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Symato Team 5

There’s been a great deal of information on the Internet and in the news concerning food allergies and the dangers that they can cause. According to a recent Washington Post news article many of the reactions people have to food are not truly food allergies. According to the article “Research shows that as many as 20 percent of people claim to have food allergies when the number is actually around 3 to 4 percent,” says Hugh Sampson, director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. He concedes that the number of people with milder reactions — nonallergic symptoms that flare up when they eat certain foods — is higher, but he thinks the problem is still generally overestimated. The main reason he feels that people report food allergies in higher amounts is because they do not take into account that food reactions tend to change over time. Also, many people diagnose their own food allergies and the information is widely subjective. However there are real and life-threatening food allergies that appear to be on the rise. A 2010 report comparing surveys of U.S. households in 1997, 2002 and 2008 found a steady increase in allergies to peanuts and tree nuts in children. The reasons for the trend aren’t clear. The key is to get a professional medical diagnosis to determine if there is intolerance to a certain food or an actual allergic reaction. Dr. Kim requires this information to be included in the initial medical intake form provided to every patient. Food allergies and digestive problems should be reported by patients to Dr Kim even though they are having an elective cosmetic surgery procedure. After abdominal plastic surgery including abdominoplasty and abdominal liposuction digestive issues can cause increased pain and discomfort unnecessarily. Dr. Kim and his staff are committed to helping patients have a comfortable patient recovery experience. This is made possible by sharing any information that may impact patient health and safety.

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Grand County is located in the middle-eastern part of the state, stretching from the Eastern bank of the Green River to the edge of Colorado. It is 2,363,962 acres in area. There are 101,699 acres of private land, 52,729 acres of which is farmland. Of the 94 farms in Grand County, most farms are between 1 and 179 acres, and about 60% of farms are less than 50 acres. About 70% of farmland in Grand County is pasture, about 23% is cropland and 7% is of other uses. There are 1,617,793 acres of federal land in the county including military land. There are 369,426 acres of state land including wildlife reserves. 198,134 acres of the county is Tribal land, 146 acres of the county is water, and 76,602 acres of the county is National Parks.

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JOHANNESBURG— An estimated 2.2 million Zimbabweans are facing food insecurity in the country that once was known as the breadbasket of southern Africa. Zimbabwe is now counting on imports of 150,000 tons of corn from South Africa to overcome a shortage. In 2000, Zimbabwe produced 2.1 million tons of corn. Thirteen years later, the country produced 800,000 tons. The steep decline in corn production has led to the country importing more and more corn. This year is no different, and with rainfalls less than expected, Zimbabwe just announced it will be importing 150,000 tons of corn from South Africa. Zimbabwe's annual corn consumption, both as feed and for human consumption, is about 2 million tons, according to Jonathan Pound, an economist with the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. "They normally have to import quite a large quantity to satisfy their domestic requirements," he said. But after a decent production year in 2012 of 1.4 million tons, a fall to 800,000 tons has left a larger gap to fill. According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment committee, 2.2 million people -- one out of four people in rural areas -- will face food insecurity between January and March. Zambia, also an exporter of corn to Zimbabwe, has also experienced a drop in production this year. The lack of corn from its usual markets has put Zimbabwe in a tough position. Pound says some rural regions of Zimbabwe have been hard hit. "Zimbabwe, over the years, has always faced problems of food and security like many countries in the sub-region. Obviously, there is a problem this year because production was reduced fairly significantly from the average and also from the previous year. So many of the households, particularly in the western and southern regions, they faced supply shortage, so they weren't able to meet their consumption requirements," he said. One of the issues has been rainfall. The majority of corn farmers in the country are solely dependent on rain to water their crops. "For the 2013 crop, the rains weren't so favorable in the western and southern regions," Pound said. "So this had a large impact on production. Especially because practically all of the maize produced by small holders is rain-fed as well, is not irrigated." The country's corn production has dropped significantly over the last decade. In the early 2000s, white-owned commercial farms in the country were taken over, often by force, under President Robert Mugabe land redistribution program. The new black owners often lacked the funds and experience to make their farms productive. With the country remaining short on cash, corn production is unlikely to rise back to previous levels, barring an infusion of funds from abroad, and a year of very good rainfall.

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The world’s oceans provide an important source of protein and other nutrients for many coastal countries, and a livelihood for those who live there. They also generate income for those who invest in the global fishing companies that harvest the seafood. But a group of researchers who studied the practices of many of the world’s largest fishing companies believes that fish stocks may be threatened by overfishing, depleting fish stocks and bringing them to the brink of ruin. Also, they said, many fishing companies hide their behavior from shareholders, putting their investments at risk. Their findings are described in a recent report released by the Fish Tracker Initiative in partnership with the Sea Around Us, a project of the University of British Columbia. “Continued short term exploitation of fish stocks is leading to a long term reduction and eventual collapse of these stocks, on which we depend for nutrition and, in the case of investors, financial return,” said Ben Metz, who led the “Fish Tracker” project. “All companies should be moving towards increased transparency and improved sustainability practices, regardless of location, country of origin or existing levels of transparency and sustainability.” Ocean health has become the focus of increasing concerns in recent years, as the effects of climate change continue to disrupt delicate marine ecosystems. Global warming is raising water temperatures. Oceans are also absorbing more atmospheric carbon dioxide, causing them to become more acidic. Marine advocates, therefore, insist protecting ocean life must become a higher priority within global plans to mitigate global warming. A number of organizations, academic institutions and companies, in fact, have signed on to the Ocean & Climate Platform, a policy framework that calls for more sustainability, including a warning that fishing companies consider the impact of climate change on ecosystems and fish stocks. One study published in the journal Nature Climate Change concluded that more than two-thirds of nations do not include ocean issues and resources in their climate action plans. The “Fish Tracker” study, which examined the behavior of more than 200 publicly listed world-wide fishing companies with revenues of more than $70 billion, predicted that companies with significant catch from overfished areas risk a crash in fish supplies that could then lead to a plunge in revenues. This is “something shareholders certainly would like to be aware of,” said Benjamin McCarron, the report’s author. “Even before they incur any such losses, companies that target overfished stocks face substantial reputational risk.” By shareholders, the researchers mean institutional investors — not individuals. However, individuals also could become vulnerable if their pension funds are invested in these companies, and the companies incur substantial losses. “From an investment point of view, if the underlying asset is at risk of reduced performance, then the investor is also at risk of reduced performance. It’s as simple as that,” Metz said. “A well-managed fishery delivers more value than a poorly managed one, so we should all care about improved management, especially investors as it materially affects them.” No single international organization monitors global fishing. Most fishing is regulated by national governments within their 200-mile exclusive economic zone, that is, the waters they control. Beyond that area, fishing is regulated by regional management fishing organizations and their member countries. The problems outlined in the report occur when companies catch more fish than the population can replace through natural reproduction, a scenario that can seriously upset the balance of the ecosystem. “Unless companies are fishing an endangered fish stock at very low levels, if the biomass continues to deplete, it logically cannot go on forever,” said Tim Cashion, a researcher with the Sea Around Us. “When a point is reached when they can no longer fish that stock, they will need to reduce their current level of catches to let the stock rebuild.” One of the strongest examples of the economic consequences of overfishing cited by the study was the case of Atlantic cod caught off Newfoundland. The stock collapsed, having a significant impact on fishers — the value of the fish caught and brought to land plummeted from a 1987 peak of $980 million to $20 million eight years later. The region still has not recovered, and revenues since 1999 have not risen above $100 million, according to the report. The study found that nearly a third of the regions mostly fished by giant companies, including those in South Korea, Norway and Canada, are overfished. Moreover, the analysis also found that most publicly listed companies don’t tell their shareholders where they are getting their fish, and “at what risk to ecological and economic sustainability,” the report said. “Only six of the 19 companies with the largest direct fishing revenues disclosed this information in their annual reporting or corporate websites,” McCarron said. Two dozen scientists and finance sector researchers worked on the report. They said obtaining the information was a significant challenge, since it is difficult to trace fishing supply lines. Also, many companies don’t disclose what species they catch, the scientists said. The researchers matched companies’ records in regional fisheries management organizations with the vessels they have registered there, “then, we evaluated the fishery’s broader sustainability,” Cashion said. The report urged all companies to adopt greater transparency and improved sustainability practices, “regardless of location, country of origin or existing levels of transparency and sustainability,” Metz said. Cashion agreed. “The local and global supplies of fish are expected to change drastically under a changing climate,” he said. “If all fish stocks started collapsing at a faster rate, there would be massive negative consequences across the world for people and the seas.” Marlene Cimons writes for Nexus Media, a syndicated newswire covering climate, energy, policy, art and culture.

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Part of the engineering that goes into designing a vehicle is testing the components to ensure that they meet durability and safety standards. Because of this, manufacturers have a good idea as to how long the parts in your vehicle will last under normal driving conditions. They give us guidelines to follow regarding inspection and maintenance schedules for our late model vehicles. Vehicular components are required to meet certain standards. The government mandates some of these standards. Others are set by the auto industry. Recommended car maintenance schedules are designed to help Washington DC drivers maintain these standards. Disregarding routine maintenance or procrastinating preventive maintenance will result in lowered performance and reduced safety for a vehicle. Maintenance schedules are designed to ensure three areas of critical automotive performance for Washington DC car owners: protection of the vehicle itself, efficiency (MPG), and safety. Your vehicle’s components need protection from dirt, road damage, rust, corrosion and fuel and combustion by products.Protective components include filters and fluids. Most of the fluids in your late model vehicle are there to keep the vehicle running smoothly and to protect the vehicle from corrosion, damage or harmful contaminants. These fluids need to be changed regularly in order to continue protecting your late model vehicle. For example, motor oil lubricates your engine, when keeps it running well, but it also contains detergents and other additives that clean your engine and protect it from corrosion. Your vehicle’s engine was engineered for best performance with a specific weight and type of motor oil. Washington DC motorists should always be careful to use the right motor oil for their engine. Over time, the critical additives in motor oil are depleted, and the oil becomes contaminated by dirt, water and waste gases from combustion. So in order to keep your engine clean and to continue to protect it from corrosion, the oil has to be changed periodically. Over time, your vehicle’s systems will get dirty and parts will wear down. Cleaning dirty systems and replacing worn parts will improve the efficiency of your vehicle, which is usually measured in terms of MPG and power output. For example, your fuel system components gradually get clogged up with gum and varnish from gasoline. This restricts fuel flow, which lowers your engine’s efficiency. Gas mileage drops as a result. Cleaning your fuel system will restore fuel efficiency and improve gas mileage. Some of your late model vehicle’s systems must be maintained for safety reasons. Your brakes are a prime example of this. Brake pads and brake fluid need to be replaced in order to ensure good braking power. Poorly maintained brakes lead to accidents for Washington DC drivers. Your owner’s manual is your first resource when it comes to knowing when and how to maintain your late model vehicle. Of course, you can consult with a your Metro Motor service advisor. He can give you good auto advice on how to adjust your service schedule to account for climate, local road conditions and your driving distances. Beyond routine maintenance, your vehicle also requires regular inspections. These inspections are usually recommended at specific mileage intervals, like fifteen or twenty thousand miles. The interval is based on the known life expectancy for particular components in your late model vehicle. Regular inspections will identify vehicular components that need to be repaired or replaced before damage is done to the vehicle or safety is compromised. They are also designed to safeguard the efficiency and performance of your vehicle. The multi-point inspection that comes with a full-service oil change does not cover all of the regular inspections your vehicle needs for peak performance and safety. Check with the automotive professionals at Metro Motor to find out what additional inspections your vehicle needs and how often. Good car care requires regular and consistent maintenance. Remember, good maintenance pays for itself in better fuel efficiency and fewer costly repairs. It may even save your life.

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By: Walter E. Williams Profiling is needlessly a misunderstood concept. What’s called profiling is part of the optimal stock of human behavior and something we all do. Let’s begin by describing behavior that might come under the heading of profiling. Prior to making decisions, people seek to gain information. To obtain information is costly, requiring the expenditure of time and/or money. Therefore, people seek to find ways to economize on information costs. Let’s try simple examples. You are a manager of a furniture moving company and seek to hire 10 people to load and unload furniture onto and off trucks. Twenty people show up for the job, and they all appear to be equal except by sex. Ten are men, and 10 are women. Whom would you hire? You might give them all tests to determine how much weight they could carry under various conditions, such as inclines and declines, and the speed at which they could carry. To conduct such tests might be costly. Such costs could be avoided through profiling — that is, using an easily observable physical attribute, such as a person’s sex, as a proxy for unobserved attributes, such as endurance and strength. Though sex is not a perfect predictor of strength and endurance, it’s pretty reliable. Imagine that you’re a chief of police. There has been a rash of auto break-ins by which electronic equipment has been stolen. You’re trying to capture the culprits. Would you have your officers stake out and investigate residents of senior citizen homes? What about spending resources investigating men and women 50 years of age or older? I’m guessing there would be greater success capturing the culprits by focusing police resources on younger people — and particularly young men. The reason is that breaking in to autos is mostly a young man’s game. Should charges be brought against you because, as police chief, you used the physical attributes of age and sex as a crime tool? Would it be fair for people to accuse you of playing favorites by not using investigative resources on seniors and middle-aged adults of either sex even though there is a non-zero chance that they are among the culprits? Physicians routinely screen women for breast cancer and do not routinely screen men. The American Cancer Society says that the lifetime risk of men getting breast cancer is about 0.1 percent. Should doctors and medical insurance companies be prosecuted for the discriminatory practice of prescribing routine breast cancer screening for women but not for men? Some racial and ethnic groups have higher incidence and mortality from various diseases than the national average. The rates of death from cardiovascular diseases are about 30 percent higher among black adults than among white adults. Cervical cancer rates are five times greater among Vietnamese women in the U.S. than among white women. Pima Indians of Arizona have the world’s highest known diabetes rates. Prostate cancer is nearly twice as common among black men as it is among white men. Using a cheap-to-observe attribute, such as race, as a proxy for a costly-to-observe attribute, such as the probability of some disease, can assist medical providers in the delivery of more effective medical services. For example, just knowing that a patient is a black man causes a physician to be alert to the prospect of prostate cancer. The unintelligent might call this racial profiling, but it’s really prostate cancer profiling. In the real world, there are many attributes correlated with race and sex. Jews are 3 percent of the U.S. population but 35 percent of our Nobel Prize winners. Blacks are 13 percent of our population but about 74 percent of professional basketball players and about 69 percent of professional football players. Male geniuses outnumber female geniuses 7-to-1. Women have wider peripheral vision than men. Men have better distance vision than women. The bottom line is that people differ significantly by race and sex. Just knowing the race or sex of an individual may on occasion allow us to guess about somethig readily observed.

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The right to education is universal and does not allow for any form of exclusion or discrimination. However, both developing and developed countries face challenges guaranteeing equal opportunities to all in accessing education and within education systems. Marginalised groups are often left behind by national educational policies, denying many people their right to education. Although thinking about groups can be helpful, the distinction is somewhat artificial. People who are marginalised are very likely to be subject to multiple layers of discrimination, that is, they belong to more than one marginalised group. Non-discrimination and equality are key human rights principles that apply to the right to education. States have the obligation to implement these principles at national level. National laws can prohibit discrimination and create an environment enabling greater equity. Furthermore, affirmative action and promotional measures are often necessary in order to eliminate existing inequalities and disparities in education. The UNESCO video below explains what the data tells us about the marginalised groups of children who are excluded from education.

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The goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to return a healthy animal to the wild, in both physical and mental health. Most patients admitted are injured or displaced as a result of human intervention: being hit by vehicles, being shot, being poisoned, being attacked by pets and losing familiar habitats. Wildlife often suffers when people and wildlife try to co-exist. Wildlife rehabilitators do not interfere with the natural behaviors of these animals, but we try to even the odds for individual animals that have been affected by these human conflicts. Pets kept outdoors, or abandoned pets such as cats, pose considerable risks to wildlife. Baby animals caught by cats usually do not survive even the slightest injury because of infection. Every pet owner needs to take responsibility for their animals by feeding them inside, keeping them on a leash or in a fenced yard, and keeping their cats indoors. Until people are willing to accept this responsibility, wild animals will continue to be attacked and maimed unnecessarily. In the state of New Jersey, and in most states, it is illegal to keep wild animals as pets or patients. Specific state and federal permits are required. Each species of animal has special needs that only licensed rehabilitators can provide. FCW is working closely with our volunteer veterinarians, monitoring wildlife health and disease information. Many research problems are complex, requiring the participation of several individuals and organizations. Through teamwork, we will research topics including new medical devices and procedures, zoonotic diseases (diseases transmitted between animals and humans), emerging diseases (including West Nile Virus and Avian Influenza), nutritional research and food safety, bioterrorism, and natural resource conservation and diversity. We are excited to begin development proposals for research grants to fund these projects. We welcome schools, industry and organizations to partner with us in these research endeavors. Our summer internship programs also expose students to these exciting projects.

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Posted by Joe Hartnett on Sep 8, 2014 in Good Giants Blog On the night of August 30, Company K, under Captain Reedy, relieved Jarman’s Company I. Reedy was the only White commanding officer among your four line companies. You did not know of his abilities. He did not seem very loquacious but did appear calm under fire. Some of his platoon leaders were also White. No White officer reported to a Negro company commander. This system assured that the best officer was not always in charge. On the last day of August, 1944, a patrol consisting of men from Company I, and Company M drew mortar and machine-gun fire. In spite of rumors to the contrary, the Germans had not withdrawn. The Germans were using a “burp gun” – the MP-38 submachine gun. It held 32 rounds and could five hundred rounds a minute. With your semiautomatic M-1s, you could fire only one round at a time from a clip of eight. You were clearly outgunned. M-38 German “Burp Gun” with 32-round clip (9 rounds per second) Semiautomatic M1, with eight-round clip (one round per second) By 0050 on September 1 all of Compamy I was across the Arno River, and a few moments later a green flare indicated that the forward platoons had reached their destination in Lugnano, a village on the north bank, where the sound of grenades and burst of small-arms fire could be heard.

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After last year’s Afghan winter - the harshest in 15 years - killed dozens of displaced children in urban settlements, government and aid agencies in Afghanistan are preparing themselves for the coming winter. As of 30 September 2012, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported 445,856 persons internally displaced due to conflict. Many of these live in informal settlements in and around Kabul, but their numbers can be hard to track. The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is compiling data on the size of the settlements, where the deaths occurred, to scale up its winter assistance stocks accordingly, the deputy head of the Afghanistan office, Arnhild Spence, told IRIN. The Afghan National Disaster Management Authority is in the process of collecting and consolidating data on preparedness measures which the various line ministries are undertaking in the provinces. Natural hazards (from floods, to droughts to avalanches) are recurrent in Afghanistan, making the poorest Afghans - not only residents of informal urban settlements, but also those in mountainous, avalanche-prone areas of the northeast, central highlands and east - even more vulnerable. The government has transferred 90 million Afghanis (US$1.6 million) to each of the country’s 34 provinces to deal with the possible emergency situation during the winter, according to Afghanistan Humanitarian Country Team winterization preparedness status update on 22 October 2012. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in coordination with the Afghan authorities and other aid agencies, is planning to distribute blankets, plastic sheets, charcoal, and warm clothes to 240,000 people in less-accessible rural areas where internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees who have returned from Pakistan and Iran are living in difficult conditions in isolated remote communities, according to spokesperson Mohammad Nader Farhad. The Afghan Red Crescent Society is establishing four disaster response units, with about 3,300 volunteers assigned, to provide assistance during winter emergencies. As the 2012-13 cold season begins, OCHA says 13 provinces are at a high or very high risk of an extreme winter. Still, Spence said, “we are expecting a slightly less harsh winter than last year in Afghanistan, which was exceptionally cold.” In an open letter on 18 October, a coalition of 30 NGOs, including Amnesty International, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief called for urgent assistance for vulnerable displaced people, pointing to the death last year of at least 100 people - mostly children - in Kabul’s settlements alone. “What happened last year was a preventable tragedy, and should act as a sharp reminder that emergency assistance must be provided immediately, before the winter arrives,” said Polly Truscott, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Programme. |Ill-prepared for cold snap| |IDPs at a crossroads| |Avalanches kill 37 in Afghanistan| |Avalanches cut off parts of drought-hit northeast| On 22 October, the national IDP task force, which brings together government and aid partners, met in Kabul to discuss among other things preparations for winter assistance for the displaced. Another coordination forum, the Kabul Informal Settlement Task Force, has agreed to meet every month from now throughout the winter to better respond to the needs of the displaced. Thanks to increasing acceptance by donors that a response is needed to the plight of urban IDPs, and thanks also to the work of aid agencies, the condition of IDPs has slightly improved compared to two years ago, Nassim Majidi, co-director of Samuel Hall Consulting, a research and consulting organization based in Kabul, told IRIN. But she said their housing - mud homes and tents - was still not adapted to Kabul’s harsh winter conditions. Accusations that community leaders are not distributing relief items properly have not helped, she added. “Families are naturally very worried about the upcoming winter.” The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations is drafting a national IDP policy, planned to be released in March 2013. Aid agencies say it is an important step in acknowledging the scope of the IDP problem and expanding attention beyond Kabul and its informal urban settlements to the needs of IDPs nationwide. Amnesty says what is needed now is urgent action. “We urge the Government of Afghanistan, international donors and relevant humanitarian organisations to immediately launch a winter assistance campaign to help ensure adequate planning and preparedness to safeguard the lives of hundreds of thousands of IDPs across Afghanistan over the next few critical months,” the open letter said.

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How would you feel if you heard your own or a colleague’s music emanating from a high school student’s ear buds or car speakers? How might you feel if, several seconds later, it is heard mashed up with the latest Katy Perry or Kendrick Lamar track? How might you respond to a teenager who is arranging the music for a group of her friends who play various instruments in a middle school ensemble? Can you envision yourself video conferencing with a group of elementary school or university students who recently posted video clips of themselves discussing new music on YouTube or who admitted that they would like to try transforming a piece from the genre into electronic dance music? These questions hint towards possibilities that some may find problematic and that others may consider appropriate and beneficial for new music, musicians, and students. While some might question the ways in which the young people in these images are engaging with new music and aspects of what might be considered participatory culture, others might find it out of place that these young people are even involved with new music in the first place. Along with outreach and marketing, music education can play a powerful role in expanding the public’s engagement with new music. Closer relationships between new music and music education communities could increase the presence of new music in educational settings. First, though, we need to recognize different ways that people in new music and music education communities conceptualize “music education” and “new music.” For instance, my default conception of music education conjures images of working with in-service and pre-service music teachers on contemporary approaches to teaching music or with groups of young people engaging with music in elementary, middle, and high schools. However, I understand that many involved in new music also engage in music education in university classrooms, practice rooms, lecture halls, studios, concert halls, online venues, and other settings. Others might wonder if music education still exists in schools (yes, and it is vibrant, thriving, and evolving in the majority of schools across America) or have vivid images of music education consisting of plastic recorders, marching bands, and a capella groups. Similarly, music educators have different notions of what “new music” means. For instance, many K-12 music educators’ perceptions of new music are sometimes tied to whatever music is marketed to them in specialized magazines, publishing catalogs, or at professional conferences. For a large number of music educators, new music is limited to the composers last addressed in their final undergraduate music literature or theory course. Perhaps ongoing dialogue spurred by NewMusicBox’s education week may lead to an increased number of people who find themselves involved in both new music and music education. The following scenarios are based on my experiences, observations, and thinking as a music teacher educator working with pre-service and in-service music teachers. They offer possibilities of what could be rather than actual descriptions of particular people and places. Looking in on Contemporary Pedagogy For years, Bob Hinton stood or sat at the front of his university classroom and lectured. Some of his students joked that he had made a permanent indentation in the floor. Three years ago, he began experimenting with flipping his classroom. In other words, he video recorded lectures and discussions of the music his students were analyzing and performing and posted them online for his students to view prior to meeting in class. This freed up class time to facilitate discussion and engage with music more actively. Last year, he leveraged the multimedia and interactive aspects of the cloud-based service VoiceThread to have his students upload their own text, video, or audio responses around his videos. This led to dialogue prior to class. Skeptical at first, Bob recognized that his students were more engaged and were beginning to make connections to the content in class in ways that many had not in prior years. Students of his who also studied pedagogy in their education courses were able to identify how Bob was transforming his classroom from one that was teacher-centric to a more student-centered setting. Bob began borrowing strategies he picked up while collaborating with a team of colleagues on a grant that funded long-term partnerships between the music program, local music educators, and K-12 students. He lectured less and began spending more time facilitating projects. He found himself circulating around his classroom frequently as his students collaborated in groups on projects he designed. His students were creating, analyzing, discussing, performing, and researching music around questions such as: How do musicians relate or respond to their environment? How does music reflect or affect society? What is my role as a musician in the 21st century? He began observing how most of the key concepts he planned to address in class emerged from students’ work on their projects, particularly when he asked questions that helped them reflect more on what they were doing and how it related to the course content. Bob felt himself shifting away from seeing his role as someone who imparted knowledge or delivered content to his students and moving more toward helping them construct their own understanding and meaning of the key concepts important to his course. While he still poked fun at the phrase “being a guide on the side rather than a sage on the stage,” it described his developing pedagogy. He was asking questions and guiding students’ inquiry in ways that encouraged them to problem-solve and think critically about the course content and its relation to their lives. He was beginning to see the possibilities of a contemporary approach to his pedagogy. Looking in on Participatory Culture Kelly Sutton only recently came across the idea of participatory culture at a music education conference presentation she attended. After eavesdropping on some of her students’ conversations and hearing about the song Radioactive by Imagine Dragons, she started searching YouTube to identify examples of participatory culture by observing how people engaged with the music beyond listening to it. Kelly first found covers and arrangements of the song and was intrigued by how many different tutorials people had created to teach others how to perform Radioactive on guitar, piano, and other instruments. She didn’t understand why people would create synthesia videos of popular music but figured that it related to the type of animated notation that appeared in video games such as RockBand and RockSmith. She found mashups (NSFW), remixes, sample-based beats and produced instrumentals over which people could rap. Kelly was stunned by how much time and energy people put into creating solo multitracked a capella recordings, solo-multitracked arrangements, and parodies or satires. She still couldn’t quite figure out why someone would use the game Minecraft to create noteblock versions of a song and wondered what other types of technology people used to interact with music. Kelly found commentaries (some parts NSFW) that people posted about the song particularly interesting, since her students were also often interested in discussing their music. Curious, Kelly looked up the names of other popular songs she found on Billboard’s Top 100 and searched for similar examples on YouTube. Sure enough, she found similar videos and realized how unaware she was of the ways that people engaged with music beyond those in her music program. She then looked for examples beyond a mainstream popular music context and found remix contests related to music released by Steve Reich, Yo Yo Ma, Eric Whitacre, and DJ Spooky. Kelly was intrigued by an app that allowed people to rework Philip Glass’s music and was surprised to find that the Berliner Philharmonic and Brooklyn Philharmonic had made recordings of Mahler and Beethoven available to the public for remixing. As Kelly learned more about participatory culture and the ways that people were expressing themselves, engaging with music, and sharing their creations with others (Jenkins, Purushotma, Weigel, Clinton, & Robison, 2009, pp. 5-6), she recognized how several orchestral concerts she had attended incorporated this type of ethic. She remembered that some people used their mobile devices to tweet during concerts and had heard about blogs and other social media that concert attendees contributed to. She was also surprised to find out about initiatives that involved the general public collaborating on the creation of a symphony and an opera. Kelly wondered what might happen if professional musicians and cultural organizations such as orchestras expanded aspects of participatory culture related to marketing and outreach to connect with educational projects and long-term collaborations with music educators. She was also curious about the potential of integrating aspects of participatory culture into her own program. Looking in on Contemporary Pedagogy, Participatory Culture, and New Music During a recent conversation in her evening grad class, Brenda Jayden realized that she had left a gap in her middle school music courses. Looking at the music in her curriculum and the posters of great composers lined up on the back wall of her classroom, Brenda recognized that her students could easily be left with the impression that composers were, for the most part, dead white men from Europe with funky hair. Brenda understood that this was problematic. Slightly embarrassed that she was unaware of anyone currently composing music in the state where she lived and only able to name six living composers other than those who appeared in the magazine from which she ordered music for her classroom, Brenda decided to address the issue head on. Brenda developed a project with her students to familiarize them with examples of new music and the people involved in the new music community. She searched for and contacted people involved in the field to determine possibilities for collaborating on the project with her students. She also applied what she was learning in her grad class about participatory culture in the context of music education. After several Skype sessions and Google Hangouts with composers and a new music ensemble, Brenda and her collaborators generated the following questions to structure the project: How is music expressive? What makes new music new? Brenda was unclear about how copyright, creative rights, and fair use applied in the context of her students engaging creatively with the composers’ music in her classrooms and ensembles. Out of respect for the professional musicians, she asked them how they felt about students appropriating their music in an educational context and tried to determine what she and her students could or should do with the music. Shortly after corresponding with the composers, one of them immediately expressed interest in the idea of Brenda and her students engaging with her music by creating covers, arrangements, remixes, and mashups. As students listened to this composer’s music, they discussed their perspectives on how it was expressive and “new.” They also created and performed their own “new” music that expressed what it was like to go through a day as a middle school student. Several weeks into the project, students formed groups and chose aspects of participatory culture that they wanted to engage with in relation to the composer’s music. Some created remixes while others analyzed the music by copying and pasting recorded excerpts into Garageband along with their own commentary in the style of a radio interview. One group created a music video and one individual was inspired to create his own music inspired by the original. As the students worked on their projects, Brenda moved around to the different groups asking questions that forwarded their work and developed their musical understanding. The students were extremely motivated to work on the project and were gradually becoming fans of new music. They began wondering aloud how they might hear new music live. The students and composer developed a 21st-century pen-pal-type of relationship, exchanging video posts, holding Skype sessions, and sometimes exchanging tweets. Some students became curious about other living composers and started researching music online. Others began generating playlists of new music on Spotify and purchasing new music on iTunes. One student proposed that the class work with a composer on a Kickstarter campaign to have new music for middle school students to perform that could also be remixed or used in mashups. Students updated the back wall of their classroom by creating posters of contemporary composers and ensembles with whom they felt a connection, having engaged with their music in ways that were relevant and meaningful to their lives. After completing the project, Brenda maintained contact with several composers and performers in the new music community. They planned to apply for a grant to have a set of new works commissioned that would provide rights for schools to transform and appropriate the work in any way students wished for non-commercial purposes. The ensemble would provide schools with each part recorded individually as resources to use in creative appropriation and for teachers to use in their instruction. Brenda was reinvigorated by the possibilities afforded through participatory culture in her classroom and felt that her students had not only learned much about the expressive potential of music, but had developed as musicians and young people. New Music in New Music Education? Music education and new music will continue evolving. However, whether they do so apart from one another or in collaboration depends on our actions. The above scenarios invite possibilities that deserve dialogue and debate. A shift towards more student-centered classrooms and projects or inquiry-based learning can provide an excellent context for people to engage with and develop a deep understanding and passion for new music. Likewise, embracing participatory culture can provide people with opportunities to engage with new music in ways that generate interest, develop understanding, and are meaningful to their lives. Those in new music and music education communities might consider collaborating on projects that provide young people with multiple ways of interacting with and learning about new music. Musicians involved with new music might release audio recordings of music to be remixed, covered, mashed-up, mixed into DJ sets, or manipulated in ways that assist educators in providing students with interesting ways of exploring and interacting with the music. Composers might also allow their works to be recorded and shared as individual parts, stems, or composite recordings for these and other purposes. Music educators experienced with contemporary pedagogies might expand their curricula and open their classrooms to new music. Furthermore, music educators might ensure that at minimum, students are aware of the ways music is being created, performed, and engaged with in contemporary society. Regardless of how intersections of new music and music education might play out, dialogue and collaboration are key in moving forward. The dialogue fostered by education week on NewMusicBox can catalyze ongoing and sustained conversations between multiple communities. This goes both ways. Music educators might identify and dialogue with organizations and individuals dedicated to supporting and forwarding new music. Music educators should also commit to maintaining awareness of the new music world by listening to the music as well as reading online magazines such as NewMusicBox along with related websites, social media, and the blogs of musicians engaged in new music. Likewise, those involved in new music might interact with music educators online, in K-12 or university settings, or at state and national music education conferences. New music communities might also increase their awareness of the varied perspectives and discussions taking place in music education by reading professional blogs or reading related research journals, several of which are open access. In the spirit of discussion and collaboration, I plan on holding a Google Hangout at some point during the Spring 2014 semester when I teach my Digital and Participatory Culture in Music course to foster related dialogue. I hope some of you will consider taking part in continuing the conversation. The themes of contemporary pedagogy and participatory culture articulated throughout this article can be unpacked, explored, and critiqued in greater detail in whatever context makes the most sense to educators and new music practitioners. More importantly, however, is their potential for collaboration that can contribute to the musical lives of young people, develop the capacity for music educators to integrate new music into their programs, and support those most closely involved in new music.

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At 100, Herbert Wahler has outlived other Germans listed as members of the genocidal Einsatzgruppe C. His age should not shield him from accountability. (Courtesy of Times of Israel, where article first appeared) By Efraim Zuroff This past Friday, Herbert Wahler celebrated his 100th birthday. Quite an achievement for a German, who spent a significant part of World War II serving on the Eastern front in the Ukraine. Yet upon closer examination of Wahler’s service record, it’s not that surprising, since, for a significant part of the conflict, Wahler was not dodging bullets shot at him by Red Army soldiers, but rather contributing to the efforts of Einsatzgruppe C to mass murder innocent Jews and other “enemies of the Reich.” Einsatzgruppe C was one of the four special killing squads, labeled A, B, C, and D, the Nazis sent in June 1941, along with the Wehrmacht troops invading the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa, to begin the mass murder of Jews, even before the formal decree of the “Final Solution” was officially adopted at the Wannsee Conference on January 20, 1942. They spread out over the entire territory, with A responsible for the former Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia; B in charge in Belarus; C active in central Ukraine and D in southern Ukraine. In the course of 1941-1943, these units, which numbered approximately 3,000 men, with assistance from members of the Wehrmacht, German police units, and local collaborators, were responsible for the mass murder by shooting of approximately 2 million persons, among them 1.3 million Jews. Wahler served initially in a Waffen-S.S. unit, which in late July 1941 was assigned to Einsatzgruppen C. The unit went from place to place murdering tens of thousands of innocent civilians, most of whom were Jewish, and by the end of October 1941 had killed an estimated 78,000 people, and carried out the largest mass murder in the history of the Holocaust, the September 29-30 massacre of 33,771 Jews in Babi Yar, a ravine on the outskirts of Kiev. Despite the extremely important role played by the Einsatzgruppen in the Holocaust, relatively few of those who carried out the murders were brought to justice. The Americans conducted a trial of 24 of the senior leaders of the units, and two-thirds of the defendants were sentenced to death (14) or life imprisonment (2), but only four men were executed. All the others who were convicted had their sentences reduced. (Four others were tried and executed by other countries.) Only about 100 men were subsequently indicted in West Germany, a few were convicted and given mild sentences, and none were executed. Given those circumstances, I was expecting that in the wake of the dramatic change a decade ago in German prosecution policy vis-à-vis Nazi war criminals, which made it possible to convict those who served in death camps and/or camps with gas chambers or gas vans, or camps with a high mortality rate, based on service alone (as opposed to the previous requirement of proving a specific crime against a specific victim), it would now be possible to convict people who served in the Einsatzgruppen. In fact, shortly after the Demjanjuk verdict [John Demjanjuk was convicted as an accessory to the murder of 27,900 Jews at Sobibor], I met in 2011 with the directors of the Central Office for the Clarification of Nazi Crimes (the federal German agency which initiates Nazi war crimes investigations) to discuss the issue, and they confirmed that indeed they had adopted that policy. That did not happen, however, so three years later, in the fall of 2014, I checked the Wiesenthal Center archives for all the names of people who served in the Einsatzgruppen, for whom we had a date of birth. We had a total of 1,293 names (out of about 2,950) of those who served in A, B, C, or D, of which we had dates of birth for 1,069. Of those, 80 people, 76 men and four women, were born in 1920 or later. On September 1, 2014, I sent that list, which included Herbert Wahler’s name, to the German Justice Minister, Heiko Maas; and the Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maiziere. It took the German authorities 17 months to check the list, which they informed me included three people alive in Germany, all of whom had served in Einsatzgruppe C. I received the news with a mixture of joy and trepidation. Joy that at least three were alive, trepidation that they might not live long enough to be prosecuted – which is why I sometimes find myself praying for the good health of Nazis who might be prosecuted). In the meantime, my fears turned out to be well-founded and Kurt Gosdek and Wilhelm Karl Friedrich Hoffmeister have already died without being brought to justice. Although Wahler has admitted in media interviews that he was in Kiev during the massacre, the prosecutor in Kassel closed his case, probably because Wahler claims that he was a medic, leaving unanswered the question of who it was he was assisting, the perpetrators or the victims. So last Friday, a demonstration was held in front of Wahler’s house in Meslungen by members of the Dokumentartheaters Berlin and the AK Angreifbare Traditionspflege, and members of the Liberal Jewish community in nearby Felsberg to demand that justice be served. My message to them, which was read at the demonstration, was simple: “The passage of time in no way diminishes the guilt of the murderers and their accomplices. And old age should not afford protection for merciless killers.” Herbert Wahler may think that “What has been, has been, it’s over,” as he told the ARD journalists from Kontraste, but as long as any of the men and women from the Einsatzgruppen, death’s head units, and anyone who served in the concentration camps where so many innocent human beings were murdered are alive, they cannot be allowed to live their lives in peace and tranquility. That is a privilege they denied their victims. They must be held accountable! Even if they were not officers or did not have high ranks. In death squads and death camps, there is no such thing as “a small cog”. It’s the “small cogs”, who ensured the implementation of the “Final Solution”, and they must be held accountable.” About the writer: Dr. Efraim Zuroff is the chief Nazi-hunter of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the director of the Center’s Israel Office and Eastern European Affairs. While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

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What is Hyperbole? Hyperbole—Greek for “overshooting” or “throwing beyond”—is a figure of speech in which obvious exaggeration, not meant to be taken literally, is used for emphasis or strong impression. Comically defined by Pierre Fabri, an early French rhetorician, as “the figure used for lying,” and referred to as “Loud Lyer” and “Overreacher” by Elizabethan English courtier George Puttenham, the hyperbole has had a contentious history, often being unjustly in disrepute with regards to its relationship with the truth. However, when not used maliciously, hyperboles are, in fact, lies on the side of the truth, deceits which push one in the direction of veracity, faulty road signs which reorient one’s perspective through disorientation. In the words of Erasmus, “hyperbole says more than reality warrants, yet what is true is understood from the false.” in a way, a hyperbole is the literary equivalent of a visual caricature: by magnifying certain features, it helps readers/listeners focus their attention on the aspects of interest to the writer/speaker, thus generating in them a more striking effect than the one mere description would produce; the actual effect varies: it can be comical, ironic, persuasive, or serious. Hyperbole is omnipresent nowadays. You can find many examples of it in: - Everyday speech: “these shoes are killing me;” “this book weighs a ton.” - Common clichés: “she’s one in a million;” “my brother is the best guy in the world.” - Emotional venting: “that moron gave me a parking ticket.” - Teenage talk: “he’s super-hot; “it was an epic fail.” - Descriptions of weather: “the hot melts your brain.” - Advertising slogans: “This is a miracle product;” “have the most amazing experience.” - Journalism: “thousands feared dead.” - Political speeches: “let’s make ours the best country in the world.” Below you can find many more examples. Examples of Hyperbole Hyperbole in a Sentence Example #1: Common Proverbs As the bird flies, I can count its feathers. (Bengalese proverb) In his book, Curiosities of Proverbs, Dwight Edwards Marvin dedicates a whole chapter to the “Impossibilities and Absurdities in Proverbs.” Almost all of the proverbs listed under this title feature a hyperbole of two. The meaning of the one quoted above is explained thus: “You cannot deceive me with all your plausible arguments and explanations. I see through your scheme and know your deceitful and knavish purposes.” Here are three more metaphorically hyperbolic proverbs from the world for your pleasure: “deaf people sometimes hear quickly” (Japanese proverb); “the lazy person has no legs” (Arabian); “he takes a spear to kill a fly” (English). Examples #2-3: Bible Proverbs It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24) The phrase “eye of a needle” is a metaphor for a very narrow opening. It was part of many common proverbs—hyperbolic themselves—before Jesus made it famous by using it in the aphorism above. The saying is uttered by Jesus to his disciples after a young rich man refuses to sell his possessions and give them to the poor even though he wants to go to Heaven. Here’s another well-known hyperbolic proverb taken from the Bible: How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? (Matthew 7:4) Example #4: Tall Tales Within a week of his birth, Paul Bunyan could fit into his father’s clothes. After three weeks, Paul rolled around so much during his nap that he destroyed four square miles of prime timberland. His parents were at their wits’ end! They decided to build him a raft and floated it off the coast of Maine. When Paul turned over, it caused a 75-foot tidal wave in the Bay of Fundy. They had to send the British Navy over to Maine to wake him up. The sailors fired every canon they had in the fleet for seven hours straight before Paul Bunyan woke from his nap! When he stepped off the raft, Paul accidentally sank four warships, and he had to scramble around scooping sailors out of the water before they drowned. (retold by S. E. Schlosser) Tall tales are a quintessentially American form, probably originated in the bragging contests on the American frontier. Described as “a comic fiction disguised as fact, deliberately exaggerated to the limits of credibility or beyond,” they were popularized by a host of books about a hyperbolized version of Davy Crockett, who—as you know full well from the Disney song—was “raised in the woods, so he knew ev’ry tree” and “kill him a bear when he was only three.” The story above features another typical tall-tale character, this time the legendary Paul Bunyan, a lumberjack so gigantic that he had to be carried by five storks as a newborn. Example #5: Sports Commentary Ohhhhhh! My goodness!!! Sorrentine! Hit that one from the parking lot! (Gus Johnson, Vermont vs. Syracuse, March 18, 2005) Gus Johnson is an American sportscaster, famous for his vehemence and enthusiasm for the basketball game; and, to paraphrase Aristotle’s Rhetoric, hyperbole is vehemence’s best friend. The comment above was made by Johnson after T. J. Sorrentine hit a deep 3-pointer to help his Vermont knock off #4 seed Syracuse in OT during the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Nowadays, it is part of the repertoire of almost every basketball pundit: most deep threes seem to have been hit from the parking lot during the last decade. True, in the case of Steph Curry, one needs an even more exaggerated hyperbole: “from downtown.” (Further Reading: Top 10 Examples of Hyperbole in a Sentence) Hyperbole in Poetry Example #1: Christopher Marlowe, “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” (1593) There I will make thee beds of roses And a thousand fragrant posies, A cap of flowers, and a kirtle Embroider’d all with leaves of myrtle; A gown made of the finest wool Which from our pretty lambs we pull; Fair linèd slippers for the cold, With buckles of the purest gold; A belt of straw and ivy buds, With coral clasps and amber studs; And if these pleasures may thee move, Come live with me, and be my love. Published six years after his death, Christopher’s Marlowe’s “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” is one of the most beautiful and best-known love poems in the history of the English language. It is also a great example of how young lovers instinctively turn to hyperbole to express their vigorous and life-affirming enthusiasm when stricken with one of Cupid’s arrows. The famous opening couplet already sets the hyperbole-infused tone of the rest of the poem: “Come live with me and be my love/ And we will all the pleasures prove.” After this beautiful invitation, the shepherd proceeds to list all these pleasures, one by one; understandably, each of them is exaggerated. For whether he is talking about making his beloved “beds of roses” and thousand fragrant flower bouquets or somehow manufacturing slippers “with buckles of the purest gold,” he is merely saying one impossible thing after another. And he goes almost overboard in the second-to-last-stanza (not quoted above) in which he claims that his beloved’s meat will be “as precious as the gods do eat” and will be served on “an ivory table.” Considering the fact that this is a poor shepherd we’re talking about, even for a hyperbole, this may be just too much. Example #2: William Wordsworth, “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802” (1802) Earth has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: This City now doth, like a garment, wear The beauty of the morning; silent, bare, Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples lie Open unto the fields, and to the sky; All bright and glittering in the smokeless air. Never did sun more beautifully steep In his first splendor, valley, rock, or hill; Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! The river glideth at his own sweet will: Dear God! The very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still! As they were crossing the Westminster Bridge one sunny morning on September 3, 1802, Dorothy and William Wordsworth were amazed at its beauty. In her diary, Dorothy wrote that “the sun shone so brightly with such a pure light that there was even something like the purity of one of nature’s own grand Spectacles.” William rearticulated his sister’s feeling in the form of this simple and lovely sonnet. In its essence, it says nothing more but that he has never seen anything more beautiful or more peaceful than the fogless London from the Westminster Bridge. However, Wordsworth reshapes this conventional overstatement in a string of wonderfully phrased hyperboles, which open with the most memorable “Earth has not anything to show more fair” and end with the metaphorically exaggerated cry that “the very houses seem asleep.” Example #3: W. H. Auden, “Funeral Blues” (1938) He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood; For nothing now can ever come to any good. Even though the lover’s speech from W. H. Auden’s “As I Walked Out One Evening” (reference) is arguably more representative in terms of the functions and uses of hyperbole, we opted for our list for “Funeral Blues.” Originally written as a satiric poem on the death of a tyrant, it is now considered one of W. H. Auden’s most touching love poems. In it, the lyrical subject mourns the death of a lover, and the only way he/she can express his/her sorrow is through hyperboles. These are its last two stanzas, in which the exaggerations culminate, so as to first express the extent to which his lover meant to the poet (“He was my North, my South, my East and West”) and then to articulate the immensity of the poet’s grief at his departing (“The stars are not wanted now… for nothing now can ever come to any good”). (Further Reading: Top 10 Examples of Hyperbole in Poetry) Hyperbole in Literature #1: William Shakespeare, Othello III.3.379-382 (1603) Not poppy nor mandragora, Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world, Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep Which thou ow’dst yesterday. Just a few moments before Iago says these four verses to himself upon seeing Othello, he realizes just how powerful suspicion can be; and to express this power, he uses a hyperbolic comparison: “Trifles light as air/ Are to the jealous confirmations strong/ As proofs of holy writ.” So, he knows full well that now that he has planted the seed of jealousy inside Othello’ mind, his master will never be able to experience a restful sleep. That’s what he says in these four verses—in exceptionally ornate hyperbolic language. #2: Edgar Allan Poe, “Ligeia” (1838) Through a species of unutterable horror and awe, for which the language of mortality has no sufficiently energetic expression, I felt my heart cease to beat, my limbs go rigid where I sat. The ultimate exaggeration, notes Belgian rhetorician Bernard Dupriez in his Gradus: A Dictionary of Literary Devices, “is to denounce the inadequacy of language.” Unsurprisingly, horror writers often feel the need to do this, since the sights they want to present to their readers are supposed to induce inexpressible—there, we did it again—dread and alarm. In the sentence above, Edgar Allan Poe doesn’t stop at “unutterable horror and awe,” but also adds the periphrastic “for which the language of mortality has no sufficiently energetic expression” to see if he can out-hyperbole the conventional hyperbole. Almost expectedly, he ends the sentence with two more: “I felt my heart cease to beat, my limbs go rigid where I set.” #3: Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979) You are bound to feel some initial ill-effects as you have been rescued from certain death at an improbability level of two to the power of two hundred and seventy-six thousand to one against – possibly much higher. This strange sentence is spoken by the announcing voice (the “beautiful, charming, devastatingly intelligent” mathematician Trillian) of the Starship Heart of Gold which rescues the two main protagonists of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Ford Prefect and Arthur Dent, after they are thrown out from a Vogon spaceship. It is a last-minute rescue, but Douglas Adams brings that familiar phrase to an absurdly hyperbolic height by using impossibly precise Rabelaisian numbers—and rounding them off with the even funnier “possibly much higher.” (Further Reading: Top 10 Examples of Hyperbole in Literature) Songs with Hyperbole Example #1. The Sherman Brothers – Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (1964) He traveled all around the world and everywhere he went He’d use his word and all would say there goes a clever gent When dukes and Maharajahs pass the time of day with me I say my special word and then they ask me out to tea Even though the sound of it Is something quite atrocious If you say it loud enough You’ll always sound precocious Believe it or not, the, exceptionally—extremely—superbly—impressively hyperbolic word in the title of Merry Poppins’ most famous song was not invented by the Sherman brothers; instead, it was used by them to reproduce the way some people – ironically, American journalists mostly – sounded at the beginning of the 20th century (the time when Mary Poppins is set). In fact, in the movie, Mary Poppins starts singing the song as an answer to a bunch of reporters who surround her in an attempt to find out how she feels after she manages to win a horse race. Apparently, the feeling is so terrific that even the good old regular tall talk (hyperbolic itself) must be taken up a notch. Or five – since that how many words comprise this 34-letter word. Four of them have a Latin etymology, and only one (cali-) is Ancient Greek in origin: 1) super- (meaning “above”); 2) cali- (meaning “beautiful”); 3) fragilistic- (meaning “fragile”/”delicate”); 4) expiali- (meaning “to expiate”/”to atone”); and 5) -docious (meaning “educable”). Literally, then, with Richard Lederer, we can translate the word as “atoning for extreme and delicate beauty [while being] highly educable.” However, we prefer the explanation of Helen Herman who, at least by her own admission (and the OED concurs) was the one who invented this word in a March 10, 1931 Syracuse Daily Orange article titled “A-muse-ings.” It includes, she says, “all words in the category of something wonderful… It implies all that is grand, great, glorious, splendid, superb, wonderful.’” In case you’re wondering: yes, there are a bunch of other hyperboles in the two stanzas excerpted above; but we’ll let you identify them, because, in our opinion, neither of them is as supercalifragilisticexpialidocious as, well… supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Example #2. The Pogues – Fairytale of New York (1987) They’ve got cars big as bars They’ve got rivers of gold But the wind goes right through you; It’s no place for the old The ironically-titled 1987 single by the Irish-British punk band The Pogues, Fairytale of New York, has been regularly voted the best Christmas song in various polls in the UK and Ireland. An enduring classic, it takes the form of a conversation between two Irish immigrants on Christmas Eve in New York, and it relates how their American dreams (“I could have been someone”) were crushed by the cruel reality of modern life. The words above are spoken by the girl and express what she expected from the US when she first came; her expectations are phrased in the form of two hyperboles: “they’ve got cars big as bars” and “they’ve got rivers of gold.” Unfortunately, what’s lurking below this promise from the beginning is a disappointment at least as hyperbolic: “but the wind goes right through you.” The last line is an allusion to W. B. Yeats’ “Sailing to Byzantium,” and is something the two lovers will realize to be true a moment too late. It’s not all bleak though—but we’ll let you find out a Example #3. OutKast – Ms. Jackson (2000) Never meant to make your daughter cry I apologize a trillion times I’m sorry, Ms. Jackson, I am for real Dedicated to the mother of Erykah Badu—whom André 3000 dated between 1995 and 1999—Ms. Jackson features one of the most recognizable choruses in recent music history. It’s also one of the many which include a hyperbole of numbers. However, instead of the more usual “million,” OutKast have opted for the much larger—and, thus, even more emphatic—trillion, which makes the hyperbole even more definite. Because—of course, we had to do the math—if you can ask for forgiveness once every minute, you’ll need just a couple of years to apologize a million times; however, even if you are capable of expressing regret every single second, you’ll need no less than 30 millennia “to apologize a trillion times.” So, there’s your definite proof: unless he was one of the prehistoric cave painters, André didn’t apologize to Ms. Jackson a trillion times; but, apparently, he felt so bad about breaking up with her daughter, that if he could, he definitely would have. (Further Reading: 5 Songs with Hyperbole)

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How to be More Kind “We cannot do great things on this earth, only small things with great love.” Kindness is a simple act. It doesn’t take a lot of time, money or resources unless you want it to. The smallest acts of kindness often go the longest way to changing lives. You can cultivate more kindness in your life in many ways. Here are some examples: - When you believe in someone, tell them and show them your support. This support may be just what they need to drive them to achieve things greater things. - Think about your words before you speak. If what you’re thinking isn’t kind, stop what you’re doing. Think about how to better phrase what you’re thinking or perhaps don’t say it at all. Remember to be kind in how you deal with the person. - When you receive kindness spread it around. Continue to spread the kindness by paying it forward. - Everyone faces challenges even if they don’t outwardly show it. Don’t discriminate on who you are kind to. - Be an example. Be a role model to others by always being kind. - It doesn’t matter if it’s a close relationship or a stranger, it’s important to be mindful of how you treat others. Be considerate of everyone. - Practice having good intentions. Try to have good intentions when you say something nice. Don’t expect something in return. - Reach out when others don’t. - If showing kindness is hard for you, try to remember how you felt when someone was kind to you. - Be kind every day. Holding the door for someone while giving them a genuine smile is an easy way to brighten someone’s day. - Create a kindness calendar. Add some type of kindness you can do to each day. For example, take a cup of coffee to your coworker, help your elderly neighbor with their groceries, thank the mail carrier with a card, give your umbrella to a mom and her kids waiting for the bus in the rain, share your lunch with a homeless person or any other act of kindness. There are many ways you can be kind. Some acts of kindness take only a few moments, such as a smile or quick complement. Some acts of kindness take more time and/or effort on your part. Don’t dismiss the impact of those that only take a few moments. They are often the most powerful. If you are stumped for ideas, here are a few to get you started. - Let someone in front of you at the grocery store because they have fewer items. - Smile at someone who really needs it. Maybe you see a struggling mom trying to shop with her three kids. Give her an encouraging smile. - Talk with a friend who is having problems. Lending a ear may be all they need. - Buy food for a homeless person the next time you go for fast food or a restaurant. - Compliment a stranger. - Help a coworker on a project even if you have a full schedule. - Let someone in your lane in a traffic jam. - Donate old clothes to someone in need. - Call your grandparents or parents instead of waiting for them to call. - Say please, thank you and your welcome. - Compliment someone on their hair, outfit or something else. - Offer your seat on the bus or train. - Bake something for a neighbor, older relative or nursing home and visit with them. - Text someone good morning or good night. - Plan to meet with an old friend you haven’t seen in a while. - Wash someone’s car for free. - Have a sick neighbor? Mow their yard or shovel their snow. Take out their trash. See if they need you to pick anything up for them – medication, groceries, etc. - Stop and help someone broke down on the road. Or see if they have help coming. - Plan a surprise party for a friend’s birthday. - Wish someone a good day. - Leave a nice note on someone’s car or in their mailbox. - Tell someone how much you appreciate them. - Smile at everyone. - Help a stranger in some way. - Actively listen when someone is talking to you. - Give an unexpected gift to someone. - Thank someone for something specific they’ve done for you - Make a donation to charity. - Volunteer your time. - Share a memory with a child or friend. Be discrete when carrying out acts of kindness. When carrying out your act of kindness, be sure to not intrude or embarrass the receiver. Discretion is key. Give your smile or gift then move on, unless the receiver wants to talk. Some acts of kindness can be carried out anonymously as well. Above all else, carry out your acts of kindness because you genuinely want to make yourself and others feel good. Not because you expect something in return. Contemplation for this week: 1. This week, create and intention to carry out one act of kindness per day. More if you would like. 2. At the end of each day, notice if you remembered or not. Be kind to yourself if you forgot. That can be your act of kindness for the day. Reinforce your intention. 3. If you did remember to carry out an act of kindness, take a moment to remember how it felt and how the other person responded. 4. Pat yourself on the back for each act of kindness your carried out. 5. Continue this practice indefinately. May kindness fill your heart with love and compassion for yourself and others.

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Published by the American Geological Institute Newsmagazine of the Earth Sciences What: Vegetation classification image derived from Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) airborne sensor data Where: Tintic mining district Resolution: 4 meters Ground Resolved Distance (GSD) A. Borstad & Associates for the NASA Earth Observations Commercial Vegetation can mask the distribution of mineralogical anomalies. Combining vegetation classification with geologic information can produce a powerful tool for seeing mineralogical distributions around mine sites. Hyperspectral data can help classify vegetation. Deciduous vegetation is shown in colors extending from red to golden yellow, with evergreens shown in medium to dark green. Bare ground, shown in pale yellow, often matches with mines and mine wastes. Purple areas are those affected by a July 1999 brushfire. Some mine sites were better exposed after the fire, but the ash and soot were so uniform and thick that the fire left few new rock outcrops exposed. To evaluate how effective hyperspectral data are for measuring, mapping and monitoring abandoned mine wastes and their effects, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 teamed up with other federal and state agencies and with industry to study hyperspectral data for five mine sites in Utah. Called the 1998-2000 EPA-Interagency-Industry Abandoned Mine Lands Watershed Hyperspectral Analysis Project, the partnership generated hyperspectral maps for 1.5 million acres and 27 watersheds in the Leeds, Silver Reef, Marysvale, Tushar Mountains, Oquirrh Mountains, Park City and Tintic mining districts in Utah. The EPA Region 8 contracted with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to gather data from AVIRIS. The USGS SpecLab in Denver processed the AVIRIS data, conducted field calibration studies and provided a final evaluation to the EPA. The EPA Region 8 also challenged the remote sensing industry to demonstrate its commercial capabilities pro bono. Two commercial airborne hyperspectral vendors joined the study: Earth Search Science Inc., with its Probe I hyperspectral system; and a team lead by Borstad & Associates, Spectral International and Peters Geosciences utilizing the CASI /SFSI (Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager/Short Wave Infrared Full Spectrum Imager) hyperspectral systems, in part under a grant from NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center. Other study participants included Asarco Inc., Autometrics Inc., the Colorado School of Mines, Kennecott Exploration Co., Newmont Mining Corp. and Tintic Utah Metals. For more about the study results and imagery, visit www.denver.issiinc.com/imspec. Back to main article.

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Many parts of the world are losing important natural resources, such as forests, animals, or clean water. Choose one resource that is disappearing and explain why it needs to be saved . Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Many natural resources are disappointed of being wasted on our planet every day. One of the most important resources we are abusing is our trees. Each year , hundreds of thousands of acres of trees disappear in countries all around the world . In some countries , these trees are used for fuel. In other countries , trees are destroyed to build housing developments and shopping centers. Saving trees has become a major cultural and economical issue in many of the world. - Do you agree with the statement that a zoo has no useful purpose? - Toefl writing: Do you think only people who earn much money are successful? - Toefl writing: Children spend great amount of time on sports. Pros and Cons? - Do you think children should be required to help with household tasks? - Toefl ibt writing: Indoor and Outdoor activities, which one do you prefer? Trees are essential to our survival . They are a major part of the process of photosynthesis . Photosynthesis is the process in which green plants use carbon dioxide to produce oxygen ,and oxygen is something all of us need . The fewer trees there are ,the more this affects our ability to breathe. Trees are also important in the development of many medicines. The mainstream medical establishment did not recognize this for many years. However , those who use natural medicines have always known how important trees are. Now scientists are agreeing with them. Many drugs come from the leaves of certain trees, along with other herds and plants. In rural areas, farmers have always known how important trees are to soil conservation. This is why you’ll usually see trees lining a field . Tree rots help keep the soil in place, and are also a factor in water distribution deep beneath the ground . Finally ,we should save trees from disappearing because they provide so much pleasure. ‘I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree,’ wrote a poet . That is the truth . A tall , stately tree is beautiful to look at, and pleasing to the soul . It is also a great place to find shade on a hot summer’s day. For practical and emotional reasons, we need to preserve our planet’s trees.

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The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park comprises an area of over 3,6 million hectares – one of very few conservation areas of this magnitude left in the world.It is situated in the Kalahari Desert which covers approximately 350,000 square miles (900,000 square kilometres) encompassing most of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa and is made up of both red and white sand dunes. This semi-arid region came into existence approximately sixty million years ago along with the formation of the African continent. The Kalahari gets very hot; it can reach temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer. In winter the desert has a dry, cold climate where the temperature can reach 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). The Kalagadi Transfrontier Park has a list of approximately 280 species of birds of which only about 92 are resident. This is a haven for birders, especially those interested in birds of prey. The sparse vegetation provides spectacular photographic opportunities of the regal Black-maned Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Springbok, Blue Wildebeest, Eland and a huge population of the beautiful Gemsbok to mention but a few. Survival in the Kalahari is difficult, animals need to be able to withstand extreme climates (both hot and cold). Evolution has produced some amazing animals native to this region who are well adapted for survival. Over four hundred species of plants have been identified in the Kalahari Desert many of which have thorns on them to prevent the animals eating them and so becoming extinct. The Kalahari's sand is better than most deserts at retaining water, and therefore allows for more plant life than most deserts. The San people have lived in the Kalahari for 20,000 years as hunter-gatherers. They hunt wild game with bows and poison arrows and gather edible plants, such as berries, melons and nuts, as well as insects. The San get most of their water requirements from plant roots and desert melons found on or under the desert floor. They often store water in the blown-out shells of ostrich eggs. The San live in huts built from local materials—the frame is made of branches, and the roof is thatched with long grass. Even though survival in the Kalahari Desert can be challenging there are several tribes that make it their home. A small group of these people still follow the traditional lifestyle as hunters-gatherers, as their tribe has done for thousands of years. The Park is run by SANParks and bookings can be made through their website. Various types of accommodation is available including camping and chalets which come equipped with cutlery, crockery etc. All main camps have restaurants and small shops where necessary items can be purchased as well as swimming pools to cool off in the midday heat. Important Notes from the SANParks website: Tourists travelling from and to Namibia and/or Botswana, please acquaint yourself with the Customs procedures for the transportation of goods between South Africa, Namibia and Botswana that is available on the SARS website at http://www.sars.gov.za/ClientSegments/Customs-Excise/Pages/default.aspx No foreign currencies will be accepted in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) on the South African side, only ZAR (South African Rand) will be accepted within the KTP. Kindly note that the roads in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park are not sedan friendly, although the roads are maintained on a monthly basis, sedan vehicles find it difficult to cope with the conditions. Vehicles which will be using any of the 4x4 routes in the park must note that the recommended ground clearance should be 190mm, to make the drive more enjoyable. Tourists wanting to exit the park other than the point of entry must kindly note that all immigration controls must be done at Twee Rivieren / Two Rivers, and that a 2 night stay in the park is compulsory. No children under the age of 12 is allowed at any of the park’s Wilderness camps. Please also note that no firearms or wood will be cleared via the Mata Mata border control. Individuals wishing to clear firearms or wood should do so via Rietfontein border control.

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In 2016, Oxford Dictionaries made ‘post-truth’ their word of the year, defining it as an adjective that described circumstances ‘in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’. This hardly seems up to the job: if that’s all the word means, the wonder is that we have waited so long for it. When has our understanding of public life not been shaped more by emotion than by ‘objective facts’? When was this golden age of objectivity? Surely not in the time when press lords such as Northcliffe and Beaverbrook liked to attest to it, along with the retired army sergeant next door who had been East and seen a thing or two. George Orwell offers a sharper insight into the meaning of ‘post-truth’ in his reflections on the success of pro-Franco propaganda in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. ‘I know it is the fashion to say that most of recorded history is lies anyway,’ he wrote in 1942. ‘I am willing to believe that history is for the most part inaccurate and biased, but what is peculiar to our own age is the abandonment of the idea that history could be truthfully written.’ Orwell was experiencing his own difficulties with truth-telling at the time. As a talks producer at the BBC, working in the Indian section of the Eastern Service, his job was to show Britain’s intentions towards its proudest imperial possession in the kindest of lights. India’s growing demand for independence made it a focus of Axis propaganda: why should Indians die for the nation that denied their political freedom? In March 1942, the war cabinet’s emissary, Stafford Cripps, promised the Congress Party leadership that India would be granted self-government and dominion status after the war if it would continue to help the Allies win it. His mission failed – Gandhi called the offer a ‘postdated cheque drawn on a crashing bank’ – but Orwell did his best to soften the truth. In his broadcast news commentary, he conceded the failure but added that reports from across the world showed that only supporters of fascism were pleased by it. According to the BBC broadcast, the claim made by Axis broadcasters that Indians wanted to be ruled by Japan was a ‘direct lie’, made possible only by ignoring anti-Japanese passages in the speeches of Congress leaders such as Nehru. The BBC, however, was ignoring anti-British passages in the same speeches. Orwell noted in his diary that Nehru had complained ‘quite justly’ that he’d been misrepresented. But what’s a little misrepresentation between friends? We were trying to win a war. ‘As to the ethics of broadcasting and in general letting oneself be used by the British governing class,’ Orwell wrote in Partisan Review that year, ‘it’s of little value to argue about it, it is chiefly a question of whether one considers it more important to down the Nazis first or whether one believes doing this is meaningless unless one achieves one’s own [socialist] revolution first.’ A subsidiary point, he added, was that by working inside the BBC ‘one can perhaps deodorise it to a certain extent,’ the ambiguous ‘it’ referring either to the institution or the propaganda it necessarily produced. By comparison with other propaganda streams, particularly though not exclusively those of the Axis powers, he felt he had kept ‘our little corner fairly clean’. The BBC entered the war as a popular but not particularly revered institution. By 1939, nine million households had radio licences, which meant the BBC had an audience of around 34 million who listened at home and several million more who listened in neighbours’ houses or in pubs and clubs. In a UK population that then stood at 48 million, almost everyone had access to a radio, though not in the gentlemen’s clubs of Pall Mall and St James, where they were banned, or in the Palace of Westminster, where MPs needed to gather around an MP’s car parked outside if they wanted to hear a horse race or a cup tie. Under the Presbyterian influence of its first director general, Lord Reith, until 1938 the BBC broadcast nothing on Sunday mornings apart from a church service. The BBC was keen on music and drama. News was not its forte. For a decade after its foundation in 1922, it thought that news was best left to newspapers: the role of the radio news bulletin was to encourage people to buy them. Edward Stourton recounts that one broadcast began: ‘Good evening, today is Good Friday. There is no news.’ By the mid-1930s, however, the BBC had set up a small news department as part of its burgeoning bureaucracy. It employed no reporters – news items were prepared from Reuter’s agency copy – until Richard Dimbleby, a reporter on Southampton’s evening newspaper, applied for a job with a bold letter suggesting that some members of the news staff might be called ‘BBC reporters or BBC correspondents’ and ‘held in readiness, just as are the evening paper men, to cover unexpected news of the day … a big fire, strike … railway accidents, pit accidents, or any other major catastrophes in which the public, I fear, is deeply interested.’ Two years later, on 30 September 1938, it was Dimbleby who in a live broadcast covered Chamberlain waving his famous piece of paper at Heston aerodrome after the prime minister’s return from Munich and what turned out to be his last meeting with Hitler. An address to the nation followed, leading the BBC magazine, the now defunct Listener, to contrast German and British broadcasting techniques: while German radio relayed ‘the fiery oratory delivered [by Hitler] before cheering masses of followers’, the BBC was content to let Chamberlain deliver a ‘calm talk from [his] quiet room in Downing Street addressed to small groups of listeners round the family hearth’. This fitted popular British ideas of the two countries, and in Stourton’s view foreshadowed ‘the way broadcasting would itself become a battleground, the forum for a clash of values that would help define what the war was about when it came’. In Britain during the first months of the war this was far from obvious. If the BBC, as Stourton says, was marked in the 1930s by ‘a certain innocence’, then Germany was at the other end of the scale. It understood radio’s importance as a tool of national propaganda, both to boost the domestic mood and to wage psychological war against an enemy; in Mein Kampf Hitler had noted how ‘brilliantly’ Britain had used propaganda to damage the morale of German troops in the last year of the First World War. When the Nazi government came to power in 1933, it quickly established a Ministry for National Enlightenment and Propaganda under Joseph Goebbels, who set about establishing control over the BBC’s German equivalent, the ReichsRundfunkGesellschaft (RRG), and put into production a cheap radio, the ‘people’s receiver’ – broadcasting’s equivalent of the Volkswagen. Radio, according to the RRG’s new director of programmes, was ‘the most powerful and most revolutionary weapon which we possess in the struggle for the new Third Reich’. An unlikely consequence of this belief – as far from the Listener’s notion of Nazi broadcasting as it was possible to get – was first heard soon after war broke out in September 1939. William Joyce, aka Lord Haw-Haw, delivered his commentaries on the progress of the war from a studio in Hamburg with a brio that made him, in Stourton’s words, a ‘genuine star at a time when the BBC was still dominated by the cult of anonymous authority, by turns funny and sinister, brilliant and strange’. In the postwar decades, it became convenient to imagine that British listeners treated Joyce simply as a source of amusement, to be scorned rather than believed, but contemporary evidence suggests a different story. A BBC report on Christmas Eve 1939 estimated that some of his broadcasts were drawing as big an audience as the nine o’clock news on the Home Service. Consternation was widespread. The head of anti-aircraft command, General Frederick Pile, noted anxiously to the War Office that when the BBC news was broadcast in an army canteen ‘no soldier takes any notice of it, he continues to play his game of darts or draughts or whatever it may be. When, on the other hand, someone tunes into Lord Haw-Haw, the whole room gets up and gathers round the wireless.’ The War Office wrote to Frederick Ogilvie, who had succeeded Reith as the BBC’s director-general, worrying that Joyce’s ‘ingenious’ transmissions were having a bad effect on public morale. Newspapers and magazines wanted the broadcasts jammed, to silence what Everybody’s Weekly called ‘that English-speaking cur with the persuasive voice of a confidence trickster’. Others thought satire was the answer: the War Office proposed P.G. Wodehouse as Lord Haw-Haw’s antidote, a large irony given Wodehouse’s career after being captured by the Germans in France (where he’d been living when war broke out) as a colleague of Joyce’s on the German side. A good part of Joyce’s appeal lay in an on-air personality that projected a dangerous sense of fun: ‘And where is the Ark Royal?’ he would regularly ask, aware that the Royal Navy’s most modern aircraft-carrier had withdrawn from U-boat patrols after a near miss from a torpedo. His diagnosis of the problems of British society – he’d lived in England for nearly twenty years – also appealed. In the words of his biographer Mary Kenny, he mocked ‘swells’ in a way that hadn’t been heard on British airwaves before. One of his most memorable phrases, ‘the upper nation’, described the rich: ‘The upper nation of the Mayfair type of snob feeds on the lower nation whom it robs. How long is this going to last?’ A farmer in Yorkshire wrote to the BBC to protest that ‘with over forty years’ close contact with the working classes I am appalled at the accumulating and increasing interest taken by them in this swine’s broadcasting.’ Joyce’s biggest attraction, however, was that he gave a different account of the war’s progress (what little there had been of it by the spring of 1940) from the BBC’s. One legacy of the First World War was a public suspicion of the official version. Another point of view was always welcome: the listener could weigh up one kind of ‘fake news’ against another – provided a version was available on the BBC, which in the early months of the war was notoriously slow and tight-lipped, thanks to a system of censorship that was more complicated than the simple diktats Goebbels’s ministry handed down to the RRG. In London, the Ministry of Information delegated responsibility for censorship to the BBC, where the controller of programmes became chief censor and setter of overall guidelines, while a team of ‘switch censors’ monitored every programme, ready to shut down transmission if they thought the rules were being infringed. As the ministry believed it would supply most of the news – the BBC still had only two reporters on staff, one of them Dimbleby – it didn’t expect the broadcaster to give it much trouble. In any case the BBC’s editorial freedom was further constricted by the fact that the three armed services could step in to block any news item they considered helpful to the enemy. When Germany bombed the Royal Navy’s anchorage at Scapa Flow in March 1940, for example, the Admiralty made the BBC sit on the story for six hours, with the unfortunate result that American newspapers got their version of the story, exaggerating the damage, from German radio without any rebuttal from London. Lord Haw-Haw and the end of the Phoney War forced the BBC to consider questions of trust and believability, and with them the need for immediacy. Staff numbers – 3500 in 1937 – rose to nine thousand by the summer of 1941, with a particular expansion in news and foreign broadcasting. Whether the news became ‘truer’ as a result is a different question, given that the BBC was charged with keeping up the nation’s morale as well as reporting the facts. As First Lord of the Admiralty in the months before he became prime minister, Churchill believed it was for the armed services ‘to purvey to the Ministry [of Information] the raw meat and vegetables and for the ministry to cook and serve the dish to the public’. At a cabinet meeting, he deplored ‘the unrelieved pessimism’ of BBC bulletins and their ‘long account of ships sunk’. Reporters soon understood they had to be cheerful. Dimbleby’s BBC colleague Charles Gardner was attached to the RAF in France when British forces were falling back to the Channel in the late spring of 1940. His diary records that an officer told the press corps they should ‘go around with bright smiling faces’. Gardner added sarcastically later the same day: ‘Cambrai has fallen. Excuse me while I have a good laugh.’ Nevertheless, he adjusted his reports to spare his listeners the grimmer details. When an RAF pilot bailed out at five hundred feet, Gardner told his listeners that he ‘got away with an injured shoulder’, when we know from his diary that the pilot was also badly burned. Gardner later reasoned that the lie was forgivable: his country faced ‘the most disastrous loss in its history, and was badly shaken’. At Dunkirk, the British government used the same argument in more epic circumstances. The evacuation began on the evening of 26 May but it wasn’t until 30 May that the BBC told its audience there was ‘a battle now raging’ near the French coast, and that the Royal Navy had helped to evacuate troops who were ‘not immediately engaged’. Even during the four or five days of the operation that remained, there was almost no first-hand reporting. One freelance journalist, David Divine, made three trips in a small boat that was rescuing British troops, and the Royal Navy took a Pathé newsreel reporter-cum-cameraman; otherwise the BBC (and British newspapers) relied on the Ministry of Information. The consequences were a mixture of the intended and unintended. The French had been kept in the dark for a little longer about their ally’s intention to retreat across the Channel, and therefore continued providing helpful protection, while in Britain the blank canvas of an event that would soon be known as ‘Dunkirk’ waited to be filled. The operation had been an astonishing success. The Admiralty had hoped that 45,000 British troops might be taken off the beaches in two days, ‘at the end of which it is probable that evacuation will be terminated by enemy action’. Instead, over eight days, 220,000 British and 110,000 French troops made the passage to England. The German assault had prevaricated – a tactical mistake that allowed Britain to transform an abject retreat into a feat of everyday British pluck, which the writer and broadcaster Nicholas Harman later called ‘the necessary myth’. Reports of the fighting at Dunkirk, when they eventually began to emerge, often described a situation unrecognisable to the men who were there. A BBC commentary accused German broadcasting of perpetrating a ‘fantastic libel’ when it described the British retreat as disorderly, but that was perhaps a mild characterisation of a terrifying reality in which British soldiers were ordered to shoot (and did shoot) their brothers-in-arms who were retreating too fast. As for the battle in the air, even the officer in charge of the evacuation, Admiral Bertram Ramsay, couldn’t resist noting the ‘feelings of disgust’ of the men on the beaches when they heard the BBC speak of the RAF’s successes, when the planes and smoke trails above them told the opposite story. But these facts were unknown to the wider public and did nothing to stem the tide of myth-making. Stourton credits the BBC with the central role in Dunkirk’s metamorphosis from military disaster to glorious escape, and rates the men who helped achieve it, Churchill and J.B. Priestley, as two of the greatest broadcasters in history. Churchill’s Victorian oratory seemed unsuited to the microphone age, yet somehow it worked and survives still as a favourite British way to remember the war, so much so that it has its own dedicated group of false memory victims, who imagine they heard Churchill make his Dunkirk speech (‘We shall fight on the beaches’) on the radio on 4 June 1940, when in fact only those in the House of Commons heard it that day; Churchill’s first recording of it was made in 1949. Those with false recollections of listening to it nine years before included the broadcaster Ludovic Kennedy (‘When we heard it, we knew in an instant that everything would be all right’) and a chairman of the BBC, Marmaduke Hussey. The day after Churchill didn’t make his speech on the radio, J.B. Priestley did make one. On 5 June, the Home Service broadcast the first of the popular novelist and playwright’s ten-minute Postscripts, which were scheduled in what was then a prime slot, after the news on a Sunday evening. Lord Haw-Haw was still attracting large audiences. Priestley, Stourton writes, was brought in ‘to meet the Haw-Haw challenge’. In a piece written for the News Chronicle the previous autumn he had noted the influence of Nazi propaganda and criticised the officials at the Ministry of Information as people who ‘do not know much about the public mind … What is wanted in that ministry is a little less Lincoln’s Inn Fields and a little more Gracie Fields.’ It was clever of the BBC to hire Priestley and not really its fault that it lost him – a more complicated story as Stourton tells it than the traditional version that he was fired for being too left-wing. His first Postscript established an interpretation of the recent events at Dunkirk that has never been overturned in the popular imagination. Yes, Priestley conceded, Britain had blundered in France, but let’s do ourselves the justice of admitting that this Dunkirk affair was also very English (and when I say English I really mean British) in the way in which, when apparently all was lost, so much was gloriously retrieved … We have a queer habit – and you can see it running through our history – of conjuring up such transformations. Out of a black gulf of humiliation and despair, rises a sun of blazing glory. And then he moved from the grand statement to the homely detail – a trick of his – by turning to the small craft and pleasure steamers that had taken some of the troops from the beaches (though the navy took by far the most). The steamers always had something old-fashioned, a Dickens touch, a mid-Victorian air, about them. They seemed to belong to the same ridiculous holiday world as pierrots and piers, sandcastles, ham and egg teas, palmists … and crowded, sweating promenades. But they were called out of that … innocent, foolish world of theirs – to sail into the inferno, to defy bombs, shells, magnetic mines, torpedoes, machine-gun fire – to rescue our soldiers. On the way out of Broadcasting House after this performance, Priestley bumped into someone he called ‘a very prominent broadcaster’ and noticed that he was weeping. That summer, Priestley’s weekly broadcasts drew audiences of between 30 and 40 per cent of the population. Graham Greene, no admirer of Priestley as a novelist, declared him second only to Churchill as a national leader. His success made him vain and hard to manage, but the BBC hired him for a second series early in 1941. His demands in these broadcasts that a declared war objective should be a new and fairer Britain began to swell the number of his right-wing critics, including Churchill and the Ministry of Information. The BBC censors became sensitive to pressure. One script in the BBC’s archives shows that many ‘softening’ adjustments were made to a broadcast praising the heroism of the merchant navy. Out went: ‘We owe these men decent social justice.’ In came: ‘We owe these men a square deal.’ The censor also suggested adding a couple of lines from Kipling. It was hardly surprising that Priestley complained in the Sunday Express that he was treated like ‘a naughty child’ and that his texts were ‘absurdly mutilated’. He felt ‘weary and exasperated’, like a man ‘compelled to walk across a field of glue’. The more surprising thing – heartening evidence, perhaps, of Britain’s relatively open wartime society – was that the Sunday Express chose to publish his complaints. Stourton writes that a diary kept by Marjorie Redman, a BBC employee, is striking for its ‘reflex-like doubt about the veracity of anything she was told by official sources, including much of what was said by her own employer’. According to Redman, a confidential memo to BBC producers warned that ‘fascists, communists, conscientious objectors and pacifists’ were not to be allowed near a microphone. Clergymen were considered particularly dangerous. One of them, the Methodist pastor Henry Carter, had his broadcast interrupted by a switch censor who feared (wrongly, since the offending passage had been cut) that the reverend was about to tell his Empire Service audience that 1.5 per cent of the British population held 25 per cent of the country’s wealth. There were many comic absurdities: recordings of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture were banned for security reasons because they contained peals of bells that might be mistaken for an invasion alert – a toll was permissible but not a peal. But often news was shaped towards more ambitious purposes: when Churchill had hopes of wooing Stalin from his pact with Hitler, the BBC obeyed the Foreign Office’s request to broadcast nothing that might prejudice British-Soviet relations. Penelope Fitzgerald , who worked at Broadcasting House during the war, described the social and moral atmosphere of the corporation’s headquarters in notes she made for her novel Human Voices, published forty years later. Broadcasting House in wartime was, she wrote, ‘improbably dedicated to putting out the truth. It also keeps its old character – patriarchal & in that sense democratic: the lowest of the tribe may speak to the king.’ It had dawned on the government by this time that credible news broadcasting – to the world as well as the domestic audience – was a hugely important weapon. Plans were made for the Overseas Services to triple its programming output to 150 hours a day and to move its growing staff to a new home, Bush House on Aldwych, where the BBC based its foreign operations for the next seventy years. Latterly, these became a prime example of a new phrase, ‘soft power’ – an item of British cultural policy with roughly the same intention as a touring production of the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1941, their purpose was harder: ‘to convey to all parts of the world truthful news and a prompt, clear and insistent exposition of British policy’; to ‘counter and discredit the enemy cause within enemy countries and among populations subject to enemy occupation’, and to ‘bring Britain closer to various parts of the Empire, to British forces serving abroad, to British ships at sea and to the United States’. The US, of course, had its own radio correspondents in Britain, notably Edward Murrow of CBS, but in Stourton’s words, ‘the BBC was central to everything Murrow did.’ His CBS office was just over the road from Broadcasting House – he lived only a short walk away – and all CBS broadcasts were made live from a BBC studio and subjected, in theory, to the same system of censorship. The BBC censors had oversight of the scripts written by Murrow and his colleagues, and when they were broadcast a switch censor sat ready to turn off the Americans if they strayed into dangerous territory. In fact, they had far greater freedom than British broadcasters. America was the keystone of British foreign policy: Churchill needed to draw Roosevelt as quickly as possible into the war. A memo encouraged the switch censors to use their switches only as a last resort: ‘It is difficult to conceive of any inadvertent indiscretion which could be more disastrous to the interests of this country than the deliberate cutting off of one of the American speakers in the middle of a talk.’ This and other kinds of indulgence allowed American reporters to deliver vivid eyewitness accounts of the Blitz that established London’s reputation in America and elsewhere as bombed and beleaguered but always cheerful and defiant, and therefore worthy of support as well as sympathy. Churchill made a great fuss of Murrow and their wives became friends. (Stourton quotes a story in which Murrow turns up at Downing Street to collect Mrs Murrow, to be greeted by the prime minister, ‘Good to see you, Mr Murrow. Have you time for several whiskies?’) By contrast, Churchill’s approach to the BBC was rarely less than hostile. Stourton describes a ‘visceral antipathy to the corporation’ of a kind that still flourishes today in the Tory Party and the Tory press. The ‘well-meaning gentlemen’ of the BBC had absolutely no qualifications and no claim whatsoever to represent British public opinion, he told the Commons in 1933; they produced a ‘copious stream of pontifical anonymous mugwumpery’. In 1940, finding the name of an announcer in a draft honours list, he’s said to have exclaimed (today it might prompt applause): ‘An OBE for an announcer? … I’ll see this never happens as long as there is an England.’ In the same year, he urged his minister of information, Duff Cooper, to find a way of ‘establishing more effective control over the BBC’. Finding Cooper’s solutions unsatisfactory, Churchill in a memo of June 1941 stated flatly that the ministry ‘will take full day-to-day editorial control of the BBC and will be responsible for both initiative and censorship’. Cooper resigned a few days later and his successor, Churchill’s friend Brendan Bracken, proved surprisingly good at keeping his master’s crude instincts at bay. Churchill tended to evaluate news only in terms of its usefulness as propaganda, but the BBC had reached the conclusion that news, even if in wartime it could never be divorced from propaganda, should try to lie as little as possible. Its staff developed a pragmatic belief in the truth. In his attempts to placate Churchill, Cooper had recruited an experienced diplomat, Ivone Kirkpatrick, to a new post as the BBC’s ‘foreign adviser’. Kirkpatrick had been wounded at Gallipoli. ‘This country,’ he said, ‘must be careful not to sacrifice long-term credibility unless the advantage was considerable – say the equivalent of the destruction of a division.’ In other words, to broadcast a lie would be permissible if it saved the lives of between ten and thirty thousand men. But say a great many lives had already been lost? The Dieppe Raid of August 1942 was a bloody disaster: out of the five thousand Canadian troops who led the assault, 3400 were killed, wounded or captured, as well as several hundred more in the RAF and Royal Navy. Nothing was achieved – the raiders spent seven terrifying hours being massacred on the beaches by German artillery fire before they retreated – but listeners to the BBC’s news bulletins got a different version of events. In a commentary for the Eastern Service, Orwell wrote that German artillery batteries had been destroyed and tanks successfully landed, with aircraft losses much more serious for the Germans than the British. Reports from journalists on the ground were at first held up and then heavily censored. The radio reporter Frank Gillard remembered ‘with shame and disgrace that I was there as the BBC’s one and only eyewitness and I could not tell the story as I ought to have told it’. News from the frontline was rarely as misleading after that, but then, as Stourton says, ‘it is much easier to tell the truth when that truth reflects victories, not defeats.’ In his autobiography, Paper Chase, the former Sunday Times editor Harold Evans recounts a formative event of his childhood. It was the summer of 1940. He was 12 and on holiday from Manchester in the North Wales seaside resort of Rhyl. One morning he and his father took a walk along the beach and discovered a scattering of men lying on the sand: ‘a forlorn group’, Evans writes, ‘unshaven, some in remnants of uniform, some in makeshift outfits of pyjamas and sweaters, not a hat between them, lying apart from the rows of deckchairs and the Punch and Judy show and the pier and the ice-cream stands’. They turned out to be soldiers from the Royal Corps of Signals who had recently been plucked from another beach – at Dunkirk – and sent to recuperate at a nearby barracks. His father crouched to talk to them, offering a cigarette here and there, and found them bitter and bewildered, with stories of how the RAF and the French army had let them down. ‘They said they had nothing to fight with,’ Evans recalls his father telling other guests at their boarding house, which had the Daily Mirror’s Dunkirk front page – ‘Bloody Marvellous!’ – pinned to a wall. Every man, according to the newspaper, was cheerful and keen to get back across the Channel and finish the job. The young Evans was struck by the contrast between the unhappy men on the beach at Rhyl and their heroic versions in the newspapers. It prompted in him ‘the first vague stirring of doubt about my untutored trust in newspapers’ in an age when, if Richard Hoggart is to be believed, working-class people would say without irony ‘Oh, but it was in the papers’ to settle an argument. But did people really trust newspapers in that way – or the BBC? Perhaps the second more than the first; radio was largely untested as a truth-teller, whereas newspaper accounts of the First World War, especially to the troops who served in it, had done nothing for the reputation of the printed word. In the introduction to his highly readable history, Stourton warns the reader against the myth of an organisation whose values of ‘impartiality’ and ‘independence’ survived the war. ‘The BBC of the 1940s was not – not even remotely – either of those things in the sense we use the terms now,’ Stourton writes, meaning that when the national interest came knocking, the BBC obliged by omitting, distorting or repressing whatever the government decided would harm the war effort. How could it be otherwise? Still, to use Orwell’s phrase, we might decide that it had kept its little corner fairly clean.

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Are microgreens easy to digest? As a food, they are hard. If you have ever eaten sand, you know it is tough. The same is true of plants – nutrients and water are both required for plant growth. Plants require a wide range of nutrients in order to grow well and thrive. Nitrogen, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc and selenium are the most important nutrients required by the plants. Only about five of the twenty essential nutrients are found in leafy greens. Even though they lack many nutrients, leafy greens are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. So, why do these leafy greens taste so good? Because the antioxidants and other minerals found in them are great at shielding us from cancer-causing carcinogens. This is why red wine is considered to be a “dieter’s dream”. Red wine provides resveratrol, an antioxidant which can act like a natural sunscreen. Just think of how easy it would be to achieve similar levels of antioxidants in our diet. Of course, we all know that vegetables contain valuable amounts of nutrients – including vitamins, minerals and amino acids. And as leafy greens are also full of antioxidants, you get a rich combination of nutrients when eating them. So, are microgreens easy to digest? In a word – yes! Of course, it takes more than just antioxidants to make nutritious food. Leafy vegetables also provide fiber – an essential substance needed to cleanse the colon. How can you forget to take care of your colon? This is why regular meals are often skipped by most of us. Fruits and vegetables are easy on the digestive system and thus are recommended for every meal. As for carbohydrates, you can forget about refined sugar and white bread. These foods contain almost no nutrients and certainly won’t do your body any good. Green vegetables, on the other hand, are loaded with nutrients. They are the preferred food of most people with regards to better health. So, are microgreens easy to digest? It’s true that vegetables are difficult to digest because of the fiber content. However, there are a number of ways to prepare vegetables and make them easy to digest. For instance, steamed vegetables with mild cooking can release their nutrients – most of which are immediately used by the body – through aroma and flavor. Alternatively, boil vegetables and mash them into a paste, add some oil and season with salt. The nutrients of the boiled vegetables will be released in the form of a tasty sauce. You can also opt for adding a little lemon juice to the microgreens. Lemon juice is an excellent chopper of nutrients – particularly Vitamin C – in anything. And it’s not the acidic kind of lemon juice, either. In fact, most of these nutrients are already easily released from the fruit or vegetable. You just have to know how to blend them in the right way! Microgreens are extremely nutritious, but they also have some other interesting benefits for your health. As a natural food, it contains carotene – a powerful antioxidant – as well as vitamin A, vitamin B-complex, riboflavin and potassium. All of these nutrients are important to your body, but the antioxidants found in these fruits help to protect against free radical damage and protect the body’s cells from damage as well. They also help prevent cell deterioration. And since the antioxidants are natural food ingredients, the good bacteria in the fruit to prevent the growth of bad bacteria that cause acne. So, are microgreens easy to digest? They are very easy to digest and are very good for you. But, this doesn’t mean that you can eat them by themselves without any other carbohydrates or sources of nutrients. These foods are best digested when combined with other foods. For example, try eating a bowl of mixed vegetables and some microgoats. This is a great combination for people who don’t care for too many vegetables. It’s also very easy to digest, providing you with a source of many nutrients at once. Microgoats are excellent sources of protein. They are also easy on the digestive tract, helping to maintain healthy digestion. When it comes to digesting vegetables, however, you’ll need to use some enzymes. In order for your body to digest grains and other vegetables as well, it’s best to use the enzyme-based digesting foods. For example, try using flax seeds with other types of fiber to help increase your level of energy and maintain a healthy weight. Another way to increase the effectiveness of these digestive enzymes is to make sure that you’re drinking enough water each day. The more water you take in, the easier the food is for your body to take in and digest.

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Jordan is Palestine. Palestine is Jordan. by Gary Fitleberg Jordan is Palestine. Palestine is Jordan.This is the royal decree and sentiments of two of the kings of Jordan. “Palestine and Jordan are one…” said King Abdullah in 1948. “The truth is that Jordan is Palestine and Palestine is Jordan,”said King Hussein of Jordan, in 1981. Let’s closely examine the facts of history from the Arab perspective, rather than the Jewish one, regarding Jordan and Palestine. “Palestine is Jordan and Jordan is Palestine; there is only one land, with one history and one and the same fate,” Prince Hassan of the Jordanian National Assembly was quoted as saying on February 2, 1970. Accordingly, Abdul Hamid Sharif, Prime Minister of Jordan declared, in 1980, “The Palestinians and Jordanians do not belong to different nationalities. They hold the same Jordanian passports, are Arabs and have the same Jordanian culture.” In other words, Jordan is Palestine. Arab Palestine. There is absolutely no difference between Jordan and Palestine, nor between Jordanians and Palestinians (all actually Arabs). This fact is also confirmed by other Arabs, Jordanians and ‘Palestinans’ who were either rulers or scholars. “There should be a kind of linkage because Jordanians and Palestinians are considered by the PLO as one people,”according to Farouk Kaddoumi, then head of the PLO Political Department, who gave the statement to Newsweek on March 14, 1977. Distinguished Arab-American Princeton University historian Philip Hitti testified before the Anglo-American Committee, “There is no such thing as ‘Palestine’ in history.” According to Arab-American columnist Joseph Farah, “Palestine has never existed – before or since – as an autonomous entity. It was ruled alternately by Rome, by Islamic and Christian crusaders, by the Ottoman Empire, and briefly by the British after World War I. The British agreed to restore at least part of the land to the Jewish people as their homeland. There was no language known as Palestinian. There was no distinct Palestinian culture. There has never been a Palestine governed by the Palestinians. Palestinians are Arabs, indistinguishable from Jordanians (another recent invention), Syrians, Lebanese, Iraqis, etc.” These authoritative, honest statements are by Arabs, Jordanians and Palestinians, and absolutely must be taken at their face value and word.All right, so you’re not quite into quotes. How about these tasteful tidbits of historical facts? * Jews, not Arabs, have lived continuously in the ancient Biblical Promised Land of Israel, especially Judea and Samaria, for 3,700 years. This land was given as a gift by G-d to the Children of Israel (Hebrews, Israelites, Jews) and is so stated in all of the three monotheistic religions’ holy books – Old Testament, New Testament and Quran. Faithful followers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam all believe in the same one G-d and therefore must believe the word of their G-d. G-d does not make and break his promises. There is a very valuable lesson to be learned by all his children and faithful followers.* The current queen of Jordan is an Arab ‘Palestinian’. * Approximately half of Jordan’s prime ministers since 1950 have been Arab ‘Palestinians’. * More than 2/3 of the Jordanian people are Arab ‘Palestinians’. * The majority of citizens residing in the capital of Amman are Arab ‘Palestinians’. * Arab ‘Palestinians’ constitute not less than one half of the members of the armed forces, according to the late King Hussein, as broadcast on Amman Radio February 3, 1973. * The majority of other security forces are Arab ‘Palestinians’. * Jordan occupies 77% of the original Palestine Mandate (originally promised to the Jewish people). The population density of Jordan is less than 61 people per square mile leaving lots of room to absorb many more of their brethren and cousins. Want to delve even deeper? Let’s explore further. We all need to refresh our memory, as ‘short-term syndrome’ has taken over. Now for a little history lesson, for those who do not recall the reality of the past.The British tried to placate the Arabs by giving them part of the land designated under the Palestine Mandate (originally allocated under the Balfour Declaration for the establishment of a Jewish homeland). Britain created an entirely new province by severing 77% of historic Palestine (and an additional 3% was also allocated to Syria), on the eastern bank of the Jordan River (some 35,000 square miles), and establishing the state of Transjordan. Faisal, who had been King of Syria, was deposed by the French, so the British offered him the throne of Iraq, which he accepted. Faisal’s brother Abdullah was installed as the new nation of Transjordan’s ruler on April 1, 1921 (April Fool’s Day), thereby completing the appeasement of Arab rulers. During the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, in which nine Arab nations attacked Israel, they took control of the ancient biblical territories of Judea and Samaria (Jewish territory, which was “occupied” for nineteen years until 1967, when it was liberated and reconquered in yet another defensive war). On April 24, 1950, Abdullah formally merged all of Arab-held Palestine with Transjordan and granted citizenship to all Arab residents and settlers (the vast majority of whom arrived the 1920s for economic reasons). The Hashemite Kingdom was no longer only across the river so the prefix “Trans” (meaning “across”) was dropped, and henceforth, the land became known as Jordan; i.e., Arab Palestine. Remember, Jordan is Palestine. Arab Palestine. Don’t take my word for it. Listen to King Abdullah, King Hussein, Prince Hassan, Farouk Kaddoumi, Phillip Hitti and Joseph Farah, Arab, Jordanian and Palestinian authorities on the subject; and listen to the historical facts, as well. ©2004 – IsraelNationalNews.com

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Date of this Version INTSORMIL Report No. 5, September 1, 2006 Grain sorghum is generating new excitement on the health food scene. Why? For one reason, flour milled from grain sorghum has NO GLUTEN! That’s important to those people with an intolerance to gluten-containing products (Celiac disease). Sorghum is high in antioxidants (cancer prevention) and insoluble fiber (slowly digested), with relatively small amounts of soluble fiber. The protein and starch in sorghum endosperm are more slowly digested than other cereals. The slower rate of digestibility of sorghum products may be beneficial to diabetics. So how is sorghum flour used in baking? It can be substituted for wheat, rice or soybean flour in a wide variety of baked goods. Its bland flavor and light color does not alter the taste of finished products. The value of sorghum flour in baking has been known for many years in El Salvador. In fact, Clemencia Barrera (in photo below) is one of about 150 small village bakers in El Salvador who uses sorghum flour as a substitute for wheat flour. According to Clemencia, “I use sorghum flour as a substitute for wheat in my bakery because it increases my profit.” Clemencia’s profits are about US$ 40 per week which is good in El Salvador villages. In addition, sorghum flour is versatile and can be used for a wide range of baked products, is nutritional and has excellent physical qualities. It is also about 24% cheaper and the price is more stable than wheat flour. But most importantly, it is a 100% salvadoreña product, thus minimizing the need for wheat which is not locally grown and must be imported.

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Intrepid campers are often happy to set up tents off the beaten track in forests, fields, mountains, and tracks. Sometimes they’re tempted to try the odd leaf or fruit or mushroom, and don’t worry about brushing across curious looking plants and flowers. But be warned – some of these innocent-looking little leaves can cause illness, paralysis or death! From the Mala Mujer of Mexico to the Castor Bean of eastern Africa, there are many plants that possess toxins devastating to man and beast. Here’s an infographic created by Spalding Plant and Bulb Company to help you pick out the most poisonous plants next time you go camping around the world. Provided by Spalding Bulb

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1 Answer | Add Yours Your analogy is not truly accurate. An ice cube will erode until it has completely disappeared. A continental landmass erodes but it is also being regenerated as well. As long as these systems are in relative equilibrium, the landmass will not ultimately disappear. Isostacy is the measure of the buoyancy of the tectonic plates of the lithosphere floating on the astheosphere. In areas where the landmass is eroding, the plate will rise with higher buoyancy. In areas where the landmass is being added to (sediment deposition), the plate will sink lower under the added mass. The classic model for measuring isostacy is the Airy-Heiskanen model. It assumes that the density of the crust and mantle is uniform and constant. I'm not sure if you got confused with terminology, but measuring the rate of erosion of a landmass is not the same as isostatic calculations. We’ve answered 317,598 questions. We can answer yours, too.Ask a question

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Preventive dentistry is the primary focus of general dentists. As its namesake suggests, preventative dentistry is centered around the prevention of dental disease, conditions, and disorders that can affect the mouth, teeth, gums, jaws, and surrounding structures. While brushing twice a day and flossing once a day is a personal form of preventing dental issues, Dr. Tyson offers a more professional approach to the prevention of dental issues and offers the following preventative services: During your dental exam, Dr. Tyson will carefully and thoroughly evaluate your teeth, gums, and bite for signs of decay, damage, or disease. He will also check the way your teeth line up when you bite and make sure your jaw is functioning properly. Finally, he will also screen the soft tissues and area surrounding your jaws for any possible signs of oral cancer. Dr. Tyson will also ask you questions pertaining to your overall health to obtain more information about your medications, allergies, health habits, and health conditions that may affect your oral health. He may also ask about any current health issues and treatments, or about your past procedures, surgeries, or experience with anesthesia. Dental x-rays are a popular diagnostic tool used to identify cavities that can not be seen during a visual exam, as well as to identify possible issues with the underlying bone structure or jaw. During a dental x-ray, you will bite down on a plastic disc to position your bite correctly. They only take a few minutes and use very minimal radiation. During your teeth cleaning, the plaque and tartar will be removed from your teeth with the use of a scaler and gritty toothpaste. Then your teeth will be professionally flossed to remove plaque in the hard to reach places. You will also receive a fluoride treatment and have a final fluoride varnish painted on the surface of your teeth. Dental Sealants: A protective coating applied to the back molars to protect against tooth decay. Dental sealants help to smooth out the chewing surfaces of teeth to prevent debris from sticking in tiny crevices and breeding bacteria. Mouthguards: Used to protect your teeth when playing sports. Mouthguards can also used to protect your teeth from becoming damaged as a result of teeth grinding or clenching. Fluoride: Strengthens your teeth and helps prevent tooth decay. There are two types of fluoride: topical and systemic. Topical fluoride is applied to the surface of the teeth through toothpaste and fluoride treatments. System fluoride is ingested, usually through the drinking water. Both sources of fluoride strengthen tooth enamel by binding with calcium to create a stronger surface that is more resistant against bacteria. Patient Education: A large part of preventing dental issues is understanding how to properly care for your teeth and gums. At Tyson Dental, we provide you with the resources necessary to combat potential dental problems. Did You Know? Americans are less likely to visit the dentist as they grow older. A study completed by the Centers for Disease Control found that a mere 57% of Americans over the age of 65 visited their dentist. For adults under the age of 65, 61% visited their dentist, while 79 percent of children aged 2-17 visited their dentist. Frequently Asked Questions: What are the benefits of preventative dentistry? Preventative dentistry keeps your smile bright and healthy without the need for extensive dental procedures. Regular semi-annual appointments with Tyson Dental and a good daily oral health routine will also decrease your chances of developing tooth decay and gum disease, which are the two leading causes of tooth loss. Once your teeth are lost, you will have to undergo costly dental procedures to restore your speaking and eating functions. Preventative dentistry aims to preserve both your smile and your wallet. What type of dental products should I use at home? - Toothbrush: Your toothbrush should have soft bristles with a small-medium head. Recent studies have shown that oscillating electric toothbrushes can remove plaque more efficiently than manual toothbrushes, however this is only if they are used properly. - Toothpaste: A good toothpaste is one that is fluoridated and approved by the American Dental Association. You will also want to consider whether you have tooth sensitivity. There are toothpaste specially formulated for those with sensitive teeth that help to preserve and strengthen the enamel, while also decreasing the pain sensation. Also, many whitening toothpaste can wear down enamel, making sensitivity worse. You will want to consider these things when deciding which toothpaste is right for you. This may be something to discuss when you come in for your dental appointment. - Floss: There are two main variations of floss available. The first is a waxed monofilament floss that does not fray and is more resistant to breaking, but cannot fit as easily into tight spaces. The second is an unwaxed multifilament floss that can fit easily into tight spaces, but can also be more prone to fraying and breaking. What other preventative measures can practice at home? For starters, you will want to keep up on your daily dental routine. This should consist of brushing twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste and flossing at least once a day. Keeping your teeth clean is a key element in preventing dental problems from occurring. You will also want to avoid activities that can increase your risk of dental problems. Activities such as chewing tobacco, smoking, and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can hinder your oral health and even cause additional problems such as dry mouth, stained teeth, plaque accumulation, gum disease, and tooth loss. They can also increase your chances of developing oral cancer. One final thing you can do at home to prevent dental problems is to eat a balanced diet. While this has many other health benefits, eating a balanced diet ensures your teeth and gums have the necessary nutrients to maintain themselves. High calcium foods are recommended to promote dental health, while foods high in sugars or carbs should be consumed in moderation as they feed the bacteria that cause plaque and decay. To develop your preventative dental plan, schedule a consultation with Dr. Chase Tyson of Tyson Dental today! We are proud to serve residents of Huntsville and the surrounding communities.

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Did You Know that there are natural allergy remedies that have been proven to eliminate adverse reactions to virtually all allergens — including foods, chemicals, animal dander, medications, pollen, microorganisms, molds and other environmental agents? FACT: Over 50 million Americans suffer from allergies — and approximately 55% of all U.S. citizens are allergic to toone or more allergens. Most people regard allergies as nothing more than a hypersensitivity reaction to certain substances. They seldom realize that an allergy is not an isolated health condition, but rather, one that often causes seemingly unrelated chronic diseases to manifest in the body. For example, an egg allergy might persist and evolve into chronic joint pain … an allergy to dairy products or shellfish might cause ulcerative colitis or Relapsing Polychondritis (RP)… a sensitivity to monosodium gluamate (MSG) might cause atrial fibrillation… an allergy to certain medications might trigger chronic clinical depression… an allergy to wood might cause a stroke… and a milk allergy might develop into a lifelong pattern of illness with different manifestations. “Allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic disease in the United States — and they cost the health care system about $18 billion annually.” People often think allergies are something they have to learn to “live with” or hopefully, outgrow. The fact is, allergies can be a lifetime struggle, and they can have a stressful effect on one’s daily life. As a result, allergy medications (that only manage the symptoms) become an allergy sufferer’s constant companion. And of course, such allergy medications come with their attendant adverse effects, which usually cause additional health problems. “Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques, or NAET® Therapy Provides Natural Allergy Remedies” In November 1983, Devi Nambudripad, D.C., L.Ac., M.D., Ph.D. (Acu.), a doctor based in Southern California, discovered a non-invasive, drug free, natural solution to eliminate allergies of all types and intensities. The natural allergy remedy came to be called Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques, or NAET®. The NAET® therapy uses a blend of selective energy balancing, testing and treatment procedures from acupuncture/acupressure, allopathy, chiropractic, nutritional, and kinesiological disciplines of medicine. NAET® desensitizes you of one allergen at a time — and if you are not severely immune deficient, it’s often possible to desensitize you to a specific allergen in just one treatment. Some people may have only an occasional, seasonal allergy — while others struggle through life with multiple allergies. If you have multiple allergies of mild to moderate severity, it may necessitate a series of office visits to desensitize you to various food and environmental allergens. During the first few visits, about 10 basic essential nutrients are treated. After completing desensitization to those nutrients, chemicals, environmental allergens, vaccinations, immunizations, and other allergens are treated. NAET® has been shown to provide natural allergy remedies by successfully eliminate adverse reactions to milk, egg, shellfish, peanuts, mushrooms, aspirin, animal dander, penicillin, latex, grass, ragweed, flowers, perfume, animal epithelial, make-up, chemicals, cigarette smoke, pathogens, heat, cold, and other environmental agents. A 10-year survey of NAET® clinic patients gathered and analyzed data from both male and female subjects of various ages. For analysis purposes, the patients completed symptom survey questionnaires concerning the most common allergy symptoms and signs. Approximately two-thirds of the sample group experienced resolution of allergy symptoms within the first 15 -25 visits. More than 9,000 medical practitioners all over the world have been trained and licensed to administer NAET® therapy. To find a NAET® specialist near you, the names of the trained practitioners are listed in the “Find a Practitioner” section of the NAET® website and get natural allergy remedies that help with your suffering.

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- Pure-Tone Testing - Tests of the Middle Ear - Testing of Speech - OAEs (Otoacoustic Emissions) - ABR (Auditory Brainstem Response) (ABR) Saturday, 8 July 2017 Diagnose hearing loss with several hearing test If you think that you are having problem in listing properly then you need to go for the hearing test. You need to approach the doctor as soon as possible. Audiologist will examine your ear and will determine your hearing capabilities with several tests. There are different types of hearing tests, such as You need to take good care of your ear so you can maintain your hearing capabilities in old age also. You need to avoid listing to loud music, especially with earphone. There is no need to clean your ear with sticks as it can damage your ear. Do not apply any liquid medicine without doctor's advice. In case of hearing loss, you need to approach the nearby clinic as soon as possible. If you are living in Victoria, then you can search for the clinic in your area on internet. If you need more information on the subject you can visit: http://www.victorianhearing.com.au/

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Can you imagine having to take an exam – or "The Exam," as it's ominously known around here – before you could buy a house? In this vibrant, friendly town on Galway Bay, potential home buyers must submit to a rigorous oral test to see if they're worthy of receiving the keys to a new home. They aren't tested on housekeeping skills, or health-and-safety know-how, or willingness to lend cups of sugar to neighbors in need. Rather, they're tested to see if they can speak Irish Gaelic – because fluent and committed Irish-speakers are welcomed here over others. In order to protect the use of the Irish language – to "preserve the region's cultural identity" – the Galway County Council enforces strict regulations about who can – and can't – move in. "We're discriminating against the rest of the world," explains Tina Curran, an office worker. "We're closing ourselves off to outside influences by only letting certain people in." Spiddal is part of the Galway Gaeltacht. (Gaeltacht is the term for regions where Irish is the official language.) Spoken in homes, at work, in school, and in church, Irish is the native tongue of 68 percent of Spiddal residents. Mac Dara Ó Curraidhín, a filmmaker who makes documentaries in Irish and lives just outside of Spiddal, knows an English couple that inherited land but was forbidden from building a house on it because they don't speak Irish. "I feel sorry for them," he says. But he supports the restrictions, believing, or at least hoping, that they might help to "slow the steady decline of the Gaeltacht regions." Irish is a minority language in Ireland. The Irish constitution recognizes it as the first official language of the state, but English remains dominant in politics, media, and daily life. The number of people who speak Irish – the oldest vernacular language still spoken in Europe – is dwindling. The 2002 Irish Census counted 1.6 million – out of a total population of 4.3 million – who describe themselves as "competent" in Irish. Of these, 350,000 claim to speak it daily and 460,000 said they never speak it. However, even these figures can be misleading. The vast majority of the 350,000 who claim to speak Irish daily are children who only use it in compulsory Irish language classes. The number of "daily speakers" – those who, crucially, speak Irish in the home – is much lower. The combined population of the Gaeltacht regions peppered across the western counties of Ireland – here in Galway, and in Kerry, Cork, Mayo, and Donegal, with much smaller Gaeltacht regions in Waterford in the south and Meath in the east – is 85,000. Census figures suggest that's probably the true number of people in Ireland who use Irish as their daily mother tongue. "Some people are moving out of the Gaeltacht, and emigrants are moving in. This all has an impact on the status of Irish," says a spokesman for the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The government agency is concerned that Irish use is declining even in the Gaeltachts. The Galway Gaeltacht is popular with English-speaking tourists from America and Europe, so many of the residents who run businesses increasingly converse in English. And it's popular among the majority English-speaking population of County Galway and emigrants as a place for rustic second homes. In the face of what some see as an influx of English, the Galway County Council took drastic measures. In 2005, it announced that all property developers must sign legal agreements restricting the purchase or rental of new housing in Gaeltacht regions to those fluent in Irish. Potential purchasers had to prove their fluency and agree to "continue to use Irish in family and community life." The proportion of the population that speaks Irish in any Gaeltacht area determined the percentage of housing units allocated exclusively to native Irish speakers. That meant that where 70 percent of the population spoke Irish daily, seven of every 10 new properties would have had to be sold or rented only to Irish speakers. The rules caused an uproar over a "Gaeltacht Gestapo" enforcing "linguistic apartheid." One Gaeltacht resident, a British citizen who bought her property before the new restrictions were announced, told a local newspaper that it was "akin to racism ... to refuse someone a place to live because they do not speak a certain language." In response, the council last year relaxed the rules – a little, no longer applying the rules to Gaeltacht regions where fewer than 20 percent of the population speak Irish daily. The council retains the right to refuse planning permission for housing developments which may not "be beneficial to the usage of the language in the area." Rossaveal is a beautiful fishing village near Spiddal, and smack-dab in the middle of the Galway Gaeltacht. It is perched precariously (or at least that's how it feels) on the western coast where the angry Atlantic crashes against ragged black rocks and winds almost blow you off your feet. You can taste the sea salt when you breathe. Everything here is in Irish: daily conversations at the corner shop; shouts between fishermen on the harbor; road signs, which come with no English translations. Other parts of Ireland may have modernized in recent years, thanks to a bout of rapid economic growth which has seen the "Emerald Isle" relabeled the "Celtic Tiger." But the tiger doesn't seem to have roared around here. Rossaveal looks and sounds like Old Ireland. The people are proud of their linguistic heritage. Jennifer McDonagh, a mother-to-be, says she'll raise her child speaking Irish "because this is our culture, and we have to preserve it." "Irish is our way of life. We cannot let it slip away," she says. "And if that means taking stiff action to prevent the decline of the Irish- speaking areas, sobeit." Yet Rossaveal can feel cut off from the rest of Galway. Some Rossaveal residents talk about the Galway City dwellers "having no Irish," as if they are cultural traitors. In turn, an office worker in Galway City disparagingly describes the residents of the Gaeltacht as "bog people ... stuck in the past." So is surrounding the Gaeltacht with a legal anti-English force field against English-speaking creating a cultural apartheid? Back in Spiddal, Tina Curran thinks so. She believes the housing rules are isolating. "Areas benefit when new people move in, whether it's because they bring more employment or new cultures," she says. "I don't think we should say to someone who can't hold a conversation in Irish that they are less worthy of living in a beautiful area. If we do, we're being unfair to them and to us, because we're losing out from new experiences and ideas." Ms. Curran thinks the council's legalistic language barriers could backfire and end up making Irish "even more isolated than it already is."

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Geoscience for Central Vancouver Island Communities Topics on this page: 1946 vs. 2001 When Coal Was King This is Earthquake Country Why is this earthquake country? The lithosphere, Earth's brittle outer skin, is divided into large 'plates' that continuously move towards, away from, or past each other. Stresses occur in the Earth where plates push together or past each other. Occasionally, rocks rupture along a fault, causing energy to be released as an earthquake. Mercalli Intensities for the Feb 28, 2001, Nisqually Earthquake. Great subduction zone earthquakes release 30 to 100 times more energy than the 1946 earthquake, but fortunately occur only once every 500–600 years, on average. The most recent of the great earthquakes, in January 1700, triggered a tsunami that destroyed First Nation villages on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Much of the rocks that underlie British Columbia formed elsewhere and were transported here in the distant geological past. The margin of the North American continent has grown westward from the Alberta border by the addition of exotic fragments of the Earth's crust, which geologists call 'terranes'. Wrangellia Terrane, which forms most of Vancouver Island, originated within what is now the Pacific Ocean and was transported northeasterly to collide with North America about 100 million years ago. The force of this collision crumpled North American rocks as far to the east as the Rocky Mountains. Vancouver Island experiences frequent earthquakes because it is close to the western margin of the North America Plate. The oceanic Juan de Fuca Plate dives down into the Earth's mantle beneath Vancouver Island, creating the stresses that are responsible for earthquakes. Damaging earthquakes on Vancouver Island can occur within the North America Plate, much deeper within the Juan de Fuca Plate, or at the boundary between these two plates. Canada's largest recorded earthquake on land, measuring 7.3 in magnitude, occurred west of Courtenay on Sunday morning, June 23, 1946. Damage was light because few people lived in the area, children were not in school, most buildings were small and made of wood, and there were few dams or bridges. When the next major earthquake strikes Vancouver Island, damage and loss of life is expected to be much greater. Today, few residents of Vancouver Island remember the 1946 central Vancouver Island earthquake, although most of us felt the Nisqually earthquake of February 28, 2001. The 2001 earthquake produced less shaking than the 1946 earthquake, partly because it was a smaller magnitude, and partly because its source was deeper in the Earth's crust. Nonetheless, damage from the 2001 earthquake exceeded $2 billion dollars. A destructive tsunami, triggered by the huge Alaska earthquake of March 1964, struck the west coast of Vancouver Island. The first wave arrived in Port Alberni about six hours after the earthquake, and four more major waves arrived over the next seven hours. Some homes were inundated, whereas others floated off of their foundations into Alberni Inlet! Landslides are common on the steep wet slopes of Vancouver Island. They may be large or small, rapid or slow, natural or human-induced, but they generally require steep slopes and a trigger such as rain or an earthquake. Planning for development on or near unstable slopes requires careful assessment of the risk. Where the risk is too high, development should be avoided. Man on landslide block from landslide on Vancouver Island that cuts road. When Coal Was King Che-wech-kan peoples of Nanymo Bay first brought coal to the Hudson's Bay Company Fort Victoria in 1849. Soon thereafter, Hudson's Bay Company opened mines at Nanaimo to provide fuel for coal-burning steamships. Other companies and owners, including Robert Dunsmuir, opened mines from Ladysmith to Port Hardy. Working conditions underground were harsh; about 700 men died mining coal on Vancouver Island. The coal industry declined during the 1950s as coal was replaced by fuel oil. Only the Quinsam coal mine near Campbell River operates today. The ground above abandoned coal mines, can subside, damaging buildings, roads, and other structures; however, subsidence can be minimized by reinforcing building foundations or by filling the underground mines. Concrete caps have been placed on old mine shafts in Nanaimo, including one shaft beneath a house! Coal waste can spontaneously ignite, as happened once under the centre of Nanaimo. Most of Nanaimo's abandoned mine workings are now flooded by groundwater. Horse-drawn coal cart in underground mine, Nanaimo

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Lemon, like its close relative, the orange, is not a unique plant species. It is a hybrid of other citrus species that originated in India and China and is known to a large number of civilizations as a separate variety of fruit trees. To date, scientists cannot figure out exactly which fruits became the ancestors of this citrus, but they have well studied the benefits and harms of lemon. It is the beneficial properties of the lemon tree that have played a huge role in the fact that today this fruit is so famous in most countries of the world. Our body needs such products, but you need to know when to use them, not forgetting that if taken unwisely, they can have a negative effect on the human body. Benefits of lemon What are the beneficial properties of lemon? Yes, in almost everything, from the peel, the so-called lemon peel, and ending with lemon juice, which contains an abundance of biologically useful, active substances. - Enhances the effectiveness of the treatment of colds. Whenever we are exposed to a cold, we remember this citrus. But lemon is useful not only during illness, because it is a no less effective remedy for the prevention of colds and flu, especially in winter. For this purpose, it is recommended to take the fruit on its own fresh or add it to warm tea, since, with this drink, the body receives a much larger amount of vitamins A and C, which strengthen the immune system and activate reserve resources to accelerate the treatment of the disease. In addition, lemon has a diaphoretic effect, so it is recommended to use it to lower the temperature; - It has an anti-purulent, anti-inflammatory and disinfectant effect in the early stages of angina. If you notice the first signs of this unpleasant disease, it is recommended to eat citrus or gargle with citrus juice. You can also slowly chew the zest of raw lemon and after this procedure does not eat or drink anything for another hour. During this period, citric acid and essential oils interact with the inflamed mucous membranes of the throat. This procedure should be carried out every 3 hours; - Contains high amounts of iron and potassium. Iron is known to increase the number of red blood cells, and potassium in turn has a positive effect on blood vessels by strengthening their walls. As a result, these micronutrients make lemon an effective product for maintaining normal blood pressure and improving heart muscle function. Vitamin P also helps lemon in this; - Eliminates digestive problems. The abundance of fiber characterizes the beneficial properties of lemon for its ability to relieve a person from regular constipation and improve appetite due to the penetration of citric acid into the digestive tract. Lemon stimulates the production of enzymes and digestive juices in the gastric mucosa, and this helps to improve the absorption of iron and calcium by the body from food. This fruit also supports the full functioning of the liver, activates the production of its enzymes, and liquefies bile; - Lemon is a powerful antioxidant. Due to the high content of ascorbic acid, the use of lemon not only strengthens the immune system and increases the protective functions of the body, but also helps to eliminate damaging free radicals, slows down the aging process, prevents the development of cancer, saturates the body with energy, breaks down harmful cholesterol and quickly removes its excess from the body; - It has a positive effect on the condition of the skin and hair. It is difficult to overestimate the benefits of lemon, namely its essential oil, for acne, freckles, sunburn and other damage to the skin. As you know, the components that make up lemon are able to save a person even after being bitten by a scorpion. Lemon juice can be used for cosmetic purposes to give the skin a natural color, whiten it, anti-aging effect, prevent wrinkles, and treat age spots. It is also used for fungal skin lesions. Lemon peel is effective for rubbing corns. Shampoos, which include lemon juice, strengthen hair and accelerate its growth; - It has an analgesic effect. For headaches, lemon peel, free of white matter, can be applied with the wet side to the temple. This will cause a red spot that itches and bakes, but the pain symptoms will go away very soon. Lemon also helps to relieve stomach colic; - Relieves convulsive seizures. In case of leg cramps, you can spread the soles of the soles in the morning and before bedtime with the juice of fresh lemon, without wiping off the juice. After two weeks, you will forget about cramps; - The fruit has a powerful antiseptic effect. Thanks to this, lemon juice is effectively used for the prevention and treatment of urolithiasis, fever, atherosclerosis and hemorrhoids; - Improves the functioning of the nervous system. Thanks to vitamin B and potassium, regular consumption of lemon fruit helps to strengthen sleep and the nervous system, relieving a person of stress and depression. Scientists have shown that the scent of lemon oil improves mood; - Calcium, of which citrus is composed, strengthens bones, nails and teeth. And in combination with magnesium, this component improves the quality of blood, dilutes and purifies it, participates in the formation of albumin; - The anti-toxic and cleansing properties of lemon are known. The use of the fruits of this citrus helps to eliminate toxic substances, toxins and uric acid from the body, an excessive amount of which is fraught with damage to internal organs and tissues; - The potassium in lemon is beneficial for maintaining normal brain function; - Citric acid reduces the acidity of gastric juice and dissolves kidney stones, removing them with toxic substances and toxins; - Vitamin A allows the use of lemon to maintain vision; - The beneficial properties of the fruit are also manifested in the prevention and reduction of symptoms: - Diabetes mellitus; We think these benefits were enough to persuade you to drink some fresh lemon water. Do not worry. You do not have to go anywhere else. Just press the buy button below and enjoy the freshness of lemon water. Check Out: All you need to know about Lemon Myrtle Side effects of lemon Like other citrus fruits, lemon has a number of contraindications for use. - Citric acid irritates the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines . For a healthy person, this property of lemon can be dangerous only when overeating fruit, but for people suffering from gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, chronic gastritis, enteritis, acute nephritis, colitis, hepatitis, pancreatitis and cholecystitis, the intake of citrus should be strictly limited, so how it can cause heartburn, pain and cramps; - Damages tooth enamel . Although lemon strengthens teeth due to its calcium content, stops bleeding gums, helps to remove plaque and whiten teeth, dentists recommend brushing your teeth after eating the fetus, since the juice of this citrus fruit negatively affects the state of tooth enamel; - Irritates wounds and aggravates severe inflammation . This fruit has an anti-inflammatory effect, but only in the initial stages of inflammatory processes. If the inflammation is already too strong, then the lemon will only intensify irritation, exacerbate pain and bleeding of wounds, and prolong the process of their healing; - Prohibited for use by patients with pancreatitis . Despite the fact that the use of citrus fruit stimulates the cleansing of the liver, it is contraindicated in the period of inflammatory processes of the pancreas; - May cause allergic reactions . Excessive consumption of lemon leads to allergies because it is a powerful allergen. Also, side effects can be manifested by skin irritation in people with individual intolerance to the components of this product; - Overeating lemons raises blood pressure . In this regard, the intake of this fruit should be approached with extreme caution in case of hypertension; - Also, lemon is contraindicated in children under three years old, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. One way or another, the benefits of lemon for the human body are quite significant, therefore, if you use this product in moderation, you will receive only positive properties from it. The harm from lemon is manifested mainly only when it is overeating, so the competent intake of this fruit makes it absolutely safe.

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When it comes to winning the office personality contest, extraverts seem to have the advantage. Several studies have found that extraverts, compared with their more introverted colleagues, often have higher-quality social interactions that help them build rapport with other people. This social proficiency gives extraverts a distinct edge when it comes to networking for a new job or getting noticed by the boss for a promotion. But scientists have yet to pinpoint the exact behaviors that lead to this “extravert advantage.” Studies haven’t found any consistent differences between extraverts and introverts when it comes to nonverbal behaviors related to social bonding, such as eye-contact, smiling, and openness. In a new study, Duke University psychological scientists Korrina Duffy and Tanya Chartrand identified one key behavior that help explain why and how extraverts are so socially adept: mimicry. Mimicry occurs when people unconsciously copy the body language, speech patterns, or movements of those around them. Researchers have long known that mimicking another person’s behavior is a powerful tool for increasing positive feelings between two people. Duffy and Chartrand hypothesized that in situations in which getting along yields an advantage, extraverts engage in more mimicking behavior than introverts – ultimately leading to an “extravert advantage” when it comes to building social bonds. “Specifically, extraverts mimic more when they want to get along with another person, and this mimicry mediates the relationship between extraversion and rapport,” Duffy and Chartrand write in a new study published in Psychological Science. In two studies, female college students were told that they would be working with another participant on a task – the other participant was actually a member of the research team. In one condition, the experimenter mentioned that the task had the best results when both participants got along well. In the other condition, there were no prompts for friendly behavior. In one experiment with 105 participants, the college students were told they would be playing a word game. The student was seated across the table from the other “participant” and the pair was instructed to take turns coming up with words from that category until a timer beeped. Throughout this task, the confederate engaged in a series of easily mimicked behaviors, continuously touching her hair and face. The pair’s interactions were filmed using a hidden camera and the researchers used the videos to analyze the extent to which participants mirrored the hair and face touching mannerisms of the confederate. After playing the word game, participants completed a standard assessment for personality traits of extraversion and introversion. As expected, extraverts mimicked the confederate more than introverts did, but only under the right circumstances. When there was no prompt to cooperate, there was no difference in mimicking behavior between the two personality types. However, when participants were told that being friendly would help them accomplish a goal, extraverts engaged in significantly more mimicking behavior than their more introverted peers. “The results of these studies suggest that extraverts mimic other people most when it is highly adaptive to do so; they rely on mimicry as a way to build rapport particularly when they have a goal to affiliate,” Duffy and Chartrand write. “Thus, extraverts are not always more socially skillful than introverts—they are more skillful only when they are motivated to be,” the researchers conclude. Although the researchers successfully replicated this finding in two studies, it’s important to note that the sample sizes were small – future research should test this hypotheses using larger sample sizes to ensure that the results are robust. Duffy, K. A., & Chartrand, T. L. (2015). The Extravert Advantage How and When Extraverts Build Rapport With Other People. Psychological Science. doi: 10.1177/0956797615600890

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Happy 240th birthday, Jane Austen! Jane Austen was born 16 December 1775 in Hampshire, England. Birthdays were important events in Jane Austen’s life – those of others perhaps more so than her own. The first of her letters which has come down to us was a birthday letter, addressed to her sister Cassandra, who had turned 23 that day. “I hope you will live twenty-three years longer,” Jane Austen wrote on 9 January 1796, immediately adding that “Mr Tom Lefroy’s birthday was yesterday”, and that in celebration of this, they had “had an exceeding good ball last night” (Letter 1). Tom Lefroy was a young man Jane Austen was very much in love with at that time, though he would have been too young for anything serious to have come of it. Another birthday letter to Cassandra survives, written three years later: “I wish you Joy of your Birthday twenty times over” (Letter 17, 8−9 January 1799). Whether Jane ever received any birthday letters herself we don’t know: only five letters have survived that were addressed to her. There must have been many more, but they were all destroyed. The ones that still exist today have to do with her career as a writer, something she was very proud of, so this may be why she kept them. Looking for the word birthday in the letters produces six more references, three of which mention royal birthdays, those of Queen Charlotte (Letter 65), King George (Letter 75) and their daughter, Princess Sophia (Letter 95). Birthdays appear to have punctuated Jane Austen’s life, for in Letter 140, to her ten-year-old niece Caroline, she noted: “Our Fair at Alton is next Saturday, which is also Mary Jane’s Birthday.” Mary Jane was Caroline’s cousin, who would turn nine the week after. And Jane Austen dated her next letter, Letter 141, to Anna Lefroy, Caroline’s elder and already married half-sister, with the words: “Chawton, Sunday, June 23rd Uncle Charles’s birthday”. But the loveliest letter Jane Austen ever wrote and in which she commemorates another young Austen’s birthday is the one to Cassandra Esten, her brother Charles’s daughter. The letter is written in reverse spelling: “Ym raed Yssac,” it begins: “I hsiw uoy a yppah wen raey … Siht si elttil Yssac’s yadhtrib, dna ehs si eerht sraey dlo” (8 January 1817). The three-year-old birthday girl referred to here was Cassandra Esten’s namesake, Cassandra-Eliza, Jane Austen’s youngest brother Frank’s fifth child. The letter ends: “Doog eyb ym raed Yssac. – Tnua Ardnassac sdnes reh tseb evol, dna os ew od lla. Ruoy Etanoitceffa Tnua Enai Netsua” (Letter 148). What fun it must have been to compose the letter, and what a wonderful aunt the Austen children had. Jane Austen, regrettably, didn’t live to celebrate many birthdays herself; she only ever had forty-one of them. But we do know where she was and what she did on her last birthday, on 16 December 1816. She was at home in Chawton, where she lived with Cassandra, their mother and their friend Martha Lloyd, and she spent at least part of the day writing a letter to her nephew James Edward (Letter 146). Though too late for a birthday letter – James Edward had turned eighteen exactly one month earlier – it is a congratulatory letter for a different reason: “I give you Joy of having left Winchester,” his aunt wrote, explaining that “one reason for my writing to you now, is that I may have the pleasure of directing to you Esqre” (this courtesy title may indeed be found on the letter’s address panel). Having left Winchester College, James Edward was about to enter a new and important phase in his life by going to Oxford to continue his education at university there. It is a lovely, teasing letter, full of life, love, and joy, and filled with news about the family – there is not a hint of her death to come in only seven months’ time. We can see her happily scribbling away at her writing desk (a birthday gift from her father when she turned nineteen), downstairs in the house at Chawton. Dear Jane, happy birthday! We wish you’d had many more returns of the day… Featured image: “The tools of the Art of Letter Writing” by Eileen Kane. CC BY 2.0 via Flickr.

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Polish survivors lead Holocaust program at Long Island's polish American Museum November 10, 2007 Former Polish Boy Scout Michael Madejski's account of his experiences during the German occupation of Poland in World War II fascinated the American Boy Scouts who visited the Polish American Museum in Port Washington, N.Y. Their visit to the Museum was part of "Embracing Our Differences Month" on Long Island in which area museums opened their facilities to local student groups. Mr. Madejski was a member of the Polish Scout Troop ZOSKA at the time Hitler invaded Poland in 1939. The scouts were a big help to Poland's underground resistance as couriers and in the sabotage of German military movements. During the Warsaw Uprising of August 1944, the scouts liberated and set free 350 Jews the Nazis kept captive in a concentration camp in the heart of the city. For their heroic act, Israel today honors the scouts of ZOSKA as "Righteous Among the Nations" at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. Other Polish survivors telling their story to the visiting scouts and students were Wanda Lorenc, a survivor of the Ravensbruck and Spandau Concentration Camps and Bozenna Urbanowicz-Gilbride whom the Germans forced into slave labor when she was only a child. Mr. Madejski, Mrs. Lorenc and Mrs. Urbanowicz-Gilbride are members of the Holocaust Documentation Committee of the Polish American Congress. The Polish American Museum is located at 16 Bellevue Avenue in Port Washington, N.Y. Contact: Frank Milewski Other news: POLONIA Ogłoszenia Dodaj ogłoszenie Sprzedam GAZEBO 10x10. Super niska cena Wielka okazja! Jednoroczne, jak nowe, GAZEBO 10 by 10 feet do sprzedania Praca - Dam BARISTA Needed - Great Cash Tips & Daily Bonuses! 5 Star Rated Espresso Bar in UPPER EAST SIDE in Need of a Barista Willi Praca - Dam Kucharza zatrudnimi NJ Kucharza do polskiego sklepu w Parlin, NJ zatrudnimi. Dobre warunki prac Usługi - Różne Effective and affordable advertising on Polish Market USA Buy an Ad & Receive Christmas gifts for your company. Call us today, the Usługi - Różne POLSKIE OKNA Nie czekaj, wymień okna przed zima! Nie musisz tracić czasu na dostawe Praca - Dam Praca dla księgowego w CPS Centrum Polsko-Słowiańskie poszukuje księgowej ze znajomością quick

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Table of Contents How many articles are in the Declaration of the Rights of Man? What does Article 5 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man mean? Article 5. The law has the right to prohibit only those actions which are harmful to society. Anything which is not forbidden by the law cannot be prevented, and no man may be constrained to do anything which is not ordered by the law. What are 5 causes of the Revolutionary War? Below are some of the key causes of the American Revolution in the order they occurred. - The Founding of the Colonies. - French and Indian War. - Taxes, Laws, and More Taxes. - Protests in Boston. - Intolerable Acts. - Boston Blockade. - Growing Unity Among the Colonies. - First Continental Congress. What are the 4 main causes of the French Revolution? Although scholarly debate continues about the exact causes of the Revolution, the following reasons are commonly adduced: (1) the bourgeoisie resented its exclusion from political power and positions of honour; (2) the peasants were acutely aware of their situation and were less and less willing to support the … What were revolutionary ideas? Some specific revolutionary ideas included: - Opposition to taxation. This was critical, particularly during the time of the Stamp Act and then the Boston Tea Party. - Desire for representation. - Fear of military oppression. - Natural rights. - Commercial freedom. - Isolation of the colonial gentry. Why was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen written? The Declaration was intended to serve as a preamble to the French Constitution of 1791, which established a constitutional monarchy. (A purely republican form of government awaited the Constitution of 1793, after the treason conviction of Louis XVI had led to his execution and the abolition of monarchy.) WHO issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man When was it written quizlet? French Revolutionary assembly (1789-1791). Called first as the Estates General, the three estates came together and demanded radical change. It passed the Declaration of the Rights of Man in 1789.

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If you came here wondering whether aloe vera was a cactus, I’ll cut to the chase and let you know that, no, aloe is not a type of cactus, but also – this isn’t a strange thing to think, suspect, or have believed. Off the top of my head, there are two different reasons you might have thought an aloe vera plant is a type of cactus: Firstly, both aloe vera and cactus plants are succulents – so they have a loose relation after all. Although aloes and cacti are different kinds of succulents (just like cats and dogs are different kinds of mammals), the confusion makes sense if you felt they were somehow related, but weren’t quite sure how. Secondly, aloe vera leaves have spikes on them, which look a lot like cactus spines, although they’re not actually cacti. This visual similarity may have led you to believe aloe very might be a type of cactus. Let’s break these two reasons down a little further, shall we? Aloe Vera Isn’t a Cactus, but Aloes & Cacti Are Both Succulents Succulents are very unique types of plants. Wikipedia defines succulents as “drought resistant plants in which the leaves, stem or roots have become more than usually fleshy by the development of water-storing tissue.” Succulents adapted very well to their environments – which typically get very little water in comparison to most environments. As a result, they store water far easier for longer periods of time, to be able to withstand drought in ways other plants often cannot. Cactaceae (cactus) & Aloe (which are classified as Asphodelaceae under the subfamily Asphodeloideae) are both succulents, and as such, share similar features (of thick, fleshy, stems and/or leaves) and are able to grow in relatively dry environments in comparison to most plants. Aloe Vera & Cacti Both Have Spikes, Thorns, Prickles, or Spines on Them Visually, the presence of those prickles and thorns on aloe vera makes them look a lot like cacti. Cacti are obviously not the only plants around with these thorny features – but no one is going to mistake a rose for a cactus because of how very different roses look overall from cacti. Since aloe vera has a succulent appearance, which is not exactly the same as a cactus, but is relatively similar aesthetically, it makes a lot of sense that spikes on an aloe might make you think of spines on cacti, and thus might lead you to believe these plants are in fact cacti although they’re not. In terms of being able to visually distinguish cacti from other succulents, like aloes that might have spikes on them but are not cacti, David Beaulieu for The Spruce points out these helpful differences, - Cactus plants generally have few or no leaves. - Cacti are distinguished from the rest of the succulents by the rounded indentations along their stems. These are modified buds called “areoles.” From the areoles spring the spines (usually) for which cacti are best known. So cacti have few to no leaves – which is certainly not true of aloe vera. There are plenty of leaves, although they don’t look like traditional leaves at all; they are succulent, fleshy leaves. These still, however, count toward the quota, so any time you see leaves you can assume what you’re looking at is not a cactus. The second part – about the areoles – which are rounded indentations along cactus stems is also incredibly helpful to pay attention to when identifying cacti. Take a close look at a cactus and you’ll see these areoles. They’re like little circles where often many more than one spine comes out of. That’s very different from the thorny-looking edges along the aloe vera plant’s leaves look like. So again, super helpful to look for and creates a really clear indication visually of whether you’re looking at a cactus or some other thorny succulent, like a part of the asphodelaceae family. Other Plants Sometimes Mistaken for Cacti or Aloes There’s a type of plant that looks ridiculously similar (in my opinion) to aloe plants that’s also mistakenly thought of as being a cactus sometimes. These plants are called agaves, and they are different from both aloes and cacti – they are neither, although, as I’ve said, they look really visually similar to aloe plants. How do you tell the difference between an aloe and an agave visually? As Susan Peterson for Home Guides points out, The leaves of the aloe are fleshy. For example, if you break open one of the leaves of an aloe vera plant, it will ooze its valued clear gel. Agaves, by contrast, are more fibrous. Though they do store water in their leaves, as do all succulents, agaves are shot through with tough, stringy fibers. It’s definitely not an easy thing to spot, especially in comparison to telling the difference between cacti and aloes, but it’s possible to tell the difference. Just thought I’d mention that one extra often-mistaken for a cactus plant! Your Thoughts on Aloe Vera Seeming Like Cacti? Did you believe aloe vera could be a type of cactus? Did you get that sense for one of the reasons I described above? For both? Was there another reason that led you to believe aloe vera might be a cactus? Are there any other plants you feel like are often mistaken for a cactus? Which and why do you believe they’re often thought of as being types of cacti? Please take a moment to share your thoughts in the comments down below!

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As nations across the globe negotiate how to reduce their contributions to climate change, researchers at Penn are investigating just how the coming changes will impact the planet. What’s clear is that the effect extends beyond simple warming. Indeed, the very physics and chemistry of the oceans are also shifting, and are forecast to change even more in the coming decades. These changes have implications for, among other things, the single-celled organisms that comprise the base of the ocean’s food web and are responsible for half of the world’s photosynthetic activity: phytoplankton. Not only are phytoplankton sensitive to changes in climate, they also contribute to those changes, as they can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it deep in the ocean when they die. A micrograph of phytoplankton. Like plants on land, phytoplankton growth is controlled by environmental factors such as light, nutrients, and temperature. Irina Marinov, an assistant professor in the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Earth & Environmental Science in the School of Arts & Sciences, and her lab members have published two studies this fall that concern themselves with what climate models have to say about how phytoplankton and ocean ecosystems will respond to the profound changes the Earth is undergoing. “The goal is to understand model projections of ocean ecology, productivity, and biogeochemistry for the year 2100, and check the consistency of those predictions across the current generation of climate models,” says Marinov. The latest Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in 2013, included 16 different models, each produced by different groups working around the globe. Marinov and colleagues, including recent graduate Shirley Leung and postdoc Anna Cabré, investigated how phytoplankton would be predicted to respond to such changing variables as nutrients, light, and ocean stratification under each of the models. Their analyses reveal complex patterns of phytoplankton response. In a paper in Biogeosciences, they show that, in the Southern Ocean, future climate change will bring increases or decreases in phytoplankton abundance and production in distinct latitudinal bands—a pattern the researchers had not anticipated. “Because with climate change you have less mixing of the water column, we thought that the phytoplankton would have more access to light and they would simply expand, but instead we saw these bands of high and low abundance,” Cabré says. Phytoplankton are very sensitive to mineral availability, including nitrate and iron, and also to light. The team found that the latitudinal bands correspond to increased iron, which increased phytoplankton productivity from 40 to 50 degrees South, decreased light driven by changes in winds and clouds, which decreased productivity from 50 to 65 degrees South; and increased light due to more sea-ice melting in the summer, which increased productivity along the Antarctic shores. “Intriguingly, the trends in phytoplankton productivity predicted by the models are in line with what has already been observed over the past 20 or 30 years,” says Marinov, “suggesting that the climate change signal might have already become apparent in parts of the Southern Ocean.” Another of the group’s studies, published in Climate Dynamics, looked beyond the Southern Ocean to include trends in phytoplankton production across all of the Earth’s biomes. They found that, while high latitudes are predicted to have increases in phytoplankton production on average, the overall global trend is toward decreased production—meaning that an important climate sink of carbon dioxide will slowly shrink. The researchers plan to continue probing the IPCC climate models, but also hope that new data will allow them to refine their predictions about the oceans’ role in climate change. “We need more observations,” Cabré says. “There are a lot of new missions going to the Southern Ocean. Our analyses can help them figure out what they need to look for, and their findings will push our analyses forward.” S. Leung et al. A latitudinally banded phytoplankton response to 21st century climate change in the Southern Ocean across the CMIP5 model suite, Biogeosciences (2015). DOI: 10.5194/bg-12-5715-2015

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Did you know that the food you eat can have an impact on your mood? Just as a car needs gasoline to run; our bodies need fuel to function. It is important to put the right fuel in the body for it to function at its best. A balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, beans/lentils, nuts/seeds can have a positive impact on your mental health. Focus on the following nutrients, along with a healthy diet: Complex carbohydrates: metabolized slower, help to maintain more even blood sugar levels, create a calmer feeling (examples: beans/legumes, whole grains, vegetables) Magnesium: foods that are rich in magnesium can help a person feel more calm (examples: leafy greens, nuts/seeds, legumes, whole grains) Zinc: foods that are rich in zinc have been linked to helping lower anxiety (examples: liver, beef, oysters, cashews, egg yolks) Omega 3 Fatty Acids: important for brain health (examples: salmon, tuna, flaxseed, walnuts) Vitamin D: important for brain function and insufficient levels may increase risk of depression or other mental illnesses (examples: salmon, other fatty fish, fortified cereal, orange juice, milk) Vitamin B12: along with other B vitamins it an affect mood and other brain functions since they play a part in making brain chemicals (examples: lean meat including fish and poultry, eggs, dairy products) - It is recommended not to skip meals as this can cause a drop in blood sugar levels leaving you feeling jittery, which could worsen anxiety. - Limit sugar intake as this can help improve anxiety and depression symptoms. - If not getting a balanced diet, multivitamins and nutrition supplements can be an option to get the nutrients you need. - Medication and behavior therapy may also be needed in treating anxiety and depression.

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Reactionary behaviour can work for a while, it can (rarely) achieve short term goals, but can you really live your life, and subsequent generations, by reacting to others? Black people seem to have a thing for reacting and not acting upon. This stretches into our identity, the one drop rule, who were are, where we come from, who we affiliate with etc. Black people continue to bring mulattoes and other multiracials into the fold due mainly to reactionarism. No other reasoning stands out for most blacks than ‘well society people treats them the same as us’. It is a blatant fallacy, why do people (falsely) claim colourism is an issue if the treatment is exactly the same. Regardless most people aren’t leaders, most aren’t attempting to critically think. These people are not thinking but are reacting to something. Regardless of the fact that no other group of powerful peoples allow people who are half-something else to dominate their history books, leadership class, be overrepresented in the media ect. The lessons aren’t been learnt. Responding constantly doesn’t allow for lesson learnt to sink in. People often also react to the good things that mixed people have done to blacks, which is foolish. An individual is a member of a group, how many mixed people have highlighted the fact that historically they have not rebelled against the white racial and pigmentocratic order. How many mulattoes today even bother to talk about the reason they are overrepresented in the ‘black history months’ is because powerful whites give them better access to opportunities? (Pigmentocracy.) As a group mixed people can opt and be trained differently, blacks don’t have power enough to change how mixed people think. That is the issue, not whether one or a bunch of individuals has supported blacks, but whether black people can create the identity and mind frame of the next generation of mixed people (the collective). Mixed people from Latin America as a whole certainly don’t think like mixed people who originated in the USA. Group identity not individuals. Individuals can’t do as much as a group. This is a picture from The Source a Hip Hop magazine for an article on the origins of black history month. Never mind the fact this magazine was created by two white Americans who went to Harvard University and has never been owned by any black people. 5 out the 14 people are multiracial in this photomontage, yet on average, 5 out of any 14 self-proclaimed Afrikan Americans picked out haphazardly on the streets of New York, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Atlanta etc. would not be. That is a radical misrepresentation of Afrikan Americans. The identity issue of blacks in the West are continual due to reactionaryism, we are not focusing on current causes. We are going with white approved and acknowledged origins for problems. Although enslavement has caused limbos in our behaviour, blaming literally everything on enslavement and reacting to events centuries ago does not resolve ALL of what is going on today. To compound problems, the narrative on slavery is very inaccurate. The true roots of the problems are reactionary behaviour and a lack of grasp on reality. The ancestor Amos Wilson often said ‘we could not be in the position we are in unless we are out of our minds’. The same issue occurs in the reality that black equals African. There are different ethnicities of black people who will fight each other due to historical enmity, close proximity and basic differences. Many Afro-Caribbeans and Afro-Americans tend to reject Afrikan as a label due to certain immigrants that they have met been against them. This is a justifiable reason behind problems between the groups but rejecting your own ancestral right due to reacting is plain foolish. It is damn near delusional. Afrikan people are people who genetically and phenotypically originate from Afrika. Genetically these people are Afrikan, this is biological fact, regardless of the social conditioning surrounding us. This is really something that we should be defining ourselves around, not countering to ethnocentric and racist behaviour. Moulding yourself around your enemies is always a good way to poison yourself, you aren’t in complete control. Biology is part of science it is part of reality something that can’t be socially rearranged. Claiming there is no race within humanity ignore the fact geographical race is an alternative term for subspecies, in fact this term has never been rescinded fully in genetic biology. Race does not and has never been another term for species, this is a lie promoted by mainstream society. There are mixed people in Afrika, who originate from admixture, an admixture can appear anywhere on the planet therefore has no homeland. Their physical appearance wasn’t created to due to physical environmental origin or degenerative, atrophy mutations. There are Afrikans in Afrika with a handful non-black ancestor just like many in the Americas. There were Eurasian traders in important West Afrikan cities several centuries ago, there were offspring from European colonists, there was incursions south of Sahara by white and mixed Arabs hundreds of years ago. None of this is new. Genetically having one or two non-Afrikan ancestors from 200 of years ago doesn’t make someone multiracial. Genetically having scores of non-black ancestors scattered across the both the matrilineal and patrilineal lines will create a similar phenotype regardless of place of origin. The coloured people of South Afrika, ‘light skin’ people in the USA, both much older groups than a mulatto born today in Germany or Switzerland are all examples. Similar gene expression will result in a similar phenotypical appearance regardless of where people are born. Grasp on reality, accurate history. Colin Kaepernick and Nessa Diab. Colin Kaepernick is a mulatto American footballer, birthed from a white female. Nessa, his girlfriend is a multiracial Egyptian; a people who are a product of millenniums of migrations and invasions. Many people have commented that they could be brother and sister based on gene expression. Vincent and Carla Kompany. A married couple, Vincent is a Belgian footballer born to a Congolese father and Belgian mother, his wife is a British-born multiracial of Caribbean and British heritage. Without the commentary, I have just given they could have passed for a Dominican couple. Creating self-identity based on reacting fails to look at reality as a whole. Ones genetic origins, hence phenotype, ones ancestral home should be factored in. Regardless of how the people who live there now treat you, YOUR OWN ancestors came from there, those ancestors own families shed tears for them when they went into enslavement. Casting off your own identity in reaction to rejection by modern-day negroes from the motherland ignored that reality. This also ignores the fact that these nations such as Nigeria, South Afrika, Uganda, Angola etc. were founded by Europeans so even those people don’t actually have true ethnic identities. Unlike those of us from the Americas, they have no biological backing behind claiming those titles. This resulted in many Afrikans trying to be accepted by Arabs, Europeans, mulattoes and other non-blacks born on the continent. Nigeria for example, a nation which many claim pride in, is actually a hotbed of ethnic tensions due to its non-ethnically designated perimeters. Tribes have a truer impact than nationality. Demonstrating in countries immigrated the mostly Islamic ethnicities such as the Hausa and Fulani expatriating to Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states, Igbos who are largely Christianised primarily migrate to the USA then Europe and the Yoruba mainly move to the Britain. The people Afrika were subsequently colonised by the same Europeans after the racial enslavement period closed. They come over to Western Europe, North America and East/Southeast Asia today speaking forms of English, French, Portuguese, Arabic etc. Most view Afrikan ancestral religions, which both of our ancestors believed in, as satanic now due to Abrahamic religions. Many have kids that can’t even speak their own languages. The trouble is that many London Yorubas have neglected to pass their traditions on to their children. A few insist on Yoruba being spoken at home, but many have given up the struggle of teaching Yoruba to unenthusiastic children, and English has become the family language. True, they take their children home on holidays; true, a few surreptitiously slaughter chickens for the deities in their back yards. But basically Yoruba culture and language, as known in Nigeria, are on a steep decline. Dubi Imevbore, an expert on Yoruba language, deeply regrets this. He says that if a language dies, so does the human spirit. A people without a culture will lose their self respect, even go mad.’ This is from a 2005 article about Peckham, the neighbourhood with the highest concentration of black people in London. The district is working class and is home to an older prominent Afrikan Caribbean population but Afrikans have been entrenched since the late-80’s. Peckham is often ascribed as a mix of Kingston, Lagos and Accra by social commentators. It is a neighbourhood with a high ratio of social housing, child poverty, low income wages and a major gang problem. The Westernisation of the Afrikan identity is the issue here. Many people, particularly Americans, who have had little contact with young, westernised Continental Afrikans seem to think that these people are not affected or shouldn’t be by European propaganda. The UK, specifically Greater London and Manchester, encapsulate Continental Afrikans taking on a race-centric and not ethnocentric behaviours and ideologies. This is due to westernisation (culture) which causes race to become the primary social divider versus ethnicity as black people aren’t the dominant inhabitants or majority of the society. Many 1st and 2nd generation Afrikans are rejected themselves by people from where their parents and grandparents come from due to this process. As they get cut-off from Afrika itself, they become increasingly divergent from their countries of origin as they do not wire funds to the countries of origin and are not welcome upon arrival. Another impact of the European colonisation of Afrikans in the motherland was the creation of powerful non-representative multiracial classes birthed by political leaders across Afrika. An example is the Khama family in Botswana. The Kharmas are now a multiracial family, who look very similar to the multiracials of Latin America, it is also a based of AFRICOM for the USA, this has helped their infrastructure and is artificially kept stable by taking on a significant amount of aid from the West. Seretse Khama and Ruth Khama. Seretse is the original sellout of Botswana, a king of the Bamangwato people a substantial tribe in Botswana. Ruth was a bank clerk in London, since when does royalty marry ordinary people much less foreigners of a different race? His son, Ian Khama, current president of Botswana. Tshekedi Khama, another child of Seretse and his family, he is a minister of Botswana. It is disgusting that whites and don’t see a problem with an Afrikan tribe, an Afrikan nation controlled by non-Afrikans. For those who claim race isn’t real, well what is this? But this also reveals a disturbing truth hidden by many blacks, many don’t have a problem with their own descendants not been black yet demand to speak on and control the fate of people whose descendants will be. This is, in fact, a case of two brain dead groups or black people knocking heads. Many Afrikans and Afro-Caribbean immigrants value Europeans and their culture, that is why they disrespect other blacks, this includes those in their own countries. Unlike other immigrants black ones seem to not bother with developing their own country’s infrastructure, they are thankful of whites, and many aren’t even able or interested in keeping their own culture. With this in mind, why would these type of people try to fix messed up black neighbourhoods and communities in a country which isn’t even their own? Shunning your own ancestor’s identity due to not been accepted by some of these people is problematic as these people themselves have patently undergone a brainwashing process. Seeking conformation from other brainwashed people exposes one of the numerous fictitious worldviews of many blacks in the Americas. Continental Afrikans are not entirely untouched; a group who ‘should know better’, in fact, evidence suggests the current culture exhibited is to the contrary, Afrikans from the Americas are not all feeble-minded, Europeanised individuals. Identity should be rooted in the real world, not in preconceived, canned notions and thought processes.

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sa36 steel plate for railway application grade SA203 Grade D steel grade is a nickel alloy steel plate in welded pressure vessels. For this SA203 Grade D is max thickness in 100mm and the element of nickel is 3.25% to be used in manufacturing pressure vessel and boilers. SA662 Grade A. SA662 Grade A steel is American ASME standard pressure vessel in C, Mn steel, mainly used in the ASTM A36 Carbon Steel PlatesDec 17, 2018 · Mechanical Properties of ASME SA36 Carbon Steel Plates. People Search For. ASTM A36 steel plates are actually a low carbon steel that is exhibiting very good strength that is coupled with formability. This grade plate can be fabricated and machined easily and it can be welded securely. - What Is ASTM A36Why A36 Steel Plate Is The Top Rated Material in ConstructionsMaterial Properties/SpecificationsA36 Low Carbon (Mild) Steel Plate Advantages and UsageWhats the Difference Between ASTM A36 & ASME SA36 Dec 07, 2020 · The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) A36 and the American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME) SA36 grades of steel plate are widely used in construction because of their strength and hardness. Both A36 and SA36 are available through Kloeckner Metals in a variety of forms, thicknesses, widths, and lengths, most commonly in steel plate. ASTM A36 Steel Properties, Modulus of Elasticity, Yield ASTM A36 steel is one of the most widely used carbon structural steels, although the carbon content of A36 material is maximum 0.29%, it is considered to be the mild steel (content of carbon 0.25%). A36 mild steel is often compared to AISI 1018, A36 carbon steel is commonly hot rolled, while 1018 steel is commonly cold rolled. Carbon steel plate|Carbon structural steel plate|Mild Steel Name:Carbon steel plate,Common carbon structural steel plate. Main steel grades:S235JR,A283 Grade C,A36,St37-2,A537 Grade 70,SS400,SM400A. Steel standard:EN 10025,DIN 17100,DIN 17102,ASTM,GB/T700,JIS G3106. Main application:Carbon steel plates are used to produce structural parts of the bolted and welded steel in dustrial area. Steel GradesASTM A36 Chemical information,Mechanical properties Physical properties, Mechanical properties, Heat treatment, and Micro structure This page is mainly introduced the ASTM A36 Datasheet, including chemical PRODUCT GUIDES - Central SteelProduct Guide - Steel Plate (contd) Form 1254 3/16/05 (Reprinted 5/27/15) Page 3 of 4 OVERVIEW Cold Reduced Plate Higher in quality (surface, flatness and shape). Maintains flatness after shearing, burning, or laser cutting and lower in cost. Flatness Defect Causes Quality Plates & Profiles LimitedUnwavering commitment to Quality. For superior service and product knowledge, the Quality Plates team leads the industry. Since 1981, QPP has been delivering exceptional service to industries across Canada. From 1/8 to 12 thick, we stock both common and uncommon sizes and grades of carbon steel plate. CNC Oxyfuel, High-Definition (6 axis) for precision cutting in any size or quantity. Dec 10, 2015 · Steels as a Material for Rail Tracks. satyendra; December 10, 2015; 0 Comments ; Concrete sleeper, corrosion, elastic rail clip, Fish plate, high carbon steel, High tension wire, Rail, Rail track, sleeper, spring steel,; Steels as a Material for Rail Tracks. Railways were originally uniquely identified with the material of their initial construction and now are technically identified by the for railway application st52-3 bridge price list - Hot Steel Plates Resistant to Weathering grades are used for manufacturing welded, riveted or bolted structures, e. g. in bridge, and vehicle construction.In general, the specific rust-building properties of Allwesta steel grades make surface protections of structures built of this steel grade unnecessary for railway application st52-3 bridge price ASME SA-36|Grade SA36|SA 36 CS steel plate material--Xin Main application:ASME SA36/SA36M SA36 steel plate is a kind carbon structure steel which is used in riveted,bolted or welded construction of bridges and buildings,and for general structural purpose. Rolling range :Thickness*Width*Length 3-650mm*1200-4200mm*5000-18000mm

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August 27th marks the 240th anniversary of the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Brooklyn – known to other people, as the Battle of Long Island. Less than two months after we declared our independence from Great Britain, the Battle of Brooklyn was the first major battle in that war. And the Continental Army did not win the Battle led by General George Washington, but was, to put it kindly, a strategic retreat. And to state it more clearly, we lost the battle, but won the war. Just walk through Park Slope and the Gowanus neighborhood, and history is just under your feet. When you spend a day in Prospect Park, either biking, or spending time in the Long Meadow, you are walking in the footprints of Washington’s troops. Bike up the East Drive from Prospect Park Zoo, and then walk across the Long Meadow in Prospect Park; just near the Garfield Tot Lot, cross Prospect Park West, and work your way down First Street; then make your way to Third Street and Fifth Avenue, the site of a block-square playground and athletic field, and the home to the Old Stone House; then cross the Union Street Bridge over the Gowanus Canal and stand at the Fulton Ferry Landing. You’ve just travelled the path of George Washington’s Continental Army. The Battle’s two major confrontations between the Continental Army and the British took place at Flatbush Pass (now called Battle Pass on Prospect Park’s East Drive) and at the Vechte-Cortelyou House that is now known as the Old Stone House at Fifth Avenue and Third Street in Park Slope. The British employed a pincer movement involving two major groups of soldiers, one coming East from Staten Island and Gravesend Bay, and another heading West from Long Island. The Continental Army was outmanned two-to-one, and the British forces moved to attack Washington’s troops from two directions. At Battle Pass, with their backs to the Long Meadow, the Continental Army of around 1,300 men blocked 5,000 Scottish and Hessian attackers coming up from the area which is now Empire Boulevard, Flatbush Avenue and Washington Avenue. They chopped down a large oak tree – The Dongen Oak -, and temporarily held their line at the Pass. Today, on the East Drive, just North of the Zoo, to the right of the roadway, is a monument to the Dongen Oak, and then further up, on your left, is the Battle Pass Marker. Another marker is a bit further up the hill, on your right. Washington’s army was overwhelmingly outmanned, and retreated at mid-day over what is now the Long Meadow. This was wooded land at the time, and crossing what is now Prospect Park West, the troops retreated down First Street, eventually arriving at the Old Stone House. The pincer movement by the British Army almost worked. About 10,000 Redcoats had marched up from Jamaica Pass, what is now Atlantic Avenue, and put pressure on our troops, hoping to trap them at the Old Stone House. But for the sacrificial bravery of 400 Maryland soldiers against 2,000 British troops, the Continental Army would have been trapped. The Marylanders’ holding action enabled the Colonists to regroup and retreat over the Gowanus marshes where the Union Street Bridge now stands. Just North of the Park’s Wellhouse Drive between the Lake and Lookout Hill, you will encounter the Maryland Monument, unveiled in 1895, donated by the Maryland Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. It honors the Maryland 400. When you walk past the local American Legion Post at 193 Ninth Street between Fourth and Third Avenues, you can see a permanent memorial to these brave soldiers who were buried in a plot of land now honored. Washington watched his troops in battle and retreat from a small hill-top called Cobble Hill at what is now Atlantic Avenue and Court Street. Shopping at the Trader Joe’s at that location, you can see a memorial plaque affixed to the building. The Continental Army made it to Brooklyn Heights, and under the cover of rain and darkness, were ferried across the harbor from Fulton Ferry Landing into lower Manhattan. George Washington’s Continental Army was saved. The Continental Army lost the Battle of Brooklyn, but because of their successful and strategic retreat, and especially the sacrifice of the Marylanders, the Continental Army was able to regroup and eventually accept General Cornwallis’ surrender five years later at Yorktown, in October 1781. Films can magically superimpose image upon image, and if we just look around us and use that bit of movie imagination when we walk, we can almost see the British troops and Continental Army blending in with the Brooklynites, the Dongen Oak crashing down on the East Drive, just missing the joggers and bikers, musket fire punctuating the air, leaving clouds of gun smoke among the picnickers and Frisbee tossers on the Long Meadow, Park Slope Brownstone Brooklyn residents on First Street, and with shoppers and children holding ice cream cones on Fifth Avenue strolling along as the troops rush to the marshes over the Gowanus Canal. And picture the boats filled with Continental Army soldiers rowing through the rain from the darkened battlefield of Brooklyn toward Manhattan, the boats in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge as traffic hums by overhead. So go to Battle Pass and read the plaques and monuments on both sides of the East Drive; Visit the memorial to the Marylanders North of the Lake and on Ninth Street near Third Avenue; Acknowledge the memorial to the Marquis de Lafayette at the Ninth Street entrance to the Park; When shopping downtown at Trader Joe’s, realize you’re standing at George Washington’s observation post for the Battle; And visit the Old Stone House.

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Construction management has encountered a number of schools of thought. Succeeding schools of thought about management modify and extend existing ones but not supersede them as they still continue to exercise sway over ways in which organizations operate. Construction management is a discipline comprising systematic approaches to control time, cost and quality of a construction project based on recorded research and experience. Though construction management must have been applied in the construction of Egypt pyramids centuries ago, but the discipline of management is relatively new, and origins of modern management can be traced to the beginning of last century. At present, there is no such thing as a comprehensive construction management theory but rather theories about the management. By tracing the development of management as a discipline, four major schools of thought can be recognized; Classical approach (1900), Human relations approach (1925), Systems approach (1950) and contingency approach (1975). Introduced by Fredrick Winslow Taylor By scientific management Taylor meant the systematic observation and measurement of work which was intended to replace the traditional approaches to work based on rule-of-thumb, intuition, precedent, guesswork and personal opinion. Taylor's objective was to improve efficiency and his quest was to identify the "best way" of doing any job. Taylor argues that having established the best way of doing the job then management should select a 'first-class' man who has physical and intellectual qualities to achieve the required output and then systematically train him to use only the 'best way'. Taylor sought to separate the role of managing the work; i.e., planning and organizing, from the actual execution of the work. Henri Fayol (1841-1925) Fayol's definition of management was in terms of five functions: Fayol introduced fourteen general principles of administrative management. The fourteen principles are: by Max Weber (1864-1920) Weber was concerned with the way in which authority was exercised within organizations. Authority, where orders are voluntarily obeyed by those receiving them, was distinguished from power, which is the ability to force people to obey. Weber describes three types of organizations based on the way in which authority is legitimized. Charismatic form of organization in which authority is based on the personal qualities of the leader, traditional organizations in which the bases of authority are precedent and usage, and rational-legal in which authority stems from holding a particular position in the organization. The founder of the Human relations approach is widely recognized to be Elton Mayo, who undertook what became known as Hawthorne investigations that took place at Western Electric Company in Chicago. Mayo concluded the following: The key concepts of the systems approach evolved in response to a rapidly changing environment. It expanded on the previous schools of thought in two ways: The most recent school of thought about management. It combines the other three approaches and states management actions cannot always relate either to general or unique circumstances but depend on contingency factors and circumstances. In other words, the way in which an organization organizes and manages its tasks is contingent on the circumstances in which it operates.

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Young people can be active allies to someone who is being targeted without directly engaging with the aggressor. Help students learn a safer, non-confrontational way to be an ally: the "Join Us Intervention." Many of history’s greatest tragedies unfolded under the watchful eye of passive bystanders. In fact, the more bystanders there are, the less likely it is that any of them will help – a phenomenon called the “bystander effect.” We’ve seen this effect play out in the Holocaust and other major events. We also often see it when someone is being bullied in the cafeteria, classroom, hallway, or school yard. There are many reasons that people of all ages choose to be bystanders rather than allies. Sometimes bystanders presume that the issue is a personal one between the aggressor and target and they “don’t want to get involved.” Sometimes they believe that the target must have done something to deserve the harsh treatment of the aggressor. Sometimes they have underlying biases that allow them to feel separate from the target. But perhaps the most powerful reason, and one that may underlie all the others, is that the bystanders are simply afraid. While many adults are adept at hiding this fear, it is often evident on the faces of children who are witnessing bullying. Many of us believe that if we move from being a passive bystander to being an active ally that we must engage directly with the aggressor. And this is a frightening prospect. We fear that the aggressor will turn on us, and we will become the target. We may even fear that we will be left to face the aggressor on our own. These fears are reasonable, for all of us. But they are especially powerful for kids who may be in the school yard, cafeteria, or library with kids of various ages and sizes. When students believe that being an ally may put them in danger, they need to get an adult to intervene. But in many situations, young people can safely act as allies themselves – especially if they use the simple method below, the “join us intervention.” I’ve seen this strategy work in school yards and cafeterias with kids from 7 to 18. Consider introducing it to your students - and give them a chance to practice and roleplay the intervention before jumping in and using it in real life. The “Join Us” Intervention! 1. If you see a person being targeted, determine if the bullying is physical, or poses a danger to the targeted person (or you) in any other way. If it does pose danger, get adult help immediately. 2. If the threat is not dangerous, get yourself a friend who also believes in being an ally. 3. Approach the situation so that you can easily make eye contact with the target. Smile and wave warmly at the target as you approach. Sometimes standing behind the aggressor so that the target can easily see you is a help. 4. Once you have established eye contact with the target, maintain that eye contact and say, “Hi (target’s name), it’s great to see you today! We are (going to eat, playing basketball, studying). We’d love it if you joined us!” 5. Do not engage with or respond to the aggressor. Even if they ask you direct questions, simply ignore them by maintaining your eye contact with the target. 6. If they do not join you, they may feel afraid. If it’s appropriate, you and your friend can move to stand next to them and repeat the same invitation. Continue to maintain your eye contact with the target. Don’t engage with the aggressor. 7. If the targeted person joins you, walk away from the aggressor together and stay together for the rest of the period doing whatever you planned to do – eat, play basketball, study. 8. Ask the target about themselves and get to know them a bit, if you don’t know them already. 9. At the end of the period, ask the target if they would like you to meet them at other times during the day so that they are not alone.

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This spring become more self-reliant and reduce your exposure to chemicals by planting herbs in pots, building raised garden beds, creating a worm composting bin and making your own fence paint. Planting Herbs in Pots Herbs can be grown in a large outdoor pot, as long as the pot has good drainage, is at least 14 inches in diameter and 9 inches deep, and is filled with fertile soil. Purchase small plants and position them according to size (about 4 inches apart). Plant and lightly water. Sage, rosemary, thyme, lavender, oregano, chervil, summer savory and lovage are readily available and can be used as single seasonings or in combination with one another. (I recommend using these herbs to create an Herbes De Provence season mix.) Building Raised Garden Beds While raised beds are not a new idea, they are still beneficial and very easy to build. Raised beds have been used for more than 2,000 years, ever since the Greeks first noticed plants sprouting in landslide areas where soil was loose and moisture penetrated easily. With this in mind, they started making their own raised beds. As it turns out, adding aerated, turned and amended soil with organic matter to raised beds loosens soil, which improves its texture and nutrient value. Spacing plants close together also creates shade and keeps the moisture in the soil by self-mulching, which helps produce growth. Constructing a raised bed is simple, as you can make a frame with any solid material that holds soil. Just keep in mind that if you use wood it must be rot-resistant because the frame will be in constant contact with moist soil. Cedar and redwood are two types of wood that are resistant to decay; Douglas fir and pine can be used but may only last five years. Raised beds can extend above the ground from several inches to 12 inches, and the beds can be made to fit any size as long as the middle can be easily accessed for weeding and harvesting. Cut the wood to the size of your planned bed, drill three holes with a #30 bit at the corner boards and insert 4-inch weather-proof drywall screws. For more stability, attach brackets to the inside corners. When deciding where to place the raised beds, remember that most plants need at least eight hours of sun each day. Turn the soil where the raised bed will be permanently placed. If there are critters underground that may nibble on your vegetables, line the bed with chicken wire. Fill the bed with a combination of soil, compost, peat moss and fertilizer 8–32–16. But the fun part is deciding what seeds to plant. A beginning gardener may want to start with a simple salad bed that consists of lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, radishes and scallions. Worm Composting Bin Vermiculture, or red wiggler worm composting, is a way to recycle your kitchen scraps, tea and coffee grounds, and turn it into nutritious soil and fertilizer for your plants. Coffee grounds are an excellent addition as they add nitrogen, an element that bacteria needs in order to turn organic matter into compost. To get started you need a container, soil, bedding and worms. You can use a dark plastic container or purchase one specifically for worm composting. Worms like dark, moist environments—just make sure the environment isn't too wet. Worms can be kept in temperatures of 40 to 80 degrees, but prefer temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees. After three to six months you should see a lot of castings (dark soil) that can be used as fertilizer in your garden beds. Although worms can be purchased online, it is better to buy worms locally so that they are already acclimated to your environment. DIY Fence Paint Family dogs are sometimes a nuisance when you have a garden. But this problem can be easily remedied by installing a simple picket-type fence. Build your own with recycled wood or install one with panels purchased from a home and garden store. Seal the wood with a paint that protects it from the elements and also adds a fun color to your yard. There are many eco-friendly paints on the market, but they may cost more than the conventional kind. Instead, make your own paint. The oldest painted surfaces on earth were colored with a form of milk paint. In colonial America, itinerant painters roamed the countryside carrying pigments. To make paint, these pigments were mixed with farmer's or householder’s milk and lime. To make your own milk paint all you need is whole milk, vinegar, borax and a pigment. More information can be found at Milk Paint. Plan now for the ultimate reward of herbs, vegetables and a yard that will give you a sense of pleasure and sustainability. Desiree Bell is inspired by botanicals and natural materials. She is a vegetarian who has a certificate in herbal studies and a certificate from Australasian College of Health Sciences in Aromatherapy. Visit her blog Beyond A Garden.

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Greater need to encourage more walking and cycling to school Greater need to encourage more walking and cycling to schools, UC expert says January 27, 2013 The return of the school-run traffic chaos around New Zealand this week highlights the importance of plans to encourage more walking cycling and public transport use for all travel, a University of Canterbury (UC) transport expert said today. UC Professor Simon Kingham says few people currently choose these modes of transport for everyday journeys such as travelling to work and places of education. ``The reason so few people choose to leave the car at home is not just the desire to drive, it is because of the lack of perceived alternatives. In places where there is high quality low cost public transport, many people choose to use it. Where there is safe separated cycle infrastructure many people cycle. ``Public transport in some New Zealand cities is of reasonable quality and inexpensive. However, there is still scope for significant improvement. It is also very clear that rail-based services are more attractive than bus-based systems. ``While set up costs for rail are high, they have been demonstrated time and time again to be more attractive to users. This is especially important in Christchurch where consideration of rail in the rebuild is missing. ``Cycling is a different story. Far more can be done in all New Zealand cities to make cycling more attractive. The government currently budgets less than 0.5 percent of its transport spending on cycling,’’ Professor Kingham said. If safe separated cycle ways were provided, a significant number of people would bike to work and school. This was especially the case for young people who want to cycle but are often prevented from cycling to school because of safety concerns. Professor Kingham said this was especially relevant in Christchurch as plans are being made to rebuild transport infrastructure in the city. Christchurch had the best natural geography to make it a true cycling city: largely flat terrain, mild climate and lots of road space to place excellent infrastructure. ``The government has to change its transport spending plans. It currently has a very strong focus on building motorways of national significance at the expense of investing in public transport and cycling. The benefits of cycling are great, especially when including the enormous health benefits of helping people be more active. ``The current debate in Christchurch about schools in the west 'poaching' students from the east is also pertinent. Students should, where possible, attend local schools which they can access by walking or cycling. The location and size of schools is not just about education benefits and financial bottom lines. ``It is also about health and wellbeing. These things should be taken into account when school zones are set, school rolls agreed and closures and mergers considered. Currently they don't seem to be part of the equation. Cycling must be considered when plans and decisions are made about how and where people choose and are encouraged to go to school.’’

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Governments give out time-limited patents to help encourage inventors to continue driving innovation and the advancement of science. Without such protection, the threat of someone stealing an idea could discourage inventors from creating new things. The founding fathers of the United States knew this when they gave Congress power to grant patents in the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8). Due to advancing technology and growing awareness of the value of patents, the past decade or so has seen an explosion in the number of patent applications. In 2008, the USPTO took in 485,312 patent applications and granted 185,224 patents [source: USPTO]. You'll work with one patent examiner throughout the process. Examiners of utility patents must have an engineering or scientific background. It's very rare for an examiner to grant an allowance to a patent on the first try. More than likely, the examiner will give you a non-final rejection which allows you to amend your claims (make them narrower), respond (argue) or both. Next, the examiner might give you a final rejection. However, you can still send in an after-final amendment or argument. You can also file a continuation application, which means starting over with new claims, resubmitting the specification and other paperwork, and getting a new serial number and filing date (while still keeping the priority of the earlier filing date). Or, if you file a Request for Continuing Examination (RCE), you can send in another amendment without resubmitting the specification or getting a new filing date. Another option is to appeal to the Board of Appeals and Patent Interferences (BAPI). Of course, for this process to be worth it, you need to be convinced your invention is valuable. While prosecution is going on, and regardless of if you're granted a patent, you can still make money off your invention or even license it to someone else. The licensing agreement applies whether or not you're granted a patent. As you can probably guess, the drafting and prosecution of an application can get extremely complicated. An attorney who specializes in the process can help you navigate the system. However, the more the inventor knows about the process, the better, so you can work together to gain the most legal ground.

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Inferring the frequency and magnitude of past earthquakes from the stratigraphy in exposures of normal-faulted sediments is difficult because colluvial lithofacies assemblages adjacent to faults are complex. Similarities in facies assemblages adjacent to young fault scarps in arid to semiarid areas, such as the Basin and Range province, allow lithofacies to be grouped into two genetic architectural elements: debris and wash elements. Upper and lower facies associations can commonly be recognized within each element. A lithofacies code scheme, similar to those used in the analysis of fluvial and glacial lithofacies sequences, provides a concise way of illustrating lithofacies relations in fault exposures. The source lithology of colluvial lithofacies is shown in the code, and soil-horizon symbols can be included. The architecture of lithofacies assemblages near fault scarps in semiarid areas is explained by a model of colluvial sedimentation in response to a single surface faulting event. Analysis of lithofacies assemblages exposed in three trenches across normal faults in the eastern Basin and Range shows how the model can be used to interpret fault histories. Similar facies analysis methods may be useful in interpreting colluvial sequences formed by non-tectonic processes.

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With tweets and webcasts, blog posts and podcasts, the third annual National Day on Writing kicked off Thursday as students, teachers, writers and literacy groups celebrated why they write in today’s tech-driven age. “It has been famously said that writing is thinking on paper,” says Paul Oh, senior program associate with the National Writing Project (NWP), which collaborated on producing the day’s events. “But writing is thinking in all sorts of modes, not just on paper, but through multimedia as well. And today we see that writing is even more important as a thinking tool because if we think of writing in its broadest sense, it’s a text message, as well as essays and persuasive arguments.” NWP collaborated with Figment.com, the New York Times (NYT) Learning Network and Edutopia among other entities, including the National Council of Teachers of English, which originated the event. The collective goal? To encourage students to think about why writing is so important to their lives. And schools responded. At Overbrook Elementary School in Philadelphia, PA, students worked with technology teacher Rita Sorrentino to craft a Google Spreadsheet on the myriad ways we use writing in society. Students noted that people use writing in activities from writing recipes to scoring papers, posting on Twitter to paying bills. Sophomores at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia added their thoughts to the Twitter feed (#whyiwrite), while over at William E. Norris Elementary School in Southampton, MA, teacher Kevin Hodgson worked with sixth graders to record 69 brief podcasts. Students shared why they write and even, in some cases, why it’s not their preferred activity. “I write to make myself laugh,” said young boy in his podcast. “I do not write often. Writing isn’t one of my favorite things to do, but sometimes I’ll be in the mood and write some comics.” In addition to encouraging schools to participate, NWP and its partners sponsored various online events—many of which extend into this week and beyond. Figment.com launched a “Why I Write” contest, open through October 29, in which students can post essays, plays or any form their writing takes. A select few will be curated into an ebook to be published this fall by NWP, says Oh. Authors on Figment and NWP’s site, as well as reporters on the NYT Learning Network also headed online to share why they write in blog posts. While others took to the airwaves to chat about the topic. On Twitter, the tweets under #whyiwrite flew across the Web. They included one from author Anna David (@annadavid), who says she puts words down, “Because it’s cheaper than therapy.” Ultimately, the celebration appeared to be a success, perhaps spawning a new generation of writers—students who feel empowered to express themselves through stories, tweets, or longer form text. “Why I write? ‘Cause I like to,” said one sixth grader on his podcast at William E. Norris Elementary School “Letters, stories, texts, type, just like any other writer out there. But to me it has more, well, me in it. People like my stories, but not as much as I do.”

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Tendons connect muscles to bones. The tendons located on your hand's palm side are responsible for bending your fingers and are termed flexor tendons, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. A physical therapy routine for flexor tendon damage helps soften scar tissue, increases finger flexibility and improves overall hand functioning. Since not all exercises may be appropriate for your individual condition, consult with your doctor before starting any new exercise. Video of the Day Flexor tendon damage can result in loss of gripping capability. Including grip strengthening exercises as part of your physical therapy routine will help, according to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Sit upright in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Place your injured arm on your thigh for extra support, if needed. Place a tennis ball or similar-sized piece of putty into the palm of your injured hand. While sitting upright, gently and firmly squeeze the item. Hold the squeeze for eight seconds. Release the tension and relax 10 seconds. Repeat this exercise 10 times. Do this exercise throughout the day. Increase your hand's functioning by including pick-up exercises as part of your physical therapy routine for flexor tendon damage, according to Ohio State University Medical Center. Sit at a table, placing your injured arm in front of you. Place a tennis ball onto the table in front of you. Use your injured hand to pick up the ball. Hold the ball for six seconds. Release the grip and return the ball to the table. Relax your hand 10 seconds. Repeat this exercise five times. As you become stronger, pick up smaller items such as marbles, small rubber balls or baby carrots. Strengthen and stretch your finger muscles by including some crumbling exercises in your physical therapy routine for flexor tendon damage, according to Ohio State University Medical Center. Sit upright at a table. Place a piece of paper in front of you. Place your hand onto the edge of paper closest to you. Slowly and gently start crumbling up the paper until you form a ball. Hold the crumbled ball for eight seconds. Release the tension and relax 10 seconds. Do the exercise again with a fresh sheet of paper. Repeat this exercise 10 times. You need to increase your finger's ability to bend in order to properly rehabilitate your flexor tendon. Performing some gentle finger bends will accomplish this goal. Gently bend the fingers of your injured hand toward your palm. Do not bend your first knuckles while doing this maneuver. Hold this position for eight seconds. Slowly return your fingers to the original position. Open your fingers as wide as possible. Release this position and relax 10 seconds. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

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With an encoding such as EBCDIC being in existence already (and being 8 bit to boot), what was the need to invent yet another encoding and a 7 bit one at that? Why was ASCII invented and what problems with EBCDIC did supposed to solve? Development of ASCII started earlier than what you think (see for instance Eric Fischer's The Evolution of Character Codes, 1874-1968) and IBM 360 - for which EBCDIC was developed -- should have used ASCII if its development had not been so slow (see http://www.bobbemer.com/P-BIT.HTM) See also C. E. Mackenzie, Coded Character Sets, History and Development, ser. The systems programming series. Addison-Wesley, 1980. which describes the development of ASCII, EBCDIC and some other character sets with rationale for some of the assignations (things about chain printers and punched cards are fascinatingly obsolete but still have influence on what we use). One reason is because EBCDIC wasn't a good standard, at least depending on your purpose. For example, the letters aren't in two (upper and lower case) contiguous blocks - there are extra codes between the EBCDIC letter codes, some of them used for other valid characters. The ~ is between s, for example. This makes sorting a bit more difficult. Another is precisely because ASCII is a 7 bit code. Saving one bit per character was worthwhile at the time, and even six-bit character codes weren't uncommon. Even when 8 bits were used per character, the eighth was often a parity bit and not part of the character code.

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Por Ana Rita Carlos (DEM - cE3c). Congenital diseases are conditions present at or before birth and which can have environmental and/or genetic causes. Merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy type 1A (LAMA2-CMD or MDC1A) is the most common congenital muscular dystrophy. This disease is triggered by mutations in the LAMA2 gene, coding for laminin alpha-2 chain, a structural component of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Moreover, several muscle dystrophies are directly associated with mutations in ECM components or in components that bridge the ECM and the cell’s cytoskeleton, highlighting the importance of understanding ECM structure and roles in order to fully comprehend what separates tissue homeostasis from disease. The Development and Evolutionary Morphogenesis laboratory has recently uncovered that the onset of LAMA2-CMD occurs already in utero and is associated with a reduction in the muscle stem cell pool, as well as, a reduction in muscle growth, but how this onset is triggered remains to be determined. Several mechanisms have been found to be activated or dysfunctional in LAMA2-CMD, including inflammation, fibrosis, apoptosis and cell metabolism. But which mechanisms trigger the onset of this condition, remains to be determined. Identifying these mechanims may allow to define new therapeutic avenues for a currently incurable disease. Transmissão em direto no canal de YouTube do cE3c.

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Sensitivity of salmonid freshwater life history in western US streams to future climate conditions. Glob Chang Biol. 2013 Aug;19(8):2547-56 Authors: Beer WN, Anderson JJ We projected effects of mid-21st century climate on the early life growth of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss) in western United States streams. Air temperature and snowpack trends projected from observed 20th century trends were used to predict future seasonal stream temperatures. Fish growth from winter to summer was projected with temperature-dependent models of egg development and juvenile growth. Based on temperature data from 115 sites, by mid-21st century, the effects of climate change are projected to be mixed. Fish in warm-region streams that are currently cooled by snow melt will grow less, and fish in suboptimally cool streams will grow more. Relative to 20th century conditions, by mid-21st century juvenile salmonids’ weights are expected to be lower in the Columbia Basin and California Central Valley, but unchanged or greater in coastal and mountain streams. Because fish weight affects fish survival, the predicted changes in weight could impact population fitness depending on other factors such as density effects, food quality and quantity changes, habitat alterations, etc. The level of year-to-year variability in stream temperatures is high and our analysis suggests that identifying effects of climate change over the natural variability will be difficult except in a few streams. PMID: 23640715 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE] via pubmed: school of aquatic an… http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23640715?dopt=Abstract

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The FindLaw Legal Dictionary -- free access to over 8260 definitions of legal terms. Search for a definition or browse our legal glossaries. : one often in a position of authority who obligates himself or herself to act on behalf of another (as in managing money or property) and assumes a duty to act in good faith and with care, candor, and loyalty in fulfilling the obligation : one (as an agent) having a fiduciary duty to another see also fiduciary duty at duty, fiduciary relationship compare principal adj [Latin fiduciarius, from fiducia trust, transfer of a property on trust] 1 : of, relating to, or involving a confidence or trust [a guardian acting in his capacity] 2 : of or relating to a fiduciary or the position of a fiduciary [a bond] Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

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Image Credit: Bob Boz / Shutterstock The ISO definition of traceability concerns the ability to trace the history, application and location of that which is under consideration, and for products this can include the origin of materials and parts, the processing history and the distribution and location of the product after delivery. In a fisheries and agriculture context, traceability means being able to identify the origin (where it was harvested), every point it changed hands, what happened to it (processing, value adding, etc), what products came from it, and its distribution into the supply chain. A pandemic on the other hand is the spread of a disease over a wide geographic area. COVID-19 is a global pandemic affecting many countries. So what do they have in common? In almost every press conference on COVID-19 you would have heard the words “contact tracing.” According to the WHO, contact tracing is an intervention to contain the spread of a disease by identifying and monitoring all the people who have come in contact with an infected person. In traceability terms you are essentially tracing the origin of the disease, who it infected and how, where they have been and when, and who the infected persons have come into contact with since getting the infection. Much like food supply chains this can create a convoluted web of linkages as potentially infected people are contact traced. As each contact is traced, key pieces of information are recorded and maintained, much like Key Data Elements (KDEs) in supply chain traceability. This information can grow exponentially as more contacts are recorded which requires the need for good data/information management systems to be in place. In contact tracing it is important to have good digital systems to manage and share data in a timely manner with everyone that needs it – the difference could be life or death. Whereas in food traceability, seafood in particular, it could be the difference between determining whether a seafood product is Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) or non-IUU. We offered our services to the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS) to support any data management or contact tracing needs and were pleasantly surprised to learn that the MoHMS team had invested in a digital system that was about to go online. Fiji’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic will no doubt be strengthened with this system in place.

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The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is strongly committed to supporting research aimed at preventing and treating heart, lung, and blood diseases and conditions and sleep disorders. NHLBI-supported research has led to many advances in medical knowledge and care. However, many questions remain about various diseases and conditions, including atherosclerosis. The NHLBI continues to support research aimed at learning more about atherosclerosis and its related diseases. For example, NHLBI-supported research includes studies that: - Examine how genetics may play a role in causing atherosclerosis - Explore how nutritional and behavioral therapies can help treat coronary heart disease risk factors - Examine how inflammation and insulin resistance affect people who have P.A.D. - Explore the effects of fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids) on the body's arteries Much of this research depends on the willingness of volunteers to take part in clinical trials. Clinical trials test new ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat various diseases and conditions. For example, new treatments for a disease or condition (such as medicines, medical devices, surgeries, or procedures) are tested in volunteers who have the illness. Testing shows whether a treatment is safe and effective in humans before it is made available for widespread use. By taking part in a clinical trial, you can gain access to new treatments before they're widely available. You also will have the support of a team of health care providers, who will likely monitor your health closely. Even if you don't directly benefit from the results of a clinical trial, the information gathered can help others and add to scientific knowledge. If you volunteer for a clinical trial, the research will be explained to you in detail. You'll learn about treatments and tests you may receive, and the benefits and risks they may pose. You'll also be given a chance to ask questions about the research. This process is called informed consent. If you agree to take part in the trial, you'll be asked to sign an informed consent form. This form is not a contract. You have the right to withdraw from a study at any time, for any reason. Also, you have the right to learn about new risks or findings that emerge during the trial. For more information about clinical trials related to atherosclerosis and its related diseases, talk with your doctor. You also can visit the following Web sites to learn more about clinical research and to search for clinical trials: For more information about clinical trials for children, visit the NHLBI's Children and Clinical Studies Web page. What is atherosclerosis?05/22/2014 Describes how the build-up of plaque over time causes atherosclerosis which can lead to serious problems, including heart attack, stroke, or even death. Shows how in atherosclerosis, plaque builds up inside the arteries which can cause a heart attack. Explains that the main treatment for atherosclerosis is lifestyle changes, such as following a healthy diet, quitting smoking, and being physically active.

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Clinical scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and University College London are collaborating with pharmaceutical companies AbbVie, Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb and Roche to investigate the role of neurofilament light (NfL) chain in neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. NfL is a protein that provides structural support to nerve cells. It is naturally released into cerebrospinal fluid and blood and is increased in a wide range of nervous system diseases, thought to reflect active damage. However, relatively little is known about its structure and turnover in humans, limiting its potential use as a biomarker. The NfL Consortium, led by Randall Bateman, MD, of Washington University, and Ross Paterson, MRCP, PhD, of University College London, aims to better understand the structure and role of NfL across these different diseases. The consortium aims to understand how NfL is produced and cleared by the nervous system, and whether increased levels reflect increased rates of cell damage, cell production or failed brain clearance. They will use human stem cell models as well as human samples and tissues. “The potential for discovery of new findings of neurofilament light chain as a neurodegenerative biomarker is multiplied by academic and industry partners coming together and sharing knowledge and resources in a pre-competitive space,” Bateman said. “The NfL Consortium allows leading groups to accelerate research and speed informative clinical studies and development of treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.”

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What happens when your mobile phone dies? Which country is most likely to recycle? And do people repair their phones or just simply throw them away? We did the research to find out… Believe it or not, the humble smartphone puts enormous strain on our environment – from the moment they’re produced to when they’re disposed of to be buried in a huge pile of e-waste. That’s why we commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct a survey across six countries: USA, Germany, Russia, Mexico, South Korea and China. We wanted to find out what people look for in a smartphone, what their habits are – do they repair, who do they think should be responsible for recycling? And the findings surprised even us! Check it out. 1. Keeping up with the Jones’ is tiring! Most people think too many new phone models are being released. More than half of respondents surveyed think that mobile phone manufacturers release TOO MANY new models, and agree that they could live with changing their mobile phone models LESS often. 2. Who should recycle your phone when it dies: you or the company that produced it? What do you do if your phone dies? Does it sit in your draw, end up in a e-waste site in Ghana, or does it get recycled and reused? Nearly half of respondents surveyed in all countries think that mobile phone manufacturers are the MOST responsible for providing access to recycling to their customers. Wouldn’t it be cool if companies made it as easy as possible to recycle, from the way it’s designed, to collecting it for re-use? 3. *Nearly* everyone wants a mobile phone that lasts longer. This seems obvious. 4 in 5 respondents believe it is important for a new smartphone to be easily repaired if damaged. This rises as high as 95% in China, 94% in Mexico and 92% in South Korea. But with nearly three million metric tonnes of e-waste [PDF] generated from small IT products alone such as mobile phones, it still seems a LOT is going to waste! 4. China leads the world in getting their phones repaired! …Well, at least out of the six countries we surveyed! We found that respondents in China (66%) and Korea (64%) are more likely to have had their phones repaired, compared to those in the US (28%) and Germany (23%). 5. Hazardous chemicals in my smartphone? No thanks! I bet you didn’t know that many hazardous chemicals are used to make your smartphone. For instance, some hazardous chemicals that are used in the manufacturing processes, like benzene and n-hexane, are carcinogenic while others can cause various adverse health impacts. 4 in 5 respondents consider it important that a new smartphone is produced without using hazardous chemicals. So what does this all mean? It seems most people are sick of the way phones are so easily disposable and the way we are marketed a never ending cycle of new trends. But really, we just want to own a phone that lasts, is easily repairable, and can be recycled. What’s more, we don’t want it produced with nasty hazardous chemicals or disposed of in e-waste sites around the world. It’s time tech companies catch on. That’s why we’re helping bring together techies, designers, and people that love their gadgets together to demand a new way of thinking about our electronics. We need gadgets as innovative for the planet as they are for our lives… Chih An Lee is the Global IT Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia, based in Taipei

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The Metre Zone is a General Engineering Zone, where we will meet five engineers from five different areas of engineering. Engineers are more than Structural Engineers or Mechanical, more than Electrical Engineers or Civil; engineers aren’t defined by just one field. This zone will demonstrate the breadth of engineering as a discipline. The Metre Zone is named for the SI base unit for length, metre, m. The metre was defined in 1793 as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole. In the Metre Zone there are engineers building nuclear reactors, designing new underground stations in London, and trying to improve medical care in diseases such as cancer and aging. There are also engineers designing new parts for fold-up bicycles, and using electronics, software and hardware to design networks that help control traffic!

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5 Must-know facts about rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting about 1.5 million Americans that is not always easy to diagnosis. It is a disease where the body’s immune system attacks the joints of the hands, feet, wrists, elbows, knees and ankles causing inflammation resulting in swelling and pain. Overtime, it can damage cartilage causing joints to become unstable, loose, painful and deformed. Anyone with a family history or already has RA, needs to know the following 5 facts about RA in order for them to be better informed of this disease: 1. Rheumatoid arthritis is more than a disease of the joints RA is an autoimmune disease in which inflammation damages the lining of joints, tissues that surround joints (such as tendons), other connective tissue throughout the body and the surface of bones. It is one of more than 100 forms of arthritis affecting millions of Americans. It is not the same disease as osteoarthritis which is commonly called the “wear and tear” arthritis. RA can affect people of any age, including children, and may cause crippling disability that impairs a person’s ability to stay active and independent, and may shorten a person’s lifespan. 2. Blood tests alone will not diagnose rheumatoid arthritis To diagnose RA, it takes a combination of clinical history, laboratory tests, and imaging studies such as X-rays, MRI, or ultrasound. Common blood tests used to help with the diagnosis include those that measure nonspecific inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR or sed rate) or C-reactive protein (CRP). People who have RA will generally test positive for rheumatoid factor (RF) or seropositive, but up to a third of people with RA will test negative for RF or seronegative disease. Seropositive means that blood tests show the presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCPs), also called anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs). Anti-CCPs are antibodies produced against proteins in the body undergoing a molecular change in structure called citrullination. They are present in approximately 60 to 80 percent of people diagnosed with RA. Studies have found that, for many people, the antibodies precede the development of clinical symptoms by 5 to 10 years. If you have symptoms consistent with RA and a positive test for the antibody, an RA diagnosis is almost a certainty. Seronegative means that tests don’t show the presence of these antibodies in your blood. A person can have RA without being seropositive, but it is easier to meet the criteria if you are positive. 3. People with rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease Not only are joints affected by RA but also other internal organs. Because RA is a systemic disease can affect organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, or vascular system and it has been associated with heart failure, lung disease, eye disorders, fibromyalgia, depression, and more. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death among people with RA. Therefore, this makes it very important for those with RA to emphasize heart health by controlling their blood pressure, blood cholesterol, eating a heart-healthy diet, and getting regular exercise. 4. Regular exercise helps rheumatoid arthritis One way RA affects those with it is by causing pain, stiffness and a loss of range of motion. To combat immobility from occurring, special care must be taken to protect joints during an RA flareup by keeping physically active. Before settling on ways to keep moving, all RA patients should talk to their physician about the best exercise regimen for them. The best way to get in regular exercise is to engage in low impact activities such as swimming, walking, cycling, or yoga. These forms of movement can improve and maintain strength, flexibility, range of motion, and cardiovascular health. Studies have shown 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, five days a week, can boost mood and improve overall health and function. 5. The best treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is early and aggressive treatment Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive disease. If it is left unchecked or undiagnosed, it can cause permanent damage, disability, and dysfunction. When treatment is begun aggressively within three months of symptom onset, this is crucial for helping patient achieve remission. The problem however is that RA can take longer than three months to diagnose. Once diagnosed, immediate treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can help reduce RA symptoms and protect against damaging inflammation. Once a person goes in remission or the disease is under better control, it will be important for them to stay on treatment since RA is a lifelong incurable disease which requires constant treatment.

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Korup – An African Rainforest In the 1970’s the world was slowly waking up to the devastating levels of tropical deforestation. At that time, international wildlife conservation was focussed almost entirely on the protection of single species. Little attention was being paid to the larger picture of the total ecosystem and the importance of these natural places to the people who depend on them. In 1977, Phil Agland travelled to Cameroon with the intention of helping to create a programme of conservation that would try to address the central challenge of making rainforest conservation relevant to the lives of local people. An essential prerequisite was to be the making of a film that would focus international attention on the extraordinary biodiversity of tropical forests. Its purpose was to focus attention on one forest in particular – Korup. An ancient ‘refuge’ forest reserve on the border with Nigeria, known at that time to local people and a handful of research scientists, lead by Dr. J. Stephen Gartlan. Working in Korup was to prove a challenge. Not only had Agland not shot a film before, but Korup proved to be one of the wettest forests in the world, with almost continuous rain for 8 months. Filming entirely alone, Agland combined Korup with a summer job painting houses to pay for the film stock. The next five years was to be a process of painstaking accumulation of behavioural and ecological sequences, often filmed high in the canopy, pioneering such novel techniques as Image Intensified filming at night. The work led ultimately to the finished film, Korup: An African Rainforest that was to become Channel 4’s first natural history film, broadcast in November 1982. The film was chosen to spearhead WWF’s 1982 Campaign to ‘Save the World’s Rainforests’ and the Earthlife Foundation’s Campaign to support the designation of Korup as a National Park, supported by a programme of sustainable development in the designated buffer zone adjacent to the Park. An official showing of the film to the British Government in 1986, in the presence of Sir Crispin Tickell, head of the ODA, led directly to a grant of £440,000 to the Korup project – the first such Government grant to rainforest conservation. This grant was followed by grants from the United States, the European Union, and the Dutch and German Governments and a multi-million dollar programme administered by WWF. Korup was officially declared Cameroun’s first Rainforest National Park in November 1986. As of 2012, Korup continues to receive significant international funding and remains the focus of a multi-national sustainable development programme. Fragile Earth: A series of six programmes including the award winning Siarau and Selva Verde. Fragile Earth Retrospective Baka: People of the Rainforest Baka: Komba’s Forest Baka: Growing Up Follow-up film: Baka: A Cry from the Rainforest http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0192w60 Beyond the Clouds Spirits, Ghosts and Demons A French Affair Love and Death in Shanghai Director: Phil Agland Producers: Phil Agland and Michael Rosenberg Partridge Films Limited By Jason Peters

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Although it’s not a particularly well-known illness, polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, is very serious and in some situations may prove fatal. The disease involves the development of non-cancerous cysts within the kidneys, causing them to grow larger and, in time, become significantly less functional. These cysts, although not cancerous, can become filled with liquid and grow to the point where the kidneys no longer function as they should. Failure to treat PKD can lead to cysts developing in other parts of the body, such as the liver. However, this isn’t the only serious complication presented by polycystic kidney disease; in fact, there are a number of complications that can lead to health decline and even death. If you or someone you know has developed PKD, it’s important you’re aware of these complications and their consequences. The development of polycystic kidney disease can lead directly to a spike in blood pressure. In time, higher blood pressure could result in the worsening of kidney damage in addition to the emergence of other serious side effects, including heart disease and stroke. In essence, polycystic kidney disease presents the patient with a wide variety of significant health challenges. Together, these challenges threaten to rob the patient of his or her physical and mental well-being. Should you or someone you know be diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, it’s critical that the patient be regularly monitored for high blood pressure.

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Filled with fun facts and 100 full-color, beautiful, and scientifically accurate illustrations, this nature guide will inspire kids to go outdoors and discover the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest. Did you know that baby raccoons are smaller than a bar of soap? Or that salmon smell using little pits in the front of their eyes? Curious Kids Nature Guide is filled with full-color illustrations and fun facts about the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest, encouraging kids to discover and explore nature in their own backyards and beyond. Organized by habitat--forest, beach, fresh water, and backyards and urban parks--this book will teach kids about some of the most intriguing flora, fauna, and natural phenomena of the region while also sharing ecological lessons. ““If you have a little kid with big curiosity…about the amazing array of critters and plants sharing our lush NW environment, [this book] will likely provide answers to his or her questions and spark many more.” —Seattle’s Child”

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"Men and Wheat" One of the most popular muralists of the New Deal Murals, Joe Jones, won this 1939 mural commission with a design of men on a wheat farm. However, as was common across the country, Jones and the local postmaster disagreed on the focus of the painting. The postmaster thought a wheat-farming scene was more appropriate for western Kansas where wheat was grown, than the Northeast where his post office was located and wheat wasn't a common crop. As a compromise, far in the background are some scenes of other, more general farming. Jones said he painted the mural for the craftsmen and farmers who knew the joy of building something with their hands from start to finish, a skill few people knew in the 1930s. Jones said of his piece: "Aside from the importance of wheat to Kansas my interest was in portraying man at work man creating." Photograph courtesy of the Public Buildings Service, General Services Administration.

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1. Are there any laws about collecting seed from wild plants? All plants, and their seeds, are protected by law when they grow on a reserve. Permission is required from the manager of the reserve to collect seed. To collect seed on private land, contact the owner to seek permission. 2. How do I object to planning applications which I think will destroy populations of indigenous plants? Contact your local council. Ask for, or download, a copy of the District Plan. These are the rules that councils follow in order to assess proposals for development. Is the proposal in line with the District Plan? Make a submission and, if you have time, ask to be heard in person when there is a hearing. It is also a good idea to read the Regional Policy Statement which is a document which provides local councils with environmental guidance for writing District Plans. 3. Am I allowed to chop down a native tree in my back garden? Rules for removal of trees on private property are guided by rules and policies in the District Plan. Contact your local council to find out what the tree protection rules are for your area. The rules are for protecting significant trees from damage and needless removal. 4. Are indigenous plants legally protected? In New Zealand plants are only protected when they occur on land which is legally protected. This includes all parks and reserves managed by the Department of Conservation and areas protected with private covenants such as those registered with the QEII National Trust. 5. Can I post seed of indigenous plants to my friends overseas? While it is legal to post seeds out of New Zealand they may not be allowed into the overseas country so it is essential you check with the customs authority of that country (most will have websites). The only exception to this are plants listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Legislation. These plants are either banned totally from export or require a certificate to verify they are not collected from the wild. Orchids and tree ferns are listed for New Zealand. Go to the full list.

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By Dean Regas Despite the muscles, myths and machismo, the constellation Hercules is not very easy to find in the night sky. The brightest stars that make up Hercules are third magnitude stars - dimmer than all the stars in the Big Dipper. Let's face it, he's not very bright. IF YOU GO What: Transit of Venus, the first time the planet will cross the sun's disc since 1882. Where: Ault Park Pavilion area, Mount Lookout When: 6-7:30 a.m. Tuesday Sponsor: The Cincinnati Observatory and the Cincinnati Park Board Also: Friends of the Observatory will set up several instruments to view the event. The Observatory will offer refreshments and sell safe viewing glasses for $3. Information: (513) 321-5186; www.cincinnatiobservatory.org. But locating Hercules in the evening sky can be a rewarding search. Not only will you discover an ancient constellation, but you can learn an entire section of the sky. You can find Hercules about halfway up in the eastern sky at 10 p.m. His most recognizable stars form a four-sided figure, or keystone shape. From the keystone, two arms and two legs splay out in all directions making the constellation look more like a spider than a he-man. Hercules is said to be kneeling. Unfortunately for him (and our imagination), he is kneeling upside-down. The ancient Sumerians, who charted the heavens thousands of years ago, thought this kneeling figure represented Gilgamesh, their greatest superhero. The epic of Gilgamesh the warrior is one of the oldest surviving texts. In one chapter, Gilgamesh defeated a fierce she-dragon named Tiamat. He then sliced her massive body in two and created the sky with one half and the Earth with the other half. Hercules or Herakles The Greeks called him Herakles. At eight months of age, he killed two serpents that crawled into his nursery. He was schooled by the greatest teacher in Greece, Chiron the centaur, who can be seen in the constellation Sagittarius. As an adult, Herakles had to complete twelve labors as punishment for killing his first wife. The goddess Hera, his sworn enemy, made sure they were the most impossible things imaginable. Two of the labors appear in the night sky to the west of Herakles. The first was to slay the terrible Nemean Lion represented by the constellation Leo, which appears in the western sky after sunset above Jupiter - the brightest star like object in the sky right now. You can easily identify Herakles in paintings thanks to his lion skin wrap. Another labor involved slaying fierce, nine-headed Hydra and an ankle-biting crab (represented by the constellations Hydra and Cancer). These two creatures, along with Leo, form the Herakles pet cemetery of the sky. Herakles eventually completed the twelve labors and achieved his freedom and immortality in the stars. The unique moral became very popular in ancient Greece: Man can overcome all obstacles, even those thrown down from the gods themselves. Ras Algethi and M 13 The brightest star in Hercules is called Ras Algethi, Arabic for "Head of the Kneeler." The star is a red supergiant 150 times the diameter of our sun. Like most red supergiants, Ras Algethi's brightness varies significantly as it enters the final stage of its life. Aim a small telescope at Ras Algethi and you will discover another hidden secret: it is two stars in one. A small greenish companion slowly orbits the main red star. The most interesting feature in the figure of Hercules is a fuzzy area in the sky called M 13, a globular cluster of around 300,000 stars which is the brightest of its kind in the northern skies. The M stands for Charles Messier who catalogued over 100 clusters, nebulae and galaxies in the 18th century. You can see M 13 with the naked eye but try viewing it through some binoculars to achieve a sparkling effect. It is located inside the keystone on Hercules' left hip. Identifying Hercules may not be a Herculean task, but make it one of your labors this summer to visit him in the evening sky. Dean Regas is the Outreach Astronomer at the Cincinnati Observatory Center. Email: email@example.com Tada! Playhouse takes a bow Local theater experts predict Tony winners Tony bestows recognition Award commends Playhouse Past Regional Tony winners ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Hercules may be heavenly, but he's not very bright May Festival hits a high note with attendance Movies may sway voters, some say Advertisers cringe at 'Father of Pride' SEEN: BENEFITS AND BASHES Greater Cincinnati benefits Get to it: A guide to help make your day

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Aptly known as the ‘Land of kings’, Rajasthan is also the largest state in the Republic of India. Formerly known as Rajputana, Rajasthan was divided into various regions, which were ruled by various clans, the notable clans include Meenas, Gurjars, Rajputs and Jats which were responsible for the building of the state of Rajasthan, and were responsible for building various historical monuments which in turn provided the rich cultural heritage found in the state. The monuments of Prime importance are the various hill forts, mostly based in the Aravalli Mountain Range, and built between the 5th century AD and 17th – 18th century AD. The Hill forts of Rajasthan are long standing masterpieces of architecture and have housed the rich cultural heritage of the Princely Clans that built them. It’s really hard to cover all the hill forts in the state but the ones mentioned below are guaranteed to keep you spell bound for months to come. 1. Chittorgarh Fort The largest fort in India, it was constructed in the 7th century AD by the Mauryans and was named after the Maurya Ruler Chitrangada Mori. It was later ruled by the Sisodiya clan of Rajputs. In the year 1567, Emperor Akbar invaded and took siege of the place and the fort was finally abandoned in 1568, it lies at a height of 590.06 ft and spans across an area of 691.09 acres. Chittorgarh was the former capital of Mewar before Maharaja Udai Singh II left the fort following his defeat at the hands of Akbar and founded a more secure, Udaipur as the capital of Mewar in 1559. The fort has a total of 7 gates, namely Pandan Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ganesh Pol, Jodla Pol, Laxman Pol and the largest gate, the Ram Pol. The fort is exemplary of the marvellous architecture of the Maurya period. The fort also houses various historical monuments like the Vijay stambh, Kirti Stambh, Fatah Prakash palace, Rana Kumbha palace, Gaumukh reservoir and Padmini’s palace. Apart from these, the fort also houses various temples dedicated to the various Hindu deities. The fort is reminiscent of the rich culture of Rajasthan which is too vast to be contained in a small article like this and is a “must visit” tourist attraction in Rajasthan. 2. Amer Fort Also known as Amber Fort is located in the Amer village, 11 kilometres away from the city of Jaipur. It was built in 1592 AD on the remnants of an earlier structure by Maharaja Man Singh of the Kachwaha Rajput clan and was expanded by his descendant Maharaja Jai Singh I. The structure underwent numerous improvements for the next 150 years till in 1727, the then ruler Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who founded the new Capital city of Jaipur. This massive fort has a total of 4 courtyards, the 1st courtyard , also known as the ‘Jaleb Chowk’, which was the place for soldiers to assemble, and various parades were held here, the 1st courtyard also houses an elegant temple called the Shila Mata temple, and is still visited by millions. The 2nd courtyard was the place where the ‘Diwan-Ai-Aam’ or the public assemblies were held, it contains a raised platform with 27 colonnades, each of which mount elephant shaped galleries above them. The 3rd courtyard houses the private quarters of the Maharajas, the Mughal Gardens, the Tripolia gate, the Lion gate and the Sheesha mahal or the mirror palace and is an example of the awe-inspiring architecture from the Rajput and Mughal period, the 4th courtyard was the place where the Queen, courtesans and other women lived. The Amer fort is one of the top tourist attractions in Rajasthan, which is frequented by a whopping 5000 visitors per day and houses the rich cultural flamboyancy and the marvellous architectural competence of the Rajput rulers of Rajasthan. 3. Mehrangarh Fort The 15th Rathore Rajput ruler Maharaja Rao Jodha Singh, who realised that the 1000 years old Mandore Fort was no longer a secure location, decided to move the capital of Marwar to Jodhpur and thus in 1459 laid the foundations of this impregnable Citadel of Mehrangarh. The fort is situated 400 feet above the city of Jodhpur, surrounded by thick impregnable walls; the fort houses various palaces and courtyards which are a fine example of Rajputana style of architecture. The fort has 7 gates, 4 of which have real historical importance as they were built by the rulers to celebrate the clan’s various victories. There are 4 notable period rooms in the fort namely, Moti Mahal – The Pearl Palace, Sheesha Mahal – The Hall Of Mirrors, Phool Mahal – The Palace Of Flowers and Takhat Vilas – Maharaja Takhat Singh’s Chamber. Apart from these, the fort also has a museum which has various galleries which display various artefacts, an armoury and numerous paintings of the Rathore rulers and their various Conquests. One of the major attractions in the fort is the Chamunda Mataji Temple, which is till date the royal family’s adopted goddess, the Idol was brought by Rao Jodha from the old capital of Mandore and is worshipped by most of the citizens of Jodhpur. Mehrangarh Fort is one of the prime tourist attractions in the marvellous city of Jodhpur. Although it is not among forts of Rajasthan in the UNESCO world heritage list, the rich culture, the marvellous architecture and the historic importance that it houses cannot be avoided. 4. Kumbhalgarh Fort Built in the 15th century AD by Rana Kumbha and was enlarged throughout the 19th century, was also the birthplace of Maharana Pratap. The fort is built 1100 meters above sea level and is situated 82 kilometres northwest from the city of Udaipur; it’s the second most important Fort for the Mewar rulers after Chittorgarh. The perimeter of the wall that surrounds the fort extends to 36 kilometres and is 15 -25 feet thick making it the second largest wall in Asia after the Great Wall of China. The fort contains over 360 temples within its walls. It was occupied by the Sisodiya Rajput family till the late 19th century and is now open to public as a tourist attraction. 5. Jaigah fort Located 400 Feet above the Amer fort, on a hill top named the ‘Cheel ka teela’ or the hill of eagles, was built by the Kachwaha Rajput ruler Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in the year 1726. Fashioned in order to protect the Amer Fort and was named after the king, the structure is similar in design to the Amer fort, the palace complex comprises of 4 courtyards, Laxmi Vilas, Lalit Mandir, Vilas Mandir and Aram Mandir and has a well tended garden which were the residence of the royal family for many years. The Subhat niwas was the assembly hall of the warriors; the fort also had an armoury, a cannon foundry and a museum which hold many artefacts and paintings which belong to the royal family, there are 2 temples in the fort; the Ram Harihar temple of 10th century vintage and the Kal bhairav temple of the 12th century vintage. The fort has an impressively designed water harvesting system over a 4 kilometre distance, the water was stored in 3 underground reservoirs the largest of which can hold upto 6 million gallons of water. One of the prime artefacts housed by the Citadel is the world’s largest cannon on wheels, the Jaivana cannon, which was manufactured in 1720 at the foundry located in the fort itself. Although never fired in battle, was only test fired once with a charge of 100 kilograms of gunpowder and a 50 kilogram cannonball, which is said to have covered a distance of 35 kilometres in the direction of the town of Chaksu, and the impact as said by many, was powerful enough to create a depression causing the creation of a pond which can be seen today as well. 6. Ranthambore fort Founded in the 944 AD by the Nagil jats, The Jat king Raja Sajraj Veer Singh Nagil the then ruler of Ranthambore, in order to protect his kingdom from invaders, raised the citadel 700 feet above the surrounding plain to make the area suitable for defence. The fort was occupied and re-occupied by the Nagil jats till the rule passed in the hands of the Chauhans and then by the Sultans in 1301. The land was ruled by various Rulers of different regions including the Mewar Rajputs, Sultan Bahadur Shah till the Mughal invasion of Akbar and subsequently passed in the hands of the Kachwaha Rajput family and the surrounding areas became hunting grounds for the royal family until the independence of India in 1947. The walls of the fort surround an area of around 4 kilometres, mines created to obtain the stone for making this fort were later turned into ponds for water storage and the fort also has various temples that can be dated back to the 12th century. A must see site for all people who visit Ranthambore. 7. Jaisalmer fort Jaisalmer fort was built in the year 1156 AD by the Bhati Rajput king Rao Jaisal and thus was given the name Jaisalmer, situated on the Trikuta hill in the stretches of the Thar Desert has massive yellow sandstone walls, hence giving the Citadel the nickname ‘Sonar Quila’ or the Golden Fort. The defences of the fort contain 99 bastions, the major attraction in this fort include The Raj Mahal (the royal palace), Jain Temples, Lakshminath Temple and the 4 massive gateways. At one point of time, the entire population of the city lived inside the fort. The fort enshrines various merchant havelis or houses, built by the wealthy merchants of Rajasthan, the havelis can contain many floors and countless rooms, with decorated windows known as jharokhas, doors and balconies. Most of the Havelis have been turned into museums but a few are still housed by the descendants of the Merchants that built them in the first place. The fort also has an effective drainage system that allows easy drainage of rainwater from the fort in all four directions; various eateries including French, Italian and Native cuisines are also worth checking out. The fort is considered to be the most breath taking monuments in human history. 8. Gagron Fort The foundations of the fort was laid in the 7th century AD and was completed in the 14th century AD by king Bijaldev of the Pramara dynasty; it is surrounded by the rivers Ahu, Kali and Sindh on three sides, behind the fort are forests and the Mukundarrah Range of hills giving the fort a one of a kind location. It has been a witness to many battles and is reminiscent of the heroic Valor and martyrdom of Rajputs of the Khichi Chauhan Clan who stood valiantly against the Mandu ruler Hosheng Shah. It is situated 12 kilometres from the city of Jhalawar; right outside the fort lays the Dargah of Sufi saint Mittheshah, where a splendid fair is held every year during the month of Moharram. Inside the fort is a temple dedicated to the Hindu deities Shiva, Ganesha and Durga. Rajasthan being the land of kings has numerous forts and palaces, but the aforementioned places are the ones which you might find the most mesmerising. The best time to go on a trip to Rajasthan is between October till the end of February, with great weather to roam about and experience the pomp and splendour of this culturally rich State, we can assure you that you will never forget your visit to these great tourist spots and count your visit among your most cherished memories.

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The Basics of Print Fine art printmaking involves the creation of a master plate from which multiple images are made. Simply put, the artist chooses a surface to be the plate. This could be linoleum, styrofoam, metal, cardboard, stone or any one of a number of materials. Then the artist prepares the printing plate by cutting, etching or drawing an image onto the plate. Ink is applied (in a variety of ways) and paper is pressed onto the plate either by hand or by way of a hand-run printing press. The finished print is pulled from the plate. Often the first three or four prints of are different than the rest of the edition. These first prints are called artist’s proofs. The number of prints pulled from one plate is called an edition. Once a certain number of prints are pulled, the plate is destroyed so that more prints won’t be printed later, thus ensuring the value of the edition. At the bottom of a print are two to three things always written in pencil. On the left is a number that appears as a fraction (e.g. 6/25), this means that the print is number six of a total of twenty five prints pulled from one plate. This number excludes the artist proofs which are designated with an A/P. In the centre of the bottom of the print is the title (if any). At the bottom right, is the artist’s name and sometimes a date. There are four main types of printmaking: This is printing from a raised surface. Relief printing plates are made from flat sheets of material such as wood, linoleum, metal, styrofoam etc. After drawing a picture on the surface, the artist uses tools to cut away the areas that will not print. A roller – called a brayer – is used to spread ink on the plate. A sheet of paper is placed on top of the plate and the image is transferred by rubbing with the hand or a block of wood, or by being run through a printing press. The completed print is a mirror image of the original plate. Lithography is the art of printing from a flat stone (limestone) or metal plate by a method based on the simple fact that grease attracts grease as it repels water. A design or image is drawn on the surface with a greasy material – grease crayon, pencil or ink – and then water and printing ink are applied. The greasy parts absorb the ink and the wet parts do not. Acids are often used with this type of printmaking to etch the stone and prevent grease from traveling where it should not. Lithography is a process still used by modern printers. Magazines, posters, newspapers and other commercially printed materials are printed with a lithographic process sometimes called off-set printing. This describes prints that are made by cutting the picture into the surface of the printing plate. Using a sharp V-shaped tool – called a burin – the printmaker gouges the lines of an image into the surface of a smooth polished sheet of metal or in some cases a piece of plexiglass. To make a print, ink is pushed into the lines of the design. The surface is then wiped clean so that the only areas with ink are the lines. A sheet of paper which has been soaked in water is then placed on the plate which is run through a printing press. The paper is literally forced into the small lines that have been cut into the plate. A variation of this technique is known as etching. With etching, acids are used to eat into the metal plate. Serigraph or Silkscreen Sometimes called silk screening, serigraphy (seri means silk) is a type of stencil printing. A stencil is fastened to a sheet of silk which is tightly stretched across a wooden frame. Areas of the silk are “blocked out” using a light sensitive screen filler. The screen is then “burned” and the area protected by the stencil are washed. Then the frame is placed against the material to be printed. A squeegee is used to push the ink through the open areas onto the material or paper below.

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Treatments for COVID-19 continue to advance and increase patient’s chances of survival. But what is less known is the long-term effects that patients may experience even after they recover from the illness. "That’s a relatively new recognition, that recovery from COVID may not be a rapid return to one’s previous state of health," said Dr. Lory Wiviott, Chair of Medicine and a practicing infectious disease doctor in San Francisco. Dr. Wiviott said on KCBS Radio’s "Ask An Expert" early Wednesday. "I would still be optimistic that many individuals will return to their previous state of health, but it may not be in weeks or even a few months, it may take longer," he said. Because the coronavirus only emerged in the U.S. this year, it is still too early to know whether patients who survive will still be impacted years down the line. However, Dr. Wiviott said there are three areas of concern. The first is ongoing fatigue well after the virus has passed from someone’s system. Many patients who get sick have reported that they still feel fatigued months after other symptoms such as fever have passed, and they have trouble returning to regular activities or exercise routines. Damage to the lungs is another concern with any respiratory illness. Dr. Wiviott explained it is common for people to experience temporary and, in rare cases, permanent loss of lung function after a pneumonia such as COVID-19. It is still unclear whether the virus can have other long-term impacts. "There are myriad other organ systems involved by COVID," said Dr. Wiviott, who believes it is possible patients could experience long-term cognitive or cardiac damage. The virus has been observed to cause mild carditis or inflammation, which can also impact a patient’s ability to be active and get exercise. "We don’t have the complete arc of this because of the relative newness," he said, reiterating that even as treatments improve the health impact of COVID-19 can be very serious.

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Summary: If you are trying to learn acting by yourself. So you can do these things to learn the basics of acting and it can help you in becoming a decent actor. But to become professional you need to attend acting classes. Acting is not something that you get overnight. It takes regular efforts, discipline, and experience to improve as an actor. If you want to learn acting on their own you will need to follow certain tips: Things you needed the most to start learn Acting - Watch Television and Films Watching great performances is one of the best ways to learn acting. For this, try to watch all genres and different types of videos and movies as acting does not come with restrictions or limitations. So try to learn from what you see, if you can watch mime videos then it will be very useful. - Read Plays and Screenplays Find an Act, Plays, or Screenplays whatever you want to read. This will help you to understand how characters work and allow you to analyze the material and it helps you to understand how to portray characters from a page to stage or in front of a camera. - Read Books about Acting Books can’t teach you how to act, but it might give you interesting ideas and tips that you can use to improve your current skills. You can find many books that can help you learn unique ways to audition, to perform, and to get into character. One of the best authors is Stanislavski. - Start Analyzing your Real World In the present world, everybody is acting so start analyzing people and situations, go to the mall or park, watch them, learn from them. Find an interesting face or situation and create a scene about what’s happening. How to practice Acting of your own - Learn from Watching This is the best way to start your acting practice, by analyzing videos with sound and watching it again without the sound. In mute keep your eye on the actors and their performances, body language, reactions, emotions, etc. Through this, you can observe the actual performance of actors without getting distracted by the plot. - Read & Memorise Monologues and Short Scenes Go over Monologue or Scenes, read it, break it down and know where you are, who you are talking to, who you are, what you need, etc. Do loud cold reading like you are performing, you need to practice Monologue frequently and must be able to memorize a phrase up to a page or two. Mastering the ability to memorize lines efficiently is the first and basic need of every actor. - Work on your Range of Emotions After practicing and memorizing your Monologue try to perform with a variety of short dialogs in front of a mirror. Write a list of emotions like happiness, sorrow, hurt, anger, sadness, love, etc. and try to act in every emotional state while performing your monologue, as well as check your performance to see how versatile you can be. - Record yourself with a Video Camera Set up a camera and Record yourself while acting out your monologue. This can be a good exercise to identify your mistakes, and you can easily pinpoint areas where your acting is lacking. Watching yourself and taking notes on what you are doing write down the areas where you want to improve. Then go back and try it again. Things you should work on while learning Acting - Read Monologue as much as you can improve your memory and try to remember every Monologue. - Improve your observation power and try to feel the character you wish to act. - Get command over the language, work over your voice, and dialog delivery. - Work on your body language, gestures, and movements. - Learn to improvise, try to develop your unique skills. - Work on your expression and eye contact. To Practice Acting from Home, is not the guaranteed way to become a successful actor. Acting is a performing art form that is largely dependent on relating to others. That is why I urge you to find a good acting class and be a part of it because you cannot get much progress from self-study. When you are starting to learn your acting, training with professionals is important because being witnessed by others, and getting feedback is essential to your acting development. Barry John Acting Studio (BJAS) is the best place to learn acting from a professional to a basic level. They offer different courses according to your skill type. They will give you the theoretical and practical knowledge you lack. They inspire you to face the camera with confidence.

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Can earthquakes write music? Using seismograms and music score sheets, students record the earth’s movements to create Earthquake Symphonies. Students listen to and analysis the music of Beethoven’s Eroica and how it relates to the movement of the earth. Students will gain an understanding of music’s relationship to the American, French and Russian revolutions. Students will also gain knowledge that music has changed over the last 200 years as a result of a musical revolution. Through the use of music, students will make connections with the historical events in Colonial America and Europe during the early 19th century. Using the music of Sousa and Tchaikovsky, students will understand how music can become a patriotic symbol and help depict historical events. Students deepen their understanding of the political and emotional events of the War of 1812 through the music of Tchaikovsky. Students will learn how different instruments are used for expressing a mood and illustrating events in history. Students will write a response to the music that informs about their own understanding of both the instrumentation and the important events of history. This integrated lesson, focusing on United States History, incorporates learning about the Wild West and the western outlaw Billy the Kid through the music of Aaron Copland. The lesson provides musical reflection and each movement of Copland’s ballet Billy the Kid work and opportunity to experience deep listening for the elements of Dynamics, Articulation, Rhythm and Tempo (DART). This lesson will contrast Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring (classical) and Stephane Furic's Crossing Brooklyn Ferry (jazz), and the role the poems Crossing Brooklyn Ferry by Walt Whitman and The Bridge by Hart Crane, bring to the music. The lesson helps the students learn to compare and contrast their current life with the past. It is designed to help them learn to more thoughtfully listen to a composer's piece and write a descriptive paragraph of their interpretation. After exploring nature and country life through literature, poetry, visual art, science and social science, young children will explore feelings about nature by responding with movement to Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Opus 68, known as Pastoral Symphony, or Recollections of Country Life. By listening to the words of Beethoven (from documented source materials), students will become familiar with his feelings and his desire to express these feelings through his Symphony No. 6. In this lesson, students are introduced to spirituals - songs created and sang by enslaved African Americans for many reasons including: expressing values, a source of inspiration and motivation, an expression of protest and coded communication. Students will listen to spirituals and sing a spiritual, then identify characteristics of spirituals. Students will decode a spiritual. Students listen critically to two distinct compositions by composer Aaron Copland to help them connect with their own family's traditions and cultures. Through interviews, art and writing, students will gain a better understanding of their own heritage. In the years following World War I, American composers like Ferde Grofé (1892 – 1972) sought new models of composition to authentically capture the American musical identity. The Grand Canyon Suite (1931) by Grofé reflects a strain of American composition in the 1930's where orchestral works depicted scenes of American life in a modern world. Inspired by the grandeur of the Grand Canyon, Grofé paints a musical impression of a day in the canyon for the listener, translating the beauty of nature into a tangible art form.

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Scientific research focuses on solving problems and pursues a step by step logical, organized, and rigorous method to identify the problems, gather data, analyze them, and draw valid conclusions therefrom. Because of the rigorous way in which it is done, scientific research provides empirical and objective results which also have the characteristic of generalizability. Point of discussion Think from the angle of a researcher; discuss and generate sufficient number of arguments in favor or against the following statement: In order to get exact and error free results, a researcher should conduct investigations that are 100% scientific. Qundeel.com is receiving lot request about GDB solution for spring 2013 due to mid term examination. Qundeel.com management has decided to provide research method GDB solution for idea only by keeping in view all university terms. The main objective of this situation based learning Graded Discussion Board was to enable the students to have an understanding of Scientific Research and its application. During evaluation it was found that, overall almost all students have participated in this GDB. Only those students who were having the clear understanding towards these concepts, therefore have got excellent marks. There are many students who misunderstood the concept and attempted it in a generic way; therefore awarded marks accordingly. At the same time it was found that many of the students also copied from different blogs, internet pages, from other students and some other sources. As a result, they have got “Zero” marks. It is important to note that most of these sources misguided you as well as provided you the wrong solution of GDB. So, it is better to use your own skill, knowledge and keep away from all cheating links especially from different VU blogs. Please note that students who have fully copied from the above mentioned links; have been mostly graded as zero. Students who have applied their own skills and creativity by confining themselves in the case; got good marks. I really appreciate the efforts, eagerness, curiosity and commitment of all those students who attempted this discussion seriously with their own understanding. In the end, you are advised to watch all the video lectures on regular basis before attempting any activity. Furthermore you will be strongly discouraged if you will post any copied material from any source like different blogs available on internet, handouts and other helping material. You may take help from these sources but you are not supposed to copy the same material in your assignments and GDBs; as the main purpose of any assignment/GDB is to understand the basic concepts about the particular topic rather than copying it from the websites. GDB Solution by Qundeel.com It all depends on in which area researcher is conducting research. If a research is related to physical sciences, it is possible to conduct 100% scientific investigation because in physical sciences no feelings, emotions, or attitudes are included. Just as in the physical sciences, an explanation at one level (such as, for example, explanation of the behavior of gases in terms of pressure and temperature) can be correct and informative even when the phenomena can also be explained at a “deeper” level (as when the behavior of gases is explained in terms of molecular motion). - In the management and behavioral areas, it is not always possible to conduct investigations that are 100% scientific, it is not like the physical sciences, and the results obtained will not be exact and error-free. This is because of the difficulties encountered in the measurement and collection of data in the subjective areas of feelings, emotions, attitudes, and perceptions. Due to the nature of the subject matter of the social sciences, it is rather very difficult to apply the scientific method of research rigorously and that is why the predictions made by the social researchers are not as dependable as the predictions made by the natural scientists. You may also like: - Dare to Ask Mian Aamir Part 9 all about VU… - MGT619 Final Project proposal Problem related to Objectives - MGT619 comments dissertation research proposal Fall 2017 - MGT703-Strategic Management GDB No 1,2017 - STAT730 Advanced Research Methods Assignment #3 due date 6 Feb… - Impact of Authentic leadership on Psychological Capital of Followers; Mediating… - AIOU B.ED Research Project Writing Service - HRM619,MGT619,MKT619 Project Research Proposal Writing

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The video commons The commons is the collected body of creative artwork and knowledge shared and made freely available for others to use. Video commons is the unchartered part of the commons that concerns animations, films, and other videos. Preliminary research shows there are around 19 million videos freely available in the video commons. Mapping the commons We map the video commons by creating and publishing an index of freely available videos. In the process op mapping, we identify provenance and license information of these videos. By use of our index, this information becomes easily accessible and easy to use. Supporting the video commons We develop algorithms for video fingerprinting and support the process of standardisation of fingerprint algorithms and formats. By adding the fingerprints to our index of the video commons, we create a whitelist of known openly licensed videos. This whitelist can inform and provide clarity on videos in the commons. Standardising Persistent Reproducible Identifiers A strong commons needs a way to reconnect media to provenance information. Often when files are shared outside the original publication context its links to the original creator are lost. A call for standardising shared persistent reproducible identfiers, a meeting of minds, and a white paper on persistent reproducible identifiers we work towards a stronger commons and a stronger Internet.

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Healthy eating tips: Hungry kids will eat Tips for helping kids eat healthy Getting kids to eat healthily is so simple I don't know why people struggle with it. First of all, no snacks between meals or close to dinner times. They need to be hungry. Being hungry is not a bad thing, in fact many studies are now showing that it is beneficial for lots of reasons. Don't give children orange juice or milk with their dinner. Insist they finish their dinner or they won't get anything else. Never let them have pudding if they haven't finished, even if your other kids do have pudding. Bad luck for them. Don't let them smother their with tomato sauce or anything like that. Never back down. Children need to know that when their parents say something, they mean it. This makes them feel happier and more secure. Fussy kids grow in to fussy adults. The habits they form as kids stay with them for the rest of their lives. As parents we make many choices for our kids, and decide what is right for them, whether they like it or not. That is called good parenting. Being indulgent and letting them have their way is bad parenting. Having hungry kids at the dinner table is a big part of the equation. This is so simple it's ridiculous, but it seems to do it. I think it is because of the rise of the indulgent parent, which is creating a great crowd of entitled spoilt brats. View all contributions

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Reading: Genesis 46 Jacob realises he must go to Egypt due to the famine, but it is hard to leave the Promised Land. The land is evidence of God’s blessings and His faithfulness to all His covenant promises. Must Jacob now leave the inheritance? The Lord understands Jacob’s struggle and assures him in a vision: “do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again” (vs 3,4). Jacob accepts that God wants him to move to Egypt. So he leaves, together with the whole family Chapter 46 records the names of all the males to emphasise the significance of the move to Egypt. Furthermore it shows that only seventy people went. This later helps to understand the miracle that from 70 persons a great nation is born in a short time (Exodus 1:20). This thought reveals to us another important reason why God sends the famine: namely to move Jacob’s entire family to Egypt. God wants the nation of Israel, the church, to be “born” in Egypt and so inherit the Promised Land through a very special history. Through this history God will reveal His power and majesty not only to Israel, but also to Egypt and the surrounding nations by rescuing Israel from Egypt (see Joshua 2:8-11). God places Israel into slavery, and then liberates them by a great victory over Egypt’s gods and Egypt’s leadership. God always wants Israel to remember that He formed them and set them free, not only from the “iron furnace” of slavery (Deuteronomy 4:20) but also from sin (Passover). God puts Israel in His classroom 40 years in the desert before inheriting the Promised Land. When Israel reads God’s law they must first remember “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2). In other words: never forget that God rescued you, therefore obey His law to express your thankfulness. God wants Israel to fight for the Promised Land, remove its heathen nations and wipe out their false gods to teach Israel to serve God alone. Israel is not to be afraid of their enemies, instead they “shall remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:18). In short, God directs Israel’s history, including its “birth” in Egypt, to teach many things. How wonderful is God’s providence. Key verse: Genesis 46:3 “So He said, ‘I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.’ ” Question: Summarize the reasons God sent the seven good years followed by seven years of famine.

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Innovative Nurses Who Have Transformed Health Throughout History Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) Widely recognized as the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale is best known for her role during the Crimean War (1853–1856) as a manager of volunteer nurses and advocate for improved sanitary conditions in military hospitals to help prevent infection. Her work to help improve sanitation, nutrition, and the overall conditions in which patients were kept helped dramatically reduce death rates during the war and were later implemented in civilian hospitals upon her return to England. Her advocacy for the use of statistics as a tool in decision making helped set a precedent for continued growth and ingenuity in healthcare, while her work in highlighting the importance of sanitary conditions in hospitals has directly impacted the standard of hospital conditions today. Elizabeth Kenny (1880-1952) Nurses commonly find themselves challenging controversial practices. Their first-hand knowledge of the patient experience often gives them a more in-depth understanding of patient needs. The importance of perseverance in the face of controversy was exemplified by Australian nurse Elizabeth Kenny in the early 1900s. With no official record of formal training, Kenny is believed to have been self-trained. She began her career as a home nurse providing care to anyone in need and later opened a cottage hospital for patients suffering from polio. Due to her lack of formal education, Kenny faced harsh criticism on her approach to treating polio, which completely defied the standard practice of immobilization. Instead of using casts and splints, her treatment focused on passive movement of affected limbs in combination with hot compresses — a basis of muscle rehabilitation that would later become the foundation for physical therapy as a treatment for various conditions. Sister Jean Ward (1958) Phototherapy, or the use of visible light for the treatment of jaundice in the newborns, is one of the most common nonroutine therapies used in newborn conditions – but this was not always the case. Sister Jean Ward of Rochford General Hospital in Essex, England, became aware of the benefits of phototherapy in 1956 when she would wheel infants afflicted with jaundice outdoors into the hospital courtyard against the doctors’ wishes. The visibly improved state of newborns exposed to sunlight created undeniable reassurance in her belief that sunlight could better treat jaundice in this population; it also provided a much simpler solution than the existing standard practice of transfusing blood over a period of several hours. This new treatment would almost completely eliminate the need for donor blood while achieving the same results. Upon sharing her findings with physicians and scientists at Rochford Hospital, Ward’s observances sparked continued research in this approach and the idea of phototherapy for neonatal jaundice was developed. Nurses Caring for Patients Living with AIDS (1980s) At the dawn of the AIDS epidemic, when the disease was spreading faster than information about the disease could be obtained, it was at a great personal risk that nurses stood by patients as they faced painful symptoms and, many times, death. In San Francisco General Hospital, care units Ward 5B and 5A were specifically designed for care addressing AIDS symptoms and were primarily managed by nurses. There nurses defied convention and treated HIV/AIDS patients with compassion, finding innovative ways to improve care. The patient-focused approach implemented by nurses in the unit played a leading role in gathering information to transform the disease from a fatal prognosis into a manageable condition and was essential in providing care for patients in a time where no standard treatment existed. Nurses like Alison Moed Paolercio, Ward 5B’s first nurse manager, were also critical players in developing a new standard of care in the face of limited information, defining a crucial role in the care of patients with AIDS by providing comfort, managing symptoms and often caring for those who were dying. Fatu Kekula (2014) It is the ability to be resourceful even in the wake of an epidemic that makes student nurse Fatu Kekula an example of nurse innovation inspired by ultimate necessity. When her father became frighteningly ill and hospitals in Liberia were at full capacity, Fatu had no choice but to treat him and eventually the rest of her family, at home with limited resources. Following the guidance of her family doctor who refused to come to her house but would help over the phone, Fatu became the only hope for saving her entire family. Plastic trash bags, a pair of rainboots, a rain jacket and a mask transformed into the daily uniform that kept Fatu safe from contracting what would later be identified as the Ebola virus. Following the meticulous daily process of ensuring her gear was as protective as possible, Fatu saved her family by providing medications obtained at a local clinic and administering fluids through intravenous lines she started herself — before she even finished nursing school. Rebecca Koszalinkski (Present Day) As advances in technology continue to transform healthcare practices, it is up to leaders in the healthcare community to develop improvements in patient care that speak directly to patient needs — or even better, help patients speak for themselves. This is exactly what nurse Rebecca Koszalinski had in mind when she developed Speak for Myself®, a mobile app specifically developed to help patients who are unable to communicate, express their needs more quickly and precisely. Johnson & Johnson is proud to spotlight how nurses like these throughout history and today are bringing innovation to patient care that is profoundly changing human health. Watch an extended cut below of our Nurses Change Lives video for more inspiration from these pioneering nurses who have impacted patient outcomes throughout history. Nurses change lives. And that changes everything. *Editor’s note: some of the images featured above are actor portrayals as seen in the Johnson & Johnson Nurses Change Lives video.

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How do you say a good discussion? That’s a very good/important point. You’ve got a good point there. Yes, of course/definitely/absolutely Marvelous. That’s exactly what I mean/say. How can I speak in Gd? - On the day of GD, dress in comfortable clothes clothes that are simply you. - Be confident but avoid being over confident. - Talk sense. - Listen carefully and speak only at the appropriate time. - Be very sure of what you are speaking. - Use easy-to-understand English. - Speak loudly and clearly. How do I start a GD example? There are different techniques to initiate a GD in order to make a remarkable first impression: - Quotes. An effective way of initiating a GD. - Definition. One can start a GD by defining the topic or an important term in the topic. - Shocking statement. - Facts figures and statistics. - Short story. - General statement. How can I speak just a minute? How to play (and win) Just A Minute - When the chair says start talking, start talking. - Try not to speak too quickly. - 3. … - Never say ‘er’, ‘erm’, ‘um’, or ‘ahhhh’. - You can only repeat the words on the card. - Short words don’t count as repetitions. - Having said that, watch out for acronyms, because letters do count. - Don’t change the topic – that’s deviation. What do you say in a jam session? These are some tips for planning a JAM session….Remember to wear a smile and confidence in your face. - You can begin with a thank you note. - Describe the topic in simple language. - Avoid long sentences and complex vocabulary. - Speak with a clear voice. - Don’t use negative words and sentences. How do you politely oppose someone? Five useful ways to disagree politely in English - “I see what you’re saying but…” - “I understand where you’re coming from, but…” - “That’s a valid point, but…” - “I’m sorry but I disagree with you about this.” How do you disagree in Gd? Even if you disagree with the other’s point of view, disagree politely. Use phrases like, ‘I would like to disagree a bit here’ or ‘I am sorry, but I think I have a slightly different point of view’. ~ Be precise: Abstain from using irrelevant information and data from your talks during a GD. What are some topics in US history? - Civil War. - Cold War. - Great Depression. - Inventions & Science. - Mexican-American War. - Natural Disasters & Environment. - Red Scare.

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Approach to Adaptive Management Everyday, Interior Department bureaus must make complex land management decisions, often with uncertain or incomplete information. Adaptive management offers a tool to help bureaus make better decisions in this context of uncertainty as the bureaus are accumulating more information. The Department's policy on adaptive management will provide for better understanding and use of adaptive management by all Interior's bureaus. is Adaptive Management? For many of the challenges that now face the natural resources management community, adaptive management holds great promise. Adaptive management involves ongoing, real-time learning and knowledge creation, both in a substantive sense and in terms of the adaptive process itself. Started with Adaptive Management should it be used? should it be implemented? is it successful? More on AM

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- (electronics) a nonlinear electronic circuit whose output is limited in amplitude; used to limit the instantaneous amplitude of a waveform (to clip off the peaks of a waveform); - "a limiter introduces amplitude distortion" - LIMITER n pl. -S one that limits Scrabble Score: 9limiter is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word limiter is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary limiter is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary Words With Friends Score: 11limiter is a valid Words With Friends word

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LGBTQ Considerations in Mental Health Organizations Davis Chadler, Northampton Windhorse clinician and Andi Porter, Operations at Northampton, offered a brief training during an all staff meeting on the topic of using affirming pronouns. Windhorse has been working towards becoming more inclusive and aware of issues facing individuals with gender diversity, particularly those who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming or non-binary; and anyone who feels that they fall outside the standard norms of what it means to be a gendered being in our society. This training was meant to be an extension of this work, specifically incorporating the use of the singular pronoun they. With several people on staff using the personal pronouns they/them/theirs and clients being given this option on the intake form, the moment felt ripe for exploration and learning. Davis explained that using the correct pronouns for people is ultimately about compassion, professionalism and honoring human dignity. In the first section of the training, Davis and Andi discussed a list of 9 common objections people have to using the singular pronoun they, taken from an article on Everyday Feminism by Adrian Ballou. - It’s grammatically incorrect They/them pronouns have historically always been the pronoun for when you do not know someone’s gender. It is also officially in the dictionary with both definitions - It’s plural and you’re just one person Same as above, it can mean both! - It’s uncommon Not only is it not uncommon, it is becoming more and more common everyday. - It’s not a “real pronoun” It is easy to internalize this assumption, but it is, in fact, a very real pronoun and one that is gaining popularity. Also, saying it is not real erases someone’s identity, you are also saying the way they identify is not real. - But you don’t seem like a “They” Someone might “seem” masculine or feminine and use gender inclusive pronouns – you cannot tell how someone identifies by what they look or “seem” like. - They/them pronouns are just a phase So what? Phases deserve respect too, right? If someone is questioning that is even more reason to use the correct pronouns! They are just as legitimate as any other pronoun. - I like “ze” better You don’t get to pick someone else’s pronouns or identity, just like you don’t get to pick someone else’s name. - “He” or “she” is close enough The only way to know if something is right for someone is to ask them and listen to what they tell you. - It’s too hard If you feel like this is hard, imagine what it’s like for the person who needs or wants these pronouns to be used, they are probably dealing with this a thousand times a day. Davis and Andi explained that the only way to get better at using the singular they, as with anything new and unfamiliar, is to practice, practice, practice as much as possible. We hope to create a culture of both correcting other people and being open to being corrected ourselves. For example, it can be scary or hard to correct someone in a position of power over you, but we hope to create an environment at Windhorse where everyone is open to learning and making mistakes. There is a steep learning curve; there is no expectation that anyone wake up one day and magically be able to do it. Lastly, we went through the list of 10 messages you are sending when you don’t affirm someone’s pronouns. We want to also highlight others within mental health who are working towards better LGBTQ considerations during admissions and clinical interactions and an overall cultural shift within mental health organizations. Windhorse attended the June 15, Lisa Sarno of Sierra Tucson and Scottie Gage of Mountainside held a panel around these issues. The event was well attended and offered more insight to a wide range of organizations.

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WHITEHORSE, Yukon Territory - A wolf sterilization program developed in the Yukon is being cited as a key component to helping the recovery of the Fortymile caribou herd, according to the Whitehorse Star. The sterilization program is based on reducing wolf pack sizes by sterilizing the dominant male or female, or both, and then killing or relocating pups and subordinate adults. The intent is to reduce the amount of predation on caribou and moose. The program involves the testing of a contraceptive vaccine that is much quicker and much less disruptive for the wolves than surgical contraception, said territorial government biologist Michele Oakley. But she said it is too early to know if the vaccine will be a success, so in the meantime the program will rely on surgeries. Oakley said if the vaccine is proven to work, it will be a significant advance. All it requires is a poke with a needle, rather than tranquilizing the wolf and performing surgery. The Fortymile caribou herd has more than doubled in size over the last seven years to an estimated 46,000 animals. © 2017. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us

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Geoscience and climate change: the African groundwater story...by Prof Mike Stephenson Part of what I call the ‘geology – energy – climate nexus’, the intimate relationship between geoscience, energy supply and climate change, concerns groundwater and its importance to climate change adaptation. The question is: just how important will groundwater be in helping people to adapt to climate change? The answer is likely to contain a lot of geology. Importance of groundwater A recent World Bank report states that the impacts of climate change will be channelled primarily through the water cycle in that systems of food, energy, and urban and rural life will mainly feel the effects of climate change through water. In many parts of the world, groundwater is the chief source of water for domestic, agricultural and industrial use. It also has a crucial role in providing a natural buffer against seasonal variability – and will likely be important to adapt to climate variability. Many countries, abstract water from aquifers. Around 96% of global available freshwater resides in aquifers. About 70% of drinking water in the European Union, 80% of rural water supply in sub-Saharan Africa and 60% of agricultural irrigation in India depend on groundwater. Many countries, therefore, have large groundwater-dependent economies. Groundwater also provides baseflow to many rivers and sustains ecosystems by supporting wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems. A few assertions can be made about the effects of climate change on groundwater. It is likely that recharge patterns will change. (Recharge is the process of water entering an aquifer mainly from the surface of the Earth). There is also likely to be increased demand, especially from irrigation, which today takes 70% of global groundwater withdrawals. Groundwater resources are most likely to reduce in areas of long term declining precipitation, but new research suggests that increasing intensity of rainfall with climate change may actually increase rates of groundwater recharge. Climate change may affect the quality of water in aquifers: with increasing temperature, groundwater salinity may increase as more water evaporates before it can reach deeper levels. Rising sea levels will also force seawater inland, changing recharge patterns. Groundwater in Africa Groundwater’s role in cushioning against climate change is perhaps most important in Africa. In Africa as a whole, groundwater is the major source of drinking water and its use for irrigation is forecast to increase as Africa’s economy and population grow. Despite its importance, there is a dearth of detailed local quantitative information on groundwater in Africa. A compilation of data by BGS’ Alan MacDonald and colleagues allowed continent-wide estimates of the amount of groundwater and potential borehole yields resulting in a figure for total groundwater storage in Africa of 0.66 million cubic kilometres . Not all of this groundwater would be available from wells, but this figure of two-thirds of a cubic kilometre is one hundred times larger than some estimates of annual renewable freshwater resources in Africa. This groundwater resource is not evenly distributed: most is present in north Africa (Libya, Algeria, Egypt and Sudan). The same study indicates that in many areas, well sited and constructed boreholes could yield useful amounts of water for low intensity rural activities and the aquifers they penetrate will have enough water to sustain abstraction through seasonal variations. For industry and irrigation, the potential for higher yielding boreholes, for example those that could deliver more than 5 litres per second, is much more limited. With climate change and population increase this is likely to pose a problem. In East Africa alone, population is forecast to grow from about 300 million today to 800 million by 2060 and 1150 million by 2090. Many of the countries in East Africa are already water stressed based on per capita annual water availability, but by 2100 this will increase to nearly all. A review by a team lead by Umesh Adhikari of the effect of climate change on runoff , shows huge uncertainty in studies of river catchments. An example is the upper Nile catchment which is predicted to have a change by 2075 of between 25% less, or 32% more, runoff. Clearly a prediction involving less runoff has serious implications for the population that depend on water. How much of the deficit can be compensated for by, for example, groundwater? Are the aquifers large enough in the area and will water wells deliver the deficit? Much of the research needed to answer these questions locally has still to be done. This is an example of how climate change adaptation can come down to very geological questions. Another aspect of groundwater change in relation to climate change is saltwater intrusion. This is the movement of saline water into freshwater aquifers, which happens naturally in most coastal aquifers, because both kinds of groundwater are in close proximity. Coastal aquifers provide groundwater for the more than a billion people. Saline groundwater is denser that fresh groundwater and so it tends to form wedge shaped intrusions under freshwater. Intense abstraction from freshwater wells can draw saline water levels up and allow saline groundwater to penetrate further inland, below ground. How far this saline water moves inland is closely controlled by the geology. Saline groundwater is not just a direct problem for domestic water and irrigation. Soils can also be affected. In Bangladesh, for example, increase in soil salinity may lead to decline in yield of staple crops like rice and reduce the income of farmers significantly. There are few detailed local answers to the many questions about run off, inland groundwater and coastal groundwater. The detailed study, when it comes, should be directed where population will likely concentrate in the future. In the rapidly changing continent of Africa, this needs an understanding of the way that large-scale development might occur, which in turn relates to the distribution of resources and already-established infrastructure. Development corridors and geoscience One way to look at this could be through studying areas where future infrastructure development and population growth will take place. What will East Africa look like in 2060 or 2090? Where will the new people, the new industries, the new towns and cities be? A good guide might be the pattern of potential resources like land, water and minerals, as well as existing infrastructure and transport routes. These items are linked into arcs or strips of land known as development corridors. It is in these development corridors where Integrated water resource management (and other environmental management) will be most critically needed. Whatever the resources that the development corridor might link, their growth will ultimately be driven by economics. A development corridor might start as a basic transport route and the addition of other types of transport produces a transport corridor. Efficient corridor operations encourage further economic activity that leads to further investment and, ultimately, the corridor evolves into an ‘economic corridor’. It is worth looking at a couple of development corridors in Africa to illustrate the point. The so called ‘Northern Corridor’ already links the land locked countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi with Kenya’s port of Mombasa. The Northern Corridor could, with more development, serve the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan and northern Tanzania. The Nacala Corridor to the south, is less developed. There is considerable governmental and commercial interest because its future purpose would be to unlock the development potential of the hinterland of the Nacala Port and less economically developed parts of Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. New resources will be accessible economically and the development of business and commerce will contribute to the reduction of poverty. But the environment – including groundwater – will have to be managed. The likelihood is that the pattern of development corridors either planned or already in existence is a good guide to the concentration of population and industry which is the key to understanding the food – water – energy nexus, and the geological aspects of the nexus, whether it be well managed groundwater inland or at the coast. So it’s clear that long term geological studies will be important in understanding the potential for groundwater as a mitigation for reduced surface water, in the developing – and developed – world. It will mean geological mapping and modelling and the kind of long term concerted effort that only geological surveys can supply. If you are interested in the wider geology – energy – climate nexus, read my new book, available from Elsevier, Amazon and (shortly) online through Elsevier’s ScienceDirect.

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To calculate the slope as a percentage from a grid file, follow these steps: - Click Grids | Calculate | Calculus. - Select the grid file and click Open. - In the Grid Calculus dialog, choose Differential & Integral Operator | Gradient Operator. - Specify the Output Grid file name and file path. - Click OK. This creates a new grid file of the slopes. The slopes are reported as a number (rise over run). The Z value is 0 for a horizontal surface, and approaches infinity as the slope approaches vertical. - To convert this to a percentage, click Grids | Calculate | Math. - In the Grid Math dialog, click the Add Grids button. - Select this gradient grid file and click Open. - Multiply the grid by 100 by entering the function A*100. - Save the file: - To save the results to a data file, click the yellow Change Filename icon to the right of Output Grid. Give the file a name, and select to save it as a DAT XYZ file and click Save. - To save the results to a grid file, click the yellow Change Filename icon to the right of Output Grid. Give the file a name, leave the Save as type set to GRD Surfer 7 Binary Grid, and click Save. - Click OK and the file is created. Updated November 7, 2018

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The physical benefits of meditation that most of us know about are stress-relief and anxiety from daily living. Different forms of meditation have been used for literally thousands of years to quickly, and sometimes instantly, relieve and remove stress and anxiety. Because practicing meditation helps you to slow your breath, quiet your mind, and find peace, it can be beneficial physically, mentally, and emotionally. Meditation is now commonly used to treat mental health disorders, addiction, and everyday stress, as well as to heal physical ailments and promote better sleep. The LiveandDare.com website has identified 76 scientifically-proven benefits of meditation. They include lowering instances of depression and reducing anxiety. Those mental benefits may seem logically linked to a practice where you calm your mind. However, some physical benefits of meditation may surprise you, including the following 5 beneficial effects of meditation you just might not know about. 1 – Meditation Makes the Teen Years Livable High school can be a very difficult time, not only for teenagers trying to get through it alive but for their parents as well. The teenage years can be difficult because the human body and mind are changing so rapidly. This can cause self-doubt, frustration, confusion and sometimes a sense that the whole world is “out to get” the teenager. Research from the Harvard Medical School shows that relaxation practices like meditation and deep breathing improved students’ abilities to cope with hormonal mood swings, and the constant drama surrounding teen years. 2 – ‘Meditation’ Can Be Better Than ‘Medication’ for Chronic Pain The Journal of Neuroscience reports on a study that shows you can save major money on prescription drug costs, while simultaneously relieving pain more effectively, with meditation. Pills often have bothersome and debilitating side-effects. This is not true with meditation, which proved more effective than pain medication for chronic pain relief in that study. 3 – Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Relief IBS can be frustrating, inconvenient, painful and embarrassing. The answer may just be to meditate on a regular basis. Research in one study shows an 8-week practice of mindfulness for stress-relief reduced IBS symptoms by an impressive 26.4%. 4 – Meditation Actually Boosts Your Immune System Your immune system is the complex group of processes in your body that fights infection and disease. Stress and anxiety play havoc with your immune system, and this means you’re more likely to become sick or ill from any cause. Meditating regularly slows the production of stress hormones like cortisol which naturally damage your immune system. 5 – Improves Fertility Rates in Women Researchers are still not sure why this happens. However, there is an undeniably correlated presence of notably higher fertility rates in women who meditate regularly, than in those who do not. Although there is no universal scientific agreement on the physical benefits of meditation of relaxation and meditation, anyone who has used the simple and powerful techniques thinks the same thing. The benefits are real! The real problem is that there is so much money to be made from anything that will make people feel better. We are so stressed in our high energy daily lives, that even taking a few moments to clear the head can have dramatic results. The problem is that so-called spiritual leaders will turn as to their own end. For example, religious Christians will say that it is safe to enjoy the benefits of Christian meditation, but other forms could lead you straight into sin and damnation. Meanwhile, proponents of transcendental meditation will claim that theirs is the best, and look with disapproval at anyone who does anything different than they do. The important thing for you to remember is that the physical benefits of meditation do not depend on which type you use, but in how you do it. In my experience, the best physical benefits of meditation are had from the most simple practices. If you are new to meditation and want to give it a try, try something simple at first. You do not need a teacher to reap the benefits of meditation. A lot of people say that you do, but they are usually teachers or religious fanatics who will try to scare you with claims that if you are not properly trained, meditation can actually cause harm instead of good. This is rubbish. No one was ever harmed by just simply concentrating on their breathing, and this is the core of almost any good meditation. If you want to investigate the physical benefits of meditation for yourself, here is what you should do: You should set aside 15 minutes every morning to just sit still and concentrate on your breath. That is it. There is no need to pray and invoke any particular deity, although feel free to if it makes you more comfortable. I have tried many different forms and many different schools, and I can tell you that the full physical benefits of meditation can come simply from concentrating on the breath with the eyes closed.

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Brand Names: US Clozaril; FazaClo; Versacloz Brand Names: Canada Apo-Clozapine; Clozaril; Gen-Clozapine - This drug may lower the ability of the bone marrow to make white blood cells. This can lead to very bad and sometimes deadly infections. Give this drug to your child only if his/her health problem has not been helped by other drugs or if your child has planned to harm him/herself in the past and has a chance of doing it again. Your child will need to have his/her blood work checked before care, during care, and for at least 4 weeks after this drug is stopped. Do what the doctor tells you about blood tests while your child is taking this drug. - You may only get this drug through a special program. Talk with your doctor. - This drug may cause seizures in some people. The chance of seizures may be higher with higher doses or if your child has ever had seizures. Have your child use care when doing tasks or actions (like climbing and swimming) that may not be safe for your child or others if your child were to pass out. - This drug may raise the chance of a very bad and sometimes deadly heart problem (myocarditis). Most of the time, these heart problems have happened within the first 2 months of care but may happen at anytime. Call the doctor right away if your child has a big weight gain, a heartbeat that does not feel normal, chest pain or pressure, a fast heartbeat, fever, flu-like signs, shortness of breath, swelling in the arms or legs, or very bad dizziness or passing out. - Low blood pressure, passing out, slow heartbeat, and heart attacks have happened with this drug. These problems can be deadly. The chance of these problems is highest when this drug is first started. Do not give your child more than you were told or raise your child’s dose faster than you were told. Tell the doctor if your child has heart problems (like if your child has ever had a heart attack, blood vessel problems, heart failure, or a heartbeat that is not normal) or brain problems. Tell the doctor if your child has fluid loss (dehydrated) or if your child takes drugs for high blood pressure. - There is a higher chance of death in older adults who take this drug for mental problems caused by dementia. Most of the deaths were linked to heart disease or infection. This drug is not approved to treat mental problems caused by dementia. What is this drug used for? - It is used to treat problems with how one acts. - It is used to treat schizophrenia. - It may be given to your child for other reasons. Talk with the doctor. What do I need to tell the doctor BEFORE my child takes this drug? This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with this drug. Tell the doctor and pharmacist about all of your child’s drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for your child to take this drug with all of their drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug your child takes without checking with the doctor. - If your child has an allergy to this drug or any part of this drug. - If your child is allergic to any drugs like this one or any other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell the doctor about the allergy and what signs your child had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs. - If your child has any of these health problems: Low potassium levels, low magnesium levels, or low white blood cell count. - If your child has ever had a low white blood cell count when taking this drug before. What are some things I need to know or do while my child takes this drug? - Tell dentists, surgeons, and other doctors that your child is using this drug. - To lower the chance of feeling dizzy or passing out, have your child get up slowly over a few minutes when sitting or lying down. Have your child be extra careful climbing stairs. - If your child has high blood sugar (diabetes), talk with the doctor. This drug can raise blood sugar. - Have your child’s blood sugar checked as you have been told by your child’s doctor. - Alcohol may interact with this drug. Be sure your child does not drink alcohol. - Talk with the doctor before giving your child other drugs and natural products that may slow your child’s actions. - If your child smokes or will be stopping smoking, talk with the doctor. How much drug your child takes may need to be changed. - Blood clots have happened with this drug. Tell the doctor if your child has ever had a blood clot. - Have your child’s blood work checked often. Talk with your child’s doctor. - Have your child get a heart function test. Talk with your child’s doctor. - Tell the doctor if your child uses caffeine products like tea, coffee, cola, and chocolate. How much drug your child takes may need to be changed. - Have your child be careful in hot weather or while your child is being active. Have your child drink lots of fluids to stop fluid loss. - Women and people with a Jewish background may have a higher chance of blood problems with this drug. Talk with your doctor. - This drug can cause very bad and sometimes deadly stomach or bowel problems like very hard stools (constipation) or bowel block. To help avoid these problems, have your child drink lots of noncaffeine liquids unless told to drink less liquid by the doctor. Laxatives may also help. Talk with your child’s doctor. - This drug may cause weight gain. Your child’s weight may need to be checked often. - Do not stop giving this drug to your child all of a sudden without calling the doctor. Your child may have a greater risk of signs of withdrawal. If your child needs to stop this drug, you will want to slowly stop it as ordered by the doctor. If your child is pregnant or breast-feeding a baby: - Talk with the doctor if your child is pregnant, becomes pregnant, or is breast-feeding a baby. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks of using this drug. - Taking this drug in the third trimester of pregnancy may lead to muscle movements that cannot be controlled and withdrawal in the newborn. Talk with the doctor. - If your child has PKU, talk with your child’s doctor. Some products have phenylalanine. What are some side effects that I need to call my child’s doctor about right away? WARNING/CAUTION: Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug. Tell your child’s doctor or get medical help right away if your child has any of the following signs or symptoms that may be related to a very bad side effect: - Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat. - Signs of infection like fever, chills, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, more sputum or change in color of sputum, pain with passing urine, mouth sores, or wound that will not heal. - Signs of high blood sugar like confusion, feeling sleepy, more thirst, more hungry, passing urine more often, flushing, fast breathing, or breath that smells like fruit. - Trouble controlling body movements, twitching, change in balance, trouble swallowing or speaking. - Shakiness, trouble moving around, or stiffness. - Change in strength on 1 side is greater than the other, trouble speaking or thinking, change in balance, or blurred eyesight. - Swelling, warmth, numbness, change of color, or pain in a leg or arm. - Coughing up blood. - Blue or very pale skin in the arms or legs. - Very bad headache. - Feeling very tired or weak. - Change in thinking clearly and with logic. - Slow heartbeat. - Very hard stools (constipation). - Change in eyesight. - A very bad and sometimes deadly health problem called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) may happen. Call your child’s doctor right away if your child has any fever, muscle cramps or stiffness, dizziness, very bad headache, confusion, change in thinking, fast heartbeat, heartbeat that does not feel normal, or is sweating a lot. - Some people who take this drug may get a very bad muscle problem called tardive dyskinesia. The risk may be greater in older adults, mostly women. The chance that this will happen or that it will never go away is greater in people who take this drug in higher doses or for a long time. Muscle problems may also occur after short-term use with low doses. Call your child’s doctor right away if your child has trouble controlling body movements or if your child has muscle problems with his/her tongue, face, mouth, or jaw like tongue sticking out, puffing cheeks, mouth puckering, or chewing. What are some other side effects of this drug? All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your child’s doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother your child or do not go away: These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your child’s doctor. Call your child’s doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to your national health agency. - Feeling sleepy. - Hard stools (constipation). - Dry mouth. - Upset stomach or throwing up. - Weight gain. - Not able to sleep. - Sweating a lot. How is this drug best given? Give this drug as ordered by your child’s doctor. Read and follow the dosing on the label closely. - Give this drug with or without food. - Give as you have been told, even if your child feels well. - To gain the most benefit, do not miss giving your child doses. - Do not push the tablet out of the foil when opening. Use dry hands to take it from the foil. Place on your child’s tongue and let it melt. Water is not needed. Do not let your child swallow it whole. Do not let your child chew, break, or crush it. - Shake well before use. - Measure liquid doses carefully. Use the measuring device that comes with this drug. What do I do if my child misses a dose? - Give a missed dose as soon as you think about it. - If it is close to the time for your child’s next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your child’s normal time. - Do not give 2 doses or extra doses. - If you miss giving your child this drug for 2 or more days, call your child’s doctor to find out how to restart. How do I store and/or throw out this drug? - Store at room temperature. Do not refrigerate or freeze. - Store in a dry place. Do not store in a bathroom. - Protect from light. - Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets. - Check with your pharmacist about how to throw out unused drugs. - Store in pouch until ready for use. - Give oral-disintegrating tablet right after opening. Throw away any part of opened pouch that is not used. - Throw away any part not used 100 days after opening the first time. General drug facts - If your child’s symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your child’s doctor. - Do not share your child’s drug with others and do not give anyone else’s drug to your child. - Keep a list of all your child’s drugs (prescription, natural products, vitamins, OTC) with you. Give this list to your child’s doctor. - Talk with your child’s doctor before giving your child any new drug, including prescription or OTC, natural products, or vitamins. - Some drugs may have another patient information leaflet. If you have any questions about this drug, please talk with your child’s doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider. - If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened. Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this medicine or any other medicine. Only the healthcare provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for a specific patient. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about this medicine. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this medicine. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from the healthcare provider. You must talk with the healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using this medicine. Last Reviewed Date Copyright © 2014 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc.

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Помогите перевести на французский или итальянский. 8. At last war ended, but the transition from war to the peace was painful for both sides. 9. Morning after morning of late he has taken his walk in the same direction trying to see her again. 10. A common autumn phenomenon in the central and eastern USA and in Europe is Indian summer, a period of unseasonably warm weather that sometimes occurs in late September and October. 11. By the ate 18th century and Captain Cook’s exploration of the southern Pacific, much of the world had been mapped. 12. In 1620, a group of Leyden Puritans, 101 men, women and children, set out for Virginia on a board the Mayflower. 13. At the zenith of their power in the Middle Ages craft guilds had an enormous power over their members. 14. He was a page, that is a youth of noble birth who left his family at an early age to serve in the family of man of rank. 15. The Dinosaur is a reptile that was the dominant land animal during most of the Mesozolic Era but became extinct at its close. 16. Only a tiny percentage of plant species are directly used by humans for food, shelter, fiber, and drugs.

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Asthma is a common disease of the lungs. It is estimated that more than 22 million Americans have asthma, and it is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. Aragen’s state of the art analysis tools include: Whole Body Plethysmograph (WBP) - Airway hyper responsiveness, - Respiratory rate FlexiVent Lung Functional Analysis - Blood glass measurement to monitor Hypoxia -related symptoms PAS (periodic-acid-Schiff) Staining - Detection of structures that contain high concentrations of carbohydrate macromolecules (eg. glycogen, glycoprotein, proteoglycan) typically found in mucus. Serum and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Analysis - Antigen-specific IgE and IgA levels - Cytokines levels Our rodent asthma models include induction by ova or other allergens (cedar pollen, dust mote antigen). Models can range from mild- to severe disease in order to evaluate a range of treatment options.

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- CREDIT: Scott Indermaur/Getty Images Looking to the Future Want to look 10 years into the future and see how your health is holding up? Thanks to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), you can. They developed a checklist that fairly accurately predicts a senior's chance of surviving another decade. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, this list provides a unique opportunity for patients and physicians to work together to lessen key health risk factors and improve seniors' quality of life. The UCSF analysis used a nationally representative cohort of U.S. adults over age 50. Point values were assigned to each factor in the mortality index (the higher the points, the worse the risk). A risk score was then calculated for each participant based on their self-reported health indicators. In the end, there was a dramatic difference: Participants with no risk factors had a 2.8 percent chance of dying over 10 years, while those with the most risks had a 96 percent chance of dying. Although a single health risk factor isn't enough to predict longevity, researchers caution, a host of attributes taken together can say something powerful about your future health. See how your risk factors stack up. No. 1 and 2: Age and Gender Not surprisingly, researchers found that the older you are, the greater your 10-year mortality risk. (The oldest group in the study were people over 85.) Because women continue to live an average of seven years longer than men, being male added two points to participants' assessments, while being female added no points. No. 3: Current Tobacco Use Participants who currently smoke or use other tobacco products added two points to their assessments. But the good news is it's never too late to quit smoking for your health — particularly if you're in the just-above-50 age bracket. In fact, just eight hours after your last cigarette the levels of carbon monoxide and oxygen in your bloodstream return to normal. After just a few days, your chance of a heart attack has already decreased. And after 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease becomes comparable to that of someone who has never smoked a cigarette. No. 4: Body Mass Index A body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 indicates that you're overweight, though not necessarily obese. An overweight BMI ups your chances of dying over a 10-year period by one point, researchers say. Although BMI, which is a ratio of your height and weight, is considered an imperfect measure, it has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and more, so staying within a healthy BMI range is important for overall health. No. 5 and 6: Presence of Diabetes or Heart Failure In the assessment, those with any type of diabetes added one point to their total score while the presence of heart failure added two points. The conditions together net three points to a patient's total. Because people with type 2 diabetes have double the risk of cardiovascular disease, twice the risk of a second heart attack, and twice the risk of dying after a heart attack, people with type 2 diabetes are likely to have both of these risk factors. No. 7 and 8: Presence of a Non-Skin Cancer or Lung Disease Cancer of all kinds is the second-leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease. Chronic lung diseases, such as COPD, are third — beating out stroke for the first time in 2011. Out of all cancers, lung cancer is the most deadly in terms of the sheer number of Americans it kills. It's no wonder, then, that the presence of a non-skin cancer or any type of lung disease added two points each to participants' assessments in the longevity index. No. 9: Difficulty Managing Finances When older people have a hard time managing their money, it could signal mild cognitive impairment, which doubles the risk of death in seniors, according to a previous study presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Vancouver. Trouble planning or organizing and poor judgement also signal mild cognitive impairment, researchers found, indicating that detecting and monitoring cognitive impairment as early as possible could prolong life, researchers said at the conference. No. 10, 11, and 12: Difficulty Bathing, Walking, or Pushing and Pulling Objects This set of three physical activities — bathing, walking, and pushing or pulling objects — were all independently measured in the UCSF assessment, and all independently contributed to participants' death risk. This latest data is far from the first study to correlate physical ability with longevity — for example, one study found that the ability to sit and rise from the floor with one hand or no hands was closely correlated with a lower risk of death from any cause. - Last Updated: 12/04/14 - Last Updated: 12/04/14

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How to Enjoy Your Garden Safely Gardening is an immensely satisfying activity. Nothing beats watching your plants grow and flourish. Not only that, but gardening can be good exercise too. In order to reach the maximum amount of benefits from gardening, here’s a few safety tips to ensure you get the most from the activity. Protection is Key When you’re working outdoors, it is important to keep yourself covered from the sun. Try and wear long sleeves if possible, alternatively cover up with sunscreen. You also need to protect your skin from chemicals and contaminants that you may come into. A sturdy pair of gloves will do the trick. It’s always better to be safe rather than sorry. Slow and Steady Wins the Race Gardening is a healthy activity – in fact, 30 minutes per day can reduce your chance of a heart attack. But always be careful not to overdo it. There’s no need to rush, so take your time. Don’t be afraid to take a break inbetween activities – as bending, lifting and pulling can all leave the body feeling tired the day after. Additionally, be sure to change your position every 20-30 minutes. As with all activities, it’s important to pay attention to your health and listen to your body while gardening. Be sure to stay hydrated, especially in the hot sun. If you experience symptoms like rapid heartbeats, confusion, nausea or dizziness, these could be indicative of a heat-related illness, so go inside immediately and have a glass of water and a rest. To prevent the possibility of falling while gardening, you might want to invest in raised beds, which will also minimize bending and stretching. Starting a garden can be incredibly rewarding, and by sticking to these solid safety tips your gardening experience will be incredibly rewarding and enjoyable. Written by Jackie Edwards

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Update – 25 February 2016 It concludes that, in 112 days, the rupture at Aliso Canyon released 97,100 tonnes of methane — higher than the official California Air Resources Board estimate. This is ten times larger than the blowout at Total’s Elgin rig in the North Sea in 2012. It makes it the second largest methane leak recorded in the US, exceeded only by the collapse of an underground storage facility in Texas in 2004 — although the subsequent explosion and fire at this site meant that the methane was instantly turned into CO2, so the overall climate impact was less severe than Aliso Canyon. While the well was leaking, it was the largest known source of human-caused methane emissions in the US, and effectively doubled the methane emission rate for the entire Los Angeles area. Update – 19 February 2016 The Aliso Canyon gas leak was temporarily plugged on 11 February and permanently sealed on 18 February, putting a stop to the invisible plumes of methane that had billowed across the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles since October 2015. By this time it had spilled 94,000 tonnes of methane. This means that, in three and a half months, this one well released 0.4% of the total annual methane emissions of the entire US, and 0.04% of the annual US emissions for all greenhouse gases. The Southern California Gas Company, which was behind the leak, is now battling criminal charges in court, after being accused of failing to report the damage at the storage facility. Its attorneys have pled not guilty. In Los Angeles, an invisible environmental disaster is unfolding. Since 23 October, natural gas has been leaking from a ruptured storage well in Aliso Canyon owned by the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), spreading into the suburban neighbourhood of Porter Ranch. The volumes of gas involved are enormous. The most recent official estimate from California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) is that 66,000 tonnes of methane had spilled out from the well, as of 22 December (click here to view a zoomable version of the infographic). A real-time counter maintained by the US-based campaign group Environmental Defense Fund estimates the total leakage on a second-by-second basis. Many have suggested that the catastrophe is on the same scale as the 2010 BP oil spill. But where Deepwater Horizon coated the Gulf of Mexico’s waters in black sludge, causing severe damage, the natural gas billowing from Aliso Canyon is invisible to the naked eye. This video footage, shot using a specialised infrared camera on 17 December, is able to show the gas rising from the canyon’s underground storage well. Part of the problem is the smell. While natural gas is not toxic, it is manufactured to have an odour so that leaks can be detected. This smell has caused a mass exodus from Porter Ranch, with residents complaining of headaches, nosebleeds and nausea. The leak is also exacerbating the problem of climate change. The main component of natural gas is methane. This is a short-lived but potent greenhouse gas that has a warming effect 25 times higher than carbon dioxide (CO2) over a 100-year timeframe. In January, California governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles over the leak. David Clegern, a spokesperson for CARB, said that it was the largest natural gas leak ever to his knowledge. “It is in California at this point the single largest source point of global warming,” he told the Guardian. The scale of the problem At the moment, it is difficult to know the full impact of the leak. Gas is still flowing continuously from Aliso Canyon, but at variable rates. Measurements by CARB only capture the leakage rate at a particular moment in time. It has stressed that: “The emission rate of methane at the Aliso Canyon is not expected to be constant, as Southern California Gas continues to implement a range of strategies intended to stop the leak.” This makes it impossible to know exactly how much gas has been released to date. With SoCalGas estimating a timeframe of late-February to late-March before the well is fixed, the drama looks likely to continue for several months yet. Nonetheless, Carbon Brief asked several scientists to comment on the scale of the leak, based on events so far. Jeff Peischl, a scientist affiliated to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told Carbon Brief how the leak compared to the annual methane emissions from Los Angeles, California and the US as a whole, on the basis of Aliso Canyon continuing to leak at its current rate for an entire year. He says: The current methane emission rate estimates released by the California Air Resources Board are approximately equal to the methane emissions from the entire Los Angeles urban area, and one quarter of the methane emissions from the entire state of California. However, CO2 is still the dominant anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission, either globally, nationally, or in the state of California. As a result, this leak represents around 2% of the total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission for the entire state of California. Nationally, the current methane emissions rate from the Aliso Canyon leak is approximately equal to 1-1.5% of U.S. anthropogenic methane emissions. These numbers will be lower by a factor of two if the leak is fixed by March, he pointed out, and could also be lower if SoCalGas succeeds in decreasing the leak rate before it is fully stemmed. Anthony Marchese, professor of mechanical engineering at Colorado State University, compared the scale of the Aliso Canyon leak to the volume of methane leaked from the US natural gas supply chain in total. He tells Carbon Brief: The leak is estimated at 50,000 kilograms per hour (kg/hr). This is an extremely high leak rate for a single source. To put this into perspective, the total annual emissions from methane from the entire natural gas supply chain, as estimated in the 2014 EPA Greenhouse Gas Inventory, [converts into] a total US hourly emissions rate of 706,200 kg/hr. So, the single source at Aliso Canyon can be thought of as the equivalent of 7% of the total methane emissions from all US natural gas operations. It is worth noting that the 50,000kg/hr was the leak rate recorded soon after the rupture. Averaging all measurements taken to date yields a leak rate of 43,550kg/hr, which puts the above percentage closer to 6%. Robert Howarth, professor of ecology and environmental biology at Cornell University, also tells Carbon Brief that he and many other observers believe that the EPA figures for total US methane leaks from the natural gas industry underestimate the scale of the problem, which could mean the Aliso Canyon leak constitutes a lower proportion still. Ilissa Ocko, a climate scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, tells Carbon Brief: For context on what this means for climate change, the amount leaked to date will have the same impact on warming over the next 20 years as burning over half a billion gallons of gasoline. Also, for context of scale, the amount leaking every day from Aliso Canyon alone during its peak is about the same amount leaking from the Barnett region in Texas that produces 7% of US natural gas and where 6 million people live. The gas leak is just one more problem in the beleaguered state. California is currently in its fourth year of a record-breaking drought that led its governor to declare a state of emergency in 2014. Scientists say the likelihood of the drought was increased by climate change. The impact of this year’s El Niño has also started to hit the state, with storms increasing the chance of flooding and mudslides. California is one of the most progressive states in the US, with regards to action on climate change. It aims to reduce emissions by 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, going well beyond federal targets. It has established a cap-and-trade market system to enable it to reach its goal. California also has a 2020 goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions back down to 1990 levels by 2020. The gas leak will make this harder to achieve, Peischl tells Carbon Brief: California is attempting to reduce its 2013 greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 7-8% by the year 2020, so the Aliso Canyon leak represents around a quarter of this attempted emission reduction. Ironically, the state is currently considering a new bill that would set methane reduction targets. Senator Ricardo Lara announced a proposal during the UN climate talks (COP21) in Paris last month to cut methane emissions by 40% by 2030, with legislation to be formally introduced in early 2016. The Paris agreement set an aspirational goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C under international law. This makes the Aliso Canyon leak, and methane reductions generally, even more urgent, considering the strong short-term impacts of the gas. Howarth tells Carbon Brief: If we are to meet the 1.5C of warming set by the COP21 last month, we absolutely must reduce methane immediately. So this is a big problem. The reason for the leak — a removed safety valve — has thrown the topic of America’s ageing oil and gas infrastructure into sharp relief, and raised concerns that the Aliso Canyon leak could easily be repeated. The difference may be very slight, but when officials at the EPA come to plot US emissions for 2015/16, they will find their graph nudged upwards by the Aliso Canyon disaster. The gas billowing over Porter Ranch may be invisible, but the impacts will be as unmistakable as BP’s oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Aliso Canyon: How bad is the California gas leak disaster? #MethaneLeak 66,000 tonnes of methane has spilled out from a storage well in California #MethaneLeak

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What Is the Meaning of Deeded Land? A deed, a written document, transfers real estate between people, whether as part of a sale, a gift or an inheritance. If you have a deed that's properly filled out and signed, you can record it with the appropriate local government office. Once it's recorded, the deed gives notice to the public that you're the owner, meaning that the property has been "deeded" to you. Any land -- or interest in land -- that has been transferred by a deed is deed land. One example of a deeded property interest is if your property is not directly adjacent to a road and you have to cross someone else's property to leave it. In such cases, you may have deeded rights to put in a driveway and cross the land without actually owning the property. Other examples include deeded waterfront or beach access and hunting rights. - Black's Law Dictionary, 6th ed.; Joseph R. Nolan and Jacqueline M. Nolan-Haley Trent Jonas accepted his first assignment in 1988 from "The Minnesota Daily" and has been writing professionally ever since, primarily as a copywriter. He is an experienced traveler with a background in advertising, entrepreneurship and as an attorney. Jonas has a Bachelor of Arts in English writing from the University of Minnesota and a Juris Doctor from Hamline University.

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Dear friend and Wisdom Seeker moderator Ellen Engel suggested the word jeremiad for this month’s WOTM. Jeremiad – noun jer·e·mi·ad | ˌjer-ə-ˈmī-əd, -ˌad 1. a prolonged lamentation or complaint 2. a cautionary or angry harangue. 3. a long, literary work, usually in prose, sometimes in verse, where the author bitterly laments the state of society and its morals in a serious tone of sustained invective and while prophesizing society’s imminent downfall. Origin and Etymology – French jérémiade, from Jérémie Jeremiah, from Late Latin Jeremias First Used – 1780. The word jeremiad comes from the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, who believed he was called by God to prophesy that Israel would be destroyed in consequence for their failure to keep the Mosaic covenant. Today’s jeremiads can take the form of poems, songs, novels, speeches, articles, and even movies. They can concern both spiritual and secular matters. Jeremiads typically speak of doom and gloom but also have a layer of optimism. They’re created to show the listener/reader how far they have fallen from the ideal in hopes of creating motivation to strive for improvement and a brighter day. Jeremiah himself foretold of Israel’s destruction then prophesied his people would rise from the rubble. The jeremiad has a particularly significant place in American culture. Americans tend to think of themselves as special people with a special mission, due to the way the country was created through a series of idealistic founding events. The country’s founding documents were written with promises and principles. The Puritans were the first to conceive of the nation as a “city on the hill.” Jeremiad-type warnings about living up to this model accompanied this rhetoric from the beginning. In the same sermon where John Winthrop exhorted his fellow settlers to be a light to the world, he predicted “if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world.” The jeremiad has a long history as part of African-American culture. Reformers like Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. used it to illuminate the ways in which the Constitution’s guarantees of freedom and equality remained unfulfilled for blacks. They argued that things like the Civil War and the civic turbulence of the 1960s were a divine punishment for the sins of slavery and discrimination and would not cease until Americans “repented” and made things right. Throughout American history around the world, the jeremiad has been employed by those on the left and on the right, by ministers and union leaders, gun rights defenders and civil rights activists, feminists and masculinists, to decry those areas of culture in which they believe their people have fallen short. The jeremiad remains alive and well today. Please submit your experiences with jeremiads, any thoughts on this month’s column, or any word you may like to share, along with your insights and comments to [email protected]

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You’re considering buying an electric car because they have low maintenance costs and because you won’t suffer from “range panic”. But at the same time, you also are a family man and you must ensure that your new electric vehicle is going to protect them in a case of a serious crash. Car crashes are a lot more common than you think and even if you are the perfect driver, you can still be involved in an accident. In 2017, The European Commission registered 25,300 fatalities and 135,000 seriously injured people. Even though road fatalities decreased by 57.5% between 2001 and 2017, the numbers are still huge. The decrease in car crashes is obviously due to better driving-assistance technologies, designed to prevent collisions automatically, but we have to wait until autonomous driving is a reality to see the victim numbers heading towards zero. So today, let’s talk about how electric cars react to crashes. The Famous Rimac C Two Crash Many of you might have watched the TV Series “The Grand Tour” by the three famous car journalists Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. If you did, you might recall the episode where Hammond crashes his Rimac C Two (1,900 Horse Power) and suddenly the car catches fire. Well, there’s a scientific explanation for this. While petrol and diesel-powered cars need a spark to ignite, electric cars’ batteries (which are made of lithium-ion cells) do not require it. A really bad car crash can cause quite easily a short circuit in the batteries, which in turn causes an intense heat generation. If the heat is high enough to ignite a single Lithium-ion cell (which are sensitive to heat), it will spark and will cause a chain reaction, causing the other ion cells to catch fire afterwards. Now you might think that even the smallest car crash is going to ignite your car just like in a GTA video game, but don’t worry. Car manufacturers constantly improve their fail-safe circuitry designed to shut down the batteries when something goes wrong and other car manufacturers protect their batteries with some kind of armor. How To Put Out A Fire In An Electric Vehicle The worst part about an electric car that caught fire is that water won’t help you. Applying some standard quantity of water or foam on a fire caused by lithium-ion cells will cause a violent flare-up, the emission of toxic fumes and other bad stuff. To extinguish this kind of fire, you have three choices: - Use an incredibly high quantity of water in order to lower the temperature while you extinguish the fire - Use particular chemical agents - Run away, call the firefighters and let the fire extinguish itself (it might take more than 24 hours!) By the way, if you want to be more prepared to face these kinds of events, probably your own country has some kind of training program to help you react faster and better. Here is an example for the U.S. market: If you are worried about car crashes on electric vehicles right now, you should think about the fact that these kinds of cars often have an incredibly high-tech set of driving-assistance systems. Furthermore, car manufacturers constantly work on decreasing the risks of your car catching fire. You just have to keep in mind that the rules here are a little bit different.

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So yesterday was trash day and there were a few boxes that were left out of the recycling bin. I thought it was the perfect chance to use them in environmental print puzzles I’ve done before. The problem with them is the cardboard on food boxes is pretty flimsy, so trying to push them together can be frustrating to toddlers and preschoolers. We came up with a solution to that by using Contact paper beneath the puzzle. Worked like a dream! This post contains affiliate links - Contact paper - Recyclables (preferably products that are common to your toddler) I set the activity up by cutting a few boxes into simple puzzles. Three to four pieces seemed about right for my 2 and 3 year olds. Then I placed the contact paper (sticky side up) on the table and taped it down. That’s it-we were ready to go! I thought the crackers box might be a little trickier, so I also numbered the pieces to indicate the correct order. Ways to extend the activity: I chose to have the puzzles assembled when I introduced the activity so my boys would have a point of reference when they worked. With older kids, you may want to place all the pieces at the center of the table and let them do the sorting. The contact paper was definitely key in making these puzzles do-able for my boys. Not only did it make the activity easier, but it was also satisfying as they completed, disassembled, and re-did each puzzle over and over on the sticky paper! This activity is practically free to make, and helps develop so many early learning objectives (recognizing environmental print, sequencing numbers, critical thinking, cooperation, etc.) it is a must-do for preschool and homeschool kiddos! I know we will be doing it several more times as we get new packages to work on 🙂

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Calcium is a very reactive and does not occur as a free element in Nature. It is present in the earth's crust in the forms of carbonate, sulfate, fluoride, silicate and borate. The calcium carbonate occurs in marble, chalk, limestone and calcite. Calcium sulfate (CaSO4) occurs in anhydrite and gypsum, calcium fluoride in fluorspar or fluorite (CaF2) and calcium phosphate occurs in apatite. Calcium also occurs in numerous silicates and aluminosilicates. Almost all natural waters, including seawater, contain either or both calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate. Many organisms concentrate calcium compounds in their shells or skeletons. For example calcium carbonate is formed in the shells of oysters and in the skeletons of coral.

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Tiger salamanders are large burrowing salamanders found throughout North America. They have been the focus of a lot of research particularly because various species of tiger salamander have different possible developmental paths and how and why they take one path over another has been a fascinating area of study. For example, some of these salamanders are neotenic. This means that when conditions on land are particularly harsh, they will retain some of their larval characteristics, like big, fluffy external gills and never complete metamorphosis into a terrestrial adult form. They will stay safely in the water for their entire lives. Although they keep larval characteristics, they can still reproduce. And then there are several species of tiger salamander that have cannibal morph larva. That is, there are two larval forms, a smaller form that eats aquatic invertebrates, and then a much larger form that can also eat the smaller larval form. Scientists wanted to know what triggers a “typical” larva to morph into a cannibal larva? They discovered several environmental factors, that actually make a lot of sense. For example, cannibal morphs develop when they live in very dense populations with other tiger salamander larva. This makes perfect sense because if the population is dense, then there is a lot of competition for food and potential food if you can eat your own kind. Another factor that determines whether or not a larva develops into a typical morph or a cannibal morph is how closely related the larva around them are. If they are closely related to nearby larva, they are not likely to develop into a cannibal morph. Again, it makes sense because if they are related then they share genes and they don’t want to eat an animal that will increase the likelihood of passing those shared genes on to the next generation. Studies have also shown that when given the choice, cannibal morphs will choose to eat non-kin rather than their own kin. And yes, they can tell if they’re related and even how much they’re related to each other. Experiments indicate that it is probably by sense of smell. Another question that had intrigued scientists is why don’t we see more cannibal species in nature? When you think about the benefits of cannibalism, such as removing competition for food and possibly mates if its sex specific cannibalism, as well as having a nearby food source, it seems like evolution would have selected for this more often. They found a good explanation for this one as well. Most diseases are pretty host specific. For example, while there are a few diseases that can be transmitted between us and say our cats, there are a number of diseases that can’t be. Carnivores in general prey on the sick and the weak, or the easiest to catch prey. Laboratory results showed that cannibal tiger salamander larva did in fact choose to prey on the sick and were more likely to die from an acquired disease. And so cannibalistic tiger salamander species kind of have the best of both worlds. They aren’t cannibals unless the conditions are optimal for them to be so. Then some of them can switch. And what adorable little cannibals they are! By the way, the California tiger salamanders are not doing so well and there has been constant fights from groups who want to develop on prime tiger salamander habitat to remove their protected status in California. The fight was won yet again this year when the California Fish and Game commission voted to keep them protected under the California Endangered Species Act. There are actually a lot of things working against these animals right now and they need the limited protection they are granted because of their status. Stay informed and find out what you can do to help protect them at Save the Frogs, which incidentally will also save the salamanders.

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Bricker, L. A., & Bell, P. (2008). Conceptualizations of argumentation from science studies and the learning sciences and their implications for the practices of science education. Science Education, 92(3), 473–498. doi:10.1002/sce.20278 In order to broaden the conceptualizations of argument in science education, Bricker and Bell draw from diverse fields: the sociology of science, the learning sciences, and cognitive science to help practitioners think of new ways to bring argumentation into learning spaces while expanding what counts as scientific argument. Brewer, P. R., & Ley, B. L. (2013). Whose science do you believe? Explaining trust in sources of scientific information about the environment. Science Communication, 35(1), 115–137. doi:10.1177/1075547012441691 Brewer and Ley surveyed 851 participants in a U.S. city and revealed relationships among demographic characteristics, religious beliefs, political views, and trust in multiple forms of science communication sources. Derry, S. J., Pea, R. D., Barron, B., Engle, R. A., Erickson, F., Goldman, R., Hall, R., Koschmann, T., Lemke, J. L., Sherin, M. G., & Sherin, B. L. (2010). Conducting video research in the learning sciences: Guidance on selection, analysis, technology, and ethics. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 19(1), 3–53. If you are using or considering using video as a research tool in informal settings, this paper provides multiple perspectives on approaches to video-clip selection, video data analysis, video data management and sharing, and the ethics of using video. It raises fundamental questions that can guide your use of video in informal settings. DeWitt, J., & Osborne, J. (2010). Recollections of exhibits: Stimulated-recall interviews with primary school children about science centre visits. International Journal of Science Education, 32(10), 1365–1388. This study utilized digital media in the form of still photographs and video-clips of students’ visits to a science centre to stimulate recall of the visit and to explore the extent to which students were cognitively engaged, specifically looking at the meaning they constructed. Students were asked what was happening in the clip or photo, how the exhibit “worked” what they thought the exhibit was trying to show them, and whether or not they enjoyed the exhibit. The study found that the visits to science centres were highly memorable experiences for students and that students were highly engaged as they attempted to (mostly unsuccessfully) extract properties or characteristics of exhibits, make causal explanations, and utilize prior knowledge.

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Edward F. Redish the John Wiley & Sons Inc. This book provides a brief introduction to the implications of Physics Education Research for physics instruction and can be used as a handbook for improving physics teaching. The author reviews the cognitive basis for the current instructional consensus in PER and discusses a dozen popular active-engagement teaching methods and many various methods and tools to improve physics instruction. The CD included with the book includes conceptual tests covering most introductory physics topics. An online free pre-publication version of these materials is available through the mirror link below. Redish, E. (2003). Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite (pp. 220). Somerset: John Wiley & Sons Inc.. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Teaching+Physics+with+the+Physics+Suite+CD-p-9780471393788 Redish, Edward F.. Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite. 220. Somerset: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2003. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Teaching+Physics+with+the+Physics+Suite+CD-p-9780471393788 (accessed 28 June 2022). Redish, Edward F.. Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite. Somerset: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2003. 220. 1 Feb. 2003. 28 June 2022 <https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Teaching+Physics+with+the+Physics+Suite+CD-p-9780471393788>. %A Edward F. Redish %T Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite %D February 1, 2003 %P 220 %I John Wiley & Sons Inc. %C Somerset %U https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Teaching+Physics+with+the+Physics+Suite+CD-p-9780471393788 %O application/pdf %0 Book %A Redish, Edward F. %D February 1, 2003 %T Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite %C Somerset %I John Wiley & Sons Inc. %P 220 %8 February 1, 2003 %@ 0471393789 %U https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Teaching+Physics+with+the+Physics+Suite+CD-p-9780471393788 Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.

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Ein Harod is a spring that rises in the valley of Jezreel at the foot of Mt. Gilboa. Gideon gathered his men there to sort out the good soldiers from the bad ones (Judges 7). From the pool, the spring makes its weary and meandering way east down the valley for some 18 km, passing through Beth-Shean to empty into the Jordan River. A thousand years of neglect had resulted in a valley full of silted and blocked-up waterways creating a marshy and swampy landscape as the spring of Harod—and half a dozen other springs that empty into it—filled the land with water faster than the natural outlets—now blocked—could drain it. That was the scene that greeted the first modern settlers of the valley of Jezreel. And it was obvious that their first task, if they hoped to farm this land, was to drain the swamps. Thus it happened that at the end of December 1928 a work crew from kibbutz Beth Alpha (founded 6 years earlier) was digging yet another drainage canal when someone’s shovel started picking up pieces of mosaic. Work on the channel stopped at once. They called the Hebrew University (then all of 3 years old!) and within a fortnight Eliezer Lippa Sukenik1 and Nahman Avigad had begun to excavate the site. Work began on January 9, 1929, and continued for 7 weeks, until February 26, despite heavy rains (610 mm instead of the usual 400 mm) that flooded the valley that year. The mosaic they uncovered was almost complete, its astonishing preservation caused by a layer of plaster, thrown down from the ceiling by the earthquake that destroyed the building, that covered and protected the floor from the damage of falling stones. When it was completely exposed, the mosaic measured 28 meters long and 14 meters wide. It had an inscription at the doorway leading to three panels in the central apse: a rectangular panel, a square panel with a circle in the middle, and then another rectangle at the far end. The middle square, the first to be uncovered, was the most spectacular. Figures of four women were at the four corners, with inscriptions (in Hebrew) identifying each as a season of the year. Inside the square was a wheel, 3.12 meters in diameter, with a smaller circle (1.2 m) in its center. The wheel was divided into 12 panels, each with a figure and a name identifying it as a sign of the zodiac. And in the center, a man was pictured driving a quadriga (four-horse chariot) through the moon and stars. Rays of the sun were coming out of his head; it was clear that he was Helios, god of the sun. What had they found? Could this have been the temple of a Jewish community (it had to be Jewish; everything was written in Hebrew and Aramaic) turned pagan? Further digging dispelled that notion, for there, just above the central square of the mosaic, they found a mosaic panel of symbols instantly familiar to any Jew of that century (or this): the Ark of the Covenant (aron kodesh), eternal light (ner tamid), seven-branched candelabrum (menorah), palm frond (lulav), citron (etrog), and an incense shovel (mahta).2 Then, in a third panel, closer to the front door, they uncovered a scene easily recognizable to anyone who knows the Bible. We are in Genesis 22, and Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac. In case we might have forgotten our Bible class, the names of the principals—Abraham, Isaac and the ram—are spelled out in inscriptions above their heads, and the hand of God stopping the sacrifice is clearly marked with the words “do not put forth your hand [against the lad].” Interested in mosaics and synagogue imagery? Learn more in the free Bible History Daily post “A Samson Mosaic from Huqoq: An Inside Look at Discovering Ancient Synagogues with Jodi Magness.” So this was definitely a synagogue, a Jewish house of worship, in a basilica building that dates to about 520 C.E.3 The building was destroyed in an earthquake soon after it was built,4 hence the near-perfect preservation of its mosaic floor; their misfortune became our good fortune. And because Beth Alpha is the best preserved of the seven synagogues we know, we use it here as the basis for our discussion.5 Now, of course, we have problems. We know that Jewish life moved to the Galilee after the total destruction of Jewish Jerusalem that followed the Bar-Kokhba Revolt of the 130s C.E. We are, therefore, not surprised to have found—and to keep finding—synagogues from the following centuries all over the Galilee and Golan. It isn’t the synagogues themselves that are the problem; it is the decorations in them. What in heaven’s name were they doing? How could they be making pictures, especially in the synagogue? Didn’t they know the second commandment? You shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them” (Exodus 20:4–5) That problem is not as formidable as it first appears. The second commandment can be read in several ways because the Hebrew original of this text is entirely without vowels and punctuation points. We, writing English, have put in a period after the word “earth.”6 But if the period weren’t there, the verse could be read as a long conditional clause: “make no graven images … which you worship.” In this case it’s not the making that is prohibited, but the worshiping. Historically, the Jewish community often understood that it was acceptable to make images as long as one doesn’t worship them. And there is, consequently, a long and varied history of Jewish art, beginning with the cherubim over the Ark in the desert (Exodus 25:18), recorded presumably not long after the giving of the Commandments, and without protest. A second problem is less easily resolved. The zodiac is pagan religion. It is what we see in the horoscope in every weekend newspaper on earth, generally the stuff of amusement. We know this system; it is based on the (extraordinary) assumption that the stars control the earth and that what happens on earth is a result of influences from what happens in the sky. All we need in order to understand the earth (that is, about our destiny) is to understand the stars. If, according to this view, one knows the exact date and time of one’s birth, and can chart the exact position of the heavenly bodies at that moment, then forevermore one knows what is fortunate, unfortunate, worth doing, worth avoiding, wise, unwise, etc. Our universe, therefore, is fixed and determined. There are no values, no good, no evil and no repentance. We live in a great mechanical machine of a cosmos. The conflict of interest is obvious, and we are not surprised to learn that Jews detested that idea. For if the cosmos is like that, why do we need God giving the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai? The Christians also had their own very strong reservations. If the cosmos is like that, who needed God to sacrifice His son for the sins of the world? Who indeed? The early Church in fact absolutely prohibited the making of zodiacs, and there is not one zodiac mosaic in a church that dates before the Middle Ages, and very few even then. The zodiac/horoscope perception is the antithesis and enemy of monotheistic religion. An ancient and honorable enemy, to be sure, far older than Judaism and Christianity, but still the enemy. The newly revised Christianity & Rabbinic Judaism, 2nd edition, presents the first six centuries in the development of Christianity and Judaism in one understandable volume. This unprecedented book takes readers from the middle of the first century—when a distinction between both religions first became apparent—to the Arab conquest. It is true that one who goes through Jewish literature with a fine-tooth comb can find a citation here and there that seems to recognize the phenomenon of mosaic decoration, presumably zodiac, in synagogues. “In the days of Rabbi Abun they began depicting figures in mosaic and he did not protest against it.”7 More to the point, we find a line in Aramaic translation, “… you may place a mosaic pavement impressed with figures and images in the floors of synagogue; but not for bowing down to it.”8 There is even a Midrash that attempts to justify the zodiac phenomenon: “The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him [Abraham]: just as the zodiac [mazalot] surrounds me, and my glory is in the center, so shall your descendants multiply and camp under many flags, with my shekhina in the center.”9 But this is surely grasping at straws. The odd line here and there accounts for nothing in view of the overwhelming opposition in rabbinic literature to anything related to the making of pictures of any sort, and doubly so the fierce opposition to anything suggesting idolatry and pagan worship. Indeed, one of the ways to say “pagan” in rabbinical Hebrew is by the abbreviation עכומ[ (ovedei kokhavim u-mazalot,"worshipers of stars and constellations"). The rabbis of the Talmud recognized the popularity of astrology and were even prepared to admit that there might be truth in its predictions, but opposed the whole endeavor on principle. Ein mazal le-Yisrael (literally, "Israel has no constellation") is perhaps the most commonly quoted opinion on the subject,10 but it is only one of many. All the more are we astonished by the figure of Helios, Sol Invictus, pagan god of the sun, riding his quadriga right through the middle of the synagogue! This doesn't look like it belongs here. And we need to ask again, what was this all about? To set our minds at rest (for the time being), we can say what all this wasn't. It could not have been astrology (predicting the future, etc.) and it could not have been scientific astronomy, because the seasons in the corners are in the wrong places. The upper right corner at Beth Alpha is marked טבת (Tevet), the winter month, and the upper left corner ניסן (Nissan) the month of Passover in spring. But between them you have the zodiac sign of Cancer, the Crab, which falls in mid-summer, not early spring. The same thing with the sign for Libra, the Scales. The mosaic has placed it between the spring and summer seasons, whereas it belongs in the fall. Clumsy astronomy. The conclusion is inescapable: whoever did this mosaic hadn't a clue about real astronomy or astrology, doubtless because he was a Jew and couldn't care less.11 For the same reason, this mosaic floor could not have been a calendar, an idea that has been suggested by several important scholars of the subject.12 The incorrect placement of the seasons would have made that completely impossible. Then perhaps it's all just decoration, pretty pictures, the common designs of the era. That is the most common explanation, the one found in guide books. But it can't be true. In the first place, the designs were by no means common in the Byzantine era. The Church, as stated, absolutely banned their use. More important, these signs are too loaded with meaning. We might argue "pretty pictures" if Beth Alpha were a solitary, unique find. We could then, at best, say that we had found here a group of Jews who had become so Hellenized that they had slipped over into paganism. But Beth Alpha is not unique; we will visit half a dozen other synagogues before we're done. In addition, we have found hundreds of Jewish tombstones and catacombs from all over the Roman Empire. And despite the fact that there are countless millions of possible symbols, forms, designs, pictures, animals, etc. they could have used, the fact is that they all use the same 10-12 symbols.13 We are forced to conclude that these were more than pretty pictures. As the point where three of the world’s major religions converge, Israel’s history is one of the richest and most complex in the world. Sift through the archaeology and history of this ancient land in the free eBook Israel: An Archaeological Journey, and get a view of these significant Biblical sites through an archaeologist’s lens. The Other Three Of "The Big Four" Hammath Tiberias is the second most famous (and the most technically accomplished) mosaic synagogue floor.14 We have a zodiac wheel in the middle of the floor,15 a rendering of Helios riding his quadriga through the heavens in the central circle, the seasons in the corners, and the synagogue panel above, between the zodiac and the bema of the synagogue. There is no depiction of the righteous ancestors theme, as there was with Abraham at Beth Alpha.16 Actually, the synagogue at Ein Gedi17 (recently opened as a National Park) is more complete than those of Beth Alpha and Hammath Tiberias. All the elements we usually look for—and some new ones—are here, in mosaic on the floor. Except that they are all in lists. There are no pictures here at all. We have a list of all of the signs of the zodiac. The ancestors (Adam, Seth, Enosh, Keinan, etc.) are listed,18 as are “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, shalom” and three new righteous ones we haven’t seen before: Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah19 have been added for good measure. The other interesting new element in Ein Gedi is the identification of the zodiac signs with the months of the Hebrew calendar.2 We didn’t see that at Beth Alpha or Hammath Tiberias. That leads us to the newest of the synagogue zodiac discoveries, the synagogue at Zippori (Sepphoris) in the lower Galilee.21 Discovered only in 1993, this floor is the most elaborate of the seven floors we know and contains items not to be found in any of the others. Unhappily, it is in a very bad state of preservation and most scenes are only fragmentary. The zodiac is elegant indeed. Each constellation has its own name and the name of its corresponding calendar month written right in the panel. So, for example, we find Scorpio (עקרב) together with its Hebrew month Heshvan (חשון), Sagittarius (קשת) together with Kislev (כסלו), and so forth. There are seasons in each of the four corners, but a new element has been added here too: Greek inscriptions defining the seasons in addition to the Hebrew ones we have seen before. And, as in Beth Alpha and Ein Gedi, the righteous ancestor theme has been well and truly represented. Again we find Abraham binding Isaac. The scenes are very poorly preserved, but we have a fragment of the ram caught in the thicket and at least part of the picture of two servants holding the ass (Genesis 22:5) while Abraham and his son went off to Moriah. Helios rides his quadriga in the central circle but, extraordinarily, there is no male figure in the picture; just the sun itself driving the chariot. The synagogue panel, divided here into three sections, is quite well preserved. The two candelabra flank the Ark of the Covenant with the ram’s horn, palm frond and citron, and incense shovel in place below. The Zippori synagogue floor, however, provides several other elements not found elsewhere: scenes of the ornaments, instruments and sacrifices of the Temple and an additional (very fragmentary) scene of the angels visiting Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18). Pity it’s all in such bad condition. And how fortunate we have been to have found Beth Alpha so perfectly preserved! These are the “Big Four” sites we needed to visit. There are three others that are very fragmentary indeed-some destroyed or changed in antiquity, others looted and destroyed in modern times, some both. Read Hershel Shanks’s First Person column “The Sun God in the Synagogue” on Bible History Daily for free. The “Little Three” Very little is left of the synagogue at Na’aran, now in the Palestinian Authority area some 5 km northwest of Jericho.22 Hardly surprising, the mosaic floor was discovered when the British army was camped in Na’aran during the First World War and a Turkish artillery shell fell on the spot, uncovering the mosaic!23 There was a zodiac wheel here once, and one sees the lines dividing the panels, but the panels themselves have been defaced. One may find remains of the claws of Cancer, the Crab, and at least one other sign, Aries, is identifiable because the caption is preserved even though the picture is gone.24 Old Helios is gone too, but we find one wheel of his chariot (older pictures by archaeologists show two wheels) in the central circle. There were four seasons in the four corners, badly defaced, and two candelabra flanking the Ark were seen by Père Vincent, excavator of the site, who sketched them at the time.25 Even less remains in Sussiya. This is a mysterious place, a large Jewish town high in the Judean hills south of Hebron on the way to Beersheba. It is a town without a name and without a history—we use the Arabic name for the place for lack of an alternative—but it was a big place and it lasted a long time. Very odd. The synagogue building, large and well built, also lasted a long time, and that longevity was the undoing of its mosaic floor. Fashions change, and when it was no longer acceptable to put pictures in synagogues,26 the floor was ripped out and a new “carpet” of geometric patterns, itself changed and repaired over time, was laid in its place. But there was a zodiac wheel here; a piece of the outer arc of the wheel is still in place. And we know the building was a synagogue because at least two elements we recognize from other places, the candelabra and the Ark, are still quite recognizable. The survival of a fragment of the righteous ancestors panel is even more unexpected. But it is indeed there on the floor: the tail of an animal and two Hebrew letters “-el” (אל). Surely that is Daniel in the lions’ den. We have nearly reached the end of our survey. One more site is left, and it is so obscure that only the smallest fraction of the synagogue mosaic remains. The area was a construction site in the Druze village of Usifiyya, east of Haifa on Mt. Carmel.27 A mosaic synagogue inscription, flanked by two candelabra,28 was discovered during construction, together with one corner of a zodiac wheel. The smiling face of one of the seasons, not identified by an inscription, and a piece of two zodiac panels— one of them obviously Cancer, the other unidentifiable—are all that’s left of the zodiac. A Search for Meaning What have we found? We have found seven places in Israel where Jews put zodiac wheels, Helios, the four seasons, a panel of synagogue objects, and sometimes remembrance of righteous ancestors in mosaic on the floor of their synagogues. For the record, we have never found a zodiac in a Jewish context outside of Israel, and every zodiac found in Israel was in a synagogue. That fact tells us what we already knew: that these zodiacs were certainly not just decorations or pretty pictures. Nor were they attempts at astrology (predicting the future) or astronomy. The Ark, candelabrum, shofar, etc. were put in synagogues (and on tombstones, lintels, doorposts and catacombs), the most serious of places for the Jewish community. And the inscriptions on the zodiacs themselves were invariably in Hebrew, even if the common languages of the day, Aramaic or Greek were added. That is, the zodiacs were important and meant something to the people who made them. The question is: What? It is time to suggest some conclusions. The evidence indicates that we are in the presence of a mystical Hellenistic-Byzantine Jewish tradition, a tradition that Talmudic Judaism either ignored or suppressed,29 a tradition we would not know anything about (for it left no literature) were it not for the discovery of this artwork, these symbols.30 The mosaics are in fact the literature of the movement. We need to learn how to read them. Historically, the mosaics were made at a time when what is sometimes called normative, or Talmudic, Judaism—the Judaism of the rabbis—was just developing. And it was going a different way.31 We might say that Talmudic Judaism was moving horizontally: A man walks a path, with God giving him the Law to tell him what to do and what not to do, how to stay straight on the path and not stray off. God is pleased when man obeys and angry when he disobeys. This is the religion of the Hebrew Bible, and it is what normative Judaism became in the Talmud, the Middle Ages and, for the most part, up to our own time. But there was, and still is, a different kind of religion, much older than the Judaism we have just described. We can call it vertical. Men always knew that their life depended on higher powers. First and most obvious, life depended on nature—on seed and growth, rain, sun, moon, land, wind and fire. That was natural religion; it was what primitive man did. It was only a short step from there to making each of these elements into a god. Ancient man thus prayed to rain and sacrificed to earth, worshiped the moon and adored the sun. Interested in Biblical art? BAS Library Members: Visit the Ancient Art of the Biblical World Special Collection. Not a BAS Library member yet? Sign up today. The cosmos was chaotic at first. The gods were busy having arguments (and orgies) with each other. In between the arguments they could torture and abuse men, and seduce women as they liked. But nature became orderly as the Greeks developed science—biology, astronomy and physics—and tamed the cosmos. They defined the forces influencing other forces; wind influences clouds, clouds influence rain, rain influences earth, and earth influences men. Thus the ladder of cosmic power was taking shape. On this issue there is bad news and good news. The bad news is that the regular cycle of nature was pretty grim, not to mention completely predestined. There was no good and no evil—no value—which is why the Jews never bought into it. The good news is that the cosmos was also consoling. Nature was no longer random or dependent on the whim of the gods. Indeed, the regularity of the cycle of growth and death and rebirth in nature did give hope for immortality.32 And when Greek philosophy, following Plato, organized the forms and powers into a proper hierarchy, with the Highest Form, the First Uncaused Cause, being God, then the spiritual ladder was firmly in place. And that, we suggest, is what they were doing by walking into the synagogue. We see the worshipers climbing the mystical ladder from the mundane and transient things down here at the entrance—who made the floor, when, and how much it cost—to a union with God at His holy Ark up there at the far end. The first step was through our righteous ancestors. Their good deeds atone for our sins.34 Then, as we walk farther into the synagogue, we begin to climb the ladder, encountering the earth and its seasons. We are among friends; the seasons have friendly, sometimes smiling, women’s faces. We progress even higher, through the stars and constellations (the Hebrew word mazal, “constellation,” means luck). But the vertical path of Jewish mysticism is beyond luck, beyond the stars. It is beyond even the strongest and most fearful of all natural powers, the sun. Here is the sun, indeed at the center of the universe, in a chariot controlled by a charioteer,35 in a vision recalling Ezekiel’s vision of the divine chariot (Ezekiel 1). The charioteer is God,36 in control of the four horses, over and above the stars and the constellations, that is, over fate and destiny. This is the God who rules over the moon and the seasons, the rain, the land and the elements. Four elements like the four horses: earth, air, fire and water. This is the God who has graciously made a covenant and given Torah to His people Israel, whose sins are atoned for by the righteousness of their ancestors. And that understanding brought the worshiper to the holy symbols of the synagogue, which is God’s house. That is why, in all of the synagogue mosaic panels37 depicting the symbols of God’s house, the Ark of the Covenant is always in the center of its panel, and the panel is always located right at the foot of the Ark itself. We have come through our stages of ascent. We are in front of the Ark, the dwelling place of God’s Torah. Yet the door is always closed. God, inside, is still a mystery. But our long mystical journey to salvation is almost over. All uncredited photos courtesy of the author. 1 E.L. Sukenik, The Ancient Synagogue of Beth-Alpha, (Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1932) 2 The incense shovel was a universally recognized Jewish symbol in the Byzantine era. It disappeared from the Jewish iconographic lexicon because the Jews stopped using incense when the Christians started. 3 The Aramaic inscription at the front door was damaged. It says that the mosaic was made “during the … year of the reign of the emperor Justinus”. The exact year is missing. The reference is probably to the emperor Justin I (adopted uncle and immediate predecessor of Justinian the Great) who ruled from 518-527 C.E. and whose coins were found on the site. It is of course possible that the building was older than the mosaic floor. 4 The earliest possible “candidate” was a major quake that hit the country on July 9, 551. It was the earthquake that finally destroyed Petra. More likely was an earthquake of lesser magnitude but located closer to the site which did great damage to the Jordan Valley in 659/660. 5 We have not entered into a discussion of the artistic merits of this work of art. It is the writer’s opinion that this work, with its naive and primitive style, has a child-like immediacy and freshness that makes it one of the masterpieces of world art. 6 Thus the new JPS Tanakh. The King James translation puts a colon after the word “earth”, while the New American Bible (Catholic) and the Revised Standard Version (Protestant) translations both use a semi-colon instead of period at this point. 7 From a Geniza manuscript of JT Avoda Zarah 8 In the Pseudo-Jonathan Targum to Lev. 26:1 9 From a Geniza fragment of Midrash Deut. Rabba) These quotations are cited by Michael Klein, “Palestinian Targum and Synagogue Mosaics,” Jerusalem, Immanuel 11 (1980) 10 The matter is discussed in BT Shabbat, 156a 11 At Beth Alpha the signs and the seasons both progress counter-clockwise, although they are misaligned. The Hammat Tiberias zodiac shows both signs and seasons also rotating counter-clockwise, and in correct alignment with each other. At Na’aran the seasons run counter-clockwise, as above, but the signs go clockwise! 12 That position was argued by Prof. Avi-Yonah, among many others, and by the excavator of Hammat Tiberias. See Moshe Dothan, Hammath Tiberias, (Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1983). Hammat Tiberias is the only mosaic we know where the signs and seasons are correctly aligned, which may have influenced the excavator’s judgment as to its purpose 13 The cataloging of all of these finds and the interpretation of what they might mean constitute the magnum opus of Erwin Goodenough (1893-1965), Professor of Religion at Yale and one of the greatest scholars of religion America ever produced. Goodenough’s 13 volume study, E.R. Goodenough, Jewish Symbols in the Greco-Roman Period, (New York: Pantheon, 1958), form the core text for the study of this subject, Everyone who has subsequently dealt with the subject is in his debt. The book has been re-issued in a 1-volume paperback, abridged and edited by Jacob Neusner (Princeton: Bollingen Series, 1988) 14 Dothan, op cit. See endnote 6, above. 15 We are amazed to discover that later generations built a wall right through the middle of the zodiac! 16 A complete description of the 4 mosaics known at the time of publication: Beth Alpha, Hammat Tiberias, Na’aran and Usifiyya, together with a comprehensive bibliography, may be found in Rachel Hachlili, “The Zodiac in Ancient Jewish Art,” Bulletin of the American Society for Biblical Research, 228, (1977) , pp. 61-77 17 Dan Barag, Yosef Porat and Ehud Netzer, “The Synagogue at ‘Ein Gedi”, Ancient Synagogues Revealed, (Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1981), pp. 116-119. 18 The text is copied from I Chron. 1:1 19 They are the 3 “children in the fiery furnace”, Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego, in the book of Daniel. 20 There are, of course, many groups of 12 in the Bible and throughout ancient literature: 12 sons of Jacob, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 disciples of Jesus, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 months of the year, etc. 21 The synagogue floor is thoroughly discussed in Ze’ev Weiss and others, The Sepphoris Synagogue, (Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 2005), In this writer’s opinion, however, the authors have completely missed the point by beginning at the top, the Ark and the holy synagogue objects, and working their way back out the front door. The spiritual progression which we discuss requires exactly the opposite course. 22 The Bible called the place both Na’arah (Joshua 16:7) and Na’aran (I Chronicles 7:28). Josephus knew it as Nearah (Antiquities. book 17, ch. 13, para. 1) and the Talmud called it Na’arah (Lamentations R.1:17 No 52) 23 The site was examined in 1919 by the British staff archaeologist, studied again by Père Vincent & M.J. Lagrange in 1921, and published by Prof. Sukenik in his book on Beth Alpha (see endnote 1, above) 24The Hebrew word is טלה (taleh), which in modern Hebrew means lamb. But it was always used for the Ram in the zodiac. 25 This writer has seen the remains of a figure of a man, 2 arms raised to heaven , with the inscription “Dani[el] shalom”. But that fragment is not to be found on the site any more. The menorot are said to be at the École Biblique in Jerusalem 26 The iconoclastic movement in Judaism and Christianity was certainly in influenced by the uncompromising iconoclasm of militant Islam. But the trend in Judaism may have been a parallel rather than a dependent development. 27 The remains of site, identified as ancient Huseifa, were excavated in 1933 and published the following year by Prof. Michael Avi-Yonah and M. Makhouly in The Quarterly of the Department of Antiquities in Palestine, 3, 1934. 28 The inscription, which is incomplete, reads שלום על ישראל (shalom al yisrael), and is on display in the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem. The zodiac fragment is in the collection of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. 29 Only the works of Philo and Josephus, together with some mystical apocalypses, survive as the literature from the Hellenistic Jewish world. They survive because of the Christians, who preserved them, not the Jews, who ignored them. There is no other mystical literature from the period of the mosaic making which might help us understand what the mosaic makers meant to say. 30 It would be a safe bet to say that 9 out of 10 Jews living today (especially orthodox Jews) don’t know, and never knew, that such a Judaism ever existed. 31 This formulation, from Goodenough (q.v.), ch. 1, has been extraordinarily useful to this writer. 32 The Jews were not much interested in immortality, but everybody else was! 33 We are not surprised to discover that the oldest known manifestation of what we might call “religion” is the decorated skull of an ancestor found under the floor of a house in pre-pottery Neolithic Jericho. 34 There are any number of examples of pious Jews venerating the tombs of saints and forefathers. A visit to any tomb of a holy man in the Galilee, to Elijah’s cave on Mt. Carmel, or indeed to a cemetery where someone of special interest to one or another Hassidic group is buried provides a fascinating glimpse into a Judaism which we of the liberated western world did not know still existed. 35 The origin and symbolism of the Divine quadriga and its connection to merkava mysticism are discussed in a monograph by James Russell in the Jewish Studies Quarterly, vol. 4, no. 4, (Tubingen 1997). 36 We recall that in the Zippori zodiac the quadriga is driven by the sun itself, without the figure of a man. Compare Is.60:19ff. 37 Some ancient synagogues, as in Beth-Shean, show only the synagogue panel without any of the other elements. Walter Zanger is a well-known Israeli tour guide who is often featured on Israeli TV.

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Longing for what we have lost 4 Winckelmann and the beauty of male friendship Winckelmann felt himself a kindred spirit to the ancient Greeks, particularly as regards friendship. According to Pater: That his affinity with Hellenism was not merely intellectual, that the subtler threads of temperament were inwoven in it, is proved by his romantic, fervid friendships with young men. Winckelmann found his intimate, emotional connections with other men, which elevated their friendships into a territory beyond mere acquaintance, mirrored in those of the ancient Greeks he studied. One token of such a friendship comes in the form of a portrait by Anton von Maron, which was commissioned for Winckelmann’s close friend and correspondent, Wilhelm Muzell-Stosch. 4.1. Beauty realised 4.2. Androgynous beauty Pater 1873, 161 → 4.1. Beauty realised

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In Brazil, often considered the premier country for soccer, soccer is a way of life for millions. The game exerts an immense influence within a social context.The way in which soccer is included in the program of Brazil’s schools, however, could be more appropriate. This paper looks at Brazilian soccer’s social impact in an effort to understand its implications for schools. Brazilian Soccer History The history of soccer in Brazil reflects the wider history of the people and helps explain, perhaps, Brazilian society’s appreciation for the game. A variety of people from different parts of the world helped build a unique Brazilian culture, which comprises the largest multiracial democracy on our planet. When the Portuguese arrived in what is now Brazil, a small native population scattered throughout the area was often enslaved. Other slaves were subsequently brought to the area from West Africa and forced to work in mines and on farms. These slaves had metal-working skills that the native people lacked. African slaves also brought with them new music, dances, cookery, and martial arts. These contributed to shaping a lifestyle that all Brazilians now share. Most of the more recent European settlers were attracted to Brazil’s coffee-growing regions and to the growing industrial towns in the southeast. Brazil in fact has been occupied by “foreigners” for a much shorter time than most other countries. Soccer was brought to Brazil in 1885 by Charles Miller, an Englishman. The Portuguese called it futebol, and it was initially played in private clubs by young men of the elite class. This discrimination against poor people and black people in terms of soccer access persisted for decades but began to be transformed in 1933, with the advent of professional soccer. The game then became very popular in schools, factories, and clubs. Futebol was practiced throughout the country, on beaches and fields, and the number of players grew quickly. It is generally accepted that to understand Brazilian soccer, one needs to understand Brazil’s people. Their diverse races and cultures combined in a social phenomenon that is embodied in local and national soccer. Futebol became popular in the low-income population, where blacks and mulattos were overrepresented. That there is a distinctive, footwork-intense “Brazilian style” of soccer is, according to some authors, a legacy of the endemic, music-accompanied martial art capoeira and the dance style samba, both of which reflect African cultural development (Melo, 2000). Brazilian-style soccer is as much an art as a sport. The people who bequeathed it valued both complexity of rhythms and creativity of choreography. A nation of ex-slaves, they demonstrated great capacity to overcome injustice–and plain suffering–through imagination (Maranhão, 2002). Brazilian fans today look for the agile “soccer-artist” to focus their interest and appreciation on. Another more practical aspect of soccer has influenced its history in Brazil. That is, the game is easy to play, with simple rules and no requirement for elaborate equipment or special playing locations. It can be played on synthetic grass or on abandoned land; it is played on more than 2,000 beaches. It is even played indoors in homes, with soccer balls comprising folded socks, oranges, soda bottle lids, and other handy items. Moreover, people with various physical attributes can participate in soccer, meaning many players, and the more players available, the more very talented players available. Soccer in Brazil is similar to basketball in the United States, in that the general cultural environment is characterized by extensive (and intensive) pursuit of the sport; people are shaped by their environments, in this case to want to play soccer and basketball, respectively. Brazil has more professional soccer teams than any other country in the world. A wealth of players and a passion for play led the Brazilian soccer team to become the first ever to win the World Cup five times (in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002). Heroes and Illusions It has been argued that Brazil’s soccer culture possesses more influence over Brazilians’ lives than even aspects of politics or economics (Maranhão, 2002). Media coverage plays a role, and so does the myth of the rags-to-riches soccer star. Such media idols are much imitated by children, many of whom–like Pelé, Garrincha, Zico, Romário, and Ronaldo themselves–learned to play soccer in the dirt, under conditions of harsh poverty. Soccer here is a mix of joy in playing and suffering in being poor. In Brazil’s streets the boys of the nation, particularly boys from ethnic minorities, kick a ball and dream of becoming media idols themselves. This dream motivates millions of children: Soccer is their only hope of a future outside of poverty. Every time a poor kid succeeds through futebol, Brazil’s national soccer culture becomes even more deeply ingrained. According to Teich (2002), a number of players on Brazilian national soccer teams have followed a common path. Very poor and having limited schooling, they became more than idols: They became owners of surprising wealth. They pursued their soccer playing intensively and the skills they developed strengthened soccer in Brazil, adding to its worldwide fame. They believed in soccer as their way up, economically and socially. There is a commonly held idea in Brazil that for the poor, especially the dark-skinned poor, social mobility can come only through soccer, music, or drug trafficking. Would-be soccer stars without world-class talent grow up to be motoboys, delivery boys on motorcycles, or perhaps van drivers, if they do not die first in confrontations with police or drug dealers. In Brazil the realities of race and power, which translate into realities of opportunity and ability, have long histories that boil down to nonwhites’ deprivation of health, education, work, and income (Graham, 1990). This is why, Arbena argues (1988), for Brazil’s poorest children and teens, soccer’s importance to daily life transcends simple recreation. To say that becoming a professional Brazilian soccer player guarantees wealth is not entirely true. According to the Brazilian Soccer Association, only 4.3% of professional players receive over US $1,350 in pay each month (4,000 Brazilian reais). The great majority of players, 83.4%, earn less than US $120 monthly (“Salários,” 1998). Soccer, School, and a More Inclusive Society Despite the great importance of soccer to Brazil’s culture, the positive social impact that could result from the game’s careful use in Brazilian schools typically has been neglected. Transforming the schools into places that generally please children would stimulate learning. Brazil’s children play soccer before, after, and yes, during, school. Adults, however, have not capitalized on soccer’s youthful popularity to improve social integration. They have not even approached soccer as a tool for enhancing school attendance and thereby promoting learning. Surely one solution to school failure, including dropping out, would be organized soccer. School must be connected to students’ local culture, which represents what they have already learned. As Freire (1992) explained, children take to school with them an understanding of their world (the place of their origin and the culture it supports) that is in fact the beginning of all other knowledge they obtain over time. Because they know soccer so well, the sport offers nothing less than a means of knowledge development and resulting liberation, if it could be strongly connected to what the children are asked to learn at school. The schools belong to society. Society should move to promote opportunity for all Brazilians by putting soccer to work in its schools. For a few, it might turn out to be the dream come true of soccer stardom, but with a complete academic education, even for the many, economic opportunity will begin to expand. Arbena, J. (Ed.). (1988). Sport and society in Latin America: Diffusion, dependency, and the rise of mass culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Salários dos jogadores no futebol profissional brasileiro [Players’ salaries in Brazilian professional soccer]. (1998, February 14). Folha de Sao Paulo. Freire, P. (1992). Pedagogia da esperança [Pedagogy of hope]. Rio de Janeiro: Paz e Terra. Graham, R. (1990). The idea of race in Latin America, 1870–1940. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. Maranhão, C. (2002, July). O pais do futebol [Soccer nation]. Revista Veja, 1758A(26A), 48–52. Melo, V. A. (2000). Futebol: Paixão e política [Soccer: Passion and politics]. Rio de Janeiro: DP&A Editora. Teich, D. (2002, July 17). De onde eles vieram? [Where did they come from?]. Revista Veja, 28A, 36–42.

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In Italy during the Renaissance (around 1400 to 1600), an innovative form of sculpture was developed using fine clay that was shaped and modeled before being fired in a kiln. Called terracotta in Italian (meaning baked earth), this type of sculpture often has been overlooked by scholars in favor of the more commonly known Renaissance sculptures carved in marble or cast in bronze. "Modeling Devotion: Terracotta Sculpture of the Italian Renaissance", a new scholarly exhibition at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum , Boston, on view from February 25 to May 23, 2010, draws attention to this category of art through a presentation of fifteen terracotta sculptures collected by Isabella Gardner and recently conserved. Additional works of note are on view in the historic galleries. The beauty and significance of painted terracotta sculpture of the Italian Renaissance is only now being appreciated, says Alan Chong, the William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Collection at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and exhibition curator. This new attention has helped us identify the maker of one of our most impressive works, the Deposition of Christ by the almost completely unknown Giovanni de Fondulis. Rooted in new scholarship and conservation, Modeling Devotion reveals discoveries about these works and discusses their highly emotive and expressive qualities, their technique and condition, and even fakes and forgeries that were created in the late 19th century to fuel a growing market for Renaissance art. In the 1890s, Isabella Gardner acquired several terracotta sculpturesincluding large multi-figured compositions of great rarity and that have survived in remarkable condition. Unlike many collectors, who scraped off the worn paint to make the terracotta look more uniform, Isabella Gardner preserved their original coloring, even when not in perfect condition, adds Chong. Painted terracotta sculpture, especially large compositions of multiple figures, are rare in American museums. The Gardner Museums objects preserve much of their original paint. We are pleased to shine fresh light on this unexplored aspect of Gardners collection, says Anne Hawley, the Norma Jean Calderwood Director of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. This exhibition not only highlights beautiful objects that might be overlooked by visitors to our galleries, but it focuses on materials and processes that are not usually associated with the Italian Renaissance. This exhibition truly uncovers new scholarship through our collection of historical art. Modeling Devotion highlights works by Renaissance artists Matteo Civitali, Giovanni de Fondulis, Benedetto da Maiano, the Workshop of Andrea della Robbia and Giovanni della Robbia. In preparation for the exhibition, extensive technical investigation and conservation treatment of several works was undertaken, revealing important information about their construction and composition. The generous support of the Sherman Fairchild Foundation allowed our conservators to study and treat several of our most important works, adds Hawley. Furtherexamples of terracotta sculptures are on view on the third floor of the museum. The title of the exhibition, Modeling Devotion, refers to the technique of shaping these sculptures in clay, as well as to their importance as an example for devotional behavior in Renaissance Italy. Terracotta sculptures of the Renaissance inspired prayer and served as models for happy family life. Terracotta sculptures were almost always colored, whether in paint or fired glazes, and because they were often three-dimensional and life-sized, they possessed a remarkable immediacy and realism. Clay can be handled easily, enabling the artist to add, remove, and shape the material as required. This freedom allowed artists not only to capture fine textures and details, but also to give their works powerful emotions. The most common subjects of such works were religious scenes meant to inspire the devotion of the faithful, or portraits that recorded individual likeness. Modeling Devotion presents examples of the various processes employed by terracotta sculptors. For the larger works consisting of several figures, the artist would sculpt the entire ensemble in wet clay. The figures could be continually worked and even material added, a freedom not possible when carving stone or wood. When the clay had partially dried, the sculpture would be cut into pieces between the figures. Bulky areas of clay were hollowed out to create roughly uniform thickness. During firing, these smaller pieces would be less likely to crack. Highlights among Gardners fifteen terracotta sculptures in the exhibition include: Matteo Civitali, Virgin and Christ Child, ca. 1480 Painted terracotta, height 99 cm (39 in) In the Virgin and Child, the subject is an unusual presentation of reciprocal love. The Christ Child kneels on the folds of the Virgins mantle. He looks up at her in prayer, as she gazes cast down on him in the same gesture. The composition is a striking example of Civitalis ability to create highly evocative poses and interaction among sculptural figures. The dynamic relationship between the mother and child is conveyed through their bodies which lean into each other, while also opening up to the viewer in an almost impossibly balanced arrangement. The work is a wonderful gesture of mutual adorationa rare element in art at this time, says Chong. Giovanni de Fondulis, Deposition of Christ and Carlotta of Lusignano, ca. 1480 Painted terracotta, height 104 cm (49.9 in) In contrast to the adoration seen in the Civitali, this large work further illustrates the extraordinary emotional intensity of terracotta sculptureand of artist Giovanni de Fondulis in particular. The near life-size figures of Christ, the Virgin, and Saint John intertwine in a sinuous movement that is enhanced by an intensity of the figures facial expressions and gestures. These two works provide a glimpse into the extreme emotions conveyed in terracotta sculpture. The contrast between the Virgin and Christ Childs stillness and quietude is entirely different from the anguish and despair palpably seen in the Deposition of Christ. However, the two works were made at almost exactly the same time, using the same materials. The exhibition further showcases a few examples of glazed terracotta sculptures collected by Isabella Gardner: Tabernacle by Andrea della Robbia; and Giovanni della Robbias monumental Lamentation of Christ, on view in the historic Long Gallery of the museum. GIOVANNI DE FONDULIS In its presentation of the Deposition, Modeling Devotion also affirms the attribution of the Gardners Deposition to a previously obscure Renaissance sculptor based in Padua, Giovanni de Fondulis. Specializing in highly emotional painted terracottas, de Fondulis importance has only recently been reconstructed by art scholars. One of twenty known examples of de Fondulis work, the Deposition of Christ and Carlotta of Lusignano in the Gardner Museum illustrates the extraordinary emotional intensity of terracotta sculptures. Several terracotta sculptures by de Fondulis have sold recently through Sothebys in New York. Recent research has uncovered new information about the artist and can confirm the attribution of the museums Deposition to him. The re-emergence of this innovative Renaissance sculptor is an important discovery. FAKES AND FORGERIES Collectors of the late 19th century craved Renaissance art of all types, terracotta sculpture being no exception. Because genuine works were rare and often in damaged condition, unscrupulous artists made objects in the style of the Renaissance to deceive unsuspecting buyers. Some of these works are in Isabella Gardners collection, including a Bust of a Woman by a French imitator of Renaissance work, made in painted and gilded wood and plaster, and another with the same title made of glazed terracotta. That Isabella Gardner kept two of these works that were later proven to be forgeries in her world-class collection also reveals much about her as a collector and museum founder. To our eyes, these two portraits of beautiful young women look extremely graceful and rather modern, adds Chong. Even after the forgeries were revealed, Gardner left the objects in place; her initial fondness for them apparently undiminished by scholarship. SCHOLARSHIP AND CONSERVATION In preparation for the exhibition, detailed study and conservation of three of Gardners terracotta sculpturesMatteo Civitali, Virgin and Child, ca. 1480; Benedetto da Maiano, Bust of John the Baptist, ca. 1480; and Giovanni de Fondulis, Deposition of Christ and Carlotta of Lusignano (details of the Virgin and Christ), ca. 1480was undertaken. Funded by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, this work focused on analysis of paint and the elemental constituents of terracotta from different regions of Italy, providing new insight into their composition and condition. This research reveals that the works by Civitali and de Fondulis preserve much of their original 15th-century paint. Benedetto da Maianos Bust of John the Baptist has been over-painted several times, including with a layer of black paint applied to make it appear as though it were made of bronze. What is most remarkable about these terracotta sculpturesbeautiful in their own rightis that they are in such an extraordinary state of preservation, says Valentine Talland, Objects Conservator at the Gardner Museum. Terracotta and wood sculpture this old rarely survive to our generation with so much of their original paint. To have so many of our terracotta works presenting the majority of their original surface and paint is really unusual. Analysis also revealed new information about the method of modeling the figures, which were all done by hand, as indicated by the visible tool marks, the selective massing of the clay, and the individual expressiveness of the sculpture, and hollowed out with walls of uniform thickness. Methods of evaluation focused on X radiography and paint cross-sections and terracotta analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Raman spectroscopy, thermoluminescence, and other methods of evaluation conducted by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

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In campaigning for a departure from the Euro, both France's Marine Le Pen and Italy's Beppe Grillo, make the process sound easy. But one does not simply walk out of a monetary union. There are all sorts of messy problems to deal with, including harmful bank runs, massive banknote shortages, and long legal battles with investors over wealth confiscation and the redenomination of debts. I recently stumbled on a successful and rarely-discussed exit from a monetary union: Hawaii in 1942. Hawaii's was a different sort of exit than a potential French or Italian euro exit. Whereas the latter are reactions to being straitjacketed in the face of a slow and grinding recovery from financial crisis, Hawaii's exit was executed in anticipation of a potential military invasion. Despite differing motivations, it's worth investigating the Hawaiian episode to see what it takes to pull off a successful exit. To understand the course of events, I drew on several Fed bulletins from 1942 (including this one), but for the most part relied on Martial Law in Hawaii, written by Brigadier General Thomas H. Green, the man who designed Hawaii's exit from the U.S. monetary union (PDF here). As everyone knows, Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. Hawaiian residents soon began to fear that a full scale invasion was imminent, and a bank run of sorts developed on the island. Here is Green describing the run: "From the time of the Blitz, everyone realized the possibility of the return of the Japs and naturally gave consideration to the safety of their money. Those who had bank deposits began to worry about the security of their deposits and as a result many withdrew their savings and secreted them in various places considered safe...The result was that the banks were gradually running out of cash." In the light of what the Japanese invasion forces were doing in the Pacific theatre, fleeing one's bank made good sense. According to Green, when the Japanese surprised the British forces in Singapore, they confiscated all hard currency, both from banks and and individuals' wallets. For the recalcitrant, Japanese troops had "special procedures" for getting prisoners to give up their possessions. Later on, the territories occupied by the Japanese would be forced onto a scrip-based monetary standard which quickly succumbed to inflation. Given such a fate, better for Hawaiians to withdraw U.S. banknotes ahead of an anticipated Japanese invasion rather than during or after one. That way they'd have enough time to find a good hiding spot for their notes on Hawaii, or ship them to the mainland for safekeeping. The same sort of defensive run that occurred in Hawaii also happened several years ago in Greece. Greek fears that they would be cut off from the euro, their deposits suddenly frozen only to be redenominated into a much less valuable unit of account, led them to cash out before the anticipated event. In both cases, premonitions of confiscation motivated the run. Brigadier General Green put an end to Hawaii's bank run on January 9, 1942 by prohibiting the withdrawal of more than $200 per month from banks and forbidding anyone from holding more than $200 in cash. Although he doesn't specify, I'm going to assume that this $200 limit applied not only to cash withdrawals but also bank wires from Hawaii to mainland banks. By putting an end to the convertibility of local bank deposits, Hawaii now had one foot out of the dollar zone. A dollar held in a Hawaiian bank was no longer quite like a dollar in the rest of the U.S. For those with long memories, the same thing happened in Greece in 2015 when capital controls and cash withdrawal limits were imposed. Frozen Greek euros held in banks were no longer fungible with the rest of Europe's money. In principle it should be very difficult to enforce limits on cash holdings. Yet Brigadier General Green described the effect of his prohibition as "astonishing." Where before banks only had $1.5 million on deposit, over the next several days long lines developed to deposit funds so that after the order, banks found themselves with more than $20 million on deposit. Much of the banknotes were "moist and even wet," noted Green, indicating that they had been recently unearthed from hidden caches. While Green's prohibition stopped Hawaii's bank run, it didn't solve the problem of how to prevent notes from being seized should the Japanese invade. Green's initial solution to the confiscation problem was clumsy one. On the first sign of an invasion, Treasury employees toting burlap bags were to run to important intersections in Honolulu where they would collect bundles of banknotes from citizens, providing a receipt in return. The burlap bags containing the money would then be delivered to the city incinerator where they would be burned. The receipts, which would be redeemable for currency after the war, would be worthless to the Japanese, who wouldn't be able to collect on them. Luckily, Green soon came up with a more elegant approach: create a new currency, or scrip, ahead of time. In the event of an invasion, this scrip would be immediately outlawed by a simple proclamation, thus preventing its use by the Japanese. Far easier to solve the confiscation problem by mere proclamation than have employees standing at intersections with burlap bags. Agreeing to the idea, the U.S. Treasury had a special issue of banknotes printed up. The new bills were similar to ordinary U.S. banknotes except that the seals and the numbers were printed in brown ink instead of green and the bills bore the word "Hawaii" overprinted in black on both sides (see top image). On July 7, 1942 the Governor announced that anyone in Hawaii holding U.S. currency had until July 15 to visit a bank and turn the notes in for special Hawaii overprints. After the 15th, it would be illegal to hold regular banknotes. Henceforth, all notes imported from the mainland had to be immediately turned over to the authorities for conversion. Exports of overprints was prohibited. Anyone who wanted to transfer wealth to the mainland had to exchange it with authorities for regular currency. The punishment for evading these rules was harsh: "Whoever is found guilty of violating any of the provisions of such regulations, shall, upon conviction be fined not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or, if a natural person, may be imprisoned for not more than five (5) years, or both." (source) Over the 7-day exchange window, U.S. banknotes that were brought into banks for conversion were collected and burned. According to the New York Times, more than $200 million was taken to a crematorium in Oahu that soon ran out of capacity, the rest subsequently being hauled to furnaces at a a local sugar mill. Among the officer ranks, the task of serving on the crew that burnt notes was much sought after. Here is Green: "Applications for the last named post were numerous and it was not until I learned of the practice of lighting cigarettes from bills of large denominations that I understood the desirability of such duty. This ritual was enjoyed, especially by young officers who had little prospect of handling, much less burning, bills of large denominations."So by July 15, 1942, Hawaii had effectively left the dollar zone. Gone were regular greenbacks. The sole media of exchange were Hawaiian overprints and overprint-denominated deposits. In practice, the authorities maintained a policy of pegging Hawaiian dollars to U.S. dollars at a rate of 1:1. But if they wanted, they could have easily ratcheted that peg down or up. Alternatively, in the event of an invasion, the authorities could completely unpeg the Hawaiian dollar and let its exchange rate float. Without a strong central bank to back it, the exchange rate would probably have plunged to zero, or at least close to it. Which was exactly the point of Green's scheme... to take all the difficult steps of leaving the U.S. monetary union ahead of time so that, come an invasion, only the last (and easiest) step remained, floating the currency. Very clever. The era of the Hawaiian dollar was a short one. With the Japanese threat now much diminished, Hawaii would be reabsorbed into the dollar zone in 1944. Regular U.S. dollars were once again allowed to circulate in Hawaii while the issuance of overprints was halted. In 1946 all overprints were recalled and destroyed. Could Le Pen or Grillo follow the Hawaii scrip script (pardon the pun) and leave the eurozone by declaring capital controls and then printing out new paper money? Greece went half way when capital controls were instituted in 2015... could it not have gone all the way? There were probably a few factors working in Major General Green's favor that Le Pen and Grillo lack. To begin with, Hawaii is an isolated set of islands. Avoiding the note exchange window and sneaking dollars to the mainland would have been tricky. European borders are quite porous. I don't see why French or Italian citizens would submit to bringing their euro banknotes in for conversion to an inferior currency when they could easily sneak them across the border into Germany. Second, martial law had been imposed in Hawaii whereas Italy and France are democratic nations at peace. It would be much harder for the likes of Le Pen and Grillo to pass the draconian set of laws (and associated punishments) necessary for exit. In executing an exit from a monetary union, in the time that elapses between the limit on bank withdrawals and the issuance of a new currency, the economy will probably suffer from a deep note shortage. Because so many people remaining on Hawaii were enlisted men whose needs were taken care of by the army, monetary exchange was less crucial. Not so the economies of modern France and Italy, which would endure a crippling shortage of transactions media. Finally, the attitudes of citizens are different in wartime. United against a common enemy and trusting of their leaders, Hawaiian residents by-and-large submitted to the monetary inconveniences that were seen as necessary to winning. Witness the long lines described by Green for depositing notes after the $200 holding limit was established in January 1942, despite the impossibility of authorities actually enforcing such a rule. Le Pen and Grillo, on the other hand, govern divided populations. The requisite society-wide eagerness to leave the euro, one that would emerge in the face of a strong invading force, just isn't there.

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