND, AND SELLER DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
13.1. UNLESS UNDER GARANTIES GRANTED IN SECTION 9 OR IN CASES OF WILLFULL MISCONDUCT, FRAUD OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE ON THE SELLER’S PART, BUYER SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO, AND SELLER SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR, LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUE, PROMOTIONAL OR MANUFACTURING EXPENSES, OVERHEADS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION COST, LOSS OF DATA, REMOVAL OR REINSTALLATION COSTS, INJURY TO REPUTATION OR LOSS OF BUYERS, PUNITIVE DAMAGES, IPR INFRINGEMENT, LOSS OF CONTRACTS OR ORDERS OR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY NATURE. BUYER’S RECOVERY FROM SELLER FOR ANY CLAIM SHALL NOT EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE PAID FOR THE AFFECTED PRODUCTS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE NATURE OF THE CLAIM WHETHERIN CONTRACT, TORT, WARRANTY, OR OTHERWISE.
14.1. The Buyer specifically acknowledges that gains no rights to any intellectual property held by the Seller and those rights that may arise as a result of the sale and purchase of the Goods, so far as not already vested in the Seller, shall become the absolute property of the Seller. The Buyer is not authorized, licensed or permitted to alter any trademarks, trade dress or copyright contained on the purchased Goods either by it or through making agreements with third parties.
14.2. When goods are produced according to the Buyer’s specifications, the Buyer must ensure that no intellectual property rights or other rights of third parties are infringed. The Buyer shall indemnify the Seller and hold it harmless against any third party rights arising out of such infringements to the extent the Buyer is answerable therefore.
15.1. The Seller shall not be liable for any delay or failure to perform its obligations –even if the time of delivery is of the essence of the Contract- due to any cause beyond its reasonable control. Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the following shall be regarded as causes beyond the Seller’s control, such as: Act of God, explosion, flood, tempest, fire or accident; war or threat of war, sabotage, insurrection, civil disturbance or requisition; acts, restrictions, regulations, bye-laws, prohibitions and measures of any kind on the part of any governmental, parliamentary or local or foreign authority; import or export regulations or embargoes; strikes, lock-outs, or other industrial actions or trade disputes (whether involving employees of the Seller or of a third party); difficulties in obtaining raw materials, labor, fuel, parts of machinery; power failure or breakdown in machinery; acts or omissions of the Buyer; any other event beyond the Seller’s reasonable control.
16.1. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall be construed as establishing or implying any partnership or joint venture between the parties and nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall be deemed to authorize or appoint either party as the agent of the other.
17.1. Neither Party shall assign its rights and/or obligations under these Terms and Conditions, without the prior written consent of the other Party hereto.
18.1. The failure by either party to enforce for any time or any period of time any, all or certain of the Terms and Conditions herein shall not be a waiver of them or of the right at any time subsequently to enforce and require compliance with the Terms and Conditions.
19.1. The Buyer and the Seller both acknowledge that, as a result of the Sale of Goods, each Party may be provided with and obtain access to confidential information belonging to the other Party.
19.2. Any Confidential Information shall be kept strictly secret and confidential and the Parties shall undertake the following obligations with respect thereto: (a) to use the Confidential Information only for the purposes of fulfilling their obligations under the Sales Agreement; (b) not to disclose the Confidential Information or to make it available to others without the prior written permission of the other party and (c) to limit dissemination of the Confidential Information only to those of the parties’ employees who have a need to know the Confidential Information in order that the parties may perform their obligations under the Sales Agreement. 19.3. For purposes of the Sale of the Goods, the term “Confidential Information” shall mean and refer to all reports, drawings, documents, technical, scientific and commercial data and any other information marked “confidential” related to negotiations, to the Sale and to the Goods supplied by one party to the other.
20.1. Upon the occurrence of any breach of these terms and conditions by the Buyer, or if an invoice is not paid by the Buyer when due, or when it is necessary to enforce or defend these Terms and Conditions, the Buyer agrees to pay all costs of the collection, replevin, enforcement or defense, including without limitation attorney’s fees, whether incurred in or out of court, in one or more actions or proceedings, on appeal, in arbitration, in Bankruptcy Court, or in any insolvency proceedings or otherwise.
21.1. If any term or provision of these Terms and Conditions is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason by any court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be severed and the remainder of the provisions hereof shall continue in full force and effect as if these Terms and Conditions had been agreed with the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision eliminated.
22.1. Enforcement and interpretation of the provisions hereof shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida, without resort to its conflict of law rules.
22.2. The Parties shall make reasonable efforts to settle in an amicable way through good faith discussions any dispute that might arise between or among them in connection with the Sale or the present Terms and Conditions.
22.3. If an amicable resolution cannot be reached within a reasonable period of time, which in any case cannot exceed ninety (90) days, all disputes, differences, controversies or claims arising in connection with, or questions occurring under, this present Agreement, the Goods or any dealings between the Buyer and the Seller, shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Broward County, Florida.
23.1. THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVE THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE GOODS, OR ANY DEALINGS BETWEEN THE PARTIES, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO ANY OF THE FOREGOING.
24.1. The headings in these Terms and Conditions are included for convenience of reference only and shall not in any way limit or otherwise affect the meaning or interpretation of the provisions herein. | 2019-04-19T10:44:03Z | https://www.alcas.us/terms-conditions-sale-goods/ |
Aries, your September 2017 horoscope indicates that this month you’ll experience intense emotions. Don’t fight or suppress them, instead get in touch with your emotions and listen to what they are telling you. If you do, they will be an excellent guide for the rest of the month, so let yourself be emotional this September. Be mindful of how your career, relationships, and fitness routine, make you feel. Figure out the things about your relationship that are causing you stress, what about your career makes you excited each day, and how can you make changes to have a more satisfactory workout routine. Treat your emotions as a road map to a more fulfilling September.
In the first week of September, you are likely going to feel conflicted about some aspect of your relationship. While it may be uncomfortable at first, take the time to unpack these complicated emotions rather than ignoring them. Once you have figured out what is causing your mood take steps to address it. Do you feel yourself drifting apart from your partner and want to spend more quality time together? Do you want more support or understanding? Maybe you’re just annoyed that towels are always left on the bathroom floor? Whatever you want out of your relationship, communication is going to be essential for making it happen.
You will experience a lull in your career at the beginning of September. You are going to have to be introspective to find ways to address the monotony and boredom. Ask yourself what parts of your job do excite and interest you. Try to be away of how different aspects of your job make you feel.
In the latter half of September, take steps to make your job more fulfilling. Try to take on tasks that interest, challenge or excite you. Discover what you already enjoy and consider talking with your manager or boss about taking on other similar responsibilities.
Taurus, strong and unexpected feelings might have a dramatic impact on you, according to your September horoscope. You may not have realized that you felt so strongly about a person, or situation until now and you may not feel prepared to deal with them at first. When these feelings strike remember to take a deep breath. You are going to be able to handle it.
Mid-September you will have a very active social life. Have fun with friends and colleagues, but remember to maintain balance in other aspects of your life. Don’t neglect your career or health. Even when you attend to these areas you will still have plenty of time to spend socializing.
This September you are going to find that your passions have been reignited mid month. You may find yourself falling for an old flame. If you are in a relationship that is comfortable but less fiery than it was at first, old excitement may reemerge. Following your emotions this month will benefit you. Enjoy your newfound passion and have fun re-experiencing the feeling of new love. This should bring much-needed fun, excitement, and lightheartedness into existing relationships. Old relationships are not guaranteed to succeed if you choose to rekindle them, however, it is going to be fun.
You will be surprised by your own strong feelings at work. A coworker’s comments may have gotten under your skin more than you realized. Maybe simmering resentment about having been passed over for a promotion or other responsibility has suddenly boiled over.
Whatever is troubling you, try to remain calm and collected. Your coworkers, like yourself, would be caught off guard by a strong reaction and may think you are being unfair or over dramatic. Instead, consider what is really upsetting you and address it in a day or so when you’ve had time to process the situation.
Gemini, this September you will benefit from using your social tendencies in your career, relationships, and fitness routine. While the obstacles you face this September may be unrelated to your social life, their solutions are not. You will find that your friends and colleagues consistently provide much-needed support. You can turn to friends for relationship advice, schedule workouts with a friend who can keep you accountable, and make progress at work with clear communication. You are making great strides in these areas of your life with help from your friends and colleagues.
If you are experiencing relationship problems this September turn to your friends for advice. A close friend will be able to see the situation more clearly from an outside perspective, and they are close enough to know what you need. Consider talking to your most blunt friend first.
If you are seeking love this month you should have your best luck while volunteering. You are going to meet many new and like minded people who share your values, one of whom may be the right match for you. This common ground provides a good foundation for a relationship.
Work feels sluggish this September and a project at work will stagnate by the middle of the month. This issue will likely be caused by circumstances outside of your control and will not be social in nature. You may feel as though there is nothing you can do to remedy the situation but you can. Your people skills are essential for jumpstarting your stalled project. Start by clearly communicating the issue with others involved on the project, then see if your coworkers who are uninvolved might be able to help. You may be surprised by their connections and experience.
September is a very busy month at work and with social commitments according to your monthly horoscope. Be sure to make time for your health and love life. It can be easy to become too focused on any one part of your life and lose sight of less immediate concerns. You can maintain balance this September if you make a conscious effort.
Your work will keep you busy this month but you still need time to take care of yourself. Take time off if necessary to focus on your health. Social commitments are fun, but too many feels overwhelming, especially if they cause you to neglect your romantic relationships. Learn to say no if you are too busy.
This September you’ll find yourself with a lot of social commitments. If you overextend yourself you may neglect your romantic relationship if you are in one. Prioritize your time by learning to say no to some people and by being proactive in setting aside time for love.
The single Cancer will likely find little time to look for love this September. Don’t worry too much about this. You’ll have plenty of time to date in the future. Right now just have fun with your current friends. Enjoy your busy social life and have fun just hanging out.
This September, social networking will be key to your career growth. Your work contacts may provide you with an opportunity to take on more responsibility at work or even a promotion, they might help you in a job search, or help you to break into a new field.
Take risks in your career this month. Ask for a promotion or a raise, speak up in a meeting, apply for a new job that you’ve always been interested in, or even apply for a job in a completely different field. You have good luck in your career choice, and all that risk taking will keep you busy.
Your September 2017 horoscope shows an interesting month for you, Leo. This September, you will experience challenges in your work and relationships. Rest and relaxation should give you the energy and mindset you need to overcome these obstacles. Your work may be very hectic this month. Relaxation is going help you to make smart choices despite the chaos.
Be cautious about making commitments in romance this month. While you should enjoy your many romantic opportunities, it would be unwise to make major decisions in love until the end of September. You already have a lot on your plate and should avoid further complicating things.
The single Leo is in luck this September. You’ll meet several new people this month who are attracted to you. You might hit it off with each and you would make a good match with any of them. In this case, you can have too much of a good thing and these choices will only make your life more complicated. Hold off on making any major decisions or commitments until the end of September. By then you should have less going on in other aspects of your life. With your health under control and the situation at your company stabilizing you are going to be in a good position to tackle more complex problems in your love life.
Structural changes at your company will result in turmoil at work any may put your career in jeopardy. Don’t panic. Your job is safe so long as you work extra hard this month and make smart decisions. Don’t let the stress of your job get the best of you and keep a clear head.
Turn to your family and colleagues for support and find activities outside of work that keeps you relaxed and rested. Avoid drama this September. You will already have enough on your plate as it is. As long as you stay calm and focused you should make it through your career shake up just fine.
Curiosity will be an overarching emotion for you in the month of September, Virgo. You will come across many intriguing puzzles and challenges in your career, relationships, and health and fitness. You natural desire to learn more is going to lead to interesting discoveries and exciting circumstances. Complex projects at work will capture your attention in the beginning of September, while the rest of the month, your attention is going to be divided. You will want to know more about your brand new romantic partner, and you’ll try to find new ways to overcome a plateau in your fitness routine. Your September 2017 Horoscope has good vibes, Virgo, as long as you remain calm and focused.
New love is always exciting. The infatuation and fresh passion are enough to make one’s heart soar, but for you Virgo, the thrill of learning all about someone new will pique your curiosity this September. You’ll get to discover all there is to know about your brand new love interest.
Your new partner is going to find your earnestness and curiosity charming and they’ll be excited to share their story with you. Just make sure to play fair. When your partner tells you about their life you should share a bit about your self as well. Your love will be interested in learning more about you too.
Virgo, you will face new and interesting challenges at work this September. A difficult project may stump you and your colleagues towards the beginning of the month. With persistence, you should be able to figure things out. For the best results, try to think of out of the box solutions.
This month you need to be gentle with one of your more sensitive colleagues’ feelings and try to avoid being overly critical. Your colleague will appreciate your consideration during a challenging time for them. They won’t forget and may return the favor at some later point in the year.
Libra, your September horoscope shows that past mistakes leave you feeling guilty this month, especially if you were never caught. It’s time to make amends for what you’ve done and come clean. Whoever you need to tell will understand and forgive you. They will likely be glad that you finally told them and you’ll be glad to have a clean conscience again.
It’s best to get it over with, so have this conversation at the beginning of the month. You’ll feel much lighter after having done so. You will be able to spend the rest of September doing other things. If you want to start investing or begin a new project, you can now give it your full attention.
September is a month of deep connections in love for you, Libra. If you are single, be ready to meet someone new who you click with instantly. Enjoy the excitement of a brand new romance. Be prepared to make your new romance last for a long time. Your new partner will definitely be a keeper. If you are already in a relationship you will face challenges in the beginning of the month. However, overcoming these obstacles should only bring you closer together. You can also expect a deeper relationship by the end of September. You will be even more fully committed to each other.
You are going to receive a financial boost towards the end of September. You may have some success with a side project, or you may receive a raise or promotion. You may even receive a job offer with a higher salary. You can take advantage of this luck by investing and paying off debts.
You will be challenged by new responsibilities at work in the beginning of the month. You need to work hard and focus while at work for a while. Once you’ve solved your problems at work you can redirect your attention to your health, relationships or even your personal finances.
Scorpio, you are preoccupied with your career for most of September. By presenting your new ideas at work you will create more opportunities for yourself throughout September. However, more opportunities mean you are going to have more work, so be prepared to focus on projects at work for the month.
Your September Horoscope predicts a relatively drama free love life this month, and you should be in good health. Make sure you stay in good health by making doctors appointments, exercising, eating healthily and getting plenty of sleep. If you take care of your health you will be free to focus your attention on your job.
If you are already in a relationship you may find yourself with less time and energy to devote to them this month because of how busy you are at work. Your partner, luckily, understands because they have had busy months too. They will be there to support you like you have been there for them. The single Scorpio won’t have trouble finding new love interests. You are going to have the best luck meeting potential dates at social gatherings, like work parties, celebrations, and potlucks with your friends. However, you will have little time to pursue anything more serious this September.
This September you will be very busy with your career. You have a lot of new ideas and your superiors will be especially supportive of new project proposals within the first week of the month. This should provide you with opportunities to really excel at work, and your successes will not go unnoticed. Your hard work, focus, and innovative ideas will pay off at the end of September, literally. You can expect a financial boost as a result of your success. While you may have needed to put your romantic life on the back burner this month to focus on your work projects, your more stable finances will ultimately make your relationship more stable as well.
This September 2017 you should be able to keep your career, relationships, health and fitness balanced as long as you manage your finances well. You will need to have a slight focus on growing your career, but it won’t come at the expense of other aspects of your life. You won’t feel like you are neglecting your relationships or health.
When it comes to business, be confident in your choices and work hard, in your relationships, you are going to see some progress and deepening connection, and if you take breaks when you feel overworked you will remain in good health for the Month of September. You can look forward to an all around pleasant month.
Whether you are currently single or in a relationship, your horoscope indicates that you are going to see progress this September. If you are single you may find that a long friendship has been blossoming into something new and exciting. Don’t resist this change in your relationship. You may be afraid of what you might lose, but you don’t need to be. You will always be friends first.
If you are already in a relationship, you can expect your connection to flourish this September as well. You’ll find yourselves growing closer and more committed to each other. Your partner may be inspired to take a big step in your relationship. Maybe you will move in together or there may even be a proposal this month.
You will have a very productive month at work Sagittarius, and this increase in productivity leads to a financial boost for you in the middle of the month. While it is always nice to have some extra funds, you will need to spend it wisely. How much should go into savings? How much should be spent on fun, on repairs?
Consider starting some form of financial management this September. This doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming, it’s something you can start yourself. By tracking your spending this September if you don’t already, you’ll set yourself on a path to smart financial management.
This September, your life is going be well balanced, Capricorn. Your relationships should be pleasant and easy going this month and your family and friends will support your career goals. As long as you take steps to maintain your good health, September is going to be an all around pleasant month for you.
In order to achieve your goals and overcome obstacles in September 2017, you will have to rely on the support and guidance of others. When you have their support you have plenty of success. Carrer success and emotional support make you feel good and solid health and fitness routine keep you feeling good.
You are going to have an easy going love life this September Capricorn. If you are single you’ll have many opportunities to start new relationships, however, none of these will be serious. Have a fun time with someone new and enjoy what casual romance has to offer you this September.
If you are already in a long term relationship you are in for a pleasant month for romance. Your partner will be very supportive of your career goals and your middle of the month successes will put you both in a good mood. Enjoy a relaxed and agreeable September for your romantic relationships.
Capricorn, this September you have your friends’ and family’s support in your career. You will experience professional success in the middle of the month, which is going to boost your mood and confidence. This also gives you a welcome financial boost. This financial stability will contribute to pleasant domestic life this September.
September is a transitional month for you Capricorn. You should turn to others for help and support if you want to achieve your goals. With the help of others and mid month career success, you will feel much more confident as September comes to a close. You’ll be more self-assured when making business deals.
This September your relationships and health will be your primary concerns, while your career is going to take a back seat. You will have to make adjustments in how you approach both health and relationships. For your health, you should focus on breaking old bad habits and forming new positive ones, as this is particularly important according to your September 2017 horoscope.
In your relationship, you will need to adjust your perspective and your approach to dealing will confrontation and conflict. If you act on your first instinct to get defensive when challenged you’ll stop trying to listen and understand your partner’s perspective. Don’t take things too personally and keep an open mind.
You and your partner express different preferences over how house hold chores and finances should be handled this September. This will create conflict and cause strain in your relationship. While the initial attempt to communicate was a step in the right direction, defensiveness from both yourself and your partner set your relationship back a bit.
You are going to both have to learn to set aside wounded pride and begin compromising if you want to have a successful relationship. You can both mend your relationship and come to an agreement if you are considerate. Listen to what your partner has to say and try to understand their point of view.
You need to work on your communication skills if you want to experience professional development this September. You need to be able to clearly articulate your ideas so that they are understood by your coworkers and you need to be able to negotiate. Even if negotiation is not part of your job responsibilities, you still need to negotiate your salary.
Strong communication skills will be necessary if you want to grow your business, create a strong reputation or climb the corporate ladder. Practice makes perfect this September. It is an ideal time to start improving these important skills.
This September, your Pisces horoscope suggests that with hard work and a solid plan you are going to have significant successes in your fitness and career goals. In your job, your hard work and organization skills will be noticed and financially compensated and with your health and fitness routine, setting small goals should help you to achieve smaller ones.
You may face more significant challenges at home if you are in a long term relationship. Financial choices could put you at odds with your partner. Strong communication skill and a willingness to compromise should be all it takes to help you maintain balance in your love life, however.
At the beginning of September, you are going to be extra charismatic and this could lead to plenty of opportunities for the single Pisces to start long term committed relationships. Consider your options carefully to avoid making a decision you’ll regret.
Those Pisces already in relationships feel a greater sense of connection with their partner this September. You’ll find that communication will help you achieve this transition in your relationship. Once you open up to each other in the beginning of September, your connection will begin to feel more natural.
You’ll experience success in your career this September through hard work and confident decisive action. The higher ups should take notice of your new productivity and a status change at your job will be accompanied by a matching salary. However, before this financial boost financial habits will cause a strain on your relationship.
You need to reevaluate your spending habits to maintain domestic harmony. Start by looking for ways to cut back on your spending. By making compromises when it comes to finances, you will likely find that by the end of September you’ll have developed better financial status.
All content on this page was provided by The Earth Tribe. This site has full permission to use there content. Mia is not an astrologer and never advertise to be astrologer. Mia is a big believer in astrology and zodiac signs. Which helps use understand who we are and where we are going. Follow theearthtribe.net for your full horoscope report. | 2019-04-24T19:57:06Z | http://www.psychicreadingsbymia.com/free-horoscope/september-2017-monthly-horoscope |
With all the discordant news that bombards us daily, reading about the overwhelming community response to the recent derailment of the California Zephyr in Nebraska, how wonderful to realize there is still a heart in America.
I'm from the Boston area and was a passenger on the train along with my wife and 2 year old daughter. The rapid and effective response coupled with hospitality unlike anything that I've felt before drove me to write a letter to President Obama with the Governor of NE cc'd. I've never written a letter to a public official before.
"I’m now on a bus to Lincoln, NE, gazing out into the cornfields that I have usually and unwittingly labeled as boring and uneventful. I have a new and profound appreciation for these fields and find myself searching for the homes and barns scattered across the landscape as I now understand that the people inside are what make up America’s great heartland.
It’s interesting how powerful experiences such as these shape our lives. I was quite stressed yesterday morning not knowing how my daughter would cope with such an experience, how my family and I would get to Chicago or where we would stay for the night; yet less than 12 hours later I’m grateful for the experience as me and my family have new friends, more reasons to be thankful and many more memories to cherish than to forget as a result of the experience.
And most importantly, we have an understanding of what the “heartland” is all about thanks to the people of Dundy County, Nebraska and surrounding areas whom came together, exemplified what is good in this nation and touched our hearts in such a profound way. I’m proud to be an American today."
Your words have absolutely touched my heart. As I read them to myself I began to cry, not in sadness, but in pride of our wonderful town of Benkelman. I was at the High School volunteering and I had the privileged to meet many of the passengers and train staff.
Just as you have described what an impact we made on you, please know that each of you have eternally made an impact on all of us. To the anonymous writer, Thank You!
I am one of the responders who was on scene, and later at the high school in the command center. We live in a area where 90% of our calls, are taking one of our cherished elderly citizens from the nursing home to the hospital. We just never have things of this magnitude happen here.
Well that is until yesterday. When the call came in my stress level jumped. As I got to the ambulance barn I told myself that I had to calm down or I would be no good to anyone. In route I talked with my wife trying to calm her fears. (She is a fellow EMT) that I am proud to call my wife. Talking with her trying to calm her was just as effective on me as her. I was scared, not so much by the wreck itself as the fear there was going to be people that I could not help.
When we arrived on scene and found that it was not as bad as I had prepared for, it was just like any other call, find people in need and get them stable and to the hospital. As we got to the school and talking with passengers, I can truly tell you my life has been touched. Everyone involved in some way touched a life that day.
As responders we touched a life in some way and from passengers and crew my life was touched 192 times! I am proud to be a part of this experience, and if I never make another run all the classes and sleepless nights will have been worth every second. Thank you Anonymous for recognizing our actions, but also thank you and the others for touching our lives as well.
I was one of the first emergency responders on scene, and I can honestly say, initially the sight of over a hundred passengers and potential victims were overwhelming. The Amtrak crew should be highly commended as well! Their first thoughts were of the passengers, many of them ignoring their own injuries till later.
There was a fire fighter from California, a passenger, by the name of Joe, who offered assistance and was a great help...one of many unsung heroes that day...I wish I had got more information from him....but that wasn't a consideration at the time.
At one point, later in the morning, I looked up the road, and was shocked to see emergency vehicles lined up for a mile....coming from McCook, Indianola, Imperial, Wauneta, Stratton, Culbertson, Palisade, Cheyenne County, Ks, Wray, Co., and I'm sure others that I can't name now.
The assistance and willingness to help, and just compassion is why I moved here years ago. My pride in our little community of Dundy County has never been so strong. From the Benkelman EMS and Fire Dept., to all of our neighboring cities and the businesses that contributed to help care for the passengers.
Not one person complained; all were proud to have joined in. I am honored to be part of this community. Rick Starks, Crew Chief, Haigler Ambulance.
California Zephyr: Two Related Events?
Two seemingly unrelated news items crossed my desk concerning Amtrak.
The first event: At 1:45 a.m. Thursday, police dispatchers were notified that a stalled car was straddling the Union Pacific railroad tracks near Highway 93A, near West Wendover, Nevada right on the Nevada-Utah State line.
Dispatchers were attempting to inform railroad officials of the obstructed tracks when an eastbound Amtrak train hit the car and pushed it for about a quarter of a mile. The car was a total loss. The train had only minor damage.
After a delay of about two hours - while the car was removed from the tracks and police inspected the scene - the train was allowed to continue on its way eastward. No personnel or passengers in the train were reported injured.
Those in my audience with "whiskers" may recall that Wendover Air Force Base served as the training facility for B-29 air crews planning the atomic bomb attacks on Japan. At one time, more than 400 FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) agents, worked to help secure the secret mission of the base in 1944 - 1945, code named "Silverplate."
In more recent times, Wendover was used in the shooting of "ConAir." See the hyperlink in previous paragraph.
Hours later, a second event caught my attention: "An Amtrak train carrying more than 175 passengers from California to Chicago derailed today (Friday) after striking equipment on the tracks near Benkelman in southwest Nebraska. A small number of people were taken to hospitals."
Passenger Harvey Evans, 37, of Grand Island, Nebraska, said it appeared that the train struck a crane that was doing demolition on a nearby grain silo. The truck-mounted crane was obviously fouling the BNSF main line!
So what do these seemingly unrelated events have in common? Turns out they were inflicted upon the same train! Eastbound Amtrak Train #6, The California Zephyr, attempting to complete her journey from Emeryville California to Chicago Illinois!
"All of a sudden I hear brakes. (The) train's rolling, rocking, moving side to side," said Evans, who grabbed a chair to steady himself. "All of a sudden we stopped."
It's "been a long, rough trip," said Evans, in part because the train was running about eight hours behind schedule after hitting an abandoned car on the tracks Wednesday night near West Wendover, Nevada! "It's been one thing after another!"
And so, Amtrak's California Zephyr finds herself in the news again. In this incident, the train struck a crane that was razing an old grain elevator adjacent to the tracks in an unincorporated area west of Benkelman, Nebraska.
Two locomotives tipped on their sides and three of the California Zephyr's 10 passenger cars left the tracks about 8 a.m., near the state's borders with Kansas and Colorado.
As shown the vehicle base and crane machinery were separated by the impact, with the boom of the crane lying on the opposite side of the train! As we "go to press," there are no reported fatalities, with 20 passengers hospitalized.
And despite the fact they were stranded miles from anywhere, plenty of help was soon on hand as the surrounding communities responded.
Railroad Stuff: Amtrak 174, Model P42DC, "GE Genesis Series 1," 4,250 hp. Hotel Power: 1 - GTA33 alternator, 800 kW, 480 V, 3 phase, 60 Hz, microcomputer control. Serial Number: 53031.
A special "Thanks" to Bill Coe for granting "Oil-Electric" permission to use his photo of the Zephyr on her side. Bill is a professional photographer, and has an excellent web site, which I encourage you to view.
Also to Gary Rich of Aurora, Colorado, for permitting us to use a photo of the Doane silo being demolished. You can see the BNSF main in the photo. Gary has some interesting shots on his site, which I encourage you to take a look at.
So, the other day, I was talking with a buddy of mine. I asked him if had read about the Port of Seattle taking delivery next January of three "long reach" ship-to-shore cranes, for loading and unloading post-Panamax container ships.
His reaction: A blank stare.
My friend was totally unaware of the gargantuan Panama Canal Expansion Program that commenced back on September 3rd, 2007, and its impact on world shipping.
When the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP) - the Panama Canal Authority took control of the Canal from the United States on December 31st, 1999, there were growing concerns that the existing canal could reach capacity by the second decade of the 21st century.
Indeed, the existing locks prevent passage by vessels measuring more than 106 feet wide (beam.) But the economic reality of international trade have resulted in ships being built much wider.
But more pressing is the existing backup of vessels waiting to use the Canal! Two days waiting in the Roads are two days of overhead expenses, amounting to thousands of dollars per day, that shipping companies and customers can ill afford!
Panamanian President Torrijos and his Cabinet approved the expansion project in June 2006. The Legislative Assembly overwhelmingly approved it in July 2006, with 72 out of 78 deputies approving the expansion. The project was submitted to a national referendum, held in October 2006, approved by 78% of voters.
The Panamanian government officially launched the project on September 3, 2007, with a ceremony led by former President Jimmy Carter, whose Administration negotiated the Panama Canal Treaties.
Following an aggressive timeline, the 5.5B (USD) expansion is slated to open in 2014, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the original canal opening.
Construction of new locks at the Atlantic and Pacific gateways.
Excavation of new access channels and the widening of the existing channels.
Deepening of the navigation channels in the Gaillard Cut and Gatún Lake.
Raising Gatún Lake's maximum operating level.
Tugboats to power vessels through locks instead of electric locomotives.
Horizontal transverse gates instead of Miter Gates.
"Water saver" recycling system will save 7% of Gatún Lake resources.
Each vessel will transit with two tug boats, front for advancement, rear for braking, thus, eliminating the famous electric "mule" locomotives, along with their tracks and line handling personnel.
Horizontal transverse gates, rather than "traditional" Miter Gates. Miter Gates required a massive floating crane to lift and replace worn or damaged gates. Not only is a lane shut down to switch out gates, the process is time consuming and delicate, requiring divers to align the miters.
Beginning Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 2000 hours through Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 2200 hours, and beginning Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 2000 hours through Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 2200 hours, the East lane at Gatun Locks will be out of service. These two 26-hour outages are necessary for the removal and reinstallation of Miter Gates, and other scheduled maintenance work.
Among the largest floating cranes in the world, "Titan" was one of three massive floating cranes ordered built by Adolph Hitler. One was claimed by the United States as war booty. Named the "Titan," it can lift 350 metric tons and at the time, was one of the strongest cranes in the world.
"Titan" entered service in Panama in 1999, after having served for 50 years in Long Beach, California. The crane can be floated into the locks and is used for the heavy lifting required to maintain the miter gates.
Of the other two floating cranes, the British got one, but lost it in a storm while towing it home across the English Channel. The Russians got the third, but no one seems to know what became of it.
"Water saver" recycling system. Rather than loose precious water on each lock cycle to the open sea, the displaced water is fed into ponds. Notice their action in the video.
While the scope of the Expansion Program is impressive in terms of material that needs to be removed, the most daunting and critical construction feature of the Canal Expansion is the so-called "Borinquen Dam."
The new Pacific Locks incorporate the combined lift now accomplished by the Miraflores Locks, and nearby Pedro Miguel Locks. About a mile separates the current locks, across Miraflores Lake.
Since the new traffic lane is 32 feet above Miraflores Locks and Lake, a series of Borinquen Dams, sheet steel cofferdams, are being constructed along "Borinquen Road." These structures will contain the pressure of water exerted by the third traffic lane, which travels 32 feet above the existing Pedro Miguel Lock and Miraflores Lake, by-passing both the San Miguel and Miraflores Locks!
A massive effort at the Atlantic end of the canal, with dredging and a new set of locks under construction.
The Panama Canal Authority has been kind enough to share some of the construction activity, for us "sidewalk superintendents," via web cam video. My favorites are the two Panorama View cameras, one at the Atlantic, the other at the Pacific, where you can view the new locks as they are being constructed 24/7.
The impact of the Panama Canal Expansion on the shipping world has been compared to the invention of the shipping container. On 26 April 1956, Malcolm McLean’s converted Second World War tanker, Ideal X, made its maiden journey from Port Newark to Houston. It had a reinforced deck carrying 58 38-foot metal container boxes as well as 15,000 tons of bulk petroleum. McLean's enterprise became known as Sea-Land Service, now Maersk-SeaLand.
Container ports compete on a number of levels, not the least of which is "containers per hour per porch." That is, how many containers can be lifted off the vessel and placed on the bomb-cart - skeleton trailer and returned to the vessel. 54 containers per hour is not uncommon!
Shipping container size was finally standardized for intermodal international transportation. Container ships are rated by the number of 20' shipping containers they are capable of carrying.
Virtually every port on the East and West Coasts of the United States and Canada, are scrambling to understand the impact of post Panamax expansion container ships. Some ports are undertaking massive dredging projects, others evaluating ship-to-shore cranes and terminal yards.
Currently, containers using the ship / rail connection to the east coast take approximately 20 days. The new generation of ships will simply transit the canal, taking approximately 25 days.
So as you can imagine, spreadsheet analysis are certainly being conducted. And yet to be determined, the impact of the New Canal on rail traffic. Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific in particular will be analyzing the effect of ships by-passing the West Coast all together.
For now, it seems to be a given that time sensitive cargoes will continue to use the sea / rail connection, whilst general cargoes will simply be transshipped through the new Canal. Not so certain is the effect to be felt by the Ports of Seattle/Tacoma, and Vancouver, B.C. And already, the general weakened economy has put the second phase of construction on an indefinite hold in Prince Rupert. On the "plus" side, Prince Rupert did install "long reach" ship-to-shore container cranes.
In July 2011, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) sent her 9,200-TEU container ship "Bruxelles" to five major east coast ports, to get a "feel" for channel depths and determine lane improvements that will be necessary to handle the post Panamax container ships. This ship is drawing 49 feet of water, and is 160' wide (beam) - like a five story building under water - in channels and alongside container piers!
Details of how selected ports are responding to the "Post Panamax Effect" and a primer on current US/Panamanian Relations are found in the Suggested Reading following this article.
Not only are US and Canadian Ports impacted, but also feeder lines to Central and South America. To ignore the possibility of a competitive response recall the fate of the Groupe Eurotunnel SA that went bankrupt as ferry operators improved their service and reduced their costs in response to the competitive threat of the English Channel "Chunnel."
The Canal Expansion has certainly heated up the competition of east coast ports. Here, for example, is how the Canal Expansion could affect the Port of Savannah Georgia.
Who the heck is Grover Norquist?
Have you noticed that in many news stories involving taxes, the name "Grover Norquist" keeps popping up? I did. And I got to wondering what was all this nonsense about the "Grover Norquist Pledge."
Here's what I found out.
Back in 1985, at President Ronald Reagan's request (that alone tells you this story isn't going to have an happy ending,) a tax advocacy group was formed "Americans for Tax Reform."
Apparently, it had not gone unnoticed that many politicians got into office by swearing on the bible of their dead mother, that if they got elected, they would not raise taxes.
Of course, the reality being, once they arrived on the shores of the Potomac, it rapidly became clear that if to implement a new plan, or improve an existing plan, chances were that taxes would have to be raised or created.
So Grover Norquist contrived the "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" to force politicians to actually sign a pledge, that they would not raise taxes under any circumstances. Have you seen the pledge? Here it is.
I would think a politician would feel just a little embarrassed at signing this "pledge." How sophomoric. I found the Captain Midnight Decoder Ring pledge to be more "impressive." At least it stressed Honesty, Character, and to drink my Ovaltine!
While the premise may be admirable, any sensible person knows, that to sign such a document flies in the face of good old-fashioned common sense.
First of all, we all know that user fees, licenses, and taxes are the only mechanism to raise money to pay for services rendered, from your local constabulary, to the Federal Army, and everything in between.
Any politician, who signs a pledge not to raise taxes, inhibits their ability to adapt or respond to changing circumstances and conditions. Any elected official who signs such a pledge has no business holding public office. Because, they have pledged away the ability to administer to the needs of a responsive government.
Let's take as an example, funding the two money-sucking quagmires; Iraq and Afghanistan. Since many of our politicians have signed the "American's for Tax Payer Reform Pledge," they are in a quandary as to how to continue two undeclared wars, without raising taxes.
Had we taken a logical pathway into Iraq and Afghanistan, we would have had hearings and yadda yadda, and then closed with a discussion of how to FUND the military excursion. But we all know how it went down, and now 10 years - 10 years later, still pumping money into it with absolutely no end in sight.
First. If they have run out of money and cannot raise taxes to continue playing Rambo in some god forsaken litter box, then pack up the troops and bring them home. Obviously that isn't an option.
"Hey, Senior Citizen, you don't need that much to live on, giime some of your money."
"We don't need clean air, shut the EPA down."
"We are so far behind the eight ball in education, cut educational spending."
"Let private insurance companies run the meds - we need the money!"
Third choice. Apply common sense that dictates you have to "raise taxes" to pay for new or increased spending. What the heck is difficult to understand about that? But, for some reason beyond my comprehension, that "pledge" they signed for some anti-tax group, keeps them from doing what they know in their heart of heart is the correct thing to do, raise taxes. And make corporations pay taxes.
I've read all the gobbledy-gook on the Americans for Tax Reform web site, and I find nothing that states, "If you break this pledge, you will be _______________!" So how does one dude wield so much power?
There are no exceptions to the Pledge. Tax-and-spend politicians often use "emergencies" to justify increasing taxes. In the unfortunate event of a real crisis or natural disaster, legislators should cut spending in other areas instead of aggravating the situation. In the face of natural disasters, governors like Haley Barbour or Jeb Bush have demonstrated such fiscal leadership and have worked through the problems without raising taxes.
I am angry. I don't recall seeing the name "Grover Norquist" on any ballot, state or national that I have fulfilled. Have you?
And while he is certainly entitled to rant and rave about raising taxes - more power to him - he must do so in the same manner any of the rest of us do, through making our feelings known to our elected representatives, through letters, emails, phone calls and the ballot card.
But, he does not have the right to hijack my elected politicians, and hold them hostage to his beliefs. Not my beliefs - his beliefs. He does not have the right to get his own way, by disenfranchising me.
And if one of my elected officials believes he/she should sign the Grover Norquist Pledge, do so BEFORE I am asked for your vote! And make it abundantly clear to everyone that you have signed the pledge! Not get elected and THEN sign the pledge. That is abhorrent beyond belief.
If you have no problem with them taking the pledge, you are good to go!
On the other hand, if you do not want Grover Norquist representing you, use your vote at the ballot box, to rectify any discrepancies.
From what I've been told, in the moments following an accident, there is a momentary lull. The brain struggles to comprehend what has just occurred. Then the response begins. In the case of this train wreck, miles from nearest first responders, passengers relied on each other to get off the train and endeavor to render comfort and aid to the injured.
There was a fellow who jumped right in to help rescue victims and help the injured. While carrying a woman to an ambulance, he injured his leg. He never told anyone what he had done, and how his leg got injured. His brother asked him weeks later why he was limping.
Finally, he told his brother about the wreck. "You don't know how bad it was there. He'd never seen such disruption and injuries. And he said I never hope to see it again in my life."
The pain in his leg continued. Unable to work and laid off, he sought help Winnemucca. He was treated for a blood clot in his leg. But the pain continued, so he went to the VA hospital in Reno.
While undergoing treatment Wednesday, the blood clot ended up in his lungs and he died. His death leaves a wife and a lot of medical bills, but little else. He had no insurance.
His brother Al Breen says, they aren't asking for help. But they do want something his brother never sought, for others to know what he did that day.
You see, Bob Breen was also an employee of John Davis Trucking Company. On June 24, he was a few minutes behind his buddy traveling westbound on US 95. He was first on the scene, and recognized the wrecked trailers to be that of his buddy. It was Bob Breen who injured his leg while carrying a woman to a waiting ambulance.
The National Transportation Safety Board has just released a "preliminary" report concerning the deadly rail accident in the Forty Mile Desert near Miriam, Nevada, back in late June.
As you recall, a tractor pulling a full trailer plus a pup, skidded more than 300 feet into the side of the westbound Amtrak California Zephyr. The Zephyr was running on Union Pacific steel, enroute to the Bay Area from Chicago.
"A color video recording from the lead locomotive showed that the crossing gates were down as the train approached the crossing and the audio recording confirmed that the train horn and crossing bell were activated."
Seven lawsuits have been filed as a result of the crash. Sardonically, a counter-suit was filed against Amtrak and Union Pacific by John Davis Trucking Co last week stating the railroad companies "inadequately warned drivers crossing the tracks."
Where the heck is Vadinar?
About this time last year, the "A Whale," a brand spanking new tanker, hastily modified to become a "super oil skimmer", had totally captivated me. With a great deal of media fan fare, the "A Whale," found itself steaming in test patterns on the Gulf of Mexico, attempting to siphon oil gushing from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Following her humiliating performance, she dropped off the front page and slipped quietly out of town. But I followed the "A Whale." And am I glad I did! She led us to Brazil to load her first revenue cargo of iron ore. That resulted in a four-part article on one of Brazil's premier Heavy Haul Corridor iron ore carriers, the Estrada de Ferro Carajas Railroad.
To this day, those four articles are still in the top five "What folks are reading" on this Blog, with more than 5,600 individual reads!
On this "anniversary," I was curious as to where she was a year after the fiasco on the Gulf of Mexico. So I retrieved the Global Positioning System records for the "A Whale." This is what I found.
The "A Whale" had been dispatched to Vadinar, India. You may recall the "A Whale" is a special breed of vessel, designed in such a way that her tanks allow her to carry iron ore pellets, or crude oil. Hence her designation as a VLOO - Very Large Oil Ore carrier.
So, "Where the heck is Vadinar?"
Vadinar is the location of Essar Oil Refinery Limited, the second largest oil refinery in India, located adjacent to the largest oil refinery in the world, Reliance Petroleum Limited.
Vadinar was a sleepy fishing village located on the Gulf Of Kachchh. The Gulf of Kachchh, reaches eastward from the East Arabian Sea, some 110 miles (180 km.) The gulf varies in width from 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). It is rimmed with mudflats. And many small islands arise from its waters.
This small village came into international maritime maps after the country's first single point mooring system was installed in 1978. The unloading buoy is the terminus for the 1,870-kilometer (1,161 mile) Salaya-Mathura pipeline.
The Essar Petroleum complex, started in 1996 but wracked by problems, was finally completed and "on line" May 1st, 2008. In 2010, Essar refinery produced 14 mmtpa (million metric tons per anum), or 300,000 barrels per day of diesel, petrol, jet fuel, kerosene, fuel oil and bitumen.
In the United States and other countries, refinery output is measured in bbl's - barrels per day. India and many European countries measure their output in mmtpa - million metric tons per anum. The loose but simple rule of thumb for conversion is that a barrel a day is roughly 50 tonnes a year.
The Essar refinery in Vadinar has the tallest distillation tower in Asia, 97 meters (318 feet). The Vadinar refinery has successfully processed more than 32 varieties of crude from across world, including some of the "toughest crude's."
Essar will expand the refinery capacity threefold over the next few years, placing it among the five largest single-location refineries in the world.
Single Buoy Moorings are commonly used to load and unload tankers drawing too much water to safely enter a port. There are several different types of these mooring systems. See "Suggested Reading" below.
This apparatus at Vadinar is correctly referred to as a CALM mooring, Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring system. The second mooring point at Vadinar, constructed by Valentine Maritime, Limited, is adjacent to the first SBM installed in 1978.
With the assistance of a tug, the tanker is secured to the buoy. Large diameter rubber hoses with mating plates are hoisted aboard the tanker and connected to the tankers main manifold.
Wind and tide move the assembly around, which accounts for strange GPS signature.
So! Once again, the "A Whale" has directed us to yet another interesting location! | 2019-04-24T18:04:17Z | http://www.oil-electric.com/2011/08/ |
Rising tuition costs have forced university students to become creative in finding ways to fund their education. Some female university students have decided that ova donation may be an acceptable alternative in which to pay for their tuition. This alternative presents itself because of the insufficient number of ova available for assisted reproduction and emerging stem cell technologies. Young female university students are encouraged by Internet sources and respectable electronic and print media to donate their ova in the cause of assisted reproduction for monetary compensation. While university students generally exhibit autonomy, the constraining influence of their financial predicament compromises the elements of informed consent (voluntariness, competence, capacity, understanding, and disclosure) as to their making an autonomous decision in regard to egg donation. Thus, any moral possibility of giving informed consent is negated. Informed consent can only occur through autonomy. A female university student in need of financial resources to pay for her education cannot make an autonomous choice to trade her genes for tuition. Donated ova are not only needed for assisted reproduction, but for stem cell technologies. While the long-term health of women who donate their ova is of concern (a potential risk of cancer after long term use of ovulation induction), of equal concern is the possibility of a growth in the trade of ova targeting third world and Eastern European women where the precedence for autonomy and informed consent is not well established.
Tuition costs are rising dramatically in the United States . Higher education costs, especially those of private and professional institutions, may exceed $40,000 per annum in tuition, room, board, and books. Students are justifiably concerned as to how to raise the necessary funds for paying for such a university education.
Upon visiting a major university campus we were party to a conversation that arose among several students concerning methods of funding their education. One female student suggested egg (ovum) donation to pay for her tuition. According to Internet sources she could easily receive $5000 for a donation [2, 3]. In fact, for the appropriate physical and mental/intellectual attributes and field of study, a female student may receive as much as $30,000 for consenting to egg donation . Even respectable publications such as The New York Magazine have been involved in recruiting egg donors . This procedure could, of course, be proffered multiple times by the student to the appropriate agency for the appropriate remuneration. The commodification of the egg retrieval process has now successfully reached the awareness of young university women of lesser means.
Egg donation creates controversy. There are debates concerning the age of recipients, payments, offspring, and exploitation [6–9]. Our society may be in the initial stages of engaging the "slippery slope" of assisted reproduction. We are entering a time when egg donation seems to be gearing up as a commercial industry, a "manufacturing mode, cut off from its biological, personal, social, and ethical moorings" and where such an industry's ethics at times are called into question .
"A commercial approach to health care tends to undermine altruism and social solidarity, whether in the provision of eggs and sperms for infertility treatment, or in the attitudes engendered by turning patients into customers and consumers, and health care organizations into quasi markets" .
Our initial thought when confronted with this bio-commerical option to affording tuition was, "How creative this young person must be and yet how desperate she must feel". The youth of a nation: free, independent, creative, capitalistic, and most assuredly, not autonomous. In a moral society respect for autonomous choices is ingrained. Respect for autonomy should not be trespassed upon. Female students concerned about tuition costs, who decide to submit to egg donation for remuneration to defray such costs, can neither make an autonomous choice nor give informed consent.
Autonomy is derived from the Greek words autos (self) and nomos (law or rule). This term was originally a political term, but now extends to the personal level. Personal autonomy is "self rule that is free from both controlling influence by others and from limitations, such as inadequate understanding, that is present in meaningful choice" .
Therefore if you are autonomous you select a plan of action and proceed accordingly. However, if your individual autonomy is in any way hindered, lessened, or impaired, then (a) it must in some way be influenced or controlled by others, or (b) you are incapable of pursuing your plans or wishes. For instance, individuals living in a totalitarian state or those with a diminished mental capacity would exemplify impairment of autonomy.
There are two essential conditions that must be evident for meaningful autonomy to be present: (1) liberty (independence from controlling influence) and (2) agency (capacity for intentional action) .
Immanuel Kant argues that all persons have unconditional worth and have the capacity to determine their moral destiny. Kant feels dignity is an unconditional worth that everyone has by virtue of being a human; persons should be treated as ends in themselves . John Stuart Mill provides additional support to Kant in his concern that society should allow people to develop according to their own views as long as that person's expression of freedom does not interfere with the freedom of expression of another person. He also instructed us that there are times when we may be obligated to change the views of others when such views are false or not well considered .
"As a positive obligation this principle requires respectful treatment in disclosing information and fostering autonomous decision-making. As a negative obligation: Autonomous actions should not be subjected to controlling constraints by others" .
It is the interpretation of this principle in its light as a negative obligation in which intervention is necessary. University students certainly exhibit many traits of autonomous persons. They are capable of understanding, reasoning, self-governance, and independent in choosing. However, many of them struggle to meet the financial obligation of tuition, a most controlling constraint. Thus, female university students may not be able to act in an autonomous manner.
Autonomy should be respected, but it may not necessarily extend to persons who cannot act autonomously because of immaturity, coercion, exploitation, ignorance, and incapacitation [13, 16].
Even though female university students are young adults (or nearly so) they still may; (1) not retain a level of maturity to be sufficiently autonomous, (2) they may be truly ignorant of the social and physical consequences of submitting to anesthesia, surgery, medications, and loss of contact with their biological offspring, and (3) they may be exploited for their lack of financial means and coveted physical attributes.
We defend the rights of individual autonomy, but students in need of money to pay their tuition are subjected to a controlling constraint and are therefore not autonomous in this particular instance and cannot render an autonomous decision as it relates to donating their ova.
The concept of informed consent has matured over the years. The term informed consent surfaced in the 1950's and over the ensuing 20 years revolved around the obligation to disclose information to the patient. From the 1970's to the present the obligation of disclosure evolved into the necessity of the subject understanding and consenting to the treatment course on which they were about to embark.
The components of informed consent include voluntariness, competence, understanding, disclosure, and consent .
"An informed consent in this sense occurs if, an only if, a patient or subject, with substantial understanding and in absence of substantial control by others, intentionally authorizes a professional to do something" .
Again, "substantial control by others", "controlling constraints of others", and "liberty (independence from controlling influence)" all rise up to confront the subject of egg donation by female students for remuneration to pay university tuition.
Therefore, acting voluntarily is the action of a will not controlled by another influence. Such an influence is usually construed to be that of another person or people. In regard to the maxim it could mean society, the university administration, the advertiser attempting to procure the egg donation, and even friends or family.
There are three categories of influence: coercion, persuasion, and manipulation . Coercion is a threat intentionally delivered to control a person. Autonomy cannot exist in a coercive environment. Egg donation in the context that has been discussed is not coercive. Persuasion causes someone to believe in something by appealing to "reason". Appealing to reason must be distinguished from appealing to emotion. Emotion does not lead to the performance of an act based on intent. However, trying to persuade someone to trade their genes for tuition cannot be based on reason. Such persuasion invariably evokes an emotional response. When one is "in need" reason may not prevail. Manipulation is neither coercion nor persuasion, but any other means the manipulator can use that leads to the end the manipulator seeks. This manipulation can be informational (lying or withholding information) or emotional. Use of any of these categories of influence negates voluntariness.
Does the female university student have the capacity to make an autonomous choice in this setting? Competence, a legal fitness to make a decision, is determined by the courts. Competence involves the ability to perform a task. The task in this case is to make the decision to donate ova and understand the attendant medical/physical and psychological/social risks (i.e., pain involved in the procedure, morbidity and mortality risks, short and long term effects of medications, and having offspring they will never know). It is entirely possible that the student will be competent. Capacity, although closely related to competence, involves the psychological, social, and physical wherewithal to make a competent decision. Capacity is a determination usually made by a health care provider .
Even though the female university student is competent to make choices generally, she may lack the capacity to make this choice because she is in need of financial resources and she has been presented with a "fix" for her dilemma. Some students may be psychologically unable to refuse. A very powerful enticement has been placed at her feet. If she really does have other options (e.g., bank loans) she may take them. If she has a dearth of alternatives and is passive in nature she may decide in favor of donating her ova. She can make that choice, but, in fact, is not competent to choose because her financial situation has stripped her of her capacity to make a competent choice.
"If we replace this ideal standard with a more acceptable account of understanding relevant information, we can thwart such skepticism. From the fact that actions are never fully informed, voluntary, or autonomous, it does not follow that they are never adequately informed, voluntary or autonomous" .
Other authors agree that full disclosure is not necessary, but that patients need only "adequate" information. In other words, enough information to make a reasonable decision in regard to an option presented .
Recall studies demonstrate that patients do not necessarily remember what physicians tell them preoperatively as to the topics of morbidity, mortality, and pain . Patients, at times, do not acquire, process, or retain the information related to risks presented to them preoperatively. This "depletes" the morality of informed consent before surgery. This is especially so when dealing with a decision concerning the reproductive health of females who only recently reached adulthood and now face a financial dilemma with a seemingly easy solution for its resolution.
Views of the problem of non-acceptance and false belief are very appropriate at this juncture . Persons may comprehend information, but do not or cannot accept the information. For example, if a twenty year old female is told she has a 1% chance of hemorrhaging, a 1% chance of having a post operative infection, and a remote chance of death with an egg donation procedure; can she accept this? Can she understand the long-term risks of fertility drugs, including the risk of cancer [17–19]? This young woman may very well understand these risks, but can she actually accept the fact that she has a remote, yet possible chance of getting cancer or dying?
False beliefs, in addition to a person's inability to accept stated risks, may cause problems. No matter what is disclosed and how well she comprehends the procedure she may be accepting a false premise that this financial decision will "cure" her situation. This decision may only solve her financial problems temporarily. She may have to undergo this procedure multiple times and face its multiple risks to acquire the financial resources needed to finish school. Therefore, the "cure" may not be "therapeutic" and may be physically and psychologically damaging. In this situation the lack of acceptance and false beliefs may invalidate consent to egg donation.
From the physician's perspective informed consent has been the disclosure of risks to the patient in regard to the procedure at hand. The physician is required to provide information in a reasonably careful fashion. Physicians view this exercise as a necessity in reducing their liability. However, this act of disclosure should actually be about putting the patient in a position to make an autonomous decision.
"Professionals are generally obligated to disclose a core set of information, including (1) those facts or descriptions that patients or subjects usually consider material in deciding whether to refuse or consent to the proposed intervention or research, (2) information the professional believes to be material, (3) the professional's recommendation, and (4) the purpose of seeking consent, and (5) the nature and limits of consent as an act of authorization" .
There is little doubt in the minds of most people that a physician would perform the act of disclosure when speaking with a university student in regard to her donation of eggs and adhere to the above core set of information. However, physicians, patients, and the court system have struggled to determine the standard or norm that should determine appropriate disclosure. There are three standards by which to measure disclosure: the professional practice standard, the reasonable person standard, and the subjective standard .
The professional practice standard is determined by the customary practices that pertain to disclosure in a geographic area. In other words, whatever the local physicians do in regard to disclosure, i.e., type and amount of information, should be the regional practice disclosure ideal.
Since this is a "professional" standard only physicians can determine if a patient's right to proper disclosure of information has been violated. A "professional" standard intimates that physicians can set this standard and that such a standard is designed for medical judgments, but we speak here of the decision of a young female student to decide on whether she should go through with an egg donation for profit. Such a decision is non-medical, the standard of disclosure among physicians in a particular community cannot weigh in against the feelings and beliefs of this student. Therefore, this standard, which is used by almost half of the United States, may not be morally valid in those states as to proper disclosure for the act of donating ova.
The reasonable person standard is a second standard of disclosure and this standard is gaining wider acceptance. In this standard the information that is necessary to disclose should be that which is comprehended and understood by a reasonable person. Therefore, pertinent material for disclosure is that material that would be of importance to a reasonable person. So the focus shifts from the physician to the patient for determination of necessary information.
In regard to female students who wish to trade their ova for remuneration the question arises as to what is "material information" to a female university student? Can these students benefit from any information that is disclosed to them or have they already made up their mind when they approach the physician? Has their financial situation made them deferentially accept the physician's recommendations without carefully weighing the risks and benefits? What is "material" for one person may not be so for another.
The "subjective standard" is the moral example of choice when it comes to disclosure. This standard caters to the specific needs of information that are required by an individual, as opposed to the ideal "reasonable person". The question is whether a standard should be designed that is "subjective", i.e., created for the individual. It would be a standard that is "a more preferable standard of disclosure because it alone acknowledges a person's specific informational needs" . However, because the standard is subjective it is insufficient for society and unfair to physicians (the physicians cannot know the expected and required informational needs of the student) and is almost never used.
The subjective standard of disclosure fails because it will not be available to the student for her concerns of proper disclosure. The professional standard fails because it is by, for, and policed by physicians, and the reasonable standard fails because a standard for a "reasonable" university student cannot be gleaned from the collective masses. Therefore, the standards of disclosure universally fail when it comes to trading ova for tuition money.
This is the last element of informed consent . This is the moment when the student signs an agreement and accepts the consequences and responsibilities. Her consent, therefore, is morally and ethically informed if she is competent and has the capacity to act, when disclosure occurs, when disclosure is comprehended, when she voluntarily acts on the procedure, and then consents to the procedure.
Informed consent can only occur through autonomy. A young woman who is a university student in need of financial resources to pay her tuition cannot be free of controlling influences by definition of her social and financial position, therefore, she cannot make the autonomous choice to trade her genes for tuition.
Furthermore, if she chooses to participate in donation of her ova under such conditions, she is not only acting out of a position of compromised autonomy, but because of the lack of autonomy she cannot give informed consent.
Her ability to give informed consent is further undermined because, although competent, she lacks capacity; although she receives disclosure, the prevailing standards of disclosure do not meet her needs; although she understands and comprehends her risks, she cannot accept them; although she volunteers for the procedure, it is not in the absence of constraints.
"Such sales nullify the reproductive paradigm, irretrievably replacing it with a manufacturing paradigm. This represents a change in kind, not just in degree, in the way we view our capacity to generate children and destroys our concept of reproduction as an essentially human activity" .
In essence, young women, essentially our daughters, and in some cases our wives, who trade their genes for tuition, effectively, are being exploited.
The medical community realizes there is a shortage of human ova for in vitro fertilization and that this shortfall threatens to create a burgeoning trade in human ova, especially with the anticipated need of large quantities of ova for stem-cell technologies . The world community of physicians must pay close attention. There are safer alternatives to egg donation by healthy women and a major journal has called for caution regarding egg donor safety [21, 22].
Today we are addressing the constraining influences affecting the autonomy of young university women who make commercial decisions regarding egg donation to defray the cost of education, but the situation could become more ominous. Tomorrow the poorer women of the third world or Eastern Europe, who could provide a cheaper market for ova where autonomy and informed consent are not as well established, may be targeted. The global commodification of egg donation is creating an ova-industrial complex that is at risk of being morally impoverished. Our continued vigilance is of paramount importance.
There is a global shortage of human ova for in vitro fertilization and stem cell technologies. Health care providers and administrators who are associated with assisted reproduction enterprises are aggressively recruiting egg donors through the electronic and print media. Young female university students without the financial resources to fund their education lack the autonomy to give informed consent for donation of their ova as a means of paying their tuition because of the constraining influence of their situation. We must remain vigilant in monitoring the ethical and moral approaches of the "industrial" aspect of assisted reproduction, not only toward young university females, but also toward women of the third world and Eastern Europe.
ATP conceived of the paper and co-wrote the background, conclusion, and summary with TJP. TJP wrote the remaining portions of the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. | 2019-04-19T23:16:56Z | https://rbej.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1477-7827-2-56 |
The fifth round had the enemy we have fought multiple times already.
"...Red Ogre and Blue Ogre, huh."
We have repeated those so many times. They won't be much of a problem now."
"But if they're the fifth round's opponent, means that the sixth round onward will be harder than the boss. I don't mind retiring after I get the eight round's prize, what do we do?"
"We're going as far as we can! And if that doesn't work, we'll challenge it again!"
"Then I'll continue supporting you two with all I have. 《Enchant》——Attack, defence, speed!"
I applied a triple enchant on Mikadzuchi and have seen her off.
While watching Sei-nee and Mikadzuchi who optimized their movements for fighting the Red Ogre and Blue Ogre at the back gate, I contributed to the battle by attacking with bow and arrow.
At early stage I used 【Curse】 arrows for cover fire to seal enemy's special attacks so we were able to get through the fifth round without any difficulty.
So far the Red and Blue Ogres from the fifth round were the strongest, but since the fourth round's Hobgoblins fought as a group they were even harder to fight against for a small group of people like ours, because there was a limit to how many of them can one person take on at once.
"Urami-danuki? This time it's a mob I'm seeing for the first time. Moreover, he's animal-type."
What appeared was a nearly two metres tall, huge bake-danuki.
Covered in fluffy hair, he had a kettle-like armour on his torso as if to hide his fatty belly and was holding a spear in his hand, a spear with cross-shaped blade.
Although he had a cute silhouette, just like the "grudge" in his name suggested he glared at us with resentment in his eyes, these eyes butchered all cuteness there was to him.
"Oh-hoh, a new type of mob came out. Let's turn this uncute tanuki into a tanuki soup. Of course, Missy will cook it."
"Enemies in the arena don't drop items, so I can't cook it."
"Yun-chan, so that's what you're retort to, mm? Anyway, it's starting!"
This time, it was Sei-nee who retorted to me.
Right after that, the sound of a gong had started the sixth round.
At the same time it started, the Urami-danuki leaped up high.
Ahead of where we looked, the Urami-danuki let out a comical *bofun* sound and a white smoke spread from his body, hiding it.
"We have no idea what's coming, be careful!"
"This smokescreen can disappear for all I care!——《Bow Skill – Gust of Wind》!"
At the same time Mikadzuchi warned I invoked the art creating strong wind pressure along with an attack.
The arrow pierced through the centre of the white smoke and after scattering it, disappeared in the sky.
"Or rather, he divided? Look, we're surrounded."
Sei-nee silently moved as to protect Mikadzuchi's and my blind spots and as the three of us stared at the enemy standing back-to-back, little Urami-danuki's surrounded us.
There were five Urami-danuki's tall enough to reach my waist, each of them held a spear suiting their physique. They have steadily decreased the distance between us and them.
"Trying to surround us like the Goblins won't work!!"
"Dumbass! Don't attack a new enemy carelessly!"
I switched the weapon from the bow to the meat cleaver and slashed at the Urami-danuki standing in front of me.
At the same time the meat cleaver reached, the Urami-danuki disappeared literally turning into smoke.
Along with that a blow from the cross-spear had come out from the white smoke and grazed my side.
As expected, with a blow delivered at zero distance even by making full use of my 【See-Through】 and 【Sky Eyes】 I was barely able to avoid the spear tip and ended up having my flank torn by the spear's blade.
"Oww! Heck, seems like the attack is also accompanied with 【Curse】."
I could hear a quiet scream from the audience when I received the counter, I just held my cut flank and took a step back.
"So rather than dividing, he made shadow clones, huh. In that case we need to find the real body between the clones."
Mikadzuchi calmly analysed the fact that one of the Urami-danuki disappeared turning into white smoke.
Meanwhile, Sei-nee healed me up, returning me to perfect state.
"Seriously, how do we find it."
Succeeding with an attack on me, the Urami-danuki's mouth distorted turning into a cynical smile.
"We can attack all the shadow clones at once. We can eliminate all those clones and then attack the real body. Also, we can try preventing him from his special attack. That's about all I can think of."
Or, we can try frontal attack on them to try finding the difference between clones and the real body. Mikadzuchi muttered and at the same time she rushed towards the Urami-danuki and thrust with her hexagonal stick.
As the weapons fiercely clashed against each other Mikadzuchi parried Urami-danuki's spear and hit him in the torso. However, just like the first one the enemy disappeared letting out white smoke and another shadow clone appeared, joining others surrounding us.
"Seriously, what do we do about these?!"
Although I desperately avoided the attack from the cross-spear, my HP was cut down by the counter-attack coming from inside the white smoke.
The shadow clones' attacks weren't strong enough to take us down with a single hit, but they put on 【Curse】 bad status, moreover, the spear's shape was troublesome.
The 【Curse】 bad status in addition to reducing MP had caused random negative effects from time to time, so if we continue receiving those attacks there's a chance of receiving a lethal negative effect.
Right now we could recover with items, Sei-nee could also use 【Recovery Magic】 to maintain the margin of safety, but it didn't seem like we could deliver any damage to the enemy.
The cross-spears had broad attack range as their tips had crescent-shaped blade so it was hard to avoid them, unless you avoid them by a large margin you will get caught.
Also, since the spear encirclement narrowed from all sides, defending ourselves had gradually become more difficult.
Desperate, I used the lowest magic in the Earth Element in combination with 【Sky Eyes】.
Focusing on multiple enemies in my range of vision I invoked 《Bomb》 magic all at once.
As a result, four shadow clones of the tanuki were wrapped around by 《Bomb》's yellow explosion and received slight damage, but since they were attacked at the same time four of them thrust at me with their spears.
Abandoning any shame and respectability I avoided by crouching, four enemies' spears have passed over my head. As if crawling, I slipped away from under them.
"Missy, what are you doing?"
"What, you ask. Trial and error!"
"That attack just now was dangerous. Try imagining what would happen if you received that spears' simultaneous attack."
Told so, I thought of a situation where I receive multiple simultaneous attacks from four shadow clones and came to conclusion that there was a high chance I could receive severe 【Curse】.
As well as chain damage from continuous attacks within a short period of time.
"Seems like you understood. But well, it's a good example of a failure. The guild's members will surely take note of that."
Kukuku, Mikadzuchi let out a muffled laughter as she parried an attack of a shadow clone and continued to search for a clue on beating them.
After that, I received several counter-attacks from the Urami-danuki, and while recovering the damage with potions I used 《Bomb》 magic to accumulate damage on a single Urami-danuki.
"Damn, attack with 《Bomb》 don't deal too much damage. I need to think of a more efficient method."
"Missy, can't you find the main body with your 【See-Through】?"
'Not happening. I've been looking at them all for a while now, but I can't seem to find tanuki any different. His 【Concealment】-type Sense must be quite high."
"After coming this far we had a nasty opponent appear. We might get really exhausted if it goes badly. But, what if..."
While Mikadzuchi and I idled fighting against the Urami-danuki, Sei-nee seemed to have found a way out.
White light had appeared on the tip of the staff and the single target heal 《High Heal》 was activated.
Its target wasn't me or Mikadzuchi, but the Urami-danuki's shadow clone.
Although the clone screamed and turned into white smoke, no spear had come as counter-attack.
The other shadow clones of the Urami-danuki returned to the main body and all the damage dealt to them so far had been included.
"I guess it's simple once you realize it?"
"Sei-nee, what do you mean?"
"Urami-danuki is an undead enemy so physical attacks are ineffective I think. Moreover, unless it's specific magic it will have very poor effect."
"I see. It's simple once we know the trick. Missy, give me fire element."
The counter-attack was fast once Mikadzuchi and I learned the enemy's weakness.
I used Fire Elemental Stone and applied element enchant on Mikadzuchi's weapon.
From thereon, Mikadzuchi fought Urami-danuki using fire elemental damage, Sei-nee attacked with recovery magic and I continued to deliver damage by using silver arrows that were very effective against undead.
Finally, the Urami-danuki let out his death throes and sprouting white smoke from his body, he collapsed.
"He was quite tough. I used lots of 【Yellow Potions】 there."
"I also hit him quite many times with 《High Heal》 so I don't have much MP Potions left."
Although Sei-nee and Mikadzuchi were in perfect state, they didn't have enough consumables to support that.
"Are you all right? How many 【Yellow Potions】 you have left?"
"Got 10 right now. At current pace it feels like I'll be able to barely reach tenth round."
"Looks like for now, we don't have to think about retiring half-way."
I listened to the two's opinions and though that at this rate we'll get through the seventh round and will likely be able to get the prize for eight round, the one Sei-nee wanted. Possibly, we might see through it to the end.
While I stood there relieved I'll get the strengthening material I wanted, suddenly I received an impact in the back.
The shock was strong enough to crush my naive ideas about the arena challenge.
A purple cross-spear had protruded from my belly.
Sei-nee and Mikadzuchi also were pierced by the same thing and voice like a scream sounded from the audience.
With a loud *whump* I was pierced by a purple spear, but I didn't feel any pain or received damage.
I twisted my body to look behind and saw a purple, semi-transparent Urami-danuki looking at us with resentment. In the end, right before disappearing he put on a cynical smile.
"What was that, just now..."
As I rubbed my abdomen stunned by the lack of pain it was Mikadzuchi's voice that made me return to myself.
Mikadzuchi immediately cursed and confirmed her status in the menu.
"In the end he left us a ridiculous 【Curse】! How about you, Sei?"
"It was somewhat reduced since I have 【Curse】 resistance accessories on but..."
When the two looked my way I confirmed my status in the menu.
Seeing the 【Curse】 effects displayed there, I was at loss for words.
My status was currently displayed as 【Cursed】 and there was no value that would indicate its intensity.
Moreover, unlike normal 【Curse】 I received a variety of negative effects.
"【Skills Sealed】, 【Healing Skills and Items Disabled】, 【Statistics Decrease】. Also 【HP Decrease】 and 【MP Decrease】? What's with this?"
I was stunned by the overly-strong 【Curse】's effect.
With this I couldn't recover my HP and MP, as well as from the bad status. The HP Decrease wasn't as fast as that of 【Poison】 but it was steadily decreasing.
And it seemed like Mikadzuchi received the same 【Curse】 as me.
"So Missy didn't resist it and got the whole set. And you Sei?"
"Just 【MP Decrease】. But, since my MP is decreasing I won't be able to use much magic in combat."
"Tch, Urami-danuki's final attack huh. Let's get over the retirement choice and rush for the seventh round. In fact, this turns into a battle with time limit."
Final attack is a general term for attack that forcibly activates when mob's HP reaches zero, it's also called 【Attack Upon Death】 and 【Stray Attack】.
During arena battle you cannot pass recovery items to each other.
Right now Mikadzuchi and I cannot use items we have available, the only one who could use items was Sei-nee who mainly picked up MP Potions.
"It was going too easy, I should have been more careful."
Mikadzuchi muttered quietly, her mutter echoed in the completely silent arena. Then, "it was easy for you, Mikadzuchi", a retort had come from the audience.
What we clearly understood now, was that the situation had changed from a comfortable one into one where we are backed into a corner by the Urami-danuki's 【Curse】.
"He appeared, the seventh round's enemy..."
The enemy from the seventh round that was ahead of Sei-nee's line of sight was——Twin-Torso Warrior.
It was two demon warriors' bodies stuck back-to-back as one, they held curved swords in their hands, a two-faced embodiment of four swords-style.
The demon warrior in front wore heavy armour, the demon warrior in the back wore loose kinagashi.
"How does the guy in the back move with those legs? Is what I'd like to inquire, but I guess it's no time for that."
"The guy attached to the back has reverse ankles like those common in robo-games. That thing has an unexpectedly strong jumping ability."
"Yun-chan, Mikadzuchi, we don't have time to talk about that. So, Mikadzuchi, what do we do?"
"Sei, you'll act as a healer just in case. Don't attack and spare MP. Missy, use all items you can. I'll settle this quickly!"
I immediately passed non-recovery items I had in inventory and that could be used to Mikadzuchi.
"Here, Enchant Stones and Boost Tablets. Also, I'll lend you the 【Substitute Gem's Ring】, it can block up to three attacks."
"I know how to use Enchant Stones and Boost Tablets so no problem there, but this ring is your treasure isn't it, Missy?"
The 【Substitute Gem's Ring】 was unique equipment that could completely invalidate the attacks depending on the size of the gem fitted on its pedestal.
For me, who has poor defence this is a very powerful item.
"If you fall, Sei-nee and I behind you won't win this. We can't have you losing, Mikadzuchi. Also, I'm a support character. Since I'm a support, my role is to arrange it so that combat positions fight at their best."
"Missy... I get it. I'll be borrowing it."
After saying so, Mikadzuchi put on the 【Substitute Gem's Ring】 on the index finger of her right hand. Then continuing, she crushed the Boost Tablets between her teeth and said the keyword for the attack, defence and speed Enchant Stones, activating them.
"It feels like the enchants mostly offset stat reduction."
By lightly swinging her arms and stretching, Mikadzuchi checked up on her own body.
Sei-nee and I also used strengthening items to mitigate the stat decrease, readying ourselves beforehand.
Once it was time, the Hobgoblin referee sounded the gong and the seventh round started.
"Well theeen, I'll be going."
"Go on, I'll support you as much as I can."
In order to make it through this battle I did my best to provide cover fire with the bow.
The arrow I shot over running Mikadzuchi's head was cut down by the Twin-Torso Warrior's curved sword, but I continued to shot arrows without rest so the enemy couldn't ignore it.
And, once Mikadzuchi sprung in front of the Twin-Torso Warrior, they started exchanging blows.
She delivered precise blows with her hexagonal stick as she avoided lightly. The Twin-Torso Warrior had continued to let our wide-ranged slashes, cleaving with his curved swords.
Normally after the enemy attacks there's an opportunity to hit them, but enemy's four swords delivered too many attacks covering the openings so Mikadzuchi couldn't hit the Twin Torso Warrior cleanly.
However, having Mikadzuchi strike at him the Twin-Torso Warrior was unable to block my arrows and various places unprotected by armour were pierced.
Actually I did use arrows synthesized with bad status drugs, so the moment arrows have pierced into enemy their effect could be seen.
Although arrows themselves dealt little damage, 【Poison】's slip damage, 【Curse】's random negative effects, 【Paralysis】; 【Sleep】 and 【Stun】 inhibiting actions have blunted Twin-Torso warrior for an instant, allowing us to come out advantageous.
Still, since the Twin-Torso Warrior recovered from bad statuses quicker than Ogres, the effect wasn't too strong.
"He's stronger than the Ogres! This is harsh! This isn't something I'd like to fight against if I was completely weakened!"
Since Mikadzuchi wanted to preserve the 【Substitute Gem's Ring】's protection she continued to avoid the attack of the warrior.
Because of that, Sei-nee who acted as an emergency healer was unable to participate and only watched over us.
As the Twin-Torso Warrior's front and rear heads howled, the warrior in front swung down his curved swords diagonally then took a step forward, that's when the other side swung its swords cleaving from the sides.
Mikadzuchi avoided the attacks and slipped to the side of the Twin-Torso Warrior, but ahead of where she avoided to the rear side had released a thrust. In order to avoid that, Mikadzuchi leaped further to the side.
"Pheew, that was close. Since he has another body on his back he has no blind spots behind him."
This time, Mikadzuchi confronted the demon warrior wearing kinagashi that was on the Twin-Torso Warrior's back.
And, Sei-nee and I have faced the demon warrior wearing an armour in the front. We positioned ourselves as to do a pincer attack from the front and the back with the three of us.
"Um, won't this turn real bad if he ignores Mikadzuchi...?"
"At that time we'll might have to stall for time no matter what."
"You'll think when that happens. HAA——"
Mikadzuchi slowly slid her feet on the ground moving forward, measuring the distance of enemy's curved swords, then with a loud shout she thrust with her weapon.
Matching that attack I shot an arrow at the demon warrior in the front.
That's when the Twin-Torso Warrior showed a move we haven't seen yet.
The demon warrior on Mikadzuchi's side blocked the attack with the swords in his hands, but the demon warrior on our side didn't help with that. Instead, he struck down the arrow that were ignored until now.
"This is... don't the movements of the front and back side have a subtle difference?"
Up until just earlier, all four swords focused on intercepting Mikadzuchi, but now they have been distributed to sides.
And, with just the two swords on the back he was unable to suppress Mikadzuchi's onslaught, allowing Mikadzuchi to approach.
Filled with fighting spirit she thrust with the stick at the kinagashi-clad warrior., as a result the Twin-Torso Warrior was blown away in our direction.
In order not to let him close onto where Sei-nee and I were, I threw a magic gem in a hurry.
Starting with the location the thrown gem had fallen to, an earthen wall had grown from the ground into which the Twin-Torso Warrior slammed.
After slamming into the wall the warrior fell in that place and sluggishly rose up.
"That's some power. The attack just now took 10% of his HP."
"Looks like you didn't see it from your side, Missy, but half of that came from him slamming into the earthen wall you made."
While saying so, Mikadzuchi shouldered the hexagonal stick, then once again readying the weapon she lowered her waist.
The Twin-Torso Warrior had 70% HP remaining. And, Mikadzuchi's HP was reduced to 60% by the Urami-danuki's 【Curse】.
Since it would be dangerous for her HP to fall below that, Sei-nee who has been on standby has moved.
"Oh, thanks. Well, let's try my best for little longer!"
Sei-nee used recovery magic to heal Mikadzuchi, who resumed combat with the Twin-Torso Warrior.
I continued shooting arrows as I observed the change in enemy HP's decrease.
"Doesn't the Twin-Torso Warrior have slight differences between defence on both sides?"
"So you noticed that too, Yun-chan."
Since I ran out of bad status arrows, I stopped for a moment to take out normal ones. Meanwhile, I listened to Sei-nee's analysis.
"The back is vulnerable to physical attacks. Mikadzuchi must have realized that since she matches the Twin-Torso's movement as it tried to turn with front towards her, and continues to stay behind him."
That's when the demon warrior cleaved broadly and did a half-turn to the left. Along with that movement the front warrior had turned towards Mikadzuchi and swung his curved sword, but Mikadzuchi matched those movements and rolling she avoided it. Once again, Mikadzuchi confronted the demon warrior in the back.
"Tch, he turned with the front again."
"Mikadzuchi, I'll recover your HP. ——《High Heal》"
"And Yun-chan, you also received as 【HP Decrease】, haven't you? ——《High Heal》"
Since I'm a rearguard I neglected my own HP, and before I noticed it dropped down to 40%.
I had much lower max HP as compared to Mikadzuchi, so using heal magic on me with the same timing would be a waste of MP, so Sei-nee used heal on me once for every two times she used it on Mikadzuchi.
"My MP is already low so settle it before it runs out."
Hearing Sei-nee's words Mikadzuchi waved her hand and took a step forward.
The battle with the Twin-Torso Warrior was to resume again, but after having his HP cut down by 30% the enemy made a movement completely different from how he moved until now.
"He's taking a step back?"
The Twin-Torso Warrior took a big step back, lowered his body, and leaping forward he cleaved at Mikadzuchi with the curved swords.
The sound of air being cut with strong momentum by the curved swords reached me in the rearguard. Mikadzuchi, averted her upper body avoiding the attack by a hair's breadth, but the Twin-Torso Warrior twisted his body and advanced another step forward.
Just in case, I moved together with Sei-nee.
Mikadzuchi lowered herself further avoiding it, but the Twin-Torso Warrior continued rotating, switching front and the back constantly he let out heavy slashes at Mikadzuchi one after another.
The second attack was received by the stick, but Mikadzuchi lost in contest of strength and was parried away, her posture collapsing.
With the third attack she received damage for the first time and the 【Substitute Gem's Ring】 took effect, letting out a quiet sound of breaking. Then the fourth and fifth attacks the Twin-Torso Warrior let out had easily exceeded the damage 【Substitute Gem's Ring】 could receive.
Mikadzuchi was unable to fix her posture as she received the nullified attacks and receiving the sixth cleave, some of her HP was shaved off.
And, when the Twin-Torso Warrior was about to release the seventh attack I threw magic gems at Mikadzuchi's feet, creating earthen walls under her and scooping her up.
Multiple walls were too brittle for the strong attacks of the curved swords and have collapsed, but thanks to the fact walls grew under her feet she was able to escape upwards.
Sei-nee invoked a heal on Mikadzuchi twice, restoring the received damage worth of HP.
"Sei, Yun. You saved me there."
"...no way. She called me by my name."
"The attacks earlier were really persistent, if not for this thing Missy lent me, your support wouldn't make it in time. One more hit and it would be over for me. Also, Missy, thanks for this ring."
"So, how do we take the rest of his HP?"
Sei-nee used recovery magic in succession so her MP hit the bottom, forcing her to recover it with MP Potion on hand.
Still, because the 【Curse】's effect was reducing it little by little, she sought to settle it early.
"In that case there's no choice but to decide it all at once with all firepower we have."
While saying so, Mikadzuchi took off the 【Substitute Gem's Ring】 that had the gem on its pedestal shatter and returned it to me.
After once used, the 【Substitute Gem's Ring】 had several hours of cooldown applied to it. Good work, I muttered to it and stowed it away in the inventory.
We turned towards the Twin-Torso Warrior, it seemed like he finished his big move and fell on his knees, completely defenceless for about ten seconds.
"I'll give up on avoiding and continue attacking him physically."
"I will use the remaining MP Potions to barrage him with magic."
"I-I'll spread around remaining Magic Gems to blow him up."
Mikadzuchi switched from her current fiery red light armour to the unique equipment that had a gloomy, wolfish design, the 【Dark Wolf's Armour】.
The 【Dark Wolf's Armour】 was unique equipment received as a reward from a raid quest, it's negative effect 【Skills Sealed】 had overlapped with the negative effect from the Urami-danuki's 【Curse】 so currently it had no disadvantages. Moreover, it's 【Might】 additional effect increased the user's ATK significantly.
As if chasing after running Mikadzuchi, I also started to run towards the Twin-Torso Warrior.
Sei-nee created water bullets and ice lances in large amounts, and consuming MP Potions she continued to wait until the moment she can use them all at once.
"Missy, match Sei's magic. Don't get hit until then!"
"I'll do this from a safe place."
I moved to medium distance while shooting with the bow, then started placing 【Bomb】's Magic Gems little by little, throwing them beneath the Twin-Torso Warrior's feet.
Mikadzuchi parried a swung curved sword with armour on her arm and circled around to enemy's side, then using stats increased by 【Might】 she thrust the stick at the demon warrior in the back. When she did, the enemy's body rotated, receiving and mitigating the attack with the armour in front.
"Tch, but... I'll force it through! DARAAahhh!!"
The hexagonal stick thrust into the front demon warrior's belly and strongly dented in his armour.
Along with a loud, dull sound, the Twin-Torso Warrior lost strength in his knees and fell on the ground.
While it was possible to reduce the damage by allowing the impact to flow behind, the enemy was unable to do so and it had spread in his entire body.
The demon warrior in the front pierced the curved swords into the ground and supported himself with both arms and the demon warrior in the back immediately counter-attacked.
Mikadzuchi parried that strike to the side with all her strength, then struck the demon warrior on the back.
"Now. ——《Aqua Bullet》《Ice Lance》, fire at once!"
Sei-nee fired several dozens of magic that was waiting behind her, all straight at the Twin-Torso Warrior.
The water bullets flying at high speed made dents in the front warrior's armour, the ice spears gouged his limbs, water burst out meeting the icy air and froze the Twin-Torso Warrior.
And while the enemy was unable to move, 【Bomb】's Magic Gems activated all at once. The Twin-Torso Warrior was unable to avoid the multiple bombing and as he was swallowed by yellow explosions, the contours of his body were distorted.
"I threw in several dozens of Magic Gems there. This should do."
"Not yet! Mikadzuchi, last hit!"
As the explosion's flash gradually faded, the Twin Torso Warrior appeared to have survived, although his armour in the front and kinagashi in the back were all in tatters.
He stood up despite having less than 10% HP, poising his four swords broken in half he launched a continuous rotation attack on Mikadzuchi.
However, the broken swords had small range and Mikadzuchi easily avoided them, moreover she was able to release the final blow by taking advantage of superior reach.
Mikadzuchi thrust with all her strength at the enemy's side that was exposed by the rotation.
The rotation added to the attack's strength and the Twin-Torso Warrior's armour was crushed and the strike deeply sank into his flank.
The Twin-Torso Warrior was blown away along with a cry, hit the wall of the arena and slipped to the ground.
In there, his body turned into particles of light, disappearing.
Since we have been fighting with our Arts and skills suppressed ever since the seventh round started and the very end was flashy, the cheers from the audience were the loudest so far.
"All right, let's continue to the eight——"We're retiring."——Sei-nee?!"
The seventh round ended and I felt enthusiastic since next one had the prize Sei-nee aimed for, but she herself had declared we're retiring.
The retirement had been accepted by the system, but I asked Sei-nee in wonder.
"Is that okay? I mean, isn't the next prize what you were aiming for?"
"It can't be helped. Urami-danuki's 【Curse】 still continues. Also, I only have enough MP for one spell and few potions. Mikadzuchi and Yun-chan, even if you can fight with your HP you can't use skills, right?"
"If we force ourselves to challenge it here and lose, we lose all the prizes so far. It's wiser to withdraw here."
While saying so Mikadzuchi put a hand on my head from behind and ruffled my hair strongly. Shaking off her hand, I had to agree with her.
"Yup, you're right. Maybe I wasn't calm enough."
"No, Yun-chan, you were taking me into consideration weren't you. Thank you."
Sei-nee gently pat my head as if to comb my hair, causing me to feel embarrassed.
In the edge of my vision Mikadzuchi's mouth distorted in dissatisfaction that I shook off her hand, but that's because she was too rough.
Mikadzuchi suddenly exhaled, then rose her voice as to let the entire arena hear it.
"Now, we have challenged the arena as the first, how was it? Will that serve as tips?! We have come in without taking any special measures, as a result we retire after the seventh round. Take advantage of this information. Also, look at how other guys challenge the arena and use that to knead your own measures. So yeah, do your best!"
Along with Mikadzuchi's closing declaration a variety of cheers had come from the arena's audience. I smiled wryly seeing that enthusiasm, then left.
Each of us picked a single prize out of the prizes for all seven rounds and four prizes remained.
I received the 【Crystal of Exorcism】 first, then Mikadzuchi received the prizes for the third and the seventh round. Since Sei-nee retired before we acquired the item she wanted she had a right to choose the prize out of the remaining four on priority basis.
"I'll...take the fourth and fifth prizes. You're next, Yun-chan."
"Eh? I... then, the second round's prize."
"You're lacking greed. We got the items we wanted so you should take all remaining ones, missy Sei."
Saying so in the end, Mikadzuchi received the remaining prize and the allocation was over. On that day, since all three of us were already exhausted we decided to rest.
Then, the next day, in the evening of the sixth day of expedition.
I was doing the final adjustments of the accessories in the 【Eight Million Gods】 guild's craftsmen room.
Whew, I ended up practically re-crafting the accessories for Sei-nee and Myu again.
I stared at the accessories placed on the table.
For the blue and silver accessory made with Blurite Ore, I first strengthened the ingot itself by synthesizing in a water 【Element Stone】, increasing the water element effect.
As for the bead bracelet, I first made transparent glass beads, but then I thought that the way the 【Crystal of Exorcism】 diffuses light would suit Myu, so I continued to process the beads.
I roasted the glass beads on a frying pan and had it rapidly cool in ice to make cracked glass to match the look of the 【Crystal of Exorcism】.
I was given advices by Otonashi and Langley which I used as reference, finally making an accessory for Myu.
Also, I used a light 【Element Stone】 on this one as well, combining it with the materials at early stage to add additional effect 【Light Element Increase (small)】.
All that was left to do, was using the strengthening material I had on hand on these two.
I took out four strengthening materials.
The drop from the sea anemone-like Electric Parasitic Insect boss that was inside the Grand Rock, the 【Parasite Pacemaker】.
And the two strengthening materials I acquired in the Volcanic Area's 【Demonfolk Resort】, the 【Precious Magic Crystal】 and the 【Crystal of Exorcism】. I added the effects to each accessory.
For Sei-nee's 【'Blue and Silver Mystic Ring】 I used the 【Precious Magic Crystal】 in order to add the effect increasing magic-related stats.
As for other effects, there was the 【INT Bonus】 that could be attached by crafter's 【Engraving】 Sense and 【Water Element Increase】 that was an additional effect added by the use of Blurite Ore.
It was an accessory specialized in water element and magic.
Myu's 【Snow White Bracelet】 had used the remaining three strengthening materials and was an accessory that boosted recovery, light magic, and had an auxillary effect.
Thanks to the light 【Element Stone】 and 【Parasite Pacemaker】's overlapping effects the 【Light Element Increase】 effect had strengthened by one stage.
"Sei-nee's magic will grow even more powerful. And since Myu says she wants to be a paladin, I made a general combination of effects for her."
Imagining the two's happy faces I ended up smiling.
I stretched my body and noticed it was already night.
"Ah, it's almost time to sleep... I took a bath already, so all that's left is to go to sleep."
After muttering that, I suddenly remembered.
"The hot spring building in the Volcanic Area, there should be no people there at this time..."
The frontline area was populated with few players. Furthermore it's around midnight so there isn't as many people online, I might be able to enjoy the hot springs without being seen by anyone. Thinking so, I immediately started acting.
I transitioned to the portal at the back gate of a dungeon from one that's out of sight, then headed towards the hot spring.
"...there's no one here. Comin' iiiin."
After making sure there's no one inside or around the building I took off my boots at the grate in the entrance and sneaked inside on tiptoes.
"OHH?!! My entire equipment was changed huh."
What was my equipment earlier, had forcibly changed into a bath towel wrapped around me.
"I'm all naked under this... heck, what am I thinking about!"
I hurriedly shook my head and got rid of needless thought, then headed to the bath.
Holding down the unreliable bath towel with my both hands I walked slowly.
"Woah... so this is how it is inside."
When I entered from the dressing room to the bathroom, I saw an open-air bath made with rugged rocks.
After once again confirming there is no one inside, I a nearby bucket and poured hot water on myself before entering the bath.
"In real you can't have the bath towel get wet, but here it can't be helped since it won't come off."
I held down the unreliable bath towel that won't get off no matter what I immersed my body in the bathtub.
"Haa, this is paradise. 【Demonfolk Resort】 might really be a good match with me. Mmm, I sure spend this week leisurely."
Combat, farming boss and the arena challenge weren't all that tiring. All of that was many times better than mobs in a grotesque dungeon.
"It has an atmosphere like that of an hot spring town, there's a lot of shops with delicious stuff I enjoyed."
Tomorrow is the end of the guild expedition huh, I said and relaxed, I looked towards the night sky seeing off the white steam disappear in it.
Then, after spending some time in daze, my 【See-Through】 Sense perceived signs of life in the dressing room causing me to panic.
"EH?! There's someone else coming in at this time, what do I do?! I'll be seen!"
If it gets out that a man like me entered women's bath it'll be end of my social life. I need to hide somewhere, I thought and started looking around, but other people have already entered the bathroom.
"So you really were here, Missy."
Finding out that they're my acquaintances I was relieved, but also thought that I can't stay here and hurriedly rose up from the bath.
The water I have been soaking in up to my shoulder had flowed down my body, the drenched bath towel felt heavy.
Just when I thought I passed by Mikadzuchi, she caught the edge of my bath towel and threw me back into the bath.
I fell into the bath along with a loud splash, then rose in a hurry and raised my voice in protest.
"PWAH! That was dangerous! What if my bath towel comes off?!"
"What are you getting all embarrassed for. Also, you just got in so don't leave so early, accompany us for a little bit."
Saying so, Mikadzuchi soaked in the bathtub right next to me.
I tried standing up again but she held my head down and forced me back into the bath.
Unable to resist because of the difference in our stats I gave up, then soaked up to my mouth in the cloudy hot water in order to hide my body.
"Why did you two come here?"
"Mm. We saw Yun-chan run this way and got curious."
"Still, aren't you embarrassed to come after me as far as to the bath...?
"We have swimsuits under this, look."
Sei-nee said that and showed off shoulder straps that were visible despite the bath towel wrapped around her.
At that time her chest was strongly emphasized, causing me to avert my gaze.
"Aahh, fine. I get it already——hya!"
"Kukuku, so innocent. Aren't you cute."
Mikadzuchi lightly stroked my back with her fingertips. I reflexively bent backwards, turned towards her and glared.
"Mikadzuchi! Heck, what the hell are you showing off here!"
Seeing her shift the bath towel to show off the swimsuit just like Sei-nee I immediately averted my eyes from her.
"Why are you overreacting like that? It's too cute, makes me want to bully you."
"What? Do you have a complex over your small breasts? Don't worry, mine aren't too big either."
As if! When I shouted that in my mind and stared at Mikadzuchi, she took out a tray from the inventory and placed it on the edge of the bath.
Then the next thing she took out, was a painted sake cup and a liquor bottle.
"It's stylish to drink while looking up at the moon, right?"
She poured the content of the bottle into the sake cup painted red, filling it up.
And saiyng so she drank little of the liquor from up, then tilted the cup horizontally. When she did, liquid had started coming out of the cup as if springing up from a fountain.
"The liquid poured inside earlier can be reproduced by consuming MP. If you pour a potion in, then a potion, if liquor, then a liquor. Of course, the amount of MP consumed depends on what you pour inside."
"Mikadzuchi is using it differently from how it was intended to. Moreover, she aimed for the third and seventh prizes in the arena just for this, you know?"
Haa, Sei-nee heaved a sigh. The prizes Sei-nee and I have chosen, the second and the fifth one were of two types, big and small tsuzura boxes.
The content of the wicker boxes changed at random, Sei-nee's large box had one large item inside and my small box had three smaller ones.
"My fourth prize is a material called 【Nameless Demon's Horn】. And as for the fifth prize's box, I don't have luck so it'll probably be a item I don't need."
Although we were immersed in a pleasant bath, Sei-nee started letting out a depressing atmosphere, making me panic.
"It's all right, Sei-nee. Um... if you won't need what you get, I'll exchange it with what I get from the box."
"Uuunh, Yun-chan's kindness pierces my heart. But at the same time, it looks like no one expects anything of my luck."
Seeing Sei-nee even more downhearted, in contrast, Mikadzuchi smiled happily.
"Once the expedition is over you should open them in front of everyone. Whether you have luck or not, everyone will get fired up."
"Uuu, Mikadzuchi, you talk as if it had nothing to do with you."
"In fact, it doesn't. Also, missy Yun, come participate in tomorrow's party."
Mikadzuchi called me by my name again. She did that once in the arena before, at the same time I felt a little happy to be called so, I was ashamed to be called that right now and sank into the bathtub up to my mouth again.
"And, it's about the time you decide what will you do, Missy."
"Whether you officially join our 【Eight Million Gods】 guild, or leave."
"...it's all right. I have already decided."
It all felt too cosy I sometimes nearly forgot about it. That's why I have decided right from the start.
Hearing my words, Mikadzuchi responded with "I see, I see." and drank the rest of liquor all at once.
"Well then, I'll be going ahead."
"Sure, good night. Don't be late for tomorrow's party."
I held down the heavy bath towel with my hand and walked towards the dressing room with sound footsteps.
Behind me, I could hear Sei-nee and Mikadzuchi speak to each other.
"You're right. It does seem like Yun-chan goes with the flow, but since long ago whenever she decided on something, she would always carry it through."
Hearing their words I denied that in my mind. I'm not strong or anything, I thought.
How about pouring MP potion into the [Magic Cup]?? Would the MP cost of using the cup be higher, or would the regeneration of MP be higher?? So many questions.
Of course making an MP Potion will cost more MP than it gives. That's how BALANCE works, and in MMOs these things are strictly balanced.
Well, it could also be strictly even, it'd still balance it to uselessness which would be the point. I imagine the thing is actually hugely inefficient for it's apparent intended purpose and the way Mikadzuchi is using it is actually the most efficient way to do so. Booze or other food beverages don't have a whole lot of recovery to them if any, and I imagine booze would be a reflection of real life like it is in most MMO's which have booze and give status ailments rather than boosts, which would further reduce the MP cost.
But still useful for a front line warrior type. There's plenty of RPGs with items that let you trade MP for HP, sometimes even as a passive buff. A HP potion making flask would work pretty well for Mika.
A full warrior type probably won't even have the mana to use it like that. After all, you have to train a sense for that.
Mikadzuchi. Breast size is of no importance. Its how they look. Big one's can still be ugly. Also, incredible amount of confidence. A very fun character.
Reproduce any liquid inside by consuming MP? That 【Magic Cup】 is toooo broken, all potion makers can go bankrupt.
Not really, if producing high potions consumes half of the user's MP, there's no point right? Might as well take recovery magic or just buy one. Or do you imagine someone will sit in home and wait for mana to recover to make one pot per 10 minutes? Or maybe will they chug down MP Potions to make more potions? He can kill 10 mobs, earn enough money to buy two of the same potion and earn experience in the same amount of time.
And if it is something more expensive than a MP Potion, Revival Medicine for example? For the full party it shouldn't be so difficult to get a several Magic Cups.
Then pour Revival Medicine in the first cup, then from the first to the second, etc.
Take a few magicians with [MP Increase?] and [MP Recovery?] to mass produce potions.
The amount of MP required to reproduce it is dependant on what you reproduce. I'm guessing Revival Medicine would take a mage's entire MP tank to reproduce - and I talk about a high level mage's. And a high level mage will have better, more profitable things to do.
You said "he"; all things considered, I'm not sure whether or not to correct you.
... That thing tanuki didn't look undead to me, not until it was actually stated anyways.
Also, odd how it says you can't pass 'healing' items to each other during arena battle, but not equipment and other consumables; why would it only be healing item, rather then all? Seems a bit too lenient on items and such.
Lastly... WTFH, how could the bath towel be unreliable if it can't be taken off!? AND why did he say that in the end!? IT can't be taken off!!
Ps. I don't remember, was it 30 consumables or just 30 restoratives? If it's consumables, don't Enchant Stones, Boost Tablets, and Magic Gems count?
Assuming "unreliable" as in "this is supposed to be used for drying off, isn't it?"
Third readover and I finally pay close attention to the gift accessory stats and wonder why Yun hasn't item enchanted them like that tri ring she gave Magi.
They usually have a maximum on how much they can be strengthened; we don't know if the max has been achieved yet, so that could be a reason for why it wasn't.
The sixth round, the one that rewarded the strengthening material I wanted as a prize, the 【Diffusing Crystal】.
Covered in fluffy hair, he had a kettle-like armour on his torso as if to hide his fatty belly and was holding spear in his hand, a spear with cross-shaped blade.
Covered in fluffy hair, he had a kettle-like armour on his torso as if to hide his fatty belly and was holding a spear with cross-shaped blade in his hand.
"So rather than division it were shadow clones, huh.
"So rather than division those were/are shadow clones, huh.
"So rather than dividing itself it created shadow clones, huh.
Abandoning any shame and respectability I avoided by crouching and spears from four enemies passed over my head.
Abandoning any shame and respectability I avoided by crouching as spears from four enemies passed over my head.
"The attack just now was dangerous.
"That attack just now was dangerous.
"After coming this far we got a nasty opponent appear.
"After coming this far we got a nasty opponent appeared.
The counter-attack was fast once Mikadzuchi and I learned enemy's weakness.
It was strong enough shock to crush my naive ideas about the arena challenge.
With a loud *whump* I was pierced by a purple spear, but I didn't feel any pain or receive damage.
"So Missy didn't resist it and got whole set. And you Sei?"
..., that's when the other side swung its swords cleaving from sides.
..., that's when the other side swung its swords cleaving from the sides.
After slamming the wall the warrior fell in that place and sluggishly rose up.
Hearing Sei-nee's words Mikadzuchi waved his hand and took a step forward.
Mikadzuchi was unable to fix his posture as she received the nullified attacks and receiving the sixth cleave, some of her HP was shaved off.
Sei-nee invoked a heal on Mikadzuchi twice, restoring received damage worth of HP.
"I-I'll spread around remaining Magic Gems to blow the him up."
Moreover, it's 【Might】 additional effect had increased the user's ATK significantly.
Moreover, its 【Might】 additional effect increases the user's ATK significantly.
The rotation added to attack's strength and the Twin-Torso Warrior's armour was crushed and the strike deeply sank into his flank.
The rotation added to the attack's strength and crushed the Twin-Torso Warrior's armour was and the strike deeply sank into his flank.
As for other effects, there was the 【INT Bonus】 that could be attached by crafter's 【Engraving】 Sense and 【Water Element Increase】 that was additional effect added by the use of Blurite Ore.
After once again confirming there is no one inside, then took a bucket nearby and poured hot water on myself before entering the bath.
After once again confirming there is no one inside, I took a bucket nearby and poured hot water on myself before entering the bath.
It was all many times better than mobs in a grotesque dungeon.
It was after all many times better than mobs in a grotesque dungeon.
I'm not sure what it is. I don't know if it exists. Yun herself seems not to care, which is one of the better ways to handle this, but what sense of 'gender' are you going for here?
Physical, or social? In either case she's a young girl. Physically speaking only in-game, but the game appears quite capable of that. Socially, everyone in-game treats her as such.
Habits? Gender roles? Ditto, it seems, in that she's got the caretaker role in either world. Yun might disagree, but Myu is far more of a tomboy.
Sexual attraction? Society has mostly decided that's independent of gender, but for what it's worth I think she's probably bisexual.
What's left? Personal identity, pretty much. Nothing objective, just--"which label does she prefer". And for all her reflexive objections, I think she's gotten used to being both.
But I don't think it really matters. Labels aren't important.
Now to return to the inside of that turtle's guts!!
Yun is never going to go back there, not even on threat of life and limb. LOL.
Then again, Yun did take the sense resistance leveling course. That chapter hinted that Yun wants some payback.
No. Yun explained why Yun took that, and it had nothing to do with GOING BACK, and everything to do with A: expectation of being dragged into such a thing again somewhere else by friends yet again and B: for cooking and mixing applications. While A was the real reason, it was self-justified as being more about B. But Yun made it absolutely clear that no amount of coercion would be able to convince Yun to return to the Inside-Body Dungeon specifically. | 2019-04-20T23:10:35Z | https://krytykal.org/only-sense/volume-8/chapter-6/ |
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Contrary to popular belief, investors aren’t just good for bringing in an adequate amount of capital for your startup business. In fact, investors can help one find more than just an incredible amount of money to help their business flourish. The ideal investor can also help bring in the perfect amount of resources and organizational skills that are necessary in order to accomplish a business plan that many startups might fail to stick by or follow through with.
However, investors come in all forms – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re going to be the perfect option for you or for your business. As a matter of fact, it is worth mentioning that as much profit as the right investor can bring to you, a bad investor can actually cause your entire business plan to fail as miserably as possible. Which, of course, is irreparable damage to the business itself.
Fortunately, there are ways to know ahead of time whether an investor is right for your startup business or not. If you’re wondering how you can stay above the game, read on to find out more.
If you think every person who poses to have your best interests at heart actually is that nice, then you’re certainly a lot more naïve than half of the world’s population. In this day and age, giving away equity of your business in exchange for a bit of cash isn’t ideally the way to give fractions of your business away, mainly because this could lead to you incurring a huge loss as a result of a miscalculated decision.
Ideally, great investors have a lengthy string of statistics to prove their worth. While you’re creating your own plan and strategy in order to prove your own worth to the investor, it’s important to find out as much as you can about the investor as well. WOS Swiss Investments AG is an ideal example of this, partly because they ensure that they have their statistics-laden out in front of their partners. This investment firm was founded in 2016 by Jennifer and Thomas WOS. The company specializes in offering investments to startups and other organizations and has a long list of happy clients.
As desperate as you may feel to prove yourself to an investor in order to ensure that you get your business up and running, don’t ignore the signs that your instincts may be trying to tell you. Often times, business owners end up giving away a lot just to get a specific amount of capital, but that doesn’t always need to be the case. Take your time with the investor that you choose in order to ensure that things don’t blow out of proportion later on. Remember, you should always have a future planned out for your business and it is always in the best interest to not stray off plan and to always stick to it.
The money that remains with you after you have given taxes and have taken care of the social security charges is what can be referred to as disposable income. The disposable income can be spent or saved as per your wish and preference, but it is ideally suggested by financial advisors and analyst to be invested strategically to secure your future financially.
For long-term wealth creation, it is essential that you take baby steps from the very beginning of your career. Putting away a part of your disposable income for investment and savings is vital so that you do not feel the financial burden later in your life. There is a way on how to go about it, and in this article, we would discuss the various ways you can utilize your disposable income.
The car is one of the most valuable possessions of every household, and you want to make sure that it is financially safeguarded. For instance, let us consider you availed insurance from youi, and unfortunately a year later or so, you met with an accident or something. In such condition, it would ensure that in case of any damage to the car in the event of an accident or otherwise, the insurance company would pay for the repair and for the medical expense of anyone who has got injured during the accident. It is best to take advice from experts to help you pick the right insurance products.
Having ready cash available for emergencies and unforeseen life events is necessary. There are times when you need cash urgently, and such events can surface anytime without notice. Having ready cash put away from your disposable income would ensure that you do not feel the cash crunch when you need it the most.
Education has become really expensive in today’s date, and going to a private school or joining a premier league university for higher education can cost a fortune. If you do not plan your child’s education in advance, you would be riddled with regrets later on. Start saving early for your children’s education, and starting a separate fund for your child’s education would be a good idea. Putting away a portion of your money, dedicated to your kids’ education would go a long way in meeting educational expenses later on.
Everyone plans to get out of their normal routine life to enjoy their hobbies or go on vacation in their free time. In today’s world, it can be really expensive. Whether you plan to take that Europe trip with family or that romantic cruise with your partner, it would need a good amount of money. You can use your disposable income to put in for recreation fund, which would help you fulfil your wishes.
Everyone knows that diversifying investment portfolio is essential, but not many are able to achieve it. If you have disposable income, investing a portion of it in the stock market may reap great results in the future. However, it is essential that you do your research before investing in the stock market to ensure you do not suffer from unnecessary loss. Following the stock market closely would help you know the stocks that are profit-oriented in which you can invest your disposable income.
Depending on the amount of disposable income you have, you can even consider buying an investment property. There are many people who have purchased an investment property and given it on rent, which helps them with a subsidiary source of income. You can even choose to pay the down payment for the investment property from your disposable income and pay for the instalments through the rent you get. In due time, the property would pay for itself, and you would have an additional asset in your asset portfolio.
If you have a consistent flow of disposable income month after month or year after year, it is a good idea to pay off your debt in a systematic manner. It also depends on the kind of debt you have. Ascertain your financial situation and if your debt is burdening you with high interest, paying it off would be a wise decision. Make a goal on how to clear off your debt with the disposable income and stick to it to ensure that you do not disturb the sequence.
It is a well-known saying that you only get rich when your money is working as hard as you. Rather than being frivolous with your money, be responsible with it and invest in various investment products out there. There are numerous investment products, such as bonds, annuities, stocks, precious metals, and more, which you can invest in.
Consult a financial advisor if need be, but make sure that you combine the power of time and money to create wealth from your disposable income. It will help you fulfil your financial dreams and that of your family.
Restless Legs Syndrome or RLS is a neurological disorder that causes sensations or stiffening of the nerves which urges us to move them powerfully; the impulse to move them sometimes become so strong that it can disturb your deep sleep. One of the biggest reasons for this disorder is prolonged sitting.
When you experience the above-mentioned symptoms of RLS, it is an amazing idea to apply heating pads or cooling pads mostly around the affected muscle. Once the prime area receives some respite, move on to the surrounding parts with the same method so that the rest is not threatened with pain due to the sudden application of cold.
The best way to not make this situation turn worse is by reducing the intake of tobacco in any form, drinking alcohol or caffeinated drinks. Caffeine can relieve your mind for some time and boost your energy, but that is momentary. Once its effect passes, the aftermaths will only weaken and worsen the situation. Also once you completely stop consuming these categories of edibles, you might notice a positive change with the reduction of pain.
Try and indulge in exercises like running, swimming or jogging on a regular basis so that the endurance power of the leg muscles is improved. At the initial stages, this might prove tiring or even painful, but the passage of time, it will start displaying the effects. Start from the basic level, do not put extreme pressure on the limbs from the very beginning as it can lead to frequent bothering.
Fix rigid boundaries of sleep and get yourself determined to sleep no matter however strong is the urge. Work enough through the day so that you are tired and therefore the resulting sleep in the night will be solid and undisturbed. Maybe drinking a glass of warm milk before going to bed will help you sleep better and longer.
Another remedy that you can take resort to is daily massaging of your leg muscles with oil. Warming the oil before the application will help in better absorption by the skin providing better and faster relief. Reserve a certain part of the day regularly to dedicate it to this activity. Also, you break free from the time window and use the technique when in a lot of pain.
Take enough precautions before getting onto long hour flights or meetings. Keep a hot water bag handy or massage the muscles well before getting on board. This will not only help you psychologically to keep the thoughts of the pain at bay but serve as a protective cushion before the hours of the test.
People working in offices or sitting on the ground with some household chores have a bigger chance of developing this. Here are some home remedies that can help you to battle this abnormality; but keep in mind that if the symptoms are severe, you must turn to proper medication. To know more about the Restless Legs Syndrome, click here.
Arranging an event can be quite taxing and difficult, especially if you don’t take action properly. If you have difficulty in arranging an event, you might want to consider hiring a professional marketing and event management company such as Urban Fetes. Founded in 2011 by Shannon Waldron, the company has established itself as one of the leading marketing companies that specialize in event management. Managing the staff at an event is the most important if you want your event to go smoothly. Here are a few tips to help you manage your staff at an event.
Be proactive. “It is frequent that the subject of the personnel is left for the end, in such a way, that when they make a request, you often have no answer. Asking the staff more in advance gives us the possibility of forming good teams and ensuring the availability of the most suitable profiles for the client’s needs, “says Franco.
Make a detailed brief about the functions, schedules, services, attitude and image you are looking for, as well as about the characteristics of the event, the deadlines and the objectives to be followed. This will allow you to organize the most qualified personnel for each function, and be careful, avoid actions that may be outside the law. For example, if a client asks you for four assemblers but without detailing what kind of work they are going to do, and then they ask one of them to work at a height, without having the required courses, you have to reject it right away.
The good supervision of the teams is key to be informed in real time of unforeseen events and to be able to react as soon as possible in the case of having to take some action. There should always be a person responsible in each event that controls punctuality in arrivals and departures and the correct development of the service. In this sense, it’s also recommended that you include a staff coordinator in large events, which will allow you to concentrate on other things and optimize the capabilities of each worker.
Take advice from others. There are aspects such as schedules, transportation, shifts, etc. You can ask other professionals for advice in order to find out how you can optimize these areas of the event.
Keep in mind that the staff for the event will be the image of the company or the brand, so look for companies that guarantee a variety of professional profiles, not just anyone.
Check the qualification of the workers: licenses, driver’s license or machine handling, for example, food handling, etc.
In large events, where you will have to establish a hierarchy, make sure you will work together with very experienced staff who have management experience.
The safety of the attendees, but also of the workers is a priority, so you should foresee the possible contingencies and establish a protocol to minimize the impact with your company of human resources, in addition to making safety plans, requesting licenses, performing and overseeing technical projects, and develop environmental impact studies, among others. It is necessary to provide the personnel with the necessary means for their work and to comply with the regulations on the prevention of occupational risks.
Not everyone knows how to make a business meeting fruitful. Especially when it comes to any business meeting turning into a lunch or a dinner, there are certain etiquettes for any business meeting to keep in mind. Talking and convincing is art. Not everyone is good at it. People with special skills to convince others to get the deal done while even socializing with them need some good tricks. To get a great deal done correctly, it requires a good development of understanding among both the parties. Both business potentials should have a clear idea of what they want and where they want their meeting end. Even usually when a family is gathered at the dining table, it’s the time when they discuss and talk about the plans, make decisions and discuss what to do or what steps should be taken.
Similarly, some business professionals also prefer a table to talk, discuss, plan and negotiate. Good relationship of trust and business links are formed easily than they could have established in that meeting room. It’s all about the convincing skills. It’s selling one way or the other. A person good enough in the sales department would know how it is and how a product or strategy is sold.
Meet Rylee Meek, author of “Food For Thought” How To Use Dinner Seminar Marketing to Grow Your Business In Ways You Never Thought Possible”, a Caucasian trainer, a speaker, a coach and an entrepreneur associated with industry of sales and marketing who has also been practicing NLP and TIME techniques who is also a certified clinical hypnotherapist. Like every other person having an insight of business world, Rylee believes on the thought that some meetings during meals should be taken way too seriously as they can either help you out or will turn their back towards you. Business meetings turning into meals fall under the same category to be taken seriously and make the most of them while planning them in such a way that the plan doesn’t fall apart. Treating your client or the opposite business party is very important. Your behavior towards the other party portrays a lot about your company and yourself. Also, it should not be forgotten that it along with the word lunch/dinner it has the word “official” attached to it or if not then it should be kept in mind that it is a lunch/dinner having a purpose, i.e. it is a business meeting lunch/dinner. It is not just a socializing gathering.
Social Dynamic Selling is Rylee’s project of which he is a CEO. Rylee started this venture to provide other people with the knowledge he has and the struggle he went through to become someone well reputed in the industry. Always wishing someone to be considered as a lighthouse in the stormy sea, Rylee hopes to guide the entrepreneurs while leading them with the right steps to success.
Rylee has not only been an author and an entrepreneur, but he also has some good qualities of skills which he can use to become an excellent mentor. Social Dynamic Selling specializes in a subtle form providing dinner seminar marketing techniques. During the initial days before delivering a well-prepared seminar, this strategy had to go through many errors and changes but when at the time of its delivering, it turned and became the most reliable dinner seminar marketing service in the industry working efficiently and effectively.
There is an unprecedented demand for outsourced accounting services among CPA firms today. Many of these firms acknowledge their relevance in cutting overhead and operational costs substantially. The cost savings, however, amount to just a tiny advantage for a service that can benefit and prove to be insurmountably lucrative in the long run.
Cost savings aside, outsourcing accounting services can have innumerable merits for the profitability of a firm.
Below are the 10 benefits that outsourcing accounting services can have on CPA firms.
Many CPA firms decide to outsource their accounting services to save on operational costs. Hiring a freelancer expert results in firms paying only if and when the service is rendered and not otherwise.
CPA firms can outsource low margin activities like undertaking data-intensive compliance functions, thus increasing profit margins.
A typically cited benefit but potent nonetheless, outsourcing accounting services can result in smoother operational functions in a firm. CPA firms who are just starting and are yet to see some returns can hire accounting specialists who are better equipped with the software technology to carry out complex accounting services.
Hiring outside help pertains to hiring someone who is far more proficient and capable of handling the accounting service required. Thus, hiring such talent inadvertently increases the value of the services you provide to your customers. This dramatically gives you an effective advantage over your competitors.
Outsourcing accounting services can prove to be a very smart strategy resulting in decimating a firm’s risks. Risks associated with a particular project is shared between the firm and the outsourced accounting specialist.
It’s fascinating to learn how much time is spent in an organization doing things that ultimately proves to be unproductive. Outsourcing specific talent for specific services can save management a lot of time in recruitment and selection. This time can be better utilized in other productive activities like relationship management and client servicing.
Perhaps the most underrated advantage of outsourcing would be the flexibility it provides the management in dealing with outsourced talent. Unlike permanent placements, firms have the option of experimenting with different skills available in the market. They can choose to carry on with the current outsourced expert or opt for another one depending on their satisfaction.
Outsourcing allows firms to work with a plethora of talented, proficient accountants playing in the market. With the help of a few minutes of internet research, a firm can scrounge for some of the best minds in the business today. Getting your hands on such talent can dramatically improve your standing in the industry.
Most outsource accounting service are well equipped with the tools and resources required in dealing with legal bodies like the IRS and US GAAP. As they handle the legislative aspects of the business, you can concentrate on the more pressing issues of your firm.
Outsourcing accounting services by smaller and medium CPA firms can drastically change their standing in the market. Having a well-fueled accounting service delivering the best services to your customers can help you go toe to toe with many big firms in the industry and maybe even outdo them one day.
Outsourcing accounting services have been proven to be a lucrative undertaking for many CPA firms struggling to succeed in a competitive industry. The benefits listed should be enough reasons for you also to consider outsourcing your accounting services to a reputed expert in the field. | 2019-04-24T10:11:28Z | http://work-club.com/2019/04/ |
Lucius did not fail to present himself on the day appointed at the residence of the Prefect of Capua. He was perhaps a little disappointed with the appearance and manner of his superior. The quæstor was a man of about thirty-two, sufficiently good-looking, but already somewhat unwieldy and corpulent, foppish in his dress, and with a drawling, affected voice, which was not a little irritating to any one who was compelled to listen to it. Just then he was full of the grievance of having to leave Rome at such an inconvenient time, and began at once to pour his griefs into the ears of his subordinate.
"It is perfectly monstrous," he said, "making one leave Rome in April! If it had been in December, now, it would have been different. I am told that Sicily is very pleasant and warm in winter, while Rome is so cold that one can hardly keep one's self alive. But now, at the very best time of the year, when it is neither too hot nor too cold, when all the best people are in town and there are entertainments every day, it is cruel to be banished in this way."
These complaints were repeated again and again at every stage of the journey. Lucius was soon exceedingly weary of them, and was not much better pleased when the quæstor varied them with anecdotes about himself and his friends. According to his own showing there had never been a man so popular and so ill-treated.
"I should have been on the highroad to be consul," he would say, "if I had had my deserts. But there are some great people whom I didn't please; too independent, my dear lad, too original for them. If you want to get on you must be commonplace."
His talk, however, was not always so empty and conceited. He had lived among great people, and had seen great events; and though he did not really understand either the one or the other, the personal details which as an eye-witness he could sometimes give were often remarkably interesting. He had been a spectator of some of the most dreadful scenes of the civil wars, and he made his young hearer's blood run cold by describing how he had seen the market-place of Rome almost ankle-deep in blood, with human heads piled up in heaps against the walls of the houses. All his reminiscences, however, were not of so dismal a character. He had been a boy of ten when Lucius' great kinsman, Caius Marius, came back from his victory over the barbarians from beyond the Alps, and had had such a triumph as Rome had never seen before. Lucius was intensely interested in hearing all that he could recollect about it.
"I can see it all," he said, "as if it had happened yesterday. How the streets were crowded! I remember my father saying that all Italy seemed to have emptied itself into them. And what shouting! And then the procession itself! Of course it wasn't so splendid as some that have been seen. The barbarians hadn't much gold and silver and jewels to make a great show; but all that there was was so strange, it seemed as if it came from another world. There were the great wagons lumbering along, drawn by such oxen as never had been seen, with horns five feet long from root to tip. And then the prisoners! If the oxen were big, what were the men! Our tallest Romans seemed children beside them. One could not imagine how the soldiers had managed to make a stand against them and actually conquer them. And they were as like to each other as so many brothers, all with yellow hair and ruddy faces, and eyes as blue as the sea. The king was an absolute giant, nearly eight feet high. I remember being almost afraid to look at him, and dreaming of him for weeks and weeks afterwards."
The quæstor had also much that was interesting to say about Marcus Tullius. For the most part he was far too fashionable a person to show anything like enthusiasm; but for Tullius he did seem to have a genuine admiration.
"Ah!" he said, "you people at Arpinum ought to be proud of your townsman. You have never heard him speak? Well, that is a real treat in store for you. I don't care much in general for law or politics; but I never miss a chance of hearing him. He is absolutely irresistible. There is nothing that he won't talk you into believing. You may know that he has got no case; but before he has done he makes every thing so plain and clear that you can't imagine how you ever thought otherwise."
For two or three days the travellers pursued their journey without interruption; but as they went farther south they found a general feeling of uneasiness along the road. At an inn which had been built just where a branch road turned off to Pæstum, the host, who had been much gratified by the quæstor's loudly-expressed appreciation of his fare, especially some fat beccaficos and a haunch of roe-buck, was very emphatic in his warnings about the dangers which threatened all travellers in Southern Italy.
"My dear sir," he said, "be advised by me, if you don't want to fall into the hands of Spartacus. Since the spring began he has been on the move, and the roads are not safe. I had a couple of merchants here the other day, and they told me all about him. He does not seem such a bad sort of fellow, though he is a rebel. They were taken, it seems, on the road near Laüs, and of course gave themselves up for lost. But they got no harm after all. They were marched up to Thurii, where Spartacus and his men have been all the winter. The place, they said, was a wonderful scene, as much like a fair as a camp. People were thronging in from all the country to buy and sell, and the harbor was full of ships. You see, sir, these people have picked up a pretty lot of plunder from one place or another; for they have run over nearly the whole of the east side of Italy from north to south, and they are ready to sell what they have got very cheap. There are some capital bargains to be had there, I am told, and I can very well believe it. My friends the merchants made a very good business of their trip, even according to their own account, and one does not expect a trader to be quite correct when he gives you the credit side of his account. You see they had six mules' loads of arms with them, swords and daggers of the very best quality from Corsica and Spain, and these are just what Spartacus is always ready to buy. He gave them pretty well their own prices, and I don't suppose they spared him. And then they did a little business on their own account. They might have bought any amount of silver plate, but that wouldn't have suited them. You see pieces of plate can be recognized, and that would not have answered their purpose. They did buy a few gold cups for about half the price of the metal, as I understood, and had them melted down. But the chief business they did was in jewels and fine stuffs, linen and silks (the new textures, you know, that they bring now from the far East). They sold two of their mules, and came away with the others pretty well laden; and if you will believe me, sir, they did not lose a pennyweight of goods or a penny's worth of money. And Spartacus gave them a safe-conduct too. If it had not been for that, they told me, they would have been taken half-a-dozen times or more upon their journey back."
"Well," said Manilius, "I don't particularly wish to make this gentleman's acquaintance. I have nothing to sell, you see, and I am in a hurry. But what would you advise, for I must get on, you understand? I want, as I think you know, to make the best of my way to Sicily, and I should best like, for more reasons than one, to go as far as I can by land."
The landlord considered a while. "I have it. Wait here two or three days. I will answer for it you won't repent it, for I see that you are a gentleman who knows what is good. This will give you time to send a messenger on to the nearest camp, and to get an answer back. Varro the prætor has got a very fair force with him at Velia— two legions, I understand, and about as many more auxiliaries, encamped about thirty miles to the south from here; and I did hear of his intending to march as far as Laüs. Well, if he does, you might go with him, and the rebels will think twice before they meddle with a force like that. Will that suit you? "
"Exactly," answered the quæstor. "Laüs is the very place I want to go to. I have business of importance there which I should not like to neglect. That done I can take ship."
"Very good," said the landlord. "Then I will send off a messenger to the prætor, if you will write a few lines for him to carry. It is now about an hour to noon, and he will do the thirty miles, barring accidents, in five hours. Give him three hours to rest, and he will be back long before you are out of your beds to-morrow, for he is as active and long-winded a young fellow as ever I saw. You will see from the answer he brings back what you had best do. You can, if need be, by making an early start, reach the camp to-morrow. But if there is no need for hurry, I should strongly recommend you to stay."
" Marcus Terentius Varro to Tiberius Manilius Quæstor greeting.
"It will be very grateful to me to afford you the protection which you seek for your journey, and, if I may speak as a friend, to have your companionship. Know, therefore, that it is my intention to set out, if the auspices be favorable, at daybreak the day after to-morrow. It will be necessary that you should reach the camp to-morrow. If you can arrive in good time, which, indeed, is a thing to be desired for other reasons, the road being not altogether safe, you and your friend will, if it is pleasing to you, dine with me. Farewell.
"Given at my camp, at Velia, the tenth day of April."
The party started at early dawn. Two traders, who had business in towns farther south, had asked and received permission to join them, and the party numbered about twenty, the greater part of whom were, of course, slaves. All were armed. Though unable to resist any serious attacks from the rebels, if they should be unlucky enough to fall in with them, they might count on being safe from any chance marauders, bands of whom infested the country, making a profit out of its disturbed condition. As it turned out they met with no molestation. A number of ill-looking fellows, in parties of two or three, were hanging about the roads, who probably would have robbed and murdered a single traveller, but felt it prudent to have nothing to do with the quæstor and his well-equipped company.
The prætor's camp was reached about an hour before sunset; and Manilius found awaiting him a message from the general, renewing for him and his companion the invitation to dinner. They had just time to enjoy the luxury of a bath, and to change their clothes, when the dinner hour, which, for their accommodation, had been fixed unusually late, arrived. They found a numerous party assembled in the prætor's tent, a spacious erection which was used only on occasions when he gave an entertainment to his officers. Six tribunes and about twice as many centurions of the first rank were present, and the party was completed by two or three young men, none of them much older than our hero, friends or connections of the prætor, who lived in his quarters, and had much the same relation to him as an aide-de-camp in the present day has to the general to whom he is attached. The talk turned, of course, very much on the prospects of the war, and Lucius found that those who were best qualified to judge thought that it would be a serious matter. One of the youngsters, his tongue possibly loosened by copious draughts of the prætor's wine, began to talk in a loud and boastful tone of the short work which would be made with the rebels.
"I can't conceive," he said, "how it is that these fellows have been allowed to make head against us so long. It is a shame to think of a parcel of slaves beating consuls and their armies. Don't you think, sir, that we might do what I heard some fellows did with their slaves some hundreds of years ago? My tutor, who was a Greek, read the story to me out of one of his books, and I have never forgotten it; it seemed to me such a capital way of dealing with such rascals. I remember it was something of this kind. The masters had been away, fighting somewhere for years and years; and when they came back they found that their slaves had rebelled, and had taken possession of their houses and every thing else, and were encamped on the border of the country with a regular army, ready to fight. Well, they did fight; and the first day neither got much the better of it, and the masters saw that if they did win in the end there would not be many of them left, and of their slaves none at all. Well, sir, the story went on to say, they went out the next day, not with arms in their hands but with whips, and the slaves, as soon as ever they saw them, gave in and begged for mercy, the old habit was so strong. I vote we go out against these rascals with whips."
"My young friend," said the prætor, "that is a very good story, and I am very much obliged to you for telling it. But, depend upon it, we shall have to use our swords, and use them with all our might, against Spartacus and his people. You may call them slaves, and so in a sense they are; but there are few of them who were not born free. Spartacus himself was a Thracian shepherd, taken prisoner in some foray; and a number of the others have come to be what they are in just the same way. We pick out from our prisoners of war the very best and strongest we can find for our gladiators, teach them all we can, make them as strong and brave and skilful as is possible; and now we find ourselves matched to fight them. I tell you, gentlemen, it is no trifle we have before us. Man for man these fellows are better than we are; as brave, for they have been used to hold their lives in their hands; and stronger, for they are all picked men; and better swordsmen, for they have handled nothing else but the sword all their lives. We shall beat them in the end, but we shan't do it to-day or to-morrow."
The young Roman made no answer, though he whispered to Lucius, who was his neighbor, "The old fellow is rather a croaker; but he is as good a soldier, they say, as there is—thirty campaigns, and pretty nearly as many wounds. He will tell you the story of them whenever he has had a cup more than usual, but commonly he is as modest as a girl about them. That cut over the left eye he got from Sertorius himself. You see he has lost the little finger of his left hand; it was cut off by a Teuton at Raudium. Yes; he has a right to talk; but I don't see, for all that, why we should not make mincemeat of these ruffians a little quicker than he thinks."
Lucius was soon to see whether the old man or the young was in the right. The army moved, as had been arranged, early the next morning. The prætor marched with all the caution of a veteran who knew his business, and who did not despise his enemy; but the line of march was one which it was not easy to reconnoitre. The first day and the second the progress of the army was unimpeded. Not a single enemy showed himself from morning to night; and, consequently, though the vigilance of the commander was not relaxed, some of his subordinates began to grow a little careless. It was late in the afternoon of the third day that the advanced guard of the army, which was moving without scouts properly thrown out, found itself suddenly attacked. A squadron of cavalry was in the extreme front of the line of march. Its commanding officer was unluckily ill, and was being carried in a litter; his next subordinate was ignorant and careless, and the men, who were not kept in hand as they should have been, and had been making free with the wine-casks of the farm where they had made their mid-day halt, were half asleep upon their horses. In a moment a body of two or three hundred men, which had been lying ambushed in a valley on the left side of the road, threw itself between the horsemen and the infantry which was following them. The squadron was left without orders, for the officer in command had lost his head, but the instinct of safety made them turn their horses' heads and try to regain their connection with the main body. They made a charge, but it was languid and spiritless, and made little impression upon the enemy. Only a few troopers, who happened to be particularly well horsed, or especially good swordsmen, cut their way through; the rest were either taken prisoners or killed. The alarm passed quickly along the whole line; a halt was immediately called; and as but little daylight was left, the prætor resolved to encamp for the night where he was, and to make his position as safe as he could. Such a camp as the nature of the ground allowed was hastily made, an hour's labor from the practised hands of the Roman soldiers rendering it sufficiently strong to resist any but a most determined attack. The night, however, was spent in the midst of continual alarm, and every one was glad when the light of the next day appeared. At first it seemed that the enemy had disappeared, and that their advance was not to be disputed. The prætor, who had now taken up his position with the van, moved cautiously forward, and had accomplished a march of about six miles by noon when the scouts came racing in from the front, with the news that a formidable body of the enemy were in position about half a mile farther along the road. A few minutes brought the prætor in view of this force. The line of march was here crossed by a river, narrow but deep, and now swollen by the spring rains. There was a bridge across this stream, so strongly built of stone that the enemy had not been able to break it down, as they would probably have done had it been possible; but they had occupied it in force. The prætor's disposition was already made. Two squadrons of cavalry were in advance, with about an equal number of men carefully picked from the infantry among them; behind there was a number of catapults, and behind these again the main body of the legions. At an arranged signal from the prætor, who had foreseen an obstruction of this kind, the advanced force divided, making room for the action of the catapults. These poured a storm of stones and bullets upon the defenders of the bridge. The range had been carefully taken, and almost every missile took effect. A retreat, which was almost a flight, was the result, and before many moments had passed the bridge was clear. The cavalry took immediate advantage of the opportunity and charged, the infantry following them at the double. Before the enemy could rally, or could be joined by re-enforcements from their main body, the passage was secured and a strong position established, protected by the catapults, which were now posted on the river bank on either side of the bridge. Meanwhile a ford had been discovered higher up the stream, a not very easy one certainly, and indeed almost dangerous, but still available for the cavalry and for the light-armed troops, and relieving the pressure on the narrow thoroughfare of the bridge. Rafts, too, were hastily constructed, and some of the Spanish auxiliaries attached to the legions made the passage in the way with which they were familiar in their own country, swimming across by the help of inflated skins. Early in the afternoon the whole of the fighting men had crossed, excepting the guard which protected the baggage, and the non-combatants. These could hardly be transported before nightfall. Orders had been issued that the men should take their midday meal as opportunity served. This had been easily done, many finding a convenient time while they were waiting for their turn to cross. The men, their strength thus recruited, and greatly inspirited by the brilliant success at the bridge, were eager to fight. It soon became evident that they were not to be disappointed. The enemy, whose numbers were roughly guessed to be about a third greater than the prætor's army, had made their dispositions for a battle, and were manifestly determined not to give way. The ground on the farther side of the river was such that there would be little room for strategy, and that the two armies would have a fair trial of strength. It rose gently to a height of about three hundred feet, with an incline which may have measured a mile in length. It was unenclosed and open, except for a few small copses scattered about it.
"My dear lad," he said, "you must be guided by me. It is your business to make the best of your way into Sicily. It is not your business to fight in South Italy. You have to help Tiberius Manilius the quæstor, and not Marcus Varro the prætor. I might order you to go to the rear and get out of the way of danger. But I won't. You might take it as an affront. But I do order you not to strike a blow if you can help it. I have got foot-soldiers and troopers enough to win the day if we are to win it, and one more would make no difference. Stay with me. I may make use of you as a messenger. If the need comes I shan't scruple to do it, for the work of the republic must be done somehow. Meanwhile stay with me, and be content with looking on. You shall see something, I promise you, worth seeing. My men are pretty good, and these fellows there are not to be disposed of in such a hurry as our young friend thought the other night. We have begun well. You see they were not prepared for the catapults. I fancy they have none themselves, and could not make much of them if they had. I only hope that we shall end as well as we have begun."
The battle had now fairly begun. The skirmishers had fallen back on the main body, which was now within a few yards of the enemy. The heavy javelins which the Romans carried were discharged with great effect, and the rebel line began to waver. But when the two opposing armies actually closed the advantage seemed to be the other way. The fact was that man for man, as the prætor had foreseen, the enemy were superior. Wherever the Romans could act in a body, could keep their military formation and advance in an unbroken line, their discipline and the power it gave them of acting together told heavily in their favor. Whenever, on the contrary, the battle became a series of hand-to-hand conflicts, they suffered severely. The ordinary foot-soldier, often fresh from the plough, was no match in strength, or stature, or skill in arms for the gladiator, always a practised swordsman, and often a giant in stature, with whom he was matched. On the whole, it was true, the ground favored the better-disciplined troops, and the Romans slowly advanced. The experienced eye of the prætor saw, however, that this advance was not made without serious losses, and, aware that his own forces were outnumbered, began to grow anxious for the result. Meanwhile he continued to follow the movement of his troops, directing, by messages conveyed by his aides-de-camp, the manœuvres of his subordinate officers. It was nearly sunset when an incident occurred that compelled him to use the services of Lucius. His quick eye discerned an admirable opportunity for throwing his cavalry, which hitherto had taken little part in the action, upon the left flank of the enemy.
"Ah!" he cried to Lucius in a cheerful voice, for he was one of the men whose spirits rise under the excitement of danger, "now is your time. I must use you, whether I will or no. Ride as fast as you can to Lucius Verus, prefect of the cavalry, and tell him to charge. He is to make his way up that hollow yonder on the left of the enemy. It will pretty well keep him out of sight till he is close upon them. Then he is to charge and do his best. But, mind, you are not to go with him. On your obedience now, promise."
Lucius started off at full speed and delivered his message. He found the cavalry fretting at their inaction, and delighted to receive the order to charge. The young aide-de-camp whose vain self-confidence had been so severely reproved by the prætor had been told off to do staff duty with the prefect of cavalry, and recognized our hero.
"Ah!" he cried; "well met. Come along with us and see what these fellows are made of."
"I must go back to the prætor. He strictly commanded me not to charge, and I gave him my promise."
"Very good!" cried the other lightly; "and glad to give it, I dare say. Farewell, then, till we meet again."
LUCIUS UNHORSED AND TAKEN PRISONER.
It was carelessly said, without much thought of the meaning which it might bear; but Lucius's blood boiled at what seemed to him an intolerable insult. For a moment obedience and promise were forgotten. Then the old training regained its power. He turned his horse's head away and rode slowly back, tears of vexation and rage slowly running down his cheeks as he went. From these bitter thoughts he was roused by a sound which seemed to show that the battle was coming nearer to the route which would take him back to the prætor's side. A hasty glance showed him that this was indeed the case. The left wing of the Roman force had given way. A column of the enemy had broken the front, and were now driving it back in something like a rout. At the head of this column was a man of gigantic stature, who, wielding a sword of enormous length and weight, seemed to cut down a Roman at every stroke. His followers were little inferior in strength or stature, and it was evident that a serious danger threatened at least a part of the prætor's army. Before Lucius could collect his thoughts he saw that his way of return was intercepted. It was not without a certain feeling of pleasure that he found himself free from his promise. His blood had been heated by the sight of fighting, and was now raised to boiling point, so to speak, by the young aide-de-camp's insult. He had now, it was clear, to defend himself, and he prepared to do so. But the fates had ordered that his time for fighting should be yet a while delayed. He had drawn his sword and was preparing to ride at the nearest of the enemy, when a heavy javelin struck his horse upon the ear. The animal, maddened by the blow, reared and struggled, and threw him heavily on the ground with a force which made him unconscious. | 2019-04-22T04:29:18Z | https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=read&author=church&book=lucius&story=adventure |
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are neurodegenerative diseases affecting both humans and animals. They are associated with post-translational conversion of the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a heat- and protease-resistant abnormal isoform (PrPSc). Detection of PrPSc in individuals is widely utilized for the diagnosis of prion diseases.
TSE brain tissue samples have been processed in order to quantitatively isolate PrPSc. The protocol includes an initial homogenization, digestion with proteinase K and salt precipitation.
Here we show that over 97 percent of the PrPSc present can be precipitated from infected brain material using this simple salting-out procedure for proteins. No chemically harsh conditions are used during the process in order to conserve the native quality of the isolated protein.
The resulting PrPSc-enriched preparation should provide a suitable substrate for analyzing the structure of the prion agent and for scavenging for other molecules with which it may associate. In comparison with most methods that exist today, the one described in this study is rapid, cost-effective and does not demand expensive laboratory equipment.
Scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) are all related transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, the common major causative agent of which is believed to be a protease- and heat-resistant, beta-sheet rich isoform (PrPSc) of the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) . The patho-physiological identity of the infectious agent has not been understood so far, although there is sufficient proof that the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc plays a crucial role during pathogenesis . Clinically, the disease is characterized by long incubation periods which, as in the recent crossover of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent to humans, may be prolonged further when the disease is transmitted from one species to another. Necropsy findings from TSE cases generally show accumulation of PrPSc in the brain, accompanied by extensive neurodegeneration, which is also the major cause of fatality. Similar deposits have been demonstrated as well, in some of the peripheral organs and the lymphoreticular compartment in certain species [3, 4]. Today, the ultimate confirmation of the disease comes only after post-mortem examination of the brain, even though extensive research being carried out in the field offers hope for pre-clinical diagnosis through the detection of PrPC in tonsils or body fluids.
Clinical signs of neurodegeneration, supported by the presence of characteristic microscopic lesions and PrPSc in the brain are signs that eventually lead to the diagnosis of TSEs. As well, the clinical indications, histopathological symptoms and glycoform pattern of PrPSc isolated from experimental animals are typical of the 'strain' or species origin of the inoculums . A number of in vitro assays have been reported for the detection of PrPSc in the tissue, including the dot-blot immunoassay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunocytochemistry, Western blot analysis, and recently, capillary electrophoresis [7–12]. At present, the template source of PrPSc for all these procedures is either the crude brain homogenate or a harshly processed preparation called scrapie associated fibrils (SAF). While these procedures take relatively less time to perform, in vivo bioassays requiring the inoculation of laboratory animals such as mice or hamsters with the infected material have been used over the years for the detection of prion diseases. The main disadvantage of the bioassay technique however, lies in the lengthy incubation period that incurs between inoculation and appearance of clinical symptoms, compounded by the expense of maintaining large animal colonies. Therefore, scientists working in the field of prion diseases most often prefer in vitro methods of diagnosis when there is no absolute requirement to use laboratory animals.
In order to routinely detect PrPSc in specimens, reliable, quantitative and yet relatively simple protocols are necessary for its isolation. Here we report that over 97% of total PrPSc in a brain sample may be detected in vitro following an exceptionally short and simple precipitation method of enrichment for the protein. The method was validated within a European Union consortium of several laboratories for standardization of the diagnosis of BSE and scrapie by estimating the limiting dilution of detection of PrPSc from infected brain. Using multiple preparations from five different species, we also showed that the method described herein concentrated PrPSc without altering the PrPSc glycoform pattern, a quality that makes this protocol suitable for glycotype analyses for species or strain identification of the infectious agent.
Infected brain tissues from mouse scrapie, strain ME7, were obtained from FRCVD, Tubingen, Germany and mouse BSE, strain 301 V from VLA, Weybridge, UK. Brain tissues from sheep with natural scrapie or normal sheep were obtained from the School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki (courtesy Prof. O. Papadopoulos). BSE brain samples were obtained from VLA, Weybridge, UK and the human CJD brain samples came from recently reported cases of sporadic CJD (sCJD) from within Greece . All tissues were stored at -70°C until use. Autolytic deterioration was observed only in tissues from the BSE cases due to handling during transportation etc. Area of choice of the tissue for each species depended on relevant data from our own and other laboratories.
A 10% homogenate of the tissue was prepared in cold homogenization buffer (0.5% IGEPAL CA-630 (NP-40) and 0.5% sodium deoxycholate in phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.4) using a polytron homogenizer (Kinematica, Switzerland) at setting 4, twice for 6 seconds each. For limiting dilution experiments, the polytron was replaced with the OmniGLH homogenizer (CAMLAB, UK) which worked equally well with disposable probes, a very useful factor to be considered while attempting multiple homogenizations with large number of samples. All homogenates were stored in aliquots at -70°C until use and thawed only once.
On the day of use, 100 μl of homogenate was diluted with an equal volume of the homogenization buffer and incubated with proteinase K (Sigma-Aldrich) for 1 hour at 37°C with mild rocking. Concentrations of proteinase K used varied with the species and are provided separately with each figure. The reaction was stopped by the addition of 5 mM PMSF (Sigma-Aldrich), a protease inhibitor.
The proteinase K digestion mixture was diluted with 300 μl phosphate buffered saline (PBS) pH 7.4 and brought to 10% NaCl by the addition of an equal volume of 20% NaCl in PBS containing 0.1% sarkosyl. The tube was kept in ice for 10 minutes with occasional shaking. After centrifugation at 16,000 g for 10 minutes at room temperature, the pellet was washed once with 25 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 8.8 containing 0.05% sarkosyl (w/v) and centrifuged again at 16,000 g for 10 minutes. The final, enriched pellet was then resuspended in 2.5× loading buffer 10% v/v glycerol, 50 mM Tris pH 6.8, 2% w/v SDS, 3% β-mercaptoethanol and used for detecting PrPSc by western blotting. Normally, for a starting volume of 100 μl homogenate (10 mg brain equivalent) the final pellet was resuspended in the same volume (i.e. 100 μl) of loading buffer, of which 30 μl (3 mg brain equivalent) was loaded per lane for the western blot analysis.
In order to estimate any loss of PrPSc during the extraction procedure, total proteins in the supernatants from both the precipitation step and the wash step were precipitated with 9 volumes of methanol overnight at -70°C. After centrifugation at 16,000 g, the supernatants were discarded and the pellets resuspended in loading buffer (see above) and used for western blot detection of PrPSc as described below.
Proteins were subjected to electrophoresis using a 12 or 15% Laemmli sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel (SDS-PAGE) and transferred to a PVDF membrane (Sigma-Aldrich) and incubated with the primary antibody for 1 hr. This was followed by washes with PBS, pH 7.4 and a further incubation for 35 minutes with the corresponding secondary antibody. All incubations and washes were done at room temperature. The primary antibodies were SAL1 (manuscript in preparation), or 6H4 (Prionics AG, Switzerland) depending on the species being tested. Details of the use of primary and secondary antibodies is given in the figure legends. Following three washes of 15 min each, the reaction was visualized using the CDP star (New England Biolabs) chemiluminiscence detection technique according to manufacturer's instructions. The membranes were exposed to X-OMAT (Kodak) X-ray films for between 5 seconds to 5 minutes depending on the degree of positivity in the starting material.
Where P is the final pellet, W1 is the supernatant after salt-precipitation and W2 is the supernatant after the final wash.
The initial crude homogenate, pellet after the final wash, and the supernatants after salt precipitation and the final wash, the latter two precipitated in 9 volumes of methanol at -70°C, were subjected to electrophoresis using an SDS-PAGE system as described earlier. To avoid overloading the gel, ten times less brain equivalent (0.3 mg) was loaded for the crude homogenate than for the other samples (3 mg each). The procedure used for staining was a standard method . In short, the gel was fixed in 50% methanol and 12% (v/v) acetic acid for 1 hour, followed by incubation in 10% ethanol and 5% acetic acid (v/v) for another hour. This was followed by treatment with 3.4 mM potassium dichromate in 2.8 mM nitric acid after which the gel was washed with distilled water and incubated for 30 min with shaking in 20% (w/v) silver nitrate. The reaction was developed in 3% sodium carbonate containing 0.5 ml formaldehyde 37% (paraformaldehyde) per liter and stopped by the addition of 2.3 M citric acid when the bands were clearly visible. Intensities of the lanes due to total proteins were estimated as described above.
Pooled homogenates of cerebellum from scrapie positive sheep (P1) or brain stems from BSE positive cattle (P2) were prepared as described above. Similarly, homogenates were also prepared from healthy sheep (N1) or healthy cattle (N2). In order to achieve different degrees of tissue positivity, P1 and P2 were initially diluted up to 50% or 6.25% with N1 and N2, respectively, and the resulting mixtures then used for precipitating PrPSc as described in the steps above. Undiluted P1 and P2 served as positive controls (100% positivity) whereas N1 and N2 served as negative controls for these experiments. Prior to loading on the NuPage (Invitrogen) western blotting system, the final pellet from each sample was subjected to eleven 2-fold serial dilutions with loading buffer. The 6H4 monoclonal antibody was used to detect PrPSc on a PVDF membrane and the positive signal was analyzed on a Bio-Rad Fluor-S multiImager (Bio-Rad, USA).
The validity of the current protocol to enrich for PrPSc from different species and its use in glycotyping, the technique currently employed for species and strain identification, was examined using both experimental and native TSEs. Homogenates of mouse scrapie or mouse BSE whole brain, native sheep scrapie cerebellum, BSE brain stem or sporadic CJD cortex were used for this purpose. PrPSc was precipitated from all species using 10% sodium chloride as described above and detected on a western blot using the polyclonal antibody SAL1. In order to perform glycoform analysis, band intensities of the double-, mono- or non-glycosylated isoforms were determined in each sample and each glycoform was expressed as a percentage of the total signal obtained.
The migration pattern of PrPSc in the final enriched pellet (P) and in the supernatants from the salt-precipitation (W1) and wash (W2) steps from a sheep scrapie sample is shown in Figure 1a. Loss of PrPSc in the discarded supernatants in the two preceding steps was estimated to allow the calculation of the degree of its recovery at the end of the procedure. PrPSc-specific signal was discerned as the classical three-band pattern representing the double-, mono- and non-glycosylated isoforms, each of which was typical of the individual species studied. The sum of the signals obtained from P, W1 and W2 accounted for total PrPSc in the starting material, and the percentage recovery of PrPSc was calculated as described in Methods. As shown in the inset table, as much as 97.4% of PrPSc was found in the pellet with minimal loss in the supernatants, either from the precipitation (2.08%) or the final wash step (0.5%). These calculations are indicative from this particular experiment, whereas variability of the recoveries is approximately 2%.
Comparison of PrP Sc and total protein during the enrichment process. A) Western blots depicting the migration pattern of PrPSc in the final enriched pellet (P) and in the supernatants after the precipitation (W1) and the wash (W2) steps in native sheep scrapie. Total proteins in W1 and W2 were precipitated with 9 volumes of methanol over night at -70°C. SAL1 (1:3000) was used as the primary antibody and alkaline phosphatase labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG (1:1500, Roche) as the secondary antibody. Each lane contains 3 mg brain equivalent. The table shows percentage recoveries of PrPSc in P, W1 and W2. The estimations were made by first determining the values for integrated optical density (IOD) due to PrPSc for each lane. The sum of the values in P, W1 and W2 was then taken to be one hundred percent total PrPSc in the starting material. Values due to PrPSc in each of P, W1 and W2 were then deduced as percentages of the sum total as described in Materials and Methods. Proteinase K used was 30 μg per ml homogenate. B) Silver staining of H (starting undigested homogenate), P, W1 and W2 run on a SDS-PAGE system. All lanes contain 3 mg brain equivalent loads except for lane H which contains 0.3 mg of the same. Molecular weight markers are shown in lane M. It may be noticed that the some of the proteins present in H are also present in W1, in the discarded supernatant after the precipitation step. Lanes P and W2 contain few detectable proteins. The table provides a quantitative estimation of the degree of purification of PrPSc in P after taking into account, signals due to total proteins in lanes H and P respectively.
Figure 1b shows staining for total proteins in the crude homogenate (H) and in the fractions P, W1 and W2 that were produced through the sodium salt precipitation procedure, each expressed as integrated optical densities (IOD). Most cellular proteins remaining after protease K digestion were present in supernatant W1 that was discarded after salt precipitation, leaving relatively few proteins in W2, the supernatant from the wash, and in the final pellet, P. Intensity in lane H represents signal due to total proteins in 0.3 mg brain equivalent of the initial crude homogenate (the brain equivalent amount loaded with the total homogenate was ten times less in order to enable smooth running of the gel). All other lanes contain 3 mg brain equivalents each. The inset table shows values for intensities in lanes H and P, and gives the degree of purification of PrPSc in lane P as a result of enrichment. As may be seen, the IOD value in P (31.89) is 2 logs less than in H (3121.5) indicating an 100-fold reduction in total proteins in P. In conjunction with Figure 1a, where 97.4% of the total PrPSc is shown to be present in P, it is clear that the degree of purification of PrPSc in the final pellet was a hundred times that of the initial homogenate, H.
Low limits of PrPSc detection are essential for a method to be successfully applied to the determination of animals in the pre-clinical stages of the TSE disease. It was therefore considered mandatory to test the capability of the current protocol for determining minimum positive tissue equivalents in normal tissue homogenates spiked to various degrees with infected tissue. The lower limit of detection of PrPSc using the current protocol was estimated using pooled brain homogenates in order to avoid sample to sample variations. Thus, pooled homogenates of cerebellum from scrapie positive sheep (P1) or brain stems from BSE positive cattle (P2) were used and similar homogenates from healthy sheep (N1) or healthy cattle (N2) served as negative controls. For both scrapie and BSE, the positive (100% positivity) and negative (0% positivity) homogenates were blended in ratios that provided final mixtures containing 100%, 50%, or 6.5 % positive tissue material. PrPSc was then precipitated from each of these and the lowest limits of detection were determined using western blot analysis. For both scrapie (Figure 2a) and BSE (Figure 2b) samples, the lowest detection limit ranged between 5–10 μg brain equivalents.
Comparison of signal detection after blending PrP Sc positive and negative homogenates in different ratios in A) sheep scrapie and B) BSE. In each case, western blot analysis is shown for 100% positive tissue (top panels); 50% positive tissue (middle panels); and 6.25% positive tissue (bottom panels). Antibodies used were 6H4 (1:5000) and alkaline phosphatase labeled rabbit anti-mouse (1:5000), both from Prionics. Lanes show: C – 10% negative brain homogenate, unprocessed and without proteinase K digestion; BM – molecular weight marker. Amounts listed above other lanes indicate the amount of positive tissue equivalents loaded. Staining seen in the negative sample was considered to be due to improper digestion of the tissue. Amount of proteinase K used was 100 μg per ml homogenate in each case. The negative control and all test samples were processed by the described salt precipitation protocol. The signal seen in lane C may be attributed to cellular prion protein, PrPC, present in normal brain tissue.
Since TSEs affect a variety of species, we also tested the efficiency of the sodium chloride method of PrPSc enrichment on brain tissues of animals with natural and experimental forms of TSEs. This was considered important because of the species-related differences in the tissue distribution and glycoform patterns of PrPSc. Brain equivalents of 3 mg each in cases of scrapie, BSE and CJD, and 2 mg each in cases of mouse scrapie and mouse BSE were loaded into each lane of an SDS-PAGE gel for western blot analysis. It has been observed during routine laboratory practice, however, that with animals suspected to have TSEs or with doubtful positive signal for PrPSc, the load per lane could be increased up to 10 mg brain equivalents, thereby increasing the probability of detecting PrPSc. This is accomplished by resuspending the final pellet in a smaller volume of loading buffer. Mouse samples were particularly useful as standard controls for glycoform analyses as total brain homogenates were used in these cases and thus uniform patterns, uninfluenced by the choice of a certain area of the brain, were obtained on the western blot. Banding patterns representative of each species are shown in Figure 3. All samples were processed and electrophoresed simultaneously. The sporadic CJD (sCJD) case in lane 5 was of sporadic type 2 from Greece . Quantitative estimations of the glycoforms for each species are given in the histogram in Figure 4. Average values and their standard errors were obtained for each species after analyzing multiple samples in each case. In all cases, the glycoform patterns presented by PrPSc matched those previously reported in the literature [14–16] and was not affected otherwise by the current method of enrichment.
Detection of PrP Sc in TSEs from different host species. Lanes show: 1 – mouse scrapie ME7, 2 – sheep scrapie, 3 – mouse BSE, 4 – BSE, 5 – sporadic CJD, 6 – normal sheep. Lanes 1 and 3 contain 2 mg and lanes 2, 4, 6 contain 3 mg brain equivalent load each. SAL 1 (1:3000) and alkaline phosphatase labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG (1:1500, Roche) were the primary and the secondary antibodies respectively. Amounts of proteinase K used per ml homogenate were 30 μg in the cases of mouse scrapie, sheep scrapie and BSE and 50 μg in the case of sCJD.
Glycoforms of PrP Sc isolated from different species. Samples 1–5 represent ME7, sheep scrapie, mouse BSE, BSE and sporadic CJD respectively. Percentages of specific glycoform are shown as average + standard error for each species. Values shown were obtained from independent experiments with 7 ME7 samples, 8 sheep samples, 2 mouse BSE samples, 5 BSE samples and 5 sCJD samples. Bars represent percentage glycoforms of double, mono and non-glycosylated bands according to the insert.
The first cases of BSE were reported in the United Kingdom and since that time the cattle disease has been implicated as a causative agent for new variant CJD in humans [18, 19]. Fears have also been raised that BSE may have crossed back into sheep [20, 21] in the guise of sheep scrapie. Given this scenario, two aspects of prion disease monitoring need immediate attention. One is the pressing need for the establishment of reliable, rapid and, at the same time, sensitive protocols for the detection of TSEs from both animal and human sources. The other is that these methods should be easy to perform and cost-effective with minimal requirement for expensive equipment.
PrPSc remains the ultimate and sole determinant for a confirmatory diagnosis of TSE. Given this fact, it seems obvious that the successful, efficient extraction of this molecule is of utmost importance. We have shown here that it is now possible to enrich for PrPSc using sodium chloride precipitation and obtain an end product containing up to 97.4% of the total PrPSc in the tissue. Loss of PrPSc in the two wash steps during the procedure was negligible and might well be attributed to the handling of the material. The high degree of purification of PrPSc in the pellet at the end of the method was indicated by a general reduction in total proteins in the final enriched pellet (Figure 1b) suggesting a 100-fold purification for PrPSc in the latter. PrPSc could be extracted even more efficiently from mouse species with a recovery of 99.7% (data not shown), probably due to the uniform and homogeneous constitution of the tissue involved. The method was also tested in more than one species to establish that the electrophoretic mobility of PrPSc thus obtained was not distorted as reported recently with sodium phosphotungstate salt . Thus, PrPSc precipitated with sodium chloride salt in this manner would be well suited for TSE strain and species type analyses.
Early in the development of this protocol we noticed that the low speed debris usually discarded during most PrPSc purification procedures contained as much as 20–30% of the total protein in the tissue (personal observation). It was therefore considered useful to include tissue debris in the extraction procedure described in this study and not to use the common practice of 'clearing' tissue homogenates. As would be expected, and as was indeed seen by silver staining (Figure 1b), other molecules also were precipitated along with PrPSc. Although considered contaminants in the present preparation, these molecules could become suitable candidates when searching for other components including proteins, non-proteins or nucleic acids that participate with PrPSc [23, 24] in prion pathogenesis in the different intermolecular interactions during the course of the disease. The above protocol could be safely recommended as an alternative confirmatory protocol of the commercially available protocols taking into account the achieved concentration was at least 20 times higher. Though less popular than it was once, the SAF procedure also precipitates PrPSc by aggregating it into fibrils, through a rather harsh treatment with sarkosyl [25, 26] and high-speed centrifugation. Although it was the method of choice a few years ago, and still is considered as a confirmatory diagnosis for TSEs by International Office of Epizootics (IOE), SAF preparations are used less today because the method is tedious to perform and requires larger quantities of starting tissue to offset heavy losses throughout (with only 20% recovery of PrPSc). The low recovery is indeed a problem, particularly with samples such as BSE and CJD where there is a constant dearth of available material. In our hands, at least fifty times the amount of tissue reported in the present sodium chloride precipitation procedure was required for the detection of PrPSc as SAFs . When the salt precipitated material was examined for the presence of SAF's there weren't clearly detectable fibrilar structures thus making this protocol improper for the detection of them.
The salt precipitation method described here gave satisfactory results with all species of natural or experimental forms of TSEs tested. The finding that the species origin of the tissue did not affect the validity makes the procedure universally applicable for enriching PrPSc in samples intended both for diagnoses of prion diseases and for characterization of the infectious agent. Additionally, the observation that the glycoform pattern of PrPSc[14–16] was not distorted after digestion with Proteinase K indicates that the electrophoretic mobility of PrPSc was not affected. This is an important issue to consider while choosing any purification method for PrPSc because glycotyping has become a useful tool for strain typing TSEs.
This study is the first where an attempt has been made to estimate the recovery of PrPSc after its precipitation from brain tissue. The major advantages of the procedure include speed, low cost, simplicity and reproducibility unaffected by species origin. The ability to concentrate PrPSc through precipitation should make it a putative protocol of choice for detecting low amounts of PrPSc, as would be present in preclinical cases. Several TSE testing laboratories have applied succefully this protocol as a confirmatory technique for PrPSc detection (Personal communications). Future experiments to be undertaken include estimations of infectious titers in the PrPSc enriched pellet and validation of the method in the detection of PrPSc from non-neural tissues.
The authors wish to thank the European Union for partial funding of this study through FAIR PL 987021 and BMH4-98-6040. They also thank Dr C.H. Panagiotidis for her revisions and her help for preparation of the manuscript. The authors are also thankful for the support from the Greek Ministry of Health through the Center for Control of infectious diseases KEEL.
MP performed the precipitations and immunoblots for determination of the degree of purity of PrPSc and the applicability of the protocol to different species. SV-N. participated in the analysis of the data, and drafted the manuscript. MJC and MJS determined the limits of detection for the protocol with scrapie and BSE and they provided the P1 and P2 tissue homogenates. AP provided human brain tissue. MG provided mouse brain material and performed standardization experiments for immunostaining. TS conceived of the study and participated in its design and coordination. | 2019-04-25T22:25:24Z | https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2334-2-23 |
I saw this a little over a week ago, and was going to present it, but I thought it might be considered too political. I decided to go ahead and present it since it isn't pro or con any party, and I'm a great believer in public transit.
NORTA (New Orleans) recently completed an approximately 500 foot extension of the Canal Street streetcar line to provide an easy transfer of passengers to several bus lines. They had been trying to do this for many years but ran into stiff opposition. About five years ago they published the minutes of a public meeting in which one person after another voiced his/her objections. It seemed to me that the resistance was well organized. Each speaker voiced concerns for safety (No details about what was so unsafe--at that time riders had to cross six lanes of heavy traffic to transfer.), and what struck me was that they all used almost identical wording in their objections. I don't know if this was a case like the ones in the link, but I'm wondering.
The search parameters are overly specific and seem to be looking for items that make opponents of public transit look like evil incarnate.
What I can not understand is the Koch brothers motivation for their opposition to public transit spending. Is it a general opposition to public transport, higher taxes, or the simple greed of opposing anything that threatens their source of wealth(the reduction of the use of oil based transport).
The article shows how the Kochs achieved their goal, to prevent the expansion of transit. Not does it say what alternatives were proposed. A vague reference to Uber.
One thing is the Koch brothers are indeed the favorite bogeyman of progressives. I dislike the demonization of people. Looking at their history is interesting(their father was one of the founders of the John Birch Society).
The Koch Brothers are a rallying cry on the Left. So anything that their name is connected with no matter how small their involvment will always be blamed for whenever the Left doesn't get their way.
Public Transit is a political animal today now that private ownership of it is gone. It has had its ups and downs in my home area and without state and federal government grants it would be quickly gone. No way the local voters around here would go for a sizable tax increase to keep it going or expand it.
Having said all of this, I personally believe George Soros is currently the most powerful unelected person this country has seen since the days of JP Morgan. I say that because both of them had tremendous influence on a political party and both basically picked a president they wanted.
The percentage of Americans that us public transit to commute has been relatively small and has remained so for a long period. Overall, approximately five percent of workers use it to get to and from work. Of course, the percentage is higher in heavily populated urban areas.
Most of the middle-class people I have known outside of NYC, i.e. Hartford, Melbourne, Dallas, El Paso, Austin, and Brownsville will not use public transit. They prefer the comfort, privacy, convenience, flexibility, and reliability of their personal vehicle. They are willing to pay more for their private ride, and they accept the slightly greater risks of driving.
I have ridden public transit since I was five or six years old. I still ride it when I am in Dallas, San Diego, NYC, etc. But I have had some really bad experiences on public transit.
Last week I took the DART Light Rail from Mockingbird Station to downtown Dallas. After sitting down, I noticed a puddle on the floor across the aisle. What is that, I ask a fellow passenger. Turns out another passenger had peed on the floor. It is not the first time that I have seen this sort of thing.
Two weeks ago, I was in San Diego. I rode the trolley from the Old Town Transit Center to Hazard Center, which is a small shopping area in Mission Valley. A guy that appeared to be de-ranged scared the hell out of some of us. We called the police but decided to get off before our intended destination. Whether the cops showed up is unknown. Riding with someone who appeared to have serious mental issues is not fun.
These incidents illustrate why most of the people I know, that have better options, will not use public transit. It is not the Koch Brothers that are the real threat to public transit. It is the nature of the beast.
PJST: What per-cent overall of the number of times you've ridden public transit have you experienced this sort of discomfort? And what per-cent of the times you have driven or ridden in a car and observed a very unfortuate incident or its aftermath even when not affecting directly the car you are using?
I drove cars 1954-1995, up to one year before moving to Israel. At 85, I know my reaction time is not good enough for me to consider driving. So I use public transiit. Public transit in Israel, while not perfect by any means, is far more universal that in the USA, which gives Senior Citizens like me the ability to access the entire country. I began using public transit, by myself, at age 8 in New York City and made my first solo intercity train trip, Washington, DC - Charlottesville, VA, at age ten. (A Mr. Eppler, a German Jewish refugee living in the basement apartment of my family's W. 85th St. Brownstone, had ridden with me NY - Washington.) In addition to NYC and its suburbs, rode public transit in New Haven, Providence, Boston, Concord,NH, Montreal, Toronto, Quebec, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnepeg, Seattle, Portland, OR, Sacramento, San Francisco, LA, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado Springs, Milwaukee, Chicago, South Bend, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, New Orleans, Shreveport, Atlanta, Charlottesville, Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, Wilmingtonl, Pittsburgh, Lancaster, Philadelphia, London, Paris, Berlin, Heidelburg, Franfort, Genevea, Zurich, Bern, Milan, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Porto, Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, Rotterdam, Brussels, Ostend, Charlevoi, Gent, Antwerp, Jacksolnville, Orlando, and of course, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Kiryat Shemona, and I'd say less than one per=cent of the rdies had the kind of incident you describe.
You might be surprised. Voters here voted for a sales tax increase to support increased public transit. That tax then survived another ballot when the NIMBYs tried to get it repealed.
Now those same voters have voted out two politicians and keep filing law suites to stop the state's sudden fascination with building toll roads.
PJST: What per-cent overall of the number of times you've ridden public transit have you experienced this sort of discomfort?
The percentage of incidents is not what most people factor into their perceptions. One bad incident leaves an inflated, indelible negative impression on most people. And it is this impression that the people I know have about public transit in the United States that is the killer.
For all the money that has been invested in public transit in the U.S. over the past couple of decades, the results have not been overwhelming. For example, DART invested more than $6.6 billion in its light rail system. Yet it only recovers 16.1 percent of its operating budget from the farebox. It relies relies heavily on sales and other tax revenues to cover most of its operating expenses.
For all of its claimed virtues, DART ridership has been falling even though the population of the DFW Metroplex has increased significantly. Ridership on the light rail system, which is supposedly the Queen Jewel of the system, was down 2.3 percent in 2016 compared to 2015. The 2017 numbers have yet to be published.
I have been a strong supporter of public transit. I have used it for years, which is probably more than many of the people who extroll its virtues but seldom use it can say. But I have come to believe that attempting to force people onto public transit in the United States has been a costly mistake in many instances.
I think that most people will support mass transit but for people other than themselves. A person riding mass transit is one less car on the road which makes room for more cars. I really don't know what the answer is, but a city like Toronto or New York or London would not work without transit.
There are 6 different local governments in our transit system. They would have to all agree for a tax hike to take place. 5 of the 6 only get service in small corridor areas. There's no way there would be an agreed upon tax increase despite what happened in another place in the US.
That was my thinking exactly during the 14 years before I retired. I drove 48 miles to work in New Orleans, and although there was a van pool available right to where I worked, I was required to have a car available and sometimes had to work overtime with no advance notice. Although I couldn't use it, I figured a good transit service could take some of the traffic off the roads.
And outside of New York and possilby Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston, that is the main reason for the expansion of public transit, including DART.
Apologies for leaving out Belgrade and Bucharest for use of public transit systems.
DART probably has taken few cars off the roads. Many if not most of the light rail users, as well as the express bus riders, drive to Park N Ride lots, where they get the train or bus. So, while they may not be driving as far as they would have driven before the implementation of light rail and express buses, they still drive at least part way to get to work.
For a substantial number of DART's riders, taking the bus or train has had no impact on the number of cars on the road. They are too poor to own a car. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 22.9 percent of the people in Dallas live below the poverty line.
Unlike the major northeast and upper Midwest cities in the U.S., which tended to expand along existing rail lines, the cities in the south and southwest developed along highways. Moreover, most of them have multiple employment areas, which means that only a small percentage of the commuters are going downtown. This is one reason why only 1.6 percent of the people in the DFW Metroplex used public transit.
1. DART has taken cars off THE MOST CONGESTED roads. The fact that car owners still use their cars to access DART doesn't change the fact that if it were not for DART, driving into Dallas during rush hours would be far more fretfull.
2. I doubt from others' observations that most people that ride DART are too poor to own cars. PoorER people are served by a second-hand car market and by sharing. But if it were not for DART, possibly some poor people would be even poorer by finding difficulty in commuting to the jobs they have.
3. Off this Forum, former colleagues in the Dallas area have nothing but good things to say about DART.
I would like to support Mr. Klepper's view. I am living outside of Vienna, Austria, a city where a good part of its workforce is commuting into the city on a daily basis. Some people are actually commuting more than 50 miles per way. Of these 400000 or so people, two thirds use a private vvehicle, one third is using public transport in form of suburban trains, long distance trains or busses, some of them express. Either way it is very costly, if one goes by car all the way has to meet very high car park fees, going by rail isn't exactly cheap either. But, the closer you come towards the city the more options are available (some underground or metro lines reach the city limits, also trams and city bus routes) the more you see people using it. After all, an annual concession card costs just 1 Euro ($1.15) a day. The network is very dense and the leeway between trains or trams are between 3 and 7 minutes. So they can rightly claim that more than 40% of commuting traffic is using public transport and it covers a high proportion (nearly 50%) of the operating costs. This are the hard facts, the soft facts are that one can use the system safely and relatively comfortable beween 5.30 a.m. and 1 a.m. There is a smoking ban, alcohol ban, ice cream ban in force and now the consumation of intensive smelling food will be prohibited soon, based on a public poll amongst the ridership.
Now my point is: if a community is large enough and willing to invest into infrastructure, comfort and safety their systems will be used by the masses.
The numbers regarding the percentage of people that use DART on a daily, weekly, and annual basis can be found in the DART 2017 Reference Book. The 2018 book has not been released.
A transportation consultant probably has good things to say about DART, especially if he had a vested interest in it. Whether he is a regular user would help with the creditability.
DART spent more than $6 billion of the taxpayer's monies to build the light rail system. It has many positives. But this does not change the fact that most people in the Metroplex don't use it, even in light of the fact that the typical rider in 2016 got a $4.55 subsidy per ride.
DFW has 34 major employment centers. Only two of them are downtown Dallas or Fort Worth. Far more people work in outlying employment centers that are scattered all over the Metroplex. This is a major reason why public transit in DFW draws less than two percent of the population.
So, back to my original point. It is not the Koch brothers that are killing public transit in the U.S. It is the nature of the beast. Most people don't want it. Especially when they have to wait for the next train or bus in 102-degree heat, which is the 5 pm forecast for today in Dallas.
According to the July 17th edition of the Dallas Morning News, Dallas is among the top five cities in the United State for reverse commutes. The article claims that more than half of Dallas's highly educated workforce living the urban lifestyle commute to jobs in the suburbs.
Many millennials live close to Dallas City Center because it is the cool thing to do. But they work in the suburbs because that is where many of the jobs are located. Toyota, State Farm Insurance, Liberty Mutual Insurance, TD Ameritrade, and JPMorgan Chase have open new facilities in the suburbs or expanded existing ones. Most of them are not convenient for public transit users.
I suspect this phenomenon was not even on the DART planner's radar scopes when they put together the light rail plan. This is one of the problems with rail. Once it is down it is hard to adjust to shifting employment, residential, and commute patterns.
Excuse me, but my profession was not basically that of a transportation consultant, and I rarely had the opportunity in the USA to perform that function, except as recommending public address and acoustical absorption material for stations and railcars. The people who tell me of the great benefits of DART are fellow acoustical consultants who understand that congested roads would be far more congested without DART.
I was a reverse-commuter with an apartment in Manhattan and an office in White Plains, for 25 years, via the subway and PC/Conrail/Metro North, 1971-1996.
The purp;ose of public transit in not "to get cars off the roads, It is to get cars off congested roads.
Another reason public transit is necessary!
Unfortunately it is not entirely undeserved, I too have had my share of bad experiences while riding buses or the LRT in Edmonton and Calgary. But a regular transit user knows that the majority of trips go normally.
Here is some speculative math, fomr what I remember from calculaations performed years ago and just a rough estimate of the Dallas area population that is the basis of the 2% using DART statement. Say the overall population is 10,000,000. 2% means 200,000 people a day us DART. To quote my MIT classmate Marty Whole in a textbook he co-authored: "Investing in public transit does not make sense, because it does not pay for itself from the farebox." But, indeed, it does make sense if the addiitonal land for essential roads without subsidized public transportation convert huge areas of poductive agricultural, residential, business, and factory land into highway lanes. Now, what I remember from old calculatons is that transporting commuters by light rail makes economic sense as compared to buses on highways or buses on dedicated roads when pasenger count is highter than 25,000/day. This assumes no extensive tunnels, or if extensive tunnels or subways are included, there is ample compensation in use of exising railroad rights-of-way and even track.
200,000 people a day means 400,000 trips per day. Divide that by the number of lines the Dart has and we probably exceed the 25,000 figures. So DART is more efficient than a bus system for the same number of riders.
Why is light rail more efficent economically when installation costs far far more than a bus system? Because one operator can be responsible for three, four, or five times as many passengers. Becuase the vehicles last twice as long. Because they require one-quarter the maintenance.
PJS1 For a substantial number of DART's riders, taking the bus or train has had no impact on the number of cars on the road. They are too poor to own a car. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 22.9 percent of the people in Dallas live below the poverty line.
True. I am not arguing against public transit. I rode a subway, bus, or streetcar to and from work for more than 40 years. But I was a rarity among my middle-class peers. Especially in Dallas! And away from New York City.
Most people in Dallas, as well as throughout Texas, who can afford a car prefer to drive as opposed to ride public transit. The numbers make it perfectly clear, even in communities like Dallas, which has the largest light rail system in North America.
If one wants a realistic glimpse of DART, he needs to ride the system at many different times during the day and the night over a year. Not just to the State Fair of Texas or the American Airlines Arena!
Observe your fellow passengers! Look out the window at the cars on I-35 or U.S. 75. Observe the empty spaces in the DART parking lots. Then get a copy of the DART Reference Book and look up the numbers.
For all of the money spent on the light rail system in Dallas, it carries a very small percentage of the people in the Metroplex; it even carries a relatively small percentage of the people in the communities directly served by it. Was it a good investment? It seemed like it at the time; in retrospect there may have been better options. But it is what it is!
But a regular transit user knows that the majority of trips go normally.
Agree, most transit trips are uneventful. So too are most auto, plane, train, etc. trips.
But a poor public image of public transit is one of many factors that have turned most people in Texas away from it. Or at least those that have an option, which leads me back to the key point I tried to make earlier. It is not the Koch brothers that are killing public transit in the U.S. It is the reputation and actual experience of the ride.
Whats there to see and do in downtown Dallas on a Weekend?
In 2016 an average of 96,300 weekday riders were carried by DART’s light rail system. Most of them were round trippers, i.e. a morning and an evening commute. So, as per the DART 2017 Reference Book, approximately 48,150 people – not riders – rode light rail on weekdays in 2016.
The average weekend ridership was 46,550, which is nearly 97 percent of the weekday ridership. This seems to lend some support to the notion that a significant number of DART’s light rail users don’t have a car that they could use during the weekend when traffic is lighter, and traffic congestion as an incentive to ride public transit is reduced.
For weekdays and weekends, light rail ridership declined by approximately 9 percent from 2014 through 2016. And it declined for all four lines. The average number of people taking the Blue Line on weekdays in 2016 was 11,100; Red Line 13,400; Green Line 12,450; and Orange Line 11,200.
Comparatively, an average of 61,150 people rode on DART’s fixed bus routes during 2016. So, the number of people taking the bus during the week day is approximately 127 percent of the number hopping on light rail. Again, the assumption is they were round trippers, which probably is close to reality.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the over 18 population of the communities served directly by DART’s light rail system was approximately 1,817,799 at the end of 2016. Based on the assumption that most of the light rail riders were over 18, then 2.6 percent of the population in the cities served directly by the light rail system rode the trains. This number is not far from the number published several years ago by the Dallas Morning News and, if I remember correctly, was before the Orange Line opened. If the assumption is refined further to include only those people between 18 and 65 as potential regular users of the light rail system, the percentage of the population in the cities served increases to 3.1 percent.
Some people come from communities outside of those served directly by DART, i.e. Desoto, Allen, Lewisville, etc., but it is impossible to know what percentage of those communities feed riders into the light rail system. In addition, some people use the Denton Transit Authority “A” train to connect with the Green line in Carrollton. Also, some riders are under 18 and some are over 65, but these seem like reasonable demarcation points.
One thing is clear. A small percentage of the people in the communities served directly or indirectly by DART’s light rail system use it, which calls into question or should whether the $6.8 billion in capital expenditures plus, before adjustment for inflaion, and the $4.55 subsidy per rider was or is worth it.
1. If in truth a large percentage of people who use DART could not afford to drive autos and otherwise have no access to personal transportation, then DART has obviously helped people to have jobs who otherwise would be on welfare.
2. If there are roughly 190,000 weekday fares and this is divided among five lines, then DART just about breaks even long-term on the investment as against carrying the same number of people by bus, if indeed the alternative bus sysgtem could attract the same ridership.
3. The real test is where are the choke points on tthe road system, and if DART were to shut down, how much greater would the congestion be at those choke points. This is nog something that is easy to determine, but requires study of the highway system and vehicle count at the points of heaviest traffic, compared with the ridership on the lines that are parallel. The next stop is estmating the costs of the additional road and road lanes, with the costs of the land and the disruption and elimination of tax-paying porductive land, figured in. This is the kind of analysis that the City of Phiadelphipa performed in the late 1940's - early 1950's, leading to the purchase of new city-owned commuter cars for operation by the Reading and Pensylvania and subsidization of their commuter operations, the first of such in the USA.
3. In other words, DART doesn't just benefit its riders, but benefits those that continue to drive by reducing traffic and congestion points.
4. However, it would seem that DART might improve its usefulness by better bus connecitons between the light rail stations nearest to suburban employment center and those centers.
5. I could have retained by car when moving to New York City in May 1970, then used it to reverse commute to White Plains. Rush hour traffic in the reverse direcdtion wasn't at all a problem, and no tolls were involved. But time on the train was useful and productive. There probably are DART riders that feel similarly, even when continuing to own and operate their own automobiles.
Many of Dallas' poor used the Dallas Transit System buses to get to work long before the light rail system came on the scene. In fact, as noted, the buses still carry 127 percent of the riders that are carried on the light rail system.
Whether the light rail system materially improved the ability of the poor to get to and from a job is problematic. It probably has but to what extent is unknown.
The average number of weekday riders on the light rail system in 2016 was 96,300. The average number of weekend riders was 93,100. Ridership has been declining. If it had declined at the same annual rate between 2016 and 2017 as it did between 2014 and 2016, average weekday ridership would have been 91,996 in 2017.
With the exception of the Orange Line, most of DART's light rail system was built on former railroad rights-of-way that were laid down in the 19th century. When Dallas began to grow into a major city after WWII, the housing and commuting patterns did not follow the railroad lines. This is one of the reasons the ridership on the system is comparatively low.
Hight level academic style studies frequently miss critical local details. Especially those that are decades old! To compare the efficacy of modern buses against light rail, one would have to compare the two on the same route, which in the case of Dallas would be nearly impossible.
DART was required to build a tunnel under Central Expressway that added more than $1 billion to the cost of the system. A tunnel was not the original plan, but the Park Cities blocked running the light rail line along the former MKT route that passes along the easter edge of the Park Cities. It was this objection that led DART to build the tunnel.
If one has not lived in Dallas or visited it frequently, within the recent past decade, it is impossible to understand the city's dynamics. The change has been dramatic.
I did do consjulting wprk in Dallas, and say my total time there probably amounted to several months. Two rather amusing tales: (1) I definitely was not the acosutical consultant for the succesful concert hall, my one-time co-worker and then competitor Russell Johnson was, but on one occasion others connected with the project invited me to visit before the organ was completed. I had worked with the C. B. Fisk Organ Co. on numerous churches, several times was a house guest for a weekend at Charles Fosk's home, so when I toured the hall, one of the Fisk technicians said the Great division was just now made playable and would I like to try it out. Wow, I though, this matches running a steam locomotive at the South African Capitol Parl engine shed. I sat down at the bench and played a note-perfect HaTikva, about the only thing I could do well without music. I was told this was the first time any piece had been played on that organ. The second was when I rode the McKinney Avenue streetcar and the operator showed me that he regularly caries the pocket Israel Railroad timetable with his operator's uniform.
Uusally, clients and friends drove me places in Dallas, and I did not use cabs or at least not often. The only public transportation I used, other than the McKinney Avenue streetcar, was the airport bus, and of course the airport bus more frequently. | 2019-04-24T21:54:49Z | http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/742/t/270939.aspx |
A thermometer is a device that measures the temperature of things. The name is made up of two smaller words: 'Thermo' (Greek 'Θερμό') means heat and 'meter' means to measure. You can use a thermometer to tell the temperature outside or inside your house, inside your oven, even the temperature of your body if you're sick.
At the start of the seventeenth century there was no way to quantify heat. In Aristotelian matter theory, heat and cold were fundamental qualities. Like dry and wet, heat and cold were qualities combined with "prima materia" to make up the elements, earth, water, air, and fire. Thus earth was dry and cold, fire dry and hot, etc. Although one might speak of "degrees of heat or cold," there was no formal distinction between what we would call the extensive concept of heat and the intensive concept of temperature. Also these degrees were not measured, except perhaps in a very rough way as when a physician put his hand on a patient's forehead and diagnosed "fever heat".
"He took a small glass flask, about as large as a small hen's egg, with a neck about two spans long [perhaps 16 inches] and as fine as a wheat straw, and warmed the flask well in his hands, then turned its mouth upside down into the a vessel placed underneath, in which there was a little water. When he took away the heat of his hands from the flask, the water at once began to rise in the neck, and mounted to more than a span above the level of the water in the vessel. The same Sig. Galileo had then made use of this effect in order to construct an instrument for examining the degrees of heat and cold."
Over the next several years this thermoscope was developed by Santorio Santorio and Galileo's friend Gianfrancesco Sagredo (both in Venice), Galileo, and others to include a numerical scale. It had thus become a full-fledged air thermometer. The first series of quantitative meteorological observations date from this period. In other parts of Europe the inventor Cornelis Drebbel and Robert Fludd developed similar instruments. The questions about who was the first, and whether one derived his knowledge from another, are sterile ones which shed little light on the historical context in which this and other instruments (e.g., the telescope and barometer) developed. The near simultaneous (and surely independent) invention of the air thermometer illustrates the seventeenth-century trend toward quantification of natural phenomena--an essential dimension of the "mathematization of nature."
The liquid in glass thermometer was developed in the 1630s, but a universal standard of temperature remained elusive. Each scientist had his own scale divisions, often based on different reference points. It is impossible for us accurately to convert their measurements to our temperature scale, and at the time it was impossible to compare temperatures in different places. In the early eighteenth century, universal temperature scales based on several fiduciary points (e.g. a mixture of ice and brine, a mixture of ice and water, body temperature, the boiling point of water) were developed by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686-1736), Anders Celsius (1701-1744), and René-Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur (1683-1757). Of these, the first two are still in use, and the system of Celsius (extended to become an absolute scale in the nineteenth century) has become the standard scientific temperature scale.
The thermometers we use today are different than the ones Galileo may have used. There is usually a bulb at the base of the thermometer with a long glass tube stretching out the top. Early thermometers used water, but because water freezes there was no way to measure temperatures less than the freezing point of water. So, alcohol, which freezes at temperature below the point where water freezes, was used. The red colored or silver line in the middle of the thermometer moves up and down depending on the temperature.
Subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit number.
Divide the answer by 9.
Multiply that answer by 5.
Here's an example: Change 95 degrees Fahrenheit to Celsius: 95 minus 32 is 63. Then, 63 divided by 9 is 7. Finally, 7 times 5 is 35 degrees Celsius. Time to go to the beach!
Multiply the Celsius temperature by 9.
Divide the answer by 5.
Here's an example: Change 20 degrees Celsius to Fahrenheit: 20 times 9 is 180. Then 180 divided by 5 is 36. Finally, 36 plus 32 is 68 degrees Fahrenheit. That would be a pretty comfortable outside temperature for taking a walk!!
Anders Celsius (1701 - 1744) early became engaged in the general problem of weights and measures, including temperature measurements. Already as a student he assisted the astronomy professor Erik Burman in meteorology observations. At that time there existed a large variety of thermometers with different scales. Perhaps he already at this stage realized the necessity of a common international scale.
A temperature scale must be based on one or two standard temperatures, called fixed points. For those it was natural to choose temperatures within the temperature domain of practical interest, i.e. from about plus forty to minus twenty in modern Celsius degrees. Thermometers were simply used in meteorology, in horticulture, and sometimes for indoor use. As fixed points one could use the human body temperature or temperatures of local origin such as the observatory cellar in Paris or the highest temperature in sunshine in London. Of course also the freezing and boiling points of water were used, but it was not self-evident that they really were universal and e.g. independent of the geographic latitude.
The position of the degree zero on a temperature scale has created a lot of discussions. The French Réaumur scale had zero at the freezing point but as regards other scales one placed zero outside the ordinary temperature region, thus avoiding the mixture of positive and negative numbers. The zero could be placed at a low temperature, a method used by the Danish astronomer Ole Rømer and then adopted by Fahrenheit. Celsius was accustomed to the Réaumur thermometer, but he also used a thermometer made by the French astronomer Joseph-Nicolas Delisle with zero at the boiling point, thus creating a reversed scale with increasing numbers for decreasing temperatures, but avoiding negative numbers.
This reversed scale was not as awkward as we think today and it served its purpose. The change to our modern direct scale was inevitable in the long run, however, but there is no sense in trying to give the credit to any single person. Linné; has often been named as the inventor with reference to his famous work "Hortus Cliffortianus" of 1737, five years before Celsius' publication. However, in studying Linné's work it is obvious that the few temperatures he mentiones are impossible as modern Celsius' degrees. Linné met Fahrenheit in Holland and it is clear that he used Fahrenheit temperatures when he returned home to Sweden. Most probably Linné abandoned the Fahrenheit scale when he learned about Celsius' research. After the death of Celsius in 1744 thermometers with a direct scale appeared in the meteorology reports under different names, such as 'Celsius Novum', 'Ekström' and 'Strömer'. Linné had a great interest in thermometers, and he ordered a thermometer with the modern scale from the instrument maker Daniel Ekström around 1744. The scale is mentioned in a dissertation by Samuel Naucler in 1745, but this does not indicate Linné as the single inventor of the modern scale. Certainly the change of scale became obvious to the Uppsala scientists in general. In an account of the history of the thermometer in the Proceedings of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 1749, Pehr Wargentin, Secretary of the Academy of Sciences, mentiones Celsius, his successor Strömer and the instrument maker Ekström in connection with the direct scale. Linné is not mentioned at all. No single person can be given the credit.
From the scientific point of view the most important contribution to the modern temperature scale is due to Celsius because of his careful experiments on the fixed points. The direction of the scale comes in second place, and was hardly a great intellectual achievement.
The Fahrenheit scale, which measures temperature, was created by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686-1736), a German-Dutch scientist, in 1724. Fahrenheit, who devoted much of his life’s work to the measurement of temperature, also invented the alcohol and mercury thermometers. On the Fahrenheit scale, the point at which frozen water melts is 32°, and the point where at which it boils is 212°. Between these two points is exactly 180°, a number easily divisible on a thermostat. Although we know with a degree of certainty what measurements Fahrenheit used to determine his scale, his process of arriving at the final scale is largely unknown.
Several stories have circulated regarding how Fahrenheit devised his scale. One is that he established 0° as the coldest temperature he could measure outdoors during the winter of 1708 to 1709 in Danzig, Germany. This measurement and Fahrenheit's own body temperature, which he measured at 100°, were the two marks on which he based the rest of his scale. Many think that either his thermometer was off or he was running a fever that day, resulting in the relatively high reading on the bodily temperature. The scale was then divided into 12 separate segments, which were later divided into eight, creating a scale of 96 separate degrees.
In another story, Fahrenheit figured 0° by taking a measurement of the point at which equal parts of salt and ice mixed together melt. He then established 96° as the blood’s temperature. Yet another story holds that Fahrenheit co-opted Ole Rømer’s scale of temperature. With this scale, 7.5° is the freezing point of water. Fahrenheit multiplied this number to get rid of the fractions, and then refigured 32° as water’s freezing point, with 64 degrees separating the body’s temperature at 96°. He then marked degrees using six lines.
Some believe that Fahrenheit was a Freemason, and because there are 32 degrees of enlightenment, he chose to use 32 as the melting temperature of water. Degrees are also used as levels with the Freemasons, hence the use of the word on the scale. However, there is no documented evidence that Fahrenheit was a Freemason.
In yet another story, it is said that Fahrenheit believed that a person would freeze to death at 0° and would die of heat stroke at 100°. This created a scale of 0° to 100° that encompassed the range of livable temperatures. Another story states that Fahrenheit recorded the melting point of water, the boiling point and a human’s body temperature, and then put the melting and boiling points exactly 180 degrees apart. One far fetched story says that Fahrenheit observed the melting point of butter as 100° and set it accordingly.
Because Fahrenheit degrees are 5/9 of a Celsius degree, it is easier to make more exact measurements without using fractions in the Fahrenheit scale. Fahrenheit continues to be used in the United States, although most other countries that use the metric system changed to Celsius in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Kelvin temperature scale (K) was developed by British William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin (1824–1907) in the mid 1800s. The zero point on this scale is base on the point at which the pressure of all dilute gases mathematically project to zero from the triple point of water. Recall that the triple point is the temperature at which liquid water, ice, and water vapor can coexist simultaneously.
The zero point of this scale is equivalent to -273.16 °C on the Celsius scale. This zero point is considered the lowest possible temperature of anything in the universe. Therefore, the Kelvin scale is also known as the "absolute temperature scale". At the freezing point of water, the temperature of the Kelvin scale reads 273 K. At the boiling point of water, it reads 373 K.
Lord Kelvin developed this scale with the help of a Carnot engine. The Carnot engine deals with the relationship between pressure, work, and temperature. The Carnot engine is the most efficient engine possible. However, even it cannot reach 100% efficiency. If an engine was 100% efficient, no energy would be wasted. The Carnot engine is only theoretical, which means that all real engines are even less efficient.
The operating principle of a thermometer is quite simple. A known measure of liquid (mercury, alcohol, or a hydrocarbon-based fluid) is vacuum-sealed in a glass tube. The liquid expands or contracts when air is heated or cooled. As the liquid level changes, a corresponding temperature scale can be read to indicate the current temperature.
Thermometer manufacturers start with glass blanks with bores down the middle; these are usually received from glass manufacturers. The bulb reservoir is formed by heating one end of the glass tube and pinching it closed. The bulb is sealed at its bottom, leaving an open tube at the top.
Next, with the open end down in a vacuum chamber, air is evacuated from the glass tube, and the hydrocarbon fluid is introduced into the vacuum until it penetrates the tube about 1 inch. Due to environmental concerns, contemporary thermometers are manufactured less with mercury and more with a spirit-filled hydrocarbon liquid.
Thermometers are designed according to predefined standards identified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, formerly the National Bureau of Standards) and standard manufacturing practices. Within the regulatory guidelines there are provisions for the custom manufacture of thermometers. Custom thermometers can be as varied as those who use them. Different sizes exist for the amount, weight, and length of glass used, the type of liquid filled into the glass, the frequency of gradations laid onto the glass tube or enclosure, and even the color of the gradation scale marks.
A design engineer will look at the travel limits for the liquid to be used in the thermometer. Once precise limits are established, the dimensions of the glass tube and size of the glass bulb can be determined.
Use of electronic components in thermometers has grown. Many of today's broadly used thermometers contain digital readouts and sample program cycles to feed back the current temperature to a light-emitting diode (LED) or liquid crystal display (LCD) panel. For all the electronic wizardry available, a thermometer must still contain a heat-cold sensitizing element in order to respond to environmental changes.
Thermometers consist of three basic elements: spirit-filled liquid, which responds to changes in heat and cold; a glass tube to house the temperature-measuring liquid; and black ink to color in the engraved scale marks with legible numbers. In addition, other elements are necessary for the manufacture of thermometers, including a wax solution used to engrave the scale marks on the glass tube; an engraving engine that makes permanent gradations on the glass tube; and a hydrofluoric acid solution into which the glass tube is dipped to seal the engraving marks.
The glass material forming the body of the thermometer is usually received from an outside manufacturer. Some thermometer products are made with an enclosure, which can be made of plastic or composites and may contain scale gradations as opposed to having these on the glass tube itself. The enclosure also serves to protect and mount the thermometer on a wall, post, or in a weather shelter box.
Although there are numerous types of thermometers, the production process for the most common of these—the classic household variety—is described below.
1. First, the raw glass material is received from an outside manufacturer. The tube is made with a fine passage, or bore, throughout its length. The bored tubes are checked for quality; any rejected parts are sent back to the manufacturer for replacement.
2. The bulb reservoir is formed by heating one end of the glass tube, pinching it closed, and using glassblowing and the application of an air-driven torch to complete it. Alternately, the bulb can be made by blowing a separate piece of lab material that is then joined with one end of the glass tube. The bulb is sealed at its bottom, leaving an open tube at the top.
3. With the open end down in a vacuum chamber, air is then evacuated from the glass tube, and the hydrocarbon fluid is introduced into the vacuum until it penetrates the tube about 1 inch (2.54 centimeters). Due to environmental concerns, contemporary thermometers are manufactured less with mercury and more with a spirit-filled hydrocarbon liquid. Such a practice is mandated (with tolerance for a limited use of mercury) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The vacuum is then gradually reduced, forcing the fluid down near the top of the tube. The process is the same when mercury is used, except heat is also applied in the vacuum chamber.
4. Once full, the tube is placed upon its bulb end. A heating-out process is then conducted by placing the thermometer into a warm bath and raising the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius). Next, the temperature is reduced to room temperature to bring the residual liquid back to a known level. The open end of the thermometer is then sealed by placing it over a flame.
5. After the tube is sealed, a scale is applied based on the level at which the fluid rests when inserted into a water bath of 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) versus one at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). These reference points for the desired scale are marked on the glass tube before engraving or silkscreening is done to fill gradations.
6. The range lengths vary according to the design used. A scale is picked that best corresponds to even marks between the reference points. For accuracy purposes, engraving is the preferred method of marking. The marks are made by an engraving engine after the thermometer is placed in wax. The numbers are scratched onto the glass and, once complete, the thermometer is dipped in hydrofluoric acid to seal the engraved markings. Ink is then rubbed into the marks to highlight the scale values. When enclosures are used on the scales, a silkscreening process is used to apply the marks.
7. Finally, the thermometers are packaged accordingly and shipped to customers.
The manufacturing process is controlled by widely adopted industry standards and specific in-house measures. Manufacturing design considerations include quality control checks throughout the production process. The equipment used to perform fabrication tasks must also be carefully maintained, especially with updated design protocol.
Waste materials accrued during manufacturing are disposed of according to environmental regulatory standards. During the manufacturing cycle, equipment used to heat, evacuate, and engrave the thermometer must be checked and calibrated regularly. Tolerance tests are also performed, using a known standard, to detennine the accuracy of the temperature readings. All thermometers have a tolerance for accuracy. For the common household, this tolerance is usually plus or minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius). For laboratory work, plus or minus 1 degree is generally acceptable.
Although the longstanding simple glass thermometer is unlikely to change, other thermometer.
After the bulb reservoir is formed and the liquid inserted, the unit is heated and sealed. Next, the scale markings are added. This is done using engraving, in which the bulb is dipped in wax, the marks engraved, and the bulb dipped in hydrofluoric acid to seal the marks on the glass. forms continue to evolve. With technological advances and the more widespread use of lighter and stronger materials, manufacturers of electronically integrated temperature instruments can provide more accurate measurements of temperature with minimal equipment bulk and at an affordable price. Analog box thermometers, for example, were once used with a long wire and probe tip for in-ground temperature measurements, among other uses. Today, the probe tips are made of lighter materials, and the boxes, loaded with digital electronics, are not as bulky and square. Looking ahead, further work with the microchip may provide the impetus to fully digitize the temperature measuring process. Also, it may eventually be possible to direct an infrared beam into soil and extract a temperature reading from a target depth without even touching the soil. | 2019-04-23T19:52:02Z | http://kifissiameteo.gr/Lesson06_Instrument_Thermometer.html |
This is more the case of Japan being overly sensitive since the point was that Japan have its capacity for war reduced. That element has remained and is a great thing.
The constitution was drafted by U.S. forces occupying Japan after World War II, though Japan modified the draft somewhat before adoption.
Sometimes it just seems like some people want to whine about anything and everything.
Nothing wrong with Japan's constitution, as is. Japan needs to accept losing the war, in hindsight, was a great outcome.
Who thinks it's arrogant? The people who want to be rid of the 'embarrassment of a constitution forced on them from the US'? There can be no doubt the US wrote it, but the thing is, it is that very US written Constitution that has allowed Japan to enjoy 71 years of relative peace. It might be a bit of a bitter pill to swallow, sure, but is what Japan had before, where it was reduced to ashes, better? Should they draft their own by the hands of those that would like to see a "stronger Japan" and a return to said country that was reduced to ashes?
It may have been written by someone else, and it may have been forced on the nation at the time, but it is JAPAN'S Constitution and no other countries, and they have done very well with it up to now. Japan can thank itself, largely, for that. They also have the power to keep on the path of peace or change it.
The last thing you ever want to do in diplomacy: tell it like it is.
Biden talking like an old southern slave owner.
Which article in the US Constitution is the "peace article"?
Vice president Biden said, “Does he not understand we wrote Japan’s Constitution to say that they could not be a nuclear power?” He said it was a criticism against the opponent candidate Mr Trump's approval of nuclear armament by Japan. We cannot help but say he was exceptional and reckless as an important official of the US government.
Trump did not approve possession of nuclear weapons by Japan.
It is interesting to see how words are taken out of context.
Biden screwed up here definitely.
Though it is to a great degree true, the United States cannot admit they "wrote" Japan's constitution without seriously damaging its legitimacy.
Biden's failure to understand this simple and basic principle makes his competency doubtful.
And what makes it worse,is that his comments are giving ammunition to Abe and his ilk about the need to push thru change in the constitution because our former "colonial rulers" still look down on us though we are the third most powerful economy in the world. A poor choice of words by the Biden.
So the truth hurts then?
The question is not who wrote it, but is it any good. The test of time shows that it is a good constitution. But an amendment needs to be added: periodic reapportionment like the US. One country bumpkin vote is worth 4 to 7 city votes. This needs to be changed. Then there will be less talk about changing the constitution.
@Kazuaki: Respectfully, it's a known fact that the USA drafted the Japanese constitution.
After the initial draft, many Japanese scholars in fact wanted to make many changes are were simply "not allowed" by MacArthur and company. Some things they did budge on was more...mechanical stuff of government (eg. allowing two governing houses instead of one).
There really wasn't a lot of direct hands-on work by Japanese on the Japanese constitution; it was more "Yeah ok, we'll take that into account..."
Yep, there's "arrogance" here, and it's clear who's guilty of that.
Um, its true!!!! What is wrong with the truth? SMH Japan. Why is it that you don't like to hear the truth?
Japan is certainly welcome to become a nuclear power, but if it does, it will most likely be on its own.
Respectfully, it's a known fact that the USA drafted the Japanese constitution.
I'm not disagreeing with this. But this is one of those things the United States cannot really admit to. After all, the story is always that the Constitution is one of the Japanese people - otherwise, it has no legitimacy. Legitimacy cannot be justified by longevity, thus there must at least be an accepted fiction by all those with cards in the play that this Constitution is American influenced (undeniably), but still a Japanese product.
And Biden's mistake is to break that taboo.
Why does anyone ever not want to accept History as it happened? Its been done and it cannot be changed. But only denied. Those who fail to accept history as it happened are destined to repeat that history , good or bad!
I am neither American nor Japanese and to me the sad part about this is that Biden and his defenders can't see that that line is offensive in this day and age. It is a reminder that American imperialism is as alive and well as it was in the era of Manifest Destiny.
Just like with so many other things that happened after the war, EVERYONE knows, but no one wants to admit or openly talk about and just leave the status-quo as is.....except Abe is being pretty damn insensitive as well, by openly talking about rewriting, excuse me, reinterpreting and THEN rewriting the US written document too.
If it has served the country so well for 7 decades why change it now Mr Abe?
well that has never been the case. US bases in Japan have nuclear missiles ready for use even now. Only a naive fool would think Japan isn't protected by land based nuclear weapons.
"And Biden's mistake is to break that taboo."
I support politicians who break taboos.
Japan is their colony. Their wining ship in asia. The only one.
And a man is still a man that love to humiliate people with his power.
It is time japan understand america better like the reste of the world.
America will not let japan leave their sight without a fight at least a moral one and witch one.
America democracy and constitution was made so that violence and mafia could stand again or survive.
Shimazaki-san, you are exactly right you cannot have a democratic constitution forced on a people- that is an oxymoron. The Japanese constitution is illegitamate. Accepting fiction as truth is in other realms known as insanity. Maybe if we stop living so many lies, we can actually move towards solutions for what is! Na, that's just crazy talk - we are better off in lala land.
Agree with Kaz. Biden done screwed up with that quip. Successfully pissed off all sides of the spectrum. Validates team Abe's position by re-insulting their national pride while simultaneously undercutting the oppositions efforts to portray the Constitution as Japanese with former PM Shidehira playing the prominent role regarding Article 9. All this from a speech that was not centered on Japan. Rather inexcusable carelessness.
"You cannot have a democratic constitution forced..."
Well guess what it happened here and it led to the most successful and productive period in our history and shaped Japan into the nation that it is today. One with many problems but still better off and with more potential than 90% of other countries.
Biden occasionally puts his foot in his mouth, and he seems to have done it again. In his effort to put down Trump's comment, he's made a statement that is both arguably and technically false. Arguable because while Article 9 was effectively written by the U.S. as a means to keep the demand to prosecute the Emperor placated, the rest of it was done with input on the Japan side. More importantly, there is nothing about nuclear weapons in Article 9 and the no-nuclear position was a solely Japanese invention that did not appear until decades later- making Biden's statement "false". Put bluntly, Japan, while having nuclear capability, doesn't want the cost or responsibility, perhaps both politically and psychologically of maintaining nuclear weapons. And why should they when the U.S. offers a nuclear umbrella, which effectively covers South Korea and Australia as well, both nations which considered going nuclear at one point. Biden needs to do some homework before opening his mouth.
Biden makes an irresponsible statement.
Republicans: "Biden should be condemned"
Trump makes an irresponsible statement.
Republicans: "It's all good. Carry on"
today's world need no war to settle scores but just negotiate without fear with great rationale. if so why talk on war machinery called nuclear arms...!
Very nice remark, Ossan - and Biden is well known for his ability to bring things to a point, however uncomfortable.
ARTICLE 9. (1) Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. (2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.
Your assertion for the basis of the establishment of the Article may be true, but there are competing theories. Regarding interpretation, if taken to logical extremes, the entire existence of the Self Defense Forces could be questioned - if not for the "self" part. Nuclear weapons, though, can only be used for attack, regardless of whether their use were preemptive or retaliatory. So, in that sense, Biden was correct - Japan maintaining nuclear weapons should be considered unconstitutional.
When discussing what was learned from the war, I'm often disheartened by the most common answer, "War is bad." Of course war is bad, and I wish Americans had a better knowledge of that. What disappoints me is the lack of knowledge of what brought Japan to that point: The total disregard of law. Japan as a sovereign nation is free to do what its people choose - but that should be within the realm of law. If not, change the law, or refrain from action.
Nuclear weapons by definition are offensive weapons, you do not nuke Hokkaido to defend it, so therefore Biden is right. Nuclear weapons are banned under the Japanese constitution as they are not defensive in nature.
The only people upset about this are the ones that want to relive the 1930s again with similar results as seen in the 1940s.
Japan has prospered under the current constitution with all the benefits of being protected and encouraged by the USA. To end that would be folly for Japan and she would pay a horrible price for a fake independence.
The prenumbra to the American Declaration of Independence was plagiarised from a Brit. Does that make it less worthy? Same could be said of the Fedralist papers. Does isource devalue either?
After the initial draft, many Japanese scholars in fact wanted to make many changes are were simply "not allowed" by MacArthur and company.
The "initial draft" (the Matsumoto Commission draft) was a "same ol' same ol'" document written by the Japanese side and binned by the Allied Occupation just after the ink was dry and just before the Allied laughter had died down.
The final constitution was mostly written by two American soldiers with legal experience. This "McCarthur draft" was slightly modified by the Japanese side before being enacted.
How well educated are the new young voters? Do they know and understand the issues? These young voters are going to take responsibility for their nation!? I kind of doubt it. Sorry. The trigger happy government wanting to prove they are the bosses in the region is not what we need. The present constitution has brought peace and development. In the last few decades few things have gone right for Japan. None of it due to a perceived flawed constitution. Giving Japan (and Korea) nuclear weapons will only precipitate blood shedding in the region. It's a war in the making between a communist party and a nationalist leader. The citizenry doesn't care. Japan crawling out from under the US umbrella will only create more sorrow here. Less money, fewer people. China has many nuclear weapons. I hope the PM understands he can't finish this fight without a major bruising.
So, Mac Arthur's staff were instrumental in drafting the English version of the Constitution, but it did not specifically mention nuclear weapons when it was first written.
It is a very delicate subject, one that is hard to discuss without insulting anyone.
John Dower's "Embracing Defeat" gives a very interesting insight into how the Japanese Constitution evolved.
@Rik314 - Got that on my shelf as a 'soon to read'. Will look out for that part especially now!
I havent read Dowers book lately so it is time for a reread of it. Also check out Beate Sirota`s work on the project.
Not just America, but American Military Officers...they were the ones who wrote Japan's constitution. Here's the catch, it was light-years more progressive than the ones being offered by Japanese. I believe that I recall that the US only undertook the writing of the constitution after Japanese submitted a draft that was not anit-military enough nor did it enfranchise Japanese women. It was the failure of Japanese in immediate post war period to seize the opportunity presented them by America and produce a modern constitution befitting a representative democracy that led to US officers having to write it themselves. Of course it's been amended a few times and tweaked a bit, not much, but some. So its not fair to say that the extant constitution was written by the US but the bulk of it comes straight from the US version.
Gives more ammo to Abe to justify changing the constitution. Honesty is not always the best policy in diplomatic circles.
It's moot. Japan is peaceful. Abe isn't going to create a nuclear Military.
It will be a coalition of Asian nations that resolve Red China's escapades on Mischief Reef in the Spratleys. It's doubtful the owners of the oil leases there can be pressured into selling. Diplomacy trumps guns.
Biden takes the view that Japan is considered the United States' unsinkable aircraft carrier as do most of his generation. It isn't a POV that indicates disrespect but of interdependency.
What is wrong with stating facts? Instead of telling people to shut up, Mr Aida should explain why he thinks facts should be suppressed. If he has no coherent argument he should keep his own mouth shut.
Left to themselves the Japanese would have kept the Meiji constitution unchanged and would not have permitted freedom of expression or many other freedoms imposed by the US.
The likes of Abe want to see a return to the Meiji constitution, removing rights and forcing Japanese to be conscripted into the armed forces. These proposed constitutional changes should certainly be discussed and debated in detail. Instead the media avoid the topic under threat from the LDP.
LagunaAug. 18, 2016 - 09:48PM JST Your assertion for the basis of the establishment of the Article may be true, but there are competing theories. Regarding interpretation, if taken to logical extremes, the entire existence of the Self Defense Forces could be questioned - if not for the "self" part.
Indeed the entire existence of the JSDF can be questioned. But let's look at how it got that way. The U.S. wrote Article 9. Just a few years later 1950 when North Korea crossed the 38th Parallel, the United States demanded that Japan create a military on the grounds that US forces were now being deployed on the Korean Peninsula leaving Japan with no defense of the homeland, with a wink towards the Soviets eying Hokkaido. The Japanese as usual argued "Sorry no can do" pointing to Article 9. The U.S. persisted and eventually the JSDF was created as an extension of the National Police Agency to somehow skirt the constitution. Fast forward to 1980s, US President Ronald Reagan asks J-PM Zenkp Suzuki to give assurance that Japan will help defend Guam. Again, "No can do". Gulf War I, the US leading it's coalition against Iraq's Hussein again demands that Japan sends it's JSDF to the middle east to fight. Once again "No can do". Ended up that Japan paid for most of the costs of Desert Storm and the term "Checkbook Power" came to be. Still, the JMSDF did send minesweepers well after the combat was over. The point here is that yes, the very existence of the JSDF, especially with the size and capability that it has grown to, is a contradiction to Article 9. But that contradiction was created not by Japan, but by the United States which authored Article 9 in the first place.
Nuclear weapons, though, can only be used for attack, regardless of whether their use were preemptive or retaliatory. So, in that sense, Biden was correct - Japan maintaining nuclear weapons should be considered unconstitutional.
There are Strategic Nuclear Weapons which can only be used for either offense or retaliation. But if a nation possesses Strategic Nuclear Weapons with a no-first-use declaration, then it becomes an effective purely defensive weapon as a deterrence, in fact probably the best defense you could have. A line of thinking that is seen in North Korea., In addition, there are smaller Theater Nuclear Weapons which can be used for defense. With no mention of nuclear weapons in Article 9, and the existence of the later, Biden's statement is, in my view, incorrect.
Why Japan is so sensitive. Did the japanese forget that japan surrendered to the ally unconditionally? of course their constitution is the result of the surrender.
Isn't Biden just stating a known fact? Oh I see, it's insensitive to remind Japan that they lost the war of their own aggression and that they're only the junior in this partnership.
Well, Biden is right. Biden is pretty much right. And very impolitic.
For many years, the cover story that Hirohito came up with the idea to renounce war during his famous meeting with Mac kinda provided a fig leaf on the open secrete that SCAP was the top dog. That pretense was dropped by the 1980s.
Biden is pretty much right. Art 9 was intended to preclude Japan from having armaments that could project power.
Nuclear weapons, with a delivery system, enables a nation to project power across the globe. They are clearly the kind of armament contemplated in the ban on "war potential."
While Japan has since the 1950s interpreted and re-interpreted the ban on war potential weapons to the point where Japan today has the second best military on the planet, no one in Japan has gone there with nukes.
They could. But they haven't.
The entire defensive v offensive weapon debate is ruse. There is no difference in war. That which enables me to neutralize your ability to attack me or mine increases my power over you. Further, while nukes are obviously the most offensively destructive and intimidating weapon we have divised, they are also the most persuasive defensive weapon around. That's why it is called a nuclear deterrent. That is what MAD was and is all about. MAD never went away, just because the Soviets collapsed.
That's why Iraq could be pushed around so relatively easily by the US. Not so had Saddam had the bomb. That is why North Korea wants nukes.
That is why the US and other strong nations do their level best to limit nuclear proliferation. Nukes are a cheap way to ensure a country the ability to resists a US, or Russian, or Chinese invasion. Which, if you haven't been paying attention, happens quite a lot.
Do you think Russia would have invaded the Crimea if the Ukraine had its own nuclear deterrent? I don't either.
Nuclear deterrent. It's right there in the name.
While it is, as everyone here points out, no longer an open secrete that the US forced Art. 9 on Japan, Japan has struggled from the outset how best to make peace with its Constitution. Note, I do not write, how to make peace with its peace Constitution, because this goes waaaaaaay deeper than just Article 9.
The Japanese Constitution is not theirs. It is not theirs in the way that the US constitution represented a hashing out of competing political ideas and interests resulting from enlightenment ideas and a pluralistic society. IOW an out growth of liberal democracy. Not at all. The Japanese constitution was imposed on a prostate nation at the lowest ebb of national power in its history. The liberal democratic values and operation of government enshrined in its basic law were alien -- as alien as if Japan had occupied Washington DC and imposed a Meiji type constitution on the US.
Yet, it is theirs. Japan has raised three of four generations of its youth under this imposed order, the whole while adapting and interpreting it to their country. And it has largely been a great success.
Nevertheless, in the end, there remains a deeeeeeeeeeep ambivalence about it. Japan needs to resolve that ambivalence on its own terms. It is quite simply impolitic for an American official to stick its nose there. It does no good.
Indeed, it does great psychic harm.
To add - Joe is authentic. He doesn't scare the Japanese the way Trump does. Us Americans will enjoy him for years to come. I'm not worried about a political party that is losing its national presence daily. Donkeys are stubborn not stupid.
Japan doesn't care what the outgoing VP says.
Trump: Japan should pay for its own defense. Why are they free riding on American taxpayers anyway? Biden: After winning the war, the US imposed conditions on Japan that included a Constitution that forbids rearmament, so OF COURSE the United States has not only a responsibility for Japan's defense but also for the security of all Asia.
In short, Biden gets it. Hillary also gets it. The whole defense establishment gets it. They also know that the relationship that Japan and the US share has been renegotiated CONSTANTLY and that Japan bears a huge burden financially for the status quo, which benefits all of Asia. Trump has no clue whatsoever about any of that.
Biden is no news wordsmith, and that is not news. Biden is also no dummy, and that is not news.
My eyebrows have not been raised.
Stop any Japanese person on the street and ask them who wrote Japan's constitution and they will answer "the United States."
What a load of shita, Yes Japan was force no end to except and sign on the X spot. It took 2 atom bomb and a few million deaths in doing so. How f%^$ing Arrogant !!!!! “was unprecedented in its insensitivity” and “could even be considered arrogant.” Asahi Newspaper is the one being arrogant. Japan have no choice but to front their rotten history and be reminded off. This force constitution will hang around Japans neck for at least another generating because idiots like Asahi Newspaper still have a need the be reminded of the fact.
Biden is not familiar with WWII history or Asia so he talks like Trump.
Just a finicky point, but does the VP not understand that Japan can change its constitution without permission from the US?
Perhaps they'd rather be speaking Russian?
Most certainly untrue. Equal education for boys and girls was practiced in Japan well before the end of WW2.
It's time Japan's constitution was rewritten to enable them to protect themselves from China and North Korea. Japan is not a threat to democracy and freedom. We need Japan to be a powerful country, one that can help keep the balance of power in the Asia Pacific region. Especially now that China has started to flex some muscle, and show its intention to dominate the region and eventually the world. It's time Japan was allowed to have nuclear weapons, that will curtail any plans of attack or occupation that China or North Korea might have.
I would've hoped his comment would be something like "and the US and all other countries would do well with an Article 9 in their constitution. I will sponsor this bill..."
According to this article Biden never said "we wrote Article 9". He said "we wrote the constitution". Had he said the former, he would have been correct. But I guess we can forgive him because his raybans look very cool.
MacArthur constitution. No one nicknamed USA constitution. Doesn't matter, Except Emperor, we all got freedom.
Last primary, he was against Hillary. She is aware Biden said in China Japan can use nuclear weapon overniiight to attackkk N Korea. Bye bye Biden by Hillary advisers. | 2019-04-25T20:25:58Z | https://japantoday.com/category/politics/bidens-remark-on-japan-constitution-raises-eyebrows |
S.I. No. 67/1973 - European Communities (Measuring Instruments) Regulations, 1973.
1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Measuring Instruments) Regulations, 1973.
3. The Sale of Gas Act, 1859, as amended, the Gas Regulation Act, 1920 , and the Gas Regulation Act, 1928 (in these Regulations referred to as the Gas Acts) and these Regulations shall be construed as one so far as the Regulations relate to gas volume meters and the Weights and Measures Acts, 1878 to 1961, and these Regulations shall be construed as one so far as the Regulations relate to other instruments.
( b ) every inspector (including an ex-officio inspector) under the Weights and Measures Acts, 1878 to 1961, shall be an inspector so far as these Regulations relate to other instruments.
5. (1) The EEC initial verification marks referred to in these Regulations are those described in and conforming with Schedule 1, which have been inscribed by the competent authority of a member State.
(2) The EEC pattern approval symbols referred to in these Regulations are those described in and conforming with Schedule 2.
6. (1) Any medium accuracy weight may be used for trade if it bears the final EEC verification mark and the mark has not been cancelled by an inspector under these Regulations.
(2) Any liquid meter or gas volume meter may be used for trade if it bears the EEC pattern approval symbol and the final EEC verification mark and the mark has not been cancelled by an inspector under these Regulations.
7. (1) Where any instrument is submitted to an inspector for EEC initial verification he shall examine the instrument in accordance with Schedule 3 and the special provisions applicable to an instrument of its category under these Regulations.
(2) If the inspector is satisfied after examination that the instrument meets the requirements prescribed he shall affix on the instrument the appropriate EEC initial verification mark.
8. The medium accuracy weights which may receive the EEC initial verification marks are described in Schedule 4. They are exempt from EEC pattern approval.
9. The liquid meters which may receive the EEC initial verification marks are described in Schedule 5. Only meters of a pattern that has received EEC pattern approval may be admitted to EEC initial verification and these meters shall be accepted as satisfying the construction requirements in Schedule 5.
10. The gas volume meters which may receive the EEC initial verification marks are described in Schedule 6. Only meters of a pattern that has received EEC pattern approval may be admitted to EEC initial verification and these meters shall be accepted as satisfying the construction requirements in Schedule 6.
11. (1) When an inspector inspects instruments in service which bear the EEC marks of initial verification he shall apply the tests and the required level of tolerances where they are prescribed in the Weights and Measures (General) Regulations, 1928 (S.R. & O., No. 71 of 1928), provided that the maximum errors permitted for these instruments on inspection shall bear the same ratio between inspection and initial verification as the ratio for other instruments not covered by the present Regulations.
(2) If the instrument does not satisfy the tests and level of tolerances applicable under this Regulation the inspector shall cancel the EEC initial verification mark.
12. (1) Any person who forges or counterfeits any stamp used for stamping under these Regulations or wilfully makes an alteration in an instrument so as to affect its accuracy shall on summary conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding œ200 or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or both.
(2) Any person who knowingly uses, sells, utters, disposes of or exposes for sale any instrument with such forged or counterfeit stamp or an instrument so altered or an instrument bearing marks or inscriptions liable to be confused with EEC marks or symbols shall on, summary conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding œ100.
13. An offence under these Regulations may be prosecuted by the Minister for Industry and Commerce or an inspector.
(1)Council Directive No. 71/316/EEC, Annex II, 3.1.1., 3.3, amended by Act of Accession, 22 January, 1972, Annex I.X (Technical Barriers), 12.
( b ) the second stamp shall consist of the last two digits of the year of the verification, in a hexagon.
1.1.2. The mark of EEC partial verification shall consist solely of the first stamp. It shall also serve as a seal.
2.1. The final EEC verification mark shall be affixed at the appointed location on the instrument when the latter has been completely verified and is recognised to conform to EEC requirements.
2.2.1. When verification is made in several stages on the instrument or part of an instrument which fulfils the conditions laid down for operations other than those at the place of installation, at the place where the stamp-date is affixed or in any other place specified in the special provisions.
2.2.2. In all cases as a seal, in the places specified in the separate schedule for that category of instrument.
3. The stamps for use by Inspectors to affix EEC initial verification marks shall be as prescribed by the Minister for Industry and Commerce.
—in the upper part, the distinguishing capital letter of the State which granted the approval (B for Belgium, DK for Denmark, D for the Federal Republic of Germany, F for France, IR for Ireland, I for Italy, L for Luxembourg, NL for the Netherlands and UK for the United Kingdom) and the last two digits of the year of approval.
—in the lower part, a designation to be determined by the metrological service which granted approval (an identification number).
(1)Council Directive No. 71/316/EEC, Annex I, 3.1, amended by Act of Accession, 22 January, 1972, Annex I. X (Technical Barriers), 12.
(ii) In the case of EEC limited approval, the letter P, having the same dimensions as the stylised letter Σ shall be placed before this letter.
2. The signs mentioned above must be affixed at a visible point on each instrument and must be legible and indelible.
3. The appropriate symbols of EEC pattern approval may be affixed by the manufacturer or his authorised representative to instruments of a pattern for which an EEC pattern approval certificate has been issued by the competent authority of a member State.
General provisions applicable to instruments covered by this Order.
1.1. The EEC initial verification may be carried out in one or more stages (usually two).
1.2.1. The EEC initial verification shall be carried out in one stage on instruments which constitute a whole on leaving the factory, that is to say instruments which, theoretically, can be transferred to their place of installation without first having to be dismantled.
1.2.2. The EEC initial verification shall be carried out in two or more stages for instruments whose correct functioning depends on the conditions in which they are installed or used.
1.2.3. The first stage of the verification procedure must ensure, in particular, that the instrument conforms to the approved pattern or, in the case of instruments exempt from pattern approval, that they conform to the relevant provisions.
2.1. Instruments which have to be verified in two or more stages shall be verified by the metrological service territorially competent.
2.1.1. The last stage of a verification must be carried out at the place of installation.
2.1.2. The other verification stages of a verification may be carried out by the competent authority of a member State.
—to provide a copy of the EEC certificate of approval.
(1)Council Directive No. 71/316/EEC, Annex II. 1, 2.
1.1. Parallelepiped shape with a rigid non-projecting handle for gripping.
2.1. Internal cavity made up of the interior of the tubular gripping handle.
2.2. The cavity is closed by a screw-plug of drawn brass or by a brass plug in the form of a smooth disc. The screw-plug has a screwdriver slot and the smooth disc has a central lifting hole.
2.3. The plug is sealed by a lead pellet driven into an internal circular groove or into the thread of the tube.
2.4. Internal cavity cast in one of the uprights of the weight and opening on the upper surface of this upright.
2.5. The cavity is closed by a small mild steel plate.
2.6. The plate is sealed by a lead pellet driven into a recess as shown in Illustration A.
3.1. After adjustment of the new weight by means of lead shot, two thirds of the total volume of the cavity remains empty.
4.1. The final EEC verification mark is stamped on the lead seal of the adjustment cavity.
5.1. The indications stating the nominal value of the weight, and the manufacturer's identification mark, appear on the upper surface of the central part of the weight, either indented or in relief.
5 kg, 10 kg, 20 kg, 50 kg.
6.1. The dimensions to be complied with for the different weights are laid down in Illustration A (dimensions in millimetres).
6.2. The tolerances applicable to the various dimensions are the normal manufacturing tolerances.
(1)Council Directive No. 71/317/EEC, Annexes I to IV.
dimensions a and d, be and e may be reversed.
8.1. If necessary, weights are protected against corrosion by a suitable coating resistant to wear and impact.
1.1. Cylindrical shape with a flat knob for gripping.
1.2. Material used: any material with a density of 7 to 9·5 g/cm3, of a hardness at least equal to that of cast brass, not less resistant to corrosion and not more friable than grey cast iron, and with a surface comparable to that of grey cast iron carefully cast in a mould of fine sand.
1.3. The method of manufacture to be appropriate to the material chosen.
2.1. Internal cylindrical cavity with a larger diameter in the top part of the cavity.
2.2. The cavity is closed by a screw plug of drawn brass or by a brass plug in the form of a smooth disc. The screw plug has a screwdriver slot and the smooth disc has a central lifting hole.
2.3. The plug is sealed by a lead cap driven into a circular groove cut out in the wider part of the cavity.
2.4. Weights of 1, 2, 5 and 10 g do not have an adjustment cavity.
2.5. An adjustment cavity is optional for those of 20 and 50 g.
4.2. Weights without adjustment cavities are stamped on the base.
5.1. The indications stating the nominal value of the weight, as well as the manufacturer's identification mark, appear on the upper surface of the head of the weight, either indented or in relief.
5.2. The nominal value of the weight may be indicated on the body of weights of from 500 g to 10 kg.
6.1. The dimensions to be complied with for the different weights are laid down in Illustration B (dimensions in millimetres).
8.1. If necessary, weights are protected against corrosion by a suitable coating resistant to wear and impact; they may be polished.
1. (i) "Volumetric meter for Liquids" means an instrument composed solely of a measuring device and an indicating device. It generally forms part of a measuring system.
(1)Council Directive No. 71/319/EEC, Articles 2 and 5.
(ii) "Measuring systems for Liquids" means a measuring instrument comprising, as well as the meter itself and the ancillary equipment which may be associated with it, all the devices necessary for ensuring correct measurement and any devices which have been added in order, in particular, to facilitate the operations. Measuring systems are not covered by this schedule.
2. When measuring assemblies for liquids which incorporate volumetric meters for liquids bearing EEC marks and symbols are subject to initial verification, the maximum permissible errors shall be those laid down in Chapter II.
SPECIFICATIONS FOR METERS FOR LIQUIDS OTHER THAN WATER.
1.1. "Minimum delivery" means the smallest volume of liquid which may be measured by a particular pattern.
1.2. "Cyclic volume" means the volume of liquid corresponding to the operating cycle of the measuring device, that is to say to the whole of the movements at the end of which all the internal moving parts of the measuring device return, for the first time, to their original position.
1.3. "Periodic variation" means the maximum difference, during one working cycle, between the volume displaced by the moving components and the corresponding volume shown by the indicator, the latter being connected to the measuring device without play or slip and in such a way that it indicates at the end of the cycle and for this cycle a volume equal to the cyclic volume. This difference may be reduced by a suitable calibration device.
2.1. Meters must incorporate an indicating mechanism showing the measured volume in cubic centimetres or millilitres, in cubic decimetres or litres or in cubic metres.
2.2. In an indicating mechanism having one or more elements, that which is marked with the smallest scale intervals is called the "first element".
2.3. The drive between the indicating mechanism and the measuring device must be reliable, durable and effected by means of a mechanical connection or by a permanent magnet device.
2.4.1. Reading of the indications must be reliable, easy and unambiguous.
2.4.2. If the indicating mechanism incorporates several elements, the indicating mechanism as a whole must be so constructed that the reading of the indication can be performed by simple juxtaposition of the indications of the different elements.
2.5. The maximum capacity of the indicating mechanism must be of the form 1 x 10n, 2 x 10n or 5 x 10n authorised units of volume, n being a whole positive or negative number, or zero.
2.7. When the moving part of an element has a continuous movement, a graduated scale and a datum mark must enable the measured quantity to be determined for every position at which the element might come to rest.
2.8. Scale intervals on the first element must be in the form 1 x 10n, 2 x 10n or 5 x 10n authorised units of volume.
2.9. Except for the element which corresponds to the maximum capacity of the indicating mechanism, the value of one revolution of an element must be of the form 10n authorised units, when the graduated scale on this unit is completely visible.
2.10. When an element consists of a fixed circular scale and a rotating pointer, the direction of rotation of this pointer must be clockwise.
2.11. On an indicating mechanism having several elements, each rotation of the moving part of the elements of which the graduation is entirely visible must correspond to the value of the scale interval of the next element.
2.12. On an indicating mechanism having several elements, the indication of an element with a discontinuous movement, other than the first element, must move forward by one figure while the preceeding element moves through not more than one-tenth of its revolution. This forward movement must cease when the preceding element indicates zero.
2.13. When an indicating mechanism has several elements and when only a part of the scale of the second and subsequent elements is visible in the windows, the movements of the latter elements must be discontinuous. The movement of the first element may be continuous or discontinuous.
2.14. If the indication is given by figures in-line and if the movement of the first element is discontinuous, the marking of one or more fixed zeros to the right of this element is permissible.
2.15. When the first element has only a portion of its scale visible in a window and has a continuous movement, there can be a resulting ambiguity in the reading which should be eliminated so far as is possible. To this end, and in order to allow for reading by interpolation, the relevant window must have, parallel to the movement of the scale, a dimension not less than 1·5 times the distance between the centre lines of two consecutively numbered graduation marks, in such a way that at least two graduation marks of which one will have a figure, are always visible. The window may be assymmetrical relative to the datum mark.
2.16. On scales having graduation marks, the marks must have the same thickness, constant along the length of the mark, which shall not exceed one quarter of the distance between the centre lines of two consecutive marks.
Marks corresponding to 1 x 10n, 2 x 10n or 5 x 10n authorised units shall only be distinguished by difference in their lengths.
2.17. The actual or apparent distance between the axes of two consecutive graduation marks must not be less than 2 millimetres.
2.18. The actual or apparent height of the figures must not be less than 4 millimetres.
3.1. Meters must incorporate a calibrating device which can vary the relationship between the indicated and actual volumes of liquid passing through the meter.
3.2. When this device changes this relationship in a discontinuous manner, the consecutive increments of this relationship must never differ by more than 0·002.
3.3. Regulation by means of a bypass arrangement on the meter is prohibited.
4. twice the periodic variation.
4.2. In the determination of this minimum delivery, account must also be taken, where necessary, of the effect of the additional components on the measuring equipment, in accordance with the requirements stated in the provisions concerning this equipment.
4.3. The minimum delivery must be in the form 1 x 10n, 2 x 10n or 5 x 10n authorised units, n being a whole positive or negative number, or zero.
5.1. The maximum and minimum rates of flow are specified in the certificate of approval in accordance with results obtained during the examination. The meter must be capable of operation for a determined period specified in the certificate of approval, at approximately its maximum rate of flow without showing any noticeable change in its measuring qualities.
5.2. The ratio between the maximum and minimum rates of flow must be at least equal to 10 for meters in general and to 5 for meters for liquefied gases.
6.1. The certificate of approval of a meter must specify the liquid or liquids for which the meter is intended, the temperature limits for the liquid to be measured where these limits are below –10° or above +50°C, as well as the maximum working pressure.
6.2. The examination carried out for the purpose of approving a model of a meter must show that the variations in error due to maximum variations in the properties of the liquids, to the pressure and the temperature of the liquid, within the limits which are to be specified in the certificate of approval, must not exceed, for each of these factors, one half of the values stated in items 1, 2 and 3 of Chapter II.
7.1. When the initial verification of a measuring system is preceded by metrological examination of the meter alone, the maximum permissible errors at the time of this examination are equal to one half of the maximum permissible errors specified in items 1, 2 and 3 of Chapter II but not less than 0·3% of the measured quantity, if the liquid used is the same as that for which the meter is intended.
7.2. However, if the precision of measurement is not sufficient to permit the application of this requirement, the certificate of approval may increase the maximum permissible errors, within the limits of those specified in items 1, 2 and 3 of Chapter II.
7.3. Moreover, the certificate of approval may reduce and/or vary the maximum permissible errors where the verification referred to above will be carried out either with only one of the liquids provided for or with a different liquid.
In the latter case (that is to say when the liquid used in the verification is different from that for which the meter is intended), the certificate of approval may specify the rates of flow during testing at rates other than those which lie between the maximum and minimum rates of flow.
( e ) the cyclic volume.
( i ) the nature of the liquid or liquids to be measured and the limits of viscosity, kinematic or dynamic, where an indication of the nature of the liquid alone is not sufficient to determine their viscosity.
( b ) the minimum delivery.
8.3. Where there is a possibility of ambiguity the direction of movement of the liquid must be indicated by an arrow on the meter casing.
8.4. On meters which measure potable liquids and which can be dismantled, the serial number or the three last figures of this number must be repeated on parts whose replacement can affect the measurement results.
8.5. The indicating mechanism may carry a special description and identifying number.
9.1. Sealing devices must prevent access to parts which can alter the calibration and, the dismantling, even partially, of the meter where such dismantling is not authorised in the certificate of approval (meters which measure potable liquids and which can be dismantled).
9.2. A firm location on an essential part, visible without dismantling, must be provided on the measuring device, on the indicating mechanism or on their housing for the application of the EEC verification mark.
9.3. The certificate of approval may require a location for the application of a stamp on interchangeable components of meters which can be dismantled, alongside the serial number referred to in item 8·4 in this Chapter.
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE ERRORS ON MEASURING SYSTEMS.
From 0·4 to 1 litres .
From 1 to 2 litres .
2 litres or more .
2. However, the maximum permissible error on the maximum delivery is double the value laid down in item 1 of Chapter II and, whatever might be the measured quantity, the maximum permissible error is never less than that permitted on the minimum delivery.
3. Because of difficulties inherent in the testing facilities, the maximum permissible errors are double those given in items 1 and 2 of Chapter II where these are applicable to measuring equipment for liquid gases or other liquids measured at a temperature below – 10°C or above + 50°C as well as for equipment for which the minimum rate of flow is not greater than 1 litre per hour.
4. If, on initial verification, the errors are all of the same sense, one at least amongst them must not exceed the limits laid down in item 7.1. of Chapter I.
The range of load of a gas meter is bounded by the maximum flow Qmax and the minimum flow Qmin.
"Cyclic volume V of a volumetric meter" means the volume of gas corresponding to a cycle of operation of the meter, that is to say to the whole of the movements of the moving components of the meter at the end of which all these components except the indicator and the intermediate transmissions return, for the first time, to their original position.
(1) Council Directive No. 71/318/EEC, Annex.
It is calculated by multiplying the value of the volume represented by a complete revolution of the test element, by the transmission ratio of the measuring device to the index counter.
The operating pressure of a gas meter is the difference between the pressure of the gas at the inlet of the meter and the atmospheric pressure.
The reference pressure pr of a gas meter is the gas pressure to which the indicated volume of gas is related.
The pressure tapping for measuring the reference pressure is laid down in Chapter III.
The pressure absorption of a gas meter is the difference between the pressures measured at the inlet and outlet of the meter during the flow of a gas.
The constant of an output drive is the value of the volume represented by a complete turn of the shaft of this drive; this value is calculated by multiplying the value of the volume represented by a complete turn of the test element by the transmission ratio of the index counter to this shaft.
B. GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR GAS VOLUME METERS.
1.1. Chapter I lays down the general provisions which must be satisfied by all gas volume meters covered by these regulations.
1.2. Chapters II and III lay down the special provisions relating to the meters concerned.
The meters must be manufactured of solid materials with low internal stresses, which change little with age, and which are sufficiently resistant to corrosion and attack by the various gases which are normally distributed or by any of their condensates.
The cases of meters must be gas-tight at the maximum operating pressure.
The meters must be so constructed that any interference which could affect the accuracy of measurement is impossible without damaging the verification marks or protective seals.
For meters, whose indicating devices function positively only for one direction of flow, this direction must be indicated by an arrow.
This arrow is not required if the direction of gas flow is fixed by the construction.
3.1. Meters may be fitted with additional devices (for correction, recording supplementary indication etc.); their addition is subject to the EEC type approval procedure.
3.2. Meters may be fitted with output drives to operate a detachable indicator, a pre-payment device, or any other complementary or additional device.
3.2.1. When these controls are not used, the free end of the drive must be protected by a plug or similar arrangement which can be sealed.
"I rev . . . m3" (or dm3).
3.3. Meters may be fitted with integral pulse generators.
The outlets for these generators should bear an indication of the corresponding value for one pulse in the form "1 pulse > . . . m3" (or dm3).
( h ) for volumetric meters, the nominal value of the cyclic volume expressed as: V= . . . m3 (or dm3).
These inscriptions must be directly visible, easily legible, and indelible under the normal conditions of use of the meter.
4.2. The metrological service which issues the type approval may decide the cases in which the nature of the gas must also be specified on the badge plate.
4.3. The meter may also carry the commercial designation, a special series number, the name of the gas distributor, a mark indicating that it conforms to a European standard, and an indication relating to any repairs made. Unless specially authorised, any other indication or inscription is prohibited.
5.1.1. The counters must be in the form of drums; however, the last element may be excepted from this rule. The drums must be calibrated in cubic metres or decimal multiples or submultiples of the cubic metre. The symbol m3 must be marked on the index plate.
5.1.1.1. The drums indicating the submultiples of the cubic metre if provided must be clearly distinguishable from the other drums, and separated from them by a clearly marked decimal point.
( b ) the indication " x 10, x 100, x 1,000 etc" in such a way that the reading is always made in cubic metres.
5.1.2. The counter must have sufficient numbered drums to be able to indicate within one unit of the last drum, the volume passed during an operating period of one thousand hours at maximum flow rate.
5.2.1. Meters must be designed in such a way that checking can be done with sufficient accuracy. For this purpose they must incorporate in their design an integral test unit or arrangements permitting the connection of a portable test unit.
( b ) a pointer passing over a fixed dial having a graduated scale or a disc carrying a graduated scale moving past a fixed reference mark.
5.2.3. On the graduated scales of these test elements the unit of the graduations must be indicated clearly and unambiguously in m3 or decimal submultiples, of the m3; the beginning of the scale must be indicated by the figure zero.
5.2.3.1. The interval between, scale divisions must be constant throughout the scale and not less than 1 millimetre.
5.2.3.2. The value of the scale divisions must be in the form, 1 x 10n, 2 x 10n, or 5 x 10n m3, n being a whole positive or negative number or zero.
5.2.3.3. The graduation lines must be fine and uniform. In cases in which the division is of the form 1 x 10n or 2 x 10n m3, all the lines representing multiples of 5, and in the case of a division of the form 5 x 10n m3, all the lines representing multiples of 2, must be distinguished by a greater length.
"The needle or the fixed mark must be sufficiently thin to permit a certain and easy reading.
The controller element must be able to be supplied with a mark detachable clearly and of a sufficient shape to allow the photoelectric scan. The mark must not recover the graduation; it can take, if such be the case, the place of the figure 0. This mark must not harm the precision of reading".
The diameters of drums must be at least 16 millimetres.
The diameter of the graduated scales mentioned in Chapter I B 5.2.2. (b) must be at least 32 millimetres.
The counter must be so designed that it can be read by simple juxtaposition of the figures.
The advance by one figure at any part of the index must be completed whilst the figure of the immediately next lower range describes the last tenth of its course.
Meters must be so designed that the counter may be removed easily during examination.
6.1. The measuring errors are expressed as a relative value by the ratio, as a percentage, of the difference between the volume indicated and the volume actually passed by the meter, to the latter volume.
6.2. These errors relate to the measurement of volumes of air having a reference density of 1:2 kg/m3. Under normal atmospheric conditions the ambient air in a test laboratory may be considered to satisfy this condition.
6.3. The maximum permissible errors are specified in Chapters II and III; they are valid for the authorised direction of flow.
The maximum permissible values of pressure absorption are specified in Chapters II and III.
The application of EEC verification marks and seals on a gas meter certifies solely that the meter meets the requirements of this schedule.
The locations of the marks must be chosen in such a way that dismantling of the part sealed will involve destruction of the marks.
8.2.2. When the inscriptions mentioned in item 4.1 of Chapter I B are on a special badge plate, one of the marks should be fixed in such a manner that it is damaged if the special plate is removed.
( b ) on all parts of the casing which cannot otherwise be protected against interference liable to affect the accuracy of measurement.
Meters submitted for the EEC initial verification shall be in working order. If the meters are to be used with additional devices operated by output drives, these accessories must have been connected during the examination unless a later connection has been expressly authorised.
—shall receive seals in the locations provided for the protection of certain components against interference liable to affect the meter characteristics.
PROVISIONS RELATING TO GAS VOLUME METERS WITH DEFORMABLE WALLS.
This Chapter applies, together with the provisions of Chapter 1, to gas meters in which the measurement of gas passed through is effected by means of measuring chambers with deformable walls.
2.2. If for a type of meter the value of Qmin is lower than the number given in the table of item 2.1 of this Chapter, the numerical value of this Qmin must be expressed by a number in column 3 of this table or by a decimal submultiple of this number.
2.3. Meters having a cyclic volume less than the value given in the table of item 2.1 of this Chapter may be approved provided that the model satisfies the requirements of the special endurance test prescribed.
3.1. For each of the meters the difference between the calculated value of the cyclic volume V and the value of this volume specified on the meter must not exceed 5% of the latter.
3.2. Meters G1·6 to G6 inclusive may be provided with a device to prevent operation of the counter when the gas flows in a non-authorised direction.
"The volumes of air to be measured can be replaced by the volumes most closely corresponding to a whole number of turns of the controller element".
5.1.2. In EEC initial verification the errors for a meter for flows Q between 2Qmin and Qmax must not all exceed 1% if they are all of the same sign.
The above values relate to the maximum of the mechanical pressure absorption.
For meters for which the operating pressure exceeds 0:1 MN/m (1 bar) the provisions of item 6.2. of this Chapter regarding the mechanical pressure absorption apply, but the total pressure absorption mentioned in item 6.1. of this Chapter of these meters is not taken into consideration.
( d ) at a flow rate 0.5Qmax for meters for which the operating pressure is greater than 0·1MN/m (1 bar).
If the examination is conducted under different conditions, the guarantees must be at least equal to those obtained by the tests mentioned above.
PROVISIONS CONCERNING GAS METERS WITH ROTARY PISTONS OR TURBINES.
—in which the measurement of gas passed is effected by means of measuring chambers with rotary walls.
—in which the axial flow of gas rotates a turbine wheel and the number of revolutions of the wheel represents the volume of gas passed.
and decimal multiples of the last five lines.
3.1.1. Meters should include upstream and downstream static pressure tappings of 3 to 5 millimetre diameter to permit measurement of the pressure drop:the pressure measured upstream will constitute the reference pressure.
3.1.2. The meters may incorporate a manual arrangement for turning the pistons provided that it cannot be used in such a way as to interfere with the correct operation of the meter.
3.1.3. The bearings of the shafts of the rotary pistons of meters of sizes G160 and above may be constructed in such a way as to provide access to them without breaking the protective seals.
3.2.1. The meters must incorporate a pressure tapping permitting, if necessary indirectly, the determination of the pressure immediately upstream of the turbine wheel as a reference pressure.
3.2.1.1. If there is a device for throttling the gas flow upstream of the rotor, the meter may incorporate, as well as the pressure tapping required by item 3.2.1. of this Chapter, another pressure tapping immediately before the throttle to permit determination of the pressure drop across the throttling device.
3.3.1. These pressure tappings must be provided with means for closing them.
3.3.2. The pressure tappings for the reference pressure must be clearly and indelibly marked "pr" and the pressure tapping should be indicated as "p".
Maximum permissible error in EEC initial verification.
5.2. The errors must not all exceed half the maximum permissible error if they are all of the same sign.
Qmin, 1.5Qmin, 2.5Qmin, 0.25Qmax, 0.5Qmax, and Qmax.
If the test is effected in other conditions, these must guarantee a result identical to the verifications mentioned above.
6.2. The values specified in item 6·1 of this Chapter may be varied by x 5 %.
GIVEN under my Official Seal this 21st day of March, 1973.
These regulations are made to give effect, so far as necessary, to Council Directive No. 71/316/EEC, as amended by the Act annexed to the Treaty of Accession, 22nd January, 1972, at Annex 1. X (Technical Barriers), item 12, and Council Directives Nos. 71/317/EEC, 71/318/EEC, and 71/319/EEC, on the approximation of the Laws of the Member States relating to measuring instruments and methods of metrological control for medium accuracy weights, liquid meters and gas volume meters. | 2019-04-20T22:25:39Z | http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1973/si/67/made/en/print |
Saturday July 29th 1995: Sixteen Scouts and four leaders from 1st Framwellgate Moor Scout Troop left Durham, in three cars and the Elvet Landrover, heading for Chatsworth House, for their annual Summer Camp. They were joining up with their usual camping partners: 2nd Ashbourne Scout Troop (Paul Hodgkinson -- the SL's old Troop). This year though it wasn't just 2nd Ashbourne, but the whole of the Ashbourne District we would be joining, and was not to be just a normal summer camp, but instead we would be taking part in Peak '95.
The Peak camps are a series of international camps run jointly by Derbyshire Scouts and Guides, every five years. This year there were roughly 7,000 camping all week, on fourteen different Sub Camps, one for the camp staff (Chatsworth), one for the ventures running activities (Elvaston), and twelve for the Scout Troops and Guide Companies, all of which were named after local stately homes and castles.
After a four-hour journey -- thanks to road works at the A1-M62 junction -- we finally arrived at our rendez-vous point about a mile away from the campsite so we could arrive in convoy. As it was towing all the equipment in the trailer, the Land Rover was last to arrive. Ashbourne District site was home to the Durham contingent, forty-five Scouts and forteen leaders from Ashbourne District (Brailsford, Ashbourne, Hulland and Biggin) and seventeen Pfadfinder and Pfadfinderinnen and their leaders from Graz in Austria.
The Ashbourne District contingent were part of Haddon Sub-camp, this having the (dis-)advantage of being right in the centre of the camp site, near all the activity tents, toilets, supermarket, main arena ... (Haddon Hall is the home of the Duke of Rutland, and is about four miles from the campsite). The Scout/Guide sub-camps were all identified by their camp baseball caps - Haddon's were turquoise, and the Staff by their distinctive purple neckers.
Saturday afternoon saw us finish setting up our own camp site and explore the rest of the Peak camp site, a veritable canvas town: having its own bank, post office, supermarket, cinema, fire-station, hospital, burger-bar (McWoodlands) phone-box, radio-station and bar. In the three weeks previous the service crews had laid 2 miles of water pipe, 3 miles of electrical cabling and five miles of telephone cabling, to link up the various sub camps. The weather was so warm (reaching the 90's) that most Scouts spent the afternoon at a nice leisurely pace, it being too hot to bother with much, especially after a four-hour journey in a warm vehicle.
Saturday evening after the evening meal saw the camp-wide wide game 'Man-hunt', were the Scouts and Guides had to capture as many leaders as possible and bring them back to their holding pens in the middle of the arena, various leaders being worth more points than others. After this it was the Grand Opening Ceremony, with all the big-wigs being introduced; the camp flag being brought down the abseiling tower and a few words from the site's owner, the Duke of Devonshire; before A huge fire-work officially opened the camp. The Scouts and Guides then disco-ed the night away (until 10 anyway -- and how long did the Take That record last on the turntable?) and it was all back to camp for supper and lights out.
Sunday July 30th 1995: Sunday morning saw us wake up to a suprising lack of toilets (a great innovation in Peak '95 was proper flush toilets along side the main track). Later on we discovered that 'Nessie' (the honeycart) was not man (or woman) enough for the job of clearing the quantity of fluid that was asked of her, and that two more honeycarts had to be brought in to assist her. Even later on it transpired that Nessie had in fact got stuck axle deep in the the mud, and the only way to get her out was to lighten her load, consequently putting her deeper in the *#*!.
Sunday was also the day of the invasion, not happy with just the 7,000 on camp all week, the population of Peak was about to grow by another 5,000 of our younger siblings, with the Cub and Brownie day starting (along with the general open day for parents to come along and see what was going on) at ten in the morning. Once they had arrived they went around their own sub-camp completing various activities including Bunny-copters, mini-orienteering, and friendship knots. All this went well (but I don't want to see another friendship knot for some time), and finally they left for their lunch and a chance to wander around some of the activities that the Scouts would be doing later in the week.
For the Scout Leaders a large part of Sunday afternoon was taken up with allocating activity tickets to the Scouts. With so many on site, each group were given about five activity tickets per boy/girl, ranging from Arts and Crafts, through Golf, Croquet and Archery to Climbing and Caving, which had to be allocated fairly in such away as to avoid clashes, ranging from anywhere between half an hour and full day activities. We were given tickets for each day except Wednesday (our Sub-camp day, but more of that when we get up to it). After much cogitating, shuffling and general difficulties we eventually allocated the majority of the tickets (being left with a large selection of arts and crafts).
To fill in any spare time the Scouts and Guides had, the sub-camps had set up additional activities -- woggle making, glass engraving, swing-ball and volley-ball around the sub-camp, and Sunday saw the start of the volley-ball games (or was it who could hit the most Cubs/Brownies -- by accident of course!), and the friendships starting to form between the Austrians/Durham/Ashbourne Scouts and the other Scouts and (mainly) Guides around the sub-camp.
Monday July 31st 1995: The first day of ticketed activities started OK with most people finding out where their activities were and how long it would take them to get to there. Some of the 'on-site' activities were on-site, but were nearly twenty minutes walk from the main arena. Monday seemed to be a quite day (for the leaders anyway) after all the mayhem with the extra 5000 on site the day before and the allocation of activity tickets.
Monday afternoon saw us treated by the Austrian's traditional dancing outside the international marquee, with some of the Scouts and Leaders being mugged in to take part! After tea, it was time for Haddon's Camp Fire up by Jubilee Rock. The camp fire had a few difficulties, mainly with the common problem to be overcome when there are so many different groups getting together from all over the place, that many of the Scouts/Guides don't know all the songs.
Tuesday August 1st 1995: As the weather was so hot and sticky, we decided to take as many of the boys who wanted off site to go swimming at the local outdoor pool, to get rid of all the sweat and grime of three days camping in the 90's (temperature not decade). Due to its popularity we had to get there well before its opening time of 10.30, and even arriving just after 10, we were already half way to the gate when we started queueing. Once we were in, the water was lovely, if just a bit difficult to swim in, due to the number of people they cram in. If someone was drowning in the middle the life guards wouldn't have to swim -- they could walk on the shoulders of those in the pool.
While we were out swimming Haddon sub-camp had a visit from the Duke of Rutland, owner of Haddon Hall, who visited the sub-camp, talking to both leaders and children before disappearing off on a whistle stop tour around the rest of the camp.
Tuesday afternoon saw more practice for the sub-camp volley-ball, Don't kick the volleyball including a semi-serious match against one of the other troops (semi-serious in the sense that they were taking it seriously and we weren't) in the sub-camp. During this we had our first spots of rain of the camp (all four of them). That evening we had another (floodlit) game of volleyball in which we had the last few spots of rain of the camp (again only measurable in spots per square metre, and then you could count them on one hand). Tuesday evenings arena display was probably the most impressive and exciting, with the Flying Gunners motorcycle display team doing their stuff, including human pyramids, fast and slow crosses, comedy stunts (including a remote control fire engine), and jumps.
After this we had a game of football, until we were pushed off the arena (about the only non tent covered piece of relatively flat ground) by the entertainments team preparing for the Peak Wave. After supper we had a quite sing song led by Julia (one of the Austrians - who spoke very good English -- except for the American accent) on Guitar till eleven, and lights out.
As I had been a bit bored on the Monday and Tuesday afternoons, I decided to see if I could tag along with one of the teams doing the Chatsworth Challenge, a six-seven mile incident hike around the Moors to the back of the house. I walked with Dave (one of the Shepards) and a group of three Scouts and a Guide. The route was easy going, except for the weather being hot and sticky. We were Blue 8, which meant we had the easier days walking, the climb was steep but over and done with very quickly before the day got really hot, and it was also mainly in the shade of the woods.
The teams had to retrieve letters which spelt out a word, and collect the next grid reference. After eventually finding the first checkpoint (not helped by the Start GR being for a different Marquee), here the team had to cross a Shark-infested river along a tightish rope to retrieve their next letter.
Then on to checkpoint two: for this we had to assist the team with the navigation due to the rabbit warren of footpaths through the woods. Again we had to back track a bit, as the GR was 100 yards out and on the wrong footpath, but fortunately we, as shepards, knew what we were looking for and could easily find the checkpoint. This time the teams had to follow a piece of blue polyprop along, through, under and over crags along the edge of the ridge.
Checkpoint three saw the teams following compass bearings; four doing nothing but learning about Hobs Hurst House (a bronze-age burial mound); and five searching for the letter under a low bridge. It was then back within site of camp to the abseiling checkpoint, where the letter was attached to the face of the rock with a friend, and the team members had to abseil down the cliff face to retrieve the letter and the GR, and then free-abseil down the remaining fifteen feet to the ground.
Finally it was back to Jubilee Rock, to find one of the checkpointees sprawled on his back after he had fallen, and then to the finish to solve the anagram.
What was it TRAD VENUE, RED UTE VAN or ADVENTURE? While I was walking the Sub-camp was having its Sub-camp day, none of our Scouts had tickets for activities, instead they had silly-games in the morning: Run-the-risk, mixed volleyball and mixed five-a-side soccer. The PLs from Durham and Fram managed to qualify for the finals of the soccer and volleyball, to take part in the finals on Friday. In the afternoon the various groups in the sub-camp organised there own activities which the boys could wander around.
As a green, environmentally friendly Troop, he would need to use less shampoo to wash the gunge out of his hair.
It would keep his fluid intake up.
We believe it would make a good sun-block.
It would make him change his Peak '90 T-shirt which it appears he has worn since the last camp.
He has been keeping the cook team awake to the small wee-hours.
We don't want to go for just another 'short walk'.
We've got nothing else better to do with our time.
Otherwise we wont get fed.
After tea, it was time for the Peak '95 Wave (if you are using a graphical browser for this you may have wondered where the image at the top of this page came from, well it was the Peak Wave. Virtually all the Scouts, Guides, Leaders and Staff were asked to turn up to the arena, in their sub-camps wearing their sub-camp hats, we were then herded into pre-marked areas to spell out PEAK 95. Haddon formed the top of the 9, and if you look very carefully, I am at the bottom-right corner of the whole in the 9. Apart from the time this took (too long) it was a nice idea, especially to get everyone on one picture, things were delayed more when one of the 'A' fainted due to the heat.
Once the wave was over it wasn't long before the Marquee party, and we knew that if Paul was going to get gunged we needed as many loud Scout's as possible to win any cheer for the Gungee. The Marquee party was loosely based on Noel's house party (hence the Gunge Tank), but thankfully there was not a Mr. Blobby in site. We were entertained by Troops of Scouts and Companies of Guides from the three Sub-camps Haddon, .. and .., including American Indian dancing, Irish dancing, bad jokes, camp-songs, and even camper songs (with a rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody performed by three Queens dressed in Guide uniforms), and of course by the Gunging of one Scout and supposedly one leader.
Well when it got round to the leader gunging, the chant Hodge. Hodge! HODGE! rang out from all our Scouts. BUT then one went awfully quiet, when he realised he had been grabbed and hand-cuffed to Hodge. As Hodge sat there on the chair waiting for his punishment, 'Cocky' knelt beside him, praying that Hodge wouldn't get gunged, as were ever Hodge went, David was sure to follow. (One nail in Hodge's coffin). When it came to reading out the reasons for nomination, the compare pulled open the list, and it fell down out of his clip-board, two sheets of A4 with big writing (Nail two), and as he read out Reason One (He's a teacher) you could just tell that the lid had been firmly bolted down, and that there would be no competition over who was to get gunged.
As the Marquee party had gone on longer than expected, it was a quick dash down to the camp site to get ready for the night hike, and after ascertaining our route, (to let Paul and Cocky know where we were going to meet them after their shower privileges) we headed across the arena, and around the back of the camp site to Chatsworth house, across the Bridge into the grounds (where we waited for our gunged friends to catch up) before heading out across the fields to Edensor (pronounced Ensaw) and back, the sky was clear and moon/starlit enough that we didn't need torches (something to do with cones and cylinders?), except when we blinded by the other Groups walking in the opposite direction. Finally after a late night out, it was time for supper and bed.
The village on Edensor was physically moved, as one of the owners of Chatsworth felt that it was a bit of an eyesore where it was, and that it would be better a bit further up the valley. It also has a Haw-Haw (no not a bad joke, but a ditch with a fence in) surrounding it. This was so that the view of the village from the House was not disturbed by a fence (hidden in the ditch), but the village had the protection of a fence to stop animals... getting in.
Thursday morning saw the Landrover set off once more for Hathersage pool, to take a different group of Scouts swimming. If anything the weather was even warmer than it had been earlier in the week and the nice cool relaxing water was a refreshing change to the dusty, sticky camp conditions.
America: Barbados, Bolivia, Canada, USA.
Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden.
Friday morning started off very early for some of the Scouts, well those that could make the effort to get up, Peak '95 was to be heard on Radio 1, on the Chris Evans show, it had been arranged the Peak '95 was to be a phone in competitor on his show, but as I had to be out early, I didn't see or here much of this. Fortunately?
Today, I was again off Sheparding a team round the Chatsworth Challenge route. This time I had a team of five Guides and one German Scout. The day started off cool and overcast but by about ten-thirty the clouds had retreated and the sun was beating down on us. Not the sort of weather for walking. This time we managed to find base one with no problems (perhaps because we knew where we were coming from). Whoever set up base two, the 'ropewalk', must have been a follower of the Marquis de Sade, with more throughs and unders than on the Wednesday, the last (and least) was too small for me even to physically fit my shoulders through.
Due to the weather the next two hours were a long slog around the back of the estate, with regular rests for water and a bit of ray-catching, until we finally got back into the valley for the abseiling. This time anyone who wanted to have a go could, and so the teams were backed up by the time we got there, and we had a two and a quarter hour wait, before we got a chance to abseil for the letter. This left us even more time for catching rays, scrambling over the rocks and even an impromptu water fight when the Ashbourne Scouts who were four teams behind us at the start finally caught us up again. Our final time to get to the end of the course was seven hours fifty five -- somewhat of a record -- the slowest team of the week.
On returning to the camp site, it was nearly time for dinner, and we were in for a treat?!?, the Austrians camping with us, were preparing dinner for us. The kitchen tent looked as if a bomb had hit it, with flour... all over the place, and it appeared not a clean pan in sight. The starter was a thin soup with finally sliced pancakes, and the main course breadcrumbed pork slices and buttered potatoes, and for pudding we had Birthday cake, it being Pauline, the Ashbourne D.C. and a member of the cook-teams, birthday. After dinner (and not really enough time to clear up), it was time to prepare for the closing ceremony. Each sub-camp collected by their sub-camp gates and snaked into the arena, for the final good-byes and the closing of the camp. This was followed by the final disco, while I wondered off around the site to talk to some of the Americans and Germans and swap Scouting stories and badges.
This page produced by James Smith CSL 15th Durham (Elvet), Durham City, Durham County, and held on the DUSAGG account. | 2019-04-21T06:19:52Z | https://baggy.me.uk/scouts/peak95/ |
Geneva, 9 Apr (Chakravarthi Raghavan*) – The plurilateral talks for e-commerce rules at the WTO, mooted by 76 countries, is a reality, though 88 other members cannot or will not participate, and “it is my hope that those holding out are not blackmailing the system but have legitimate issues that can be brought on board,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Dr Mukhisa Kituyi has said.
Dr Kituyi was speaking at a panel discussion on 5 April jointly organised by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Commonwealth Secretariat during UNCTAD’s eCommerce Week.
The panel discussion was on the development implications of the proposed WTO plurilateral negotiations on electronic commerce.
Chaired by Ambassador Xiangchen Zhang of the People’s Republic of China, six of the seven invited panelists were drawn from those supporting the negotiations, and one against. There were two others from the private sector listed, whose presentations were available and were invited to speak from the floor (but only one was present and spoke).
There were also two non-pre-arranged floor interventions, one by a former International Telecommunication Union (ITU) official and now Swiss civil society participant, questioning the claims that the rules will promote development, and opposing the WTO venue for the talks.
The other intervener, a World Bank person, said in his experience development issues always got pushed to the end of negotiations and wound up not really being taken into account.
The panel discussion appears to have given rise to sharp, negative comments from a coalition of over 300 global and national civil society organisations (CSOs) from 90 countries (developed and developing) from across the world, including international organisations of workers and national organisations of MSMEs (micro, small and medium sized enterprises).
This coalition, grouped under the Our World is Not For Sale (OWINFS) network, has been opposed to and campaigning against the e-com negotiations and the WTO as the venue.
These CSOs have generally been very supportive hitherto of UNCTAD and its work, and quite effective in their own countries against the consistent efforts of the US, EU and others, right from UNCTAD’s founding, to sideline, if not abolish UNCTAD.
These comments and exchanges got wide circulation over their list servers, “tweets” and the like. The CSOs voiced “outrage” at the “lop-sided” composition of the panel, and the UNCTAD Secretary-General for seemingly advocating developing country participation in the WTO e-com talks.
Dr Kituyi responded sharply to these comments and said that to claim UNCTAD’s position as supporting the e-commerce negotiations at the WTO was “cheap and nonsensical”, and critics should read what UNCTAD has said consistently.
It remains to be seen whether the presentations and comments and exchanges have converted any side to the other’s views.
As chair and moderator of the panel discussion, Ambassador Xiangchen Zhang noted at the start that a group of 76 (counting the 28 EU member States individually) out of 164 WTO members representing over 90 per cent of world trade had agreed at Davos, Switzerland, on 25 January 2019 to launch plurilateral negotiations on trade-related aspects of electronic commerce (e-commerce), aimed at facilitating e-commerce and digital trade.
The Chinese envoy added that although the exact scope of negotiations has not been determined, they are likely to cover a wide range of specific issues in e-commerce, such as the moratorium on customs duties on e-commerce, e-commerce and digital trade facilitation, issues related to data and the development dimension of the negotiations.
Speakers at the panel, he said, would discuss systemic implications of the negotiations, risk of regulatory fragmentation through plurilateral accords and how the majority of developing countries, and most LDCs, that are outside the negotiations should respond to the outcomes.
Though the Chinese envoy raised the issue of systemic implications, neither he nor any of the other invited speakers addressed the fundamental systemic issue of how any outcome would find its way into the WTO rule-book or its legality outside the WTO framework.
It’s too late, he said, to talk about whether there are going to be e-com negotiations at the WTO. Due to the failure to launch them multilaterally, there are going to be plurilateral negotiations. It is a reality. But there are 88 countries at the WTO that cannot or will not participate in the process.
Dr Kituyi said the last time when there was a stand-off of a similar nature, on whether they should harvest the Doha progress before launching New Issues, he was Minister of Trade for Kenya.
Previously, there were drivers of multilateralism who bent over backwards to bring everyone in. Now it’s different. The whole multilateral experiment is in a crisis and the solution has to come from within. The crisis in multilateral ism cannot be cured by plurilaterals. They can make certain rules, but not cure the challenges to multilateralism. So, while proceeding on the plurilateral track, one must be aware that it is taking energy from the revival of multilateralism, and not solving the crisis, said Dr Kituyi.
The plurilateral talks are starting with a spaghetti bowl of regulatory regimes. So to move from there to an ambitious outcome is a big challenge. And some power is outside the group (not participating) but their interests will be implicated in the rules that are negotiated.
No one should fear negotiations, but no one should negotiate out of fear, Dr Kituyi said.
Australian Ambassador Ms. Frances Lisson said that digital trade is a critical driver of global economic growth, growing 32% faster and creating jobs more quickly. While e-commerce has been a long-standing element in the WTO’s work since May 1998, discussions on it have not progressed, while e-com provisions in FTAs are more common. It is hence clear that the WTO needs to engage or fall behind in relevance.
Since the January 2019 statement of the 76 countries, a schedule has been set, and the text proposals on the first tranche are due for discussion in mid-May. Hopefully it will allow for developing the inclusive potential of digital trade for women and MSMEs.
Half of the signatories are developing countries, including LDCs. All meetings are open to all WTO members, signatories or not to the Davos statement (but not to civil society). The documents are available to all members, and reports go to the WTO membership, said Ambassador Lisson.
Ambassador Kham-Inh Khitchadeth of Laos, from Asia and Ambassador Eloi Laourou of Benin from Africa, both LDCs, also spoke at the event, both underscoring the special disabilities of the LDCs, and the need for space for all developing countries, and specially the LDCs, to take on all commitments.
The Laos envoy noted that of the three LDCs who signed on to the e-com talk s at Buenos Aires in 2017, two signed on to the Davos statement. Laos, with little bargaining power, limited negotiating capacity, scarce finance and e-technology, has joined the process to have a seat at the table. The interests and concerns of the LDCs should be reflected in the negotiations.
He said Laos is optimistic that the WTO could deliver not only on e-com but also on the DDA.
Ambassador J. S. Deepak of India, the only invited panellist opposed to the e-com talks, said India felt that the talks must take place multilaterally for inclusive and balanced outcomes. India well understood the benefits of e-com; it has a (thriving) e-com ecosystem with growth, large number of users of social media, platforms, and applications. India understood the benefits that the changes would bring about.
There are three reasons why it is premature to have binding rules, he pointed out.
The Rules-based WTO system worked on the basis of mandates and priorities on multilateral rules. At the Buenos Aires Ministerial, there was a clear mandate and Work Programme (WP) multilaterally agreed by Ministers of 164 countries.
It provides that “we should continue the 1998 WP discussions …”. In spite of this, some members are moving forward with negotiations.
Drawing attention to a McKinsey study, the Indian envoy to the WTO said that many developing countries are leaders in business processing and call centers. With automation/mechanization, 50% of the jobs will disappear in countries like Thailand, Mexico, India etc.
E-com pre-supposes affordable access to broadband. Only 1 in 3 of our population has high enough connectivity to leverage benefits. For the LDCs, it is one in 6 or 7. How do you leverage the great benefits without connectivity and affordable access?
And what are some of the proposals: Soft elements like spam, e-signature, authentication of documents, and hard elements like in CPTPP, XBDT, free flow of data, bans on data localization and permanent moratorium on duties for e-com transactions.
Data is the new oil is a cliche. Data is our competitive advantage. It is a new commodity which we can leverage for our development. Most data is created in developing countries but it is captured and processed and mined by TNCs in developed countries, said Ambassador Deepak.
If it’s like the new oil, do we have rules on benefit sharing, use, development like we do for oil? It’s not just about privacy but about using the economic values of data for community development. If we do not have servers and cloud computing, we cannot have jobs in the developing countries. Yes, cloud computing without boundaries will have efficiencies – but at whose cost? Should all costs be borne by developing countries?
At the time the moratorium on customs duties on e-transmissions came into being, e-transmissions were insignificant. Now they are a significant portion of trade flows, he said.
According to a recent UNCTAD study, countries will forego US$10 billion in revenues due to the moratorium, of which 97% will be in developing countries. Tariff losses by LDCs are US$1.5 billion.
According to the UNCTAD paper, it would be almost US$2 billion for Mexico and Thailand, US$0.5 billion for China, India, and Nigeria.
For small LDCs, this is a big issue. Tariffs are 12% of revenue. As more products can be digitally printed, the tariff schedules will be eroded.
So, the moratorium on e-transmissions has the potential of making domestic industry less competitive. It would greatly harm the revenue base of developing countries and would take away their ability to have special dispensation for domestic suppliers. Under GATS, you can have exceptions in the WTO. But if you agree to non-discriminatory treatment for foreign service providers, yo u cannot give special treatment for your domestic suppliers. This has huge implications for development in developing countries and LDCs especially.
Without adequate preparation, we are going to have a very difficult time ma king rules. We need to be prepared, we need to develop digitalization. We are in need of policy space and we are populating it with our national data policy. India’s data should be used for India’s development, said the Indian envoy.
Those who generate data should not become products to be used by others but should benefit from it.
What could be the role of UNCTAD? It’s important that we do not leap in the dark. We have to understand the situation now, engage in the exploratory Work Programme in the WTO, explore elements of high ambition. UNCTAD can help understand a bottom-up approach to digitalization and e-commerce with all the stakeholders taken into account.
Enlightened engagement rather than one based on ignorance may be the way to go forward, even if an idea is the fashionable idea of the season, said Ambassador Deepak.
The EU representative, Ambassador Paolo Garzotti, said that the issue is of systemic importance, but the negotiations are taking place only among certain members on the most dynamic areas of trade, demonstrating the resilience of the WTO system. The EU had joined the negotiations for the same reasons that Ambassador Deepak had mentioned for not joining.
“We don’t want to go back home and come back in ten years … It’s a resounding yes to multilateralism and a no to paralysis” at the WTO. The EU priorities in the negotiations are “comprehensive and ambitious” rules, supported by as many WTO members as possible, in the limited amount of time.
This, he said, is the classical trilemma: “a dynamics approach to provide flexibility to negotiating outcome.” It was not realistic to have all rules accepted by all members. The outcome will be difficult to say before the start.
What are the development implications and systemic implications?
E-signatures and payments to protect consumers are basic and crucial and necessary elements to bring benefits. This is good for all members but especially those from the developing world. If these discussions take place at national and global level, that would be great, he said.
Creating artificial divisions between developed and developing members is not conducive to success. These rules are going to be written anyway. If we don’t do them in the WTO, they will be done elsewhere; in fact they are already being done in FTAs, even FTAs where LDCs are members, said the EU envoy.
It’s a risk of finding the global environment set by others instead of here . That’s why all members, and developing countries in particular, have an interest in joining the club rather than letting the rules being set without them. If you set traffic rules while everyone is still in the street, you risk a lot of crashes. Better to do it multilaterally in a rules-based system, he added.
Ambassador Eloi Laourou of Benin said the digital economy and e-trade was part of daily life. “We purchase online, we sell online, we are people, a society, government, MSMEs, enterprises that are using ICTs, for health, education, telecommunications, agriculture. We have to take into account an assessment of the work in front of us … the needs and concerns of developing countries and particularly LDCs. In aspects that are linked with e-commerce, LDCs need to have policy space. The specific areas we should touch on relate to data flows, data localization, revenue sharing, start-ups or enterprises in general. For the LDCs, these are constraints, and we cannot take the same commitments on regulation.
For all LDCs to benefit from this exercise, he would like all LDCs to join the initiative. Developing countries and LDCs have a lot of constraints; their digital infrastructure and cybersecurity have to be enhanced, and they need schemes to promote this readiness.
The Commonwealth Secretariat representative, Teddy Soobramanien, posed the question whether e-commerce can bring benefits and promote social welfare. He had heard the case of land-locked countries, but not on remote small island states who probably stand to get more from e-commerce to reach more markets and reduce trade costs, increase efficiency and reduce barriers.
For example, the e-signature issue was sorted out way back in the 1990s by UNCITRAL, and there is no reason to consider new provisions.
Despite the statements to the effect that it was too early to foresee the outcome of the plurilateral negotiations, in fact the outcome is pre-ordained: several of the proponents have already agreed on e-commerce provisions in TPP and USMCA. In fact, the outcome will surely be based on USMCA, because that corresponds to what industry has quite openly said they want.
Key industry demands are to constrain national regulation so as to obtain: free flow of data; no data localization; no source code disclosure requirements (this may prevent governments from procuring open source software and/or from examining source code to determine whether it complies with regulatory requirements regarding safety, pollution, etc.); permanent prohibition of import duties on digital products (which can be a serious problem for developing countries, who might not have any other practical means to raise revenue, in particular in light of the fact that many Internet companies optimize their operations so as to avoid paying income taxes in any jurisdiction).
Hill supported Ambassador Deepak’s statement to the effect that the pre-requisites for ecommerce negotiations are not there. These include: affordable Internet access (which is not available in many developing countries); national data policies; global taxation policies that avoid current tax avoidance; national and global anti-trust policies and enforcement; and methods to distribute equitably the value-added of data monetization.
The WTO e-commerce proposals seek to enshrine the current business model, which has been referred to as Surveillance Capitalism by respected Harvard Business School professor Shoshana Zuboff. She has written a 500-page book (The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power) explaining in detail why that system is evil.
Hill stated that since the EU representative mentioned that the e-commerce negotiations will include the telecommunications issue, he was obliged to recall his previous capacity as a senior official at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and to express his astonishment that the very same countries that refused to discuss proposals made by developing countries in the ITU in 201 2 are now making in the WTO the very same proposals that they refused in the ITU.
In another question/intervention from the floor, a representative of the World Bank stated that, in his experience, development issues always got pushed to the end of negotiations and wound up not really being taken into account.
In response to Mr. Hill’s question, the EU representative reiterated that the outcome was not pre-ordained and stated that he was not aware of the 2012 discussions in the ITU.
On the second question, the panelists reiterated that they would put development at the center of the negotiations.
That hypocrisy, he noted, was publicly visible during the negotiations on Friday 5 April at the Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE), where developed countries blocked inclusion, in non-binding recommendations, key proposals from developing countries, including refusal to accept any references to “data ownership”, “economic value of data”, or “data policies”. As a result, no recommendations whatsoever were agreed by the IGE.
Perhaps more appropriate for developing countries would have been: “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately”. | 2019-04-23T23:00:51Z | http://twn.my/title2/wto.info/2019/ti190408.htm |
[17:10] Today has been a rather useful day. After last night it really needed to be. I got back from Tesco and tried the washer. It seemed to be working OK until it just suddenly decided to trip half the electrical circuits in the house, with a load of (sacrificial) washing inside sodden with water and detergent. I managed to get the washing out, scoop out enough water to reset the breakers, and drain the drum. I then had a go at getting the washer to spin the wet washing a bit. After a few minutes of spinning (making a fair racket) things got really, really loud, so I turned it off at the wall and eventually managed to get the washing out. It was cold in places, and so hot it was steaming in others. This didn't feel right, given the washer shouldn't have been heating anything at this point. So, given the drum is hard to turn by hand, keeps tripping the breakers, and makes a worrying sound when spinning, I decided it was time to get a new one. That was what I tried to do for the first half of this morning at work. After having met the bathroom fitter again before work and talked about adding a wall-mounted heater and a shaver socket (mostly to charge my electric toothbrush) I headed into work to double check reviews of various washers, paying attention (I hope enough!) to the various programmes they have. I found someone with a Which? online account and checked the reviews of the ones I was interested in. Got to my desk and make sure the one I'd settled on was available from the place I wanted to get it from. Went to the discount site for my workplace and ordered a top-up for the 'giftcard' I used to pay for my television. The washer is £369.99, plus £20 for removal of the old washer. I found an online voucher code for £20 off (making the removal free, hurrah!). Pay £40.40 to the discount site for £370.00 (round numbers only when adding value to cards), then realise that the giftcard won't have the balance on it until Thursday morning as it was after 11:00 when the transaction went through. Discover on the store's site that the sale on the washer and the £20 voucher both expire tonight. Contact the store via the online chat and am told there's nothing to be done about that. Contact the discount site via their online chat and be told there's no way to expedite the giftcard balance top up... but that I can get a refund on that and go with "instant vouchers" which are what they say on the tin. Get refund for giftcard top up (will take three days), and attempt to get vouchers, to find they only come in minimum amounts of £25 (£25, £50, £100, £200, £1000). Order £375 of instant vouchers for £345 (still 8% discount), head over to the store's web site and order the washer.
On top of that, negotiating £1012 of the cost of my external wall insulation was a nice thing to do this afternoon. In the meantime I managed to get the initial build of two VMs done, go for a recovery run at lunch time, and even get a UPS configured and monitored by our Observium setup. I've got lots more to do tomorrow, but for the moment I'm off home so that Cormac can come by and collect the camp bed I slept on over Christmas, as well as his skiing goggles and gloves which he let me borrow last week.
[17:00] Well, I'm back from skiing and I'm not dead. Although I do have a few bruises. I was only cross country skiing (not knowing how to downhill/alpine ski), but after two days of too much snow (and the piste-bashers not clearing any langlauf routes) I was able to start getting out and racking up the kilometers/distance. Rachel, lovely person that she is, split her time between downhill skiing and cross country with me. We had a lovely chalet, shared with Andy (Andrew) and Andy (Andrea) as well as two older gentlemen (with whom we got on quite well), a host who cooked us some delicious breakfasts, afternoon teas, and dinners), and the scenery was incredible. Other than the valley getting snowed in for a day or so, my inability to stay on my feet when going around langlauf route downhill corners, and a feeling of missing out when the other three were up on the downhill routes, it was a fantastically wonderful holiday, and I might even want to go again... possibly having learned a bit of downhill skiing in a snowdome or similar beforehand.
The main reason why I might not be doing that any time soon (by which I mean the next year or three) is that this morning was the start of my shower room refurbishment, and I'm in the final stages of agreeing a start date for a company to come and apply external wall insulation to my house, at a considerable expense. Until my finances have recovered from those rather major hits I'm not sure I'm going to be doing more than some long weekends away in this country, and making my own entertainment with paper cups, sticky-back plastic and drinking straws.
Anyway, it's time to go home, go to Tesco, then test the washing machine with a sacrificial load (which I might not get back without a fight) as it may be on the way to being completely broken in a terminal way.
[15:40] Short entry as I'm away off home very shortly. Thence to the train station, to Croydon, and off cross country skiing for all of next week. But anyway, today was mildly useful in that I got three servers built, one of them twice due to 'issues', did a pretty hard interval session at lunch time which I decided to do on the track to ensure I didn't get bothered by pedestrians, and worried and stressed about my Red Hat Satellite install, which I upgraded yesterday and have since had a number of issues with. Hopefully it'll be OK for the next week and I can deal with anything that might ahve gonr wrong with it when I get back. Hopefully nothing will have.
Last night I went home via Keith's house and helped Sarah (housemate) rescue large chunks of his shed roof and then tie down the rest of the roof with boat ties so that hopefully nothing else flies off before he gets back.
I'm actually quite tired now that I think about it. I think this is the first week in a long time when I've run every day. The last time was probably when I did that 10K for ten days thing, and then started on the 15K for fifteen days (which I stopped when I started getting nose bleeds or something like that).
Anyway, that's it for the moment. I'm off, as I said. When I get back, the Monday I come back into work is the first day the bathroom fitter starts on my shower/wet room and converts it into something a little better in terms of fittings and fixtures, flooring and heating. Here's hoping. I'll give you something of a running commentary, as well as a debrief on next week as and when I have time. There might even be photos. Don't think I've forgotten about putting up photos of Kenya/Tanzania/Zanzibar. I just need a bit of time. See you soon.
[17:20] It was so windy last night and this morning that the side gate to my house managed to slip its deadbolt twice (04:30 and 05:00). I'm going to have to properly secure it while I'm away next week or it'll probably bang itself off its hinges by the time I get home. In any event, that and the wind itself contributed to me not having a great second half of the night's sleep. The wind played a factor in how tired I was after I got up at 06:00 and ran for an hour and a half around a ten-and-a-bit mile circular-ish course, too. Starting in the dark, windy morning with a headtorch on to help me see fallen branches at least made me feel worthy, if not a little bit fitter by the time I'd finished. Or maybe just tired. This is a hard week of running every week day, and every day since last Saturday, because of my taking 'time off' (read: cross country skiing almost every day for a few hours) next week. Hopefully I have the measure of it.
Other things that happened today is that I got the train times I need for tomorrow evening to get to Rachel's place while meeting a friend at St. Pancras station, getting a printable voucher for a preferential rate on the money I want to exchance at the airport, printing everyone's boarding passes, and getting three new VMs ready for Ansiblisation tomorrow so that they're usable the week I'm away, rather than only coming into being after I get back.
Now I'm heading off to help someone rescue the roof of a shed which partially blew off last night. Then I'll head home and pack, and relax with whatever remains of the evening.
[18:00] Today started very early with my next door neighbours having an argument at 04:00, which carried on until about 05:30. So that was good. Then I had an hour of people looking at my house and generating an EWI quote that's the most expensive one yet. I'm unlikely to go with them. After all of that I cycled into work, had a morning of fighting with Ansible as a whole slew of edgecases came up when I tried applying what I thought was good Ansible roles, tasks, and playbooks, to my actual servers (rather than the test VM server I got them all 'working' on). Then it was lunchtime and a track session at which I think I performed reasonably. My coach was there coaching myself and others, so it was good to get some feedback. Once I was back in the office and showered and stuff I got the rest of my Ansible stuff done and dusted, did a few things manually which also got shunted into various locations so they won't be an issue next time, and even had time to eat my lunch before 15:00.
I've had an afternoon of working through emails, and figuring out what else I need to do before the end of the week. Now it's time to go home, have a good long rest, and think about whether I do my morning run before work or cheekily extend my lunch break tomorrow (it'll be the former, I imagine).
[17:40] Today mostly consisted of fiddling with Ansible and getting old roles to do new things, then prodding people repeatedly until they gave me the information I needed (mostly to do with users, groups, UIDs, and GIDs). I honestly think I might, finally, have everything I need to run Ansible over the five new physical servers I kickstarted last week. I'm going to take another look at everything in the cold light of tomorrow morning and then unleash the playbooks and see what happens.
Before that, tomorrow, I have another company coming round to look at the house with a view to giving me a quote for external wall insulation. That's at 08:00, so the chances are I won't get into work much before 09:00. That's OK though as it was only this morning when I was needed in a bit earlier than usual in case something went wrong during some planned maintenance.
Recovery run at lunch time, which was a great way to break up the day. The sun even came out. Tomorrow is track day, which should be a bit of a lung-stretcher.
[18:20] I'm trying to remember what happened over the weekend. After Friday night with Rachel (which was wonderful, and also involved curry), we woke up horribly early so she could get to somewhere south of London to play hockey. All the trains in the direction she wanted to go were cancelled, so she ended up having to get a train somewhere else, then a coach, then the Tube. It all worked out in the end, but it wasn't the smoothest of journeys. Meanwhile I went and did parkrun, reasonably, and then got on with a weekend of tidying, washing clothes, and going to Tesco. The washing machine gave me a bucket load of grief, making rather worrying sounds during the spin cycle, and then when I tried to use it empty to see what was happening, giving a good impression of breaking utterly, when in fact it was tripping a circuit breaker in the house distribution box instead. Basically, I'm going to try it again with a proper load when I get back from skiing and not overload it and hope very hard that it finishes its cycle and gives me back my clothes not covered in bits of mechanical innards, unused washing liquid, or more water than would be the case if the spin cycle had finished successfully. Let's just say I called my parents a lot, and worried about more financial outlay on top of the shower room refurbishment and the EWI quotes I've only got a few weeks to commit to one of before they expire.
I also spent a lot of Friday evening and Saturday using the FLIR camera from my council to look at my house and others on the same road. It confirmed my understanding that my house leaks a lot of heat because it's single skin, and the houses with EWI are doing a better job of keeping their heat inside, even when they're hotter inside than mine. I definitely want to get EWI installed... it's just a case of whether and when I can afford it. On Sunday I did my long run for the week, then popped around to a friend's house to let him look at his house extension-in-progress to see where the heat leaks were. That was quite interesting. I'm afraid all other parts of the weekend were spent relaxing on the sofa and either reading or watching large amounts of The Good Place.
This morning I was incredibly tired for no sensible reason I could think of. Given I had a cheque to pay in I stayed in bed a little later, then headed out in time to get to the bank for 09:00 to do so. After that I got into work where I've spent the entire day translating a set of build instructions for servers being tasked with running Oracle into a set of Ansible tasks. Other than some rather complex bits I needed help with from better minds than mine (and still they needed to look a few things up, which made me feel better) everything went off reasonbly smoothly and I'm ready to run everything against the real servers tomorrow, I think. At one point my brain got so clathered that I needed to get out of the building and go for a run, which was good as that's what my training plan said I had to do, too. It's going to be a tough week running wise as my coach is compressing seven days into five as I won't be able to train on Saturday (travel) or Sunday (probably doing other things/unable to run on snow).
For now though I'm going to head home and do very little for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow will see a bit more Ansible configuration (mainly user creation, I think) then I'll try running my playbook against the five servers and see what happens.
[17:05] I managed to rescue a fairly unproductive day with a rapid amount of work in the last few hours before it was time to write this and go home. Over lunch I also got a lift out to collect the FLIR (forward looking infra-red) camera from my district council so I can look at my house (and other people's houses, and Rachel, and random objects) tonight and this weekend. So yes, today was dull, then useful.
Rachel arrived last night and there was much rejoicing. I certainly didn't want to come to work this morning and was in fact slightly late in the end. Not that it mattered. I left Rachel at home doing important things (in fact she got up well before me this morning to have a Skype call) and I'm just about to leave and stop her doing important (work) things and do important (not work) things with me instead.
Over the weekend we'll be apart as Rachel has to go and play hockey back in London and then see friends and things. I'll be running variously, contemplating my EWI quotes, and reading a lot, I hope. Also Tesco, of course.
[17:40] With working Kickstart configurations from yesterday it was pretty simple to go over to the other server room this morning and get the remaining two servers up and running after I'd configured their BIOSes and DRACs. Of course, nothing's 100% simple, so I had to track down someone in Networks to get the network connectivity sorted out before everything could go ahead, but that didn't take long. Over lunch I had a nice 35 minute recovery run, which wasn't quite as relaxing as had been hoping, but at least it wasn't raining. I still need to work out what new Ansible roles to apply to the - now five - new servers I've just built, but that's a project for tomorrow, I think. I also built a new VM for someone too, but all I did there was run up something from the template, increase the disk size, and then hand it over.
Rachel's soon to be on her way here, if she doesn't miss her train, and then we should have a lovely evening together, she'll work from home tomorrow (which will mean I'll be leaving work as soon as humanly possible tomorrow afternoon) and then we'll have Friday evening together, too. She can't stay for the weekend (when I have the fun of the thermal camera to play with) as she has hockey and then a friend to see, so I'm lucky to get her for two nights in the week instead. I should have been going to Croydon again, but the camera only being available over the weekend has put paid to that. I'll be there next weekend (at least for some of it) before we go skiing, so that'll be some small payback.
[18:00] A long and hard, but ultimately rewarding day all told. Most of it was spent fighting with two different configurations of Dell server such that I could get RHEL7 installed on them via Kickstart. To cut a long story short, the problems were firewall related, and BIOS/UEFI related. I've solved both of them, as well as some niggly other issues which I think were just down to finger fumbles. In between all of that I went and did my lunchtime hill sprints with lots of company, with even my coach getting in on the running action, too. It turns out he got divorced over the last few days/weeks, after only 8 weeks of marriage. We had a good mutual commiseration thing going on on the warm up and warm down runs.
Anyway, I'm off home now to relax after today's trials and tribulations, and to look forward to a nice simple recovery run tomorrow lunch time. In other news Rachel's on her way to be reunited with a bike we thought had been stolen from East Croydon train station, even though it was pretty much impossible anyone could have wanted it. The British Transport Police had spotted that it hadn't been locked and simple took it away. Rachel had had the foresight to register it so they (eventually!) got in touch, which was good. She's coming here tomorrow, too (against my wishes (sort of) as I'd promised her she wouldn't have to until March, as a break from traveling quite so much) which will be wonderful.
[18:25] I tried installing my first RHEL7 servers on physical hardware this morning. Networking has been the bane of my life as a result. Don't get me started on dracut and its blind, silent, DHCP requesting to try and continue the install process. Suffice it to say I've had to bite the bullet and get straight into Kickstart for RHEL7 a little earlier than I thought I would. It may save me tons of time in the long run, but it does feel like I've wasted most of the day otherwise. Still, I did get a good run session in at lunchtime (track, intervals), and there's every chance that I may make good progress with at least two of the servers tomorrow morning because of my staying late this evening. We'll see.
Anyway, I'm here far too late and I really should go home and forget about the day a bit.
[17:15] I'm getting better. Slowly but surely I'm coughing and blowing my nose just a little less, and feeling a smidgen stronger when I run. On Friday evening when I head to Croydon I wasn't feeling all that brilliant, but by the end of the day today I have to say I'm not feeling totally terrible. Between times Rachel and I have had a nice time together, and been reduced to watching Netflix on her mobile phone as her new laptop just refuses to work reliably on her home broadband connection. I'll be taking home her old laptop (now installed with linux) the next time I go in the hopes it'll behave better (and work better with the monitor I took there a while back, which is now married to an HDMI->VGA adapter which isn't doing the right thing either). Anyway, we spent time together keeping warm and quiet, got some logistics done for various things, ran a few times, got cold, and hot, and a little bit muddy, and then I came back to work again this morning on a tram, two trains, and a bike. All seems well, I've got a significant number of ducks lined up that I need to make a start on knocking down this week (which could see me out of the office quite a bit and in various server rooms), but for the moment I'm going to head home, go to Tesco, and then settle in for the night.
In other news, Cormac has lent me some skiing goggles and gloves, which should make my skiing experience in two weeks from now just a little bit more enjoyable, I hope.
[15:30] So, I should have been back at work on Tuesday, following a lovely bit of time off, Christmas with my family at my house, a sub-40 min run at a new year's eve 10K, and all kinds of fun with Rachel. What happened instead was a considerable amount of worry on my part about various personal things, a Christmas with my family that was absolutely lovely other than each one of us in turn being struck down by the plague that my nephew brought to the house, and then Rachel arriving and having to look after me as I succumbed to the virus just before new year's eve and into the new year. Really, it was a lovely family time, but we all could have done without feeling absolutely rotten for a part of it. I'm just incredibly glad that Rachel didn't get it from me. We seem to have parallel immune systems, which means we don't get what the other does (and can therefore look after the other person when they're ill). Rachel got to run the new year's eve 10K and come first woman in her age group and third woman over all, and I got to be very proud of her. I got to spend four or five days confined to the sofa reading lots and lots of books and being unable to control my temperature. Christmas was wonderful, when at least a few of us were capable of enjoying the festivities and the food, but with two in a row now striking down members of the family we're going to have to seriously think about what happens in 12 months time.
The plague, or whatever is was, has meant no serious running for me since the 29th of December, and I'm starting to feel a bit antsy (which is probably a sign that I'm getting well). I'm also quite paranoid that I'll have put myself back by over a week in terms of cardio and general fitness. I can't see it happening any time soon, but while I was most ill (and even now) I had the strong feeling that I really needed to get back into a gym and move some heavy weights around for a few months. Squeezing that into my life at the moment might prove to be a little difficult, though.
Anyway, one of the upshots of the festive period was me making proper plans to head to see Rachel on weekends for a couple of months, to give her a long-overdue break from traveling (to see me). Although there'll be some breaks for holidays, or me getting a thermal camera to look at the house one weekend, or her wanting to see other people, there's a good chance she won't get to come here until the beginning of March, which I think is pretty cool and well past time. This means I'm off to see her this evening, cough and all.
And finally, as a result of being off work for the first three days of the year all of the panics and issues and things seem to have been mostly sorted and I've just slotted back into the flow of things without much of a ripple. There'll be some actual physical servers to configure early next week, I'd imagine. But nothing too problematic to deal with. | 2019-04-22T20:34:43Z | http://bofhcam.org/journal/2018/january.html |
It has been apparent to me for some time that the evolving exopolitical movement of the new century has its roots in the contactee movement of the 1950s. It’s important for us to understand those roots and the underlying evolutionary forces that drove the contactee movement of the 1950s and which is also driving the resurgence of UFO/ET activism in the new century. I recently wrote an article on Howard Menger and am now working my way through one of my old books on Adamski. It’s called, UFO---George Adamski, Their Man On Earth, by Lou Zinsstag.
Lou was a friend of Adamski, and the niece of Carl Jung. She was a contactee herself, but only one of many contactees in a network of which Adamski, Howard Menger, George Van Tassel and Daniel Fry were the most publicly prominent. It is becoming very clear to me that this earth human network was linked in a very complex way to a very large extraterrestrial human network. While several contactees were very public, there were a large number of other contactees that worked behind the scenes and that had more limited contact with the various ET humans. I think it is a mistake to concentrate on just the public figures of the contactee movement of the 1950s because they represent just the tip of the iceberg. This is another one of those situations where it’s easy to obscure the totality of the forest when viewing the forest through several prominent trees. It’s the nail that stands up the highest that feels the hammer or the highest tree that get hit by lightning.
Likewise it’s the contactee or UFO/ET investigator that is the most prominent that feels the brunt of the mainstream propagandist and the critically biased uninformed UFO/ET researcher. It’s interesting to see how mainstream propagandists attacks in the 1950s on the most obvious contactees then led to further attacks by UFO/ET investigators and groups like NICAP on all contactees. Donald Keyhoe and NICAP felt the whole UFO/ET field was being discredited by the contactees when in fact the real culprits were the propagandists supported by the military and economic elite. I have experienced this phenomena myself when I was involved with Operation Right To Know and I see it beginning to happen again today in exopolitics.
As I work back through material and memories accumulated through my lifetime, the overall picture of ET human interactions is beginning to take shape in my mind. While I never have had direct contact with ET humans I have nevertheless felt a telepathic affiliation all my life. In investigating UFOs in my local neighborhood I have found myself on the fringe of a human ET network that seems to be dealing with the same human ET’s of the 1950's but in a much less overt manner. The very same things that were going on more overtly in the 1950's are still going on covertly. It’s clear that contact has not dissipated since the 1950s but simply had to go underground due to worldwide autocratic military and elite resistance. Contact may have covertly accelerated.
This is the way things look to me right now. The rapid advances in technical knowledge in the first part of the twentieth century led to space travel and the atomic bomb. The human extraterrestrials who had been monitoring developments on earth became very concerned both from self interest and secondly our interest as well. It became clear to the extraterrestrial humans that something had to be done about earth because we earth humans had become a clear and present danger to their societies in way that we can only begin to imagine.
Starting in the 1930's the extraterrestrials began an accelerated push to deal with the danger and had planed on a rapid overt intervention to get earth humanity back on the right track. Unfortunately for humanity as a whole and the ET’s as well, things were much worse here than was initially realized. Widespread military and elite autocratic resistance began to emerge in the 1940's and accelerated in league with the ET’s intervention. By the late 1950s it was evident to the ET’s that there would have to be a change of tactics and a much longer covert approach to extraterrestrial contact and intervention.
Being that these human ET’s seem to live to be about 800 to 1000 years old, the time span of this intervention is really still quite brief for them. Because of our much shorter life spans the transition seems to us to be taking a very long time. What the ET’s seem to have decided to do is to wait a generation or two for our societies to adapt to their presence and for the elite fear factor to dissipate before they made another more overt push.
A second complicating factor was when the human ET’s stood down; a gap opened up that allowed less friendly ET’s to establish contact with governments in the 1960's. This resulted in the acceleration of the abduction phenomena where people were being treated the same way we treat lab rats. These new ET relationships involved Faustian agreements that were really not in the interest of the elites or the public. In the early 1960's Adamski alluded to this about the time of his mental deterioration and dementia. He said a new group of ET’s had taken over. This new group of ET’s interacting with world autocratic leadership is pretty well outlined in the Robert Collins book, Exempt From Disclosure.
Coinciding with this new push by human ET’s we seem to have a reduction in abductions that may mark a reduction in the involvement of world governments with the less friendly ET’s. What it looks like to me is that autocratic elites have had to learn the hard way that resistance to the friendly ET’s was not in their interest nor in the interest of humanity as a whole. At this time it is quite evident that world autocratic elites have not only suppressed human evolution on earth endangering humanity itself, but have even put the whole planet in danger of environmental destruction. World elites really have no option but to cooperate with the friendly human ET’s wither they like it or not. It is becoming obvious to us all that world leaders have failed their respective publics and really screwed things up on this planet in the past century.
I seem to have some guidance as I work back through my memories and my accumulated literature on UFO/ET. I have always been interested in the big picture and it seems to be coming into focus. In order to understand the present, we need to be able to understand the past and how things got to this point in our history. I think it is my job to help out in this process by conceptualization of the situation and then to publicize these concepts and evidence on my blog and perhaps later in book format. In the previous article I took a new look at contactee Howard Menger and his contactee and ET networks and now I want to take a new look at George Adamski and his networks.
The book UFO… George Adamski, Their Man On Earth is written by Lou Zinsstag an associate of Adamski and a contactee herself. The book I have is one of those books published by Wendelle Stevens that is not widely known. It is obvious that Lou Zinsstag is very intelligent and I see from this book that well know author Tim Good has spend a lot of time working through her files and even co-authored a book with her. There is some really good information here, just not on George Adamski, but on those other not widely known contactees that made up the network. As I said before I think it is a big mistake to only concentrate on the most public contactees that made up these networks.
Every person has their frailties and propagandist-debunkers are very good at finding error in one person of a network and then using that to debunk the person and the whole network. I find that most establishment UFO researchers, with people like Timothy Good being an exception, have fallen under the propagandists spell, woven so many years ago. I have heard a lot of people popping off publicly discrediting these early contactee networks when they have not really studied them in any depth and are only regurgitating the propagandist’s line. Or that they are relying on a personal experience, a partial truth that is out of context with the totality of the situation. If Tim Good spent years trying to get to the bottom of the Adamski case and failed, then we aren’t going to get to the bottom of it either until the UFO/ET cover-up ends and the U.S. government opens its files. Anybody who says they have, are blowing smoke.
In the Lou Zinsstag book is a description by Adamski of the dress of his extraterrestrial contacts that matches those of other contactees like Howard Menger. On page 24, “I saw no zippers, buttons, fasteners or pockets of any kind, nor did I notice seams as our garments show. It is still a mystery to me who this garment was made” … Not only does this fit Mengers’s accounts of the space suits but other cases like the one I have about the humanoid that died in Sweden.
Lou says, “The second came from our friend John Lade, Adamski’s first co-worker in Great Britain. It was a copy of his letter addressed to Richard Hall, then secretary of the organization NICAP, Washington (President; Donald Keyhoe). The letter says, “Waveney Girvan wants me to tell you that we had a leak of information through a man who a few years ago was called to an international meeting on your side to view a saucer, of the type resembling two saucers one above the other. The pilot (who was longhaired, ski suited, and of distinctly Aryan appearance) addressed the gathering of scientists and aeronautical experts telepathically and we are told that it was an extraordinary experience to hear the audience break through the silence by laughing together sometimes thus proving that they were receiving successfully.
However, as the pilot proceeded to describe the motion power of the craft the audience lost grip and even the most advanced scientist present could no longer follow the concepts offered them.” Lou wrote a letter following up on this. “On April 4, 1963, I wrote a letter to Henk Hinfelaar in New Zealand , in which I stated: “… They (Waveney and John) are still trying to get into contact with the airplane engineer whose sister talked to Waveney. As it came out, she should not have done this and is now strictly forbidden to do it again; Her brother signed a silence warrant in the U.S.A.” There is more material in this book that shows that the engineer in question had to deny the event ever happened.
“Among others, Adamski told us the story of a pilot whose plane was stopped in mid-air while an enormous cigar-shaped space ship with a large hangar door opened, approached his plane and sucked it in. The men in the space ship (who said they were from Venus) showed the pilot around and were very friendly. They spoke in perfect English, telling him that they were observing, in growing numbers, the inhabitants of this Earth and all their actions. They pointed out their concern with our Atomic bombs and said that they would never allow our planet to be capsized by them, because such an event would disturb the magnetic fields in the whole solar system (not only ours) and might lead to heavy disturbances on their own planet.
Adamski continues, “This letter was brought by the pilot to the Pentagon, as suggested, and he asked for a few copies for himself. He got four of them; one for himself, one he sent to the President (Eisenhower), one to the Pope (Pius XII), and one for me. A few months later he came to Mt. Palomar to hand it out to me. He had read my book and believed what I said. I had to give him my promise never to reveal his name.” A copy of this ET letter was circulated and viewed by others.
“…. The incident to which I believe you have reference took place about seven or eight years ago – maybe longer, I forgot the year although I well remember the time the report was given to G.A. A young pilot who had been to the café a number of times and had talked with G.A., came in for lunch one day. This man told G.A. that he was in a hurry, but had something he though G.A. would be interested in knowing. He then told about piloting an American plane to Australia where he landed on a vast airport, but did not give detailed information as to its location. He said that a gigantic spacecraft was already there. He was introduced to a group of scientists from other planets ad told he was to take them to a scientific meeting in Scotland. The reason for them having to travel in one of our planes was that there was no landing field in that part of the world large enough to accommodate their ship.
The young man told G.A. that all of these men were very good looking, friendly, and intelligent. He liked them very much and was very impressed by them and their conduct. He remained in Scotland with his plane while the visitors attended the conference. Little publicity was ever given to this scientific conference although, we are told, scientists from every nation in the world were also present. When the conference ended, the young man returned them to their ship in Australia, then returned to the States. He told G.A. that he had come to see him immediately but was leaving again the same evening for another flight.
Miss Wissler’s notes continue: “Later on Adamski said that there was already a lot of proof in the Pentagon (for his statements), hundreds of pieces of evidence being stored away and hidden in a special part of the building which could be entered by only two or three people. He maintained that nobody at the Pentagon denied the existence of UFOs nor denied them to be in possession of proof. Yet, he said, they think it wise to let the truth come out only slowly, in small amounts, for better adjustment not only of the people but also of the industry …” Lou says, “Today, this statements sound rather naïve but we have to remember that it was made in 1959, when things looked much brighter for UFO researchers.” It was about this time that Adamski was severely threatened and he talked about being encircled. This was also the time that his mental state began to deteriorate and the contactee network he was involved in began to break down and fall apart. This seems to coincide with the breaking off of contact with his ET friends. Maybe one day the whole truth will come out about what really happened to humanity and the world at that time.
I think that my regular readers can begin to appreciate that there is a shared responsibility for the past and present undesirable extraterrestrial – earth human situation. The human ET’s seem to have acted aggressively without enough consideration of the possibility of an extremely negative reaction by elite autocratic world military and economic interests. They failed to properly access the feeling of fear and helplessness of the military, as well as the entrenched autocratic economic interest’s greed for money and power over their fellow human beings. For this reason they had to adjust tactics at the end of the 1950’s and become less overt and more covert in their interactions with earth’s humanity.
On the other hand earth’s economic and military elite are also responsible for the past and present undesirable situation in that they have suppressed and propagandized their respective publics in direct violation of humanitarian and democratic values. There is simply no excuse for their violent repressive tactics against the ET’s and the general population of this planet. Their actions have been criminal and barbaric. It is not that the public can’t handle ET visitation and infiltration; it’s the elite that can’t handle the interactions and interventions for reasons of fear and greed. The mass media also has a shared responsibility for the present undesirable situation in that they allowed and participated in propaganda operations against the public for the past 60 years making them not public watchdogs but elite lapdogs.
Recently there has been some encouraging news. Rather suddenly some critical elements of the mass media, major newswires and major newspapers have begun to play it straight about the UFO/ET subject. This seems to indicate a change in policy at the highest levels of government. Let’s hope this lasts. If the media is “allowed” to play it straight, the cover-up cannot last much longer. Of course they may not really be playing it straight quite yet if ever. The media lapdogs will continue to propagandize the public by misleading partial releases of information to the public. I expect the propaganda press to continue to support existing national and international institutions and to rationalize their and the world government despicable actions against ET’s and humanity as a whole through misleading partial releases of information. Tigers don’t change their stripes easily. I see it as my role and the role of my associates to keep all culpable institutions feet to the fire and to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth to the public. | 2019-04-23T11:57:47Z | http://exopolitics.blogspot.com/2007/11/1950s-contactee-movement-revisited-part.html |
Hauser, A. Scott. 2006. Carex filifolia. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/carfil/all.html .
C.f. Nutt. var. erostrata Kükenth.
C.f. Nutt. var. filifolia Nutt.
The currently accepted scientific name of threadleaf sedge is Carex filifolia Nutt. (Cyperaceae) [3,17,44,52,53,54,69,89,90,96,99,100,102,108,116,180,181,182]. There are no recognized varieties.
Threadleaf sedge has a contiguous distribution. It occurs from California, north to Alaska, east to Manitoba, and south to Nebraska and New Mexico [3,17,44,52,53,54,69,89,90,96,99,100, 102,108,116,180,181,182]. The Flora of North America provides a distributional map of threadleaf sedge.
This description provides characteristics that may be relevant to fire ecology, and is not meant for identification. Keys for identification are available (e.g. [3,17,44,82,89,90,96,108,129,182]).
Threadleaf sedge is a cool-season, sod-forming, drought-resistant, low-growing, native perennial graminoid [2,32,71,72,107,107,160,164,170,173]. It is densely tufted, with numerous leaf-bearing sheaths at the base [44,90,96,108,116,129,182] and grows in bunches approximately 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) in width [38,179]. Threadleaf sedge culms are slender, stiff and wiry [44,90], often curved , and 2 to 15 inches (5-38 cm) tall [3,17,44,71,82,90,108,129,182]. Leaves are mostly basal, stiff, strongly folded, very slender [44,90,108], and 1 to 8 inches (3-20 cm) long and 0.25 to 0.5 mm wide [3,17,71,82,129,182]. Threadleaf sedge is one of the few Carex spp. to contain alkaloids .
Threadleaf sedge is monoecious [165,173]. The spikelets are 0.4 to 1 inch (1-3 cm) long [3,44,82,90,108,129,182], up to 6 mm wide [44,82,90], and 3- to 25-flowered . The flowers of threadleaf sedge are unisexual [17,44,71,82,90,116,129,165,182]. Fruits are achenes, 2.25 to 3 mm long and weigh approximately 2.9 mg [3,165].
The roots of threadleaf sedge are tough, wiry, and 0.8 mm or less in diameter [40,164]. Roots occur in "enormous numbers" and seldom descend vertically, but run away from and under the plant to distances of 2 to 2.5 feet (0.6-0.8 m) [26,179].
Eight threadleaf sedge plants excavated from a Saskatchewan grassland were found to grow obliquely downward in all directions to form a dense mat in the upper 12 inches (30 cm) of soil. The dense mat spread out as much as 15 inches (38 cm) from the base of the plant. The roots were profusely branched, excluding those closest to the crown. The longest lateral roots measured were 2 inches (5 cm). Most of the roots terminated growth at 12 to 24 inches (30-60 cm) below ground surface, though some were found to penetrate 30 inches (75 cm) below soil surface. At the point of termination, threadleaf sedge roots are densely branched with brush-like ends. Plants excavated in Colorado and South Dakota have exhibited a rooting depth of 5.2 feet (1.6 m) and a lateral spread of 32 inches (80 cm) .
Threadleaf sedge generally reproduces vegetatively via tillers, but does produce some viable seeds [72,93,165].
Pollination: Threadleaf sedge is wind pollinated .
Breeding system: Threadleaf sedge is monoecious [165,173].
Seed production: Threadleaf sedge produces very few viable seeds each year [72,170]. In the northern Great Plains, threadleaf sedge generally produces a poor seed crop since it flowers early and is susceptible to frost damage . A threadleaf sedge plant collected in North Dakota contained a total of 232 seeds (viability not discussed) .
Seed dispersal: The seeds of threadleaf sedge are likely dispersed by wind.
Seed banking: Threadleaf sedge utilizes a soil seed bank .
Germination: In the field, threadleaf sedge seeds have a low rate of germination [72,170]. In a controlled study, stratified threadleaf sedge seeds did not germinate significantly (p<0.05) better than control seeds (33.3%). Scarification of threadleaf sedge seeds caused a significantly lower rate of germination than control seeds. Seeds that were cold-moist stratified at 41ºF (5 ºC) had germination rate of 25.3% to 40.1%, while seeds frozen-moist stratified at 19 ºF (− 7 ºC) had a germination rate 28.1% to 38.2%. Threadleaf sedge scarified with a razor germinated at a rate of 22.6% . Threadleaf sedge seed viability does not decrease for at least 14 to 17 months when dry stored at room temperature .
Seedling establishment/growth: Threadleaf sedge seedlings in nature are rare [72,170]. On the northern Great Plains, seedlings of threadleaf sedge establish by the middle of March and grow to maturity by the 1st to middle of June . To evaluate the establishment of seedlings, Griffin planted threadleaf sedge plugs on the grasslands of Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska. Griffin planted sod plugs in fall (28 September to 3 October), late winter (6 March), and spring (26 to 27 May). At the end of 2 years of observations, the average rate of survival by seedlings was only 0.94%.
Asexual regeneration: Threadleaf sedge reproduces asexually from tillers [93,165].
Threadleaf sedge is generally found on warm, dry, well-drained, upper south-facing slopes [16,25,125,145]. Literature on threadleaf sedge describes it occurring on dry ridges [96,173], dry open places and dry meadows [44,90], dry rocky slopes and flats [100,129], dry plains and valleys [17,116,180,181], dry grasslands [108,180,181], and upland prairies [71,114]. Threadleaf sedge also grows on the tundra-steppe of Alaska on sites with favorable southern exposures [56,130].
Climate: Threadleaf sedge thrives under a continental climate regime in which 80% of precipitation falls during the growing season (April-September) [1,14,145]. Threadleaf sedge requires a minimum of 90 frost-free days and favors from 8 to 24 inches (200-610 mm) of average annual precipitation . On the mixed-grass prairies of North Dakota where threadleaf sedge is often dominant, temperature extremes range from 109 °F (43 °C) in the summer to –47 °F (–44 °C) in winter .
During the 1934 growing season, grasslands around Miles City, Montana, experienced a historic drought. Rainfall during the 1934 growing season was 3.53 inches (89.7 mm), down from a 57-year average of 9.32 inches (237 mm). Consequentially, threadleaf sedge plants were markedly shorter than in normal precipitation years and production was down 17% . Near Mildred, Montana, the drought caused a significant (p<0.05) decrease in threadleaf sedge. Production of threadleaf sedge was reduced by 12% to 55% on silty and sandy sites .
Near Virginia City, Montana, cool July soil temperatures correlated (r = –0.77) with increased production of threadleaf sedge. The soil temperature was measured as electrical resistance, thus a negative coefficient meant a positive relationship with soil temperature. However, windy May conditions correlated (r = –0.83) with decreased growth in threadleaf sedge .
Soil: Threadleaf sedge is often found on well-drained, silty clay loam [45,49] and fine sandy loam soil [25,81]. On the Canadian mixed-grass prairie, threadleaf sedge grows on clay loam, loam, and light loam soils. Approximately 65% of threadleaf sedge growth occurs on light loam soils [38,95]. Threadleaf sedge can tolerate saline soils. On the Central Plains Experimental Range, Colorado, it occurs in saltgrass meadows in limited quantities on soils with a pH as high as 9.2 .
A month-by-month soil chemical analysis of a threadleaf sedge-dominated community in the Badlands of North Dakota is presented by Fairaizl .
A detailed review on soil constituents of a threadleaf sedge/western wheatgrass and a threadleaf sedge/blue grama/needle-and-thread grass community in western North Dakota is presented by Hanson and Whitman .
Threadleaf sedge can survive on disturbed sites, such as burns , is shade intolerant [91,174], and is most commonly found on late-seral sites. Forty years following the abandonment of plowed farmland in northeastern Colorado, threadleaf sedge appeared as a minor constituent of a mixed-grass prairie association. The mixed-grass prairie was preceded by a threeawn (Aristida spp.) stage which occurred 20 years after abandonment . Threadleaf sedge is described as a "climax" species on Solonetz soils in western North Dakota , in the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park in North Dakota , and in the Black Hills of South Dakota . Outside of Davenport, Washington, threadleaf sedge is described as a near "climax" species on mixed grasslands . Threadleaf sedge occurs on "climax" grasslands of the Canadian and Nebraska mixed-grass prairie and on sandy, silty, and limey range sites, and eastern and western sedimentary plains in Montana .
In a remote area of the Little Missouri River Badlands in western North Dakota, 2 mesas which have never been grazed were analyzed. Threadleaf sedge, with a relative cover of 2.34%, is part of the "climax" community on the 2 mesas .
Across its range, threadleaf sedge generally flowers from April to May [22,69,90,125,165]. In dry grasslands, threadleaf sedge is considered an "early bird" species in a phenological sense because it flowers early and reaches annual maximum growth before other associated forage species [91,151,171]. On the northern Great Plains, threadleaf sedge begins growing in middle to late March. On 15 May the average leaf height is 4.2 inches (10.7 cm) and achieves a maximum leaf height of 5.0 inches (13 cm) by 10 June .On the mixed-grass prairies of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, threadleaf sedge begins growth during the 1st week of April and the heads appear by the end of the month. Flowering occurs by mid-May, with seeds shedding by the 1st of July .
From 1946 to 1954 flowering data were collected on threadleaf sedge at the Experimental Farm, Swift Current, Saskatchewan. On average, threadleaf sedge begins flowering on 7 May, with the earliest and latest flowering dates occurring on 25 April and 25 May, respectively. The latest threadleaf sedge was observed in flower was 19 June and the mean flowering period was 30 days .
Fire adaptations: Threadleaf sedge establishes after fire by seed and/or by tillering from basal meristem tissue which is protected from fire by soil and/or damp litter [4,50,128,178,185,186,187,189,190]. Since establishing from seed is generally rare in this species [72,170], postfire seedling establishment may be uncommon.
Fire regimes: Threadleaf sedge is found in the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)-grasslands of the northern Great Basin, in the mixed-grass prairies of the northern Great Plains, and in the mixed forests of the Cascade, Sierra Nevada, and northern Rocky Mountains, which exhibit a wide range of historic fire frequencies.
Mixed forests: On the leeward slope of the southern Cascade Mountains in northeastern California, threadleaf sedge is a dominant species in meadows fringed by Pacific ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa), Jeffrey pine (P. jeffreyi), Sierra lodgepole pine (P. contorta var. murrayana), and western juniper. Using fire scar and tree ring data in 8 meadow units, Norman and Taylor constructed a fire history of the area for the years 1700 to 1849. During this period widespread fire burned 7 or more meadow units with a return interval of 7 to 49 years. Moderately widespread fires burned 4 or more units during this period 19 times with a return interval of 2 to 22 years. Fire burned in at least 1 meadow unit during this period in 93 of 150 years. Between 1785 and 1835, on 3 occasions there were periods of 2 to 6 years without fire .
Northern Great Plains: Historically fire has played an important role in the northern Great Plains. The large tracts of continuous mixed-grass prairie, which occur in hot, dry areas and accumulate much fine fuel, are susceptible to frequent lightning fires. Higgins estimates that 6 lightning fires consuming 4,000 miles² (10,000 km²) of grasslands occurred a year in eastern North Dakota, and 25 lightning fires consuming 4,000 miles² (10,000 km²) of grasslands occurred a year in western North Dakota. Early records kept by explorers, trappers, and settlers note a high occurrence of fires, both natural and anthropogenic, with fires occurring at intervals of 5 to 10 years [46,135,153,156,192]. Since the early 1900s, fire has been excluded, allowing nonnative species such as Japanese brome, smooth brome (Bromus inermis), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) to take a strong hold in the area .
Sagebrush-grasslands: Fire in the sagebrush-grasslands of the northern Great Basin where threadleaf sedge grows likely occurred with a frequency of 20 to 70 years . Wright and others hypothesize that fires likely occurred about every 50 years. Changes in land use and management practices, such as the invasion of cheatgrass, have altered the fire return interval to less than 10 years in some areas [133,135].
Shrub-steppe: Threadleaf sedge is found across the Columbia Plateau of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The fire return interval for this habitat is approximately 25 years .
The following table provides fire return intervals for plant communities and ecosystems where threadleaf sedge is important. Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under "Find Fire Regimes".
Threadleaf sedge is likely top-killed by fire, with basal meristems protected by soil and/or damp litter .
Threadleaf sedge recovers from fire by tillering and/or establishing from seed [4,50,128,178,185,186, 187,189,190]. Threadleaf sedge seed dispersal onto burned sites is likely affected by wind. While threadleaf sedge may utilize a seed bank , as of this study (2006), there is a lack of information on seed tolerance to fire.
Several authors list threadleaf sedge as a plant severely damaged by fire [21,137,142,142,157,191, 193]. However, this is based on 1 review by Blaisdell of a prescribed fire on the upper Snake River Plains of Idaho in which he did not differentiate between sedge species. The research presented below provides mixed results on the effects of fire on threadleaf sedge and disputes the generalization that it is severely damaged by fire. In an unpublished report, Whisenant and Uresk state that it takes threadleaf sedge plants approximately 2.5 years to reach reproductive maturity after fire.
On 28 June 1977 a human-caused fire burned 121 acres (49 ha) of rough fescue (Festuca altaica)-Idaho fescue-bluebunch wheatgrass dominated grasslands on Mount Sentinel in Missoula, Montana. At the time of the fire, winds averaged 23 km/hr. with gust to 55 km/hr, relative humidity was 31%, and the air temperature approximately 81 °F (27 °C) . The site burned was ungrazed and had been fire-free for at least 32 years. The fire consumed almost all aboveground vegetation and many bunchgrass clumps were burned to belowground level. Samples taken on Mount Sentinel 4 months, 11 months, and 1 year postfire showed that the fire reduced threadleaf sedge cover. By postfire year 3, cover of threadleaf sedge on burned sites was only 60% of that on unburned sites. While the fire caused a reduction in cover, threadleaf sedge occurrence on and off the burn site is very low and the authors do not discuss whether the difference is significant .
In August 1952, approximately 13.5 acres (5.5 ha) of threadleaf sedge-Idaho fescue was prescription burned on the Upper Snake River Plains of southeastern Idaho. For fast identification, the researchers combined the herbage production of threadleaf sedge and Idaho fescue on burned and unburned plots. In postfire year 3, herbage production of threadleaf sedge-Idaho fescue was 106 lbs./acre on unburned plots and 36 lbs./acre on burned plots .
The following table shows the aboveground standing crop (g/m²) of threadleaf sedge during July 1984 to 1987 on the 4 burn sites and 1 unburned site. The lowest values for controls and all treatments occurred in the dry year, 1985 .
Whisenant and Uresk conducted a 2nd burning study in Badlands National Park, South Dakota, during the spring of 1983 and 1984. While the researchers do not provide fire data on threadleaf sedge, they report that burning did not significantly (p<0.05) affect, positively or negatively, threadleaf sedge production.
In mid-July, White and Currie took basal cover (%) measurements for threadleaf sedge on the 3 treatments described above. The basal cover of threadleaf sedge on spring burn sites (17.4%) was significantly (p<0.05) greater than on fall burned and unburned sites. The researchers also took soil moisture measurements at a depth of 6 inches (15 cm) on the 3 treatments throughout the 1979 growing season which are presented in the table below. These values show little relationship to treatment, but may be related to season or weather patterns.
In southwest Montana, 7 sites were prescription burned within basin big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata var. tridentata)-dominated communities. At only 2 locations did fire cause a significant (p<0.05) change in threadleaf sedge cover. At Wise River, burning of threadleaf sedge caused a significant increase and at Jeff Davis Creek fire caused a significant decrease in threadleaf sedge cover. The following table describes the date of burn and percent cover on burned and unburned sites. All measurements were taken 1 complete growing season since burning .
In October 1976, a wildfire burned approximately 6,000 acres (2,428 ha) of mixed-prairie in the Little Missouri Badlands of southwestern North Dakota. Threadleaf sedge occurred in mixed vegetation stands (western wheatgrass, blue grama, needle-and-thread grass, and little bluestem) and little bluestem-dominated stands. Threadleaf sedge production (g/m²) was generally less on burned sites than on unburned sites .
The research described above suggests that prescription burning may or may not favor threadleaf sedge. If fire is used to manage threadleaf sedge land managers should use caution and follow the guidelines addressed below.
Grazing: Burned rangelands containing threadleaf sedge should be protected from grazing during postfire year 1 to allow for uninterrupted growth of herbaceous vegetation [15,21,189].
Invasive species: Improper fire management may convert desirable shrub and perennial grass stands to annual grass and invasive shrub stands [184,193]. Wright and others suggest that if fires occur in big sagebrush (A. tridentata)-grasslands at a frequency of less than every 50 years, the communities may become dominated by rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnusnauseosus) and gray horsebrush (Tetradymia canescens), sprouting species that respond vigorously to fire. Cheatgrass may also expand after fire and severely reduce native plant coverage [137,184,193].
Precipitation: Two authors suggest that it is harmful to burn threadleaf sedge during drought years [186,189].
Sagebrush-grassland communities: Threadleaf sedge occurs in sagebrush-grasslands with species that can be harmed by fire . June or July fires can be especially harmful to Idaho fescue and needle-and-thread grass [15,192]. Big sagebrush is slow to recover from extensive fires .
Threadleaf sedge is one of the most important grass-like forage species on the northern Great Plains [92,164]. It is particularly important due to its early growth and high palatability in the spring [35,42,146,151,164]. Threadleaf sedge is eaten readily by cattle and domestic sheep when it is young, but is avoided as it ages and becomes tough [109,136,151].
From the end of November to the end of April on rangelands north of Nunn, Colorado, threadleaf sedge and needleleaf sedge constitute 18% of cattle diets on sandy plains and overflow sites and 22% on loamy plain sites. From the 1st of June to the middle of October, the 2 sedges constitute 6% of diets on sandy plains and overflow sites and 12% on loamy plain sites . Threadleaf sedge is preferentially grazed in the early spring by feral horses in south-central Wyoming. In spring 1991, threadleaf sedge composed 62% of their early spring diet .
Small mammals/birds: The seeds, leaves, and roots of threadleaf sedge are eaten by fur and game mammals, small mammals, and birds . Threadleaf sedge is an important food source for black-tailed prairie dogs in western South Dakota. Research collected on their food habits in 1973 found that threadleaf sedge constitutes from 9% to 19% of black-tailed prairie dog diets . In eastern Montana, threadleaf sedge-western wheatgrass-blue grama communities provide the most important habitat for sharp-tailed grouse .
Ungulates: Threadleaf sedge is utilized by ungulates . It is the most important forage graminoid for bighorn sheep in the Badlands of North Dakota during the spring. Threadleaf sedge constitutes 28.8% of bighorn sheep diets in the spring, yet it is only 1.8%, 0.0%, and 0.1% of their diet during the winter, summer, and fall, respectively . Threadleaf sedge is an important forage species for pronghorn and American bison in the Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, and Dall sheep in the Sheep Mountains, Yukon Territory . Elk in the southern unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, utilize threadleaf sedge as a forage species . Threadleaf sedge is an important winter and spring forage species for elk in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. During the winter and spring, threadleaf sedge constitutes 12.6% and 38.6%, respectively, of elk diets. It is of marginal use during the fall (4.2%) and of no use during the summer [195,196].
Palatability/nutritional value: The palatability of threadleaf sedge early in the growing season is high, but as it becomes dry and tough by the middle of summer its palatability is very low [93,113,175].
The palatability of threadleaf sedge in the National Forests of Region 1, which cover more than 23,000,000 acres (9,308,000 ha) in South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington, is rated as 60 on a scale of 0 to 100 . Palatability of threadleaf sedge on the northern Great Plains is rated as 70 .
Threadleaf sedge is one of the highest protein grass and/or grass-like species in the northern Great Plains . The crude protein value of threadleaf sedge decreases from a high of 12.38% in early June to a low of 5.6% in August . Cows nursing calves require a total protein level of 9.2%. Threadleaf sedge meets this requirement on the Great Plains from the resumption of spring growth until approximately 20 June. Dry pregnant mature cows require 5.9% total protein in their diets and threadleaf sedge meets this requirement throughout the year .
The chemical composition of threadleaf sedge given as a range during the 1976 growing season at 3 sites (Sidehill, Flat Top Ridge, and Creek Bottom) in the Badlands of North Dakota is given below. For a more detailed analysis see the review by Fairaizl .
Cover value: Threadleaf sedge is a low-growing species and therefore has limited cover value [2,32,71,72,107,107,160,164,170,173].
Small mammals/birds: Threadleaf sedge provides principal cover for mountain plover nesting sites in southeastern Campbell County, northern Converse County, and a small portion of southwestern Weston County, Wyoming . It provides cover for a large number of bird species in the Columbia Basin of Washington and on the mixed-grass prairies of the Scott's Bluff National Monument, Nebraska .
Threadleaf sedge provides cover for black-tailed prairie dogs on the grasslands of the Black Hills, South Dakota and in Billings County, North Dakota . The Oregon ground squirrel builds its burrows in northeastern California in threadleaf sedge stands on sandy sites .
Threadleaf sedge forms a dense and tough sod which binds and holds the soil against wind and water erosion [72,147,151,173,175,179]. The roots of threadleaf sedge are able to bind soil years after aboveground vegetation has died .
In Yosemite National Park, California, plugs of threadleaf sedge were collected and used to rehabilitate a 4,200 foot (1,280 m) section of denuded trail with partial success. The plugs were collected in the fall of 1991 and planted during the 1992 growing season. In 1995, threadleaf sedge cover was 8% on the rehabilitated site and 24% on surrounding undisturbed control sites .
Native Americans used threadleaf sedge culm bases as famine food .
Disturbance: Soil disturbance may have long-lasting negative effects of threadleaf sedge. In 1976 the basal cover (%) and mean aboveground production (g/m²) of threadleaf sedge was investigated on 4 plowed (P) and unplowed (U) sites on the mixed-grass prairie of southwestern North Dakota. The plowed sites were formerly farmland which had been abandoned and unworked for 40 years. Threadleaf sedge basal cover and mean aboveground production was greater on unplowed than plowed sites .
Fertilization: Two authors discuss the effects of nitrogen fertilization on threadleaf sedge [45,68].
Forage production: Threadleaf sedge production is 2nd only to bluebunch wheatgrass, which has a forage production value of 341.8 lbs./acre, on the Palouse Prairie of eastern Washington . On the northern Great Plains, the average forage yield of threadleaf sedge is approximately 40 lbs./acre . Threadleaf sedge has a forage production of 308.3 lbs./acre on silty loam soil outside of Davenport, Washington. On grasslands southwest of Virginia City, Montana, the herbage production of threadleaf sedge for the 10-year period 1964 to 1973 ranged from 27 to 51 lbs./acre on southwest exposure sites and 1 to 12 lbs./acre on northeast exposure sites .
Grazing: Research on threadleaf sedge response to grazing suggests that it decreases under grazing pressure [12,92,158]. However, 2 studies [123,148] found that threadleaf sedge increases when grazed. Ross and Hunter list threadleaf sedge as an increaser on the eastern glaciated plains, sandy, silty, and limey range sites, western glaciated plains, eastern and western sedimentary plains, badlands, and foothills and mountains of Montana. In the Pawnee National Grasslands, Colorado, natural barriers such as ravines have excluded cattle from grazing small pockets of short-grasses. The percent cover of threadleaf sedge in the exclusion areas is 3.36%, which is significantly (p<0.05) less than in grazed areas (4.51%) .
In Yosemite National Park, California, recreational pack stock grazing caused a significant (p<0.01) decrease in threadleaf sedge biomass (g/m²). The study, conducted from 1994 to 1998, found that threadleaf sedge biomass decreased 18% on grazed plots in 5 years [33,125].
The colonization of and grazing by black-tailed prairie dogs on the mixed-grass prairie on northeastern Montana has had a significant (p<0.05) detrimental effect on threadleaf sedge communities. On colonized prairies, standing threadleaf sedge biomass (kg/ha±sx) is 2.3±1.2 and 6.8±1.2 on uncolonized prairies .
At the Northern Great Plains Field Station, North Dakota, heavy and moderate cattle grazing caused a decrease in relative cover of threadleaf sedge. The heavily used area was summer grazed for 44 years at an average rate of 1.25 AUM's per acre. The moderately used area was summer grazed for 46 years at an average rate of 0.50 AUM per acre. The ungrazed area had been grazed at an average rate of 1.19 AUM per acre for 23 years but had not been grazed for 19 years preceding the study. The relative cover of threadleaf sedge on heavily, moderately, and ungrazed sites was 9.9%, 24.4%, and 81.7%, respectively .
Herbicides: Two references discuss the effects of 2,4-D on threadleaf sedge [45,128]. One author discusses the effects of picloram, clopyralid, and metsulfuron methyl on threadleaf sedge .
Mechanical control: Mueggler and Blaisdell discuss the effects of railing and rotobeating on threadleaf sedge. | 2019-04-19T09:21:46Z | https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/graminoid/carfil/all.html |
Phyllanthus debilis (Elapitawakka) is a medicinal plant used in traditional systems of medicine in Sri Lanka. Present study was carried out to evaluate in-vitro anti-oxidant and anti-proliferative activity of the water extracts of aerial parts (AP) and roots (RP) of P.debilis plant and the role of polyphenolic compounds in view of its medicinal use.
Total polyphenols, flavonoids and proanthocyanidin content of the extracts were quantified. DPPH, hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide scavenging potentials and the total antioxidant capacity, ferric ion reducing power were determined to evaluate antioxidant capacity. Anti-proliferative activity was assessed with MTT assay for Human Rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) and normal rat liver cells (CC1) after 24 h exposure to the plant extracts. DPPH and MTT assays were carried out for AP and RP extracts after removal of polyphenols to assess the contribution of polyphenols on antioxidant and anti-proliferative activity of Phyllanthus debilis.
Flavonoid content of the AP extract was significantly lower than that of RP (P < 0.001) while no significant difference was observed in polyphenolic as well as in proanthocyanidin contents. All the assays except for phosphomolybdate assay demonstrated that the RP extract had higher antioxidant capacity (p < 0.001) compared to AP. Further, antioxidant capacity and anti-proliferative activity were lower (p < 0.001) in AP and RP in the absence of polyphenols compared to the crude extract.
Root contains higher levels of flavonoids than the aerial part. Moreover, the presence of polyphenols is required for antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities of both AP and RP.
Reactive free radicals are constantly generated in human body through biological reactions. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radical (OH.), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide radical (O2) and singlet oxygen (O2.) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) such as nitric oxide (NO˙), peroxynitrite (ONOO−) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are the main sources of reactive free radicles. The production of free radicals are neutralized by endogenous antioxidants and enzymes, however excessive production of reactive molecules causes oxidative stress. As a result they oxidize biologically important macro molecules such as DNA, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates . DNA strand breaks and abnormal DNA linkages caused by ROS and RNS are closely associated with carcinogenesis . The consequence of oxidative stress is also associated with cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory diseases and various neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis .
Plants produce broad spectrum of polyphenolic compounds as secondary metabolites for their survival under stress conditions. Polyphenols have an ability to neutralize free radicals by donating them electrons or hydrogen atoms which may play a vital role in health benefits .
Phyllanthus debilis (Elapitawakka/Bim nelli) is an annual plant found in Sri Lanka. The genus Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae) contains about 800 species in worldwide and most of these plants have been used as drugs in traditional systems of medicine all over the world . Studies carried out on P.debilis with authenticated plant are very limited up-to date. Aqueous extract of P.debilis has shown anti-hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic activity in mice . Further analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity have been demonstrated for the petroleum ether extract of the whole plant in animal models . Anticancer, antibacterial and antioxidant activity have also reported with different solvent extracts in vitro [5, 8–10].
The whole plant of P.debilis or its parts are used to prepare porridge or ‘decoction’ in traditional medicine and folk medicine to treat ailments such as liver complications, diabetes mellitus and skin diseases in Sri Lanka . The present study was carried out to explore the antioxidant activity and the potential anti-proliferative activity of the water extract of P.debilis plant as used in traditional systems of medicine. Since it is important to understand the contribution of polyphenols on antioxidant and anti-proliferative activity, further investigations were carried out with the plant extracts after removing their polyphenols.
Gallic acid, 2-deoxy-D-ribose, Folin-Ciocalteu’s reagent and other chemicals needed for cell culture and cell viability studies were purchased from Sigma Chemicals Co. (P.O. Box 14508, St. Louis, MO 63178 USA). 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), aluminium chloride, polyvinyl-polypyrrolidone (PVPP) were purchased from Fluka (Flukachemie GmbH, CH-9471 Buchs). L-Ascorbic acid, hydrogen peroxide, N-(1-naphthyl)-ethylene diaminedihydro chloride and ethanol were purchased from BDH Chemicals (BDH Chemicals Ltd, Poole, England). All chemicals used were of analytical grade.
SHIMADZU UV 1601 UV/Visible spectrophotometer (Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan) was used to read the absorbance. LFT 600 EC freeze dryer was used to freeze-dry the plant extracts (LFT 600 EC, −90–95 °C temperature, 10 valves with Hitachi pump). Cells used for the assessment of anti-proliferative activity (RD, CC1) were incubated at 37 °C in a humidified CO2 incubator (SHEL LAB/Sheldon manufacturing Inc., Cornelius, OR 97113, USA). Olympus (1X70-S1F2) inverted fluorescence microscope (Olympus Optical Co. Ltd. Japan) and digital camera (MDC 200 (USB 2.0) 2 M pixels with CCD chip) were used for assessment and imaging of cell morphology.
RD cell line was kindly donated by Dr Sunethra Gunasena, Medical Research Institute, Colombo 08, Sri Lanka and CC1 (Normal rat liver fibroblast) cell line was obtained from Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, University of Karachi, Pakistan.
Phyllanthus debilis plants in the seeding stage were collected from Pannipitiya area in the Colombo district, Sri Lanka (June 2014). The plant was taxonomically identified and voucher specimens were deposited in Botany Department, Bandaranayaka Memorial Aurveda Research Institute, Nawinna, Colombo, Sri Lanka (Deposition number: 755/a).
The plant materials were washed in distilled water followed by deionized water and air dried. The aerial parts and the root parts were separated and freeze dried until a constant weight was obtained. Dried samples were ground using a kitchen blender. The powdered aerial parts (50 g) were refluxed with 500 mL of deionized water for 3 h in triplicate. The roots were pooled together and the powdered roots (50 g) were refluxed as previously. Decoctions were filtered through a glass funnel plugged with cotton wool, then through a Whatman filter paper. Filtrate was centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 15 min and the supernatant was freeze dried. The freeze dried samples were weighed and stored at −20 °C in sterile glass bottles until further use. The yield was calculated as a percentage of the dried plant material.
Polyphenols were removed using Polyvinyl polypyrrolidone (PVVP) column as described by Soysa (1997) [12, 13]. Briefly, a cotton wool plug was placed inside a 5 cm3 syringe after removing the plunger and the needle. Syringe was filled with PVPP (1.7 g). Water extract of AP and RP (3 mL) was layered over the PVPP column. The PVPP column was placed in a 15 mL falcon tube and centrifuged at 2,000 g for 10 min. Centrifugation was repeated for 6 times with the same column adding 1 mL of the extract and each fraction was collected to separate tubes. The first fraction was discarded and remaining fractions were analyzed for the presence polyphenols. The Absorbance of AP (aerial parts) and RP (root parts) before and after PVPP treatment were scanned for wavelengths using a UV/Visible scanning spectrophotometer.
Total polyphenolic content (TPC) of the AP and RP were determined using Foiln-Ciocalteu’s method . Gallic acid was used to construct the standard curve and total phenolic content was expressed as w/w% gallic acid equivalents (GAE w/w %).
The flavonoid content of the extracts was determined by aluminum chloride colorimetric assay . Calibration curve was plotted using EGCG (− (−) -Epigallocatechingallate) standard and flavonoid content was expressed as w/w% EGCG equivalents (EGCGE w/w %).
A volume of 2 ml of vanillin reagent (1 g vanillin in 50 mL, 70 % H2SO4) was mixed with 200 μL of the sample (400, 500, 700 μg/mL). The resulting mixture was allowed to stand for 15 min at room temperature. The absorbance was determined at 500 nm . Calibration curve was constructed using EGCG and the total proanthocyanidin content was expressed as w/w % EGCG equivalent.
Qualitative analysis for the phytochemicals were carried out using the methods described by Saeed et al., (2012) for alkaloids, tannins, terpenes, saponins, cardiac glycosides present in the water extracts of the plant .
Total antioxidant capacity was determined using phosphomolybdate method . Results were expressed as w/w% ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE).
In vitro antioxidant activity of the AP, RP, PFAP and PFRP were determined using stable free radical 2,2′- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) . Results were expressed as percentage inhibition calculated from the formula (1).
Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of AP and RP was determined in lyophilized plant extracts. Fenton reaction was used to generate hydroxyl radicals in vitro . The assay is based on quantification of degradation product of 2-deoxyribose by condensation with TBA. The percentage scavenging activity of hydroxyl radical was calculated using the formula (1). Ascorbic acid served as the positive control.
Assay was carried out according to the method developed by Fernando and Soysa . Percentage scavenging activity was calculated using the formula (1). Ascorbic acid served as the positive control.
The reducing ability to convert ferric ions to ferrous ions by AP and RP was carried out as previously described . Ascorbic acid served as the positive control.
This assay is based on Griess Illosvoy reaction . The pink azo-dye generated during reaction was measured at 540 nm. Ascorbic acid served as the positive control.
RD (Rhabdomyosarcoma) and CC1 (normal rat liver) cells were cultured in tissue culture flasks with DMEM (Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium) supplemented with 10 % FBS, 3 % glutamine, 1%penicillin-streptomycin, and 1 M HEPES (4-(2-Hydroxyethyl) piperazine-1-ethanesulfonic acid) buffer in humidified CO2 incubator in 37 °C.
Cell morphology was observed before and after the treatment of the extract at different concentrations using an inverted fluorescence microscope. Images of the cells were captured.
Cells were plated in 24-well flat bottom tissue culture plates at a density of 2 × 105 cells/well and kept overnight at 37 °C in a CO2 incubator to obtain a 70 % confluent mono layer. The cells were treated with AP, RP, PFAP and PFRP at different concentrations for 24 h. Cells for negative controls were exposed to the same conditions without the plant extract. Cycloheximide (0.1 %, 50 μl) served as the positive control. Medium was replaced by MEM (1 ml) and MTT reagent (100 μl, 5 mg/ml). The contents were incubated for 4 h at 37 °C. Isopropyl alcohol (750 μl) in 0.05 M HCl was added to dissolve MTT crystals. Absorbance was recorded at 570 nm. Percentage cell viability was calculated using the formula 2 .
Each experiment was performed at least in triplicate for three lyophilized samples prepared from aerial extracts and for the pooled sample (lyophilized) of the root extract. Calibration curves were considered as linear if R2 > 0.99. The EC50 values were calculated from either linear or logarithmic dose response curves where R2 > 0.95 was considered as linear. Student t test was carried out for the statistical calculations using Microsoft Excel.
The extraction efficiency of aerial parts and the pooled sample of the roots were 12.1 (±0.5) and 12.5 % of the dry weight respectively. Total polyphenol content, flavonoid and proanthocyanidin content of extracts are depicted in Table 1. Mean values for TPC, flavonoid and proanthocyanidin content are higher in roots. However a significant difference was observed only with flavonoid content which is a subgroup of polyphenols. Significant difference was not observed for both polyphenolic and proanthocyanidin content between AP and RP (Table 1).
Plant polyphenols are secondary metabolites, which synthesize for their defense against abiotic and biotic stress conditions. They also play numerous roles in biological systems such as antioxidants, antimicrobial and anticancer agents . Gallic acid, rutin, corilagin, furosin and geraniin are some of the polyphenols characterized in aerial parts of P.debilis . Flavonoids are also a subset of polyphenols. They involve in regulatory mechanisms in cell proliferation and differentiation to protect eukaryotic cells from oxidative stress through regulating the activity of different protein kinases . Flavonoids have ability to scavenge free radicals and also serve to chelate metals that generate free hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction . The highest amount of flavonoid content was observed in RP than AP (P < 0.001) (Table 1). Proanthocyanidins is a subset of flavonoid which is synthesized in flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. They are oligomers of flavan-3-ol units with diverse biological activities . Both roots and aerial part showed similar proanthocyanidin content. The present study also showed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, terpenes and saponins but the absence of cardiac glycosides. However a previous study reported that absence of saponin, triterpenoids, and tannins in p.deblis .
Reducing potential is a marker of antioxidant capacity and it was assessed by ferric ion reducing assay. Ferric ions can be reduced to ferrous ions by the antioxidants present in the plant extracts. Ferric ion formation is monitored through the blue green colored complex at 700 nm . Both parts of the plant showed higher reducing ability than the ascorbic acid standard. The capacity to reduce Fe 3+ by the root extracts is significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the ascorbic acid or AP at all the concentrations studied. Furthermore the root showed a reducing capacity even at 0.2 μg/mL (Fig. 1).
The assay is based on the reduction of molybdenum (VI) to molybdenum (V) which forms a green chromophore with phosphate in the acidic medium . Total antioxidant capacity of both AP and RP depicts no significance difference (Table 2 and Fig. 2). Ferric ion reducing power results indicate higher reducing potential of root but molybdenum reduction assay demonstrates no significant difference in antioxidant potential in both extracts. This showed that though the capacity to reduce Fe3+to Fe2+is higher in roots, overlapping curves signifies (Fig. 2) that the capacity to reduce Mo6+ to Mo5+is similar in both parts. The positive control, ascorbic acid also showed different behavior in reducing power between ferric ion and molybdenum (VI) ion.
Hydroxyl radicals are generated by reducing the oxygen molecule to water and it is one of the main sources of reactive oxygen species in biological systems . The values obtained for EC50 show that hydroxyl radical scavenging ability of RP is significantly higher than AP and no significant difference were found between root and ascorbic acid (Table 2). Further it was observed that the percentage scavenging ability of RP is higher at lower concentrations (below around 20 μg/mL) than the gallic acid. Scavenging capacity of AP is parallel to that of the gallic acid standard (Fig. 3).
Figure 4 Nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical and a signaling molecule which is responsible for various biological functions. It has been found that the peroxynitrite derived from NO under oxidative conditions is a highly reactive radical which can damage macromolecules . The Present study showed that roots of P.debilis has high NO scavenging capacity and the EC50 is lower than the ascorbic acid (p < 0.001) (Table 2). These observations suggest that the possibility of using P.debilis in the treatment of degenerative diseases by scavenging nitric oxide free radicals. However further research should be carried out in this regard.
Hydrogen peroxide is a metabolic byproduct results from the action of superoxide dismutase with superoxide radical. Superoxide radicals have a capability of generating reactive oxygen species . Hydrogen peroxide is less toxic than superoxide radical in biological systems. Both roots and aerial parts of the plants showed moderate activity against H2O2 scavenging activity. However the EC 50 values were higher than the ascorbic acid reference standard (Table 2).
The presence of polyphenols in both shoot and roots is evidenced by showing an absorbance peak between 190 and 700 nm. The broad peak observed around 235 nm was remained constant while the signals between the 230 to 500 nm were disappeared from both parts of the plant after PVPP treatment (Fig. 6). Data published by Shela et al., (1993) states that polyphenolic compounds in white wine had a maximum absorbance between 250 – 350 nm . Similar observations were also found in the present study.
Antioxidants readily react with DPPH radical change its original purple color into yellow . The DPPH radical scavenging capacity of the root is comparable to ascorbic acid and significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the aerial parts (Table 3). Interestingly, DPPH scavenging capacity of the root extract at lower concentrations is higher than that of ascorbic acid but lower at high concentrations (Fig. 7). A previous study has reported that methanolic extracts of P.debilis has high DPPH scavenging activity and the results are comparable with the present study .
Polyvinyl polypyrrolidone (PVPP) is highly cross linked polymer which has high affinity towards polyphenols [13, 34]. In the absence of polyphenols both root and aerial parts showed high EC50 values for the DPPH assay. The EC50 ratios with the absence and presence of polyphenols are over 100 fold for both extracts. These results indicate that polyphenols are the main contributory factor for DPPH radical scavenging activity and involvement of non-polyphenols for the antioxidant activity is negligible. Spectrophotometric analysis suggests that the substance(s) which have maximum absorbance around 235 nm are not responsible for scavenging of DPPH (Fig. 8 and Table 3).
Figure 9 depicts the morphological changes of RD cells treated with AP and RP extracts. Shrunken cells with condensed cytoplasm and membrane blebbing characteristics to apoptosis were observed in RD cells treated with plant extracts . The cell death was concentration dependent for both AP and RP with the cell lines investigated. Normal rat liver fibroblast cells(CC1), showed apoptotic features characteristic to apoptosis only at high concentrations.
Anti-proliferative activity was high in RD cells by both AP and RP extracts compared to the CC1 cells (Table 4 & Fig. 10). Even at a concentration such as 1200 μg/mL, the percentage cytotoxicity of CC1 cells was only 58.99 ± 2.43 % and 54.11 ± 0.88 % for AP and RP extracts respectively. Several compounds which have been isolated from P.deblis provide evidence for antioxidant and anti-proliferative activity confirmed in the present study. Gallic acid, rutin, corilagin, furosin and geraniin isolated from P. deblis and geraniin have shown high DPPH scavenging activity [10, 36]. It is reported that geraniin has antioxidant properties and induces apoptotic cell death in human lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo . Gallic acid is a common naturally occurring phenol found inplants used for therapeutic purposes including phyllanthus species . It acts as an antioxidant and exerts anti-proliferative effect on glioma T98G cells via dose-dependent epigenetic regulation mediated by miRNAs [39, 40]. The authors have further reported that the anticancer activity is based on its antioxidant effects.
The EC50 for MTT assay is significantly high (P < 0.001) for the RD cells treated with polyphenol free extracts compared to the crude extract (Figs. 9 & 10 and Table 4). Dose dependent increase in cytotoxicity was observed even in the absence of polyphenols at high concentrations. However the percentage cell viability in the absence of polyphenols was only 28.41 ± 2.94 and 26.77 ± 5.37 %, even at a concentration of 600 μg/mL with AP and RP respectively. At the same concentration AP and RP had 69.09 ± 0.70 and 63.36 ± 1.60 % cell viably respectively.
Hypophyllanthin and Phyllanthin are non polyphenolic compounds found in some phyllanthus species including P. deblis have shown that they exhibit anti-proliferative and antioxidant activity in vitro and vivo [38, 41]. The presence of non-phenolics which have anti-proliferative activity may have contributed to the cell death in the PVPP treated extracts (Fig. 10). However the contribution is low compared to the phenolic compounds.
The evidence supports that polyphenolic compounds are essentially responsible for cell death activating via the increase production of ROS (Reactive oxygen species). Based on the results it may be more effective to prescribe root instead of whole plant in therapy.
The present study reveals that antioxidant activity and anti-proliferative activity are higher in root compared to aerial parts which associate with their phenolic content. Polyphenolic compounds present in both RP and AP extracts show a significant contribution for antioxidant activity and anti-proliferative activity against RD cell line. It was also found that P. debilis does not show cytotoxic activity against CC1 control cells as same as the cancer cells.
We acknowledge University of Colombo, Sri Lanka for the financial assistance by awarding the Research Grant AP/3/2/2014/RG/11. The authors are grateful to Dr. S. Gunasena Medical Research Institute, Colombo 08, Sri Lanka for providing the RD cell line, Ms. Sudeepa Sugathadasa and Ms. Pushpa Jeewandara, Department of Botany, Bandaranayake Memorial Ayurvedic Research Institute, Nawinna, Colombo, Sri Lanka for the identification of the plant.
The technical assistance offered by technical staff, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, is also acknowledged.
Designing the project, data interpretation and revising the manuscript was carried out by PS. SW supervised the project. All the experimental work, data analysis and drafting of the manuscript were carried out by DP. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. | 2019-04-22T02:05:34Z | https://bmccomplementalternmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-016-1324-5 |
Note: Amazon has a well-known habit of deleting reviews without explanation. Sadly, several of the following Amazon reviews were deleted.
Interesting story. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
The Secrets of Hawthorne House is the first book I’ve read by Donald Firesmith, and I have to admit I really enjoyed it. My sister has reviewed his Hell Holes series, so I figured it was time I discovered his writing as well.
This story has a middle-grade vibe to it but is also something that will appeal to young adult readers, and even adult readers. I may be 34, but I consider myself a kid at heart, and I love reading MG/YA stories more than anything else, I think.
The Secrets of Hawthorne House is, at its core, a story about family. The main character, Matt, has lost his mom, and now his dad is uprooting them all (Matt, his sister, his father) and moving them back to the small town his dad grew up in. And to make matters worse, the house next door is supposedly inhabited by a mean, evil witch (or so the rumors say). Needless to say, Matt has a lot he has to deal with.
But, as Matt soon discovers, not all rumors are to be believed, and some secrets are worth uncovering. Especially when the “witch’s” niece and her three kids move in next door as well. There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Gerralt, and Matt finds himself befriending the strange boy.
I don’t want to spoil anything about the book and what’s really going on, nor do I want to give away the secret. I will, however, say that this was a really fun book. It’s got a lot of heart. I liked that Matt didn’t let the rumors about his neighbor keep him from interacting with her. I also liked how Gerralt was willing to jump to the aid of a boy he barely knew because of bullies. With how rampant bullying seems to be nowadays, seeing a victim with a friend who’s willing to stand up for them was nice.
The characters are all really well-written. I thought Matt’s dad, while a bit…off in his own world (understandable, though), he was a good, decent person who just wanted to do whatever he could to take care of his family. I also liked pretty much everyone else in the story, save for the bullies and the principal of the school (and a couple of the teachers too). They were the ones you just couldn’t help but dislike. Some more than others.
The book has an exciting plot, full of adventure and thrills. It was interesting to see how everything played out, and the pacing was good too. It didn’t lag, nor was it too quickly paced. I found myself intrigued and curious to know what the secret was, and what would happen after it was discovered.
And that ending… Well, I won’t spoil that, but it did make me even more interested in reading more by Mr. Firesmith.
Overall, The Secrets of Hawthorne House was a great book, and I’d recommend it to fans of mysteries, YA readers, and people who enjoy stories with paranormal elements. There’s a lot going on, but it’s well worth the read. Definitely check it out!
Fifteen-year-old Matt Mitchell lost his mother in an accident caused by a drunk driver. His devastated father moved him and his twin sister, Tina, from the Oregon coast to the small town of Hawthorne in rural Indiana. As he is the new kid in school, three bullies are determined to make Matt’s life miserable from day one. He also learns that the old recluse who lives in the dilapidated Victorian mansion next door is Lady Vivianne Hawthorne, the town’s infamous witch and murderer. Things become more strange and interesting when Lady Hawthorne’s niece, Gwendolyn Hawthorne, and her three children come to live with her. Matt forms an unlikely friendship with Gerallt, Gwendolyn’s teenage son, and discovers their secret culture and belief, magic, and eventually gets involved in the search for the Hawthornes’ lost treasure.
Rudy Parfaite’s cover art is the first attractive feature of Donald Firesmith’s The Secrets of Hawthorne House. It’s beautifully done and complements the story well. Engaging readers from the start, Firesmith doesn’t rush the story development, making the narrative flow deftly. It was easy for me to immerse myself in this coming-of-age urban fantasy combined with Celtic mythology. I was invested in the characters, their successes, and predicaments. The Hawthornes’ peculiarities are instantly intriguing, especially when Matt gets to know more about them through his friendship with Gerallt. The plot is well thought out, substantiated with imperative messages to the targeted readers on dealing with life’s hardships, the loss of a parent, bullying, and financial stress. There’s also the matter of dealing with discrimination and respecting others’ beliefs. As an adult, I found The Secrets of Hawthorne House truly enjoyable even though it’s for teen readers. A commendable work from Donald Firesmith, and I look forward to the sequel.
A really great book that I got from BookFunnel. Immensely enjoyable! I hope more are forthcoming!
Matt and Tina Mitchell are twins who just lost their mother in an accident. Their father takes them far away from the seaside they love to the small town of Hawthorne. There they find themselves next door to the famous haunted house of the ghost of the gray lady. Matt needs some money and starts to clean the yard of the haunted house for Mrs. Hawthorn, getting to know her and her timid ways.
One day, her niece comes to live with her along with her three children. Matt becomes Geralt Hawthorne’s best friend and soon discovers that his family is not the common family he is adjusted to. Their secrets, their corky ways, no electricity, no games or computers make for an interesting friendship. Not only that, but the bullies at school are after them…they will have to pull together or be defeated.
This is a great, clean, and entertaining story for middle grade and young adult kids who like mystery, treasure hunts, and magic. It is nicely done by Donald Firesmith. I would keep my eyes out for the next book in this series.
I quite enjoyed this book, teenagers dealing with school, the bullies and different backgrounds.
The different accents used took a bit to get used to (with the spellings ) but once I got used to it I found it fun.
The description was detailed enough to give a good picture of things but not too much so that it distracted from the storyline.
A bit of everything, sadness, stress, magic, joy and love amongst others. Well worth a go.
A great book for readers of all ages. Middle school and high school students will enjoy the humiliation of the school bullies. Adults will connect with the families trying to cope after death strikes. Two families from opposite sides of the country join to fight what seemed to be insurmountable obstacles. But one group is hiding a secret that threatens to end the friendship. Donald Firesmith created a story that has humor, sadness, love and realistic characters. All this combines for a spectacular reading experience.I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book.
Firstly I am a big Harry Potter fan so this book was an excellent book for me! That is where the similarities stop!!!
After Sam’s wife died in an accident he uprooted himself and his children Matt and Tina to back to his home town. Their new home was next door to Hawthorne house, which was very run down. The rumors were that it was haunted and the old lady was a witch. Sam did not believe this and encouraged his young son to go there and offer his services to clean the yard for her.
Old Mrs. Hawthorne’s niece and three children moved in with her when the niece Gwendolyn lost her husband in an accident.
Matt soon makes friends with Gerallt and after being bullied at school, strange things kept happening. This is when the fun began.
There is a lot packed into this well written excellent book, there is so much more to this book and of course a happy ending.
Matt Mitchell lost his mother a year ago in an accident. Matt his twin sister Tina and their father move back to his father’s hometown so they can all get away from the memories that their mother Mary left behind in their cottage by the ocean.
After the move and without their mother’s income the family’s finances start to dwindle. Matt’s father is having a hard time keeping up with all the bills and things Matt and Tina want.
They move next door to the famous Hawthorne house. Old Lady Hawthorne a recluse known as the town’s witch and murderer. When Matt wants money for new games and CDs and other things, his Dad suggests that he go next door and speak with Lady Hawthorne about taking care of her lawn as it is in dire need of some repair. Matt takes him up on his idea and does just that. He asks Lady Hawthorne for a job and she abides.
Lady Hawthorne’s niece and her three children move in next door. Matt and the oldest son Gerallt become best friends in no time. Gerallt lost his father last year as well. The three Hawthorne children start school with Matt and Tina at Hawthorne High. Matt and Gerallt have a run of bad luck with three bullies at the school. Before long the bullies frame Gerallt and Matt for attacking them and other children which results in Matt and Gerallt getting in school suspension as well as grounded at home.
Matt and Gerallt are both very strong boys and are determined to set things right with the bullies and set out to prove their innocents and to prove to everyone including their parents that they didn’t do what they were accused of. Someone has to do something before someone gets hurt big time by one of the three bullies. How are Matt and Gerallt going to stop the three bullies? Can they stop them? Will their parents ever believe them again?
The Secrets of Hawthorne House is very intriguing and interesting with the history of the Hawthorne house. The stories of how the house came to be and who built it and how it got its name and the stories of all the Gods and Goddess were very interesting as well. The Secrets of Hawthorne House is full of history, mystery, magic and great characters.
When I was reading The Secrets of Hawthorne House it reminded me of the kids in Stephen King’s It and the kids in Stranger Things of how they stuck by each other no matter what they always had each other’s back and kept each other’s secrets. I can’t wait to see what the Mitchell’s and the Hawthorne’s have in store for us in the next book.
The Secrets of Hawthorne House is for anyone who loves a good story with lots of magic. If you like It and Stranger Things then I believe you will like The Secrets of Hawthorne House as well.
For Matt Mitchell, life had thrown him lemons and turned those lemons even more sour. He had lost his mother in a horrific accident and then his dad decided to uproot the family from his home in Oregon to Hawthorn, Indiana…a “nowheresville” sleepy town. Here was Matt, with no friends, just getting ready to start his first day in High School. As seems to be the norm in schools everywhere, Matt was excluded and tormented for no greater reason than being the new kid. The stories about the “crazy” next door neighbor and the killings in her house are almost more than Matt can handle. That is until he starts to help the neighbor with yard work. When the neighbor’s niece and kids move in, Matt meets others who are outsiders and he finally makes some friends. Only thing is, the kids are definitely different.
I received an ARC of this ebook. It was such a great story that I wanted to review it, And I hope that the author continues the saga.
I’m extremely impressed with The Secrets of Hawthorne House, which was gifted to me. But unlike other books I’ve won or been given for an honest review, I genuinely loved this book! It begins quickly, draws you in, but never slows, so that once you finish one chapter, you’re on to the next. It’s the story of fifteen-year-old Matt Mitchell, who after losing his mother in a tragic accident and is forced to move far from his former home and life, finds a new life and a strong interest that begins next door. He’s intrigued by the”haunted” Hawthorne House next to his own, a house who’s inhabitant is said to be an old witch. Once he hears the true story of the mansion from his teacher, however, he’s compelled to meet the owner himself. What follows is his delightful relationship with the white-haired Lady Hawthorne or Mrs. Carter (ex) and when her extended family comes to stay…with Geralt. The rest is a mixture of magic and interesting experiences that allow him to get over his nightmares of his mother’s death and the sadness that had threatened to send him spiraling into a depression. I couldn’t wait to reach the end and find out the mysteries of the old house and its inhabitants! It’s such a delightful story and the first one I’ve read by this author but if this is any indication of his other works or if he continues to write more great books; he has found a fan in me!
This is the first book that I have read by this author and I am glad I did! Well-written and a great story.
This is my first book by Donald Firesmith but it definitely won’t be my last. The Secrets of Hawthorne House is not just one adventure but many and I didn’t want the book to end. The characters are defined and complex and it draws you in so subtly that I found myself talking to the characters! I would love to see these characters again. (hint, hint Mr. Firesmith).
The unlikely encounter of two families: one very normal, the other with mysterious origins and powers. I loved it. To read urgently. Thank you Donald for allowing us these delicious moments of reading.
Wonderful book and a wonderful story. Kept me guessing what would happen next as you get drawn into the two families and their building friendships. Recommend for all readers!
For the first couple of paragraphs, I dove in with delight and then slowed. Firesmith was way too descriptive. Incredibly wordy! And then I slid all the way in, enjoying The Secrets of Hawthorne House with its focus on faith. And I did like Gerallt’s explanation of magic!
I loved that the boys stood up to the bullies and the loyalty of each of them to the other. The costuming and lifestyle of the Hawthornes were fascinating. I did have to wonder why it was still necessary for the candles and all, but it was a pip. And I certainly got hungry reading of Vivianne’s and Gwendolyn’s cooking!
It’s not just the bullying, but the nasty gossip that destroys people, which runs with a subtheme about ignorance and bigotry. Then there’s that contrast between Matt’s and Gerallt’s lifestyles that provides yet more interest, and with Firesmith using third person point-of-view, we get an impersonal perspective from all sides.
A few niggles. Why would Sam think he’d actually be able to cut it as a computer programmer? I’m not too keen on Matt’s self-entitlement. The “accent” was annoying, and yet I do understand why Firesmith made use of it. Then there’s Matt taking everyone out to dinner when he claims they’re so broke.
What’s with the bullies? How can teachers not know who the bullies are? It is unacceptable that these creeps are allowed to get away with it! As for their parents!?! WTF?? This is part of the problem with parents, that they refuse to listen to their children’s side of things. That they simply believe whatever the other side, the teachers, tell them without understanding that there are always two sides to any issue. What an incredible disservice to their own children! Oh, sure, I can believe that a parent who truly knows their child is bad would believe the teacher over their child, but these parents??? When they’ve never had trouble with them before?? No.
There’s plenty of conflicts: the bullies, the familial losses, the money issues of all three, religious and cultural differences, fears about witches and their craft, science versus faith, and those idiotic school employees who believe they can diagnose psychological issues.
Nor is the action lacking. I’ve already mentioned the bullies, and there’s also the assault, the treasure hunt, and Matt’s arrogance.
Life is forever changed when Matt’s mother is killed, and their father uproots them from everything they know.
But Matt’s life will change forever when a family of druids moves into the dilapidated Victorian mansion next door.
Fifteen-year-old Matt Mitchell is more nerd than his popular twin sister, Tina. Their dad, Sam, taught intro to programming back at Port Orford High School. Midnight is the family cat. Their artist mother was killed by a drunk driver back in Port Orford, Oregon. Uncle James.
Vivianne Hawthorne Carter, a.k.a., Old Lady Hawthorne, has been a recluse for decades. She’s the daughter of Henry and Rhiannon. Vivianne had married John Carter who ran off with Mary Collins, Vivianne’s best friend. Gwendolyn Hawthorne is Vivianne’s niece whose fisherman husband, Medwyn, died. Her children — Gwyneth, Gerallt, and Gareth — and her accepted Vivianne’s invitation. Nightshade and Belladonna are the family cats. Nightwing is Gerallt’s crow. Shadow is Gareth’s squirrel.
Ezekiel Hawthorne founded the town of Hawthorne in 1826. Harold was his son who worked hard to increase the family fortune and founded the Northern Indiana Railroad Company. Henry Hubertus Hawthorne was Harold’s son who married Rhiannon Llewellyn from Deer Isle. Their children were Morgan and Vivianne.
Fellow students include the much picked-upon Sarah Duffy who runs the A/V; Harper, and Paul Stephens who had also lost his mother to a car accident. Clayton Cartwright, Dylan Jones, and Colin O’Connell are bullies. Brad O’Connell is one of Colin’s cousins, and his nastiness seems to run int he family.
Marcus Thompson is the American History teacher interested in the why, Tanner is the principal, Mrs. Fletcher is at the principal’s front desk, Mrs. McKinney teaches English, and Mr. Armstrong is the gym teacher.
Modron is the great mother goddess the Hawthornes worship. The High Coven is the ruling body of all druids. George Smith is a scumbag of a handyman. Peter Henderson of Peter’s Pawn Shop isn’t too picky.
The cover is DARK with a cloudy yet bright deep blue sky and a full moon. The background is a dilapidated Victorian mansion with turrets on either end and a light burning in an upper window. A bare tree is to the house’s left. A broken down fence separates the house from a young boy, carrying a backpack, trudging past the house on a broken sidewalk. The author’s name is at the top in white. The title is in a fun gothic font in shades of yellow and orange.
The title is what it’s all about, The Secrets of Hawthorne House.
The book did creep me out at times because who mentions a scary murder story to a stranger on a school bus? But then again, I let many instances skip because middle school kids and their curiosities are something I am familiar with.
I really liked Matt’s character because he is like any other average kid that does not have any biases and is not easily influenced by rumors. I appreciate these kinds of characters because they really teach good values. But that won’t change the fact that his life was really hellish. Losing his mother, being bullied and then on the constant verge of confusion regarding the secret of the Hawthorne house? Poor kid. Moving to a place to forget the memories, father’s dwindling finances, being the new kid and the only friend being a strange boy whose friendship gets you bullied more? Poor kid.
The worse I felt for Matt, the more I enjoyed the story though. Because the writing is just that good and meant to keep a reader engaged. That is something I love about most middle-grade books. Kids don’t usually have a good attention span so unless the writing is alluring, the attention wavers off. That didn’t happen with this book. I read half the book in one go, flipping pages, enjoying the contradictory behaviors of Matt and his twin Tina, seeing Matt develop a sort of friendship with the mystery kid next door Gerralt. The plot of the book is also exciting if not unique. But I enjoyed the added mysticism of Wiccan beliefs and magic.
The Secrets of Hawthorne House by Donald Firesmith is a charming ‘found family’ story that deftly illustrates how people of different cultures/spiritual backgrounds can get along just fine. For decades, Vivianne Hawthorne has kept to herself and not interacted with the residents of the town her grandfather gave name to. That changes when the Mitchell family moves next door. Matt, looking for odd jobs to earn money, approaches Mrs. Hawthorne about working in her overgrown yard. The elderly lady reluctantly agrees, thinking he’s just there to trick her like several bully kids like to do. Matt proves his worth though, and every weekend works to tame the yard. Then Vivianne’s great-niece and her kids move in, and Matt finds a best friend in Gerralt, a boy his age. But there’s more to Gerralt and the Hawthornes than ever Matt might guess.
Over the course of the story, the boys confront bullies (in hysterical ways!), learn to trust that difference isn’t bad, and the strange and unusual need not be feared, and even find treasure! This story engaged me right from the start. At first, I wasn’t so certain ‘druid’ was the correct term for the Hawthornes, but that gets resolved later in the story. I enjoyed learning about their ancestors’ past. I’m doubly grateful that Matt, and later his family, learned to at least accept the Hawthornes’ faith, even if they cannot share it, and believe there must be a different explanation. I adored that the author wrote the Hawthornes as they spoke, accents and all. It immediately reminded me of how my Welsh friend speaks, and it’s later revealed that the Hawthornes’ ancestry is Welsh, and that they tend to live in isolated colonies which may serve to preserve parts of the accent. At any rate, I loved it! Also, most of their names reflect Welsh ancestry. Slow me took a bit to recall that Gerralt is nothing more exotic than Gerald.
Several characters have to step out of their comfort zones. Matt must learn to accept Gerralt’s faith, the younger Hawthornes have to have far greater interaction with technology than they’re used to. On Deer Isle, where a colony exists, electricity is not used. They are living experimental archaeology. Vivianne, I think, took the bravest step by going out to supper with everyone despite being terrified of ridicule and persecution by the townsfolk, many of whom believe she killed her husband and best friend over an affair. I just can’t imagine her doing such a thing. She seems so sweet. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next in the series!
I enjoyed reading The Secrets of Hawthorne House and learning all the mysteries that surround it. I was drawn in from the beginning and enjoyed Matt and his outsider status. I love that his circle of friends stuck by him with the bullies. There is humor, sorrow, adventure, mystery, love and realistic, relatable characters in this book. It’s a middle school YA read, but I think just about anyone would enjoy reading it!
Matt is new in town, and everyone seems to be obsessed with the spooky house next door. Matt just isn’t seeing it. It’s old, creepy and run-down, but he doesn’t believe the lady who lives there is a witch. The secret of Hawthorne house is a hot topic around this town. It’s the stuff of legends and spooky stories. This is the story of friendship and mystery. Every house has a story, every town has a history, and every new kid needs to experience what the town has to offer.
I don’t read many middle school books, but this one had an interesting plot, and I enjoyed the change of scenery. I joined up to the book tour and received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this fun magical read! The characters and the story was engaging. There was a bit of romance. The fact that the main character was only 15 added to the story, I believe. I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion. Now going to purchase the book, I enjoyed it so much.
First up, I don’t give 5★ reviews easily, so a 4★ one is high praise from me. I am waiting to read the second book, as although this one is not really a cliffhanger, there is a lot of story left to tell. The meeting of two families, one seemingly normal, and the other immersed in magic, is quite good. Both the kids and adults are open to the changes in their lives, which I find very refreshing.
For me, this was a fun, easy read about middle school kids doing mostly middle school stuff. And magic. Magic the users of which are to never tell anyone else! But what do you do when you say and do a little too much in front of your best and only friend because of some bullies? For Gerallt, someone who’s never had electricity; therefore no TV, computers, cellphones; and learns about their wonders from his only friend, that becomes his dilemma. So he breaks his ‘code of silence’ so as not to lose his friend. What happens after he reveals his secret not only puts him in jeopardy of losing his gifts, but his whole family could as well. Of course, the story has a happy ending.
This story seems to be targeted toward middle schoolers, but it’s a fun read for any age, which keeps moving throughout. Another nicety for me is the story has a conclusion, not a cliffhanger (I am Not a fan of cliffhangers), though it ends with the ability to continue their adventures.
I gave it 4 stars because of a few grammar errors, mainly missing words that one can figure out after re-reading those sentences. But other than that, I found it a fun read. I almost titled it: What if you, an ‘outsidah’, learned you can perform magic?
Not sure if kids book or young adult perhaps. Just enough romance to not be icky for young’uns. I was grabbed early, not wanting to put it down, eager to see what adventure next came for the boys. Now I’m eager for the next book!
What an interesting read. Follow Matt through his many trials and tribulations never quite knowing where the next twist and turn will lead especially when things are not always as they appear. A well written thoroughly enjoyable read.
I received this book as an ARC from the Author this is my honest voluntary review.
It was a drunk driver that crashed into his mother and killed her. It was something that 15-year-old Matt has never been able to get over. Now, he, along with his father and twin sister, has moved to Hawthorne, IN, as far away from the ocean as possible.
New house, new town, new people.
The first day of school, Matt meets Sarah, who tells him about Lady Hawthorne next door. She was supposedly a witch who murdered her husband. So then why was she running free if she was a killer?
Eventually, Matt starts doing household chores for Lady Hawthorne and soon befriends one of her relatives. Suddenly, life in a strange town gets even stranger.
Story goes into a brief history of the Hawthorne Haunted House and how it came to be. It was interesting but lags considerably with endless monologue that seems irrelevant. The Hawthornes certainly have incomprehensible dialogue with their weird accent (it was Southern or Eastern or something,) making it harder to follow and understand them.
Ultimately, the question was: What were the secrets of Hawthorne House? Although the answer wasn’t too clear, the bond and friendship between Matt and Gerallt was admirable.
This strange tale of Wiccan folklore was punctuated by childhood mayhem, dark secrets, and a touch of magic. Of course, judging by the cover, I expected more spookiness, like a haunting impression really, but it just sort of remained stagnant at a mild and mediocre level. It’s a decent read for YA audiences, but I would’ve liked it better had it been shortened and less complicated. | 2019-04-21T21:01:54Z | http://donaldfiresmith.com/hawthorne-house-reviews/ |
The IOC President Thomas Bach has welcomed the United Nations Resolution on Sport as a Means to Promote Education, Health, Development and Peace: “The IOC welcomes the resolution and thanks the United Nations and all its Member States for the confidence in the power of sport to bring about social change. The resolution is another expression of the close cooperation between the IOC and the UN, based on our shared values of contributing to a better and more peaceful world through sport.” With this Resolution, the UN reiterated its recognition of the independence and autonomy of the IOC. Adopted by the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, the Resolution followed up on the one initially adopted in 2014. Obtaining a consensus from all the Member States, which transcended political divisions to uphold the values of sport, the Resolution reiterates the main areas in which sport contributes to social development and peace. It also underlines the challenges faced by the world of sport and governments, and to which the IOC is determined to respond. Read the full press release here.
As part of the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 (Recommendation 1), the IOC President met representatives of the Sport and Rights Alliance (SRA), which includes Transparency International Germany, UNI World Athletes, Terre des Hommes, the International Trade Union Confederation, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The members of SRA were asked for their input into the new text for the 2024 Host City Contract, which now includes a new section designed to strengthen provisions protecting human rights and countering fraud and corruption related to the organisation of the Olympic Games.
Following its global partnership to provide innovative and sustainable mobility solutions for the Olympic Movement in line with Olympic Agenda 2020, Toyota, the newest Worldwide TOP Partner, delivered hybrid cars for the IOC. The vehicles use Toyota’s latest hybrid technology, combining the benefits of petrol engines and electric motors to provide sustainable mobility solutions. IOC President Thomas Bach received the cars from Philippe Rhomberg, CEO of Toyota Switzerland AG, at the IOC’s Headquarters in Lausanne. For the IOC President, “this is another step in this exciting partnership, and I am particularly delighted about the new hybrid cars, which is another clear demonstration of the IOC’s commitment towards sustainability.” Read the full press release here.
The President had a meeting with International Fencing Federation President Alisher Usmanov, and spoke with him about the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Olympic Channel.
With Morinari Watanabe, the newly elected President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), who will take office next January, the President discussed relations between the two organisations, the recent opening of the FIG’s new headquarters in Lausanne and the upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
President Thomas Bach met with Jan Dijkema, who was elected President of the International Skating Union (ISU) in June 2016. They discussed preparations for the skating events at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 as well as the McLaren report.
Sabatino Aracu, the President of the Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS), spoke to the IOC President about the addition of skateboarding to the Olympic programme for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, following the approval of its inclusion at the 129th IOC Session in Rio in August.
With Francesco Ricci Bitti, President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), the discussions were about the excellent cooperation with ASOIF, the reforms of the World Anti-Doping Agency, the preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 as well as the question of good governance in the IFs.
A meeting was held with Raffaele Chiulli, the President of the Association of IOC-Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) with whom the excellent cooperation with ARISF and the Olympic programme were highlighted.
At a meeting with Isidoros Kouvelos, the President of the International Olympic Academy (IOA), the President underscored the key role played by sport in education and the cooperation between the IOC and the IOA in this area.
At their meeting, President Bach and IOC Executive Board Member Ching-Kuo Wu, also President of the International Boxing Federation (AIBA), discussed various subjects including good governance, the fight against doping and the Olympic Games Rio 2016.
With IOC Member Mario Pescante, the President discussed the United Nations (UN) Resolution on Sport as a Means to Promote Education, Health, Development and Peace, adopted by the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly. Mr Pescante, who is also the IOC’s Permanent Observer at the UN, represented the IOC at the General Assembly.
Attending a farewell reception held in honour of Wilfried Lemke, the UN Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, President Bach thanked Mr Lemke for the important role he has played and the efforts he has invested in making sport an integral part of the work carried out by the United Nations in a large number of areas. Held in Geneva (Switzerland), the reception was organised by Ambassador Hans-Joachim Daerr, Germany’s Permanent Representative to the Office of the United Nations and to Other International Organisations in Geneva.
The President also met Dennis Jönsson, the President and CEO of Tetra Pak, whose head office is situated next to the IOC’s in Pully. The two leaders discussed the UN’s Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which both their organisations support.
On 15 December, the IOC, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and NBCUniversal (NBCU) announced that they have entered into a comprehensive Olympic Channel content and distribution partnership in the United States. In the second half of 2017, the partnership will launch a new U.S. television network under the “Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA” brand. The network will offer fans Olympic-sport programming from around the world 365 days a year, with content focusing on their favourite American athletes and teams. Read the news: here.
Broadcast on the Olympic Channel, Camps to Champs is an inspirational and moving new series in which Olympic athletes meet refugees and displaced people and show viewers how sport can change lives for the good. Each of the four episodes that make up the series is filmed in a different refugee camp and narrated by an Olympic athlete, who explains the impact of outreach programmes and grassroots sports activities. The four-episode docu-series is available exclusively on the Olympic Channel digital platform. Read the news here.
It was with great pleasure that The Olympic Museum took receipt of South African swimmer Cameron van der Burgh’s kit (pictured). Van der Burgh won Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke at London 2012 and silver in the same event in Rio four years later; and his kit now forms part of the Museum’s collections.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has revealed the names of its first Integrity Ambassadors, whose job it will be to promote clean, fair and honourable sport. The five ambassadors in question are all leading players: Christinna Pedersen and Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, India’s Saina Nehwal – an IOC Athletes’ Commission member – and Japanese women’s double pair Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi (all pictured above). The quintet were presented to the media by BWF Deputy President Gustavo Salazar Delgado on the eve of the World Superseries Finals in Dubai (UAE). The launch of the Integrity Ambassadors’ campaign is the latest step in the BWF’s integrity programme, i am badminton, which was launched last season. The five ambassadors will represent and promote the campaign’s values, serving as role models for the badminton world on and off the court. More ambassadors will be announced in 2017. Read the news here.
At its extraordinary meeting on 19 December in Montreux (Switzerland), the AIBA Executive Committee, chaired by Ching-Kuo Wu, unanimously agreed upon technical and AOB (AIBA Open Boxing) rules, financial updates and the calendar for the new Olympic cycle to Tokyo 2020 (see photo above). The meeting was the first step on the road to Tokyo 2020, and the decisions approved will be adopted by the Continental Championships held between June and July next year and the 2017 Men’s World Championships in Hamburg (Germany). The coming 12 months will also see the continuation of the HeadsUp initiative and a broad education programme of training and workshops for referees, judges and coaches, as well as the 2017 Year of Africa. Read the full press release here.
The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) was named International Sports Federation of the Year for 2016 at the International Sports Convention (ISC) in Geneva on 8 December. Recognising the work carried out by the FEI, particularly the integrity and quality of the governance it provides, the award rounded off a successful year for the body, which was praised for the initiatives forming part of its “#TwoHearts: Billy to Rio” Olympic campaign, and the video Hoofloose. Info at: www.fei.org.
The International Judo Federation (IJF) has just published a series of new regulations that will be applied during the next Olympic cycle. The goal is to simplify and promote the rules of judo and make them easier to understand. A final document will be prepared and circulated before the end of the year. Read the news here.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has announced that Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Germany’s Angelique Kerber are the 2016 ITF World Champions, a first for both players. Murray won nine titles in 2016, among them the men’s singles title at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, while Kerber lifted two Grand Slams and won silver in the women’s singles at the Rio Games. Click here for the winners in the other categories: doubles, wheelchair and juniors (men’s and women’s). The winners will receive their awards at the 2017 ITF World Champions Dinner on Tuesday 6 June, in Paris, during the French Open.
Back in 1999, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) launched a development programme called Dream Building, the aim of which was to make the world a better place through table tennis. Click on this video link to find out more about a programme that has had a positive impact on the lives of many people, helping communities deal with the effects of war, poverty and natural disaster through education and community engagement, and using table tennis as a vehicle for promoting peace and other values. Info at: www.ittf.com.
The International Triathlon Union (ITU) has named Edmonton as the host city for the ITU World Championships Grand Final in 2020. This will be the third time that Canada has hosted the World Championships, with Edmonton having organised them in 2001 and 2014. The 2017 World Championships will be held in Rotterdam (NED), with Gold Coast (AUS) and Lausanne (SUI) respectively hosting the 2018 and 2019 editions. Read the news: here.
Following its decision to move its 2017 World Championships from Sochi (RUS), the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) selected the German resort Königssee as the new host of the competition which will be held from 13 to 26 February. Read the news here.
On 16 December, the World Curling Federation (WCF) and the Chinese Curling Association signed an MoU that will see the two organisations work together in developing the sport in the People’s Republic of China and across the world. Their partnership will play an important role in preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. Read the news here. The WCF has also unveiled new trophies for its World Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships. The trophies will be contested for the first time at the World Men’s Curling Championship 2017 in Edmonton (CAN) from 1 to 9 April and at the World Women’s Curling Championship 2017 in Beijing from 18 to 26 March 2017. Read the news here.
As part of World Snow Day 2017, the International Ski Federation (FIS) has released a promotional trailer that will be shown during FIS World Cup broadcasts. World Snow Day is the second phase of the FIS’s Bring Children to the Snow campaign. The first phase, entitled SnowKidz, was launched in 2009 with the aim of encouraging the FIS’s national member associations to promote snow sports in their respective countries. Watch the trailer: here. The trailer is available in six languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Chinese. Info at: www.fis-ski.com.
The NOC of Albania organised a ceremony to mark the agreement between the Albanian Skiing Federation (ASF) and three Olympic scholarship-holders, Erjon Tola, Suela Mëhilli and Marsel Biçoku (see photo above). For the NOC President, Viron Bezhani, this high-level collaboration with the ASF will follow the preparation for the qualification cycle of these athletes for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. Over the years, the participating team has grown from one at the Olympic Winter Games Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010 to two in Sochi 2014. For PyeongChang 2018, the ASF is expecting three or more athletes to qualify. The programme will be operational from 1 November 2016 to 28 February 2018. More info on www.nocalbania.org.al.
The Argentinean NOC has held its traditional awards ceremony, paying tribute to individuals and institutions for their engagement and work for sport and the principles of the Olympic Movement. During the ceremony, NOC President and IOC Member Gerardo Werthein presented the “Women and Sport” award to Alicia Masoni de Morea, in recognition of her contribution to sport (photo above). She holds numerous positions, being NOC First Vice-President and a member of the IOC’s Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission, the ANOC International Relations Commission, the WADA Education Committee and the International Tennis Federation’s Olympic Committee. The prizes for the 34th edition of the national drawing and literature contest were also presented. This contest is aimed at promoting the Olympic values among school pupils and students aged from 6 to 19. More details here.
After being awarded an Olympic Solidarity grant, Special Olympics Cyprus joined forces with the Cyprus National Olympic Committee and the Cypriot Ministry of Education and Culture in organising a Sport For All seminar entitled “Unified Sports – Inclusion Seminar” (photo above). More than 120 physical education teachers, coaches, students and volunteers attended the seminar, which sought to promote the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in Cyprus. It is hoped that the teachers who took part in the seminar will now be better equipped to create unified teams in a range of sports, such as basketball, volleyball, handball and football, and thereby promote social inclusion, acceptance and respect for intellectually disabled students in schools. Info at: www.olympic.org.cy.
Bogota provided the venue for Colombia’s Olympic Sport Gala on 12 December (photo above), with the Colombian National Olympic Committee and Coldeportes presenting the Altius Awards to 47 sportspersons representing the national federations affiliated to the NOC. NOC President Baltazar Medina conducted the gala and was joined by his Executive Board. Also in attendance were Coldeportes CEO Clara Luz Roldán, the heads of the country’s national sports federations and the Colombian Olympic Academy, representatives of the NOC’s leading sponsors and a number of journalists. Seven of Colombia’s eight medallists at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 were also present. Read the news here. In other news, Caterine Ibargüen, who won gold in the women’s triple jump at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, was voted Athlete of the Year by the newspaper El Espectador, her fourth such award of the year. Read the news here.
Organised by the El Salvador Olympic Committee (COES), with the support of the IOC, the latest workshop in the national athlete career monitoring programme was held at the Corinto Club on Lake Ilopango. The opening of the event was attended by COES President Eduardo Palomo; Mónica del Real, a member of the Mexican NOC’s Athletes’ Commission: and Carlos Santiago, the Chairman of the Puerto Rican NOC’s Athletes’ Commission. Taking part in the workshop were nearly 15 athletes from a number of sports federations and the El Salvador University Sports Association (ADUSAL) (photo above). Info at: www.teamesa.org.
Jointly organised by the Nepalese government and a number of non-governmental stakeholders, the 2nd Sports Congress was held in Kathmandu on 16 and 17 December (photo above). Following a programme put together and developed by the Nepal Olympic Committee, the event sought to create a sports development synergy with the Olympic Movement, with the participation and support of the Nepalese government. Opened by NOC President Jeevan Ram Shrestha, the Congress ended with its more than 150 participants adopting a declaration.
Anton Siekel was elected President of the Slovakia Olympic Committee (SOC) at its 51st elective general assembly on 26 November. The 47-year-old Siekel is the Honorary President of the Slovak Judo Federation and the President of the SOC’s Foundation. The assembly also elected new members of the SOC Executive Committee, of which IOC Member Danka Bartekova, and Matej Toth, the new Chairman of the SOC’s Athletes’ Commission, are ex officio members. For his part, two-time Olympic canoe slalom champion Michal Martikan was elected as an individual member of the SOC. Elected Honorary President of the SOC, Frantisek Chmelar joined Anton Siekel in paying a visit to IOC Honorary Member and Honorary SOC President Vladimir Cernusak on the occasion of his 95th birthday. Pictured from left to right above: Chmelar, Cernusak and Siekel. Info at www.olympic.sk.
On 8 December the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee and the Mongolian Olympic Committee signed a bilateral cooperation agreement in Taipei. The agreement was signed by the respective presidents of the two NOCs: Hong-Dow Lin and Demchigjav Zagdsuren (photo above). The two nations’ NOCs first began cooperating in 1994 and entered into their maiden bilateral cooperation agreement in 2001, which was followed by further agreements in 2003 and 2006. In renewing their ties, the two NOCs intend to send athletes to each other’s countries for training in sports in which they are strong, such as wrestling, judo, taekwondo, archery and cycling. The agreement is designed to provide a framework for the organisation of joint national-team training sessions and exchange visits between NOC officials and staff, and to also encourage cooperation in medicine and anti-doping, to name but two areas. Info at: www.tpenoc.net.
The Togo National Olympic Committee (CNOT) organised the second Avé Track and Field Meet in the town of Kévé. Held on 8 and 9 December, the competition saw an equal number of boys and girls from 20 high schools and sixth-form colleges in the Avé prefecture take part in a number of track and field events (photo above). The events were supervised and monitored by officials from the Togolese Athletics Federation and the Red Cross. The meet gave the Federation the opportunity to identify talented young athletes and arrange for them to be monitored and receive support. The youngsters showed plenty of enthusiasm and commitment, and there are plans to expand the event to other prefectures. Read the news here.
In the framework of the IOC Athletes’ Career Programme, the NOC of Uruguay and Adecco Uruguay have signed a cooperation agreement. The agreement aims to address the needs of the athletes during their transition from sporting life to professional life. Adecco Uruguay will provide them with training sessions to facilitate access to employment as well as their integration into the work environment. Leading sports authorities were at the ceremony, including the NOC President, Julio César Maglione, who is also an IOC Honorary Member (centre of photo), and the athletes who took part in the Olympic Games Rio 2016. More info on www.cou.org.uy.
The Gangneung Ice Arena was officially opened ahead of the ISU Short Track World Cup event held from 16 to 18 December, which also doubled up as a test event for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. Among those attending the opening of the venue was Gunilla Lindberg, the Chair of the IOC’s PyeongChang 2018 Coordination Commission (photo above). In addition to short track, the 12,000-seater arena, which took two-and-a-half years to complete, will also host the figure skating competitions at the 2018 Games. Located in Gangneung Olympic Park, the Ice Arena is one of the six new venues built for PyeongChang 2018. It is the first ice venue to be completed at Gangneung, with three more due for completion in the city by the end of 2016. Read the news here.
A ceremony was held in Tokyo on 11 December to mark the start of construction of the new National Stadium. Among those in attendance were the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and the Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike (photo above). The stadium will be the main venue for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The launch ceremony ended with a video revealing how the stadium will look on completion in November 2019. The stadium will host both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2020 Games and the athletics events. Read the news here.
The second Four-Party Political Working Group meeting took place in Tokyo on 21 December. The meeting confirmed that volleyball would be held at the Ariake Arena, as originally planned, with a new legacy concept for the entire region supporting the development of the venue. When added to the revised venue designs that were agreed for Sea Forest and the Aquatics Centre at the first Working Group meeting in November, an additional amount of around USD 400 million in savings has been made to the revised construction budget. This comes on top of the approximately USD 1.8 billion saved last year following the extensive masterplan review. During the Working Group meeting, Tokyo 2020 also presented the first versions of the OCOG and Other Entities budgets. The four parties - the IOC, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Government of Japan and Tokyo 2020 – committed to working towards optimising the budgets even further. Tokyo 2020's commitment to deliver Games at the highest level, on schedule, and with the best experience for athletes and fans alike, remains at the forefront of all decisions made in relation to the budgets for the Games. Read the Tokyo 2020 news release here.
Marking the first anniversary of the UN Security Council’s resolution 2250, Generations For Peace has reaffirmed its support for the resolution, which is designed to give young people more of a voice in decision-making at all levels, the idea being to counter violent extremism and build peaceful communities around the world. On 21 November, Generations For Peace was accepted as an associate of the UN Department of Public Information. NGOs play a key role in achieving the UN’s goals, and contribute to the development, implementation and monitoring of agendas agreed by its 193 member states. Read the news here.
On their recent visit to Birmingham, Alabama (USA), IOC Member and International World Games Association (IWGA) President José Perurena and IWGA CEO Joachim Gossow met representatives of the Birmingham Local Organising Committee for the World Games 2021 and Chester Wheeler, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC)’s Head of Marketing and Media. Together they drew up the framework for close cooperation in the lead-up to the Games. In a separate meeting with the Mayor of Birmingham, William A. Bell, the IWGA President discussed the city’s involvement in the preparation and staging of the Games. Read the news here.
A special issue of Olympic Highlights will appear at the end of 2016. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy holiday season. | 2019-04-23T07:10:42Z | https://www.olympic.org/news/olympic-highlights-90 |
Antarctic sea ice is one of those things in the climate system that seems to confuse people. Antarctic sea ice, on average, is increasing. How can there be global warming if sea ice is increasing in the Antarctic? Some have gone so far as to average the Arctic sea ice loss with the Antarctica sea ice gains, and imply that globally sea ice isn’t changing. That’s just silly. Even so, it’s fair to say that most of the popular explanations for Antarctic sea ice expansion haven’t been very convincing.
In this essay, I’ll try to explain where the confusion about Antarctic sea ice changes comes from, and to highlight a few recent papers in the scientific literature that add important new clarity to the picture. The bottom line is that scientific understanding Antarctic sea ice trends is actually pretty solid.
Antarctic sea ice trend for March (late summer), 1979 through 2014. Areas where sea ice is expanding are shown in red. Source: National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC.org).
First, let’s talk about what determines how much Antarctic sea ice there is. As with Arctic sea ice, it’s a combination of thermodynamics and dynamics: the rate of cooling to the atmosphere vs. the delivery of heat from the ocean below, and the movement of sea ice by the winds and by surface ocean currents. In general, Antarctic sea ice forms near the coastline, where upwelling waters cool to the atmosphere. It melts when the winds and currents push it into areas of warmer water to the north. In the summer, it melts pretty much all the way back to the coast; the 24-hour sunlight provides plenty of energy to make that happen.
The importance of the winds in controlling Antarctic sea ice leads to the obvious idea that changing winds can explain the increase that has been observed over the last several decades. In particular, it follows from the above discussion that if either the katabatic flow from the Antarctic continent, or the westerlies were to increase, we would expect Antarctic sea ice to expand. There has indeed been a substantial increase in the circumpolar westerlies; this is very well established from observations and is associated with the oft-discussed increase in the “Southern Annular Mode” (SAM) index2. Averaged over the year, the SAM index has increased nearly monotonically since the 1970s (e.g., Marshall et al., 2003).
So at first glance, it really is very simple: the westerly winds have increased, so sea ice has increased too. Furthermore, there is good evidence that the increasing westerlies are a response to anthropogenic climate forcing from CO2 and other greenhouse gas increases in the troposphere, along with ozone declines in the stratosphere (Thompson and Solomon, 2002; Thompson et al., 2011). This would suggest that the observed increase in Antarctic sea ice extent is anthropogenic in origin, just like the Arctic sea ice decline, but for very different reasons.
It sounds pretty good right? Reduced ozone in the stratosphere, and increased CO2 in the troposphere — both climate forcings that are unequivocally anthropogenic — cause increased westerly winds, which cause Antarctic sea ice to expand.
Of course, it’s not that simple. For one thing, the average increase of Antarctic sea ice is actually a small number that is the difference of two big numbers — modest increases over a large area, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere, and very large decreases over a smaller area in the Western Hemisphere. The map below, showing change in the length of the sea ice season over the last 30 years, illustrates this point well. In spite of the average increase, there are very rapid declines in the Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas, comparable to sea ice declines in the Arctic.
Trend in the length of the sea ice season, 1979-2010. Blue and purple areas show areas where sea ice is declining, orange and red where it is increasing. Source: Maksym et al., 2012.
Another problem with explaining Antarctic sea ice expansion in terms of the circumpolar winds is that the only season is which there is a significant trend in the westerlies is austral summer. There is a weak positive trend in fall, but both spring and winter show no trend; the SAM trends in these seasons may even be slightly negative, depending on which data are used (Ding et al., 2012). Yet the pattern of sea ice change is quite similar in all seasons: decreasing along the Pacific coast of West Antarctica, and increasing around most of East Antarctica, and in the Ross and Weddell Seas.
Another problem is that modeling studies that have examined the relationship between the westerly winds and Antarctic sea ice have come up with results that appear to be in direct opposition to the observations. When fully coupled climate models are run with increased CO2 and decreased stratospheric ozone, the westerly winds increase as has been observed, but sea ice decreases around most of Antarctica. In fact, in at least one study (Bitz and Polvani, 2012), the pattern of trends is the mirror image of the observations, with increases, rather than decreases in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas3!
Annual mean response of sea ice concentration to ozone depletion in a fully coupled climate model (CCSM3, and 1° resolution). Thick black contour shows the marks the winter edge (15% concentration); thin black lines show areas where the change is statistically significant. Note that in this figure, red means a decrease in sea ice. Source: Bitz and Polvani, 2012, Figure 1d.
So what’s really going on? Before I get to that, I want to note a couple of other ideas that have been suggested but which probably don’t provide the key answer. One idea is that model resolution might be a problem. Big climate models are generally run at relatively low spatial resolution, typically at about 2° latitude and longitude. That’s very high compared with a decade ago but is insufficient to resolve key processes such as ocean heat transport by small scale eddies. Bitz and Polvani looked at this using a very high resolution model (0.1°). Their results show only a somewhat weaker response to the ozone forcing experiment but with the same (incorrect) sign. Another idea is that changes in ocean stratification might be important. One way to increase sea ice growth is to increase the amount of fresh water getting into the Southern Ocean, which could happen from increased rainfall or from glacier melt. The latter is happening, of course, in spades (see the latest data from Sutterly et al., 2014 for example). Fresh water forms a sort of buoyant lid on the ocean, limiting the ability of heat from the warmer water below to get to the sea ice and melt it. A study by Bintanja et al. (2013) showed that it was a least plausible that this explains the Antarctic sea ice change. A basic problem, though, is that the greatest discharge of meltwater is occurring in the Amundsen Sea, exactly where sea ice is declining.
So, do we get the right answer if we take into account all of the wind changes that have occurred over the last few decades? The answer is yes. This is nicely illustrated in a study by Holland and Kwok (2012), who showed that wind, ice motion, and ice concentration changes match each other remarkably well. Where the wind has been increasingly northward, concentrations are increasing; where wind and ice motion changes are toward the continent, ice concentrations are decreasing.
Trends in sea ice concentration (colors) and ice drift (arrows) at top, compared with trends in sea level pressure (bottom) and wind speed near the surface (arrows) at bottom. From Holland and Kwok (2012).
Modeled vs. observed changes in sea ice, 1992-2010. Source: Holland et al, 2014.
Taken as a whole, these results show that there is no significant contradiction between our understanding of Antarctic sea ice and the observation that it is, in average, expanding. We can explain sea ice trends in the Antarctic rather well if we take into account the full range of changes in winds that have occurred. The average expansion of Antarctic sea ice was not anticipated, but it hardly represents any sort of existential threat to our fundamental understanding of the climate system as a whole. It’s merely an interesting scientific challenge.
Of course, predicting how sea ice will change in the future is another matter. Turner et al. (2013) show that “hindcasts” of the late 20th and early 21st century, using the latest-generation fully coupled ocean-atmosphere models, generally get the trends wrong. Our track record, in other words, isn’t very good. But the uncertainty here lies not so much in our understanding of sea ice per se, but rather in our ability to predict the details of the wind and ocean changes that drive sea ice change. Various model imperfections, and in particular the representation of the tropical atmosphere, can result in wind biases and therefore sea-ice biases around the Antarctic continent (e.g. Song et al., 2011). We aren’t going to get projections (or hindcasts) in the Amundsen Sea area right if we don’t get details of the tropical Pacific right — and that’s a notoriously difficult problem and an active area in climate dynamics research.
Featured Image: “NASA’s DC-8 Flying Over the Weddell Sea” (11/17/2011) by NASA GISS via Flickr.
1This is not to say that winds don’t matter in the Arctic – they do. It does not, however, appear to be as dominant a factor. See for example Lindsay et al.’s (2009) paper on the 2007 Arctic sea ice anomaly.
2The SAM index can be defined a number of different ways, but essentially a measure of the pressure or geopotential height difference between the high and mid latitudes. For example, the commonly used Marshall SAM index is based on the difference of sea level pressure (SLP) between 40°S and 65°S. Since winds flow clockwise around regions of low pressure in the Southern Hemisphere, an increase in the SAM index — which means decreasing pressure at high latitudes relative to low latitudes — has to be associated with increasing westerlies.
3Whether the mirror image character of Bitz and Polvani’s (2012) results is just chance, or might tell us something fundamental, is an interesting question that, as far as I’m aware, has yet to be addressed.
4Call me a skeptic, but I think that the results of Marshall et al. (2014), which suggest that eventually sea ice will start to shrink in response to wind-driven changes in the ocean, needs further evaluation. It’s one thing to bring more warm water upwards towards the surface. It’s another thing for that heat to diffuse through the stratified upper water column, and melt sea ice.
5Some researchers talk about the variability in the Amundsen Sea as being part of the “asymmetrical response of the SAM” but I find this terminology misleading. Changes in the ASL may sometimes be associated with changes in the overall circumpolar westerlies, but they may also occur quite independently. Further, changes in the ASL can change the SAM index, even when there is no change in the circumpolar westerlies per se. Ding et al., 2012 estimated that 25% of the variability in the SAM index is due to tropically-forced variability in the ASL, entirely independent of CO2 and ozone forcing (see also L’heureux and Thompson, 2012 and Seager, 2003).
6These wind changes may also figure prominently in the thinning of West Antarctic glaciers, but that’s a subject for another essay, which I’ll write up for RealClimate.org. For those that are interested, see Steig et al. (2012) and Dutrieux et al., (2014).
7 The full magnitude of average sea ice increase modeled by Holland et al. (2014) is not quite as large (about 70% as big) as the observations suggest, but this is hardly a reason for concern. Some recent results suggest, in any case, that errors in the observations have led to an overestimate of the trend (Eisenman et al, 2014).
Author: Eric Steig Dr. Eric Steig is a Professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, where he teaches courses in glaciology, isotope geochemistry and paleoclimatology. His primary research focus is the development of ice core records, and their use in studying polar climate and ice sheet change. He also develops instrumentation methods in isotope geochemistry. Throughout his distinguished career, he has conducted research with support from the DOE, NSF, NOAA, CFCAS and private foundations, and has been a leader in multiple interdisciplinary science programs at the University of Washington and internationally. Dr. Steig chaired the 2000-year sub-group for the International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (2008-2013), served contiuously as a working group memer of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Working Group (NSF) since 2000, and also served on the Paleoenvironmental Arctic Science committee (NSF) (2002-2004). He directed the Quaternary Research Center from 2008-2013, was an Associate and then Senior Editor of the journal Quaternary Research (2001-05, 2005-08), and is currently a Review Editor for Science. Just this year, Dr. Steig was awarded Outstanding Researcher of the Year by the College of the Environment at UW. He's also a co-founder of RealClimate.org.
Wouldn’t it be accurate to say that most experts have been confused by the growth of Antarctic Sea Ice? It wasn’t predicted. Even now, the Marshall et al. paper, the only one you mention that provides an explanation for the inability of equilibrium models to produce a larger sea ice extent, is one you regard as needing further substantiation.
Meanwhile, since you attribute the winds that drive the Antarctic Sea Ice growth largely to AGW, would it be reasonable to consider this growth as a negative feedback, at least during the early non-equilibrium stages of warming? Has anybody attempted to calculate the size of the sea ice negative feedback under that assumption?
First, let me emphasize that I am not making an argument that the sea ice trend is anthropogenic; nor am I arguing the reverse. What I was trying to do was to explain what I think has become a sort of “standard answer” (westerly winds) and then point out the various problems with that idea (doesn’t explain the seasonal changes; doesn’t explain the decline in sea ice in the Pacific sector; appears not to work in models). The most recent work from Marshall et al. (2014) addresses only the last of these.
That said, there is no question that changing winds as a whole – not just the westerlies, but everything — go a very long way to explaining what we have observed. The major point I am trying to get across here is that there is absolutely no reason why we’d expect, a priori, that the winds would change in a way that would lead to sea ice decline. It is true that the increase was not anticipated, but nor should anyone with a basic understanding of the processes controlling Antarctic sea ice have expected decline, either. Simple one-cause answers for observed changes in the system are all too easy to make. Even among experts it’s perhaps a little too easy to think only about thermodynamics (warming earth = warming ocean = sea ice loss) and forget about dynamics. It’s equally easy to go with the “it’s all winds” idea, and ignore the other processes going on. But most important to my point: it’s also too easy to assume that just because some model experiments don’t match observations that we “can’t model” or “don’t understand” Antarctic sea ice. The Holland et al. (2014) makes it clear (at least to me) that we can, and do.
As for they question about feedbacks, I think you pose an interesting question, but one I don’t feel qualified to answer at the moment. Perhaps this is a good theoretical study someone could do. Of course, there are certainly papers that look at the magnitude of climate feedbacks expected from the Antarctic sea ice response to climate forcing, but I’m not very up to speed on that literature. In any case, the answer may change quite a bit, once the recent discovery that Antarctic sea ice may actually be quite a lot thicker than once thought, is taken into account. See Maksym et al., 2014). There’s also a reasonable write up on this, here: http://www.livescience.com/48880-antarctica-sea-ice-thickness-mapped.html (but please ignore the statement about “the mystery” of Antarctic sea ice; this is exactly the kind of misleading reporting that I’m responding to with my essay!).
There’s a general tendency in science to assume that you understand the reason for something happening if the outcome agrees with your prediction. I see this in particular with some physicists (no offense intended) who think they understand atmospheric dynamics. Occasionally a completely off-the-wall cause-and-effect statement will appear in print, completely wrong but stated confidently by a physicist who in most other circumstances is probably much smarter than I!
In that spirit, my impression as an interested non-expert has been that the experts assumed that Antarctic sea ice would probably decline (the thermodynamic mechanism) and was surprised that wind changes would be large enough to dominate the thermodynamic mechanism.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic, when the dramatic 2007 summer ice loss took place (also unexpected in GCM projections at the time), the message that seemed to emerge was that the thermodynamic explanation is correct, it’s just a lot stronger than we thought. Still at the time it was apparent that winds accounted for most of the interannual variability in summertime Arctic sea ice extent, and that winds were particularly important in 2007. This quickly polarized (no pun intended), with skeptics arguing that winds were the cause and mainstream scientists criticizing skeptics for pretending or imagining that short-term variability equalled long-term variability.
So, at the science end, have there been any studies that address long-term sea ice loss in the Arctic (wind vs temp) the same way that the studies you discuss above address long-term sea ice loss in the Antarctic (wind vs temp)? Ideally using the same model? From first principles, I would expect Arctic winds to play less of a role overall, since during winter the Arctic fills with sea ice and the winds can’t blow ice away to expose additional open ocean to freezing.
At the public end, we seem to be in the following position. I’m oversimplifying, but the public won’t get the nuances.
It’s so easy for a critic to say that scientists are picking whatever answer serves their purposes. On the other hand, if a theory is correct, every correct answer WILL be consistent with that theory. The trap that scientists need to avoid is the converse: assuming without thinking too hard about it that an answer that’s consistent with the theory is the correct answer.
They noted that ” It is also qualitatively consistent with the counterintuitive prediction of a global atmospheric-ocean model of increasing sea ice around Antarctica with climate warming due to the stabilizing effects of increased snowfall on the Southern Ocean.” How does the more recent research evaluate this sentence?
Jimmy Hansen (real name?) in the open comments section seems to have missed the point of the post, which is precisely that although the Antarctic sea ice growth has been presented as a “contradiction”, it isn’t. It only appears to be a contradiction if one sticks with a very simplistic conceptual model of how the planet work.
John notes that “if a theory is correct, every correct answer will be consistent with that theory” This is of course true, but not very useful. A more subtle but equally accurate statements is that if a theory is incomplete (which it will always be, for as complex a system as our planet), then observations will often appear to be in conflict with the theory, even when they are not (and similarly, observations will often appear to in agreement with the theory, when they are not). This is applied physics, not elementary particle physics.
Eric – I agree. It’s in scientists’ interest in papers and press releases to maximize the extent to which their results are new and unexpected. Then the press, which needs to tell a story if it wants to engage most of the public, plays up the surprise angle even more.
The net result of all of that is the the public receives a false picture of science dealing with a whole lot of surprise and conflict when usually (not always) everything just gradually makes more and more sense (the normal science of Kuhn).
I should add that skeptic blogs treat everything that doesn’t fit with their imagined view of consensus science as being contradictory. Few such blogs seem to care about how things actually work.
John, regarding your last comments on “skeptic blogs”, your comment about “normal science” in the Kuhnian sense is interesting. What explains the “skeptic” view, then, is the belief that there is a scientific revolution underway — that the scientific understanding of climate is about to undergo a paradigm shift. In that context, it makes perfect sense that each and every small thing that seems, at first glance, to be a contradiction to the paradigm must actually be a contradiction. Most scientists, on the other hand, don’t think such a revolution is likely. (Of course, one could also argue that we have recently undergone such a revolution — until the mid 20th century, most scientists didn’t really think we could have such a huge impact on the atmosphere as we are clearly having. Some still hold to that view, because they are stuck in the pre-revolutionary paradigm. In other words, the “skeptics” (and I use that word advisedly) think they are revolutionaries, but really they may be reactionaries. Only time will tell for sure of course.
Thank you for this very helpful and clearly-written post. Sorry to be late to the comment thread, but I see this as helping to clarify the processes as well as dispel common misconceptions. I certainly plan to refer to this in my teaching.
My reading is that the very common misconception you’re dressing is that simple “thermodynamics” controls the extent of sea ice. That is, we simplistically assume that sea ice extent is all about “freezing and melting.” But actually a lot of the year-to-year and even decade-to-decade variations are controlled by “dynamics,” which means much greater variability.
Unfortunately, the distinction between “dynamics” and “thermodynamics” is part of climate scientists’ jargon, and these phrases are usually gobbledygook for a lay reader. But almost anybody can understand the idea that when wind pushes ice away form the frozen coast, more ice can form behind it; and alternately when ice is pushed into warmer waters at lower latitudes it is likely to melt.
A key and very helpful distinction you make is the interesting asymmetry between the Arctic (a polar ocean surrounded by land) and Antarctic (a polar continent surrounded by ocean), which is really an accident of geography. Arctic sea ice is confined to the highest latitudes by the surrounding coastline, whereas Antarctic sea ice is frequently buffeted around by winds.
In addition to the “corralling” presence of Arctic Canada, Greenland, and Eurasia, Arctic sea ice is subject to the very strong positive albedo feedback when bright polar ice is replaced by dark ice-free ocean. In Antarctica, by contrast, the pole will remain white for many centuries or millennia even under catastrophic warming because it’s covered by thousands of meters of land ice. There’s also a very important but less-recognized long wave feedback due to increased water vapor (and maybe clouds) in the Arctic winter as the ice-free area expands (Melissa Burt presented this last week at AGU). Neither of these strong radiative feedbacks can operate poleward of about 70 S, but both are very powerful north of 70 N.
Again, thanks for the time and effort you invested here in explaining and summarizing an interesting and technical literature so that nonspecialists can understand it!
Thanks for the comments. I agree entirely with your comments.
Many readers — particularly on my RealClimate post on this — seem to have thought I was arguing that the sea ice trends are clearly anthropogenic phenomena. I am not.
There *may* be a forced component to the sea ice increase, but it’s too early to tell. | 2019-04-19T05:23:29Z | http://climatechangenationalforum.org/making-sense-of-antarctic-sea-ice-changes/ |
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During a military regime the chief martial law administrator (CMLA) as can be excepted exercise the crucial role in foreign policy decision making in Bangladesh. Personality also plays important role here. Under the democratic government the role of the foreign minister is also prominent. But this is not the case when the country is ruled by the military. In such a situation foreign minister usually plays a role no better than the personal of the (CMLA). Both civilian and military plays a major role in the foreign policy decision making of Bangladesh. As foreign policy is the extension of the domestic policy many other related ministries, viz. finance planning foreign trade establishment etc. together with defense establishment play important role in making foreign policy decisions. Of late few research institutes like that Bangladesh institute of international and strategies studies have been set up in Bangladesh which contribute to the decision making process by under taking studies on particular problem and issue.
Joining the NAM in 1919.
Securing the withdrawal of the Indian troops.
Participation in the OIC summit in Lahore in 1974.
Membership of the UN in 1974.
Signing the 5-years Agreement with India in 1977 for sharing the Ganges water.
Election to the UN security council in 1978.
Participation in 22-member North-south submits held in CANCUN (Mexico).
Initiate negotiation on the ownership of S. Talpatty Island 1978.
Agreement with Pakistan on repatriation of pak refugees .
Successful repatriation of Burmese refugees.
Successful initiative in the establishment of the SAARC.
Signing the 30-year agreement for sharing the Ganges water (1997).
The security interest of Bangladesh warrants the acceleration of the pace of consolidation of the hard-won independence. Hence the highest priority must be assigned the national goals of development with the focus on human resources development poverty alleviation and employment generation .the direction of securing the political and economic cooperation of the international community towards achieving these central development goals as speedily as possible. The central goals of human resource development and poverty alleviation should continue to receive the top most priority .Internationally known successful experiments like the Grameen Bank could receive special attention in country projection.
In designing Bangladesh’s foreign policy special attention must be paid to the potential role of Bangladesh as an actor on the international scene. This role can be vastly enhanced in significance if Bangladesh as the eighth largest nation can stay in the mainstream of the nations committed to the UN charter, the principles of NAM, OIC and Group of 77.
Geopolitically, Bangladesh belongs to South Asia. This is also the most demanding region for BFP. As the largest and strongest nation in South Asia, India tops the list of Bangladesh’s foreign policy concern. The Special and idyllic relationship in which Bangladesh and India found themselves following the liberation war soon started hitting rocks and shoats; and subsequently a list of bilateral issues emerged as a divider between the two countries. The relationship, however, began with dramatic foreign policy success of Bangladesh via-a-via India.
8. India-Bangladesh ad hoc Agreement on Farakka.
Sharing of Common River waters, particularly that of the ganges.
Smuggling, and illegal cross-border activities.
On 18 April 1975, India and Bangladesh reached a one-year ad hoc agreement on Farakka stipulating that Bangladesh would receive at 44000 cusecs of Ganges water during the lean season. Bangladesh needs a permanent and immediate solution.
The background for such a solution was created in mid-1996 when the Awami League Govt. took power in Dhaka and United Front govt. in Delhi. Again, the critical factor of regime compatibility played its role in bringing about a qualitative change in Dhaka-Delhi relations; and through a flurry of diplomatic activities in Dhaka, Delhi and Calcutta a 30-year water treaty was signed on 12 December 1996.The Treaty at least provides a 30-year mechanism to legally bind India to a sharing arrangement.
The long persisting issue of Tin Bigha corrider was resolved in 1992, but in a way different from what had been stipulated in the 1974 agreement. India was supposed to lease the corridor in perpetuity to Bangladesh. But the 1992 agreement stipulated common use by Bangladesh and India.
For over two and a half decades the chittagong Hill Tracts issue has been posing a serious threat to security & economy of Bangladesh. With Cross-border ramifications and with Indian Involvement, the issue at times appeared intractable, but since 1992 with Indian a democratically elected government in power in Bangladesh Indian attitude began changing and the change became more apparent with the AL Government assuming power.
A joint command composed of Indian and Bangladesh forces had been set up on December 6, 1971, and though arms were mostly captured by or surrendered to the Indian forces, they were technically in the possession of the joint command. Therefore, Bangladesh had legitimate claims to some of those arms.
The next issue in dispute in Indo-Bangladesh relations in the immediate post-1971 years was the trade pact signed between the two countries. The central feature of this pact was the creation of ten miles of free trade zones on both sides of the border designed ostensibly to promote closer trade relations between Bangladesh and India. Similarly, Consumer goods, medicine tobacco, etc found their way into Bangladesh from India.
The Farakka Barrage is also designed to “improve communication facilities, drainage, sanitation and water supplies in Calcutta, as well as inland transport throughout west bangle, with a rail and road project over the Farakka. Bangladesh claims that the Ganges is an international river. Therefore, India must Respect Bangladesh’s demand as a lower riparian foe a share in the Ganges water, which is vital for its southwestern districts.
The Indian annexation of a newly emerged island known as Purbasha in the Bay of Bengal has not only further soured Indo-Bangladesh Relations but has clearly helped in forming an intense anti-Indian Public opinion in Bangladesh. Bangladesh expressed its complete surprise over this announcement and revealed that Indian had commitments at the highest level to a joint survey which should therefore be honored. New Delhi merely agreed to discuss the question with a view to setting it peacefully but Indo-Bangladesh joint statement issued following this visit failed to mention just how the dispute was to be settled.
However, the Bangladesh government maintains that its navy boats in the area were well within Bangladesh territorial water and in a strongly worded protest note to India, asked for the withdrawal of Indian ships and men from the disputed island. The Bangladesh Government also renewed its call for a joint survey to settle the issue of the island’s ownership.
Much of its India policy is ad hoc response under the circumstances. The failure of the establishment in this regard may be attributed to the divisive political milieu via-a-via India. But it should be categorically stated that neither pro-Indian ebullition nor India bashing rhetoric for political consumption would be helpful. What is needed is a hard headed thinking for a well-thought out and realistic India policy for maximizing our gains.
*japans survey found that in Bangladesh investment is cheaper than 21 cities in Asia.
*Investment cost in Bangladesh is cheaper than other country(2004).
*The cities and countries that survey was conducted were seal, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok, Kualalumpur, Jakarta, Indonesia, Manila, Mumbai, Bangalore, Karachi, Colombo, Dhaka etc. The comparison was based on 34 cost components. The components included wages for workers, salary for engineers and stuff. Cost for land, office rent, mobile charge, internet charge, electricity, gas, water, fees, cost of petrol, tax, vat etc. Japan external trade organization (JETRO) surveyed it.
The relatively position in Bangladesh is improved in components like rental fee in the industrial estates ,charges for overseas phone call, cost for water and petrol etc.
Bangladesh is loss competitive in the areas monthly basis payment for broad band internet service, new connection fee for fixed telephone line,ISD mobile ,cost of passenger car, container transportation and corporate tax.
New development is added to Bangladesh, that could improved in the investment climate. They are “work permit for foreigners and “visa on arrival”.
For proper transshipment in Chittagong port JETRO suggested to construct a deep sea point in Bangladesh.
Due to the increase in import duty for passenger cars, Bangladesh has become one of the most expensive countries in Asia.
The corporate tax in Bangladesh is 37.5% .That is why they suggested that the evasion should be controlled.
To introduce much more attractive incentives comparing to china, Vietnam and other ASEAN countries JEPRO suggested to the government to concentrate on three aspects – improvement of infrastructure facilities, ensuring speed, security and transparency and continuation in government policies. If the government addresses three aspects gradually, the flow of foreign investment to Bangladesh should increases automatically.
Like Malaysia ,Bangladesh a predominantly muslim country ,with around 87% of its population being muslim ,it earned international recognition for its moderate religious and cultural ethos ,social tolerance and ethnic cohesion .It characterizes Bangladesh as a liberal and tolerant muslim country .Being the co-member of OIC,NAM commonwealth, D-8 and ARF Malaysia and Bangladesh share common perception to promote peace ,stability and development about 200000 people who are working in Bangladesh .
Bangladesh and Malaysia enjoy good bilateral relations based on the foundation of common religion history and culture. The state of good relation is reflected in the fast growing bilateral co-operation including economic and technical assistant trade and investment employment of Bangladesh workforce in Malaysia .
Today Malaysia is the largest investment partner of Bangladesh and they investment about (RM 4.1 billion) U.S.$ 1.3 billion in 59 projects, mainly in telecommunication ,power, textile, and financial sector.
Bangladesh is the only nation among the worlds 49 least development countries to be self sufficient in the production of pharmaceutical -largely branded generic drugs. In adding with that Malaysia’s leading educational institution, healthier provider and pharmaceutical company visited Dhaka to explore the new market with nearly 140 million people.
FUTURE: Trade co-operation are increasing year by year between Malaysia and Bangladesh by increasing pharmaceutical export. Business groups are calling for free trade argument (FTA) because Bangladesh’s total exports to Malaysia -its largest investment partner among ASIAN were worth just U.S.$ 16.9 million where its import from this totaled U.S.$ 384.11 million.
Malaysia said will continue to contribute positive efforts to promote and expand bilateral relation with Bangladesh particularly in trade and investments.
Malaysia will invest in the potential sector in Bangladesh .They may assured all the technical and logistic support for the upcoming Bangladeshi single country trade fair be held.
Bangladesh got “zero tarrif” to enter Bangladesh product in Malaysia preferring Bangladeshi garments, home textile, handicrafts, halal food,spices ,melamine and medicine.
The Bangladesh Malaysia ties are stated to be an over steady increases with more and more argument being reached ,deeping and widening the area co-operation the relationship between these friendly muslim nation would grew stranger .
The most recent outflow from Arakan to Bangladesh took place in 1991and 1992. More the 250000 Rohingga refugee fled .With the assistance of UNHCR and non governmental relief agencies ,the Bangladeshi government sheltered the refugees in 19 camps in the vicinity of cox’s Bazar in southern Bangladesh .
Relations are considered to be productive and progressive. Their relations have gone on to expand in several areas such as defence and trade & investment. Bangladesh also sends a large number of skilled migrant workers to South Korea to work in the following sectors:- construction, manufacture, services, and agriculture, fisheries and livestock.
There is a North Korean embassy located in Dhaka although Bangladesh maintains a non-residential status. Instead communication with the Juche state and Bangladesh is with the latter’s embassy in Beijing. Relations have only gone as far as recognition and neither nation has ever shown the desire to progress this even further.
Relations began during the inauguration of Nelson Mandela in 1994, and full diplomatic relations were implemented on 10 September, 1994.
Due to the brutality and the White Supremacist ideology of the Apartheid regime, relations between South Africa and Bangladesh were non-existent until the collapse of white minority rule and Nelson Mandela’s rise to power. There is a number of Bangladeshis which make up the South Asian community in South Africa and immigration still continues, although it has temporarily halted due to attacks against foreign workers.
Bangladesh exports its raw materials such as leather, finished jute and also garments and textiles. South Africa exports to Bangladesh are iron ore, steel, aluminum, infrastructure projects and machinery and equipment for railways.
Relations between the two countries are considered strong based on common religion and values. A turning point in relations occurred during the Gulf War when Bangladesh sent a contingent of 2,300 personnel to monitor peace in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and a contributor to UNIKOM with a mechanised infantry battalion. Bangladesh sends guests workers to Kuwait to enable its citizens to work in higher paying jobs leading to remittances as well as there being a Bangladeshi community present in the country. Relations between the two countries have even indulged into military ties since the 1980s and a deal signed in February 1, 2004 under which Bangladesh Armed Forces are to provide technical and vocational training to the Kuwaiti army for the next six years.
Both Germany and Bangladesh share common views on various international issues and work together in the UN and in other international forum.
After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Germany was one of the first European countries to officially recognize Bangladesh in 1972. Bangladesh also warmly greeted German reunification. As an economic power as well as an important member of the European Union (EU), Germany is a reliable partner of Bangladesh in development cooperation. Since independence German churches and numerous NGOs made tremendous efforts to promote the social and economic development of Bangladesh. German assistance to Bangladesh is received in the form of development efforts, trade and cultural cooperation. Both countries have a long and successful bilateral relationship on most international issues. Germany always emphasizes the democratic characteristics, governance issues and development process of Bangladesh. Germany developed as a democratic country in deep remorse for World War II and became one of the top most economic powers of the world. After establishment of diplomatic relations, the bilateral relations between the two countries began to grow steadily.
Between the start of development cooperation in 1972 and the end of 2005, Bangladesh received approximately $2.3 billion in commitments from Germany as part of bilateral Financial and Technical Cooperation in addition of the funds provided by the German churches and NGOs. At an intergovernmental negotiation in 2005, Bangladesh received ? 14 million in new commitments from Germany. Since 1978, all German funds provided as part of government level cooperation have been in the form of non-repayable grants.
Bangladesh is a priority partner country of German Development Cooperation (GTZ). By an agreement between both the government adopted in May 2004, the activities of the GTZ focus on three priority areas such as healthcare including family planning, economic reform and development of the market system through promotion of private sector, especially SMEs, and renewable energies. Among the other ongoing projects the promotion of legal and social empowerment of women in Bangladesh is also to be mentioned. The sustainable economic development program of GTZ in Bangladesh contributes to the competitiveness of the RMGs sector, as well as other export-oriented sectors like silk, leather and jute.
In trade with Germany, Bangladesh has for years recorded a large surplus. Germany is the second largest export market of Bangladesh after the US. Bangladesh exports in Germany in 2006 amounted to ? 1.56 billion as compared with Bangladesh imports in the same period of only ? 305 million. About 94% of the exports from Bangladesh to Germany are RMGs and Bangladesh imports mainly comprising machinery, chemical and electrical goods, and medicines. A German-Bangladeshi investment promotion and protection agreement has been in force since 1986 and a bilateral double taxation accord since 1993. So far German direct investments in Bangladesh are almost ? 60 million. The Bangladesh-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BGCCI) acts as a business platform and mediator between both the countries and promotes bilateral trade relations by coordinating and providing required information and services.
The cultural relationship of both the countries is very strong. The cultural cooperation between them is mainly channeled through the Goethe Institute that work on developing the cultural ties between both the countries by sponsoring local and German cultural activities. Bangladesh has traditional and historical connection with Germany. There is a century-old exchange between German and Bengali people. German interest in the culture of Bengal dates back to the visits to Germany by the Bengali national poet and Nobel laureate for literature Rabindranath Tagore in the 1920s and 1930s. Many Bangladeshi intellectuals take a keen and informed interest in German literature, art, architecture and philosophy. In Bangladesh Goethe Institute is the main meeting place for all those interested in Germany.
Goethe-Institute Dhaka with headquarters in Munich offers a broad variety of cultural events to present the German culture in Bangladesh through its main activities by film-workshops, film-presentations, seminars and lectures on socio-political subjects as well as on aspects on contemporary arts, theatre performances, and exhibitions of German and Bangladeshi artists.
Environmental care and consequences of globalization are covered in the workshops and seminars. The Institute offers an extensive language course program up to intermediate level where about 600 students learn German in every year. There are around 350 academics received training in Germany with German funding; some of them now hold important positions in the administrative and academic institutions of Bangladesh. A foreign professional chair is sponsored by the Bangladeshi government at the University of Heidelberg’s South Asia Institute.
Bangladesh has traditional and historical connection with Germany, and both the countries enjoy closest ties. There are increasing contracts amongst German and Bangladeshi artists, primarily in the fine arts, photography/film and theatre. Bangladeshi artists have been able to exhibit in German galleries and museums. A number of visual artists from Bangladesh have also made Germany their new home. Germany continues to promote the restoration of historical monuments, archeological research and the unique legacy of the Bengali catamarans. Since 1981, a cooperation agreement has been in place between Radio Bangladesh and Deutsche Welle (DW).
The bilateral commercial and trade interests of both the countries are continuing, although there is considerable scope for greater engagement. Bilateral relations got some momentum by several high level visits, contracts, and political and economic dialogue. In December 2000, the then head of the government of Bangladesh officially visited Germany. In February 2004, a German nine-member parliamentary delegation also visited Bangladesh. Both Germany and Bangladesh share common views on various international issues and work together in the UN and in other international forum. They have maintained and developed close and friendly relations in a wide range of field. The two countries are harmonized together by their commitment to various sectors mutually agreed upon, which is expected to be strengthened further in future.
Bangladesh relies on substantial foreign aid: more than US$1 billion a year. The Netherlands share in ODA is approximately 3.5% (€33.8 million in 2003). The Netherlands plays a central role in the priority sectors education, health care and water. The added value it provides is mainly to be found in expertise and experience as well as attention for gender and donor coordination. Dutch non-governmental organizations are well represented in Bangladesh.
The former Soviet Union supported Indians actions during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war and among the first to recognize Bangladesh. The USSR initially contributed considerable relief and rehabilitation aid to the new nation. However, Soviet-Bangladesh relation cooled.
In 1989, the USSR ranked 14th donor of Bangladesh. The Soviet focuses on the development of electronically power, natural gas and oil and maintained active cultural relations with Bangladesh. They financed the Ghorasal thermal power station the largest in Bangladesh. Recently Russia has conducted an aggressive military sales effort in Dhaka and has succeeded with a 124-million dollar deal for eight MIG- 29 fighters.
China has been the number one important source for Bangladesh. Bangladesh Bank’s figures showed the country imported Chinese goods worth $2292.12 million during July-March of the current fiscal year that ends this month-end. The amount was 15% of the country’s total import during the period. In 2006-2007 fiscal year, $2537 million-worth imports from china during the same period while in 2005-2006 from stood at $2050.99 million.
In, April 09, 2005, Bangladesh and China have signed nine agreements reflecting their increased bilateral relations during two-day visit by the Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao to Bangladesh. The two prime ministers’ had expressed a determination to strengthen bilateral relations and efforts for regional peace. The nine deals signed included co operation in peaceful use of nuclear energy. Absolutely for peaceful use of nuclear energy for use in the field of nuclear medicine, power generation, agriculture & bio technology.
The countries signed an agreement for agencies in capacity building of the law enforcing agencies in Bangladesh. Under the economic and technical co-operation agreement, China will provide $6 million for capacity building of civil servant, china will convert the full supplies credits for a DAP plant in Chittagong to concessional loan.
The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on installation of digital telephone exchanges in metropolitan cities, important distinct headquarters and upazilla growth centers in Bangladesh at cost of $400 million.
The deal will initiate a direct air link between Dhaka and Beijing from May 18, china will also consider Bangladesh’s proposal for duty free access of its products to china’s market. China and Bangladesh also declared the year 2005 as “Bangladesh- China Friendship Year”.
Bangladesh and China are partners in the new Asian age and the visit of foreign minister Yang Jiechi will further cement his relationship.
China has shown keen interest in even a bigger role in the development of Bangladesh. They want to involve in larger projects, Roopur Nuclear Power plant for instance. Bangladesh-China peaceful nuclear power corporation can be built on the china Pakistan model.
Chinese support is crucial for implementing the tri-nation road network to forge deep strategic relation between South East Asia. A similar road network encompassing North Eastern portal India, Bangladesh and China will be beneficial.
Bangladesh should rather ask for big ticket Chinese investment in industrial sector. We import capital machinery, industrial raw materials and telecommunication equipments from china. Bangladesh can offer cheaper labor and utilities. This way we get the technology and our worker get jobs.
Maintenance of effective relations with the Bangladesh government and encouragement of an atmosphere favorable to the U.S. mission.
Support for the normal ration of relation in the subcontinent.
Assistance to develop a stable political and economic system.
Assistance to meet short term humanitarian needs and to encourage economic development.
The US has long standing supportive relation with Bangladesh and has viewed Bangladesh as a moderate voice in the Islamic world. They interested in Bangladesh include political stability and democratization social and economic development, environmental issue and improvement of human rights situation.
Americans moved speedily in committing the aid. The Nixon administration committed $130 million. The remainder of $200 million authorized by US congress. According to figures complied by the United Nation Relief Operation Dhaka (UNROD) on amount of foreign assistance to Bangladesh upto 17, 1972.
In 30 june 1973 the US provided Bangladesh $433 million. In 1979 Bangladesh had sought US help in setting up a research re actor in savar near Dhaka.
– In 2007 elections, the current political situation came after emergency rule was declared by President Iajuddin Ahmed about protest and strikes.
– In 2001, The US military did deliver four military aircraft to Bangladesh.
– In 2003, Bangladesh was a added to the list of countries whose nationals visiting the United States must register with immigration authorities for security purpose.
The United States export wheel, fertilizer, cotton, communication equipment and medical supplies among other goods to Bangladesh. Readymade garments and jute carpet backing are two of Bangladesh‘s key export to the US. The US has generally had a negative balance of trade with Bangladesh since 1986.
Bangladesh and Pakistan – two major nations of South Asia share a common historical, religious and cultural heritage.
A major area of conflict between Bangladesh and Pakistan is the issue of repatriation of stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh. It is important to note that about 10 lakhs non-Bangalis had been stranded in Bangladesh after independence. Of then 5 lakhs opted for residing in Bangladesh and he rest claimed their repatriation to Pakistan. They enlisted their names in the list prepared by International Red Cross Society during 1972-73.
In August 27, 1977 Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh visited Pakistan and it was agreed upon the issue that Pakistan would certainly take 25,000 non-Bangalis from Bangladesh when president Ziaur Rahman Visited Pakistan in 1977 the Government in Islamabad agreed to speed up the process of repatriation. Again on July 20, 1978 Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, during his visit to Pakistan, requested the government of Pakistan to complete the process of Repatriation of non-Bangalis from Bangladesh.
October 25, 1980 Pakistani Foreign Secretary Reaz Piracha visited Bangladesh but avoided the discussion of the question by saying “since we have no dispute there is no question of agreement to be reached in this meeting”. Finally, when Pakistani foreign minister Lt. General Shahibjada Yakub Khan visited Bangladesh on August 10, 1983 the issue was brought before him. In an Interview with the journalists in Dhaka, Pakistani foreign minister expressed that Pakistan might take 50,000 more non-bangalis from Bangladesh but reiterated the criteria as proposed by Pakistan in the tripartite conference in 1974.
An immediate manifestation of the establishment of diplomatic relations was the restoration of telecommunication links through satellites between Bangladesh and Pakistan. In July 1976 air communication was also restored between these two countries. In October of the same year Shipping Communication started. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) offered a Boeing to Bangladesh in November. In addition, Pakistan offered 28 railway coaches to Bangladesh. Bangladesh presented tea during flood in Pakistan which in turn, presented to Bangladesh rice and clothes during its flood situation.
Another important element which has contributed in promoting cooperation is the introduction of the visa system between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
On August 10, 1983 Pakistani Foreign minister Lt. General Shahibjada Yakub Khan came to Bangladesh. In a joint communiqué it was stated that different types of visa including tourist visa will be introduced. However, no visa will be required for the transit passengers for 72 hours.
Some efforts were also made in 1979 to establish cultural relations between these countries. They signed a cultural agreement in October 16, 1979. Teachers and scholars of the universities and other educational institutions of Bangladesh and Pakistan as well as scientific and industrial training for their students on mutual basis. They would also exchange radio and T.V. programs and films and promote free flow of books and magazines under their existing laws and regulations.
Apart from the bilateral context Bangladesh and Pakistan have closely cooperated in international forums. Bangladesh and Pakistan are of the opinion that a zone of peace in the Indian Ocean could be established by eliminating the rivalry of the great powers and creating conditions of security for all the countries of the region. Both the countries pledge their adherence to the charter of Islamic conference (OIC).
They have maintaining trade relations since president Zia’s visit to Pakistan in 1977. In economic field the main issue of conflict has been the question of division of assets until 1971 between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
In the last five years Pakistan has become one of the biggest buyers of Bangladesh jute and tea. Bangladesh has also imported huge quantities of cotton and cloth from Pakistan.
Geographically Bangladesh belongs to the region of South and South East Asia and lies as a bridgehead between South and South East Asia. The Bengalees are not culturally as close to the Arabs, Persians or Turks as the Pakistanis or North Indians are. Geo-political reality of Bangladesh does not necessitate her closeness with the Muslim world.
i. The viability of Islam as a political ideology.
ii. Development of Bangladesh’s relations with the Muslim states in phases.
iii. Economic aid as an influential factor.
i. Influence dispute over a territory and friendship or hostility among states.
ii. Despite the cohesiveness produced within a nation or a group of nations, it generally exerts a disturbing influence.
iii. There is a strong opinion in these states to treat Islam as a political ideology even though there are other ideologies.
iv. Islam and Christianity, two competing religion based on state system, after a long period of mutual competition and warfare have reached the inevitable conclusion that neither can impose its legal and political system on the other.
v. Separation between religious doctrines and conduct of foreign relations.
vi. Technological development spread of modern education and influence of European political institutions brought about substantial change in the thinking of the Muslim politicians and intellectuals.
vii. The Muslims wanted to retain religious in the face of any other ideology but rejected the spiritual aspects of the religious at the same time.
The evolution of Bangladesh’s relations with the Muslim countries may be divided into three phases. The first phase began with the emergence of Bangladesh and ended with the recognition of Bangladesh by Pakistan. The second phase began in February, 1974 and ended in August, 1975. The third phase began in post – August 1975 and it still continues.
No Arab country recognized Bangladesh till the beginning of the second half of 1972, Malaysia and Indonesia, the two Muslim states of the South-East Asian region. Malaysia decided to help Bangladesh purchase a Fokker friendship plane by extending the necessary amount as grant. Bangladesh’s membership in the United Nations. Malaysia on September 23 and Indonesia on October 2, 1972 made powerful please on the UN platform to admit Bangladesh in the United Nations. In the same debate Afghanistan also spoke for admitting Bangladesh in the United Nations. Egypt, Iraq and South Yemen voted in favor of Bangladesh’s membership in the WHO. | 2019-04-23T02:23:44Z | http://www.assignmentpoint.com/business/economics/external-relations-with-other-countries-of-foreign-policy-in-bangladesh.html |
With a lot of attention these days (see here for instance) going to an argument between philosophers and physicists about the “Why is there Something rather than Nothing?” question, this is the perfect time for Jim Holt’s new book Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story. While the argument between Krauss, Albert and their fellow combatants was mind-numbingly dumb, boring, narrow, petty and ill-mannered, Holt’s discussion of the topic is brilliant, entertaining, and wide-ranging as well as generous in spirit to all points of view. The only unfortunate thing here is that the book won’t be out until July. I’ve checked with him though, and he doesn’t mind if I write about it now, since I just read an advance copy. In July I’ll try to remember to repost this.
Holt first sets the stage by explaining some of the history of the question “Why is there Something rather than Nothing?” and why it’s one he finds compelling (as well as explaining why one might reasonably think otherwise…). He first ran across the question as a high school student fascinated by Existentialism and trying to read Heidegger’s Introduction to Metaphysics.
Heidegger also denounced or demoted several colleagues for being insufficiently committed to the Nazi cause.
On September 29, 1933, Heidegger leaked information to the local minister of education that the chemist Hermann Staudinger had been a pacifist during World War I. Heidegger knew this would cost Staudinger his job. The Gestapo investigated the matter and confirmed Heidegger’s tip. Asked for his recommendation as rector of the university, Heidegger secretly urged the ministry to fire Staudinger without a pension.
Hermann Staudinger was my great-uncle (on my father’s side of the family). Despite Heidegger’s efforts, he managed to keep his job, survived the war, and went on to win a Nobel prize. I never really got to know him since he died when I was rather young, but got to know very well his widow, my great-aunt Magda. Decades later, she was still quite upset by the Heidegger business.
Holt then moves on to contemporary thinker’s takes on the subject, including entertaining descriptions of his trips to visit some of them, starting with some philosophers. These include Adolf Grünbaum who takes the position (to which I’m sympathetic…) that this is a pseudo-problem, and derisively refers to worries about Nothingness as the “ontopathological syndrome”. Another visit is to Richard Swinburne at Oxford, who goes for the “God did it” explanation.
The first physicist he visits is David Deutsch, also at Oxford, and Holt’s description of the experience and account of their conversation is quite wonderful. As you might expect, lots about the deep significance of quantum physics and Many-Worlds. After a discussion of Robert Nozick and his principle of fecundity (“all possible worlds are real”), it’s on to Alexander Vilenkin and the cosmological multiverse mania that has gotten so much attention from physicists in recent years. Here the sort of “something from nothing” that Krauss was discussing in his recent book comes into play.
When I brought up string theory, a melancholy strain became detectable in Weinberg’s voice.
The discussion with Weinberg brings up the whole question of a “Final theory”, a truly unified fundamental theory of physics, and what its significance for the question of existence might be. After Weinberg, Holt describes a meeting with Sir Roger Penrose, and explains Penrose’s “Platonism”, the philosophical point of view that mathematical objects actually are real things that exist (in some sense…). Penrose attempts to also bring the question of consciousness into this, which seems to me a mistake, but the questions raised here about the relation of mathematics and our fundamental ideas about the physical world are dear to my heart. To the extent that to me there’s a sensible question behind “Why is there Something rather than Nothing?”, it’s bound up with this great mystery of the origin of the fundamental laws of physics. Mathematics and physics have a completely unexpected and still not understood congruence at their deepest levels, and this mystery seems to me not only a very real one, but one that we can hope to further elucidate. I realized from Holt’s discussion that maybe my own mystical views on this subject are best described as “Pythagorean”. While he does a reasonable job of raising some of these issues, to me he dismisses them too quickly in favor of moving on to other topics much less worth taking seriously. But I would think that, wouldn’t I?
Holt ends the book on a personal note, telling the story of the death of his mother and his return to the place he grew up. Throughout the book, he weaves in accounts of time spent in Paris, reading at Sartre’s Cafe de Flore, and wandering the city contemplating aspects of his great philosophical question, as well as life in general. Some might find this distracting and not so serious, but I enjoyed those parts of the book a lot. Of course, this may largely be due to the fact that I’m a sucker for Paris and know well and love the locations he was describing.
If you have even the slightest interest in the “Why is there Something rather than Nothing?” question, be sure to get yourself of a copy of this wonderful book when it comes out. My interest in the question has always been rather minimal (I got grief from some of my commenters recently for my dismissive attitude on the topic), but this didn’t keep me from getting a lot out of the book. It’s philosophy of a high level, pursued in an unusual and personal manner, and it’s a pleasure to follow along with the author as he tells a fascinating and thought-provoking story.
45 Responses to Why Does the World Exist?
mathematicians should shun the subject.
That’s a reasonable take on the question, but I’ll just point out that Weinberg and Penrose disagree with you and thought the subject worth discussing.
Bad question because it suppose an ill-defined alternative.
>> Heidegger knew this would cost Staudinger his job.
This does not really fit together?
You can use math to model anything that is scientific reachable. How the use of math to describe natural physics can be “completely unexpected”?
Everyone asks why things ‘exist’ taking for granted that we know what ‘existence’ is. But a honest thought about it would reveal that we really don’t know.
I forget the details, but from what I remember Staudinger was forced to resign his position because Heidegger denounced him to the Gestapo and suggested he be forced out of his job and have his pension taken away. Staudinger did manage to get reinstated, after Heidegger and others in power realized that this would make the university look very bad internationally.
This is just the usual “unreasonable effectiveness” argument of Wigner, which has accumulated much more evidence for it since his time.
I must say I find it amusing that this is what physicists are busy talking about. Nothing wrong with philosophical discussions, or literary ones, but physics? Perhaps it comes from some deep seated desire for a theory of everything, which unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) Godel proved was clearly impossible quite some time ago. You would think that someone as seemingly smart as Weinberg would understand something that basic. And Peter, gotta say I think you’re wrong and Penrose is right, consciousness is at the heart of it somehow. Check out Newcomb’s paradox.
About this “unreasonable effectiveness”. Some time ago, I watched this video lecture by cognitive scientist (and apparently ex-logician) George Lakoff, recorded at the Fields Institute. In it, he briefly addresses this observation in the question period. His take on it was interesting enough for me to get a copy of his book on the cognitive science of mathematical thought, which is unfortunately still collecting dust in my to-read book pile.
In my imperfect recollection and rendition of his position, they key to taking the mystery out of this question is the observation that mathematical thought is carried out by the brain, which resides in the body, both of which are physical systems following physical laws. The application of the “(unreasonable) effectiveness” to particular physical process then simply corresponds to the existence of a translation from this process to the physical processes of mathematical thought. These translations Lakoff calls metaphors, I believe. And they are supposed to be documented in detail in his book.
The above argument would answer a “how” question. “Why” questions are always trickier. However, I think some light could be shed on the corresponding “why” question by answering a related one: When is it possible for any part of a physical system (the universe) to be mapped to (be simulated by) another part of the same physical system (the brain)? Personally, I have no idea what the answer to this question would be, but it seems to me already somewhat better defined than Wigner’s original remark. It even has shades of Turing universality, which has been studied in some detail.
I don’t think either Godel’s or Lakoff’s arguments are relevant. We’re actually very close to a unified theory, with the questions we don’t understand seeming to have no connection to the problems Godel’s theorem raises. The fact that a very non-obvious to the human mind structure (the Dirac equation) explains so much of reality, at the same time that it appears non-obviously in the deepest parts of mathematics (e.g. it’s the fundamental class in K-homology) seems to me to show that something mysterious is going on, and it’s something that has nothing to do with the structure of the human brain, for which both parts of the story are quite alien. This stuff is very difficult for the human mind to understand, it takes quite an effort, and only is successful due to the high adaptability of human thought processes. It’s quite possible, and Holt mentions this possibility, that there is some deep structure going on here, that is as incomprehensible to our minds as calculus is to the mind of a dog. But we have somewhat better abilities than the dog to learn new things.
If you haven’t already seen it, you may be interested in the book “Godel’s Theorem: An Incomplete Guide to Its Use and Abuse” by the late Torkel Franzén.
@Jeff, I’ll second billy’s suggestion.
@Peter: The question you seem to be posing is I think different from the original one posed by Wigner. In that case, I agree that Lakoff’s argument is not particularly relevant.
While I’m sure the book is enjoyable, if I want to revisit Godel I’ll dig out my notes on Turing’s proof, which I always thought was one of the prettiest things in mathematics (despite being a geometric analyst myself…) And Lakoff was never a logician, his Ph.D. is in Linguistics.
I’m not so sure that the philosphers are entirely convinced that there is something rather than nothing. True, Descartes did argue, cogiter ergo sum, but that leaves open the precise definition of the following words: cogito, ergo, and sum, all disputations subjects in contemporary philosophy. Until those definitional issues are resolved, it’s hard to see how we’ll reach a philosophical consensus as to whether anything exists.
“Why does the world (universe) exist?” is begging the question. Kinda like, When did you stop beating your wife? The question presupposes that the universe didn’t exist before it did, and unless you can prove former first, you have no latter ‘creation ex nihilo’ to debate. This is a good argument for why philosophy matters, if physicists would employ basic philosophy and logic before running off with silly ‘interpretations’ of limited data, ( e.g. Copenhagen intrepretation) fewer such houses of cards would be assembled… and have so much prestigious math piled upon them. Heisenberg himself was actually very philosophical (not in a good way)… and a Nazi, as well as working for the German’s on the atomic bomb. His colleague and friend Niels Bohr went to some effort to hide this glaring little truth, probably so his own career wouldn’t be tarnished. So much for the glory of quantum mechanics.
What am I reading. It just becomes silly if esoteric weirdos start to confuse “observer” (which can be an LHC detector) with “conscious observer” (an ill-defined, slightly icky concept if there ever was one). Other than that, it apparently remains the only one that makes consistent sense. For people who accept that probability theory can be extended, that is. Others write endless philosophical drivel on this, which may be necessary to bring in the bacon, granted.
And perhaps I am being a nit-picky physicist: “shut up and calculate”.
“Why is there something instead of nothing?” is an existential question that is meaningful only in the context of religion. This can be seen by thinking about what would constitute an acceptable answer. The prototypical answer to an existential question requires a God that is outside of and independent of the universe, and then “there is nothing” has meaning. Religion seems to have faded away, but it still lingers on powerfully. This shown by the number of people who think “why is there something instead of nothing?” is still meaningful.
“Why is there something rather than nothing?” Perhaps this is just another way to ask what is the purpose of the universe? Or, what is the most general principle that it displays as a whole? Then the answer to those question might answer the “why” of its existence. For example, one might venture to say that the most general thing that the universe does is display a set of consistent facts. Then that could be “why” it exists… to display a consistent set of facts.
Thank you, Peter, for the review. The book sounds as great as I’d hoped! Can’t wait for July!
Thanks for the very interesting review, Peter.
Consider the intellectual distance between the knowledge you possess and the problem you’re trying to solve. ‘Why is there anything rather than nothing’ is the question with the greatest distance. But let’s not give up or ignore it just because it’s a long trip. There must be a rational answer to this problem, if not, we might as well give up physics and spend the rest of our lives with our hands down our shorts.
The best comment I’ve come across is that there are three possibilities: either there is something, or there is nothing, or they are both the same.
the Absolute is Pure Being.
But Pre Being is totally indefinite; it has no qualities; it is utterly empty. It is the same as Pure Nothing.
You can’t have one without the other; they are dialectical twins.
And yet, inasmuch as they are also contraries, they can’t coexist very happily.
Something new must be found that reconciles and supersedes them.
And that turns out to be: Becoming!
Becoming is what happens when Being is on the verge of passing into Nothing–or vice versa.
Thus does the Hegelian dialectic get merrily underway, eventually yielding up human history and culture in all their variegated splendor. …”.
“… If the laws of physics come into being along with the universe, then they can’t explain it.
That is the dilemma of the nothing theorists.
a … way of showing why there is something rather than nothing … goes like this. Suppose, for the sake of argument, that nothing existed.
If there were no laws, then everything would be permitted.
If everything were permitted, then nothing would be forbidden.
Therefore, if nothing existed, nothing would be forbidden.
Therefore, nothing, if it existed, would forbid itself.
Therefore there must be something. …”.
Sounds like the sort of thing that is in the book, in similar form. Holt is no fan of Hegel, but write a bit about him, along the lines of what you quote.
Since you have an advanced copy, are you allowed to write a review on amazon.com?
So, U = YOU are what distinguishes Something from Nothing.
I think Amazon has a program to get people advance copies of books in exchange for writing reviews. I’m not part of that, my copy didn’t come from them. Whether or not I could post a review there, I think I’ll stick to just doing this on the blog.
This is a very long story. I think there is quite a bit about it in my book.
An oversimplified way of stating it is that the most powerful theorem telling you about the relation of analysis, geometry and topology is the Atiyah-Singer index theorem (and you can abstractly express it using K-theory). In some sense it says that the Dirac equation is a “generator”, everything else can be written in terms of that. Atiyah and Singer actually rediscovered the Dirac equation for themselves in the course of their work on the index theorem.
the topic itself is deeply disturbing.
Elevated from the comments here.
Your LM post left me laughing til I went into a coughing fit. ‘Twould be indeed better if LM were capable of seeing the humour.
A materialist would define nothing as the anwer to the question.
A little bit off-topic (but only a little bit), this is a chance for a comment I’ve meant to leave here for some time now. In case you (or any readers) enjoy good science-fiction, you might want to have a try at Neal Stephenson’s Anathem. You’ll find it touches on issues related to this blog!
Can you suggest any readable but mathematically detailed discussions of your point about the Atiyah-Singer Index Theorem?
I managed to figure out for myself (maybe “guessed by myself” would be more accurate!) this idea that the Dirac equation is at the base of the Index Theorem.
But, I cannot find a discussion of the theorem that actually explains this clearly and in detail. I am in the frustrating position that I understand (I think) the details of various proofs (Sobolev spaces, Chern characters, etc.) without really understanding the proofs.
And, thanks for the book review. Unlike you, I suspect the question is meaningful, but I must admit to a sneaking suspicion that it is not. Needless to say, I found Weinberg’s comments the most sensible among those you quoted.
The idea of origin brings with it a simple but profound bit of baggage: causality. Simply put, “something” must exist, and be transformable into “something else”. In this context, the problem arises because we must now substitute “nothing” for “something” with the absurd transformation of “nothing” into “something else”. How is “nothing” transformable? It is simply not logical.
2. The transformation of “nothing” into “something” is a false dilemma because you just ain’t smart enough to understand such an abstract transformation. Now shut up and calculate.
Please add to this list if you can think of any other options.
On a much lighter note, this SMBC comic is apropos. | 2019-04-21T22:20:47Z | http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=4672 |
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