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Western Europe and Russia — Coming Together 180px-immanuel_wallerstein_2008Western Europe and Russia — Coming Together by Immanuel Wallerstein Agence Global, Dec 1, 2009 The slow process of creating a lasting geopolitical alliance of western Europe and Russia has a long history, which is slowly maturing. It may be traced to the visit of President Charles De Gaulle to the Soviet Union in 1944, where he signed the Franco-Soviet Treaty of Alliance and Mutual Assistance. It was a way to reassert France’s centrality in European politics and to take his distance from his somewhat reluctant allies, the United States and Great Britain. For De Gaulle, geopolitical interests overrode ideological differences. The next crucial moment was the pursuit by West Germany’s Social-Democratic Chancellor, Willy Brandt, of the so-called Ostpolitik, after he came to power in 1969. It involved new diplomatic détente with the Soviet Union (as well as the opening of communications with East Germany). The third crucial moment was the great debate in the late 1970s and 1980s about the construction of a gas pipeline (gazoduc) from the Soviet Union to western Europe, which was supported by Germany, France, and even Mrs. Thatcher’s Great Britain. The fourth crucial moment was the proclamation by Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987 of the need to construct “a common European home.” What was common to all four moments was that they were all seen by the United States as at least dubious propositions and at worst initiatives that potentially undermined the global interests of the United States. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia under Boris Yeltsin shelved all these ideas, giving its priority to developing close relations with the United States. The post-Communist regimes in east-central Europe all were relieved by the decreased signs of closer relations of western Europe and Russia. However, when Yeltsin was succeeded by Vladimir Putin, Russian policy reverted to seeking closer relations with western Europe, and with France and Germany in particular. This seemed to come to fruition in February 2003, when the three countries joined hands in defeating the attempt of the United States and Great Britain to get the U.N. Security Council to endorse the about-to-occur invasion of Iraq. This time, the United States quite openly defined this collaboration as hostile to U.S. global interests. Since then, and somewhat under the world’s radar, these relations have continued to advance, despite U.S. continued hostility and the general fear and opposition of the governments in power in the erstwhile satellite states of eastern-central Europe. Putin continues to use the mechanism of one of his biggest trump cards, Russia’s natural gas exports, as the mode of consolidating these links. The debate since the 1990s has been over the routing of new massive pipelines from Russia and Central Asia to western Europe. The Russians have favored what are called the North Stream and the South Stream. The North Stream pipeline would go from Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany, circumventing Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and the Baltic states. The South Stream would go from Russia via the Black Sea to Bulgaria, and then have two branches, one northwest via Serbia, Hungary, and Slovenia to Austria and one southwest via Greece and the Adriatic to Italy. The United States has been pushing a third pipeline project called Nabucco, which seeks to circumvent Russia by getting gas from Turkmenistan. It would cross the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, continue through Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary to Austria and then from there to Germany and the Czech Republic. But since the gas supplies of Turkmenistan are limited, the gas would ultimately have to come from Russia, which diminishes the geopolitical utility of Nabucco. In any case, in what Le Monde calls a “masterstroke,” Putin came to Paris in late November to seal a deal with the French to work together to achieve both the North Stream and the South Stream pipelines. A key French figure, the CEO of GDF Suez, Gérard Mestrallet, said “Russia is an indispensable partner, for the future and for Europe.” France’s President, Nicholas Sarkozy, has called for “a space of common security” between Europe and Russia. This is the same Sarkozy who is hailed in Washington as the most pro-American French president since 1945. Once again, geopolitical interests are overriding ideological differences. The eastern-central European states will probably fall in line, unhappily and fearfully. But geopolitical reality is that the United States can do very little now to slow down the approaching grand alliance.
LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It’s the next generation of child safety. It’s a pair of metal anchors located in the seat bight, plus a top tether anchor located somewhere behind the vehicle seat. Combined, these anchors were to make installation of carseats much easier than using seatbelts. With me so far? Problem is, at least in the USA, we made a lot of concessions to automobile and child restraint manufacturers when the system was implemented. For example, the anchors are often hard to find or access. Also, rigid LATCH isn’t required, as it is with ISOFIX in Europe. Center and third row seating positions may not have anchors at all. High weight limit seats are not considered. This last issue has become a big problem, due to the rapid proliferation in carseats with 5-point harnesses now rated above 40 pounds in the USA and Canada. The rules, many of which are unwritten for the typical parent, are so absolutely crazy that certified child passenger safety technicians need a 200-page reference manual to help understand it. The average parent or caregiver? They don’t even know about the rules or manual in the first place! Thus, misuse happens. It’s no wonder that parents who do know about it are so confused, they simply choose not to deal with it. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up: In 2014, new federal standards, subject to petitions of the final rule, will require carseats to have another label. This label will limit the use of lower anchors to a maximum weight for a child. This child’s weight limit printed on each carseat, plus the weight of the carseat, must be 65 pounds combined, or less. Thus, for any child seat that weighs over 25 pounds, it cannot be used with the lower anchors once the child is above 40 pounds (or less). Clear as mud? Adding to the confusion, these new federal requirements do not directly affect top tether anchors, the other component of LATCH. Nonetheless, many automobile manufacturers are still currently limiting top tether anchor use to the same combined 65-pound [child plus carseat] weight, even when a seatbelt is used for installation. A few still limit use to a 40- or 48-pound child weight. That means that if you own any of these automobile makes (and you may need that 200-page manual to know which ones!), you should no longer use the top tether above this limit. Still following me? Of course, it is the tall and heavy kids that need top tethers the most in order to reduce head excursion, the source of severe head injury risk! So, this is a major conflict in what we know about crash dynamics and something that could put older kids at risk. All this leads to the following questions: Q: Weight limits, really? Is LATCH so unsafe that it has such low weight limits? Is it even safe near the limits? A: Fair points. I’ve seen no data indicating that overloaded anchors are resulting in severe injuries. If they do become unsafe at some weight, it’s not clear what weight that is or if the known benefits outweigh unknown risks. Low limits may indeed cause parents to question the integrity of the system. Lacking any public data, these limits may seem arbitrary. Regardless, parents should follow the ratings on the labels of their carseat and in their owners manuals, if any. This often leads to confusion when published limits can’t be found or if they conflict with each other. Unfortunately, CarseatBlog is placed in a position where this is the best answer we can give to parents. For certified technicians, if both manuals are not in agreement for a higher weight limit, or when no guidance is provided, the standardized training curriculum says you should advise parents to discontinue use of lower anchors and/or tether use for a child heavier than 40 pounds. (R10/10. Ch. 6, Page 82) Q: If I keep my kid rear-facing to 2 years and beyond, is it even worthwhile to use LATCH forward-facing for the limited time they will remain under the LATCH weight limit? A: Probably not. If you transition a child to a forward-facing seat after 2-years of age as recommended, a seatbelt installation is probably the best choice now, unless you cannot get a secure fitment for some reason. The lower anchors are a suitable backup method for forward-facing seats used below the anchor limits. Unless, of course, you’re installing in a center seating position, where you need that 200-page manual to know if you can even use lower anchors there! Q: I know I can use a seatbelt instead of lower anchors, but I’ve been told top tethers are a vital safety feature. Are top tethers no longer safe, either? If not, what is the alternative? A: There is no conventional alternative to a top-tether for use with a 5-point internal harness. Personally, I would not want my own 7-year-old son, who is nearly 60 pounds, to ride in a 5-point harness without a top tether. Unfortunately, as a certified technician, I cannot advise other parents to use a top tether beyond any published or default weight limits. There are always exceptions, but it appears we are being forced to recommend that most children above 4-years and 40 pounds, who cannot use a forward-facing internal 5-point harness along with the top tether for any reason, probably should be transitioned to belt-positioning boosters using a 3-point lap/shoulder belt. Low top-tether limits effectively contradict the AAP guidelines for toddlers and preschoolers that recommends, “All children 2 years or older, or those younger than 2 years who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their car seat, should use a Forward-Facing Car Seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed their car seat’s manufacturer.” That’s a big rock and a very hard place that parents and technicians have been put between! Q: What good will LATCH be, anyway? A: Lower anchors remain a good option for most infant and rear-facing seats. They are also popular for securing some belt-positioning boosters into vehicles, since boosters do not have the same LATCH weight limits as 5-point harnesses. That is because it is the seatbelt that restrains the booster child directly, rather than the internal harness. Q: Aren’t all the companies who invested a lot of R&D into rigid LATCH and other cool LATCH systems going to be burned by this? If LATCH is not very useful for forward-facing seats with a harness, why require LATCH at all? A: Good questions! I suspect there won’t be much LATCH innovation in the future, with the possible exception of rear-facing only seats. And, yes, it would be simpler for everyone if LATCH was required just on rear-facing only seats, given the 2014 labeling. This would also save cost and weight on forward-facing seats, where LATCH will now have limited benefit. It would be simplest for parents to to know that LATCH could be used to the maximum weight rating of any carseat. Actually, parents wouldn’t even have to know this, because it would be common sense. This was the promise of LATCH a decade ago: Today, we have insanity. The system implemented over a decade ago in order to make carseat installations much easier has actually become far more complex than using a seatbelt. The lack of cooperation and action among manufacturers, regulators and major organizations has left us with such a mess that it’s not even clear why we really need LATCH at all. Personally, I was a big supporter of LATCH when it was introduced over a decade ago, after my first child was born. Hopefully, it can live up to its promise in another decade. For now, perhaps the best guidance on the topic is this: Use a seatbelt! Did you know? If you own a select Chrylser vehicle or other vehicles with a 65-pound combined limit, you must discontinue rear-facing use of LATCH around 32 pounds for the Graco Smart Seat or about 29 pounds for the Clek Foonf. By 2014, that means many kids will never be able to use the great rigid LATCH system on the Foonf, because they will be above the mandated weight limit once they turn forward facing after 2-years old. 🙁 Please note that top tether use is required in Canada, as they have different requirements than in the USA.
Before Wednesday evening, the small town of West, Texas — a dozen miles north of Waco and just south of Willie Nelson's hometown, Abbott — was known mostly for its Czech pastries. Then, just before 8 p.m., the West Fertilizer plant exploded, sending a mushroom cloud into the sky, breaking windows and doors up to a mile away, and leveling buildings in a five-block radius. More than 160 people were injured, and there were an unknown number of casualties. (Watch an amateur video of the explosion here.) Here's what we know so far about the massive explosion in West, population about 2,800: How did the explosion happen? A fire was reported at the West Fertilizer plant at about 7:30 p.m., local time, and firefighters responded. "The fire spread and hit some of these tanks that contain chemicals to treat the fertilizer," Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas) tells The New York Times, "and there was an explosion which caused wide damage." The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the explosion as a "crime scene," according to Waco Police Department Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton, but only out of an abundance of caution. There's no indication of criminal activity, he said, but it's easier to switch from investigating a crime to an industrial accident than vice versa. How many people were killed? Swanton said early Thursday that the death toll so far is between five and 15, almost certainly including some firefighters and other first responders who went to put out the fire and evacuate workers. More fatalities are expected when the houses and other buildings around the plant are searched. An initial estimate, since disavowed by police, was for 60 to 70 casualties. How big was the explosion? The U.S. Geological Survey says that the explosion registered as a magnitude 2.1 earthquake, "but seismologists say their sensors can only record the ground motion, and that people who felt the shockwave above ground actually experienced a much larger event," says Amy Powell at ABC News. It was felt as far away as Amarillo, Texas, 430 miles away. At at press conference, state trooper D.L. Wilson compared the scene at the plant to a war zone. "I can tell you I was there, I walked through the blast area, I searched some houses earlier tonight. It was massive, just like Iraq, just like the Murrah building in Oklahoma City." Why was the explosion so massive? "The plant uses ammonium nitrate in fertilizer production, the same chemical used in 1995's Oklahoma City Bombing," says Siobhan Morris at Newstalk 1010. Timothy McVeigh used a truck packed with about two tons of ammonium nitrate to set off his deadly blast, killing 168 people and wounding hundreds more. "The West Fertilizer plant may have had as much as 100 tons of the chemical on hand." Has anything like this ever happened before? Yes. The biggest recent ammonium-nitrate accident was a 2001 explosion in Toulouse, France, that killed 31 people and injured more than 2,000 others. That blast was in a hangar holding 300 tons of ammonium nitrate; in 2006, the blast was blamed on negligence. A much worse explosion happened in Texas, nearly 66 years ago to the day. On April 16, 1947, a fire aboard the SS Grandcamp, docked at Texas City, on the Gulf Coast, detonated 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate on the ship, a neighboring vessel, and a nearby warehouse. At least 581 people were killed, including all but one of Texas City's firefighters.
Root caries index root caries index n. The ratio of the number of teeth with carious lesions of the root and restorations of the root to the number of teeth with exposed root surfaces. Read Also: • Root-cellar noun 1. a cellar, partially or wholly underground and usually covered with dirt, where root crops and other vegetables are stored. • Root-climber noun, Botany. 1. a plant that clings to a surface and climbs by means of adventitious roots, as the ivy, Hedera helix. root climber noun 1. any of various climbing plants, such as the ivy, that adhere to a supporting structure by means of small roots growing from the side of the stem • Root-crop noun 1. a crop, as beets, turnips, or sweet potatoes, grown for its large and edible undergound parts. noun 1. a crop, as of turnips or beets, cultivated for the food value of its roots • Root-doctor noun, Chiefly Southern U.S. 1. herb doctor.
noun, plural synnemata [si-nee-muh-tuh] /sɪˈni mə tə/ (Show IPA). Mycology. a spore-bearing structure having very compact conidiophores. Read Also: • Synodal noun 1. an assembly of ecclesiastics or other church delegates, convoked pursuant to the law of the church, for the discussion and decision of ecclesiastical affairs; ecclesiastical council. 2. any council. noun 1. a local or special ecclesiastical council, esp of a diocese, formally convened to discuss ecclesiastical affairs • Synodic adjective 1. Astronomy. pertaining to a conjunction, or to two successive conjunctions of the same bodies. 2. of or relating to a synod; synodal. adjective 1. relating to or involving a conjunction or two successive conjunctions of the same star, planet, or satellite: the synodic month synodic (sĭ-nŏd’ĭk) Relating to the conjunction of celestial bodies, […] • Synodic-month noun 1. See under month (def 5). noun 1. Also called calendar month. any of the twelve parts, as January or February, into which the calendar year is divided. 2. the time from any day of one calendar month to the corresponding day of the next. 3. a period of four weeks or 30 days. […] • Synod of whitby noun 1. the synod held in 664 at Whitby at which the Roman date for Easter was accepted and the Church in England became aligned with Rome
Make a blog 2 years ago Hunter Humidifier Filter Kinds and Maintenance The air gets dried up, when looking to heat up the air in cold weather. To counter this effect, a Hunter humidifier is necessary. And its also required to discover how Hunter humidifier filters work. Dry air in an area or box is usually the result of warming up the air. Heating up a room or enclosure only solves room temperature, however not the air circulation. When the air is perhaps not well produced and merely heated up, the air becomes dry and infections, bacteria, and molds may possibly increase in a particular housing. Thus, a Hunter humidifier comes in. If you choose to learn new info on diffuser for oils, there are many on-line databases people might investigate. It could be installed in the furnace or a portable Hunter humidifier system earned to deal with an area or enclosure. Hunter humidifier filters help the humidifier accomplish greater air humidification and blood circulation. A Hunter humidifier filter seems like a mesh wire mat that helps the humidifier device perform better at blocking the air. Chances are air aspects like dusts and molds may possibly acquire inside the unit, making the unit blow and rotate infected air with no filter, as a Hunter humidifier performs. Learn additional information on our partner essay by visiting continue reading. Many water minerals can also be trapped in the humidifier, rendering it perform less. Therefore, Hunter humidifier filters have to be maintained by normal replacements. Hunter humidifier filters are antibacterial paper filters that are specially designed to remove micro-organism growth in humidifier items. Heaters come in use, once the cold season sets in. Humidifiers are employed, to stop the air from drying up. Before utilizing the humidifier in cold conditions, it is best to replace simultaneously a Hunter humidifier filter. Hunter humidifier filters should also be changed every 2 to 4 months for better humidifier system performance, and also based on frequency of use and water situation. Tough water (more mineral content) used in humidifiers suggests more regular replacements of Hunter humidifier filter. It is also advisable to get the Hunter humidifier filter each time the humidifier system is cleaned. A Real Hunter Humidifier Filter typ-e (design 32300) can filter out 3 gallons of humidifying water. We learned about close remove frame by searching Bing. A different type of Genuine Hunter Humidifier Filter (model 32400) can filter out 4 gallons of humidifying water. 34500 and types 32500 of a Genuine Hunter Humidifier Filter can filter out 5 gallons of humidifying water. A Hunter humidifier filter of the Endurawick produce is especially for a Hunter Endurawick for filtering 5 gallons of humidifying water. Visiting your best aromatherapy diffusers seemingly provides suggestions you could give to your mom. Replacing Hunter humidifier filters as frequently as needed is the better approach to maintain good performance of humidifiers..
Does Technology Improve Quality of Our Lives? “Quality of life” is an elusive idea. Many equate it with having money, but it does not address everything we want in our lives such as our physical and mental health. By providing us with ways to control the uncertainties of Mother Nature, technology has certainly allowed us to increase the quality of our lives in terms of survival in the practical sense of the term (subsistence). But, beyond that, what has technology done for us? I would argue that it has not done much. One of the few exceptions, I would further argue, is online dating, which I will address later. The critics of capitalism might jump to the conclusion that it is the fault of the capitalists that graphic designers are not getting paid 10 times as much, but this is not true. The design firms who employ those designers are not making any more money than they used to either. The businesses who hire those graphic design firms aren’t making any more money because of it either. So, who is benefiting from this increase in efficiency? No one really. It’s efficiency for the sake of efficiency. The reason why no one benefits from it is because the market always adjusts itself to whatever level of efficiency we achieve. That is, the value of efficiency is going down because what matters is not the absolute level of efficiency, but the relative one. If you are the only person to achieve a higher level of efficiency, then you could enjoy the increase in the quality of life. For instance, if you are the only graphic designer armed with a computer, you could handle ten times more work than your competitors could, or you could do 1/10 of the work your competitors do and still make the same amount of money. Unfortunately or fortunately, this type of scenario rarely happens. Sooner or later your competitors will get hold of the same computer you have. Your level of efficiency then is only worth as much as that of others. Ironically, technology also increases the efficiency of the market to adjust itself. In more general terms, the value of the average person’s one hour always remains the same no matter how efficient we become. Suppose, 10 years ago, in order to earn enough money to buy a dinner at a diner, an average person had to work for an hour and handle 10 tasks in that hour. Now, the average person, using new technologies, can handle 100 tasks an hour, that is, 10 times more. Well, sadly he still has to work for an hour to buy a dinner at the same diner. The only way to increase the quality of life, at least monetarily, is to be more productive than the average person. The quality of your life is relative to the average person, not relative to the absolute level of productivity. Technology, in this sense, can give you an advantage if you use it before others do, but as soon as everyone else catches up to you, your advantage is gone. Technology, therefore, can increase the quality of life for those who can master it faster than others, but on the other hand, if you are not a technologically-oriented person, technology can decrease the quality of your life for the same reason. For instance, the older generations of graphic designers who were skilled with their hands, but not with computers, are now suffering as a result of the proliferation of computers. So far, we have looked at only one side of the equation. Economy is based on supply and demand. We cannot just produce if there is no demand. Then who is consuming all these products we produce so efficiently? We are. The efficiency applies not only to production, but also to consumption. Since technology makes our lives efficient, we can consume more efficiently. Does increased consumption lead to increased quality of life? Beyond the level of subsistence, the answer is no, mainly because it is not by choice that we consume more. In order to stay a functional member of our society, we have to consume (both material and informational products) as much as others do. It is not a matter of choice that we buy computers and cell phones, or acquire more skills and knowledge; we have to. In terms of satisfying our basic needs like food, shelter, and some entertainment, there are limits to how much we can consume. Even though Americans are pushing those limits, we can only eat so much. We have only so much time to watch movies and play video games. The vast majority of our consumptions are for the sake of increased productions. Our massive consumptions are not increasing the quality of our lives. From another angle, you might think, with the increase in efficiency, the costs of goods and services must go down, and this should allow us to spend the saved money on something else, right? Not really. As the cost of living goes down, your pay goes down too. The market is quite smart that way. It always adjusts. You can’t work in the middle of nowhere USA, and get paid like a New Yorker. The market knows that your cost of living is much lower, so it pays you less. Here is another example of the accuracy of the market. Say, you work behind the counter at a take-out restaurant. As it has now become customary in New York City, you ask for tips. You think you are making more money by doing so, but you are wrong. Sooner or later, the market will adjust itself, and you will see a decrease in the average pay of counter clerks, just like the way most waiters work for a minimum wage or less. By asking for tips, you have only made your life more difficult. Now, you have to work harder to please your customers, and the amount of money you make fluctuates from day to day, which means that you are now taking financial risks with no benefit. You might also think that technology is making our lives more convenient, and that must increase the quality of our lives. Not really. Online services like FreshDirect which allow you to do your grocery shopping online and deliver the products to your door, save you a lot of time and hassle. Now you can enjoy the time you saved from it, right? Not really. Once everyone saves the same amount of time with such services, the market will again adjust itself. As you make more time available for yourself with the efficiency of technology, the market will quickly adjust itself to demand more from you. It’s a catch-22. For those developing countries whose majority is still suffering from the lack of basic material, technology can certainly increase the quality of their lives. If I were to draw a graph of quality of life as we introduce technology to such countries, it would start to go up rapidly at first, but eventually would start to level off. On the other hand, if I were to draw another graph, concurrent in time with the other graph, which tracks the increase in efficiency and production, it will start out relatively flat (slow) and shoot up exponentially later as the effect of the technology kicks in. The developed countries like the US are at the point where efficiency is increasing dramatically, but the increase in the quality of life is hardly perceptible. What would happen to the world when all countries reach the point of the US? We would then be working very hard to dramatically increase efficiency every year, and see no difference in the quality of our lives. Now to the positive aspect of technology. As I mentioned above, I believe that the greatest technological contribution to the quality of our lives in recent years was online dating, and to a lesser degree, networking websites like Friendster,, and Orkut. Between a happy, meaningful relationship and a million dollars, if we could only have one or the other for the rest of our lives, most of us would choose the former. The quality of your love life is a big part of the overall quality of your life. What makes it difficult to increase this quality of life is the fact that, unlike money, love is not easily quantifiable, and it cannot be logically processed. Most attempts in the past to systematically increase the quality, such as personals ads and dating services, have only seen a small degree of success. Online dating is the first time in history the general populace has embraced such systematic attempt. I have personally witnessed several people who were single for years successfully find their mates through online dating. Even those who did not have problems in the past are finding mates who are closer to their ideals. They are meeting people whom they could not have met if it weren’t for online dating. All this is obviously positive, but there is more to it than what is on the surface, or at least so I believe. The following is only a hypothesis, and is not backed up by any actual research, but I think it makes an intuitive sense. Online dating is encouraging people to cross the demographic borders that were otherwise impossible to cross. For instance, a person who works on Wall Street has a hard time meeting anyone outside of his own industry like advertising or publishing. When you are in the business of graphic design, you rarely meet doctors or lawyers in social situations, but just because you are a graphic designer, does not mean that you get along best with graphic designers. Online dating allows you to explore other options. The more important borders that online dating allows you to cross are racial borders. In the past few years, I have seen a dramatic increase in the number of couples with the racial combination of an Asian man and a White woman. Over 15 years ago, my first American girlfriend was White (I am Asian). Back then, in New York City, it appeared as though we were the only couple of that racial combination. We probably saw one other couple in a year. I am not exaggerating if I say that now I see at least 5 a day. A few years ago, I was convinced that the increase was due to the popularity of Chow Yun-Fat in Hollywood, but I have a new theory that does not replace but adds to my original theory. When you fill out the questionnaire for online dating, you can specify the race of your ideal mate. You are allowed to check as many as you want. Most people cannot allow themselves to check only a few, for they do not want people to think they are racist. They thus check races they would not otherwise consider under ordinary circumstances. Computer and Web users are a specific demographic in itself, and it contains a larger percentage of Asians than normal. So, there is a good chance a White woman would be contacted by an Asian man. When this happens, they end up crossing the border that they normally would not. After seeing each other on a date, they realize that it’s not such a bad idea, so they go along with it. This can be confirmed by simply going up to the couples of this particular combination and asking them if they met online. At least, it is true for one couple I personally know. (If anyone is interested enough to conduct this research, please let me know the result.) If this is true, it must be true for many other racial combinations, and is a great step towards eliminating racism. Even today, racial segregation is still a big problem. When we segregate racially, we encourage cultural segregations on top of it, because each group will necessarily develop its own culture that suits its own environment and circumstances. It then becomes more than just racial, and further strengthens the segregation. Online dating, and other networking systems like Friendster, can help loosen up these segregations. If this is true, and I hope it is, technology has finally contributed something substantial to increasing the quality of our lives.
Sometimes, it's better to do partial repairs than to do complete ones, but only temporarily. For example, production needs to finish a run to fill a critical order. Sometimes, partial repairs are the best you can do for now. For example, you don't have the necessary expertise or replacement parts for a complete repair. With proper administrative controls and procedures in place, temporary repairs don't become forgotten repairs. And you can use physical controls. For example, you set the PLC to alarm every two hours until a permanent repair is made. Among other things, a temporary repair management system should include: • Specific hang tags that denote the equipment is operating under temporary repair. • A written sign-off from the production manager that the repairs are good for only a specific time (e.g., end of shift, until part X arrives, etc.). • Summary communication to all affected parties. What about temporary repairs to safety systems, such as light curtains, interlocks, and E-stop buttons? Regardless of the technical merits, such repairs present a moral hazard. Instead of asking "Could someone lose a finger with this switch jumpered?" thinking shifts to "How much money might we lose without this switch jumpered?"
5 ways to increase your patience Calm down, there -- yes, you can train yourself to be more patient. Story highlights • Writer Brené Brown squelches her impatience by talking to herself • A travel writers suggests experiencing a new, different culture • Try something small like chewing food slowly, an economics professor suggests Saint Augustine is thought to have claimed that patience is the companion of wisdom. Increase your store of both virtues by following this advice from a truck driver, a world traveler and others who know a thing or two about serenity-threatening situations. Stop imagining the ideal I often grow impatient when I want to be in control of a situation. To avoid getting antsy when I am writing and can't find specific words for my thoughts, I try to practice self-compassion. I tell myself that I'm not going to quit even if I become frustrated. I'll say out loud, "You're not perfect, but that's OK. Writing can be a messy process, and it's not ideal, but you can handle it." Talking to yourself may feel awkward and goofy, but it quells that feeling of impatience. And it certainly beats foraging for carbs, which I'm also apt to do when I'm agitated and have writer's block. -- Brené Brown Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work and the author of the best-selling book "Daring Greatly." She has given one of the top 10 most-viewed talks on TED.com. Experience different cultures When you travel the world, you find out that many cultures aren't as punctual and perfectionistic as ours, and encountering those perspectives can mellow you. To work on your patience closer to home, try visiting an area populated by people of a different culture (such as a city's Chinatown) or take part in a festival held by an immigrant community. I recently visited a Vietnamese farmers' market in New Orleans. I was annoyed that it was open only between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. and I wanted to know why. The answer? I learned that often in cultures dependent on fishing, much of the work is done before daybreak. It was good to remind myself that simply because people do something differently doesn't mean that they're wrong. -- Seth Kugel Kugel writes the Frugal Traveler column for The New York Times. He lives in New York City and São Paulo, Brazil.. Find a distraction Being out on the road for weeks on end can certainly test your patience. My wife and I -- we drive as a team -- have to deal with other drivers and the annoyances of traffic jams, and it's natural to be anxious in these moments. We overcome that feeling by giving each other something else to think about. For example, my wife tells jokes and catches me up on the latest Facebook posts from friends. Or I'll talk to my dogs (they also travel with us), since they provide emotional support without offering any opinions. Those quick moments of distraction recharge me, and I can again focus on the road without being irritated. -- Wade Briggs Briggs, based in Boise, Idaho, is a commercial truck driver for Mayflower, a nationwide full-service moving company. He has been driving a truck for 18 years. Chew your food slowly People who consume food more slowly -- and ignore those "I'm hungry" urges -- eat less overall than those who devour their meals. Research has found that impatient people are more likely to be overweight, possibly because of their inability to delay gratification at the dinner table. This practice can help you in other areas of life as well: By eating slowly, you can train yourself to be less impulsive and more patient in general. -- Charles Courtemanche Courtemanche is an assistant professor of economics at Georgia State University in Atlanta. He has studied the relationship between obesity and patience. Laugh at yourself I'm a newspaper columnist and my husband is a politician, so both of us must be willing to converse with strangers when we're eating out or shopping for groceries. In the rare moments when people are obnoxious (like the time a woman told me that I needed to get Botox), I can get impatient. But instead of being rude to the person, I formulate an internal joke, usually at my own expense. Knowing that I can laugh with a friend later on about, say, my deep wrinkles, calms any irritation. -- Connie Schultz Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of "...and His Lovely Wife," which chronicles her experience as the wife of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio. She lives in Cleveland.
Aging Quiz - Answer Physical handicaps are the primary factors limiting the activities of older adults Answer: False - The primary handicap that older adults experience is the result of age stereotying and ageism. Both age stereotyping and ageism have a negative impact on the older adult. They serve to limit the activities and opportunities available to the older individual. For example, an older adult might be discouraged from attending college ("What's the point? You can't be interested in starting a new career.") or from dressing in a particular way ("People your age don't dress like that."). Ageism and age stereotyping may result in age discrimination. For example, a person may be fired from their job simply because of their age. Although age-discrimination is illegal in the United States for most jobs, it is difficult to prove. Back to Aging Quiz
Which nations consume the most water? Posted to Infographics \| Tags: , \| Kim Rees This Scientific American article by Mark Fischetti and infographic by Jen Christiansen detail the consumption of water usage throughout the world. Jen used a Sankey diagram to show the top 10 water consuming countries and how their water was being used. One of Mark’s first points in the article is that population is the largest factor of water consumption. So I wonder why population adjusted numbers weren’t used. Many of the article’s commenters felt the same way. One posted a few of the countries per capita water use: China: 2781 lts/day, India: 2591 lts/day, US: 7175 lts/day, Japan: 3752 lts/day The way you display your data depends on the story you’re trying to tell. In this case, I wonder if the message could be better by using per capita. [via @ChristiansenJen] • Per Capita Consumption would help to normalise the data, but you would also have to factor in the embedded water in exports such as (but not limited to) foods. This represents a hidden story where, for economic reasons, countries are using water as a factor of production in what they export, but in some cases can ill afford to use. • Jen Christiansen May 25, 2012 at 3:51 am Thanks for the pickup! I actually did the graphic. Mark Fischetti wrote the text. Which might explain part of the disconnect: 2 authors. Check out the comments section of the SciAm page. You’ll see that I posted a link to the source paper for folks interested in seeing more data. • Jen Christiansen May 25, 2012 at 3:58 am And yes, Mark Q’s comment does nod to part of the issue with showing per capita information. We wanted to address the idea of net exports and imports. (In earlier sketches, it was included as a visual element on the larger Sankey diagram, but we didn’t have all the data points on that front, so it was scrapped, and the top exporters and importers are represented in a separate chart on the page). • Why not normalize consumption to GDP ? • Mac Blume May 25, 2012 at 8:57 am Despite the overconsumption of the United States, it is overshadowed by an even larger problem. Exploding population growth. It think the data clearly demonstrates this. Attempts at conservation are futile in the face of growing populations. In general this is a semi politically incorrect issue to address (world population growth) but it’s every bit as important as addressing global warming and depletion of natural resources. The US bears it’s own responsibility but per capita consumption numbers hides another problem. • As per Mac, I don’t think that looking at the data per capita (whilst an interesting story about efficiency) is what this story is about. Fresh water is a reasonably finite resource. As the population in China and India increases the blue bands will get bigger. More worryingly is that if they were to only use twice as much water per capita as they are at the moment the blue bands would get massive. Think how big they will be if they start to come anywhere near Western consumption. So an extension to the graphic showing a realistic scenario in the future would look very scary. It would have been helpful to add a European country for comparison (they’re not presumably in the top 10). And I’d be interested to know just how much fresh water is readily accessible in what countries and what regions. i.e. we’re using a lot but how much of a problem is it? A different graphic for sure but there seems to be many stories to tell. • What is this type of chart called? Top Brewery Road Trip, Routed Algorithmically Unemployment in America, Mapped Over Time Watch the regional changes across the country from 1990 to 2016. Most popular porn searches, by state Interactive: When Do Americans Leave For Work?
جالب ترین وبلاگ پارسی علمی -موفقیت-مثبت اندیشی-اطلاعات عمومی I like to speak English very much, but I don’t know how? ساعت ۱:٢٦ ‎ب.ظ روز ۱۳۸٩/۱۱/۱۳ کلمات کلیدی: Here is the answer: A good listener is a good speaker! If you really want to speak, you should first listen. Listen to what? Okay! Listen to LIVE ENGLISH. Listen to the radio. Not any radio station of course! Listen to Standard English only. Listen to the VOA, for instance. How long? Just five minutes. Listen and record the voice. Then turn off the radio and listen to the recording several times. Each time you listen, pay attention to only one element. For example , the first time you listen, just pay attention to the NOUNS, the second time, pay attention to NUMBERS, the third to, listen to adjective, and so on. The last time, try to understand what the speaker is saying. A general understanding is okay. Don’t worry about the details. In other words don’t try to understand all the spoken words. You know why? Because if you try to understand everything, you’ll understand almost nothing! Continue this activity every day or every night for at least 2 months. Every night, it will take about 30 minutes of your time, but the result will be great.
In order to CT scan a horse, the 1,000-pound animal has to be anesthetized and carefully maneuvered into a machine. The procedure is even more difficult than it sounds. A newly developed technique uses a pair of precisely-controlled robots to perform the scan, so that the animal can be awake and standing up while it’s being imaged. The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine partnered with a company called 4DDI to develop a new CT imaging system called EQUIMAGINE that relies on a pair of ABB industrial robotic arms similar to those used in auto manufacturing. Instead of grippers designed to assemble cars on an assembly line, the robots have x-ray emitters and sensors that can be precisely positioned on either side of the horse’s various body parts and slowly moved over time to help build up a 3D image of its internal bones and organs. Given the strenuous workouts a racehorse endures each day, it’s important to ensure there are no signs of stress on the animal’s bones that could lead to a career-ending break. And being able to image a horse’s legs and other body parts without having to first put it under anesthesia means that as soon as the procedure is over, the animal can get right back on the track. The new imaging system, in a smaller form factor, could benefit human patients as well. Adults understand that they need to lie perfectly still while getting a CT scan, but getting kids to stop squirming isn’t so easy. With this technology adapted to humans, a child could just sit in a hospital bed playing on a tablet while a detailed scan is performed around them. [University of Pennsylvania via IEEE Spectrum]
Monday, June 05, 2006 Feldstein on Gasoline My Harvard colleague Martin Feldstein is clever. In today's Wall Street Journal, he is too clever by half. Marty proposes that the government set up a system of "tradeable gasoline rights" to reduce gasoline consumption. Here is how he describes it: In a system of tradeable gasoline rights, the government would give each adult a TGR debit card. The gasoline pumps at service stations that now read credit cards and debit cards would be modified to read these new TGR debit cards as well. Buying a gallon of gasoline would require using up one tradeable gasoline right as well as paying money. The government would decide how many gallons of gasoline should be consumed per year and would give out that total number of TGRs.... A key feature of these gasoline rights is that they are tradeable. Individuals with more TGRs than they need could sell the excess, while those who want to use more gallons than their allocation would have to buy extra TGRs. The gasoline companies could act as clearing houses for these trades, using their gasoline pumps to sell TGRs in the same way that they sell gasoline or to buy TGRs in exchange for the cash needed to purchase gasoline. Other institutions like banks could also trade TGRs for cash. As I am sure Marty would agree, this system is functionally equivalent to an increase in the gasoline tax, with the tax revenue rebated lump-sum to the public. I have said many times that I like the idea of higher gasoline taxes, but Marty's scheme leaves me cold. Do we need to create a new administrative bureaucracy because politicians are afraid to use the word tax? I hope not.
The Theory of Islamic Education The Theory of Islamic Education Islamic education comprises a set of concepts and tenets pertaining to human nature, creed, intellect, and attitude, along with spiritual and physical values, all entwined in unified perceptual framework and relying, entirely, in its fundamentals and morals on the Holy Quran and the Prophet’s Sunnah. Through Islamic education, individuals are educated and cultured following an all-encompassing method that involves all aspects mentioned, without compromising any, or giving primacy of one over the other. Identifying the Meaning of Islamic Education The concept and meaning of Islamic Education were described by Muslim educationists in various ways which include: 1. Cultivating all intellectual, emotional, physical and social aspects of the personality; based on Islamic teachings and values, with the aim of achieving the optimum goals of leading a dignified life entangled with a religious flavor. 2. Providing Muslim individuals with an all-encompassing preparation process that involves all aspects of his/ her personality which continues throughout his growing phases to be able to handle this worldly life and the other, in light of the teachings and values of Islam, and in accordance with an educational methodology defined by educational specialists. 3. Once applied, these correlated concepts which are intertwined in one rational framework outlines a number of procedural methods and practical techniques which prove great efficiency in refining and cultivating human behavior that meets and reflects the spirit of the Islamic faith. 4. Individual and social activity that seeks to cultivate individuals intellectually, doctrinally, spiritually, socially, physically, ascetically, and ethically, thereby empowering them with the knowledge, approaches, ethics and proficiencies needed for sound growth that can best serve both their practical and spiritual life. 5. Purposeful process that is guided by Islamic Shariah and seeks to cultivate all aspects of human personality in a way that achieves total submission and worship to Almighty Allah. It is a process in which a person of special talents directs the learning process of other individuals, using specific educational materials and appropriate development techniques. All these definitions assert that the Islamic education essentially derives its schemes, principles and uppermost aims from the Islamic Shariah; a fact which deems the calls for developing an Islamic education without adapting the spirit of the Islamic teachings as null and void. Islamic education in this regard is the kind of purposeful education that seeks to develop and shape the Muslim individual, society and the entire Muslim Ummah that has been assigned the mission of Allah’s vicegerency on earth. This is achieved through education in learning institutions such as schools and universities, or at home and through media channels. Generally, the Islamic Education, like any other type of education, seeks to cultivate the Muslim individual. And it operates in all fields of educational research, including teaching philosophies, history, science, schemes, and techniques, besides preparing the teacher… etc. All this is bound to the Islamic viewpoint and the application of which helps the Muslim adopt the kind of behavior that corresponds with the Islamic faith. Development of Islamic Education Phase I- The Advent of Islam: This phase started with the rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century AD, and continued up till the end of the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. It laid the foundation for the political, religious, social and ethical life of people, which impacted the Islamic life for long centuries that followed, and till date. The revelation of the Quran and the advent of Islam both came as a milestone in the history of Arabs and their intellectual development, one that asserted the importance of seeking learning and gaining knowledge along with urging individuals to work their minds to analyze present realities, enhance human life, and contemplate the surrounding creation and natural phenomenon. It was a turning point that outlined a new Islamic intellectual scheme which was formed and aided by Arab sciences, experiences, characteristics and merits such as courage, generosity, loyalty, modesty and dignity. And there can be no better proof for that than the noble verses of the Quran that carried outright command to “read” and a clear appreciation for knowledge. “Recite in the name of your Lord who created -Created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -Who taught by the pen - Taught man that which he knew not.” – (Quran 96:1-5) The establishment of the primary political and social foundation for the state is credited to this phase of Arab history, in which scattered and warring tribes were brought together for the first time, under the guardianship of one leader who paved the way for unity and solidarity by adopting a unified set of fundamentals and calling for the worship of one god, after tribes used to worship several gods. The noble Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, represented both; the religious and political leadership basing all laws regulating authority and the relation between people on the Holy Quran. And ever since, the state developed its religious coat, and eventually grew into a community of believers bound by a unified set of morals, values, traditions, trends, brotherly feelings and one language, that is the Arabic language of the Quran. This phase set the milestone for social doctrines that had a long-term impact on the development of traditions and Islamic religious systems. The most important of these principles was the principle of brotherhood, equality and mercy amongst the Believers, regardless of their race or color. As stated in the Quran:“The believers are but brothers… ”(Quran 49:10) Also as the Prophet, peace be upon him, stated in one Hadith: “An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab … except by piety." Such doctrines helped fostering spiritual unity and strengthened brotherhood and harmony between Muslims throughout all Islamic states, same way they impacted the Arab cultural movement and the education and learning progression among Arabs. With the expansion of Muslim conquests during this phase of the Islamic history and the spread of Islam over larger areas, Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab gave orders to send convoys of teachers and judges to teach and educate new Muslim converts, as well as Muslim children, as a means of spreading knowledge and education all over Muslim lands. He also sent Quran teachers and preachers to all lands that were new to Islam. Such religious missions sent by the Caliph had a significant impact on the spread of knowledge and teachings of the Quran, as well as Jurisprudence, among other Islamic sciences. The ultimate aim of these educational missions was to develop a sound Muslim personality, sound society, a prosperous civilization and a well-organized Muslim state. Phase II- Islamic Conquests and the Development of the Muslim State: This stage covers the period stretching between the end of the rule of the Rightly Guided Caliphs till the end of the Umayyad State, during which the Arab Muslim Empire grew significantly, with its boundaries extending from India Eastward, to the Atlantic Westward, and from the Caspian Sea Northward, till Sudan Southward, including spots of lands that are most rich in resources, and belong to famous civilizations, such as the Persian, Greek and Coptic Civilizations. During this phase, Arabs were exposed to historic civilizations, which paved the way for intermingling of nations and civilizations. Besides being influenced by their Political and Social systems, Arabs maintained Greek schools in Syria, same way the University of Alexandria remained through the Ummayads Rule for a long period, where medicine, astrology, philosophy, among other Greek sciences were taught. It was imperative for Arabs to absorb all that and grasp their impact. The positive impact of such cultural mingling manifests in the kind of education Prince Kahled ibn Yazid received, one that combined language, poetry, chemistry, medicine, and astrology, and used translations of Greek and Coptic books on Chemistry, medicine and astrology. This phase witnessed significant development in the field of education, a kind of development that sought to: 1-Preserve the Arab identity of the state, and thus scholars set the teaching curriculums, giving special care for history of other nations. 2-Assert the Islamic identity of the state and teaching Quran and Hadith sciences. 3-Adapting to the overall development and rising needs of the nation, thus organizing the state administrative and economic institutions. Thus administrations were Arabized and the influence of Romans and Persians was eradicated. Phase III- Creativity: This phase stretches from the 2nd century AH/ 8th century AD till mid 5th century AH/ 11th century AD, and reflects the special care which rulers gave to the affairs of their nations following a fluctuation in Islamic conquests. Hence the intellectual and scientific integration of different nations and civilizations eventually led to genuine intellectual prosperity. Having the Arabic language as the main language for cultural representation, science, and communication, was another helping factor, besides religion, that led to cultural integration and unity. The great advancement in the cultural movement and translations of foreign books, especially Greek, Persian and Indian, into Arabic gave rise to a set of new disciplines such as philosophy, Logic, Geometry, Astrology, Music, Medicine, Chemistry and Geography. Arabs and Muslims back then used Greeks as a reference in sciences of Philosophy, Logic, Medicine, Mathematics, Astrology and Sociology, and Indians in heeling and knowing characteristics of drugs and medication, as well as principles of Mathematics, Geometry, Music, Astrology and other branches of Math. As for Persians, Arabs relied on them in Fiction, Axioms and wise-sayings. But the impact of those civilizations was not limited to just copying in translation or even writing critiques and reviews. For Arabs were keen on having their own input on the sciences of other nations they adopted, whether Mathematics, Astronomy, Medicine, Philosophy, Music or others. They left a significant impact that took the form of major inventions, researches and countless discoveries and breakthroughs. The rise of many schools of thought carrying their own unique intellectual principles was one of the key features characterizing the development of education during the time. Among such schools: 1. The School of al-Fuqahaa and Muhadithin (Scholars of Islamic Jurisprudence and Hadith): This school went through two main phases. The First involved agreement amongst Scholars of Jurisprudence and Hadith during the 3rd century AH on the undisputable authenticity and legislative nature of the texts of the Quran and the sound narrations of the Sunnah of the Prophet. The Second involved variation of Schools of Thought and legal schools of jurisprudence as well as differences in the contents of learning curriculums and researches. Among the most famous Scholars of Hadith and Jurisprudence who authored books on education were Muhammed ibn Sahnoun (d. 256 AD), Muhammed ibn al-Hussain al-Ajery (d. 360 AH), and Aly Muhammed al-Kabesy (d. 342 AH). 2. The Sufis School: This school appeared toward the end of the 2nd and lived through the 3rd century AH, during which the conflict between those who insistently abide by the literal text (the Quran and the Sunnah), and those who penetrated deeply to develop mystical interpretation of the text reached its peak. The followers of the Sufi school, gave careful attention to the techniques of spiritual training and developing the soul in its perennial quest to return back to its divine origin. Amongst the most notable writers who authored books tackling such subject matters were al-Harith al-Mohasaby (d. 243 AH), and Abu Abdul Rahman al-Salmy (d. 248 AH). 3. School of Philosophers: This school soon earned unique stature following its emergence, having familiarity with the philosophical trend of thought of other cultures people were exposed to. Yet it had its own input and applied its own amendments that would befit and better suit the Arab and Islamic spirit. It balanced between philosophy and religion. Among the most notable scholars who wrote about this field were: al-Faraby (260- 339 AH), Ikhwan al-Safa (4th century AH), ibn Sina (370-428 AH) and Abu 'Ali Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ya'qub Ibn Miskawayh (320-421 AH/932-1030 AD) 4. School of al-Ash’ari Theologians: It was founded by Abu al-Hassan al-Ash’ari (d. 330 AH) who though did not have much impact on the development of education yet he is credited for paving the way for the emergence of iconic teachers who succeeded him. Al-Ash’ari promoted interaction with contemporary trends and schools of thought, as long as it does not contradict the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. Among the most notable scholars of this school who cared much for education; Ali ibn Mohamed al-Mawardy (364- 450 AH), and al-Khatib al-Bughdady (392- 463 AH). The mosque remained the center of education and learning during this phase, before the spread of individual mosques and the rise of learning institutions such as Bait al Hikma (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad during the reign of Caliph al-Maa’moun (d. 218 AH), and a similar one in Cairo, besides the emergence of public libraries such as that of al-Mu’taded (d. 289 AH) in Baghdad, the Treasury of ibn Abi al-Kassim Jaafar ibn Mohamed al-Faqih al-Shafii (d. 323 AH) and the Treasury of al-Qadi ibn Hiban (d. 354 AH) in Nissapur. The emergence of schools marked key point of development characterizing this phase, especially the school of ibn Hiban al-Tamimi Abi Hatem (d. 354 AH), school of al- Asfarayini (d. 418 AH), and that of al- Basti (d. 429 AH), among others. Such schools were the locus for teaching and were equipped with the needed tools for research and education. They also included especial lodgings to accommodate foreign teachers and students, and rose as remarkable learning centers that provided open teaching and cultural points availed to all people from all over the Muslim world. Phase III- Decline: This phase covers the period between the 5th century AH/ 11th century AD, till the 12th century AH/ 18th century AD. It reflected a general state of deterioration of the Arab and Islamic State and witnessed the decline of the cultural and intellectual movement as a result of the Crusade and the Mogul wars, besides the continuous fights between local rulers. All this shattered the political, social and economic stability of the state and led to the diminishing of learning centers and institutions. Then the state came under the occupation of the Turks who gained control over Baghdad (920 AH- 1514 AD), following the Battle of Chaldiran, and then Syria in the Battle of Marg Dabeq (922 AH- 1516 AD). Eventually other areas also came under occupation, except The Maghreb. Those states were cut off from other parts of the globe. Thus intellectuality faded and the education movements declined largely to become almost absent in rural areas and scarce in urban cities. Ignorance prevailed and Illiteracy became rampant, which gave rise to apathy and lethargy. Phase IV- Vigilance: It is the final phase in the development of the Arab Islamic education, and is referred to as the stage of vigilance and modern educational reform. It was a phase of cultural isolation in which inherited educational institutions did not develop the least bit. However it was a phase of intellectual revival that witnessed the emergence of a number of Islamic movements, such as the Salafist, the Reformist, besides some National and Public movements. Mohamed Aly Pasha established a number of contemporary schools throughout Egypt, availed education for all without tutor fees, and instituted a teaching academy that worked on preparing and educating teachers. He furthermore used to assign a selection of educated people to be sent to Europe to receive advanced education. His son, Ibrahim, later followed suit and established many schools in Syria. Since the 18th century onward, reform movements spread throughout the Arab and Muslim nations, asserting the importance of education and its significance to the process of Islamic renaissance and revival of intellectual heritage and its comprehension. Such movements also laid special emphasis on the importance of the Arabic language as a strong hold tying nations and gave special care and worked on its renovation. Also this period witnessed the establishment of contemporary schools and promoting the preservation of the Islamic identity across nations, thereby reckoning the significant role played by Arabs and Muslims through the history of human development. Objectives of Islamic Education: 1- Religious Objective: It refers to the Quran as the primary source of knowledge, as well as the Sunnah of the Prophet, and aims at developing the Muslim personality that believes in Allah, his prophets, angels, revealed books, day of judgment and destiny along with reviving the Islamic rites, sticking to its instructions and spreading its teachings amongst future generations. 2- Worldly Objective: It is not less important than the religious objective as the noble verses of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet have repetitively stressed on the importance of acquiring knowledge and seeking after it for every Muslim individual. The Quran and the Sunnah have furthermore emphasized on the vitality of benefiting from Allah’s blessings in the Universe, urging Muslims to seek after their well-being and secure a good livelihood by earning money through legal means; such as trade, manufacturing or agriculture … etc. Islamic education has sought to intermediate between those two objectives and work on striking harmony and balance between them, thereby fulfilling the famous statement of Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, “Work for your temporal world as if you will live forever; and work for the Hereafter as if you will die tomorrow.” 3- ‘Knowledge for the Sake of Knowledge' Objective: This objective reflects the spiritual pleasure of acquiring knowledge, and it is the motivation that sets human individuals on the quest for truth, to seek after knowledge and embark on a journey of learning and research, just for the pleasure of learning. Concepts and Principles that Arab and Islamic Education Promoted 1- Education is a duty and right for every human being: Among the foremost impacts brought along the advent of Islam was the manifest appreciation of knowledge and scholars. Islam promoted knowledge and education, which helped give rise to the scientific movements and the rise of new fields of knowledge that varied to include secular studies and fine arts. 2- Caring for childhood: The Islamic education paid special attention to childhood and educating children. This attention stems from the Arabs’ keenness on ties of blood and lineage and their purity. Arabs used to view the child as a means of extending families and a source of pride. Similarly, Muslims showed much care for the issue of education and raising children, giving them the required care and attention. Furthermore Muslim scholars promoted the child’s need for leisure and entertainment after learning hours. Relatedly, Ibn Khaldoun disparaged the use of force and toughness in educating and raising children. 3- Raising knowledge and scholars to an elevated stature: Islamic education regarded knowledge as the most preeminent thing in the world, basing such viewpoint on the fact that scholars are considered the heirs of the Prophets, and they are he only ones eligible to uphold such divine mission after purifying their souls from evils and imbibing within themselves virtues and fine morals. Revering Knowledge and scholars have proved instrumental for boosting idealism within every individual, that tendency which, once imbibed in one’s self, fills it with the light of faith, piety and devotion, and urges him to continue seeking after knowledge even if he has to travel far and wide- to fulfill the noble Hadith of the Prophet, wherein he says: “Whoever treads a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make easy for him the path to Jannah (Paradise).” In another Hadith, the Prophet, peace be upon him, says: “He who goes out in search of knowledge is in God's path till he returns.” 4- Mind sets thought free: Islamic Creed has granted human beings freedom of thought and the use of scientific research. Likewise, Islam obliterated restrictions that block the functionality of the mind and prevent it from thinking freely. Islam asserted human freedom of the mind from enslavement of specific notions that entails clinging to the footsteps of previous generations, blindly following the suit of people of authority and demeaning fear of their might and power. The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to hold the human mind in high esteem and regarded it as the core of religion and its foundation, for there is no religion for he who got no mind and perception. The Prophet has also commanded people to communicate and interact using their intellect and resorting to it as a safe haven. 5- Equality and equal right to education: Applying the notion of democracy on education came as a remarkable point of transformation in the history of educational development and progression of general urban systems. The Islamic scheme itself was purely affected by such spirit. Such democratic spirit availed equal chances to education for those who are well-off and the poor alike. Likewise, women, including maids, received considerable share of education and culture. Jews and Christians also earned equal benefits. 6- Inclusivity, Integration and Balance: The Arab Islamic education managed to shape the human personality in an all-inclusive physical and spiritual frame, not just to grasp and comprehend the living realm surrounding him, but also to take part in developing the essence of the human existence in way that best serves the well-being of humanity and achieves its happiness. 7- Education is not restricted to time or place: This principle is considered one of the chief fundamentals of Islamic education, for Islamic creed is based primarily on human perception and mind, and regards thinking and human intellect as the foundation of faith, revering knowledge and scholars and encouraging the pursuit of knowledge and science. -Levels, Content and Techniques of Education Education according to the Arab Islamic Civilization was divided into a number of levels that are somewhat similar to those of our modern age. However, what determines those levels is not just the place of education but the level of teachers and curriculums; For examples, Primary school used to take place in al-Kuttab in a consistent manner. In al-Kuttab, pupils are acquainted with general fields of knowledge that can benefit them in the general aspects of life and religion. Thus reading and writing, as well as Mathematics, Quran, and basics of religion were the primary subjects of education at this stage. And sometimes other sciences, such as those relating to Arabic languages, History of Arabs and their lineage, were taught to students at this level of education. Such schools (kuttab) were initially sections of the mosques, or annexes linked to them, before they become standalone schools in separate buildings. As for Secondary Education, it was provided in schools and mosques, however some educational roles are similar to those provided in universities in our modern age. Yet this depended largely on the level of education of the teachers and the students. Sometimes learning circles held at mosques offered more quality type of education than that provided at secondary schools, and this with regards to the material and technique used. Some of the most prominent scholars used to teach at those learning circles to transmit their share of knowledge and convey their guiding thoughts to their students. Among them was ibn Khaldoun who taught at al-Azhar mosque when he moved from Tunisia to Cairo. Such was the case in schools wherein the level of education varied according to the standards of teachers who taught there. Thus some were on equal footing with secondary schools, whereas some, such as Al-Nizamiyyah and Al-Mustansiriyah schools, were more of universities offering advanced education. Even though education at the Nizamiyyah schools was in essence religious, religious sciences required teaching other disciplines such as history, Mathematics, Language and Logic. Then there was the last level of education, which resembles to a great extent the Post-Graduate Studies in our modern age. Among institutions that provided such level of education were Dar al ‘Ilm in Cairo which was founded during the reign of al-Hakim bi Amr Allah in 339 AH, Bait al Hikma that was established by Caliph al-Ma’moun, and Bait Bani Shaker, among others. There were also centers for translation, literature, and scientific research. As for education techniques, they varied from one age to another and according to the level, place of education and the effort exerted by teachers. Those teaching techniques depended largely on repetition and learning by heart, especially in primary schools- as they formed the pillars of the foundation of education, essential for understanding, spreading knowledge and work. Dictation was another technique used in other levels of education, wherein a teacher would read portions of his book, then explain and paraphrase it. This required each student to have a copy of the same book used by the teacher; which was manually copied to be able to follow up with the teacher’s explanation. Educational techniques used in the high school or upper-mediate levels of education were generally characterized by conducting question and answer sessions, in which disagreement between students and the teacher seemed like normal occurrence. Debates and arguments were perhaps the most advanced technique used. They emerged and gained prominence as a result of the rise of many Madh’habs and schools of Islamic thought and jurisprudence that reflected the varying viewpoints of their followers. Debates were aimed at reaching the truth and not one side winning over the other and beating his argument. Renowned thinkers of the time understood the importance of this technique for boosting the scholarly personality of teachers. Ibn Khaldoun went as far as to say that negligence of debates and arguments as a technique of education was the reason behind the decline of thought, a phenomenon that prevailed throughout The Maghreb states during the 14th century. Reading was another teaching technique in which a student would read onto his professor or teacher that which he seeks to learn, and the teacher would explain and paraphrase the texts read. This technique emerged in the early 2nd century AH. The Most Notable Educational and Cultural Institutions that Contributed to -the Islamic Civilization Houses of Knowledge and Wisdom (Door al Ilm and Beyout al-Hikma): Caliphs and princes established houses of Knowledge and Wisdom, and equipped them with the best books ever, opening them for scholars to benefit from and gain prominence through them. Ya’qoot has mentioned in his ‘Ershad’ or ‘Guidance’ that Abi al-Kassim al-Faqih al-Mawsely established in his homeland a house of knowledge and provided it with a storeroom for books that included many volumes representing many disciplines, availing it to students who sought after knowledge. Al-Hassan ibn Amaar, Judge of the Fatimids in Tripoli, established a house of knowledge that resembled that founded by al-Hakim bi Amr Allah in Egypt. And soon it became a divine site of knowledge and its people. However, Bait al-Hikma (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad and Dar al Ilm (House of Knowledge) in Egypt stood out as the most notable of all such institutions. - The House of Wisdom:The establishment of the House of Wisdom is accredited to Caliph al-Ma’moun, but historical reports, such as ibn al-Nadeem, show that it existed during the reign of al-Rashid, explaining that al-Rashid, following his successful conquests and triumphant battles, managed to get the Greek manuscripts to Baghdad and assigned its translation to Yvonne ibn Masoeyah. Ibn Masoeyah was considered the chief of translators of his age. He also assigned the translation of some Persian manuscripts to al-Fadl ibn Nubikht who was originally from Persia. When Caliph al-Ma’moun claimed the throne, he started sending precious gifts to Roman princes and asked them to provide him with whatever books of Roman philosophers in their possession, and so they sent him all they have of books written by Ptolemy, Aristotle, Epocrates, Galenus, Ekledious, Batlaymous, and immediately he, Caliph al-Ma’moun, gave orders to have them translated, urging people to study and learn them. - The House of Knowledge: As for the House of Knowledge in Cairo, it was established during the reign of al-Hakim bi Amr Allah in 395 AH and aimed at spreading the Fatimid theological discourse through education, persuasion, research and discussion. It was equipped with many valuable books. Much investment was allocated to serve and develop it, and the best scholars and preachers were invited to teach in it. The library was divided into several sections: Section for jurisprudence, another for Quran recitation, one for those interested in languages and its different sciences, and other sections were allocated for Physicians. The institution furthermore included classrooms, and chambers for debates and discussions, reckoning their importance to the spread of their discourse. - The Bimaristan: Bimaristan is originally a complex Persian word that comprises of two sections; ‘Bimar’ which means a patient, and ‘Stan’ which means house or place. Thus it came to mean a place for patients and sick people; in other words, a hospital. Al- Waleed Abdul Malik established the first Bimaristan in the history of Islam, which dates back to 88 AH- 706 AD, and assigned to it a number of Physicians, allocating a bed for each patient and a guide for every blind person. It was not long before the Bimaristan spread throughout the states and gained popularity, to the extent that every state had at least one Bimaristan or hospital. Those hospitals were also Universities for Physicians, in which lectures were held, tackling theoretical lessons besides practical ones. Thus it helped the overall development of the specialty of medicine, organizing and laying the milestone for the scientific principles of such field of expertise. - Schools:The spread of schools and the reputation they earned has always been affiliated with the name of Minister Nizam al-Mulk, the Seljuk, who established a school in Baghdad in 459 AH- 1067 AD. The Nizameyyah School in Baghdad was not the first school in the history of Islam, for many other schools were reported to have been established long before the Nizameyya, some existed in Khurasan some 165 years before the Nizameyya and taught Islamic Jurisprudence and Hadith. The objective of establishing those “Nizameyya” Schools was primarily religious. Such schools played significant role in preparing judges, workers, writers, teachers and employees belonging to various social standards. They also proved instrumental in cultivating people and enriching their intellectual abilities. They also helped revive Jihad movements to ward off the Crusade threat; eastward and westward. Perhaps this is the reason why Nurul Din Al-Zinky and Salahul Din al-Ayouby cared that much for establishing schools. Al Mustansereyya School is considered the first university in the Muslim World. It was established in 625 AH- 1227 by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir Bellah. It survived through the invasion of Timurlank in the 8th century AH/ 14th century AD, and remained till 1048 AH/ 1638 AD. However its activities started to dwindle. Al-Mustansir Bellah assigned to his school the best teachers and lecturers, and allocated salaries and houses for them and provided for all their needs. He cared much for teachers’ lodges as much as he cared for their nutrition and their education, reforming their moral standards and availing all needed equipment for the school. He gave orders to his aids to look after them and work hard to serve them and provide them with comfort. Al Mustansereyyah cared for all fields of knowledge. The school comprised of five main departments; The School of Fiqh or Jurisprudence, which included four sections, each was assigned to a specific school of the four main schools of Islamic Jurisprudence. Another department was assigned to the teaching of the Quran, a third for Hadith and its sciences, and a fourth department for medicine, besides a huge library that abounded with many books that reached over 80,000 volumes. However the emergence of schools of well-organized and defined administrative, financial and educational system was somewhat prolonged in The Maghreb and Andalusia compared to the East. There, the mosque, kuttab, and teachers’ houses continued to be the learning spots up till mid 6th century AH, in other words till the emergence of the State of Muwahedeen or the Believers. - Mosques: The School mosque was obviously the most notable educational institution throughout the modern history of the Arab Islamic Civilization. Some left rich impact on human civilization, one that goes beyond the religious influence, for mosques back then formed genuine cultural centers, and represented advanced educational institutions occupied by renowned scholars and students from all over the world. The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is considered one of the oldest educational institutions in the history of Arab Islamic Civilization and perhaps the most notable of all. It contained scholars and students seeking after knowledge, and invested richly in them. The poor used to receive aid money whereas the well-off abstained. As for the educated orphans, they had special lodges; massive and separate charity buildings, wherein the mentor pays for their sustainability, including their education, nutrition and clothing. As for Cairo, Egypt, al-Azhar mosque is one of the major mosques whose educational mission surpassed other duties normally commissioned to mosques. It was a genuine Islamic university that occupied a cultural, intellectual and religious leadership throughout the ages. Azharian scholars enjoyed considerable political authority, sometimes impacting rulers of states and having their own say in state politics. Al-Azhar mosque was established in 361 AH and maintained its prominence and pioneering position up till the end of the 6th century AH, when Salahul Din al- Ayouby and those who followed established many notable schools that employed renowned teachers and rewarded them generously. Among key mosques that contributed richly to the development of education in The Maghreb and specifically during the 7th century, was the Zaytouna Mosque. It was during that time when masses of scholars migrated from Andalusia to Tunisia to acquire knowledge. For them, the Zaytouna Mosque was the starting point from where they kicked off their intellectual activity, and a place where they studied secular sciences, such as medicine, Mathematics, Language, besides religious sciences. Cordoba Mosques was perhaps one of the most remarkable and picturesque architectural masterpieces ever known to the Arab history. Cordoba Mosque was established through several phases that stretched over the period of 2.5 centuries. Besides being an impressive architecture masterpiece, it represents a value for the history of Arab Islamic sciences. The mosque maintained its position as a cultural center radiating the light of civilization in Europe for long centuries, even though the state did not closely supervise the process of education within it such as the case in al-Azhar mosque- but scholars and teachers there set sharp and clear principles of education and thus did a great job maintaining and preserving its reputation and fine standards that earned it an elevated stature. The Foundational Sources of the Islamic Theory of Education 1. The Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, from which the Islamic concept of education expounds a number of guiding principles, which are not mere assumptions verified through a process of trial and error, and thus are not to be rejected. 2. Educational and Historical studying of viewpoints of Islamic Scholars. 3. Learning about Islamic figures that enriched the development of education such as Ibn Khaldoun, Imam al-Ghazali, Ibn Taymiyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, among others. 4. The conclusions of sound scientific research that shed light on the nature of human individuals, besides human experiences that do not contradict the Islamic creed. - Each Creed Comprises of Three Main Elements: 1- Resources 2- Techniques and Methodologies 3- Objectives and Aims Followers of every theory may differ, disagree with or attempt to reform and change some of its three main elements, starting with the resources, the techniques, ending with the objectives and aims. As for the Islamic perception of education, its resources are fixed same way its objectives are. The only variable element is the technique, methodologies and approaches of education, which change and improve with the development and improvement of human understanding of the basics. This is the chief element differentiating the Islamic Observation of Educational Trends from one generation to the other, from one age to the other, and from one place to the other. General and Educational Human Psychology are parallels stemming from one main source that is the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. Yet they have one striking element differentiating them that is the element of time with regards to the Western Science of Human Psychology. This is basically due to their reliance on the development of human thought concerning a variety of resources and contradictory theories. The Islamic General and Educational Psychology stems from one all-inclusive science encompassing all aspects of human psychology ever since the beginning of creation and till the end of time. In other words, and as explained by Mohamed Rashad Khalil, Educational Psychology is the application of theories founded by psychological analysts, behaviorists and Gestaltists, among others who believe in the natural theory regardless of their variations. These schools however do not comprehend the human individual as a Created Being, but rather as a natural being of no soul. Education Philosophy and the Theory of Education: Most if not all education systems, except for the Islamic ones, depend primarily on educational theories that categorically depend on general philosophies. But what is philosophy? What is a theory? Also what’s the relation between the two? Does the Islamic education system require a philosophy or a theory? These questions are what we shall attempt to answer in the following lines. - The Notion of Philosophy: Philosophy is originally a Greek term comprising of two divisions, “Philo” which means love and “Sophia” which means wisdom, thus the full term means love of wisdom. Nevertheless its seemingly attractive and interesting connotation, scholars and thinkers have differed greatly regarding what love of wisdom come to mean? Such controversy persists till date, with some suggesting that Philosophy entails studying essence of matters and working to achieve what is best, whereas others think it is an all-inclusive science encompassing the universe in its entirety including objects, animals and plants. And there is a third party of thinkers who believe that love of wisdom entails the study of the unseen and what is beyond the physical realm. Yet the commonly agreed upon interpretation is that philosophy entails perceiving the universe, man, life and nature, and comprehending the relation between all elements. Henceforth, the notion of Philosophy maintained its uniqueness, and its schools remained mere viewpoints representing their followers till date. Yet, each Philosophy carries its own perception of the Universe, man and life. As for the philosophy of Western Education, it entails the practical aspect of general philosophy in the field of education. Such viewpoint makes the philosopher’s task; applying the principles of ideal, realistic, or pragmatic philosophy onto education. Whoever looks into the names of those schools of Educational Philosophy would recognize that they represent the very same schools of thought, which philosophers mentioned. There is the General Idealist Philosophy, the Educational Idealist Philosophy, the General Pragmatic Philosophy, and the Educational Pragmatic Philosophy… etc. -The notion of educational theory: The Theory in its general essence that prevails in the West entails interpreting some matters in the past, present, or the future according to fixed or variable belief. As for the Scientific Theory, according to its accurate definition, it means attempting to interpret a number of assumptions or physical laws by placing them within a general intellectual framework. The Educational Theory is a number of correlated principles that guide the process of education and control the teaching practices. If the Scientific Theory is descriptive and explanatory in its essence, then the mission of the Educational Theory, according to Paul Herst, is personification and heeling. And if the Scientific Theory blocks the description and explanation of what is existing, then the Educational Theory describes and determines how to deal with students, thereby guiding and directing the educational practices. -Education according to Muslims Education is more of a mirror reflecting nations’ systems regardless of their political, economic, or creedal differences. The Arab Islamic education, on its part, reflects the fine teachings of Islam and its noble doctrines. For Islam, besides propagating its basic creedal issues relating to faith and belief, also promotes good moral values and virtues, which it considers fundamental for a sound and pious religious life. There are a number of basic principles credited for impacting the development of the Educational Theory, such as the Principle of Equality- Equality between fresh Muslim converts without regard to their race or colors. Such covenant of equality was endorsed by Almighty Allah in the noble verse “Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.”- (Quran 49:13) In another instance in the same verse, Allah, says: “The believers are but brothers.”- (Quran 49:10) Accordingly, the general advancement of Islamic Education manifests in its idealistic tendency; giving primacy to knowledge, encouraging its pursuit, and caring for the moral virtues. All that besides its flexible learning techniques and the democratic spirit that eliminated differences between human nations, races and standards whether in the field of learning or religion, thereby granting individuals equal chances to learning. Objectives of Islamic Education: - Religious Objectives: Since the descent of revelation it became the prime reference for Muslims in all matters pertaining to worship, legislation, and social life with all its varying features. It was the revelation of the Quran that helped spread literacy among people, and the establishment of schools as well as the emergence of different disciplines that sought to explain and clarify meanings of the Quran. However, the overall tendency amongst Muslims was neither purely religious nor purely worldly, but rather a balanced combination of the two. Education back then sought to coach the rising generations on ways to best live their worldly life and prepare for the hereafter, thereby fulfilling the purpose of the noble verse, wherein Allah says:“But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world.”- (Quran 28:77) - Social Objectives: Besides the religious objectives and morals, education has sought after other social values that reflected in traditional and wise sayings: Addressing his son, Mus’ab ibn al-Zubayr was once quoted as saying “Acquire knowledge, for even if you are not in possession of wealth, it would be beauty to you, and if you are not in possession of beauty it would be wealth to you.” We realize that with the growing number of scholars, all specialized in a specific expertise according to the development of the scientific movement and its prosperity, there emerged a new social standard that represented the scholars, and earned superior stature especially in the sight of rulers and princes, which encouraged people to pursue education and learning so as to earn similar prestige and social standing. This, furthermore, led to the rise of creative competitiveness among citizens, let alone the spread and prosperity of culture. - The Objectives of Interest: The rise of religiousness caused embarrassment to scholars and those working in the field of Islamic education to receive payment for their teaching, such as teaching Quran and the like. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, used to free captives in return of having them teach Muslim children basics of reading and writing, which shows that the concept itself is valid. Hence, Judiciary posts and those relating to education, were pursued by people who were keen on preparing themselves for such career. People’s eagerness to memorize the Holy Quran and acquiring in-depth understanding of Islam had a great influence on creating the need for schools, as mosques formed the primary school to which people sent their children to get educated in the learning circles held there and which dealt primarily with Quran and Hadith. Mosques in most Islamic states represented the learning centers where education was not restricted to only religious sciences, but also included disciplines such language and poetry. Also cultural sessions were held in the houses of cultured and educated elites and were known as “Literature Assemblies”. Besides the Kuttab, there were old houses and stores that were turned into schools to teach young boys, upholding the same task assigned to kuttab schools and mosques. High schools, such as the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, provided a kind of education that is similar to that provided in our modern age universities. The House of Wisdom (Bait al-Hikmah) was considered the most notable learning institution in the history of Islam, as it housed translation centers, scientific complex as well as a public library and astrology lab; serving students learning Astrology. The first real Scientific Complex in the Islamic history was Al-Nizamiyyah school, which was established by Nizam al-Mulk and cared greatly for the physical wellness of students. It set a good example that was later followed by advanced learning institutions. As for schools, they first appeared during the Abbasid Dynasty and spread throughout the Muslim world, varying from one place to the other. Besides students, Islamic education gave equal care for the teacher who will be assigned the critical task of transmitting knowledge to others, and was firm with regards to what a teacher needs in order to fulfill such mission. Paying strict attention to the ethics and high moral values was the main characteristic of teachers. According to Ibn Sina, “the coacher educating young pupils has to be himself wise, of sound religion, knowledgeable about aspects of ethics, keen on educating youngsters, respectable, somber, nice, intelligent, merciful, clean and trustworthy.” Outlining the fundamental aspects characterizing the teachers, many scholars have defined the psychological dimensions of the personality tasked the mission of teaching, and provided thorough analysis of such characteristics and the duties required from teachers and educators in order to best achieve their goals. A teacher had to primarily read and research a lot. The second and perhaps the most important element in the learning process is the Student. Scholars and education experts have given special care for the student and what helps him through the learning process. Imam al-Ghazali for instance saw that among the important features of a student that would help him acquire knowledge is breaking free from the distraction of worldly matters, for relations are distractive and can be largely overwhelming. Proving such viewpoint of Imam al-Ghazali, I recall a wise saying that reads, “Knowledge does not give you some of it, unless you give your whole to it.” Furthermore, clerics have given much care to argument and debates that help the student sharpen his ability to express his own self, better organize his thoughts and re-energize in a spontaneous manner. Other helping factors that facilitate the learning process are choosing the right environment and place for learning and appropriate hours of reading. As for the appropriate place for learning and memorization, rooms are the most suitable places, as well as any settings away from any possible sources of distraction. Also a student should not limit his learning objectives, he must always be ready to learn more, and never suffice with any level of knowledge he reaches, neither become too proud of what he has learned nor feel superior to his mentor or teacher, for without modesty and attentiveness, he will be able to learn nothing. Moreover, Muslim clerics have long advised students to never feel embarrassed or shy to ask about whatever that confuses them, for this would cause them to miss out on what may maximize and enrich their benefit. They have as well encouraged students to understand well what they listen to and the knowledge they receive, for nobody should write a thing he does not fully understand, as this drives away intelligence and wastes one’s time. And if a student got used to failing to understand whatever knowledge he receives and if he was lazy trying to do so, he will grow accustomed to that and eventually will cease to understand even the easy and typical conversations. As for teaching techniques or arranging the learning time for students, norms followed during the 4th century AH stipulated that a student would go to the Kuttab School early in the morning to start memorizing the Holy Quran. By noon, he returns home to have lunch and then goes back to the Kuttab in the afternoon and remains there till the evening. The weekly holiday for students started from Thursday noon till Friday evening. Then they would resume studying at the Kuttab Saturday morning. A student’s experience with public libraries would start at a very young age, as young as 7 years. He would give three or perhaps four years of his life to complete the memorization of the Holy Quran and learn basics of Islamic Jurisprudence, as well as language and poetry. Afterwards, he would start joining schools to acquire more knowledge. The following level of education would include studying Quran, Exegesis, Fiqh, Arabic Grammar, Literature, Poetry, Mathematics, Geometry and Hadith. As for the Third level of education, it included a variety of disciplines, such as Medicine, Chemistry, Mathematics, Astrology, Physics, Monotheism, Logic, Music, Zoology, and Botany. Teaching at this phase depended on a number of primary techniques: Lecturing, Dictation and Discussion, besides learning and debates. Clerics could realize that proper pronunciation and clear speech were essential for understanding, given the child’s limited experience and restricted perception. Thus the teacher has to help him connect things together in order to be able to understand what he does not know through what he already knows. A teacher would never get his students develop strong interest in a particular subject unless he himself was interested in it and excited about it. Only the knowledgeable is capable of providing others with knowledge. According to Kahled Rousha, the education process shall remain restricted, incapable of producing any fruits as long as the Islamic movement persistently fails to ready and prepare skilled educators and tutors capable of practical application of theoretical and systematic aspects of Islamic endeavor. The process of educating a skilled tutor is quite complicated, with social, psychological and humanitarian issues interrelated. This makes the process more than a mere scientific and analogical process in the sense stipulated by the scientific experimental system. Human elements are quite many, such as the extent of influence of creed, values and legal principles, and the extent of psychological stability of the tutor and how close he is to the ideal and sound human persona- Also how much influenced and attentive the tutor is to the personality and model of Prophet Muhammad, and how far is he ready to give of himself to serve those doctrines and beliefs. Such matters cannot be subject to experiment in order to evaluate or verify them. One cannot fix some elements of influence in an experiment whereas other elements remain variable and changeable. For example; accepting the application of equations such as those chemical equations of fixed conclusions and physical expositions of fixed experimentations onto human education process. If we considered that a successful education process as “founded on a number of consecutive, interrelated and harmonious processes involving its practitioner (that is the tutor) and the recipient (that is the student), to be done within an accepted theoretical scheme that is based on a variety of techniques that befit the circumstances of application,” then we do recognize the importance of the axis leading this process, i.e. the tutor or the teacher. - Educationalists’ Theories: A Comparative Study Educationalists’ theories varied and differed over primary and secondary elements that are essential for a successful process of preparing a sound and skilled tutor. Such differences gave rise to varying views of educationalists, with some propagating the need to turn the entire Muslim society into educationalists, and that any Muslim individual regardless of his personal makeup, can be prepared to be a tutor guiding the Muslim Ummah. There is no doubt that such approach, which is the most common amongst fields of Islamic activism in our modern time, does not differentiate between essentially varying roles represented by individuals, each on his own, or, on a deeper level, the characteristics required for every role, while it is essential to differentiate between the role played by a Muslim preacher, that upheld by other Muslim individuals such as administrators, leaders, socialist, and that of a tutor. A preacher is a bit too general description that combines all other roles. As for that of social and administrative leadership, it requires specific characteristics such as being experienced, firm, risk taker, daring, courageous, proactive, wise, and intelligent, among other qualities that characterized notable leaders and fighters from amongst the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, those who were known for their courage and might in battles and conquests they fought. - Different approaches of selection: So the character of a leader is the one capable of achieving and fulfilling the goals set for it, and that by delegating other individuals related to it. Thus, it is the kind of personality whose role ends with the fulfillment of the task assigned to it or realizing the specific goal appointed to it. As for the character of a tutor or a coacher it is the kind of personality that is capable of guiding and shaping other personalities, thereby preparing it on the educational, religious, and behavioral levels. Generally, there are two primary approaches in selecting the personality of a tutor; The first entails strictness and exaggerated accuracy in determining the characteristics of the coacher. This approach is generally idealistic in its expectations of the personality of the tutor, in the sense that, when trying to map such expectations to reality, they render a purely theoretical concept that cannot be implemented in anyway. As for the second approach it entails some flexibility in selecting the qualities of a coacher to include a larger number of characteristics. This approach is driven by primacy the need of Islamic Discourse and its exposure or possible increase in the number of recipients of the message. But experience proved the two approaches a complete failure. For the First approach hinders the educational work, as it ties it to a super model that is hard if not impossible to achieve, thereby impeding efforts seeking to develop and reform it. Thus it invites all those who are unable to meet such idealistic image to retreat and abandon educational work altogether. As for the Second approach it avails the chance to all, even those who are not the least skilled or eligible to carry out the mission, and this is destructive to them, let alone a waste of time and effort. This highlights the need for outlining a model for those supervising the educational process to guide them, help avoid the negative consequences of the two approaches, and over and above, to be easy to apply in reality. Regarding the fundamental elements needed for preparing skilled coachers, grasping the practical and scientific inputs have yielded the conclusion that there are a number of factors which, if combined, can lead to a successful process of preparing coachers. Such factors include: (depth of faith, sound and healthy personality, practical knowledge, suitable environment for education, special skills, and reform). We shall attempt to shed light on the most important characteristics of each of these factors: - First:The Depth of Faith: It is the first element required in the personality suggested to uphold the mission of a tutor, without which the tutor would fail to achieve the objectives of the educational process. It would not be exaggeration to say that the entire process of education can shatter without this specific element. But some practices in reality may seem quite shocking, with some figures assigned the mission of education simply because they are social activists, without paying any regard to the element of depth of faith that happens to be the first and primary condition for a sound educational personality, and the basis on which many factors largely depend, such as: 1. Sincerity: If the speech of a coacher or a tutor falls short of being sincere and truthful, it becomes more of smoke in the air, in other words it benefits nobody. Sincerity gives speech a good scent that draws listeners close, and captures the attention of those afar to listen, attentively. It is reported that al-Hassan, may Allah be pleased with him, once heard a preacher addressing people, so he approached him, saying: “It is either your heart harbors evil or mine does. For your speech does not touch my heart the slightest bit! Allah aids a sincere tutor in his choice of words, picking the right words for the right situation, and the most impacting of phrases. A sincere speech is the most convincing of speeches of long-lasting effect on the heart of the listener.” One of the students of Shaikh al-Ka’naby, the mentor of Shaikh Bukhari, narrates: “Our Shaikh used to address us while his beard was soaked with tears.” 2. Patience: Patience is motivated and inspired by deep faith which we have just tackled. And when faith weakens, so does patience as it is a primary factor in the tutor personality to have patience in dealing with students and individuals being coached as well as communities a tutor may be addressing. Thus, patience requires the tutor to hold fast to this intrinsic value besides other principles and fundamentals he believes in. It is narrated that Abdullah, son of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, once asked his father: “When does one taste comfort?” the father answered; “With the first foot set in Jannah (Paradise)”. 3. Asceticism: Asceticism is one essential factor in the personal makeup of a tutor and it entails refraining from adornments of worldly life and hoping for the reward in the Hereafter and Paradise. Nothing is worse than a tutor who is attached to worldly pleasures and inclinations. Similarly nothing can be more of worse impact on students than that of a tutor who seeks relentlessly after money, one who is overwhelmingly attached to beautifying himself, obsessed with worldly possessions of houses and the like. No matter how much people differ over the proper definition of Asceticism, there will always remain the model of the Prophet, peace be upon him, his Companions, their successors and the renowned scholars as the best example and the ones most deserving to be followed. We have known them all as detached from worldly pleasures and beauties, hoping only for the comfort of the Hereafter. But unfortunately, looking around, one finds those assigned the crucial mission of education to be immersed in worldly indulgence, luxury and extravagancy. How are those possibly expected to produce a sound educated generation? Al-Dhahabi narrated that Imam Ahmed, when he travelled to Abdul Razzaq, he ran out of money, so he had to work as a helper, earning half a Dirham each day, which was sufficient to only buy him his daily share of food. Abdul Razzaq saw him carrying luggage on his back, and thus awaited him secretly behind the door of his house before he comes for the class and told him: “O Ahmed, usually I do not have much money, but I have collected this sum for you, so take it and spend it as you wish.” Ahmed replied: “If I was ever in need of money I would have taken aid from nobody but you, but I have enough money to sustain myself and even more till I return back home.” The stance of the Islamic theory of education Vs the Western theory Educational Theory- Exposition and Presentation: Western theories of education share a number of common factors, such as: 1- Absolute reliance on mind logic with all that entails of activities attempting to visualize the universe, man, and life. Also worth considering is the fact that every educational theory is in origin a reflection of a specific philosophical school. This is a general rule applicable to any educational pattern. Similarly, all differences between theories are simply expressive of changes that crept into Western communities throughout history, with all political, social, and economic and scientific dimensions involved. 2- Western educational theories are of single viewpoint, whereas the ideal educational theory reflects the Polemic Philosophy. According to Ptolemy, there are two worlds; a Sensed World, which comprises of physical bodies and objects, and a Perceived World which comprises of abstract beings. This theory stems primarily from (the absolute prominence of the soul over physical objects), and it tends to encourage a contemplative approach that largely ignores existing reality and the human’s earthly nature, caring principally for the perfection of the soul and its salvation. This demonstrates the theoretical propensity of teaching within the idealist educational theory, with the goal of education seeking primarily (the human mind’s acceptance of intellectual and logical heritage scored by previous generation)- As a matter of fact such heritage acquired a divine position and became literary applied. Furthermore, subject matters of studies were tied to the heritage essentials rather than present time essentials, and thus its link to the past became an obstacle obstructing its link to the present and the future. Contrary to the Idealistic School, the Naturalistic School, focuses on the physical body and all emotions, desires and inclinations it involves, giving it absolute importance on the expense of the mind. However it is a well-known fact that this school has surpassed the psychological trend of education that relies in its principles on the founder of the school itself, that is Jean Jacques Rousseau, who saw that “resorting to human psychology is the only way to provide a real criterion for evaluating Pedagogy.” Another drawback of such theory is limiting the scope of education to be restrictive to the child. Modern education has realized such limitation and shortcoming, and thus went on to expand the scope to include teenagers, adolescents, adults, and old men. This is what the Modern International Union for Education emphasized. As for the Pragmatic school, it turns the focus of attention away from the primary subjects as well as principles, laws, and acc
Picking Beans When Plants Are Wet Space beans correctly at planting so once matured, they can air-dry. Both green and dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) varieties are best harvested when the plants are dry, otherwise you can more easily spread disease between wet plants. It is sometimes difficult to find a dry plant In wet climates or rainy periods, so you may need to practice careful sanitation to safely pick the beans without endangering the plant. Dry Is Best Bacterial bean blight causes light green or yellow spots to form on bean leaves. The blight eventually kills the leaf and weakens the plant, which may stop producing or die all together. The disease is more readily spread when you disturb wet plants during harvest, so it's best to avoid picking beans from wet plants if they are still producing. If it's the end of the season for the plants, blight isn't an issue since you'll pull up and destroy the plants after harvest. Planting certified disease-free seed also minimizes blight problems, although it's still best to avoid touching wet plants. Snap Bean Tips Picking snap beans later in the day after the morning dew dries on the plants prevents the spread of disease. Snap beans can usually produce two or more harvests from a single plant if disease doesn't shorten its life. Wash your hands before picking and wash them again if you encounter a bean plant that appears diseased. Handle the foliage as little as possible by instead grasping each bean pod individually and snapping it off the plant. Dry Bean Pointers Dry beans usually produce only one harvest, so spreading blight at the time of harvest is rarely a concern since the annual plants are already at the end of their life. If the pods mature to the ripe, dry stage at different times on the same plant, try and harvest when the plants are dry later in the afternoon or wait until the majority of the pods dry. When possible, pull up the entire plant when most of the pods are dry and brittle. Hang the plants in a dry location for two or three days so any moisture on the pods can evaporate before removing the pods from the plant. Wet Weather Issues Water bean plants at soil level so the irrigation doesn't wet the foliage. Planting beans where they have a southern exposure and full sun also helps them dry more quickly. If you must harvest from wet plants due to ongoing rain, wash your hands often or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer between plants to minimize blight problems. Monitor the plants closely in the days following harvest; promptly pull and destroy any with disease symptoms. Don't plant beans in an infected bed for at least three years to prevent future problems. About the Author Photo Credits • Thinkstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images Suggest a Correction
(redirected from expellable) Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Legal. expel someone from something to force someone to leave something or some place; to eject someone from something or some place. The two men expelled the fighters from the tavern. Ken was expelled from school for disciplinary reasons See also: expel expel something from something to force or eject something out of something. The machine expelled cup after cup from its opening. The volcano expelled huge globs of molten lava. See also: expel squeeze something out of something and squeeze something out to press something until something is expelled from something. Claire squeezed some toothpaste out of the tube. She squeezed out some toothpaste. See also: of, out, squeeze squeeze something out of somebody/something to get something with great effort from someone or something Albert was good at thinking of ways to squeeze money out of his father in England. Fred didn't like to tell the truth, and you had to squeeze it out of him. See also: of, out, squeeze
Full steam ahead! After a slew of false starts and technical difficulties, the British Steam Car just broke the world land speed record for a steam-driven vehicle by hitting a scorching average speed of 139.843mph! Dubbed the “fastest kettle in the world“, the 25-ft long car smashed the century old record of 127mph at 8:19 this morning at Edward’s Air Force Base in California. steam car, fastest kettle in the world, steam powered car, steam supercar Driver Charles Burnett III says: “It was absolutely fantastic I enjoyed every moment of it. We reached nearly 140mph on the first run before I applied the parachute. All systems worked perfectly, it was a really good run. The second run went even better and we clocked a speed in excess of 150 mph. The car really did handle beautifully. Prior to smashing the world record set by American Fred Marriott in 1906, the spaceshuttle-esque vehicle was able to reach speeds of 129mph in a single run, but the attempt was cut short when engineers decided to investigate why it was not going even faster. The issue turned out to be an open valve which was allowing steam to escape into the atmosphere from one of the car’s 12 boilers. After repairs the vehicle was fired up again this morning and conducted two official runs where it hit blistering top speeds of 136mph and 151mph, setting a new international record. How exactly does this alternatively-powered steam car run? Twelve boilers, which run on liquid petroleum gas, heat water to temperatures of 752F (400C) which is injected into a turbine to run the engine. The 12 boilers can get through 220 gallons of water in 25 minutes, and can pump out 8.8 gallons of steam a minute. Congratulations to the team for their tremendous success after 10 years of hard work! + British Steam Car
A Conversation with Roger Richards If there is any kind of photography that I have my problems with it is photojournalistic photography from war zones. I usually refer to it as “war pornography”, and by that I mean that photos of dead or maimed soldiers or civilians are often just used for a cheap thrill, not unlike the sexual equivalent. Needless to say, this point of view is not all that fair. People usually tell me that photos from wars have the power to change our perception of wars; and I think a large part of my repulsion stems from me simply not seeing much evidence for that to be true. You just have to think back a few years, back when the Iraq war was not a very unpopular war that nobody really wanted, but a war that was necessary, with good reasons - I’m sure you will remember the jingoism. It was almost like those images from Vietnam, say, or the absolutely gruesome images from the earlier Gulf War. I will admit that some images have had an impact on the public’s perception of an ongoing war, but in all cases that I can think of, the war had already gone on for many - too many - years. Following one of my posts about some war photography, Roger Richards emailed me, and we had a brief exchange of emails about various topics. I was absolutely thrilled to be able to talk to somebody who had actually worked as a photojournalist during a war - Roger spent a long time in Bosnia during and after the war there. I think if there is any insight to be gained into the topic of what this kind of photojournalism can achieve and how it might have to be done, then that insight will not come from people who are writing articles (or silly blogs) from the comforts of their middle-class existences, but from people who have actually experienced the conditions, which produced the images we get to see. I was thus very happy to learn that Roger agreed to participate in one of my conversations with photographers. Joerg Colberg: There is an article online - Remember Sarajevo at Digital Journalist - that talks about the work that you did in Bosnia. In that article, the author talks about how “evil” was responsible for what happened there. I’ve always regarded “evil” as such an outright weird term, because it doesn’t really help to understand anything. “Evil” is an abstract concept that’s hard to grasp and even harder to use when you’re trying to understand something. I don’t mean to say that there was no evil, but as an explanation it seems to fall somewhat short. And to some extent, I think, we all really need to try to understand how something like the war in Bosnia, with its ethnic cleansings etc., was possible - to (hopefully) next time be smarter and make sure it does not happen again. On top of that, evil is not something you can take a photo of. What did it feel like to be there in Sarajevo, being shot at, while at the same time being treated, as you said, like a voyeur by the people whose lives you tried to capture? Roger Richards: The concept of evil, for most people, is really an abstraction. Here in the western world it carries connotations of religion, of the Christian Bible, and conjures up images of Satan, the Devil, paradise lost. But it becomes real when you see the handiwork of humans who seem to have lost all the values of understanding, tolerance and compassion that enable us to live together in peace with our neighbors. The author of the introduction to the Digital Journalist piece, who also wrote the intro to my book, is writer Peter Maass, who wrote Love Thy Neighbor : A Story of War about the war in Bosnia. He was there on assignment for the Washington Post as the worst of the atrocities were happening in 1992-1993. Peter wrote that the war in Bosnia is what happens when the social contract breaks down, along with the forces of law and order. The result is a Darwinian devolution where man’s baser instincts, the part of us that allows the mildest person to commit horrible acts, is in ascendance. It is like a form of madness. It is the negation of ‘the other’ as a human life worthy of respect. It is kill the ‘other’ before they kill us. A textbook case of this in extremity is what happened in Rwanda in 1994. You cannot see evil, but you can see its fruits. Believe me, it can be felt. I once watched as an old woman tried to walk across an intersection in downtown Sarajevo as a Serb sniper was at work. A Bosnian policeman and a crowd gathered at the opposite side of the intersection shouted at her to stop and go back. But she was either senile or past caring for her safety, as many of the people of Sarajevo had become. The sniper, who was shooting from a hill maybe a quarter of a mile away, began toying with her like how a cat plays with a bird or a mouse in its claws. He placed his bullets all around her, and pieces of concrete exploding from the wall behind showered her as she shuffled across. He let her live, but her face was cut by the sharp pieces of concrete. Right after that he shot a young guy on a bicycle who tried to make a brave dash across. Then the sniper stopped shooting, and the next part of this daily ritual took place, a car picking up the body of the victim, who was not dead but seriously hurt. I was on the scene, and made photos, but could not bring myself to raise my camera to my eye as the old woman was walking through under fire. I was conscious of this, but could not make myself take those photos. It would have almost been like I was hoping for her to get hit. I wondered if the sniper on the hill had a mother or a grandmother. This happened to me twice in Sarajevo. A few months before at the Kosevo hospital emergency room, a car came in with a family wounded by an artillery shell that had scored a direct hit on their apartment, just as they were about to eat lunch. The mother was evidently beyond help, and her young son was covered in blood and extremely distraught. I could not make any photos. Afterwards, a friend of mine working with TV in Portugal, who had seen what happened, chided me gently, reminding me that the only moral reason for being there was to make photos that documented what was happening, that freezing up was dereliction of duty. He was absolutely right. First you shoot the pictures, the rest you do on your own time. I was not a war rookie, having done work in the wars of Central America in the 1980’s, in places like El Salvador and Nicaragua, and the US invasion of Panama. But Bosnia felt like civilization was ending. A medieval siege was taking place in the heart of Europe, only 45 minutes by air from Vienna, and the world said it was powerless to stop it. As for being treated like a voyeur by Sarajevans, that did not start to happen until after the first year of the siege, and the feeling began dawning on the citizens of Sarajevo that help was not on the way and might never arrive. I never experienced any serious hostility from regular people, although I had weapons in my face and shoved into my back by gunmen on a few occasions. When foreign journalists first arrived Sarajevans were hopeful that they would communicate the brutality of their lives under siege, and that surely the ‘international community’ would do something concrete to help. What they got were United Nations ‘peacekeeping’ troops who were under orders not to do anything to rile the Serbs, and to keep the flow of humanitarian aid coming so that they would not have to do anything, and hoping that somehow it would all just go away. The people of Sarajevo began to become resentful of the presence of these outsiders, and sometimes it trickled down to us in the press. That said, there is now a statue in downtown Sarajevo that was erected in honor of the scores of journalists who were killed in Bosnia during the war. JC: Let me try to re-phrase what I was trying to say by using an example that’s very close to me personally. I was born, raised and educated in Germany, and to this date, there still are lots of debates about the Nazi era. While I am very glad that this is still ongoing in Germany, I am much less happy about one particular aspect, and I’ve also seen this aspect in discussions outside of Germany. Actually, the German-born Pope just made a lot of people feel very uncomfortable when, during a visit to Auschwitz, he talked of the Germans as a people “that a gang of criminals managed to achieve power over with deceitful promises, with the promise of greatness, of the resurrection of the nation’s honor and significance, with the promise of well-being and also with terror and intimidation, such that our people could be used and abused as an instrument for their fury of destruction and domination.” (source) What bothers me - and many other people - so much about this is that he implies that the Nazis were somehow not even really Germans, so the Germans aren’t to blame. When I was a teenager, I always asked people where the Nazis went in 1945. Apparently, nobody had been a Nazi. So when we talk about the history of Germany, you have these people called Nazis who did all these bad things, but it’s almost like they flew in from Mars and then disappeared into thin air when everything was ruined. Apart from the fact that that’s a very nonsensical way to think about what happened, it is also not useful at all when trying to make sure things like that will never happen again. We can all easily agree on that the Nazis were evil, but if there’s no real connection with Germans, then what do we gain? And it’s this aspect of evil that bothers me, where the abstraction of evil is not the fact that ‘evil’ in itself is an abstract word but, rather, that the word evil is used to abstract something that we ultimately better try to understand. I don’t know whether I’ve made it clear what my main concern is here. But the question that I derive from this is: How can one go about documenting a war like the one in Bosnia in such a way that people actually learn from it? Because, if I look at recent history, for example the genocide in Darfur, it’s almost like Bosnia or Rwanda never happened. RR: I do not think that people learn anything from war coverage that will prevent other conflicts from happening in the long term. To believe anything else is to live in a fool’s paradise. My philosophy of life, learned from seeing life in extremis, is that human beings will always fight among themselves, and there are always those who will prey on the weaker if it is possible. So, one might ask, why then bother at all with risking one’s life in this line of work? First, there are personal reasons that lead one in this direction. Second, and it might sound corny, but the pursuit of factual truth. Cut out all the thrill seekers who go to war and you have left the professionals who believe that what they are doing can make a difference in how history records the monumental event that is war. Truth is a loaded word, as there are no objective truths. Everyone has their own personal truths, according to their perspective. But facts are concrete. For this to be so honest people need to depict things as they are, so that history cannot be rewritten. In the years after the war in Yugoslavia, there have since emerged many writers who have attempted to distort what took place, and even attempt to absolve the Serbs of responsibility for starting the war by asserting that everyone was equally guilty, so no one can be blamed…..it all just kind of happened. That is the main reason that I released my archive of images on the Web a couple of years ago, many of the photos unpublished before. Of all the scores of photographers who documented the war in Bosnia only a handful of us were there for a long time. So we bear the responsibility of the living witnessing for the dead. JC: In one of our earlier conversations you told me that “documentation of a disaster or war zone, or former area of conflict, is legitimate if done with a purpose. Otherwise it is just voyeurism and exploitative.” and you go on to say that the most important bit for this kind of work was “not WHAT one does but HOW one goes about doing it.” So how did you go about documenting the war? How were you looking for images? Or what kind of images did you want to take? RR: I firmly believe that to do this kind of work requires one to live by a moral code. Without this code, it is hard to live with yourself and do it for any length of time. I documented wars for a period of a bit over ten years. I stopped after a period of intense work ten years ago, right at the end of my tenure with the Associated Press as the photo bureau chief in Bogota, Colombia. I had seen enough of war and conflict situations. It was never for big money, for there is none in photojournalism. You see so many things that cannot be explained to others who did not witness it, and then even after you question yourself, did I really see that? There is no glory, or glamour, except in the eyes of those who really have no clue what this line of work is about. But there can a tremendous sense of satisfaction when you do it right. I do not believe in the concept of journalistic objectivity. So much emphasis is put on this, which is impossible to achieve. Photographers make decisions on when, where and at what to shoot, and from which angle, the light, framing and so on. All that comes from inside of us, and is totally subjective. What I firmly believe is that we must be fair. A photojournalist’s mission is to create awareness and tell the stories of people in places with names that we can barely pronounce. The rest is up to the politicians and the public. These days it is tough to make images that can compete with Brad and Angelina for space in the press. I really do not feel that I chose to document the siege of Sarajevo. I sort of just ended up there by fate. That sounds strange, I know, so I’ll explain. I was a contract photographer with the Gamma Liaison photo agency (now Getty Images) based in Miami, Florida, and my main interest up until 1991 was the political and social upheavals in the Caribbean and Central America. I was not in the least interested in covering the first Gulf War, for example. But the beginning of the disintegration of Yugoslavia in summer 1991 caught my attention. In the fall of 1991 the Croatian city of Vukovar fell to the Serb-led Yugoslav army. The images by Ron Haviv and Christopher Morris impacted me and I began to keep a close watch on developments in Yugoslavia. In spring 1992 the Serbs launched their siege of Sarajevo, and I began to feel a strong pull. But I resisted. In June 1992, the third month of the siege, I was in Paris visiting the HQ of Gamma and picking the brains of a couple of the photographers who had been in Yugoslavia. I left Paris for the south of Spain, where my mother lives. While there I watched daily the dispatches of Television Espana war correspondent Arturo Perez Reverte. I did not want to go, but something was pulling me hard. Frankly, I was scared to go. But one Friday afternoon I called my agent, Jennifer Coley, at Gamma Liaison in New York to tell her that I would be en route to Sarajevo from Spain in a couple of days. Those were different times for photojournalists. I had the luxury of picking where I wished to go, and usually my agency would find an assignment for me. Those were the pre-digital days, when war photographers shot transparency film for the news magazines and had to be resourceful enough to find ways to ship our take from the middle of war zones in order to make deadlines. I knew that if I got hurt the agency would find a way to get me out. If I ran out of film, or money in Sarajevo, they would find someone going in and send me some. And they did. That was how it was. When I signed up with Gamma Liaison a few years before I was 26 and it was the culmination of a dream. In those days to work for one of the major photo agencies was a big deal. If you got in and worked hard good things could happen. My first thought when I drove into Sarajevo on that sunny August day in 1992 was that I had entered hell itself. The thunder of artillery, smoke from burning buildings, streets filled with debris, stalled streetcars, dangling power lines and terrified civilians. Even today the smell is what remains with me the most. Photographs are powerful, but I think that if we could somehow capture the scent of war then that would be even more evocative of the reality. My first assignment in Sarajevo lasted just five days. I spent three of those with the French RICM, their version of the US Marines, who had been freshly deployed in Sarajevo as part of the United Nations mission. I was documenting their mission to keep the sides apart and distribute food to cut off Bosnian government parts of the city. Their commanding officer, Colonel Patrice Sartre, was relieved that so far none of his men had been hurt by hostile fire. A few hours later that all changed when a French armored personnel carrier was hit by a rocket propelled grenade, seriously wounding all three crewmen on board. At the same time the Serbs began walking mortar fire in on us as the French marines were supervising the unloading of UN aid trucks for the citizens of Sarajevo. Ironically, we had spent over an hour having coffee with the Serb commanders who granted permission for the UN convoy to unload their cargo. Welcome to Sarajevo. My exposure to how brutal the siege was on the civilians came when I visited City Hospital, also known as French Hospital. The doctor I toured the hospital with showed me wards filled with civilians who had been maimed by the constant Serb artillery and mortar fire. Running water was nonexistent, they used whatever container they could find to store it. What I saw stayed in my mind when I returned to Zagreb, Croatia on an Italian Air Force C-130 to ship my first films to Paris. I returned to Sarajevo three days later, to join a UN humanitarian aid convoy heading for the town of Gorazde, which had been encircled and cut off by the Serbs in eastern Bosnia. When the convoy was postponed, I was at Sarajevo airport waiting for a flight back to Zagreb so I could pick up some supplies when an inbound UN aid flight was shot down by a surface to air missile on final approach to the airport. All of the crew was killed. It was to be the flight I was to fly out on, and it was the same Italian crew that I had flown with three days earlier. The UN halted all aid flights, and my route out of the city was cut off. So I stayed in Sarajevo for three weeks that time, and then kept going in and out for the next three and a half years. I felt a responsibility to use my skills and privileged position as a journalist to let the world know what was happening in Bosnia. I did not feel that the photos would bring an immediate stop to the killing, though I did dream that perhaps a miracle could happen. But I knew the world does not work like that. Perhaps the only difference they could make was that the powers outside would be unable to deny they knew what was taking place. It was clear after the first months of the siege that the cavalry would not be riding to the rescue anytime soon. My mission in Sarajevo became one of documenting what I felt in my bones was a significant historical event. Without consciously doing so I saw that my work was focusing more on the daily realities of life under siege rather than on combat action, also referred to as ‘bang-bang’. My method of working was to walk the city like a civilian. It allowed me to see things and interact with Sarajevans, which I could not do if I was speeding past in an armored car. As Luc Delahaye once said, sharing the risk is my ticket, my price of admission. I was staying with Bosnian friends in an apartment in the city, not in the Holiday Inn which was the main base of the foreign press corps in Bosnia. I would set off in the morning and walk the main street that ran parallel to the infamous ‘sniper alley’, which was much too dangerous to traverse on foot. At the intersections you would steel yourself and sprint across as fast as possible, hoping to avoid a Serb sniper’s bullet. On the journey into town there were over a dozen spots where you knew the snipers were looking down their scopes. Once downtown I would go to visit my destination of the day, or just observe what was going on. After a few hours it was time to return, and the same journey as the morning was repeated, back past the snipers and praying that the shelling would not be too heavy. Quite often later in the day was worse as the Serb artillery gunners would be awake after sleeping off their slivovitz from the previous night. I did this day after day, and it really changes you to see what a citizen of Sarajevo had to undergo to survive in those bleak days. My photographs became more about mood, and recording the faces of Sarajevo. This had once been a beautiful city, where the 1984 Olympic Games had been held only eight years before the siege began. I was trying to record on film what it felt to live in a place where the thin veneer of civilization had been peeled back. You can see it in a person’s eyes. War always exposes the inner person. Those you think incapable of doing so often committed the worst deeds. There were extraordinary acts of kindness, and bravery, on a daily basis. In a weird way, it was life affirming, because you see firsthand how people manage to find a way to go on even in the worst circumstances. Even though I shared much of the risk of being there I was privileged to have a pass that would allow me to fly out on a UN plane at any time I wished. But when I was gone I had to return, and that was very hard to do. There is a mental transformation I had to go through that was necessary to function as a professional. Whether flying or driving in through the siege lines around the city, I always had to tell myself that I would probably be killed. The acceptance of this allowed me to let go of the outside world and be able to work. You have probably heard of the phrase ‘Abandon all hope ye who enter here’. That was a reality for me, a kind of madness was necessary. Most people who cover war do not want to talk of this. Some just deny to themselves that anything would happen. Denial is easier than facing the likelihood of one’s own mortality. In a twist of fate, a few weeks after I began working there, I teamed with Arturo Perez Reverte and his cameraman Miguel, whose television reports I had watched while in Spain. Arturo and Miguel showed me the lay of the land so that the chance of my blundering into the wrong area and getting killed was reduced. My mother felt better when she heard that I was working with Arturo, his reports from Sarajevo were really well known in Spain. That kind of changed one day after a report went out by the international news teams about us. We were all gathered in an editing room at the television station where all international TV operations, including CNN and ITN, edited and uploaded their reports. We were looking at the day’s footage. Arturo stepped out of the room into the hallway for a second. He called out to the editor, Frenchy, a Swiss freelancer, and I to join the conversation. About four seconds after we walked out of the room a large caliber mortar shell impacted and exploded on a window ledge opposite ours on the floor above. The editing room we had been standing in seconds before was sprayed with large chunks of shrapnel, penetrating editing gear and lodging in chairs. It was not our time to die. This was the first of lots of close calls over the next couple of years, some even closer, and not counting being shot at. It was part of the deal. I lost my nerve once, after about a year there, on a day that three different snipers almost hit me at three different locations. There is something very personal about being shot at by a sniper. A firefight is random, and somehow different. The day after I could not face the streets, and got on a UN plane to Croatia for a few days. In the end I came to feel that the work was justified. Over the last few years some of my photographs have become known as scholars, documentary filmmakers and historians have revisited and questioned what took place and why. One author of a book about recent civil wars based a chapter of her book entirely on a photo I made of a young woman, beautifully dressed, racing to avoid being hit by a sniper. Some of the photos seem to have a life of their own. Last year August I received an e-mail from The Netherlands, from someone saying that he was a Bosnian refugee from Sarajevo who had been sent to safety by his father during the early days of the siege while he was a very young boy. He said that he never saw his father again because he had been killed by a sniper in November 1994. There were no photographs of him, as their home had been burned. Then he was looking on the Internet and found a photo, one of mine that I had taken on the second day I was in Sarajevo. His father, Amir Coric, was at the wheel of a battered car, with two other men as passengers, about to leave French Hospital after delivering a wounded man they had picked up on the streets. I had spotted them and shot two frames with my Canon EOS-1 camera. Another photo has come represent the destruction and attempted cultural genocide by the Serbs against the Bosnian Muslims. It is a photograph I made of the centuries old Vijecnica, the Bosnian National Library, which had been gutted by incendiary shells fired by the Serbs, setting it ablaze and in the process destroying hundreds of thousands of priceless manuscripts and cultural artifacts in a deliberate attempt to erase all traces of a people. I photographed the ruins of the Vijecnica several times during the war years, as did many other photographers. The photo that has become known was made in January 1996, a short while before the city was reintegrated and the siege formally ended. The light coming into the Vijecnica was soft and ethereal, reflected from mounds of snow that had fallen through the open ceiling, looking like ruins from centuries ago. I always thought the picture was a decent one, but others grasped the significance of it before I did. It did not find its place until years after it was taken, like Dirck Halstead’s photo of Monica Lewinsky embracing President Bill Clinton. It was first exhibited in at the PhotoEspana festival of photography in 2003, enlarged to 10 feet wide, part of a group show with Magnum photographers Bruno Barbey, Stuart Franklin and Gilles Peress on the 13 most significant images made between the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 and the fall of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. Coincidentally, the Vijecnica was set ablaze on the afternoon of the same day in August 1992 that I made the photo of Amir Coric and the men in the shot up car, a photo that later came to mean so much to a small boy heading into exile. One last thing. My friend Ron Haviv, one of the founding members of the VII photo agency, made a series of photographs of the Serbian warlord Zeljko ‘Arkan’ Raznatovic and his paramilitary forces moving into and deliberately killing innocent civilians in the Bosnian town of Bijeljina in early 1992. These photos became evidence of the atrocities committed by the Serbs and have been used by the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. Ron even had a price put on his head by the Serbs after his photos were published in TIME magazine and around the world. Both Milosevic and Arkan are now dead. When they were alive part of why they had reason to fear the war crimes tribunal was Ron’s photographs. JC: There appears to be a somewhat new branch of photography where people go to places destroyed by war or natural disasters and produce photography often with the intent of going the fine-art route: Galleries, books, etc. As much as I like fine-art photography, there seems to be something profoundly wrong with this. What do you think about this? RR: I have some feeling of unease about this. In my opinion, there is a difference between the work of these photographers, who usually go afterwards, and the images of someone like Luc Delahaye, who is there when it is all happening. This gives a sense of urgency that can be felt when looking at his work. Although Delahaye uses the same approach as a photojournalist he is after something very different from his colleagues. I think his work is somewhat more in common with the master painters who depicted great historical moments before photography came along. He is interested in the scene just before or after ‘the decisive moment’ as defined by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Delahaye is interested in the totality of the situation, and the fine details in it, rendered larger than presented in the press. He presents his work in books and museums, as these are the only ways that documentary work like this can be seen. The only image of his that troubled me at first was the one of the dead Taliban soldier. I have viewed a print of this in person, fortunately one is in the collection of the Chrysler Museum of Art here in Norfolk. I have watched people react to it, as it is presented alongside works by Larry Burrows, Thomas Struth and Rineke Dijkstra. I believe Delahaye’s work is documentary photography, because of his intent. I do have a bit more discomfort with the work of some photographers who go in the aftermath of war and disaster zones with the objective of making beautiful images out of the destruction, then put them up on gallery walls to be sold as fine art. Perhaps the photographers can do this because imminent death, or its stench, is no longer around, and so they can then concentrate on making beautiful order out of chaos. There is for them the excitement of making images in a place of death, but it is without experiencing the actuality that might give their work urgency. There is an audience who are receptive to this kind of work, who are more affected if a huge disaster with considerable human suffering is depicted in an abstract way. Perhaps this is due to the sheer number of images of war and famine in the press every day, and people become overloaded. There are also fine art photographers like Chris Jordan, who worked in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and who has donated all the proceeds of this work to benefit victims of the storm. I hold both Jordan’s work and his actions in high regard. It all depends on the photographer’s approach. It is “not WHAT one does but HOW one goes about doing it.” I do not set myself up to be a judge of what is good or bad. Maybe what I am most offended by is a lack of imagination on the part of the photographer. There are some who have built a reputation on this type of work, like Simon Norfolk, whose work I happen to like. Norfolk serves his art, and creates images that make you consider the timelessness of the landscape and the futile beings that fought each other upon it. In the aftermath of the Bosnian war, years after, some photographers have showed up like war tourists and the images that have appeared in galleries are of the most banal sort. Many of them are of building exteriors and interiors with bullet holes and shrapnel marks, shot in beautiful light. As part of a body of work they would be informative, but an entire series of such photographs gives away the photographer as merely a shallow voyeur. In my opinion such work contributes little to the discussion. My own photography has moved away from the recording of monumental events and tragedies to life on a personal scale. I no longer feel the need to go off to foreign places to see what is going on. I still focus on world events, but mainly on how they affect where I live. My current work in progress looks at life in America from a personal viewpoint. I am also a film diehard. Everything is shot on film, and then scanned and archived on gold CDs and DVDs. The new digital cameras are great, and if I were working as a photojournalist they would be in my toolkit. A couple of years ago Hurricane Isabel blew through this area and we were without electricity for a couple of weeks. I was able to look at all my slides and contact sheets from twenty years back. The CDs and DVDs with the digital files were useless. I have owned, used and sold several digital cameras, including the Canon EOS 5D, 10D and Nikon D1X. I prefer the working process of using film, and the tangible quality of a negative or slide. I use ALPA 12WA and Linhof Technorama 612PCII cameras, an R.H. Phillips and Sons 8x10 super lightweight (5.8 lbs) field camera, and Leica MP, M6 and M3 rangefinders. I like using different formats. It depends on my subject. JC: There’s a book entitled My War Gone By, I Miss It So, by Anthony Loyd, who went to Bosnia to cover the war, and apart from descriptions of the war, it also talks about how the author felt about his own role. At one point he says “I felt I was a pornographer, a voyeur come to watch.” I read about the lives of quite a few other war correspondents, and more often than not I sensed that some of them were in it for the thrill. I’m assuming you must have met quite a few other photojournalists while being in Bosnia. From your experience, are the thrill seeking journalists the exception or are they quite common? RR: I have Anthony Loyd’s book, and the details are very accurate. Many of the characters in his book are friends or acquaintances of mine. I would say that war correspondents are as individual as anyone in another profession, with their own motives. It usually is not about making a living. I believe that for most it is first about seeking to test themselves. Some find they have a knack for it, and that it gives their life some kind of meaning. Many of us eventually become almost addicted to the adrenaline, as there is an intensity to life that cannot be felt anywhere else. There is nothing like being shot at and living to tell about it. This has nothing to do with professionalism. The best war correspondents know how far to push, but luck is as large a part of staying alive as instinct and experience. Many of those who get killed are either beginners or have stuck around too long in the profession. People like Christiane Amanpour of CNN or James Nachtwey of VII are rare. In a war zone you always run into people who get themselves in over their heads, as the reality is much more than they are prepared for. Here is an example. In December 1992 Sarajevo was facing its first winter without electricity or running water. Flights into and out of the city were sporadic. Living in Zagreb, Croatia, it took me three days to get in, what was once a 30 minute flight. I hitched a ride on a United Nations humanitarian aid truck convoy and arrived in a little town called Kiseljak on the outskirts of Sarajevo. The driver dropped me and my bags at the side of the road, as there was heavy fighting around the city and they were not going to attempt to go through that day. I was standing there and figuring my next move when a tiny car with two people in it pulled up. In it were two Japanese photographers. “You go to Sarajevo?” the driver asked. I told him yes, but not that day. The sound of artillery could be plainly heard. They offered me a ride, and I soon deduced that these guys were total novices. They had been on assignment in Hungary for the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun and decided to go check out the war in Bosnia. A Croat had rented them a tiny Zastava car, which would be turned into Swiss cheese by any kind of small arms fire. It was clear to me that these fellows were totally out of their depth. I told them that I would help them out if they obeyed everything I told them to do. They agreed. We found a small hotel in Kiseljak that night, and the next morning I made arrangements with a French army officer and his men who were escorting the convoy I came in with the evening before. We reached the Sarajevo airport later, and the officer offered us a ride in an armored personnel carrier for the final leg into the city as the car we were in would most likely not make it, with all the heavy fighting going on. The following day, a Sunday, I was out shooting photos of Sarajevans lined up for water at a communal tap, the type of target the Serb gunners in the hills loved. My Japanese friends were in attendance, and they were becoming used to the continuous gunfire and crump of artillery. But we soon had the misfortune of being close by as a barrage of shells dropped in. They both cracked. I managed to get a ride to the nearby Post and Telegraph office, where the UN commanders were billeted. There I pleaded with a French lieutenant to help me get these two guys out of Sarajevo, as by now they were totally freaked out and shaking. He agreed to help, and loaded them into an APC for a ride to the airport. He was going to get them on a mercy flight out. That was the last I heard of them. I never intended to become a war photographer. But one day at the beginning of my career as a photojournalist I saw an exhibition of photographs by Don McCullin. That made a powerful impression on me. I come from a line of 20th century soldiers, from WWI onwards. My grandfather was an officer in the British army in WWI, as was his brother in the Scots Guards. My grand uncle Dudley picked up a piece of shrapnel in his head in the trenches that killed him after the war. My uncle was in the British army facing Rommel’s Afrika Korps in WWII, and my father was a paratrooper in the Canadian army in Korea. My younger brother served as a combat engineer in a unit attached to the 101st Airborne, the ‘Screaming Eagles’. I had no intention of going into the military as an adult. My childhood had been like one long boot camp, and my father was the drill instructor. Strange how things work out; I eventually ended up going to war, just like my forebears. You can’t escape your destiny. Roger’s ebook Remember Sarajevo can be downloaded for free.
Thursday, August 16, 2007 A Case Study on Jesus' Teaching from Scripture The Lord Jesus Christ had just devastated the attack of the Pharisees and Herodians in Mark 12:12-17. Then came along the Sadducees and Jesus ended His session with them in 12:18-27 by saying this in vv. 26, 27: Our Lord quoted a text from the Old Testament (Exodus 3:6) and then taught from it. I want to examine what He did with this text and show what kind of example His dealing leaves us. The Background The Sadducees were the elite, essentially secular Jews. They did not believe in the resurrection, angels, or spirits (Acts 23:8), the anti-supernaturalists, i.e., the liberals. They had a low view of inspiration, even as they respected only the Torah as a basis of authority, so studying the Bible took a low priority for them. They came to Jesus with a question about the resurrection, using a ridiculous hypothetical situation. They had probably used it successfully before against the Pharisees. You could call their hypothetical, 'the seven brothers for the one bride' (not to be confused with seven brides for seven brothers). Their trick question begins by establishing the Mosaic levirate laws from Deuteronomy 25 (12:19). Each of seven brothers dies and the next in line marries the widow, every marriage childless, until the last of the seven passes away, and then she dies in the end. The question: In the resurrection, which of the seven sons will be married to the woman? This question was intended to embarrass the recipient who believed in the resurrection. The Lord starts by rebuking the Sadducees for their lack of knowledge of Scripture (12:24). Jesus then relied on His own Divine authority by declaring some brand new information on the status of marriage in heaven (v. 25). All of this together provides the context for His exegesis in Mark 12:26, 27. The Sadducees didn't understand the very Torah they said that they relied upon as a guide. Jesus, however, did know the Scriptures. Jesus' Teaching 1. The Lord Jesus Christ exegeted teaching from a text that was not about what He was teaching. Read Mark 12:26. Read Exodus 3. See any teaching on resurrection in those verses? No, you don't. Resurrection was a distant secondary doctrine in Exodus 3. Jesus brought it front and center. Jesus authorizes this type of usage of a text. God not only permits, but obviously wants us to take teaching from texts that are not about that particular teaching. Everything God says is right and true, so the secondary truths or applications are just as authoritative as the primary ones. 2. The Lord Jesus Christ got teaching from a logical deduction from the text. The Sadducees were proud of their logic. Their whole levirate marriage question was one of human reasoning that was then shattered by the Lord. Indicating how illogical they actually were, Jesus shows the Sadducees a logical deduction that they had missed. He trades one very fallacious deduction for a valid conclusion from the text. They couldn't deduce a thing about marriage in heaven from laws of levirate marriage. They could, however, conclude something logically about resurrection from a popular passage in the Pentateuch. 3. The Lord Jesus Christ culled His teaching from the mere tense of a verb. We don't believe in thought or conceptual inspiration, but verbal plenary inspiration. Where would Jesus stand in His teaching from Exodus 3 without the present tense of the verb? When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He said literally, "I myself God of your father, God of Abraham,...." Jesus translated that, "I am the God of Abraham." Of course, Abraham had died, so how was God presently the God of Abraham? He was presently the God of Abraham because Abraham was presently alive. Why? He had resurrected. If God had said, "I was the God of Abraham," the teaching about resurrection wouldn't have been in Exodus 3. God expects us not only to get teaching from individual words and even letters (cf. Galatians 3:16), but He expects us to take doctrine from the tense of verbs. We would assume then that we would still have all the exact tenses of the verbs preserved for us, wouldn't we? Or are we to assume anything from things that God teaches? Since God takes teaching from the mere tense of verbs, then I would assume that we would also look at the mood of the verbs as well. For instance, Romans 5:1 reads: Therefore being justified by faith, we have (exomen, present-indicative verb) peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: If you look at a Westcott and Hort New Testament, which I have on my Bible Works program, it reads differently: Therefore being justified by faith, we may have (exwmen, present-subjuntive verb) peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: See the difference that one letter can make---an omega instead of an omicron and we go from assurance of peace to doubt about peace. Some say one small aspect about a verb doesn't matter, but Jesus says that it does. 4. The Lord Jesus Christ inferred major teaching from a text, one not explicitly taught. The listener infers; the speaker implies. Jesus inferred from Exodus 3:6 the doctrine of resurrection. Do we see resurrection in that text? No. So then, how can we take a teaching, and a major one, from a text that says nothing about it? We can and Jesus illustrates that we can. In doing so, He leaves us an example to follow His steps. He places a logical inference on the same authoritative level as a direct statement of Scripture. Compromising Christians and new-evangelicals busy themselves developing taxonomies that rank the authority of Christian doctrine by whether the teaching comes from direct statement or logical inference. They say that inferences from Scripture do not have the same authority as Scripture itself. Jesus says they do; they say they don't. New-evangelical Millard Erickson ranks logical inferences below direct statements of Scripture. In his Christian Theology (pp. 83-84), he writes: Direct implications of Scripture must also be given high priority. They are to be regarded as slightly less authoritative than direct statements. Even professing "fundamentalists" say that inferences from the Bible do not carry the same weight as the Bible. One writes: But even very clear inferences are less authoritative than the sacred text. Otherwise, why not add them to Scripture? Shouldn’t there be an eleventh commandment, “Thou shalt not abort unborn babies”? We all believe this is a sound inference, but it does not have the same authority as Scripture because God did not inspire it, and the fact that He did not inspire it means, at best, it has an authority nearly equal to that of Scripture. We may proclaim it as the teaching of Scripture, but we are not free to claim it is equal to Scripture. We may not put it in the mouth of God by claiming “Thus saith the Lord.” A major step in the development of liberal theology was the rejection of the inferences of Scripture. In "The Growth of Liberal Theology" in The Cambridge History of English and American Literature we read: We must note, however, as still characteristic even of liberal divines at this time that, while Hampden will rigorously criticise any inferences from Scripture, he asserts without qualification that “whatever is recorded in those books is indisputably true." Hampden was a pioneer in the Oxford movement (1833-1845) in England, which down-turned Oxford toward liberalism. A primary means was his attack on inferences from Scripture. R. W. Church writes in The Oxford Movement: Dr. Hampden was in fact unexceptionably, even rigidly orthodox in his acceptance of Church doctrine and Church creeds. He had published a volume of sermons containing, among other things, an able statement of the Scriptural argument for the doctrine of the Trinity, and an equally able defence of the Athanasian Creed. But he felt that there are formularies which may be only the interpretations of doctrine and inferences from Scripture of a particular time or set of men; and he was desirous of putting into their proper place the authority of such formularies. His object was to put an interval between them and the Scriptures from which they professed to be derived, and to prevent them from claiming the command over faith and conscience which was due only to the authentic evidences of God's revelation. If words mean anything, he had said that neither Unitarians nor any one else could get behind the bare letter, and what he called "facts," of Scripture, which all equally accepted in good faith; and that therefore there was no reason for excluding Unitarians as long as they accepted the "facts." But when it was pointed out that this reasoning reduced all belief in the realities behind the bare letter to the level of personal and private opinion, he answered by saying that he valued supremely the Creeds and Articles, and by giving a statement of the great Christian doctrines which he held, and which the Church taught. But he never explained what their authority could be with any one but himself. There might be interpretations and inferences from Scripture, by the hundred or the thousand, but no one certain and authoritative one; none that warranted an organised Church, much more a Catholic and Apostolic Church, founded on the assumption of this interpretation being the one true faith, the one truth of the Bible. Ranking inferred teaching below direct statements has been and is a step toward liberalism. New-evangelicals defy necessary inferences by saying that silence about a particular subject means liberty. If no text explicitly teaches against an activity, then they have license to practice that activity. Where did this rule come from? It originated with them and many of them repeat it regularly. Here is an example of this that is common all over the country and everywhere on the internet and in new-evangelical books: If you think dancing is wrong, bu (sic) all means, do not dance, but since the bible says nothing about dancing being wrong, do not apply that as sin to someone else. especially if you, for some reason, think that your rules make you "Godlier" than everyone else. For you have crossed the line into being a Pharisee at that point. Nick Costello writes: The variety of styles has birthed much controversy and even division among Christians. The issue should never be over a particular 'style', for the Bible doesn't tell us what style God prefers. What if we get to heaven and find out God likes punk or rap worship? His Spirit cannot be placed in a box. We cannot tell others what music will or won't minister to their individual heart. Just like people have varying tastes in food, so do we in music too! (emphasis mine) Now people think that silence-is-permission stands as the definitive approach to Scripture. Jesus debunks this whole hermeneutic here. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself authorizes doctrine by inference. I recognize that now antagonists of this thought on inferences will think that "this is an inference made by Jesus, which makes it authoritative, but does not assume that our inferences are authoritative." We can and are to follow the example of Jesus (1 John 2:6). He will enable us by His Spirit to do "greater works" (John 14:12). We are to imitate what Jesus did (1 Corinthians 11:1). I love this material from John Dick in Lectures in Theology (1850) about drawing inferences from Scripture: It has been a subject of controversy, whether it is lawful to draw inferences from Scripture, and what authority should be assigned to them. It is not easy at first sight to conceive, why there should have been a diversity of sentiment upon a point which seems to admit of no dispute; for nothing is more plain than that, when a proposition is laid down from which certain inferences naturally arise, it is the office of the understanding to draw the conclusions, and to rest in them with equal confidence as in the premises from which they are deduced. . . . Had every thing, which it is necessary for us to know, been delivered in express terms in the Scriptures, the Bible would have been too voluminous for general use; and besides, such minuteness was not necessary. God does not speak in it to children, but to men, who are capable of reasoning on the common affairs of life, and can use this power in matters of religion. Bill Hardecker said... I have heard Matthew 23:23 used in the justification that some matters of the Law are more important than others, hence there are varying degrees of doctrine in the Bible (I guess they are inferring that there is such a thing as 'primary' and 'secondary' doctrines in the Bible). Your thoughts please on the 'weightier matters of the law' phrase. BTW, Your article is thought provoking. Thanks. Anonymous said... One of my favorite things to do is to look up and see what John Wesley, or Calvin, or even Martin Luther wrote sermons about, it is so easy with the inventing of the computer. I also respect the time period they were from. Women and children were not heard from. Today 6-7 year olds have the potential to have more knowledge than their great grandparents. John Dicks statement "God does not speak in it to children, but to men, who are capable of reasoning on the common affairs of life, and can use this power in matters of religion." in todays world is totally wrong. God speaks to everyone -even children in the Bible. Adults put way to much theoloy into what they believe the Bible says - If you ask an adult if abortion is murder the answer 9 times out of ten will be no-a fetus is not a human being; but ask a 6 year old is the baby in mommy tummy is living and the answer is yes. The reason is that children see everything in black and white, adults have all kinds of gray areas. Jesus himself said not to straddle the fence; do not be luke warm. Maybe this is what he meant when he said to be child like. Lisa Joel Grassi said... Regarding points #1 and #4 - What do you think of the "law" of authorial intent (like the "law" of first mention)? Authoritative truth or scholarly myth? Kent Brandenburg said... I'm on the run, so just Bro. Bill first. Bro. Bill, look at: on May 15. I answer that question there. If not, tell me how I didn't and I'll consider that. Thanks. Kent Brandenburg said... Lisa, thanks for reading the blog; some interesting observations about children. Thanks. Bro. Grassi, Thanks for visiting again. If I'm following you correctly, you are saying that we have a hermeneutical law with Jesus teaching, that is, the law of authorial intent. I've never heard that law. What I'm thinking might be more simple. If the passage teaches it, that is, you can make a necessary inference from the passage, a logical inference, then that inference is God speaking to us. Jesus shows that is the case here. The passage in Ex. 3 teaches resurrection, whether it says anything about the resurrection or not. We have Scriptural authority in the matter of inferences, per this text, based on Jesus' example. What say ye? reglerjoe said... This is a great topic to hash out. Could we not say that if something is believed to be inferred, yet it contradicts a clear statement in the Bible, that it is a false inference. In that sense, doesn't the clear statements of the Bible have more authority than inferred doctrine. Kent Brandenburg said... For sure, we can't infer something that contradicts a statement in Scripture, since the Bible is consistent in it's teaching. We would say that the Bible will not infer anything that contradicts itself, but that doesn't mean that inferences have less authority than the statements themselves. I also don't think that this is the point that Millard Erickson is making. He is saying that inferences themselves have less authority than statements, as if we are less required to believe or practice inferences. This is not a practice of historic Christianity. Jeff Voegtlin said... Okay, I read the article yesterday and you've really got me thinking. Maybe I misunderstand, but it seems to me that if you believe this, anything (everything) can be placed under the title of expositional preaching as long as the inference is seen by the preacher and the teaching is biblical. I think I'm a purist, but if that's true why worry about studying the text? Whatever I think of while I'm reading, is "fair game" for a topic. Also, the example is the Incarnate Word of God. He can say whatever He wants and that is the Words of God. We are preachers of the Word. What if I the listener don't see the inference that the preacher sees. How are two Christians to tell whose inference is the correct one, or the one that is really there? At first, I like the idea, but now, it really scares me. Honestly. Maybe I'm not following the thoughts completely.... Kent Brandenburg said... DR. V, The teaching must be inferred by the text, also known as a "necessary inference." This is not something in the realm of speculation, but an actual inference. I'm not talking about inference. The point of the text there wasn't resurrection, but the passage taught ressurection. He presently was the God of Abraham even though Abraham had died, therefore, Abraham must have risen from the dead. That was a logical inference. We can't logically infer just anything. I think you are jumping to something entirely different when you say that preachers can preach any old message that they want from a text. We want to understand what the passage says, but we take our doctrine from inferences too. Just because it isn't the major teaching of the verse, doesn't mean that it doesn't add something to our theology. For instance, I preached Isaiah 42:1-4 today. In v. 4, we read "his law," and we know "his" to be the servant, so that the text says that the law is Jesus' law. This testifies to the Deity of Christ. Is the passage about His Deity? No. But it teaches it. Joel Grassi said... Bro. Brandenburg, Sorry for my lack of clarity. Actually, I'm following along with your inferred point, which I perceive to be that the Bible is trouble for all of man's so-called sciences, including his "laws" of hermeneutics. Your point is that Moses the writer of Exodus 3:6 did not intend for his audience to see a point about the resurrection when they read that verse, but the Lord Jesus did make that very point with that very verse. A student in a hermeneutics class might lose points if he did that. A student in a hermeneutics class might lose points if he sees Jesus of Nazareth in Hosea 11:1. But what if Matthew 2:15 sees Him there? So maybe these hermeneutical "laws" which are elevated on par with the Bible should actually be made subject to the Bible? Not trying to sound radical here, but it seems like your article is saying that the Bible should interpret itself. Good article. It provoke some other thoughts and questions if you want them. Kent Brandenburg said... I get it now, Bro. Grassi. You were being subtle, and figuring I would get it, but it missed me. Very good. Once I read your explanation, I even got a laugh. I agree with you. Come with more observations and questions. By the way, I'm writing another article right now which is one I've announced is coming. I hope I can have it out there in a couple of days, but until then... Anonymous said... How does the hermeneutic law of authorial intent square with I Peter 1:10-11 which clearly state that the human penmen were not even aware of the intent of the words God was giving them? Kent Brandenburg said... It's true Vic. That was the point, Bro. Grassi was making in a subtle way. He was saying the opposite of what it seemed. He thinks that hermeneutical laws should be subject to Scripture. Stephen Garrett said... A good writing and one I will have to "chew on" awhile. However, let me offer a couple initial comments. First, I too believe in valid "logical deductions." I also believe in the "law of non-contradiction," and that the Lord does not contradict the basic laws of reason in his teachings. Second, I believe that Jesus' teaching, in the conversation with the Sadducees, gave greater weight to the inference or logical deduction by his express statements. I think Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 42 that the Messiah would "magnify the law and make it honorable." He magnified the words of God "I am the God of Abraham..." He enlarged upon those words. Jesus could have cited express bible passages to prove the resurrection, but he did not, in this instance. I think you are right that Christ was meeting them on their own terms. God bless Stephen M. Garrett Fresh Dirt said... I do need to correct you in a small detail. The Sadducees were conservatives in their day... they only believed in the five books of Moses as the Word of God. Since these books do not really discuss resurrection, etc., they refused to believe in such doctrines. They were literalists. The Pharisees were the liberals. The idea of resurrection had become increasingly popular since the 3rd century bc, and the use of other books, especially Isaiah and Jeremiah had become popular as well. The Pharisees were highly popular with the people, but the Sadducees were not. As a result, the Sadducees die out within a few centuries.
Jump to Navigation Museum - Early People Early People section in the main gallery of the Kansas Museum of History Explore the stories of American Indians—the Kansa, Osage, Pawnee, and other native tribes at the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka. You'll see: People have lived in Kansas for thousands of years. The Osage, Wichita, and Kansa are just a few of the tribes who made the Plains their home for centuries. Native American culture changed dramatically when Eastern tribes were forced westward because European settlers moved onto their lands. Tribes sometimes clashed with each other as they vied for Plains hunting grounds. Making matters worse, the United States government often didn't enforce treaties setting aside lands for tribes. Human effigy headTraffic on the Oregon and Santa Fe trails, the slaughter of buffaloes by whites, and construction of new railroads put many pressures on Plains Indians. Some raided white settlements. By 1870 the federal government had forcibly removed many Kansas tribes to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). Today, over 20,000 Kansans claim Native American roots. More than 20% live in Wichita. The Iowa, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, and Sac and Fox tribes own reservations in northeastern Kansas. "Long before the Europeans found them, they had named the animals, the fishes, the trees, the plants, and the birds, and had named themselves, Ni-U-Ko'n-Ska, Children of the Middle Waters." --John Joseph Mathews, Osage historian
, Volume 1, Issue 1, pp 19–24 Mosquito-borne Diseases as a Consequence of Land Use Change DOI: 10.1007/s10393-004-0008-7 Cite this article as: Norris, D.E. EcoHealth (2004) 1: 19. doi:10.1007/s10393-004-0008-7 Human modification of the natural environment continues to create habitats in which mosquitoes, vectors of a wide variety of human and animal pathogens, thrive if unabated with an enormous potential to negatively affect public health. Historic examples of these modifications include of impoundments, dams, and irrigation systems that create havens for the mosquitoes that transmit malaria, dengue, and filariasis. Additionally, contemporary deforestation appears to be associated with the expansion of mosquito distributions and the increase in mosquito-borne disease transmission. These observations are not unique to the developing world, as urban sprawl also contributes significantly to mosquito habitats and offers a sanctuary to some vector populations. With foresight and planning, most of these systems can be appropriately managed to control vector populations and pathogen transmission. The key to disease control is developing an understanding of the contribution of human landscape modification to vector-borne pathogen transmission and how a balance may be achieved between human development, public health, and responsible land use. Mosquitoes serve as vectors for a wide variety of human and veterinary pathogens. Mosquito-borne pathogens range from the parasites that cause malaria and filariasis to those responsible for hemorrhagic and encephalitic viral infections. These disease outbreaks are inherently associated with water sources and water use, as mosquitoes are inexorably linked to aquatic breeding sites for the immature stages (see Mosquito Biology Generalized). Human alteration of the environment continues to exacerbate mosquito-borne diseases by creating or expanding mosquito breeding habitats. These land use alterations may be unavoidable, however, a better understanding and recognition of the effects of habitat modification may lead to better land use strategies. The effects of land use change on vector-borne diseases, in whole or in part, has been reviewed in several recent articles (Mouchet and Carnevale, 1997; Gratz, 1999; Patz et al., 2000; Vasconcelos et al., 2001; Molyneux, 2003). Although these articles present many examples of human land use modification on the vector-borne disease burden, they do not attempt to address relative contributions of these processes that are not evenly distributed in the global context. More than 3,000 species of mosquitoes are recognized worldwide. While only a fraction of these are involved in disease transmission, many species can locally expand to high population densities that may present a considerable nuisance to human populations and may even be dangerous for animal populations (e.g., stress and blood loss, especially to young animals). All mosquitoes share essentially the same pattern of biological development. Eggs are deposited on or near the surface of an existing or expected water source (e.g., within an expected flood zone). Aquatic larva hatch and develop through four instars or growth stages, while feeding on detritus, algae, and biofilms. A few species (although nonvectors) are even predaceous. This aquatic environment need not be voluminous, as mosquitoes can develop in just a few millimeters of water ranging from near freezing to temperatures in excess of 40°C. Habitat may include, for example, fresh or brackish water in ponds, stagnant pools, slow-moving streams, geothermal pools, tree holes, water pooling in artificial containers, bromeliads, crevices, hoof prints, and shallow depressions. Virtually anything that can hold water may provide a habitat to one species of mosquito or another. The larvae may take from a few days to several weeks to develop, depending on temperatures, nutrient levels, and competition for resources. After larval development, a brief pupal stage ensues, rarely lasting more that 48 hours. Adults emerge from the pupal casing, take flight, and mate. Male mosquitoes are relatively short-lived and feed primarily on nectar for energy. Female mosquitoes may feed on nectar for energy, and most species start searching out blood meals soon after mating to provide protein and nutrients to support egg development. After successfully taking a blood meal, digestion, and egg production, the female mosquito seeks out a suitable larval habitat (depending greatly on species) in which to deposit her eggs and the cycle repeats. Natural mosquito habitats in many regions of the world are abundant even without human environmental modification. Human alteration of the environment, regardless of intent (i.e., clearing land for subsistence agriculture or dam construction for hydroelectric power and recreational use) often exacerbates existing mosquito-associated problems by expanding habitats, creating new habitats, or altering habitats in such a way that limited mosquito populations may explode with the availability of new habitats. The effects of land use change by humans have long been recognized as a factor in the exacerbation of mosquito-borne diseases. Some forms of habitat alteration have been well studied and documented while the effects of other human environmental changes are just now being recognized or rediscovered. These alterations can be placed into several broad and overlapping categories including water retention systems, deforestation, agricultural development, and urbanization. In addition to these alterations, human behavior associated with each of these landscape modifications may contribute significantly to disease transmission. Water management is a broad category that overlaps significantly with other categories and includes ponds, dams, irrigation systems (e.g., canals and ditches), paddies (discussed under agriculture), waste water systems (e.g., cess pits, septic tanks) and storm water management (discussed under urbanization). The relative contribution of these irrigation/impoundment strategies to vector habitats varies considerably (Fig. 1). Most of these systems, however, serve to increase potential mosquito habitat by increasing the surface area of locally available water sources or serve to create new mosquito habitats by introducing water into regions where naturally occurring surface water might be rare or limited (e.g., irrigation into desert regions) (Amerasinghe and Ariyasena, 1990). Among these, the creation of large reservoirs by damming rivers, as well as microdams, are well documented to be associated with increased malaria transmission (Alemayehu et al., 1998). Open waste water systems (e.g., cess pits, septic tanks) function somewhat differently as they increase organically enriched water sources for immature mosquitoes and refugia for adult mosquitoes close to human settlements. Although these sources are suitable only for a limited group of mosquito species, many of these species are associated with transmission of pathogens, such as filariasis and yellow fever (Nwoke et al., 1993; Chavasse et al., 1995; Regis et al., 1995). Figure 1. This figure illustrates that the relative contribution to vector habitat of a river, lake, and paddy of equal surface area (10,000 m2) are inherently different, depending on the specific characteristics of that system. In general, immature mosquitoes prefer relatively shallow, slow moving water for development. Therefore, stream flow is often too rapid, although overflow pools along a river or stream may serve as an ideal habitat. A 1-km section of river 10-m wide may be associated with approximately 1000 m2 of overflow pools. Similarly, the center of a lake is often too deep and mosquitoes are found to develop predominantly within the first 10 m from shore (3600 m2). Rice paddies, alternatively, are essentially shallow lakes with emergent vegetation and are ideal for the development of many mosquito species (10,000 m2). Deforestation may be a result of a variety of human activities including, but not limited to, logging operations, clear-cutting for agricultural development, and road construction. Deforestation has been one of the major human activities associated with the resurgence of yellow fever and malaria in the Americas as well as the emergence of lesser-known mosquito-borne viruses (Walsh et al., 1993; Carmago et al., 1994; Vasconcelos et al., 1997). Not only has removal of intact forest resulted in the emergence of newly recognized pathogens, but these activities also allow for shifts in relative vector abundances leading to significant disease transmission by vector species that may not have been previously incriminated (Tadei and Dutary Thatcher, 2000; Conn et al., 2002). Although “deforestation” is the activity associated with these disease manifestations, it is important to recognize that the actual process of altered transmission might be very different among the limited examples provided here. The felling of trees, for example, is a mechanism by which yellow fever virus is transported from the forest canopy, where it is maintained as in a “sylvatic” enzootic cycle in monkeys and mosquitoes, to the forest floor where humans become exposed and help perpetuate the “urban” transmission cycle. In contrast, malaria in South America has reemerged as removal of the forest canopy has created a suitable habitat for the expansion of vector mosquitoes. In deforested areas of the Amazon basin, Anopheles darlingi has arisen as the predominant vector of malaria. Yet this mosquito is not found in intact forests as it prefers the sunlit pools created by the removal of the canopy. Deforestation also attracts and clusters humans for agriculture, road building, and logging. As Plasmodium-infected individuals enter the area, the vector and environment have already been modified in favor of transmission resulting in both small and large epidemics. In Africa, similar shifts in vectors have occurred due to habitat modification and fragmentation favoring mosquitoes with higher vectorial capacities (Manga et al., 1995). Vectorial capacity is a measurement of the efficiency of vector-borne disease transmission. This measurement is usually calculated as the number of infective bites received daily or annually by a single host. Vectorial capacity takes into account the density of vectors, length of gonotrophic cycle, daily survivorship of the vector, extrinsic incubation period, and the competence of that vector for the pathogen of interest. In this case, deforestation resulted in the establishment of An. gambiae as a malaria vector around a newly constructed airport. Just 3 km away from the deforested area, An. gambiae had no role in malaria transmission. Agricultural development not only increases the risk of vector-borne disease by placing people in vector habitats, but is often associated with activities that directly alter environmental conditions in favor of mosquitoes (e.g., deforestation, water management) (Ramasamy et al., 1992). In addition to direct effects, agricultural development and related activities are also associated with sedimentation and runoff. Although well-known as a source of pollutants, sedimentation of rivers and reservoirs slows or blocks stream flow and may significantly decrease water depth (Dian and Changxing, 2001). Mosquitoes prefer warm, shallow water with little to no flow, suggesting that sedimentation is an ideal process for creating suitable mosquito habitat. Agricultural development may also alter local climate such that an apparently minute change in local temperatures may be enough to alter the vectorial capacity of available vectors. Even small increases in temperature may increase the development time of mosquitoes, increase mosquito population densities and shorten the extrinsic incubation period of the pathogen resulting in enhanced transmission. This process has recently been implicated for increases in malaria transmission in the African highlands (Lindblade et al., 2000). One of the most important agricultural modifications associated with mosquito-borne diseases is the rice paddy. These shallow bodies of water with emergent vegetation and little flow are ideal habitats for the development of immature mosquitoes (Fig. 1). In many regions of the world, contiguous rice paddies may cover immense areas resulting in unimaginable mosquito densities. Documentation of higher vector densities near large-scale ricefields is abundant, although the effects on malaria transmission appear to be dependent on local population immunity (Ljumba and Lindsay, 2001; Ljumba et al., 2002). In this respect, communities with unstable malaria transmission and relatively low immunity may see enormous increases in malaria due to increased vector abundance, whereas communities with relatively stable malaria transmission are likely to see little change in malaria prevalence by this mechanism. Regardless of these observations, a growing body of evidence suggests that communities near large-scale irrigation projects in Africa may benefit from improved local economies and the availability of better health care (Ljumba and Lindsay, 2001; Ljumba et al., 2002). Like agricultural development, urbanization exposes humans to a new set of adapted pathogens and vectors, as well as being a process associated with other activities known to alter vector habitats and behavior (e.g., water management, deforestation). In urban settings, runoff, sedimentation, and sewage management cause problems similar to those in the rainforests of South America and reservoirs of Asia. However, one of the environmental modifications that is somewhat unique to urban settings worldwide are the kilometers of pipe underneath the streets of almost every large city that constitute the subterranean storm water handling system. This man-made habitat appears to be very suitable for Culex mosquitoes, notorious vectors of many viruses such as Ross River virus in Australia and West Nile virus in both the Old and New World (Byrne and Nichols, 1999; Kay et al., 2000b). In fact, the potential risks from these breeding sites and refugia may be higher than previously expected. Researchers in Australia have found that subterranean habitats may account for as much as 78% of the vector mosquitoes during the dry season when surface water is scarce (Kay et al., 2000a). Additionally, these researchers have found that dengue virus exposure (transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes) is approximately 2.5 times greater for people living within 160 meters of a well or service manhole (Russell et al., 2002). The contribution of subterranean and surface storm water systems to vector abundance and disease transmission is unknown for most regions, and vector specialists are rarely consulted before implementation. Small urban regions like Nassau County, New York, where West Nile virus emerged in the United States, have approximately 650 recharge basins, 70,000 street basins, 200 miles of streams, and 50 ponds (Nasci et al., 2001). In the United States, as in this example, these are habitats that should be monitored more closely with the spread and threat of West Nile virus and the propensity of these systems to harbor Culex mosquitoes that are involved in the transmission cycle of this virus (Geery and Holub, 1989). In addition to sewers and storm water systems, a contributing source of mosquito habitats that is uniquely associated with man worldwide, are artificial containers. These range from bottle caps and flower vases in cemeteries to swimming pools, 55-gallon drums, discarded tires, and junkyards. Virtually any container that can hold water can serve as mosquito habitat and the source of large mosquito populations. The elimination of many of these sources could significantly reduce mosquito populations and the threat of disease transmission, but this solution is difficult to implement. Land use change has an enormous impact on local ecology and habitats that effect mosquito abundance, species composition and, ultimately, pathogen transmission. The effects of habitat alteration on vector populations are compounded by a wide variety of factors, making predictions on vector abundance and disease prevalence difficult without the appropriate surveillance operations in place. For example, an increase in competent malaria vectors may not be locally significant in terms of pathogen transmission, unless there is an indigenous population of infected persons or an influx of malarious and/or susceptible individuals from another region, as seen in South America. Similarly, urban development in many parts of the world occurs without the consultation of entomologists, epidemiologists, and health-care specialists to address issues such as storm water management, urban refugia, and vector control. Working groups composed of representative experts focused on these types of issues may be able to develop sound urban development strategies, allowing for necessary urban and human expansion while reducing undesirable environmental effects leading to an increased disease burden. I thank Dr. Charles Apperson for introducing me to the importance of storm water management to vector control, and Aimee West for valuable editorial comments. Copyright information © EcoHealth Journal Consortium 2004 Authors and Affiliations 1. 1.Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, The W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and ImmunologyThe Johns Hopkins Malaria Research InstituteBaltimore
The Full Wiki Motel 6: Map Wikipedia article: Map showing all locations mentioned on Wikipedia article: The first Motel 6 in Santa Barbara, still in operation to this day Motel 6 is a major chain of budget motels with 1000+ locations in the United Statesmarker and Canadamarker, and is the largest owned and operated hotel chain in North America. It is owned and operated by Accor Hotels. Motel 6 was founded in 1962 in Santa Barbara, Californiamarker, by two local building contractors, William Becker and Paul Greene. The partners developed a plan to build motels with rooms at bargain rates. They decided on a USD$6 room rate per night that would cover building costs, land leases, mortgages, managers' salaries and maid service, hence the company name. Before starting Motel 6, Becker and Greene specialized in building low-cost housing developments, and they wanted to provide an alternative to other major hotel chains such as Holiday Inn, whose locations were becoming increasingly upscale in quality and price in the 1960s, after starting out with a budget-oriented concept. Becker and Greene spent two years formulating their business model, and searched for ways to cut costs as much as possible: during the chain's early years, Motel 6 emphasized itself as a "no-frills" lodging chain with rooms featuring coin-operated black-and-white TVs instead of the free color TVs found in the more expensive motels, along with functional interior decor (to reduce the time it took to clean the rooms). The first location in Santa Barbara had no restaurant on-site, a notable difference from other hotels of the era; most locations to this day have no on-site dining, though there is a considerable choice of restaurants nearby most properties. As the 1960s progressed, the Motel 6 idea became very popular in the lodging industry and other chains began to imitate the concept, as Motel 6 was slowly beginning to take a small share of the market away from the traditional hotels. Becker and Green set out on an ambitious expansion program and had 26 locations in operation by 1966. The occupancy rate by then was about 85 percent, well above the industry average, and as a result of the overwhelming success, Motel 6 became an attractive acquisition target. Becker and Greene sold the chain to an investment group in 1968. In the 1970s, the coin-operated black-and-white TVs were replaced by free color TVs that received local over the air channels, plus HBO and later ESPN and CNN at no extra cost. By the 1980s these rooms cost 25 dollars a night nationwide. Rooms also have telephones (with free local and toll free calls, and long distance calls charged to a major credit card), towels, soap, and cabinet, and free wake-up calls. The chain does not provide extras that might increase costs, like hair dryers, continental breakfasts, or clock radios. But free coffee is served in the morning in the lobby. In most locations, an outdoor pool and a guest laundry are also offered. Many Motel 6 locations now have minifridges available for an additional daily low rate. Motel 6 was sold to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in 1985, and in 1988 began its now-legendary "We'll leave the light on for you" advertising campaign (see below). A typical roadside Motel 6 Location Although room rates have risen with inflation, Motel 6 corporate policy states that it will always have the lowest price of any national chain. Depending on the particular location and season, rooms now cost from $29 to $100 a night, on average. Prices are typically advertised on a brightly-lit sign visible from nearby highways; most of its locations are located on or near major interstate highways. Market share declined throughout the 1980s, in part because of increased competition from other budget hotels. The company was bought by the French-based Accor in 1990. In 1991, Motel 6 purchased the Regal 8 Motel chain. Unlike the majority of motel chains, Motel 6 allows pets, and directly owns and operates most of its locations. However, in order to expand more rapidly outside of its traditional Western United States base, the chain did start franchising in 1994. Accor management also took over motels that had previously been franchised by other chains. They also began to renovate all Motel 6 rooms, sold off underperforming locations, and upgraded door locks and other security measures systemwide. Newer properties, as well as acquisitions, have interior corridors (some consider this as providing more safety for the guest). Its competitors include Budget Host, Econo Lodge, and Super 8 Motels. Motel 6 founder William Becker died on April 2 2007, of a heart attack. He was 85 years old. Advertising Campaign Motel 6 may be best known for a series of humorous radio and television ads featuring the folksy voice of writer and National Public Radio commentator Tom Bodett, with the tagline "We'll leave the light on for you". Produced by Dallas advertising agency The Richards Group, the campaign has been running since 1988. The music in the background of the commercials was written by Tom Faulkner and is played on the fiddle by Milo Deering. The song won the 1996 Clio Award. The campaign itself has won numerous national and international awards, and was selected by Advertising Age magazine as one of the Top 100 Advertising Campaigns of the Twentieth Century. A New Look In 2007, Motel 6 undertook a systemwide renovation program that will totally update the look and amenities of a Motel 6 room. Features will include: modern furnishings influenced by European and boutique hotels; flat-screen televisions; brighter paint accents and soft goods packages; wood floors; increased storage space; ergonomic workspace and Wi-Fi access ($2.99 per day); and updated bathrooms with glass shower doors and granite countertops. On January 30th, 2009, Motel 6 opened their 1,000th location (property #1113) in Biloxi, Mississippimarker, which was the first to feature this new look. Studio 6 Since 1999, Motel 6 also operates Studio 6, a chain of extended stay hotel that offer more amenities and weekly rates. Studio 6 provides a kitchen area in all its rooms, and welcomes children and pets. Studio 6 hotels are located in 15 U.S. states and Canada. Its competitors include Extended Stay Hotels and Choice Hotels' Suburban Extended Stay Hotels. In popular culture • The band Yo La Tengo wrote and perform a song called "From A Motel 6" that is set inside a Motel 6 room. The title may be a play on the Bob Dylan song "From a Buick 6". • In the 1992 Chevy Chase film Memoirs of an Invisible Man, the characters played by Chase and co-star Darryl Hannah stay in a San Franciscomarker area Motel 6 while awaiting a train. • In the Simpsons episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts", when the family's house faces demolition for the construction of the Matlock Expressway, Lisa despairs that they will be forced to live in a Motel 6 which Bart counters with the lament that Homer wouldn't be able to afford $6 a night. • In the Futurama episode Crimes of the Hot there is a reference to Motel 6 when Fry exclaimed about the Halley's comet - "Oh, my God! It's out of ice, like some outer space Motel 6!" with responses from Leela - "Completely out of ice?" and Bender - "This could mean the end of the banana daiquiri as we know it! Also, life." • Justice Sandra Day O'Connor made a mention of Motel 6 in her dissent regarding private property rights in the U.S. Supreme Court's Kelo v.marker City of New Londonmarker decision. Justice O'Connor stated "The specter of condemnation hangs over all property. Nothing is to prevent the State from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory." • At Camp Nama, a secret detention, interrogation, and torture facility run by an Army commando unit known as Task Force 6-26, some detainees were held in an area known as Motel 6, consisting of crudely built plywood shacks reeking of urine and excrement. • In Bulletproof Monk Kar used Motel 6 as an insult to the gang leader's place. • In the 1995 film Jumanji, Kirsten Dunst's character, Judy, comments that she will stay at Motel 6 because her younger brother, Peter, saw a bat in the attic. • The short story All That You Love Will Be Carried Away by Stephen King takes places exclusively at a Motel 6 near Lincolnmarker, Nebraskamarker. 2. Motel 6 - Company History 3. Ad Age Advertising Century: Top 100 Advertising Campaigns External links Embed code: Got something to say? Make a comment. Your name Your email address
регистрация / вход The Amazing Pyramids In Egypt Essay Research The Amazing Pyramids In Egypt Essay, Research Paper Eleven years ago my family and I went on vacation to Egypt. The Sphinx, the three Pyramids of Giza, and the Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Zoser towered more than two hundred feet above the golden Egyptian sands like mountains. The sight took my breath away, and that of course was one of their purposes. The Amazing Pyramids In Egypt Essay, Research Paper Eleven years ago my family and I went on vacation to Egypt. The Sphinx, the three Pyramids of Giza, and the Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Zoser towered more than two hundred feet above the golden Egyptian sands like mountains. The sight took my breath away, and that of course was one of their purposes. To a three foot tall, six year old the buildings seemed to be as big as the world. I nearly broke my neck when I tried to glance at the top. When the people of Egypt first looked upon these colossal monuments, they probably trembled just as I did. Now that I am older the sight not only amazes, but the craftsmanship that was used to build these wonderful gravestones, fills my mind with sheer perplexity. The pyramids were designed to impress Egyptians with their ruler?s godlike strength and to give the ruler eternal life. The Sphinx is a figure having the body of a lion and the head of a man. The three pyramids of Giza are the work of 4,000 stonemasons and as many as 100,000 laborers working under conditions of forced servitude and given rations consisting in large part of onions and garlic. The pyramid of Pharaoh Zoser that Imhotep erected at Sakkara was the world?s first large stone structure, a tomb copied in stonework from earlier brickwork piles (Peck). In its most common form, a pyramid is a massive stone or brick structure with a square base and four sloping triangular sides that meet in a point at the top (Pyramids 810). However, the pyramids are anything but simple. Pyramids have been built by different people at various times in history. Hundreds of thousands of men were used to construct these massive monuments and they took many years. The pyramids were tombs for the pharaohs (Gardner 140). The pharaohs in Egypt wanted their people to know how powerful they were. Therefore, they ordered people to build these massive tombs for them. When Egyptians first looked upon these giant tombs more than forty-six centuries ago, they were probably filled with astonishment. These colossal monuments first started rising from the golden Egyptian sands around 2630 BC. At the time they were the biggest and finest masterpieces ever built; indeed they were the world?s largest buildings (Brommer 14). The ruins of thirty-five pyramids still stand near the Nile River in Egypt. Each was built to protect the body of an Egyptian king. The Egyptians thought that man?s body had to be preserved and protected so his soul could live forever (Millard 41). The Egyptians mummified their dead. To do this they would dry the body out and then wrap it with cloths. They then hid the mummies in the large pyramids or tombs. They buried the king?s body inside or beneath a pyramid in a secret chamber that was filled with treasures of gold and precious objects (Roberts 14). The Egyptians had no complicated machines to help make their jobs easier. They had no cranes or pulleys. All their monuments were erected by using ramps of pebbles and sand. Teams of men dragged the rocks up these. Rollers were placed under the blocks to make them move more easily. Blocks were laid one layer at a time (Millard 41). Stones for building were transported by river. They waited for the Nile to overflow and then moved the giant rocks to where they needed them (Fairservis 85). Nearby limestone quarries provided the blocks that made up the body of the pyramid. Stone carvers cut these blocks to size. Each was next levered onto a sled pulled by animals or gangs of men over wooded rollers. As the pyramid rose higher a ramp of brick was constructed to give access to the upper levels. In order to provide a gentle slope the ramp had to be lengthened as the height increased. Once the blocks were brought to their positions they were again levered into place. When all was finished, the ramp was dismantled and the final facing of white limestone laid into position. This finishing stone was probably brought by barge from quarries farther up the Nile. Some of them had small blocks of stone and rubble inside, while others had only mud bricks. To build the tomb, the Egyptians marked the plan on the ground. Then they laid in position the column bases and the first layer of blocks for the walls. The spaces between the blocks were filled with sand, giving a flat surface over which to pull the nest layer of stones. An ever-growing ramp was used, which the blocks were dragged to the top. When each layer was in place, more sand was added to give a flat surface again. This went on until the roof was in place. The sand was then removed and decorations could be completed at the same time (Millard 41). Funeral ceremonies were performed in temples that were attached to the pyramids. Most pyramids had two temples connected by a long stone passageway. One temple stood next to the pyramid and the other stood beside the river. Inside the pyramid, corridors and shafts lead to various subterranean chambers, most of which are unfinished. In almost the exact center is a room called the King’s Chamber where there is an empty stone box, called a sarcophagus, which was meant to hold the king’s coffin. This room is reached by an ascending corridor in the midst of which is a magnificent gallery 153 feet long and 28 feet high. The pyramid builders attempted to hide these passageways from thieves and vandals by covering them with stone slabs. The passage to the King’s Chamber, for instance, was closed by a granite plug, which made the entrance look just like the surface blocks of the pyramid. So well concealed was the entrance that when 3000 years later, the Caliphs of Cairo tried to get inside, they had to dig tunnels in the rock. These details emphasize what a colossal task it must have been to construct this great monument. Nevertheless, there is a general agreement on some things. When the architects looked for the right place to situate the pyramid, they decided to use a large rock mass that appeared on the plateau as an inner core for the building. Having done that they leveled the ground all around so as to have a flat base. The ancient Egyptians sought eternal life above all else. The Egyptians thought that if they could but satisfy the hundreds deities who regulated every event; if they could preserve their bodies as permanent shelters for their souls; then, surely, they would live forever. They would be able to live free from illness and harm, continuing the colorful existence they enjoyed along the fertile banks of the Nile. To Egyptians after life meant that the soul left the body at death, but it was expected to return to it throughout eternity. That is why the Egyptians mummified their dead, to preserve the body from decay. Although they needed to preserve the bodies and tried very hard to hide the tombs, few rich burials survived even a relatively short time. There have been many tomb robbers. Egypt could not protect the temples and tombs, then or now, against the greed of robbers or the dedication of archeologists. Another large problem came about with trying to preserve the tombs. Travelers from all over came to visit Egypt, including archeologists. Everyone wanted a little souvenir to take home with them. Small trinkets from the ancient tombs, and using parts of mummies and of other artifacts for medicine, became a fad. There was no care taken in retrieving these articles. More was probably destroyed in the process of retrieving artifacts, than was actually found. One century afterwards, during the 21st dynasty the priests of Thebes and other authorities had to go to the Valley of the Kings and rescue what they could, because tomb robbery was so great. They took the mummies they could save and rewrapped what was left to them. These mummies along with what was left of their funeral possessions were put in a mass burial in an abandoned tomb. ДОБАВИТЬ КОММЕНТАРИЙ [можно без регистрации] Ваше имя:
Next Contents Previous With the occurrence of HI deficiency well established in some clusters and not in others, it is possible to examine the evidence for on-going sweeping in an attempt to identify the mechanism(s) that are responsible for the gas depletion. It is likely that several processes play a role, some more likely than others but all may occur in individual situations. Gas removal mechanisms need not necessarily arise from external causes, driven by the environment. However, since the HI deficient spirals at least to a visual inspection show similar optical morphology to their HI rich counterparts outside clusters, it seems most likely that the cause of the deficiency is indeed governed by the peculiar circumstance of the galaxy's location within a cluster core. Thus we are led to examine the occurrence of HI deficiency in terms of the likely environment-dependent gas removal mechanisms generally divided into two categories: interactions among neighboring galaxies in the cluster and interactions between a galaxy and the intracluster medium (ICM) in which it is immersed. In the environments of loose groups, tidal encounters are likely to remove gas from galaxies that come closer than a galaxy diameter (Toomre and Toomre 1972). There are many examples of such HI appendages and their explanations are, with few exceptions, quite straightforward in terms of tidal disruption (Haynes et al. 1984). In several cases, large fractions of the disk HI have been removed to larger radii. The ultimate fate of the disturbed HI is unclear. Cottrell (1978) would like to explain the occurrence of IrrII galaxies in terms of tidal disruption with subsequent gas infall and enhanced star formation. The likelihood that a galaxy will suffer a tidal collision depends on its cross section, the mean separation and the local velocity dispersion. The actual damage a galaxy suffers depends critically on parameters like the relative orientations of spin and orbital angular momentum, but can be examined, to first order, in terms of the separation and relative radial velocity of likely participants. In the impulse approximation, the "disruption damage" is just proportional to 1/a2v, where a is the separation and v is the relative velocity of the interacting galaxies. Hence, for the same perigalactic distance, a tidal encounter in a loose group will inflict more damage than will one in a cluster because the duration of the tidal pull will be longer where the velocity dispersion is lower. On the other hand, tidal encounters are more likely to occur in clusters where the cross section for an interaction is much larger. Because of the high density of galaxies, it is also possible that direct collisions among galaxies might lead to the gas removal in clusters. Spitzer and Baade (1951) proposed that collisions could remove most of the interstellar medium from galaxies which suffer a head-on collision although the two stellar components would remain relatively intact albeit without their dust and gas. The stellar remnants would resemble S0 galaxies and the interstellar material, having been heated by the collisional shock to high temperatures, could expand and dissipate into the ICM. Direct collisions undoubtedly lead to dramatic events, and interpenetrating encounters are the likely cause of ring galaxies (Lynds and Toomre 1976). In clusters, the collisional cross section is higher, but it is not likely that it is high enough to lead to the observed deficiency seen in cluster spirals today, especially if orbits are preferentially radial. Sarazin (1979) has estimated a collision rate about 1000 times lower than that calculated by Spitzer and Baade. Galaxy-ICM interactions have been the subject of a large number of papers many of which are referenced in Sarazin (1986). One of the most popular and simple treatments considers the ram pressure induced by the motion of a galaxy with a uniform velocity through a uniform ICM (Gunn and Gott 1972). In this picture, the pressure of the ICM felt by the cold interstellar gas competes with the gravitational force (per unit area) within the galaxy so that ram pressure sweeping is effective in the circumstance that Equation 2 A typical spiral galaxy of total mass of 1011 Msun, radius of 10 kpc, gas density nH of 1 cm-3, and HI scale height of 100 pc has a surface mass density of stars sigma* of about 0.06 g cm-2 and of gas sigmag about 10-3 g cm-2, so that the restoring force created by its gravitational potential is 2 x 10-11 dyn cm-2. In rich clusters, the velocity dispersion yields an estimate of the three-dimension velocity of order 1700 kms-1 (although note that we actually need the component of the galaxy's orbital velocity normal to its disk). Therefore the ram pressure in a typical cluster can be written in terms of the local ICM density nICM, itself a function of the distance to the cluster center: Equation 3 For the typical spiral then, stripping will occur when the ram pressure exceeds the restoring force, that is, when nICM > 5 x 10-4 cm-3. Other mechanisms also arise from galaxy-ICM interactions. Cowie and Songaila (1977) have investigated the case of thermal evaporation. Examining the simple stationary case, they find that heat conduction leads to subsequent evaporation of the interstellar HI gas. The evaporative mass loss rate is a sensitive function of the ICM temperature (largely uncertain) and less sensitively of the ICM density. In fact, if radiation from the interface between the hot and cold gas becomes important, material may actually condense onto the galaxy, causing an increase in the mass density and perhaps an enhancement of the star formation rate. In several papers, Nulsen and coworkers (Nulsen 1982; Takeda et al. 1984) have considered the more realistic case of a galaxy moving through the cluster on a radial orbit so that the ram pressure encountered varies greatly along its path. While in the outer regions of the cluster, the galaxy accumulates gas subsequently lost during its passage through the core. This treatment of turbulent viscosity predicts that some galaxies in low density, low dispersion clusters should retain their stripped interstellar gas as a hot X-ray halo. X-ray sources seen to be associated with individual galaxies in Virgo (Forman et al. 1979) and A1367 (Bechtold et al. 1983) might be identified as such objects. Rather more complicated two-dimensional codes which include hyrodynamical calculations have been examined by Gaetz et al. (1987) to study the effect of cluster passage on spherical galaxies. A real treatment of the problem for a disk of gas and stars requires added complexity and has yet to be fully solved. Sarazin (1986) discusses in more detail the various calculations that have been performed to investigate the stripping process. Of the various mechanisms, several predict correlations that may lead to a variation in the observed degree of deficiency among clusters of different morphologies and properties. Based on the simple ram pressure sweeping model, we expect that galaxies travelling at high velocities through clusters with a dense ICM would be expected to be stripped. Thus the ram pressure scenario predicts greater stripping in clusters characterized by high velocity dispersion and higher ICM density. The efficiency of evaporative stripping is only weakly dependent on ICM density, but is strongly dependent on the ICM temperature. Therefore, it would be valuable for the comparison between ram pressure and evaporative stripping to discern any difference in the temperatures of the clusters with different degrees of deficiency. Note, however, that it is likely that high temperature clusters may also have a high velocity dispersion. A correlation is already noted between high X-ray luminosity and high velocity dispersion. As part of their analysis, GH85 looked for correlations between the degree of HI deficiency and the X-ray properties of the cluster. A useful parameter derived by GH85 and presented in Table 1 is the "deficient fraction," d.f., the fraction of cluster galaxies in the observational sample that are HI deficient. Use of this fraction requires the assumption that there has been no particular bias introduced in choosing the observational sample, that is, that all candidate spirals have been observed. For the GH85 sample, Dressler (1986) has suggested that such is the case. GH85 find that d.f. correlates with the X-ray luminosity of the cluster: the clusters with the highest LX contain the greatest proportion of highly HI deficient objects. There are two clusters that have been used in the direct comparison of the efficiency of galaxy-galaxy and galaxy-ICM interactions because they lie at the same distance and are close together on the sky: A2147 and A2151 (Giovanelli et al. 1981). In contrast to A2151 (the Hercules cluster), A2147 is more centrally concentrated, contains a greater elliptical fraction and has a stronger cluster X-ray source. A2151, however, contains a higher density of galaxies, so that the cross section for galaxy-galaxy interactions is expected to be higher in its core. While A2151 does contain some HI poor objects, the overall HI deficiency is significantly higher in A2147, thus supporting the relative importance of galaxy-ICM interactions. Furthermore, A2147 is characterized by a relatively low ICM temperature (Mushotzky 1984) so that ram pressure is more likely to be effective than evaporation. It should be noted, however, that this result depends on the comparison of only these two clusters which themselves are the most distant in the current sample, and hence should be considered supportive though not conclusive. In an attempt to pin down which one of the likely mechanisms was in fact responsible for the observed gas deficiency, Magri et al. (1988) have undertaken a detailed statistical analysis of the HI, optical and X-ray data available for galaxies in six clusters. They used maximum likelihood and non-parametric techniques to search for correlations between the observed HI deficiency in the galaxies and tracers of the likely stripping processes: (a) r, the distance to the cluster center, (b) r / rc, the same distance scaled to the cluster core radius, (c) nproj, the number density of galaxies projected locally, (d) V, the galaxy velocity relative to the cluster mean, (e) V2, the square of the velocity, (f) rhoICM, the local ICM density derived from fitting the X-ray surface brightness distribution, and (e) rhoICM V2, the intracluster ram pressure. Magri et al. find that HI deficiency is a monotonically decreasing function of distance from the cluster center. It is unclear whether the dependence is on the radius itself or on n or rho, since a linear dependence on density is almost equivalent to a dependence on r-3beta, with beta obtained from the fit to the surface brightness. As a mechanism, ram pressure should predict a correlation with rho, V2, or their product rhoV2, but no such dependence was observed. GH85 have employed Monte Carlo simulations to illustrate that the signature of the velocity dependence of ram pressure stripping would likely be masked by randomizing projection effects which reduce the sensitivity of the observational variable. For one problem, galaxies with normal HI contents but actually at large radii may be only projected on the core. In addition, the important vector in ram pressure is the component of the galaxy's orbital motion in the direction normal to the disk. Galaxies passing through the cluster edge-on will emerge relatively unscathed. In many galaxies, the surface mass density sigma* at the Holmberg radius is significantly lower than in the Milky Way (Bosma 1981) by as much as an order of magnitude. Since the simple ram pressure criterion described by Gunn and Gott (1972) balances the ram pressure force with the restoring force within the galaxy's disk, it is to be expected that dwarf galaxies, possessing smaller potential wells, should be preferentially stripped of the HI gas. However, such a dependence of HI deficiency on mass surface density has not been observed even among the Virgo dwarfs (Hoffman et al. 1985). Thus, while ram pressure sweeping is an often-invoked explanation for the gas removal, its direct predictions of velocity and mass dependence are not evident in the observational data. While the effectiveness of ram pressure is highly dependent on galaxy orientation, the amount of gas lost through turbulent viscous stripping is comparable to the mass of hot ICM material encountered by the galaxy disk as it travels through the cluster and depends on the amount of time spent in the high density ICM core. As noted by Pryor and Geller (1984), a galaxy seen at a large projected distance must have a long period even if its orbit is highly radial. When in the outer portions of the cluster, such a galaxy has the opportunity to accumulate material lost by evolving stars. Several objects that are extremely HI deficient lie on the outskirts of the Virgo cluster and may be in the gas accumulation phase (Giovanelli and Haynes 1983). Based on the occurrence of HI deficiency relative to the X-ray emission seen in the center of Virgo, Haynes and Giovanelli (1986) argue that turbulent viscous stripping can account for the observed HI deficiency of galaxies within three degrees of M87. The fact that the H2 component, as derived from the CO observations, remains intact argues again for an external gas sweeping mechanism, but may be easy to explain. Since the filling factor of molecular clouds in the ISM is much lower than that of HI clouds, collisions among the densest clouds during galaxy collisions will be unlikely, whereas the lower density clouds may be more susceptible. Numerical calculations by Kritsuk (1983) show that the molecular component will survive a sweeping event. What remains is our lack of understanding of the long-term effect of the removal of over ninety percent of a galaxy's HI mass. Surely its disk will fade. As noted by Dressler (1986), the HI deficiency observed for spirals of types Sb and earlier is marked more severe than that observed for later types. He has examined the velocity distribution of deficient and HI-normal galaxies and concludes that this variation in the typical degree of HI depletion can be explained in terms of differences in the characteristic anisotropy of the orbits of different types. He suggests that early type spirals travel through the cluster on orbits that are preferentially more radial than the later spirals. A similar conclusion was reached for the HI-deficient galaxies in Virgo by Giraud (1986). Thus some fundamental fine-tuning of the orbital characteristics of the galaxies plays an important role in their likelihood of gas depletion and perhaps of the overall morphology as well. However, such kinematic differences are quite uncertain, and indeed, Pryor and Geller (1984) conclude that, based on current data, the most likely models are isotropic. At the present time, the available data allow limited analysis of the three dimensional distribution of gas and galaxies in clusters. In several of the six clusters studied by Magri et al. , both the galaxy and X-ray surface densities show strong asymmetries in their azimuthal distributions and exhibit significant subclumping. Spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy and imaging are needed in order to determine structure in both the temperature and density distributions of the intracluster gas. Next Contents Previous
Meat-Eaters: Twice as Bad for the Planet as Vegetarians But will that be enough to make anyone give up their steak? The last thing meat-eaters want to be told is that they’re part of the problem. After all, the quickest way to turn someone away from your cause is to judge them. But there’s a hard truth us meat-eaters need to face—at least, that's the finding of a new study out of Oxford University. Researchers there found that meat-eaters have roughly twice as large a food-related carbon footprint as vegetarians. More importantly, the study showed that the more meat you eat, the more you're hurting the planet's health. Just how did the scientists reach this conclusion? They began by separating a pool of more than 65,000 participants into six dietary groups: high meat-eaters, medium meat-eaters, low meat-eaters, fish-eaters (pescetarians), vegetarians, and vegans. With that done, they estimated the greenhouse gas emissions associated with 130 general food items, with each kind of gas (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) receiving a certain “weight.” These were then assigned to 289 different “food codes,” creating a detailed link between greenhouse emissions and food sources. Meat production tends to demand more energy. Also, cow farts produce a lot of methane. Meat consumption is generally associated with a larger carbon footprint because it takes more energy to raise animals than plants. On top of that, cows’ fermentation-based digestive processes produce huge amounts of methane (via belching and farts)—a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. It’s not surprising, then, that pescetarians are responsible for a larger footprint than vegetarians, and vegetarians contribute more greenhouse gases than vegans. Here’s how it breaks down: greenhouse gas production by meat consumption.jpg While 65,000 people is a pretty large sample set, all of the participants in this study were British. That means it's entirely possible you might get different data in other countries. Overall, though, the results are pretty clear: Eating meat contributes to climate change. I’m not about to stop eating meat in light of this study, but it's easy to see why the report’s authors recommend governments adjust their dietary guidelines. Reducing greenhouse emissions linked to our diets would likely be a drop in the bucket next to the colossal carbon footprints of power plants, automobiles, and fossil fuel processing, but it’s still food for thought. Hero Image: Wikimedia Commons, "Elina Mark" (CC BY-SA 3.0) 51tzbwjmykl. sl160 Meatless: More Than 200 of the Very Best Vegetarian Recipes Buy now for $10.67 at Amazon Thanks for signing up!
Researchers use cell 'profiling' to detect abnormalities -- including cancer January 25, 2011 by Pam Frost Gorder An Ohio State University mathematician and his colleagues are finding ways to tell the difference between healthy cells and abnormal cells, such as cancer cells, based on the way the cells look and move. They are creating that describe the shape and motion of single cells for laboratory analysis. Though this research is in its early stages, it represents an entirely new way of identifying cell abnormalities, including cancer. It could one day be useful in gauging future stages of a disease -- for example, by detecting whether are aggressive and likely to spread throughout the body, or metastasize. In a paper published online in the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, researchers describe a which analyzes image sequences of single, live cells to determine abnormalities manifested in their shape and behavior. A brain tumor cell was one of the cell types they analyzed in the study. Huseyin Coskun, visiting assistant professor of mathematics at Ohio State and leader of the project, described their novel approach as a first step toward developing mathematical tools for diagnosing cell abnormalities and for giving potential prognoses. Because the technique would allow doctors to view how cancer cells behave under different physical or chemical conditions, it could also be used to test different treatment strategies for each individual patient -- such as determining the most efficient dose of chemotherapeutic agents or radiation -- or even to test entirely new treatments. In addition, Coskun sees his technique as a tool for also pathologists, who typically look at photographs of biopsied cells to identify cancer and judge how advanced the cancer may be. "A pathologist can diagnose cancer, but as far as predicting the future, they don't have many tools at their disposal -- particularly if a cancer is in its early stages," Coskun said. "That's why I believe that one of the most important applications of this research is profiling cancer cells. Given a cell's motion and its morphological changes, we want to be able to determine what's happening inside the cell. If it looks like a cancer cell, and a particularly aggressive one, we would like to quantify how likely it is that the cancer cells will invade the body." In a very basic sense, diagnosing a "sick" cell such as a cancer cell by its appearance, motion, and behavior is analogous to diagnosing a sick human, he said. "When we get sick, our behavior changes. We may stay in bed, sleep a lot -- maybe we are coughing or sneezing. These are basic symptoms that a doctor will consider to determine if we're sick. Abnormalities oftentimes manifest themselves as behavioral changes in all living organisms. Therefore, a careful analysis of and profiling the behavioral patterns of single cells could provide valuable information." Cell motion is important for all life, he continued. White blood cells move when they attack microbes that have invaded the body. A wound heals when newly grown cells move in to close it. But something about aggressive cancer cells causes them to move from the tumor where they originated into the blood stream, where they migrate to different organs and grow out of control. Living cells often change shape, expand, or contract, and Coskun believes that he and his colleagues can create unique "personality profiles" of cancer cells. Coskun and his colleague, Hasan Coskun, assistant professor of mathematics at Texas A&M University-Commerce, used a branch of physics called continuum mechanics to derive equations that describe cells' appearance and behavior. They compared their model outcomes to findings from past cancer studies, which indicated that cancer cells are more deformable than normal cells. The researchers discovered that their model results agree with those experimental findings. Obtaining data from live cell image sequences to use as an input in the mathematical models is not easy. For this, Coskun collaborated with Hakan Ferhatosmanoglu, an associate professor, and his then-student, Ahmet Sacan, both of computer science and engineering at Ohio State. They created open source software called CellTrack to extract data from movies of cell motion. Given a movie of live cells under the microscope, CellTrack tracks individual cells, extracts data that can be used in the mathematical models, and provides other useful statistical information about the motion. Huseyin Coskun acknowledged the current limits of his methodology. The researchers were able to show that their mathematical models can be applied to analyze single cell motion and obtain useful information. They were also able to hypothesize a biological explanation for very complex mechanism of cell motion based on their mathematical model outcomes. But he and his partners need many more high-resolution movies of healthy cells and cancer to build upon this initial work. That's why Coskun is setting up collaborations with medical researchers at Ohio State and other universities. Coskun believes that mathematical techniques such as his are becoming more common in the biomedical sciences because they allow researchers to perform studies that would be too difficult, time-consuming or expensive in real life. He hopes his technique could be used to answer emerging questions in cell biology. Explore further: Scientists closer to finding what causes the birth of a fat cell Related Stories Mathematics reveals genetic pattern of tumor growth June 21, 2007 Using mathematical theory, UC Irvine scientists have shed light on one of cancer’s most troubling puzzles -- how cancer cells can alter their own genetic makeup to accelerate tumor growth. The discovery shows for the first ... Study supports century-old cancer theory December 12, 2005 A Yale study challenges oncology researchers to consider tumor cell hybridization with white blood cells as a major reason cancer metastasizes. Recommended for you Amber specimen offers rare glimpse of feathered dinosaur tail December 8, 2016 Scheduling leisure activities makes them less fun: study December 8, 2016 Click here to reset your password.
Physical Therapy Jobs To Look Forward To Health care services are exposed to various patient all throughout their careers. One of the healthcare posts that can expect to see different patients in their work is that of the physical therapy. Anyone from young to old can require physical therapy because of certain circumstances that they encounter in life. Those who have met accidents, injuries and other physical malfunction may need to see a physical therapist. It is the responsibility of the physical therapist to help the patient regain mobility in their bodies as they recover from physical trauma. On the other hand, be able to function as the physical body can allow it to give the patient some independence in moving about. Many specializations are available for a physical therapist to work on depending on the type of work involved. Though mainly the physical therapist guides the patient in proper recovery from various physical health conditions, they can choose to specify their work. This means that the physical therapist can look forward to jobs that involve only the children in pediatrics, athletes on sports, elderly on geriatrics or women’s health. Physical therapists can also select on a specialization that involves particular body system such as cardiovascular and pulmonary, neurological, integumentary or orthopedic. Some physical therapists take on a research-based job and specialize in clinical electrophysiology. The physical therapists can expect to work in various medical and health facilities including hospitals, clinics and private offices. Some have to travel to the patient in order to give the therapy they need. For those who are working in the sports can expect to be in the athletic department of universities and national sports team. Working in a pediatric physical therapy deals with children of different personalities and condition including those with cerebral palsy. Geriatric physical therapist teaches the elderly how to move about amidst their aging. Physical therapists specializing in women’s health know how to help the women in handling women related health conditions. In regards to the body system specializations, the physical therapist is able to guide the patient in doing exercises to reduce pain and increase fitness. Those that have undergone extensive work experience often put up their own clinics as this widen their opportunities of providing therapy. This also entails flexible time and increase in income for the physical therapist. Physical therapist expects to receive a yearly average salary at $74,480 and more if owning a clinic. This can be a great choice if taking care of patients is a passion as this job is observed to be highly satisfying. Speak Your Mind
Minggu, 24 Januari 2010 Computers are now widely used for various purposes, ranging from the need business to individuals. The use of computers is very easy, it takes only understanding of the basic techniques in operating a computer. If you not used to using a computer, then this guide is expected to be a guideline quick to master the ways of computing from the beginning. One of the operating system most popular in the community is Microsoft Windows. Windows lets you work easily, quickly, and comfortable. In this tutorial, we will use the operating system Windows version of Windows XP is commonly used. Turning on the computer begin Before you start your computer, make sure the cable power has been connected to electricity. To get started, simply press the Power button on the computer or laptop. Wait until the process is running up the screen Windows display. Note: Some computers were given a password or password to be able to enter and use the computer. You must typing the user name and password. If you do not know, this question or ask the owner for making the user and the password itself. Learning Using a Mouse Now the computer is ready for use. Operation computer using keyboard and mouse. Here's how to use the mouse: Pointer: the arrow on the screen, position following the mouse movements. Function as a bookmark to do Click: press and release the left button mouse rapidly at a particular object in screen. Its function is to select the object. For example, arrows point the mouse pointer to the Start button at the bottom right corner of the screen, results will appear list view program in Windows. Click Twice or Double Click: press and release the left mouse button twice rapidly at an object on the screen. Functions to run the program. For example, point the pointer to the image My Computer on the corner of the screen and click the two times, the computer will display the results box contains the data contents in computer. Click on a cross in the upper right the box that appears to close it. Right-click: press and release the button right mouse button. Its function is to display a list of commands that can be run on selected object on the screen. To run command, click on one of the commands For example, right-click on My picture Computer, the result appears a list of commands which can be run on My Computer. The next example click the Open command to open My Computer. Drag and Drop: pressing the left mouse button without releasing the selected objects, then shifts (drag) to another position and release the mouse button (drop). Functions to move the position of an object. For example, do drag and drop to move the image in My Computer Know Your Views on the Screen You have to know Glance some display screen when trained on the mouse. The following detailed explanation of each of display : Desktop: The main areas on the screen, usually have a certain picture or photograph. There there are small pictures, called with the icon. Icons: a small image into the shortcut to run the computer program Start Menu: the key to displays a list of computer programs for Taskbar: the bottom line on your screen. In addition to the Start button, there will be displayed the list of running programs. SystemTray or Notification Area: icon-con small in the right corner of the Taskbar. Function displays the status of several programs which usually starts automatically by computer. For example, there you are can find the time and date, or if on a laptop you can find out if laptop battery will run out or are still full. Window or window: display box a program is run, for example My Computer window that you open when practice using the mouse. Controlling Program Window In each view the program, will always appear three buttons small in the upper right corner. Its function is: Close: Click this to close the window and end Maximize / Restore: Maximize click to enlarge a full-screen window, click Restore in the position together to restore the window to the previous size. Minimize: click here to close the temporary window program. In this position, the program is still running and only hidden appearance. To show again, click the program name in the Taskbar. You can run several programs at once. Use Minimize to switch between programs or operate each program. Know Some Computer Programs Besides Calculator program, there are several programs that already provided Windows. Some of them: • Windows Media Player: to play songs and movies. • Games program group, containing several programs • Accessories program group, containing the program simple, such as: o Paint: simple program for drawing. o Notepad: to write simple programs. o Windows Explorer: a program to manage files and folders, like My Computer. In addition, you may find some programs additional prevalent in a computer, namely: • Microsoft Office program group, containing programprogram to create documents, making calculations figures and tables, and making presentations. • Photoshop and CorelDraw, drawing program. • WinAmp: program to play the song. The programs above are available for added alone. The procedure is called Install. 0 komentar: Poskan Komentar
Saturday, September 17, 2011 How to Build a Greener City Bike lanes, micro wind turbines, pneumatic garbage collection—and other ways to make urban areas more environmentally friendly SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 Can cities be part of the environmental solution instead of part of the problem? The question isn't an idle one. Urban populations around the world are expected to soar in the next 20 years, to five billion from more than three billion today. If the current rate of urbanization holds steady, cities will account for nearly three-quarters of the world's energy demand by 2030. Most of the increase will come in rapidly developing countries like China and India; China's cities alone will have to deliver water, housing, transportation and other services to 400 million additional urban dwellers by 2030. So, cities aren't going to have be made a little greener; they're going to have to be rethought from the ground up. The goal: compact living environments that require less resources and that get the most out of the land, water and energy they do use. "There's going to have to be new forms of energy, new ways of delivering energy and new forms of infrastructure," says Warren Karlenzig, president of Common Current, a consulting firm on sustainable cities based in San Anselmo, Calif. "All this will be necessary to allow cities to operate the way they do now." It wasn't long ago that the idea of using "green" and "city" in the same sentence seemed absurd. Cities were considered a blight on the environment: energy-hogging, pollution-spewing, garbage-producing environmental hellholes. But in recent years, they've begun to be seen as models of green virtue. City dwellers tend to walk more and drive less than their suburban counterparts, and dense urban development encourages transit use. Apartment living generally means lower per-household energy use. Building on these strengths, planners and developers are devising innovative solutions to meet urbanites' energy, water, transportation and sanitation needs well into the future. Some of the most ambitious projects—and the greatest source of innovative ideas—are the dozens of "eco-city" developments in the works or on drawing boards around the world. Projects like the Songdo International Business District near Incheon, South Korea, are testing grounds for the latest in green technologies. But green initiatives aren't just found on blueprints for new cities. Chicago, for example, has about 350 green-roof projects covering more than 4.5 million square feet. Of course, many of these initiatives can be expensive, with high up-front costs. Urban planners say savings from lower energy bills and other operational efficiencies can more than cover the added expenses, but the break-even point can be years out. Still, cities—unlike the average homeowner considering rooftop solar panels—can take a long view and make investments with a decades-long payback. So, how can cities—old or new—take green to a new level? Here's a look at some of the ways. District Heating In a typical office building, heating and cooling account for nearly two-thirds of total energy use. So an alternative to traditional electricity or natural-gas HVAC systems can go a long way toward making cities greener. One solution: tapping the excess heat produced by nearby utilities or industry. A network of pipes distributes the heat, which can be used for hot water, space heating and in absorption chillers to provide air conditioning in the summer. These district heating systems are considerably more efficient—capturing up to 90% of the available energy—than in-building boilers. And they can tap any number of heat sources, including high-efficiency natural-gas turbines, large-scale solar thermal systems, biomass incinerators or furnaces in a steel mill. Common in Europe, high-efficiency district heating systems are being used in South Korea's Songdo IBD and are in the plans for other eco-city developments. Micro Wind Turbines The giant windmills that dot the countryside aren't suitable for cities, where vibrations can rattle windows and the noise would be annoying. So developers are turning to microturbines. These small generators sit atop commercial or residential buildings and are designed to take advantage of the quirks of big-city wind patterns—lots of turbulence and frequent, sudden shifts in direction. The turbines are generally small, rated at one to three kilowatts each. But when installed in arrays and combined with high-efficiency solar panels, they can generate a large share of a building's energy needs, especially when the structure is equipped with a full set of energy-saving features. A handful of companies provide micro wind systems around the world, and the devices, while more expensive per kilowatt than bigger systems, have been installed at scores of locations, including PepsiCo Inc.'s Chicago office building. Pumped Hydro Storage/Micro Hydropower Wind and solar power are notoriously fickle, producing more power than needed at some times and less than needed at others. A city that wants to rely on such intermittent sources needs to find a way to bank that power. One technique: pumped hydroelectric storage. When wind or solar power is plentiful, electricity is used to pump water to an upper reservoir; later, when power is needed, the water is allowed to flow downhill, turning turbines in the process. (The lakes have the added benefit as open-space landscaping.) Large-scale pumped-hydro systems are increasingly used for storing energy, and many isolated towns rely on small-scale micro hydro plants to generate electricity. Adding a pumped-storage capability isn't technically difficult, but it's expensive, especially on a small scale, and current technology generally requires a large "drop," or change in elevation to produce much power—though companies are working on lower-flow hydro turbines that can work in more level settings. Walking and Biking When it comes to transportation, dense urban areas like Manhattan already have an advantage over suburbs: By packing people, jobs and services close together, they reduce the need for many car trips and provide the density to support bus and transit services. Green-city planners do even more, designing streets so that walking is safe, convenient and interesting—with wide sidewalks, landscaping and abundant crosswalks—and providing separate designated bicycle lanes. Songdo's 1,500 acres are designed so that most shops, parks and transit stops can be reached in less than a 15-minute walk, and the city also has a 15-mile network of bike lanes. Personal Rapid Transit Not every urban trip can be made on foot, bicycle or public transit. Cities can encourage greener auto choices by providing electric-vehicle charging stations in parking garages. A futuristic solution: personal rapid transit, or PRT—pod-like, self-powered vehicles that can carry as many as six passengers. The vehicles can travel along dedicated roadways, like an automated airport transit system, or on streets equipped with buried magnets. There are no fixed schedules or routes; passengers pick their destinations, and a central computer guides the car without intermediate stops. Although still a novelty, PRTs are operating at Heathrow International Airport near London and at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Masdar City, an eco-city development in Abu Dhabi. Masdar, however, has put on hold plans to deploy the pod cars throughout the entire planned two-square-mile development. Pneumatic Garbage Collection Even the greenest cities produce lots of garbage, which creates two problems: collecting the trash and getting rid of it. On the collection side, a centralized waste system, using an underground network of pneumatic tubes, can replace the fleets of trucks that block traffic, tear up streets and burn fossil fuels. The tubes can collect garbage from both households and outdoor trash bins and carry it to a centralized collection and sorting facility. Though some systems handle only food waste, others are set up to handle separate streams for paper and other recyclable trash. The systems are used in scores of cities world-wide; a pneumatic trash-collection system on New York's Roosevelt Island has been in operation since 1975. Waste to Resources Getting to zero waste is as important to cities as getting to zero carbon. This doesn't mean just encouraging residents to recycle—cities also can deploy technologies to tap the energy and other valuable resources buried in the trash. Advanced anaerobic digesters process organic garbage waste and the sludge left over from treating wastewater to produce biogas, which can be burned for energy; more common in Europe, the technology is just being deployed in the U.S. for handling municipal garbage. High-temperature plasma-arc gasifiers can consume nearly the entire waste stream, making a synthetic gas that is burned to produce electricity; the leftover slag can be used in building materials. One novel approach under consideration by the PlanIT Valley project, an eco-city development planned for northern Portugal: Aluminum cans are processed with water and energy, producing aluminum oxide and hydrogen, which can then be used to power fuel cells. But because aluminum oxide requires tremendous energy to make aluminum, it may be more economically feasible just to recycle aluminum containers. Green Roofs Rooftops, which take up a fifth of urban surface area, can be used to support solar panels or wind turbines, but they're otherwise underutilized. Covering the tops of buildings with grasses, shrubs and other plants can deliver a host of benefits. Though often more costly than traditional coverings, green roofs can provide insulation and trim a building's heating and cooling needs. They absorb rainwater, reducing the load on storm-water systems, and filter what water does run off so it can be used for many domestic needs. They also filter air pollutants. No comments:
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 Earth Overshoot Day: group quantifies annual demand on natural resources Today is not a particularly good day if your planet Earth. Today, September 27th, is Earth Overshoot Day, according to the Global Footprint Network (GFN). What this day signifies is that for the remainder of the year we are living on, essentially, borrowed natural resources. We're in debt ecologically-speaking. GFN has been monitoring this kind of ecological yardstick, the "ecological overshoot," which evaluates the natural resources required by humankind compared with the amount of resources available and their ability to renew themselves. According to GFN, since the mid-70s we have been demanding more every year than the earth can replenish: dwindling forests that can not grow back fast enough before being cut down, shrinking numbers of fish, more CO2 produced than the planet can sequester, and so on. According to GFN, "Our research shows that in approximately nine months, we have demanded a level of services from nature equivalent to what the planet can provide for all of 2012. We maintain this deficit by depleting stocks of things like fish and trees, and by accumulating waste such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the ocean." Earth Overshoot Day is based on a concept originally designed by the UK-based New Economics Foundation. The foundation wanted to devise a method of use versus resources that would be understandable to policy and decision makers - people who are less inclined to understand scientific theories and observations and more receptive to concepts of net gain and loss. The ecological overshoot illustrates when humankind is withdrawing more than it is depositing and, therefore, dipping into its savings of natural resources - an account that is not at all endless. The culprit that drives this model, and is a primary force even behind our current budget and employment crisis, is the ever-present 800-pound gorilla in the room: population growth. Despite all of our technology and production capability that provides us with everything from flat screen TVs to higher rice and corn yields for developing nations, we are asking more of mother earth than she can give and still renew herself. And it has been estimated that we will reach 7 billion in the next couple of months. Earth Overshoot Day is an interesting concept, albeit not a cheery one, because it goes beyond theorizing about an environmental apocalypse and, instead, applies a system of measurement that enables us to gauge where we are going, good or bad, and what degree of improvement the future may hold if we all realize that the planet is a bank account with very limited reserves and a low rate of return. "Global Footprint Network’s preliminary 2011 calculations show we are now using resources at a rate that would take between 1.3 and 1.5 planets to sustainably support. Our research shows us on track to require the resources of two planets well before mid-century. Of course, we only have one Earth. The fact that we are using (or “spending” natural capital) faster than it can replenish is similar to having expenditures that continually exceed income. In planetary terms, the results of our ecological overspending are becoming more clear by the day." 1 comment: crf6adv said... Amazing Posts... crf6adv.com
It is undeniable that all kinds of armed conflicts engender terrible actions, immeasurable suffering, and devastating effects. The most painful amongst them, however, are those where the opposite combatants come from the same community, the same neighborhood, or even the same family. Non-international armed conflicts have this particularity: neighbors fighting against each other, countries destroyed by their own sons. During the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, almost 1,000,000 people were killed, and more than 200,000 women were raped . This left Rwandan society traumatized, part of its infrastructure destroyed, and its Rule of Law in ruins. Once the armed conflict ended, more than 100,000 people were accused of participating in the killings . These people, perpetrators and victims, were once part of the same community, door-to-door neighbors. In order to face this humanitarian and social catastrophe, Rwanda established different Transitional Justice Methods (TJM). Transitional Justice is the name used to describe the mechanisms and tools through which societies address the legacy of gross human rights violations that happened in exceptional circumstances, in order to facilitate the achievement of peace and reconciliation. In Rwanda’s case, there were two main TJM used after the genocide: Criminal Prosecution and Memorialization. Under the first mechanism, the Rwandan government established an agreement with the UN to create the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) . This ad-hoc tribunal “was established for the prosecution of persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994” . Until 2006, the ICTR received from the UN a budget in the amount of $581 million , and for 2011 the figure was close to 1 billion. By 2013, the ICTR had completed 75 cases , a minimal figure considering these expenses and, especially, the large number of people accused. To be sure, it was an impossible task for the ICTR to bring all these people into court. As a result, the Rwandan national court system decided to take a good number of cases, especially those in which the perpetrator was not a “leader”. And since this was not enough, Rwandan authorities also revived the “Gacaca” courts. The Gacaca courts were special tribunals created to deal with crimes during the 1994 genocide. The judicial process in those courts was relatively easy: victims or their relatives narrated their case in front of the accused, the lay judges, and the whole community. The accused had the right to accept or deny the facts, as well as the opportunity to show remorse and ask for forgiveness. The community residents had the right to talk for or against the perpetrator; they also had the right to present their arguments as witnesses and to present evidence. The penalties imposed by judges, finally, were moderate (e.g. community service). This seeming leniency was the result of the fact that the Gacaca court’s objective was not to punish people, but to promote for reconciliation amongst the community inhabitants. The Gacaca courts have tried more than 1.2 million cases throughout the country , which means that, at least in rough numbers, it was a more effective judicial method than the ICTR. Unfortunately, the Gacaca trials also have had many difficulties and questionable results, such as the lack of due process of law, and the “double victimization” effect that some survivors, families, and witnesses have suffered after giving their testimonies. Another important TJM used in Rwanda was memorialization, which is a method designed to remember the victims and show respect for their suffering. It is also a way to create an acceptable level of social peace, and to insist that these horrible events must never happen again. This method has its own problems, such as the difficulty of defining the memorial’s specific characteristics –where should it be located? To whom should it be dedicated?– e.g. with the communities involved. It is never easy to discern whether these kind of social decisions respond to a real desire to memorialize the victims or to political pressure from specific groups seeking to stress their status of victims in order to obtain other benefits. After 2O years of the Rwandan Genocide, some questions remain: Was the ICTR too costly for the international community? How effective have the judicial procedures been? Did the Gacaca result in a desperate and justice light? Has the TJM brought real justice and social reconciliation? Do victims feel that they were really compensated? Do the lessons learned through these years guarantee that genocide will never happen again in Rwanda? I would be difficult to describe the Rwandan transitional justice case as a success. Nevertheless, it is indisputable that Rwanda is an example of social will and strength; and also one of the most representative efforts regarding Transitional Justice implementation. Tagged with: Comments are closed.
Dyson Commits $8 Million to Robotics Lab, We Still Want a Vacuum To quote an article that we wrote back in 2012, "Dyson has been working on a robot vacuum, for, like, ever." It's been a solid decade at the very least. The crazy part is that they already have a robotic vacuum: the DC06. In 2001 (one year before the very first Roomba), the $6,000 DC06 featured three onboard computers, 2,000 electronic components, 27 separate circuit boards, and 70 sensory devices. It was nuts. But James Dyson himself shut it down before a commercial release because of the cost (and weight), leaving us all wondering what they've been working on since then. We don't have an answer for you on that one, but it's gotta be a good sign that Dyson has just committed to investing $8 million in a robotics vision lab at Imperial College, London. "My generation believed the world would be overrun by robots by the year 2014. We now have the mechanical and electronic capabilities, but robots still lack understandingseeing and thinking in the way we do. Mastering this will make our lives easier and lead to previously unthinkable technologies." —James Dyson My generation, meanwhile, believed the world would be overrun by robots by like the year 2000. We're way behind schedule, so anything that can help move that along a little bit is certainly welcome. Dyson's $8 million will go towards hiring 15 researchers and roboticists at Imperial, including some Dyson engineers, which we're hoping will mean an atypically aggressive approach towards commercialization. The focus will be vision: Andrew Davison will head the lab, with the goal of "[developing] systems that allow machines to both understand and perceive their surroundings—using vision to achieve it." Vision is starting to become a problem of too much data and not enough intelligence, which is what J.D. means by robots lacking understanding. We have all kinds of super fancy cameras and sensors and whatnot, but no matter how many frames per second you're pumping out, or what sort of ludicrously high resolution or dynamic range they have, it's not going to do you any good at all unless you have software that can figure out what the heck your camera is looking at. Even simple object recognition is not yet simple to the extent that we can do it reliably in your typical home environment. Most research labs tend to focus on technology demos, making very specific cutting-edge technology work under (usually) ideal circumstances. This is why we always get extra excited around here when we have the opportunity to post something about "real-world," where you have robots doing cool stuff in environments that are at least something like what you might in your house or outdoors or somewhere else that robots will need to be able to deal with to become useful. These aren't easy problems, but they're very important ones. Critical ones might not be too strong a word, since the ability to safely comprehend human environments is what's keeping robots from being exponentially more useful to us than they are now. In addition to the research lab funding, Dyson is also spending $400 million to double the size of its UK research center by hiring 3,000 more engineers. I have no idea how many engineers it takes to redesign a robotic vacuum, but I feel like this should probably be enough. [ Dyson ] via [ BBC ] Contact us: e.guizzo@ieee.org Erico Guizzo Senior Writer Evan Ackerman Jason Falconer Angelica Lim Newsletter Sign Up
The Letters of St. Jerome.: Letter LIII Early Church Fathers Index Letter LIII. To Paulinus. We read in old tales that men traversed provinces, crossed seas, and visited strange peoples, simply to see face to face persons whom they only knew from books. Thus Pythagoras visited the prophets of Memphis; and Plato, besides visiting Egypt and Archytas of Tarentum, most carefully explored that part of the coast of Italy which was formerly called Great Greece. In this way the influential Athenian master with whose lessons the schools 1397 of the Academy resounded became at once a pilgrim and a pupil choosing modestly to learn what others had to teach rather than over confidently to propound views of his own. Indeed his pursuit of learning—which seemed to fly before him all the world over—finally led to his capture by pirates who sold him into slavery to a cruel tyrant. 1398 Thus he became a prisoner, a bond-man, and a slave; yet, as he was always a philosopher, he was greater still than the man who purchased him. Again we read that certain noblemen journeyed from the most remote parts of Spain and Gaul to visit Titus Livius, 1399 and listen to his eloquence which flowed like a fountain of milk. Thus the fame of an individual had more power to draw men to Rome than the attractions of the city itself; and the age displayed an unheard of and noteworthy portent in the shape of men who, entering the great city, bestowed their attention not upon it but upon something else. Apollonius 1400 too was a traveller—the one p. 97 I mean who is called the sorcerer 1401 by ordinary people and the philosopher by such as follow Pythagoras. He entered Persia, traversed the Caucasus and made his way through the Albanians, the Scythians, the Massagetæ, and the richest districts of India. At last, after crossing that wide river the Pison, 1402 he came to the Brahmans. There he saw Hiarcas 1403 sitting upon his golden throne and drinking from his Tantalus-fountain, and heard him instructing a few disciples upon the nature, motions, and orbits of the heavenly bodies. After this he travelled among the Elamites, the Babylonians, the Chaldeans, the Medes, the Assyrians, the Parthians, the Syrians, the Phenicians, the Arabians, and the Philistines. 1404 Then returning to Alexandria he made his way to Ethiopia to see the gymnosophists and the famous table of the sun spread in the sands of the desert. 1405 Everywhere he found something to learn, and as he was always going to new places, he became constantly wiser and better. Philostratus has written the story of his life at length in eight books. 2. But why should I confine my allusions to the men of this world, when the Apostle Paul, the chosen vessel 1406 the doctor 1407 of the Gentiles, who could boldly say: “Do ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me?” 1408 knowing that he really had within him that greatest of guests—when even he after visiting Damascus and Arabia “went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteen days.” 1409 For he who was to be a preacher to the Gentiles had to be instructed in the mystical numbers seven and eight. And again fourteen years after he took Barnabas and Titus and communicated his gospel to the apostles lest by any means he should have run or had run in vain. 1410 Spoken words possess an indefinable hidden power, and teaching that passed directly from the mouth of the speaker into the ears of the disciples is more impressive than any other. When the speech of Demosthenes against Æschines was recited before the latter during his exile at Rhodes, amid all the admiration and applause he sighed “if you could but have heard the brute deliver his own periods!” 1411 3. I do not adduce these instances because I have anything in me from which you either can or will learn a lesson, but to show you that your zeal and eagerness to learn—even though you cannot rely on help from me—are in themselves worthy of praise. A mind willing to learn deserves commendation even when it has no teacher. What is of importance to me is not what you find but what you seek to find. Wax is soft and easy to mould even where the hands of craftsman and modeller are wanting to work it. It is already potentially all that it can be made. The apostle Paul learned the Law of Moses and the prophets at the feet of Gamaliel and was glad that he had done so, for armed with this spiritual armour, he was able to say boldly “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;” armed with these we war “casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and being in a readiness to revenge all disobedience.” 1412 He writes to Timothy who had been trained in the holy writings from a child exhorting him to study them diligently 1413 and not to neglect the gift which was given him with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. 1414 To Titus he gives commandment that among a bishop’s other virtues (which he briefly describes) he should be careful to seek a knowledge of the scriptures: A bishop, he says, must hold fast “the faithful word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” 1415 In fact want of education in a clergyman 1416 prevents him from doing good to any one but himself and much as the virtue of his life may build up Christ’s church, he does it an injury as great by failing to resist those who are trying to pull it down. The prophet Haggai says—or rather the Lord says it by the mouth of Haggai—“Ask now the priests concerning the law.” 1417 For such is the important function of the priesthood to give answers to those who question them concerning the law. And in Deuteronomy we read “Ask thy father and he will shew thee; thy elders and they will tell thee.” 1418 Also in the one hundred and nineteenth psalm “thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.” 1419 David too, in the description of the righteous man whom he compares to the tree of life in paradise, amongst his other excellences speaks of this, “His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” 1420 In the close of his most solemn vision Daniel declares that “the righteous shall shine as the stars; and the wise, that is the learned, as the firmament.” 1421 You can see, therefore, how great is the difference between righteous ignorance and instructed righteousp. 98 ness. Those who have the first are compared with the stars, those who have the second with the heavens. Yet, according to the exact sense of the Hebrew, both statements may be understood of the learned, for it is to be read in this way:—“They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.” Why is the apostle Paul called a chosen vessel? 1422 Assuredly because he is a repertory of the Law and of the holy scriptures. The learned teaching of our Lord strikes the Pharisees dumb with amazement, and they are filled with astonishment to find that Peter and John know the Law although they have not learned letters. For to these the Holy Ghost immediately suggested what comes to others by daily study and meditation; and, as it is written, 1423 they were “taught of God.” The Saviour had only accomplished his twelfth year when the scene in the temple took place; 1424 but when he interrogated the elders concerning the Law His wise questions conveyed rather than sought information. 4. But perhaps we ought to call Peter and John ignorant, both of whom could say of themselves, “though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge.” 1425 Was John a mere fisherman, rude and untaught? If so, whence did he get the words “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God.” 1426 Logos in Greek has many meanings. It signifies word and reason and reckoning and the cause of individual things by which those which are subsist. All of which things we rightly predicate of Christ. This truth Plato with all his learning did not know, of this Demosthenes with all his eloquence was ignorant. “I will destroy,” it is said, “the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 1427 The true wisdom must destroy the false, and, although the foolishness of preaching 1428 is inseparable from the Cross, Paul speaks “wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world that come to nought,” but he speaks “the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world.” 1429 God’s wisdom is Christ, for Christ, we are told, is “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1430 He is the wisdom which is hidden in a mystery, of which also we read in the heading of the ninth psalm “for the hidden things of the son.” 1431 In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He also who was hidden in a mystery is the same that was foreordained before the world. Now it was in the Law and in the Prophets that he was foreordained and prefigured. For this reason too the prophets were called seers, 1432 because they saw Him whom others did not see. Abraham saw His day and was glad. 1433 The heavens which were sealed to a rebellious people were opened to Ezekiel. “Open thou mine eyes,” saith David, “that I may behold wonderful things out of thy Law.” 1434 For “the law is spiritual” 1435 and a revelation is needed to enable us to comprehend it and, when God uncovers His face, to behold His glory. Doctors alone profess the healing art And none but joiners ever try to join. Taught or untaught we all write poetry. 1442 Now comes the Virgin back and Saturn’s reign, Now from high heaven comes a Child newborn. 1444 Hail, only Son, my Might and Majesty. 1445 Such words he spake and there transfixed remained. 1446 8. Genesis, we shall be told, needs no explanation; its topics are too simple—the birth of the world, the origin of the human race, 1447 the division of the earth, 1448 the confusion of tongues, 1449 and the descent of the Hebrews into Egypt! 1450 Exodus, no doubt, is equally plain, containing as it does merely an account of the ten plagues, 1451 the decalogue, 1452 and sundry mysterious and divine precepts! The meaning of Leviticus is of course self-evident, although every sacrifice that it describes, nay more every word that it contains, the description of Aaron’s vestments, 1453 and all the regulations connected with the Levites are symbols of things heavenly! The book of Numbers too—are not its very figures, 1454 and Balaam’s prophecy, 1455 and the forty-two camping places in the wilderness 1456 so many mysteries? Deuteronomy also, that is the second law or the foreshadowing of the law of the gospel,—does it not, while exhibiting things known before, put old truths in a new light? So far the ‘five words’ of the Pentateuch, with which the apostle boasts his wish to speak in the Church. 1457 Then, as for Job, 1458 that pattern of patience, what mysteries are there not contained in his discourses? Commencing in prose the book soon glides into verse and at the end once more reverts to prose. By the way in which it lays down propositions, assumes postulates, adduces proofs, and draws inferences, it illustrates all the laws of logic. Single words occurring in the book are full of meaning. To say nothing of other topics, it prophesies the resurrection of men’s bodies at once with more clearness and with more caution than any one has yet shewn. “I know,” Job says, “that my redeemer liveth, and that at the last day I shall rise again from the earth; and I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh shall I see God. Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. This my hope is stored up in my own bosom.” 1459 I will pass on to Jesus the son of Nave 1460 —a type of the Lord in name as well as in deed—who crossed over Jordan, subdued hostile kingdoms, divided the land among the conquering people and p. 100 who, in every city, village, mountain, river, hill-torrent, and boundary which he dealt with, marked out the spiritual realms of the heavenly Jerusalem, that is, of the church. 1461 In the book of Judges every one of the popular leaders is a type. Ruth the Moabitess fulfils the prophecy of Isaiah:—“Send thou a lamb, O Lord, as ruler of the land from the rock of the wilderness to the mount of the daughter of Zion.” 1462 Under the figures of Eli’s death and the slaying of Saul Samuel shews the abolition of the old law. Again in Zadok and in David he bears witness to the mysteries of the new priesthood and of the new royalty. The third and fourth books of Kings called in Hebrew Malâchim give the history of the kingdom of Judah from Solomon to Jeconiah, 1463 and of that of Israel from Jeroboam the son of Nebat to Hoshea who was carried away into Assyria. If you merely regard the narrative, the words are simple enough, but if you look beneath the surface at the hidden meaning of it, you find a description of the small numbers of the church and of the wars which the heretics wage against it. The twelve prophets whose writings are compressed within the narrow limits of a single volume, 1464 have typical meanings far different from their literal ones. Hosea speaks many times of Ephraim, of Samaria, of Joseph, of Jezreel, of a wife of whoredoms and of children of whoredoms, 1465 of an adulteress shut up within the chamber of her husband, sitting for a long time in widowhood and in the garb of mourning, awaiting the time when her husband will return to her. 1466 Joel the son of Pethuel describes the land of the twelve tribes as spoiled and devastated by the palmerworm, the canker-worm, the locust, and the blight, 1467 and predicts that after the overthrow of the former people the Holy Spirit shall be poured out upon God’s servants and handmaids; 1468 the same spirit, that is, which was to be poured out in the upper chamber at Zion upon the one hundred and twenty believers. 1469 These believers rising by gradual and regular gradations from one to fifteen form the steps to which there is a mystical allusion in the “psalms of degrees.” 1470 Amos, although he is only “an herdman” from the country, “a gatherer of sycomore fruit,” 1471 cannot be explained in a few words. For who can adequately speak of the three transgressions and the four of Damascus, of Gaza, of Tyre, of Idumæa, of Moab, of the children of Ammon, and in the seventh and eighth place of Judah and of Israel? He speaks to the fat kine that are in the mountain of Samaria, 1472 and bears witness that the great house and the little house shall fall. 1473 He sees now the maker of the grasshopper, 1474 now the Lord, standing upon a wall 1475 daubed 1476 or made of adamant, 1477 now a basket of apples 1478 that brings doom to the transgressors, and now a famine upon the earth “not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” 1479 Obadiah, whose name means the servant of God, thunders against Edom red with blood and against the creature born of earth. 1480 He smites him with the spear of the spirit because of his continual rivalry with his brother Jacob. Jonah, fairest of doves, whose shipwreck shews in a figure the passion of the Lord, recalls the world to penitence, and while he preaches to Nineveh, announces salvation to all the heathen. Micah the Morasthite a joint heir with Christ 1481 announces the spoiling of the daughter of the robber and lays siege against her, because she has smitten the jawbone of the judge of Israel. 1482 Nahum, the consoler of the world, rebukes “the bloody city” 1483 and when it is overthrown cries:—“Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings.” 1484 Habakkuk, like a strong and unyielding wrestler, 1485 stands upon his watch and sets his foot upon the tower 1486 that he may contemplate Christ upon the cross and say “His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.” 1487 Zephaniah, that is the bodyguard and knower of the secrets of the Lord, 1488 hears “a cry from the fishgate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.” 1489 He proclaims “howling to the inhabitants of the mortar; 1490 for all the people of Canaan are undone; all they that were laden with silver are cut off.” 1491 Haggai, that is he who is glad or joyful, who has sown in tears to reap in joy, 1492 is occupied with the rebuilding of the temple. He represents the Lord (the Father, that is) as saying “Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations p. 101 and he who is desired 1493 of all nations shall come.” 1494 Zechariah, he that is mindful of his Lord, 1495 gives us many prophecies. He sees Jesus, 1496 “clothed with filthy garments,” 1497 a stone with seven eyes, 1498 a candle-stick all of gold with lamps as many as the eyes, and two olive trees on the right side of the bowl 1499 and on the left. After he has described the horses, red, black, white, and grisled, 1500 and the cutting off of the chariot from Ephraim and of the horse from Jerusalem 1501 he goes on to prophesy and predict a king who shall be a poor man and who shall sit “upon a colt the foal of an ass.” 1502 Malachi, the last of all the prophets, speaks openly of the rejection of Israel and the calling of the nations. “I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name is great among the Gentiles: and in every place incense 1503 is offered unto my name, and a pure offering.” 1504 As for Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, who can fully understand or adequately explain them? The first of them seems to compose not a prophecy but a gospel. The second speaks of a rod of an almond tree 1505 and of a seething pot with its face toward the north, 1506 and of a leopard which has changed its spots. 1507 He also goes four times through the alphabet in different metres. 1508 The beginning and ending of Ezekiel, the third of the four, are involved in so great obscurity that like the commencement of Genesis they are not studied by the Hebrews until they are thirty years old. Daniel, the fourth and last of the four prophets, having knowledge of the times and being interested in the whole world, in clear language proclaims the stone cut out of the mountain without hands that overthrows all kingdoms. 1509 David, who is our Simonides, Pindar, and Alcæus, our Horace, our Catullus, and our Serenus all in one, sings of Christ to his lyre; and on a psaltery with ten strings calls him from the lower world to rise again. Solomon, a lover of peace 1510 and of the Lord, corrects morals, teaches nature, unites Christ and the church, and sings a sweet marriage song 1511 to celebrate that holy bridal. Esther, a type of the church, frees her people from danger and, after having slain Haman whose name means iniquity, hands down to posterity a memorable day and a great feast. 1512 The book of things omitted 1513 or epitome of the old dispensation 1514 is of such importance and value that without it any one who should claim to himself a knowledge of the scriptures would make himself a laughing stock in his own eyes. Every name used in it, nay even the conjunction of the words, serves to throw light on narratives passed over in the books of Kings and upon questions suggested by the gospel. Ezra and Nehemiah, that is the Lord’s helper and His consoler, are united in a single book. They restore the Temple and build up the walls of the city. In their pages we see the throng of the Israelites returning to their native land, we read of priests and Levites, of Israel proper and of proselytes; and we are even told the several families to which the task of building the walls and towers was assigned. These references convey one meaning upon the surface, but another below it. 9. [In Migne, 8.] You see how, carried away by my love of the scriptures, I have exceeded the limits of a letter yet have not fully accomplished my object. We have heard only what it is that we ought to know and to desire, so that we too may be able to say with the psalmist:—“My soul breaketh out for the very fervent desire that it hath alway unto thy judgments.” 1515 But the saying of Socrates about himself—“this only I know that I know nothing” 1516 —is fulfilled in our case also. The New Testament I will briefly deal with. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the Lord’s team of four, 1517 the true cherubim or store of knowledge. 1518 With them the whole body is full of eyes, 1519 they glitter as sparks, 1520 they run and return like lightning, 1521 their feet are straight feet, 1522 and lifted up, their backs also are winged, ready to fly in all directions. They hold together each by each and are interwoven one with another: 1523 like wheels within wheels they roll along 1524 and go whithersoever the breath of the Holy Spirit wafts them. 1525 The apostle Paul writes to seven churches 1526 (for the eighth epistle—that to the Hebrews—is not generally counted in with the others). He instructs Timothy and Titus; he intercedes with Philemon for his runaway slave. 1527 Of him I think it better to say nothing than to write inadequately. The Acts of the Apostles seem to relate a mere unvarnished narrative descripp. 102 tive of the infancy of the newly born church; but when once we realize that their author is Luke the physician whose praise is in the gospel, 1528 we shall see that all his words are medicine for the sick soul. The apostles James, Peter, John, and Jude, have published seven epistles at once spiritual and to the point, short and long, short that is in words but lengthy in substance so that there are few indeed who do not find themselves in the dark when they read them. The apocalypse of John has as many mysteries as words. In saying this I have said less than the book deserves. All praise of it is inadequate; manifold meanings lie hid in its every word. 10. [In Migne, 9.] I beg of you, my dear brother, to live among these books, to meditate upon them, to know nothing else, to seek nothing else. Does not such a life seem to you a foretaste of heaven here on earth? Let not the simplicity of the scripture or the poorness of its vocabulary offend you; for these are due either to the faults of translators or else to deliberate purpose: for in this way it is better fitted for the instruction of an unlettered congregation as the educated person can take one meaning and the uneducated another from one and the same sentence. I am not so dull or so forward as to profess that I myself know it, or that I can pluck upon the earth the fruit which has its root in heaven, but I confess that I should like to do so. I put myself before the man who sits idle and, while I lay no claim to be a master, I readily pledge myself to be a fellow-student. “Every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” 1529 Let us learn upon earth that knowledge which will continue with us in heaven. 11. [In Migne, 10.] I will receive you with open hands and—if I may boast and speak foolishly like Hermagoras 1530 —I will strive to learn with you whatever you desire to study. Eusebius who is here regards you with the affection of a brother; he 1531 has made your letter twice as precious by telling me of your sincerity of character, your contempt for the world, your constancy in friendship, and your love to Christ. The letter bears on its face (without any aid from him) your prudence and the charm of your style. Make haste then, I beseech you, and cut instead of loosing the hawser which prevents your vessel from moving in the sea. The man who sells his goods because he despises them and means to renounce the world can have no desire to sell them dear. Count as money gained the sum that you must expend upon your outfit. There is an old saying that a miser lacks as much what he has as what he has not. The believer has a whole world of wealth; the unbeliever has not a single farthing. Let us always live “as having nothing and yet possessing all things.” 1532 Food and raiment, these are the Christian’s wealth. 1533 If your property is in your own power, 1534 sell it: if not, cast it from you. “If any man…will take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.” 1535 You are all for delay, you wish to defer action: unless—so you argue—unless I sell my goods piecemeal and with caution, Christ will be at a loss to feed his poor. Nay, he who has offered himself to God, has given Him everything once for all. The apostles did but forsake ships and nets. 1536 The widow cast but two brass coins into the treasury 1537 and yet she shall be preferred before Crœsus 1538 with all his wealth. He readily despises all things who reflects always that he must die. Dionysius of Syracuse. Cf. Quint. X. i. 32. Apollonius of Tyana, whose strange life and adventures have been written for us by Philostratus. Gen. ii. 11. Philostratus iii. 7. i.e. dwellers in Palestine. Herod. iii. 17, 18. Acts ix. 15. A favourite title for theologians in the Middle Ages. 2 Cor. xiii. 3. Gal. 1:17, 18. Gal. 2:1, 2. Cic. de Orat. iii. 56, the word ‘brute’ is inserted by Jerome. 2 Cor. x. 4-6. 2 Tim. 3:14, 15. 1 Tim. iv. 14. Tit. i. 9. Sancta rusticitas. Hag. ii. 11. Deut. xxxii. 7. Psa. 119.54. In the Vulg. this psalm is the 118th. Ps. i. 2. Dan. xii. 3. Acts ix. 15. 1 Thess. iv. 9. Luke ii. 46. 2 Cor. xi. 6. Joh. i. 1. 1 Cor. i. 19. 1 Cor. i. 21. 1 Cor. 2:6, 7. 1 Cor. i. 24. “Upon Muthlabben” A.V. See Perowne on the words. 1 Sam. ix. 9. Joh. viii. 56. Ps. cxix. 18. Rom. vii. 14. Rev. v. 1. Isa. xxix. 11. Rev. iii. 7. Acts viii. 27. Acts 8:30, 31. Hor. Ep. II. 1. 115, 116. Hor. Ep. II. i. 117. Virgil’s full name was Publius Vergilius Maro. Virg. E. iv. 6, 7. Virg. A. i. 664. Virg. A. ii. 650. Gen. 1:0, Gen. 2:0. Gen. 10. Gen. 11. Gen. 46. Gen. 7-12. Gen. 20. Gen. 8. Gen. 26. Gen. 23:0, Gen. 24:0. Gen. 33. See Letter lxxviii. 1 Cor. xiv. 19. The mention of Job at this point is curious: it would seem that in Jerome’s opinion he was coæval with or very little later than Moses. Job xix. 25-27, Vulg. i.e., Joshua the son of Nun whose name is so rendered by the LXX. Cf. Ecclus. xlvi. 1, A.V. Gal. iv. 26. Isa. xvi. 1, Vulg. ‘the rock of the wilderness’=Moab. Also called Coniah and Jehoiachin. They are reckoned as forming one book in the Hebrew Bible. Hos. i. 2. Hos. 3:1, 3, 4. Joel i. 4. Joel ii. 29. Acts 1:13, 15. The allusion is to Psalms cxx.-cxxxiv. One hundred and twenty is the sum of the numerals one to fifteen. Amos vii. 14. Amos iv. 1. Amos vi. 11. Amos vii. 1. Amos vii. 7. So the Vulgate. So the LXX. Amos viii. 1. Amos viii. 11. ‘Edom’ means ‘red’ and is connected with ‘Adâmâh’=‘the earth.’ Jerome interprets the Hebrew word ‘Morasthite’ to mean ‘my possession.’ Mic. v. 1, Vulg. i.e., Nineveh—Nahum iii. 1. Nahum i. 15. The name strictly means ‘embrace.’ Hab. ii. 1. Hab. 3:3, 4. Strictly ‘the Lord guards’ or ‘hides.’ Zeph. i. 10. So R.V. marg. Probably a place in Jerusalem. Zeph. i. 11, R.V. Ps. cxxvi. 5. So Vulg. ‘the desire’ A.V. Hag. 2:6, 7. Strictly ‘the Lord is mindful.’ i.e., Joshua the High Priest. Zech. iii. 3. Zech. iii. 9. Zech. 4:2, 3. Zech. vi. 1-3. Zech. ix. 10. Zech. ix. 9. This word is not in the Vulg. Mal. 1:10, 11, R.V. Jer. i. 11. Jer. i. 13. Jer. xiii. 23. Lam. 1-4., each verse in which begins with a different letter of the alphabet. Dan. ii. 45. See note on LII. 3, p. The Song of Songs. i.e. the feast of Purim—Esth. ix. 20-32. Paraleipomena, the name given in the LXX. to the books of Chronicles. Veteris instrumenti επιτομή. Ps. cxix. 20, PBV. Plato, Ap. Soc. 21, 22. Quadriga. cf. Irenæus, Adv. Hær. III. ii. 8. Clement of Alexandria, following Philo, makes cherub mean wisdom. Ezek. i. 18, Vulg. Ezek. i. 7. Ezek. i. 14. Ezek. i. 7. Ezek. i. 11. Ezek. i. 16. Ezek. i. 20. i.e. those of Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, Thessalonica. Col. 4:14, 2 Cor. 8:18. Matt. vii. 8. A verbose rhetorician mentioned by Cic. de Inv. i. 6. Eusebius of Cremona, who for the next five years remained with Jerome, and afterwards corresponded with him from Italy. See Letter LVII. § 2. Rufinus, Apol. i. 19. Jerome, Apol. iii. 4, 5, etc. 2 Cor. vi. 10. 1 Tim. vi. 8. Cf. Acts v. 4. Matt. v. 40. Matt. iv. 18-22. Mark xii. 41-44. The last king of Lydia, celebrated for his riches. Next: Letter LIV Send this page to a friend Like & share St-Takla.org
Description of this paper PSY 475 Entire Course - Psychological Tests and Measurements Question;PSY 475 Week 1 Individual Assignment Introduction to Psychological Testing PaperWrite a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you summarize the major assumptions and fundamental questions associated with psychological testing. Address the following in your paper:Define the term test.Describe the major categories of tests and identify the major uses and users of these tests.Compare and contrast the concepts of reliability and validity and discuss how they affect the field of psychological testing.Define and explain the factors that affect: 1) a Correlation Coefficient and 2) a Reliability estimate. Try to provide real life examples of factors that will influence a correlation estimate or the reliability of an examination.What are the two methods for collecting data for criterion validation? What are the pros- and cons of each method? What real-life considerations might make one method of criterion validation method more appropriate over another?PSY 475 Week 2 COMPLETEPSY 475 Week 2 Learning Team Assignment Psychological Measure PaperSelect in preparation for this assignment a psychological measure of depression, such as the Beck Depression Inventory or Children?s Depression Inventory. Obtain faculty approval of your selected measure prior to beginning this assignment.Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you analyze your selected psychological measure. As a part of your analysis, address the following items:Using the University Library, the Internet, or other sources, select at least two articles that discuss the use of your selected psychological measure. Briefly summarize your selected articles, and compare and contrast their findings.Based on the analysis of your articles, discuss the use of your selected measure. Explain who is qualified to administer and interpret the measure and the settings?such as occupational, academic, or counseling?in which it would be appropriate to use the measure.Differentiate between the populations for which your selected psychological measure is valid and invalidWhat might you consider when selecting items for a measure or examination of a construct. You can discuss how you might gather information, what standards that exist in the industry, statistical indices, and/or practical examples in developing your discussion. Consider reliability and validity issues in your response.Select 2-3 considerations you would have in developing a new examination. Provide details about how you would address these considerations and/or why these considerations are important.PSY 475 Week 3 COMPLETEPSY 475 Week 3 Individual Assignment Attitude SurveySelect a contemporary issue that is of interest to you.Create an attitude survey using your selected issue.Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you explain the steps you took to create your survey. Address the following items in your paper:Explain the purpose of the survey.Discuss the preliminary design issues you experienced in creating your survey.Describe the specific instructions for administering, scoring, and interpreting your survey.Attach a copy of your survey to your paper when you turn it in.Define, compare and contrast Ability Tests and Achievement Tests. Give examples of each and discuss situations when one might be more appropriate than the other.Select an occupation and identify 2-3 Primary Mental Abilities from Table 7.2 in your book that you feel are relevant to your occupation. Discuss ways that you might measure these abilities to select employees. Identify any concerns with reliability and/or validity you may see.PSY 475 Week 4 COMPLETEWeek 4 Discussion QuestionsPSY 475 Week 5 COMPLETEPSY 475 Week 5 Individual Assignment Issues in Psychological Testing WorksheetComplete the University of Phoenix Material, Issues in Psychological Testing Worksheet, located in Week Five of the student website.PSY 475 Week 5 Learning Team Assignment Measures of Emotional and Behavioral Functioning PresentationPrepare a 10- to 15-minute oral presentation, accompanied by a 10- to 12-slide Microsoft? PowerPoint? presentation in which you analyze measures of emotional and behavioral functioning. Address the following items in your presentation:Describe objective personality tests and explain their use in psychological testing.Explain the use of projective techniques in psychological testing and provide an example of this type of test.Explain the difference between personality measures and measures of interests and attitudes.Online Campus students must submit a 10- to 12-slide Microsoft? PowerPoint? presentation with speaker notes.Define Adverse Impact. Explain how it is calculated. Describe what steps an organization can take to defend itself under claims of adverse impact.List and describe 2 court cases discussed in Chapter 16. How has this court case changed our world today? What impact has it made in how we think and/or do business? Paper#60080 \| Written in 18-Jul-2015 Price : $57
Haven't found the Essay You Want? For Only $12.90/page Introduction Internet Protocol Suite Essay The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and similar networks, and generally the most popularprotocol stack for wide area networks. It is commonly known as TCP/IP, because of its most important protocols: Transmission Control Protocol(TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP), which were the first networking protocols defined in this standard. It is occasionally known as the DoD model due to the foundational influence of the ARPANET in the 1970s (operated by DARPA, an agency of the United States Department of Defense). TCP/IP provides end-to-end connectivity specifying how data should be formatted, addressed, transmitted, routed and received at the destination. It has four abstraction layers, each with its own protocols. From lowest to highest, the layers are: The link layer (commonly Ethernet) contains communication technologies for a local network. The internet layer (IP) connects local networks, thus establishing internetworking. The transport layer (TCP) handles host-to-host communication. The application layer (for example HTTP) contains all protocols for specific data communications services on a process-to-process level (for example how a web browser communicates with a web server). The TCP/IP model and related protocols are maintained by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). SRI First Internetworked Connection diagram Layers in the Internet protocol suite Two Internet hosts connected via two routers and the corresponding layers used at each hop. The application on each host executes read and write operations as if the processes were directly connected to each other by some kind of data pipe. Every other detail of the communication is hidden from each process. The underlying mechanisms that transmit data between the host computers are located in the lower protocol layers. Encapsulation of application data descending through the layers described in RFC 1122 The Internet protocol suite uses encapsulation to provide abstraction of protocols and services. Encapsulation is usually aligned with the division of the protocol suite into layers of general functionality. In general, an application (the highest level of the model) uses a set of protocols to send its data down the layers, being further encapsulated at each level. The “layers” of the protocol suite near the top are logically closer to the user application, while those near the bottom are logically closer to the physical transmission of the data. Viewing layers as providing or consuming a service is a method ofabstraction to isolate upper layer protocols from the nitty-gritty detail of transmitting bits over, for example, Ethernet and collision detection, while the lower layers avoid having to know the details of each and every application and its protocol. It only refers to the existence of the “internetworking layer” and generally to “upper layers”; this document was intended as a 1996 “snapshot” of the architecture: “The Internet and its architecture have grown in evolutionary fashion from modest beginnings, rather than from a Grand Plan. While this process of evolution is one of the main reasons for the technology’s success, it nevertheless seems useful to record a snapshot of the current principles of the Internet architecture. This is where the “higher level” protocols such as SMTP, FTP, SSH, HTTP, etc. operate. •Transport layer (host-to-host): The transport layer constitutes the networking regime between two network hosts, either on the local network or on remote networks separated by routers. The transport layer provides a uniform networking interface that hides the actual topology (layout) of the underlying network connections. This is where flow-control, error-correction, and connection protocols exist, such as TCP. This layer deals with opening and maintaining connections between Internet hosts. Internet layer (internetworking): The internet layer has the task of exchanging datagrams across network boundaries. It is therefore also referred to as the layer that establishes internetworking, indeed, it defines and establishes the Internet. This layer defines the addressing and routing structures used for the TCP/IP protocol suite. The primary protocol in this scope is the Internet Protocol, which defines IP addresses. Its function in routing is to transport datagrams to the next IP router that has the connectivity to a network closer to the final data destination. Link layer: This layer defines the networking methods within the scope of the local network link on which hosts communicate without intervening routers. This layer describes the protocols used to describe the local network topology and the interfaces needed to effect transmission of Internet layer datagrams to next-neighbor hosts. (cf. the OSI data link layer). The Internet protocol suite and the layered protocol stack design were in use before the OSI model was established. Since then, the TCP/IP model has been compared with the OSI model in books and classrooms, which often results in confusion because the two models use different assumptions, including about the relative importance of strict layering. This abstraction also allows upper layers to provide services that the lower layers cannot, or choose not, to provide. Again, the original OSI model was extended to include connectionless services (OSIRM CL). For example, IP is not designed to be reliable and is a best effort delivery protocol. This means that all transport layer implementations must choose whether or not to provide reliability and to what degree. UDP provides data integrity (via a checksum) but does not guarantee delivery; TCP provides both data integrity and delivery guarantee (by retransmitting until the receiver acknowledges the reception of the packet). This model lacks the formalism of the OSI model and associated documents, but the IETF does not use a formal model and does not consider this a limitation, as in the comment by David D. Clark, “We reject: kings, presidents and voting. We believe in: rough consensus and running code. ” Criticisms of this model, which have been made with respect to the OSI model, often do not consider ISO’s later extensions to that model. 1. For multiaccess links with their own addressing systems (e. g. Ethernet) an address mapping protocol is needed. Such protocols can be considered to be below IP but above the existing link system. While the IETF does not use the terminology, this is a subnetwork dependent convergence facility according to an extension to the OSI model, the internal organization of the network layer (IONL). . ICMP & IGMP operate on top of IP but do not transport data like UDP or TCP. Again, this functionality exists as layer management extensions to the OSI model, in its Management Framework (OSIRM MF) . 3. The SSL/TLS library operates above the transport layer (uses TCP) but below application protocols. Again, there was no intention, on the part of the designers of these protocols, to comply with OSI architecture. 4. The link is treated like a black box here. This is fine for discussing IP (since the whole point of IP is it will run over virtually anything). The IETF explicitly does not intend to discuss transmission systems, which is a less academic but practical alternative to the OSI model. The following is a description of each layer in the TCP/IP networking model starting from the lowest level. Link layer The link layer is the networking scope of the local network connection to which a host is attached. This regime is called the link in Internet literature. This is the lowest component layer of the Internet protocols, as TCP/IP is designed to be hardware independent. As a result TCP/IP is able to be implemented on top of virtually any hardware networking technology. The link layer is used to move packets between the Internet layer interfaces of two different hosts on the same link. The processes of transmitting and receiving packets on a given link can be controlled both in the software device driver for the network card, as well as on firmware or specialized chipsets. These will perform data link functions such as adding a packet header to prepare it for transmission, then actually transmit the frame over a physical medium. Such a connection, or virtual link, may be established with a transport protocol or even an application scope protocol that serves as a tunnel in the link layer of the protocol stack. Thus, the TCP/IP model does not dictate a strict hierarchical encapsulation sequence. Internet layer The internet layer has the responsibility of sending packets across potentially multiple networks. Internetworking requires sending data from the source network to the destination network. This process is called routing In the Internet protocol suite, the Internet Protocol performs two basic functions: •Host addressing and identification: This is accomplished with a hierarchical addressing system (see IP address). •Packet routing: This is the basic task of sending packets of data (datagrams) from source to destination by sending them to the next network node (router) closer to the final destination. The internet layer is not only agnostic of application data structures at the transport layer, but it also does not distinguish between operation of the various transport layer protocols. Essay Topics:
Haven't found the Essay You Want? For Only $12.90/page What is marketing research? Essay What is marketing research? How has the Internet affected marketing research? As a part of your answer, address time, cost, approaches, and validity. Why is marketing research important to developing marketing strategy? Marketing research is the process of determining exactly what the consumer wants. This would involve determining if there is adequate market space to bring in a new product. Marketing research also determines what is happening in the economy. So basically market research is the collection of information before beginning a product or service. The internet has helped in marketing research. First it is quicker to find the answer the company is looking for. No longer do they have to employee people to do surveys at malls or send out mailers. They can set-up surveys online to get quick answers. The company can set-up blogs so customers can talk about what they want or changes that they feel need to be made. All of this is less costly than the old way. Using the internet allows companies to watch their competitors and be able to tell if they are testing a new product. There are several approaches like I mentioned above, but the best approach is to set-up test ads and determine how often consumers will click on it to check out the new product idea. All of these are cost effective and that is part of the research. To spend a lot of money to determine if a new product is worthy is not necessary anymore. With blogs many times the researchers can determine the honesty of the conversations instead of trying to figure it out on mailed in surveys. Without market research, market strategy cannot happen. Market strategy is basically the four P’s. So this means you already know if the consumer wants your product, now you can determine what price to put on it, where to sell it, and how to promote it outside the internet. The research is the beginning; the market strategy is a means to the end. A company cannot have a strategy if they do not know how the public will react to the product. DQ 2 Competitive intelligence knows inside information of what your competitors are doing. This is comparing the prices they are using, what they are developing for new products, and understanding the changes in their financial statements. Competitive intelligence and analysis is important because it keeps companies current on what its competitors are doing. Without this information a company cannot compare its product to what is coming out or how to adequately make its products to compete with tis competitors. A company can ensure it knows what is happening with its competitors many different ways. One is to ask customers if they have compared this product to others. The use of the sales personnel to compare competitor prices to a company’s by secretly shopping in other stores is another way. Many companies use secret shoppers now days and many times besides monitoring just their own business they monitor other businesses. I worked for a company once that used this technique. I would go in and price products and report back the prices, the services and the cleanliness of the store. Reading company new letters are another way to monitor a competitor. All of these techniques used together can offer a company an advantage in competitive intelligence against other comparable companies. What are the different types of buyers and consumers? How does the type of buyer or consumer affect marketing strategy? As part of your response, consider the characteristics of buyers and the factors that influence their purchasing decision. How can an organization ensure that their market strategy is appropriate for their target market? Different types of buyers and consumers are based on age and ethics. Buyers and consumers can be children, teenagers, adults, and elderly. This also covers different ethics groups, such as Asians and Whites. Each of these groups have different ethic beliefs. Each type affects the marketing strategy differently. When aiming at an ethic group a company want to focus on a price they will pay and a product they will use. If a company is selling toys to children on the other hand they will use an area that the child will see it and then ask for it. This could be a television ad on the cartoons, or the bottom shelf in a store. The consumer would be the child and the buyer would be the parent. With teenagers it is to create a product that will cause peer groups. Something everyone wants because their favorite singer is using a product or service or a favorite actress is wearing a certain brand. With cost this can be higher and still sell. With the elderly the opposite may be true. Many of the elderly are limited budget and want a product that is easy to use, such as opening jars that their hands are not strong enough to open anymore. For an organization to ensure that the strategy is right, the research must determine the wants and needs of each group is checkout completely. Marketing strategy is based on marketing research so the two must work together. Essay Topics:
Hybridnet: a tool for constructing hybridization networks. Motivations: When reticulation events occur, the evolutionary history of a set of existing species can be represented by a hybridization network instead of an evolutionary tree. When studying the evolutionary history of a set of existing species, one can obtain a phylogenetic tree of the set of species with high confidence by looking at a segment of sequences or a set of genes. When looking at another segment of sequences, a different phylogenetic tree can be obtained with high confidence too. This indicates that reticulation events may occur. Thus, we have the following problem: given two rooted phylogenetic trees on a set of species that correctly represent the tree-like evolution of different parts of their genomes, what is the hybridization network with the smallest number of reticulation events to explain the evolution of the set of species under consideration? Results: We develop a program, named HybridNet, for constructing a hybridization network with the minimum number of reticulate vertices from two input trees. We first implement the O(3d n)-time algorithm by Whidden et al. for computing a maximum (acyclic) agreement forest. Our program can output all the maximum (acyclic) agreement forests. We then augment the program so that it can construct an optimal hybridization network for each given maximum acyclic agreement forest. To our knowledge, this is the first time that optimal hybridization networks can be rapidly constructed.
Minggu, 29 November 2009 1.What is Organisation and Organisational Behaviour? Organisation is a cooperative interaction dynamic in social system with the purpose of satisfying individual needs (Barnard, 1938). This is not a sole definition about organisation, there are many other terms about organisation such as, Mintzberg (1983) Organisation is "Every organized human activity -- from the making of pots to the placing of a man on the moon -- gives rise to two fundamental and opposing requirements: The division of labor into various tasks to be performed, and the coordination of these tasks to accomplish the activity". Organisational behaviour focuses on the study of the people behaviour within the organisation (Luthans, 1995). The Organisational Behaviour commonly known as the study and understanding of individual and group behaviour, and the path of structure towards improvement of organizational performance and effectiveness (Robbins, 1998). Another term of Organisational behaviour is a major discipline towards description, understanding, and prediction of human behaviour within formal organisation. Organisational behaviour as discipline is the clear recognition that organisations make internal settings that influence the behaviour of people within it and to some point the internal condition of an organisation is influenced by the large components such as economic, politic, social, and technology which support the organisation (Owen, 1987). Based on these definitions we can see that organisation consists of many elements which built it. From the people, the system, and the goals, these 3 elements have to be integrated towards the organisation improvement and better performance. This paper will discuss about the two theories about management. The comparison, the nature, and the origin of these theories will be presented in this paper. 2.The Theories of Organisation Studies -The Classical Approach- The origin of Classical Approach carried out initially in the early part of the century, by such scientist as Frederick W. Taylor, Henri Fayol, Urwick, etc. Most of them were laying the fundamental for a comprehensive theory of management (Mullins, 2005). Frederick W. Taylor came up with the so-called Scientific Management through his book The Principle of Scientific Management on 1911. His theory emphasizes in obtaining increased productivity from each worker through structuring the technical work organization and providing monetary incentives as the motivator for higher results. He believed there is a most efficient working method by which employee should do their jobs. He argued that all jobs processes can be determined into discrete tasks, so that tasks, by scientific method, was able to find the best way to undertake each task, these terms recognized as division of labour. Taylor found out the major cause of inefficient work is lack of employee initiatives on his job. This issue obtain another negative impacts for company such as waste of human effort, waste of material things, waste of time, etc(Freedman, 1992). In other words, Taylor thought the basic cause of these waste was because company focused too much on the output of job rather than focusing on every single process by which the work was finished. This condition was normally happened in that time because most of company used predetermined results, usually throughout the number of finished product, to measure appropriate salary or incentives for the workers. Having said that, Taylor saw initiatives and incentives system are major problem for company in order to improve their performance. Therefore, he argued that the only way to increase performance is by giving special incentive so the company can hope to get a lot of initiatives from his employee (Owens, 1987). The other contributor of Classical Theory is Henri Fayol. Henri Fayol has different perspective than Taylor, he was focusing on the manager rather than the employee and he emphasized in administrative aspects in the organization. Fayol established five administrative functions: (1) Planning; (2)organizing; (3)commanding; (4)coordinating; (5) controlling. By these terms, it is obvious that Fayol concerned in commanding and controlling the organization towards high performance. Moreover, another contributor for this approach is Max Webber, a German sociologist, who came up with the idea of bureaucracy. Weber believed the bureaucratic concept was an approach to minimize the frustrations and illogicality of huge organization where the relationship between executive level and workers are based on class privilege (Owens, 1987). The nature of Classical Approach, basically, associated with two major theorists. The first one is Scientific Management which established by Frederick W. Taylor and Henri Fayol, and the other one is Bureaucracy which invented by Max Webber. Based on their theorists, classical approach mainly focused on the hierarchy concept which usually recognized as “line and staff”(Owens, 1987). The Classical Approach were focused on the design of a coherent structure of organization, they believed by designing good organization structure will improve efficiency. The other principle of Classical Approach is the unity of command within organization, it is a vain if company has good organization structure but lack of unity of command within it (Mullins, 2005). Another principle in Classical Approach is the span of control in the organization. The core concept of this principle is to determine the number of subordinates below the supervisor, the ratio of subordinates compare with the supervisor has to be optimized, and otherwise the problem will occur in the organization. Mooney and Reiley set out three common principles in Classical Approach which are: • The principle of coordination : the must have for employee to work together with unity of command, the exercise of authority, and the require for discipline; • The scalar principle : the hierarchy of organization, the duties need to be graded, and the delegation of works; • The functional principle: a well defined specialization of works and the clear distinction between different kinds of duties. The Classical Approach was suitable for the early 1900’s when the main issues in companies or organisations were mostly related to the rising number of employee, increasing demand, full of mechanisation, and the tasks rationalisation in every jobs (Terry, 1975). Despite, there are many arguments that said Classical Approach is suitable and works longer than they predicted. If we take a look Henri Fayol’s theory about 5 principles of management, planning; organising; commanding; controlling; and co-ordinating, such terms still being used by many companies today, such as Japanese on their Just-in-Time framework, quality circles, kanban system , and many other Japanese managerial framework (Fells, 2000). In conclusion, the nature of Classical Approach tends to describe and define some set of predetermined principles which would generate the basis of management. The common understanding for these dealt with organization structure which possessing a hierarchical structure and operates in extremely logical, systematic, and rational. By using these concepts, they belief there will be optimum solution of system management for every condition, if the optimum solution achieved the effectiveness will result (Terry, 1975). -The Human Relations Approach- In 1920s, Western Electric Company associated with National Research Council did some experiment designed to calculate the optimum intensity level of the light for maximise the production efficiency in a shop. They did this famous experiment in Hawthorne plant that is why this experiment popularly known as Hawthorne experiment. Elton Mayo was the member of the research team, and perhaps he is the well known educator at the time. They found out that the human variability has to be taken into account in determining the productivity (Owen, 1987) and it shown that there was another variable which can influence employee productivity besides the incentives. Hawthorne study indicated the economical reason was not the only influence to the employee behaviour (Johnson, 1993). This research was the beginning of the human relations movement. During 1927 until 1932, this research group tried to analyse the outcome from different kinds of variable in productivity, the changed such factors as incentive amount, number of working hours, intensity of lighting, method of payment, co-workers and manager substitution, etc, they actually made an industrial situation where the manipulated external aspects of organisation leads to different productivity or outcome (Pyoria, 2005). The Hawthorne Experiment established new concepts of organisation management to be used in practical situation. The concepts consist of many variables such as employee morale, dynamics of group worker, the supervision method, relationship between workers, the behavioural principles of motivation (Owen, 1987). This argument is actually strengthened by Marie Parker Follet theory, which established before the Hawthorne Experiment. Follet put an idea of the group power, followership, and involvement in the organisation. In addition, many theories have been found related to the human relations in organisation before The Hawthorne’s experiment take place, such as in 1863 William Hearn from Australia put forth the idea of the hierarchy of human needs and Hugo Munsterberg came up with the industrial psychology in 1890s at Harvard. But still, Mayo’s, with the Hawthorne, manuscripts and books are known as the foundation of Human Relations approach (Lemak, 2004). The other author who contributed the Human Relations Approach was Edward Mcgregor who has the famous theories, Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X basically is explaining that humans dislike and avoid to work, therefore they need control, guide, and force toward organisation’s objectives. Conversely, Theory Y said that people like to work and they are able to learn and seek responsibility under the right conditions (Zilbert, 2000). Mcgregor’s theories, obviously, support the human relations approach in terms of managerial context of managing the people in the organisation and it strengthened the key idea of Human Relations Approach about the nature and the role of manager which concerning in emotional factor in employee and social justice as the objective for this approach. The perspective of Human Relations Approach concerns that the organisation becomes further than just a profit oriented enterprise, they become more than just a place to work but also a medium for administering social interaction (Lemak, 2004). Regarding to Mayo (1933, p.73) the consequence of the social interaction in organisation was the each personnel and the group as a whole themselves need to adjust into the industrial situation where their self determination and social welfare prioritised first and the work itself is supplementary. One of the main characteristic of the human relations approach is the group of employee taken as the main unit of analysis instead of individual employee. The other hallmark of this approach is the viewing of employee motivation in terms of social needs rather than economic needs (Lemak, 2004). The Human Relations approach has been proved that this approach is relevant nowadays, even though it has been written almost 7 decades ago. This theory generates ideas emphasizing the significance of team work and leadership, good communication, motivation, and work design (Mullins, 2005). The idea of organizing teamwork is one of the notion that has long lasting value until now. As we known, the efficient team work requires a collective goals, strong relationship among the members, feeling of togetherness, and strengthening social cohesion between employee can lead to good atmosphere in the organisation (Pyoria, 2005). The positive atmosphere in the organisation tends to be established because it can enhance the employee performance and by the end the organisation performance will enhance as well. The efficient teamwork is still being used in many big companies nowadays such as General Electric, Unilever, and many big consulting companies. They tend to implement team working because they believe this idea can bring positive impact for the company. In conclusion, the Human Relations Approach introduced the significance of the informal organisation that always involves within the formal structure of organisation (Mullins, 2005). This informal organisation was the main influence of the employee’s behaviour. Therefore, manager or to management in the organisation have to concern and aware about this informal organisation. If they can create and embed sentiments which support their goals by fulfilling employee’s social and emotional needs, the effect would be the higher performance and the social harmony within the organisation (Johnson, 1993). 3.Classical Approach versus Human Relations Approach These two schools of management thought had their own principles, view, ideas, and approach. The explanation above provides evidence of how different they were. Many important points of differences will be discussed below; The Classical approach, mainly, focusing on the jobs and the structure within the organisation. They believed the organisation needs to be built according to specific goals and plan within an inflexible specification (structure), that is why this theory, merely, seeing workers as a machine. These characteristics are very contrast to Human Relations Approach which argued that the people have to be the basis of the organisation. Organisation needs to be looked as the social function where the relationship, people needs, and emotional needs are the driver of workers performance which can lead to enhancement of organisation performance (Lemak, 2004 and Hersey, 2001). The role of the manager under the Classical approach is to create the job specification, rules, procedure etc. and enforce the workers to do all of it appropriately. Manager was to be seen as the trainer & planner who has the higher authority in the organisation. Due to this higher education and superior authority, manager was to design the most efficient way to do all the jobs and ensure the employees can do maximum output from their job (Lemak, 2004 and Mullins, 2005). On the contrary, Human Relations Approach argued the function of the manager is to embed cooperation and coordination inside the organisation. The managers need to be aware with what motivates the workers and why workers need that. The role of the manager shifts into facilitator and builder of the team, by doing theses Human Relations believed it will enhance the worker’s performance. As a consequence, the productivity and the performance will sharply increase also (Hersey, 2001). The Classical Approach argued that workers can do a good job if their economical needs have been attained beforehand. This thought is basically based on the Adam Smith’s economic theory which said that human nature is fundamentally rational. Thus, the only motivator for employee to work in better performance is monetary incentive that is why the people who work under Scientific Management called as economic man (Wagner et.al, 2008). Conversely, the Human Relations Approach said that the social and personal needs are the major influence for employee performance. The satisfaction of socialising, good job atmosphere and sense of belonging throughout the organisation are the main driving force of performance enhancement. Therefore, the people who work under Human Relations Approach called as social man (Donnelly, 2000). Both of these approaches have their own strength point. Classical theory can establish an industrial harmony in the organisation by using their principles (planning, organising, commanding, etc) and the bureaucracy approach. That is why many big companies are using this approach, they believed this approach will gain more efficiency and quick decision making in the organisation. As a note, such companies which are using this approach, basically, have a very large number of employees. Army is one of the examples of the company who use this approach. It is obvious such companies apply this Classical Approach, because they need standardisation and specialisation to manage their large company. On the other hand, Human Relations has the strength as well. This approach really emphasize in importance of personnel management, which its movement has led to ideas on obtaining more output by humanising the work (Mullins, 2005). Having said that, this approach is really developing nowadays, with regard to the humanisation, many companies using their principles to obtain the better performance and social harmony in the organisation. Team works, leadership, communication, and motivation are very popular words in management at the moment which we know it is all the human relations principles. Classical approach has a lot of criticisms. Many studies shown doubt about the effectiveness of this approach, especially in management nowadays. The most significance failure of this approach is lack of human factors. Because of that, classical approach has point of weaknesses such as (Blauner 1964, cited in Johnson, 1993): • Inability of employee to use control over work processes • Lack of employee understanding about what is the purpose on their job • Employees failed to become involved in the jobs • Lack of sense of belonging with the organisation Human Relations cannot avoid the criticisms as well. Many criticisms point out that this approach is lack of scientific approach and it has only few perspectives. It avoids the role of organisation itself in how the social system operates. Since the central point of this approach is the human motives, it couldn’t provide explicit statement of the basis of organisation planning, managing, and organising. To some extent, Human Relations only concerning to the attitude and behaviour of the employee rather than concerning in principles of organisation (Barnes, et.al., 1970). Organisation can be defined as the division of work among people who work together and coordinated to reach the specific goals. The study of organisation can be approached with two studies. The Classical approach views organisation as a closed system and possessing rigid hierarchical organisation structure and operating in rational, systematic, and logic path. This theory tends to put the system in the organisation as the main focus rather than the people within it. The Human Relations approach perceives organisation as a open system where the needs and the values of the people have to be managed in order to reach organisation’s goals. This theory put human as the unit of analysis and the core instrument in the organisation. Both of these theories have their own strength and weaknesses. I believe each theory will perform very well to some particular type of organisation and it will be much more better if we combine these theories because the coordination within the organisation can’t work unless employee within it are willing to cooperate with the management. Therefore, I argue that the needs and values of the people as a human must be considered and integrated with the needs and values as described by the vision and mission statement of the organisation. The system of the organisation has to take into account the element of the human (employee), otherwise organisation cannot move smoothly to reach their specific goals. Tidak ada komentar:
Queen Conch Strombus gigas Conchs have long been commercially harvested for their succulent flesh, used in chowders, conch salad and fritters. Natural porcelainlike conch pearls, in sunset pinks and golds, are usually found as a by-product of this harvest. The Queen Conch, official symbol of the Bahama Islands and the Florida Keys, is one of the largest living plant-eating gastropods.
You've got family at Ancestry. Find more Firenzi relatives and grow your tree by exploring billions of historical records. Taken every decade since 1790, the U.S. Federal Census can tell you a lot about your family. For example, from 1930 to 1940 there were 23 less people named Firenzi in the United States — and some of them are likely related to you. Start a tree and connect with your family. Create, build, and explore your family tree. What if you had a window into the history of your family? With historical records, you do. From home life to career, records help bring your relatives' experiences into focus. There were 31 people named Firenzi in the 1930 U.S. Census. In 1940, there were 74% less people named Firenzi in the United States. What was life like for them? Picture the past for your ancestors. In 1940, 8 people named Firenzi were living in the United States. In a snapshot: • 40% of women had paying jobs • 2 women had paying jobs • The typical household was 3 people • The youngest was 20 and the oldest was 75 Learn where they came from and where they went. As Firenzi families continued to grow, they left more tracks on the map: • 48% were first-generation Americans • 8 were born in foreign countries • Most immigrants originated from Italy • 15 were first-generation Americans
You've got family at Ancestry. Find more Gaschen relatives and grow your tree by exploring billions of historical records. Taken every decade since 1790, the U.S. Federal Census can tell you a lot about your family. For example, from 1930 to 1940 there were 7 less people named Gaschen in the United States — and some of them are likely related to you. Start a tree and connect with your family. Create, build, and explore your family tree. What if you had a window into the history of your family? With historical records, you do. From home life to career, records help bring your relatives' experiences into focus. There were 24 people named Gaschen in the 1930 U.S. Census. In 1940, there were 29% less people named Gaschen in the United States. What was life like for them? Picture the past for your ancestors. In 1940, 17 people named Gaschen were living in the United States. In a snapshot: • The typical household was 7 people • 100% rented out rooms to boarders • The average annual income was $1,475 Learn where they came from and where they went. As Gaschen families continued to grow, they left more tracks on the map: • 6 were born in foreign countries • Most immigrants originated from Switzerland • 12 were first-generation Americans • 25% were born in foreign countries
You've got family at Ancestry. Find more Phil relatives and grow your tree by exploring billions of historical records. Taken every decade since 1790, the U.S. Federal Census can tell you a lot about your family. For example, from 1930 to 1940 there were 35 more people named Phil in the United States — and some of them are likely related to you. Start a tree and connect with your family. Create, build, and explore your family tree. What if you had a window into the history of your family? With historical records, you do. From home life to career, records help bring your relatives' experiences into focus. There were 77 people named Phil in the 1930 U.S. Census. In 1940, there were 45% more people named Phil in the United States. What was life like for them? Picture the past for your ancestors. In 1940, 112 people named Phil were living in the United States. In a snapshot: • The typical household was 3 people • 91% rented out rooms to boarders • 5% were disabled • For 58 females, Anna was the most common name Learn where they came from and where they went. As Phil families continued to grow, they left more tracks on the map: • Most fathers originated from Germany • 20 migrated within the United States from 1935 to 1940 • The most common mother tongue was Romanian • 31% were first-generation Americans
You've got family at Ancestry. Find more Popinski relatives and grow your tree by exploring billions of historical records. Taken every decade since 1790, the U.S. Federal Census can tell you a lot about your family. For example, from 1930 to 1940 there were 4 more people named Popinski in the United States — and some of them are likely related to you. Start a tree and connect with your family. Create, build, and explore your family tree. What if you had a window into the history of your family? With historical records, you do. From home life to career, records help bring your relatives' experiences into focus. There were 21 people named Popinski in the 1930 U.S. Census. In 1940, there were 19% more people named Popinski in the United States. What was life like for them? Picture the past for your ancestors. In 1940, 25 people named Popinski were living in the United States. In a snapshot: • 33% owned their homes, valued on average at $2,750 • 25 rented out rooms to boarders • 38% of adults were unmarried • The youngest was 2 and the oldest was 68 Learn where they came from and where they went. As Popinski families continued to grow, they left more tracks on the map: • 43% were born in foreign countries • Most immigrants originated from Poland • Most fathers originated from Poland • 57% were first-generation Americans
You've got family at Ancestry. Find more Radkin relatives and grow your tree by exploring billions of historical records. Taken every decade since 1790, the U.S. Federal Census can tell you a lot about your family. For example, from 1930 to 1940 there were 3 less people named Radkin in the United States — and some of them are likely related to you. Start a tree and connect with your family. Create, build, and explore your family tree. What if you had a window into the history of your family? With historical records, you do. From home life to career, records help bring your relatives' experiences into focus. There were 18 people named Radkin in the 1930 U.S. Census. In 1940, there were 17% less people named Radkin in the United States. What was life like for them? Picture the past for your ancestors. In 1940, 15 people named Radkin were living in the United States. In a snapshot: • 38% of adults were unmarried • The youngest was 12 and the oldest was 73 • The typical household was 2 people Learn where they came from and where they went. As Radkin families continued to grow, they left more tracks on the map: • The most common mother tongue was Jewish • 28% were born in foreign countries • 22% were first-generation Americans • Most immigrants originated from Russia
You've got family at Ancestry. Find more Ravensberg relatives and grow your tree by exploring billions of historical records. Taken every decade since 1790, the U.S. Federal Census can tell you a lot about your family. For example, from 1930 to 1940 there were 8 less people named Ravensberg in the United States — and some of them are likely related to you. Start a tree and connect with your family. Create, build, and explore your family tree. What if you had a window into the history of your family? With historical records, you do. From home life to career, records help bring your relatives' experiences into focus. There were 17 people named Ravensberg in the 1930 U.S. Census. In 1940, there were 47% less people named Ravensberg in the United States. What was life like for them? Picture the past for your ancestors. In 1940, 9 people named Ravensberg were living in the United States. In a snapshot: • 40% of women had paying jobs • 2 were disabled • 1 owned their homes, valued on average at $6,000 • 11% were children Learn where they came from and where they went. As Ravensberg families continued to grow, they left more tracks on the map: • 35% were first-generation Americans • 2 migrated within the United States from 1935 to 1940 • 4 were born in foreign countries • They most commonly lived in Ohio
You've got family at Ancestry. Find more Romness relatives and grow your tree by exploring billions of historical records. Taken every decade since 1790, the U.S. Federal Census can tell you a lot about your family. For example, from 1930 to 1940 there were 15 more people named Romness in the United States — and some of them are likely related to you. Start a tree and connect with your family. Create, build, and explore your family tree. What if you had a window into the history of your family? With historical records, you do. From home life to career, records help bring your relatives' experiences into focus. There were 63 people named Romness in the 1930 U.S. Census. In 1940, there were 24% more people named Romness in the United States. What was life like for them? Picture the past for your ancestors. In 1940, 78 people named Romness were living in the United States. In a snapshot: • The youngest was 1 and the oldest was 74 • 24 were children • Most common occupation was proprietor • On average men worked 51 hours a week Learn where they came from and where they went. As Romness families continued to grow, they left more tracks on the map: • 36 were first-generation Americans • They most commonly lived in South Dakota • Most immigrants originated from Norway • 6% migrated within the United States from 1935 to 1940
Automotive audio systems used to be rather simple affairs but today, with pure digital audio sources such as the internet and smartphones, the game has become more complex. Fortunately the engineering of high-quality sound reproduction hasn't changed a great deal. Good speakers and good amplifiers are the foundation of a high-performance sound system in any automobile. In this article we will explore the components and features of today's automotive audio systems so that you can be better informed when you hit the showroom floor. Head-Units They used to just be called "the radio" but today the component that sits in your dash is called the "head unit". They used to be just one piece too but today you are are likely to see the head unit separated from the display part. When checking out a new car, spend a good amount of time looking over the display and if it has touch screen controls make sure all your basic audio functions are easy to see and control –especially when you are driving. Radio Features All car radios have basic features such as seek and scan tuning and the ability to save favorite stations as presets. Some carmakers use traditional knobs for tuning and control and others use buttons and switches. Radio displays also differ, with some mimicking an old-fashioned radio dial and others just showing a station's frequency. Make sure that the radio features include Radio Data Service (RDS) that shows artist and song information. Bluetooth audio is another feature that's very popular. The technology wirelessly streams music from a compatible device to a car with Bluetooth audio. And if you have an Internet-connected smartphone with the feature, you can stream Internet radio stations like Pandora. Many other devices now offer Bluetooth audio too. Hard Drives A hard-disk drive (HDD) is another music source available in some vehicles. You record music files to an HDD a USB drive or other sources. The system catalogs files in a format similar to the one used by an iPod. Many HDD systems also allow you to create playlists repeating tracks or albums. And you also can choose to play tracks in random order. Recent vehicles have a time-shift feature that stores live-radio content to a hard-drive, similar to DVRs offered by some cable and satellite TV providers. Depending on the vehicle you can store and replay audio programs and some cars record these programs when the car is parked. Extra Features To combat outside noise in a moving vehicle, automakers employ various digital signal processing (DSP) technologies. A common one raises the volume relative to the speed of the vehicle. Some automakers also employ DSP such as Dolby Pro Logic II to give stereo recordings a surround-sound effect and provide a greater sense of space. Some automobiles come with steering wheel controls allow you to turn the volume up or down, skip forward/back on a CD, switch radio stations and change audio sources without removing your hands from the wheel or your eyes from the road. Another feature, voice activation, lets you control aspects of the audio system by pressing a button on the steering wheel and speaking a command. The listening Test Just as a car's exterior styling comes down to a matter of taste, the sound of an automotive sound system also is subjective. If the sound of an automotive audio system is important to you, bring your own music source to audition a car system. Judge how it sounds and how easily the system operates. Make sure that you and your car can make beautiful music together. Source: Zeigler of Downers Grove
Camera and LIDAR sensor in a single unit for advanced driver assistant systems October 22, 2012 // By Christoph Hammerschmidt Tiredness, distractions or loss of concentration are among the main causes of traffic accidents. Consequently, advanced driver assistance systems which help drivers in such situations can reduce the number of accidents. In order to provide reliable sensors which enable such driver assistance systems, automotive tier one Continental has developed a combination of an infrared laser (LIDAR) and a CMOS camera. The unit is suited for installation directly behind the windscreen, typically in the mounting of the rear-view mirror. The sensor module is able to categorize objects in front of the vehicle and detect an imminent collision. In addition to the two sensors, the module houses the entire analysis unit. In the speed range of up 72 km/h, the SRL-CAM400 can help drivers avoid a collision by initiating automatic emergency braking. The difference in speed between the vehicle and an object can be up to 40 km/h. If the speed differences are greater, emergency braking will at least considerably reduce the force of the impact. The new sensor module is currently at the pilot production stage, with series production planned to start in 2015.  CMOS cameras are already used for categorizing objects in front of a vehicle. However, by itself, a CMOS camera cannot always provide sufficiently reliable information for initiating automatic emergency braking. For this reason, This Continental combines this passive sensor technology with an infrared LIDAR in the SRL-CAM400. The LIDAR sensor transmits three pulsed infrared beams with a 905nm wavelength and measures the time-of-flight until the reflected beams reach the receiving optics. The sensor monitors a distance of more than ten meters in front of the vehicle, which classifies it as a short-range LIDAR system. From the speed of light and the time-of-flight, the sensor computes the distance to the object to an accuracy to 10 centimeters. In conjunction with the CMOS camera, the analysis unit in the sensor module now has access to both a robust means of object categorization and accurate distance measurement. Before automatic emergency braking is initiated, the two signal paths are compared with each other, thus further enhancing the probability that a correct decision will be made. With tight cost restrictions in mind, particularly with regards to compact vehicles, the module has been designed as a scalable unit. Depending on the application, the
Chrysler Full-Size Trucks 1989-1996 Repair Guide Flywheel/Flexplate and Ring Gear Flexplate is the term for a flywheel mated with an automatic transmission. See Figure 1 The ring gear is replaceable only on engines mated with a manual transmission. Engines with automatic transmissions have ring gears which are welded to the flexplate. 1. Remove the transmission and transfer case. Click image to see an enlarged view Fig. Fig. 1: Flywheel mounting bolt tightening sequence-diesel engine 1. Remove the clutch, if equipped, or torque converter from the flywheel. The flywheel bolts should be loosened a little at a time in a cross pattern to avoid warping the flywheel. On trucks with manual transmissions, replace the pilot bearing in the end of the crankshaft if removing the flywheel. 5. If the ring gear is to be replaced, drill a hole in the gear between two teeth, being careful not to contact the flywheel surface. Using a drift or a cold chisel, tap downward on the ring gear near welded areas to break any weld material. Tap around the ring gear until it comes off the torque converter. To install: 1. Polish the inner surface of the new ring gear and heat it in an oven to about 200°F (93°C), allow to stay there for 15 to 20 minutes. Quickly place the ring gear on the flywheel and tap it into place, making sure that it is fully seated. 1. Reweld the ring gear to the torque converter front cover, being careful to place, as near as possible, the same amount of weld in the exact same places that were used in the original weld. 3. Position the flywheel on the end of the crankshaft. Tighten the bolts a little at a time, in a crisscross pattern, to the torque figure shown in the Torque Specifications Chart. 5. Install the clutch or torque converter. 7. Install the transmission and transfer case.
Country : United Kingdom Currency : Pound sterling (GBP) Language : English City: 8 477 600 (2014) Metro: 12 496 800 (2014) Zone: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) closeLondon, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, was founded 2000 years ago by the Romans as Londinium. The city has been Western Europe's largest city for centuries: as early as in 1700 more than 575,000 people lived in London. Today London is not only the largest city but also one of the most visited thanks to its numerous famous attractions such as the Tower Bridge and the Big Ben. Random London Highlights Buckingham Palace, London One of London's most popular tourist attractions, Buckingham Palace is the most famous of all the palaces in London. The palace is still used as the official residence of the Queen. St. Paul's Cathedral, London The majestic St. Paul's Cathedral was constructed between 1675 and 1711 by Christopher Wren who designed world's second largest dome; it was only eclipsed by the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Harrods, London London's most famous department store is a luxurious shopping paradise. Its lavish interior and enormous range of products will impress even the most shopping-averse visitor. Trafalgar Square, London The largest square in London is named after the Battle of Trafalgar where the English fleet defeated the French. The column at the center of the square honors Admiral Nelson who was fatally wounded during the battle. © 2016
Retirement Blog Finance Blogs » Retirement Blog » Social Security: Cap or no cap? Social Security: Cap or no cap? By Jennie L. Phipps · Thursday, April 18, 2013 Posted: 3 pm ET The most frequently suggested solution to Social Security's potential shortfall is to raise the cap on earnings. That would mean people who earn more than the current cap of $113,700 and their employers would owe payroll taxes on earnings above that level. In some suggested scenarios, those who pay more wouldn't get more. Currently, Social Security's retirement benefits are calculated so that lower-earning workers get back 90 percent of the first $767 of their average indexed monthly earnings over 35 years. Those who earned more over that time get an additional 32 percent of the next $3,857. Higher earners also get 15 cents on the dollar for every additional $1 they earn over $4,624 up to the current earnings cap. Eliminating the cap and raising what Social Security pays high earners wouldn't solve any Social Security shortfall. More money would come in, but more would go out. If we raise the cap but we don't pay high earners more, then Social Security begins to look more like a retirement planning welfare program. Andrew Biggs, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and former principal deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration, pointed out in The New York Times Wednesday that if we eliminate the cap and don't pay more, "a person earning $225,000 would pay roughly four times more in taxes than he'll receive in benefits." Biggs adds that the top federal tax rate on earned income is currently 45 percent -- nearly half of what a high-earner makes. He calculates that eliminating the cap on Social Security would effectively raise the top tax rate by about 12 percentage points. That's a whopping tax increase with no commensurate increase in benefits. I wrote recently about the administration's proposal to change how cost-of-living increases are calculated -- a way to partially shore up Social Security by spreading the burden to include most recipients. Reader reaction was negative, but that proposal still seems far more fair that putting the burden solely on people who earn the most. April 20, 2013 at 10:13 am It's a tax, not a benefit, so there should be no cap. April 19, 2013 at 3:47 pm I'm happy to hear the truth about the high income earner already subsidizing the system if you'll agree to hear the truth about the distribution of wealth in this country. Despite all their complaints about having to pay the lion's share of taxes, the top (take your pick--1%, 5%, 10%, 20%) don't seem to have any problems continuing to accumulate more and more of the wealth of the land at the expense of everybody else. April 19, 2013 at 2:12 pm Social security is supposed to be a "safety net" and thus it was designed to give a greater proportion to those with lower income. It was never designed to be a primary retirement system for anyone. So having higher income folks get more out of it is contrary to the design of the system. April 19, 2013 at 12:56 pm As shills for the 1% I would expect AEI to argue against removing the cap on earnings subject to SS withholding. Fact is, SS was never created to be a "fair" system, it was designed to ensure that after a life of working nobody would live in abject poverty. The majority of us, myself included, have paid into SS with no expectation that I would get back everything I put into it. I'm OK with that if that is the price of living in a society that protects our old. This opposition to eliminating the cap and resistance to paying a fair share in taxes to support education and our nation's infrastructure is symptomatic at the greed that is eroding the morality of our society. I say eliminate the cap and implement a means test to receive benefits in order to preserve the integrity of the program. The chained CPI is an erosion of income for those who can least afford it. The proposal to increase eligibility age leaves many of those who work at physically demanding jobs unprotected since there's a limit on how long a person can work before our bodies begin to break down. April 19, 2013 at 10:47 am What is the difference in making government employees pay more into their retirement and not getting anything more in benefits. Currently FERS employees pay .08% into their basic annunity. Congress, mostly the Republicans wants the FERS employees to contribute 5.5% with no additional benefits. Just saying.... April 19, 2013 at 10:46 am What is the difference in making government employees pay morfe into their retirement and not getting anything more in benefits. Currently FERS employees pay .08% into their basic annunity. Congress, mostly the Republicans wants the FERS employees to contribute 5.5% with no additional benefits. Just saying.... April 19, 2013 at 10:36 am The article could not have any other outcome when it is structured by a AEI spokesperson. SSA is not a purchased annuity where the contribution and benefit is matched based on financial variables. SSA is a generation skipping social insurance. FICA is under title VIII and SSA is under title II. Most of SSA problems arise as a result of the increasing life expectancy in the USA. It was 40 years in 1880 and now is 80. April 19, 2013 at 10:33 am Donna Spellman April 19, 2013 at 10:30 am If we leave the cap on earnings for the person, but eliminate it from the employer, that would eliminate the need to pay the retiree a higher benefit. If a firm on Wall St can afford to pay their CEO millions of dollars a year, then they should be able to pay Social Security taxes on that amount. If they can't afford the Social Security taxes, then CEO pay should be lowered to a more reasonable amount. It is time to get real. As it is, these highest earners are finished paying their FICA taxes after only the first few hours of the year! April 19, 2013 at 8:02 am WOW This is the first honest article I have ever seen about raising the cap. I have been trying to explain this to people for years. Nobody wants to hear the truth that the high income earner is already subsidizing the system and removing the cap would make the system more like welfare.
Photo Courtesy of NASA The Giant Star The Sun is not a planet, it is a star. Most people forget that the Sun isn’t a planet but it’s really the brightest star in the Solar System. The Sun is almost a perfect sphere shape and has hot plasma – in fact it is made up of hot plasma with a unique magnetic field system also. Though, it is thought that the sun is going to be made up almost of helium, this is a small portion and the remainder is of hydrogen. It is said to be a lot of different and heavy elements found on the sun which includes iron, carbon, oxygen, neon and a lot of other elements. Around 4.5 billion years ago, was when the earth was formed because of the collapse of a molecular cloud. It is referred to the big bang which helped formed the solar system. The mass of the sun started to become hotter and hotter as the days past in the beginning of the sun’s formation. The sun is the brightest star in the solar system and it is around 85% brighter than all of the stars in the entire Milky Way galaxy. Most of the stars are considered to be red dwarf stars; the sun is a necessity when it comes to keeping the earth alive and the human population alive also. The actual distance of the sun from the earth is about 149.6 million kilometres which is a tremendous distance but it is not that far away actually. The light coming from the sun can travel to the earth in around 8 minutes and 20 seconds; and the energy of the sunlight will help to support every single life form on earth. It will run the different weather, seasons and even the climate of the earth also. The prehistoric era has to be the time in which the sun had most effect on the earth; and the sun is a star that has taken its time to form. It wasn’t always the size as it is now; it did take many years to form it size and become stronger and stronger and has continued to get brighter in the sky also. Everyone can view the sun from earth though it is not going to be wise to stare directly at the sun because it can cause damage to the eyes. It will be wise not to directly stare at the sun but wear protective eye wear when it comes to looking at the sun. Though, the sun can be very harmful to the skin because too much from rays the sun gives off, can cause damage to the skin including some skin cancers. The sun image The Giant Star / Photo courtesy of NASA The Sun’s core makes up almost 25% of the solar radius and has a huge density of almost 150 g/cm. The temperatures of the sun is going to be certainly very hot at a possible 15.7 million K (Kelvin) and this is certainly a temperature no human could stand. The core of the sun is going to be the only part of the sun that is going to offer thermal energy through fusion. Almost 99 percent of all power which is generated from the sun comes from the radius and the rest of the sun gets is energy from radiation coming from the core also. However, the energy that comes from the core will have to go through a variety of layers of the sun to get to the surface or the outside of the core. It will need to travel to the solar photosphere where it will go out into the space; it will go into space as sunlight or even as kinetic energy. There are gamma rays coming from the sun which is released in fusion. They don’t get far though as they are trapped basically in the atmosphere of the sun and is kept close to the sun. Radiation can take a lot of time to actually reach the surface of the sun – almost ten thousand years and in some cases, longer. However, neutrinos can reach the surface within seconds which offers energy going to the surface and space. Some part of the Sun which is found above the photosphere can be known as the solar atmosphere. The solar atmosphere can actually be seen via a telescope but the telescope must go through the electromagnetic spectrum of the Sun. The layers and layers on the suns interior is going to be around 2000 km thick and there are going to be several layers in all. Though the sun isn’t just orange or yellow; it is a mixture of colors because have a lot of bright gases circling and as a result there are many more bright colors that shine through. The temperatures of the sun continue to get hotter and hotter as the layers go deeper. There are going to be times when the sun looks as though it has a whip throwing itself out from the sun and it can resemble a string of fire trying to escape. The sun continues to do this and has done this because it’s a way of some energy of escaping. Sun star Solar Flare / Photo courtesy of NASA Earth’s fate in the future? There are some studies which have claimed that the Sun will continue to grow and when it does, it will almost disintegrate the Earth. However, if the earth does survive, it could mean that all of the water sources on earth will dry up and be lost in space. This will destroy the entire earth and the population because the intense heat from the sun will be all too much to bear for anyone. This is because the temperatures are increasing and it is said even though it’s moving slowly in many billions of years, there could be big problems rising because of this. Another theory says that many believe that in billions of years, the sun will eventually cool down and will expand. The Source of Energy The sun is going to provide the earth will its main source of energy. Many people don’t think about this but it’s true because this is where most energy sources come from and it has become something that is required to help keep the earth revolving and working correctly. Though, there are other sources of energy from outer space but this is only going to be due to the death of another star and the remnants of that star. How this works, is that the materials of the star will be trapped into the earth and the earth’s crust which will offer a rise of geothermal energy. This will offer more volcano forms on earth and this will help to add fuel for nuclear reactors. Strangely though, there is less power heading to the surface of the earth. Though, when it comes to solar energy, this is possible to harness in a variety of options. However, this is going to help natural and synthetic things such as plants because plants will take in the sunlight and help it to grow. The sunlight can convert the energy such as oxygen and even some carbon compounds which will offer direct heat or even electrical conversion. This is done via solar cells which are used by the solar power equipment; this will help to generate electricity. This is how most of the planet runs because it is a vital source of energy and very much needed. The sun is close to the Milky Way Galaxy, particularly at the Orion Arm. Facts on Video
Too much fast food and too little exercise have contributed to an increase in the number of overweight and obese children. According to the CDC, the problem is an energy imbalance. The body needs a certain amount of energy (calories) from food to keep up the basic life functions. Body weight tends to remain the same when the calories eaten equal the number of calories the body uses or "burns." Over time, when people eat and drink more calories than they burn, the energy balance tips toward weight gain, overweight and obesity. Fitness expert Carey Long of Baton Rouge said this energy imbalance has dire consequences for today's youth. "Today's preteens are expected to have a shorter lifespan than their parents," he said. "That is disturbing, yet not unsurprising given that 75 percent of Americans are predicted to be overweight or obese by 2020. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development show that 1 in 5 children aged 5 to 17 is carrying excess body weight." Long, author of "Real Life Fitness" and Director of Training for Spectrum Fitness Southdown's, would like to see physical education classes put an emphasis on exercise that promotes healthy lifestyles for kids. "The exercise incorporated in some schools pits more athletic students against less athletic schoolmates," he said. "Competition between students is emphasized which can result in a lifetime of feeling inadequate for students with less natural athleticism. In my opinion, fitness, self-esteem and school productivity would increase naturally if exercising while in school was not specific to individual sports, but instead was on educating students on how to exercise properly. It would allow each student to improve at his or her own pace and focus on each person's strengths without it becoming a competition against other students." He said this type of approach empowers people to take responsibility for their own fitness. Long said overweight people, often stigmatized, can develop a victim mentality. "Many people I meet dealing who are with obesity or weight issues don't see it as something they have chosen to live with, but instead see themselves as victims," he said. What is the recommended amount of exercise for children? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and teens should be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day. Although they stressed this doesn't have to be 60 minutes of continuous activity. For example, if an 8-year-old played soccer for 20 minutes during PE at school and then played baseball after school with friends, this would meet the AAP's recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity for the day. Long said today's children tend to be preoccupied with inactive pastimes and few do enough resistance exercise to develop strong musculoskeletal systems. "In my book 'Real Life Fitness' I am a fan of trying to do something every day of the week," he said. "Our bodies were designed to move, not sit around. We function better when we move more." Long said a combination of strength training and aerobic training is best for people of all ages. "There is extensive research that cardiovascular training and strength training combined provide an effective approach at combating obesity in children and adults," he said. He added other benefits include improving self-esteem, increasing work productivity and increasing longevity. Long is concerned that children today don't get the total daily requirement of physical activity they need. "An area that I pay attention to is the increased demand on students as it applies to homework responsibilities compared to when I was young," he said. "When I was young, afternoons were spent running around the neighborhood getting exercise, learning how to socialize and simply being active after being cooped up inside for eight hours. Now-a-days it's a 30-minute break and then back to the grind to prepare for the next series of standardized tests." After school activities To keep her children physically fit, school teacher Jill Espinoza of Gonzales takes 8-year-old Natalie and 10-year-old Brandon to martial arts classes after school. "Both my husband and I were overweight as children," she said. "We didn't want them to struggle with the same issues we've had to deal with growing up." She said overweight children are often teased by their peers, which can lead to social issues like bullying. That's one of the reason's she prefers martial arts training as an after school activity for her children. "My husband and I both had some martial arts training when we were younger," she said. "We felt strongly that in addition to the strength and conditioning they would get from martial arts training, they would also learn discipline and how to stand up for themselves so they would not be bullied." She said as a teacher, it was important to find an instructor that understood psychological and social issues that children face today. That's why Espinoza chose Black Dragon Martial Arts in Prairieville. "When my husband went through a job change, the kids' lives were disrupted, but Mr. Ken and Mrs. Kristine were so supportive and really helped the kids through it," she said. "They understand that many things affect children's moods and this affects their ability or inability to do certain things at certain times." Amy Pickholtz admitted she's "pretty unusual" in her approach to health and physical fitness when it comes to raising her 7-year-old son, Shane Reuben-McEvoy. "I have a few like-minded friends with children, but I'm definitely not in the mainstream when it comes to raising my child," she said. Pickholtz, a yoga instructor and owner of Eight Chakras Yoga in Prairieville, goes by the yoga name of Har Inderjeet Kaur and hasn't eaten meat, except for a little seafood, since 1984. "Shane has never eaten meat or poultry," she said. "He's eaten all organic foods for his entire life." In addition to eating nutritionally dense food, her son gets plenty of physical activity from sports like baseball and swimming, playing on the playground, riding a bike, physical education classes at school and formal exercise training in martial arts two days a week. Pickholtz said her 18-year-old daughter Rebekah Reuben was also physically active as a child, playing soccer and volleyball in school, and studying martial arts. "My daughter has been a black belt in kuksoolwon since she was 13," she said. Pickholtz, who teaches yoga to children as part of an after school enrichment program at Southeast Middle School in Baton Rouge, said many of the children she sees in the program lack basic coordination, balance, endurance and stamina. She said regular exercise such as yoga helps to restore good health and well-being. "They are lacking in endurance and stamina because they are not used to physically exerting themselves," she said. Pickholtz added regular exercise such as yoga helps to restore good health and well-being. "Yoga helps them to develop body awareness and it quiets their minds," she said. "Just recently one of my students had a breakthrough and told me, 'I feel so good, so calm and connected.'"
Navigation Links In phylogenetics, a grouping of organisms is said to be paraphyletic (Greek para = near and phyle = race) if all the members of the group have a common ancestor, but the group does not include all the descendants of the most recent common ancestor of all group members. Groups which include all the descendants of the most recent common ancestor are commonly termed monophyletic or holophyletic . The former is more common, but sometimes paraphyletic groups are also considered monophyletic, in which case the latter is used. Many of the older classifications contain paraphyletic groups, especially the traditional 2-6 kingdom systems and the classic division of the vertebrates. For example, the class Reptilia as traditionally defined is paraphyletic because that class does not include two groups of its descendants, birds (in class Aves, birds), and mammals (in class Mammalia). Paraphyletic groups are often erected on the basis of plesiomorphies (ancestral similarities) instead of upon apomorphies (derived similarities). In most cladistics-based schools of taxonomy, the existence of paraphyletic groups in a classification are regarded as errors. Some groups in currently accepted taxonomies may later turn out to be paraphyletic, in which case the classifications may be revised to eliminate them. Some, however, feel that having paraphyletic groups is an acceptable sacrifice if it makes the taxonomy more understandable. Others argue that paraphyletic groups are necessary to have a comprehensive classification including extinct groups, since each species, genus, and so forth necessarily originates from part of another. It has been suggested that paraphyletic groups should be allowed but clearly marked as such, for instance in the form Reptilia*. The term paraphyletic is also used in historical linguistics, with similar meaning. For example, centum and satem are papraphyletic groups of Indo-European languages. Breaking Biology News(10 mins): Other biology definition
workout Flickr/Nathan Rupert So you want to drop a couple sizes. You know the drill: Eat more veggies; fewer cookies. Drink more water; less soda. Work out a few times a week. Still, while most of us know the basics of healthy living, getting trim is hard work. That's why we recently talked to exercise scientist Philip Stanforth, executive director of the Fitness Institute of Texas and a professor of exercise science at the University of Texas, to find out more about what to look out for when losing weight. He told us there are three main obstacles that face most people who are trying to lose weight, and overcoming them can make a huge difference. 1. We spend way too much time sitting "In the world we live today to think people could not be overweight is ridiculous, because in the normal course of the day we expend so few calories," said Stanforth. "The chances are much higher that we’re going to eat more than that." In other words, a daily regimen of sitting at our desks, driving to and from work, and ordering takeout probably means we're going to end up eating more than we burn off. This, plus the fact that much of the food we eat comes stuffed with calorie-rich sugar and fat, makes evening out this ratio of burning to eating even harder. There are some simple solutions to a sedentary lifestyle, though. While research has shown that simply working out won't cut it, getting up for a few minutes every hour might just do the trick. 2. We're really, really bad at remembering what we've eaten and how much exercise we've done Even when we're making an effort to be more conscious of what we're putting into our bodies and how active we are, we tend to give ourselves more credit than we deserve. "People tend to overestimate their physical activity and underestimate how much food they eat," Stanforth said. "They consistently think they've worked out more and consistently think they've eaten less." Several recent studies back up Stanforth's observations. In a recent editorial published in the Mayo Clinic's peer-reviewed journal, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, the researchers wrote: "The assumption that human memory can provide accurate or precise reproductions of past ingestive behavior is indisputably false." The problem here isn't just that memories aren't reliable historical records — it's also that we often overlook the calories in many of the foods we eat habitually. Take coffee, for instance. Black coffee has just about 2 calories — less than a stick of sugar-free gum. But cream and sugar can add anywhere from 25-150 calories per serving. "Most people will think, 'Oh I had a coffee this morning and coffee has few-to-no calories,' so it's not significant," says Stanforth." But when you add cream and sugar, that can end up being far more significant." 3. Our portion sizes are way, way out of proportion In recent years, the amount of food we consider to be a single serving has ballooned. In some foods, it's increased as much as a whopping 700%. What most people would think of as a serving of ice cream, for example, is probably about a cup. In reality, though, a 230-calorie "serving" of Ben and Jerry's is half a cup, or just about 8 large spoonfuls! "Portion size is a big problem," says Stanforth. "Most people would say, 'Well that looks like a serving,' but in reality it's two or three servings." Think of this the time you're out to eat. If you get a bowl of pasta, consider taking half to-go. If you're eating family-style, start by covering half your plate in salad greens.
siblings Flickr / adwriter Having a younger brother isn't just a drag in childhood, it may also raise your blood pressure into adulthood, suggests a new study on Bolivian adults. The effect, detailed this month in the journal Economics and Human Biology, is only correlational and so the scientists can't say whether one causes the other. But they do offer a mechanism, suggesting that in this region, a younger sibling — particularly a younger brother — takes parental attention from older children while burdening the older kids with extra responsibility. "If there are more siblings in the family, the parents' resources are limited. The older brother will see the younger brother as a competitor and it will kind of stress them out," Zeng said. In wealthy, developed countries, the same link would likely not hold and may even go in the opposite direction, other research has suggested. [10 Scientific Tips for Raising Happy Kids] Sizing up siblings It's been well documented that birth order can affect personality, sexual maturation and several economic outcomes. In a previous study, Zeng's team found that adults with younger siblings tended to have higher total cholesterol than other children. To see whether blood pressure was affected, too, Zeng and his colleagues measured the blood pressure of 374 adults living in 13 Bolivian villages in the Amazon. Many came from large broods of six or seven children, so the group included a mix of younger, older and middle children. Younger brothers seemed to bring the biggest health risk: Those adults with younger brothers had blood pressures up to 6 percent higher than others in the study. Younger sisters were also a problem, but only for older girls, whose blood pressure increased by 3.8 percent for each younger sister. But the blood pressure spike probably wasn't caused by sibling spats or by younger brothers' behaviors. Rather, having younger kids in the family may have drained parental attention. And looking out for the younger siblings requires a lot of work from elder children. "In that area the older brothers have responsibility to help the younger brothers to find a job in the future or to find a wife or girlfriend," Zeng told LiveScience. Perhaps because males are preferred over females in the region, baby sisters require fewer resources than baby brothers and so weren't tied to a jump in blood pressure as much, Zeng said. Luckily, the stress of younger siblings wanes as people age. "When people get older, they're not living with their brothers or sisters anymore," he said. They have more control over their lives and fewer burdens from younger sibs, he added. People in developed countries can't blame younger brothers for their soaring blood pressure. With fewer siblings, many more resources, and fewer responsibilities to younger brothers, siblings in rich countries may actually lower blood pressure, according to a 1991 study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Instead, Americans can thank their sedentary, calorie-rich lifestyle for high blood pressure, Zeng said.
Fats and figures Author: Canadian Living Fats and figures Knowing how much of which fats to include in our diet is becoming increasingly challenging. First we assumed that the healthiest diets had the fewest calories coming from fats. Then we learned that it's not just the amount of fat but the type of fat in our diet that makes a difference -- some fats are acutally good for us because they help lower the risk of certain diseases. Now there's growing concern about the health risks of trans fats found in so many processed and fast foods. Although food labelling rules have changed, in the past unhealthy trans fats were not included on food labels so we sometimes consumed them without knowing it. What are fats Fats in foods are broken down into a myriad of fatty acids, each with its own chemical structure of long chains of carbon molecules attached to hydrogen atoms. Fatty acids are essential for various bodily functions, including cell growth and maintenance, hormone production and transportation of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) throughout the body. They also help support the immune system. Some fatty acids that are not used are stored in triglyceride molecules as fat, giving our bodies a vital source of energy. When it comes to calories, all fats are created equal -- all have nine calories per gram. As well, all fats make food taste better and help make us feel full because they empty slowly from the stomach. But that's where the similarities end. Saturated fats (so-called because the fatty acids are completely saturated with hydrogen atoms) are solid at room temperature. A diet high in saturated fats can raise your LDL-cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) level and your risk of heart disease. You should limit your intake of saturated fats to 10 per cent of your daily calories. Animal products, such as poultry, eggs and full-fat dairy products, contain saturated fats, as do tropical oils, such as coconut, palm and palm kernel oils. Saturated fats stats Canola oil = 7% Flaxseed oil = 10% Sunflower oil = 12% Corn oil = 13% Olive oil = 15% Soybean oil = 15% Peanut oil = 19% Lard = 43% Palm oil = 51% Butterfat = 68% Coconut oil = 91% Trans fats are created when a vegetable oil undergoes hydrogenation, a chemical rpocess in which hydrogen is added at high temperatures to make the oil solid. The process is commonly used by the food processing industry to prolong the shelf life of packaged products. Like saturated fats, trans fats raise LDL, or "bad," cholesterol and lower HDL, or "good," cholesterol. The well-known Nurses' Health Study showed that a woman's risk of developing type 2 diabetes increased with a greater intake of trans fats. To avoid trans fats, stay clear of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and margarines; packaged foods, such as crackers and cookies; snack foods, such as potato chips; commercially baked products; and restaurant french fries and other fast food menu items. Page 1 of 3 - Read page two to learn about good fats! Unsaturated fats (fats in which the fatty acids are not completely saturated with hydrogen atoms) are liquid at room temperature. These can be subcategorized as either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, depending on which fatty acids are present in the greatest concentration. Monounsaturated fats protect against heart disease by lowering LDL-cholesterol levels. These fats are typically part of a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, as well as olive oil and nuts, which are associated with lower rates of heart disease and cancer. Olive, canola and peanut oils are high in monounsaturated fats, as are avocados, some margarines and nuts, such as almonds and hazelnuts. Omega-3 fatty acids: These include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the essential fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). They help prevent blood clotting and thus reduce the risk of stroke. They help lower harmful triglycerides, reduce heart rhythm abnormalities and possible protect against heart disease. There's also some evidence that omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that may be helpful for people with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, such as colitis. You can get EPA and DHA from oily cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines. ALA is found in flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, canola oil, soybeans and soybean oil, walnuts and, in smaller amounts, dark green leafy vegetables. Omega-6 fatty acids: These fats provide your body with linoleic acid, the second essential fatty acid. They help lower LDL cholesterol but should be eaten in moderation since there's some evidence that large amounts can lower your HDL (or "good) cholesterol as well. You'll get omega-6 fats from eating safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean and sesame oils, as well as almonds, pecans, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds. Fatty acids It's important to maintain a good balance between omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce inflammation, and omega-6 fatty acids, which can promote inflammation. An imbalance between these fatty acids can contribute to disease. We can reach the target ratio by eating more omega-3 rich foods, such as salmon, mackerel and flaxseeds. 4:1 -- recommended ratio of omega- to omega-3 fatty acids in a healthy diet 10:1 -- conservative estimated ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the average diet Page 2 of 3 - Read page 3 for fat FAQs How much fat is OK? The general recommendation is that children aged one to three should get 30 to 40 per cent of their calories from fat, and children four to 18 should get 25 to 35 per cent of their calories from fat. For adults the recommendation is 20 to 35 per cent of calories from fat. Everyone should limit their intake of saturated fat to less than 10 per cent of total daily calories. Fat for kids There's a growing concern that excessive fat intake in childhood may lead to obesity and adult diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. However, it's still important for children to have some fat in their diets. It's important that young children consume some fat in their diets, and that parents restrict their children's fat intake gradually. For all children, it's important to look at the kind of fats that they consume. If they're eating lots of snack foods, such as doughnuts, cookies and chips, or processed foods, such as frozen snack foods, it's likely that they're consuming lots of unhealthy trans fats. Common questions about fat 1. What's the difference between percentage of fat and calories from fat? The current recommendation is to eat no more than 30 per cent of your calories from fat. Many people think that means that every food they eat must fall into this category. But it's better to look at the total meal. For example, a salad contains very few caloires until you add the dressing. A salad with dressing may contain 100 calories and 10 grams of fat. A gram of fat contains nine calories, so 10 grams of fat would be 90 calories, and this salad would have 90 of its 100 calories coming from fat, or 90 per cent of the calories from fat. Now if you eat that salad with a roll (about 150 calories and two grams of fat) and a piece of fruit (another 110 calories and almost no fat), the total meal would contain 360 calories and 12 grams of fat. So now only 108 of the 360 calories would be fat calories, and the whole meal meal would be 30 per cent fat. 2. How do I know if a food is high in fat? Multiply the number of grams of fat by nine to get the number of calories coming from fat. Divide that figure by the number of calories in a serving, then multiply that number by 100 to get the percentage of fat. If the result is more than 30 it's not a low-fat food. For example, if a cookie has 100 calories and eight grams of fat, about 70 per cent of its calories comes from fat. An easier method: if a food has less than two or three grams of fat per 100 calories, it's considered low in fat. Page 3 of 3 Share X Fats and figures
Christian Chinese Leader Freddie Sun Passes Away; Historic Work Revealed One of the of the most significant leaders in the history of Christianity in China, Dr. Sun Yi-yin, known in America as "Freddie Sun," passed away on August 22 from cancer at the age of 76, allowing for his full story and missionary work to be revealed. "When we look back at the history of China, we will see that Freddie Sun is probably one of the two or three greatest Chinese leaders," shared Bill Bray, Special Projects Coordinator of Christian Aid, in a phone interview with The Christian Post. "He did all this very covertly, never took credit, never promoted his name – he just had a servant spirit. So now that he is dead, we can tell his story for the first time." Christian Aid works to provide support for Christians suffering persecution in countries like China, with Dr. Sun joining the organization in 1988 and becoming the China Director. The late missionary spent 10 years in a labor camp prison in China for his participation in underground churches and his faith in God – but that only inspired him to grow as a Christian leader, and in his lifetime he raised funds to start 154 Bible schools and was responsible for the training of about 60,000 underground pastors and teachers. Religious freedom in China remains a controversial subject. While state-approved and government-controlled churches are permitted, they are often accused of hosting Communist propaganda, which forces many Chinese Christians to turn to underground or un-sanctioned churches. "Sadly, there still needs to be an independent non-government church that is not politicized. It seems that the Communist Party and the government keeps wanting to use the Church for political reasons, instead of focusing on God and spiritual life," Bray told CP. Before his work for Christian Aid, Dr. Sun was in the underground church movement in China, but also worked as a geology professor at a government-controlled university. Bray shared that it was some of his coworkers who told officials of his church involvement, which then began "a long trail of humiliation and abuse he went through" before he was sentenced to labor camp for 10 years. "But while he was in prison for his faith, it drove him to pray more and seek God more, and he had a personal revival while he was at the labor camps. It drove him closer to God, made him more zealous. He had no one to turn to but God and the Holy Spirit. So during that time he became much stronger in his faith," Bray explained. During the time he served the house church movement, over 90,000 non-government-controlled churches were planted in all throughout China. "It is not how many people he helped find the love of God but the wide range of his work. Every province and corner of China was reached and is being reached. He was not concerned with numbers but leadership training and he was responsible for the training of about 60,000 underground pastors and teachers," he added. The Christian Aid Projects Coordinator noted that Dr. Sun's work always had to be kept a secret for fear of Chinese officials capturing him. "Every time he went to China, we always had a prayer for him. He used to say, 'I may not come back. If they catch me I will die, I will be imprisoned.' But he went back and forth between China and America, carrying the offerings between American churches and Chinese churches," Bray said. He concluded that the Charlottesville, Va., organization and the Chinese community there are rejoicing in Dr. Sun's life, and they will hold a major memorial service for him on Sept. 15. A more detailed biography of the Christian Chinese leader has been published on Christian Aid's website. Dr. Sun's book, The Man in the Fiery Furnace, is available for purchase online, and details his life and trials in China's labor camps.
We wish we knew about artist Nickolay Lamm's infrared photography back in July! Lamm photographed what is refered to as the "heat island effect," caused by dark asphalt, lack of trees, and tall buildings like the ones found in New York City. When things heat up, they stay hot much longer. As you can see in the photos above, the heat signatures on different points of skyscrapers vary as much as 20 degrees on the same building depending on the time of day, materials, and other factors. Mostly what we see (and have felt) is that most of Manhattan is an oven, which makes us so very grateful for air conditioning. Studying images like these can help city planners understand energy consumption and (hopefully) find solutions that save us from this agony. We only wish that someone would use this technology underground too. [via PSFK]
Use of force From Conservapedia Jump to: navigation, search A use of force doctrine is employed by police forces, as well as soldiers on guard duty, to regulate the actions of police and guards. The aim of such a doctrine is to balance security needs with ethical concerns for the rights and well-being of intruders or suspects. United States soldiers on guard duty are given a "use of force briefing" by the sergeant of the guard before being assigned to their post, outlining what situations allow application of non-deadly and deadly force. • "The only difference between lawful force for police and civilians is that peace officers are not given the option of fleeing the scene to avoid confrontation." Indeed, soldiers on guard duty will be severely punished for "abandoning their post" if they leave before being "properly relieved". New York City • The guidelines prohibit an officer from firing his weapon at a suspect except as a last resort to save a life, according to the New York City Police Department Patrol Guide. To fire, the officer must have reason to believe the suspect is armed. He must also have reason to believe the fleeing felon poses an immediate threat of serious physical injury to the officer or that failure to apprehend the fleeing felon poses a threat of serious physical injury to others, the guidelines state. [1] The use of force is controversial. Pacifists believe that one should never use force to defend oneself, or even to defend another person. Among those who accept the legitimacy of using force to defend others from harm, there are disputes about how much force may be used and what kind of force. The recent wide availability of the Taser pistol has raised the question of what sort of cooperation a prisoner should be required to give when being arrested by police. For example, is it legitimate for a police officer to punish a suspect with a taser shock for refusing to place his hands behind his back for handcuffs? For refusing to stand up and walk after being handcuffed? During interrogation of a foreign terrorism suspect, how much force may legitimately be used to coerce the prisoner into giving information about terrorist activity? Since around 2005, the use of waterboarding (to make a prisoner fear that he is drowning) has come under public scrutiny.
From Conservapedia Jump to: navigation, search Uzziah (Hebrew עוזיהו, strength of YHWH) or Azariah (Hebrew, helped by YHWH) (826-r. 810-758 BC according to Ussher,[1] or 809?-vr. 792-r. 767-742 BC according to Thiele[2]) was the ninth king of the Southern Kingdom of Israel in direct line of descent.[3] He is notable for three reasons: 1. The evangelist Matthew[4] mentions him immediately after his great-great-grandfather Jehoram in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, thus skipping three generations. 2. The dates of his reign, and of alleged viceroyalties served by him under his father Amaziah and by his son Jotham under him, are in dispute. This dispute stems indirectly from an attempted synchrony of a king of the Northern Kingdom (Jehu) with an Assyrian ruler (Shalmaneser III). 3. More to the point, he had a prosperous reign, and then did a foolish thing that made him an immediate outcast and cursed the next two generations of kings of the Southern Kingdom. Early life and family Uzziah was the son of Amaziah and Jecoliah of Jerusalem. According to Ussher,[1] he was born in 826 BC when his father was thirty-seven years old. Thiele's original dissertation left the question of Uzziah's birth open, leading to a seemingly impossible situation (see below).[5] Leslie McFall, in an attempt to repair Thiele's oversight, suggests that Uzziah became viceroy of the Southern Kingdom at the age of sixteen—and must therefore have been born in 809 BC, when (in the Thiele system) his father was twelve years old.[6] This is possible, but implies that Uzziah's grandfather Joash would have found a wife for his son while the son was very young. This, however, is the least of the difficulties with the Thiele system. Uzziah married Jerushah, daughter of Zadok, and by her had his son Jotham. This marriage took place in or before the year 783 BC (Ussher)[1] or 775 BC (Thiele).[2] This would make Uzziah either 43 years old (Ussher) or 34 years old (Thiele) at the time. This last would also mean that Uzziah made his marriage while he was still viceroy under his father (see below). Possible viceroyalty Thiele assumes that Uzziah became viceroy of the Southern Kingdom under his father Amaziah fully twenty-four years before his father's death.[5] This is because the death of Amaziah, and the "beginning of reign" of Uzziah, are twenty-four years out of synchrony in the Thiele system. Larry Pierce tartly observed in 2001[5] that a strict read of Thiele's original dissertation would lead one to believe that Uzziah began his viceroyalty fully eight years before he was born. Subsequently, Leslie McFall suggested a corrective: that Uzziah actually became viceroy at sixteen and began his lone reign only after his father had died. But Pierce, in his direct reply to McFall,[6] retorted that the verse discussion Uzziah's succession (see below) says that "the people" acclaimed Uzziah, who was sixteen years old at the time, as king. This, says Pierce, would imply that "the people" somehow elected Uzziah as viceroy under Amaziah, and that four years after Amaziah took the throne himself. Viceroys, Pierce continues, do not gain their offices by popular election but by direct royal appointment. This, therefore, makes the Thiele/McFall interpretation of II_Chronicles 26:1 difficult-to-untenable. McFall might counter that he did not actually say that which Pierce accuses him of saying, but rather that the people acclaimed Uzziah sole ruler upon the death of his father, and that Uzziah had been sixteen years old when he became viceroy. Uzziah's accession (or, in Thiele's system, the beginning of his lone reign) followed a great tragedy.[7][8] King Amaziah realized that certain persons in his administration were plotting to kill him. He fled to Lachish, on the Philistine border—where the remains of a high place stood as recently as 2003. There the conspirators caught up with him and killed him. They brought him back on horseback, and he was buried in the sepulchres of the kings in Jerusalem.[9][10] The Bible next says that the people acclaimed Uzziah as their next king. The verse in II Chronicles reads thus: Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. II_Chronicles 26:1 (KJV) "In his room" is an Elizabethan English phrase meaning "in his place" or "in his stead." While Ussher assumed that Uzziah became king at sixteen upon his father's death,[1] McFall, a disciple of Thiele, now asserts that Uzziah became king (or rather, viceroy) at sixteen, and became sole ruler upon his father's death, and that those two occasions were twenty-four years apart.[6] The full length of his reign was fifty-two years.[8][11][12] Ussher asserts that Uzziah reigned alone during this entire period.[1] Thiele asserts that he was viceroy for twenty-four years, sole ruler for another eighteen years, and senior ruler (with a viceroy under him) for the last ten years of his reign.[2] Earliest Actions In any event, Uzziah moved swiftly to secure his country's border. He rebuilt the town of Eloth and stationed a garrison in it.[13] Then he declared war against Philistia, successfully attacked the three Philistine city-states of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod,[7] and even built military outposts in Philistine territory.[7][14] He scored similar victories against Arab and Mehunim forces.[7] The Ammonites paid him tribute, and his fame spread as far south as Egypt.[11][12][15] The Bible further says that he did "right" in God's sight, essentially continuing the Godly policies of Amaziah.[14][16][17] But, like so many other kings of the Southern Kingdom, he made no headway in removing the high places.[18] Military strength and public works The Chronicler gives many details about Uzziah's military strength and the extensive armament industry and public works projects that characterized his reign.[14] He would not seem to have tolerated a continued 160-meter breach in the wall of Jerusalem. The Chronicler specifically mentions the fortified anti-siege towers that he built at the valley gate, the corner gate, and at the corner of the wall.[19] Uzziah also built several military outposts in the desert, and also built several water projects.[20] Much of these water projects were for the benefit of the royal cattle herd and the multiple farms and vineyards that were royal property at the time. The army was 307,500 strong, with an officer corps of 2600. Uzziah kept these well-supplied with an armaments industry that furnished them with shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and slingshots.[21] By far Uzziah's most interesting contribution was his invention of siege engines, and specifically the first crossbow catapults and ballistae known to the ancient world. He placed these in the fortifications he had built along the wall of Jerusalem and throughout the desert.[22] Most military historians hold that siege warfare began in ernest in the wars of ancient Greece, but typically they propose that the first use of siege engines was in 429 BC. The Bible suggests that these historians ought to revise their theories—unless, as some have suggested, the first siege engine was a battering ram used at Troy and nicknamed "the Trojan horse." Wood[2] states that Tiglath-Pileser III specifically recognized one "Azriau of Yaudi" as the leader of an anti-Assyrian coalition well able to resist Assyrian expansion.[23] However, Tiglath-Pileser is out of synchrony with Uzziah, according to Ussher. Uzziah ought to have read that aphorism by his ancestor Solomon. Toward the end of his reign—perhaps in his forty-second year—he indeed became proud and haughty, so much so that he conceived a notion of officiating at a Temple rite.[7][8][11][12][14] The high priest Azariah gathered eighty priests behind him and confronted Uzziah. Azariah told him that he had not been consecrated to burn incense before YHWH, and that he needed to leave the nave at once. Uzziah indignantly refused and, censer in hand, attempted to proceed. At that moment he was stricken with leprosy up to his forehead. The priests immediately hustled Uzziah out of the Temple. Uzziah did not resist; he was even in a hurry to leave the Temple himself. Uzziah never recovered from his leprosy. He spent the next years of his life in quarantine. His son Jotham administered the affairs of state in his place.[24][25] Thiele suggests that Jotham may date his reign from that time, ten or twelve years before Uzziah's death,[2] because in that year, Uzziah needed to make him his viceroy. Ussher, however, dates Jotham's reign from the date of Uzziah's death.[1] However, Ussher seems to agree that Uzziah fell from grace in or near the forty-second year of his reign, which was three years after the accession of King Menahem to the throne of the Northern Kingdom. Death and Succession Uzziah died in either 758 BC[1] or 742 BC,[2] at the age of sixty-seven. His son Jotham undoubtedly became viceroy ten or twelve years earlier, at the age of either fifteen or twenty-five. The Uzziah Tablet or Ossuary In 1931 Professor E. I. Sukenik at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered, in a Russian Orthodox monastery near the Mount of Olives, an inscribed tablet that purports to come from the ossuary of King Uzziah. The legend on the tablet reads, To this place, the remains of Uzziah, king of Judah, were placed. Do not disturb.[12][26] This artifact has no reliable provenance at all. However, if the inscription is authentic, then the author of that message would have two motives to warn people against disturbing the bones: 1. They are the remains of a king, and proper respect militates against their disturbance. 2. They are the remains of a leper, and as such are hazardous to the health of any who handle them. This inscription, therefore, might have been the first bio-hazard warning in history. 1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 James Ussher, The Annals of the World, Larry Pierce, ed., Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2003 (ISBN 0890513600), pghh. 553, 564, 565, 585 2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Leon J. Wood, A Survey of Israel's History, rev. ed. David O'Brien, Grand Rapids, MI: Academie Books, 1986 (ISBN 031034770X), pp. 298-300 3. Multiple authors. "Entries for Uzziah." <> Retrieved June 8, 2007. 4. Matthew 1:8 5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Larry Pierce, Evidentialism–the Bible and Assyrian chronology TJ 15(1):62–68 April 2001 6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Larry Pierce, "Some Objections Considered," in James Ussher, The Annals of the World, Larry Pierce, ed., Master Books, 2003, pp. 921-926 ISBN 0890513600 7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Authors unknown. "King Uzziah - Biography." The Kings of Israel, hosted at Retrieved June 8, 2007. 8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Claiborne, Winford. "Uzziah, Jotham, and Ahaz." International Gospel Hour. Transcript of radio sermon first delivered November 2, 2003. Retrieved June 8, 2007. 9. II_Kings 14:19-20 10. II_Chronicles 25:27-28 11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Authors unknown. "Entry for Uzziah." WebBible Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 8, 2007. 12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 John Argubright. "King Uzziah." Bible Believer's Archaeology, Vol. 1: Historical Evidence That Proves the Bible., 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2007. Requires PDF reader. 13. II_Chronicles 26:2 14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Authors unknown. "God's Judgment Regarding King Uzziah." The Kings of Israel, hosted at Retrieved June 8, 2007. 15. II_Chronicles 26:6-8 16. II_Kings 15:3 17. II_Chronicles 26:4 18. II_Kings 15:4 19. II_Chronicles 26:9 20. II_Chronicles 26:10 21. II_Chronicles 26:14 22. II_Chronicles 26:15 23. Wood, op. cit., p. 300 24. II_Kings 15:5 25. II_Chronicles 26:16-23 26. Authors unknown. "Uzziah." Bible Heritage Center, Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2007. See also
Study your flashcards anywhere! Download the official Cram app for free > • Shuffle Toggle On Toggle Off • Alphabetize Toggle On Toggle Off • Front First Toggle On Toggle Off • Both Sides Toggle On Toggle Off • Read Toggle On Toggle Off How to study your flashcards. H key: Show hint (3rd side).h key A key: Read text to speech.a key Play button Play button Click to flip 37 Cards in this Set • Front • Back 4 evidences of macroevolution -comparative morphology -comparative biochemistry 2 kinds of comparative morphology -morphological convergence -morphological divergence 4 theories to explain the orgin of life -iron sulfide theory 2 major catagories of cells -prokaryotic (non oxygen based) -eukaryotic (oxygen based) first type of prokariyotic cell -unbranched speciation -the formation of organic material was carried to earth from somewhere else -life was brought by other lifeforms and seeded on the planet iron sulfide theory -found that there were iron sulfide pelates that were being ejected regularly from geothermal vents. their center was made up of concentrated elements from the environment. they dissolved in the water and from there, life began to form. dr. stanley miller -formed the primortial soup theory primortial soup theory -a combination of chemicals that were hypothesized to be in the earth's environment when it was first forming were placed in water and exposed to high temperatures. within 2 weeks, there were amino acids (complex organic molecules) endosymbiotic relationship -archibacteria benifited from eubacteria and eubacteria benifited from archibacteria reason why the endosymbiotic relationship took place -archibacteria preyed on eubacteria and over time, the eubacteria began to resist digestion and adapt to the inside of the archibacteria. they both would eventually benifit off each other. result of the endosymbiotic relationship -archibacteria and eubacteria formed mitocondria 2 important instances of evolution -carboniferus period: we got coal from an increasing growth of plant life continously growing, dying due to flooding, regrowing, and layering. -cretaceous period: we got oil from large concentrations of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere from geothermal vents. this caused plantlife to gow, die from flooding, regrow, and layer. 2 theories to explain the extinction of dinosaurs -KT impact theory -global boiling hypothesis KT impact theory -the impact of astroids single-handedly wiped out the dinosaurs global boiling hypothesis -impact of astroids caused fireballs to rise into the air and hit earth again; thus heating up the surface temperature (taken from what happened on jupiter in the early 90's) 3 major shapes of bacteria -coccus: sphere -bacillus: rod -spirillum: spiral 2 ways that bacteria reproduce -asexual/prokaryotic fission -bacterial conjugation asexual/prokaryotic fission -a cell gets large enough that the 2 rings in each cell begin to seperate until the cell breaks in half bacterial conjugation -sexual method (through a tube) of reproduction for bacteria 2 ways that viruses replicate -lytic cycle (virus does not hide) -lysogenic cycle (virus hides) 4 steps of the lytic cycle -attachment (the point at which the body recongnizes virus) -replication and synthesis 5 steps of the lysogenic cycle -splices into the host DNA and waits -replication and synthesis virus effects a single population virus effects multiple populations 2 types of infectious particles -made up of a tightly coiled strand of RNA small protein that can be airborn and somehow find its way into an organism (smaller than viroids) 2 metotrophic pathways (a pathway of metabolism) 2 heterotrophic pathways (a pathway of metabolism) -chemoheterotrophic (almost all bacteria) -can strip electrons/protons in the form of hydrogen molecules and other compounds and use them to rebuild -requires biproducts from other organisms in order to maintain a carbon source -not cell feeders, either parasites(live off living organisms) or saprobes(live off dead or decaying organisms) -uses inorganic energy sources -bacteria that causes disease
Study your flashcards anywhere! Download the official Cram app for free > • Shuffle Toggle On Toggle Off • Alphabetize Toggle On Toggle Off • Front First Toggle On Toggle Off • Both Sides Toggle On Toggle Off • Read Toggle On Toggle Off How to study your flashcards. H key: Show hint (3rd side).h key A key: Read text to speech.a key Play button Play button Click to flip 39 Cards in this Set • Front • Back Define Financial Accounting preparation of financial reports on the company for use by both internal and external parties. Define Managerial Accounting identifying,measuring,analyzing, and communicating financial info. needed by management to plan, control, and evaluate a company's operations. Name four financial statements most frequently provided. Explain the capital allocation process Financial reporting -> Users -> capital allocation What are some of the challenges facing accounting? 1. financial reports fail to provide Nonfinancial measurements. 2 fail to provide forward looking information. 3. fail to provide information on soft assets (intangibles). 4. Timeliness - little or no real time financial information. What are the objectives of financial reporting? provide information: 1 useful in investment and credit decisions 2 useful in assesing future cash flows 3 about company's resources, claims to those resources, and changes in them What is GAAP? Generally accepted accounting principles What does "generally accepted" mean? an authortative accounting rule making body has established a principle of reporting in a given area or that over time a given practice has been accepted as appropriate b/c of its universal application. What orgnizations were instrumental in the development of GAAP? What is SEC? Securties and exchange commission What is AICPA American Institute of Certified Public Accountants What is FASB financial accounting standards board what is GASB? government accounting standards board what is CAP? Committee on Accounting Procedure Which group developed the 51 Accounting Research Bulletins? What is the APB? Accounting Principles Board What were the major purposes of the APB? determine appropriate practices, advance the written expression of accounting principles and narrow the area of difference and inconsistency in practice What was the APB's official pronouncement? APB Opinions What did the Wheat Committee do? The Wheat committee examined the APB and determined the necessary changes to attain better results...resulted in the demise of the APB and creation of 3 new organizations: FASB, FAF, FASAC. What is FASB, FAF, and FASAC? Financial Accounting Standards Board, Financial Accounting Foundation, and Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council. How many members are in FASB? 7 members What are the significant differences between the FASB and the APB? 1 smaller membership 2 well paid, full time members 3 greater autonomy 4 increased independence 5 broader representation Who appoints members of the FASB? What is the due process system of the FASB? Agenda, Research (discussion memorandum), public hearing, exposure draft, fasb standard. what are the three types of FASB pronouncements? 1 standards, interpretations, and staff positions 2 financial accounting concepts 3 emerging issues task force statements what is AcSec accounting standards executive committee what does the AcSec do? speaks for the AICPA in the area of financial accounting and reporting. what is the most authoritative in the house of gaap? 1. FASB standards, interpretations, and staff positions 2. APB opinions 3. AICPA accounting research bulletins what is catagory C in house of GAAP 1 FASB emerging issue task force 2 AICPA AcSEC practice bulletins what is rule 203 of aicpa's code of professional conduct? members are prohibited from expressing an unqualified opinion on financial statements that contain material departure from GAAP. who or what has the least authority in house of GAAP 1. AICPA accounting interpretations 2. GAAP implementations guides 3 widely recognized and prevalent industry practices what is found in category b of house gaap? 1. FASB technical bulletins 2. AICPA industry audit and accounting guides 3. AICPA statement of position what is sarbanes-oxley act? a law which increases the resources for the SEC to combat fraud and curb poor reporting practices. name some changes implemented by the sarbanes-oxley act to the accounting profession 1. code of ethics for senior financial officers 2. audit committees must be comprised of independent members. Name the two sets of standards accepted for international use IFRS (international financial reporting standards what does FAF do? 1. selects members of FASB 2 funds FASB's activities 3 exercises general oversight what is FASB's mission? to establish and improve standards of financial accounting and reporting what does fasac do? consult with fasb on major policy issues. what are the two premises that fasb relies on? 1 responsive to entire economic community 2 operate in full view of the public
Incremental Java Side Effecting Expressions: Increment/Decrement Usually, expressions have no side effects. That is, they do not change the values of the variables in the expression. They only read from the variables during evaluation. There are some operators that have side effects. One of the most common operations in program is increasing a variable's value by 1 or decreasing by 1. Increasing by 1 is usually called incrementing. Decreasing by 1 is called decrementing. Since we need to both read and write to the box for incrementing and decrementing, the thing we're incrementing/decrementing must be both an lvalue as well as an rvalue. The only expression that is an lvalue (so far) is a variable. Thus, we can only increment and decrement variables. Here's an example of pre-incrementing: int i = 0 ; ++ i ; // Preincrment i Notice that every Java statement ends in a semicolon. We've added a semicolon at the end. The operator ++ goes before the variable when it is preincremening. When you just have ++ i by itself, it increases the value of i by 1. Thus, the value of i was read in (it was 0), then incremented (to 1), and written back to i. It's basically equivalent to i = i + 1. However, preincrement gets very weird when you begin to use it in more complicated statements. For example, look at: int i = 0, j ; j = ++ i ; The effect of preincrementing is to add 1 to i just before evaluating. The side effect is that i has its value changed. In the example, we have the assignment statement j = ++ i. Recall that we evaluate the RHS. But before we do that, we increment i to 1. Thus, the RHS evaluates to 1, and that is what is assigned to j. i has also been changed to 1 as a result of evaluating ++ i. What happens in this piece of code? int i = 1, j ; j = ++ i + ++ i; This looks more complicated. First, we note that ++ has higher precedence than +. Thus, the following parenthesization occurs internally when Java runs the program: ((++i) + (++i)). We evaluate one of the ++i. This increments to 2, and we have: (2 + (++i)). Then we evaluate the other ++. At this point i is already 2, so incrementing results in 3. We have: (2 + 3). The evaluating results in 5. Notice that we deviate from the usual evaluation rules for expressions. In particular, we don't substitute the current values of each variable into the expression. We must, instead, substitute only after the preincrement has been done. In general, you should avoid writing expressions with more than one preincrement (or predecrement), since many programmers find it hard to read and understand.
Intersections: The challenge of returning home The collapse of the Soviet Union, an energy crisis that followed, a devastating earthquake and a war with neighboring Azerbaijan has driven more citizens out of Armenia than officials would probably like to admit. While the waves of emigration continue, with more ethnic Armenians making up a worldwide Diaspora than actual citizens of the landlocked country, a small minority are answering the call, and “coming back home” from all around the world — Toronto, Jordan, London, Beirut, Boston and even Glendale. Intrigued by the dream of repatriation, Vicken Arabian left Glendale for Yerevan six years ago to start a new life with his three boys and wife after the romance of repatriating became a reality when he purchased a home and started a business. A descendant of genocide survivors, living in Armenia was always at the back, or perhaps forefront, of his mind. Now a general contractor who builds condominiums in the city, Arabian's dreams have come full circle. “I'm enjoying my life,” he says. “Life here is more comfortable, more carefree, despite the fact that there's a lot of hurdles.” Comparing it to the states, Arabian says the social environment is easier to adapt to, having made the same number of friends in just a few years in Armenia as he did after two decades in the Glendale area. Despite the idea that people think it's a sacrifice to live in the developing South Caucasus country, he says he never thinks he's sacrificing anything, but leading a more simplistic life that's allowed him to look at what defines quality of life for him. “People were just too dependent on their daily routine and here it's not like that,” he says. “Not everything is planned. We don't have to make an appointment to see each other, people think Armenians in Armenia are complex people, but it's just the opposite, I think.” Living in post-Soviet Armenia, as the country faces numerous political, economic and civil challenges — Freedom House, an international organization that conducts research on democracy and human rights, ranked Armenia in its 2011 report as “partly free” — does come with difficulty. “People don't have a strong belief in the rule of law in this country,” Arabian said, adding that corruption in government affects everybody almost all the time. “We have to start believing in the rule of law, positive aspect of the rule of law, from the most unimportant law to the biggest law. That's the negative aspect that I hate about living here.” The lack of freedom and civil liberties is an aspect that Hovik, who runs his own IT consulting and software development company and requested that his last name not be used, doesn't like either. In Glendale temporarily, Hovik is planning to return with his wife, which he met in Armenia, and his two daughters within a year. He says, like Arabian, that life is less complicated in the country and he feels his impact to make a difference is greater than it would have been in the U.S. “To me, it felt like a great challenge,” he says on the move to Armenia. “To see whether a Westerner can make it in Armenia, both professionally and personally. I was in between jobs and had some business ideas that involved computer software and Armenia was a natural choice for testing the ideas out.” Coming from Glendale, Hovik says he enjoys the ability to use public transport and relatively inexpensive taxi cabs to move around in Yerevan, and sees the significance of living in a place with thousands of years of cultural history. For him, the worst thing about Armenia is seeing the poverty the country suffers from, as well as the corruption. Armenia was ranked 109 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2009 Global Corruption Report. “Just like other inheritors of the Soviet legacy, corruption is a disease that affects Armenia as well,” he says. With a staggering emigration rate — totaling 15,000 people each year between 2005 to 2010, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in report about aging in Armenia — the country is bleeding more people than it is taking in. The key to reversing this trend is to make people feel there's a future for them in this country, Arabian said. “That's the underlying reason that people leave. People need hope, and there's less hope today for the average Armenian than there was six years ago. People feel that they don't have control over their destiny or future. A lot of that is political, the fact that the ruling class is completely out of touch with the people.” While he isn't sure if he'll call Armenia home for the rest of his life, he feels he's on the right track in the country, he says. “I can't tell you where I'll be 10 years from now, it all depends on where life leads us,” he said. “Armenia is a great place and we're enjoying our life now.” LIANA AGHAJANIAN is a writer and editor who has been covering arts, culture and news in print and online for a number of years. Copyright © 2016, CT Now
Thailand: Culture, Geography, and Racial Characteristics The Kingdom of Thailand, located in Southeast Asia on the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, shares boundaries with Myanmar (Burma) on the west and northwest, Laos on the east and northeast, Cambodia (Kampuchea) on the southeast, and Malaysia on the south. Thailand, although rich in rubber and in mineral resources, was never colonized by Europeans and has existed as a unified monarchy since 1350. The capital, BANGKOK, an attractive blend of Western and Thai architecture, was established in 1782. Thailand covers a land area of 513,115 square kilometers, from North 5° 30¨ to 21° and from East 97° 30¨ to 105° 30¨, and extends about 2,500 kilometers from north to south and 1,250 kilometers from east to west, with a coastline of approximately 1,840 kilometers on the Gulf of Thailand and 865 kilometers along the Indian Ocean. Related Essays:
How long can sperm survive after ejaculation? Research has shown that some sperm may survive in the Fallopian tubes up to 7 days, with the average amount of time being 3 to 4 days. The sperm survive much longer once they have traveled through the cervical opening into the woman’s body which is a good reason to try and elevate your bottom in order to encourage the sperm to travel, with the help of gravity, to your cervix more quickly and in greater quantities. Theories also suggest that the contractions associated with orgasms pull sperm from the vagina to the cervix, where it’s in better position to reach the egg. Sperm, in the vagina, can only survive about six hours due to the acidic vaginal secretions. The cervical mucus present when ovulation is near, is more alkaline and more hospitable to sperm. The egg white consistency of the cervical mucus helps the sperm move more easily through the vagina to the cervix, increasing the chance that the sperm will be in the correct location for fertilization to occur. If the woman’s cervical mucus is not as hospitable to the sperm as it should be, not enough egg white consistency, she may need to use a lubricant to help. Pre-Seed personal lubricant is the only lubricant on the market which does not harm sperm. The consistency and pH is as close to natural cervical mucus as you can get. Wanna Be Starting Something? If you have to start something, you often have difficulty to the beginning. Are you the one who experience it in the whole wide world? of course not. Every first step is very difficult to make. Actually it is very simple but it is we who make it complicated by asking a lot of thing. Thinking too much about what happen if we do the beginning. We think we have to anticipate everything we possiby face in the process. But after a lot of thingking, then we stop too long for thinking only. Thinking is good, but thinking too long and too much is not good at all. Think just long enough to start and to do the beginning. After the start we can do the action and the thinking can be done later. Thinking too long is for the negative thing, such as before we used narcotics, cheating to our spouses. That needs a lot of thinking.. haha.. But for the daily routine, for our work, for the good practical things, you dont have to think too long. Such as going to the gym, cooking for your children, writing your assignment, telephoning your client, that doesnt need thinking too much and too long. Just start picking your telephone and dial the number of your prospect. Or turning on your PC and do your homework, make a report that your boss has asked you several times. When you feel very lazy to do something, then it is the time you lift up your butt and walk and grab your brush and clean the toilet, or broom your bedroom, or typing the report. Then you will clean all your room and toilet, also ‘clean your heart from laziness” and it will motivate you to do something ‘more important’. Some motion and movement is necessary at the beginning. So dont be afraid to ‘get busy’ and to ‘look busy’ at the first time. Just ‘get busy’ at the beginning, then you can think the better things to do next, or you can think the better strategy to continue throughout the day. It will give you a good impact to start your successful day. If you want to tidy up the home, then lift some broom and brush. If you want to sell something, then speak to your colleague about the prospect. If you want to repair the broken car, then walk to your car and lift up the hood. Dont just sit here reading this note. This note can become silly when you just read it too long. So now, get up and do something. Get busy.
How to Replace a Murray Mower Pull Rope Written by emily patterson • Share • Tweet • Share • Pin • Email How to Replace a Murray Mower Pull Rope Mower on lawn (le passage de la tondeuse image by Jean-Michel POUGET from The pull rope, also called a recoil cord, on a Murray mower can break at any location after a few years. The cord weakens from deterioration caused by age and moisture, which can lead to breakage. The knot at the end can also loosen and cause the cord to pull out of the assembly. If the cord has not broken and the knot has just loosened, it is best to replace the cord since the loose knot indicates deterioration and the eventual breakage of the rope in the near future. Skill level: Other People Are Reading Things you need • Screwdriver • Allen wrenches (for some models) • New pull rope • Safety glasses or goggles Show MoreHide 1. 1 Locate the spark plug cover on your Murray mower and gently pull the spark plug cover off the spark plug. 2. 2 Remove the screws in the cover over the engine where the pull cord is located on the Murray mower with a screwdriver or the appropriate sized Allen wrench (also called a hex key). 3. 3 Look at the pull rope assembly for the specific Murray mower, which will be located right under the cover. There will be a pulley with the remainder of the rope or an obvious area where the rope should be attached. If the hole for the knot is accessible, do not remove the starter assembly. The springs can fly off and get lost and create more problems. If it is not possible to replace the starter pull rope on the Murray mower without removing the pulley, carefully unscrew the screw in the centre of the assembly that holds the pulley on the mower. Keep track of the screw and the washer or put them both back in the hole after removing the part while replacing the pull rope. 4. 4 Push the end of the new starter rope into the hole and tie a double knot at the end of the new starter rope. 5. 5 Look at the pull assembly where the rope is pulled from the outside of the mower. It will be offset to one side or the other of the starter pulley. The rope will have the pull side on the side with the offset. 6. 6 Turn the pulley assembly to wind the rope around the pulley in the direction that pulls the rope from the offset side. Turn the pulley until it begins to get tight and then turn it backward about a turn. If the pressure on the springs below the pulley is too tight, they'll break. 7. 7 Replace the starter assembly if it was removed from the Murray mower. Push the loose end of the rope through the hole in the cover. Re-attach the cover on the mower. 8. 8 Slide the old rope out of the pull handle. If the starter rope goes through a guide on the handle of the Murray mower, push the end of the rope through the guide. Push the new rope into the pull handle and tie a double knot in the end of the rope. Do not trim the rope to fit until after successfully starting the Murray mower. 9. 9 Replace the spark plug cover on the spark plug. 10. 10 Pull the rope to start the mower. If there is not enough tension on the spring to start the mower or recoil the string, pop the cover back off and wind the rope a little tighter. If adjustments need to be made, remove the spark plug cover while rewinding the cord and replace before starting the mower. When the mower starts successfully and the cord recoils properly, push the pull handle to the proper position for the specific Murray mower, tie a knot at the location where the new pull rope meets the handle and trim off the excess rope. Don't Miss • All types • Articles • Slideshows • Videos • Most relevant • Most popular • Most recent No articles available No slideshows available No videos available
If your doctor suspects you have meningitis, he or she will likely put you on a round of broad-spectrum antibiotics to fight potential non-viral types of infectious meningitis. Once he or she has determined the type of meningitis you have — viral, bacterial, or fungal — your doctor will provide a more specific treatment. Viral Meningitis Treatment Antibiotics cannot kill viruses. If you have viral meningitis, you will be taken off whatever antibiotic therapy you may have been using. There is no specific treatment for viral meningitis, which is often mild. Most of the time, people recover from their viral meningitis in seven to 10 days, with little more than rest, over-the-counter fever reducers/pain medications, and proper fluid intake. However, if you have meningitis caused by a herpes virus or influenza, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication. For instance, the antiviral drugs ganciclovir (Cytovene) and foscarnet (Foscavir) are sometimes used to treat Cytomegalovirus meningitis in people with weakened immune systems (from HIV/AIDS or other issues), infants born with infection, or severely ill individuals. In some cases, acyclovir (Zovirax) may be used to treat meningitis from the herpes simplex virus, although it appears to have a positive effect only when given very early in the illness. Influenza may be treated with one of several different licensed antiviral agents, including peramivir (Rapivab) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Bacterial Meningitis Treatment If you have bacterial meningitis, you will be treated with one or more antibiotics that target the bacteria causing your infection. These antibiotics commonly include: • Cephalosporin antibiotics, such as cefotaxime (Claforan) and ceftriaxone (Rocephin), for Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitides • Ampicillin (a penicillin-class drug), for Haemophilus influenzae type B and Listeria monocytogenes • Vancomycin, for penicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumonia A number of other antibiotics may also be used, such as meropenem and the aminoglycoside antibiotics tobramycin (Tobi, Tobrex) and gentamicin (Garamycin, Gentak). Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and rifampin (Rifadin) are sometimes given to family members of people with bacterial meningitis to help protect them from catching the infections. Other Meningitis Treatments Fungal meningitis is treated with long courses of high-dose IV antifungal medications. These medications are often part of the azole class of antifungal drugs, such as fluconazole (Diflucan), which is used to treat infections from Candida albicans, the fungus behind yeast infections. Depending on the type of infection, other antifungals may also be used. For example, amphotericin B (Ambisome, Amphotec) is the most common treatment for cryptococcal meningitis, caused by the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. Amphotericin B may also be used to treat a rare type of parasitic meningitis caused by Naegleria fowleri. Alternatively, the antifungal agent miconazole and the antibiotic rifampin may be used. In addition to the above medications, corticosteroids may be used to reduce meningitis inflammation. Diazepam (Valium) or phenytoin (Dilantin) can help treat seizures, which may occur with bacterial and N. fowleri infections. Meningitis Vaccines Vaccines cannot protect you from the non-infectious causes of meningitis, which include cancer, autoimmune disorders, and certain medications. However, they can protect you from the three most common bacteria that cause meningitis in children and adult — Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and Streptococcus pneumoniae — and certain meningitis-causing viruses. Meningococcal Disease Vaccines Meningococcal disease is any illness caused by N. meningitidis. At least 13 different serogroups, or strains, of N. meningitidis have been identified so far, with five of them (A, B, C, Y, and W-135) causing the vast majority of meningococcal disease cases in the world, according to the Immunization Action Coalition. In the United States, the meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Menomune), which has been available since the 1970s, protects against groups A, C, Y, and W-135. It's the only meningococcal vaccine licensed for people older than 55, though it can be used for anyone age 2 or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Mentactra, Menveo) also protects against these four strains. It’s recommended for everyone between 9 months and 55 years old (Menveo can be given to children as young as 2 months old). An initial dose should be given between the ages of 11 and 12, with a booster shot at age 16; no booster shot is needed if the first dose is given after age 16. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the first two vaccines for N. meningitidis group B — Trumenba and Bexsero — for people between 10 and 25 years old. Hib and Pneumococcal Disease Vaccines Six Hib vaccines are available, some of which are combined with other vaccines. MenHibrix, for example, protects against Hib and meningococcal groups C and Y. The vaccines are given in three or four doses, depending on the brand. They're recommended for all U.S. children under age 5, and the first dose is usually given at 2 months of age. Approved in 2010, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar 13) protects against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria. It's recommended for all children younger than 5 years of age, adults older than 65 years of age, and people older than 6 years old who have certain risk factors. The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Pneumovax), approved in 1983, protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria. It's recommended for all adults who are at least 65 years old, and everyone older than age 2 with a high risk of pneumococcal disease due to health issues and medications. Viral Meningitis Vaccines No vaccines are available to protect against non-polio enteroviruses, by far the most common cause of viral meningitis. However, vaccines can prevent other meningitis-causing viruses, including mumps, measles, influenza, and chickenpox (varicella). The measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine, approved in 2005, protects against three meningitis-causing viruses. Separate MMR and varicella vaccines are also available. The vaccines are recommended for all children, with the first of two doses given between 12 and 15 months of age. The CDC recommends that everyone over 6 months old get a flu vaccine every season. Routine shots of the vaccine are necessary because the formulation of the vaccine is updated yearly to account for the ever-evolving flu viruses.
Find out the motion of the system, Mechanical Engineering Find out the motion of the system: Block (A) of mass M A = 40 kg is resting on coarse table having coefficient of friction = 0.1. This is tied up with an inextensible rope (a b c d) passing over the smooth and mass-less pulleys P1 and P2 and end (d) is at the fixed support is illustrated in Figure. Another mass MB = 10 kg is hanging from pulley P2.Find out the motion of the system. Figure illustrated the block A and B as connected in the system. Pulley P2 has rope on its either side or therefore movement of P2 or block B is half the movement of block A. ∴ If V is the velocity of block A, V/2 is the velocity of block B. Likewise, if a is the acceleration of A, a/2 is the acceleration of B. ∴ For block A, V 2 = 2 a s --------- (I) Weight of B = WB = 10 × g Let A′ and B′ be the final positions of block A and B respectively as illustrated in the figure. 1302_Find out the motion of the system.png Let Datum-level at the lowest level B′ of the block B. 801_Find out the motion of the system1.png 40 g ( H + (s/2) ) + 10 (s/2) × g = 40 g (H + (s/2) + M A (V 2 /2) + (M B/2) (V /2)2 + F × s ∴ 5 g s = (V 2/2) (40 +( 10/4) )+ 0.1 × 40 g s ---------- (II) From Eq. (I) and (II) 5 g s - 4 g s = (2 a/2) s (42.5) ∴ a = 0.23 m / sec 2 along AA. Posted Date: 1/29/2013 7:12:22 AM \| Location : United States Related Discussions:- Find out the motion of the system, Assignment Help, Ask Question on Find out the motion of the system, Get Answer, Expert's Help, Find out the motion of the system Discussions Write discussion on Find out the motion of the system Your posts are moderated Related Questions how to produce a design that meets the specification given: Beam Dimensions W, H and T, where H=2W and T=W/20 • Bolt Size D1 • Side Plate thickness T2 and width W2 • Cradle Plat Determine root of equation xe x = cosx by Muller's method. Solve the following equations by Matrix Inversion method. Control of the guide vanes shall be by means of an external linkage connected to the internal control ring Steam Generator piping. Inlet guide vanes shall be furnished with the Fluid Friction: Fluid friction manifests when the lubricating fluid is introduced between contact surfaces of the two bodies. If thickness of lubricant or oil between the m Determine the wire diameter of the inner spring: In a compound helical spring, the inner spring is arranged in and concentric with the outer one, but is 10 mm shorter. The out The two-storey frame shown in Figure Q4 is such that the self-mass may be considered to be located at the beam levels and the beams may be presumed to be rigid. The self-mass ( Classification of Cast Iron: CI having C in form of cementite is named as white cast iron. Microstructure of that CI consists of pearlite, cementite and ledeburite. Whether C difference between pipe and tube Process Selection in Making a Simple Part You should first determine the part's function, the types of load and environment to which it would be subjected, the dimensional to hardness of bore well water is less than sea water .justify
You are looking at a stunning photo of the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the closest dwarf galaxies to the Milky Way. Captured by the ESO’s Very Large Telescope (points for creativity), the photo shows an active region of stellar birth on the right, and the remnants of explosive stellar death — supernova — on the left. The VLT is the world’s largest visible light telescope, so this photo is just about as good as it gets. A larger version is shown below, if you’re looking for a new desktop wallpaper. There’s also a very cool video embedded below that shows you exactly where in the night sky this image was taken. Located around 160,000 light years from Earth, the Large Magellanic Cloud is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way. Due to its diminutive size (about one-hundredth the size of the Milky Way) and relatively close proximity, the LMC actually orbits the Milky Way as a satellite. The LMC is visible to the naked eye from the southern hemisphere (pictured below), between the constellations of Dorado and Mensa. In this photo, eso1348a, the main feature is NGC 2035 — the bright, white region on the right side of the frame. Large Magellanic Cloud, between the Dorado and Mensa constellations Large Magellanic Cloud, between the Dorado and Mensa constellations NGC 2035, also known as the Dragon’s Head Nebula (because it kind of looks like a dragon’s head), is a star-forming stellar nursery. The bright glow is caused by gas clouds being struck by radiation given off by newly formed stars. If the region on the right of the photo symbolizes life, the red filaments on the left are symbolic of death. Here you are looking at the remnants of a supernova event, SNR 0536-67.6. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of information about SNR 0536-67.6, but judging by the width of the emissions — both the filaments and the Dragon’s Head Nebula are hundreds of light years across — the supernova occurred a long time ago. When a star goes supernova, it generates a truly stupendous amount of energy, kicking out huge amounts of radiation, dust (this is where all of our heavy elements come from), and gas — star stuff that then becomes the foundation of stars, new planets, and, at least once, intelligent life. As a fun aside, supernovae generate so much energy that a new unit had to be coined — the foe, or fifty one ergs. The sun is expected to produce around one foe in its entire lifetime — a big supernova can release tens of foes in a few seconds. eso1348a (click to zoom in) Loading player… The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope is situated at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. The VLT consists of four individual telescopes, each equipped with massive 8.2-meter mirrors. The telescopes can be combined to achieve very high angular resolution, but each individual telescope is also equipped with a wide variety of instruments. Between the four mirrors, there are some 16 instruments, designed to cover huge swathe of the spectrum, from ultraviolet to mid-infrared.
Although once widely recommended, aspirin for the prevention of a first heart attack or stroke (primary prevention) has lost favor in recent years, as the large number of bleeding complications appeared to offset the reduction in cardiovascular events. But at the same time evidence has emerged demonstrating the long-term effect of aspirin in preventing colorectal cancer, leading some to think that the risk-to-benefit equation for aspirin should be reconsidered. Investigators in the Women's Health Study therefore analyzed long-term followup data from 27,939 women who were randomized to placebo or 100 mg aspirin every other day. They then calculated the 15-year risk for cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer for the women in the study. In the overall study population aspirin use led to very small reductions in absolute risk for cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer, resulting in NNTs (number need to treat) of 371 and 709. This tiny benefit occurred at the expense of the increase in gastrointestinal bleeding, reflected in the NNH (number needed to harm) of 133. However, in women who were 65 or older the cardiovascular benefits of aspirin were more pronounced, with a 3.11% reduction in absolute risk at 15 years yielding a NNT of 29. GI bleeding was also increased in this older group,"but this increase was relatively smaller than the decrease in CVD, especially if bleeding is given less weight than CVD and cancer," wrote the authors. In their paper published in Heartthe authors conclude that aspirin for primary prevention "is ineffective or harmful in the majority of women with regard to the combined risk of CVD, cancer and major gastrointestinal bleeding." However, they state that "selective treatment" in women 65 and older may be reasonable. The findings are in accord with other recent studies in men. Aspirin to prevent another event after a heart attack or stroke is still widely considered to be beneficial in both men and women.
Related to Banks: Types of Banks • noun Synonyms for Banks References in classic literature ? In a short time, I proceeded to remove my family from Clench to this garrison; where we arrived safe without any other difficulties than such as are common to this passage, my wife and daughter being the first white women that ever stood on the banks of Kentucke river. The foundation of their airy castles lay already before them in the strip of rich alluvium on the river bank, where the North Fork, sharply curving round the base of Devil's Spur, had for centuries swept the detritus of gulch and canyon. Sometimes the banks were overhung with thick masses of willows that wholly hid the ground behind; sometimes we had noble hills on one hand, clothed densely with foliage to their tops, and on the other hand open levels blazing with poppies, or clothed in the rich blue of the corn-flower; sometimes we drifted in the shadow of forests, and sometimes along the margin of long stretches of velvety grass, fresh and green and bright, a tireless charm to the eye. As he wandered up and down on the banks of the mill-pond he heard a rustling in the water, and when he looked near he saw a white woman rising up from the waves. Steadily he pressed forward by winding ways till he came to a green broad pasture land at whose edge flowed a stream dipping in and out among the willows and rushes on the banks. The banks were generally alluvial, and thickly grown with cottonwood trees, intermingled occasionally with ash and plum trees. As it was known that one of them could not swim, it was hoped that the banks of the Quicourt River would bring them to a halt. The men was all to the Banks, and Counahan he whacked up an iverlastin' hard crowd fer crew.
Balloons destined for space will be launched in Malmesbury at an event in May. Schoolchildren, Scout groups and those with an interest in weather ballooning are encouraged to take part in what is the second annual balloon fiesta. Chris Hillcox, 40, brought the mass weather balloon fiesta to the town after visiting last August to film with inventor Tom Lawton, as they attempted to launch a weather balloon from the River Avon to take pictures from the stratosphere. Mr Hillcox said: “Malmesbury is a great place to do it. If the weather is anything like last year then it will be an awesome day. “I’m quite nervous though as well because you never know what will happen. “There is a lot of preparation, including getting CAA permission. "When you let go of the balloon you just never know how it will go; there’s a lot of anticipation around it.” The two-metre diameter latex balloons are filled with helium and tethered with nylon cord as they float up into ‘near-space’ 35km above the Earth, where they are used to take pictures of the landscape. They eventually burst and come down in a parachute, then are tracked using GPS to be collected when they land. Mr Hillcox, who is from Birmingham, said: “We use online forecast software to work out where the balloon will go and avoid landings in cities and close to airfields. “I will be hoping that people who have never done it will have a go and I will be happy to help people understand what is involved.” This year’s event will be held at the Red Bull Inn, Bristol Street, between May 24 and June 1, depending on the weather. Anyone interested in taking part can call 07783 903096, email or visit
The Miracle Benefits of a Glass of Milk The Miracle Benefits of a Glass of Milk in Nutrition by The Miracle Benefits of a Glass of Milk By: hobvias sudoneighmCC BY 2.0 Did you think drinking milk was just a “kids’” thing? Regular whole milk plays a healthy role in a person’s diet, especially in that of one who is prone to osteoporosis or trying to build muscle. High calcium content replenishes the calcium lost in bones, strengthening our bones and teeth. Most milk is fortified with Calcium, an essential nutrient and milk also helps the body absorb the Vitamin D it receives from sunlight. The proteins in whole milk are 80% casein and 20% whey, making milk an excellent “recovery food” that supports lean body mass gain and exercise recovery. These qualities are especially important for middle-aged to elderly men and women alike to include in their daily diets. Eight ounces of whole milk provide 290 milligrams of calcium, 8 grams of protein, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 107 grams of sodium, 320 milligrams of potassium, and 8 grams of fat. Men ages 25-64 need at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day. Three glasses of the white stuff daily provides 870 milligrams—almost the full dose! Curbs and sodium might deter you from drinking, but these elements have their purpose in a healthy diet. The importance of calcium for our bones is constantly stressed through various media outlets such as the memorable “Got Milk?” campaign, but arguments supporting the intake of crabs and sodium are scarce. Carbohydrates produce energy and protect muscles. They regulate the amount of sugar that circulates in the blood, ensuring that all cells get their required amount of energy. They also aid the body in absorbing calcium. When the body is lacking in energy, it takes glucose from curbs before it uses energy from fatty tissues and then from protein tissue (muscles). Calcium is also found in leafy greens like spinach, collards, and kale. Nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and Brazil nuts contain significant traces of calcium as well. It may surprise you to find sodium and potassium in a glass of milk; however, they only add to milk’s nutritious value. Sodium and potassium are actually electrolytes—electrically charged ions that enable nerve, heart, and muscle cells to maintain voltages across their membranes and to carry electrical impulses (like muscle contractions) across themselves and to other cells. Electrolytes are responsible for maintaining the balance of fluids between the inside and outside environments of a cell. They help the body retain fluids consumed after strenuous activity like working out. Making milk a part of daily life has positive effects on people undergoing testosterone replacement therapy and growth hormone injections as its nutrients serve vital bodily functions. In addition to this long list of favorable qualities, milk is actually 87% water. Water is the basic source of life, and without it we cannot survive. Believe it or not, at least 60% of a person’s weight is water, an element on which every system in the body depends. The average man should drink about 3 liters (or thirteen cups) of water a
This is the first of I hope many guest blog posts for my friends at Getting Smart. About me: I’m observing the education market conversation from the perspective of a non-profit digital content publisher with a focus on math. I’ve had the luxury for the past 10 years of laser-focus on how to make what’s now known as “blended learning” work on just one subject area. While we’ve grown to serve over 450,000 students and 14,000 teachers, we’ve drilled down to a pretty deep perspective I would like to share. What’s your main purpose for blended learning? Is it improving learning resources efficiency/cost and time/access? Or is it improving the learning itself? Much of the attention and excitement about blended learning is on the former, with time-and-motion descriptions of where the teacher, the student, and the computer exist during the day. The addition of digital content to the mix of place and time is a rich area of innovation and practice. Recently the Innosight Institute’s Heather Staker and Michael B. Horn revised their pioneering taxonomy of blended learning, classifying blended learning implementations. The attributes include modality (digital or face-to-face), location (lab, class or home), time (fixed schedule/pace vs. fluid), and content (fixed or customized). The 11 derived types of blended learning are school-centric: labels are exemplified by specific school examples. Explanatory diagrams show physical layouts of computers, teachers and students. And from these diagrams the potential for raising efficiency in use of learning resources — clock time, student time, and teacher time — is readily apparent. Yet as a digital content publisher, my organization is focused on the other potential for blended learning: dramatically improving the learning itself. I mean more comprehension and sense-making, better transfer of knowledge and higher retention of new information. This requires us to add another perspective on what’s being blended, specifically on instructional interaction as described by Matthew M. Chingos and Russ Whitehurst in their recent report from the Brown Center on Education Policy. They succinctly remind us that where the rubber hits the road in learning is the student’s direct interaction with the teacher and/or instructional materials. The instructional materials used by the teacher greatly influence the teacher/student interaction. Here is where the digital ingredient in the blender can be a game-changer when it comes to the quality of learning. Curriculum is not a commodity; quality and efficacy of curriculum is highly variable. Chingos and Whitehurst dramatically point out the “scandalous lack of information” at all user-levels, as if the instructional materials used are irrelevant. So, let me briefly introduce five key factors to consider for blended learning, from this learning-centric perspective of instructional interaction between teacher, student, and digital content. Note that instructional interaction doesn’t “care” where or when it is. It’s about “what” it is. One modality is the student interacting directly with digital content (i.e. without the teacher). For web-delivered digital content, which I will assume, clock and location drop out of the picture – the interaction is the same whether the access is during or after school, in classroom or lab or home or library. Another modality is the student-to-teacher interaction, which could be either a conversation face-to-face during a scheduled time, or an ad hoc conversation over Skype. The point is the students and teachers are engaged in a conversation around learning, not the time or place. Factor 1: By its 1:1 nature, student interaction with digital content is self-paced. Even essentially passive interactions like studying a digital textbook on a tablet or viewing a video on YouTube can be more valuable because they can be paused and reviewed by the student. Of course active interactions like games add an additional self-pace dimension of correctly solving a problem to proceed in the game. Factor 2: Digital content can be much than conventional-practice-on-a-computer of previously introduced procedures. It can be a way to introduce and explain concepts, whether in advance of, in parallel with, or even after they are introduced by a teacher. Yes, from my perspective of seeking better learning, there is always also a teacher ingredient in the mix. As Bob Wise, Alliance for Excellent Education President said at the SIIA Ed Tech Business Forum last November, to get better learning, “High Tech requires High Teach.” Factor 3: Digital content can be highly interactive. Of course interactive means more than clicking a “next scene” arrow. Interaction means the student needs to respond to some problem-solving scenario, then see the results of her response. For example, that could be solving a math puzzle. Given appropriate strategy and quality of the digital content, this is a “minds-on” interaction about the academic subject matter, not just gameplay. Factor 4: Digital content can provide immediate feedback. The quality of that feedback can vary widely. At the low end, but still a quantum improvement over text/paper/pencil, is the standard “red x” wrong or “green checkmark” right. At the high end, digital content can be used to provide immediate instructive feedback – an explicit explanation of why a solution was wrong, or why it was right. This instructive feedback facilitates a student’s learning (whether confirming a solution or showing what-to-correct) from each posed answer. Factor 5: Digital content can provide an adaptive or custom sequence of learning objects for each individual. This can range from a beginning of year pre-assessment determining a grade-level syllabus, to real-time on-the-fly adjustment up or down of difficulty levels as needed, to longer term pattern recognition of student misconceptions, assigning specific corrective content. Finally, consider this recently released IES report about math problem-solving. Aimed at curriculum developers as well as educators, its recommendations emphasize the teacher’s role in promoting deeper learning. I agree. A vital ingredient in the digital blender, to raise learning quality, is the teacher. The same content students are using 1:1 can inform and be used by the teacher, at the point of instructional interaction. The potential impact is enormous. As Chingos and Whitehurst say, “We can expect both theoretically and based on existing research that instructional materials either reduce the variability in performance across teachers, raise the overall performance level of the entire distribution of teachers, or both.” Along with all the excitement and buzz around blended learning, to go beyond learning efficiencies, keep an eye out for game-changing aspects of digital content, for student and teacher use, to achieve deeper learning. 1. Andrew, I like this smart dimension you’ve added to the descriptors of blended learning. There’s so much work to be done to understand the cognitive science behind blended-learning models and what will work best for each student. I hope the thinking and research will continue to improve. Nice post. 2. I really enjoyed this article. As someone who interacts with 16 different content vendors in helping teachers try blended learning in their classrooms, it is evident that some of the stakeholders who make choices about online content aren’t as concerned about the “quality and efficacy of curriculum”. It seems they often think that providing some part of the learning online will engage students. However, I’ve seen much online content that does just the opposite. **I would like to alert you to the fact that your first sentence in paragraph #4 is missing the the word “to” (This requires us(missing here) add another perspective on what’s being blended, specifically on instructional interaction as described by Matthew M. Chingos and Russ Whitehurst in their recent report from the Brown Center on Education Policy. 3. Very interesting and thought provoking statement. Probably most salient to me is the link between immediate feedback and learning. Can this be feedback between students? Or are we only working on the teacher-student feedback. Between students carries some ground for error, but at the same time it carries room for growth of the initial provider and the one attempting correction or comment. There’s much here to contemplate and work with. I was drawn to blended learning by my student’s attachment to their Smart Phones. Here’s a medium that they love and enjoy, that’s no threat to them, that can be used for learning as well as interpersonal communication. What better mode of transmission could I find. the main impediment as I perceive it is the amount of time a teacher spends interacting with the students, where interaction is so individual. If other students in class could learn the value of reviewing their peer’s work and comments thereon this might be mitigated somewhat. 4. @Geraldine: thanks for that question about implications for science. From my perspective the potential is there for digital tools to provide deeper* understanding, when used as part of normal science instruction. All the factors are there, and applicable. I would advise that discerning the quality of the instructional design is tricky however. Just checking boxes for the factors isn’t good enough. (1) self-pacing is an ‘automatic’ in digital (2) ‘digital’ introduction of concepts can be passive lecture – and no game-changer if so (3) interaction is also an ‘automatic’ in digital; the quality and depth is found in the specific, sometimes subtle, pedagogical underpinnings of that interaction (4) instructive feedback also needs to be more than a “here’s the right answer” explanation – so the quality is in having the student learn (not just recognize) ‘why’? (5) adaptive sequences are also of varying quality and pedagogical usefulness; they can range from silly (moving a student to easier problems when they struggle) to disconnected and confusing (providing different learning objects from different publishers using different approaches and different pedagogies). So, yes to digital science content’s potential for deeper understanding, but, yes also to an intense focus on the learners’ needs. 5. Blended learning caters to individuality and the trait of being responsible. I amjust wondering if the lack of personal interaction would not tip the balance for the students who have issues with socialization to be more unsociable. How will blended learning relate to the Common Core and the CCLS Standards and teh NGSS standards? 6. @Geraldine: Blended learning as my organization uses it, keeps the social interaction, the face-to-face with the teacher as part of the blend. And re Common Core: Common Core asks for higher goals, for deeper understanding, than previous wide and shallow content. Achieving this, in my opinion, will be faciliated greatly by blended learning: by providing teachers and students with appropriate, quality, effective digital content and tools. For example, digital tools for students which allow them to proceed at their own pace, moving along when they have mastered content in a meaningful way. 7. The digital content is where the publishers can really assist the teachers. We are not programmers, but our ideas can be placed in creative activities that encourage the student to become engaged without realizing it. This then allows them to take ownership for their learning and allows the teachers to provide the individual assistance they need.
Defining Ideas When Activism Kills Friday, September 12, 2014 Image credit: Light Brigading For four decades genetically modified organisms (GMO) have been vilified and caricatured as “Frankenfoods,” the abominations of mad scientists meddling with nature and putting the human race at risk. Currently, over sixty bills have been introduced in over twenty states that will require food labels indicating if the product contains GMO. Globally, over sixty countries restrict or ban GMO outright, including eight E.U. nations and countries in Africa suffering from famine and malnutrition that could be alleviated by genetically modified crops. Critics accuse GMO of being unhealthy, increasing chemical pollution, threatening other species, causing dangerous side effects, and harming the environment. But as plant molecular biologist Robert Goldberg of UCLA points out, “In spite of hundreds of millions of genetic experiments involving every type of organism on earth, and people eating billions of meals without a problem, we've gone back to being ignorant.” In fact, no one has yet documented a single case of illness from GM foods, even as about 3,000 people a year in the U.S. die of food-borne illnesses, many of them contracted from “organic” foods. All the dangers of GMO that worry critics are speculations of what might happen in the distant future. Mixing genes from different species, critics contend, will create alterations in the organism that will in the long term produce destructive effects, or genetic material from an engineered crop someday may transfer into the human genome. Meanwhile, in contrast to these theoretical risks, GM foods are improving people’s lives, especially in the developing world. Food is cheaper, meaning more people are adequately fed. Crops are 20 to 30 percent more productive, so less land is needed to feed more people. Pesticide use is diminishing, lessening damage to the environment. And if the bans on GM crops were not deterring some countries from planting it, Golden Rice, genetically engineered to contain vitamin A, could be reducing the one million deaths, and half a million cases of blindness, occurring in the developing world every year because of vitamin A deficiency. If GM foods have an “astonishing range of potential applications,” according to James D. Watson, the co-discoverer of DNA, that could radically improve daily life for billions in the developing world, why this war against their use? The origins of this animus lie more in culture than in science––in an ancient myth about nature and humanity’s relationship to the environment, and in the angst about technology embedded in those myths. The Golden Age myth historically arose when more complex urban civilizations developed that increased the distance between people and nature. The Golden Age is that earlier existence before cities, agriculture, and technology, a time idealized as simpler and more fulfilling, closer to a maternal nature that is “untouched by the hoe and unwounded by the plow,” as the Roman poet Ovid put it—a time when nature “herself gave all things,” wrote Ovid. In the Golden Age, there was no crime or sickness, no war or competition for wealth, no oppressive social or political institutions. But this paradise is lost, and the human race degenerates into the Iron Age, a time of wickedness, crime, hard work, war, disease, private property, and greed, the “cursed love of possessing,” as Ovid called it. Key to this degeneration is the rise of technology, particularly sea-faring, metallurgy, agriculture, and mining. Already in antiquity the contrast is set: the idealized, lost peaceful world of life in harmony with nature, and the miserable present world of crime, sickness, and war. This myth has been a powerful constant in Western literature and thought. In the early nineteenth century, the impact of industrialization and urbanization on the environment and social life seemingly confirmed this ancient wisdom. In contrast to what English poet William Blake called the “satanic mills,” pristine nature beckoned as the restorative of a more authentic existence. William Wordsworth’s memories of the rural landscape, for example, give solace to a life that “mid the din/ of towns and cities” is stunted by the “fretful stir/ Unprofitable, and the fever of the world.” In reality, of course, fantasies of a benign nature ignore the chronic malnutrition, early death, daily violence, famine, disease, and constant pain of life before the advances of technology. The idealizations of nature remain powerful today. Much of the leftist critique of globalized capitalism recycles with a veneer of Marxist theory the demonization of technology and industrialism that first appears in the myth of the Iron Age. “All natural,” “organic,” and “no GMO” are labels that savvy marketers use to sell food. And of course, the stock-in-trade of dystopian science fiction is the mad scientist whose unnatural creations threaten to destroy the earth and the human race. The inherent dangers and wickedness of technology and industrialism will lead, environmentalists argue, to apocalyptic destruction caused by man’s unnatural alterations of the natural world, whether these result from GM crops or pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The contemporary twist on these traditional motifs is the patina of scientific research layered over mythic longings and anxieties. Yet despite those pretensions to scientific precision and rigor, the obsession with potential risks has obscured the proven advances new technologies have made, particularly in food production. Inorganic fertilizers, for example, are often decried as dangerous and “unnatural.” Part of the appeal of “organic” foods comes from their claim that no such fertilizers are used, implying that there is some danger to them. In fact, a 2012 Stanford University meta-analysis of existing studies found that organic foods carried no significant health or nutritional benefits. Moreover, the animus against inorganic fertilizers ignores the role they have played in increasing food production and reducing famine in the developing world. The father of the “green revolution,” Norman Borlaug, saved perhaps a billion lives across the globe with his high-yield agricultural techniques using artificially engineered plant varieties and inorganic fertilizers. In India, the yield of wheat per acre went from 800 pounds in 1963 to 6,000 pounds today. As a result, 100 million acres of virgin land did not have to be cleared and farmed to feed a growing population. Yet the international environmentalism movement constantly opposed Borlaug, just as it is today blocking the development of GM crops in Africa. GMO technology promises to be the next agricultural revolution, one that can increase yields even further, reduce the use of pesticides, roll back deforestation, and provide not just calories but needed nutrition to billions across the planet. Are there possible risks and unforeseen consequences? Of course there are, for nothing humans do is risk-free. Our network of roads and highways confers numerous social and economic benefits, yet it costs 33,000 deaths and many more injuries every year. Hospitals save millions of lives, yet medical mistakes and misdiagnoses kill over 100,000 people a year. Those are costs we accept and risks we run every day, most of us without noticing, let alone obsessing over them. The rational approach is to weigh benefits against risks, always with the fundamental aim of improving life for the greatest number of people both now and in the future. The irrational battle against GMO is just one front in a larger environmentalist war against the modern world. Climate change is another, one equally reflective of the dislike of industrialism and capitalism, which have created and distributed more wealth to more people than was even imaginable a century ago. The attack on hydraulic fracturing, part of the war against carbon, irrationally harms its own goal to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide, for the switch from coal to natural gas, which emits half the carbon of coal, to generate electricity can “green” the environment more than anything the environmental lobby does. Particularly in the developing world, economic development, which for now is dependent on carbon-based energy, is the best way to protect the environment in the long run. Spending money on improving the environment is the luxury of those who aren’t worried about their children eating for one more day. Armed more with an ancient myth about a lost natural paradise, the critics of GMO are keeping billions in the developing world from enjoying the nutrition and adequate food that Western elites take for granted. As Borlaug said before his death, such critics have “never experienced the physical sensation of hunger. They do their lobbying from comfortable office suites in Washington or Brussels. If they lived just one month amid the misery of the developing world, as I have for fifty years, they'd be crying out for tractors and fertilizer and irrigation canals and be outraged that fashionable elitists back home were trying to deny them these things.” Those who have the luxury of abundant and reliable food can afford to decry the economic expansion that is the developing world’s best hope of mitigating the myriad problems afflicting their people. It is criminal for rich Westerners to agitate for policies that keep the benefits of biotechnology from those desperate for its boons, and to pass the costs of their idealism onto those least able to suffer the consequences.
Is there anybody alien there?: A Nasa mission will listen hard in case extraterrestrials are trying to talk to us, say Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest Click to follow The Independent Online ON 12 OCTOBER, the American space agency, Nasa, launches a unique mission. It involves no blastoff, no booster rockets, no space probes, yet it will cost dollars 100m over its 10-year duration. But if it is successful, it will revolutionise the way we think. For the new mission is no less than a search for intelligent life in space, a quest to discover whether or not we are alone in the universe. What makes astronomers believe that there might be life out there? There are no hard facts - but much circumstantial evidence. Earth is an average planet circling a normal star, at just the right distance for life to be comfortable. Our star, the Sun, is one of 200 billion in our galaxy. The chemicals of life - carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen - are among the most common in the cosmos, stardust from long-dead stars. Astronomers can try to put numbers into this picture. Thirty years ago, Frank Drake - one of the pioneers of Search for Extraterrestial Intelligence (Seti) - devised an equation that sought to quantify the number of intelligent civilisations in our galaxy, taking in factors such as the number of stars with planets, and the number of planets on which intelligent life is likely to have evolved. Today, the Drake Equation is still the best guide we have to the number of extraterrestrial civilisations - but that number depends on estimating the different factors involved. Pessimists come up with an answer of just one civilisation - us. But most astronomers believe that the evidence points to millions. And some of them may be trying to contact us. How might they do it? Discounting possibilities such as travelling to us by starship (almost certainly too wasteful on energy), or shooting laser beams in our direction (difficult to detect), it is likely that ET would choose the cheapest way we know to communicate - by radio. With this in mind, some astronomers have been attempting to listen in for alien signals since the Sixties. All have heart-stopping stories to tell about the times they thought they had found one. But none has turned out to be real: terrestrial and military radio interference loom larger than whispers from space. Part of the problem, too, is the 'needle in the haystack' syndrome - exactly where do you tune your dial to hear ET? Fortunately, computers and electronics make it possible today to scan millions of frequencies simultaneously, and innovative designs of ultrafast microchips allow for billions of operations a second. And this new technology is the basis of Nasa's new Seti search. On 12 October 1992, the 500th anniversary of the day Columbus set foot on American soil, two radio telescopes, equipped with state-of-the-art detectors, will be pointed towards the same part of the sky. One will listen in to signals coming from a nearby star similar to our Sun. The other will slowly scan the sky in the vicinity. In the first three minutes of observing, these radio telescopes will clock up more data than in all the previous 30 years of searching. This is just the beginning. Over the next 10 years, these telescopes - one in the Mojave Desert in California, the other in the jungles of Puerto Rico - will be joined by many others all over the world in the quest for Seti. The 34-metre diameter dish at Goldstone, in the Mojave Desert, will scan the whole sky 31 times for signals. The Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico - at 305 metres across, the biggest radio telescope in the world - will tune in to 800 nearby sun-like stars, searching for signals from their planets. What if we do detect an unambiguously alien signal? The first priority will be to confirm it with other telescopes. Then the nature of it will be analysed: is it just a beacon - or a detailed message? There will then be the question of response. A few prominent scientists think it would be sheer folly to return the call: if the aliens have evolved like us, then they are bound to be unfriendly. The majority, however, believe that contact with an advanced intelligence would be the best possible thing to happen to the human race, even perhaps offering us a short cut in helping to solve our global problems. The matter of our reply - should we choose to make one - is already the subject of detailed international protocol. What if, after 10 years, the search comes up with no fruit? The Seti researchers are still optimistic, recognising all too clearly that they are 'new to the game'. But suppose the quest goes on for a hundred, a thousand, a million years and finds nothing? Astronomers are reluctant to admit that Earth could be the only inhabited planet in the universe. 'But if we searched that long and found nothing - knowing there were suitable planets - we'd be at a crossroads,' said one Seti researcher. 'Maybe we'd realise there's something that science isn't telling us.' The planets The two planets that have been with us for the past few months - Saturn and Mars - have been joined by a third: Venus. Look low in the west after sunset to spot this, our planetary twin in size. By the end of the month, Venus will be setting more than an hour after the Sun. As the year draws to a close, Venus will continue to draw away from the Sun, brightening as it swings towards the Earth in its orbit. By mid-December, it will rival the Christmas Star itself. Faithful Saturn - a fixture in our evening skies since June - is still brightening up a very barren area of the southern sky, among the stars in the triangular-shaped constellation of Capricornus, but it is growing gradually fainter. The final planet in this evening trio is Mars, which rises mid- month at about 10.30pm among the stars of Gemini. Last month, it was of equal brightness with Saturn, but now it is noticeably brighter. A new US space probe to Mars - the Mars Observer - was launched at Cape Canaveral on Friday. When it arrives in just under a year, its cameras will be able to 'see' details on the red planet as small as a family car. This month, bits of Halley's comet will stream into the atmosphere - so if you missed the real thing in 1985-86, here is an acceptable substitute. As Halley's comet tramps around the solar system, suffering alternate boiling and freezing, it loses matter from its icy surface: tiny grains of 'soot' that litter its orbit. Every October, we plough into some of that soot, and the grains shoot to Earth at high speed. They burn up by friction, and we see them as streaks of light in the sky - shooting stars, or meteors. The October meteors appear (through perspective) to emanate from the constellation of Orion, and so are known as the Orionoids. This year's Orionoids are worth looking out for, because moonlight will not interfere. If you watch the sky after midnight on 21 or 22 October, you should be able to count up to 20 meteors an hour. The stars The 'flying' constellations of last month have moved over, to be replaced by a whole bunch with 'watery' connections. Pisces (the fishes), Cetus (the whale), Aquarius (the water-bearer), Capricornus (the sea-goat) and Piscis Austrinus (the southern fish) are all faint, straggly constellations, and they are all low in the south. Why the association with water? One possibility is that the Sun moves through this area of the sky in the early northern spring. This is also the rainy season for lands in the near east and around the Mediterranean, where, thousands of years ago, the constellation- makers lived. They may well have decided to use the rains as an aide- memoire to navigators. Certainly, these constellations are ancient. Cetus was the sea- monster assigned to gobble up Andromeda; Aquarius, to the ancient Babylonians, was a man pouring water from a jar; Capricornus, the goat with the fish's tail, is typical of the amphibious creatures so common in old legends; and Pisces - two fishes with tails entwined - is a symbol as old as the hills. Yet Piscis Austrinus may be the daddy of them all. The constellation depicts a fish drinking from Aquarius's jar, and in legend, Piscis Austrinus is the father of the more famous zodiacal fishes. Star- gazers today relish the challenge of spotting its brightest star, Fomalhaut - the most southerly first-magnitude star visible from the latitude of the UK. Diary (times BST till 25th) 3 3.12pm: Moon at first quarter 11 7.03pm Full Moon 19 5.12am Moon at last quarter 22 Maximum of Orionoids meteor shower 25 2am End of British Summer Time - put clocks back to GMT The authors are preparing a television programme, 'ET: Please call us', for Channel 4's Equinox series, due to be shown on 20 December.
What is Special Needs? Special needs is a term that is most commonly used for people that have disabilities. They may be a slow learner or have mental defects. My son is autistic and he’s special needs because he learns differently than other kids. So, he goes to a special classroom!
Loading the player... Successful companies aren't born, they're made and they have to work their way from humble beginnings and through the ranks just like everyone else. Unfortunately, some investors believe that finding the next "big thing" means scouring through penny stocks in the hope of finding the next Microsoft or Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, this strategy will prove to be unsuccessful in most cases. Read on to find out why pinning your hopes on penny stocks could leave you penniless. SEE: How To Evaluate A Micro-Cap Company Penny Stocks 101 The terms "penny stocks" and "micro-cap stocks" can be used interchangeably. Technically, micro-cap stocks are classified as such based on their market capitalizations, while penny stocks are looked at in terms of their price. Definitions vary, but in general, a stock with a market capitalization between $50 and $300 million is a micro cap. (Less than $50 million is a nano-cap.) According to the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), any stock under $5 is a penny stock. Again, definitions can vary; some set the cut-off point at $3, while others consider only those stocks trading at less than $1 to be a penny stock. We consider any stock that is trading on the pink sheets or over-the-counter bulletin board (OTCBB) to be a penny stock. The main thing you have to know about penny/micro stocks is that they are much riskier than regular stocks. A Fortune for a Penny? What makes penny stocks risky? Four major factors make these securities riskier than blue chip stocks. 1. Lack of Information Available to the Public The key to any successful investment strategy is acquiring enough tangible information to make informed decisions. For micro-cap stocks, information is much more difficult to find. Companies listed on the pink sheets are not required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and are thus not as publicly scrutinized or regulated as the stocks represented on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. Furthermore, much of the information available about micro-cap stocks is not from credible sources. 2. No Minimum Standards Stocks on the OTCBB and pink sheets do not have to fulfill minimum standard requirements to remain on the exchange. Sometimes, this is why the stock is on one of these exchanges. Once a company can no longer maintain its position on one of the major exchanges, the company moves to one of these smaller exchanges. While the OTCBB does require companies to file timely documents with the SEC, the pink sheets have no such requirement. Minimum standards act as a safety cushion for some investors and as a benchmark for some companies. 3. Lack of History Many of the companies considered to be micro-cap stocks are either newly formed or approaching bankruptcy. These companies will generally have poor track records or none at all. As you can imagine, this lack of historical information makes it difficult to determine a stock's potential. 4. Liquidity When stocks don't have much liquidity, two problems arise: first, there is the possibility that you won't be able to sell the stock. If there is a low level of liquidity, it may be hard to find a buyer for a particular stock, and you may be required to lower your price until it is considered attractive to another buyer. Second, low liquidity levels provide opportunities for some traders to manipulate stock prices, which is done in many different ways - the easiest is to buy large amounts of stock, hype it up and then sell it after other investors find it attractive (also known as pump and dump). Penny-Baited Traps Penny stocks have been a thorn in the side of the SEC for some time because lack of available information and poor liquidity make micro-cap stocks an easy target for fraudsters. There are many scams used to separate investors from their money. The most common include: Biased Recommendations Some micro-cap companies pay individuals to recommend the company stock in different media, such as newsletters, financial television and radio shows. You may receive spam email trying to persuade you to purchase particular stock. All emails, postings and recommendations of that kind should be taken with a grain of salt. Look to see if the issuers of the recommendations are being paid for their services as this is a giveaway of a bad investment. Also, make sure that any press releases aren't given falsely by people looking to influence the price of a stock. Offshore Brokers Under regulation S, the SEC permits companies selling stock outside the U.S. to foreign investors to be exempt from registering stock. These companies will typically sell the stock at a discount to offshore brokers who, in turn, sell them back to U.S. investors for a substantial profit. By cold calling a list of potential investors (investors with enough money to buy a particular stock) and providing attractive information, these dishonest brokers will use high-pressure "boiler room" sales tactics to persuade investors to purchase stock. SEE:What is a boiler room operation? The Penny Stock Fallacy Two common fallacies pertaining to penny stocks are that many of today's stocks were once penny stocks and that there is a positive correlation between the number of stocks a person owns and his or her returns. Investors who have fallen into the trap of the first fallacy believe Wal-Mart, Microsoft and many other large companies were once penny stocks that have appreciated to high dollar values. Many investors make this mistake because they are looking at the "adjusted stock price," which takes into account all stock splits. By taking a look at both Microsoft and Wal-Mart, you can see that the respective prices on their first days of trading were $21 and $16.50, even though the prices adjusted for splits was about eight cents and one cent, respectively. Rather than starting at a low market price, these companies actually started high, continually rising until they needed to be split. The second reason that many investors may be attracted to penny stocks is the notion that there is more room for appreciation and more opportunity to own more stock. If a stock is at 10 cents and rises by five cents, you will have made a 50% return. This, together with the fact that a $1,000 investment can buy 10,000 shares, convinces investors that micro-cap stocks are a rapid, surefire way to increase profits. Unfortunately, people tend to see only the upside of penny stocks, while forgetting about the downside. A ten cent stock can just as easily go down by five cents and lose half its value. Most often, these stocks do not succeed, and there is a high probability that you will lose your entire investment. The Bottom Line Sure, some companies on the OTCBB and pink sheets might be good quality, and many OTCBB companies are working extremely hard to make their way up to the more reputable Nasdaq and NYSE. However, there are good stock opportunities out there that aren't trading for pennies. Penny stocks aren't a lost cause, but they are very high-risk investments that aren't suitable for all investors. If you can't resist the lure of micro caps, make sure you do extensive research and understand what you are getting into. 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Investor's Corner High Tight Flag Can Deliver Skyscraper-Sized Gains The high tight flag is a rare pattern. It's often associated with vibrant companies with new products that can change the world. Stun gun company Taser International (TASR) formed the pattern in 2003. Tech innovator Qualcomm (QCOM) shaped the pattern in 1999. Birth-control pill maker Syntex did it in 1963. TV maker Zenith had the honors in 1958. And Bethlehem Steel, now defunct, raised the flag in 1915. What was new about steel? The company's grey rolling mill was revolutionary. Henry Grey's invention was installed at the plant in 1907-08. The beams were lighter, stronger and more economical than conventional riveted beams. The invention made skyscrapers possible. The high tight flag looks something like a skyscraper. The pattern forms when a stock surges 100% to 120% in four to eight weeks. The stock then corrects 10% to 25% in three to five weeks. The ideal buy point is the high of the flag plus 10 cents. Naive investors scoff at the high tight flag. They can't believe a stock can be a buy after doubling in price. Yet, an opportunity it is. "This is the strongest of patterns, but it's also very risky and difficult to interpret correctly. Many stocks can skyrocket 200% or more off this formation," IBD founder and Chairman William J. O'Neil writes in "How to Make Money in Stocks." In the spring of 1915, Bethlehem Steel broke out of a flat base. (1) The stock more than doubled in five weeks. Then it corrected about 20% over four weeks. (2) The next breakout led to more than a 275% gain over 20 weeks. Three additional notes on Bethlehem Steel' s chart: First, notice how the big move came seven years after Bethlehem installed the new technology. True breakthroughs gain power and momentum over a long period. It's not like a fad that lasts a season or two. Second, note how Bethlehem thrived despite the pro-regulatory, anti-business climate of President Woodrow Wilson. True change doesn't come from politicians. It comes from innovative businesses. So stay focused on stocks. Third, when do you sell? Look for the usual sell signs, but don't ask people to feel sorry for you if you only make 200% rather than 250%. Few will feel your pain.
Can I Make my Own Drip Tube? Q. I’m installing a drip irrigation system and to save some money, I decided to buy inch wide black tubing. I used a hot needle to make some small holes every 27 inches apart from each other, but when doing water pressure testing , some holes emit more water than others. What do you recommend in this case? Is it a bad idea to punch my own holes? Or is there a way to do this with an even result in each hole? A. Just punching holes doesn’t work well, as you discovered. It’s almost impossible to get the holes uniform in size, and even if you did, variations in the water flow patterns inside the tube would make each hole emit water at a different rate. The solution is simple. You need to install barbed drip emitters in the holes. The drip emitters are small, plastic, highly-engineered devices that regulate how much water comes out, so that each hole gives a very uniform rate of flow. A typical emitter (sometimes called a dripper) is about the size of 5 dimes stacked on top of each other. The emitter has a barbed inlet on one side that pushes into the holes in the tube. You just snap the barb into a hole punched in the tube. Then the water drips evenly out of an outlet hole on the other side of the emitter. You need one emitter for each hole. Emitters are typically sold in packages of 10, 25, 50, or 100 emitters per package. Advertisement (content continues below ad): Since you already bought tube, cut off a small piece of your tubing that has a hole in it and take it with you to the store. 1″ black tube is probably not made for use with drip systems. It probably has a thicker wall than standard drip system tubing, so the barbs on some brands of emitters may not be long enough to push all the way into the tube and lock in place. Most brands should work, but in your case it would be best to test it at the store so you don’t have to make another trip back to the store if the emitters don’t fit. The emitter’s barb should push all the way in and lock the emitter onto the tube. It should not easily pull out. It might be a good idea for you to read the Drip Guidelines at . There are a lot more mistakes you can make, and I’d hate to see you waste any more of your time and money.
Saturn's moons Atlas and Pan Saturn's moons Janus and Prometheus It has long been suspected that Saturn's rings formed in the disintegration of one or several large icy bodies, perhaps pre-existing moons, by giant impacts. The resulting debris quickly spread and settled into the equatorial plane to form a thin disk surrounding the planet. And the small, irregularly shaped ring-region moons were believed to be the leftover pieces from this breakup. Now, several years' worth of cosmic images of Saturn's 14 known small moons have been used to derive the sizes and shapes of most of them, and in about half the cases, even masses and densities. This information, published in the Dec. 7 issue of the journal Science, has led to new insights into how some of these moons may have formed. The tip-off was the very low density of the inner moons, about half that of pure water ice, and sizes and shapes that suggested they have grown by the accumulation of ring material. The trouble was, these moons are within and near the rings, where it is not possible for small particles to fuse together gravitationally. So how did they do it? They got a jump start. "We think the only way these moons could have reached the sizes they are now, in the ring environment as we now know it to be, was to start off with a massive core to which the smaller, more porous ring particles could easily become bound," said Carolyn Porco, Cassini imaging team leader from the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. Porco is the lead author of the first of two related articles published in this week's issue of Science. Simple calculations and more complicated computer simulations have shown that ring particles will readily become bound to a larger seed having the density of water ice. By this process, a moon will grow even if it is relatively close to Saturn. The result is a ring-region moon about two to three times the size of its dense ice core, covered with a thick shell of porous, icy ring material. To make a 30-kilometer moon (19 miles) requires a seed of about 10 kilometers (6 miles). Where did such large cores come from? And when did this all take place? "The core may in fact be one of the remnants from the original ring-forming event," said co-author Derek Richardson, professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland, College Park, "which might have been left intact all this time and protected from additional collisional breakup by the mantle of ring particles around it." Just exactly when the rings formed is not known. "But it is not out of the question that the moons date back to the time of ring formation," said Porco. The researchers show that the cores of Pan and Daphnis, which orbit within gaps in the outer A ring, were large enough to open narrow gaps. Accretion, or accumulation of material, they say, probably occurred quickly. The moons grew and their gaps widened, achieving their present sizes before the gaps were completely emptied of material, and probably before the local rings reached their present thickness. So how did Pan in the main rings, and Atlas, which orbits just beyond the outer edge of the main rings, get the prominent equatorial ridges that make them look like flying saucers? The second paper reports evidence for a secondary stage of accretion that occurred after the moons' growth was completed and after the rings flattened to their present 20-meter (66 feet) thickness. "Our computer simulations show that the ridges must have accreted rapidly when Saturn's rings were thin, forming small accretion disks around the equators of Pan and Atlas," said Sebastien Charnoz, lead author and an associate of imaging team member Andre Brahic at the University Paris-Diderot and CEA Saclay, in France. "The ridges might be the remains of 'fossilized' accretion disks, fundamental structures seen at all scales in the universe, from planetary rings to galaxies." Images of Saturn's small moons are available at: and and News Media Contact Media Contact: Carolina Martinez 818-354-9382 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Preston Dyches 720-974-5859 Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo.
Monday, August 1, 2011 The Scrum Ball Point Game - Tennis, anyone? You know when you're having trouble keeping all your balls in the air? There's a game for that.. The rules are simple. Like most lean games, it depends on breaking people's preconceptions. Scrum is a development method commonly used in software creation. It depends on a check and adjust cycle, an iterative process of the PDCA method Teams inspect their work and adjust accordingly. The concept of self-adjusting teams is what's introduced in the scrum ball point game. The rules: 1. You are one big team. 2. Balls must have air time. 3. No ball to your direct neighbour. 4. Start point = end point 5. Play 5 iterations of 2 minutes, with 1 minute inbetween. That's it. Boris Glogner, the creator of the scrum ball point game, maintains a blog with more information, or you can check out this direct link to the .pdf Often times, people will start off in a two lines and will adapt with each iteration and end up moving closer, which improves each team's flow. Just like other lean games, it's important to have some sort of debriefing afterwards to explain to everyone the relevance or the game. The scrum ball point game is not just for programmers! Its an excellent game to illustrate Lean concepts. PDCA and improving continuous flow and crucial to the success of the game. What about you? Have you played the scrum ball point game? How did it work for you? I've added this game to my humongous list of Lean games and simulations. Check out Martin's link in the comments below showing a video of the game played with ping pong balls. Karl has posted a link to his version of the Ball Point game with details for how to progress through each round. He's also created an excel spreadsheet to track data and calculate control limits. Check out his version! 1. We've played it - with Table Tennis balls! Works really well to get people into the improvement milestone. What I didn't capture on video was one of the team members quite seriously saying after round 1: "No, this is perfect; we can't improve on it" Clearly the team proved him wrong, but that's so often the mindset we work with. 2. Awesome video Martin! I love how you highlighted the different stages and the improvement after each one. And great video production! I think the use of table tennis balls might make the game even better, since they are inherently a little more cumbersome to deal with. Thanks for sharing! 3. awesome game... has anyone tried doing this with different type of balls? 1. Yes I used golf balls and they work great :) Terri Spencer
Herpes Cure And Treatment Cold Sores Nasal What are cold sores, exactly? They may show up anywhere on your body, but are most likely to appear on the outside of your mouth and lips, your nose, cheeks, or fingers. In rare cases, cold sores may appear on the fingers, nose, or inside the mouth. There is no cure for cold sores, and infections tend to reoccur without warning. Hi, I have a really painful cold sore up my nose! I went to the docs yesterday and was told that you cant get them up noses just on lips and that. The very first time someone gets a cold sore (known as the primary attack) , the symptoms can be severe. Cold sores are small, painful, fluid-filled blisters or sores that appear on the lips, mouth, or nose that are caused by a virus. The sores can be painful and usually last a few days. If you’re someone that suffers from cold sores, you may also be familiar with the uncomfortable experience of getting cold sores in the nose. Cold sore. Cold Sores Causes, Symptoms, Treatment Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) which is often transmitted from person to person during kissing. Apply this to the cold sore around your lip or up your nose for a full fifteen minutes, twice a day. Watch this slideshow and learn how to prevent and treat cold sores caused by the herpes virus. A photo of a herpes sore under the nose and above the lip. View a picture of a Cold Sore Between Nose and Mouth and learn more about Coping, Treatment and Prevention. For some reason, this type likes living in the facial nerves, so the breakouts are usually around the lips or nose. Treatment for cold sores in nose involves administration of antiviral drugs, applying topical ointments and following home remedies. Fortunately, recurrent bouts of cold sores can be prevented by following few precautionary measures. What causes cold sores? Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus. There are two types, called type 1 and type 2. Either type can be caught on any part of the body: lips and genitals are the most common places. A cold sore typically occurs around the face or nose, and a cold sore has a bright red color and small blisters. Treatment is available in the form of a gel, cream or ointment. Why can’t I apply this inside my mouth or nose? A sore throat can also be caused by illness including a cold, which is normally the first sign, along with a runny nose and sneezing to follow. 10 Home Treatments For Cold Sores This article is about the condition known as runny nose. Excess mucus accumulating in the throat or back of the nose may cause a post-nasal drip, resulting in a sore throat or coughing. During cold, dry seasons, the mucus lining nasal passages tends to dry out, meaning that mucous membranes must work harder, producing more mucus to keep the cavity lined. Occasionally, the skin in and around the nose or on the cheeks is the target. If your nose is chapped and sore, the first step should be to put on a moisturizer. For immediate relief, a washcloth dipped in cold water and placed over your face will help. However, a sore throat from a cold often gets better or goes away after the first day or two. Other cold symptoms such as a runny nose and congestion may follow the sore throat. About 10 months ago I had a cold sore on my upper lip and couldn’t get to the store to pick up some Abreva till after work, by that time I had a line of cold sores going from my lip to the edge of my nostril. The common cold is caused by a range of viruses and bacteria. It is the most common illness affecting humans. It causes a runny and stuffy nose, sore throat and sneezing. Shop online for Cough, Cold & Flu at CVS. COM. Acusine Nasal Spray, 0. 5 OZ. In this VideoJug film, you’ll learn how to alleviate the symptoms of your cold as well as how to keep your immune system supercharged year round! meta itempropduration contentPT3M1. Basically, it’s a viral infection of the upper airways and nasal tracts, and it can have several symptoms which can make us feel pretty miserable. Why do I get cold sores in my nose? Does that question ring bells in your brain? Well, irrespective of their specific causes, cold sores in nose suck! This article will share with take you through some causes them and discuss some treatment options. Real Time Web Analytics Scroll To Top Herpes Cure Herpes Cure
Introduction to iSCSI iSCSI is one of the hottest topics in Storage because it allows you to create centralized SANs using TCP networks rather than Fibre Channel (FC) networks. Get a handle on the main iSCSI concepts and terminology. SANs (Storage Area Networks) are popular as a storage system for many reasons. Most commonly they are popular because the storage is centralized allowing easier management, easier maintenance, very good performance, and it has a good price/performance ratio. Typical SANs are constructed using Fibre Channel (FC) networks and FC hard drives, although SATA, SAS, and SSD drives are used in SANs today. FC storage has very good performance from the storage hardware to the client using FC networks networks at 2Gb/s, 4Gb/s, and now 8 Gb/s speeds. But FC based SANs require an FC card in each client as well as an FC network (switches) in addition to the normal TCP networks that clients have, adding cost and complexity to servers. FC based SANs are popular because of very good performance and all of the benefits of centralized storage. But at the same time, they can be rather expensive and complex. But, there is the option of using iSCSI for SANs keeping the benefits of SANs and reducing the complexity because only a TCP network is needed. SAN Introduction Virtually every server needs some sort of storage and the associated backup devices and management software. Originally this meant that every server had its own storage, its own backup device, its own management tools, its own security, etc. as show below in Figure 1. This configuration is commonly called Direct Attached Storage (DAS). Figure 1: DAS Configuration With a small number of servers in fairly close proximity to each other, this arrangement can be managed fairly easily with a relatively small staff. But as the number of servers grew and they became geographically dispersed, people realized that this approach would not work (i.e. it doesn’t scale well). Something new was needed and that something was a Storage Area Network (SAN). In a SAN topology the storage is centralized allowing all of the associated hardware and software to be centralized as well. Consequently, you have a single set of storage devices, a single backup system, a single set of management tools, a single set of security devices, etc. The key to enabling SANs is the network. Figure 2 below illustrates the SAN topology with the SAN Network shown in blue. Figure 2: SAN Configuration Figure 2: SAN Configuration Notice that each server does not have any local storage nor a local backup device, etc., with these devices and services being provided by the centralized SAN. In many cases, people still put a local drive in the servers for an OS but they don’t back up this drive. Classic SANs use Fibre Channel (FC) networks to connect the centralized storage to the servers. This involved putting an HBA (Host Based Adapter) in each server and connecting it to the SAN network. There are multiple options for the FC network topologies, but in many cases they involve FC switches. Then the SAN software allocates storage for each server from its pool of storage and the server can partition, format, and use its storage as it sees fit. The FC network primarily transmits storage commands (most likely SCSI) from the servers to the storage but the advantage of FC is that the performance is so much better than existing networks (i.e. TCP). The original speed of FC networks was 2 Gbps (400 MB/s in full duplex) and was deployed in the 2001 time frame. At that time Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) was the most common network with GigE networks only becoming available. GigE was half the speed of 2Gbps FC at best and Fast Ethernet was 1/20 the speed of 2 Gbps FC networks. In the 2005 time frame, 4 Gbps FC networks were introduced. At that time, GigE was the most prevalent network but it was 1/4 the speed of 4 Gbps FC. Then in 2008, 8 Gbps FC networks were introduced, but by that time, 10GigE networks were available but there were a bit expensive. However, from 2001 to 2005 there was a wholesale switch from Fast Ethernet to GigE, so perhaps 10GigE prices could come down to the point where they are competitive with GigE? iSCSI stands for Internet Small Computer System Interface and is an Internet Protocol (IP) based storage networking protocol. The basic concept is to take SCSI commands and encapsulate them in TCP/IP packets to transmit data from the storage drives to the server. Since TCP packets can be lost and retransmitted they don’t have to arrive in order, iSCSI also has to keep track of incoming packets to make sure that all of the SCSI commands are queued in the correct order. iSCSI was originally started by IBM and was developed as a proof of concept in 1998. In March 2000, the first draft of the iSCSI standard was presented to the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force). IBM offered iSCSI based storage devices in July 2001 even before the iSCSI specification was passed by the IP Storage Working Group in August 2002. There are several fundamental concepts that explain the majority of how iSCSI functions. The first is the target. It is simply the storage device that contains the physical storage. The target can be hardware based or, more likely, software based. The second concept is the initiator which is the server, or client, which “uses” the storage block from the target. Again, the target can be hardware based or, more likely, software based. iSCSI is fundamentally a Storage Area Network (SAN) protocol just as Fibre Channel. The key difference is that FC uses a specialized (FC) network and iSCSI can just use TCP networks. This allows you to use a single network for storage data and other communication as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3: SAN Configuration Figure 3: SAN Configuration One of the reasons that FC based SANs are so successful is that FC networks are faster than GigE by several times and they are much cheaper than 10GigE. But, over the last year or so, iSCSI has been gaining in popularity for three reasons: • The price of iSCSI configurations can be much less than FC configurations. The iSCSI performance is not as good as 8 Gpbs FC in general, but better than 4 Gbps FC, but if the performance of iSCSI based GigE SANs is good enough, the possibly lower price of iSCSI SANs can make them very attractive. • Using a single network (as in iSCSI) can be less complex than multiple networks (as in TCP and FC). • For many years the price of 10GigE networks has been much greater than FC networks. But the price of 10GigE is finally coming down to the point where it can be competitive with FC networks. The use of 10GigE can also mean that iSCSI can be faster than FC networks. iSCSI OS Support (Mostly About Linux) Many Operating Systems (OS’s) support iSCSI for both targets and initiators. The first OS with iSCSI support in some form was AIX (IBM did start iSCSI development after all), followed by Windows, Netware, HP-UX, Solaris, and then Linux (and a bunch of others after that). There are several Linux iSCSI projects. An iSCSI initiator that was developed by Cisco is available as open-source and has served as the basis for other projects. There are patches for 2.4 and 2.6 kernels, although the 2.6 kernel series has iSCSI already in it. Many Linux distributions ship with the initiator already in the kernel. There is also a project originally developed by Intel and is available as open-source. A fork of an original project called the Ardistech iSCSI project, provides a target package with an eye towards porting it to the Linux 2.6 kernel and adding features to it (the original Ardistech iSCSI target package has not been developed for some time and was 2.4 based, but it is very difficult to find). Then this project was combined with the iSCSI initiator project to develop a combined initiator and target package for Linux. This package was under very active development and was combined with the Linux-iSCSI project to create one of the most complete and supported iSCSI packages in Linux. Another iSCSI packages that is under heavy development and support for 2.6 kernels is the iSCSI Enterprise Target project. There are lots of articles and some tutorials on using iSCSI with Linux around the Internet. Some of the better articles are: • This article specifically presents how to use iSCSI on Ubuntu 9.04 as both an initiator and target. But the general configuration instructions are the same as other distributions. • This article is a bit old and might not be applicable, but it does show the basic concepts for enabling iSCSI on Linux. • For setting up iSCSI on CentOS, this article can be used to help guide you. It uses the Open-iSCSI packages to provide the iSCSI capability. Another option is to use a pre-packaged distribution that is focused on storage called OpenFiler. It allows you to build a NAS box or an iSCSI initiator along with CIFS support. You just need an x86 or x86_64 systems with 512MB of memory, 1GB of space for the OS, and a supported network card. Then you can add as much storage to the server as you like and manage it as NAS storage or iSCSI storage. It’s a very nice setup for a dedicated storage system. There is even a YouTube video that presents how to use OpenFiler with iSCSI storage. iSCSI is a very hot topic right now because of many reasons. The combination of the trends where storage is becoming cheaper every day (2TB drives are just appearing) and 10GigE networks are becoming affordable, are helping to drive the popularity of iSCSI. But the fact that Linux has robust iSCSI packages available is also helping to drive iSCSI adoption. This is just a quick introduction to iSCSI with an eye toward Linux. Linux has good iSCSI packages that allow very robust configurations to be created (while not presented here, you can also use a capability called “multi-pathing” to create a more robust and fault tolerant SAN network). Watch for future articles that talk more about iSCSI in Linux as well as strategies for deploying iSCSI. 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At the Forge - Communication in HTML5 HTML5 gives Web applications new communication features. Inside this page is an iframe. Now, for demonstration purposes, this iframe will have the same origin as the outer page. But in many cases, the iframe will come from a completely different origin. In HTML5, that doesn't matter at all. You can send a message to whichever recipient you like. If you look at the HTML source for iframe.html, you'll see how to accomplish this: $(document).ready(function() { $("#send-button").click(function() { window.parent.postMessage($("#text-to-send").val(), '*'); In this example, I use jQuery to grab the button whose ID is “send-button”. I then add an event handler to that button, indicating that when it is clicked, it should invoke window.parent.postMessage, sending the text contained inside the text field. I should note that the postMessage() method can be called on any window or iframe, and that it can send any text in its first parameter. The second parameter indicates the origin of the recipient to whom you're sending this message. In this case, I have indicated that the recipient may have any origin by specifying a wild card. In production environments, it's probably safe to assume you will want to specify an origin. By stating the recipient's origin, there's a bit of additional safety—the message will be sent only if the receiving window object's content is from the stated origin. On the receiver's end, the posted message arrives as an event, one which the receiver can (and should!) examine before using. Going back to atf.html, you will see how the receiver accepts a message in its event handler: $(document).ready(function() { window.addEventListener('message', receiver, false); function receiver(e) { alert("origin = '" + e.origin + "'"); alert("data = '" + + "'"); The event handler for this page indicates that it's willing to accept a message. Each message consists of two pieces, the message (the text string that the sender passed as a parameter to postMessage) and the origin (the sender's origin). Note that the sender cannot set its origin; this piece of information is handled by the browser. Because the origin information is passed along with the message, it's possible for the receiver to filter out which origins it is willing to accept. In other words, although it's possible a rogue site will try to start posting to random windows that you might have open on other sites, the only way such messages actually will arrive is if the receivers are willing to accept them. I'm sure someone with more of a black-hat mentality than mine will find ways to defeat this security mechanism, but from what I can tell, it was thought out very carefully and cleverly, and should avoid most mischief. Now that it's possible for any window to send messages to any other window, what can you do with it? The answer, of course, is that no one knows. Off of the top of my head, I can imagine chat clients—or more generally, using a single window on a Web browser as a communication switchboard and clearinghouse—grabbing feeds and incoming messages and putting them on the appropriate pages. Imagine if Facebook were to have a single iframe that would handle its (very large!) number of interactions with the server, and then handle all page updates through that iframe, rather than on each individual window or tab. I also can imagine the postMessage() method ushering in a new age of multiwindow, desktop-like applications. Think of how many desktop applications now use multiple windows—one for control, another for each document and yet another for a “palette” of options. Now you can do the same thing with a Web browser, with a native message-passing interface. Just what people will do with these capabilities is unknown, but I predict we'll see a rash of new, rich, browser-based applications that take advantage of them.
[Previous] [Next] [The Thesaurus] V. Cataloging Applications 1. Level of specificity. 1.1. Indexing conventions usually prescribe that the most specific term be assigned to the material being cataloged. The choice of terms also depends on the use of the collections, the degree of available information, the relationship of the material being cataloged to the rest of the institution's holdings, staff expertise, and whether the catalog record represents a single item or a group of items. Decisions about the level of specificity should also take into account the needs of a growing manual file or local automated database and the possibility of contributing records to a multi-institutional database, or other modes of record distribution. 1.2. If uncertain of a specific physical process, assign a broader term. Although terms are available for use when a process is recognized, one should not feel compelled to try to identify every process as specifically as possible in every case. Example: When a color photographic print process cannot be easily identified, PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS--COLOR may suffice. 1.3. In accordance with conventional subject indexing practice, a narrower term and its broader term should not both occur in a record for a single item. However, for a group, it may be appropriate to assign both broader and narrower terms. Example: An aquatint is indexed with: AQUATINTS. The additional broader term INTAGLIO PRINTS would be superfluous. Example: A group that contains mostly cyanotypes, but also has a scattering of many other photo processes, may be indexed with: CYANOTYPES and the broader term PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS. 1.4. Conventional indexing rules prescribe use of the broader term when more than three of its narrower terms would be headings in the catalog record. The desire for access to examples of specific media and genre in a group may call for deviation from this practice and use of all the terms. When, however, the specific aspects are considered too numerous to index separately, either in a group or single item, the practice of using the broader term should be followed. Example: A group containing a photographer's work includes mostly platinum prints but also has a few cyanotypes and tintypes. Each type is indexed because it is important to highlight them all in the context of the institution's holdings. Example: The kinds of ephemera in a scrapbook are too numerous to index separately. The general term EPHEMERA is used. Example: A drawing includes graphite, chalk, and crayon, and no one medium predominates. The general term DRAWINGS is used. Go to: Library of Congress IconLibrary of Congress (July 10, 2004)
Conversion Premium Posted in Finance, Accounting and Economics Terms, Total Reads: 230 Definition: Conversion Premium The price of a convertible security is generally higher than the current market value of the common stock in which it has to be converted. Therefore conversion premium may be defined as the amount by which the price of a convertible security is above the current market value of the common stock into which it may be converted. A conversion premium is mostly expressed in monetary terms and represents the difference between the price of the convertible and the higher of the conversion or straight-bond values. Convertibles are generally securities, for example bonds and preferred shares which can be exchanged in returned for a specific number of another form (generally common shares) at a price which has been previously agreed-upon. If the investor is willing or if the issuing company forces the conversion only then can the convertibles be converted. Almost all convertible securities would trade at a conversion premium, though what happens is, it normally decreases as the common stock increases in price. For example, a bond trading at Rs 1,500 and convertible into 50 shares of common stock with a current market price of Rs 20 each sells at a conversion premium of Rs 1,500 - (50 × Rs 20), or Rs 500. Convertible bonds, which may simply be called converts, are generally debentures, which can be assumed to be unsecured bonds that can be converted into common stock of the issuer, a corporate, within a predetermined time period as and when the investor wishes. Either the number of shares or the share price would be specifically written in the indenture. Conversion ratio is the number of shares of stock that each bond can be converted into. Thus, a bond which can be converted into 10 shares of stock will have a conversion ratio of 10 to 1, or simply 10. Other than calculating the profit or loss on a certain conversion, calculating the conversion premium will also determine if it is a good or a bad time to convert one’s convertible securities. As a matter of fact, if the common stock’s current market value is less than the value that shall be received upon converting the convertible security, the best decision for the investor would be to do nothing. On the other hand, if the investor chooses to convert his securities into stock then, he would be losing both, his valuable time and money. Looking for Similar Definitions & Concepts, Search Business Concepts
Cinnamon (darchini or darchini) is commonly present in South Asian Spices (masalas). Cinnamon (dalchini) is an Aromatic smelling bark, cinnamon is widely used in most kitchens. It is principally employed in cookery as a seasoning and flavoring material. It has following health benefits: 1. Ancient Chinese references mention about use of Cinnamon as early as 2700 BC as a medicine for relieving nausea, fever, diarrhea and menstrual problems. 2. Cinnamon is used for stimulating gastric and digestive juices and carminative. 3. It is an antiseptic that helps kill bacteria which cause tooth decay and gum disease, and that is why most of the tooth pastes are cinnamon flavored. 4. It also kills many fungi and viruses that cause diseases. 5. It helps calm the stomach, 6. It helps to clear up urinary tract infections. 7. In diabetic patients, it helps metabolize sugar in a better way using less insulin. Post a Comment Blogger
This picture shows a huge waterspout which formed at a wind farm on the mouth of the River Mersey. The phenomenon was spotted by Phil Keating who works at a wind farm near the river. He told the Liverpool Echo : "It’s a rare natural phenomenon caused by the wind beating down on the sea and causing a funnel to form, which looks like a tornado. It’s quite dramatic.” Waterspouts are formed by columns of air over a body of water, which create a tornado or twister effect. Rumours that the volatile and unpredictable force of nature was in fact Mario Balotelli arriving in the city to sign for Liverpool FC proved unfounded. The privately-run offshore wind farm emergency response team deals with any incidents that are too far out to sea for other emergency services such as fire and ambulance to deal with. poll loading Did you know what a watersprout was?
Power Q&A: Bill Weihl Google's green-energy czar on what it would take for renewable energy to go mainstream Mother Jones: What is Google bringing to green tech investment that isn't already there? Bill Weihl: If you think of it from an investment point of view, I think that the real thing we bring is very patient capital: a willingness to take what others might perceive as perhaps a larger risk—though I think depending on how you evaluate the risk, it's debatable how large the risk actually is—and a focus on a very aggressive, audacious goal. Over the last several years, I've had a lot of conversations with venture capitalists and people working in [green tech] companies—start-up companies as well as established ones—and the thing that has struck me is that most of them are to some extent counting on policy changes that will drive up the cost of carbon emitting generation methods to make their approach really competitive from a cost point of view. I think counting on that as the thing that is going to save us in terms of the climate problem is a mistake. So our major focus is, let's drive down the cost of renewable technology as fast as possible and get to where we can really compete economically with coal as quickly as possible. MJ: Google's investment in this sector is pretty small given its market cap. Does that mean you don't see the same moneymaking potential there as in Internet search? BW: Right now, our major revenue source is our core business. But the revenue potential in the energy sector dwarfs the sector we are in today. MJ: What kinds of clean-energy technology is Google developing in-house? BW: The major focus right now is on solar-thermal technology to generate electricity. Solar-thermal electricity involves using some form of reflective system to concentrate the sun's energies to very high concentrations—100 times, 500 times, or above—to make steam. Sometimes they make steam directly; sometimes they heat something else up that then is used to make steam and then use that to drive a steam turbine. This is maybe one of the best-kept secrets in the renewable energies business. There have been 315 megawatts of solar-thermal generation happily generating power for the last 15 to 20 years down in the Mojave Desert in Southern California. And that field went dormant for probably 15 years because of the crash in natural gas prices and other things that happened in the early '90s. But in the last few years there has been a resurgence, and we see technology opportunities that are currently really underexploited. We think more attention could drive the cost of that down substantially to the point where it really could be competitive with coal. MJ: What are some of the other most promising new energy sources? BW: An important one that has a lot of potential is enhanced geothermal systems or engineered geothermal systems, typically abbreviated EGS, sometimes called "hot dry rock." There was a big report on this out of MIT last spring. In contrast to traditional geothermal, you don't need to find a reservoir of hot water that you can tap into to make power. Instead, you drill deep underground to a place where you find hot rock, often granite or something like that, that you can fracture in much the same way that oil companies will fracture the rock to be able to extract oil. Then you inject water to create an underground reservoir and use the water as a fluid to extract heat. The interesting thing about this is that it has the potential to get to higher temperatures than traditional geothermal, which means it could be economically practical and useable much more widely. The other nice thing about it compared to wind and solar is that it's essentially a base-load generating source. In other words, it's just there all the time. Whereas wind and solar are intermittent. MJ: What do you think is the most overhyped clean technology? BW: Oh my, I can make a lot of enemies by answering that question. I think I should stay away from that. Over a beer, not on the record, I'd be happy to rant and rave about some. MJ: What do you think it would take for renewable energy to go mainstream? BW: This is where I get worried. If you look at the amount of energy that's needed in 2050 and the amount of infrastructure that needs to be installed between now and then, it's staggering. I don't see the current capital markets being in a position to generate the investment needed to make that kind of infrastructure happen. We need investment in the technology to drive down the cost, and we need a lot more investment. We think that focused investment with some small teams of very smart people has the chance to really make some breakthroughs there. But then we are also going to need investment in manufacturing and building and installing these systems at enormous scale and growing that industry at a really incredible rate. And it's not clear to me what the right way is to make that happen yet. MJ: What is the one policy change you think would go the furthest toward cutting fuel consumption in the U.S.? BW: California has been incredibly successful over the last 30 years at pretty much holding constant per-capita electricity consumption. It's now 30 to 40 percent below the average for the U.S. as a whole compared to 30 years ago. And that's been done through policy changes that have put in place energy-efficiency standards for large appliances and things like that that have incentivized utilities to invest very substantially in energy-efficiency programs. Those kinds of programs have been incredibly successful. I think if we can replicate that across the country, and for that matter, in other places around the world, that can make a huge difference. We could over the next 20, 30 years reduce our energy consumption by 30 or 40 percent or more compared to what it would otherwise be. MJ: What's your favorite personal energy-saving tip? BW: Make sure your computer puts itself to sleep if it's idle for more than 15 or 30 minutes. If you leave it on it's like leaving a 100- or 200-watt lightbulb burning all the time. Most people might leave a lightbulb on when they leave a room for five minutes, but they're unlikely to just leave a big lightbulb on all the time day after day after day, 24 hours a day. But that's what we do with our computers, and it makes no sense. MJ: What kind of car do you drive? BW: We have a Prius that we've had since early 2001. And we also have a small minivan, which is less environmentally friendly but when you've got to carry seven people, given we have kids and often we are carrying more than the Prius will hold, it's a reasonable option. I'm looking forward to the day when we can buy something like a minivan that gets significantly better gas mileage. BW: You make that happen through politics. I think it would probably be a long time, but I would hope for environmental reasons we'll see a lot fewer of them, or that they'll start making cars like that using other technologies so they can get much, much better mileage.
Acoustic neuroma Vestibular schwannoma; Tumor - acoustic; Cerebellopontine angle tumor; Angle tumor; Hearing loss - acoustic; Tinnitus - acoustic An acoustic neuroma is a slow-growing tumor of the nerve that connects the ear to the brain. This nerve is called the vestibular cochlear nerve. It is behind the ear, right under the brain. An acoustic neuroma is benign. This means that it does not spread to other parts of the body. However, it can damage several important nerves as it grows. Central nervous system Exams and Tests Outlook (Prognosis) When to Contact a Medical Professional
AP National Writer Each April, weather wizard William Gray emerges from his burrow deep in the Rocky Mountains to offer his forecast for the six-month hurricane season that starts June 1. And the news media are there, breathlessly awaiting his every word. It's a lot like Groundhog Day _ and the results are worth just about as much. "The hairs on the back of my neck don't stand up," ho-hums Craig Fugate, director of emergency management for Florida, the state that got raked by four hurricanes _ three of them "major" _ in 2004. When it comes to preparing, he says, these long-range forecasts "are not useful at all." Regardless, since the former Colorado State University climatologist pioneered the seasonal predictions in 1984, other forecasters have followed suit. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Tropical Storm Risk Consortium in London and, most recently, the Coastal Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at North Carolina State University in Raleigh are now among teams attempting to handicap the storm season weeks or months ahead. After high-profile, back-to-back busts by Gray and others, critics have questioned whether these long-range outlooks do more harm than good. But the very question presupposes that Gray, et al., have been promising more than they can deliver. They can pretty accurately predict an above- or below-average season, even predict the likelihood a major storm will hit SOMEWHERE along the U.S. coast. Beyond that, they're not promising anything. "Honestly, I think people get a lot more excited about it than I do in terms of what its usefulness is," says CSU scientist Phil Klotzbach, who has largely taken over the hurricane work of Gray, now semiretired. From the beginning, Gray issued disclaimers with his forecasts, like the one from May 1989 that asserted the forecast "can only predict about 50 percent of the total variability in Atlantic seasonal hurricane activity." NC State's Lian Xie says in a boldface disclaimer in his 2008 forecast: "Results presented herein are for scientific information exchange only … Users are at their own risk for using the forecasts in any decision making." So how did these things become such a big deal? Fugate thinks part of the problem is that the media and some public officials picked up the cloudy crystal ball and ran with it. "Particularly national media has been using these forecasts inappropriately," he says. "I'm as guilty as anyone else." Hurricane-prediction researchers are like chefs tinkering with a recipe for the same dish, and working from the same list of ingredients: In this case, decades worth of data from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Studying past seasons, scientists look for patterns that might explain why one year was more active than another. Teams have developed computer models that emphasize different conditions _ everything from ocean salinity and rainfall amounts over West Africa to sunspot cycles and the influences of the Pacific warm-water current known as El Nino. They test their theories by "hindcasting" _ basically, plugging in known conditions from past storm seasons and seeing how well the models recreate the historical results. When Gray burst onto the scene a quarter century ago, some wondered what business a man nearly 2,000 miles from the Atlantic had predicting hurricanes. Still, writing about his predictions became a rite of spring. (The Associated Press transmits urgent stories for his initial Dec. l forecast, and for the April, June and August updates.) Reporters would note when Gray missed, as in 1989 when he predicted a relatively mild season with only four hurricanes. Instead, a total of seven hurricanes and four tropical storms killed 84 people in the United States. But most years, they have published his forecasts with little or no commentary on his overall record _ or even analysis of how he'd fared the season before. That is, until 2005. That spring, Gray and Klotzbach forecast 15 named storms, eight of them hurricanes. Instead, there were a record 28 named storms in 2005, including 15 hurricanes _ most notably Katrina. The following year, the team overestimated the storm activity. Instead of the predicted 17 storms and nine hurricanes, the final numbers that season were 10 and five. Coincidentally, 2005 was also the year Xie and his students published a groundbreaking paper in the journal "Geophysical Research Letters." In it, they suggested that the interplay of sea surface temperatures in the tropical North and South Atlantic, and not El Nino, was responsible for Florida's disastrous 2004 season. The following year, NC State felt confident enough to issue its forecast publicly. In a release, the university's PR department would later crow that its "was the only national model to accurately forecast Atlantic hurricane activity" in 2006. Unfortunately, NC State's 2007 forecast was as off as anyone's. This season, Xie and master's student Elinor Keith are forecasting 13 to 15 named storms, but again with caveats _ the highest probability they offer for any particular number in that range is 11 percent. They predict six to eight of those storms will become hurricanes _ but put the probability of seven occurring at just over 14 percent. "So even though that's the most likely answer, compared to some other numbers, that's still a small number, right?" says Xie. "People need to have that in mind." Others have decided that there is need to qualify their forecasts, as well. Klotzbach says his next update will include an extra section "that deals with forecast uncertainty." And when NOAA released its 2008 outlook last week, it included for the first time a pie chart showing the likelihood that its prediction of 12 to 16 named storms was accurate. The verdict: About 65 percent for the whole range. "We want to best convey the forecast by telling the people what the forecast is and what it is not," lead forecaster Gerry Bell says. "This is NOT a landfall forecast. This does NOT imply levels of activity for any particular region." Gray insists that people DO use these forecasts to make strategic, real-world decisions. Ask him who, and he will suggest the reinsurance and Gulf oil-and-gas industries. Platts, a division of McGraw-Hill that supplies information to the energy industry, publishes the forecasts. But chief economist Larry Chorn can't think of anyone who takes any action based on them. "It allows me to gauge what the experts are saying in terms of the likelihood of this being a mild season or a bad season," he says. "Beyond that, I don't know how to use them." There is some concern that average folk may be lulled into complacency by forecasts of a light storm season. "They can go one or two ways," Joseph Bruno, commissioner of the New York City's Office of Emergency Management, says of the long-range predictions. "They can make people more apathetic than they already are about emergencies, or they can really heighten concern and alarm." But most seem to have figured out that they can't plan their lives around the forecasts. "Let's say someone says this is going to be a really horrible hurricane season. Does that mean you close your business, lay off your employees?" says Melissa Perlman, who co-owns a small eco-resort in the beach town of Tulum on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. "I don't really start paying attention until they are actually on the map." "It's like Nostradamus," adds Sonya Strasburg, who works at the Galveston Fishing Pier on the Texas barrier island _ site of the nation's deadliest hurricane. "I don't believe it." So why keep doing them? Gray and Klotzbach opened this year's forecast paper with that very question. The answer they give: Because they add to the overall understanding of how hurricanes work. "You actually learn more when you bust than when you verify," says Gray, who retired from CSU in 2004 but continues to work with Klotzbach. Another reason: Because people simply want to know. "The truth is, every time I go to a conference, without fail, people come up to me and before they even ask about me or my family, they say, `What kind of a season are we going to have?'" says Max Mayfield, former longtime director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Mayfield, now under contract with a Miami television station, sees no harm in the forecasts, as long as people are aware of their limitations. His favorite example is 1992. Forecasts called for a below-average season that year, and it was _ just six storms. The first one just happened to be Hurricane Andrew, which killed 23 people and did $26.5 billion in damage. "I think it comes down to how people like you and me in the media portray this …," Mayfield says. "You need to be prepared no matter what the numbers are." EDITOR'S NOTE: AP reporters Jessica Gresko in Miami, Mike Graczyk in Galveston, Texas, Sara Kugler in New York City, Traci Carl in Mexico City also contributed to this story. On the Net: NOAA Forecast: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/outlooks/hurricane.shtml CSU Tropical Meteorology Project: http://hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu/Forecasts/
Home » Cardiovascular Health » Human Circulatory System » Circulation Problems What To Do If Your Blood Vessel Popped Eye Blood Vessel Popped • Ruptured blood vessels can be very painful • Some causes of include: high blood pressure and poor circulation • There are two categories of : peripheral arterial disease and peripheral venous disease Popped blood vessels are no fun wherever they occur. They are painful, can cause swelling and bruising, and take a good deal of time to go away. If you find that you have an eye blood vessel popped, you could experience blurred vision, bloodshot eyes, and even some discomfort such as dry eye. When you have an eye blood vessel popped, it could be caused from a variety of things, such as strenuous exercising, vomiting, pregnancy, high blood pressure, some medications including ones for erectile dysfunction and digitalis based formulas, and diabetes. If you have an eye blood vessel popped, it will take up to 3 weeks to go away. A blood vessel popped is a form of small blood vessel disease. Blood vessel disease falls into two categories: peripheral arterial disease and peripheral venous disease. The first category affects the vessels that carry the blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The second category affect the vessels that carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart from the rest of the body. Anyone who suffers from either type of blood vessel disease are dealing with a lack of blood circulating to the furthest parts of the body – such as the hands and feet – and these areas not receiving enough oxygen. If you are suffering from a blood vessel popped, then there is a good indication that you have an obstruction somewhere along the vessel line. When this happens, the flow of blood through the vessel is hindered and it can cause the blood vessel to constrict or dilate. If the blood vessel is stretched too much, it will pop, causing the blood to flood beneath the skins surface and causes bruising. In the case of a popped eye blood vessel, it causes the eye to become bloodshot. Blurred vision and dry eye problems can occur when this happens. Blood vessel disease is also the cause of strokes and aneurysms when the blood vessels to the brain are blocked. Chronic occlusive arterial disease is a condition people also suffer when the arteries to other parts of the body become fully or partially blocked which also leads to additional problems. Blood Vessel DiseaseBlood vessel treatment can include a variety of different things depending on what is causing the problem. Quite often a change in diet is helpful and is accompanied by anti-clotting drugs such as pentoxifylline or other anti-clotting drugs such as aspirin unless the patient is suffering from peripheral vascular disease. Diabetes and high blood pressure are also causes of blood vessel disease and if they cause enough damage to the arteries, blood vessel treatment could include surgery, balloon angioplasty, heart bypass and other major invasive surgery to fix the condition. Unfortunately, if the blockage reoccurs – which happens in about 30% of the cases – patients will have to have the surgery procedure re-performed. Other blood vessel treatments include: – change of diet – cardiovascular exercise – non-smoking routine – special clothing to help promote circulation – natural remedies for high blood pressure and cholesterol treatment – and sometimes prescribed medication Blood vessel popped in the eye will take some time to heal. Click here to discuss this article on forum 11 Responses to “What To Do If Your Blood Vessel Popped” 1. 1 Andrew Tang Says: 3 days ago, I woke up with top half of left eye all red. It does not hurt or affect my vision. Now the red blood in my eye is fade away. Should I be concerned????? and do I still need to see an eye doctor?????? The eye does not hurt at all, but I do know it was a popped blood vessel. 2. 2 Paula Says: It happened overnight I had an itch so i itched, in the morning half of my eye was bright red (like the picture above) being pregnant, I guess its very common in pregnancy my doctor mentioned its nothing to worry about unless it comes with pain. Sadly no medication only time that can heal it. And you are at the greater risk if you have a low platelet count which I do. 3. 3 julie sagona Says: Please answer!! 4. 4 julie sagona Says: I woke up with half of my right eye all red like blood.It does not hurt or impair my vision. Should I be concerned????? I am told it is a popped blood vesse. l and it will repair itself. I have never had one before this. 5. 5 justin Says: i was screaming a song, with my head down, and all of a sudden just under my eye brow started to hurt really bad and if i touch it, it hurts. im a little worried because when i tilt my head down it hurts in that same spot.... any clue what it is? 6. 6 Bobbie Says: This has happend twice so far,within 2wks. I have an itch so i itch it,and pain and burning occurs. then a welt and my blood vessel is popped and purple. Does anyone know what causes this? and should I go see a doctor? 7. 7 james Says: my friend tensed his head and all red dots started to appear from his neck and im worried? any answers? 8. 8 Jackie Says: Sounds like you may have been straining with your face. Usually that happens while vomitting. When a person vomits and can't take the time to breath cause you just can't, blood vessels begin to pop in your face which causes all of the red spots. It usually takes less than a week for the spots to clear up from your face. 9. 9 emily Says: Is it possible to have red spots up and down your face and neck if you popped a blood vessel? This is the effect I got but I'm not sure if that's exactly what it is. If you have any info that might help please tell me. thanks!! 10. 10 bebe Says: You do not want to mess with a popped blood vessel. I got very sick from one and I was lucky I didn't have problems. Go to the doctor. Get some medicine. Don't avoid it. 11. 11 jill Says: If you pop a blood vessel will it ever heal? and will you always look like you do after it poped???!!!
Residues from biochemical production of transport biofuels in Northern Europe :combustion properties and applications by Eriksson, Gunnar, PhD Abstract (Summary) Residues from biochemical production of liquid transport biofuels will probably become available for energy use if more gasoline and diesel is substituted. For processes used in northern Europe they amount to 35-65 % of the feedstock energy and despite interest from energy companies, their fuel properties are largely unknown. Combustion-relevant material properties have been characterized and fuel-specific combustion properties determined for powder-, grate- and fluidized bed combustion. Suitable combustion applications have been identified. A techno-economic evaluation of utilization of a selected residue for supplying process heat and electricity to the transport biofuel production, combined with sale of surplus energy has been done. Residues studied are rape-seed meal (RM) from biodiesel production, wheat distillers dried grain with solubles (wheat DDGS) from grain-based ethanol production and hydrolysis residue (HR) from wood-based ethanol production. For RM and wheat DDGS, mixtures with typical forest- and agricultural fuels were also studied. Combustion experiments were performed in a fluidized (quartz) bed (5 kW), an under-fed pellet burner (12 kW), and in a powder burner (150 kW). The calorific value for HR was higher than for wood, for RM and wheat DDGS it was similar to wood. More char was produced from HR, otherwise TGA results showed that thermal kinetics was similar to wood for all fuels. All pulverized residues had better feeding properties than wood powder. While RM and wheat DDGS ash contents were higher than for most common forest and also for some agricultural fuels, HR mostly had very low contents of ash, alkali, Cl, S and N. RM and DDGS had high concentrations of S, N, K and P compared to most other biomass fuels. RM had higher Ca and Mg concentrations than DDGS. The Cl content of wheat DDGS was similar to wheat straw, while RM had a lower Cl content, similar to wood. Combustion of all pulverized residues was stable with CO emissions not higher than for wood powder. While the bed agglomeration tendency of RM was low and comparable to many forest fuels the wheat DDGS bed agglomeration tendency was high and comparable to wheat straw. The K, P and Si contents of wheat DDGS formed layers of K-phosphates/silicates on the quartz grain particles, with low melting temperatures and therefore sticky, resulting in bed agglomeration. For RM, this effect was mitigated by the considerable Ca and Mg concentrations, making the layers formed less sticky, despite the high K and P concentrations. For basically the same reason, the slag formation tendency of RM was moderate and comparable to many forest fuels while wheat DDGS had a slag formation tendency which was even higher than for typical wheat straw. HR had very low bed agglomeration and slagging tendencies.For RM and wheat DDGS, emissions of NO and SO2 were generally high, for HR considerably lower. While HCl emissions for RM were low, they were relatively high for fluidized bed combustion of wheat DDGS. Particle emissions from RM and wheat DDGS were generally high. For powder combustion of RM and wheat DDGS, particle emissions were 15-20 times higher than for wood. The particle emissions from combustion of HR were generally low. For fluidized bed- and grate combustion of RM the finer particles (< 1 ?m) contained mainly alkali sulfates. RM addition to bark tended to lower the particle Cl concentrations, potentially lowering the risk of high-temperature corrosion. For fluidized bed combustion of wheat DDGS and wheat DDGS-mixtures the finer particles contained mainly K and S. The Cl concentrations of the fine particles in fluidized bed combustion were reduced when wheat DDGS where added to logging residues and wheat straw in fluidized bed combustion. In grate combustion the Cl- and P-concentrations in the finer particles during combustion of the wheat DDGS-mixtures were considerable higher than during fluidized bed combustion. The fine particles from powder combustion of RM mainly contained P and K, while they mainly contained K, P, Cl, Na and S from wheat DDGS (apart from C and O).A possible use of RM is as a sulfur-containing additive to biomass fuels rich in Cl and K in large-scale fluidized-bed and grate combustors for avoiding ash-related operational problems in fluidized beds and grate combustors originated from high KCl concentrations in the flue gases. Due to its high slagging and bed agglomeration tendencies, the best use of wheat DDGS may be to mix it with other fuels, preferably with high Ca and Mg contents (e.g. woody biomass fuels), so that only a minor fraction of the total ash-forming elements is contributed by the wheat DDGS. Because of their high N- and S contents, RM and wheat DDGS require applications with flue-gas cleaning, economically viable at large-scale. Powder combustion of RM and wheat DDGS should be used with caution, as potassium phosphate particles have low melting temperatures and could therefore increase the risk of deposit formation. Use of HR in small-scale pellet appliances is an interesting option due to low emissions, low ash content and low slagging tendency. While most large-scale combustion uses of HR would be feasible, the low ash and alkali contents and stable powder combustion of HR may be better exploited in a combined-cycle process, as the alkali content can be kept sufficiently low for use in robust gas turbines, simplifying the gas cleaning. In the techno-economic assessment, residue (HR) was assumed to be combusted on site, to supply process steam and electricity to the liquid biofuel production (wood-based ethanol) with surplus residue either sold as solid fuel or used for additional heat and power generation. With a combined cycle to increase electricity production, a location with a large district heating base load is not needed. As electricity replaced is largely generated with fossil fuels, a combined cycle is significantly more effective as a climate mitigation measure than a steam-cycle only, with about 25 percent greater reduction in CO2 emissions per litre of ethanol produced. While it is generally accepted that energy use of the residue is important to the process economy and environmental benefits of ligno-cellulosic ethanol production, it can be concluded from this study that the choice of integrated process design has a significant impact on CO2 emissions. Bibliographical Information: School:Luleå tekniska universitet School Location:Sweden Source Type:Doctoral Dissertation Date of Publication:01/01/2009 © 2009 All Rights Reserved.
Judicial Branch Term Paper Download this Term Paper in word format (.doc) Excerpt from Term Paper: These two questions will be responded to simultaneously as the answer to one will always involve touching on issues concerning the other. When we speak of three (3) departments or branches of government then we must necessarily refer to the "presidential system" of governance. These three co-equal and co-independent departments are the Executive, the legislative and the judiciary. The executive as its name connotes, has the main duty to faithfully execute the laws and the constitution. The legislature enacts or makes laws and the judiciary interprets them and says if the provisions of said law are not in conflict with the constitution. It likewise can decree if the execution made by the executive is in accordance with the laws and the constitution. On the basis of these basic postulates we will now proceed to determine if the judiciary is the weakest or the strongest among the three branches of government. However, before going any farther, we must always remember that these departments, in the performance of their mandates, functions if you may, are subject to definite legal and/or constitutional restrictions. The courts for example are mandated to always align their decisions with the constitution so that if it finds in a law, under consideration, an interpretation that appears repugnant to the provisions of the constitution or its spirit, then it is compelled to strike down and set aside that interpretation for being unconstitutional. The deeper question, however, is this: If these constitutional restraints are ignored with impunity and the judge proceed with abandon and decides a case on the basis of his personal preferences and beliefs, will this unauthorized exercise make him stronger than the legislature which enacted the law. A comparative reading of the several discourse by different authors on the subject of a wayward judiciary, will reveal a common belief that the court rendered its decision strictly in accordance with and within the confines of its restricted powers. Some prefer to call this "judicial activism." It should instead be labeled as "judicial vandalism" and subject the erring judge or judges to disciplinary action and impeachment. Obviously, this paper conforms with the position that the judiciary is the weakest among the three departments of the government, for reasons, in addition to those given above, as follows: Further on the subject of "judicial activism" where according to AP Government. com. The justices of the Supreme Court "may try to read into the vague wording of the constitution and stretch the boundaries of what the constitution says" Initially, this act of interpreting the meaning of vague provisions of the constitution or a law is, as a matter of fact, a major part of a court's function. There appears nothing wrong with a court exercising that function in that manner What is deplorable is the act of "stretching the wording, meaning and intent of its provisions beyond what the constitution says intentionally and with malice to support a particular principle, ideology or person. Conversely no matter how wrongful the interpretation may be, if it was arrived at in good faith, unattended with any persuasion of gain or advantage, such ruling must be sustained. Assuming now that the justices in fact confederated with one another and decided an issue in a manner that runs afoul with the constitution, will this make it a stronger branch? Surely not! While it may have caused its account of strength to be credited with a misdeed, it has also debited his personal ledger account with an offsetting administrative or criminal liability thereby resulting to a zero net worth There is no added strength if there is a corresponding weakness for an undeserved and wrongful assumption of power. The same source laments that Supreme Court Justices engage in a vulgar display of power when they give trial lawyers a hard time during oral arguments of a case before it by asking difficult questions after having the luxury of knowing well in advance the facts and the laws involved.. So what's wrong with that. Does that make the Supreme Court more powerful? Not so. Being prepared to listen to oral arguments is admirable, a sign of diligence, a virtue. No matter if a case is decided strictly on the basis of the ideology of the "ponente" (decision writer) as long as it is shared by the others unanimously, or in the majority then it is in accord with his sworn duty. Were not laws passed on the basis also of the principles shared by a majority of the members of congress? That placed them on the same footing. 3) Justices to the Supreme Court are nominated by the president Those nominated very often than not share in common the political beliefs and ideology of the president. This practice has flourished and endured not without any reason. Indeed, gratitude has discreetly if not lavishly been expressed in not a few instances. Under this situation where debts of gratitude are expected to be repaid, will the justices feel more confident, independent and more powerful than the president to whom they may be beholden? The courts have no enforcement powers. It must be emphasized that nowhere in the constitution is it provided that the Supreme Court or its subordinate courts shall have the power to enforce its judgment. It has to call on the executive branch for the latter to exercise its power of execution of final decision on the principle that such ruling has become part of the law of the land, which call may unfortunately be refused. This lack of power was best exemplified in the 1832 case of Worcester v. Georgia where chief justice John Marshall ruled that "the U.S. A government had no right to move the Cherokee Indians off their land in Georgia" In response, President Andrew Jackson, who was obviously against the ruling, said "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it" The decision was not enforced and instead the Cherokee Indians were moved off their land. The legislature, likewise, in response to an unpopular decision of the courts may attack instead the basis used in support thereof. If it was the constitution, then the congress may propose that a constitutional assembly be convened, propose amendments in pursuance of their position and then vote in favor of the proposal, which they may be able to do so as members of that constituent assembly. If the basis of the decision is a mere statute, then congress may simply repeal that law or significantly amend it to suit their position. Congress, likewise as a means of defeating the court's ruling, may decide to go after its necessities by limiting the funds to implement the ruling or at least delay its release. CNN.COM commented through William Mears that while the framers of the constitution envisioned the judiciary as the "weakest" and "least dangerous" of the three departments of government, it has now chosen to flex its muscles and shed its timid image. Its recent rulings has "far reaching consequences" in matters of legalizing abortion, integrating public schools etc.. A which have seriously affected the lives of Americans. Mears' comments on the metamorphosis of the judiciary's attitude is no cause for alarm because the safeguards have been and are still in place. Their availment is up to the legislature who must come up with laws to remove the ill effects, if any, of the undesired rulings.. Again, notwithstanding the unpopularity of the decisions, the same did not work to strengthen the proposition that the judiciary is a stronger department because said decision is short-lived and does not have the character of permanency being always subject to the prerogatives of congress for its continued existence. 8. John Nowacki, Deputy Director of the Free Congress Foundations Center for Law and Democracy decries that nominations for positions in the judiciary have been used by politicians from both the legislature and the executive departments to secure political favors and cries out loud as to "When will they take this seriously?' Considering that judiciary positions are "peddled" like goods in the political market, how can the products be stronger than the "buyers" who will only use them. 9.. In a Free Congress commentary of March 1,2002, writer Tom Jipping, argues that while it may be permissible for members of congress to base their political decisions on personal views, the same cannot be done by the judiciary who has to strictly adhere their rulings on the law or the constitution. While seemingly justices are now beginning to adopt the stance of their legislative counterpart in using either their political or personal views as basis for their decisions, there is not much reason to push the panic button because the constitutional and legal safeguards are still very much available and have not been curtailed. 10. Edwin L. Meese in his article at the Hoover Digest (1997 No.4) expressed his deep concern over what he calls " runaway judges" who exceeds their proper interpretative roles. While expressing fear, Meese, however., confidently suggested workable solutions…[continue] Cite This Term Paper: "Judicial Branch" (2003, April 13) Retrieved December 9, 2016, from http://www.paperdue.com/essay/judicial-branch-146403 "Judicial Branch" 13 April 2003. Web.9 December. 2016. <http://www.paperdue.com/essay/judicial-branch-146403> "Judicial Branch", 13 April 2003, Accessed.9 December. 2016, http://www.paperdue.com/essay/judicial-branch-146403 Other Documents Pertaining To This Topic • Judicial Branch the Separation of This was the first time that the Supreme Court had deemed a law unconstitutional, and in fact this power of the Court had not even really been established until it was used in this case. Its establishment, however, was to have profound effects on the judicial branch's power over the legislative and executive branches, especially in making sure that the restrictions of the Constitution were maintained despite -- and • Federal Judicial Branch of Government Justices can make public pronouncements on issues that are important to the federal judiciary - not specific cases that come before the court, but general political and social issues. For example, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Roberts, recently made a speech that warned about attacks against judicial independence. He was stating what the framers of the Constitution worried about hundreds of years ago when he said: • Judicial Dictatorship This Report Serves After all, Ernesto Miranda who was the namesake of the Miranda Rights was a rapist and a guilty one at that. He was retried after his confession was tossed and he was re-convicted as were many of the other people that had their convictions overturned at the same time. However, others were never re-tried and it's safe to say that at least some of them were guilty. Conclusion In the end, • Judicial System Overview of the Civil Justice Judicial System Overview of the Civil Justice System and Its Administration Since the creation of the United States Constitution, there has been a clear distinction between the three branches of government. The third branch, the Judiciary, exists for two purposes: to determine justice according to the current laws and policies and to eliminate any legislation that is in violation of the Constitution. As with the other two branches, the Supreme Court has • Branches of U S Gov t the Government Structure Branches of U.S. Gov't The government structure in the United States is divided into three distinct branches that work in conjunction to ensure that the country and its citizens are governed justly. These branches were established in Articles 1, 2, and 3 of the United States Constitution. Furthermore, each of these branches plays a major role in the development of public policy. The executive branch of the government is made up of • Judicial Review and Democracy the • Judicial Review The Legacy of As Treanor emphasizes, "What appears to be a puzzling, unconvincing, and uniquely aggressive exercise of judicial review was fully consistent with prior judicial decisions in which courts had invalidated statutes that trenched on judicial authority and autonomy" (455). Texas v. Johnson (1989). Perhaps as no other issue in the post-September 11, 2001 climate is that of flag-burning. The debate is heated and emotionally charged, and it is easy to get Read Full Term Paper Copyright 2016 . All Rights Reserved
FRONTLINE/World [home] Search FRONTLINE/World FRONTLINE/World Rough Cut Fellows Logo Indian Family School Boy in India Indian Woman Rough Cut India: The Missing Girls A society out of balance Neil Katz & Marisa Sherry Neil Samson Katz is a freelance journalist working in print, television and new media. He has reported from India, Mexico and Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. His work has appeared in the NY, Washington Post, NJ Star Ledger and NY Daily News. Katz graduated from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism in 2005 where he won the James A. Wechsler Memorial Award for International Reporting. Marisa Sherry is a nutritionist specializing in HIV at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. While living in India with her husband Mr. Katz, she was drafted into journalism. Watch Video Length: 10:46 Despite a law banning sex selective abortion in force for a decade, as many as half a million female fetuses are aborted each year in India, according to a 2006 study in the British medical journal, The Lancet. Some believe those numbers are high, but it is clear there is an imbalance in the country's population. A 2001 government census revealed that there were 795 women for every 1000 men in Punjab, India's rural heartland. The numbers were no better in the posh neighborhoods of South Delhi. The statistics are even more surprising for new births. In Punjab, we visited small farming villages where there were five girls for every ten boys between the ages of zero and six. My wife and I wanted to understand this lopsided ratio and why so many Indians prize sons over daughters so much so that they are willing to abort female pregnancies in hopes of having more sons. Our travels took us across rural Punjab and much of New Delhi. Everywhere we went, we asked the question, why are sons so important? We sat with government officials, country doctors and city specialists. We took tea with rural midwives, health workers and college students. We met one woman rushing to the ultrasound clinic to discover if her five-month-old fetus was a boy or a girl. If it was a girl, she flatly told us, she would abort it. Almost everyone we met told us that female feticide was rampant, but not in their homes. The reasons given were varied: from needing a son to light a parent's funeral pyre to hoping a male bread winner will care for his parents as they grow old and infirm. But one reason consistently stood out amongst the rest: dowry, the high price families must pay to marry off their daughters. Dowry is illegal in India, but that law is almost universally ignored. For poor and middle class families, the resulting expenses can create crushing debts. For the wealthy, smaller families are becoming the norm. And many feel if they are only to have two or three children, they must have at least one son. None of this is said in the open. In the past, newspapers and billboards advertised sex selective abortions. Today, the laws are tougher and the practice has gone underground. But it is clear from the numbers that it is far from going away and that India's girls continue to go missing. Neil Samson Katz * * * About FRONTLINE/World Fellows "India: The Missing Girls" by Neil Katz is the first Fellows project this round from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. The FRONTLINE/World Fellows program is sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and is part of our ongoing effort to identify and mentor the next generation of video, print and online journalists. This report from India is the second in a new series of Fellows stories for the 2006/2007 season. The program, started in 2003, so far has produced 19 multimedia stories by talented young journalists, who have traveled to Guatemala, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Haiti, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, Egypt, Israel, Rwanda and Sicily, and journeyed across Europe by train from Istanbul to Paris. You can see them all here. As part of the latest Fellows projects, made possible through our partnership with the U.C. Berkeley, Columbia and Northwestern Graduate Schools of Journalism, we will be bringing you stories from France, India, Liberia, China, Russia, Uganda and Morocco. Comments for this story are now closed. lahore, punjab My views might not be agreed to by all of you but do you guys realize what the life of an unwanted child will be? No, you don't. You can't change the mentality of people here. You can't change their concepts, they are born with it. I don't blame a mother for doing it. Every women from our background will very well understand her condition. I don't want to give my daughter a life I faced myself. It is a love of a woman for her unborn child that would cause her to kill [abort a female fetus]...Here in Pakistan a woman is abused since the day she is born...Even an educated woman like me faces so many blows on a daily basis by men. There is so much abuse here in Pakistan and in India. We are mistreated by our fathers, ours sons, our husbands and even by the common men when we go out to our job, everywhere.Life for women in Pakistan is disgusting, and it is our destiny and we can't change it. I thank for your research and report. It is a matter of shame for an Indian to see such things taking place in 2007. We claim that we have progressed and we have done so many things for women. I think our ancestors were much more educated because in past women had their rights in place.But we see decline in the status of women in India. This decline is seen only for last fifty years after our freedom. In fact, Indian women were equally active in our freedom movement. I also feel that our Government is also not serious and not interested in doing something in this matter. Jersey City, NJ There are many Christians in India and Christians in the South who participate in the "dowry" system. Under some unfortunate circumstances, my sister and I (who grew up in NY) were pressured to get married in Kerala and dowry was very much an issue. We have both gotten divorced. Yes, devaluation of women is a problem that needs to be addressed.This documentary brings to light a continuation of an old system, with a high tech twist. I do think the gender imbalance is going to impact India. However, I must say that I find the pro-choice person talking about how terrible it is quite sanctimonius. She gets to decice when it's a crime and she doesn't want to give some women a choice? Here in the US, women have abortions for a variety of reasons including convenience. It's more complex than that. Leicester, England Articles [and videos] such as this highlight the great injustices of the world. There are many missing girls, not just in India but also in China. Not enough is being done to combat this issue. Men and women are equal, apart from biological sex differences. When is the world going to wake up and realize that?! Scott Baker - New York City, ny This is really a disaster slowly unfolding, not just for India, or even the third world, where it is undoubtedly happening as well, but for the entire world. Think about the boy's lives for a moment. They will grow up frustrated and lonely, then become angry. Well, angry young men sometimes become violent. If they join together with other angry men, you have criminal gangs, even terrorists. This is destabilizing and dangerous for the entire world - all because there aren't enough women to civilize these men. Add to that that Americans seeking to adopt, overwhelmingly (80%) prefer girls, thereby pulling still more girls out of the third world. That's good for the neglected girls, of course, but what about the men left behind? India, and other countries practicing femail fetuscide, need to start valuing their females for their ability to earn and contribute to the society in other ways besides baby-making. Then, the need to bribe potential grooms with dowries would disappear, since the young women they marry would bring value of their own into the marriage. This is particularly true as young Indians aspire to a middle class lifestyle that may not be obtainable from just a single paycheck earned by the man. Mothers need to raise their girls to be equal partners to men, so that the dowry becomes an unnecessary anachronism. Otherwise, men will be fighting on the street, competing indirectly for access to women. B Kline - Liberty, MO It's not nice to fool Mother Nature. In the end, this practice of selective abortion will come back to haunt the Indian people. What a sad commentary on how people choose to use legitimate medical advances illegitimately. Please do follow ups on this sad story. Hamid Shahul - Chennai( Madras) , Tamil Nadu Dear Neil,Thank you for yet another reminder to law makers to implement what has been regulated. Sex determination has been prohibited by the Court, and is punishable but the way you have described is indeed surprising . The portable machines are taken and sex determined. Cant beleive it.You have rightly brought out that the son syndrome is with every Indian, be it rich or poor. Many reasons have been advanced and most likely is that of Dowry problems that the poor face. Despite the the law and societal pressures dowry does not seem to go away. Added to that now many suicides are committed by even middle class girls frm continued pressure from the in-laws to get money, gifts of all kinds.By the way Neil this psychology( disease) of a boy is seen even in USA also. So and So (Jr), isn't it the symptom of same malaise?A very good job done.Regards,HMS. jayadev Bisineeru - Bangalore, Karnataka As an Indian I am ashamed to be part of the great tragedy of female feticide. People do not seem to learn from history. The large number of males that cannot be married is not good for the country since these single individuals without mates will resort to violence and other radical life styles as it happened long time ago in certain provinces of China. The dowry system that has propagated this genocide will eventually give rise to great violence in the country. mai iqbal - Atlanta, GA Indian people are very good and sincere in their religious belief. Since there is nothing against the practice of sex selection in Hinduism, the practice of female feticide has become rampant mainly for social and economic reasons. It is the duty of everyone at all levels to educate and discourage this immoral practice in Hinduism. The Indian government should be more proactive in eliminating it by imposing high penalties for the offenders. This is going to be difficult due to high corruption in the law and order departments. At the international level, foreign friendly countries can make a big difference in raising feticide as a human rights issue. In this age of information technology, a lot can be done to save the Laxmis (a title of respect given to daughters in Indian culture, Laxmi means wealth) of the future by promoting it in daily news, shows and doumentaries. Pubali Ray Chaudhuri - Fremont, CA The treatment of women in modern India continues to remain India's greatest shame. We have made tragically little progress in the field of women's rights, and we persist in denying or obfuscating the problem. I earnestly hope that this very critical human rights issue gets maximum publicity across the wider world. Indian society -- patriarchal, casteist, misogynistic Indian society -- where woman is worshipped as a goddess and yet where women are brutally burned alive for dowry, raped, beaten, overworked, treated as lesser beings almost as a matter of course - this society must change its outlook for India to become truly civilized, truly democratic. Anne Peterson - Seattle, WA To the last person's comment: Two wrongs do not make a right. Killing a pre-born woman is actually a form of murder, since she is perfectly innocent before she is born.If, as you say, it is better to kill/murder female babies so as to spare them the same misery that you have suffered, then if you really meant what you said you would have killed/murdered yourself long ago, to spare yourself that misery. The reality is that your life, however miserable it is, is better than your death. To make an analogy, having one's finger cut off is preferable to having one's head cut off.I pray that your life gets better, that men treat you with more dignity. But, even if they do not, I am glad that you are alive, that you made your comment, and I pray that you are able to turn the awful pain inflicted on you into beauty in your soul. north miami beach, florida I never thought I would say this ... but in a situation like this, some sort of socialism might be the only answer ... when the government takes care of all the social services ... particularly those necessary to help the elderly ... people don't depend on families as much...because the social services work. My sister in law is from Russia, and her aging grandmother has had a home attendant for years - provided by the government - to care for her. Her mother can look forward to that, too when she gets old. Some systems work...and I think, despite all its ills, socialism works best with regards to caring for the elderly without all this family drama ... especially when you have to resort to the bride dowry/female feticide insanity like what's going on in India. Anon - Toronto, Ontario Being an Indian girl living in Canada, i can tell you that, although their reasons maybe different now, their excuses maybe different, the thought process is still the same. My first child was a girl, a beautiful energetic girl. But what I kept hearing was, hopefully you will have something "good" the next time around. This made me very very mad. What was wrong with my daughter? She was good. More then good. It made me not want to have a son to prove to these people that having just daughters is just as good. Now I'm pregnant again and I know I'm having a boy. My husband and I are talk about how people will celebrate differently and it irks us. Thank god he thinks the same way! Even though we know we are having a boy it hurts us when people tell us that they pray for the best this time for us and hope we have a boy. I have visited India, I have seen how abortions are viewed as nothing more then a cleaning there. It is sad and scary. People don't care and will make any excuse to make sure they have a boy. When I got married, we did not give any dowry, neither for my older or younger sister. It's time that people start changing and its gonna start with our generation. People also need to start reporting this stuff in India. If you go and visit back home and hear of this, report it. Kerry Chester, Dr. - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I work in Malaysia where the three major races of Asia meet; South Asian (Indic), East Asian (Mongoloidic) and native Archipelago Southeast Asian (Malayic). It was the same even here among the Indians and Chinese immigrants that there was a clear preference for boys, but never the Malay. In older times, many Chinese even gave away baby girls and invariably it was the Malay who would happily take them in and adopt them as one of their own children. The Malay and their co-indigenous Indonesian neighbours are one Asiatic race that has no gender prejudice whatsoever. They don't even use paternal surnames. Malay women are fairly treated, there is no dowry by women and domestic violence or wife abuse is a small percentage of that of the immigrant races. Yet the Indians and Chinese think they are so much more 'civilised' races and look down on the Malay. How ironic. QQ Na - Singapore, Singapore Not every Indian family resorts to dowry and abandonment of female infants. My sister (who is a Chinese Singaporean btw) is dating a North Indian man and in his family; both his elder sisters are highly-educated (both had Masters) and have love marriages. It really depends on the family values of each individual. However, this doesn't mean that the actions of those who abort female fetuses should be condoned. Anyways, if this trend continues, perhaps polyandry (1 woman, many husbands) will be the way of life in India and China! zaman mohammad - khost, afghanistan This is Mohammad Zaman working us forces. I like the Indian peoples. I like to go to India because they are good peoples. This is shameful. Very sad news. I hope Indians do something about this. They might regret it someday. ashley rodriguez - fort morgan, colorado Well, I think that someone should not take the life of an unborn baby because that is just wrong. And women can also be very useful in many ways, sometimes in more ways then men. People of India need to realize that a baby is a special gift from God and you should not kill it! karina mendez - fort morgan, COLORADO This is dispicable & unacceptable. If they kill all of their women, their population is going to die down. So if they need to repopulate, how will that be possible if there are hardly any women left? EXACTLY. Brad Riegg - Portland, Oregon Abortion is murder. Whether you're talking about female or male babies, it's genocide either way. Imagine if we tolerated infanticide the same way we tolerate abortion. rachel khoer - philadelphia, PA I am sad to hear about the dowry where the female's parents must pay. In many Muslim countries, it is the male's parents who must pay the bride's family the dowry. India should make that a law as to put more value on having females. Daniel Williams - New York, NY India is a country battling with serious problems of female oppression and sexual crimes against women that are being ignored, denied or blamed on the victim - like in the recent case of young journalist Souyma Vishwanathan who was shot while driving home in Delhi. The city's Chief Minister blamed Souyma for being murdered and called her efforts to drive home at night "adventurous". Unfortunately, the ministers' response echoes a common attitude in India. You cannot really trust Indian statistics because so few cases are really reported in the country of actual crimes that occur. if the indian parents are going to killthe baby girls than is better to abort it... it is sad but let the indians in india laern the hard way and this dowry thing have to stop... cum on you indian man you merry a women cause you love her and want money from her parents.. be a man.. be like the white man's they are real gentleman you indians are scums. Meera Venkatachalam - Exeter, NH The topic is very disturbing but the coverage was thorough and interesting. The fact is, this issue is multifaceted. I have seen urban women who were bullied by their husbands and family to abort a female fetus when they had 1-2 girls at home. In one case, my mom's friend stood up to everybody and had the child. But some mothers and grandmothers are as much a part of the problem. They discriminate against their daughters and granddaughters, denying them opportunities for education and progress and instill in them a feeling of inferiority. They are often verbal abusers, deriding their daughters and spoiling their sons. In conversations, older women will criticize the next generation of women and complain that they have too much freedom. Until women support the next generation, there will not be much progress. This is for the woman from Lahore, Punjab: I understand that this is what you have grown up with, but you can't possibly think that this is your destiny! You have the power to invoke change, but you have to start with your mindset. Equal rights are not impossible, but you have to speak up, as well as all the other women. mumtaz khan - New York, NY The answer is in education. Then you will say that Westerners are more educated than anyone else. Then the answer is in Islam.I am telling anyone to become a Muslim, but read what Islam tells people about killing girls. Go to any good web site...and read for yourself. Best is to read the translation of Quran. 1450 years ago, Islam forbid killing of daughters. Education and fear of God are important. Islam tells us: Whosoever kills one soul is like killing the whole mankind and saving one soul is saving the whole mankind. Erin F - Allen, TX This video shocked me so much. I had heard of women in China aborting children for "practical" purposes, such as limits on children, but I had no idea this was going on in India as well. I am already opposed to abortion in general, but it made me so angry to know that people will abort their baby simply because she is a girl. And it makes me even angrier that the government essentially looks the other way while all of this is happening. What is the purpose in having a law if nobody really abides by it? I know that the parents in India think that by having sons they will carry on their family name, but it's pretty difficult to carry on a family name when the time comes that there are so few girls that most of the men can't get married and have kids anyway. It also bothers me with how much this exemplifies the idea of male dominance in Asian countries. By saying that male children are preferred to take care of their parents, that is essentially assuming that the daughters will never be anything more than housewives and baby makers. It seems very condescending to assume that women have nothing else to offer. I think the government needs to take bigger action in reducing female feticide. I am astonished that an atrocity such as this is happening in India and virtually no media coverage is occurring to make people aware. It will be interesting to see what happens once this generation of Indians grows up and struggles to find partners to marry due to the skewed gender ratio. It is saddening to watch women be pressured into aborting their daughters just so they can produce a male heir. I think the discrimination against Indian women is disgusting and needs to be stopped immediately before it completely alters the social structure of India. I am a teenager. After reading the story I now wonder that the missing girls in China and India results in Vietnamese women being traded abroad because there is lack of brides for grooms in these countries. I also imagine what happen in the future when the countries almost men, how can they get babies for next generations. I am very confused about why those parents do not love their children. How can mothers ignore to let their daughters die? Hi, this report is entirely true as far as north India (especially rural north India) is concerned. There are even villages without any daughters. But in the South it is different. I am from the State of Kerala in South India where the sex ratio is in favour of women. Manickam Muniandy - Kuantan, Pahang Baby girl or baby boy, it's the fate of woman to carry, but men must understand their responsibilities and be RESPONSIBLE. madison, Wi Its a true situation in India that boys are given preference over the girls. Why ? Son is a bread earner and because son would light their funeral pyre, etc, etc. Most importantly because son could demand dowry. Even today well educated girls, who select well educated groom for themselves are begged for lump sum amounts of money or jewelry etc etc indirectly by their well educated in laws. Thanks to the damn rituals and customs started or written by the so called pundits of the past (obviously men) that in no way are helpful to the bride's side. All the money on marriage celebrations are to be spent by the bride's parents. If the government enforces a law that the marriage expenses are shared equally between the groom and bride's side, it would make sense. Or on every girlchild, if the government gives certain privileges to the family, only then can the sex ratio be 1:1.The biggest hurdle is pampering the men in India. They are haughty and thanks to their mothers for bringing them up like that. Laura Holtz - North Adams, Ma Great work. Thanks for offering this piece. I'd love to see more from this journalist. Great eye-opener. With all do respect the cost is just too much. As an economist I see everything has a cost and everything has a benefit. The cost with girls sadly is too much and the benefit is very little. Besides it's us - Indians. We are all about saving money. If you can't afford it then you can't get it , whether it's a Beverly Hills mansion, a Mercedez Benz or a human baby. Livingston, New Jersey I was so impressed with this film. I am associated with an organization that has had as its benchmark Pro Choice. Since I am an advocate and believe in a woman's right to choose it is so difficult to watch this and understand how selective abortions are permitted. If a man and women choose to have an abortion it should not be to obliterate the female "race" from India.I hope that this film reaches those in India and helps in stopping this awful crime. Keep up the good work. Cindy Osmun - Redmond, WA This documentary led me to tears. When tradition and culture supercede morality, the only solutions are heart and priority change - love above money and the strength to do what you would want someone else to do for you. Hear the cries of millions of the unborn. It's no different in the US. L D - NY, NY I find it detestable that selective abortion is going on in India. It is a country with 1 billion people that aborts .5 million females a year. However I find it more detestable that in the US, a country with perhaps 1/3 of the population of India, over 1 million abortions take place every year. As shocking as this documentary may be to the sensibilities of some, I submit that a documentary which enters some of the poor neighboorhoods across the US would shock even more. But I suppose this is a more gripping issue because India is "out of balance" while the US kills in equivalent proportions? Seems like an example of the pot calling the kettle black. Hi there, I really enjoyed your film. Our charity operates a video sharing site based in London that specialises in films about global justice and issues. We have recently just finished re-launching our upload system which now is all flash based. We are trying to get the word out at the moment, and encourage people to upload to our system.The address is http://tv.oneworld.netPlease give it a go. Thanks, and thanks for making the film.JamieOneWorldTV John Lunt - St George, UT Is is possible that the imbalance of the youth may adversely affect the pysches of the young men? Perhaps leading them to be more war-like and thereby lead their country to confrontations with its neighbors in the future? The mentality of the people ought to change, can this be done through law??? Arlington, VA Good report. I guess south india does it differently this is from 2004 Glen Graves - Alamogordo, New Mexico The dowry system is only a problem for the Hindus. Christians in India are not concerned with dowry and do not abort female fetuses. We need to support the Christian churches of India. Jersey City, NJ I traveled in India for 4 months, the common joke amongst travelers was the worst thing ever happen to India... was Independence. I was often disgusted by the behavior of the MEN and their treatment of all women, (Indian or no). Uncouth, lecherous, ill-mannered, pushy, immature, impolite and just gross! The fate of females in Indian society won't improve until Indian mother's start raising their sons to be decent humans! Even outside India the women don't raise their sons well. Convent Station, New Jersey Very impressive and informative. Minneapolis, MN In a very simple though distasteful summary, the problem of female feticide in India can be simply boiled down to the fact that Indian girls are liabilities to a family while the boys are assets. Yes, it sounds terrible to describe this in such an inhumane manner, but how else can you summarize the situation when the birth of a girl automatically means the family will: 1) have to pay a huge dowry later on, and 2) will lose the girl and her work efforts to another family so she will not be able to support her birth parents? Whereas having a boy implies the exact opposite -- that the family will receive a hugh dowry down the road and the son will stay to take care of his parents and will have a wife to help him in the task. Until this social system changes, people in India will abort female fetuses. From the perspective of the parents, this is likely at best an issue of future well-being and at worst an issue of survival in old age. These concerns trump any concerns over the morality of aborting female fetuses. We can criticize how horrible it is, but any one of us in the same situation might behave the same way. India will start to pay the price for this down the road when young men then have to compete for a limited number of females and many men are left without spouses. There will be plenty of frustrated and lonely males and this will cause trouble. But then we'll find a surprising situation: with the number of females so low, there will be families with sons in essence "competing" for daughter-in-laws and then the families with daughters will be in the drivers' seats. One can imagine far into the future that if this kind of situation exists throughout the country, the price of the dowry will drop dramatically or even be eliminated completely. Or, how about this scenario...the father says "You want my daughter to marry your son? Well, so does my neighbor...what price are you going to pay ME for having a daughter-in-law?" Unfortunately, before we get to that time there will be much suffering for the bachelors and everyone else. - Springfield, Il Very nice work. One also wonders - are families who desire sons so strongly open to adoption...and will the tradition of last rites ever evolve to the point where they are able to be performed by the daughter? Isabel Margolin - Livingston, New Jersey As president of the New Jersey Section of a National organization promoting the wellbeing of women and children, I applaud Neil and Marisa's passion and skill in exposing this shameful practice in the medium of film. Sanjay Tiwari - New York, NY A very compelling piece. I wonder where this specific issue belongs in the broader scheme of things with regards to poverty and illiteracy. Also, It would be interesting to know if this issue has grown since the economic liberalization process began in the early 1990s. Sara, I understand your frustration and I am happy for you that you 'escaped' to the US and live happily there. But I think you are being a bit unfair. India is a poor developing country but yet the state subsidizes education (for boys and girls), so you can at least get your bachelors and escape. At least give us credit for that. It is not easy to be free, when you have been colonized for 150 years and have to look after a billion people. sara syed - houston, tx I was born, brought up in India till I was 24, when I managed to 'escape' to the US to get an MS. All I can say is...if at all you want to find the living defenition of 'abused second class citizens' ...look no farther than the Indian woman! Growing up in this culture...I was made to feel that I had to fend for myself [ if my parents could not afford to get me married because of either money or my looks - or the lack of a fair skin] and study all my nights away so I can make a livelihood for myself. My older brother on the other hand was allowed to do anything he pleased, which included, dropping out of high school, squandering money, doing drink and drugs and generally wasting his life...and yet... he is considered the ' asset' to our so called 'educated' family and he would constantly call me and my younger sister ' liabilities'.... I now live in the US, married to a non-Indian man ...and for the past 10 years of my life have known what true love, freedom, acceptance and security mean. manyam mallela - 94114, ca As an Indian I feel so ashamed of this immoral crusade against girl children. How can a nation that claims 4000 years of culture be so morally corrupt ? It baffles me and to an outsider looking at India they would only wonder how this is possible. All of the Indians including me are to be held responsible for this murderous acts. How can a country be called shining when it can't provide the opportunity to live for its most vulnerable population it's children. Many Indians feel helpless about their societal problems choosing inaction instead of fighting for justice. A nation that has gone this out of balance needs some radical action. Alcira Forero-Pena - New York, NY This problem is very complex; it has been explored and analyzed previously by economists such as Amartya Sen, and by noted anthropologists such as Barbara Miller. It should continue to be examined in the light of the expansion of an "open" economy, the worsening of patriarchal society's main features, and the poverty and lack of choices by large sections of South Asian and other populations. So it would be OK if the same number of boys were murdered as girls? Abortion is murder. Yardley, PA I am a big fan of your all your programs.I haven't see this show, but I think this is definitely something the world should know. I am originally from India, and Indians are quite aware of this practice in Northern India. But unfortunately it's a big social problem, all caused by the age old practice of dowry, where the girl's family have to pay huge sums of money to get her married. This is illegal, it has to be stopped.... Besides this practice , I feel women there are not treated as equal with men in most of the rural north India. I hope Indians worldwide should come together and do something about this social problem. Especially women and girl child. sachin sanghi - troy, michigan Other than dowry cost, the need for a sson is very deep rooted in the Hindu religion. Most people believe that to attain salvation, the last rites must be pefrormed by a son. Michelle Reynolds - Adelaide, South Australia One wonders how Indian society will respond once the present generation reaches marrying age - how will all these prized boys cope with not enough girls to go around? Pamela Robbins - San Francisco, CA Thought provoking and brilliantly done. Neil Samson Katz is an astute journalist who has created an insightful and extremely impressive piece of work. I look forward to seeing what comes next from this impressive reporter.
Football players and firefighters all in one morning. What more could preschool boys want? More importantly, what do they need to be able to thrive in school? More positive male role models is a good place to start. Toward that goal, Paul Nichols, first-year head football coach at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., is encouraging his staff and players to be a part of their community, not just their team. One of Nichols' new assistant coaches, Diauntae Morrow, helped lead a class of 4-year-olds on a recent field trip to the fire department. There, volunteer firefighters shared safety tips, put on their gear and let the children see inside a firetruck. Some of the boys were enthralled both with the former football player and firefighters in ways their teachers don't typically see. "What number do you call if a fire breaks out?" one firefighter asked the kids. He provided his own answer: "You call 911, but only if you really need help. It's not a game." Then he explained the familiar "stop, drop and roll," instructing the children to "roll like a hot dog" if their clothing ever catches on fire. "Just keep rolling until the fire is out." He knew his audience: "Never go back inside your house, not for anything, not even for a stuffed Daffy Duck. If you have a pet inside, we will try to get it." As the firefighter donned his intimidating gear, he told the kids not to be afraid of him. "Think of me as a person in a fireman costume at Halloween," he said. A visit to the fire station may be a once-a-year treat, but the excitement of the children — especially the boys — is a reminder that different teaching strategies need to come into play to reach kids with different learning styles, especially those with behavior or learning problems. Use visual aids, and find examples of your concepts that are relevant to the child. Go outside into nature, and provide space for students to spread out. Don't rely on boring lectures as your default teaching tactic. Some ideas for breaking out of a teaching rut while engaging kids of differing abilities include: Use music. It can make a big difference for students with behavioral or learning issues. Rhythm, melodies and songs can help children memorize and learn. Combine music and nature, such as making a rainstick out of a cardboard tube with rice inside. Let a child who is having trouble controlling his impulses turn it over and over. Head outside — not just for playground time, but for hands-on learning. Are you or your child's teacher always saying "use your words"? Your daughter might be able to do that, whereas boys are often less verbal and may not be able to problem-solve with words as well. "The Minds of Boys" (Jossey-Bass, 2007) by Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens explains that, often, boys and girls learn differently. Here are some preschool classroom tips pulled from the book: Boys need lots of room to play. When confined in small spaces, boys often get frustrated and discipline problems occur. Watch a preschool classroom of boys and girls, and you'll likely see that boys need more floor space and table space than many of the girls. Boys need books with lots of pictures, books that talk about how things work and how things grow, books about heroes and books about things they can take apart. Boys need blocks of all sizes, small and large, as well as interlocking so they can build, tear down and build again. Boys tend to move between tasks more slowly than girls and need more time for transitions. A new resource for teachers is "Writing the Playbook: A Practitioner's Guide to Creating a Boy-Friendly School" (Corwin, 2013) by educator Kelley King. King is a trainer for the Gurian Institute, which focuses on giving teachers new insight and strategies on gender differences in education. Email or call 704-236-9510.

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